ⓒ iStockPhoto - Knape

Terra Wellington has written a great guide for any mom (or dad) interested in going green. From energy savings to green vacations you’ll get information, tips and ideas to help green your family in this detailed and well written green family guide, The Mom’s Guide to Growing Your Family Green: Saving the Earth Begins at Home.

Wellington doesn’t preach, instead she offers useful advice, green ideas, helpful tips and much needed information that will break through all the confusion and greenwashing going on today. She even includes handy little icons that let you know how beneficial the green aspect is and how much it is going to cost. Icons include those for health benefits, time savings, money savings, free stuff, and expenses that range from under $50 to over $1,000. (continue reading…)

©iStockphoto.com - Catherine Yeulet

Approximately half of the pre-school children do not have breakfast with their parents on most mornings. Parents set the food on the table in a hurry to finish off the household chores in busy morning time. Dozens of scientific studies have demonstrated an impressive list of benefits associated with eating together as a family.

The nutritional benefits alone are dramatic. Each meal at home is healthier than a meal on go. The meals on go also lessen the enjoyment and fun time that kids can actually spend with their parents. As kids eat more at home with parents, they naturally begin to eat whole food grains, dairy products, fruits and vegetables than their peers do. They are more likely to achieve the nutritional benefits derived from the food. They eat less deep fried foods and drink fewer sugared and carbonated drinks. (continue reading…)

©iStockphoto.com - Kate_sept2004

A well-balanced meal containing all the nutrients is very important for young children. Preparing healthy breakfasts for kids while rushing to get to work, is very difficult for parents. Breakfast that kids carry to school often does not meet all the nutritional requirements of growing kids.  It has been proved that kids who have a breakfast containing all the essential nutrients, have an overall good health.

Snacks are a great way to cover up  whatever healthy nutrients were missed at the previous meal. But remember an important thing: do not go for  prepackaged and processed snacks. They are high in sugar, salt, artificial flavors, preservatives and fats. Rather, choose fresh food containing  vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. If you  give your child healthy  snacks according to a set routine everyday, it will be  helpful to  balance  an uneven diet. It will also deals with  snacking on unhealthy food between the meals. (continue reading…)

ⓒ iStockPhoto - aleksandarnakic

Halfway between lunch and the end of the work day, do you crash? Do you get tired, find it hard to focus, and have to resist the temptation to hit up the coffee pot or the vending machine for a sugar and caffeine fix to power through? Many people experience the dreaded “3 p.m. crash,” but here are some tips to get you back on track naturally, no energy drinks required.

Think Back to Lunch

What did you eat for lunch today? If you had a sandwich, pasta, pizza, or another meal heavy on carbohydrates, you may be setting yourself up for a crash. Carbohydrates are good sources of quick energy, but once your body burns through them, you get tired, hungry, and potentially irritable. Make sure you’re eating whole grains whose additional fiber slow down digestion and regulate your blood sugar. Try to incorporate some protein and fat which help you stay full longer, too. (continue reading…)

©iStockPhoto.com - _Ellie_

Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and we all want to find the perfect gift that is just the right combination of unique and meaningful. Read on for some new twists on mother’s day gifts that truly embrace the unique gift giving spirit. (continue reading…)

©iStockphoto.com - arekmalang

You are probably one of those women who looked gorgeous and radiant while you were pregnant, aren’t you? You probably only gained weight in your belly and no one could even tell you were pregnant until you were six months along. Did you wear your regular jeans until you were eight months pregnant using the rubber band technique? I bet you did. I bet you don’t even know what I’m talking about when I say varicose veins, hemorrhoids, stretch marks, heartburn and excessive flatulence. Are you one of those women who enjoyed your pregnancy so much that you practically start lactating just thinking about being pregnant again?

If so, we have nothing in common. I was one of those ladies that took a pregnancy test at six weeks and immediately looked pregnant. Except that I got pregnant everywhere except my belly first. I think my butt was the most pregnant of all. I kept asking my midwife to check for a heartbeat back there, because I was convinced I was having some sort of anatomically abnormal pregnancy where I was carrying a couple of extra babies in my rear end. (continue reading…)

Men get breast cancer, too, but the emphasis of breast cancer awareness on women can overlook the risk to the men in our lives. Here are two videos that explain the risks and signs of breast cancer in men, and how men can perform a breast self-exam.