Transform your son’s or daughter’s taste buds by trying these 6 ways to help your children eat their veggies.
Transform your son’s or daughter’s taste buds by trying these 6 ways to help your children eat their veggies.
Note from Ann: Numbers one and six, YES! With six kiddos you can bet I have battled a picky eater or two and the “I hate veggies” battle cry more than once!! Don’t give up though, Hilary shares some wonderful advice for kids (or husbands?) that won’t eat their veggies. When mine were small, we lived in a townhouse and didn’t have room for a garden, so I grew cherry tomatoes and green beans in pots on my back porch. Everyday we went out to check on their growth and eat whatever we could find that had ripened. Not all of them like tomatoes and green beans, but now that they are older and we have more space to grow fresh vegetables, they all get involved in planting, weeding and growing. I’m so guilty of not doing number six though, what a humble way to teach your kids, by being vulnerable with them! Time to plan a trip to the grocery store, thanks Hilary!!
Growing up, I did NOT like to eat most vegetables. I didn’t care for fruit much, either. Raised with a diet of mainly processed food, fresh tastes and textures didn’t appeal to me.
Now that I’m all grown up, I’ve noticed that I really have to try hard to eat a lot of vegetables and fruit each day – trying hard as in I need to remind myself at each meal.
When I became a mom, I knew I didn’t want my children to face the same vegetable battle. I wanted fresh vegetables to be a normal part of our meals so they would grow up without such a nutritious struggle.
So when my firstborn was old enough to start trying solids, I made sure he ate plenty of vegetable purees. The good news was he loved it – and he loved trying all of the different flavors. (Except squash. He HATED squash and still does.)
I had hoped that by introducing fresh vegetables as his first flavors, they would become a sort of comfort food for him. I’ve detailed the whole experience – including my strategy, reasoning and recipes – in my eBook First Bites.
My plan worked. My son is now 8 and one of the only children I know who craves veggies. He could eat them for every meal of the day – and for snacks. His love of vegetables surprises me.
And then there’s my daughter.
My sweet and spunky 6-year-old turns up her nose whenever we add vegetables to her dinner plate. Ever the sweet tooth, she gladly eats fruit but says her favorite vegetable is chocolate cake.
When I introduced her to solids, I didn’t have the time or energy to focus on fresh vegetable purees. We were in the middle of selling our house and moving and life was messy. While I still gave her fresh fruits and vegetables, it was a very different experience than with our son.
Whether she likes it or not, though, she needs to eat vegetables.
Do you struggle to help your children to eat their veggies? Here's my plan for taking the pain out of it!
Image by Unsplash
6 Ways to Help Your Children Eat Their Veggies
If you’re dealing with a child who’s a picky eater, there are ways to help him or her eat vegetables. Not all of them may work at your dinner table – but hopefully some of them will and you can help your children enjoy eating fresh, healthy food.
1. Get your child involved.
As soon as your son or daughter is ready to start solid food, you can include him or her in your meal preparation. Take your children with you when you go grocery shopping and have a conversation about what food you’re choosing – and why.
When they’re old enough, give them a choice of which vegetables to buy at the store.Would you like some carrots or green peppers? Or both? Once you get home, give their choice as a snack or prepare it for mealtime. If you serve it soon after shopping, they’ll remember they chose it.
If you have any room for a garden – whether it’s a full raised bed garden in your yard or a container garden on your porch – let your children help you pick out which vegetables to plan. Then, teach them how to care for your plants. Show them how to plant seeds, water, weed and then harvest the fruit (and veggies) of their labor. Then, eat that amazing fresh produce together. Talk about how much better peas and beans and tomatoes taste all warmed by the sun, right off the vine.
Image by Pixabay
Also, involve your children with food preparation. Teach them how to carefully peel and dice produce. Show them how to rinse off fruit and vegetables. Put them in charge of preparing the vegetable aspect of the meal so they’ll be more willing to eat what they proudly made.
2. Offer a variety of vegetables at mealtime.
Instead of serving just one vegetable, serve two or three. That way, there should be something to interest everyone at your dinner table. Sometimes I like to serve my children’s favorite vegetables along with something they haven’t tried before – that way, if they don’t like the new veggie, they still have their old favorite.
Growing up, I lived with the rule that I had to try everything at dinner time. We use the same rule at our dinner table now – our children may not like it, but they do try at least one bite of everything. On nights when we serve several vegetables, they get a small helping of each kind. Once they’ve tried everything, sometimes they end up asking for second and third helpings.
3. Be willing to get goofy with your food.
Mealtimes don’t have to be boring. If you have a few extra moments in the kitchen, make each child their very own dinner plate masterpiece – turn the food into a work of art like a silly face or a landscape. (Radish flowers with celery stems are super easy to make.)
If you’re short on time, make up names for the vegetables. My daughter wouldn’t touch broccoli on her plate, until one night I told her to eat her trees. She figured out right away what I was talking about, and ate the tops of all her broccoli. Now, broccoli is the one vegetable she’ll gobble down right away.
If you have elementary-aged children, try creating rhymes and poems about the vegetables on your table. Once your children get laughing at their own limericks, they may dig in.
Finally, you could turn eating vegetables into a game. Who can finish their veggies first? Who can come up with the best description of how the vegetable tastes? Try a blindfolded taste test and see if they can tell which vegetable you’re feeding them.
Image by Pixabay
4. Talk about food.
Children can understand a lot more than adults usually give them credit for. By simply talking over meal choices with your children, they may want to eat vegetables.
When my husband and I talk about how junk food makes you feel after eating it, and then how real food and fresh fruits and veggies make you feel, our children are much more excited to eat food that will help their bodies.
5. Offer fresh vegetables as snacks.
In my house, I’ve learned that if I buy junk food and bring it into our home, my family will eat it. But if I keep it out of the house, we won’t have to deal with the temptation.
As I keep the junk food out, I try to add healthy foods to our fridge and pantry. When my kids get hungry – and do they get hungry! – the only options for their snacks are something healthy or … healthy. They can choose between fresh carrots, an apple, or banana. They may not be crazy about those choices, but they do have a preference. And they do end up with a healthy snack.
6. Try new vegetables as a family.
It doesn’t matter if you’re an adventurous or picky eater – model what it’s like to try new foods.
The next time you’re grocery shopping, pick a vegetable you’ve never served before. Buy some – not a LOT, in case no one prefers it – and bring it home. Research as a family the best ways to cook it, then try it together. If there are multiple ways to serve it, try all of the ways – from cooked to steamed to raw – and see what you prefer. By doing this, you may find a new favorite. Or, you may not. You’ll never know, though, until you try!
By trying these 6 ways to help your children eat their veggies, you just may end up transforming your son’s or daughter’s taste buds in a very healthy way!
Do you struggle to help your children to eat their veggies? Here's my plan for taking the pain out of it!
Image by Unsplash
How have you helped your children eat their veggies?
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. When you buy through our links, we earn a small commission, which helps to keep this site going so that we can continue to offer free and useful content, so thanks!
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Ann Timm
Ann Timm considers herself blessed to be the wife of a Christ follower and mother to six amazingly cool kids. She strives to keep a happy, healthy home, although she openly admits to failing often. She loves to share her foibles and encourage other women on their journey to healthy living.
I don’t think it’s possible to overstate the impact of a parent’s prayers in the life of her child.
At the very beginning of my parenting journey, God drew my attention to the biblical account of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1-2.
She was a praying woman, a praying mom who devoted her son to the Lord quite literally, sending him to the temple to live and work when he was very young.
But the temple was a wicked place during that time, and Samuel was surrounded by immorality. Yet from his boyhood and throughout his whole life, God spoke to Samuel powerfully, using him to speak his truth to multitudes of people, including multiple kings.
There are countless things you could pray for your kids, but what should you pray? And in particular, what should you pray for them every day?
I asked the Lord for wisdom about this a couple of years ago, and He pointed me to Paul’s prayer for the Philippian believers. It turns out that the six requests in this passage are power-packed for your kids and mine, succinctly covering a wide range of what Christian parents desire for their children.
What’s especially awesome is the power that accompanies praying the Scriptures. When a prayer is recorded in God’s own Word, we know with certainty that it reflects the desires of His heart, which means we can pray in faith, knowing He will grant our requests (John 14:13; 1 John 5:14-15).
And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (Philippians 1:9-11)
6 Things to Pray For Your Kids Every Day
1. Abounding love
Ask God to give your kids a love for Him that is so overflowing that it can’t help but splash onto the people He has placed their lives.
2. Knowledge and discernment
Pray that God would draw your children into a close relationship with Him, not just knowing about Him mentally, but that they would know Him relationally. Then pray that they would grow in wisdom and discernment.
3. Excellence
Ask God to give your kids a desire for excellence, rejecting the mediocrity that is so prevalent in our culture and instead striving to give their best and seek the best in all things.
This is a difficult prayer, but invite the Lord’s pruning in your kids’ lives, knowing that they ultimately belong Him and trusting that He loves them even more than you ever could. Pray that God would keep them from pursuing busyness, and would instead help them to be purposeful and intentional in living fruitful lives for His Kingdom.
6. A life that glorifies God
Pray that God would grant your children humble hearts, and that He would help them avoid wrong motives and desires. Ask Him to bring glory to Himselfas they steward well His blessings in their lives.
Covering our children in prayer is a both a privilege and a responsibility. By God’s grace, we can spend our prayer time each day with confidence in God’s answers, knowing that time invested praying for our children will result in a harvest, both for them and for us.
A Guide to Praying the Scriptures
Philippians 1:9-11 is just one of Paul’s prayers. His letters are filled with them!
6 Surprising Stats that will Change the Way You Give Birth
T hese 6 surprising statistics are just a sampling of the evidence that should make us rethink business as usual when it comes to birth in America. Each one represents a choice that many pregnant women are called upon to make about their births. And after you’ve seen them, the way you think about birth will never be the same.
If women had this information available to them, they might choose differently for themselves and their babies. It’s easy to see how without it, many births lead to unnecessary inductions and c-sections.
Before you go into labor, check out these 6 surprising birth and pregnancy statistics that will change the way you give birth. These statistics are just a sampling of the evidence that should make us rethink business as usual when it comes to birth in America. Each one represents a choice that many pregnant women are called upon to make about their births. If women had this information available to them, they might choose differently for themselves and their babies.
6 Surprising Birth and Pregnancy Statistics
1 Ultrasounds are bad at measuring baby weight. During the third trimester they are an average of 10-20% off in estimating your baby’s actual weight. In other words, an average sized baby could be estimated as weighing over 9 pounds.
2 Pregnancy really lasts 41 weeks for low-risk first time moms. Studies have shown that the average length of pregnancy for low-risk women is not 40 weeks as commonly believed. It’s actually around 40 weeks plus three days for experienced moms and 41 weeks plus one day for first time moms. (Thank goodness I was prepared for this fact with my first birth!)
3 Having a doula to support you during birth will decrease your risk of c-section by 28 percent. Doulas also decrease the likelihood of many other medical interventions and increase a mother’s satisfaction with her birth experience. It’s no surprise then that their presence at births has doubled in just the last 6 years.
4 Seventy-four percent of women who attempt a VBAC will be successful. Unfortunately, most women are not supported by their care providers to even try. Many hospitals have banned VBACs. The maternal death rate is 3 times higher for repeat c-sections than VBACs.
5 Moms who experience induction of labor with an epidural are 6 times more likely to have a c-section than those who don’t have either intervention.
Image Source David Veksler via Flikr
6 Ninety-five percent of low-risk women could give birth without medical intervention. About one quarter want to, but only 2 percent actually do. This needs to change! More on that all month long in the 31 Days of Natural Birth.
References:
1. The Labor Progress Handbook (This is an amazing resource full of tons of research you just don’t find floating around the internet or even in most pregnancy and birth books. Affiliate link)
Wintertime is here and with it comes peak cold and flu season. But there’s no need to dread this time of year. There are lots of ways we can strengthen our immune system and enjoy these chilly winter nights snuggling up with our loved ones, rather than a box of Kleenex.
Of course, living a healthy whole food lifestyle is our first line of protection against the cold and flu season. Arming your immune system with the nutrients it needs will not only help you to fight colds, flus and other viruses, but also helps to protect your body from chronic health conditions too.
When it comes to the immune-boosting power of real food, you can’t beat the top six superfoods listed below. Each is packed with key nutrients that add an extra cold-n-flu-fighting punch to your winter meal plans.
6 Superfoods to Boost Immunity
Chicken Soup
Mom was right, chicken soup is good for fighting a cold! Yet, it’s also great for staving one off too! That’s because the key ingredients – chicken and bone broth – have immune boosting super powers.
Chicken is high in zinc, iron and vitamin C; all fantastic for promoting healthy immune function. Homemade bone broth, rich in gelatin and other nutrients, helps to promote a healthy GI tract. Improving your gut health not only helps your body fight viral and bacterial invaders, but also helps your body better assimilate nutrients, which benefits overall health and wellness.
We all know vitamin C is a key nutrient for maintaining a healthy immune system. But did you know that vitamin C from real foods – rather than supplements – is much more effective?
A study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that women who consumed more than 200 milligrams of vitamin C from food daily were half as likely to catch a cold than women who’s diets provided less than 100 milligrams a day.
The advantage of eating vitamin C-rich foods (as opposed to taking a supplement) is that your body receives lots of other beneficial nutrients at the same time, such as soluble fiber, which not only helps to boost the immune system, but helps to reduce inflammation as well.
One of the best (and tastiest) sources of natural vitamin C is citrus fruit, which is readily available in the winter months. Learning how to section citrus fruit makes it easier to enjoy it solo, or to create sweet-n-tangy salads like this Fresh Citrus Salad with honey and lime.
Arming your immune system with the nutrients it needs will not only help you to fight colds, flus and other viruses, but also helps to protect your body from chronic health conditions too. When it comes to the immune-boosting power of real food, you can’t beat the top six superfoods listed here. Each is packed with key nutrients that add an extra cold-n-flu-fighting punch to your winter meal plans.
Garlic
Garlic is full of potent antioxidants, and contains powerful antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal properties which help the body ward off and fight infections. That’s why garlic tops the charts as one of best immune-boosting foods.
Because of garlic’s renowned health benefits, experts recommend eating it every day. For optimal benefits, garlic should be enjoyed fresh, since the active ingredients are destroyed within an hour of smashing the garlic cloves. A delicious way to enjoy fresh garlic is to include it in salad dressings and sauces like the flavorful and creamy Avocado Pesto Sauce shown above. It’s not only delightful on pasta (or veggie noodles), but also makes a wonderful sandwich spread.
Arming your immune system with the nutrients it needs will not only help you to fight colds, flus and other viruses, but also helps to protect your body from chronic health conditions too. When it comes to the immune-boosting power of real food, you can’t beat the top six superfoods listed here. Each is packed with key nutrients that add an extra cold-n-flu-fighting punch to your winter meal plans.
Green Tea
Green tea is a well known superfood, but it’s the special type of flavonoid called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) in green tea that helps boost immunity, since it helps fight bacteria and prevent viruses from multiplying.
Matcha, the most nutrient-rich green tea, is more than 100 times more potent in EGCGs than regular brewed green tea and can be used for making more than just hot tea and smoothies. Try our luscious Green Tea Panna Cotta and you’ll see what we mean.
When brewing green tea, to maximize its benefits and minimize bitterness, use just-below-boiling water, and steep no more than a minute or two. A little lemon and raw honey also helps curb bitterness and adds an extra boost of immune-stimulating power.
Arming your immune system with the nutrients it needs will not only help you to fight colds, flus and other viruses, but also helps to protect your body from chronic health conditions too. When it comes to the immune-boosting power of real food, you can’t beat the top six superfoods listed here. Each is packed with key nutrients that add an extra cold-n-flu-fighting punch to your winter meal plans.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms are rich in protein, fiber, vitamin C, B vitamins, calcium and other minerals known for strengthening the immune system. They also contain powerful compounds called beta-glucans, which are renowned for their immune enhancing properties.
A couple of my family’s favorite ways to enjoy mushrooms include the flavorful and soothing Mushroom & Herbs Soup shown above, and homemade dairy-free Cream of Mushroom Soup, which is perfect for making easy, flavorful casseroles.
Yogurt (& other probiotic-rich foods)
Friendly bacteria have a powerfully beneficial effect on your gut, which is your body’s first line of defense against illness. Enjoying probiotic-rich foods like yogurt, kefir and other cultured foods on a daily basis not only improves gut health, but also aids in the production of antibodies that boost our body’s defenses.
For maximum benefits, buy yogurt that has “live and active cultures” printed on the label. Or better yet, learn to make your own Healthy Homemade Yogurt. It’s super easy and contains higher levels of healthy gut flora than store-bought brands.
More ways to boost your immune system
To ensure optimal health, focus on rounding out your plate with healthy fats, lots of colorful fruits and veggies, and lean grassfed meats, since protein helps support the body’s natural defenses.
And, be sure to drink plenty of water, as hydration also plays a big role in keeping your body and immune system healthy and well.
As you’re striving to fill your plate with healthy foods, it’s also important to live a healthy lifestyle. Making sure to regularly get a good night’s sleep, exercise and reduce stress are also proven ways to boost immunity and improve your overall health and wellness.
*Note from Ann: Kelly is right, it is so important to choose the right foods to boost immunity and ward off illness, especially during cold and flu season! I recently started cooking whole chickens in order to make chicken soup with the leftovers and enjoy the benefits of bone broth. Give it a try, it’s easy! Kelly, thanks for such an informative post and for sharing these power packed recipes! P.S. I seriously did not know that about garlic!!
No need to curl up with a box of Kleenex when the weather gets frightful: here are 6 superfoods to boost immunity and help you stay healthy.
What are your favorite ways to enjoy these top superfoods to boost immunity?
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Ann Timm
Ann Timm considers herself blessed to be the wife of a Christ follower and mother to six amazingly cool kids. She strives to keep a happy, healthy home, although she openly admits to failing often. She loves to share her foibles and encourage other women on their journey to healthy living.
Christmas has come and gone, and if you have kids, you’ve inevitably ended up with a new lion’s share of toys to add to your already-overwhelming collection.
Now is the time to get the toys under control before they begin to take over the whole house!
Here are some simple ways to start the process of organizing it all:
1. Toss It
If it’s broken, missing pieces, or your kids have outgrown it, either toss or donate it.
Be brutal with this step.
I promise, your kids won’t miss the broken toys as much as you think they will and if it was really important to them, replace the item with one that is not broken or missing pieces.
Also, consider donating duplicate/similar toys. Your child probably doesn’t need 23 Melissa & Doug puzzles, so if there are a few favorites, keep them and donate the rest to a charity or thrift store, or sell them in a garage sale and make a little cash!
2. Categorize It
Use bins or tubs to keep like items together. Put all trains in one bin, Barbies in another, Legos in another, and so on. Then, take a polaroid photo of the items and tape it to the outside of the bin so that little ones can recognize where to put the toys back when they’re done playing with them.
Small plastic tubs are very easy to come by, especially this time of year, and can be found for very cheap. Some of my favorite small tubs have come from the Target Dollar Spot, the Dollar Store and Wal-Mart. Keep your eyes peeled and buy more than you think you need because, I promise, you can always find a place for them!
I like to use storage bins EVERYWHERE. We have some in the playroom. And some in my daughter’s room. We are a bin-happy family and it really helps us to keep the clutter under control.
3. Rotate It
Start rotating the toys to keep things fresh and exciting. Keep several toys out for a month or two at a time with the others put away in a closet or toy box.
After a month or two, switch the toys that have been out with different toys from the closet or toy box. Your kids will have a renewed interest in the “new” toys and you will be spared from having everything out all at once.
Here is a great article discussing the art of toy rotation.
4. Display It
Use your wall space to keep books and toys off the floor and in your kids’ line of sight. Encourage your kids to read more by making their books accessible to them.
Display the front covers of books as opposed to only the spines by using picture ledge shelves to store books facing outward and hang them at a level that your kids can reach on their own.
One of my favorite ways of doing this is to hang painted IKEA spice racks and fill them with my kids’ favorite books. The spice racks are very inexpensive, solid wood, and very sturdy. You can keep them their natural birch color or paint them to match your kid’s room. So versatile!
You can also hang crates or bins on the wall to maximize your storage space. You can find simple, unfinished crates at many craft stores.
5. Bag It
Use laundry bags to store balls, blocks, and stuffed animals. I use a simple mesh laundry bag to corral all the plastic balls that go with my kid’s ball pit.
Use pencil bags to store smaller toys like puzzles pieces, small cars, markers and crayons. I use this trick with my daughter’s many puzzles. I cut the picture off the front of the box and put it and all the pieces in a pencil bag I found at the dollar store. Then I consolidate all the pencil bags in a large 3-ring binder. It’s saved a ton of space and kept those small pieces all in one place.
6. Hide It
Every time my mother-in-law comes over, she always comments that my living room looks like no kids live in my house. Part of that is because I clean my house like a mad person before my in-laws come to town, but it’s also because I’ve gotten very good at hiding all of my kid’s toys in a way that they can still access them, but I don’t have to look at them (or trip over them) all the time.
For me, I “built” a sofa table that acts as storage. I bought two 2-cubby bookshelves at Target and set them up, standing vertically, at each end of the sofa. I then bought 4 1X2X6 pine boards, stained them to match my coffee table, and simply laid them across the two bookshelves to create a table top.
Finally, I bought two canvas bins for each of the bookshelves and there is where I keep all the kid’s toys. The bins are easy for the kids to slide in and out to access their toys and cleaning up has become a breeze!
There are so many other ways you can keep the toys out of sight when they’re not in use (large baskets, a small bookshelf with bins, an old trunk); you just have to think outside the box a little!
So there you have just a few ways you can start getting your toy clutter under control. The possibilities are endless! Just use a little creativity (or spend five minutes on Pinterest!) Happy organizing!
What other ways have you found useful in keeping kids’ toy clutter to a minimum?
Original article and pictures take redandhoney.com site
6 Simple Questions to Ask About Your Health – Healthy Living Tip of the Week
The beginning of a new school year is a great time to take stock of your health and to think about changes you may want to make over the next 6-9 months. Even if you don’t have school-age children, the end of summer/beginning of fall provides a natural “stopping point” for assessing how things are going and identifying a change or two you’d like to make.
And it’s a perfect time to remind yourself of something that many women tend to forget – your health is important, and you are worth the time and effort needed to take good care of yourself. Because many women care for others, but fail to care for themselves. If that’s the situation you find yourself in, now is the perfect time to change course and take some simple steps toward caring for your health.
These 6 questions can help you get started:
Have I put off important medical/health care? Do you need to see your gynecologist, go for a mammogram, schedule a test, talk with a counselor, or find out more about a symptom that concerns you? If so, take time this week to schedule the needed appointment or test. You make sure that your husband or children get the health care they need, so make sure you get the care you need too.
Do I sleep at least 7 hours a night? For many women, the answer is a resounding “no.” But sleep is really important to your health, mental health, and overall frame of mind. If you’re too busy to sleep at least 7 hours each night, you’re just too busy. If that’s the case, take time this week to assess your schedule and commitments in order to make time for adequate sleep.
Do I feed my body well? Many women don’t – they eat fast and processed food on the run for many meals and snacks each week. Rather than taking time for real food that nourishes their bodies, they grab what’s quick and easy and fits their busy schedule. But, as is the case with sleep, if you’re too busy to eat real food for most meals and snacks, you’re just too busy. Your body needs and deserves better.
Do I exercise most days of the week? Your body was designed to move, not to sit. Regular exercise or physical activity creates an amazing number of benefits for your health and mental health. Experts recommend that adults participate in exercise or physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on most days of the week. But most women don’t reach even that minimum level. If you don’t, making time to get up and move regularly may be one of the best investments you could make in your health this year.
Does my weight help me stay healthy and feel good about my body? Women don’t need to be thin to be healthy and feel confident, but carrying a lot of extra weight does create significant health risks. And it causes a lot of women to feel bad about their bodies and themselves. If your weight is causing health problems or affecting the way you feel about yourself, consider what you could do this fall to begin moving toward a healthier weight.How much stress am I experiencing? Stress is a normal part of life, but some women are living with a level of stress that’s almost unbearable. It affects their physical health, mental health, relationships with others, and overall quality of life. If your stress level has become unmanageable, taking steps to bring it under control may be the best thing you could do for yourself during this school year.
Do I have time to connect regularly with the people I love and to pursue at least one of my interests? Sometimes, women’s lives become consumed with tasks that primarily benefit other people. And those tasks tend to push some of life’s most important activities to the side. Things like connecting in meaningful ways with the people they love or pursuing a dream, hobby, ministry, or activity that feeds their body, mind and spirit. Sure, there are times in life when tasks for others fill up almost every waking hour, but those times shouldn’t continue indefinitely. If your life is too full for you to connect regularly with the people you love and to pursue at least one of your interests, this may be the year to change your schedule in ways that allow you to do both of those things.
OK, I promised that the Healthy Tips of the Week would be short, and most of them will be! But I thought it might be helpful to start the series with a simple assessment that helps you take stock of some important areas of your health. I’ve been doing that kind of assessment over the past few weeks, and have decided to get serious about losing weight this fall. I only need to lose about 10 pounds, but I’ve needed to lose those 10 pounds for a very long time! So I’m figuring out how to improve my diet and increase my exercise in order to make it happen. What about you? Did the questions help you identify a change or two you want to make? Please share your thoughts in the Comments – I would love to hear from you.
Original article and pictures take calmhealthysexy.com site
They are the most prescribed pharmaceutical in the United States. When you bring your child into the pediatrician with anything from a cold to the flu, you will likely end up leaving with an antibiotic in hand; regardless if the illness is bacterial or not. We fill the prescription, thinking we’ve done our due diligence as parents, and our little one is better in days.
The average American child is prescribed five rounds of antibiotics a year. But, is it really helping our children’s health? Or should you ditch antibiotics…for good?
6 Reasons Why You Should Ditch Antibiotics (For Good)
#1 They Don’t Really Help
First, consider that most of the ills you’re bringing your babe in for are actually viruses, for which an antibiotic will not help at all. But, your doctor will still likely prescribe them so that they can say they “did something,” and that you didn’t leave empty-handed.
Even if you can verify that the illness is bacterially-derived, because antibiotics are so overused, their effectiveness is waning. Couple that with the fact that if you do not get the exact antibiotic strain for the bacteria causing the sickness, and the exact right dosage, it may not even work. In fact, it may cause more harm than good.
Basically, the chances that an antibiotic is going to resolve your bacterial illness is close to the likelihood that your husband will fix that fence. Don’t count on it.
#2 They Damage Gut Health, and Increase the Chance of Another Bacterial Infection
Antibiotics (literally meaning anti-life) kill all your good bacteria, which make up most of your immune system in your gut. Antibiotics will obliterate that, and cause imbalance between the good and bad bacteria. This will allow the bacterial illness you were sick with in the first place to take over your good bacteria, and recurrent infections as well as deteriorating health will follow. If you’ve already used antibiotics, probiotics can build back up your good bacteria.
#3 They Can Cause Serious Allergic Reactions
We think that the only “common” reaction is to penicillin, but a severe allergic reaction to antibiotics, possibly leading to a lifetime of autoimmune disease is possible. In addition to the antibiotic strain, you may also be mildly or severely allergic to an ingredient in the antibiotic, such as sulfur.
Unfortunately, reactions are grossly underreported, so we cannot say how many children and adults are truly allergic, or experience serious side effects. Other research has shown there is a possible correlation between antibiotic use and allergies..
#4 They are Over-Prescribed
The CDC itself admits that over half of all antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary. There are over 150 million prescriptions written for antibiotics yearly in the United States. As stated above, these are usually for viral illnesses, so antibiotics are no help. A rule of thumb when determining if an illness is bacterial or viral is that bacterial illnesses will be local, one organ or one area of the body and more serious (worse feeling, higher, longer-lasting fever); whereas viral illnesses will likely be an overall sick feeling.
Image by Pixabay
#5 Super Bugs
Need I say more?
Now, every time you enter the hospital, your biggest worry is not even your illness. It’s the antibiotic-resistant superbugs, which are next to impossible to kill (with Western medicine). MRSA, C diff, and CRE are just three of these killers, and you can actually check how many antibiotic resistant infections occurred at your hospital each year (which I suggest you do if you need to be admitted). At least 23,0000 Americans are killed per year by superbugs. This is directly due to over-prescription and the use of antibiotics on the animals we eat.
#6 There are Safer, More Effective Natural Alternatives
Nature knows best. In a study by Washington State University, garlic was found to be 100 times more effective than two popular antibiotics. Some of the most popular are garlic, onion, turmeric, ginger, cayenne, Echinacea, cinnamon, and olive leaf extract.
So, the next time you suspect a bacterial illness,try these natural remedies instead, and let your doctor know you’re asking for more than a throw-a-dart-at-the-wall prescription for your $150 appointment.
Have you decided to ditch antibiotics? Has your health improved?
Original article and pictures take www.modernalternativehealth.com site
Two hours after I confirmed that I was pregnant, I called the midwives.
Midwives are in pretty high demand here in Ontario, often booking up quickly; and I wanted to be absolutely sure I was able to get one.
The friendly receptionist remembered me from my first pregnancy back in 2011. She went over my expected due date and asked me whether anything had changed in my medical history. Then she asked: “And will you be planning for another home birth?”
I didn’t hesitate with my answer: YES!
My first experience with a home birth was absolutely wonderful; and as long as this pregnancy (and any other future ones) remains low-risk, I hope to always give birth at home.
Here’s why I love home birth:
Hospitals are for the sick and injured.
A labouring woman is neither. I don’t understand why I would go to the hospital, then, unless complications arose (in which case I would be happy to be transferred).
Recently, I had a nephew born prematurely, and he had to stay in the NICU for two weeks. The hospital wasn’t allowing visitors due to an influenza outbreak within the facility, so we couldn’t see him until he was released.
Let me repeat that: I couldn’t see my brand-new nephew because he was locked in a flu-infested hospital. This is not an uncommon scenario, especially in the winter (when I will hopefully be giving birth).
Why would I choose to have my baby in that environment, again?
For low-risk pregnancies, planned midwife-attended home births are just as safe – or can be even safer – than hospital births.
Did you hear that? Planned home births are actually associated with slightly better outcomes for mom and baby than hospital births!
So since safety isn’t a concern with home birth, there are lots of other reasons I prefer to birth at home if at all possible:
No stressful transfer.
My first labour and birth went quickly. I woke up in the middle of the night to pretty intense contractions, and five hours later I was nursing my new baby. (That was with my midwife instructing me not to push for quite a while, even though I was fully dilated, just because the backup midwife hadn’t arrived yet.)
I think it really helped that my labour wasn’t interrupted by a stressful car ride and admittance to a hospital. Labour is known to often stall upon arrival at the hospital. The sudden change in scenery to an unfamiliar place can really throw off a laboring woman.
By contrast, I was able to focus all my energy on the hard work of birthing, right from the start, without interruption.
And since my first labour went so quickly, I have a real fear that I wouldn’t make it to the hospital in time next time. What if my next labour takes half as long, which is quite common? I would not want to end up giving birth in the hospital parking lot! I’d rather just stay home and do my thing without any hoopla.
Giving birth is an intensely intimate experience, am I right? It’s just not something I want to share with strangers unless necessary.
At home, I don’t have to listen to other women screaming through contractions (I hear that some are quite terrifying!). And at the same time, I can feel free to make as much of my own noise as I want. I can tear off my clothes, get in and out of the tub, or do whatever makes me comfortable without worrying about neighbours or nurses.
And once the birth is over and the midwives have made sure we’re both doing well, everyone goes home and I can just spend some time in my own bed, bonding with my family, without interruptions.
A comfortable environment.
A woman’s brain and emotions play a huge role in how her birth progresses. Fear, anxiety, and discomfort can slow down labour. And a sterile, unfamiliar environment, bright lights, strangers prodding at your nethers, and all kinds of medical equipment isn’t exactly a recipe for calm and comfort.
At home, I am in a familiar place and can control my surroundings (the lighting, music, bedding, etc). I can wear my own clothes and eat my own food. I won’t be ogled or poked by strangers whose shifts might change mid-labour.
Once it’s all done I can take a shower in my own bathroom and put on whatever clothes I want from my own closet. No lumpy hospital beds, bleached-out gowns, weird food, beeping medical equipment, or plastic bins for baby to sleep in.
Less risk of unnecessary intervention and pressure to medicate.
I understand that the absence of pain medication might be considered a negative for many women; but for me, it’s an advantage. With my first birth, I wanted to avoid unnecessary intervention as much as possible; and not having them available to me made that much easier.
Because I’d planned far in advance to give birth at home, I’d had plenty of time to prepare my mind for an unmedicated birth. I knew from the get-go that I would need to draw from personal resources to get through it because there would be no other ones to draw from. As a consequence, there was never a moment in my labour when I second-guessed myself — I knew I had to do this on my own.
In a hospital setting, where I would have known drugs were available, I might have wondered whether I should accept them. Without that option, though, I wasn’t distracted by their possibility, and could focus on the hard work of giving birth.
How about you? Have you ever given birth at home? Would you consider it?
Original article and pictures take redandhoney.com site
