Top 10 Healthy Foods for Growing Kids

The best way to get kids to eat healthy foods is to serve them a healthy diet from birth. Although it may seem difficult to come up with healthy foods that kids will like, here is a list of ten foods that most kids enjoy. These foods are high in fibre, low in saturated fats, and contain lots of vitamins and minerals that will help them to grow up strong and healthy.

1. Milk – From birth, babies and toddlers love milk. But as they get older, many kids drink less milk in favour of sugary soda or juice. But milk is a healthy source of calcium, vitamin D, and protein that helps them build strong bones. Unless they have a milk allergy, kids should have at least 2 glasses of milk a day – for example, one with cereal and another to complement their lunch or dinner.

2. Apples – Apples are a great healthy snack, full of vitamin C and fibre. Kids love them because they are juicy and sweet, yet they are low in calories. However, don’t be tempted to replace a whole apple with applesauce or apple juice, as these can contain more sugar and less fibre.

3. Peanut Butter – Peanut butter is a good source of protein that can go in a sandwich or serve as a dip for apples or celery. Although it is high in fat, the fat found in peanut butter is unsaturated, which isn’t as bad as the saturated fats found in many processed foods. You can also purchase peanut butter with reduced fat or added vitamins.

4. Yogurt – Along with milk, yogurt is another healthy dairy product that kids love. Avoid yogurts targeted at kids, because these often contain extra sugar. Instead, choose low-fat yogurt with “love active cultures” to help your children’s digestive systems.

5. Tuna Fish – Tuna fish is a good source of vitamins, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, which help brain development. Although some parents may be concerned about mercury contamination, tuna fish is fine to eat in moderation – perhaps once or twice a week.

6. Cereal – Breakfast cereals can provide your children with many vitamins and minerals to start the day. Instead of sugary cereals, choose cereals that are made with whole grains. You can even add some chopped fruit to your child’s cereal for extra nutrition.

7. Eggs – Eggs are another healthy breakfast choice. They contain lots of protein, vitamins, and minerals. Although they do contain cholesterol, they are not high in saturated fat, which is the main factor that raises cholesterol levels. Eating eggs every other day is a healthy choice.

8. Carrots – It’s hard to get kids to eat vegetables when they’re young, but many kids like carrots because of the fun colour and sweet taste. They are also high in fibre, vitamins A and C, and potassium.

9. Oatmeal – Oatmeal is a good breakfast food and a healthy snack ingredient. It’s best to have traditional oatmeal rather than the quick-cook kind with added sugar, as it contains more fibre. You can always add honey, peanut butter, or fruit to a bowl of oatmeal. Oatmeal can also be used to make healthy cookies or snack bars.

10. Sunflower Seeds – When kids are old enough to eat seeds without choking, sunflower seeds are a healthy snack for them to enjoy. They are high in fibre and contain lots of iron, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin E.

Cathy Norton has worked as a Registered Nurse in various hospitals for over 20 years. She also owns the site Becoming a CNA which offers resources for those looking to become a Certified Nursing Assistant.

Read more...

Stretch Marks - Get Rid of It!

I believe that there’s no one like to see stretch marks on their bodies. Like wrinkles and age spots, stretch marks are one of annoying skin problems for many people, especially for women. Factually, stretch mark is a common phenomenon as it occurs to nearly 80 percent of women in their life. So, you don’t need to worry much; you’re not alone here! But since there’s a pressure in society on women to keep their nice look, many women really want to throw away their stretch marks.

Is it the most effective way on how to get rid of stretch marks? Perhaps it has been becoming most frequent question that asked by a lot of women who need proper answers. It’s so understandable that your concern is to get rid of your stretch marks, but you should know first why you experience it.

For your information, stretch marks are further than the skin that’s been over stretched. You’ll experience stretch marks only if your body produces glucocorticoid hormone. This hormone grows actively due to pregnancy, puberty, fatness, or extreme weight lifting exercise. The hormone presence affects the reduction of essential collagen and elastin that needed for smooth and healthy skin. The loss of collagen and elastin is harmful; since it will develop stretch marks on your skin.

When it comes to get rid of your stretch marks, there are different methods and treatments that you can try. The result can vary, depends on your stretch mark stage, your age and skin condition. Before you choose any treatment, you must realize that it will be hard to perfectly remove your mark and get back your original skin condition. At least, the proper treatment will heal your skin and smoothen the mark.

If you ask me, I prefer to try the natural way first. The other treatments are applying medical products and surgical procedure. In natural cure, you can take aloe oil, cocoa butter and a sort of vitamin products to avoid and manage your stretch marks. It’s much recommended to regularly consume skin-friendly foods that are rich in vitamins A and C, zinc, and protein; such as milk, eggs, nuts, carrots, and salmon fish. These kinds of foods will decrease the development of stretch marks!

Nowadays, there are already available various quality stretch mark cream products in the market. Most of them use various natural ingredients, so, it’s safe enough for you to try. If your stretch mark is a severe one, perhaps the surgical method –for instance laser surgery, chemical peels and dermabrasion- is the right treatment for you. Whatever your chosen treatment, make sure that your decision is based on your doctor’s suggestion!

Read more...

Important Lessons to Teach Your Children

There are a few important things you should teach your children to help keep them safe when they are around the home and when they are out playing on their own. As well as knowing to never speak to strangers they should also learn what to do in case of a house fire and what alarm systems to listen out for, such as smoke alarms.

Careful around water
If you have a swimming pool then you have to have a safety fence by law, but you also need to teach your children that they need to be careful around the edge of the pool. They should not run around the pool as it is easy to slip and fall when it is wet, and they risk hitting their head and falling in. They should also know the dangers of swimming at the beach or in a river before you head off on such a trip. They should be taught to swim between the flags at the beach or in full view of the lifeguard. When swimming in rivers they should be taught that they should never dive into water when they don't know what is below the surface. They should also be careful of currents and only swim where the water is quiet. Importantly they should always swim when an adult is present.

Don't play with poisons
Children should be taught to never play with substances like household cleaners or chemicals as they can be poisonous if ingested. They should also know to leave medications alone, even herbal ones, cough medicine and things like headache tablets. They should also learn that they are dangerous substances outside and in garden sheds, like petrol, slug and snail pellets, and weed killer. These items should always be up out of children's reach or locked away but they should still be taught that these items are dangerous.

What to do in case of a fire

Your children should know what to do in case there is a house fire. Explain to them what the smoke alarms are and why they would go off. Explain that smoke is very dangerous and that it is usually the killer in a house fire. Practice crawling through the house and to the closest exit. Show them how to get out of the house if the doorway is blocked. They need to understand that they have to get out of the house as fast as possible and not take any of their things with them. Organise for a meeting place on the street in front of your house. They must understand that they are never to go back into the house.

Never go with strangers 

They should be taught about the dangers of strangers. You don't want to scare them off everyone that they don't know by name but they should be taught what to look out for. Tell them that they must never get into a car with anyone they don't know or accept any food or drink. They should also learn not to believe anything a stranger might tell them, such as you telling them to pick them up from school. Having these discussions will empower and protect your children.

image:clipart-for-free.blogspot.com

Read more...

Caring for Elderly Parents and Children Together

Those of us lucky enough to have parents with us throughout our lives will eventually face their decline in both physical and mental capacities. It is impossible for this to happen at a convenient time and it will undoubtedly put a strain on your life. Trying to balance the life you have with your spouse and children with aged care can be both a very challenging and a very rewarding experience.

When looking after both an elderly parent and children under the same roof, it can feel as though everything is crushing in on you and demanding your time and patience. Most people find, however, that the experience of spending this last bit of time with their parents is a rewarding one which they would never choose to do again but would also never take back.

Here are 6 tips on how to survive with the double pressure of elderly care and child care:
1. Set up a network of support. The first stage in managing the stress of such a task is to accept that it is going to be very stressful and set up ways of relaxing. It is important to have someone, either professional or just a friend, who can relieve you of the demands on a regular basis so that you can spend some time alone and relaxing. Arrange to do something which you can look forward to each week so that you have a regular escape.

2. Get a good doctor. It is important to get a doctor who is able to communicate regularly and effectively. A doctor who can do house visits is an excellent relief of pressure as you will not need to be constantly available to drive to a hospital. Otherwise, try to arrange any paediatric visits to coincide with appointments for your elderly parent as this will reduce the amount of travel you need to do.

3. Laugh about it. It is important to maintain a sense of humour when you are looking after an elderly person. Toward the end of life, adults regress, make mistakes and have accidents. If these are taken too seriously it becomes an embarrassment for your parent and a pressure for you. Being able to laugh at honest accidents will help everything to run far more smoothly in the house. Treat your parent with the same patience that you show to your children as they are learning to control their bodies.

4. Remember that it is temporary. No matter what the situation, it is important to remember that the arrangement is a temporary one. Regardless of how tedious it all seems at the time you will miss it when it is gone and wish to be able to have more time together. If you can learn to enjoy the time that you have, there will be less regret when their time does come.

5. Put them to work. Your parent is used to having something to do so don’t dote on their every need. Giving them a table to dust, some laundry to fold or some carrots to peel will keep them busy, engage their brains and help you at the same time. An active brain will survive far longer than an inactive brain.

6. Listen to them. This final stage of life is the time to get those recipes, stories and pieces of information that you have always wanted. If you listen to your parent you may well learn a huge amount about your family that would otherwise be lost.

Read more...

The Recommended Hotel and Catering Supplies

If you’re running a hotel business, you have surely known that your guests don’t appraise only your offered service. In hotel business, the whole presentation is very important to always be kept. Of course, it will include a huge variety items; as there aren’t only many parts in a hotel –such as outdoor area, lobby area, and guest rooms- but there are also a wide range services that your hotel provides to customers. Finding the right hotel supplies isn’t easy at all, but fortunately, PeachSuite Hotel Supply Store will ease you in searching every item that you need!

Laundry service is only one of various services that a hotel may offer. To give the best laundry service to your guests, you need different items like laundry carts, linen carts, laundry tables, laundry scales, and others. There’s no need to find in another store, as PeachSuite is also a competent and wide experienced Hotel Laundry Supplies.

It would be a great opportunity if your hotel is chosen to hold a special event. It’s the right chance to show the best service and make your customer satisfied. PeachSuite Catering Equipment & Supplies is a great source of best quality catering equipment that you require to please every guest during the special event. 

Read more...

Crane Flies

As adults, crane flies don't prey on mosquitoes, nor do they bite humans. Some larval crane flies are predatory and may eat mosquito larvae. Adult crane flies feed on nectar or they don't feed at all. Once they become adults, most crane fly species exist as adults only to mate and die (wikipedia).

It’s not a clear pic.Sorry.

Read more...

7 Ways to Protect Against Inflation

As this blog has discussed, finances are a huge key of a happy family. Whether you have tons of money to invest with or none at all, preparing for tough times is crucial. With all the talk of inflation, hyperinflation, and the devaluing of the dollar, it can all leave the average person wondering how they can protect themselves if the dollar does indeed crash. To help, we thought it would be a good time to discuss the basics of protections against inflation. Check out the below seven tips to learn more about possible ways to protect you and your family's future.
1. No debt – If you currently hold debt that is not on a fixed rate, pay it down as soon as possible. This can and often does include credit cards. The introductory APR may be enticing, but if and when inflation hits, the interest rates will rise, which can add up to hundreds of dollars in a short amount of time if you owe enough.

2. Own your home – As inflation rises, so too do prices. If you rent your home, expect a big surprise when it comes time to renew your lease. Those who own their home will have no rise in the amount they pay for mortgage, which brings us to:

3. Adjust your mortgage – If your mortgage is on an adjustable rate, now may be the time to lock in the low interest rate before it rises. Although this may sound difficult, it can be done with a simple phone call to your bank. If you do have a fixed interest rate and plan to live in your home for a while, then you can also ask if it is worth having your mortgage readjusted, which can pay off in the long run.

4. Staples – Although prices rise during inflation, there are some industries where people will still buy. Items such as food, gas, and healthcare still need to be bought even in a down economy. Those who are investing can check these out to see if they are right for them.

5. Inflation linked bonds – Did you know that there is a certain kind of bond that is specifically created for inflation? It is these kinds of bonds that are also known as Treasure Inflation Protected Security and Series I Bonds that are specifically designed to hold up during inflation. Although they do not pay big dividends, they do keep up pace with inflation.

6. Metals – All those who tell you to buy gold are on to something. Gold and other precious metals hang on to their value because they cannot be printed and are not as effected by inflation. For example, $1,000 worth of gold today will be worth $1,000 of goods in the future, even if prices go haywire.

7. Add to your retirement – If you are currently putting money away in a 401(k), consider putting a little more in it. If your dollar is going to be worth less soon, investing it in the future can both avoid losing value now and adding up to more later.

Chelsea Smith is a psychiatry student who writes for How to Become a Psychiatrist which helps others on the path to becoming a mental health professional.

Image:fotosearch.com

Read more...