Nutrition Should Not Come From A Factory

Stay away from foods which have unnatural additives, which have been irradiated and which are genetically modified. Processed, prepackaged, refined, manufactured, artificially flavored and/or colored, preservative-laden, chemically treated, or chemically engineered foods are highly discouraged. They do not contain the nutritional value of whole foods and they contain many additives, which further depletes the system of essential nutrients. To keep in tune with the cycles of nature you can select foods that are in season.

Consume Natural Vitamins

The body requires vitamins which for the most part should come from selecting nutritious foods. Keep in mind that vitamins consumed as a supplement are missing most of the enzymes, co-enzymes, minerals, mineral activators and other substances that work with vitamins which allow them to be absorbed and fully used by the body.

Nature Heals

Your body is for the most part a self repairing machine if it has the required nutrients and is not compromised by toxins and pollution. Unfortunately we live in a toxic environment and the mass market food supply no longer provides all the nutrients we need. The first essential step toward wellness, therefore, is to be sure you are getting the correct amounts of the proper nutrients by choosing only the freshest, least altered foods.

Balance

Various health conditions have been corrected time and time again by supplying the body’s requirement for balanced nutrition. Rather than treating areas or symptoms in isolation, natural nutrition treats the whole person, restoring a state of balance, so that the body may then correct its own symptoms. High quality natural nutrition is about ‘balance’ not ‘potency’.

Natural Nutrition Is Healthy

By consuming natural nutrition you are able to reverse many conditions including:

Allergies
Arthritis/Rheumatism
Asthma
Childrens’ behavioral problems
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
IBS/Digestive complaints
Headaches
Infertility
Skin problems, including Acne, eczema and psoriasis
Weight problems

Summary

Natural nutrition is about handing us back control of our own health, enabling us to see and feel what is going on and take action accordingly. It is without a doubt the most effective form of nutrition. Consuming only natural ingredients continually keeps us aware of our current health picture.

Unnatural nutrition is one of the major causes of many of our diseases, while natural nutrition is an equally powerful agent in curing these diseases and rejuvenating our health. A poor diet could be unknowingly contributing to your pain and discomfort, short temper, heartburn, fatigue, weight gain, depression, allergies, and anxiety.

Source: Free Articles

The existing amalgam fillings seem to give far more exposure than certain types of fish which are advised to consume rarely. Fluoride is the ironic form of the reactive gas fluorine. In the hit list of the compounds that are harmful to human being, by the ATSDR, fluorine stands comes one among the first 20.. Fluoride is the primary ingredient in rat poison, pesticides and nerve gas. Too much fluoride can cause mottling or darkening of teeth, weakened bones, and neurological problems.

Apart from mercury and fluoride the dental industry uses many chemicals, plastic compounds, metals etc which cannot be good for our collectivehealth. So many people are opting for holistic or biological dentists for their oral health needs. The holistic dentists remove the mercury filling and provide nutritional support to help detoxify the body such as chlorella and vitamin supplementation. Chelation is the process by which certain peptides or vitamins are ingested which bind to heavy metals and carry them out of the body. Cranial sacral manipulation can realign the skull and spinal bones relieving tooth aches, jaw pain or TMJ.

A holistic dentist will examine the whole picture of a patient including his or her emotional attachments, physical health, alignment, diet, lifestyle etc in deciding upon a treatment plan. They recommend various techniques such as yoga, meditation, or chakra alignment to further improve body’s relationship with the mouth and teeth.

Gum disease is a very common, but preventable problem. Gingivitis or simple gum irritation is caused by improper dental hygiene. If not treated it may reverse to periodontal disease and ends up in tooth loss. Unhealthy gums lead to premature babies being born, and also heart problem in some cases.

Taking simple precautionary measures like flossing regularly everyday, using soft tooth brush, and using proper tooth pastes. You can make your own tooth paste by mixing baking soda, salt and glycerin. Use a mouth wash which uses natural ingredients and no alcohol. Alcohol only dries the mouth. Use natural neem stick to brush the teeth which is very safe.

source from: dailyhealthtipsadvice

There’s a lot of discussion these days about fit kids. People who care (parents, doctors, teachers, and others) want to know how to help kids be more fit.

Being fit is a way of saying a person eats well, gets a lot of physical activity (exercise), and has a healthy weight. If you’re fit, your body works well, feels good, and can do all the things you want to do, like run around with your friends.

Some steps only parents can take — such as serving healthy meals or deciding to take the family on a nature hike. But kids can take charge, too, when it comes to health.

Here are five rules to live by, if you’re a kid who wants to be fit. The trick is to follow these rules most of the time, knowing that some days (like your birthday) might call for cake and ice cream.

Eat a Variety of Foods, Especially Fruits and Vegetables

You may have a favorite food, but the best choice is to eat a variety. If you eat different foods, you’re more likely to get the nutrients your body needs. Taste new foods and old ones you haven’t tried for a while. Some foods, such as green veggies, are more pleasing the older you get. Shoot for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day — two fruits and three vegetables.

Here’s one combination that might work for you:

• at breakfast: ½ cup (about 4 large) strawberries on your cereal
• with lunch: 6 baby carrots
• for a snack: an apple
• with dinner: ½ cup broccoli (about 2 big spears) and 1 cup of salad

Drink Water and Milk Most Often

When you’re really thirsty, cold water is the No. 1 thirst-quencher. And there’s a reason your school cafeteria offers cartons of milk. Kids need calcium to build strong bones, and milk is a great source of this mineral. How much do kids need? If you are younger than 9 years old, drink 2 cups of milk a day, or its equivalent. Aim for 3 cups of milk per day, or its equivalent. You can mix it up by having milk and some other calcium-rich dairy foods. Here’s one combination:

• 2 cups (about half a liter) of low-fat or nonfat milk
• 1 slice cheddar cheese
• ½ cup (small container) of yogurt

You probably will want something other than milk or water once in a while, so it’s OK to have 100% juice, too. But try to limit sugary drinks, like sodas, juice cocktails, and fruit punches. They contain a lot of added sugar. Sugar just adds calories, not important nutrients.

Listen to Your Body

What does it feel like to be full? When you’re eating, notice how your body feels and when your stomach feels comfortably full. Sometimes, people eat too much because they don’t notice when they need to stop eating. Eating too much can make you feel uncomfortable and, over a period of time, can lead to unhealthy weight gain.

Limit Screen Time

What’s screen time? It’s the amount of time you spend watching TV or DVDs, playing video games (console systems or handheld games), and using the computer. The more time you spend on these sitting-down activities, the less time available for active stuff, like basketball, bike riding, and swimming. Try to spend no more than 2 hours a day on screen time, not counting computer use related to school.

Be Active

One job you have as a kid — and it’s a fun one — is that you get to figure out which activities you like best. Not everyone loves baseball or soccer. Maybe your passion is karate, or kickball, or dancing. Ask your parents to help you do your favorite activities regularly. Find ways to be active every day. You might even write down a list of fun stuff to do, so you can refer to it when your mom or dad says it’s time to stop watching TV or playing computer games!

Speaking of parents, they can be a big help if you want to be a fit kid. For instance, they can stock the house with healthy foods and plan physical activities for the family. Tell your parents about these five steps you want to take and maybe you can teach them a thing or two. If you’re a fit kid, why shouldn’t you have a fit mom and a fit dad?

Parents often have questions about how tall their kids will be. Will they be short, tall, or average? While there is no magic way to look into the future to see how tall your children will be when they grow up, these height predictors can give you a pretty good idea of what your child’s future height will be:

Kid’s Height Predictor – predict your children’s future height based on their genetic potential (which is based on their parents’ midparental height)

• Kid’s Height Calculator – Two Years Times Two Method, which uses simple linear regressions and doubles a child’s height at age two years
• Yet Another Height Calculator – use your child’s current height and where they are on the growth curve right now to predict their future height

Notes on height predictors:

Keep in mind that many factors may influence your children’s future growth, including their overall health and nutritional status and their genetic potential.

source: pediatrics.about.com

In general, you have to think about the degree of symptoms (how bad they are), how long they are lasting, and if they are continuing to get worse over time. For example, while you shouldn’t think that your child has cancer every time that he has a fever, if the fever is lasting more than 14 days and you and your doctors don’t know why, then a complete blood count (CBC with differential) to screen for cancer and other tests would be a good idea.

Other examples of symptoms that might indicate a childhood cancer include:

• vomiting that persists for more than 7 days and is worse when your child wakes up in the morning, wakes your child up at night, or is associated with a headache. For children with common headaches, a red flag that it might be something more serious than a simple migraine would be if the headaches continued to get worse over time, becoming either more severe or more frequent. Brain tumors might also cause other neurological symptoms, such as trouble walking, seizures or sudden changes in their personality.
• bone pain or muscle pain that doesn’t follow a known injury and doesn’t improve in a few weeks. These types of pain are different than the usual ‘growing pains’ that children get at night, which usually doesn’t cause pain in a specific spot, is helped by massage, doesn’t limit your child’s activities, and tends to be chronic (occurring on and off for months or years). Also remember that chronic back pain is not very common in younger children and can be a sign of a spinal cord tumor.
• a persistent cough or trouble breathing that doesn’t respond to usual treatments for infections or asthma.
• an enlarging mass, whether it is in the abdomen, neck, arms or legs.

Other common symptoms that might alert you that your child might have cancer include having very decreased activity, loss of appetite, easy bleeding, bruising or a red pinpoint rash (petechiae), rapid visual changes, an enlarged liver or spleen, or weight loss. Losing weight is a big red flag that something serious might be going on, as children don’t normally lose weight over long periods of time. Children might lose a pound or two with an acute illness, such as the flu or with a stomach virus, but they should quickly gain it back. What about swollen glands (lymphadenopathy)? This is one of the most common findings that worry parents, a lymph node or gland that isn’t going away. However, in younger children, having swollen glands, especially in their neck, is so common as to be almost normal.

A swollen gland that isn’t going away after a few weeks can be a sign of cancer, but you would usually expect other symptoms, such as a lingering fever or weight loss or swollen glands in more than one part of their body (such as their neck and groin). Even without other symptoms, a swollen gland might be a worry in older teens though, who are at risk for lymphoma.

Still, a visit to your Pediatrician if your child has a swollen gland that isn’t going away would be a good idea. Your doctor might investigate for other causes, including infections like Cat Scratch Disease, and might do a TB test, complete blood count and chest xray to rule out more serious causes.

Talking to Your Pediatrician About Cancer

Most importantly, no matter what symptoms your child has, tell your Pediatrician if you are worried that your child could have cancer. It might be that you do have a reason to be concerned, or your doctor might be able to reassure you that your child is not at risk, either with a good history and physical examination, or a few screening tests.

source: pediatrics.about.com

Get Moving!
It’s easy to fit physical activities into your daily routine. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute activity break every hour while you read, do homework or watch TV. Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do these things for a total of 30 minutes every day.

Don’t Eat Too Much of One Thing
You don’t have to give up foods like hamburgers, french fries and ice cream to eat healthfully. You just have to be smart about how often and how much of them you eat. Your body needs nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and calcium from a variety of foods. Balancing food choices from the Food Guide Pyramid and checking out the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels will help you to get all these nutrients.

Get
Fit With Friends and Family
Being active is much more fun with friends or family. Encourage others to join you and plan one special physical activity event, like a bike ride or hiking, with a group each week.

Eat more grains, fruits and vegetables.
These foods give you carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Besides, they taste good! Try breads such as whole-wheat, bagels and pita. Spaghetti and oatmeal are also in the grain group.

Bananas, strawberries and melons are some great tasting fruits. (See: Easy Ways to Eat More Fruit). Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich or in a salad.

Join in physical activities at school.
Whether you take a physical education class or do other physical activities at school, such as intramural sports, structured activities are a sure way to feel good, look good and stay physically
fit.

Foods aren’t good or bad.
A healthy eating style is like a puzzle with many parts. Each part — or food — is different. Some foods may have more fat, sugar or salt while others may have more vitamins or fiber. There is a place for all these foods. What makes a diet good or bad is how foods
fit together. Balancing your choices is important.
Fit in a higher-fat food, like pepperoni pizza, at dinner by choosing lower-fat foods at other meals. And don’t forget about moderation. If two pieces of pizza fill you up, don’t eat a third.

Make Healthy Eating and Physical Activities Fun!
Take advantage of physical activities you and your friends enjoy doing together and eat the foods you like. Be adventurous — try new sports, games and other activities as well as new foods. You’ll grow stronger, play longer, and look and feel better! Set realistic goals — don’t try changing too much at once.

Source:fitnessandfreebies