yetanotherbeautifulmind

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Guide to Travelling with Children

If your child is traveling alone, you should write all the numbers that would be helpful for the child on a note, or in a little date book for when she/he arrives at the final destination.

Don't count on your toddler being willing to eat airline meals and snacks! Little chewy fruit snacks work great during takeoff and landing for keeping his ears comfortable, and the different shapes keep him interested.

Look into purchasing some Goodnites. These protect kids from accidents (which tend to happen often while travelling) but are more underwear-like. They fit kids over 125lbs. Any kids who you are travelling with (especially in the car) should wear them just in case. It can really save clothes and car interiors in heavy traffic. Goodnites can fit kids anywhere from 3 to 16 years old too.

When traveling with children by air, if at all possible book at non-peak times (late at night, midday and Monday to Wednesday). This gives you a chance at a free seat for your child to stretch out and sleep. Arrive at the airport early. 

When travelling with small children, take along a package of outlet covers. Most hotel rooms neglect to provide these little shock savers, and there are often outlets placed tantalizingly at child height. For rooms equipped with stoves/ ovens, remember to bring knob covers, or simply remove the knobs while not in use.

When travelling with children, be sure to pack a change of clothes for yourself. Time and again my children have spilled sticky drinks all over me on the plane and I was glad I had thought to bring extra clothes for myself! Also it helps to premake airsickness bags at home as the ones the airlines provide are not always there. Another tip--put some cold drinks such as Capri Sun or juice boxes in your carry-on. If your child is thirsty and it will be a while for the drink steward to come down the isle, you will be glad you have them.

The most successful idea we use is crafting in the car. We use serving trays to create their crafts on top of. Before we leave, I prepare all of the projects we can make, and once we are travelling, it is up to them. The serving trays also work wonderfully for puzzles, board games, and play dough.

When traveling in the car or on an airplane, a great entertainer reusable stickers. Your children can stick and restick them on the windows of the car or airplane. Also, lollipops are good for earaches during flying use safety bracelet on her connecting her to me. That way I can put my backpack on my back, she's connected to my wrist, and my hands are free to carry her carseat. Take lots of children's stories and music on tapes, plenty of cheap toys, and new books.

When taking long road trips with younger children (6 and younger) have them wear diapers or pull-ups (or for older kids, goodnites) while riding in the car. This has saved us from many accidents. If they refuse to wear them, keep a couple in the glove box and have them put the diaper on when they need to go.

Always keep a recent photo of your child in your wallet - in case you loose them in a crowed area, and need help in locating them.

When travelling with children, especially if one parent only may accompany the child(ren) out of the country - make sure that you have a signed and notarized letter from both parents stating that permission is given to the accompanying parent (or temporary guardian) to take the child out of the country. Make sure also that the accompanying parent or guardian also has the necessary medical release forms for said child(ren). This is especially important when travelling to Mexico. Travel agents or the airline should have these forms available.

Pack an entire day's worth of clothing, a change of clothes, sufficient disposable diapers, and food in a Ziploc bag. Make one Ziploc bag for each day of travel. Each day, one outfit goes on baby, the rest of the supplies go in the diaper bag and you are ready to go.

When traveling with children with medical concerns ... Make sure they have their own identification, whether it be a medical necklace or an identification card. Make sure it has your telephone number, the name and number of their physician, and their medical conce

Buy hand sanitizer from Bath & Body Works or Linens 'n Things - it works without water and is perfect for cleaning grimy, sticky hands when you can't find a restroom.

Buy an inexpensive camera (with flash) for children old enough to use it. The trip is then photographed from the child's perspective. My daughter absolutely adores doing this. She then creates a memory book with her photos.

Use baby wipes not only for wiping hands, face, etc., but also for getting out stains on clothing.

Car Doldrums: There's nothing like a good long stretch to help relieve car seat cramps. If your children are in booster or car seats, they will definitely need to move around every so often. Look for parks, rest stops and other locations that offer not only the chance to stand up, but an opportunity to play. Rule of thumb: a 20-minute break for every two hours on the road -especially with little ones.

Snack-Time Tips: Juice boxes, easy-to-eat snacks, wipes, napkins and trash bags are important. Car trips are the perfect opportunity to use those Tupperware containers that are really too small to be useful at home. Be sure to prepackage each snack for each child - that way you're not trying to pass food back and forth.

Games: You played them as a youth - now it's your chance to pass along the family favorites to the young un's. The license game - ever so popular on those cross country journeys - would work for the preteen set. 

Airplane Advice: Pack some finger foods, like fruit, pretzels and cereal for your children to enjoy during the flight. These items might help them adjust to in-cabin pressure changes. For younger children, try using bottles, "sippy cups" or pacifiers to help ease inner ear pressure. For older children, chewing gum can serve the same purpose.

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How to Survive the End of a Relationship

There are times when bolstering self esteem and stress management go together. Healing the wounds that result from a relationship break-up is one of those times. The break-up may have been between a life-partner, friend, or co-worker. But, the end of a relationship brings with it many emotional experiences including the sense of loss, feelings of guilt, sadness and/or anger. Whatever our feelings may be, we will need to protect our positive self esteem and stress management strategies can help.

Self Esteem and Stress Management

The end of a relationship often results in feelings of loss and emptiness. If this person was a life-partner, there may be feelings of uncertainty about how to continue life alone. Grief follows. At this fragile time, protecting our self esteem is an absolute requirement, and there are some stress management strategies that can be particularly effective. Self esteem and stress management can work together.

One way to counter-balance the pain associated with loss is to find a greater purpose in life; some project or activity that can help us put life in perspective and support our self esteem; something to make us feel worthwhile and motivated to get out of bed in the morning. Sharing our talent with others is a beneficial stress management strategy that provides positive outcomes for both the recipient of our efforts and our own well being. Embracing a new life purpose not only staves off depression and bolsters our self esteem, it helps us put our life back in perspective and move forward. This is a productive way to handle change in our lives.

The Importance of Positive Thinking

Our mind has the power to help us maintain a healthy physical and mental disposition when it produces high quality, positive thoughts. The physical well being and positive self esteem allow us to energetically embrace our daily routines with more motivation, enthusiasm and inspiration. Conversely, negative thoughts encourage a downward spiraling of confidence and self-belief. Our self-esteem can take a beating. We start to believe that we can’t accomplish certain goals or we are not worthy of achieving certain milestones. When a relationship ends there is always a tendency for negative thoughts to become more prevalent.

With the end of a relationship, we often experience a roller coaster of emotions ranging from sadness to self-blame. From anger to anxiety. We may feel guilty as though the final outcome was our fault. The increase in stress in our lives is common, and until we find new ways to rebuild a fulfilling and productive life, we may be challenged with feelings of depression. These are all normal reactions to the end of a relationship.

Maintaining a positive mental perspective is one of the most important stress management tools on overcoming the sense of loss. Understanding that life changes are inevitable and that everyone will experience the end to a relationship at some point in their lives may help keep things in perspective, but it doesn’t provide comfort as we deal with the life transition. Protecting our positive self esteem and stress management have to be put in place.

Finding a greater purpose than ourselves and keeping our mind pumping out positive thoughts can fuel us toward recovery. Realizing that your self esteem is still healthy, and enjoying a sense of relief that the pain is subsiding can bring a ray of hope for a brighter, more fulfilling future. Learning from what we experience also provides us with a richer, more useful dose of wisdom to guide us in our next life chapter. Self esteem and stress management are partners in our effort to move past the painful effects of a relationship demise.

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Great Health Benefits of Kiwi Fruit

Also known as the Chinese gooseberry, kiwifruit is a very delicious fruit that is known for its appearance and flavor. Kiwis are about egg size and have a brown fuzzy-like surface. When cut open a bright lime green flesh is revealed. Within the bright lime green flesh are black seeds which can be eaten. The skin is somewhat tough, but the flesh is soft. There are both green and yellow kiwifruit. The Gold Kiwifruit has a yellow flesh which is characterized by its sweet flavor and less acidic base which is found in the traditional green kiwifruit. The golden variety is also shaped with a pointed end and is a bit less hairy than the green variety of the kiwifruit. It should be noted that although most people removed the skin from the kiwi before consumption it is edible. 

The kiwifruit is native to southern China. Other varieties of the kiwifruit are available in Japan and India. The kiwifruit is the national fruit of the People’s Republic of China. The kiwifruit would eventually be cultivated in New Zealand when Mary Isabel Fraser, a principal of girl’s school, was visiting a school in China and obtained the kiwi seeds and bought them to New Zealand. The seeds were planted by the nurseryman Alexander Allison in 1906 and the first fruit appeared in 1910. Currently, there are a number of countries which cultivate kiwifruit which include Italy, New Zealand, France, Chile, Japan, Greece and the United States. Kiwifruit is still grown in China, but the country is not considered to be a major producer of the fruit today. 

The process of cultivating kiwifruit is interesting. This fruit is produced in warm climates. In order for fruit to be produced pollination is necessary. It can be difficult to pollinate kiwifruit because the flowers of this fruit are not very preferred by bees. Thus, to increase pollination two methods are used. There is the method of saturation pollination where a large number of beehives are placed in the kiwi orchards forcing them to collect pollen from these plants. Also, there is the method of blowing pollen over the female flowers to begin germination. Because many kiwifruit can be produced on one vine it is necessary to grow this fruit on a supportive structure. 

Many times the structure is also accented with a watering system to ensure proper irrigation. Kiwifruit is a small fruit which packs a load of healthy nutrients. Kiwifruit are very delicious, and there are a number of vitamins and minerals available in this fruit. It is very high in vitamin C and it also contains potassium, vitamin A and vitamin E. The skin of the kiwifruit contains antioxidants so even though people usually discard this part of the kiwifruit they shouldn’t because it offers lots of health benefits. 

Kiwifruit is also high in fiber making it a natural laxative. It is possible that there are a number of cardiovascular benefits to eating kiwifruit as it is a natural blood thinner which means it can naturally prevent blood clots and lowers the fat content in the blood to prevent blockages. Because kiwifruit contains lutein it can also be consumed to promote eye health.

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What is Stress

What is stress In simple terms, it is how you relate to the situations around you. Whether it is work, family, school or any other situation, you react, change or adapt according to the situation.

Everyone acts differently to stress and it goes without saying that we don’t always act in a productive or positive way. Case in point, traffic jams. How often do you see people looking angry, honking their horns and behaving in otherwise unproductive manners when stuck in traffic? While others seem happy to just relax and listen to music.

Life has its ups and downs. It happens to everyone. But, depending on how you handle it will directly affect your stress level, overall happiness and eventually your health.

Good Stress vs Bad Stress

There are two types of stress: good stress and bad stress. Good stress can refer to situations that spur you on to take needed action. For example, knowing that your sports rival has a better race time than you can cause you to train harder to win. A little healthy competition is good for the soul.

Bad stress is the kind that comes from situations that we don’t want to confront or where we feel we have no control. An example would be finding out that you are being laid off by your company or the death of a loved one. These situations are ones that cause significant physical and mental stress.

There are other examples of bad stress, but you get the picture. You’ve probably dealt with bad stress in your life already or are dealing with it right now.

Stress and Your Response

So, what happens when you experience stress? The body goes through a “fight or flight” response. The adrenaline is pumping; your heart starts racing and every fiber of your body is ready for something. For our ancestors this response probably saved them from being eaten by hungry animals.

Nowadays, that response happens when we are in danger. But, it also happens in people who are experiencing very stressful situations. When there is too much stress, the body is actually affected in a negative way.

The best way to handle stress is to manage it. That sounds simplistic but it can be easier than you think. Stress management can save you a lot of headaches – literally.

Stress Reduction Techniques

Check out the stress reduction techniques page. If you have a way that you use to reduce your stress please go to that page and share it with us.

What Is Stress Recap

What is stress comes down to anything that causes you to feel overwhelmed, angry or worried. Most of the time what we worry about never happens. If you find yourself constantly feeling overwhelmed, worried or angry write down what you are thinking about. Keep a journal. Weekly go back over your thoughts for the week and whether or not they appeared in your life. Here’s some wise words from Mark Twain to think about:

“I’ve seen many troubles in my time,only half of whichever came true.”

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Meditation Chair: Why it is Important to Choose the Best One?

Meditation chairs can enhance the experience of exploration by allowing you to sit in a comfortable and relaxed position during your relaxation session. If you have back problems or limited flexibility, the chair offers a comfortable alternative to sitting on the floor. For those just beginning the practice of meditation, a sitting device can be an effective way of enhancing focus and concentration. There are different types of chairs available including meditation benches, ergonomically designed tilt chairs and inflatable cushions. 

A meditation bench allows you to sit in alignment without putting undue pressure on your back. A tilt chair also supports your back while allowing you to remain in the optimum upright position. Many companies providing meditation supplies also manufacture portable meditation chairs, inflatable cushions and folding benches, so that you can meditate in any setting or environment. A portable chair is an excellent investment if you are continuously on the go. 

Meditation chairs have several advantages over sitting on the floor or a regular chair. Meditation requires harmony of body and mind, in the sense that physical discomfort should not interfere with the meditation experience. To expand our consciousness and achieve clarity of mind, it is important to be as comfortable as possible during the meditation session. Sitting in any one position for a length of time is bound to cause cramping and distress. Specially designed chairs can provide the proper support and alignment necessary to allow you to get the most out of your meditation experience. It is important to note that regular chairs do not mold to the body in the same way as an ergonomically designed meditation device. 

The best chairs have a slight forward angle, which prevents you from slumping during meditation. However, take care that the chair is not too steeply angled, as this will cause overarching. The ideal tilt should be no more than a few inches. The best option is to purchase a meditation chair that you can adjust according to your height, weight and comfort level. Having an experienced person on hand to guide you through the meditation process and adjust your posture is also a good idea. A sitting device may be particularly useful if you are practicing Zen meditation, which requires several sitting postures. Zen meditation chairs can be made out of numerous materials and come in several different styles. 

You can choose the style that best suits you as long as the device enables your diaphragm to contract and expand freely. Meditation is all about discovery and inner peace. Contrary to popular belief, self denial and physical discomfort detracts rather than enhances the experience. It is difficult to expand our minds and awareness when our legs are cramping beneath us. A meditation chair is a device which allows us to focus on what’s really important during our meditation session. With the proper tools and surroundings, the meditation experience is sure to be a positive one.

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Stress and Nutrition:

Add These Healthy Foods to Your Diet

When discussing stress and nutrition, we usually think about how the stressful life situations lead to poor nutrition decisions. We know that people who experience continuous stress in their lives are more likely to develop heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. They will most likely have a weakened immune system which could leave them vulnerable to colds or lesser seasonal ailments. Why add to the likelihood of health issues by eating poorly! Instead, incorporate more nutritious foods that can counteract the negative impact of stress.

You can relieve stress by eating healthy. Healthy eating provides you with much needed energy and balanced emotions to deal with extra stressful times. Ingesting the daily recommended amounts of foods found on the food pyramid provides your body with its necessary nutrients, vitamins and minerals. The connection between stress and nutrition should not be overlooked. A balanced diet will help you stay focused, energetic, and strong during stressful times.

When talking about stress and nutrition, the use of caffeine and sugar is included because so many people rely on these two substances as a quick energy boost. However, caffeine overload leads to poor sleeping patterns and can enhance the negative effects of stress. Sugar provides a spurt of energy but then the energy level drops within a few hours.

Prepare nutrious well-balanced meals, including complex carbohydrates, protein and fat. This will help fuel your body throughout the day and keep you feeling full longer. You will be less likely to grab a high-calorie sweet snack.

Here is a check list of stress-busting foods that actually help you combat the negative effects that stress has on your health.

Complex Carbohydrates: As you digest carbohydrates the brain produces an increase of serotonin, a hormone that helps enhance your good mood feeling. For a slower more continous supply of serotonin, include complex carbohydrates, because the body digests them more slowly. Good choices include pastas, whole-grain breads and cereals. Complex carbohydrates also help balance mood swings by stabilizing your blood sugar levels. Simple Carbohydrates: Nutritionists usually recommend limiting consumption of simple carbs--sugar deserts, candies and soda. However, these foods can provide short-term stress relief. Simple sugars enter the blood stream quickly, leading to a jolt of serotonin. Oranges: This fruit provides much needed vitamin C. This vitamin helps reduce levels of stress hormones while strengthening the immune system. But since the body does not store extra amounts of this vitamin, a supplement may be necessary if you are experiencing a particularly stressful time. Spinach: This leafy green vegetable is loaded with magnesium. Magnesium helps regulate cortisol levels, but the body is likely to use it up when under stress. Feeling of fatigue and headaches may result if your body has too little magnesium in its system. Sources rich in magnesium include spinach, soybeans, cashews, almonds, halibut and salmon. Essential Fats: These omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids promote the easy flow of needed nutrients into our body cells as waste products flow out of the cells. Oily fish such as salmon, sardines and tuna contain omega-3 fatty acids, which appear to help relieve mild depression. Other sources include almonds, walnuts, canola, flax and soybean oils. Here is an excellent resource for fish oil supplements. Black Tea: Consuming black tea actually helps your body rebound from stressful events more quickly because it lowers the level of stress hormones like cortisol. There is a recognized connection between stress and nutrition, which can lead individuals to make poor nutritional selections affecting overall health. Unhealthy nutrition can enormously affect a person’s capacity for reacting and dealing with stress. Because of this, good nutrition is invariably part of any stress management strategy.

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How Illness prevention could save your life?

Playing a key part of wellness and good health is illness prevention. There are many types of illnesses and they vary in severity. Most common ailments are easy enough to prevent and cure. For example, consider the common cold. The best practice for avoiding the cold is to be aware that germs get everywhere. So, it never hurts to wash hands frequently, or to consider carrying a small bottle of sanitizer. This is especially important for people who work in hospitals, doctors’ offices, schools, and companies with buildings that don’t allow for much exposure to the outside air.

 Remember to dress for the climate of your geographic area and the time of year. The old myth says that being wet is a bad idea. This isn’t true. It’s being cold that will get you sick. Added moisture will simply exaggerate the problem. Many of these tips apply to contagious diseases that are common in the home and work place. However, there are some more serious illnesses such as childhood diseases you may not have had.

 In that case, it’s necessary to take a vaccine which can be done at your local health department or doctor’s office. Diseases such as HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis aren’t contagious through casual contact, and you will be advised if there’s a risk in catching either disease. With all this in mind, it’s always a safe bet to get plenty of sleep as a restored body is one that’s better equipped for fighting illness. There are some illnesses the body can’t fight without the intervention of a medical specialist. The best example is cancer. Fortunately, current research and technology allows us to stop cancer in its tracks if detected early enough. That’s why it’s of the utmost importance for adults to get regular check-ups. 

In essence, this means pap smears and mammograms for women and prostate/testicular checks for men. Though there is some argument as to when women should begin getting annual pap smears, it’s clear that it’s best to do it no later than in the early to mid twenties. For mammograms, most specialists agree that thirty-five is an excellent time to get that first check-up. The same goes for men and prostate check-ups. These exams are often uncomfortable, and there is plenty of literature meant to educate you on the procedures of each examination for your comfort. 

The most important and highly underestimated way of maintaining good health for adults is to avoid and/or constructively cope with stress. Stress makes it difficult to sleep, so our bodies don’t get the amount of restoration needed for the next day. Stress also makes you more susceptible to illness and disease. There are several ways to cope with stress. Exercise is one way. If exercise doesn’t’ help, try considering the root of the stress and see if there’s a way to avoid or lessen it. Always remember that it’s never weird or wrong to visit a mental health professional who can help you. 

Your mentality and attitude shape the way you feel about and do things, so it’s worth a visit should you feel you need one. Good health for adults is a matter of being motivated to make an effective wellness program part of your life. Wellness is about coping and prevention. Being a smart consumer as well as being aware of your body will help you maintain your good health and help you cope with the stress and illnesses that you will deal with as you age.

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The Importance Of Good Nutrition While Dieting

If there is any kind of magic to health dieting, maintaining lifelong superior health and healthy weight then it is good nutrition. Whether you are a professional sportsman or an ordinary person, good nutrition is vital for health as well as effective weight loss. If you want quality health and fitness, then opt for healthy dieting methods and start having balanced levels of nutrients right away. Everybody knows about the importance of nutrition and dieting; it is not entirely a new concept. Good healthy dieting is necessary for achieving weight loss. 

As obesity is a major cause behind many diseases and disorders all over the world, effective weight loss with help of good nutrition while dieting, is the best possible way to stay fit and fine. However, it is very important to note that nutrition is a whole lot more than health dieting and weight loss. Maintaining your body weight at an appropriate level helps you prevent disorders and at the same time, good nutrition can help keep your body functioning properly. Opting for variation in balance is the key factor for getting quality nutrition.

 In health dieting, balanced nutrition is the most vital thing in order to maintain your body in good condition. There is a huge amount of information available on nutrition and health dieting through different websites and books. People often get confused with regards to the reliability of the information that is obtained through such sources. Therefore, consulting your physician and following a good dieting plan inclusive of good nutrition and weight loss program is the optimum track to follow. It's never too late to implement such an action plan , you can always start any time and follow that course of action. Finding food with rich nutrients is not at all a difficult task. All packaged food products have labels indicating ingredients and nutrition content. 

Then again you can also get the list on info on raw foods along with their nutrients content so that you can choose the best among them. The magnitude health dieting and weight loss should be at the top of your priority list. Consult your medical expert and physician to start right way on weight loss program with help of good nutrition intake and dieting practices. Then strict diet that is very low in calories but rich in necessary nutrients can help you a lot. Healthy diet includes consumption of vitamins, proteins and minerals. Various vitamins, minerals, acids and other nutrients are essential for our body to maintain the balance and regenerate itself. They help your vital organs to work efficiently and maintain our overall body ecosystem. 

You need vitamins to avoid deficiencies. These vitamins are required by our biological processes to be present at certain times. Minerals are required in large amounts in some biochemical processes in our body. Whenever our appetite decreases, we tend to eat more carbohydrates, and fats. Thus increases the weight of our body. To stabilize the metabolism of the body, you have to stabilize blood sugar level and for this purpose good nutrition will help you do exactly same function of stabilizing blood sugar level. 

You must also make use of natural herbal contents in your diet so you can burn fat rapidly. Various research and clinical trials have shown that these medicinal herbs are extremely effective for reducing body fat.