Let’s Talk about Butts, Colon Cancer and Dude Wipes!

A month or two ago I was contacted by Dude Products, a local Chicago company run by some cool dudes that offers some men’s cleansing wipes. Oh yeah, I said it, Dude Wipes. Now before we get on the topic of the Dude Wipes, I wanted to tell you why I decided to work with them, even though most of my readers are women. Dude Products teams up with The Colon Club, a colon cancer charity. I’m a big believer that if you’ve got the ability to sell a product to the masses you’ve got the ability to give back. So once I saw that I knew it was an opportunity to give everyone a little bit of info on that good ole’ colon and that Dude Products was a great company!

So when you think about colon cancer, what do you think?

Do you think that colon cancer is the 2nd leading type of cancer related death in the US?

I sure didn’t. I  knew that colon cancer affected quite a few individuals across the United States, but I had no idea to how many.

According to Fight Colorectal Cancer, in 2014 approximately 137,000 men and women will get diagnosed with colon cancer and approximately 50,000 will die from it.

Fight Colorectal Cancer, also tells us that 1 in 20 will be diagnosed in their lifetime and that

1 in 3 adults (men and women) are not up to date on recommended colorectal cancer screenings.

Most cases, according to Colon Cancer Alliance, occur in adults over the age of 50 and 20% of diagnosis is found after the cancer has spread to other organs.

But for the most part, the important thing to take away is that colon cancer affects both men and women and can easily be prevented with regular screenings.  Depending on your risk factors and what type of screening you get (Felxible Sigmoidoscopy, Colonoscopy, Enema, Colonography) depends on how often you should be getting screened but according to the American Cancer Society, the time line is generally every 5-10 years after you’ve turned 50. Obviously you should consult with your doctor about your risk factors and what type they recommend.

Now what about the Dudes from Dude Products!?

When I looked at the Dude Products website, I had to say I had a good laugh, they make butt wipes. They market them for men, in a funny, casual way that makes them totally relatable. As much as I tried to get the men in my life to give me a full on review of the products (hello! They all got some samples for in their stocking for Christmas!) telling me about how they liked the wipes was not going to happen. As much as I insisted! Although I’m pretty sure they’ve all used them and just don’t want to tell me. Telling their daughter and sister-in-law about their butt-cleansing habits was not on their list of things they want to share with me!

Here’s the 411 on the wipes! They’re not just for guys, the ladies can use them too! They’ve got Vitamin E and Aloe in them so they’re not scratchy and they’re moisturizing. They’re flushable! and of course, 5% of the proceeds get donated to the Colon Club. They don’t have a girly scent, which it seems a lot of other wipes on the market can have, and they’re super reasonably priced (hey-o you can even get a monthly subscription!)

These Dudes totally know what they’re doing when it comes to marketing, they’ve been featured in a ton of magazines, sponsored some HUGE events (Lolla, TBox) in Chicago and have even been on MTV! Beyond how creative their approach is and what a great product it is, they’re out there spreading the word about taking care of your bum! Which is so important!

So if you’ve got a guy in your life that needs a little extra cleaning or care, check out the Dude Wipes! And also, don’t forget to talk to your doctor about your risk factors and get those SCREENINGS! Colon Cancer is easily detected and there’s no reason why you can’t catch it early.

Want a package of Dude Wipes for your Dude? (Or Yourself?) Enter the giveaway below!
***Dude Products provided me with some samples to hand out to some dudes, and the package of Dude Wipes for the Giveaway. But all opinions are my own! ~Giveaway is open to US Residents Only, 18 and up~

 

Click this Link Below to enter!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How I’ve (knock on wood) Avoided Cold and Flu Season

When I went home for Christmas my dad was sick as a dog. Coughing, sniffling and just sounded down right terrible. When I got back, one of my bosses was sick as well. In a normal Angela world, I would have been sick before I even left my parent’s house and would have continued to be sick well into February. Yeah, I’m not joking. Up until May of 2013, I would get sick ever 2-3 weeks and would stay sick for months. In 2012, I caught whopping cough, and was sick for nearly 4 months. And let me tell you, I tried EVERYTHING. I did sinus rinses, I did antibiotics, I did hot showers, I downed more vitamins than you could possibly imagine. I visited every specialist I could think of, trying to figure out just why I was continuing to get bronchitis every other month. I even got rare lung conditions and childhood diseases that maybe I didn’t get tested for.  I went to regular doctors, I went to acupuncturists, I went to chiropractors. And got no where. All they said? Post Nasal Drip.

After over 2 years of working with an allergist and asthma specialist and consuming more antibiotics than probably necessary, I switched to a well known ENT in Chicago. At this point, I figured there HAD to be something done that I was missing. And FINALLY, after close to 10 years of being sick on and off for the better part of 6-8 months a year, it started getting better.

Now I don’t directly relate my health to the ENT, they did prescribe me a nasal steroid which has dramatically helped my post nasal drip. I was also on allergy shots for about 4-5 months which definitely helped.

So what do I think really changed my health?

100% my diet.

Before I went to Argentina I really went on a diet over haul and went right into clean eating. I’ve talked about it before and how I feel AWESOME when I’m not eating overly processed foods and make everything myself. I limit how much sugar I eat and almost completely cut out junk food (there’s always a cheat day here and there). When I came back I fell off a bit but I’m getting back on track to eating clean, well as clean as I can get myself to (about 85% of the time).

But as much as I eat clean and super healthy there are still some additional things I do when I feel like I’m coming down with something.

• The INSTANT I feel like I’m getting even a hint of sick. A little sore throat, a runny nose or even minorly achy. I start downing Emergen-C. I usually shoot for 2 a day, mixed with OJ because Emergen-C is nasty.
• On top of the Emergen-C, I drink a ton of orange juice.
• I sit in the hottest bath I can tolerate.
• I down as much green-tea as I can stomach. (usually 3-4 cups a day)
• and I SLEEP. I don’t go out with friends, I don’t go out period. I sleep. I come home from work, put my pajamas on (ok I do that every day anyways) and literally eat dinner and go to bed.

When I got home after spending the holidays with family, I starting feeling like I was catching what my dad had. And I was like #hellno I have gone since my birthday (June 15 incase you’re planning ahead on what you want to get me! jk jk) without being remotely sick. My diet, my nasal steroids and my fast acting methods for preventing it coming on has kept it that way! And let me tell you…I did not get sick! Being around 2 people who were pretty ill, and I STILL managed to not get sick.

I cannot tell you how much changing my diet has literally changed my life and my health. I used to just sit and eat boxed macaroni and cheese, cheese-its and lots of diet coke. I bought pre-packaged, pre-made meals that were out of ease and convenience and it didn’t do me any good. Eliminating processed foods, eating a healthy balance of veggies, protein and carbs keep my energy up, my immune system up and running and has prevented me from getting ill in record time! I can’t and wont ever go back to the way I ate before.

What techniques do you have for avoiding the flu season?

 

How to Climb Back on The Fitness Wagon When You Fall Off!

So my failure to meet my weightloss goals really hit me yesterday. I realized that I’ve really started to slack off on everything in general. I was counting calories, watching what I ate, walking at least a mile a day, and wearing my FitBit daily. Then all of a sudden I just stopped. Even wearing my FitBit!

When it started getting cold out, I started taking the bus, which eliminates my mile long walk to and from work (seriously walking over both the Chicago River AND the expressway = freeze your ass off, the bus is just warmer). Instead of replacing my walk with some sort of other physical activity, I’ve been sucked into the hole of suck that is The Voice, and Peaky Blinders…and Marco Polo starts this weekend too…so there’s that. There’s no activity going on during my binge sessions…unless it involves lifting the dog on the couch or getting one of them to lay closer to me, because you know, snuggles.

I was doing really good with my diet, and even that I’ve fallen off. It’s challenging when you’re heading out to lunch on the regular (even within my lunch budget!) and after a long day of work you just DO.NOT.WANT.TO.COOK. I’ve even started drinking alcohol a little again. Which to my surprise has not resulted in hangovers.

Even though I’m sorely disappointed in myself for completely slacking off the last month. I realized that:

It’s OK to fall off the wagon!

(Unless you’re battling a serious addiction, then no, its not ok. Stay on the wagon!!!) 

When it comes to diet and exercise, in a dream world, we’d all be super commited and never falter and always stick to the plan and routine. But in reality, it doesn’t always work like that! You just have to make sure that when you do fall off…

You pick yourself up, dust the crumbs off your shirt. And climb back up (particularly with with weights attached to your feet, while climbing a rock wall and breaking a sweat) 

Don’t be too hard on yourself. You have to give yourself the opportunity to fail, because if you don’t fail, how can you learn? Mistakes are the BEST way to learn what not to do for the future. Failure is ultimately a part of succes. When I realized that I was really failing my goal, I said ok, well I know that I’m slacking. What can I do DIFFERENTLY this time?

So today, I’m looking back at what was working, and what hasn’t worked in me getting in shape and meeting my goals for weightloss. \

Things that worked for me:

1. The FitBit. It made me super competitive with myself, making sure I reached the 10k steps each day. Now that I’m not walking as much with the cold weather, I need to find an alternative approach to reach those steps.  I just need to start wearing it again. I need a new band and maybe something that will look cute over top of it. Got any suggestions?
2. Calorie Counting: KINDA. When I was calorie counting I did notice an improvement in my diet. I was more aware of what I was eating and how much. I did manage to get myself down a few lbs this way, but its SUPER hard to keep up with. Even with MyFitnessPal, I have to re-create all my recipes on the site in order to accurately count.  I think in order to really be successful with the MyFitness Pal and counting calories, I have to meal plan and really spend some time entering foods I normally eat.
3. Taking the train to work. This made a HUGE difference. But in the winter time, its just not going to happen. As much as I’d like to say oh, I’ll stick it out in the cold. When its 10 degrees and you’re walking a mile…the bus that drops you off right infront of the building is a much better option.
4. Shopping Smart/Eating Clean: I never was 100% eating clean, like probably 80%. We get a lot of catered lunches at work and its hard to do in those instances. But I not only saved a ton of money by making my own sauces, shredding my own cheese, and buying non-processed foods. But I started slipping alot because those pre-mixed frozen risottos and gnocchi from Trader Joes are delicious and super easy to make. I still try to shop smart, and buy as much fresh produce and as many staples I can per week, but I’ve noticed I end up tossing a lot of veggies because I don’t eat them quick enough.
5. Drinking water. I stopped drinking pop months ago. Occassionally I’ll have a diet coke or an italian soda from TJ’s but its so rare. I even stopped drinking Snapple Peach Tea…

What didn’t work for me:

1. Yoga in the morning. Ha. EPIC FAIL. I did it for a week, stayed up late one night and haven’t been able to get back on track. It’s incredibly difficult for me to wake up when its still dark. Thats my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
2. Classes. I so tried. I got two different ones, a Pure Barre (hated it) and a Bikram Yoga unlimited pass for 6 weeks. I had 5 classes of the Pure Barre and went to 2 because I disliked it so much and it was super out of my way. The Bikram Yoga I actually like, it just came at a super bad time. About two weeks in of me going 2-3 times a week, my grandma went into the hospital and then shortly after passed away. So my remaining 4 weeks of my pass were spent me shuttling back and forth to Michigan. By the time I did have time to go, I was so emotionally exhausted I couldn’t even think about it.
3. Meal Planning. Meal planning is an EXCELLENT way to prep healthy meals and snacks for a week, or a month. For me, it usually fails. If I wasn’t cooking for just myself it may be more successful. But since its just me, eating the same dish for a week straight. I also don’t have the energy or time to plan 7 different meals for the week. I try to make things in bigger batches so I have a few days of leftovers for lunch.

What am I going to try this time around?

1. Meal PREP. Not planning since I just can’t get myself to really do the meal planning. I really want to take some time to slice, dice, mince and prep all the veggies/fruits I buy. But also make a weeks worth of breakfast. The Breakfast Bites and Burritos that I made REALLY helped keep me on track. Even though I don’t want to make a ton of meals ahead of time, I do want to start making even bigger batches of things and freezing them so I have a quick grab in the morning for lunch. (Here are a few blogs with some tips on Freezing Produce and Pasta! Or head over to my Pinterest Board for more ideas!) Those quick grab and go breakfasts/lunches keep me from going out to lunch. Going out to lunch = WAY more calories (and dollars!).
2. Some sort of workout. Whether it be in the morning or evening, a quick 10-15 minute daily workout is all I want and need. I really like this one from FitSugar. Its super quick, easy to do at home with zero equipment.  Since waking up early is most definitely not going to happen, maybe a quick little workout before bed may help me sleep a little better. 
3. More Water and Green Tea. Even though I really do drink primarily water…ok and coffee. I need to make sure I’m drinking the 64 ounces a day I should be drinking. And some green tea, because its really good for your metabolism.  The water makes a huge difference in my skin and overall health. And if I need some flavor, the green tea should work just perfectly!
4. Stretch. I do not stretch nearly enough. Stretching like yoga, can help blood flow, reduce pain, increase oxygen and can help you relax. It wakes me up a little when I stretch in the morning…I really must do it more often.
5. Remind myself daily that I have a goal I want to reach. Whether it be a post it note, a reminder on my phone or something to keep me motivated a daily mantra to get me back into shape will hopefully help!

What other tips do you have for getting back on the fitness wagon when you fall off?