What
Exactly is Good Nutrition?
Secretly
we all want just a few things in life — none the least
of which is to live a life that is healthy and energetic. One
way to accomplish this is to eat a well balanced diet that fuels
the body to take on life's challenges.
French
Fries, Kids and Breast Cancer
French
fries have appeared in the medical research news once again.
This time a large study examined the correlation between
breast cancer incidence later in life and a list of 30 foods
eaten during the preschool years. Interestingly, the food
with the highest correlation to breast cancer was french
fries.
Soy
Milk Alternatives
Maybe
you’re a vegetarian who’s decided to go vegan, or
perhaps you’ve just opted to give up drinking cow’s
milk. Either way, there’s a good chance you’ve reached
for a carton of soy milk to replace the dairy.
Decoding
Food Labels
Whether
you're concerned about cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes
or simply losing weight, you want to eat a healthy diet and focus
on foods that are high in vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients
and balanced in fats, carbs, proteins.
Gluten-Free
Holidays
If
you’re the parent of a celiac child, who must keep your
child on a gluten-free diet, you have to be extra careful during
the holidays to ensure Aunt Sally doesn’t slip little Mikey
a chocolate chip cookie.
What
Should I Eat, Coach?
One
year ago, the Wellborn family from Plano needed help. Eleven-year-old
Brecken was growing broader faster than he was growing taller
and some of the kids at school were beginning to tease. Additionally,
the Wellborns suspected that 13-year-old Makenna, a competitive
gymnast, needed more protein in her diet to get her through her
intense schedule of practices. “We were going through a
period of poor eating habits,” recalls mom Pam Wellborn, “and
we wanted to nip it in the bud.”
10
Smart Reasons to Use Fish Oil
We
are in the grip of an omega-3 fish oil wave. Every day, more
studies are published showing just how important this nutrient
is to us. Last week, it was children with concentration problems;
this week, it is children with autism.
The
Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners
Back
to school time often means thinking about what to put in your
child’s lunchbox. If you’re like most parents, you’re
probably concerned about the increasing rate of childhood diabetes
and obesity.
10
Back-to-School Power Breakfasts
Breakfast
is the most important meal of the day for growing school children.
It provides the necessary brain and body power to make it through
the first half of the day. Children who start out each school
day with a good breakfast perform better academically and have
fewer behavior problems.
Make
Your Own Baby Food
Making
your own homemade baby food will ensure that what your child
is eating is fresh, nutritious and free of additives. By making
your own baby food, you'll be saving money. Also, you will have
total control over what is put into your baby's food. You can
therefore take the extra steps to ensure that only high quality
foods are selected and used. You will be able to feed your baby
according to his or her needs because you will know what foods
are best suited for your baby from experience.
Make
Your Own Frozen Baby Food
With
our twin boys getting ready to start solid food, I have been
reading about making and freezing my own baby food. It is
very easy! You can make up large quantities of baby meals
and freeze them for later use.
The
Rise of Eco-Parenting
An article about organic foods, organic
clothing, cloth diapering and chemical-free toiletries
as it matters to parents. Written by an author in the UK,
but affecting
parents worldwide.
A
Closer Look At Your Child's School Lunch
Starting
in October 2002, irradiated meats became featured in many U.S.
school lunch programs. Food manufacturers in the United States
are currently allowed to irradiate raw meat and poultry to control
microbial pathogens and began marketing irradiated beef products
in mid 2000. However, according to Samuel Epstein, M.D., professor
emeritus of environmental and occupational m medicine at the
University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, consumers
are wary of irradiated food — and with good reason.
Local
Honey: Can It Alleviate Allergies?
As one who makes his living
by writing about allergies and asthma, I am often asked about
the potential health benefits of using local honey. Here I am
talking about alleviating allergy symptoms, not “curing”
allergies, which is far easier said than done. Honey contains
bits and pieces of pollen and honey. As an immune system booster,
it is quite powerful. In talks and articles and in my books,
I advocate using local honey. Frequently I’ll get e-mails
from readers who want to know exactly what I mean by local honey,
and how “local” should it be. This is what I usually
advise.
Is
Fish Still Safe to Eat?
Fish and shellfish contain high-quality
protein and other essential nutrients, are low in saturated
fat and contain omega-3
fatty acids. A well-balanced diet that includes a variety
of fish and shellfish can contribute to heart health and children's
proper growth and development. However, nearly
all fish and shellfish contain traces of mercury. For most people,
the risk from mercury by eating fish and shellfish is not a
health concern. Yet, some fish and shellfish contain higher
levels of mercury that may harm an unborn baby or young child's
developing nervous system.
Starting
Solids
When should you start feeding your baby solid
foods? The answer is when your pediatrician tells you that it's
ok to start solid foods. She will probably agree with the American
Academy of Pediatrics, whose guidelines state that the best
time to begin feeding your baby solid foods is between 4 and
6 months of age.
Find
Community Resources
In an ever-expanding global
market, it's easy to forget that most of our needs can be met
by using the resources we have access to in our own communities.
As gasoline prices rise, which in turn tend to increase the
price of every item transported, it's to our advantage as well
as the environment to buy locally.
