Parenting Advices

We do not need to be full-fledged LOHAsians to start turning green. As women, we are the decision makers at home where greening should begin.

Here are 10 simple ways towards a Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability for you and your family:

1. Reduce overall consumption. Reuse what you can. Recycle items through proper waste management or giving away what you no longer need.
2. Load up on vinegar! It is recommended to clean your bathrooms, toilets, and even your laundry with water and vinegar, preferably organic coco sap vinegar. That is echoed by Greenpeace which warns people against cleansers with chlorine.
3. Go unplugged. Read articles on energy reduction and electric bill savings by simply unplugging telephone and computer battery chargers and water heaters, so you’d be diligent about pulling the plug. The result: 30% reduction in electricity consumption!
4. Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFLs use 66% less energy than regular incandescent bulbs and can last up to 10,000 hours!
5. Carpool, commute, or walk! You can lessen your daily carbon dioxide by 5.7 kg just by sharing a ride or commuting once in a while. If you’re not going that far, walk. It’s great for your health, too.
6. Disposable batteries not included. Greenpeace advises us to try to avoid anything battery-operated or to use rechargeable ones for those unavoidable items like remote controls and wall clocks.
7. Choose local products! According to Greenpeace, it’s not only good for the local economy, it will save energy because products haven’t traveled across the globe to get to you.
8. Bring your own reusable shopping bags and boxes.
9. Avoid throwing paper waste material down your toilet. It makes it difficult for proper waste water management.
10. Assess your cosmetics, toiletries, and your family’s personal hygiene products. We should follow these simple guidelines:

• Make sure that the product contains natural and non-toxic ingredients.
• That they have not been tested on animals.
• Packaging is kept to an absolute minimum.
• The company has an ethical policy towards its workers and organizations.

To check the hazard level of the ingredients in your current products, I highly recommend going to Environmental Working Group’s www.cosmeticsdatabase.com. You might be surprised!

Going green is only the beginning. Embracing a lifestyle of health and sustainability is a state of being that requires education and commitment. Although it has become trendy to be socially responsible, going green is not just about being cool and in. It’s about reassessing our values and finding our connection with the broader environment including the people and the issues that surround it. Find that deep-seated motivation and soon, going green will turn into truly being green.

Nutrition-packed. Independent studies show that organic food has a higher content of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and antioxidants — sometimes even up to 20 times more than non-organic food! For our body, this means that we get full easily because our body packs in more nutrition with less food.

The whole, organic ingredients like the guava and neem leaves generally have a wider array of healing compounds and additional benefits than their “natural extract” counterparts.

Health and Safety. Many pesticides approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were registered long before extensive research linked these to cancer and other diseases. Now, the EPA considers 60% of herbicides, 90% of fungicides, and 30% of insecticides as potentially cancer-causing. Consumer Organic food production also bans the use of artificial food additives such as hydrogenated fats which lead to trans fats, phosphoric acid, aspartame, and MSG linked to health problems as diverse as heart disease, osteoporosis, migraines, and hyperactivity.

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A Controversial Choice?

To an ordinary person, there may be nothing particularly controversial about being able to pick when you can give birth, and how. However, elective C-sections are one of the most widely debated topics in obstetrics/gynecology circles all over the world.

Who really needs C-sections?

Only a small percentage of all pregnancies requires C-section, and these are usually pregnancies facing certain risks: structural problems in the mother’s reproductive system, or the possibility of a breech delivery (the baby is like to come out legs or bottom first).

The elective C-sections are done even without a proper medical indication. In fact, the obstetrical and gynecological society does not recognize elective C-section as an indication for Cesarean section.

That’s one reason why it’s hard to say exactly how many such procedures are performed. One rough estimate pegs it at 20 out 100 C-sections. Most o the time what happens is the elective C-section is hidden under some vague indication, like non-reassuring fetal heart rate, or something that would be medically acceptable.

What puts ob/gynes in a ickle is that while they need to inform a woman that elective C-section is not a primary consideration for any form of birth, a woman’s right to determine what’s best for her body and her child deserves respect. So why would women want to skip the whole process of labor, heaving and pushing, and waiting for the baby to come naturally out to the world?
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1. Unleash The Inner Fashionista. At stardoll.com, your kids create virtual dolls (customize skin color, face shape, hair, etc.) then choose from a wide variety of clothes and accessories.

2. Train A Pet. When your kids get Mushabelly Stuffed Toys they receive a special ID number that enrolls them (and the virtual version of their toy) in the online world of Mushabelly University. Here, their pet advances up different skill levels, as they participate in games that develop typing, math, and hand-eye coordination, earning points in the process. Best for kids 6 and up.

A similar online game is ActionJetz that also sells airplane toys in toy stores.

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When turning down your children is the better move.

1. When the place they are visiting is so far from civilization that there are no cell sites and signal or, at least, a clinic for emergencies, turning down your teenager is understandable, especially if the venue is notorious for accidents, kidnappings, and violence.

2. When she is the only girl in the group, especially when there is alcohol, peer pressure, and no supervision. If your child is one of the boys, firmly insist on an all boys’ out-of-town trip instead.

3. When the crowd is of “questionable character.” No matter how good your child is, if he’s in the company of troublemakers, he could either be tempted or get into trouble simply because he happened to be with them. If you know someone in the group is into drugs, addicted to drinking, has a violent nature, or has done some stealing in the past — or when you simply don’t trust anyone in the gang — saying no is okay.

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Making Tie-Dye shirts with your kids is a fun way for your family to bond! Below is how to make a Tie-Dye shirt:

Materials:

• White tee shirt
• 2-3 colors powdered dye
• 2 rubber bands
• Rubber cloves to protect your hands from the dye.
• Old pots or buckets – used to mix the dye. It should be able to hold 3-5 gallons.
• Old long-handled spoon or tongs to stir the dye.
• Plastic Bag
• Newspaper and garbage bag to protect your work area.
• Rags, paper towels, cleanser for quick clean up.

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1. Pick the right restaurant. It’s kid-friendly when the restaurant staff immediately puts crayons with paper on the table. It also likely means they are prepared for situations when kids mess up the table with sauces or throw a tantrum.

2. Choose those with pictures of dishes in the menu. Then let the kids choose what they want. It can be a fun process and gives kids a sense of independence. If they can’t choose, go for appetizers first, which can be served fast and ease hunger pangs easily.

3. Bring one or two toys with you. It will come in handy also once your child starts to show signs of boredom, usually after a meal.

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Whenever you or your family crave for those chips or mouthwatering snacks you can’t help feeling guilty about that high fat or MSG content. Follow this list of tips of healthy but delightful mini meals:

• If you want gourmet popcorn, try Holy Kettle Corn. No butter and artificial flavor just sugar, salt, and corn oil.
• If you want ice cream, try Chimara Soy Ice Cream. High protein, less calories. Comes in strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla.
• If you want healthy popcorn, try Taters Natural-flavored popcorn. You will only have to add salt to taste. No butter.
• If you want metabolism-enhancing juices, try Happy Days juices in orange and grapefruit flavors.
• If you want a refreshing drink of Green tea, try Resensa green tea. Not so sweet yet the natural green tea taste is there.
• Finally, if you want to an alternative to milk, but still get the same good taste, try UFO’s soy milk. It comes in 500- and 800-mL bottles.

Enjoy these guilt-free snacks with your family!

When a woman reaches the age between 45 and 60, expect the natural occurence of aging, end of menstrual flow, and stopping of production of estrogens. But did you know that women reaching the menopausal stage are at risk of getting osteoporosis and heart disease?

In this stage, women are more likely to suffer from osteoporosis or the thinning of the bones. This rapid change occurs due to the loss of estrogen in the body. Other factors that increase the risk of this illness are vices, such as cigarette smoking, family history, slim body built and race (Caucasian or Asian).

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It happens quite suddenly. You spot her across a crowded room, walking as if she’s gliding, the kind of woman who looked so gentle, she probably didn’t leave footprints. You just try to soak her in, trying to hear her voice over the pounding of your heart in you ears. She looks your way, your eyes connecting. Was that a nod and a smile? Boy, she gives a great nod. You feel flushed, and try to settle yourself down before approaching. Eventually, you try a cute opening line, and she smiles at how hokey it sounds. But she smiles. Man, I can’ believe she’s talking to me. And that smile!

You actually get up the nerve to ask her number, and she gives it to you. A couple of days later (so as not to appear too eager), you ask her out, and she accepts. You actually don’t need to, since you spend hours on the phone. She likes a lot of the same things you do, surprisingly laughs at your jokes (an even bigger surprise). She even has a funny little smile. Everything about her is great.

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