Review & Giveaway: Align Dietary Supplement

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for your participation.
The winner is bison61!
Congratulations!

From the site: "Align is a daily dietary supplement that works naturally to help build and maintain a healthy, balanced digestive system. Align is an easy-to-swallow capsule that you take just once a day, every day to help even out the ups and downs of common digestive upsets such as constipation, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, urgency, gas, and bloating. Align capsules contain Bifantis, a unique probiotic strain that has been clinically proven to build and maintain a strong, healthy digestive system."

I admit that when I was first presented with this review opportunity, I had never heard of Align and wasn't sure I wanted to ingest something unfamiliar. I'm just strange like that. So I did the next best thing, I made DH take it. ;-)

Now, he wants everyone to know that he's a very regular person, if you now what I mean, and has no problem sitting on the throne a couple times a day. I kind of envy that about him. That's why he wasn't sure if Align would even benefit him but he was willing to give it a try.

Guess what? He actually liked the results. So much so that he inquired about purchasing more.

He was warned that he may feel a little bloated for the first week but it only happened on the 2nd day, and not even that bad. During the rest of the 30-day trial period, DH felt less gassy (a good thing for me), no bloating after eating, and a settled feeling in his lower abdomen. He felt it to be a great remedy for those who suffer from various digestive problems or are not able to eat as healthy as they would like. There's even a handy chart printed on the box which helps you keep track of your daily results and overall impression of the product.


How would you like to try it for yourself (or give it to your husband)? Align is giving away a 30-day supply to one lucky winner. To enter, just mention in comments before June 9th on what digestive problem you would like to remedy. That's it! A random winner will be selected and notified on June 10th. The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, just subscribe to my feed and/or mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here and to Align. Please let me know if you're doing/did the extra credit so I can make sure you're entered properly.

This giveaway is open to US addresses only. Don't forget to leave a way to contact you in case you win! Good luck!

Review: Sleep Symmetry System

Back to sleep.

That's the way I was taught to always remember that a child must be placed facing upward when lying down. It's a simple statement that carries a powerful meaning. However, because children are now constantly sleeping in this position, another concern has arisen - Positional Plagiocephaly.

According to Dr. Ricardo Hahn, "Positional Plagiocephaly occurs when an infant's head is flattened from lying in the same position for too long. Because baby's heads are soft to allow for rapid growth in their first year of life, their skull is susceptible to direct pressure from beds, cribs, strollers, carseats, etc. that force the bones to shift in a certain direction. It usually occurs in the first 8-12 weeks after birth."


To help prevent this, the Symmetry Sleep System positions your child on their back in such a way that their head rests gently to the side. The simple sleep indicator then reminds you to alternate the position of your child each time you lay them down to maintain equal pressure on the developing skull. Also included is a specially designed caliper to monitor the symmetry of your child's head.

I was sent a system to review but had no one to try it out on. So I decided to give it to my SIL since she recently had a baby boy. The main thing she liked about this system is that it was comfortable. After all, if the baby refuses to sleep in it, then what's the point? The sleep indicator was also a plus because when you're trying to function on minimal sleep, you need all the reminders you can get.

The Symmetry Sleep System was released late 2007 and can be purchased at Toys-R-Us for $79.99.

If you'd like more information on Positional Plagiocephaly, please view the following Q&A with Dr. Richard Hahn. If you have more questions, please feel free to email me and I'll make sure he receives them.

How can I tell if my baby is suffering from Positional Plagiocephaly?

Usually, the back of the baby's head, on the side will be noticeably flat. The ear on the flattened side may be pushed forward or the ears will be asymmetrical. A parent-friendly caliper can be used to measure the symmetry of baby's head.

What is Flat-Head Syndrome?

Flat-Head or Flattened-Head syndrome is just another name for the condition.

What causes Plagiocephaly?

The most common cause of Plagiocephaly is a baby's sleep position, caused by the long hours they spend lying on their back. Premature babies are more prone to Plagiocephaly because of their extremely soft skulls. Plagiocephaly can also develop in babies with neck muscles that are too tight (torticous) or before birth from pressure in the mother's womb.

Why have the incidences of Plagiocephaly increased?

Doctors have noticed an alarming increase of cases of Plagiocephaly in the past 15 years. This increase coincides with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) “Back to Sleep” campaign advocating that babies sleep on their backs to prevent SIDS. Although the 1992 “Back to Sleep” campaign has increased the incidence of flat head syndrome, the prevention of SIDS is still the top concern and by teaching the right prevention methods, Plagiocephaly too, can be prevented.

What can I do to prevent my baby from developing Plagiocephaly?

In addition to continuously repositioning your baby using the TOTS method (tummy time, opposite side of the crib, turn your baby's head and switch arms) Dr. Plagio, a leading family physician, of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California has partnered with Basic Comfort, the leading expert in sleep aides to bring to fruition the Symmetry Sleep System. This clinically designed sleep positioner prevents Plagiocephaly by taking the pressure off an infant’s skull while also providing a reminder system for parents to keep track of baby's sleep position.

Can the Symmetry Sleep System be used in harmony with the “Back to Sleep” campaign?

Yes. While preventing Plagiocephaly, the Symmetry Sleep System works in conjunction with SIDS prevention by preventing baby from rolling onto its stomach and also keeps baby's airways unobstructed.

How did the Symmetry Sleep System come about?

The Symmetry Sleep System is the result of three intense years of investigation and development conducted by the University of Southern California and Dr. Plagio. The Symmetry Sleep System was prototyped and patented by the Alfred E. Mann Institute for Biomedical Engineering with the six-fold increase in cases of Plagiocephaly since 1992. Dr. Plagio decided to partner with the leading expert in infant sleep aids to bring back the number of case to pre-1992 levels. While there are corrective measures available, many of them are extremely expensive and may not always be covered by insurance companies.

Does Plagiocephaly go away naturally?

Sometimes. In some cases Plagiocephaly does go away naturally, but without some sort of intervention there can be permanent medical damage. Some cases of Plagiocephaly do not correct themselves, even when found early. Correction might require the use of a very expensive helmet, even which might not prevent cases of facial abnormalities, problems with chewing, eating and vision.

Is Plagiocephaly mainly a cosmetic issue?

No. Although some physicians believe that Plagiocephaly is a self-correcting condition and concentrate only on SIDS prevention, cases of facial abnormalities, problems with chewing, eating and vision may occur without early intervention.

What treatment options are available for Plagiocephaly?

The best treatment is PREVENTION. The TOTS recommendation and the Symmetry Sleep System can be used to prevent Plagiocephaly before corrective treatments are needed. Corrective treatments usually involve a helmet to reshape the head BUT these devices are very expensive and may not always correct the deformity. To add insult to injury, many insurance companies refuse to pay for these treatments saying they are purely cosmetic.

Review: Simply Gargle

When I was younger, I remember my Mom diluting salt into a glass of warm water and making me gargle it whenever I had a sore throat.

Well, now there's Simply Gargle. The Simply Gargle Salt Water Rinse soothes and comforts a dry or irritated throat. What makes these great is the convenient sized travel pouches that you can throw into your bag as you're running out of the house.

"As the name implies, the gargle's ingredients are simple. Starting with a base of purified water, sodium chloride (salt), sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and benzoic acid, Simply Gargle then adds a variety of healthy antioxidants, including witch hazel, grape seed, sage, rosemary, and rosehips extracts, and plenty of Vitamin C. Combine all this into one convenient packet, and you have a healthy rinse that fits in your pocket or purse."

I was sent a sample package of Simply Gargle and decided to take it with me on my flight. After asking the passengers, "Chicken or Beef?" about 50 times, my throat does tend to get a little irritated. It actually worked pretty well. I was afraid that it may taste weird and make me want to gag (I hate to gargle) but found that I was able to use it just fine. It help sooth my dry throat and and I was all ready to start the next phase of the in-flight service.

Each dose is 0.4 fluid ounces and a 36-pack will cost approximately $17.00.

Thank you to the Parent Bloggers Network for this great review opportunity. Stop by their blog to read other reviews on this and many other products.

Product Review: Metamucil

I recently had the opportunity to review a couple of new items from Metamucil - Fibersure & Berry Blast. Actually, I made DH try them since he's always been a big fan of the leading competition. The only thing he didn't like about the "other" product was that the tablets had a chalky taste and a glass of water always had to be kept handy.

Not so with Metamucil.

Now, if it were me, I would just add Fibersure to my everyday cooking so that no one would know the difference. However, DH is the type to just go for it. He added it to plain water and amazingly it quickly desolved. It looked like an ordinary glass of water! He couldn't even taste the difference! What a great way to get your 20% of the daily recommended allowance of fiber.

Now the Berry Blast was more for me since I prefer things with a little taste. The powder mixed into a clear reddish liquid and it actually looked like juice! Even my daughter wanted to try it. The taste was not too sweet and I was able to completely drink it without constantly thinking about what it was. That was amazing.

Of course, everyone knows that Metamucil is a great way to get your daily dose of fiber. But did you know that it's also great for preventing heart disease by lowering cholesterol? So, even if you're a pretty regular person, Metamucil can still benefit your overall health.

In our opinion, Metamucil is a great product. In fact, DH has decided to switch over and see if COSTCO sells it in bulk! How's that for an endorsment?