Archive for 'Health'
The Health and Social Implications of Raising Vegan and Vegetarian Children
Posted on 29. Jun, 2009 by Sarah Valek.
If you’re vegan or vegetarian, you’ll naturally want to raise your offspring as herbivores. But it is healthy? Is it in your child’s best interest to abstain from meat and animal products?
Yes! Rest assured that children can thrive as vegans or vegetarians. Like any other diet, you have to offer a variety of balanced, wholesome foods and give some thought when planning meals to avoid nutritional deficiencies. Basically, you have to use common sense.
According to Joanne Stepaniak and Vesanto Melina, authors of “Raising Vegetarian Children: A Guide to Good Health and Family Harmony,” a balanced vegetarian diet can protect children from obesity, heart disease and other pre-conditions for adult diseases. Children and adults don’t need dairy or meat. They can get iron, calcium and other nutrients from vegetable sources.
Vegetarian and vegan diets are based on whole grains, vegetables, fruit, and legumes-all the foods doctor recommend you eat more of.
So, if this is true, why do vegetarians-let alone vegetarian families-routinely face such harsh criticism from some doctors, friends and family members?
Food is a highly personal topic. As someone who’s been vegan for 10 years, I can attest to the emotional weight people place on food. No one wants to feel that their diet is morally unjust. Many people feel guilty by just being in the presence of vegetarians, without anything being said about factory farms or agricultural practices.
People say vegetarians are deficient in nutrients, that we’re setting up our children to be mocked, and that we just hate good food. But none of these claims are universally true. They are just attempts at being critical.
As someone who’s raising a vegan child, I wonder if this criticism will overflow onto my child or if people will be more accepting of a vegetarian lifestyle by the time he’s engaging in real conversation. Is vegetarianism, as I suspect, a healthy diet being unfairly vilified? Or does vegetarianism still have a lot to prove?
photo credit: atl10trader
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Bubble Bath Magic
Posted on 14. Jun, 2009 by Angel Lynn Diamond.
If you are feeling particularly stressed, take yourself away from it all with a bubble bath. There is something about water that calms the nerves and a bubble bath has been known to have a powerful effect in decreasing stress. Do something nice for yourself once a week and de-stress with a bubble bath. To have the perfect bubble bath go all out and do it up right.
You will need some items to make your bath extra special. Gather up a couple of fluffy, towels, white preferably, some candles, your CD player and some relaxing music, your bubble bath, and a bath pillow. Fill your bathtub up and be generous with the bubbles. Light the candles. Put your music on softly. Dim the lights in your bathroom, if possible. Now climb in, put your head back on your pillow and close your eyes. With the music on, the lights low, the flickering candles, and warm bubbles surrounding you, think of absolutely nothing. Nothing. Let your mind wander back to your happiest memory or your most touching moment and think of that. Take yourself back and indulge in the happiness.
When you finally are able to pull yourself away from all of this, if possible, lie down and take a nap. You will find that you will have the best sleep ever because your body is so relaxed. This little time that you give to yourself might seem self-indulgent, but for all that you do for others, you deserve it. Further, when you give yourself this little pleasure that costs nothing but time you will in turn be a better person, a better mother because you have given yourself this time to calm your soul.
photo credit: A.D.A. ~ Anna Duncan Art
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Ab Workouts: True and Simple Strategies
Posted on 11. Jun, 2009 by Mom Mag.
Ever spared a thought to see how on earth ab workouts really help you chisel your abs, and build six pack abs? Whatever you do, it matters only if you are doing them in THE way it burns fat from your abdomen to make your abs muscles pop out firmly.
True And Simple Techniques of Ab Workouts
No effective abdominal muscle workout can be without sufficient importance given to timings and diet. Incorporate the following 5 steps into your physical exertion routine to see fantastic abs develop actually fast.
Step #1
Always do your workouts before eating for this is the only when you will burn fat and not carbohydrates.
Step #2
Warm up sufficiently to sap out your vitality ahead of beginning abs workouts. Cardiovascular exercises fit the bill beautifully and you will actually feel the deeper muscles coming down during the workouts.
Step #3
Keep the rest pauses to minimal in between sets (repetitions) to maintain the temperature and momentum intact. Longer the rest than a minute colder will be your ab muscles and you know what!
Step #4
Flex and contract your abs in between sets. What works on your abs is what you do in between sets. Stretching and flexing in between sets in leisurely movements work wonders.
Step #5
My best-loved quote goes like “Abs is made in the kitchen!” Can’t ignore focusing on your diet. Diet is key to how your abdominal muscles will form.
You will see your abs muscles rip out faster and within weeks of adapting these ab workouts tips I have given above as they are beyond being meek suggestions. The beauty is they don’t require any extra efforts obviously, neither will they take extra time time to do.
Hard Facts You Must Know if You Ever Want to Flatten Your Belly to Get Six Pack Abs
1. The so-called fat loss diets are actually junk foods smartly disguised to stimulate you to gain more belly fat but the clever marketing techniques are able to have convinced thousands of innocent people so they can maximize their profits.
2. Ab workouts like crunches, sit-ups, and ab machines are truly useless method of getting flat abs muscles.
3. Boring repetitive cardio exercise routines are NOT the best way to lose body fat neither are they good lower ab workout routines. I’ll tell you the exact types of unique workouts that produce 10x better results below.
4. You DON’T need to bet your money on high priced “fat burner” pills or other phoneysupplements. You can certainly use the power of natural foods to your advantage if you know how.
5. Most of the ab workouts equipments, and many infomercials are gimmicks. If they aren’t a waste of your hard earned money, what are they otherwise? Despite the misleading infomercials, the perfectly chiseled fitness models in the commercials did NOT get their perfect body by using that “ab contraption”… they developed their perfect body through REAL workouts and REAL nutrition routines. Again, you’ll learn some of their secrets and what really works are good plans.
For the tips about how to lose weight, visit this blog.
photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography
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How to Choose the Best Anti Aging Cream?
Posted on 08. Jun, 2009 by Mom Mag.
The quest for younger looking skin has become increasingly popular during recent years. Collectively, we spend billions of dollars each year on different ways to keep our skin looking young and beautiful: from non-invasive anti aging creams to more invasive procedures such as Botox injections and plastic surgery.
Our skin is in constant contact with our external environment and forms a barrier that protects us from microorganisms, heat, cold and UV radiation. Skin needs moisture, collagen and elastin to stay flexible and smooth. As we age, the moisture, collagen and elastin content of our skin decreases. In particular our facial skin and hands, which are exposed to the elements the most, will show more signs of aging: fine lines and wrinkles, age spots, sun damage and other blemishes.
For many people, invasive surgical procedures are not an option for budgetary and medical reasons. And if you decide you would like to have younger looking skin, how do you decide what anti-wrinkle cream you should choose?
Anti-aging creams are aimed at moisturizing the skin, increase the levels of elastin and collagen and to repair any damage that resulted from overexposure to the sun. The overall end result should always be skin that has more moisture and shows less wrinkles and fine lines.
As a customer, you have many different anti wrinkle creams to choose from: creams that are aimed to fight wrinkles on the entire face or more specialized creams that target specific areas, such as an eye cream that reduces wrinkles and crow feet around the eyes and simultaneously treats dark circles under the eyes.
No matter what anti aging cream you choose, there are a number of popular anti aging ingredients such as special peptides, antioxidants and herbal extracts that can be found in many high-quality anti aging creams:
- Collagen: Collagen is an important skin structural protein that gives the skin it’s smooth flexible appearance. As we grow older, the amount of collagen in the skin decreases, which results in wrinkles and fine lines. Many anti aging creams contain hydrolyzed collagen, which is an enzymatic break-down product of collagen-derived protein and is rich in the amino acid hydroxyproline
- Hyaluronic acid: Hyaluronic acid is a large polymer consisting of sugars, abundant in connective, epithelial and neuronal tissue. It is one of the major components of the extra-cellular matrix, where it promotes cell proliferation and migration. Hyaluronic acid promotes moisture absorption and retention
- Coenzyme Q: Coenzyme Q (CoQ10, ubiquinone) is an oil-soluble benzoquinone that is structurally similar to vitamin E and vitamin K and is mainly found in the mitochondria (where it is a part of the energy generating electron-transport chain). Since Coenzyme Q is a powerful antioxidant (it can transport electrons), it has gained popularity as an ingredient in anti wrinkle creams
- Antioxidants: Many anti-aging creams contain antioxidants such as Pomegranate and Acai Berry extract to protect the skin from free radical damage
- Lacto-ceramide: Ceramides limit skin irritations and are important for the skin’s barrier function. Ceramides found in anti aging creams (lacto-ceramide) are mostly synthetic and have powerful moisturizing and regenerating properties
- Vitamin A: In anti-aging skin care, vitamin A derivatives are often used to promote skin turnover and to stimulate collagen production, leading to a more youthful appearance
Everyone can have younger looking skin. Eat healthy, reduce the impact of the environment on your skin and use high quality anti aging products such as creams and lotions to further enhance your skin. Learn about each active ingredient and determine if the ingredients can produce the rejuvenating effect you desire.
photo credit: jolien_vallins
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Natural Weight Loss With Healthy Snack Foods
Posted on 02. Jun, 2009 by Mom Mag.
Portable healthy snacks are the latest trend in the snacking industry. Wrapped stringed cheese, Go-Gurt (portable yogurt), individually packaged vegetable portions with low-fat dip and 100-calorie potato chips or cookies are helping us to eat healthy, even when we feel we have no time to do so.
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Prevent Head Lice at Summer Camps
Posted on 29. May, 2009 by Mom Mag.
Head Lice Treatment
Summer is quickly approaching in most parts of the U.S. Children are starting to get excited about summer camps and all the fun they will have with their friends. Parents are aware of all the potential issues and risks involved with summer camps. Accidents, skinned knees and other small issues are taken care of by camp staff. But what about things like head lice? Parents may not be aware that there are indeed ways to decrease the chances their child will come home with extra visitors. Products that may prevent head lice include daily shampoos, conditioners, leave-in spray, bunk spray, fabric spray and helmet spray.
Head Lice Treatment
The best way to prevent spreading head lice to other children is to not let your child attend summer camp if they have head lice. Some people feel it is an embarrassing subject and would rather not have to explain why their child can’t go to summer camp this year. Instead, they ignore the problem and let their child have fun.
Unfortunately, this causes other children to become infested and take the little unwanted visitors home to their own families. In this case, take the initiative and buy special shampoo, conditioner and sprays that your child can take with them to summer camp. Do not send your child to summer camp with harmful insecticides. Opt to use sprays that are formulated for daily use and do not include harsh chemicals. It is very important to understand and educate your child on head lice prevention practices.
Head Lice Treatment
Educate Children about Head Lice
Children are often too trusting or do not understand the risks involved in sharing something as harmless as a hair brush or helmet. You don’t want your child to become obsessed or afraid of certain things, but they do need to understand that sometimes it’s not ok to share their things. Here are a few things your child should know in order to help prevent head lice infestations:
* Don’t play head-to-head, even for critical thinking or strategic planning against the opposing team. Head-to-head or hair-to-hair contact can spread head lice.
* Avoid sharing items that touch other children’s heads. Hats, helmets, scarves, towels, hair brushes, combs and hair barrettes are primary ways head lice are transported from person to person.
* Do not share a pillow or bunk with someone who has head lice.
* Keep their belongings in an area away from others. Hang their coat and hat on a separate hook instead of overlapping someone else’s.
* If you choose to purchase a bunk spray, fabric spray or helmet spray, teach your child how to properly use the products. Check with the camp director to be sure it is ok for your child to bring such sprays with them.
* Explain the importance of using their lice prevention shampoo and conditioner. In the event that your child does bring extra visitors home from summer camp, be prepared ahead of time. Wash
all clothing, brushes, combs and bedding in hot water; water temperature needs to be at least 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Products that cannot be washed in hot water can be stored in an airtight plastic bag for two weeks to ensure any live adult head lice are dead and eggs that may have hatched into nymphs are also dead. Just because your child may contract head lice from summer camp doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be allowed to attend.
Liz and Adrian Solovay write about lice prevention and lice removal for the Lice Treatment Center. They promote
Jolis Cheveux, a line of 100% natural head lice treatment
products. Find out more by visiting the Lice Treatment Center at: www.licetreatmentcenter.net
photo credit: Pip R. Lagenta
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Green Tea Health Benefits
Posted on 23. May, 2009 by Mom Mag.
A lot of people in these days are trying to maintain their good health. Medical experts always tells that we should take better care of ourselves if we want to live a longer life but the problem is that there are so much conflicting information about what is and isn’t good for us. However, there seem to be some consensus about the benefits of green tea. Green tea has become very during the last few years. People know about the benefits of green tea, and have made it a part in their daily diet. Want to discover how to quickly lose all the weight you want? Get The Fat Loss Secrets FREE from chinese green tea for weight loss.
Green tea has gained so much popularity in recent years because many people’s desire to try natural herbs and supplements in the hope of maintaining their good health. It’s a fact that many people have chosen to substitute it for their morning cup of coffee. Green tea also contains some antioxidants that can prevent us from some forms of cancer. You may reduce your risk of breast, lung and other forms of cancer if you increase the amount of antioxidants in your diet. It’s certainly worthwhile to add a cup or two to your daily beverage menu if this is indeed one of the benefits of green tea.
Green tea also comes in different varieties such as with other types of herbal teas. It’s easy to see why green tea should replace with regular tea as a staple in your diet if you know all the benefits of green tea. Drinking a nice warm cup of tasty green tea everyday is well worth doing, especially if it means improving your health and lengthening your life. Green tea is unique from other teas and offers better benefits because of the way in which it is processed. You see green tea leaves are steamed which holds in the EGCE compound. Other teas are made by fermenting the leaves and during this process any help benefits are oxidized.
The antioxidants in the tea are the reasons why the green tea has so many health benefits and is used as a diet aid. Green tea contains the healthy compounds, which makes it not only a powerful health drink but also a diet aid. Learn how green tea can benefit to your health and how it can help you lose weight. Visit: weight loss program supported green tea.