Celebrating Fat Tuesday with a Simple But Healthy Jambalaya Recipe

Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras in French, is a Christian and cultural even which is a celebration prior to the fasting season of Lent. While everybody would seem to want to head over to New Orleans for the parties, parades, and all the food, you can bring the festivities inside your home or the backyard and celebrate your own Fat Tuesday. Invite a few friends over, wear fun and colorful masks, turn the party music on, and whip your own Cajun or Creole inspired food for your family and friends.

Here’s a sample of a simple and healthy Jambalaya Recipe that you can prepare on Fat Tuesday.

Ingredients:
8 oz. smoked chicken sausage, sliced into 1/2 inch coins
8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1 lb. shrimp, peeled
1 1/2 cups of brown rice
1 Tbsp canola oil or olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced
1 clove minced garlic
1 Tbsp fresh thyme

How to Cook:
1. On a pan, cook the chicken sausage and chicken thighs in medium to high heat. Cook until browned and then set aside.
2. Cook the celery, garlic, green pepper, and garlic on canola or olive oil for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the rice and thyme, cook for 3 more minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper, and ground red pepper.
3. Cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes until the chicken broth is absorbed. Finally, add and cook the shrimps for 3 to 5 minutes until bright pink.

Health Benefits of Jambalaya Recipe

Skinless Chicken: An excellent source of lean and high-quality protein. White meat, skinless chicken also lowers the cholesterol and enhances immunity. It is also beneficial in controlling blood pressure because of the high levels of potassium.

Shrimps: Shrimps are rich in the Vitamin B12 nutrient which helps in the red cells production and thus may prevent anemia. It iron content aids in boosting energy and vitality. Shrimps are also a good source of magnesium which can help prevent type 2 diabetes.

Brown Rice: White rice has more carbohydrates and calories content so it is best to use brown rice for Jambalaya. Brown rice is a great source of manganese which is essential for proper enzyme functioning and nutrient absorption. It is also helpful in antioxidant activities of the body and energy production.

Canola or Olive Oil: Both are known as healthy oils in the market. While Canola Oil is good for the heart, Olive Oil contains more nutrients. Olive oil has antioxidants, polyphenols and omega-3 fatty acids which are for cardiovascular health, the immune system, protection against many types of cancer.

Black and Red Pepper: Both peppers, though of different families, helps improve food digestion.

Celery and Green Bell Pepper: Celery leaves have high content of Vitamin A while the celery stalks are excellent sources of Vitamins, B1, B2, and B6. Celery assists in lowering blood pressure and total and bad cholesterol. Green Bell Pepper, on the other hand, contains a high amount of phytochemicals for excellent antioxidant activity. It is also a good source of Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, beta carotene, and folic acid.

Tomatoes: Rich in Lycopene which is a vital antioxidant that fights cancerous cells or Cancer, heart diseases, and high cholesterol.

Garlic and Thyme: Both helps in improving the digestive and immunes systems. They are also good for the heart and for preventing heart diseases.

Fat Tuesday is a celebration with all the party, music and food. But you don’t have to feel guilty of all the fats and calories you can get if you stick to a healthy Jambalaya Recipe such as this. No more worrying that the “Fat” on Fat Tuesday will stick on you even after the festivities and the whole year!

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It’s National Free Pancake Day over at IHOP! What’s the Nutritional Facts in your Short Stack?

IHOP has been celebrating Free National Pancake day since 2006. On February 28, 2012, select IHOP restaurant will be giving out one free short stack pancakes per guests who eat in their favorite IHOP that day.

What’s with the FREE Pancakes?

You don’t have to pay for your free short stack pancakes, but patrons are encouraged to make a donation to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals © or other chosen local charities.

IHOP has raised over US$8 million dollar since its inception in 2006, and these funds has been placed in great charitable use for 6 years now.

Now on it’s 6th year, IHOP is aiming to raise US$2.7 million on National Free Pancake day for the year 2012.

Not a bad exchange for some free pancakes right?

Before you gather up your friends and family to go on a pancake day frenzy, consider the calories that you’ll get when you wolf down a seemingly innocent serving of one short stack pancake.

What are the Nutritional Facts for one serving of an IHOP short stack pancake?

Serving Size: 3 pancakes (1.7 oz / 48g)
Calories: 490
Fat: 18g
Carbs: 69g
Protein: 13g

The amount of protein you get is a very good number, however the carbohydrate and fat level is not quite in the healthy range.

If you still want to enjoy a serving of a FREE short stack even if you know that the nutritional numbers is not that healthy. Well, I don’t really blame you – so here are some helpful tips that you can follow so you can still enjoy these tasty pancakes from IHOP.

EAT IN WITH A FRIEND OR FAMILY.Consider sharing one free short stack pancake, but consider giving individual donations even if you shared the free pancake.

DON’T FINISH IT.If you go in alone in your favorite IHOP to enjoy a cup of coffee with the free pancakes, you don’t need to finish it all. You may seem like your wasting the pancakes, but isn’t it much better for the pancakes to go to the trash rather than go straight to your waistline?

MAKE UP FOR IT. If you decide to go in and splurge and finish one IHOP short stack on your own; try to eat it early in the day, and have healthy salads and sandwiches for your meals the rest of the day.

BURN IT OFF. Do a moderate 30 to 45 minute steady cardio workout like brisk walking, running, bicycling and even step aerobics to burn 300-500 calories! Which is just equivalent to one serving of free short stack pancake from IHOP.

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Are Healthy Meals to Go just a Trend?

Thanks to the media, you are probably getting aware of your diet now. Although you may still haves issue cooking healthy meals at times due to time constraints, you are now at least consciously choosing healthier food options over fast foods. It seems that time is always the enemy when it comes to weight loss. This is why healthy meals to go are starting to be a good alternative lifestyle – make things easier for you. So how can they help and which one is the best option for you?

Diet-To-Go. You can choose from low fat, vegetarian, and low carb meals to be delivered right at your doorstep with $6.48 a meal as the starting price. You may elect to decide for a 5-day or 7-day delivery service of breakfast, lunch, and meal or a 5-day/7-day of lunch and dinner. You can be assured that the meals you get are fresh and quality prepared with low in sodium to match your 1200 or 1600 calorie a day goal.

Meal Movement. If you want a one time monthly payment, meal movement is the way to go. You order on line for your 28 days of food with prices ranging from $329 to $389, depending on the kind of meal you’ve chosen. With their system, you can choose the type of food you want and whether you want your breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks taken care of or just the lunch and dinner. Whatever type of meal delivery package you’ve chosen, 56 meats and 56 vegetables are assured. The Meal Movement is also known for their generous amount of food with a money back guarantee within 5 days of delivery if you aren’t happy with the taste and overall service. To them, 28 days is all it takes to change your eating habits and adapt a healthy diet; thus, 28 days of food service. It makes sense.

Chef’s Diet. This is the gourmet side of the traditional meals to go. You can choose among their 5 types of meal programs namely Kosher Chef Diet, Vegetarian, Hearty Health, Diabetics, and Kids. Kosher Chef diet meal package, consists of a huge varieties of Orthodox Union meals and snacks with meal starting at $45.99 a day, while their gourmet Vegetarian meal plan is sure to sweep any vegetarian foodist’ heart for $58.99 a day of their 3 day sampler. If you are need to particular watch out for your cholesterol level, then their Hearty Health program ensures that the meals you eat are low in sodium and cholesterol but high in fiber and taste, priced at $64.99 a day of their 1-day sampler. There is also a meal program designed for you if you are a diabetic who hates thinking about the GI as their Diabetics meal plan at $64.99 a day for the 1-day sampler will entitle you to a satisfying protein-meal that keeps your glucose level in healthy range.

Some of these prices may be steep for your budget at first glance, but before you can even conclude that is indeed the case, tally up the total amount of your food cost per week and compare that price to one of these healthy meals to go. You may be surprised to find out that your current food cost per week is costing you more than these meals as your current diet is costing your health as well.

These healthy meals to go are more than just a trend. They did not start the concept just to put holes on the pockets of people like you who want to eat right, but cannot find the time to do it right. They are just filling up the demand in the market today, and that demand is your lack of time to tend to your diet.

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A Truly Healthy Corned Beef Recipe to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Dayis a feast day that honors the most acknowledged patron saint of Ireland and as well as the advent of Christianity in the said country. It is celebrated as a 4-day festival in Ireland where Irish folk music and dance, sports events like rugby and football, and joyous parades happen. March 17 marks the celebration of this day not only in Ireland but also in countries like the US, Canada, Argentina, and Great Britain to name a few.

The color green and shamrocks are two of the most common symbols associated with St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick was said to have taught the belief in the Holy Trinity using the green, shamrock leaf. If there is another tradition and association that is connected with a celebration like St. Patrick’s Day that can never be missed, that will be food. What are festivities without food, right? A Corned Beef dish or recipe is that one specific food that will always be in the hearts of the Irish especially during St. Patrick’s Day.

The Corned Beef, the Irish, and St. Patrick’s Day

Corned beef recipes and dishes are especially common to Irish immigrants in North America. When these immigrants came to the US, corned beef was the closest and cheapest that they can get to the ham and bacon that they were used to back at home. While corned beef is recognized as a traditional Irish food in North America, it is in fact not the case in Ireland because it is considered an indulgence food for tourists there.

Many people may have mistakenly thought that Corned Beef is made out of “corn grains”. Fact is it is the brisket part of the cow and it is preserved or cured using “corns of salt”. The main purpose of preserving the beef meat is to maintain its freshness, tenderness, and pink color. Corned beef is one of the types of treatment that can be made with beef meat.

But still, corned beef during St. Patrick’s Day in the US and in Canada is considered a tradition anyway. While the Irish in their native land would prepare bacon and cabbage dishes, the Irish in other parts of the world would have to make do with corned beef and cabbage recipes during St. Patrick’s Day. There are different recipes that can be made using corned beef as the main ingredient and this makes the Irish feel closer to celebrating their traditions away from their homeland.

Is Corned Beef Nutritious?

While corned beef is a sumptuous tradition for the Irish, its nutritional content may be a little alarming especially for people who are still watching their diet amidst the festivities during St. Patrick’s Day. Most of this dieting people are still on the lookout for the fat consumption during the holidays. While a Reuben sandwich, a corned beef hash, a pastrami, or a full corned beef dish is something you cannot avoid on this special celebration, you need to think twice about the nutritional content that corned beef brings.

If a person consumes 3 oz of cooked corned beef, this is what he gets:

16 g of total fat, including 5 g of unsaturated fat

83 mg of cholesterol

960 mg of sodium

Sodium Nitrites maintaining the beef’s color and flavor

Fat, cholesterol, and sodium are contributors to heart diseases and unhealthy weight gain. People with heart problems should have less or zero consumption of these contributors their diet. But then again, even if a person is not suffering from any heart disease, fat, cholesterol, and sodium should be consumed at the minimum.

To be on the safe and healthier side with corned beef, you can always choose an extra lean cut of beef for your dish. You can also apply healthy cooking techniques such as boiling and steaming. Plus you can combine corned beef with healthy ingredients like vegetables to balance the nutritional content of your dish. You don’t have to be guilt-ridden during St. Patrick’s Day if you keep these simple tips on mind when preparing your Corned Beef Dish.

A Healthy Sample of a Corned Beef Recipe for St. Patrick’s Day

Corned Beef and Cabbage Dish

Ingredients:

Extra lean cut and low-sodium brisket corned beef

Cabbage

Onions

Carrots

Potatoes

Celery

Orange Zest

Apple Juice

Horseradish mustard

How to Cook:
1. Brown the corned beef on a non-stick skillet.

2. Place the browned corned beef on the top part of a slow cooker with the potatoes, carrots, and onions arranged at the bottom.

3. Combine the brown sugar, orange zest, apple juice, and horse radish mustard before pouring over the corned beef.

4. Top the corned beef off with cabbage and cook in low temperature for at least 8 hours.

5. Sprinkle the corned beef with celery and serve with the vegetables.

Now, this is one healthy corned beef dish that you and your family can really enjoy on St. Patrick’s Day. You don’t have to totally deprive yourself of a traditional corned beef dish even if you have to look out for your diet. Just know how to prepare and combine your corned beef the healthiest and yummiest way.

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The 5 Factor Diet: A New Celebrity Diet Hype?

In the desire to achieve a healthier lifestyle and body, various diet plans have been invented, tried and used in all parts of the world. Among these would be the Five Factor Diet, which has gained quite an impression and reputation. This program has been said to help Hollywood stars such as Mandy Moore, Eva Mendes, Jessica Simpson and Alicia Keys, among others. Knowing that these famous celebrities are actually trying this diet plan, perhaps it is just about time to think and consider doing it, too.

The Five Factor Diet which comes from a book having the same name, was written by a fitness trainer named Harley Pasternak together with Myatt Murphy. Harley has become quite famous when it comes to fitness expertise and has appeared on various television shows such as the Oprah Winfrey show and the Tyra Banks show. And although no scientific studies can prove its effectiveness, it obviously presents a newer and fresher approach to dieting. This is actually what the people are always looking forward to, something different and far from the traditional styles.

Basically, this diet plan is composed of 5 different elements that a meal should have - fiber, fats, fluids, protein and complex carbohydrates. It also recommends eating five meals a day, wherein each meal should contain 5 ingredients, taking a maximum of 5 minutes to prepare, and another 5 minutes to cook.

Aside from the diet plan, the book also suggests a five-day exercise routine, with 5 different types of exercises that you can do for five minutes each. A cheat day is also allowed once every week, where a person is allowed to eat anything on a particular day. The good thing about the Five Factor Diet is that it cannot be considered as a fad diet since it provides healthy eating tips and guidelines, and of course, the incorporation of regular exercise. Ideally, Pasternak recommends a five-week execution of this program, but it can also take a little longer especially if you are someone who is looking to lose more than 10 pounds.

Below is an example of a healthy recipe that can be included on your diet if you are presently trying this type of diet plan:

Broccoli-Cheddar Omelet

5 Main Ingredients

1. egg whites (1 1/4 cups)
2. chopped broccoli florets (you can also use any green vegetables available, aside from broccoli)
3. cheddar cheese - non fat, shredded (1/4 cup)
4. 4 slices of whole-grain toasted bread
5. Mrs. Dash seasoning mix (1 tsp)

Other Ingredients - cooking oil spray, salt and black pepper to taste

5 Easy Directions

1. Whip egg whites, Mrs. Dash, pepper and salt together.
2. Spray cooking oil into a non-stick skillet. Put broccoli, cook and mix until the vegetables turn bright green.
3. Mix in the egg whites, cook while stirring it to the center of the skillet. Turn it over once the egg mixture starts to set on the bottom.
4. Drizzle with cheese then cover the pan and let it cook for about 30 seconds, or until the cheese melts.
5. Best serve while hot. Slide over the plate with the toast then fold in half.

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Is Video Game Addiction a Serious Mental Health Problem?

While alcoholism and drug addiction have long been recognized by the medical community, recognition of non-substance addictions has been slower in coming. In the DSM, the official manual psychiatrists use to diagnose mental disorders, the only non-substance addiction currently recognized is gambling addiction, while addictions to things like food, sex, and the internet are still not mentioned. But even though these addictions aren’t officially recognized, many psychiatrists do take them seriously.

Video game addiction is not officially recognized, but it can still be very serious. A growing body of research, plus plenty of anecdotal evidence, shows that video games can take control of people’s lives, often to the detriment of other aspects of life.

Is video game addiction real?

Substance-related addictions are easy to understand because they involve the introduction of outside chemicals into the body, and these chemicals directly alter the way the brain works. With things like gambling, sex, and video game addiction, no outside chemicals are brought into the body, which makes it hard for many old-fashioned medical professionals to take these conditions seriously.

But the fact is that these non-substance addictions involve brain chemistry just as much as alcoholism and drug addiction do. Even though outside chemicals aren’t brought into the body, these habitual behaviors do alter the balance in the brain and erode the addict’s control over his own thoughts and actions.

Video game addiction fits into the category of “impulse control disorders,” a class of conditions that is officially recognized and includes things like pyromania, anger management issues, kleptomania, and a range of obsessive-compulsive disorders. People with these conditions can’t control their own actions, no matter how hard they try. For example, a kleptomaniac is just as obsessed with stealing as a drug addict is with obtaining the next dose. If we accept that video game addiction can go into this category, then it definitely is real, and it is a serious condition.

Video game addiction dangers

Another reason why video game addiction isn’t taken seriously is because video games are often thought of as silly diversions by anyone who doesn’t play them. They seem relatively harmless, and when we see kids playing for hours, we imagine that they’re just doing so because it’s fun.

But there are qualities about video games that make them profoundly addictive. The repetitive, goal-oriented actions of a video game trigger the reward centers of the brain and make the player feel like he or she is truly accomplishing something, even if it’s just in a virtual world. In fact, many video game companies have caught on to this and now intentionally make games that trigger the brain’s reward centers and keep people playing for hours. This addictiveness, often referred to as the “replayability” factor, is one of the things that makes a great game.

When a game is particularly addictive, it can end up taking control of a person’s life. Among kids, this impulsive and obsessive behavior can lead to declining grades and social difficulties. Among adults, video game addiction can equally cause one to neglect important responsibilities.

Video game addiction signs

The body of research around video game addiction is still developing, but based on what we know so far, here are the major signs to look for:

• An obsession with playing video games at all times of the day, even at work or school.
• Loss of sleep, lack of exercise, or poor diet due to excessive time spent gaming.
• Gaming in response to real-life issues such as depression or stress.
• Continuing to play video games even when other aspects of life are harmed.
• Playing for longer and longer stretches of time.
• Lying about one’s gaming.
• Increased social isolation.
• Feelings of irritability when not gaming for too long.
• Giving up other activities and hobbies in order to play games.
• Continuing to play games in spite of a strong desire to stop.
• Detachment from the world outside of video games.

If you or a family member is experiencing several of these symptoms, you might want to consider seeing a mental health professional. Video game may not be an officially recognized disorder (yet), but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t help out there for addicts.

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Musical Benefits We Get by Listening to Our Favorite Song

Taylor Swift, Adele, Maroon 5 – they are all successful musicians. Success in this sense cannot only be equated to the number of people screaming their names, buying their records, or watching their live shows and concerts. By success, we mean they are able to reach our deepest desires and speak about it through the music they create when we cannot voice it out ourselves. They create music that heals our soul and music that the world needs.

Ever wonder how music seems to be able to take our problems away? Ever wonder how it can give us strength and makes our future seem so bright?

Every time we listen to a song (listen is the operative word and not watch MTV), our serotonin level or the pleasure hormone increases and takes us away from our depressive state. Perhaps this is the reason why we see so many emotional teens or “Emos” who are garbed in black often seen with their headphones hanging around their head as they need music to take their emotional battle and set them free from their depression.

Music replaces our stress and torment over our future with possibilities and potential because it makes us dream and visualize the kind of future we want to create. We should make it a habit to devote half a day listening to upbeat music or just music we love. Before we take out an anti-anxiety pill, why don’t we learn to pop a song instead? We have become so reliant on pills and medications to relieve us of our discomfort that we neglect to use those that can help us naturally.

Music helps improve our memory. There have been studies made that point music to be the reason why those with Alzheimer’s and dementia were able to recall the words better when they were made into a song compared to those who were just asked to listen to the spoken lyrics of the song. This explains why we tend to remember facts and data when we were kids in school if our teachers made it into a song. It’s like music always knows the way to our hearts and into our minds and makes us remember the lines to Adele’s Rolling in the Deep and forget our brother’s birthday. Additionally, those who stutter seem to have no trouble singing fluently at all, partly because they remember the words and their inhibitions are removed.

Music supports our fitness activity. Danceable, upbeat music is always played in gym not primarily for the benefit of our entertainment but for pumping our energy level, making us exert more effort into our workout. We tend to exercise longer when there is music around especially when doing only one type of fitness like running. This is especially true if we are listening to song lyrics that give us strength and motivation to go further. Take for instance Kelly Clarkson’s Stronger with lines “what doesn’t kill you make you stronger” can definitely psyched us up.

Music and art have always come hand in hand. This is because when we listen to music, our right brain or the side of our brain in charge with creation gets switched on, so we become a little more creative than the usual. It is not so much as music is making us smarter. It’s more like when we listen to music, we relax and let go of the pressure of trying to be someone else. And when we let go of that pressure, we let ideas to come into our mind because our mind is at peace.

Music relieves pain. Apart from serotonin, the pain-reliever endorphin is released as well and alleviates the perception of pain from our brains whenever we pay attention to the music. It distracts us and puts our guard down. When we relax, we give our blood pressure and other chronic illnesses a time to chill as well. And if we can sing along to the tune, the double the effect on our mental health.

To some, music is their career while for others, music is their friend. Music can be a lifeblood, a therapy, a healer. Whatever is music to us is dependent on our character, but we can all agree that life without music is like being confined in a mental institution. It's maddening. This is how important music is and to show our appreciation to the musicians who continue to inspire us, we must listen to their music with our hearts.

As Abba put it - "Thank you for the music."

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On Facebook too Much? Facebook Use May Cause Narcissism and other Behavioral Problems

Everyone knows that Facebook is one of the world' most popular and dense online social networks when it comes to the number of registered accounts, yet even though there is so much popularity revolving around it, there is also a dark side many people just don't know or don't want to know about. For those who already have an account, they have already seen that many Facebook members actually put very good pictures of themselves, which oftentimes are modified in Photoshop. They do this in order to show the world how beautiful they are, how well they fit a certain role and many more.

Studies

Yet even though these individuals are apparently normal people, they are actually becoming narcissistic. A study took place around this matter and published by Christopher J. Carpenter. The scope of this study was to actually find socially disruptive personality types on the popular social network. There were two hundred and ninety four people that were surveyed in this study, their ages being between eighteen and sixty five years old. They all received some questionnaires in which they were asked about the use of Facebook.

On top of that they were also asked certain questions that would let the researchers in on their level of narcissism. The 2 Narcissistic Personality Inventory subscales used were the EE or Entitlement and Exploitativeness and GET or Grandiose Exhibitionism.

Behavioral Problems with Facebook Use

The study came to the conclusion that individuals who had a higher level of Grandiose Exhibitionism have a lot of friends, because in their search for more and more attention, they need new people to see and appreciate them. This type of Facebook user is also more likely to accept friend request from people they don't even know, upload new photos on a regular basis, change their profile picture (in order to get a higher leave of attention) and so on. On the other hand, individuals that had a high level of SEE felt that they were entitled to getting attention without actually doing anything about it.

Below, there are some questions that were asked in the study:

How often do you accept a friend request from someone you don't even know?

How often do you update your FB profile info?

How often do you update your FB status?

In the majority of cases, the study confirmed that individuals who have a high friend count also tend to be narcissistic or have such tendencies.

Social problems

The fact is that people who are logging in on Facebook will create a world of their own in which they will live, breathe, wake up and go to sleep in. There are reports of users being logged in even twenty four hours a day on Facebook and posting anything they're doing, even though that content is likely not of any real interest to their friends. Because it's an impersonal way of communication where people can easily start and finish a discussion, social skills are highly attacked by this behavior.

Given the fact that people can always put "cool" photos of them on their profile, they will even start believing they look as good as they appear in the picture, even if the picture was modified. This distorts their personal view about themselves and when put face to face with a social situation, they will fail it.

Communication problems

Meeting up with someone face to face and chatting online are 2 different things, so Facebook is just a way for those who are socially anxious to have a communication channel which doesn't involve the immediate physical presence of their interlocutor. Exposed for long periods of time to this behavior, people not only become socially isolated, but their social skills are also greatly affected, especially communication. They will live in a world of their own, narcissistic most of the times in which their personal view of themselves will be distorted and unreal.

The Behavioral Problems with Facebook Use is very real and people find a great comfort in being in their cozy bed or sofa and typing words online. They don't have to dress and act in a certain way as no one can see them. This takes a toll on the person from many points of view and will in the end render that person a social inadequate. Regardless if it's teens or adults involved, the effects are the same: social inadequacy, the diminishing of communicational skills and even social anxiety.

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Can Weight Loss for Teen Girls be More Effective Without the Parents Help?

Obesity and overweight issues among teenaged girls have been on the rise this turn of the century. Young girls are turning to food to cope with any problems that they face, especially during the time of adolescence where they are still finding their place in the society.

Most concerned parents would do their best to coax their child to lose weight, if they see it spinning out of control. Some parents and peers can be a bit cruel and succumb to name calling, which can significantly demoralize a young girls spirit.

In a recent study done involving weight loss control to 208 overweight teenaged girls aging from 12 to 17 years old living in Washington and Oregon area. Some of the girls received the typical advice on losing weight, such as online sources, books and enrollment at a gym. The other girls however underwent an intensive behavioral weight loss program, that focused on knowing what a nutritional diet is and tackled on habitual exercise habits. And instead of the parents being part of the program with the girls, the young girls spoke and had frequent discussion with peers instead with their own parents. The parents were still part of the program, but they had separate sessions away from their daughters.

Surprisingly, the teenaged girls who went with the behavioral weight loss program lost a bit more weight than the ones who were in the typical weight loss program. Both programs started at the same time and lasted for one year. Weight loss programs for teenagers can indeed work even in the absence of parents support. And working with peers, that are young girls themselves – made them more comfortable and made them more open to heeding their advice in the weight loss discussions that they went through.

In the behavioral modification weight loss group, aside from just living a healthy life with exercise and nutritional eating, they also cut down time in watching Television, talked about self-confidence and innate – and really focused on changing the lifestyle of the teenaged girls.

The girls that went through the more intensive and focused behavioral modification did not drastically lose weight as compared to the ones who went on with the typical route of weight loss. But they emerged more confident about themselves, and were more steady on the track of exercising 5 times in a week at 30 minutes at a time, tend to stay away from fast food, found more hobbies to do and even performed better in school too.

Perhaps, the young girls in the behavioral weight loss program also lost weight better, since they don’t feel disciplined or restricted with their emotions regarding their overweight issues. They were given more chance to speak and had more freedom on the kind of exercises to do and the healthy food that they need to eat. The feeling of independence evoked a feeling of responsibility for their own body’s well being.

However, we should not take the parents support for granted. Parents are after all the ones who make the usual decisions on the kind of food available in the house and the activities done at home.

How can Parents Help their Teenage Daughters Lose Weight Effectively?

Be an Example. If your child sees that you workout regularly, and do not spend so much time sitting down watching television or surfing the net. Subconsciously, a child would also follow suit and even ask you to enroll in a gym or seek advice from you regarding a sport in school or outside the school.

Shop Wisely. Having healthy and wholesome food around the house, will help them snack better without them knowing. Eating carrot sticks or an apple for a snack will become normal for them, and will snack that way all through out life.

Encourage and don’t Nag. Nagging can backlash to your teenaged girls ego. Causing them to more often than now, binge some more. Subtle encouragements and praises even work best for some. Exaggerated praises can be over the top for young girls, and there are times they actually cringe with parent’s well-meaning praises.

Go on Active Family Retreats. Going play Frisbee at the park, go hiking or do camping treats every now and then. Try to get your butt of the couch or seat from watching television all day over the weekend or endlessly surfing on the Internet.

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Why and When a Fever is the Start of Meningitis

Have you at one point had a high fever, experienced extreme headache, felt nauseated to the point of vomiting, and was stiff and achy all over your body particularly on your neck and shoulders?

It wasn’t just a regular fever. Those were the symptoms of a life-threatening illness called meningitis. On top of those symptoms mentioned above, you could also find yourself withskin rash, disoriented and confused, sensitive to the light, and seizing.

Though meningitis could go away on its own without seeking medical treatment, the moment your fever is accompanied by intense headache and neck stiffness, go to your doctor right away as you may have acquired a more severe kind of meningitis called bacteria meningitis, which you will not know unless you go through aspinal fluid testing, where an antibiotic treatment is immediately prescribed to you due to the increased possibility of brain damage or death if left untended.

What is meningitis?

Meningitis is an infection that involves your spinal cord and brain that could be caused by virus, bacteria, fungus, or some drugs.

What causes it and how does it spread?

Enterovirus is the virus in charge in forming viral meningitis, which is most prevalent during summer and fall. This same enterovirus is also found in hand, foot, and mouth disease and myocarditis among others. You can catch viral meningitis by sharing food and drinks, kissing, or touching objects the infected person has touched.
Bacteria meningitis is basically caused by a bacteria that travels from your bloodstream down to your brain and spine, which is why it is more dangerous.

One type of bacterial meningitis is streptococcus pneumonia, which – you guessed it – causes pneumonia. But other than pneumonia, it is also the bacteria that causes brain abscess, ear infection, endocartitis, and other diseases you probably have heard on the show House before. Like viral meningitis, you get infected by this type of meningitis by being coughed or sneezed at or if there is saliva exchange. The second most typical kind of bacterial meningitis is Neisseria meningitides, to which young children, preteens, and teens are often the ones usually infected due to living setting, lifestyle, increased exposure to other people, and weaker immune system. This can result to brain damage, hearing loss, loss of organs or limbs, paralysis, kidney failure, or death.

Why do teens need to be aware of this?

It is not only the teenagers who should be aware of this but parents and other people as well. It is just that you need to pay extra attention if you are in your in high school or off to college living in a dorm as you tend to be more exposed to many people in closed quarters and meningitis is contagious. Parents who leave their small children in day care should be careful as well as their children have an increased chance of being exposed to other children in the day care who may have meningitis.

What can you do about it?
Hand wash as often as possible and prevent sharing food with another person. Also take vaccines.

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How do We Stop Eating Disorders?

Why are there so many teens suffering from some form of eating disorder these days? If they are not overweight, they are abnormally thin. What happened to moderation and balance?

There are too many people in this world who don’t have any idea when their next meal is going to happen that many of them have to sleep their hunger away. It is just too depressing, yet we see teenagers deliberately throwing up the food they have eaten or kids who are intentionally not eating because of some body image issues. We see teenagers and adults over-feeding themselves with food, eating to bury their trauma or some sort of emotional problems when there are people in other parts of the world who have to bury their kids because of lack of food.

These people could have used the foods these same teens and adults take have for granted. It upsets me to see these people not make an effort to practice moderate diet and exercise and keep their mental health fit to understand why they need the approval of others to feel great about their body and damage their own health for the sake of this superficial need of acceptance.

We don’t need to fly to Africa to help them or blame the media, supermodels, processed foods, fast food restaurants and whatnots for the abnormal growth of obesity and eating disorders in our world today. To change, we only have to start from within and slowly move towards our family members.

We start by NOT valuing physical appearance MORE THAN anything else

We want too look good and it’s normal. But the problem is that we value physical appearance more than our health to the point of discomfort by following unrealistic diet restrictions or engaging in impractical workout routines. When we act this way, we emphasize to our children - preteens and teenagers – that looks always come first. This encourages them to feel insecure and critical of their own appearance when they don’t get to the right size or achieve the industry’s standard of beauty. They learn to seek the advice from the “experts” more than they trust their own instincts. It leads them a belief that to always achieve that kind of perfection, they must ensure they don’t lose control with their diet so they throw all the food up - just to be safe.

On the other hand, when we keep stuffing ourselves with food to the point of obesity, it seems as if we don’t care about our physical appearance on the surface. Internally however, we are fighting a war against our looks and ourselves. It could be that we hate the way we look on the outside but feel powerless to change it so we stuff this emotion and dream to oblivion. It is still about body image because when asked if we want to lose weight, we will always say yes because we don’t like the way we look. But this just translates to food always making things better to our children and the cycle goes on.

But...

... if we instil the importance of health more than the size and weight of a person to our children early on, they will know what kind of food to eat and when to eat to achieve a healthy and balanced weight. They learn intrinsically what is good for their health and take care of their body.

...If we help them develop their confidence at an early stage by understanding them and allowing them to succeed on their own terms without pressure, they learn to believe in themselves and not the bullying of others.

...If we show them that life is all about helping others using their God-given unique gifts, they will understand that physical beauty, size, or weight is inconsequential to the beauty of what they can create for the people and for the world.

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A Heavy Breakfast Spells Wonders For Your Health

Many people who want to lose weight try to pick which meals they feel they can skip in order to reduce their intake of calories, and breakfast and dinner are the two meals that most people skip. Some diets promote an after-six timeframe, wherein no food is taken in after six, but with today’s busy lifestyles that go well into the night, few people are actually successful with that. Instead, more people feel they have more willpower to skip breakfast, as they are usually in a hurry to get to work anyway so not having breakfast is usually much more convenient.

However, experts in weight loss insist on this one thing, and that is never to skip breakfast. Although it may sound contradictory to what you believe, as skipping that first meal sounds like a way to avoid the additional intake of calories, there are reasons why having a heavy breakfast may actually spell wonders for your weight loss goals:

1. Breakfast is the first meal of the day, and you need the nutrients to fuel you through the rest of the day. When you skip breakfast, your body and brain are deprived of necessary fuels, and you wind up feeling sluggish. By lunch time, you might feel too hungry that you wind up wolfing down whatever you see. It would seem that psychologically, skipping that first meal makes you feel like you deserve a heavy lunch full of high-fat or high-sugar items.

2. When you skip breakfast, your body makes up for the missing energy by preserving whatever energy it can hold in. This means your metabolism is actually put on hold. When you want to lose weight, this means that for those hours you are active but holding off a meal, your body prefers not to burn any calories, so you end up on the losing end.

3. Hormone-wise, studies show that when you first wake up, your body releases a hormone that gives you a craving for complex carbohydrates. This is the perfect time to stock up on this healthy food option, like whole-grain cereal, whole-wheat bread, or perhaps fruits. If that desire is not met, within a few hours, your brain releases a hormone that makes you crave simple carbohydrates like sugar, as well as high-fat food. Perhaps you have noticed that when you skip breakfast, you have a greater temptation to eat sweets at lunch. This is road kill for any diet plan.

4. When you plan on having breakfast, you are not too hungry as to be mindless of what you eat. As such, you will be better equipped to make healthy food choices, such as reaching for sugar-free cereal or healthy oats instead of donuts early in the morning. As a result, you will also be less hungry come lunch time, and you will also be in a similarly healthy frame of mind to pick more fruits and vegetables to put on your lunch tray.

5. When you go to work on a full stomach, you are less likely to be distracted or unfocused, which reduces work-related stress for the entire morning. This means you will be less likely to binge eat at lunch after having a particularly harassed morning session. Instead, you will feel vibrant and alert and less inclined to look for comfort food.

These basic points should show you the importance that a heavy breakfast plays in losing weight naturally. Of course, if you have formed a habit of not having breakfast, it might take a while to adjust to a new schedule, especially if you are frequently caught up for time. But with some advanced planning and as long as you stick with it for the first couple of weeks, you will definitely appreciate the changes it does to your daily routine. And eventually, you will also start noticing an improvement in your weight, as the healthy eating habits will definitely have their repercussions before long.

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No Time to Exercise? 5 All-Time Proven Ways to Lose Weight without Exercise

If you’re reading this, then it only goes to show how many people hate the word “exercise.” But do understand that weight loss without exercise is like a cake without icing – it’s going to fall off eventually.

But to get you started, handling your daily consumption is the first step. You don’t need to follow through any diet programs. You just stick to these proven tips and incorporate them into your eating habits.

Drinking water before and after each meal helps cut down your consumption

By drinking water prior to any meal, you are taking up space in your stomach that would otherwise be filled by carbohydrates. You are also preparing your digestion and stomach for the meal ahead as doing so tends to put a rein on your appetite. Research has concluded that you can cut back 75-80 calories in each meal. This is why your hunger seems to dissipate after you drink a glass of water.

Drinking water after meal on the other hand, signals your brain that you have finished eating, thereby reducing your temptation to eat more. It also aids in your digestion as your liver will depend on the water to be able to break down the nutrients more effectively and convert fats into energy for later use.

Revel on each spoonful

You may have tons of things to do and so to save time, you eat while you are in front of your computer. Sometimes, you think that meal time is the only time you get to really sit back and relax so you make up for the time by watching TV. Doing so however, will confuse your brain and make you think that you haven’t eaten quite enough. To lose weight, you need to pay more attention to the quality of your food rather than the quantity. But if you are eating in front of TV, how can you have the time to pay attention to what you are eating? Your brain only thinks how much or how little is left on your plate. You owe it to yourself to eat without distraction. After all, it’s like you said – it’s your only time.

Eat slowly!

If you start being mindful of how you eat, you would notice a significant change in your appetite and weight if you take your time to eat. You may have heard this before but it takes 20 minutes for your brain to understand that you’ve been fed and satiated. Hence, if you keep stuffing yourself up while watching your favourite program, you go overboard.

Another suggestion is to use chopstick no matter what kind of food you are eating. It makes you eat slower, which forces you to really savor the taste of the food you’re eating.

The 50/50 principle

Since you don’t really want to be constrained to the concept of “dieting,” then there won’t be any concept of “cheat days.” The great thing about this is that you can eat whatever you want any day and you won’t have to submit yourself to any sacrifice. How? By eating only half of the food – half of the bag of chips, only a few strips of fries, 3 spoonful of cake, 2 small cracks of chocolate – you get the picture. This works because you are not being hard on yourself, and this can extend until you have become accustomed to this habit. Another great thing about this is that you save more because food stays longer in your shelf and fridge.

Remember balance

“All work no play, makes you a very dull person.”
Why do people need days off after 5 days of working? Why do you need to be street smart and not just book smart? Why are there good and evil people?

Balance.

If you are overweight right now, it means the amount of the food coming into your body versus the amount of fats being used up is out of balance. Don’t expect evil people to be good without them making an effort to change and help others. Similarly, don’t expect to keep your weight if you are not eating in moderation. Sometimes, to maintain balance in what you are eating, check if there is something out of balance in other areas of your life. Could it be that you are more stressed this week compared to last? Could it be that you are medicating your emotions through food?

You don't need to lose weight fast; what you need is what can keep the weight off permanently. You don't need to adhere to diet plans to lose weight; you just need to trust your instincts to choose the better food options for your health.

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Basic Time Management can Reduce Stress

Among the most stressful things facing people in this generation is being swamped with too much to do in too little time—and this coming from people who actually have so many time-saving equipment and convenience-laden products and services in their daily lives! But do you know that the pressure of not having enough time is among the most common problems faced by busy individuals these days? This is why proper time management is a must, especially if you want to reduce your stress levels.

Whether you are a busy homemaker or a full-time professional, these simple time management skills can help you make your life a bit more manageable, breathable, and therefore have a greater chance of kissing stress goodbye.

1. The first thing you need to learn is how to prioritize. To elaborate on this seemingly simple word, you need to learn the difference between urgent and not urgent, important and not important. When you make a habit of looking at a task and checking whether it’s urgent or not, important or not, you can easily set some tasks aside to do later while others can earn your undivided attention. This way you will be striking off the possibility of getting chased for a deadline that you have not devoted enough time to simply because you had spent your time on less important, less urgent things.

2. In line with prioritizing, you need to learn to say no. If a task demands your time, but you realize it is neither urgent nor important, you need to be firm with a decision: do you put it off, or can you cancel it altogether? Examples of these might be doing a favor for a friend that you really cannot afford to do anymore. If you are too embarrassed to say no, you will either have to do it and sacrifice a more important task, or risk disappointing your friend by not showing up at the time stated without having given him prior warning. As soon as you decide to turn down something, it would be best to get on to tell the other person so that he does not expect anything from you, and you can easily get it off your to-do list.

3. Being organized may not always be an inherent personality trait for you, but it may be developed. If you are not naturally organized, making use of lists and calendars may be helpful. For example, you can have a calendar on your desk where you list the appointments you have for the week. This not only makes sure you make it to each one in time, it actually saves you the time of scrolling through your phone to check the time and date of a particular appointment with a certain person.

4. Take time to rest. In the midst of your busy schedule, perhaps you might need to write down a quick nap as part of your day. If you can do this, at least you will see how it factors into your schedule and still have enough time to do everything else. Do not be afraid to take some rest, because when you are well-rested, you will definitely be more productive in the long run. Spreading yourself too thin thinking you can get everything done faster that way only means fooling yourself, because the more tired you get, the slower you can work.

5. Include important events in your schedule. Perhaps you are too busy to think about going out to dinner for your birthday or anniversary, but if your wife expects that of you, it would be best for all concerned that you already include it in your planner. That way you will not be surprised when the day rolls around and your wife calls you from your favorite restaurant, and you wind up pressed for time because you had expected to be able to bail out of it. Besides, spending a little time with loved ones can do wonders for your sanity and your overall productivity.

With these simple tips in mind, you will likely be able to make better use of your time, and thus eliminate stress in the long run.

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Fight Stress and Improve Your Health

This world we are living in is filled with stress. Regardless of who you are and what you do, there’s simply no way you can get away from the pressures of life. Whether you are in the office, at home, or in school, there are things that will rob you of your cool, raise your blood pressure, and increase your heart rate. Stress is just inevitable, so even though you’re feeling good right now, expect to feel the opposite a few moments later. But even if that is the case, it doesn’t mean that you just have to succumb to stress and let it take its toll on you and your health.

In recent studies, scientists have found out that the root cause of most of the deadly diseases that are killing men and women is stress. The good thing is, while stress is unavoidable, there are many things you can do to at least put it in such a level that it doesn’t affect your health in a negative way. Stress can be controlled, and believe it or not, it can be done even through the most unusual of ways.

One of the most common causes of stress is sleep depravity. You will notice that you feel cranky and grumpy each time you fail to get a good night’s sleep. That’s because sleep is designed to give the body the opportunity to repair itself. If you only afford to get four hours of sleep, chances are, your bodily organs will fail to function at their maximum level, your brain becomes foggy, you lose your focus, and you easily get stressed. Obviously, the best solution to this problem is to get to bed early. According to studies, the period between 10pm and 6am is the time where the body can function fully to repair damaged tissues and cells. Therefore, make it a habit of going to bed on or before 10pm to give your body the adequate amount of time it needs for sleep and rest.

Another factor that affects how you deal with stress is your diet. For your information, there are certain types of food that can actually help you put stress at bay. Eating omelet for breakfast, for example, can help clear your brain and improve your focus and concentration. This is because eggs, along with milk, cheese, and nuts like almonds are high in tyrosine. Tyrosine is a type of amino acid that helps improve focus and increase alertness. Not only that, it also helps increase your ability to do multiple tasks at the same time. Another type of food that can help you fight stress is sesame seeds. During a hard day’s work, try to snack on some sesame seeds. Sesame seeds are found to help relieve stress because they contain a form of amino acid called L-arginine. This form of amino acid helps the blood vessels relax, so if you are having a bad day at work, try sesame seeds, as well as cashew nuts, soybeans, and peanuts, as these contain L-arginine too.

Do you know that an apple a day keeps the stress away? You have heard that apples are an excellent choice for boosting one’s health, but it is actually because of the apple’s ability to combat stress and fatigue that makes it a favorite of many. Apples are rich in antioxidants, which can help jump-start your system every time you feel too tired because of stress. Not to mention its tastiness that will surely help you forget anything that causes you to stress.

Aside from getting enough sleep and snacking on stress-fighting foods, perhaps one of the most excellent ways to beat stress is through exercising. Exercise, no matter how simple the routine, is not something that’s pleasing to do. However, you have to understand that there are many benefits to exercising than burning fat and building huge muscles. For your information, exercising is the fastest way to improve your mood and eliminate your stress. Each time you stretch those arms and swing those hips, your brain releases a form of chemical called endorphins. Also referred to as “feel good” chemicals, endorphins have the ability to boost your mood so that you feel good just about anything all throughout the day.

Don’t let stress beat you, instead, overcome it with these simple yet effective stress-busting methods.

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Daylight Savings Time: Help your Body Win Against Sleep Deprivation

It’s this time of the year where we all adjust our clocks an hour forward for springtime’s Daylight Savings Time. The first week of this time adjustment is the hardest for anyone who is already sleep deprived.

That 60-minutes may seem just like an hour or a number – but it can make for a chaotic recipe for sleep deprivation and reduction of productivity of any working American.

How does Sleep Deprivation affect your Productivity?

Lose Focus. Your mind is unable to focus its attention to one task and would find itself going in a numb phase when you’re sleep deprived. Other than drunk driving, driving sleep-deprived is one of the leading causes of driving accidents today.

Forgetfulness. Since your mind cannot focus on the task at hand, there are numerable times that you’ll start forgetting small things while at work and in school. Because you are in a groggy-state-of-mind, there is an increase chance of neglecting more than one responsibility while at work or school.

You get Sick Easily. Sleep deprived people also have really weak immune system. Sleeping is also one way our body defends itself from pollution, bacteria and free radicals floating around the air that will find an easy way in, when your immune system is weak. Sleep is also a form of vitamin against sickness, illnesses and even diseases.

Low Quality Work. The bottom line when working in a zombie-like state shows itself unrelentingly in the quality of work we do. In this case, how really low ones work quality turns out when sleep deprived. This can prove quite costy in terms of production and project output – and can hurt sales and profit; when you’re talking about business. An extremely less stellar grade when working through a thesis like a zombie can hurt your GPA when you graduate.

How to Help your Body Fight Against Sleep Deprivation?

All of us are still adjusting our body clocks to the tune of the one hour adjustment of the implemented Daylight savings time. If you were not able to adjust beforehand, here are ways on how to cope up and step up your body clock to be attuned with the new time.

Go to REALLY Bed Early. Sounds simple, but it is hard to do. Do your bedtime ritual an hour in advance, take your time to help you relax and wind down before you hit your bed. Making it easier for you to sleep.

No Gadgets or TV in the bedroom. Having a television or your laptop right at your fingertips can be an easy temptation that will get you to stay up late. If possible, remove any form of technological entertainment, except perhaps for your music system to help lull you to sleep.

Exercise in the Morning. Get your adrenalin pumping by doing 30-minutes of exercise in the morning or at lunchtime. Exercising will wake invigorate your body and your mind. Try not to exercise two to four hours before bedtime, or you will have difficulty sleeping.

Let the Sunlight Shine in. Studies show that morning light also triggers your bodies body clock to wake up. When you walk outdoors in the morning preferably. It helps resets your body to be in tune early in the day.

Set an Alarm. Gradually increase the time in your alarm clock to 15 to 20 minutes before the intended time that you would need to wake up. Fight the temptation to sleep-in. And stop relying on that snooze button!

Easy on the Coffee. Or any caffeinated drink for that matter. Using caffeine to push you to stay awake will backfire and will offer only a temporary jolt of wakefulness. The key here is to get your system in rhythm with the daylight savings time adjustment.

Establish a Routine. Getting your body used to sleeping at a certain hour every night and waking up the same time every morning will help you get back that much needed sleep that you need.

Pop a Melatonin. If all else fails and you find yourself tossing and turning at night. Try taking a small amount of Melatonin. Melatonin is a natural supplement that helps you settle in to sleep within 30 minutes of taking it. But don’t make it a habit, as it may make you immune to its effect.

Sleeping in a little bit during the weekends is one way of helping you help gain back some lose sleep. However, if it’s possible to keep to a routine schedule of sleep time even on weekends are best – especially in this time of adjustment to the Daylight Savings Time.

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