Balance Newsletter - February 2009

Welcome to Balance!

Hi there, and greetings from all of us at Balance Austin.  Thanks for signing up for our newsletter and remember to pass this on to your friends who could use a little balance in their lives. 

Go Red for Women!

February is National Heart Month, the month that the American Heart Association campaigns to raise awareness of women and heart disease with Go Red for Women.  Luckily, heart disease is largely preventable, but only if you choose to act.

So protect yourself and act now.  Eat better, exercise more and listen to your body.  Heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases are the number one killer of women.  Each year these diseases claim the lives of more than 460,000 women. That’s more lives than are claimed by the next five causes of death, including breast cancer, combined.  In fact, one woman in every three will die of heart disease this year.

To learn more about the Go Red Movement and how you can live a healthier lifestyle, visit www.goredforwomen.org.

February is also National Children’s Dental Health Month

Keeping a healthy smile starts with your child's first tooth.  February is National Children's Dental Health Month - a good time to make sure your kids have regular checkups and are brushing two to three times a day.  The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends that children have their first visit to a dentist by the time they get their first tooth or by the time they are a year old.  The ADA also has games and puzzles your kids can play to learn more about keeping their teeth strong and healthy.

Especially for Kids

Being a parent is the most important job we can have.  Whether you are a working mom or stay-at-home mom, we have found a great website to keep the time you do have with your children productive while still fun and creative.  Retired California educator Kathy Gursky compiled her years of experience into a fun, interactive, and user-friendly website, www.theschoolbell.com.   School-aged children pre-K to 5th grade can hone their skills and take a creative leap all while still learning and having fun!  This is a great site for rainy-days and to keep them thinking while on vacations.  Check it out!  We hope to spark a little fun into your time!   

Sunday Morning Balance Breakfast Hour

Sunday mornings at 8am on Majic 95.5 are the home of the Sunday Morning Balance Breakfast music feature, and it continues to generate playlists from you, our loyal balance audience – thanks for sending them in!  In January, special thanks to Catherine Greenfell for programming the New Year’s edition.  For your efforts Catherine, we're going to send you a Balance New Year’s gift!

If you have a playlist that could set the tone for a relaxed morning, click here and submit five songs.  This is your chance to program music for the masses!  The next Sunday Morning Balance Breakfast Hour will be at 8am on February 15th, on Majic 95.5.

Balance Favorites

Texas Beef Council Cook Book

The Texas Beef Council has a fantastic website dedicated to the healthy options in cooking with beef.  You can search by ingredient, course or create your own personalized book of recipes.  Click here for some mouth watering ideas! 

Featured Health Tip

When you’re young, active and healthy, high medical costs can seem far away. That’s why many Texans forgo individual coverage.  Monthly premiums may seem like a financial burden, and it can be hard to foresee the potential catastrophic costs of an accident or injury.

But the truth is that one uninsured day in the hospital can easily throw you into many years of debt. Not to mention that skipping annual, preventive doctors visits because you don’t have insurance only adds to the possibility that you’ll need major medical treatment in the future.

To protect your long-term health and finances, talk to a health insurance broker or an insurance company such as Scott & White Health Plan about finding the right health plan for you. Many insurance carriers have comprehensive plans to help individuals and families no matter their medical requirements or available budget. You need to shop around for the plan that’s the best match for you.

So look at it this way: If the bad news is that you’re too old to be on your parents’ health plan, the good news is you’re old enough to start taking control of your health and finances.  Or if the bad news is your employer doesn’t offer coverage–or you’re self-employed–the good news is you have the freedom and flexibility to choose the right plan for you.  No matter what, the best news is: You can find affordable, comprehensive health coverage that works for you.

To learn more, log on to the Health and Wellness section at www.balanceaustin.com, brought to you by Scott & White Health Plan.

Monthly Podcast – Tiffany Taylor of Tiff’s Treats

Tiffany Taylor moved to Austin in 1997 to begin school at UT.  She started Tiff’s Treats, the nations’ first warm cookie delivery service, as a sophomore in college with her partner Leon Chen in January of 1999. Initially, Tiff’s Treats was run only in the evenings, but upon graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a BS in Advertising, Tiffany, along with her partner Chen, expanded Tiff’s Treats to full-time hours in May of 2001. Tiff’s Treats has since expanded to include 2 stores in Austin and a location in Dallas with plans for more Austin and Dallas locations to come.  Click here to learn a little bit more about Tiffany and how she creates balance in her life.

Balance Event's This Month

• February 10th – Tiara Tuesday – 6pm-8pm, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse downtown
• February 12th – 15th – Sesame Street Live – Frank Erwin Center – Click here for tickets

For details on these events and others visit the events pages at www.mix947.com and www.majic.com

Feedback

From everyone at balanceaustin.com, thank you for your support!  Help us grow this community by providing feedback on how to improve the website content or if you have stories or tips to share.  We hope you enjoy the website.