Category: English

A balanced diet is more than simply increase how much you eat. You need to consider what to eat during pregnancy. Your body needs increased amounts of vitamins, protein, minerals and calories. It is important to eat a diet based on these increased needs to make sure you are getting the proper nutritional and daily recommendations from each food group.
It is essential to follow these simple guidelines to ensure a healthy pregnancy. You are responsible for making healthy choices for both you and your baby.

The following Food Guide Pyramid is the advice given from my practitioner. I present here to share with other mothers-to-be. Hope it may help you achieve a healthy eating!

Milk, Yogurt and Cheese (4 servings/day)
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 ounce of cheese
• 1 1/3 cups of cottage cheese
• 1 ½ cups of ice cream
• 1 cup of yogurt or custard

Meat, Poultry, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts (2-3 servings/day or 6-7 oz)
• Beef
• Chicken
• Lamb
• Eggs 1 egg = 1 oz meat
• Cheese 1 slice = 1 oz meat
• Peanut Butter 2 Tbsp = 1 oz meat
• Turkey
• Pork
• Organ Meats

Fruits (3-4 servings/day)
• 1 serving = 1 medium fruit
• ½ cup juice or fruit

Vegetables (4-5 servings/day)
• 1 serving = ½ cup cooked or 1 cup raw vegetabless

Choose one good source of Vitamin C daily. Examples include: Broccoli, Grapefruit, Orange Juice, Cabbage, Greens, Strawberries, Cantaloupe, Oranges, and Tomatoes

Choose one good source of Vitamin A every other day. Examples include: Dark Green vegetables, orange vegetables, Apricots, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, and Carrots

Bread, Cereals, Rice and Pasta (9-11servings/day, 1 serving = ½ cup or 1 slice)
• Bagels
• Breads
• Noodels
• Macaroni
• Cereals
• Rice
• Spaghetti

Fats & Oils
• only small amounts of margarine, salad dressings and oils

There are few things as controversial as exactly what constitutes ‘healthy eating’. Everyone wants to eat more healthily, and producers of food want their customers to believe that whatever they’re selling will help them do that. Somewhere along the line, the truth gets lost in the noise.

In objective terms, most nutritionists agree that the best path to healthy eating is to eat all the different food groups in moderation. These means to avoid fad diets that restrict one food group and go overboard with another, and not to eat too much of whatever your favourite food might be. The key is to eat some carbohydrate, protein and fat at each meal, hopefully balancing out things like pasta and rice with meat or other fats and proteins.

However, it is also necessary to restrict calorie intake, which basically means not eating too much overall. How many calories you need varies depending on your gender, how old you are and what kind of work you do, but somewhere between 2000-2500 calories per day works as a general rule.

A more controversial part of the drive towards healthy eating is that some food ingredients are generally considered to be unhealthy in any quantity – and the big food manufacturers aren’t happy about this, because these ingredients tend to be cheap, or tasty, or useful, or all three. Preservatives are a good example, as are pesticides and sweeteners, and consumers’ attempts to avoid these have led to manufacturers being forced to go to all sorts of lengths to remove them from their foods.

Governments have got in on the healthy eating act, too, with many of them mounting campaigns on it in an effort to drive down obesity and other food-related conditions. The most common one is the message to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables per day, which has led to a marketing feeding frenzy, with other campaigns including anti-salt, pro-oils, anti-trans fats, and sometimes anti-junk food in general.

Healthy eating is difficult to achieve because we have so many health factors to consider and food choices to make. We know antioxidants are good for us so we want to eat lots of colorful fruits and vegetables because they contain phytochemicals like carotenoids and flavonoids which neutralize the free radicals that cause the age-related degenerative diseases. We know that we may not get all the antioxidants that we need in our food so we take supplements to ensure an adequate supply of antioxidants. But what about the actual food we eat. One of the major problems with our modern diet is that the food we eat is a tasty combination of saturated fats and highly processed and quickly digested carbohydrates. However in the last several years, people have become so concerned about fats in their diet that they have substituted carbohydrates and avoided even the good unsaturated fats in lean meat, olive oil and other plant oils. Now everybody seems to be eating a medium- to high-carbohydrate diet without giving proper attention to the type of carbs that they eat.

Not all carbohydrates behave the same in our bodies. We have been told for years to avoid simple carbs like honey and white bread and eat complex carbohydrates that our body doesn’t digest and turn to glucose as quickly. However determining whether a food containing carbohydrates is absorbed and raises our blood sugar quickly or slowly is not at all intuitive. Scientists have done a lot of rigorous testing over the past several years and have found that white bread and baked potatoes raise our blood sugar level much faster than honey, jams and chocolate bars. These scientists developed a numerical index called the Glycemic Index or GI to compare the ability of different carbohydrate containing foods to raise the body’s blood sugar levels – or in other words the speed of conversion to glucose. GI values are determined by feeding human subjects who have fasted overnight a fixed amount of the food and then measuring their blood glucose levels at fixed intervals of time. Pure glucose is set at 100 and then other foods are compared to this profile. Testing is time consuming and the tests have to be averaged for a number of individuals. However these studies have yielded some surprising results such as the fact that the starches in rice, bread, potatoes and many types of cereals were absorbed and raised blood sugars very quickly but the sugars in fruit, candy, chocolate and ice cream did not result in prolonged rises in blood sugars. In other words many of the starchy foods had a much higher Glycemic Index than many of the sugary foods. Needless to say these results seem counter intuitive and have caused a lot of controversy in the food industry. The rate of absorption is very dependant on how the carbs are bound up with the food fiber and the particle size. For example less gelatinized products like al dente spaghetti and oatmeal have lower GI values and stone ground flours have lower GI values than finely ground flours. The fibrous coat surrounding beans and seeds stop enzymes from getting at the starchy carbs inside and will slow the digestion of grainy breads, legumes and barley. The acidity of foods also slows down digestion and vinegar, lemon juice, pickles and sourdough bread will result in lower GI meal values.

The Glycemic Index is important not only to diabetics but also to non-diabetics because we need to know what foods will keep our blood sugars on an even keel and not raise them too high and then have them plummet down again causing hunger. The slow digestion of low GI foods and the gradual rise and fall in blood-glucose response helps people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels and increase their sensitivity to insulin. Low GI foods will help healthy people delay hunger pangs and promote weight loss in overweight individuals. In addition low GI carbohydrates can reduce blood cholesterol levels and also reduce our risk of heart disease. High blood glucose spikes can result in oxidative stress leading to the formation of plaque that can cause atherosclerosis and even blood clots. So keeping our blood sugar levels fairly level and low seems like what we should be trying to achieve through healthy eating. How do we go about achieving this?

The first step is to look at what carbohydrates we are consuming and the GI levels of the meals that we are eating. Then we should try and ensure we have at least one low GI food in each meal to keep the overall meal GI close to 50. Most fats and proteins have no effect on the GI level of our meal because they don’t contain carbs. However watch out for saturated fats and too many calories. Let’s look at some meals and see what substitutions we could make. The GI values are shown in brackets.

Breakfast

Cut back on Corn Flakes (92), Rice Krispies (82) and substitute All-Bran (32) or switch to a cereal based on oats, barley or bran. Stop eating white bagels (72), white bread (70) or whole-wheat bread (77) and switch to pumpernickel (50) or sourdough (55). Fruits are mostly low GI foods and surprisingly orange juice (46) is very good.

Lunch and Dinner

Eat your colored vegetables and make your salad dressings with olive oil and vinegar. Avoid parsnips (97) and substitute pastas like al dente white spaghetti (38), linguini (46) or macaroni (47) for Instant white rice (87) and potatoes – baked (85), red-skin peeled and boiled (88). Except for parsnips and potatoes most vegetables have a low GI value.

Additional information on GI values can be found at the University of Sydney website http://www.glycemicindex.com/ or in the “The New Glucose Revolution: Shopper’s Guide to GI Values 2006.

Easter baskets don’t have to be full of chocolate and peeps. Here are some great ideas that will fill your Easter basket without all the extra fat and sugar.

Bubbles

What child doesn’t love to blow bubbles? Grab a couple of bottles of bubbles for this year’s Easter basket. The kids will have a blast with them and with a little luck it will be warm enough outside to keep them busy and running around chasing bubbles for quite some time.

Sidewalk Chalk

Another fun treat is sidewalk chalk. This is the perfect time to draw on the sidewalk with the weather warming up. Plus we get enough rain in the spring that your driveway or sidewalk won’t be decorated for too long.

Homemade Playdough

Make some playdough using your favorite homemade playdough recipe (we have one at kinderinfo.com). Get a couple of small playdough toys to go along with it and let the fun begin.

Toys from the Dollar Store

You can also pick up some very inexpensive toys at the dollar store. I have found anything from Easter themed coloring books to kites in there. This is also a great place to shop for the Easter baskets themselves, as well as some plastic Easter eggs that are great for hiding small trinkets and treats.

Of course every child should have some special treats in the Easter basket as well. Along with the obligatory chocolate bunny, include some healthier treats.

Chocolate and Yogurt Covered Raisins

Both chocolate and yogurt covered raisins look like little mini Easter eggs and are a yummy treat. Fill a small cellophane bag with these sweet treats and tie a pretty bow around it.

Trail Mix with Jellybeans

Mix some low sugar cereal like chex, or cheerios with some small pretzels, peanuts, raisins, and some jellybeans for an Easter inspired Trail Mix. You don’t have to feel bad about your kids filling up on this. Pour your trail mix in a small bag, or fill some large plastic Easter eggs with the mix.

The Holiday Season is the best time for you to spending your time with your friends and family, going shopping for Christmas, watching football games by a warm fire , and dining out in fabulous restaurants. And if you are on diet, trying to monitor your weight, you would probably lose the best chance to try healthy dinner at your favorite restaurants!

Chinese Restaurants would be one of the best restaurants for you in the season, as they offer numbers of food, a wide variety of broth-based soups , stir-fried specialties ( with seafood , tofu, vegetables and lean meat ), steamed fish and vegetable dishes , steamed rice , hot mustard sauce , chow mein , and other menus that you would love to try for low-fat , low-calorie , choices.

However, you should avoid some kinds of food for your health, for example, fried egg rolls, fried wontons, dishes made with duck, egg foo yung, and fried chicken. Just try to eat healthy food, avoiding food above and be ensure that you would be healthy. If you really want to eat rice, try to avoid Fried rice and eat steamed rice instead. The all-you-can-eat buffet is also not a good choice for your healthy reason, and should be avoided at all costs.

If you have a chance to dine out in a restaurant with Indian Cuisine, you would be offered a number of delicious menus to choose from for healthy, low-fat options, such as Chicken, fish, veggies, steamed rice; legumes are included in healthful dishes in every menu. Bean soups are tasty and healthy. Or you can try Chapati, Chicken or Shrimp Vindaloo, or Lamb kabobs. However, try not to eat fried breads, dishes served with large amounts of nuts and dishes made with coconut milk. Overall, Indian cuisine is a fantastic dinner when you are monitoring your food.

And in Italian Restaurants, there are some of the most fattening dishes you could possibly dream of , such as Fried Mozzarella sticks, Lasagna, thick creamy Alfredo pasta dishes and many others you can choose. However, there are some dishes offered for you to make your mouth water as well, for example, Thin crust pizza with vegetable toppings, pasta with tomato-based sauces, chicken cacciatore, chicken Marsala, and biscotti that will keep you enjoying your meal without having to cutting down calories and watching fat intake. Salads and soup dishes would be also interesting. Try to avoid all deserts in the Italian Restaurants, because most of them have a lot of cheese.

Mexican Cuisine is also another option for your healthy diet. You can try Black bean soup, grilled chicken or shrimp dishes, chicken soft tacos, chicken or shrimp fajitas, salsa, and chicken quesadillas, but try to nachos, refried beans, enchiladas, and fried choices, such as chimichangas.

The Holiday Season would be the best choice for you when dine out with family and friends. And it is essential to remember that while you are on diet, you don’t have to exclude yourself from all of the holiday cheers, but just try not to cheer as loudly as others!

With our busy lives these days we are more apt to dine out, pick up take out food, or have food delivered to us. The problem is we are not aware of the calories and fat we are consuming when we continually eat food other than what we, ourselves have prepared.

The average dinner meal at a restaurant is 1200 calories, and 60 grams of fat. Men should not have more than 70 grams of fat a day, and women 40 grams of fat a day. One meal alone can make up one whole days worth of fat, or two, in the case of women’s diets. If you do find a meal that is low in fat, make sure you do not consume such a large serving that you eat more calories than you should.

There are restaurants out there that do have meals considered lower in fat and calories. If you do not see it on the menu ask your server for the information. Remember low carb is not low-fat. When you are eating a low –carb meal out at a restaurant you are usually eating high-fat. Make sure you do not take in more than 20 grams of fat in a meal. Below is a list of restaurants that offer low-fat meals.

RESTAURANTS

APPLEBEE’S
CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN
CLAIM JUMPER
CHILI’S
MACARONI GRILL
TGIF FRIDAY’S
MIMI’S CAFÉ
OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE
TONY ROMA’S

FAST FOOD

ARBY’S
BURGER KING
CARLS JR.
CHICK-FIL-A
JACK IN THE BOX
MC DONALDS
SUBWAY
WENDY’S
KFC

We use food as an important part of our cultural and social lives to connect with one another. We also use it as a comfort when we have had a bad day, a bad week, a bad month, or a bad year. Reducing the foods we do not need helps us stay healthy in mind and body.

Remember, even though we are overwhelmed, stressed out and tired, we must make healthy decisions when it comes to what we eat. Trans fat, found in most cooking oils in restaurants- is the worst kind of fat you can put in your body. It increases the level of blood fat called triglycerides, and has even been found to contribute to insulin resistance, which raises the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Children as young as 10 years old are developing heart disease and diabetes. Set an example for your children and ensure you both will live long, healthy lives.

The importance of fruits and vegetables to a healthy diet has been known for quite some time, but studies have shown that very few people eat the amount of fruits and vegetables recommended for a healthy diet.

The revised USDA food pyramid contains five major food groups – grains, vegetables, fruits, milk and dairy, and meat and beans. When choosing foods for a balanced and healthy diet from these groups, it is important to eat a wide variety of foods from every food group. Doing so will not only give you a great deal of variety and keep boredom from setting in, but it will provide the best nutritional balance as well. In addition to the widely known micronutrients, such as vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin C, etc. all foods contain a variety of macronutrients, like fats, proteins, fiber and water. Though present in extremely tiny amounts, micronutrients are vitally important to good health. That is why a healthy, varied diet is so important.

In addition to their great taste, fruits and vegetables are packed full of many essential vitamins and minerals, including many micronutrients that are not included in packaged vitamin supplements. For instance, foods like butternut squash, pumpkins, carrots, mangoes, peaches, pawpaws and green leafy vegetables are rich in beta carotene. Beta carotene is vital for healthy skin and eyes.

Fruits and vegetables have a lot of advantages besides just their nutritional importance. For one thing, they taste great and add a great deal of variety to everyday meals. Fruits and vegetables come in such a wide variety of colors, textures and flavors that they can be used in virtually every meal. Those seeking to maximize their diet should get into the healthy habit of using fruits in salads, as toppings and as garnishes.

There has been a trend lately to add vitamin fortification to food, and this can sometimes be a good way to maximize nutrition. It is important to remember, however, that proper nutrition comes from a healthy diet, not from vitamin supplements.

Knowing the five major food groups and how much of each to eat every day is only part of the picture. The other part is choosing the best foods from within those food groups. That means things like choosing the leanest cuts of meat, using egg substitutes instead of whole eggs, choosing the freshest fruits and vegetables, etc.
Even with fruits and vegetables, some choices are better than others. Some fruits, such as avocados, for instance, are packed with fat and calories. It is important to check the nutritional qualities of the fruits and vegetables you buy, and not simply assume that all fruits and vegetables are equally healthy.

One way to maximize nutrition while minimizing cost is to buy fruits and vegetables that are in season. Fruits and vegetables that are in season are usually quite a bit cheaper than those that must be shipped hundreds or even thousands of miles, and they are generally much fresher too. Of course, depending on where you live, there may be varieties of fruits and vegetables that are not available locally, so the northerner in search of citrus fruits will just have to watch the sales and buy accordingly.

In addition to their importance as source of vitamins and minerals, fruits and vegetables also provide essential dietary fiber. Adequate fiber in the diet is important in preventing heart disease and some kinds of cancer.

Another great feature of fruits and vegetables, especially to those watching their weight, is the high nutrition, low fat, low calorie nature of these foods. Fruits and vegetables contain very low levels of fats, and a diet low in fat can be quite effective for long term weight loss. In addition, fruits and vegetables contain no cholesterol, and they are lower in calories than many other types of foods.

With all these things going for them, it is no wonder so many dietary experts recommend eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables.

Whether your goal is to lose weight or just increase your level of fitness, it is hard to go wrong with a diet rich in healthy fruits and vegetables.

These healthy diet tips will keep you on the right path. Although healthy people are generally at a natural weight, this is not about dieting and losing weigh, its about lifestyle. The mainstream seesaw of dieting is a moneymaker that doesn’t address real health issues and concerns.

One of the best things you can do for your body is eat at least twelve servings of fresh, organic fruits and vegetables every single day. These foods are packed with the things that our bodies need; natural, non-synthetic source of Vitamins A,B, C, and E, disease fighting antioxidants, minerals like potassium, calcium, phosphorous, and copper.

These days too many Americans get their vitamins from synthetic sources that are isolated and chemically induced. The best way to get this nutrition is from the good earth, directly from the source, from fruits and vegetables.

If eating that many vegetables seems overwhelming, just think about the colors. Get your blue and purples like blueberries and plums to reduce the risk of cancer and protect your urinary tract. Eat green vegetables like broccoli and celery to protect your bones, teeth and eyes. Consume your whites like mushrooms and onions for healthy heart function. Eat foods like oranges and carrots to boost your immune system from the yellow and orange fruits and vegetables. Finally, get your reds from foods like apples and beets for memory function and heart health.

All of these fruits and vegetables have healing qualities and you’ll feel the difference. If you can’t eat this much or don’t have the time, drink juices made from a vegetable juicer, a great way to get the nutrients you need.

In addition to eating fruits and vegetables, cut down on saturated fats from processed foods and switch to unsaturated fats from nuts like almonds and vegetables including avocado. In general however, cut down on fat in your life and your heart and body will thank you for it. Speaking of processed food, begin to rid yourself of any processed foods. And of course, drink water so that you are flushing the toxins out your system and staying hydrated.

Use these healthy diet tips as a general guide to healthy eating, not fad dieting.

Healthy Diet Lies Exposed Part I

Food Too Deadly for Pigs Sold to Humans: when synthetic varnishes were invented the varnish makers had to find an alternative market for their old varnishes, so they sold them to us as food.

Best Experimental Animals

Pigs are the closest to humans in their response to food, so the best way to test the unsaturated vegetable oils as food would be to test them on pigs. But that would cost too much, so the salesmen persuaded the pig farmers to try out this new “super food” for pigs. I have a sneaky admiration for that sales job!

The farmers were delighted because unsaturated vegetable oils made pigs put on weight explosively, and they were obese enough to slaughter much sooner, so they didn’t require as much food. That seemed to make unsaturated vegetable oils perfect for pigs, but not for humans who wanted to stay slim.

Then the problems started. Pigs would die of cancer or heart attack before they could be slaughtered. So that market closed down. Do you remember what I said about pigs giving results closest to humans?

Growth of Heart Attacks

The first recorded heart attack was in Britain in 1878. In the early 1900s Dr Dudley White (referred to as the founder of cardiology) said that he wanted to find out more about the new disease reported in European medical literature, but he had to wait until 1921 before he met his first heart attack patient.

As the market for unsaturated oils continued to expand heart attacks and cancer became the second and third (medical “mistakes” kill most people) major causes of death and obesity has become an epidemic as saturated fat use dropped from 30gm per day to about 3gm per day. The pig farmers could have warned us!

Lies to Increase Market

You may be old enough to remember the start of some of these lies.

1. You can’t tell butter from margarine.
2. Unsaturated oils are healthy for you
3. Saturated fats are deadly for you
4. High cholesterol is caused by saturated fats and will kill you.

A couple of decades ago the researcher who was originally bribed to invent the cholesterol myth confessed his part in it. Margarine has been shown to be loaded with trans fatty acids that can kill you. Unsaturated oils cause heart attacks but saturated fats are good for you and help you lose weight. Think about it! How much unsaturated oil would our ancestors have eaten? They used to pig out on animal fats.

Suppression of Evidence

The main article mentioned in the resources box describes a deliberate policy to suppress the evidence. After all, if you owned a branch of the media would you want to lose your main advertisers just because you exposed their lies?

Cellular Damage
Unsaturated oils are drying oils. That means that they harden when exposed to oxygen, whether it is in putty, or varnish, or your blood stream.
Our ancestors lived on a diet high in saturated fats. Dr Yamori reported that rats given high cholesterol and saturated fat diets had fewer strokes. Saturated fats don’t produce free radicals, so antioxidants were not as necessary to our ancestors as they are in today’s diets.
The membranes round the cells in our body are mostly fat. Saturated fats are C shaped and interlock to produce a strong membrane. Unsaturated oils are straight so don’t lock together, so weaker membranes are produced, more open to infection.
Perhaps you don’t mind getting obese? If you take drugs to lower the amount of cholesterol produced by your liver you are 5% more likely to die of cancer. But that isn’t what worries me most.

Our brains are largely made up of cholesterol so Americans are becoming more stupid as they restrict the amount of cholesterol in their blood. Now that does worry me. I can be stupid enough without any help from interference with my cholesterol.

Suggested Solution

Before I mention a possible solution consider the bogus research results described by the media. One research report showed that saturated fats help you slim, and unsaturated fats make you gain weight. The media reported it as proving the opposite, which is the story that everyone hears.

Coconut is a special saturated fat. Unlike animal fats, coconut oil has short-chain molecules. As it happens these short chains can be burned for energy, and your body uses some of the long-chain fats to add fuel to the fire, so you actually lose weight.

That isn’t why coconut oil was banned for a few years. The vegetable oil manufacturers saw it as competition and did some spurious research to “prove” that it was dangerous to health. The ban was removed when their arguments fell through.

Even olive oil, the safest of unsaturated vegetable oils becomes toxic when heated too much, so although you can pour it over your salads you shouldn’t use it in your cooking. Coconut oil doesn’t have this problem.

Some chemically extracted coconut oil tastes vile, so you should shop around for a cold-pressed version.

What I’ve done is to replace all my unsaturated vegetable oils with coconut oil, and I’ve lost weight. Other people have lost weight the same way. Of course, the pig farmers could have told us that, and I wish they had blown the whistle a hundred years ago.

It is the belief of most parents that children are eating a relatively healthy diet, but if not, they throw up their hands and give up. Children are then plied with multivitamins. Though this is not a bad thing to do, many children think they are candy especially now that they come in gummi candy, gumballs, and cute animal and cartoon characters.

This is extremely serious because if they are with a kids reach, they could be taking more than you know about. If there is the remotest chance your child has ingested too many, immediately call Poison Control and get them to the emergency room.

If your child overdoses with multivitamins with iron your child could become seriously ill or die. All manner of medications must absolutely be kept out of the reach children. If you think your child needs them generic multivitamins are fine but for the most part, children get a lot of their vitamins in their diets.

If your child is either allergic to dairy products or won’t eat them, calcium will need to come from other sources. A consultation with your child’s pediatrician is important. One vitamin daily is all a child needs even if his diet has been questionable for that week.

The absorption of other vitamins could be blocked if there is too much of any one vitamin. For example, too much calcium can prevent the absorption of other vitamins such as iron. Healthy food choices are not a child’s priority you can expect to be giving your child vitamins well into their teens.

Before buying vitamins you should know that opinions about vitamins with iron for children vary greatly. One belief is that you should, in fact, be giving vitamins with iron. Another philosophy is that never should a child be given vitamins with iron in them.

In infancy my own child showed signs of iron deficiency as an infant. Always check with your child’s doctor; my child’s doctor put him on iron fortified vitamins and he is healthy now. A disease called Hemochromatosis is caused by too much iron in the blood.

The iron becomes unusable by the body and it is not washed out of the body easily. It is almost always a fatal disease and can cause serious health issues. Calcium helps build strong bones and muscles and is a very important part of your child’s diet.

Calcium is a mineral. Kids who eat ice cream, yogurt, and cheese or who drink milk usually get enough calcium from their diets. Some do not like dairy products, still others are allergic to them. Children can be assisted in getting what they need by consuming calcium fortified juices, cereals and vitamins.

Drinking fluoride treated tap water and bottled water and/or using fluoridated toothpaste is enough for most children. Your child should not be given fluoride supplements without checking with your pediatrician. Your child’s teeth could be permanently stained if they get too much fluoride.

This defeats entirely, the purpose of the treatment of water and the use of toothpaste meant to protect your child’s teeth. Infant multivitamins in liquid form is available and usually administered with an eye dropper.

The drops contain vitamins A, C, and D and may have added iron. Also they may have other vitamins and minerals such as thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and vitamin B-12. Chewable children’s vitamins are available in the forms of cartoon characters and/or animals. Now vitamins are available in gummi candy and gumballs.

Try buying gum ball vitamins or cartoon characters if your child is difficult about taking vitamins. Your child should always be supervised while he’s taking his vitamins. My son never gets to take his vitamins on his own, I give them to him.

He may or may not take it or he could take too many. Children’s vitamins could be a very good thing but too much of a good thing could be fatal. They should not be left in the reach of children. Eating what is right is not your child’s top priority so giving him vitamins may offset some of that.

Adjustments to child’s diet should always be discussed with your child’s pediatrician, it’s better to err on the side of caution. It’s fine to have fun shapes but your child could think they are candy and they should be kept out of reach of children or locked in a cabinet.

You probably do not remember how easy it was to get your first credit card or loan. You also do not remember your lenders putting out the red carpet because they thought you would repay your loan on time, and come back for a new one before long. This affair with your lenders continued as they gave you credit, loans, and a bonus gift to thank you for your business. However, one or more things may have happened to spoil your affair with your lenders. Perhaps, you now have too much debt, or you cannot make the monthly payments anymore because you do not have a steady job. If you find that you cannot manage your debts, or the payments leave you without proper food, for example, you may want to consider one or more of these three debt solutions.

Credit Counseling

This is a good first step. You can work with a credit counseling company to help you get your finances in order. Once your financial house is in order your counselor can contact your creditors with a plan to repay your debt. Of course, this is not automatic because you still have to get your creditors’ approval. But your counselor will negotiate with your creditors to get you a good deal that has value to both you and your creditors. Remember that creditors do not want you to stop paying altogether. They much prefer to work out a deal for certain terms rather than have you skip town. You also must remember that once you have income coming in your creditors might not agree without some significant concession from you. So it is important you discuss your financial position truthfully with your counselor before she approaches you creditors with one or more debt solutions.

Self Repayment

If you have enough savings, you can use this money to pay off your debts. Yes, this could affect your future if you use your savings to clear your debt. But look at it this way: your savings are probably earning 1-2% annually, and you are likely paying 18-24% interest computed monthly. Even without converting the monthly rate to an annual rate, you can see you are paying out more interest than you are earning. In other words, assuming a 2% rate, you receive $20 in interest annually for every $1,000 in savings. This works out to less than $2.00 per month. Similarly, if you decide to payoff $1,000 in debt you will save the interest calculated each month. Again, without complicated math, you can see you are way ahead by using your savings to pay off your debt. Once you pay off your debt, you can begin to save for the future.

A Home Equity Loan

If you own a home and you have equity in it, you can also use the equity as collateral for a loan to repay your debt. This is a popular method nowadays because most people have some equity in their homes, having bought them for much less than they are worth today. Of course you may be wondering about taking such a drastic step to repay your debt. But many people are waking up to the reality that health concerns should supersede the myths about owning your own home. What is the use of worrying about paying off your debts when you have the money. Indirectly, you ran up the debts to help maintain the home, so why wouldn’t you use the equity to pay off the cost associated with running the home.

All of these debt solutions require your full attention. Using one or more of them can free you from an unhealthy debt hell.

Taking the advice of well-traveled cruisers is the best thing for first time cruise passengers to do. After all, why not learn from someone else’s mistakes or mishaps? Of course, you will still have a few of your own, but that is what makes your first cruising experience memorable.

You’ve got your cruise booked and are counting the days until you set sail. However, there are a few things for you to do before you even start to think about packing. Check with the cruise line to see what vaccinations, if any, are needed for your journey. You’ll have to make a trip to your doctor to get current on any shots.

While you are at the doctor, ask them about tips on staying healthy and avoiding the flu or colds before you depart for your cruise. It is no fun having to travel sick or canceling all together. Also ask about seasickness remedies. Some of these medications are prescription only.

Stock up on any other prescription medications just in case they are scheduled to run out during your trip. Often, insurance companies will make exceptions and allow a prescription to be refilled early if you are traveling with no access to a chain pharmacy. One last thing – get a letter from your doctor on official letterhead listing your prescriptions and stating that they were all legitimately prescribed for you. If you have to go through customs, a letter will sometimes keep you from being detained while your medication is inspected.

If you are on a special diet, let the cruise line be aware of this fact when you book your cruise. Most diets are easily accommodated, but it is always better to be safe than sorry. A few weeks before you depart, check in with the cruise line again to go over your reservations and special needs diet.

Pack a small first aid kit for those “just in case” emergencies. Include antacids and anti-diarrhea medications for those episodes of “Montezuma’s Revenge” that seem to strike no matter where you travel. Aspirin, antibiotic cream and aloe vera gel for sunburns also come in handy.

Stow away sunscreen, moisturizer and lip balm in your luggage too. When you are having too much fun outdoors, you tend to forget things like sunburn. Be sure to apply the sunscreen lotion before heading outdoors. Moisturizer and lip balm keep your skin soft. Sometimes the temperature changes from the cold air conditioner to the heat outside can wreak havoc on the skin and dry it out.

In addition to the sunscreen, protect your skin by wearing hats and sunglasses. When you are on the ship’s deck gazing at the waves, the sun’s reflection off the water can be pretty bright. The sunglasses will protect you from harmful UV rays from the sun. Of course, the hats will shield you from the sun’s rays and possible sunburn on your ears and face, two places that people sometimes forget to apply sunscreen lotion.

With the right preparation and precautions, you are well on your way to a healthy and happy first cruise. And when in doubt about something, ask your cruise line. They want to make sure your cruising experience is trouble-free. After all, they want you to sail with them again.

Heart disease and stroke are often triggered by high cholesterol in the blood. Lowering your cholesterol for some is just a matter of changing your diet. Others may need to diet and the help of medications prescribed by their doctor. Either way, lowering your cholesterol can save your life.

Changing your diet to lose weight is not the same as changing your diet to control your cholesterol level. While losing weight will certainly improve your health, you also need to monitor your diet to exclude foods that are causing your high cholesterol levels.

Monitoring your diet does not mean giving up all the foods you love. Many foods are healthy and good for you. For instance, a good variety of fruits and vegetables (with five or more servings per day), grain products like bread, cereal, rice, and pasta (choose six or more servings per day). In addition, lean meats and poultry ( without skin and up to 6 ounces per day), fat-free and low fat milk , beans and peas , nuts and seeds in limited amounts, and fatty fish ( which can be baked or broiled , but limited to 2-3 servings per week ). You should use vegetable oils like olive oil or corn oil when preparing your foods. There is also a large assortment of spices to give your food that extra pizzazz.

There are a number of foods you should omit from your diet if you want to lower your cholesterol. Whole milk and ice cream should be avoided. Additionally, butter, egg yolks, and cheese and foods that include them should be removed from your diet. Finally, organ meats like liver, high-fat processed meats (like sausage and hot dogs), and limit your intake of fried foods.

Eating healthier involves knowing how to prepare your foods and changing your diet. If you are not able to lower your cholesterol by diet and exercise alone, your doctor may have to prescribe medication.

Dieting and eating healthier to lower your cholesterol will improve your quality of life and significantly reduce your risk of other health problems. High cholesterol is a serious health problem, and you can take action to avoid further health complications.

Healthy chocolate? How can that be? After all, we’ve been trained to think of chocolate as a guilty indulgence at best, and as a health disaster at worst. Yet there is a large body of scientific evidence that supports the notion that chocolate is not only harmless, but that it can actually contribute to health and longevity.

There’s Chocolate and Then There’s Chocolate

That’s not to say that all chocolate is created equal. If you think that those sugary confections you find in candy stores and on grocery store shelves are nothing but empty calories, you’re not far off the mark. Chocolate candies are often full of the refined sugars, milk fats, and hydrogenated oils that are important to avoid.

But those unhealthy ingredients are masking a dark healthy chocolate that is filled with antioxidants, flavonoids, and amino acids that can contribute to health and well being. Unprocessed cocoa has antioxidants that can slow the aging process and cellular decay, as well as flavonoids that have been shown to be beneficial to cardiovascular health. These cardiovascular benefits include improving blood flow, lowering LDL cholesterol, and reducing blood pressure. Dark chocolate also has essential amino acids like tryptophan, as well as alkaloids like theobromine and phenethylamine, all of which can help elevate and regulate moods.

Latest Trends in Healthy Chocolate

As the concept of healthy chocolate gains momentum, products are being brought to market that combine the best qualities of chocolate with those of other ingredients. The mixture produces a high-powered blast of benefits with all of the intrinsic satisfaction that eating chocolate brings.

What makes healthy chocolate different from the kind you find within candy bar wrappers? First, there are no sugars, milk fats, or hydrogenated oils. Second, it has not been subjected to what is called the Dutch process, whereby an alkali is introduced that all but destroys the antioxidants. Rather, it is cold pressed to preserve the antioxidants and nutrients. Third, it is often combined with Acai berries and blueberries to further boost its antioxidant properties – so much so that some products give you the equivalent of a half-pound of spinach or three-quarters of a pound of broccoli in one small nugget. Fourth, the dark chocolate has no trans fat, no wax, and no fillers.

Healthy Chocolate as a Weight Loss Tool

Unarguably, it’s counterintuitive to think of chocolate as being a central component of a weight loss plan. But healthy chocolate – without the additives, sugar, and milk fat – can, indeed, help you lose weight. Eating a nugget with a glass of water about a half our before a meal can quell hunger and satisfy chocolate cravings. You’ll eat less at meals and get a boost of nutrients in the process. Similarly, eating a nugget as a snack is a healthy alternative to more calorie-laden fare.

The bottom line is that you can incorporate healthy chocolate into your diet without even a twinge of guilt. What a relief and a blessing!

People strive to find recipes that provide delicious and healthy food. Health-conscious people focus on preparing low-fat dishes that are delicious and easily prepared. Chicken is an excellent source of protein and at the same time low in fat. Using healthy chicken recipes will significantly lower the blood cholesterol, thereby improving your overall health and fitness level. People love this versatile meat, which can be prepared in various lip-smacking forms.

Be it a healthy chicken salad or any other chicken recipe, choosing the right chicken for your dish is very important .If you opt for the cheap battery-reared chicken, you will get a greasy and stringy dish with a flat taste. These chickens are fed on a high-calorie diet that gives them a lot of fat but no muscle. On the other hand, choosing an organic chicken will give you firm and full-flavored meat. Organic birds are raised on a better diet and roam free under better and more humane conditions. This chicken will obviously cost more but will give you better taste and quality.

To further decrease the level of fat, you can trim off some areas, especially on the thighs, and enjoy a healthier meal. You should never leave raw chicken at room temperature. To prevent contamination, always wash chicken with cold water. Store it in the coldest part of the refrigerator and use within two days. Similarly, cooked chicken shouldn’t be left out for more than two hours. Frozen chicken can easily sit in your freezer for one year without any harm.

A little creativity in your kitchen can whip up new low-fat and healthy chicken recipes for your entire family. If you cannot find a particular ingredient, try replacing it with some substitute and see the all-new dish prepared exclusively by you. While preparing food, follow basic safety rules and avoid accidents in your kitchen. This will ensure you safely prepare tasty meals for everyday consumption focused towards a healthy and long life.

We’ve all heard the debate. Breast Feeding vs Formula. But why do most people say breast feeding is the best for your baby? Because this natural mother’s milk is genetically the best food for your baby. This is the way GOD designed for things to work.

Want a more scientific reason? Okay, for one, the complex fats that are abundant in human breastmilk are vital to brain development and may have an effect on your baby’s intelligence as they grow older.

Breastfed babies are ten times less likely to be hospitalized with gastro-enteritis in the early months than babies who are fed formula.

Breastfed babies also gain immunities from a host of other infections.

Here are some terms you may not already know. “Foremilk” – the thinner milk that first comes from the breast when you begin feeding your baby. This is for quenching the baby’s initial thirst. “Hindmilk” – is the milk that comes later during the feeding of your baby. The hindmilk is much more filling and contains all the nutrients your baby needs to stay healthy.

Breastfed babies rarely need other drinks and supplements, because their mother has already given them what nature intended for them to have and need.

What’s in it for me as a Mom? There is nothing to compare the bonding and closeness with your baby that is caused by your choice to breastfeed. It is a great feeling to know that you are doing what is best for your baby.

Babies need to be close to their mothers. They need physical contact. Breastfeeding is one of the best types of physical contact you can have with your baby.

It’s also a whole lot easier than bottle-feeding! No feeds to mix, no bottles to warm or sterilize. Your breastmilk is always available, already sterile, and already just the right temperature for your baby.

Here is a real favorite among all women who breastfeed. Many women lose weight more easily after the birth if they choose breastfeeding over bottle feeding.

Another big issue is that there is evidence that breastfeeding reduces your risk for breast cancer.

What if I am having problems breastfeeding? Either your pediatrician can help you or there are breastfeeding counselors you can find in your area or online that can help you with any problems you may have.

If you have sore nipples or your baby isn’t getting enough milk, it may be your positioning. Your baby’s mouth should cover all of the areola, especially the part just under the areola. Sucking on just the nipple will keep the baby from getting enough milk and will make your nipples very sore.

Can I give my baby a bottle at times and breastfeed at other times? It’s not recommended. Bottle nipples are easier for the baby to suck on and they will obtain bad breastfeeding technique which in turn will cause them to be less hungry or not get enough milk from breastfeeding.

It is always surrounded by silly excuse of lack of time. And still no one denies that fact that “breakfast” is the most important meal of the day.

Why such a hullabaloo about this early morning meal? Well, for starters, this meal comes after a break of 8 – 10 hours; hence your blood sugar level will be low. Since your body has gone with out food for such a long time, it needs nourishment to kick-start its day. Therefore “breakfast” is considered to be an important and essential meal of the day.

Breakfast benefits both, young and old. It is the key to jump start your muscles and your day. People who eat breakfast (healthy) daily are more likely to

– Consume more vitamins, minerals and less of fat and cholesterol.
– Increased strength and endurance.
– Better concentration and productivity all day long.
– Control over weight
– Low cholesterol = no risk or little risk of heart disease

Children who eat breakfast are likely to have better concentration, problem-solving skills and eye-hand coordination. They will be alert, creative, and less likely to miss days of school.

If you think skipping this meal, will help you lose weight, think again. By passing over this meal, your body will go in the starvation mode and make you crave for snacks especially sweets. Impulsive snacking on unhealthy foods can lead to weight gain. So you motive of losing weight by skipping breakfast stays unachieved.

Try to choose healthy foods from at least two food groups each morning

– Fruits & Vegetables
– Grains
– Dairy
– Proteins

A glass of pure fruit juice, bananas, yoghurt, low-calorie muesli with semi skimmed or skimmed milk, fresh fruit salad with few spoonfuls of low fat yoghurt, fresh and raw veggies mixed with flavoured yoghurt, a slice of toast or plain bread with eggs, boiled or poached are some of the options for breakfast. Kids can enjoy a Smoothie with their favourite fruits; add dash of yoghurt or honey to make it more delicious.

If you look forward to eating different kinds of healthy foods for breakfast, you are less like to skip this meal. If time is your hurdle, think about packing your breakfast or eating on the ‘run’, its better than skipping it altogether.

In this article today I want to share with you, my 3 top tips to look after your brain. The brain is one of those organs in the body that we can tend to forget when it comes to fitness. Ask yourself – “Have you neglected the grey matter for too long?” If so, these tips will help your brain get into great shape in a very short period of time. Go easy on yourself – instead of trying to implement them all today, why not try and work them into you schedule over the coming days or even over the next fortnight.

Ok here we go.

1. Drink More Water. OK you may have heard me say this one before, however this is very important indeed! The brain is made up of 80% water and this water plays an essential part in its function. When we are dehydrated, we can reduce our sense of well-being and significantly reduce our performance and our learning. We are also seriously risking our long term mental health. On average, the human body can lose up to 2.5 litres of water per day. These losses are through the lungs, skin (sweat) and through our urine. We must aim to at least replenish this loss on a daily basis. Try drinking more water throughout the day and eating more fruit and vegetables, as these too are full of water.

2. Eat the right fats for your brain! The brain is made up of a total of 60% fat, which includes – saturated fat and cholesterol. Now most of us may at first consider fat to be unhealthy, however there are some fats that our brains need to function normally. 20% of the brains fat should be made up of essential fatty acids or Omega-3 and Omega-6. These two essential fatty acids are important as they can not be made within your body, so you need to make sure that you are getting them from your diet. Eat oily fish as these are a well-known source of Omega-3 and Omega-6.

3. Exercise. Keep your brain fit by keeping your body in shape! Scientists have shown us that regular exercise can massively reduce the effects of depression, anxiety and stress. In fact in a lot of cases, exercise can work just as well as anti-depressants. Keeping your grey matter happy will also keep it healthy! You can do this by introducing a daily brisk walk through the park or maybe take a dance class!

So there we have it! By increasing your water, eating the right amount of Omega-3 and Omega-6 and taking a daily brisk walk you will already be feeling great and looking forward to a bright future!

It is important to have a variety of health beverages in your diet. Today, there are too many people subsisting on diet sodas, regular sodas, and energy drinks. These consist mostly of artificial sweeteners, artificial flavoring, and caffeine. The body will not perform to peak performance with a steady intake of these types of beverages.

My favorite beverage to have in substitute of a soda is orange juice. It tastes good, it is natural, and is readily available. Orange juice provides a good dose of Vitamin C. An 8 ounce glass contains as much potassium as a banana. It has a remarkable variety of phytonutrients. Beyond the great vitamin and nutrient content, a study has shown that orange juice can lower your blood pressure.

Another great beverage is apple juice. Fresh apple juice carries a significant amount of Vitamin A and C. The old time saying that an apple a day can keep the doctor away is true. Recent studies have shown that drinking apple juice can help slow down the process that leads to heart disease.

Cranberry juice is another powerful drink that should be added to your diet. Medicinal properties of the cranberry have been recognized for centuries. It provides powerful antioxidant qualities. A common treatment for urinary tract infections is to drink cranberry juice. It is thought that the strong acidic content of the juice provides an inhospitable environment for bacteria.

Beyond the standard juices, you can get a bit more exotic. Mango, pineapple, carrot, wheatgrass, and tomato are all great juices that provides wonderful health benefits. Many companies are now offering smoothies and other freshly made juices. As people become more health conscience, these will become the future of the beverage industry.

I hope you will see that there are many options to sodas. You will feel a great impact to your health once you have given them up and integrated the more healthy juices into your diet. At first it will take will power, but as time goes on, you will find that you will completely loose your taste for those sugary sodas.

If you think the bathroom is the busiest room in your house, you may be more right than you know. According to the experts at the health Web site WebMD, the average bathroom contains thousands of germs and viruses-ranging from E. coli bacteria to the rhinovirus linked to colds and flu.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you have to lock your family out of the bathroom, even when it’s unoccupied. Just follow a few tips:

Healthy Smiles

First off, store your toothbrush properly to ensure you keep it-and its user-as germ-free as possible. Be sure to keep it up on a countertop, away from the sink and toilet to prevent airborne contamination from splashing water. Also, don’t store toothbrushes together in close quarters (a toothbrush cup in a cabinet, for example). Doing so can increase the odds of germs spreading from brush to brush. Be sure to regularly change your toothbrush, too. For example, there is a toothbrush called Oral-B Pulsar that can make remembering easy. It looks like a normal toothbrush, but it uses a battery to power its pulsating bristles that clean deep between teeth. The battery dies after three or four months of use-roughly the same amount of time dentists say you should keep a toothbrush. When the battery goes, the toothbrush should go, too.

Raising The Bar

Experts also say there is some evidence that liquid soap may be more sanitary than bar soap. Bar soap can hold residue from soap dishes and bacteria from the person who used it last. Liquid soaps, such as Ivory Liquid Hand Cleanser, come in self-contained pumps that keep soap fresh and pure. Also, gentle liquid soaps are ideal for teaching kids proper hand washing techniques. Children should know to wash their hands for about 20 seconds (or as long as it takes them to sing their ABC’s) at least four times a day, and always after using the bathroom.

Throw In The Towel

Bathroom towels should be hung up to dry immediately after use and regularly washed in hot water with detergent. Tide liquid detergent, for example, can help prevent germs from building up and towels from smelling musty. You may also want to limit the amount of towel sharing that goes on in your house. Encourage each family member to use his or her own towel.

Brush Up On Health-Changing your toothbrush regularly could help protect you from germs.

It has been given different names but the nutritious value of yogurt makes it useful for our continuous and profoundly used up body. It should be part of your daily diet as it helps with increasing ways of creating a clean digestive system. The process of making yogurt must have developed somewhere in Asia or Europe as there is a huge supply of milk.

In Europe and Asia, cow’s milk is very prevalent; buffalo’s milk is also used in India. In Russia goats and sheep’s milk are a good source of providing milk from which the rich and smooth yogurt is formed. Yogurt can be made by the use of Soya which is considered as a very healthy drink.

By being an excellent desert, yogurt also happens to be very nutritive with many golden benefits written to its name. It has all the essential source of proteins, vitamins and minerals. These help to create a proper balance for your body. High content of calcium also proves to be excellent for our digestive system. It helps it cooling down your system rather than burning it up with acidity problems. As the proteins are easily digested you can have this very easily which tends to do wonders to your body.

It can also be made into butter milk wherein 90% water is used, but the taste happens to be very good for your mouth and your stomach accepts it easily. People who have tender digestive system can have this daily which would help them tremendously. As the digestabilty factor of the yogurt is better in comparison to the milk due to which you can have it very easily. It is been said that consuming at least 250 gms yogurt a day would help to improve your thiamine. This thiamine helps in maintaining your appetite as well as the continuous growth of your body.

Acidity can be easily fought by drinking butter milk. If this butter milk happens to be sour it turns out be even better as it helps in fighting the influx of lactic acid in the system. You can use yogurt in different forms which makes it more interesting and also very appetizing for many children and adults too. It also contains Vitamin B12 which is very good for your body. There are three types of yogurt regular, low-fat, and skimmed milk.

As yogurt contains live bacteria it proves to be very useful for your body providing all the necessary health benefits needed by you. It has been tested that people who have yogurt thrice a week can increase their life span than the one’s who had it just once a week. Your immunity increases by having yogurt. It has a fine resistance to fight diseases. Eating yogurt helps with vaginal yeast infection. It also helps in weight loss which for many may be a very significant problem. Lactobacillus is a pro-biotic bacterium which helps in curing arthritis as well as preventing it.

Almost 108 million Americans were overweight or obese in 1999. Until now, obesity continues to be a serious problem and is predicted to reach epidemic levels by the year 2020.

One way to prevent this scenario is to make people aware of the risks of being overweight or obese.

Here are some diseases that you are putting yourself in risk of if you are carrying a lot of extra pounds:

1. heart disease
2. stroke
3. diabetes
4. cancer
5. arthritis
6. hypertension

Losing weight helps to prevent and control these diseases.

The quick weight loss methods which have spread like fire these days do not provide lasting results. More often than not, dieting methods which involve dietary drinks, foods and supplement or pills do not work. If they do, the results are just temporary.

It is better to rely on a healthy weight loss option which will provide lifetime results. You have to set realistic goals and not expect to lose a lot of pounds in a short span of time.

Here are some tips on how you can lose those unwanted pounds the healthy way:

1. Do not starve your self.

The key to a healthier way of losing weight is: Do not diet.

You may seem happy and feel that you are losing those unwanted flabs on your belly and thighs by skipping meals. But remember that this would not last long. Your body cannot tolerate having insufficient food to fuel the energy that you use up everyday.

If you get used to skipping one or two meals a day, your stored calories will be used up instead of the energy that should have been provided by your meals. So if you just eat one huge sandwich in one day, it will end up straight to your problem area (i.e. highs, buttocks, hips).

2. Start your day right.

Mothers always say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Have a healthy meal in the morning to jump-start your metabolism.

Your food intake after you wake up will be used to burn fat all day long.

3. Eat small, healthy meals frequently.

Five small-serving snacks per day is better than three hearty meals. Eating more frequently, and in small servings, can prevent over-eating. This will also increase your metabolism and make calories burn faster.

4. Decide on how much weight you want to lose.

Keep your goals realistic. In the long run, it is virtually impossible for you to lose 40 pounds in 2 weeks. Have a mindset that you want to eat healthy to stay healthy for the rest of your life.

Once you have decided on a weight loss plan or program, stick to it and make sure that you follow your own set of dieting rules.

5. Drink lots of water.

Your body needs sufficient water to burn fat and keep your cells hydrated and healthy.

6. Avoid too much sugar.

Plan your meals around lots of fruits and vegetables, some bread, rice or pasta for that carbo fix that you need, plus lean meat and protein rich-foods. Sweets, sodas and pastries should be once-in-a-while indulgences only.

7. Watch your fat intake.

Fat is not the culprit to being overweight. You need this to keep your weight at the proper level.

There is such a thing as healthy fats. Olive, peanuts and canola oil have them. Tuna, salmon and mackerel have omega-3 fats which is good for the heart.

8. Exercise.

Leave your car if you are only going a few blocks from home, take the stairs instead of the elevator, jog, cycle or skate. Use these activites and other home chores if you are too lazy to go to the gym and take exercise classes. Make sure that you do this regularly and you will not even notice that you are already shedding pounds with these mundane activities.

It does not matter how much weight you plan or need to lose. What is important is that you set realistic goals for yourself.

Go slow. If you have already lost 5 or 6 pounds, give yourself a break then try to lose the next 5 pounds.

Eat healthy, drink lots of water, have enough sleep and exercise. This will give you a higher chance of losing weight and improving your health, which would result to a new, healthier you.

Most doctors will tell you that you should gain anywhere between 25-30 pounds through out your pregnancy. You should aim to gain about 3.5 pounds during your first trimester, although more often than not most women find that they lose weight their first trimester. The culprit to this is morning sickness. Some women suffer from such a severe case of morning sickness they can not keep anything down. Chances are your doctor will not be too concerned if you lose a few pounds that first trimester as long as you gain steady throughout the next two trimesters.

Your second trimester is where you will probably put on most of your weight. Most women put on about a pound a week, so roughly four or five pounds a month which brings their second trimester weight gain to about 12-15 pounds. Some women put on more while others put on less. Do not be surprised if you put on a lot of weight one month and not so much your next.

For the 7th and 8th month you will should probably continue about a pound each week or so. Look to gain between 8 and 10 pounds those months. Most women find that their weight gain slows down in the 9th month. You might find your weight gain coming to a end as your due date draws nearer. This can be a sign that labor is on the horizon. Or, you may find that your weight gain continues especially if you are retaining a lot of water.

So where does all this weight go? It doesn’t really make sense that you should gain between 25-30 pounds if your baby is only going to weigh between 7 and 8 pounds. Let’s break down where the extra weight goes.

First, you have your baby. A average baby weights about 7 1/2 pounds. Some can weigh more and some weigh less. That amniotic fluid that your baby has been swimming in for the past nine months weighs about 2 pounds. Figure in about 2 pounds for your breast enlargement and 1 1/2 pounds for your placenta. Your uterus, which started off about the size of a golf ball has grown to weigh about 2 pounds. Your body should be producing about 4 pounds of extra blood by the end of your pregnancy and about 7 extra pounds of fat. Let’s not forget the extra fluid of about 4 pounds that your body might be holding on to. All this equals to the grand total of about 30 pounds.

Now keep in mind this is just a estimate and not a guarantee of how your weight will fall. There are women who wind up having a 10 pound baby and others who have a 5 pound baby. The key is to maintain a healthy weight gain throughout your pregnancy. Your body needs extra calories and it is best for you and your baby if those extra calories come from food that has a lot of nutritional value such as fruits, vegetables or protein. Staying away from junk for will help you curb your weight gain.

When it comes to taking the weight off, do not be surprise if your body hangs on to it especially those first days after delivery. Once you are home keep this in mind that it took nine months to gain that weight so gives yourself at least a good nine months to take it off.

The aging progression in our bodies is an on going thing each day of our lives. Bringing the clock to a standstill is out of the questions so we need to take care of ourselves on a daily basis. It is a known fact that as we age we need a dietary supplements and vitamins to substitute the declining bodily chemicals and substances.

Dietary supplements are sometimes needed because as we age our diets change and we eat less. Sometimes we eat more. As our skin and digestive system starts to change, so do our vitamin levels. In order to keep these levels up we may need to take a supplement to bring that level up where it belongs to keep us happy and healthy as we age.

Not having the right vitamins can cause cancers and chronic diseases to develop. We all need to understand the vitamins that we need and how they will help keep us stay healthy and safe. In all, we have two different kinds of vitamins, which one is the fat-soluble [A, D, E, K] and the second one is the water-soluble [B, C, P].

The fat-soluble vitamins if taken too much of can turn into a poison toxic. Our bodies produce Vitamin D and K, and the vitamins A and E need to come from our food or a supplement to help prevent cardiac disease and some cancers. Therefore, it is very important that you have the right amount of A, C, and E.

The water-soluble vitamins help the kidneys to rid of our excess waste on a daily basis so it is very important to get the right amount daily. You should consult with your physician to learn which vitamins and supplements are best suited for you.

TIP: CHIRO-KLEENZ is a healthy, natural herb tea that detoxifies and trims the system. It is designed for both men and women. NOTE: This tea will cleanse the body of poisons, yet you should note that the tea would cause cramping, and frequent bowel movement.

As we get older, our diets change and we don’t eat like we should. In addition, the foods we buy sometimes don’t have all or enough vitamins in them. The farmers are putting fertilizer and chemicals to make their crop larger and better and with all these chemicals, it lowers the vitamins that you get from your diet. Not eating the right diet or not enough can cause your vitamin level to drop. Some things you need to know are that Vitamin D is produced from the sun and the older we get the less we are outside, so by taking vitamin D it can help the brittle bones in our body and make them stronger.

You can find B-12 by eating the right lean red meats, chicken and drinking skim milk. Taking Vitamin B-12 and B-6 it helps to reduce heart disease. B-12 will help the red blood cells produce and maintain the nervous system as well too.

Are you not taking vitamins because it is too hard to swallow them?
Some of us as we get older have a hard time swallowing, stay healthy by buying liquid vitamins. If you are not sure what ones come in liquid form ask your doctor and he can help you decide what you need and tell you if they are in liquid form or not. Some pills can’t be cut up or crushed because they lose their strength, so stay healthy and look for the liquid type.

One of the most important things about healthy aging is to have a well balance meal three times a day. Take your medications and vitamin everyday as your doctor has prescribed and enjoy life.

People are often unaware of what stress can do to their body and mind. Stress is bad for the heart. Stress will give you headaches, or make you feel depressed. Stress can do many harmful things to your body and mind, yet in some instances stress is good. Balancing stress is the key to living healthier.

If you live with unhealthy stress, you will need to take action to reduce the volume. You have many options to relieve stress.

Where does stress come from?
Stress develops from many different things. For instance, bills can cause you stress. Not paying your bills on time due to lack of funds can cause stress. Not having a job or kids can stress you out to the max. In addition, bad relationships can wear on your nerves.

What can you do to get some relief from stress?
Some of the things that may help you to find relief from stress include reading a good book. Wrap yourself up in a warm blanket or cool area depending on the weather and enjoy a good book. Writing is one of the top keys that help you to reduce stress. When you are overloaded with stress, write down your feelings, emotions, thoughts and so on. Writing is a great exercise, put it to good use. Avoid overdoing it, so that you learn to enjoy writing rather than feeling frustrated at the thought of writing.

You could also enjoy a nice hot, bubble bath. Add some candles around the tub, soak and enjoy. There are many ways that people can find relief from stress; you have to decide on the best way for you to find that relief. Go with whatever works best for you.

If you cant find a way to do it on your own perhaps you can visit your family doctor, a counselor, friend or family member that will guide you to reducing your stress. Support is a great tool. Build up a support group that helps you live healthier, rather than wearing you down.

What does stress do to my body?
Stress will do a lot to your body if you let it. It will control your emotions, thoughts, actions, behaviors, bodily functions and so on. If you allow stress to control you, it will bring you down to nothing, making you feel worthless. Stress can do a lot of damage to your body as well as your mind.

What can I do so I am not so stressed?
Stress can be reduced by minimizing bad habits. Try paying your bills on time if possible. If you cannot pay your bills on time due to insufficient funds, pay enough to avoid shut-off notices. You may want to setup a budget so that you spend wisely. Help is only a phone call away as well. Pick up your phone book, talk to people in your area, etc, since you just may find money available to help those with low-income pay bills.

Another good way to avoid stress is to stay away from those who drag you down. If you have friends or family members feeding you negativity, let them go and find positive friends instead. Sometimes tough love is our way of saying, “I’ve had enough.”

In addition, you can learn to eat healthy, exercise and put away those things that wear on your health. For instance, if you smoke, drink excessively, use drugs, etc, you are wearing heavily on your nerves. Put these things behind you if possible; otherwise seek help to put these things behind you. You have many options; check your resources to learn what is available to you.

How to think positive

Many people wander the earth believing they the lack the strength and power to achieve their goals. This negative mechanism holds them down. You can gain motivation and live healthier, by simply telling yourself “I can do it.” Anything you put your mind to, you can do it if you want to.

How to tell self I can do it:
Just say today I am going for a short walk. Tomorrow I will walk a little longer then the first day. You have to be in control of your thoughts, actions, behaviors, etc by building your power of the mind. Nevertheless, if you do not put your mind to it and you decide that you do not want to become active, and then you are only living a life filled with shortcomings. Your negative reflections will defeat the purpose of getting your thoughts in control. Saying I will do it later, is another negative reflection. This is called procrastination, which leads to laziness. Laziness leads to weak muscles and joints, which gradually builds up to medical problems.

Take control of your thoughts. If you want to do something bad enough you will do what you have to do to get where you want to be. You need to make a goal and stick to it. Create plans that help you to reach your goals, and take action each day to achieve. When you give up, it is a sign that you lack faith in self and is a clear indication of weakness. You need faith to stay strong. As well, you need positive thinking to strive.

Good results:
Having a positive attitude will give you a jumpstart to a healthier life. Keep on pushing. Do not stop once you get started instead go until you reach your goal. When times get hard and you don’t think you can go on just remember I –can- do – this always keep your head up and mind open. Don’t dwell on something you can’t change, rather focus on the things you have power to change.

How to continue positive living:
To stay positive you have to admit your feelings and express them. If you feel depressed or frustrated, just say it aloud. There is nothing wrong with showing emotions, providing you do not beat up your best friend physically to express those emotions. Stay in control and express what you feel.

You have to talk about how you feel and don’t blame your self but try to figure out why you are so depressed or frustrated. Failing to discover your intentions or reasons will reduce your control, especially if you do not understand what you need or want. Do not worry about the cause, rather find your wants and needs and the cause will come to you.

Here is some pointer that might help you to get where you want to be. You have to look for a good role model and become acquainted with their way of thinking positive. Try to talk positive and avoid negative talk. Seek some support from friends and family.

Reward your self with a massage or listen to your favorite music. Make a plan and stay with it no matter what. Just remember you can do whatever you want to do and keep your mind set for the good things and not the bad things. This will make you feel better and make you a happier person. If you’re happy, you will have a healthier life. Don’t forget to create a goal. Don’t make the goal so high that you won’t be able to keep it, but make it so that you can meet your goals.

We can all appreciate the term, aging gracefully. Do we know exactly what this means? When we think of growing older, it is always affiliated with pain and discomfort. We read about ways to improve our inner mind and body but the focus should also be about our environment. By taking care of our surroundings of where you reside, can lead us to a healthy and happy years to come.

It is said that home is where the heart is, and your home should be a place of sanctuary. It should not be a source of element and emotional stress. Creating a healthy home is more complicated than you think. Many of us have allergies that sometimes lead to illness. You may want to remove unwanted carpets or other dust catchers, bathing pets on a regular basis, and investing in an air filter. You will find dehumidifiers and humidifiers online, which can help reduce elements in your home that causes allergies.

Your home should be nurturing. If there is lack of comfort in your living space, try the following:

Bring the outdoors in. Cut flowers bring in pieces of rocks or other natural elements that gives you a sense of nature.

Put green plants in your home. This is essential to filtering indoor pollutants. The recommendation for the quantity of plants is two plants to every 100 feet. In addition, the plants will distribute natural oxygen throughout your home. What a great way to live a healthy aging life.

Fewer items means less frustration, clean out the clutter, let go of the things you do not use or need. If you think you need these items, sit down and weigh out the pros and cons. If you see that the cons are higher than the pros, get rid of it. Let it go.

In addition, take advantage of the sun; allow as much sunlight as possible to flow through your house. This gives you’re home a feeling of warmth. Take care that you avoid direct sunlight however for prolonged periods, since the sun can cause harm.

Did you know that colors effect your emotionally and affect the way you feel in a home? Every color has a significant meaning that could represent our physical and mental state. For instance:

Red room: Energizing, supports energy and passion and creates movement. Great for an exercise room, not beneficial in your bedroom.

Yellow room: Inspires organization, intellectual clarity with happy thinking. Even by using the color yellow as accents instead of painting, all walls will be positive.

Green room: Brings balance and tranquility but has the same energizing qualities. Often used as a calming place for thinking for people in trouble or just needing to feel refreshed, since natural is our first established home. We all love nature, rather most of us do. Green plants, flowers, etc all bring nature into focus, which makes the heart feel good.

White room: Essential for feeling cleansed and purified. Remember that too much white brings a sterile environment that can also become isolated. Make sure to accent a white room with a vibrant color when painting all white. This is a perfect color for ceilings to brighten up with sunlight.

Improving your life could easily start in the home, whether its trying something new with something natural or changing a color, these are easy methods to create harmony and balance in your surroundings, not to mention inspiration and warmth. The more effort you put into aging healthy, the more you will see good results.

Tip: Animals has proven to be a source of healing. Allow a friendly critter to touch your heart.

The aging process is going by each and everyday of our lives. Stopping the clock is impossible so we all need to stay healthy and take care of ourselves. There is no way you can turn around the process, as we grow older so except it and take care.

Start working now to take care of yourself as you age. Taking care of yourself now will help slow down those aging diseases. A person can do many things, as they get older to take care of their health.

You can start out by taking your multivitamins and all other prescriptions your health care provider has prescribed to you. Taking vitamins is as important as anything else you can do is. Vitamins will provide your body with repair tools. Vitamins will lessen the dangers and the risk of you getting some of the chronic diseases that you can acquire as you age. Diet alone doesn’t normally give a person all the vitamins that they need. In fact, experts show that millions of people in the world suffer malnutrition despite the fact that they eat three healthy meals per day. People are known to eat too much fast food, go on fads or quick weight diets that harm the body. This builds stress, which causes loss of vitamins.

Maybe you’re a person who eats many processed foods because of your busy life style and there is just no time to cook the right meals. You could be one that stops off at a fast food place to eat three or four times a week before going to work or home from work because you are just to tired to fix supper. Remember eating all that fast food isn’t good for the digestive system and all that fat from them fries isn’t good. Take time to fix a meal and sit down to enjoy it; doing this will cut down on the calorie intake and it helps to relieve stress because your doing something good for you and or your family.

Stop worrying about everyone else; take time out for you. Stress is bad for your heart, which affects your blood pressure, nervous system, and is hard in general on your body. Stress can cause many things, even causing a person to become obese. The world is turning at such a fast pace these days that there is never time to take care of us, so start now.

Try doing a little exercise to stay healthy as you age. Every little bit of exercise you do is better than not any at all. An average person should exercise at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes. A person has many options when it comes to exercise. Walking is a great exercise, since it helps you keep those muscles more flexibly and stronger.

How happiness makes you live a longer life:
Happiness is another way to stay healthy as you age. If you are not happy find out why and turn it around so you will be. Being happy and being with friends is always a good way to keep the stress away to. Don’t let yourself get depressed and down; it will make your aging come upon you sooner than you want and it can cause you to be a very sick person. Depression is a sickness and you want to stay away from all that.

Again, there is no way you can stop from aging so stay in good health and slow it down. Keep yourself happy, do those exercises and take those vitamins. Staying active helps keeps the stress down, keep you stronger and you’ll feel better for doing it.

More about your workplace and how it affects your health:
Some places that you work at can be dangerous to your health. They can cause you a lot of medical and mentally problems. We know you have to work, now days if you do not work your not going to get anywhere. We are not telling you to run off and quite your job but we want you to do your work safely. So talk a long look into your work environment to see if you are safe or not. Does your environment affect your health?

What are some of jobs that are bad for one to do?
Some of the jobs that are bad for your health are sawmills and other mills the reason for this is because of the small gains that you breath in your lungs. In sawmills, a person will breathe in the sawdust, which effects your respiratory system. Other types of mills a person will breathe in all the small gains like corn, or wheat, and what ever else they grain up. Breathing all this stuff can cause you to develop lung disease and/or lung cancer. Factories often cause bronchitis, allergies and so on.

People in the southern parts work in the coalmines. These people have it bad too for the same reason. When the person visits the doctor environment factors are considered, which doctors often find damage due to the chemicals in the atmosphere or environment?
Coalmines are filled with black Sid. Black Sid will causes diseases known as the black lung cancer. Once the disease is in your system, unless your doctor caught it at the first stage, usually a person is out of luck.

Jobs may include the ones where a person has to spray to kill the weeds and the bugs. Spray is used to terminate lime also. The crops require such sprays to grow healthy, yet a person breathing in these hard chemicals are at risk. The chemicals do not only kill what they are spraying, but it ends up killing the person slowly. These chemicals could cause lung cancer or lung disease. Alternatively, if you are one of the lucky ones that don’t get lung disease or cancer you just might various types of breathing problems.

What can I do to be safe while am at work?
When at work and you want to stay safe. You have options when it comes to workplace. You can play it smart and ask your supervisor if a mask is available. A caring supervisor will have one ready for you. If your supervisor does not offer you a mask, then you take it in your hands, go to your local drug store, and buy one for your own safety. In addition, make sure you wear the mask, it will help you in the end, since you will be better off than if you do not wear it.

What kind of mental problems can a job cause?
All jobs come with stress we have no control over. However, you can learn to control the stress that is put on you if you let stress control you that is bad for you. Stress will take control if you let it. We all have deadlines to meet as well as making sure we are doing our job the right way. Stress if out of control however can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, or even a stroke. Just remember you have all the control to handle the stress or to let it handle you. If you learn to handle stress and wear mask you will live a healthier life so play it safe.

The quality of healthy aging

From the day we are all born, we age everyday. As a young person, we don’t think about the later years in our life. We live in a very fast pace world today and it causes a lot of stress in our lives and as time goes on, the stress will affect us increasingly.

Everyone young and old, we all need to take care of our bodies and minds. By taking care of ourselves, it keeps us thinking, moving and helps prevent major illnesses such and cancer and many other diseases. We all have to work at keeping ourselves healthy and there is no better time than right now. The younger you start taking care of yourself the better it is; by starting early your catching things before they have time to progress.

So right now, start of by eating healthy. Keep an eye on that diet and make sure your not overeating, but eat enough to get vitamins you need to have. A good multivitamin is a good way to start adding supplements to what you don’t get in your food.

Food doesn’t always have the amount of vitamins anymore like they use to, and that starts at the farmer’s level. Don’t blame the farmer for this because they are just doing their jobs the same way we all go to ours everyday. The farmer has to add fertilizer, chemicals and even water to their crops to make them grow bigger, faster and for beauty too. Adding all these chemicals eat up all the natural vitamins that you need. Water has chemicals in it too; one reason why your water needs to be tested at least once a year especially if you have well water. Once the food is grown and ready to be shipped it is polished, coated to keep it nice and fresh looking during shipment, which is why this will take away some of the vitamins as well. Try to eat as much, homegrown food as you can and not processed foods. Fresh homegrown food is the best, since you get natural vitamins.

A good multivitamin isn’t going to hurt anyone. It is known that people who take a multivitamin everyday is in better health than someone who doesn’t. Sometimes your doctor may want you to take extra vitamin, as we grow older because our bodies change and sometimes require more of something. In addition, as we grow older our eating habits change and we don’t eat as much or we want to lose weight and don’t eat the right foods. Nevertheless, remember you can lose weight and still eat right.

As we grow older our bodies and mind change. All the stress we had growing up and continue through out our lives. Relieve that stress as much as possible because it can do a lot of harm to us. Stress is known to be a major factor for poor heart conditions, strokes, and it will lower our immune system, as we grow older.

A regular exercise program is good for all ages and helps relieve stress at the early ages as well. If only families took time out maybe as a family with their children and made it a part of their lives that would help relieve it during the younger years.

A person who learns and enjoys exercising on a daily basis will keep during it, as they grow older as well.

Exercising will help the older person to keep those bones more flexible so they don’t get stiff and weak. The heart gets benefit from exercising too. Exercise will cause the heart to produce naturally, by working it harder to keep it highly flavored. Exercising helps to keep our bodies toned up and helps us to lose weight, or at most keeping the weight maintained.

Remember starting early can help later in years to make your life healthier and more contented.

Many of us despise visiting the doctors all the time although doctor visits can help keep us healthy. Some people enjoy visiting the doctors, since they are aware that it will keep them updated with their health issues. This is a good thing.

How visiting your doctor regularly benefits you:
We should all go see our doctors at least once a year to get our yearly exam, unless we have illnesses that require frequent visits. This will help your doctor keep watch over your health. The doctor keeps a watch on your blood pressure, check your heart and so on. Breast exams, vaginal exams and other exams are essential for women. Every six months women should seek a pelvic exam and once a year depending on age, the patient should get a mammogram. There are a million reasons to see your doctor regularly. If you stay healthy you will feel better and you will be running stronger when the rest of us are laying in our bed wishing we would had listen.

How do I find a doctor?
Finding a doctor is not hard for some and harder for others. You can check with people and ask them whom they have for a doctor or you can call your local hospital in your area and see who is in your area. Keep in mind that because you do not have a doctor now, it may make you feel uncomfortable when seeing a doctor for the first time. You need to find a doctor that makes you feel comfortable for this reason.

You have to have a friendship with your doctor this way you will feel more a rest. If you do not like your doctor, other doctors are available that you can visit. You just have to find one that you like and go with that one.

How frequent doctor visits make you feel healthier:
You will feel healthier for one thing when you visit the doctor frequently. Frequent visits will make you feel much better in the end. If there is something, wrong with you the doctor will be able to see it and can with hopes fix the problem but it you don’t go the doctor will not be able to fix the problems.

Doctors are your best friend. When you have a doctor in your corner the doctor will take extra care to make sure you are healthy.

The doctor can help you to live a healthier life so you will look younger and feel younger. Do you know that saying ole’ saying, “you are as old as you feel?” This saying can become yours by visiting your doctor frequently.

As we grow older, we often feel sluggish. The reason is that our living cells are not replacing dying cells as quickly, as well other mechanisms within us, such as metabolism is not producing as quick. This causes us to feel sluggish. To feel better we need vitamins, herbs, and medications sometimes.

What we need is accomplished when we seek professional support, since that support, team will evaluate and diagnose your problems. The diagnostics is what determines what the doctor can do to help you feel better. If you ignore the doctor, you may face Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, strokes and so on. Most diagnosis have cures, the problem is most people do not seek medical attention until it is too late.

If you are seeking medical support, you can go online, type in your zip code and conduct a random search. The sites online will offer you a list of doctors in your area.

As we grow older, we need to stay active to keep our bodies and system in shape. The older a person gets the less our bodies want to function so keeping it in shape is very important for all of us, even the younger people.

Sleeping is very important to all of us as we are aging. Aging brings on a different sleep pattern and we need to learn how to control it so when it is time to sleep we sleep well. It is normal as we age that it becomes harder to get a good nights sleep and feel rested when we wake up. Sleeping is as important as our diet and activities.

Did you know that it is hard for woman to sleep more so than men in their aging years? Women have more tendencies to feel stressed out more and they sometimes are just too busy to get themselves into an exercising routine. If you don’t get enough sleep at night, it will reduce your alertness during the day because you’re tired. Long periods of sleepless nights can cause high blood pressure and isn’t good for the heart either.

There are many reasons why some people can’t achieve a restful nights sleep. Sometimes you might sleep but it is a light sleep and we need to have a deep restful REM sleep. Sometimes you may awaken during the night from pain perhaps caused from arthritis. Sometimes you may experience heartburn, which causes you to get less sleep. Snoring or feeling depressed sometimes can also cause you to loose sleep. You may have a stressful day followed by the lack of sleep. Muscles spasms can also cause a person to loose sleep.

How you can reduce the problems that cause you to loose sleep:
Caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine can cause us to lose sleep. Try not to drink liquids before going to bed, and stop smoking. Smoking not only harmful to your body but it can cause you to lose sleep. Excessive noise in the house, the TV or radio in the bedroom and snoring are some more reasons that can keep us from sleeping. Don’t try to go to bed and watch TV or listen to the radio; this will only keep you awake longer. You can learn to enjoy exercises to reduce muscles spasms and/or arthritic symptoms. You can also reduce eating unhealthy foods that cause heartburn, or drinking caffeine-based substances before you go to bed to improve your sleeping pattern.

Do you have a pet that sleeps with you? Even though you think they are giving you comfort it could cause you to lose that precious sleep you need. You may not realize it but everytime your pet moves, maybe snores; you can hear this while sleeping. Maybe you might have to get your pet a bed and let him sleep on the floor next to you. If you have allergies, your pet may be the cause, which can make you loose sleep as well.

Napping is not good if you take one during the day for more than 25 minutes. I realize that maybe your not getting enough sleep during the night and you get tired in the afternoon. However, when you lie down during the day and sleep for a long time, when it is time to go to bed, you’ve had just enough sleep that you’re not as tired.

Before you lie down to rest, you should also consider drinking a warm glass of milk. Studies have shown that warm milk helps a person to relax.

Are you interested in losing weight? If you are a woman who is concerned with your appearance, there is a good chance that you may be. Weight loss is an issue that many women have to deal with. While many women are able to lose weight “naturally,” there are others who need a little bit of assistance. The good news is that there are a number of weight loss products, available for sale, which can offer you that assistance.

One of the many weight loss products that you may want to consider investing in is that of weight loss pills. Weight loss pills, also commonly referred to as diet pills, have been used by many women, for years now, to lose weight. Although not all diet pills are the same, you will find that most work by suppressing your appetite. This is what makes you feel the need not to eat, thus reducing your calorie intake and, in turn, you weight.

If you would like to use weight loss pills or diet pills to help you lose weight, you will find that you have a number of different options. Weight loss pills come in a number of different formats and they sell for a wide range of prices. There are a large number of weight loss pills that can be sold over-the-counter and then there are ones that are available by prescription only. If you are interested in seeking a prescription for your weight loss pills, it is advised that you schedule an appointment with your primary care physician as soon as possible.

Even if you are interested in buying your weight loss pills over-the-counter, either locally or online, you may want to think about consulting with you primary care physician anyways. What you need to know about weight loss pills is that they are not all created equally. In addition to some weight loss pills not working, some may even be harmful to your health. If you are unable to speak with your primary care physician about diet pills, you may want to at least do a little bit of research online. This research should involve visiting the online website of the pill manufacturer, as well as reading product reviews online.

Another weight loss product that you may want to look into using, is that of a colon cleanse, occasionally referred to as a weight loss cleanse. Colon cleanses come in pill formats and in liquid formats. They are designed to detoxify your body by eliminating harmful or unwanted toxins from it. What is nice about colon cleanses is that they can be purchased from a number of different retailers, both on and offline, and you can even make your own cleanse formula at home.

As with weight loss pills, it is important that you research each colon cleanse or weight loss cleanse that you are interested in using. Be sure to examine how long you will have to take the cleanse for and if you will be required to restrict your eating. If you are in doubt or find a colon cleanse that sounds a little too good to be true, it may be best to move on and continue your search.

As you likely already know, colon cleanses and weight loss pills are two of the many weight loss products that may be able to help you reach your goal of losing weight. If you are unable to seek the assistance of a doctor, it is advised that you at least use your best judgment when buying and using weight loss products, like colon cleanses and diet pills.

How and Why You Shouldn’t Have to Go Though It Alone

Are you a woman who is looking to lose weight? Whether you are interested in losing weight to improve your physical appearance, your health, or both, you may be feeling a little bit hopeless. While many women are able to lose weight when they want to do so, others have a little bit harder time. If you are finding it difficult to lose weight, it may be because you are trying to go about losing weight all on your own.

When it comes to weight loss, there are many women who find it easier, as well as less embarrassing, to doing their own weight loss program from home. While it is more than possible to exercise and workout by yourself, do you know that you don’t have to? In fact, many women who have a workout partner or a workout buddy find it easier to lose weight than going at it along. Two popular reasons as to why those who have a workout partner or a workout buddy see success is because of support and motivation.

As nice as it is to hear that you should think about getting a workout buddy or a workout partner, to help you exercise and to help you lose weight, you may be wondering where that person may come from. Unfortunately, many women do not realize that they don’t actually have to look very far. If you are married or if you have a romantic partner, you may want to think about asking them to join you. Even if your partner isn’t a fan of exercising and working out, you can place a “quality time,” spin on it. In fact, if your partner is a little bit overweight or out of shape themselves, they may even want to join you in your weight loss adventures. This is the ultimate show of support.

In addition to a romantic partner, you may want to think about asking any of your friends or family members if they would like to be your workout buddy or workout partner. When approaching your friends or family members, it is important to not focus on their weight or their physical appearance. Unfortunately, many women make the mistake of assuming that those that they know who are already in perfect shape wouldn’t have any reason to exercise, but you may be surprised. For that reason, you are advised to ask any friends or family members that you know to join you when you workout.

If you have asked those that you know to join you as a workout buddy or a workout partner and you have still come up empty handed, you may want to consider joining a weight loss program. Locally operated weight loss programs are ideal, as you often get membership perks, like access to proven exercises, as well as healthy meals. Another benefit to joining a locally operated weight loss program is the support from other members. There is a good chance that one or more of your other weight loss program members would love to join you when you exercise.

If and when you get a workout buddy, it may be a good idea to “spice up,” your exercises a bit. For instance, you may want to let your workout buddy or partner choose your exercises or activities for one day and then you choose for the next. This may help to keep your exercises fun and exciting.

Are you a woman who is struggling with your weight? If you are, you are definitely not alone. Today, many women are faced with many issues, including weight. If you are unhappy with your current weight, you may be interested in changing it, but, for many, that is often easier said than done.

When it comes to losing weight, many women are able to come up with an unlimited number of excuses as to why they can’t lose weight or excuses as to why this important issue should be pushed off to the side for now. Many women are lacking the motivation needed to lose weight. If you are one of those women, you will want to continue reading on. Below, three reasons as to why you should lose weight are outlined and these reasons may serve as the motivation that you have been looking for

#1 – Appearance

Although many women are satisfied with the way that they look, many are not. If you are currently unhappy with the way that you look and feel, you will want to consider losing weight. Weight loss, even a small one, can significantly improve the way that you see yourself, as well as the way that others see you. If you hate looking at yourself in the mirror every morning, it may be time to think about losing weight.

#2 – Health

For many women, being overweight or obese isn’t just about carrying around a few extra pounds. Obesity has been linked to a number of health complications, including high blood pressure, diabetes, as well as the early onset of death. If you do not take steps to lose weight now, especially if you are seriously overweight, your health may have other plans for you. It is important to mention that those plans may not necessarily be good ones.

#3 Wellbeing

In addition to benefiting your health and your physical appearance, weight loss can also make you feel good about yourself. Many women notice an instant improvement in their self-confidence and self-esteem when they lose weight. This means that even if you are suffering from other issues, aside from weight related issues, weight loss may be able to assist you with overcoming those issues or at least the stress that is associated with them.

The three above mentioned reasons are just a few of the many reasons why you may want to think about losing weight, if you have weight to lose. Should you decide that losing weight is in your best interest, you may want to think about making an appointment with a healthcare professional. These types of appointments are important, as well as insightful. Your healthcare professional may be able to instruct you on safe ways that you can go about losing weight and they may also be able to help you set reasonable weight loss goals for yourself.

Although it is advised that you speak with a healthcare professional about your intent to lose weight, you don’t have to just rely on their expertise or their input. A large number of women, just like you, lose weight by joining locally operated weight loss programs, as well as online weight loss programs. What is nice about weight loss programs, both those operated locally and online, is that you often walk away with professional advice, as well as support from others just like you.

Are you a woman who is interested in losing weight? If you are, you are not alone. In the United States, a large number of women are concerned with health and beauty related issues, including those pertaining to weight. While it is often a lot easier said than done, it is more than possible for you to lose weight and to lose weight “naturally.” If you are interested in losing weight “naturally,” without the assistance of weight loss pills, you will want to continue reading on.

What you need to know about losing weight naturally is that it requires quite a bit of hard work and restraint on your part. The two most important components of losing weight are exercise and healthy eating. Without these two components of weight loss, there is a good chance that you will not lose any weight, in fact, you may keep on gaining more.

When it comes to eating healthy, there are many women who don’t know where to start. One of the first things that you will want to do is start researching healthy foods and healthy recipes. You can do this by either using the internet, which should be free, or by buying a collection of healthy eating cookbooks. These healthy eating cookbooks are typically available for sale in health stores, department stores, and book stores, both on and offline. Once you know what to cook, you can then start eating healthy.

Speaking eating healthy, it is important that you do not keep on eating the same foods over and over again, no matter how good they taste. Unfortunately, many women end up getting bored with eating the same foods again and again. This is often what leads many women off of the healthy eating path. This is a mistake that you do not want to make. Perhaps, that is why you should buy a collection of healthy eating cookbooks or take the time to research healthy eating recipes online, as it gives you a larger selection of foods to choose from.

As previously stated, exercise is the other important component of losing weight. If you are interested in seriously losing weight, it is important that you start exercising. When it comes to exercising and working out, you will find that you have a number of different options. For many individuals, exercising means hitting their local fitness center, but it can also mean going for a morning walk or run. Whether you put in an exercise DVD at your home or decide to lift weight at your local fitness center, this exercise is important to you, your health, and your weight loss goals.

As with eating healthy foods, you may want to think about spicing up your exercises and workouts as well. This will help you stay excited about losing weight and exercising. To help keep the excitement alive, as well as give you a little bit of motivation, you may want to think about contacting some of your friends or family members to see if they would like to become your workout partner or workout buddy.

In short, the combination of healthy eating and exercise is sure to spell success. While it does take a lot of hard work and determination to lose weight, you will likely be more than pleased with the results.

In theory, vitamins and supplements are a good idea. Who does not want to stay younger, stronger, more alert, and disease-free well into their 80s or 90s? Many of the substances sold as health supplements really do have a beneficial effect. The problem is that it is so hard to know. The health supplement market is not sufficiently regulated by the FDA, and quality control is often a huge problem. As a result, you do not know whether or not the claims made by the product is actually true. A lot of the herbs and minerals are not evaluated scientifically, so vendors can say anything they want and you have to take it at face value. Not only do you not know if you are getting what is being sold to you, but even if you are, there is no way to know whether or not it works. This is why you should choose all of your health supplements carefully.

Many alternative health experts recommend only taking one health supplement at a time at first. Unless you are getting health supplements to address some specific disease that is quite difficult to treat, you should do the best you can to only buy ones that have been scientifically tested and evaluated. Consulting an experienced herbalist is one of the best way to ensure that you are taking health supplements that will be safe and beneficial. Any herbal health supplements you take should be made in the United States in factories with a good standard of quality control. Overseas supplements are often found to contain lead, mercury, and other highly dangerous additives. You may start out trying to improve your health, only to find yourself with heavy metals poisoning!

The best supplements are made of natural herbs. That way, you can be sure that you are getting what you want. If you buy locally produced health supplements, you might be able to tour the farm and watch the extraction and processing of the herbs. That way, you will know your health supplements are organic, naturally made, and high quality. You might have to pay a little bit more for these health supplements, but it is well worth it. After all, an expensive and high quality product is better than lead dust and other unknown additives from some foreign company. Remember, the reason you are taking health supplements in the first place is to protect your health. Isn’t it worth a little more money to do that safely?

Sometimes you just have to have a break. From what you may ask? Hey, take your pick. I can’t even count all my daily headaches on two hands. However, I’ll bet I can name your top three. Number one is your career, two your kids, and three concerns the bills. Well, how did I do? Now, what you may require is a fancy health spa. Have you ever been to one of these before? Let me make it simple for you; I’m a man and I still love them. I doubt there is a person on this planet that wouldn’t enjoy a full body massage right now.

So there I was; standing in the Aveda salon. I sometimes forget these places are salons. I always thought of Aveda as a skin care store. Regardless, I was there to find a nice gift for my wife. She has been really stressed out lately and could certainly use some pampering. Then I remember; this place is a health spa of sorts. They offer a number of wonderful services. I snatched one of the pamphlets from the front counter and began to examine it. There were several services on it that sounded amazing. A full body polish was one of them. This is basically a sea salt rub-down. It exfoliates dead skin from the body. My wife would love this. Then there was a facial with hand and feet massage. Now that’s right up her alley. I went with this one. Although it cost be around 95 bucks, I knew that it would hit the spot. She was stoked when she discovered the gift card on our bed. Now it’s up to her to arrange an appointment time at the Aveda health spa. For all you guys out there, this is the ideal gift for your lady. Women love to be pampered and there are no exceptions.

Location can definitely play a part when searching for a quality health spa. If you reside in a small rural environment, you may find it difficult to pinpoint a health spa in your area. Unfortunately this could mean a drive. Get on your personal computer and research all health spas and resorts in your state. Surely there are some. Maybe you will want to travel a few hours and make a full weekend out of it. The finer health spas are worth it.

You may have heard about a healthrider elliptical trainer, but may wonder how well the healthrider elliptical trainer machines really work. The healthrider elliptical trainer machines are not as prominent in conversations compared to other elliptical machines, however healthrider elliptical trainers do have a reputation that does clearly stand out. If you are considering buying a healthrider elliptical trainer, you will be glad to know that the healthrider elliptical trainers have some great benefits along with some good reviews.

Now no one will say that the healthrider elliptical trainer machines have the highest quality, but many people can agree that the quality of a healthrider elliptical trainer is above average. Their different models all share a common reputation of good quality at a excellent price. When looking at healthrider elliptical trainers, you will notice that they only come in a few models. This is because Icon who manufacturers these machines, who also manufacturers other machines that do not get great reviews, seems to focus more on quality when it comes to manufacturing their healthrider elliptical trainer machines. This is what makes a healthrider elliptical trainer so reliable, because no matter what model you buy, they are all highly reliable in quality and performance. The machines consistency is one reason why it is so highly regarded.

Many people recommend the healthrider elliptical trainer, but they do have concerns about the stride length as it is not that great. This can be a problem for tall users or people who are more comfortable using a longer stride length. Another problem is the limited options you have with limited incline availability. Depending on what healthrider elliptical trainer you choose, will really depend on how many problems you will face with this feature. The incline option varies on each individual model of the healthrider elliptical trainer. So if an adjustable incline feature is important to how you want to perform your workout, then you more then likely will want to look at all of healthrider elliptical trainers and choose the one that has the best incline feature.

Another problem with the healthrider elliptical trainer is the limited warranty. Even though these machines are very reliable and have high durability, the warranty could have been better then it is. Despite the cheap warranty that comes with the healthrider elliptical trainers, you do not need to worry about your machine not lasting long. A healthrider elliptical trainer is a very good machine that has great quality added to it. You can always purchase an extended warranty for whichever healthrider elliptical trainer you decide to purchase, which may make some people wonder if this is why the warranty is as limited as it is. So despite the poor warranty for the healthrider elliptical trainers, there is an option to make you feel more comfortable for when you purchase your healthrider elliptical trainer. Buying an extended warranty is recommended.

Other then these problems that can be found with the healthrider elliptical trainer, the healthrider elliptical trainer is a machine that still ranks above average and is used by many satisfied customers.

Our lives are fraught with worry and the unknown. It’s difficult to tell what lies just around the corner. This in turn irks us, and yet a part of us doesn’t care to know. Then again, when it comes to simple things such as finances and hair loss, most of us would pay to know. However, no one wants to learn of health afflictions. Regardless of how many health questions we harbor within the depths of our brains, we never want to hear bad news. Often with age can come hearing loss, cancer, heart problems, reduction of bone mass, and much more. Who in their right mind would ever want to grapple with these issues? I know I don’t want to! Nevertheless we all have to at some point. At least we can attain the answers we need.

Medical issues and health concerns have been made simple. Well, actually accessing them has been made simple. Anyone can get online and see what WebMD.com has to say regarding particular health questions. I did this recently with prostate cancer in mind. I wanted to know how to prevent this deadly affliction that takes the lives of many men. After sorting through about four different articles on prostate cancer, I learned plenty. It’s refreshing to know that I can work to prevent this illness. At the age of 31 I feel rather confident in my new-found efforts. In fact, I’ve already started. One of the major actions I’ve taken is to invest in Omega 3 supplements. These fish oil capsules apparently work wonders for the body. I only wish I’d have known this long ago. Not only do Omega 3 supplements help prevent prostate cancer, but they also improve skin and hair. The fatty oils are great for the human body.

Maybe you don’t have time to consult a physician this very moment with health questions. This is understandable. We all have busy lives that leave us with minimal free time. If you do have a few health questions and demand real answers, try WebMD.com. This is a wonderful site that offers plenty of feedback. The best part is it’s free of charge. Oh and, don’t wait on those health questions. This is your life we’re talking about.