Archive June 2010

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Traveling Abroad With Your Kids

Traveling with your children is a great way for them to experience different cultures and see sights they have never seen before. The most important thing is to be prepared, with a little planning and research you can be sure your trip will be safe and fun. Read up on the locations you will be visiting to find out more about the surroundings. Prepare for any health issues that could come up, like if you will need to purchase drinking water or if you need medications for certain locations. If you are going to want some time alone check into any child care that may be available.  Talk to your children about where you will be visiting and the possible dangers. You will want them to bring things that make them, comfortable like a favorite toy, book, or magazine that they can have on hand when you are doing a lot of waiting, for trains, or planes etc. The most helpful thing you can do is t create a list of all the things you will need to take care of before you depart.

Protect Your Child from Dehydration this Summer

This is the season where children want to be outside as much as possible and if you live in a warm climate keeping them hydrated is really important. Know the signs of dehydration; tiredness, headache and decreased urine output. Some signs of severe dehydration that may need medical attention are extreme thirst, fever, rapid heartbeat and exhaustion. Keep cold water on hand in the car, having a cooler of water is also a good idea. Encourage your child to drink water. You can flavor it with a small amount of juice or even straight lemon or lime juice to avoid added sugar. Require some rest periods throughout the day even if they say they are not tired. Monitor your child's appearance taking notice if they don't look right or he is acting out of sorts. keeping your child hydrated will keep them having fun in the sun.

Palm Sugar the Next Natural Sweetener

  • By: Tom
  • On: 06/23/2010 15:17:33
  • In: Health
  • Comments: 0
It can be daunting trying to find natural sweeteners that are low-glycemic, without high fructose corn syrup and taste great.  Palm sugar seems to be the next best thing. Palm sugar is nutrient-rich and low glycemic and it looks and tastes almost like real sugar. It comes from the flowers that grow high in coconut trees which are opened to collect the liquid flower nectar. It is then air-dried to form crystalline sugar. It is also naturally rich in several vitamins and minerals including zinc, potassium, iron and B vitamins 1, 2, 3 and 6.  Palm sugar has been known to deliver a slow release of energy which sustains the body through your daily activities without experiencing the highs and lows you get with cane sugar. The only disadvantage there seems to be is the price, organic palm sugar can cost $8-$10 per pound here in the US. Shop around online and locally and you may be able to find a lower price, but still well worth the cost for a healthier sweetener.

Lowering Soda Intake May Lower Blood Pressure

  • By: Tom
  • On: 06/21/2010 15:24:16
  • In: Health
  • Comments: 0
The Journal of the American Heart Association recently published an article about the consumption of sugar-sweetned beverages affect on blood pressure. Drinking just one less sugar-sweetened beverage a day showed a drop in blood pressure among 800 adults who had elevated blood pressure. However researchers do not believe this proves that these beverages cause high blood pressure and believe further research is needed. Beverages in sugar like soda have already been linked with the risk of obesity and diabetes which both can cause high blood pressure. American adults consume an average of about 28 ounces of sugar-sweetened beverages per day. This includes drinks sweetened with sugar and  high fructose corn syrup. If Americans cut out just one soda they could really decrease their risk of high blood pressure.

Establishing an Open Relationship with Your Child

There are ways of knowing what your child is doing without spying an being strict about what they can and cannot do. Be in conversation with them about what they are listening to, what shows they like to watch, books they like to read. You can share why it is that you don't like something that they are interested, because if the dangers, or negativity it may bring to them. Also when they have their friends over, get to know them too, your child probably spends a lot of time with them. When your child finds that you share an interest in their life at an early age, they will be more likely to share their life with you when they get older. They will also be more open to receiving your suggestions and advice as well.

More Sleep May Make You Smarter

  • By: Tom
  • On: 06/11/2010 15:20:02
  • In: Health
  • Comments: 0
New research adds to the fact that sleep can improve your every day performance. This is especially true for athletes. Researchers at Stanford University find that getting extra hours of sleep can help improve football player's performances when doing drills. Even when they thought they were getting enough rest at night they showed moderate levels of daytime fatigue. Going beyond the athletic side of things a new study showed that the sleep habits of preschool children played a unique role in their development.  This study surveyed children from 9 months old through kindergarten. The children who had a specific bed time rule had higher scores on language and math skills. They were small but significant differences but a very good example of the power of a good night's sleep.

Stop Eating Processed Foods

  • By: Tom
  • On: 06/04/2010 15:17:24
  • In: Health
  • Comments: 0
I found an article about a new book out called "Real Food Has Curves: How to Get Off Processed Food, Lose Weight, and Love What You Eat" by Mark Scarbrough. The book walks you through the process of weaning yourself from packaged and processed foods. T do so you need to start by selecting and tasting something fresh and committing to bettering your food. The book also talks about how to tell what "real" foods are like fresh orange juice, not juice from concentrate. The less processed the food, the better. Also something else that I found very interesting is where he talks about how grocery stores set up the food for sale by having more expensive foods that have ingredients of corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup at front and center. he gives great information about when to forgo "fake" foods and what to opt in for instead. To learn more and find healthy recipes check out the blog.

Outdoor Games for Kids

Nicer weather is approaching and it's a time to get out and enjoy the warm days, move around and have fun in the sun. Sometimes it may be hard for kids to come up with something fun to play that doesn't involve video games or the computer. If you can't make it to the playground or the swimming pool think about the games you played as a kid. I read about five fun outdoor games that are great for when you're camping at the park or even in your own backyard. It also just happens to be National Backyard Games week this week! Check out the post five fun outdoor games for kids.