Boyfriend Takes Out A Billboard To Protest His Ex’s Abortion

Thursday, September 8, 2011 0 comments

Many pro-choice women feel that abortion is a personal decision that a woman makes regarding her body.Some even feel that a man has no say in the decision to abort since it is the women's body that is affected by the pregnancy. Some women are less inclined to cut the man entirely out of the decision.  Similarly, men have different views on it that run the gamut. One New Mexico man took news of his ex-girlfriend's abortion to an extreme, and attempted to publicly humiliate her.

In anger over his girlfriend's abortion, Greg Fultz took out a billboard displaying a picture of him holding the outline of an infant. The billboard read: "This Would Have Been A Picture Of My 2-Month Old Baby If The Mother Had Decided To Not KILL Our Child!"

Related: Really?! Woman allows son's murderer to move in next door

Friends of the woman, Nani Lawrence, claim she had a miscarriage, not an abortion.

The controversial billboard has touched off a court battle over free speech and privacy rights. Lawrence is suing Fultz for harassment and violation of privacy. A court official has also recommended having the billboard removed. Fultz's attorney claims that's a free speech violation.

Even the pro-life group that initially backed the billboard, Right to Life New Mexico is now requesting to have its name removed from the sign. The $13,000 billboard was paid for by Fultz and through donations. If the sign is not ordered to be removed by the court, it will stay up for three months.

Related: Could this weird tip REALLY save your marriage?

Fultz says he has every right to a say in the pregnancy:

"It's my belief that fathers should have a say regarding pregnancy. Women have all the power when it comes to pregnancy. The men get no say when a woman wants to go and have an abortion without the say of the father."

What's astounding is that Fultz himself says he is not completely sure the fetus was aborted: "If it was abortion, then my purpose is to try to prevent this from happening to someone else."

Drinking Water: Are You Doing it Right?

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Is it true that I'm supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day?

No. "Eight a day" is a myth. What you really need is enough fluid to replace what you lose each day in your sweat, urine, breath, and other bodily excretions. That's about 8 to 10 cups of water. Since we get about 4 cups' worth from fruits, vegetables, and other foods, that leaves 4 to 6 cups for you to make up with beverages. Tea, coffee, juice, even soda count (though it's also smart to avoid empty calories) toward your total. Of course, you may need more in hot weather or if you're exercising or being more physically active than usual. So if you're still thirsty, sip more.

Is it true that drinking too much water is dangerous?

Fact. "Water intoxication" is common among marathon runners, but it can also happen to anyone who's exerting themselves for an extended period and guzzling lots of H2O. Physical stress like exercise reduces the kidneys' ability to send urine to the bladder for excretion. Drink too much, and fluid levels could build in your body and brain, making brain cells swell and leading to headaches, nausea, vomiting, disorientation, and in some cases, death. To avoid it, drink enough to quench your thirst, not gallons. And if you need to drink large amounts of fluid, use Gatorade, Propel, Powerade, or other similar drinks that have vitamins and electrolytes besides just water.

PLUS: Cold Water Remedies

Should I use a water filter at home?

Yes, if water tests show that your drinking water contains pollutants or if it has an unpleasant taste or color. The right filter can remove impurities and toxins, including bacteria, copper, lead, mercury, parasites such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium, pesticides, radon, and volatile organic chemicals such as methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) and dichlorobenzene and trichloroethylene (TCE).

There are many types of filters on the market, from activated carbon filters that fit on your faucet to whole-house "anion exchange" systems, so your first step is to learn what you need to filter out of your water. Ask your local water-treatment authority for a report on your water quality. If you're on a private well or want more in-depth information, consider hiring a private water-testing company.

If you simply don't like the way your water smells or tastes, an activated carbon filter may be all you need in order to enjoy your drinking water again.

Why can't I cook with hot tap water? Why must it be cold, even if I'm going to heat it anyway?

Hot water can dissolve tiny amounts of lead from your plumbing system. Older homes may have lead pipes, but even new plumbing that's lead free can still contain lead in brass fitting or faucets or in copper pipes with soldered joints. In one study, tap water accounted for up to 20 percent of human exposure to lead. Boiling doesn't help in faceit can further concentrate lead, which can damage your brain and nervous system. If you're using a faucet that hasn't been in use for the past 6 hour or some, first flush the piped by letting the cold water run until it's as cold as it will get.

Delicious food, disgusting ingredients

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A guide to the bugs, hairs and secretions in your favorite treats

A guide to the bugs, hairs and secretions in your favorite treats

On the latest episode of Jaimie Oliver's Food Revolutionthe food activist chef came up with a brilliant way to break kids of their sweet tooth habit. He showed them what their desserts are really made of. Each kid got to make his or her own sundae and after they gobbled it down, he broke down some of more revolting ingredients in their high-calorie grub. It's a radical approach but it may just be the cure for those late night binges. With that in mind, we collected some disgusting byproducts found in our favorite foods, to brainwash us into eating less of it. Will it work? It's worth a shot.

Photo by: thinkstock photos
Food: Vanilla ice cream

Food: Vanilla ice cream

Photo by: thinkstock photos
Secret Ingredient: A beaver's behind

Secret Ingredient: A beaver's behind

Many vanilla-flavored products like ice cream incorporate an ingredient called castoreum, which is a fancy word for the dried anal glands of a beaver.

Photo by: thinkstock photos
Food: Bread, Rolls and Bagels

Food: Bread, Rolls and Bagels

Photo by: thinkstock photos
Secret ingredient: Hair

Secret ingredient: Hair

L-Cyesteine is a dough conditioner used in mass-produced bread products like bagels, donuts, rolls and crackers. And guess what's needed to make L-Cyesteine? Hair. A recent study by the Vegetarian Resource Group found that human hair and hog hair were still used industry-wide, giving new meaning to the term "all-natural".

Photo by: thinkstock photos
Food: Shredded cheese

Food: Shredded cheese

Photo by: thinkstock photos
Secret ingredient: Sawdust

Secret ingredient: Sawdust

The ingredient used to keep many packaged shredded cheeses from clumping is powdered cellulose, which is a fancy way of saying wood pulp that's been chemically processed. Look out for the ingredient in your ice cream too.


5 Reasons Your Workout Isn't Working

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Co-President Joey Gonzalez of Barry's Bootcamp, the high-intensity workout that helps celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Jessica Alba and Jake Gyllenhaal stay in amazing shape, reveals where he thinks most women's workouts go wrong—and what you can do to fix it.

1. You do one or the other: cardio or body sculpting.
 "Don't get me wrong, half of our class is cardiovascular, but the strength training is equally as important, and that's really what helps kick metabolism into high gear," Gonzalez says.

2. You ignore weights. "What you're doing when working out is building muscle, and muscle is an integral part of actually burning calories throughout the day. With weights, your body is burning 'x' amount of calories more an hour than it was before you did it—and that's not true of cardio. That's why women who tend to use weights and bring it into their regular exercise program are not only stronger and healthier, but on average have better bodies. If you touch their arms they're strong, they're not soft. Women complain about 'flarm' (laughs), the flabby arm area, and, really, the best way to target that is working your triceps."

RELATED: 10 Yoga Poses That Boost Metabolism

3. You think the more you do, the more fat you're going to burn. "This is not necessarily the case. When you're doing cardiovascular at an intense level for an extended period of time, your body goes into what's called a 'steady state' and it actually begins to burn its own muscle. That's obviously very counter-productive, so you can actually do more harm than good sometimes when you're going too crazy on the cardio."

4. You forget that one pace doesn't win the race.
 "You're supposed to vary levels of exertion in order to optimally burn fat. These kinds of things all date back to the caveman days when that's how you'd hunt. First of all, bikes didn't even exist so there you have that (laughs). Second of all, when you went out, when would you ever run 60 minutes at a 7.0? It just never happened. You'd be walking down a path and then maybe you'd see something in the bushes so you'd start jogging, and then you'd go slower, and then you'd sprint to it, raise a rock, and kill it. That's how the human body responds, and that's kind of what we base our workouts by."

RELATED: Bob Harper's Bikini Body Workout

5. You think there are "men's" and "women's" workouts.
 "Honestly, the women get through [BBC classes] just as easily, if not easier, than the men. Women are very, very strong and resilient and I've just been impressed over the 7 years of my career."

Did You Know You Can Sunburn Your EYES?

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When you think sunburn, you probably picture bright red shoulders, a lobster red chest or a nose that rivals Rudolph. While most of us are savvy enough these days to lather our skin with sunblock before heading outdoors, many of us forget to protect another important body part from those harmful ultraviolet rays. Did you know that you can sunburn your eyes? A new survey by the American Optometric Association found that 35 percent of Americans are unaware of the risk UV radiation poses to their eyes. Both adults and children are at risk for sunburned eyes and the effects can be both short and long-term. 

Related: What's the Real Difference Between 15, 30, and 45 SPF?

How do you know if you've sunburned your eyes? The symptoms include redness or irritation, tearing, pain,a gritty feeling almost like there's sand in your eyes, blurry vision and temporary vision loss (calledphotokeratitis, or snow blindness). People often mistakenly believe they've gotten too much chlorine or salt water in their eyes when in fact they've sunburned their eyes. How do you tell the difference? "With sunburned eyes, you will get that gritty, sandy feeling. When you've gotten too much chlorine or ocean water in your eyes, you may have some discomfort, but no pain," says Jan Bergmanson, OD, PhD, professor at theUH College of Optometry and founding director of the Texas Eye Research and Technology Center. Bergmanson also stresses, "Exposure to UV radiation is cumulative over time and puts you at a greater risk of developing eye and vision disorders later in life." Those long-term effects can include cataracts, benign growths on the eye, skin cancer of the eyelids and surrounding tissue, and possibly macular degeneration.

Related:The Best Sunglasses for Your Face Shape.

sunglasseshat
Protecting your eyes is simple. The American Optometric Association recommends you wear good-quality sunglasses and a hat with a wide brim, even on cloudy days. Look for sunglasses that screen out 75 to 90 percent of visible light and block at least 95 percent of ultraviolet A and 99 percent ultraviolet B radiation.


greylenses
What about the color of the lenses? Bergmanson says neutral gray lenses are best (especially when driving) because they reduce light intensity without altering the color of objects. Brown or amber lenses may work better for people who are visually impaired or for athletes because they increase contrast while reducing light intensity.


eyedrops
If you do sunburn your eyes, the best treatment is staying out of the sun and using lubricating eye drops to ease the irritation. The symptoms should go away in a few days to a week. If not, or if the pain is bad and the symptoms get worse, see your eye doctor immediately.

More from GalTime.com

Dr. Oz's Surprising First-Aid Fixes for Summer Woes

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America's favorite doctor turns vinegar, toothpaste and tea into brilliant first-aid fixes.

Photo: Dan Saelinger

Photo: Dan Saelinger

Blistering Heat, stinging jellyfish, kamikaze mosquitoes, and sharp branches lurking along every hiking path—summer days are booby-trapped with minor health miseries. But there are more ways to fight back than you might think, and many can be found right in your kitchen cupboards. Here are five summer woes and their unexpected antidotes.

Tame Bug Bites With Toothpaste
A biting mosquito injects saliva into your skin, prompting your body to release histamine as part of an inflammatory response that causes itching and swelling. Fight this reaction by rubbing toothpaste into the bite: Mint varieties generally contain menthol (which calms temperature-sensitive nerves, producing a cooling sensation that helps relieve itching). You might also look for a brand that has the antibacterial ingredient triclosan (an anti-inflammatory that may reduce the size of welts).

Related: What's in Dr. Oz's medicine cabinet?

Soothe Sunburn With Tea
If you get scorched, sponge the burn with cooled chamomile tea, which has anti-inflammatory properties. To minimize peeling, make a paste of papaya, using a blender, and apply it to the affected area; the fruit contains an enzyme called papain that helps speed the healing process by breaking down dead skin and allowing new tissue to grow. You can also help prevent burns in the first place by eating tomatoes, which contain the antioxidant lycopene (the highest concentrations are found in tomato paste, sauce, and juice). Research has found that lycopene helps the body protect itself against UV rays, possibly by neutralizing harmful free radicals.

Related: 8 new skin-saving sunscreens

Calm Jellyfish With Vinegar
When a jellyfish attacks, it implants thousands of tiny darts, called nematocysts, into your skin. If you're stung, fill a bucket with vinegar and soak the affected area for 15 to 30 minutes; the acetic acid in the vinegar stops the nematocysts from releasing more venom (if you don't have vinegar, Coca-Cola is a slightly less effective substitute by virtue of its phosphoric acid). Next, scrape the area with a credit card or knife edge to remove any clinging nematocysts. As with bee stings, some people are allergic to jellyfish, so seek emergency help if you experience hives or wheezing.

Related: How to find the most flattering swimsuit for your body type

Cool "Prickly Heat" With Peppermint
Heat rashes happen when sweat ducts become blocked, trapping perspiration under the skin and causing a breakout of itchy, red bumps. For a two-in-one remedy, try iced peppermint tea, which you can both drink and dab onto the rash; peppermint contains cooling menthol, which reduces irritation. Pat the affected area dry and dust on some cornstarch or baby powder.

Related: 10 mouthwatering recipes for sweet summer meals

Heal Cuts With Honey
To minimize the risk of infection and scarring, clean around the wound with soap and flush with warm water, then coat it with honey and cover with a bandage; this sticky fluid contains antimicrobials and has been found to reduce inflammation.

Diet Snacks: What to Eat to Feel Full

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Munch on these goodies to fight hunger while sticking to your weight loss goals.
-Melanie Kozlan, BettyConfidential.com

Trying to diet but all you can think of is food? Instead of depriving yourself, fill up on cheap, nutritious and healthy snacks that your body can't get enough of. Try munching on:

Unsalted nuts:
High in fiber, antioxidants, protein and the 'good fats' your body needs, nuts are also carb-free!

Dates, raisins and other dried fruit:
Dried fruit is the perfect snack if you're on the go. It tastes like candy but is full of vitamins and fiber.

Read Sleeping Beauty: 10 Tips and Tricks for Beating Insomnia

Berries & fresh fruit:
Goji berries contain more vitamin C than oranges, and blueberries are said to fight cellulite. Apples are great appetite depressants because of their high level of acidity. Fill up on fruit but never confuse fruit with "fruit juice." Juice is mostly sugar and contains a disturbing amount of calories.

Cucumber slices soaked in vinegar:
You'll be surprised at how great the cucumber will taste. Plus, the acidity of the vinegar will curb your appetite.

Dry air-popped popcorn:
If you can't resist carbs, this should be your go-to snack. Without the butter and salt, popcorn is low in calories and contains a high amount of fiber.

Sunflower & pumpkin seeds:
Seeds have a high percentage of Vitamin E and are said to prevent cardiovascular diseases.

Happy dieting!

Tell us: What are your favorite healthy snacks?

Melanie Kozlan

Melanie Kozlan

Melanie Kozlan is the Senior Content Director of Four Green Steps- your one-stop destination for all things green! Four Green Steps is home to the World's largest Green marketplace, offering an eco-friendly alternative to virtually everything as well as a free ecological curriculum used by students from all around the globe.

Strength or stupidity: When should women seek help for pain?

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When does strength go too far?

When does strength go too far?Credit: sxc.hu/sarahpelle, sxc.hu

I was strong for nearly two years. The pain in my left lower side started small and grew more and more painful as the months passed. It was worst during my monthly menstrual cycle though I never remembered feeling cramps quite like this. I knew something was just not right, but life, children, family, work and obligations were more important and I was growing used to the constant ache, until the ache changed. On the first day of the last menstrual cycle of my life I lay in bed writhing because the pain was so bad. I couldn't eat, drink or sleep, but I pulled myself together and saved what I could of the next five days. Later, the doctor told me if I hadn't sought help when I did, I could have died from internal bleeding. Looks like I was stupid, not strong.

How much pain is too much? In my case, the cause of the pain was a hemorrhaging endometrial cyst. Every month when my menstrual cycle began, the cyst would hemorrhage, causing the swelling and pain I'd been experiencing for nearly two years, but this scenario is not likely to be the case for all women.

There are general rules by which a woman can gauge pain. When pain lasts more than one day, ask yourself:

Does this pain feel like a normal "blank" pain? The blank is filled in with your personal pain area. If a headache is the problem, for instance, does the pain feel like a normal headache or something different? Keeping a pain journal is important. After my brush with death, I decided I would never neglect my body again so I started noting all headaches, aches, pains and the like. Sure, I feel older every year as the list of normal pains grows longer, but at least I have a baseline for any changes should they occur.

Has the pain lasted longer than normal? If your "blank" pains normally last 24 to 48 hours, gauge this pain based on that normal. Pains lasting longer than normal are worth a visit to the doctor's office. It may take just a few minutes in the office and a discussion with your physician to remember a twist, pull or overexertion that could be causing the pain. If not, a few tests could determine the cause and help ease the pain before the condition worsens.

Does the pain change or worsen at some point? My pain starting out like a normal menstrual cramp, but it changed several times during my battle. At some point, sharp pains started on top of the dull, constant pain. Later, a ripping pain compounded the other two feelings. Changes in pain or severity of pain may be a signal of a serious condition.

Many women think they are being strong by pushing away pain and concentrating on other situations, family members and loved ones. Life is delicate and the human body, though it can heal, sometimes needs help maintaining proper health. Notice pain, recognize changes and seek medical attention. Getting help makes you strong; suffering alone is the stupid choice.

How to get into your summer clothes fast

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Summer will be here soon enough, but are you in bikini shape? Are you in tankini shape? Okay, what about shorts and tank top shape? If you feel like these goals are months away, there are some tips to help you rid the pounds quickly, so you can fit into your favorite summer clothes. Although losing weight is best done slowly and over time, you may be looking for an easy six week lifestyle change.

Reduce anything that's not water

Your consumption of alcohol, fruit juices and sodas may far outweigh your water intake. These drinks contain a high percentage of sugar and should be minimized. Not only do these drinks cause you to bloat, but they make you look bloated. Reduce your bloat by drinking at least 64 oz. of water or more, depending on your body composition.

Your body is made up of 60% water and your muscles are as high as 75%, so it needs to stay hydrated. Water can make you feel bloated, but adding a lemon wedge to your new favorite drink will reduce that.

Integrate a cardiovascular training program

Add cardio into your week, if you are not so concerned about the amount of muscle you have. For example, if you weigh 145 lbs. and walk at a three mile an hour pace for 30 minutes, you'll burn around 140 calories.

To see the quickest results do cardio every day and increase the time to one hour. It can take time to get to this point in your cardiovascular workout though.

Begin your workout program

Two or three 30 minute weight lifting sessions can attack the fat you're trying to get rid of. A personal trainer can take you through an exercise routine that will keep your heart rate raised to burn calories.

If your plan is to exercise without a trainer, choose full body exercises. This will include an exercise for each body part with a higher rep range during each exercise sessions. If you prefer to do your lower and upper body separate, alternate your days. Doing this will allow you to get your whole body, even if you miss a day of exercise.

You can also split each body part up to develop specific muscles, but I don't recommend this for new comers.

Boost your metabolism

Increase the amount of meals you are eating. Aim for five or six smaller meals and don't skip any. You may feel deprived if you have to cut out too many of your favorites, so it's important to remember this is a number's game.

It takes a deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound. By eating 500 calories less than your allotted caloric intake each day, you can lose nearly one pound a week. For best results, you should opt for clean foods. This may be a very difficult change for you, but if it fits your macronutrient ratios of fat, protein and carbohydrates, you will still see changes. Begin to substitute cleaner food options as soon as possible..

More from Lisa

Muddle, Shake, Spank It...Make Your Own Fat-Burning Herbal Cocktails (See Video)

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You count your calories, exercise, and even take the stairs instead of the escalator. Then you go out, order a salad (dressing on the side) and aMargarita (550 cal), White Russian (715 cal), or a Cosmo (even that weighs in at 200 calories!). Whether you're watching your weight or not, is one measly drink really worth the potential calorie bomb? Instead of negating your entire exercise routine/workout (and that's just the beginning of the damage), infuse your booze with mixers that not only taste good, but have health benefits too. Herbs.

"Sex and the City" popularized the Cosmo. Bethenny Frankel brought theSkinnygirl Margarita. Now it's all about Herbal Cocktails. Though, according to Sang Yoon, Chef/Owner of the cult-favorite gastropub Father's Office in Los Angeles, and Lukshon- his new Southeast Asian restaurant known for its use of niche herbs and ingredients that transcend the food and infuse the drink menu too, herbs in cocktails isn't new. "Think of absinthe- an herbal liquor, and vermouth- made from an infusion of herbs. A martini, by definition has herbs in it. It might not be fresh herbs, but it's herbs." In fact, as Yoon points out, "the cocktail that is considered to be the original cocktail is the Sazerac which is rye whiskey with a spray of absinthe. And then there's the Mojito and Mint Julep, both made with muddled mint."

So what's new when it comes to herbs in cocktails? Yoon says that it's "the types of herbs and the way they're being used. Really you can use any herbs that you would cook with, but the best are those that are highly volatile, oily and aromatic."

But don't just pour some vodka and float a leaf on the top. Yoon tells us four ways to easily add spice, each with a slightly different effect:

-Muddle it- Place the herbs at the bottom of the glass and smash them with a spoon or cocktail stick to break up, bruise and release the oils- the flavor. Once muddled, add the alcohol and ice, shake it, then dump the whole thing in the glass. The herbs almost become textural in addition to the flavor.

-Shake it- Lukshon's Hot & Sour Gimlet, made with vodka, dragon chile, lime, Vietnamese lemon balm, and topped with one spanked (I'll explain)Thai basil leaf, is a shaken drink. The herbs are broken up in the violent act of shaking. The ice cuts the herbs into little chards, then the larger pieces of herbs are strained out, leaving the flavorful oils and aromatics.

-Spank it- Take an herb leaf and spank it in your hand to bruise it, and release the oils. Then drop the one whole leaf on top of the drink serving as an aromatic garnish.

-Infuse it- This is the original way of adding herbs to alcohol. Basically, you add herbs to alcohol and let it sit for several hours to a couple of days, allowing the herbs to release its oils into the alcohol.

Beyond the added flavor, texture and aromatics, herbs infuse drinks with health benefits. Not that you add an herb and suddenly the alcohol is "good" for you, but seems it's at least "better" for you. So I paired Yoon's herb suggestions with their health benefits.

Best Health-Benefiting Herbal Mixers to Grow on Your Own:

-Cilantro: Detoxing, Anti-Inflammatory, Antibacterial

-Rosemary: Lowers Risk of Heart Attack

-Lemon Balm: Antidepressant, Antibacterial, Minimizes Gas Pain

-Tarragon: Improves Vision

-Sage: Anti-Inflammatory, Improved Memory

-Basil: Antioxidant, Blood-Sugar Stabilizer

-Mint: (Yoon suggests pineapple mint and chocolate mint): Aids Digestion, Minimizes Gas

-Jalapeno: Fat-Burning, Increases Metabolism

-Ginger: Fat-Burning, Stimulates Circulation, Combats Nausea

The easiest way to start using herbs in your drinks? Choose any clear spirit, add your favorite cooking spice, shake it and drink! If you want to get creative, add berries, lemon, or fresh juices. There aren't rules, just like cooking, adding herbs to drinks is "to taste." Just remember: drink responsibly. Cheers!

 
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