Get your Teen Healthy – The Right Way

Teens are complex youngsters – they’re driven by motives that include peer pressure and the latest fads among the top five. So when you have an overweight teenager who’s extremely conscious of her weight or a normal one who still obsesses about her (weight issues concern the female of the species in these seven years, so I’m going to go with the feminine pronoun throughout this article) figure and shape, you know you’re in a dicey position. In the former situation, you must encourage and help your daughter in tackling her weight problem in a sensible way, and in the latter, you must make sure she doesn’t let the way she looks rule her life. Read the rest of this entry »

Remember when your mother would tell you that you’d get pneumonia if you played out in the rain or the “five second rule?”  Well columnist Ben Cramer from Prevention magazine wrote an interesting article to divulge the truths behind these wives’ tales (except for the playing out in the rain thing!)  

Check out the article here from MSN Health & Fitness.  

Here are some other wives’ tales:

I need to lose weight in order to be healthy.  

Half True

It is true that obesity does impose problems upon your body, but just because you drop some pounds to your “desired” weight doesn’t mean that your body is functioning properly.  Everything is dependent upon your body’s biochemistry, neurological function and structural integrity.  When those three factors are in balance, you can bet that you’ll be at a state of optimal health.  

If I don’t have any symptoms, I am healthy.  

90% true

Remember: health is dependent upon the balance of your biochemistry, neurological function and structural integrity.  

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve been hearing talks about this so called recession and took some time to really step back and take a look at the bigger picture. So here are my general observations:

• People still need to drive to work, but gas prices remain high (probably about 30-40% higher than “normal”). This dips into a person’s discretionary income.
• High gas prices increase the cost of almost all types of goods we purchase due to shipping. This increase dips into a person’s discretionary income.
• People spend most of their income on taxes, shelter, food and transportation.
• Most lenders are tightening up on loans, so the average person is finding it difficult to secure a mortgage for a home. Because there’s a high demand for rental properties, property owners hike up the prices for rent. This dips into a person’s discretionary income.
• People shy away from doing or buying “fun” things. Novelty shops and retail outlets are having to cut back on employees. Without a job, you hardly have any income.

So with my observations I have come to some conclusions and predictions:

• Because discretionary income is decreasing and jobs are thinning, people will begin to look to “save” money. How can I “cut” back on things. One of the first things people cut back on or not make a top priority is the foods that they eat. Often selling their health to the lowest bidder, most Americans will shop for what’s on sale, which is almost the most nutrient devoid “foods” on the planet.
• We won’t see the impact of this recession on our health until 15 – 20 years from now when a huge outbreak of diseases with “unknown” causes will erupt. I’m not talking about infectious diseases or a viral outbreak, but people who are just run down and unhealthy.
• This current generation’s lifespan will be shorter than their parents and grandparents. (Yes go back and read that again) And the economic burden it will place on our nation will be unfathomable because insurance companies will not cover medical costs. People will, in essence, choose to die rather than pay for their medical care.
• The average lifespan will decrease from mid-70’s to late 50’s.

My solution:

• Find a way to establish multiple streams of income rather than just relying on one source of income. The whole reason we as a society claim to be in a recession is that we think about scarcity rather than abundance. We’re lazy. We’re content with waking up every morning to the sound of an irritating alarm clock, sitting in traffic, eating a stale, nutrient devoid bagel and complaining about a job and a boss that we hate. No, seriously, we’re content. Because if we weren’t, we wouldn’t be in this so called mess. We’d figure out a way for change.
• Prioritize your finances and put your health at the top.  Without your health, you can’t do anything else.  Don’t sell your health to the lowest bidder.
• Don’t become a statistic. Do something different.

I just saw a news headline saying that oil has gone above $120 a barrel.  That’s just unbelievable.  With that prices at the pump have sky rocketed to over $4 a gallon in some places.

So the rise in gas prices will not only affect your bank account, but also your health.

Most employers will not give you an increase in pay to compensate for the rise in gas prices.  So your disposable income starts to decrease.  This creates stress in your life (one of the major stressors – finances).

This stress increases your cortisol levels, which cause you to:

• Gain belly fat
• Lower your immune system
• Decrease your cognitive abilities

Now instead of buying foods that are “healthy” for you, you decide to get what’s on sale, which is not usually the healthiest choice.  These foods are probably devoid of any nutrition, so you develop slight nutrient deficiencies.  Lack of nutrients impairs your thinking ability, along with the stress which was already decreasing your cognitive ability.  Compound this downward spiral over the course of a few years and you’ve got a full blown disease process.

So here are some solutions:

• Make sure your car is well maintained to maximize gas mileage (a great place to start).  Things like tire pressure and wheel alignment.
• Prioritize your spending habits.  Remember, without your health, you really can’t do anything else.  So all your choices have to be with your health in mind.  Don’t sell your health to the lowest bidder.
• Take some time to meditate each day to relieve those stressors like rising gas prices.  In all honesty, you can’t control gas prices, so you need to learn to deal with the added financial stress it places upon you.
• Figure out a way to make more money.  You have talents that you could actually get paid for, yet you don’t.  Start a home-based business.  Start an e-bay business.  Learn how to monetize your blog.  There are tons of options out there.

Remember, happiness is a choice.  No one makes you feel stressed.  Choose to be happy and stress-free and that’s what you’ll be.

Let’s face the facts. We Americans are getting larger by the second.

Some statistics, implicating both the food industry and the government as co-creating factors in the obesity epidemic, include:

• In 2002, consumers spent $174 billion on processed foods.
• 90 percent of foods marketed each year are processed foods.
• Last year, 2,800 new candies, desserts, ice-cream, and snacks were introduced to the marketplace, compared to 230 new fruits or vegetable products.
• The food industry spends $34 billion per year marketing their products.
• $12 billion is spent marketing to children.

The food industry is quick to point out that the choice is always yours — they’re not making you buy something you don’t want. They also want to blame the obesity problem on people’s unwillingness to exercise.