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Going Green, Going Healthy, Health, Life, Lifestyle, Parenting, Tips

Children’s Health Is Degrading In America. What Can We Do?

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According to a Children’s Health Fund report, over one-third of children between the ages of 17 and 1 have at least one health condition. A whopping 40% confirm that the condition affects their day-to-day activities. 

Not all conditions may be life-threatening, but children living with conditions such as autism, asthma, and even anxiety problems can experience unexpected challenges. Additionally, modern US lifestyle choices can present huge risk factors, such as a poor diet or lack of physical activities. What can parents do to improve their children’s health and give them the best chances in life? 

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Help them feel comfortable with their pediatrician

Children of all ages may feel uncomfortable when they need to visit the doctor. Young children are prone to panic and tears. Older ones tend to clam up for fear of sounding silly. So, it is important to build up their confidence and create a positive and productive relationship with the doctor. Arranging for regular checkups with a family doctor, for instance, can normalize medical visits. It can also encourage your child to build a trust relationship with their doctor, so they are more likely to talk about their health concerns. Many dangerous conditions can be prevented and avoided if they are caught early! 

Prevent vitamin deficiencies

Here are some alarming facts about our diet. Over 9 in 10 Americans have vitamin deficiency, including a lack in potassium, calcium, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin D, and magnesium. Vitamin deficiency can lead to mild to severe anemia and disruption of normal body functions. Some individuals can even experience extreme symptoms such as personality changes, mental confusion, and irregular heartbeats. Severe anemia can have dramatic impacts on your health. 

Unfortunately, vitamin deficiency is a frequent occurrence because the nutrient intake in fresh produces has dropped over the last century, some cooking processes remove nutrients, processed food is low in vitamins and minerals, etc. Bringing supplements and multivitamins for teens can make a big difference! 

Teach them normal portion sizes

According to researchers at the Human Nutrition Center, 92% of US restaurants serve oversized portions. It is no wonder that obesity is increasing alarmingly in the United States as people become unable to recognize standard portion sizes. As a population, we eat too much. Yet, it’s not out of gluttony but a lack of understanding. Therefore, the sooner you educate your kids about portions and macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fat), the earlier they can make an informed choice about their food. 

Make sports a family activity

Kids embrace more and more a sedentary lifestyle because they learn by observing their parents. Therefore, making physical activities a part of your family routine starts with us, parents. It could be simple things such as planning a ball game every weekend together or going for a run before breakfast with your teen. There is no need to overdo it. What matters is that you show your child that being active can be fun and beneficial. 

Some of the best activities you can try as a family, regardless of your fitness level, include:

  • Cycling
  • Hiking
  • Tennis and basketball games in your backyard
  • Zumba classes

Parents have a responsibility to prepare their kids for the future. Showing them the best way to manage their physical and mental health early can prevent many issues that can be aggravated through poor lifestyle choices.

Going Healthy, Health, Life, Tips

6 Ways to Make Getting Older Easier

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Getting older is inevitable. As soon as you are born, you begin the aging process. This may have negative connotations within certain societies, but age is simply experience and an accumulation of time spent in this world. While some people might fear the changes that come with growing older, there are plenty of benefits, such as greater knowledge and learning to appreciate life for what it is. Here are six ways you can make getting older easier for you.

1. Take Care of Your Physical Health

One of the most troubling aspects of growing older is finding that your body is unable to keep up with you and your demands. This is why maintaining good physical fitness can help to make the aging process more enjoyable and less uncomfortable. Even if you have never exercised before, it’s never too late to start. You will be amazed at the benefits a simple fitness routine can provide.

2. Look After Your Mind

Much like your body, your mind is also affected by age. Living longer means creating more distance between your present self and memories from the past. This doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your mental agility. Brain training techniques and games can help to prevent mental lethargy.

3. Treat Illness and Injury with Seriousness

As you’ve probably noticed, children seem to scrape and bump themselves all the time but heal incredibly quickly. With age, healing becomes a slower process. This is why it is important to have any injuries or illnesses checked as soon as you are aware of them. This way, you can prevent your health from declining when it doesn’t have to.

4. Think About Future Options

If you think you might want to seek assistance as you grow older, there are plenty of options available that offer support to seniors. You may want to live somewhere better suited to your needs, such as a smaller home or residential community. According to assisted living in Great Falls, VA, some senior living communities you’re considering may have a waitlist, so it’s important to start researching your options as soon as you think you might be ready.

5. Care for Your Skin

Looking after your skin is essential at all ages. Protection from the harsh ultraviolet rays of the sun can help your skin stay healthy and fresh for longer. Not only does this keep you safe from illness, but it also helps you look younger. Cleanse, moisturize, and exfoliate regularly to maintain a healthy glow at any age.

6. Embrace the Process

From noticing your first gray hair or facial wrinkle to finding it difficult to walk for extended durations, aging can be an uncomfortable process. It isn’t fun to feel limited by your own body, which is why so many people cling to the idea of prolonging their youth. Instead of fighting nature, however, focus on keeping healthy and happy. Embrace the fact that life is all about change and that aging is just another part of it.

Parenting, Tips

Surprising Ways To Simplify Your Child’s Next Trip To The Doctor

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Taking your kids to visit a doctor for any reason is never pleasant. For one thing, they’re likely pretty reluctant about the trip, while you may well be a bag of nerves by the time that receptionist is calling their name. Yet, as the parent in charge, it’s important to remember that you aren’t powerless to the high emotions a healthcare visit can bring. In fact, by taking a step back and approaching with a calm, collected manner, you can significantly increase the chances of a good outcome, or at least a fast diagnosis. 

To make that possible the next time illness takes its toll, just consider these surprising ways that you, alone, have the power to simplify your child’s next doctor’s visit.

Step 1: Try to book with a regular doctor

Kids are naturally wary of unfamiliar faces, meaning that they’re unlikely to feel comfortable in a doctor’s surgery if they’re always visiting someone new. While family doctors aren’t anywhere near as common as they used to be, it is still possible to book up with a regular doctor in most instances if you take the time to do so. That person will then become a familiar, trusted face to your child, making doctor’s visits far more pleasant, and even meaning that a comprehensive understanding of your child’s medical history in advance should result in faster outcomes in most instances. 

Step 2: Make sure you know about genetics

Kids can be tricky to diagnose, and doctors may want a complete family history that includes the possibility of any genetic factor for illness, regardless of how small. This may require you to mention even seemingly irrelevant things, like an illness your gran experienced in her childhood, or even issues closer to home, like the prevalence of genetic neurological conditions, or even foot conditions that can be passed down. After all, diagnosing a bunion isn’t complicated, but it’ll be a whole lot simpler for everyone if your child’s doctor knows to look out for issues of this nature in the first place. So, make sure that you have all the genetic facts in mind for any questions that your child may be unable to answer! 

Step 3: Talk to your child beforehand

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Speaking of arming yourself with facts, it’s also vital to speak to your child before their appointment. After all, they may have trouble expressing themselves or remembering every symptom when they’re in the healthcare hot seat. While this is by no means to say that you should speak for them, getting their version of events enables you to help your child remember all of the details. You may even be able to develop some ideas for diagnosis this way, which could help a doctor to either reach a faster conclusion or rule out conditions to make their lives easier down the line.

Taking your child to visit a doctor is never pleasant, not least because it comes alongside illness. Do what you can to dampen the blow of a visit like this by always keeping these pointers in mind.