Why It's Important To Teach Children About Nutrition

It's a true fact that parents can't always be around to watch what their kids are eating.

If that were the case we parents would have to follow our kid everywhere!

Whether it's when they're home alone, at a friends or an activity children need awareness of what they're eating. But, why is it important?

There are several reasons that they need to be taught.

Math, science, language and common sense are all very important when it comes to teaching adolescents.

But, what about health and nutrition?

Schools teach a bit about it but, not until later in childhood. Children are more likely to absorb information if taught from a young age throughout childhood.

Especially if they're learning from mom or dad. Several studies tell us that people taught things as children continue to use the information almost indefinitely.

Plus, children can't learn on their own. They're new to the world and need guidance to make sure they will learn how to live a life on their own one day.

Proper nutritional habits are very important to teach when it comes to kids.

What they eat will impact how their minds and bodies develop while growing up. Educating your child now on what they eat will promote healthy growth and give them the knowledge of how to take care of themselves.

If wellness is something your child adopts in life it will aid them in becoming more active in sports, studies and other various activities. Healthy meals can help anyone feel stronger and have a sense of feeling well.

By feeling that way children are more likely to be self-confident and feel better about their bodies.

Self-confidence and well-being can help ward off future mental health problems.

Immune systems tend to become stronger when absorbing the right nutrition.

This makes it much simpler for children to fight off colds and infections. It's good to explain to your child that if they eat healthier then they won't have to suffer through a week-long cold as often.

By educating your kids on proper eating habits and what it can do for them it helps prepare them for adulthood and gives them the skills to keep up a healthy life.

Adults that are not maintaining a proper diet are more likely to develop serious health issues.

Obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, hypertension and diabetes are all common in adults who neglect their diets. If not properly obtaining the right nutritional vitamins, muscle and bone deterioration can occur, too.

Teaching your children now will prevent them from neglecting their diet later in life. It will help them be able to make proper eating choices on their own. Doing so could help them live healthier and live longer.

Mark Long motivates and educates people of all communities on nutrition education.

His dedication towards health and nutrition make him a social activist who spreads his knowledge in this field to all those who are interested in following him.

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10 Easy Ways to Eat Smart and Be Healthy After Age 50, For Mature Women Only

Have you been caught up in the "eat everything on your plate, super-size it, junk food junkie, carbonated drinks, chocolate covered, giant size, all you can eat, french fries are vegetables, have another piece of pie, cake, cheesecake, ice cream cake and another helping of gravy, mac and cheese or pizza" lifestyle that has been the norm for years now?

We know better, don't we?

We know it is nearly impossible to change habits that we have practised for years and have loved from the beginning, don't we?

Yes, yes and yes. Me, too.

I have been fighting that battle for three years now. After three years (The first year I was sick for just about the whole year, the next year I only went to the doctor about every three or four months, instead of every week, or several times a week.) I feel better than I have felt in twenty years.

Yes, that long. Three years ago I had a good doctor tell me "You need to take care of this now, if you don't want to die."

That's all he said. I took him at his word and started working on my health problems that day. Here are ten things I believe have helped me get control of my diet.

1. Do Not "go on a diet." That is a sure way to get bored, tired and disgusted with your food because you will not like it; so you will substitute food that is wrong, or you will just give up and binge periodically. You cannot stick to a "diet" for life because you are human like the rest of us and food is a big part of living a happy life.


2. Set up your nutrition plan to go along with your exercise plan. If you can do it, keep a journal of what you eat every day and what exercises you do every day. Diet and exercise are both so important to us that they need careful attention, especially after age fifty.


3. If you have excess fat on your body anywhere from your chin down through your trunk to your knees; you will want to give that top priority for elimination. It is Not simply ugly fat that keeps your slim body from looking good and makes you self conscious in most of your clothes. Excess fat (any fat that covers up your muscles, especially abdominal muscles) on your trunk is a dangerous risk to your health, especially after age fifty.


4. If you do have excess fat, the only solution to get rid of it is a combination of an exercise program designed to target the fat, plus a nutritious diet of unprocessed natural foods, both of which must promote production of certain hormones and a higher metabolism rate in your body. Studies have proven that a comination of diet and regular exercise are necessary to get rid of the fat and keep it off.


5. Do not abandon your diet and exercise plans after a few months and slip back into old habits that caused problems in the first place. You need to change your lifestyle permanently to remove risk of disease and to preserve your self confidence.


6. Start with one thing you need to change in your diet and deal with that. Then go to the next thing that needs working on. If you change too many of your eating habits at once you may develop stomach and bowel problems. Determine what you need to do and decide that the changes you make will be permanent. It will not be easy but you will see improvement in a very short time.


7. Liquids is an area that deserves close scrutiny. Decide how much water you need to drink in one day and make a note in your journal to keep track of how much water you drink so you can adjust the amount as necessary. Note any drinks or juices you have and how much sugar they contain. Include coffee on your list and note whether it is decaffeinated or regular and how many cups you drink each day. These notes will be a valuable reference if you hit a plateau in your dieting plan and need help deciding what you should do about it.


8. If you have been taking over-the-counter vitamins and supplements you may need to adjust your dosage when you are about half way into changing your diet. If you have talked with your doctor about what vitamins and supplements you need to take, you will need to let him know about your diet and get advice from him about dosage as your diet changes.


9. As soon as you can, begin to eliminate processed foods from your diet. Look at your consumption of cakes, cookies, snack foods, frozen meals, breakfast cereals, breads, processed meats like hot dogs, cold cuts and sausage. Also, look at the canned foods you buy to see how much sugar, salt and other additives are in the food. Make a list in your journal of how much processed food you eat each day for future reference.


10. At every opportunity add fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains and nuts into your diet. Think carrots, beets, squash, tomatoes, apples, bananas, pineapple, citrus, whole grain bread and rolls, unprocessed almonds, walnuts, and other nuts (peanuts are not nuts). Keep a record in your journal for future reference.

Start today. Look at what you are eating and decide whether you need to pick something else.

After age fifty, we cannot afford to neglect our diet. We need all of the natural nutritious foods we can get.

We need to eliminate a lot of salt, sugar, fat and preservatives so our bodies will not have to spend energy to process these things.

Nutrition is the most important consideration when we are trying to live a healthy, good life and enjoy the things we have worked so long to get.

The bottom line is that giving up foods we should not eat is not hard, the hard part is giving them up permanently, which is what we have to do.

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Facts About Eggs: How Much Protein In An Egg?

An egg contains, on average, about 6 grams of protein.

More important than how much protein in an egg is the quality of protein in an egg. Eggs provide the most complete, economical and nutritious form of animal protein available.

Eggs, at least natural eggs, are one of the healthiest foods on the planet providing not only the highest quality protein but also, all known minerals and vitamins, with the exception of vitamin C.

One of the glossed over facts about eggs is how mass production utilizing cheap feed, antibiotics to overcome severe inhumane overcrowding and chemicals have made them unfit for human consumption.

Natural eggs produced by chickens that see daylight and get to peck around for insects and eat green plants, both essential to their diet, are vastly superior in nutritional quality.

One dangerous aspect of the nutritional imbalances derived from factory-farm production of eggs has to do with the fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6.

As I explained in an article on brain food, an imbalance in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is correlated to a number of health problems. An imbalance can hinder the production of crucial prostaglandins.

This, in turn, interferes with the immune system and can lead to problems like weight gain, sterility and cancer.

This imbalance is also associated with high blood pressure, inflammation, blood clotting and irritation of the digestive tract. Natural eggs have a close to ideal or 1 to 1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids.

Commercial eggs from grain fed chicken raised in total confinement, like most found in supermarkets, can have ratios as high as 19 to 1!

A study of eggs collected from 4 farms practicing traditional, sustainable agriculture and raising chickens that are truly "free range" and analyzed in an accredited laboratory compared the results to official USDA data for factory-farm eggs.

The natural eggs were found to have twice as much omega-3 fatty acid, 1 2/3 as much vitamin A, three times the vitamin E and 7 times as much beta carotene. The real clincher for me is they had 4 to 6 times the amount of vitamin D.

I explained the essential nature of vitamin D in an article on healing tooth decay. In another article I wrote about good sources and, besides the sun, eggs are one of the few natural sources of vitamin D we have.

The quality of the amino acids in eggs is demonstrated by how well proportioned they really are. Eggs have become a standard by which the quality of proteins in other foods is measured.

Regarding how much protein in an egg and the quality thereof, they are a good source of the sulphur containing amino acids methionine, cysteine and cystine the veritable building blocks of protein. Other very-long-chained and unsaturated fatty acids (VLCPUFA ) which our bodies need for development of the brain, found in natural eggs, are almost totally absent in factory-farm eggs.

This has serious implications for expectant mothers and parents of young children, if they are relying on eggs as a source of protein.

This is especially true of mothers who are breast feeding as the unborn infant's need for VLCPUFA's for proper brain development rises rapidly prior to birth and peaks just before, then drops off rapidly after birth.

The breastfeeding mother's diet contains the only source the unborn and newly born baby has for these essential fatty acids. Traditionally, expectant mothers in China, who can afford it, consume as many as 10 eggs per day. Some of these culinary traditions, proven over millennium, now have a solid basis in modern nutritional science.

If these mothers are relying on farm-factory eggs I fear for the brain development of their offspring due to commercial eggs lacking these nutrients! Nutritionists are ever becoming more aware of what we visit on our progeny due to the diets dictated by the industrialization of the food industry.

Another major testimony to the quality of the protein found in eggs and the dispelling of a nutritional myth surrounding them is found in treatment of severe burn patients.

Often these unfortunate folks are force fed huge amounts of eggs to provide the necessary protein and nutrients to regenerate large areas of destroyed flesh.

Researchers took advantage of this to dismiss the current apprehension of the amount of cholesterol in egg yolks.

Volunteers with severe burns were force fed 18 eggs per day and their blood cholesterol actually diminished! So much for the cholesterol myth.

If that still leaves you with a bit of nagging doubt all the more reason to seek natural eggs.

They were also found in the above mentioned study to contain 1/3 less cholesterol and 1/4 less saturated fat.

A study conducted by the American Cancer Society of a huge population of 800,000 participants deduced that people who ate eggs were less likely to die of heart attacks or strokes.

The death rate of people, many of whom no doubt abstained from eating eggs for fear of these major causes of death in our day, was found to be higher!

Besides all of these compelling reasons to choose natural eggs, there is the fact that they just taste so much better.

Compare a natural egg to any commercial eggs and you will see the visual difference.

The quality, natural egg will have a dark yellow yolk that stands proudly in a perfect hemisphere. None of this pale yellow stuff in commercial eggs.

It will also have two distinct areas in the egg white.

That surrounding the yolk will be discernible by its more viscous nature.

The outer circle of egg white will be thinner and more runny. Just this outer portion will look like the usual runny whites seen in the whole white of its commercial counterpart.

More information on important aspects of nutrition and the healing properties therein can be found at Jim's website at Culinary Tidbits.

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Stress Nutrition: Is This Protein To Consider?

There are many stress reducing strategies, and one of them is all about what you eat -- stress nutrtion.

Eating for stress is really about eating a healthy balanced diet by making wise and mindful food choices following the principles ofbalance, variety and moderation.

To stay in good health the body needs the right macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, fats and micronutrients: vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients and water.

Lats talk about proteins.

What Is Protein?

Protein is macronutrient essential for growth and development. It is the protein that provides the structure for all living things. Protein is important for a number of reasons:

• Builds, repairs, and maintains healthy muscles, organs, skin, and hair
• Manufactures enzymes, hormones, and blood-clotting factors
• Maintains water balance, transports oxygen,
• Regulates acid-base balance,
• Supports immune function
• Provides your body with four calories of energy per gram, if necessary
• Increases satiety so you feel fuller, longer

How Much Do I Need?

On average, healthy women between the ages of 19 and 70 need approximately 46 grams of protein a day In general, healthy adults should consume 0.8 -1 gram of protein for every kilogram of lean body weight.

As stress lowers immunity, extra protein may be required to compensate by helping produce more anti-bodies.

NB. High levels of protein place extra burden on liver and kidneys, which are faced with processing the waste products of protein metabolism.

Amino acids - building blocks of protein.

The proteins that make up the human body are not obtained directly from diet.

Rather, dietary protein is broken down into its constituent amino acids, which then body uses to build the specific proteins it needs.

Thus, it is amino acids rather than protein that are the essential nutrient.

After a protein is eaten it is broken down by digestion into amino acids building blocks of all proteins, which are then absorbed and used to make other proteins in the body.

During starvation (dieting) your muscle tissue can be broken down to provide amino acids and energy for your body to use-decrease of muscle for serial dieters results in decrease of metabolism and after-diet 
weight gain.

There are about twenty-eight commonly known amino acids that are combined in various ways to create the hundreds of different types of protein present in all living things.

In the human body liver produces about 80% of the amino acids needed. The remaining 20 % must be obtained from the diet. These are called essential amino acids.

Essential amini-acids for adults are: Leucine, Isoleucine, Valine, Threonine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Tryptophan and Lysine.

In children, Histidine is also considered to be an indispensable amino acid since they are unable to make enough to meet their needs.

Natural sources of essential amino acids : 

-Leucine - brown rise, beans, meat, nuts, soy flour, and whole wheat. 

-Isoleucine - almonds, cashews, chicken, chickpeas, eggs, fish, lentils, liver, meat, rye, most seeds, and soy protein. 

-Valine - dairy products, grains, meat, mushrooms, peanuts, and soy protein. 

-Threonine -- beans, lentils, nuts and seeds, soybeans, meat, poultry, fish, eggs. 

-Methionine -beans, eggs, fish, garlic, lentils, meat, onions, soybeans, seeds, and yoghurt. 

-Phenylalanine -- beef, poultry, pork, fish, milk, yogurt, eggs, cheese, soy products, cottonseeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and flours made from these seeds.

-Tryptophan - brown rise, cottage cheese, meat, peanuts, and soy protein. 

-Lysine -cheese, eggs, fish, lime beans, milk, potatoes, red meat, soy products, and yeast.

When planning your meals... 

  Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, poultry, or their derivatives, such as gelatin, lard, or fish oils.

Lacto-ovo vegetarians consume dairy products and eggs, whereas vegans do not eat or use any animal products.

A diet with a good cross section of vegetables, fruit, pulses and carbohydrates will provide adequate protein.

For example, although beans and brown rise are both quite rich in protein, each lacks one or more essential amino acids.

However, when you combine beans and brown rise with each other, or when you combine either one with any of a number of protein rich foods, you form a complete protein that is high-quality substitute for meat. With education and planning, a vegetarian diet can meet all your body's protein and nutrient needs.

• To make a complete protein, combine beans, with any one of the following Brown rise, corn, nuts, seeds, wheat.
• Or combine brown risewith any of the following: Beans, nuts, seeds, wheat.

Never eat protein by itself. Too much protein raises adrenaline/ cortisol levels and will cause you to burn out your adrenal glands.

Follow principles of balance, variety and moderation, however try to include protein in each meal - main meals and snacks. Protein also increases satiety so you feel fuller, longer.

Dr. Inese Millere is a medical doctor turned diplomat, turned holistic stress management expert who specializes in helping superwomen to manage stress, stress eating and develop resilience so they can be Slim, Balanced and Ageless.

FREE e-book " STRESS makes you FAT and diets FAIL" instant download at http://www.inesemillere.com

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The BEST Time of Day to Juice

When's the best time of day to juice?

Most dedicated juicers start their day with a fresh glass of vegetable and/or fruit juice.

This prepares your body for the day ahead and provides nourishment after eight hours of fasting. But the best part about juicing is that you are not required to fit into someone else's timetable.

But does that mean other times of day are not good times to drink? The answer is: drink your fresh juice whenever time or convenience permits.

Not everyone has a schedule that permits a great deal of time to juicing, let alone anything else. a regular nine to five job isn't what most people work - people are putting in daily hours of 9, 10, 11 and more in some cases.

Dedicated juicers work juicing into their daily regimen because they know it will help keep them going with energy throughout the day and contribute massively to their health and well-being.

Some people don't have a schedule that allows for morning juicing. I tend to believe you can always make time if you're dedicated to something, but nobody's perfect!

Doing it in the morning gives you a great start to the day, but juicing at night can make the "fasting" period while you sleep less taxing on your body.

If your personal time-table supports a juice session after work, during lunch, or right before bed - go for it!

Juicing is a contact sport. To do it, you have to just do it. It will contribute to your life in so many positive and refreshing ways, but you have to do it.

Once you get a routine going, the time of day you decide to juice will be made apparent to you.

Anyone familiar with my work knows that I'm a huge proponent of juicing, so I won't tell you when to juice.

Most say it's early in the morning, but in the end, fitting your juice regimen around your schedule is more important than trying to fit someone else's ideas about juicing into your life.

 It's better you juice your way than to not juice at all. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

What's most important is that you commit yourself to juicing regularly as opposed to once or twice a week or less.

A higher frequency of juicing gives a promise of better health, abundant wellness, and a vibrance that people will notice!

Ever thought about juicing but didn't know where to start? Get up-to-the-minute juice extractor reviews, mouth-watering juice recipes, and more with your FREE dowloadable eBook The Juicable! Reserve your FREE copy of The Juicable! eBook now!

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What Is Alkaline Ionized Water and What Are the Benefits From Drinking It?

Alkaline ionized water is made of mineral salts. Plain alkaline water is also made up of mineral salts.

The plain alkaline version is more commonly found and contains things like carbon compounds of calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate.

The alkaline ionized water is made up more of the alkaline mineral hydroxides of calcium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide.

The minerals in the ionized version are easier for the human body to absorb than the ones in the plain alkaline version.

Alkaline ionized water must contain amounts of metallic ions in it. The most common metallic ions are sodium, calcium, and magnesium, but there are others that can be found in the fluid.

Alkaline ionized water has been reported to be a good way for you to remove the effects caused by eating acidic foods.

The way the body rids itself of the majority of acids ingested are through carbon dioxide, but flushing the body with pure water can also help to remove toxins that are ingested.

The many health benefits that can be had from drinking these types of waters instead of other forms of the liquid are still under scientific evaluation.

The one truthful thing that we know about drinking these healing waters is that they will not harm your body if you consume them.

Drinking ample amounts of water instead of other drinks can be amazingly beneficial to your heart, your circulatory system, your skin, your hair, and your digestive system.

This fluid substance is considered to be acidic if it contains higher numbers of H+ than it contains of OH-. When the reverse is true the fluid is considered to be alkaline. So the alkaline version contains more OH- than it does H+.

Water that is said to be pure is neutral and contains a more evenly balanced number of each.

Acidic solutions are those that have a value of at no more than 7 on the ph. scale used by chemists.

To be considered alkaline the fluid must be considered to be at least a 7 on the scale. When water is pure it will be exactly 7 on the scale.

To understand the scale you need to know that if the substance is registered as an 8 on this scale it means that is contains one hundred times more OH- ions than it contains H+ ions.

This substance is said to have the following health benefits when consumed on a regular basis:

• It is supposed to increase your energy levels

• It is supposed to reduce the length of time it takes a patient to recover from an illness or injury

• It is supposed to improve the body's ability to perform aerobic activities

• It has been linked to slowing the aging process in the human body

• It is reported to lower the blood pressure levels of normal users

• It is reported to reduce the stress on the heart

• It is reported to help a person beat the diseases of cancer

Alkaline ionized water is a fluid substance that ranks either higher or lower than 7 on the ph. Scale.

Alkaline ionized water is said to have many healing properties and is currently being examined in numerous scientific studies to prove these facts. You can get more information at drink healing water.

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Do You Want to Get Healthy Now?

Over the past year, I have focused on improving my health and fitness.

Everyday is a work in progress for me. By no means am I a health guru or a certified trainer.

However, I have made various changes throughout the past year that have given me great results for my body and mind.

I am going to share things that I do and hopefully they will work for you to get healthy now!

Tips to Get Healthy Now

There are several ways for you to get healthy now! Don't think that you have to get it all correct now. Making a major change in your life takes time.

1) Incorporate Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Daily :

It is important to eat raw foods every day. Adults are recommended to get between 3 - 6 cups of fruits and vegetables daily.

Also, I suggest organic produce where it can fit into your budget.

If you live anywhere near a farmer's market, get your produce there!

I am sold out to the Dekalb Farmer's Market in Decatur, GA (if you live anywhere near here it will behoove you to go!). Farmer's markets typically have cheaper prices and better quality produce.

2) Exercise Daily :

I know you are thinking, yea right who has time to exercise daily.

I do not mean going to the gym and working out for two hours per day, but getting at least 15 mins per day of physical activity.

That could simply be taking a quick walk around your neighborhood.

It all depends on what results you are looking for. If you want to lose weight, then you should be doing at least three days per week of rigorous physical activity.

Know what you want and plan from there.

3) Reduce Processed Foods :

If you really want to get healthy now, reduce processed foods.

Processed foods are one of the biggest contributors to weight gain.

If you need more validation on this topic, research the mice and McDonald's study.

 Overall, any name brand food that you eat, there is an organic or natural equivalent in the market.

For example, I have replaced all of my sons snacks, the Cheeze-Its, Pop-Tarts, Oreos, Goldfish, with healthier equivalents.

They all taste the same or better and he does not even know the difference.

You know there is something wrong when there are 20 ingredients listed for a product that normally takes 5 to make it. Good alternative brands to look for are Back to Nature, Cascadian Farm and Annie's for your kids snacks.

4) Start with a Cleanse :

If you want to jump-start your process to get healthy now, try a detox. Detoxes are a great process to remove toxins from your body.

Toxins enter into our bodies from the unnatural foods we eat, pollutants in the air outside and chemicals around our homes.

There are several ways to detox. I would do your research and find a good system that will work for your body and your needs. I like to do a juice cleanse.

I will either do a two-day or three day-cleanse. If you have an Arden's Garden near you, then I would suggest using their already made detox juice for your first time. Detoxes will make the process to get healthy now, more effective.

I hope that you have found these tips to get healthy now useful. Remember it is a process.

Do not feel like you have to wake up tomorrow and become a vegan. Determine why you want to make the changes to get healthy now and what do you want to get out of the process.

Then find the necessary steps to get you there. Pick one strategy at a time; you can start with cutting out processed foods and cut out or reduce your consumption of a different processed food a week or over a month.

The Summer is Approaching, Get Healthy Now!

I'm headed for the top, I hope you're coming!

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