PRESCRIBING NUTRITION AND EXERCISE!

In a world where the general consensus seems to be that prescription drugs are the one and only answer to our ailments, this post from All About Healthy Choices will hopefully help to disprove that. I’ve seen/heard numerous success stories about individuals having literally dozens of prescriptions to take each day, that, by changing to a healthier diet and just moving more were able to get off all of their prescriptions.

Hippocrates said it best with his famous quote, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” Enjoy the article, hope you can take away a newfound approach to health/fitness and put it to practice for your entire family.

Reblogged from: All About Healthy Choices


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 “In the womb and in early infancy, several risk factors can influence susceptibility to the development of diet-related chronic diseases later in life.”
During childhood and adolescence, the adoption of habits such as unhealthy diets and low-levels of exercise, has been shown to increase the risk of developing certain chronic diseases.An unhealthy diet contributes to high blood pressure in children causing changes in the body which are associated with the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and obesity. A high calorie intake in childhood is also linked to an increased risk of cancer in later life.
Most chronic diseases are expressed in adulthood. Risk factors that prevail during adulthood have been strongly linked with cardiovascular disease and diabetes including obesity,physical inactivity, high cholesterol level, high blood pressure and alcohol consumption. An individual’s ability to take control over his or her life and to make healthy lifestyle decisions appears to be an important determinant of health.
As the risk of developing disease is generally believed to be reversible at any age there is an absolute benefit for ageing individuals to eat healthily, maintain their weight, and continue to exercise. (Ref: World Health Organization’s Recommendation To Address Chronic Diseases)

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***Chronic diseases are long-term diseases that are not contagious and largely preventable.***

“They are the most common causes of death in the world”

and present a great burden for society, particularly diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease , cancer, dental disease, and osteoporosis. Making improvements in terms of diet and physical activitycan help reduce the risk of these chronic diseases. (Ref: Diet and Nutrition Prevention of Chronic Diseases)

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The World Health Organization’s own findings show the most common cause of death in the world comes from preventable and reversible chronic diseases. This article doesn’t mention ANYTHING about theCAUSE OF CHRONIC DISEASE originating from a HUMAN DEFICIENCY inprescription drug use. Nor does it recommend the need for further drug development and wider distribution as a remedy to this world wide cause of death. It does, however, specifically and repeatedly state the prevalence of chronic disease as a self induced condition TREATABLE and CORRECTABLE by, “An individual’s ability to take control over his or her life and to make healthy lifestyle decisions.”

img0If this is the leading cause of death, why aren’t our physicians writing prescriptions for nutrition and exercise? A dentist doesn’t offer prescription drugs because their patient’s refuse to comply with brushing and flossing their teeth. They don’t refer their patients with depression to family physicians for anti-anxiety medication to improve teeth brushing compliance. Why does the medical physician offer prescription drugs IN PLACE OF the PROPER PRESCRIPTION: EXERCISE AND NUTRITION? How will the patient ever be incentivized to take control of their life if their health relies on a doctor prescribing medication for the rest of their lives?

It is no longer acceptable for a doctor to prescribe medication because a patient would rather “pop a pill” than comply with necessary lifestyle changes. Doctors have refused to perform heart bypasses and transplants in patients unwilling to give up smoking. This concept needs to be extended to the family medical practice. Prescription medication shouldONLY BE USED after the SAFEST most efficacious treatments have been utilized FIRST without attaining desired results (unless an acute emergency presents itself.)

This means the physician must begin working in collaboration with licensed nutritionists and certified exercise specialists capable of helping their patients overcome obstacles interfering with healthy outcomes. When and if nutrition and exercise is insufficient to achieving healthy results, medical physicians can consult with natural health care providers to see if natural remedies could effectively and SAFELY provide additional support to overcoming any remaining obstacles. If this process does not achieve the desired results, the physician should then turn to their pharmaceutical prescriptions. Even if they are needed, there is a greater chance the amount and potential duration will be reducedlimiting the harmful side effects patients commonly experience.

This approach to HEALTH CARE (rather than DISEASE CARE) provides a solution for BOTH patient and medical physician. It provides the patient more comprehensive care intended to address and correct UNDERLYING CAUSES of CHRONIC DISEASE while empowering them with greater CONTROL over their lives. It provides the medical physician the additional resources needed to help their patient achieve a better quality of health.

WHY NOT HELP YOUR DOCTOR WRITE THE NEXT PRESCRIPTION? (SHARE THIS ARTICLE WITH HIM OR HER)

Soft Star Child Classics: Minimalist Shoes Kids Love

Both the Spring and Fall seasons bring with them beautiful weather just beckoning you to get out and play. We’ve been getting our daughter outside to enjoy the beautiful weather every chance we get, and she always chooses her Soft Star Shoes Child Classics to cover her little feet.

Soft Star Shoes Child Classics, minimal, shoe, barefoot, kids

Going barefoot would be the preferred choice, but since we live in a neighborhood with new construction (i.e. nails everywhere) and synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, shoes are a MUST!

Soft Star Shoes Child Classics, minimal kids' shoe, kid's shoe, barefoot

Thankfully, we discovered Soft Star Shoes over a year ago when they graciously agreed to send some of their shoes to my daughter and me to review. I now have and love both the Soft Star RunAmoc Moc3’s and Soft Star DASH RunAmoc shoes, and Avery had the Soft Star Child Ramblers.

Soft Star Shoes Child Ramblers, minimal shoes, minimalist, barefoot

I still use my shoes every day for running, lifting, and casual wear, but apparently, kids do this thing called growing (way too fast!) to where her feet no longer fit those cute pink shoes. No worries, Soft Star happily agreed to send Avery a new pair of their Child Classics to keep her feet growing happy and healthy.

Avery immediately fell in love with her bright yellow Classics with a pink star. So much so that keeping still as I tried to get a picture of her wearing them for the first time was a lost cause.

A photo posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on

The velcro straps make it easy to get the shoes on and off without a fuss, even when Avery does it herself.  This is very important when we are eager to get out in the wonderful weather to play or ride her WOOM 1 Balance Bike!

Soft Star Shoes Child Classics, minimal kids' shoe, kid's shoe, barefoot

We considered the adorable Soft Star sandals, but for our adventuresome tot, she needs the closed toes to keep all of the dirt and rock from finding their way in her feet. What’s great about the Classics is that they are still light enough for summer, but protective enough for cold weather too. As an added bonus, they double as brakes when riding her bike!


Good thing the flexible soles are durable enough to hold up to the task of braking on her bike and everything else a toddler full of energy manages to get into. The naturally water-resistant shoes have already held up to plenty of playtime abuse while giving her little toes room to move around and spread out as if she were barefoot.

I’ve noticed that since the Classics allow for natural foot movement, Avery’s tendency to trip over uneven (or sometimes completely flat) surfaces doesn’t happen as often compared to other shoes she wears. This makes them perfect workout shoes too!

A photo posted by RC Liley (@going_dad) on

We love how all of Soft Star Shoes contain no toxic chemicals, dyes, or pollutants. Even better, every single one of them is handmade by “Elves” who put care into what they do best. The quality is apparent just by how long both mine and Avery’s shoes have held up over time. Coupled with Soft Star being one one of the most environmentally and socially sustainable companies, what’s not to love?

Soft Star Shoes Child Classics, minimal kids' shoe, kid's shoe, barefoot
Beats me, Dad, I love everything about them. Can we go outside now? I’m not smiling until we do!

Along with the already great selection of Child Classics or other kids and adult shoes, they have a Design Your Own feature that allows for complete customization. It’s fun to use, and perfect for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, a new grad, or, just because custom handmade shoes are awesome.

Great big THANK YOU to Soft Star Shoes for providing these wonderful Child Classics free of charge in exchange for my honest review. All words are my own and I was not compensated in any other way. Get yourself and your kids in a handmade pair of Soft Star Shoes and see why their minimal footwear will make your entire family’s feet happy and healthy!

Throwing a Kid Friendly Halloween Party

While plenty of adults love Halloween, let’s face it—this holiday is a kids’ dream. Between the bottomless candy, dressing up as their favorite superheroes, and trick or treating, kids go nuts for this fun fall fete. Whether your child has a birthday around this time of year and you want to go with a spooky theme or you simply want to throw a kid-friendly Halloween party, we’ve got ideas for you.

Cosplay All Day!       

Costumes are key when it comes to Halloween, so make sure you make it a costume party! Of course, you’ll have to expect the party poopers but many people will enjoy coming as their alter ego. You could even consider giving it a more specific theme, like a super hero party or “come as your favorite movie/TV character.” Consider adding an incentive by offering up a prize for best costume. Remember those party poopers we talked about? They might not come in costume but hopefully they’ll at least be in keeping with the holiday by wearing some super cute Halloween leggings.

Deck the Halls (and Other Rooms) With Decorations

Halloween decorations are the best, and so easy! From spooky hanging spiders and fake spider webs to skeletons and faux graveyards, the sky is the limit when it comes to decorating for Halloween. Spooktacular decorations abound in most stores, but there are plenty of DIY options, too. When it comes to this, Pinterest is your friend. And, whether you go with something as simple as homemade hanging ghosts or as elaborate as these glowing spooky friends to put on your lawn, decorations go a long way in creating the mysterious mood.

Of course, the simplest and likely least expensive way to decorate is to add a bunch of carved pumpkins. If the party is at night, tea lights within them will illuminate the designs and set the tone. Better yet, have your guests carve them (with kid-friendly carving tools, of course!), and offer a prize for the best design. And, if you know anything about kids, there had better be a piñata; buy a Halloween-themed piñata from Pinatas.com. Consider mixing in some toys as prizes, as we all know kids will be getting plenty of sugar elsewhere!

If you’re sending them on their journey home with party favors, creative ideas abound. Fill bags with candy corn, nail polish in fun Halloween colors, and maybe some individual floss packets—have to protect those teeth from all that sugar intake.

Fire up the Festive Food  

Although the main dish at kids’ parties—Halloween or not—should be fairly simple due to their many picky palates, there are plenty of ways to get creative with appetizers and desserts. From spider cupcakes and non-alcoholic witches’ brew to mini hot dog mummies and the uber creepy dead man’s finger sandwiches, there are so many fun Halloween food options for kids. Of course, if you’re concerned about the healthiness of the food, consider banana ghosts and tangerine pumpkins!

 Ghoulish Games Shall Abound

No proper party for a kid should go on without games. While the usual suspects like Musical Chairs and Duck-Duck-Goose are great, there are plenty of ways to take traditional kids games and turn them into Halloween fun. Need some inspiration? Take a page from the playbook of the party queen, herself—Martha Stewart. A bit of “Pop Goes the Pumpkin,” “Ghost Story Prank”, and “Dead Man’s Guts” will surely elicit many squeals of delight. Of course, bobbing for apples is simply a rite of passage for childhood and specifically perfect for this time of year. Don’t forget the Squash Bowling and Pin the Tail on the Bat! Getting their creative juices flowing is a great way to get their seemingly endless energy to burn.

Parties are a blast but Halloween parties are beyond the pale (one might even say “ghostly”). Turn up the fun by following these tantalizing tips for throwing a kid-friendly Halloween party.

An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.