Top 10 Tips for Good Parenting

Everyone’s got their own kind of parenting style, but there are some general tips that can keep you in good stead. Here are 10 tips worth bearing in mind.

1. Be Consistent

It’s important to give your children a consistent form of parenting, so stick to the same rules in order to offer them stability.

2. Be on the Same Team
Make sure you and your partner are on the same side when parenting. Try to adopt the same rules so that your kids will have a united parenting front. This also prevents them from feeling confusion over what rules to follow.

3. Don’t Fight in Front of Your Children

This can create anxiety and fear in children who might think that fighting means something serious. It also places stress on them when they should not have to carry the burdens of your relationship.

4. Lead by Example

How you lead your own life and react to situations is probably the most important way to instill the same values in your children. Make sure how you live is the way you want your children to live!

5. Don’t Compare Siblings

This creates sibling rivalry and instils in children a sense of competition that can be unhealthy. Praise children for their unique gifts, talents and good behaviours.

6. Reach Out to Them

Spend quality time with your children. A study conducted for the Family and Parenting Institute showed that almost three-quarters of children in London and the South East said they wanted more time with their mothers and fathers. Quality time builds bonds with your children and makes them feel that it’s safe for them to confide in you.

7. Show Love

By giving your children affection and love, you not only let them feel cared for, but you also teach them to be warm and affectionate in their relationships later in life.

8. Figure Out Your Goal

What is your main parenting goal? Is it to teach your children how to be responsible adults or to love them? Figure out your main goal and let this guide your overall parenting style.

9. Encourage Independence

This helps your children explore who they are and learn that with freedom comes responsibility. Give them a chance to make choices and guide them in the direction of healthy ones.

10. Avoid Severe Discipline

This makes children fear or rebel you, and it also could cause aggression in them. For instance, a study by Tulane University in America found that children who are spanked regularly at the age of three have the tendency to become aggressive by the age of five.

Food allergy

It began to report food allergies in Europe in the early twentieth century, and since the 1940s, food allergies have been recognized by doctors worldwide.

Up to two million, or 8% of children in the US They are estimated to be affected by food allergies, and up to 2% of adults.

In the case of a true food allergy, the immune system of a person will react to a usually safe food. This is caused by an allergic antibody called IgE (Immunoglobulin E), which is found in people with allergies. The food allergy often occurs in people who have relatives with allergies, and symptoms after that allergic individual consumes even a small amount of food can occur.

The food intolerance is sometimes confused with allergy. The food intolerance refers to an abnormal response to a food or food additive that is not an allergic reaction. It differs from an allergy in that it does not involve the immune system. For example, a person may have uncomfortable abdominal symptoms after consuming milk. This reaction is probably caused by an intolerance to milk sugar (lactose), in which a person lacks the enzymes to break down milk sugar for proper digestion. Your allergist can help you determine the difference between intolerance and allergy.

The food allergens (ie, those parts of foods that cause allergic reactions), are usually proteins. Most allergens can still cause reactions even after being cooked or digested. Numerous proteins have been studied to establish food allergen content. The most common food allergens, responsible for up to 90% of all allergic reactions are the proteins in cow's milk, eggs, peanuts, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish and tree nuts . All foods come from a plant or animal, and are grouped in families depending on their origin. Peanuts, black-eyed peas, kidney beans and lima beans and soybeans are some members of the legume family. Asparagus, onions, garlic and onion are, surprisingly, members of the lily family. A person allergic to one member of a food family may be allergic to all members of the same group. This is known as cross-reactivity, some allergic to peanuts and nuts, which are from different food families; these allergies are called coincidental allergies, because they are interrelated.

Within animal groups of foods, cross-reactivity is not as common. People allergic to cow's milk can usually eat beef, and patients allergic to eggs can usually eat chicken. People allergic to eggs often react only to proteins in the egg white. However, since it is impossible to completely avoid cross contamination between yolk and white, should avoid eggs completely.

Symptoms of allergic reactions to food
The most common allergic skin reaction to a food is hives.
Hives are swollen red areas of the skin very itchy and can appear suddenly and disappear quickly.

They often appear in clusters, with new clusters appearing as other areas. Hives may occur alone or with other symptoms. Atopic dermatitis or eczema, a skin condition characterized by itchy, scaly and red, can be triggered by food allergy. This reaction is often chronic, manifesting in people with allergies or asthma family or personal history. The symptoms of asthma, a chronic disease characterized by narrowing of the airways and difficulty breathing, can be triggered by food allergy, especially for children and babies. Gastrointestinal symptoms of food allergy include vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps and sometimes a red rash around themouth, itching and swelling around the mouth and throat, nausea, stomach pain, bloating and gas.

It is common in babies have temporary no allergic reactions to certain foods, especially fruits, cow's milk, egg, peanuts and wheat or allergic to potato. Symptoms may include irritation around the mouth, due to natural acids in foods like tomatoes and oranges, or diarrhea due to excess sugar in fruit juice or other beverages. However, other reactions may be allergic and may be caused by small amounts of the offending food when you eat again. As they grow older, some children may tolerate foods that previously caused allergic reactions, with the exception of allergies to peanuts and tree nuts. An allergist should conduct periodic reviews of these allergy testing with the right foods.

Severe allergic reactions
In severe cases, consuming a food to which one is allergic can cause a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. This is a systemic allergic reaction that can sometimes be fatal. The first signs of anaphylaxis may be a feeling of warmth, flushing, tingling in the tongue or itchy red ON irritation. Other symptoms may include feelings of dizziness, shortness of breath, severe sneezing, anxiety, stomach or uterine cramps and vomiting and diarrhea. In severe cases, patients may experience a drop in blood pressure that causes loss of consciousness and shock. Without immediate treatment, anaphylaxis can cause death.

Symptoms of anaphylaxis are reversed by treatment with injectable epinephrine, antihistamines and other emergency measures. It is essential that anyone with symptoms suggesting possible anaphylaxis get emergency treatment immediately.

And food intolerance reactions to additives
The food intolerance reactions are usually caused by dietary factors and not by allergenic proteins in food. As already mentioned, one of the most common intolerances is lactose. They can be triggered other reactions to food intolerance with drug-like chemicals in some foods. Symptoms may include nervousness after consuming chemical additives in cheese and chocolates, or various adverse reactions to chemicals and preservatives to food, called food additives are added. Among the most common food additives that may cause reactions in sensitive individuals include aspartame, benzoates, BHA and BHT, FD & C Yellow No. 5 and Red No. 3, MSG, nitrates and nitrites, parabens and sulfites. True allergic reactions to food additives are rare.

The best way to manage sensitivity to food additives is to learn which foods contain certain additives and avoid those that cause problems are. Your allergist can help you identify foods for you to delete everything possible from your diet.

Diagnosis
An allergist is best qualified to diagnose food allergies. Diagnosis requires a carefully organized and detailed assessment. First, the specialist will establish a complete medical history, and then perform a physical exam. The specialist will find out the frequency, time, gravity and nature of the symptoms, and the amount of time between eating a food and any reaction.

Dermal allergy testing may be useful to determine which foods, if any, trigger allergic symptoms. In skin testing, a small amount of liquid extract made from food in the back of the arm is positioned. In a test called prick test, a needle is passed through the liquid in the top layer of skin. During the scratch test, small scratches through the liquid and the top layer of the skin are made. If the patient develops a rash or hives small, within 20 minutes, this positive response indicates a possible allergy. If the patient develops a wheal, the test is negative. It is rare for someone with a negative skin test to have any food allergy IgE. Dermal tests are not helpful when sensitivity is suspected to simple foods like sugars or chemical food additives.

In certain cases, such as severe eczema on the whole body, an allergic examination can not be performed. Your doctor may also use blood tests, called RAST testing or CAP-RAST, to diagnose food allergies. For diagnosing allergies to milk, egg, peanut or fish may be more useful than the CAP-RAST test dermal tests. However, false positive results may occur with both skin testing and blood tests with food allergies. Food testing, described below, are often required to confirm diagnosis.

The allergist may also suggest that the patient keep a food diary, which consists of a detailed record listing foods eaten, date, time and any symptoms occur after eating. When you suspect an allergy to a single food, the specialist may recommend removing any food for a while. If symptoms are relieved, the specialist can add food to the diet once again to determine if it causes a reaction (but never done this if the patient has a history of anaphylaxis).

If there is any doubt about the diagnosis of food allergy, the allergist may recommend a test food or food additive "blind". These tests are performed in the physician's office or sometimes in hospital under close observation.

Generally, the suspect food or health food, called placebo, colorless patient in capsules, or in a mixture or pudding not administered allergen. Neither the patient nor the doctor knows if the suspect food or placebo is consumed. This test is called "double blind." When done correctly, these tests are very reliable to specifically establish a cause and effect relationship between a food and allergic symptoms.

Treatment

     Avoid food. The best way to treat food allergy is to avoid specific foods that trigger allergies.

     Ask about the ingredients. To avoid eating a "hidden" allergen meals away from home, people with allergies should inquire about ingredients when eating at restaurants or other houses. Read food labels.

It is important to read food labels carefully and become familiar with technical or scientific names of foods. For example, milk may not appear as an ingredient in a label; but the label may indicate the presence of casein (milk protein), sodium caseinate or milk solids. Sometimes it appears as wheat gluten; similarly, the egg often appears as albumin. Government agencies have been working to improve the labeling of food ingredients for consumers allergic to certain foods can more easily determine which foods may need to avoid.

Be prepared for emergencies. Anaphylactic reactions caused by food allergies can be potentially life threatening. People who have experienced anaphylaxis should strictly avoid the food that triggered the reaction. Those with severe food allergies may need to carry and know how to use injectable epinephrine and antihistamines to treat reactions due to accidental ingestion. They should also wear an ID bracelet that describes the allergy. If you have an anaphylactic reaction after eating some food, it is essential to have someone drive you to the nearest emergency room, even when symptoms improve. For the correct diagnosis and treatment, be sure to get follow-up care of an allergist.

Sugarcoating ADHD: The Love-Hate Relationship

From birth, children prefer the taste of a sweet solution over a salty or bland one. After a child’s first taste of a sweet candy, they seem to develop a single-minded aim to attain more of the sticky substance. Children are attracted to sugar like bees to flowers. And with good reason.

It seems that science now confirms that our bodies are wired to crave sugar. A study conducted at the University of Washington and published in the American journal Physiology & Behavior found that children whose blood work revealed the presence of a chemical that indicated they were undergoing a growth spurt tended to prefer sweet drinks while those who were not growing as fast chose less sugary options. Researchers theorise that chemical messengers tell the brain to gravitate toward the higher calorie drinks to provide energy for cell division and proliferation.

While it’s true that children need a high-calorie diet to develop the myriad of nerves, muscles, bone and tissue they need to grow into strong, healthy adults, simple sugar is not the hero we might like it to be.

In a study published in the journal Neuroscience, researchers found that consuming a diet high in fat and refined sugar reduced a chemical linked to learning and memory retention. The study concluded that diets high in fat and sugar, such as those that include a daily supply of cookies, white bread, sweets, soda and ice cream, reduced the subjects’ ability to learn and remember. While we may be quick to label a child with ADHD, we would do well to look at their diets first.

Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the body’s ability to ingest nutrients and remove harmful bacteria was impaired for up to five hours after eating a 100g portion of carbohydrate from glucose, fructose, sucrose, honey, or orange juice. That means that for several hours after eating a high-sugar food, your child’s body has less capacity to fight off infection. Thus, restricting sugar intake during the cold and flu season may be even more important.

As with most things, moderation is the key. Most people love sugar but logic suggests that we reserve it for an occasional indulgence. I wonder if we viewed sugar as an occasional poison, rather than an occasional treat, if we would make different choices for ourselves and our children.

Top 10 Tips for Going on Holiday with Your Kids

It’s not always easy to pack up the entire family and head on holiday, but there are ways to make it easier and fun for all.

1. Plan Ahead

Be realistic about what you will be able to do when you have your kids along. Plan for a slower pace of travelling and stick to a schedule so that everything gets done.

 2. Make Sure You Get Jabbed

If you’re travelling overseas, be sure to tell your doctor about your holiday plans and check to find out if your children will need any jabs before the trip.

3. Get Your Baggage Delivered

If you’re swamped down with carrying lots of luggage, consider having some of it delivered. There are companies such as Firstluggage.com and Carrymyluggage.com that  can assist.

4. Bring their Toys

When traveling by car, ensure you carry entertainment such as portable CD/DVD players or colouring books to keep your children entertained.

5. Pack Snacks

Healthy snacks kids can enjoy on the go really do help prevent hunger or moody tantrums.

6.  Beat Boredom

It’s important not to let kids stay in the car for too many hours at a time. Stop for food or even just to walk around or see some nice sights. This will help prevent boredom or frustration.

7. Bring First Aid

This is important because you don’t know when you’re going to have to deal with scratches, scrapes or insect stings. Pack things such as Calpol sachets, headache tablets, bandages, antihistamines, and antiseptic creams.

8. Ace the Accommodation

Try to book rooms that will give members some privacy and comfortable sleeping arrangements.

9. Have Scheduled and Non-Scheduled Time

This is important because you also need a break! Let the kids entertain themselves at times during the holiday. If you loosen the reigns a bit they will find things to do, for instance while you’re relaxing on the beach they can be making sand castles.

10. Include Kids in the Planning

Children become more enthusiastic about holidays when they are involved in the planning of them. This is also a good way to assist anxious kids who might feel nervous about change or not having their usual routines.

Diet to lose belly fat FAST!!

Health and wellness has been one of the top concern of the people from the beginning. Along with the modern innovations, various ways of sustaining fitness yielded such as peerless physical activities and bizarre kinds of diet. However, getting rid of the belly fat has been a steady issue among people who are trying to maintain fit and lean figure. Slender arms and perfect-shaped legs is not enough, one’s physique is no perfect with belly fat still hanging in the mid-area! Nothing beats a healthy and simple diet to achieve that ideal body frame! Here are some examples:

Green tea. Green tea is reputed as a miracle tea. It is used as treatment from headaches to depression even in the ancient times. Today, it has known to have a significant role in achieving a great form since it contains antioxidants called catechins. These catechins work with caffeine in green tea to stimulate metabolism and increase fat burning.

Eggs. Everybody think of eggs as something unfit for a healthy diet. But, if high-cholesterol isn’t a snag to your health, eggs could be a useful tool to control appetite. With the health professional’s clearance, eating an egg in day can be included in your diet. It helps build muscle fibers that aid better abdominal workouts.

Avocado. Avocado is known for its health benefits. It has beta-sitoserol, a compound that has been shown to lower cholesterol levels. Also it contains high amounts of monounsaturated fat which is known to reduce blood sugar and insulin spikes which then causes your system to store excess abdominal fat.

Almond. Though almond is known as high in calories, it is also constructively identified as a high-nutrient snack which doesn’t spark your body to gain weight.  Because it contains protein, fiber and vitamin E, it helps you feel full longer. It also contains low levels of saturated fat and it has no cholesterol, not only will you get that flat belly, you’ll also develop a healthy-happy heart!

Apple. “An apple a day, keeps the doctor away”- this line is very true, it as well keeps those fats away from your belly! It contains chemical called pectin that limits the amount of fat your body cells can absorb. This chemical can also be found in berries.

Lean Poultry Meat. Aiming a flat belly doesn’t mean skipping on meat.  Nice and lean cuts of chicken or turkey breast are best alternatives. These meats contain niacin, protein, B6 vitamins and a lot more. These nutrients supplement your meaty bunk-off while easing your digestion.

Citrus Fruits. Fruits like oranges and lemons contain high concentrations of Vitamin C. Adding these fruits to your diet will not only control your cholesterol levels, more notably, it will increase your metabolism and get rid of the belly fat! Juice it (fruit) and reduce it (body fat)!

Not only are these foods healthy, they are also appetizing. So keeping a diet will no longer make you feel deprived of flavorsome and scrumptious chows! So eat the belly fat away!

Fat burning foods for women that really work

These days almost everyone wants to have a slimmer body. People actually crave for this; especially women. Most women look at themselves in the mirror and often compare their bodies with famous Hollywood celebrities.

How would you feel if I told you that you can also have a slimmer body? You wouldn’t even have to visit the gym for that. That’s right, no gym, no hard to follow diet plans and no weight loss programs. Sounds tempting, right?

Now, you must be sitting there thinking; how am I going to lose weight then? Is there a miracle that’s going to happen? I’m here to tell you that yes, it’s a miracle and you yourself can do this miracle.

All you need to do is simply include some fat burning foods in your diet. If you stayed regular with this plan, then it is not long before you will have that perfect body that you always dreamed of. Here are some fat burning foods that work brilliantly for women:

    Salmon: Loaded with omega 3 fatty acids, salmon helps your body in maintaining insulin sensitivity. It also increases your metabolism so that your body can burn more fat.

    Plain Yogurt: A very good source of calcium, carbohydrates and protein, yogurt can really help you burn more fat. You can start by including yogurt in your diet everyday. Calcium is extremely good in strengthening the bones. A combination of carbohydrate, protein and calcium in your diet can help you keep your blood sugar levels constant, which will ultimately diminish your food cravings.

    Berries: There are countless health benefits of berries. Berries are very good source of antioxidants, fibers and are low in calories.

    Broccoli: It is rich in fibers, minerals and vitamins. Lutien in broccoli helps to keep our eyes healthy. Many researches show that broccoli plays crucial role as anti-cancer agent, especially in reducing breast cancer.

    Eggs: They are a very good source of protein and if your body gets a good amount of protein a day, it will increase its metabolic rate. This allow your stomach to not feel empty and hence decreases your appetite. Having eggs in breakfast is a very good way to start your day with full of energy.

    Spinach: As spinach is plain in taste, many people don’t like to eat it but the fact is, it is full of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, manganese, fibers, anti-oxidants, magnesium, and iron. They all help you to keep yourself fit and healthy.

    Citrus Fruits: Citrus foods like kiwi, orange, grapes are rich in vitamin C. They contain good amount of soluble fibers in them which help in maintaining blood sugar levels. Apart from these citrus fruits, other fruits which help to reduce belly fat are Pineapple, Dragon, Acai berry, African mango and Peach.

Herbal Antibiotics: Natural, Safe, and Effective

Is there such a thing as safe, natural antibiotic? The answer is yes, and they are easy to find and use for most people, as effective as many pharmaceutical antibiotics to treat certain ailments, and have little or no side effects. The most effective are the herbal antibiotics, Echinacea and Goldenseal. There are many other herbs which can act as a natural antibiotic, but these two are a must have for every household, in my opinion.

Echinacea and Goldenseal

The easiest form for most people to take, Echinacea and Goldenseal are tinctures, or alcohol based extracts. There are many great formulas on the market which contain these herbs, and usually others, that are useful to treat everything from the common cold to influenza, as well as bacterial issues like food poisoning.

You can also buy the tinctures in their simple forms and mix them together. In a formula, the proper dosing for most ailments is 3-4 dropperfuls, up to once every 2 hours at the beginning of an infection. The earlier you can start with the herbs, the better. For children 3 and older, start with 1 dropperful every 2 hours, then back off to 3 times a day as symptoms improve.

Natural Antibiotic Tea

If you are more adventurous, or don't like to take alcohol in even small quantities, you can make a tea of Echinacea root by simmering 1oz of the root with 2 cups of water for 30 minutes on low heat. You can then add Goldenseal tincture to the hot tea and let it sit for 5 minutes to evaporate off the alcohol.

It is hard to find goldenseal root in its dried form, and quite costly, but if you do have some you can simply make the decoction from both roots. Take ¼ cup every two hours until symptoms begin to improve, then 2-3 times a day until you feel better. This is a very strong tasting tea which can be moderated by adding a little honey. You can also find these herbs in the standardized extract form in most health food stores, if making tea isn't your forte.

Topical Natural Antibiotics

Goldenseal and Echinacea also work well as topical natural antibiotics for things like animal bites or infected wounds. You can apply the tinctures straight to a wound (painful sting, but very effective), or can make a tea and do a soak or wash of the area 3 times a day until all signs of infection are gone. Goldenseal powder is especially effective as a topical natural antibiotic and can be used to pack wounds until they begin to heal over, preventing or alleviating infection. The powder form is expensive, but only takes a tiny amount to do the job, so buying even an ounce goes a long way.

If you experience any unpleasant side effects from the use of these herbs, please discontinue their use and see your doctor or health care practitioner. Remember to tell your physician about new herbs you may be taking if you are on any prescription medications. Hopefully the addition of natural antibiotics like Goldenseal and Echinacea on your shelf will prevent many trips to the doctor in the future.

Is apple cider vinegar effective in losing weight?

There is a lot of confusion among people about drinking apple cider vinegar for weight loss. Where some people believe that apple cider vinegar is an effective weight loss remedy, there is not enough scientific evidence that can come across as a proof for this belief.

It can be said that drinking apple cider vinegar occasionally is good and safe for most of us but unfortunately it might not help you in losing weight.

Most of the claims made by people and companies related to this do not provide any real evidence. Therefore, if you are imagining a fast weight loss with apple cider vinegar, you might be wrong!

There have been a few researches and studies regarding the true benefits of apple cider vinegar and some of them do look promising. However, most of these studies or experiments were performed on animals like rats and cell samples in the laboratories. The study done on humans for this matter is very small and hence can not be taken into consideration.

We should make this thing clear in our minds that there is absolutely no shortcut for weight loss. The simple strategy of losing weight is to burn more calories as compared to what we consume through our daily meals. Your best option to lose weight is to go for foods that are healthy, for example, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products and whole grain cereal. Mix it up with a regular exercising routine and you will see the results which are rather more promising.

Losing weight by eating fat burning foods

You must be wondering if in reality there is such a thing called, “Fat burning foods”? Wouldn’t it be nice that you lost weight without going on those tiring gym sessions? Well, the truth is you can actually lose weight easily by including fat burning foods in your diet.

We eat so many different types of foods on daily basis. Our body requires energy to digest and utilize these foods. On one hand where some of the foods require less energy, the others require more to be effectively digested by the body. In scientific language, such an effect of food is termed as thermic effect. If a certain food requires more energy to be digested than to what it actually provides upon eating, it can be classified as a fat burning food.

It has been clinically proven that fat burning foods increase the metabolism in your body.

Our body gets used to everything. If you are a junk food addict you know that you have made your body habitual of eating junk food. Although, some people will find it hard to move on to a much healthier diet but the truth is, it may sound hard at first but your body gets used to it.

Exercising regularly is a fantastic way of losing weight. The only problem is the consistency. So many people make a goal towards losing weight and start doing tough exercises. The outcome is that they follow the plan for a week or two and then slowly get off the track. That’s the story of at least 90% of the people who want to lose weight.

The fact is, it’s extremely tough to exercise everyday and as we get older this routine only falls back with time. Therefore, improving your diet or taking care of what you eat can save you from all the hassles.