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How to Help Your Kids Find Inner Peace?

For many parents, it’s common to have children who experience different levels of anxiety and stress. It can often be disheartening to see your kids feel anxious or worried at such a young age. When you want to help your kids find inner peace, there are a few essential steps to take.

Set the Example

Kids follow our lead when it comes to how they handle stress each day, making it necessary to set the example. Remain calm in stressful situations and practice breathing methods to slow your heart rate. Avoid yelling, crying, or fretting in challenging circumstances, which will teach your child the wrong way to respond when encountering stressful situations.

Unplug from Technology

Make it a point to limit how much your child is connected to technology, whether they’re surfing the Internet or are watching movies on their tablet. Too much time on electronics can cause them to become overstimulated, making it necessary to set rules and boundaries that protect their emotional well-being.

When your child has the freedom and luxury of spending time on their electronics, download apps that will continue to promote peace. The apps can promote sleep and will allow them to stay calm. Everything from meditation tracks to inspirational affirmations is available, which will slow down your child’s body and mind when used each day.

Establish Quiet Time

Consider creating quiet time with your child where you can spend an hour reading, writing, or drawing without making any noise. Quiet time will allow your child to slow down and practice times where they have peace throughout the day, which can reduce their stress levels.

Create a quiet corner in a playroom or living room where the child can have personal space and slow down. You can add a few pillows to the area to make it easy for the child to relax and unwind in a comfortable setting that is cozy. Add a blanket and headphones where they can listen to slow-paced music and focus on their inner peace without any distractions.

You can also create a place where they can relax outside while still having peace. Choose a spot under a tree where they can sit and listen to the birds chirp. Adding a hammock will also help them take a nap or enjoy staring at the sky as they reflect on their day. Creating a space for them to slow down will make them have more of an appreciation and a need for their alone time.

Offer Encouragement

Encourage your child with affirmation each day to help them feel more confident in who they are as an individual as they spend time in the outside world. Anxiety in children is common when they begin to develop and are unsure of how to interact socially with different surroundings. Make it a point to encourage your child and point out their unique giftings, which will allow them to feel better about themselves.

Your encouragement will offer support to your child and can silence any negative thoughts that they have throughout the day when they spend time with their peers. Teaching them how to speak positively about and to themselves can also offer relief on days where they may be feeling insecure or incompetent.

Although you may not be able to have complete control over your child’s emotions, there are still ways that you can influence the amount of peace that they experience on a day-to-day basis. By taking the right steps, you can foster your child’s development and allow them to grow into a calm and composed individual.

 

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Eating Healthy On A Budget

Many people have stated that high costs are one of the biggest reasons why they hesitate to eat healthier meals. Eating nutritious foods is essential for living healthy, but so is managing your expenses. There are several things that you can do in order to eat healthy on a budget.

1. Do not Buy Prepackaged Salads

Eating salads are one of the most important things that you can do in order to get the vegetables you need. However, you should avoid buying prepackaged salad. The salad can be expensive and have a tendency to go bad quickly. It is best for you to buy the ingredients you need for your salad individually. You can also order salads from a fresh meal delivery service.

2. Make a List of Your Groceries

Before you go to the store, you should make a list of everything that you need. This can help you avoid buying things that are unnecessary. It is also a good idea to avoid shopping when you are hungry. You are much more likely to buy things that you do not need if you shop with an empty stomach.

3. Buy Frozen Vegetables

Fresh vegetables are your best option. However, you may also want to stock up on frozen veggies. Frozen vegetables are a better choice than canned vegetables because they do not have as much sodium. They also do not have as many preservatives as canned vegetables. Frozen vegetables are picked when they are ripe and then sealed in order to preserve their freshness. This helps them retain many of the nutrients that you need in your diet.

4. Saving Money on Meat

Meat is typically one of the more expensive things on your shopping list. That is why you can save money by going meatless. Keep in mind that you do not have to become a vegetarian. You can save money by having one or two meat-free days per week.

You may also want to wait until the meat gets close to the expiration date before you buy it. Most grocery stores reduce the price of meat as it gets closer to its expiration date. Keep in mind that you can keep meat for a longer period of time by freezing it.

5. Grow Your Own Vegetables

If you have a green thumb, then you may want to consider growing your own vegetables. You can buy a packet of seeds for around the same price as a bag of greens. A garden can grow relatively quickly if it is taken care of.

6. Drink Tap Water

Many people purchase bottled water because they are concerned about the quality of the water in their area. However, bottled water can be expensive. You can save money and get good-quality water by using a brita pitcher. You can use one filter to clean about 40 gallons of water.

7. Use Coupons

Coupons can be used to save money on just about anything. That includes the food that you eat. You can find food coupons in your newspaper and also other discounts online.

8. Buy Everything From One Place

You may think that you can save money by shopping around. However, it is best for you to try to buy everything from the same place. Shopping for sales are not worth it if you have to go to several different places. Not only do you use more gas, but taking up more time can be an added cost as well.

 

You do not have to go broke to eat healthily. There are a variety of ways that you can save money on food. You can use coupons, buy everything from the same place, and drink tap water. You will also need to avoid buying packaged salads. Moreover, you may consider starting your own garden. Going meatless for a few days per week and buying discounted meat can also help you save money. All of these things will help you to not only eat healthier but save on expenses as well.

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Nutritional Tips for Hectic Life

We live life at a frantic pace these days. The relentless demands of work schedules, meetings, errands, appointments, and the overlapping parade of children’s activities can sometimes make us feel as if we are being driven by a whip from one destination to the next. With no time to think, these brutal schedules are often fuelled by fast food, coffee, and adrenaline. Unfortunately, the grab-and-go technique leads to bigger problems when the caffeine and blood sugar levels crash later in the day, resulting in fatigue, irritability, and potentially bigger health woes. Proper nutrition may seem like an unreachable goal for the always-rushed, but the benefits of that extra bit of effort are worth it. Here are some nutritional tips for keeping your busy day well fuelled.

Plan ahead for your own “fast food”

When we’re out of time we often resort to eating whatever can be obtained the fastest, which is usually derived from a plastic bag or a drive-through window. Try making healthier snacks, such as fruit and nut mixes or single-serve peanut butter packs for dipping celery or carrots, and have them ready to grab out of the fridge up to a week in advance. Lean, protein filled burritos made with eggs, beans, or chicken can be frozen in bulk to toss in the microwave in a pinch. For quick snacks, especially if you have kids, keep a small variety of whole grain or vegetable crisps handy in your vehicle to curb the temptation of pulling into a fast food joint.

Go easy on the coffee

While you may drool in anticipation of that first cup o’ joe in the morning, use restraint. Caffeine can be a helpful stimulant, but front-loading it early often leads to a deep lag in energy later on. Limit yourself to two cups in the morning (and four for the whole day), or consider alternatives such as green tea or matcha, which deliver less caffeine per ounce and offer several other health benefits as well.

Focus on whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats

The quality of the food you choose to eat throughout the day can have a huge impact on the quality of your day as well. Whole grain products (those with the husk intact) such as oatmeal, brown rice, or barley, are composed of complex carbohydrates that digest slowly in the gut, promoting steady blood glucose levels that will help you avoid a mid-afternoon energy crisis. Protein provides a number of essential amino acids that the brain uses to synthesize important neurotransmitters like serotonin, while the complicated structure of protein, like complex carbs, imposes a feeling of fullness and slow, steady digestion. Be careful to choose protein sources that won’t also overload you with fat. Egg whites, Greek yogurt, extra lean bison or beef, and black or pinto beans are excellent choices. Fat is the most energy-rich nutrient, issuing a whopping 9 calories per gram. While this makes fat a valuable source of energy, it is easy to go overboard, so fats should be used to contribute the smallest portion of each meal. The healthiest fats are the unsaturated variety produced by plant products, such as avocados, coconuts, and olives.

Go big in the morning

You’ve heard the old adage “Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dine like a pauper”. Turns out most nutritional experts are in accord with this one. Fifty to sixty percent of your daily calories should be consumed with breakfast. Loading up on a healthy, well-balanced morning starter will give you more energy, a better mood, a sharper mind, and greater endurance as you tackle a frenzied day. Consume balanced nutrition meals of protein and complex carbs and try to avoid foods made with processed white sugars and starches, which can sabotage your efforts with drastic blood sugar spikes and dips.

Busy schedules can be difficult to face every day, but doing so without energy makes the task seem unbearable. Arm yourself with good nutritional habits, along with a healthy regimen of exercise and stress relief, to make your busy life more enjoyable.

 

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Best Organic Foods That Prevent Cancer

Cancer is one of the greatest health concerns of modern times. Not only does this terrible disease have a high morbidity rate, but even the most easily treatable cancers can be very expensive and time-consuming to remove from the body. For these reasons, much research has been done into the possibility of preventing cancer through healthier lifestyle choices, particularly with regards to diet. Here are some of the top all-natural foods that have been shown to lower your risk of developing certain cancers.

Pomegranate Juice

Long known as a Mediterranean delicacy, the pomegranate fruit and the juice from it contain powerful antioxidants that can help to reduce the risk of cancer in those who consume it on daily basis. Most of the research into the anti-cancer effects of pomegranate juice have revolved around prostate cancer in men, one of the most common types of cancer. More recently, however, evidence has emerged to suggest that the compounds that make pomegranate juice effective in fighting prostate cancer could have similar effects on breast cancer as well.

Yogurt

Most people are familiar with the health benefits of yogurt in terms of it being a healthy snack for weight loss and a great source of protein. However, this unassuming dairy product has also been shown to combat the growth of cancer cells. Yogurt is made with beneficial bacteria cultures, which are the reason for its digestive benefits. One of the principal bacteria used in yogurt production, lactobacillus, has powerful immune-bolstering properties. When eaten regularly, lactobacillus in yogurt actually makes the human immune system better at attacking cancerous cells. When combined with its many other benefits, this ability to fight cancer makes yogurt one of the most remarkable health foods available anywhere.

Olive Oil

Over the years, extra-virgin olive oil has been shown to have many health benefits. Among the most important of these is its ability to lower the risk of cancer in those who consume it regularly. In particular, cancers of breast and digestive tract tissue occur less frequently in those who eat a diet rich in olive oil. Fatty acids and antioxidants that occur naturally in olive oil are believed to be the main mechanisms that reduce cancer risks. In addition to its cancer-reducing properties, olive oil also has cardiovascular and immune system benefits. For those who are trying to incorporate more healthy fats into their diets, using olive oil instead of butter is a great way to add flavor to lean meals without including unhealthy fats.

Broccoli

As odd as it may sound, one of the world’s best anti-cancer vegetables may be sitting in your crisper drawer or growing in your garden at this very moment. Common broccoli contains compounds that provide systemic protection against the growth of cancer cells. Most major organs in the human body will have a lower risk of developing cancerous tumors if broccoli is eaten frequently. The same compounds are also contained in cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, turnips, and kale.

Even though you can never eliminate the risk of cancer entirely, a healthy diet containing cancer-preventing foods can have a substantial impact on how at risk you are. Remember, the key to getting the maximum benefit out of these and other anti-cancer foods is to eat them regularly. By doing so, you will give your body regular access to the chemical compounds that it needs to fight off cancer effectively. You should also be aware that even the best diet is not a replacement for regular medical checkups. Even if you eat every anti-cancer food on a regular basis, you should still be checked from time to time.

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5 Ideas to Help College Students Eat Healthy

College Students Studying

College students often struggle to achieve healthy eating habits. And without healthy eating habits it can be hard to find peace, especially during the crucial college years. During the freshman year, students who are away from home for the first time often react by eating out-of-control. The Freshman 15 (the dreaded 15 pounds that many freshmen put on during their first year of college) is not a myth. There are many factors that combine to lead to a weight gain when students first come to college. They have no parents around to feed them healthy meals. They do not exercise as much as they did in the high school. Their schedules are hectic. They eat out a lot more. Pizza is a way of life for them. To counteract this, here are five healthy eating tips college students can follow to keep the weight off.

1. Make Smart Choices in the Dining Hall

One of the prime culprits plumping up college students are the infamous university dining halls. Most colleges require students living in the dorms to be forced to get meal plans. If you are required to get a meal plan, make sure that you stick to healthy options in the dining hall. Try to eat lean proteins like chicken and eggs. Enjoy the all-you-can-eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Skip the soft serve ice cream, egg rolls and French fries. If you make smart choices, there is no reason that you can’t eat healthy in your dorm’s dining hall.

2. Cook Your Own Meals

Just because you can eat healthy in the dining hall doesn’t mean it is ideal. The best way to ensure that you are providing yourself with proper nutrition is to cook your own meals as much as possible. Not only is cooking your own food better for you, but it is more economical as well to the delight of cash-strapped college students.

3. Keep Protein Bars in Your Backpack

One of the most common reasons that college students slip up in their eating habits is because they get hungry at odd times. When you miss a meal because your schedule is crazy, it is easy to get some pizza, candy or other junk food around campus. You need to avoid this at all costs. The easiest way to make sure that you avoid eating junk food when you are hungry is to keep some protein bars in your backpack. Make sure to stick to healthy options for your protein bars.

4. Embrace Your Inner Salad Lover

Salad is obviously one of the best nutrition meals, but make sure that your salads are healthy. Remember to keep the toppings like croutons and meat moderate to keep the calorie count down. You want to stick to healthy choices like olive oil and vinegar for your dressing. Stay away from the ranch and blue cheese. Beans and eggs are good protein choices for your salads. Remember that you should keep things in moderation even when it comes to salads. It is easy to put together a salad that has over 1,000 calories if you are not careful.

5. Skip the Sugary Cereal

College students love breakfast cereal because it is cheap and convenient. However, you can ruin your diet before breakfast is over if you like sugary cereals. When you are selecting breakfast cereal at the grocery store, pick out varieties that have less than 10 grams of sugar per serving to keep your breakfast in the healthy range. You also many want to consider switching to overnight oats for a healthier choice that is just as easy to make as cereal.

Just because you are a freshman in college, it doesn’t mean you need to put on 15 pounds. In fact, you can look at your college years as the perfect opportunity to develop healthy eating habits that will make you a healthy adult. When you eat right, you will do better in your classes and be full of energy for all the fun activities you are fortunate enough to enjoy while you are in college.