David Russell (yes, another humor columnist named David)laughs at his neighbor for parking both cars in the driveway to make room in the garage for four strollers for just one child. I laughed with him. Four strollers for just one baby is ridiculous, right?
However, David Russell becomes a parent himself, a condition that afflicts many unsuspecting homo sapiens, and he concludes that a call to his neighbor is warranted: “I need to see if he can help me get a fleet rate.”
“Traitor!” I cried out. “Stroller monger!”
“Who’s a traitor?” my wife asked as she walked in the room. “And just what is a stroller monger.”
I resisted the obvious answer ? that a stroller monger is somebody who mongs strollers. “David Russell. He says that one stroller is enough for any child, but then he decides to buy an entire fleet.”
“Say, we could have saved a bundle if we had applied for a fleet rate,” my wife mused.
“What? We don’t have four strollers.”
My wife smiled. It was a sweet smile you could just fall in love with…if you did not know that it meant, “Oh yes we do!”
“We do not.”
“My wife took out her counting fingers. “First there is the car seat,” she said, pressing down the first finger. “We snap it into the stroller base whenever we go anywhere.”
“OK, that’s one.”
“Then there is the SUV,” she said, pressing down on a second finger. The “SUV” is a full sized stroller. We bought it when we were still squeezing it on a downtown apartment. With no storage space, it stood in the entrance area, blocking our path to the kitchen and any hope of escaping if the place caught fire. The SUV is the Hummer of strollers.
“OK, that is a stroller, I will grant you. But that’s just two.”
“We also have the fold-up stroller,” my wife said, pressing down a third finger.
“But she’s not even using it yet.”
“She will soon and we have it now,” my wife pointed out. “Then there is the old fold-up stroller we kept as a backup. That makes four.”
“You can’t count duplicates. That’s double counting.”
“It takes double the space,” my wife insisted. “We have four strollers.
I stared in silence. Slowly it sunk in. Yes, there were two Davids who were humor columnists, but there were also two Davids who were stroller-mongers.
Uh-oh. My wife was smiling again. She was watched for just the right moment to strike. “Our baby has more seats in this house than anybody else has.”
“That’s ridiculous.” No sooner had the words left my mouth than I remembered the boomerang rule. Words like ridiculous, ludicrous, silly, stupid and big mouth usually apply only to the person who speaks them.
My wife rhymed off our seats, “Three on the couch, two chairs in the living room, six in the kitchen, one in the bathroom and one at each of our desks. Plus the three red chairs Little Lady has in the living room. That makes 17.”
“Ha!” I knew it couldn’t be true.
Then came that deadly sweet smile again, the smile that said, “Take my hand while I lead you around the house to see why you should think first and shout ‘Aha!’ later.”
In the kitchen stood the high chair and the sit-in play saucer. In her office sat the rocking chair that never rocked and the bouncy chair that never bounced. There was the swing seat, and there were two cushion seats for sitting upright on the floor. She opened the door to the enclosed porch, and there were the four strollers and the car seat she would soon be using.
“That makes 12,” my wife tallied. “We each have fewer than six.”
I thought really hard. “Aha!” I said again, proudly pointing out that this time I had thought first and shouted ‘Aha!’ later.. “We have three chairs on the balcony, and six on the patio. There are also six folding chairs for the fire pit.”
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and there was no reason to forget all the outdoors furniture at a time like this. Unfortunately, there was no reason to forget arithmetic, either. Our baby still had the most seats in the house ? and outside the house, too.
“Uh, do toilet seats count?”
My wife smiled her sweet smile again, a smile that could only mean, “So, stroller monger, what do you have to say for yourself now?”
I knew that another humor columnist named David had just been labeled a traitor. Meekly, I mumbled. “Lawn tractor seat?”
About The Author
How many strollers does one child need? This scientific study has determined that stroller-mongers need four.
]]>As a Professional Dog Trainer and Breed rescue volunteer, I have seen many sad endings for these once so irresistible pups. Spring comes around and the pup is now sixty or so pounds and full of unappreciated energy and spunk… The issues of teething and housebreaking are sore subjects for the entire family. The pup is out of control and no longer the highlight in the kid’s day. Many times this leads to a decision to "re home" the pup. This is the worst case scenario. Unfortunately it is all too common. Preparing ahead of time is essential to the success of a new puppy in your home.
If your family has made a decision to get a puppy please keep several things in mind. Getting a puppy is at least a 13 year long commitment depending on the type of dog. The most enjoyable dogs are well mannered. It is advised you seek out a dog trainer for instruction that suits your needs… All dogs need monthly heartworm prevention as well as yearly medical check ups. Please research the type of dog you are interested in. Different breeds have traits specific to them. Find traits that suit your family’s lifestyle there are many options for where to get a dog or puppy from. The internet is a great resource of information on this. Most breeds have a rescue group of some kind. There are many wonderful dogs that are without homes.
So, if you see a puppy on the top of your child’s list this year. Might I suggest that you go out and purchase the cutest stuffed puppy that you can find? Get it a leash and collar with tags. Get a food bowl and some biscuits for effect and then research together the many options you have in deciding when and what type of furry family member you would like to bring into your family. Preparation, Education and dedication are the best recipe for a perfect happy ending for all. Happy Holidays
About The Author
Jennifer Shryock, Canine behavior consultant - http://www.familypaws.com
U.S. Coordinator for http://www.doggonesafe.com
]]>1. Hardwood floor cleaning
2. Hardwood floor repair
3. Hardwood floor refinishing
4. Hardwood floor protection
Clean Your Hardwood Regularly
Knowing how to clean hardwood floors is important because the bane of hardwood is dirt and grit, which will scratch and mark the floor if not removed promptly. As well, dust is seen more easily on wood floors than it is on linoleum or on carpet, especially in the sunlight and especially if the floor has a dark stain. Hardwood floor care, therefore, means sweeping and dusting regularly ? once a week, at least, and after any event that leaves dirt and grit behind. Regular household dusting and cleaning products will cause damage, however, and you must use only products specifically designed for hardwood. Vacuuming is preferable to sweeping because it allows the dirt and dust to be pulled from between the boards, but use a vacuum with a bare floor attachment, not a beater bar, which can damage the wood.
When a more in-depth cleaning is required, use a cleaning method appropriate to the finish on your floor. If your floor has a glossy finish, it means that polyurethane, or a water-based urethane, or a similar finish has been used to form a protective barrier over the hardwood. If it has a matte finish, it means that the floor is protected with a penetrating seal of oil and/or wax. On neither of these finishes is water an acceptable cleaning agent, but both of them can accept a surface, damp-mop cleaning, which means the mop is not wet but only damp to the touch. You are cleaning only the surface and not using enough water to penetrate even the oiled-and-waxed hardwood. When using a damp mop on oil and waxed hardwood, you can add a little neutral ph hardwood floor cleaner to the water before dipping the mop into it. A floor with a protective glossy barrier can accept a generic hardwood floor cleaner providing it doesn’t contain any wax or oil.
The don’ts are every bit as important as the do’s in hardwood floor care;
1. Don’t use ammonia, regular floor cleaners, household cleaners, or dusting products on hardwood.
2. Never use wax on a floor with a urethane or other glossy finish.
3. Never wash hardwood; use only a slightly damp mop.
Repair Any Damage to Your Floors as Soon as Possible
In most cases, when your oil and waxed hardwood floors have suffered surface damage, you have to remove the finish with a wax or oil stripper before dealing with the damage. After completing the repair, you then re-wax or re-oil the area. Surface damage occurs less often on hardwood protected by polyurethane or a similar type of sealer, and when it does, the damage is not as obvious. When repairing floors with such finishes, strip the finish from the entire board or boards where the damage has occurred. Make your repairs and then apply a finishing product to those boards that is consistent with the rest of the floor.
1. Water marks: Remove the protective finish, rub the marks with fine grade steel wool. Repeat if necessary, clean, and then refinish.
2. Burn marks: Lightly sand the area, use a damp cloth to pick up the grit, and then refinish as desired.
3. Scratches and gouges: Conceal shallow scratches with matching wood putty or a putty stick. After the area is dry, sand and refinish.
Refinishing Your Worn Hardwood Floors Will Recapture Their Original Beauty and Value
In a home with shabby hardwood floors, the biggest improvement you can make is to refinish the floors. Begin by making any necessary repairs, and then removing all the furniture and drapes and sealing the vents and registers in the room so that you won’t spread dust throughout the house. Sanding floors is easiest to do with a drum sander and an edging machine for the sides and corners of the room. You can rent these machines, and it is a good idea to rent a buffer or floor polisher at the same time. Plan to make three passes with your sanding equipment, using increasingly finer sandpaper each time. Vacuum carefully and pick up every bit of fine dust and grit with tacking cloths. All dust and dirt must be removed. You can now apply a stain if you wish or you can leave the natural color and design of the wood ? such as the popular oak, maple, or cherry ? to be displayed.
Polish and clean the dust and dirt from the floor again, and then apply your sealer ? a polyurethane or a water-based urethane that provides a protective barrier, or oil and wax, which penetrates the wood and protects from within. Carefully read all the information accompanying each product, follow the safety advice, and apply as many coats of stain or sealer as suggested by the manufacturer of the products you are using.
Hardwood Floor Care Means Providing Ongoing Floor Protection
As well as regular cleaning, and repairing and refinishing when necessary, there are a number of protective measures you can take to preserve the beauty of your hardwood:
1. Use area rugs and mats in high traffic areas and sites of frequent spills (e.g., in front of the stove, sink, and refrigerator). Move these rugs frequently so that these areas of the floor remain the same color as the exposed floor. As well, it is best to choose cotton mats as they do not trap water under them as rubber or vinyl might.
2. Keep high-heeled shoes in good repair and avoid using stiletto heels.
3. Keep nails trimmed on pets.
4. Clean up spills immediately with a paper towel or dry cloth. A damp cloth can be used for sticky spills, but dry the spot immediately afterwards with another towel or cloth.
5. Lift rather than drag furniture when moving it and use felt contacts under furniture legs to prevent scratches and gouges.
6. Use sheers or blinds to protect your floors from the discoloration caused by direct sun rays.
With proper care and maintenance, your hardwood floors will retain their beauty and enhance any dÈcor that you choose. When your floors become worn, or if they become damaged, they can be restored to their former glory with a little time, effort, and money. Use the Internet to check out quality products, read the information on how to use them, compare prices, and place your orders. We can help with all your hardwood floor care needs ? everything from discount hardwood flooring to hardwood cleaners ? and all items can be purchased online and delivered to your door. Let us help you keep your hardwood floors looking their best.
Scott Gray is currently freelance writing and enjoys providing information and moneysaving tips to consumers who are in the market for hardwood floors, hardwood floor care, and hardwood flooring articles.
]]>I began my conscious journey to enlightenment when I was around 50 years of age. I was brought up in the churches and believed that it was just one of those things in life that we had to do. Actually I was dragged to church kicking and screaming and later reluctantly went on my own volition from fear and guilt. All of this ritual stuff really didn’t mean much to me at the time and still doesn’t. I now have some understanding of why people go to church and what motivates them. But I still don’t think it is necessary.
Religion, structure, ceremonies, symbols, affirmations, prayers and meditations are steps to get you there (wherever that is); they help focus your mind. I still believe that the shortest distance between to points is in a straight line and more than likely the path of least resistance.
My whole life has been about getting there as fast as I can, until now. I can see with some experience and a little bit of wisdom, that it is the trip that counts not getting there. In fact I don’t think I really want to get there anymore. Once the trip is over there is no where to go.
The physical realm of existence is the most intoxicating; it is where we use our five senses of touch, taste, smell, site and hearing. I can’t imagine being in another place that we don’t use them. This is the dilemma that the creator had before he went into self-discovery; he created the physical world of relativity so that he could look back upon himself and see how magnificent he/she was through the five senses.
Truth is as liquid as the water that surrounds this planet and we create our new truth in every waking moment of every day. At one time our truth was that the world was flat, that truth no longer works for us.
Enlightenment brings new truths into our experience and knowledge or awareness is power. Thought controls all power and awareness of that truth expands our horizons and gives us more choices and freedom.
It was our truth at one time that moving into the industrial revolution would make our lives easier and free us up to have more time to spend on leisure and with our families. Our new truth is that we now must have two working partners in a household so that we can support the machines that are at home taking it easy, spending the day gossiping with each other in our living rooms and kitchens.
My new theory or truth is that we are taking this whole life thing away too seriously. We have forgotten what is really important to us. The technology isn’t working except to keep us alive long enough to pay for it. The trip is not a race, happiness is not found in having the most machines.
Life is a social experience, an interaction between the souls that make up the planet, that is how it was intended and we do not need to live for the machines. It is observable that the happiness that we seek is artificially produced through the drugs that we take to keep us going and awake for a few hours a day. Leisure if forced onto us and more drugs are used to slow us down for a few days that we might take time off for recreation.
Enlightenment moves us away from this vicious cycle and motivates us to begin to enjoy the trip. It is a trip that can last forever if we choose it to be so. Awareness can bring joy and happiness even in this world of chaos and absurdity. It has taken all these years for me to realize that I wasn’t really in a hurry to get here in the first place.
Enlightenment and wisdom does not necessarily come with age, it can be achieved at any age if one slows down long enough to listen to his/her own intuition. The world is the way it is because you and I have allowed ourselves to be caught up in the noise of the rush to get nowhere. We are already where we are trying to get to, to this stage of self awareness.
The peace and happiness that you seek can be obtained in a heart beat if you just stop and listen. The way you are living now is still just a choice and experience that you do not have to accept. The real trip is in knowing what is the real thing and what is more of an illusion of that thing.
You don’t have to wait until you are 50 to begin to understand. Can you imagine what you could really experience as fulfilling and meaningful, what you could create with the wisdom of a 50 year old at the age of twenty? You have heard it before "If only I knew then, what I know now." I don’t believe that one needs to concern oneself so much with discovery but with the experience of discovery.
Wisdom does not come from churches, philosophers, books or even this article; it comes from the positive application of what you have learned from your life experiences. If something is not working for you, don’t do it anymore. Do not live somebody else’s truth, create your own. Move away from the mind chatter, and take the long way home, learn to enjoy it and stop to smell the flowers. Eliminate all things and all people from your life that lead you away from happiness. Be happy first and you will draw those things and the people into your life that best reflects happiness to you.
Why are you in such a hurry, why?
Roy E. Klienwachter is a resident of British Columbia, Canada. A student of NLP, ordained minister, New Age Light Worker and Teacher. Roy has written and published five books on New Age wisdom. Roy’s books are thought provoking and designed to empower you to take responsibility for your life and what you create. His books and articles are written in the simplicity and eloquence of Zen wisdom.
You may not always agree with what he has to say. You will always come away with a new perspective and your thinking will never be the same.
Roy’s style is hard hitting and comes straight from the heart without all the metaphorical mumble jumble and BS.
Visit Roy at: http://www.klienwachter.com
]]>It’s true, that one hour of aerobic exercise probably burns more calories than one hour of weight training. However, the calories burned during exercise are only part of the story. When you’re finished lifting weights, your muscles need repair themselves; this repair process burns additional calories. Further, the result of this repair process is additional muscle mass, and guess what –muscles burn calories, even if you’re just sitting around. Recently, Curves’ Fitness centers revealed the results of two separate studies that prove just that. The studies showed that participants were actually burning, on average, an additional 265 calories per day, because of the additional muscle mass. Meaning they could actually eat more everyday without gaining weight!
Want to really pack some muscle on? Try adding these three exercises to your fitness routine. All three are "compound exercises" meaning they work multiple muscles simultaneously.
The Squat: One of the toughest exercises you can do, the squat, as its name implies, involves squatting down to an almost sitting position, then pushing yourself back up. Squats can be performed with or without added weights. Simply stated, the squat packs muscle on your lower body, muscle that will be burning calories for you, even while you sleep.
The Deadlift: Another great lower body exercise that also hits your shoulders and arms. Using a barbell, you start in an almost kneeling position, keeping your spine straight. You grip the weight(s) about shoulder width apart, then slowly push up until you’re standing with the weight at about waist level. After a momentary pause, you slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.
The Bench Press: Here we work the upper body, especially the chest and shoulders. This exercise can be performed using either a barbell or dumb bells. You start by lying on a bench, grip the weights at about shoulder width, press up until just before your arms lock, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.
All three of these great exercises have multiple variations; beginners should start with very low weight and practice the exercise to get proper form. Better yet, invest in an hours worth of personal trainer time and have him/her get you started and help you develop an ongoing plan.
David Olsen is the founder of 40Something Fitness, the website that helps you defy middle-age. Visit us for more muscle and fitness articles today.
]]>Income Analysis
First of all it is important to have a handle on where your income is going. Unless, we are on an extremely tight budget or are very money conscious for other reasons, many of us have never really sat down and considered what our money is being spent on ? we just know that by the end of the month, it has all gone! You will know if you are consistently spending your money on unnecessary purchases, for example. Having this knowledge equips you with the control to change things a little or a lot.
Saving Money Mentality
Many people have never been taught to save and as children, immediately spent the money they received without any forethought. You often hear people say, "Life is short, if you want something buy it now", but thankfully for most of us life is not really so short and along the way we will have to deal with both opportunities and challenges. Having some money saved will help you make the most of the opportunities and ride the challenges.
Savings ? Seeing the Big Picture
If you could save 20 percent of your salary each month, imagine what that would mean in real financial terms. For example, if you earn 2000 dollars per month and you saved 20 percent or 400 dollars out of every pay cheque, after 12 months you will have saved 4800 dollars! Regularly saving this amount of money would give you the financial freedom to take advantage of more of life’s opportunities. You could plan the special holiday you have always wanted to go on, buy the car that you have been dreaming about for years, or help put a child through college. When it comes to life’s challenges, having a lump sum put away could help you pay for private medical care or deal with an expensive plumbing problem in the home, all without having to turn to the bank for a loan and getting into debt.
How Can it Be Done?
As we have already seen, knowing exactly where your money is going is the starting point. Next, start thinking about the big things you could achieve with some money in the bank. Some people compensate themselves for not having what they really want, by making many frequent small purchases and getting a temporary "feel good" sensation afterwards. Rather than satisfying yourself with small purchases, such as new clothes and CDs every week or always buying the latest mobile phone, think about how much more satisfying it would be to save up and buy or do something special, which you previously thought was out of your reach, but is achievable with a little effort.
Emmanuel Mendonca is the webmaster and publisher of Debt Genius at http://www.debtgenius.com - a free source of information and advice on debt consolidation, getting out of debt and on saving money.
]]>If I had to guess, since the words fat (as in what’s in food) and fat (as in excess body tissue, or adipose tissue) are the same word it makes sense that when you eat fat, you get fat. However, this is not the case. Now don’t get me wrong, there is a difference between good fats and bad fats. If you eat the bad fats they can make you fat, and also contribute to several diseases. Your body uses the good fats in several ways to repair itself, grow, and work more efficiently.
Some of the benefits of eating these healthy fats include:
-Healthy fats are essential for absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
-Healthy fats have an anti-inflammatory effect ? they can help relieve many of the pains that we experience around our joints
-Healthy fats are essential for lubrication of our joints
-Healthy fats improve insulin sensitivity. Insulin is the hormone our bodies use to transport nutrients throughout the body. Insulin sensitivity is essentially a measure of how efficient our bodies use insulin. Insulin resistance is the opposite of insulin sensitivity and is one of the early stages of diabetes.
-Healthy fats can increase the strength of our immune system
-Healthy fats play a major role in the production of energy from foods we consume
-Healthy fats are required for our body to efficiently use oxygen
-Healthy fats can improve skin texture
-Healthy fats can increase your metabolism
-Healthy fats can help you burn more fat (the kind that is attached to your body)
Dr. Udo Erasmus, author of one of the most popular books ever about fat, "Fats the Heal, Fats that Kill", writes in his book, "At levels above 12 to 15% of total calories, healthy fats increase the rate of metabolic reactions in the body and the increased rate burns off more fat into carbon dioxide, water, and energy (heat), resulting in fat burn off and loss of excess weight."
In this article we will discuss what exactly these healthy fats are, where to get them from, easy ways to add them into your diet, and the optimal amount of fat that you should consume. I will also explain why the belief that "fats make you fat" has developed because fats can make you fat if you eat too many of them.
The Bad Fats
-Trans Fats
Trans fats are made by bubbling hydrogen through unsaturated fats in order to make them solid and have a longer shelf life. In addition, it was once thought that trans fats were a healthier alternative to saturated fats. However, this is far from the truth. In a statement made by the Bush Administration they warn us to keep consumption of trans fats “as low as possible” and also state that "the food industry has an important role in decreasing trans fatty acid content of the food supply."
Some of the top Harvard nutritionists state that replacing trans fats with a safer alternative would "prevent approximately 30,000 premature coronary deaths per year."
In fact, Denmark has already taken an initiative and banned the sale of trans fats to not allow more than 2% of the food to contain trans fats.
Now that you know that trans fats are bad, how do you avoid them? In America, the FDA has required food manufacturers to list the number of trans fats a food contains. This has helped consumers make wiser choices, but according to FDA regulation, "if the serving contains less than 0.5 gram, the content, when declared, shall be expressed as zero." This rule allows food manufacturers to list very small serving sizes and as long as the amount of trans fats is less than 0.5 grams in that particular serving, they are allowed to list it as 0 grams of trans fats.
The ultimate way to tell if a food contains trans fats or not is if the ingredients list contains the phrase "partially hydrogenated" or "shortening". Trans fats are mostly contained in foods such as candies, cookies, snack foods, chips, shortenings, and many restaurants.
-Saturated Fats
Saturated fats are widely recognized as being bad fats. You probably know or believe this to be true, and it is to an extent. There is actually quite a controversy between many dieticians and nutritionists about saturated fats concerning the optimal amount that we should consume or if we should even consume them at all. The reason for most of the bad rap that saturated fat has been given is due to the fact that the liver uses it to produce cholesterol. It has been noted to raise the good (HDL) cholesterol as well as the bad (LDL) cholesterol. The FDA’s general guideline for saturated fat is to limit it to about 10% of total calories per day. This would convert to about 20 grams per day for diet containing about 2,000 calories per day.
Saturated fat is mostly found in foods that are derived from animals. The exception would be coconut, palm, and palm kernel oils, which also contain saturated fat.
The Healthy Fats
-Monounsaturated Fats
Monounsaturated fat is believed to help lower the bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise the good (HDL) cholesterol. As listed in the beginning of this article, they also provide many healthy benefits.
Monounsaturated fats are mostly found in vegetable oils. Some examples would include olive oil and canola oil.
-Polyunsaturated Fats
Polyunsaturated fats contain the family of fats known as Essential Fatty Acids, or EFAs. As you can tell by their name, these fats are essential to the body because the body cannot produce them on its own. The main EFAs are the Omega-3 fatty acid and the Omega-6 fatty acid. They provide many of the benefits listed at the beginning of this article as well. Good sources of these fatty acids are fish, mustard seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnut oil, leafy green vegetables, sunflower, soybean, avocados, and perhaps one of the best sources is flax seed (make sure to grind them or buy them in an oil form ? the stomach has trouble digesting the whole seeds).
-Why Fat Supposedly Makes You Fat
(Note: You can calculate your TDEE at http://www.weight-loss-resources.com/calculators/dailycalories.html)
There is a simple law known as the Law of Thermodynamics. In addition to this, our bodies burn a certain number of calories per day (this number changes everyday and is influenced by many factors). This burning of calories everyday is known as total daily energy expenditure or TDEE. If the amount of calories we eat in a certain day is below our TDEE, we lose weight (this weight is not necessarily fat all the time). If the amount of calories we eat is equal to our TDEE, our weight stays the same. If the amount of calories we eat is greater than our TDEE, we gain weight (as stated before, this weight is not necessarily fat all the time - it could be muscle). Many people skip this important fundamental and look at the type of food they are eating or several other factors before they investigate how many calories they are eating per day and how to adjust their amount of calories consumed to achieve their goals.
Fat holds 9 calories per gram, while carbohydrates and protein hold only 4 calories per gram. This means that eating fat (any type of fat, even the good kind) will result in a greater number of calories consumed. Therefore, it’s more likely that you’re going to go over your TDEE and gain weight, especially if much of your diet comes from fattening foods. In addition to this, fat is very similar chemically to the fat that your body stores. This makes it easy for your body to store consumed fat as fat (adipose tissue), but you must take into consideration that storing fat (consumed) as fat (adipose tissue) is not the only thing your body does with fat (consumed).
-The Optimal Levels of Fat
You’re going to want to eat part of your calories from fat to get their many benefits, but not go too high. Like anything else in the world of nutrition and fitness, there are many opinions on what the optimal levels of fat in the diet are. For instance, advocates of low-fat diets opt for absolutely no fat and believe that fat is what makes us fat. However, there is a flaw in this belief as they are also cutting out the good, numerously beneficial fats. Then there are high fat diets, such as diets suggesting low carbs (they usually say you can eat all the fat and protein you want). Although, it is generally accepted to consume between 15% - 25% of your calories from fat while severely limiting the amount of trans fats and watching the amount of saturated fat that you consume.
-Some Easy Ways to Add Fat Into Your Diet
Now you may be wondering how you’re going to add some of these healthy fats into your diet. There are actually some really easy ways to do so. If you eat salads, you can add about a tablespoon of olive or canola oil. In my experience, you usually cannot even taste these added oils. If you buy some flax seed and grind it, you can add it to almost any food. Once again, these flax seeds are mostly tasteless. Really, adding these healthy nutrients into your diet isn’t that big of a burden.
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace medical advice from a physician or your health care provider.
Nathan Latvaitis: An avid fitness researcher - helping other people realize their goals through knowledge. Nathan runs a fitness website at http://www.weight-loss-resources.com where you can find more weight loss tips, articles, calculators, reviews, a message board, and more.
]]>Our daughter, now 14 years old, was plump from birth and thrived happily for her first year on a combination of breast milk and formula. When she was completely weaned and eating only solid foods, however, she began to gain a great deal of weight at an unhealthy rate. This continued for the next year until, on the advice of her pediatrician, we began to modify our daughter’s eating habits. She was barely two years old, but her doctor felt strongly that we should make some changes before her weight became a lifelong problem. The goal was to prevent further weight gain until her height could catch up with her weight, without depriving her of nutrition or having her feel deprived of the comforting aspects of food.
I’m happy to report that our daughter is now a slender, healthy teenager with good eating habits and no ‘food issues’, but learning how to modify our family’s eating behavior was a long trial and error process. Because she was still mostly pre-verbal, discussing nutrition or reasoning with our toddler was not an option. We kept trying new things and learned over time what worked for her. (These tips should prove useful with older children as well but are NOT meant to replace professional advice: Be sure to talk to your pediatrician before changing or restricting your child’s diet.)
Here are some important lessons we learned:
Enlist the Cooperation of ALL Family Members and Caregivers.
The first step is to explain thoroughly to grandparents, daycare providers etc., your concerns and those of your pediatrician’s, pointing out that overweight children move more slowly, get less exercise and therefore develop less body confidence, often have social difficulties in school, and frequently become overweight adults.
Reassure them that you will follow good nutritional practices, that your child is under the care of a competent pediatrician, and that you will take special care to fill her psychological need for food in more appropriate ways.
Explain your goals for your child’s weight (e.g. zero weight gain until weight catches up with height), and tell staff your child should not be praised OR punished where food is concerned, only encouraged to eat slowly and move on to another activity when a reasonable-sized meal has been eaten.
Chart Your Progress over Time
Once a month weigh your child and measure her height, being careful not to express displeasure if her weight has increased. Instead, praise her, saying ‘how proud you are of the ways she is growing’. Get a copy of your child’s growth chart (weight-for-height) from her doctor, and keep it updated monthly. This gives important feedback regarding whether your methods are working, and you can adjust meals, activity levels, etc. accordingly. Never scold your child for overeating or being heavy: Our daughter went through the chubbiest part of her childhood completely unaware that she was in any way ‘different’, and eventually succeeded in achieving a healthy weight.
Eat What Your Child Eats
This requires commitment and discipline! You will only make things much, much worse if you single out a child to eat differently than the rest of the family. The whole family should be working toward healthy life-long eating habits and it’s your job as parents to make sure this happens. I do know it’s HARD to not order pizza when you are too tired to cook, but make it a once a month treat instead of a mainstay meal.
Do the obvious things to cut down on fat in your diet, including switching to skim milk, eliminating butter, cutting back on cheese and fried foods, and cutting out desserts altogether. Snack only on fresh veggies or fruit, and an occasional Popsicle treat (no fat!). Serve water as a beverage with dinner, (think of milk as a food rather than a beverage) and allow unlimited quantities of steamed or raw veggies (no butter, no ‘dip’). You as parents should decide how much ‘main course’ of a meal your family should have. Serve the heavier foods directly onto plates from the stove rather than bringing piles of food to the table, so there is less temptation to have seconds. Make sure portions are generous enough to satisfy true hunger, but not excessively large.
If seconds are requested, ask your child to wait a few minutes to ‘let her food settle’, or until everyone else has finished, and then give her a smaller second portion, and no third portions for anyone unless it’s a low-fat Item. Do the same yourself, and save any ‘Ben and Jerry’s’ binges for after your kid’s bedtimes.
Get Creative in Dealing with Your Child’s Individual Needs
Sometimes waiting a few minutes in between servings did the trick and our daughter realized she was full before gobbling up a whole second helping, but she would often feel torn about leaving any food on her plate, and stuff herself to the point of a tummy ache just to finish what she started. (This happened even though we NEVER insisted she ‘clean her plate’, a misguided and outdated parenting policy!).
To help her ‘let go’ of a meal we promised that we would ’save it for her’ in the refrigerator, and then wrap it in plastic and let her see us put it away. This really seemed to do the trick: She got to remain ‘in charge’ of ‘her’ food, but didn’t have to feel any sense of loss if it went uneaten.
We did the same kind of thing with candy, too. (People love to give chubby kids candy!). We had a ‘candy jar’ on top of the fridge, where we put any gifts of hard candy she received (we weeded out the chocolate after she went to bed). After dinner, to help her know that ‘eating time’ was finished, she was allowed to choose one piece of hard candy for dessert. This solved the in-between- meal whining for candy issue as well as gave an endpoint to the meal without serving a heavy dessert.
If your child has some quirks around food (and don’t we all?) think hard about what need the food may be filling, and try to meet that need more appropriately. Common needs are Control, Boredom, Anxiety, Anger, and Loneliness. Get creative and keep trying new things. The consistent message you should be sending is that her needs are important and you will help fill them, without using food as a substitute. Your child should always feel that she will get enough to eat when she is hungry, and if you don’t keep junk food in the house, she will learn to eat healthy food to feel full.
Don’t Starve Your Child!
It seems obvious but it’s worth mentioning. Even the chubbiest kids get hungry and need to eat to keep up their energy levels. Regularly scheduled low-fat between-meal mini-snacks can help with this. The worst thing you can do (in my opinion) is make such an issue out of food that it becomes an unpleasant weapon of control. Your child should always feel in charge of her eating, and your job is to help her learn the best possible eating habits.
When you child does ask for food always offer something from the ‘unlimited’ list: a steamed or raw veggie, or occasionally some fruit, unless it’s obviously NOT an appropriate time for snack (just before bedtime, or moments before a meal is served).
Consistently attempt to replace your child’s need for comfort food with some activity that she enjoys: Say “Let’s read that new library book together first!”, and offer a snack AFTER the activity. In this way you can gradually learn to tell when your child is actually hungry and when she has some other need, such as feeling tired, bored, scared, sad, or just wanting some attention. Gradually she’ll learn to tell the difference, too, and slowly stop using food as her first ‘fill the need’ strategy.
By consistently offering only healthy food in reasonable quantities, with ’seconds’ allowed of the heavier foods, and some ‘unlimited’ foods always available, your child will retain a great deal of control. She will get to decide how much ‘unlimited’ food to eat, and won’t constantly hear ‘NO’ when asking for more. (”You’ve already had seconds on the chili, honey, but you can have more carrots if you want”).
Allowing a snack when requested eliminates the chance of anxiety developing over NOT getting something to eat when your child actually IS hungry. By stalling the snack for a few minutes to read with your child or play a game, you send a message that food will always be available, but it’s really not an urgent problem, and in the mean time there may be a better way to comfort herself.
Be Patient and Expect Resistance and Setbacks
Changing family eating habits can be difficult, especially when food has been used as a source of family comfort or entertainment (and it occasionally is, even in the most ‘perfect’ of families!). Expect your overweight child and other family members to resist changes in eating habits, especially older children who have had longer to become entrenched in the junk food life. Keep firm in your knowledge that you are doing your best for your family, and even if it doesn’t always go smoothly you will KEEP TRYING. Don’t become discouraged or feel like a failure when your child gains weight or begins ’sneaking food’. This isn’t a reflection on your worth as a parent, but instead shows how difficult this problem can be. If a family crisis or change in routine (i.e. vacation) throws you back into bad habits, start again. This is a PROCESS and is the best gift you can give your child.
Some Useful Resources
The American Heart Association (www.americanheart.org)
The NIDDK: the National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.
(www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/helpchld.htm)
About The Author
Cathy Strahl, M.P.H., is the mother of two and the owner of www.ShopHopping.com, an on-line retail store featuring hand-selected developmental and educational toys for infants and children through age 13.
]]>Studies have shown that exercising throughout your pregnancy is not only good for your body, but good for your mind as well. Exercising makes you release endorphins which in turn can make you feel happier, and more stable. With the inevitable rapid moods changes and decreased energy that pregnant women experience, prenatal exercise can be very beneficial to both husband and wife! Prenatal exercise can also have a positive impact on the length of delivery and post partum weight loss. A woman who has more muscle tone and cardiovascular endurance will fare better in a labour room than one that does not. This is a true marathon event, and you want to be ready.
If you’re the type of woman who already likes to exercise and has a program in place with a trainer, there is no need to slow down just yet. With your physician’s approval you may continue your program until your body starts to slow you down. If you are not currently exercising and want to begin, you may also do so, but you need to be careful about going into it with your eyes open. Pregnancy is not a time for weight loss goals, but instead, healthy weight gain goals with the forward focus on post natal weight loss.
During pregnancy, there are many issues to be concerned about such as gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and lethargy. At the 2002 annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Dr. Tanya K. Sorensen stated that vigorous exercise during pregnancy appears to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia. Exercise can help keep all of these conditions from occurring, and utilizing a personal trainer can help you get the most benefit from your workout. Just as you would during your regular sessions, your trainer will modify exercises for you as she sees fit, and tailor a program to meet your specific needs. You and your trainer will decide what feels best for you at each stage of your pregnancy, and you will feel at ease exercising knowing you are doing exercises that are good for both you and your expanding belly.
Most non- pregnant women who exercise solo have a program in place that they vary infrequently due to lack of fitness knowledge and uncertainty about technique. More than ever, those things are important during pregnancy. You don’t want the same routine in the first trimester as in the third, and a trainer can help with that. The type of workout that you get with a personal trainer is so customized to your specific needs throughout your pregnancy that you don’t need to worry about doing an activity that might not be in your best interest. Proper technique and choice of exercises are most important during this crucial time since you could do more than just pull a muscle; you could effectively harm your baby.
Any questions or concerns you have about your program can be brought up and discussed with your trainer to make you feel completely confident that you are executing each exercise properly.
With the guidance of a personal fitness trainer, your prenatal workout should be worry-free, full of interesting exercises, and preparing your body for the biggest workout yet.
Sources:
Birthing Naturally.Com. January, 2004. 01 May, 2005.
http://www.birthingnaturally.net/exercise/fitness.html
Discovery Health.Com. 01 May, 2005.
http://health.discovery.com/centers/pregnancy/americanbaby/exercisebenefits.html
Nicole Palacios BSc, has been an integral part of the fitness industry for the past 11 years, working as both a group fitness instructor and as a personal trainer. She is certified through ACE and the BCRPA as a personal trainer, and is also a supervisor of fitness leaders. Her latest program is called Stroller Fitt- a walking and toning program for mothers and babies in Vancouver, Canada. Her passions include fitness writing, weight training, and helping her clients pursue their fitness dreams. Check out her website at http://www.perfectfit.ws, or contact by email at Nicole@perfectfit.ws
]]>Do not place this product next to a radiator or in direct sunlight. Wood is a natural product and will expand if subjected to damp and will shrink and may crack if subjected to heat. This product is made of pine, which is a timber that is common for furniture, but susceptible to temperature changes. With pine furniture it is recommended that an even room temperature be maintained with no sudden temperature fluctuations, up or down.
Do not place HOT or CHILLED items directly on to the surface, use a place mat. Or marking will occur.
For general cleaning use a duster or damp cloth (ALMOST DRY) not wet.
Do not use soap and water or detergents of any kind on this product for cleaning. To maintain the characteristic finish on this furniture, do not use aerosol sprays or any polish containing Silicon. If unsure, try on an area that’s not seen and look for reactions. There is a natural stain and finish on this furniture and it will react to most manmade products.
It will from time to time require the surface re-treating again to maintain its character. You can easily do this yourself using block wax (unperfumed), rubbing it over the whole item, following the manufacturers instruction. After treating your furniture, you may notice it is slightly more waxier than previously. This is normal because wood is a natural product that breathers and absorbs depending on room temperature.
The use of any cleaning materials other materials other than those recommended could damage the surface and will invalidate any claim.
From time to time it may be necessary to tighten fittings. This is normal and regular inspections should be carried out.
Do not place furniture onto a wet or damp floor as staining may occur to your floor.
Indian Sheesham
Furniture made from Indian Sheesham is provided in its natural state. It will appear polished due to the natural oil occuring in the wood. You should wipe your furniture with a damp cloth to remove any dust from manufacturing. The oil on the surface will evaporate after a few days outdoors. It is the oil that remains below the surface that gives the wood its durability. Some of these oils may bleed out following the first few rainfalls, and initially, you will want to bring your cushions in when the furniture is wet. Once the furniture has begun to form the silver-grey patina, it is no longer necessary to bring the cushions indoors.
To clean the furniture without removing the silver-grey patina simply use soap and water. Should you want to maintain the golden brown color, we recommend a teak sealer be applied every 12-18 months. Wood sealers are usually solvent based with water-like viscosity containing mould, ultra-violet light and moisture protection. The Wood protector should be applied after cleaning and drying out your furniture. We do not recommend painting Indian Sheesham as the wood’s natural oils can affect how the paint adheres. Teak has qualities unlike any other wood as it has the ability to withstand the rigors of adverse climates.
About The Author
Steve Hattrick Proprietor 10 years experience
Konteaki Furniture Importers
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