More Than a Number: Why You Shouldn’t Fixate on BMI

It can be tricky to keep track of your family’s health, especially as children grow up and their bodies and habits change so quickly. There are many different ways to measure and track body weight and composition, and one of the most popular of these is BMI, or body mass index. BMI uses the relationship between age, weight, and height to determine if a person’s weight is in a normal range for their age and size. 

But, while BMI is more detailed than just body weight, it’s still a very simplistic method of measuring health. Your family doctor will likely use BMI to make sure your children are growing at a healthy rate, but their overall health is about much more than just relative body weight, like eating a variety of healthy foods and getting regular exercise.

Issues with BMI

First off, muscle weighs more than fat. So if your child is athletic then their BMI will seem higher because their overall weight is heavier, even though they’re getting plenty of exercise. According to their BMI, many professional football players are technically obese, even though they spend their days exercising and have healthy diets. Second, depending on gender and ethnicity, different bodies store fat differently, and it can be hard to compare across these categories when looking only at BMI. Third, sometimes health is about more than weight, and your child’s emotional and mental wellbeing is far more important than a number on a scale.

Obsessing over the scale will only make your kids feel insecure and can lead to bigger issues later in life. It’s much better to focus on making sure your kids eat whole foods in healthy-sized portions, and get some exercise everyday. Let BMI remain a tool your doctor uses to get a quick snapshot of your child’s health when they need it.

Understanding Your Family’s Health

If you want a more accurate picture of your family’s health than just bodyweight, a better option is body composition. This kind of measurement identifies how much of a person’s body is fat, which is a good indication of overall health than BMI. However, it’s important to note that children’s bodies change rapidly as they develop and go through puberty, so spending time obsessing over their weight and body composition isn’t always productive unless a doctor has recommended it.

Instead, spend your energy cooking healthy food and helping your kids find exercise they enjoy, and not only will their physical health benefit, they’ll become better able to independently take care of their health in the future.

Read more...

What to Do When Stuck in the Middle of a Riot

Throughout the years, a large number of news showed incidents of violence. They are on the streets, within homes, and even in well-known peaceful places such as Paris. The thing is – violence has become constant – with people fighting for their own ideologies and principles in the form of anger. And though there may be peaceful protests, you cannot always determine the flow of the activity; hence, it is important to prepare for surviving riots.

Should the unwanted happens – which is being stuck in the middle of a riot – you should remember these tips:

#1 Know your area. Being familiar with your place helps a lot in so many ways, which includes being stuck in a riot. But before that even happens, it’s best to walk around your area to collect information on every street, back alley and dead end that you have in your place. If you’re commuting, it will also be helpful to know the area where you work and the different routes you could use to go home. Of course, also look for escape routes and safe areas you could run to, to secure safety. After gathering all these information, make sure to mark those key points on a map to record them.

#2 Do not panic. This is actually the best piece of advice you could use in case you’re stuck in the middle of a riot – do not panic. Keep your emotions in check as being afraid will only make you part of the ‘establishment’ that rioters hate.  Instead, keep your head down to avoid confrontations with the rioters and remember to walk at all times to avoid attracting unwanted attentions especially with the police that could mistake you for a threat.

#3 Blend in. If you haven’t found a way to escape the crowd, make sure to blend in. Remove any signs from your clothes that could make the rioters think that you are not one of them or at the very least, cover yourself. But while it is important to escape from the rioters, it is also important to look innocent in the eyes of the police to avoid getting arrested.

However, if someone from the rioters try to converse with you – make sure to mirror what they tell you so as to sound like you’re one of them. Just go with the flow, and… find your way out.

#4 Avoid direct interaction with the police. Although in your eyes, you are just someone who’s caught up in the riot – to the police, you are a probable threat. As frustrating as that may sound; you can’t cross the line and ask for their help.

#5 Be alert. Always keep an eye on your surroundings to avoid sudden attacks. It may possible, even within the crowd of the rioters – thus, watching people’s body language will help you know what to do next. Plus there’s a huge chance that you will be able to escape the riot unharmed.

Key Takeaway

With all these tips considered, it is important to realize that to survive a chaotic situation – it is important to start with yourself: prepare no matter how impossible it may happen to you, keep calm if it does, and stay alert to further avoid harm.

About the Author:

Laurel Santos may be a 24 year old adult but at her core she is just a little girl full of wonder. She lives in the city and works as a freelance photographer in the Philippines. She manages a small pet shop inside her village. She has a big heart for animals, especially stray dogs. She is an avid traveler because she believes that life is not lived within the borders of your own home.  Despite her busy schedule she always finds time to do one thing that she is very passionate about and that is writing.

Read more...

Build Your Own Indoor Garden With These Ideas

One of the best things to add in your home to make it look better, and give it a down-to-earth look, is by adding a garden. Having a garden at home allows you to grow your own plants, which can allow you to raise your own fruits and vegetables. It also gives your home a calmer atmosphere, which is good for removing some stress. It is also a nice DIY project for your home that you can do with your friends and family. But sometimes, your home may not have enough space for a garden. Fortunately you can create your own humble indoor garden with the right amount of materials. Here are some ideas to keep in mind when building your own indoor garden.

1.   Mason Jar Garden

Mason jars have become one of the most popular items to have on your home recently, and people have been using them for many different things, such as drinking glasses, stationery holders, and even as plant pots. For the latter idea, you can use mason jars as a makeshift vase for the plants inside your indoor garden. All you need is a few mason jars, and a stand or shelf where you can place them. Keep in mind that mason jars do not have holes in the bottom to drain the water, so do not overwater the plants.

Indoor1

2.   Tabletop Succulent Garden

One of the most important parts of the garden is the planter to place your plants. One of the best planter ideas to do is making a tabletop version of it. The material that you need for your tabletop succulent garden is a glass or ceramic container to place your succulents.

3.   Gutter Planter

While gutters are more known for their ability to redirect the flow of water on your rooftop, it can also be used as a planter for your indoor garden. For this project, you need a few sections of the gutter, some strong wires, and some screws. Once you are finished, all you need to go is to hang them on your wall and put some plants. This is great for those who are looking to grow their own fruits and vegetables indoors.

4.   Hanging Bottle Gardens

Another wonderful hanging garden idea, using some of your old bottles as your planters is a wonderful way of repurposing them. Like with the Gutter Planter, all you need is some wires and screws, and some glass or plastic bottles. This would give your home a more rustic feel, especially if you put flowers on your bottles.

5.   Wine Bottle Holder

Other than using bottles as your planters, you can also use wine bottle holders as well. These bottle holders work well as planters, as they are really intended to be hung on the wall. The materials that you need are nails and screws to place your bottle holders. As for the plants, you can place flowers and small fruits and vegetables.

Key Takeaway

Having an indoor garden is a great way to freshen up your home. You are not only decorating your home, but you are also able to grow your own plants as well. With these nice and simple indoor garden ideas, you are bound to give your home a nice new look. 

Read more...

Cook an Italian spread for family by shopping from Italian deli online

Italian cuisine has gained global recognition and popularity. When compared with other European cuisines, it has been seen that Italian recipes follow ethnic traditions and this is the reason that they have unique taste and flavors. Whether it is gourmet food or ordinary recipe, Italian cuisine uses the freshest of ingredients.

Italy’s geographical location has added considerably to the availability of varieties of ingredients, which are used extensively in the various Italian dishes. Whether it is meat varieties, cheese varieties, pasta varieties, olive oil varieties and other classic ingredients – Italy has the best collections of such items. People living in Italy can avail all these items easily and cook up sumptuous cuisines with the same.

Shopping from an Italian deli – getting authentic Italian products

Gone are days when cuisines remained confined to specific geographical locations only. Today, people enjoy various cuisines in different parts of the world. For instance, a person living in Africa can enjoy Chinese food, while a European can love Indian food, an Indian can love and cook Italian food and so on. Cuisines have become global now.

Suppose you plan to cook up a lavish Italian spread for your family. The idea is wonderful no doubt, but you need to have the right kinds of ingredients for the same. This is where an Italian deli can be of help. A deli is a shop where along with getting raw items for Italian cuisine, you will also get cooked Italian stuff. Many super markets and departmental stores now have separate segments where raw materials for global cuisines are available. It is true that getting raw Italian ingredients in a foreign land might be an expensive thing, but when you are planning to host an Italian spread, you need the right ingredients too. The ingredients come in packed form and are usually authentic.

Buying Italian food online

Online stores have taken shopping to new levels altogether. Along with other things, grocery shopping has become highly convenient with this facility and the goods are delivered to your doorstep, without the hassle of carrying heavy things. When you are planning to cook up Italian cuisine, you can buy raw items from Italian deli online. Infact there are also options of ordering Italian food online. While some of the items can be purchased locally; there are some exclusive items that are available at Italian stores only. Here are certain items that can be bought from a deli dealing in exclusive Italian raw food items:

• Italian olive oil – Well, cooking in olive oil has become a trend in many homes all across the world for the oil comes with innumerable health benefits. Whenever we talk of olive oil, it is obvious that we mean Italian olive oil. Extra virgin Italian olive oil is considered to be a gourmet item. Generally the oil is emulated but the chances of imitation are almost zero. Original Italian olive oil will enhance the taste and flavor of Italian food manifold times.

• Italian cheeses – Among the many products in which Italy specializes, cheeses need special mention for sure. You will be amazed to find the immense varieties of cheeses that are produced in the country. And all the cheese varieties are of the best quality. Some of the most popular cheese varieties include Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, Fontina, Gorgonzola Dolce, Asiago Stravecchio Extra, Fiore Sardo, Mozzarella, Ricotta Salata, Provolone, Caciotta Al Tartufo etc. Different cheeses have different textures, tastes and flavors. Before purchasing cheese from online stores, ensure that you check the manufacturing and expiry dates well. Also know about proper storage of the cheeses.

• Italian pastas and sauces – Italian cuisine is incomplete without pasta. Check out any online deli and you will find wide varieties of pastas and sauces. Pastas come in varying sizes and shapes. Whether you have a lunch party or a dinner party, cook up interesting pasta dishes with the varieties of pasta sauces available. Some common forms of pastas available online include penne, spaghetti, tagliatelle, fettucine etc. for the sauces, you can choose from truffle sauce, pesto sauce, marinara, Genovese pesto, walnut cream white pesto sauce etc.

• Italian farmed caviar – Italian caviar has become world famous now. The aquafarms in Italy produce the best of White Sturgeon, Sevruga and Siberian varieties of caviar. Majority of the caviar farms are in Calvisano, Italy and the best of caviar is cultivated there in the fresh ground waters. Caviar is well packed in containers and sold online globally.

• Italian specialty meats – Different kinds of meats are integral parts of the Italian cuisine. Italians have used meats in myriad ways in their dishes and cuisines in the most innovative style. Beef and ham are the favorite varieties. Various kinds of spices and herbs are used in the meats when they are packed for selling in stores. These impart a great flavor and taste to the meats and keep them in good condition as well.

Apart from these, you can also purchase Italian Balsamic Vinegar, Italian spices and condiments, Italian mushrooms, Italian polenta and rice, Italian truffles, Italian pantry items etc from online Italian deli and cook up amazing Italian cuisine for your family and friends. 

Read more...