INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Uterine fibroids are hormonally mediated, much like tumors caused by breast cancer (although fibroids are not cancerous). Studies have shown that women who exercise regularly are less likely to develop fibroids.  Studies also suggest that the more physically active you are, the more that exercise will help you prevent fibroids. Women who exercised 7 or more hours per week were significantly less likely to develop fibroids over a period of several years than women who exercised two hours or less per week.  Research suggests that vigorous exercise is much more helpful in reducing your risk than light or moderate exercise. Vigorous exercise for 3 or more hours per week may reduce your risk of developing fibroids by 30-40%. (However, even light exercise is better than no exercise at all!) Research indicates that fibroids are more likely to occur in overweight or obese women (i.e., those with a BMI above the “normal” range). This may be because of the higher levels of estrogen in obese women.  Being overweight increases your risk of developing fibroids by about 10-20%.  Very obese women are two to three times more likely to develop fibroids than women within a normal BMI range.  You can calculate your BMI using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website here. Or, you can use the following formulas: weight (kg) / [height (m)]2 or weight (lb) / [height (in)]2 x 703. Some research has shown that green tea may help prevent the development of fibroids in rats. While it has not been confirmed in humans, green tea has numerous other health benefits, so it can’t hurt.  Green tea has been shown to reduce the severity of fibroid symptoms for women who already have fibroids.  If you are sensitive to caffeine, avoid over-consuming green tea. It is higher in caffeine than some other teas and can cause nausea, jitteriness, or irritability in some people. Several studies suggest that consuming red meat is linked to an increased risk of developing fibroids. Eating green vegetables is associated with a decreased risk.  No evidence currently exists that suggests changing your diet will “prevent” fibroids. However, the health benefits of reducing red meat consumption and eating green vegetables are significant. Red meat consumption has been linked to many health issues, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and early mortality. Green vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants.  Eat foods high in Vitamin D, such as fatty fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel). Vitamin D may reduce your risk of developing fibroids by over 30%. Vitamin D can also shrink the size of existing fibroids.  Some research suggests that increasing dairy consumption — milk, cheese, ice cream, etc. — may reduce the risk of developing fibroids in African American women. Some websites and “alternative” health sources suggest that remedies exist that can prevent or “cure” fibroids. Common remedies include enzymes, dietary changes, hormone creams, and homeopathy. There is no scientific evidence to support any of these treatments. Although researchers are not entirely certain why this is the case, women who have been pregnant have a lower risk of developing fibroids.  Pregnancy may also reduce the size of existing fibroids in some cases. However, some fibroids may get bigger during pregnancy. Because fibroids are poorly understood, there is no way of knowing whether your fibroids will grow or not during pregnancy.  Some research suggests that the protective effect of pregnancy is strongest during and immediately after pregnancy than for women whose pregnancies were farther in the past.

SUMMARY: Exercise regularly. Manage your weight. Drink green tea or use green tea extract. Consider changing your diet. Recognize sham remedies. Understand that pregnancy and childbirth may have protective effects against developing uterine fibroids.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: One simple and classy addition to your own stationary is the addition of letters, such as your initials, or maybe just the first letter of your first or last name. Using a linoleum block, you can make a nice stamp with your initials. You should be able to find all the tools for this stamp in a craft store.  Sketch out your monogram or design it in a word-processing program. Trace a pencil over your printed monogram, then lay it face down on a linoleum block. Scribble over the block to transfer those pencil lines to the block. Use a linoleum knife to cut the shape into the block (deep, but not all the way through), then cut the monogram out of the block to create a stamp. Placing a picture or photograph on the front of a card can make more personal, especially if the picture has some meaning to both you and the recipient. Print out a picture of your choosing, and glue it to the front of a card.  Your picture can be on any type of paper you would like, though you may want to avoid high quality glossy photo paper, especially if you are making a lot of cards, as it can be quite expensive. You can also add the look of a frame to your pictures by cutting out some colored paper and placing that underneath your picture. Different colors or adding more than one border gives you some flexibility in designs. Just make sure your picture doesn’t take up the entire front of your card so there is room for the border. Using bright green leaves you can find in nature, you can add a natural look to paper. Place the leaf on your paper with a lightweight white paper towel on top. Gently hammer the spot where the leaf is until you see the green soak through the paper towel. Pull off the towel, gentle remove the leaf from the paper, and let it dry. There are many different leaves out there which will give you many different kinds of greens. Go ahead and experiment with different types until you get a shade and shape that you like. To add a touch of color, you can add small squares of fabric to the front of your cards. Cut out a square of fabric, making sure it is not bigger than your actual card. Stich it to the card using  sewing machine or  sewing by hand. This will probably give you a bunch of cards that all look slightly different, rather than being uniform, unless you have a lot of some kind of fabric. This can also be a good way to get rid of excess fabric without just throwing it away. You can also add some slight scents to make your card stand out and be a pleasant surprise for the recipient. Take some cotton pads, and add a few drops of a scent you like, such as scented oils or perfume. Put the cotton pads at the bottom of a plastic container, then cover the pads with a piece of cardstock. Spread your stationary on top of the cardstock and close the top for 24 hours. You can repeat by adding more oil to the cotton pads to get a stronger scent. The cardstock is important because you don’t want the oils to get directly on your paper and damage it. All you want is the smell, not the liquid.

SUMMARY:
Use a monogram. Put on pictures. Make a leaf stamp. Sew on fabric. Add scents.