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How To Care Better For Your Teeth

August 16, 2023 by Wendy S

Teeth can be something of a nightmare even at the best of times. No matter who you are or what your history is like, you probably find that you often struggle to look after your teeth as well as you know you should. That is something that most of us experience, and it’s just the kind of thing that you need to try and keep in mind if you are going to be able to have good dental health in the future. With that in mind, here are some of the main things to consider when it comes to caring for your teeth more effectively.

Learn A Proper Brushing Technique

It might be worth checking your brushing technique, because many of us learn a technique at one point that turns out not to be quite as good as it could be, and that can be a real problem in the long run. You might not actually be cleaning your teeth as well as you would hope, which means that you are not really making a difference to them at all in the long run. So make sure that you are learning a proper brushing technique and that you do all you can to make use of it in the future. It will make a difference.

Pic Credit – CCO License

Find A Good Dentist

Of course, having access to a good dentist is one of those things that can really help as well, and which you are going to need to make sure you are thinking about if you want to look after your teeth as well as you would hope to. When you have a good dentist on your side, it means that you are going to find it much easier to care for your teeth, and that you’ll have all the advice and guidance you could possibly need as well. This is of course a hugely important thing to consider here.

Get Them Straightened

Having straight teeth is not just a matter of aesthetics, although that is often an important part of this too. It’s also a fact that straight teeth are going to be considerably more likely to be healthy, because when they are misaligned that leads to all sorts of problems, including an increased likelihood of them falling out. This is therefore something that you will really want to keep an eye on, and get some clear retainers if it becomes obvious you might need them.

Pic Credit – CCO License

Find Your Motivation

If you are generally struggling to actually be motivated to look after your teeth, then you might want to think about what your motivation is. You might think about some of the results of not doing so – including even heart problems from gum disease as well as unsightly mouths – or simply think about how great you can look with a good smile. In either case, it’s something that you will want to make sure you are thinking about in some way or another.

Baby Care Basics For First Time Parents: What You Need To Know

August 15, 2023 by Wendy S

Image by -Rita-👩‍🍳 und 📷 mit ❤ from Pixabay

Everyone gets excited when they’re expecting a baby, but there’s also a certain amount of anxiety involved in it. You’ll need to worry about taking care of your child, as they naturally wouldn’t be able to do it yourself. As a first-time parent, that can feel overwhelming, but it gets easier with some baby care basics.

Knowing what to expect in the days and weeks after having a baby helps with this. While it can still be an exhausting experience, you’ll be able to make sure you and your baby are still taken care of. With a little effort, and maybe even a few sleepless nights, you shouldn’t have a problem looking after your newborn.

It’s worth diving into everything you need to know before you have a baby. If you’re pregnant, consider it essential reading.

Top Baby Care Basics You Need To Know About

With a few baby care basics, you shouldn’t have a problem taking care of your newborn. There’s quite a bit of advice out there, so it’s hard to figure out what’s actually helpful. While keeping your and your baby’s needs in mind helps, you’ll need a little extra help with it. It’s worth diving into a few of the essentials with it.

If you’re a first-time parent, this is one of the more anxiety-inducing parts of the process. Where do you even start, and how do you even look after a newborn? Thankfully, it shouldn’t be as complicated as you might’ve thought. When you’re having a newborn, there are a few things to focus on, especially in the days and weeks after they’re born:

Sleeping – Your baby doesn’t know what night and day are, and they’ll be adjusting to life outside the womb. That leads to newborn sleep patterns being a little all over the place. It’s one of the more obvious things you’ll have to know about before your baby arrives. They’ll be sleepier than they would be as they get older, and will often need much more than older children.
Safety – You’ll already know you’ll need to keep your baby safe, but you mightn’t know everything you need about doing it. Swaddling them right, getting them the right kind of clothes, and similar baby care basics help with that. Then there’s the likes of sudden infant death syndrome and other conditions to worry about. Know how to reduce the risks of these happening so you don’t have anything to worry about.
Washing – You’ll have to wash your baby regularly, with this being at least two or three times a week. Sometimes, that can be complicated, and your newborn mightn’t enjoy it. If they object to having baths, you could consider the topping and tailing approach, where you clean their head, bottom, and similar areas. They’ll be more comfortable with it and will get used to being cleaned. Bathe them two or three times a week on top of this.

That doesn’t mean that’s all you’ll need to focus on when your baby’s born. There are quite a few other things you might want to know about. You mightn’t know about many of these until your baby actually arrives. By knowing what to expect, though, you’ll make it a lot easier for yourself.

At least, you’ll be better prepared when they actually get here. It’s worth going through seven of the more important – and often overlooked – things you’ll need to expect when your baby gets here.

What To Expect After Having A Baby

1. You’ll Be Sore

When you’re having a baby, it’s natural to focus on the health and wellbeing of the newborn as soon as they’re born. It could be all you’d think about, and you mightn’t even factor in how you’ll feel in the days and weeks after they’re born. It’s something you’ll need to think about.

Chances are you’ll be quite sore, and it’s pretty easy to see why. Childbirth can be a traumatic experience for any woman, and you should be prepared for it. Know what the recovery will be like in the days and weeks after you give birth.

2. They Could Get Sick

You’ll naturally want your baby to be as healthy as possible, and you’ll put a lot of time and effort into that. It mightn’t always turn out that way, and there’s a decent chance they could get sick in the first few days after they’re born. These are usually some of the more common illnesses and shouldn’t be life threatening.

You’ll still need to be prepared for it, though, as it avoids you being overly stressed about something you don’t need to be too worried about it. Consult your newborn’s doctor, and everything should be fine.

3. Feeding Is Hard

Your newborn will naturally get hungry at various points during the day. In most cases, it’ll be easy to feed them, but that mightn’t be the case during the first week of their life. They could be much harder to feed than you would’ve expected. It’s easy to see why that’s the case.

They would’ve gotten used to being fed a certain way in the womb, and they could be expecting that kind of treatment again. They’ll need to adjust to being fed with a bottle, so it’ll be a little trickier to feed them in the days after they’re born.

4. You Might Cry

Everyone knows a baby will cry a lot in the weeks after they’re born. What they often don’t realize is the parents could cry a decent bit, too. That’s especially true with moms, as they would’ve been through a traumatic experience during childbirth. It’s a natural part of the process, so be prepared for it.

Even if you have a C-section, it could still be an emotional time. Don’t be ashamed in feeling the way you do, and make sure you experience your emotions. Don’t keep them inside, and let them out when you need to.

5. You Won’t Get Much Sleep

As mentioned above, a baby’s sleep patterns can be a little all over the place. You’ll need to adapt to that, which could mean you mightn’t get as much sleep as you might’ve had before. Be prepared for that and try to sleep anytime your baby sleeps. It’ll make it easy for yourself.

Taking shifts with your partner gives the both of you the chance to get some extra sleep whenever you need it. While that takes a bit of juggling, it’ll make sure you’re getting close to as much sleep as you and your partner need.

6. Your Baby’s Skin Needs TLC

After your baby is born, you’ll likely want to give them a bath pretty soon. They’ll be coated in a white, waxy substance when they first come out of the womb. It happens with every baby, and this substance is called the vernix. Since it might make them appear dirty – and even make them smell – you might want to wash it off quickly.

As it turns out, that mightn’t always be the best approach. It could offer a few benefits if you leave your newborn coated in it for a few hours or even a day or so. They might cry less, and they’ll be less likely to develop hypothermia while protecting their skin. Give it a day or so before you wash it off, and your child will be better off because of it.

7. There’ll Be A New Normal

With all of the above in mind, it’s easy to see how having a baby leads to your life changing dramatically. That should be obvious to everyone, but it’s often difficult to understand and figure out exactly what this new normal will be. In many cases, things could get more difficult, especially when you don’t know what you’re doing.

The key to this is to adapt to your new normal, and there are quite a few ways you can do this. You and your partner can figure this out relatively easily by working together on it. Since most of these changes can be quite personal, it’s worth spending some time figuring this out with your partner.

It’s also worth mentioning friends and family might be eager to help. If you need it, there’s no shame in taking them up on this.

Baby Care Basics: Wrapping Up

First-time parents have a lot to take on board, and it could feel like an overwhelming experience. It leads to a lot of anxiety as you worry about how you can take care of them. You’ll have to know the essentials before the baby’s born, and that’s especially true of some baby care basics.

By knowing what to expect and how to handle it, you shouldn’t have much of a problem. There’ll still be a lot of work involved, and you could even feel yourself getting exhausted on more than a few occasions.

That’s natural and shouldn’t be anything to be ashamed of. You’ll still be getting your grips on everything, but knowing a few things beforehand makes this much easier.

4 Fun Weekend Activities To Do With Your Kids

July 7, 2023 by Wendy S

Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash

Weekends are tricky for parents as you want to have a rest but also need to keep your kids entertained and stimulated. It’s tempting to just sit back and let them run around the house or play video games for 48 hours straight, but you know that’s not a good idea.

Instead, you could make weekends more enjoyable by doing some activities together as a family. One day can be dedicated to doing an activity or two, while the other is there for you to all chill-out. With that in mind, here are some fun weekend activities that are suitable for families:

Escape Rooms

They sound scary, but escape rooms are suitable for children of all ages and they aren’t frightening in the slightest. As you can see you the Escape Ops website, most escape rooms involve a scenario of sorts. You and your family are “trapped” in a room and need to find the way out by completing a series of clues.

It’s a fun game for everyone as both you and your kids work together to get out. This is also a great one for stimulating their brain on the weekend, so they’re still learning stuff and developing. If you really want to spice things up, you and your partner can do an escape room alone and then the kids do the same one by themselves. Compete to see who does it the fastest!

Scavenger Hunts

You’ll be surprised how popular scavenger hunt games are these days. There are multiple providers who will basically put together a scavenger hunt across cities. Most of these events take place on mobile apps where you’re told where to go, what to look at, and are given lots of questions to answer.

It’s up to you and your kids to answer all the questions and make it to the final destination. If you have to collect things – like physical objects or photos of landmarks – you need to ensure they’re all ticked off before you end. The cool thing about this activity is that it lets you spend time with your kids outdoors. You’re enjoying the great weather while exploring your home city in a new way. Plus, most of these scavenger hunt things will have leaderboards on the app so you can compete with other people or families!

Science Experiments

This is a fun one to try if you fancy staying home over the weekend. Google “at-home science experiments for kids” and you’ll find hundreds of ideas. From the classic Coke and Mentos experiment to loads of other quirky ones – there are so many things to do.

In fact, here’s one idea below that lets you create a lava lamp at home with just a few ingredients:

Stuff like this is wonderful for kids as it keeps them entertained while teaching them cool new scientific things. Also, parents are guaranteed to learn new stuff as well! You’ll act like you knew what was happening in the experiments, but internally you’re freaking out at how cool they are.

As an extra bonus, science experiments are perfect for rainy days when you can’t go out and try some of the other activities on this list.

Bike Rides & Walks

You can’t go wrong with a family bike ride. Kids love an excuse to get on their bikes, so why don’t you join them? Look for family-friendly bike trails in your area and give one of them a go. Pack a little picnic while you’re at it so you can stop for a bite to eat while enjoying the open air.

If there are no bike trails near you, you could plan a bike ride to a local park or somewhere else. Just make sure there’s a safe route so your kids don’t have to ride on scary roads. Also, if you don’t have bikes, or would rather walk, then go for it. There are probably loads of walking routes or hiking paths near you to try. You could even drive to a local National Park and then proceed on foot for a fun family day out.

And on that note, you’ve come to the end of this post. As evidenced by the activities above, there are many ways to have fun on weekends with your kids. You’ll no longer be cooped up inside with children running around everywhere and can finally enjoy this time as a family.

You Don’t Have To Give Up Anything In Order To Be Healthy

May 2, 2023 by Wendy S

It’s important for you to understand that you do not have to give anything up in order to be healthy. This is where so many people go wrong because they start trying to cut out the things in life that they like. The problem with this is that it’s not sustainable, and it leads to people feeling as though they have failed when they eat a candy bar. This is not the way forward, and down below we’re going to be looking at some further information on this. Keep reading if you would like to find out more.

Source Credit – CC0 License

Everything In Moderation

First, you should ensure that you are having everything in moderation. Too much of anything can make you sick, and that’s why you have to be cautious going forward. You don’t want to end up as one of these people who is stuck in a cycle of trying to be nothing short of a health God, only to find yourself binging and collapsing a couple of weeks later. You need to enjoy the things that you like, take days off every now and then, and give yourself a break. Moderation is the key to life, so you want to make sure that you are balancing things out as and when you need to.

You Still Have Free Time

A lot of people think that leading a healthier lifestyle is going to take up so much of their time that they are no longer going to have any for the things that they enjoy. They might think that they are going to need to spend so much time meal prepping, exercising and whatever else, and they won’t be able to do things they enjoy like hanging out with their friends. But, this isn’t true. You can save time on meal preps by doing as many as you can, and checking out my favorite crockpot recipes that you don’t have to stress about. As for exercise, you can make this fun and you can do it with your friends!

See It As An Opportunity For Your Future

The last thing that we’re going to say is that you should see this as an opportunity for your future. Instead of seeing the changes in your life as a burden or a negative thing, you could try seeing them as positives. They are stepping stones for your future and that’s exactly what you need. If you have a more optimistic outlook on life and the future of your health, then you’re going to find it much easier to make these changes, and stick to them going forward.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you need to know about being healthier going forward. You don’t need to give up some of the things that you love just so that you can live a healthier life, because you don’t need to give up anything at all entirely. We wish you the very best of luck, and hope that you manage going forward.

How To Spend More Quality Time With Your Kids

May 2, 2023 by Wendy S

Credit – Pixabay CC0 License

Having children is the greatest journey that you’ll ever encounter. However, there is no doubt that it passes in the blink of an eye. Therefore, taking the necessary steps to maximize the joys of family life is essential for all parents. Spending more quality time with the kids should be at the very top of your agenda.

While it may feel like trying to navigate a minefield, the truth is that simple steps can make a big impact. Here are some of the most effective ways to achieve your goal.

Involve The Kids In Cooking

Young children won’t be very enthusiastic about cleaning duties, although playing games can make tidying up more fun. Thankfully, most kids are more receptive to joining you in the kitchen. As long as you make it enjoyable.

The key is to look for recipes that provide tasty results and won’t take up too much time. This peanut brittle recipe in the microwave is a great example that will soon become a family favorite. The time spent preparing the meals together should deliver magical memories.

Other options may include baking pizzas, making smoothies, and growing simple fruits in the garden.

Choose The Right Family Trips

Family days out are an opportune moment to do things you like with the people you love. Sometimes it’s great to simply see your children enjoying an activity or event that is aimed at them. In short, their happiness will put a smile on your face.

Still, it’s important to consider activities where you can participate too. Choosing camping trips instead of the hotel vacation where children spend most of their time in kids’ camps can work wonders. Meanwhile, family sporting activities are great days out.

When you look back on those memories, it’s far better if you played a central role rather than sit on the peripherals.

Credit – Pixabay CC0 License

Embrace Their Hobbies

One of the best ways to enjoy quality time together is to share a hobby. As a parent, allowing your child to lead the way can be one of the best decisions you ever make. The fact that they’ll associate you with their favorite pastime is a game changer.

If your child loves a particular sport, you should support them. Any artistic or creative endeavor should be embraced too. Whether it means attending parent-child classes to learn an instrument or training together in the backyard is up to you. It can become a new routine.

Seeing your child’s development, along with your own, is sure to make it more rewarding for both of you. Perfect.

Lose Unnecessary Distractions

Oftentimes in life, the biggest improvement is to remove negatives from your life. This is especially true when wanting to spend more time with your kids. While you cannot forget other responsibilities, several tasks can be dropped to save valuable time.

For example, if you spend a lot of time on social media, putting a block on platforms with these apps is ideal. Alternatively, you could look to automate daily tasks or outsource a portion of your work. Either way, the benefits will become instantly noticeable.

When combined with the active effort to improve the times you spend together, incredible results are assured.

Discover Your Ideal Sleep Habits While Traveling

April 11, 2023 by Wendy S

Do you struggle to sleep when on the road? If you’re like most people, your answer likely is “not as well as I’d like.” It can be challenging to get a good night’s rest in an unfamiliar bed or when trying to adjust to a new time zone. In this blog post, we’ll look at some of the best sleeping habits for travelers and provide some tips for getting adequate shut-eye while away.

Photo by Kinga Howard on Unsplash

Maintain a Schedule

One of the best ways to maximize your sleep while traveling is keeping an even schedule. Try keeping the same bedtime and wake up time that you have at home; this will help your body’s internal clock adjust more quickly when traveling between time zones, making it simpler to fall asleep in new beds.

Make Your Room Sleep-Friendly

Making the bedroom sleep-friendly can help ensure a restful environment for you and yours. Create an environment that promotes good sleep no matter where you are. Invest in some comfortable bedding or bring a special pillow from home, if possible. Furthermore, utilize blackout curtains or light-blocking shades so your room remains dark even during daylight hours.

Avoid Consuming Caffeine or Alcohol Late in the Day

Caffeine and alcohol should not be consumed late in the day. Late-night consumption of alcohol and caffeine should be avoided, as they can lead to sleep disruptions the following morning. Green tea is a better alternative than coffee if you need an energy boost throughout the day.

Be Relaxed Before Sleeping

Before going to bed, take some time for relaxation. Take a warm bath, read a book, or meditate – whatever works best for you. Ultimately, this will help you feel calmer and more prepared when bedtime finally arrives.

CBD Oil

Are you searching for a way to get some rest and relax? CBD oil could be just what you need. It has long been recognized for its sedative effects, including decreasing anxiety levels, improving sleep quality and decreasing inflammation. CBD oil may even provide natural ways to enhance your travel-related sleep habits!

Get Some Fresh Air

Getting some exercise during the day can help you sleep better at night. If your hotel or Airbnb has a balcony, take some time to sit outside and soak up some sun; this will reset your internal clock and make it easier to drift off at night.

Limit Technology Before Bed

Finally, try to limit your technology use before bed. Blue lights from screens can make it difficult for your body to relax and prepare for sleep, so turn off the TV and put away your phone so that you can get the best possible rest while traveling.

Follow these tips for getting a good night’s sleep while traveling and staying energized throughout your trip. Maintaining a regular sleep schedule, prepping your room for better rest, avoiding caffeine and alcohol late in the day, exercising during downtime, taking short naps if needed, relaxing before bedtime with CBD oil for calming effects, and getting some fresh air are all great ways to ensure adequate rest when on-the-go. With these strategies in hand, you’ll be well on your way to feeling rested and rejuvenated whenever you travel!

3 Tips To Look After Your Kids

February 23, 2023 by Wendy S

Image Credit: 0fjd125gk87 from Pixabay.

First-time parents always have a lot to learn about child-rearing. Only a certain amount of this can be learned from reading books, and sometimes you’ll have to learn as you go. That, in itself, can be a stressful prospect, as you wouldn’t want to do it wrong. You’ll want to know how to look after your kids from the get-go.

Using a few practical and easy-to-use tips will help with this. With a little effort, you’ll make sure your kids are well taken care of. It’s worth looking at three of the top tips you can use for it.

How To Look After Your Kids: 3 Top Tips

1. Set Limits & Be Consistent

Sometimes, your kids will do something they shouldn’t do. For them to know they’re not supposed to do this, you’ll have to set limits with them first. Once they know it’s something they shouldn’t do, they’re less likely to do it. There could still be times when they do, however.

When this happens, you’ll need to be consistent with how you discipline them. If they think there’s a chance they won’t be disciplined – or not as much as they should be – it could work as encouragement for them to do something they shouldn’t. Avoid this by being as consistent as possible from the start.

2. Bring Them To Appointments

Your kids will have countless appointments to go to throughout their life, and you’ll be responsible for bringing them to many of them. That’ll be the case at least until adulthood. From the doctor to the dentist, make sure you don’t skip any of these.

It not only makes sure they’re healthy and safe, but gives them a great habit and example for the future. They’ll be more likely to go to their appointments in adulthood now that they’ve gotten used to it. Make sure to give them this habit.

3. Boost Their Self-Esteem

When you’re figuring out how to look after your kids, you could focus mainly on their physical health and well-being. You shouldn’t overlook their self-esteem and similar areas, however. How they feel about themselves is vital to their development, so you’ll need to put effort into boosting their self-esteem.

There are multiple ways to do this. Celebrate their achievements, no matter how small they might seem to you. The more you do this, the better your kids will feel about themselves. It’ll give them a greater sense of wellbeing while being confident in themselves. Don’t overlook this.

How To Look After Your Kids: Wrapping Up

Figuring out how to look after your kids from the start can be a stressful experience for many first-time parents. You wouldn’t want to make any mistakes, and you’ll want to do everything right. That could be more than enough to get yourself worked up about. All you’d need to do is follow the right tips.

Boosting your child’s self-esteem, setting limits and being consistent with them, and bringing your kids to all the necessary appointments are vital for this process. With a little time, you’ll find yourself doing amazing while stressing less about it.

Get More Fruit and Veg Into Your Diet

January 20, 2023 by Wendy S

It’s pretty normal for children to be picky about vegetables. But when you’re an adult, you don’t necessarily want to feel like your diet is limited by a dislike of fruits and veggies. If you feel like you don’t get enough fruit and veg, it could also be because you’ve simply fallen into a pattern of not using them in your meals. The occasional meal with no vegetables isn’t a big deal, but if you’re rarely eating them, it’s likely your diet isn’t very balanced or complete. Luckily, there are things you can do if you want to get more fruit and veg in your diet.

Image by Dominik & Frederike Schneider from Pixabay

Count Fruit as Dessert

Looking forward to your dessert at the end of a meal can be a good motivation to eat a main course that might not be that interesting. But dessert doesn’t have to be cake or something else that’s filled with sugar. Fruit can make a great dessert, or it can be included in your dessert as an ingredient. If you want to learn how to make ice cream strawberry flavored, click here for a recipe. A piece of fruit on its own can be tasty, but there are also plenty of things you can do with fruit if you want to make a more interesting dessert.

Eat Vegetables as Snacks

Snacking throughout the day can keep you going between meals. Some people even snack all day or have small meals instead of three big ones. However, many snacks can be less healthy than ideal. If you want to eat healthier snacks, both fruits and vegetables make good snacks. But fruit can be high in sugar, which means vegetables are often the better choice. They can be made more interesting with a healthy dip or combined with things like peanut butter or some seasoning to add flavor.

Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay

Try Out New Things

When was the last time you tried a new fruit or vegetable? We tend to stick to what we know, especially when it comes to preparing different ingredients. However, trying something new can open up a new world and allow you to explore lots of different recipes and cuisines. Next time you shop for groceries, consider getting something that you’ve never eaten before or never cooked with before. You’re sure to find plenty of ways to use it, whether it’s something you want to cook with or try raw.

Have Smoothies and Juices

Smoothies and juices are excellent for getting more fruit and veggies into your diet. You can put so many different things in them, from strawberries to spinach. You can make sweet drinks or go for a more savoury flavor profile, depending on what you prefer. They can be good for your breakfast in the morning, or they can make excellent pre- or post-workout fuel to give you the energy and hydration that you need. You can try out so many different flavors.

Getting more fruits and vegetables into your diet can help you be healthier and give you more energy too.

How to Cook Healthy Meals When You’re Short on Time

December 29, 2022 by Wendy S

Cooking healthy meals can be a challenge, especially when you’re short on time. It’s easy to resort to fast food or processed meals when you’re busy, but these options are often high in calories, sugar, and unhealthy fats. However, it is possible to cook healthy meals even when you’re short on time. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Plan ahead

One of the biggest time-savers when it comes to healthy cooking is planning ahead. Take some time on the weekend to plan out your meals for the week, make a shopping list, and prep ingredients in advance. This can save you a lot of time during the week, as you won’t have to spend as much time chopping vegetables, cooking grains, or portioning out protein sources. Planning ahead can also help you stay organized and ensure that you have all the ingredients you need to make healthy meals.

Keep a well-stocked pantry

Having a well-stocked pantry can be a lifesaver when you’re short on time. Keep a variety of healthy staples on hand, such as whole grains (such as quinoa and brown rice), canned beans, canned tomatoes, frozen vegetables, and nuts and seeds. These ingredients can be used to create a variety of healthy meals in a pinch. For example, you can make a quick grain bowl by combining cooked grains with canned beans, frozen vegetables, and a homemade dressing. Or, you can create a healthy soup by simmering canned tomatoes and beans with frozen vegetables and spices.

Image Source – CC0 License

Use your slow cooker

Slow cookers are a great way to cook healthy meals when you’re short on time. Simply add ingredients to the slow cooker in the morning, and you’ll have a healthy and delicious meal ready for dinner. Slow cookers are great for making soups, stews, and braises, which are all perfect for busy weeknights. Slow cookers are also a great way to cook tough, inexpensive cuts of meat, as the long cooking time helps to tenderize the meat and make it more flavorful. This guide on how to cook white chicken chili in an instant pot is a good example of what you can do with a slow cooker.

Use convenience items

While it’s always best to cook from scratch, there are some convenience items that can help you save time without sacrificing nutrition. For example, pre-cut vegetables and fruit, rotisserie chicken, and canned tuna can all be used to create quick and healthy meals. Just be sure to read the labels and choose options that are lower in sodium and added sugars. Pre-cut vegetables, for instance, can be added to stir-fries, omelets, or grain bowls to add nutrition and flavour without requiring any prep time.

Try one-pot meals

One-pot meals are a great option when you’re short on time, as they require minimal prep and clean-up. Some examples include chili, soup, and pasta dishes. These meals can be made in advance and easily reheated for a quick and healthy dinner. One-pot meals are also a great way to use up any leftover ingredients you have in the fridge, as you can throw them all into the pot and create a delicious and nutritious meal.

3 Effects Of Childhood Stress On Health

December 21, 2022 by Wendy S

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Childhood stress is common but not easily noticed until signs, and symptoms get out of hand. It often occurs when young children feel compelled to adapt to sudden changes different from the routine such as divorce, bereavement, bullying at school, teen problems, learning difficulties, and so on. It is necessary to pay attention to the phenomenon, considering that 5% of kids aged 5 to 17 years have anxiety issues while 17% live with unmanaged mental health disorders. It all starts with parents knowing the effects of childhood stress.

Persistent complaints of upset stomach or other localized pain

When children persistently complain about pains that cannot be explained through medical means, you might be dealing with a stressed child. These vague pains may be in the stomach, lower abdominal region, head, limbs, or other body parts. As a parent or guardian, it is important to use every means to ascertain the authenticity of these pain complaints. Your stressed child may want more attention from you and feels the only way to get it is to talk about pain. This is a reality that some parents face with young kids.

Other times, however, the pain is real and not made up. It happens because cortisol (stress hormone) is released rapidly into their blood. As a result of the increased anxiety, this hormone triggers pain in the stomach or other body parts. Therefore, when your young children complain persistently of such pains, it is recommended to see the pediatrician. It is better to first rule out any medical problems before tackling the psychological and emotional side.

Nightmares and recurring fears can trigger mental health issues

The fears, doubts, and disturbing thoughts stressed kids feel in their everyday lives can be transferred into their dreams. Unfortunately, these are not sunshine and flower dreams; far from that. Nightmares become persistent and can trigger a fear of sleeping at night. A lack of quality sleep can consequently trigger headaches and eye pain. Remember that a stressed child has so much going on in their head. Therefore, if the cause of their anxiety is from recently divorced parents, their nightmares would likely be centred on being left alone with monsters chasing them.

The loneliness element is from the uncertainty they feel because of the divorce. Meanwhile, the monster in these nightmares represents the negative emotions clawing at their brains and hearts. As a parent, this can be a disturbing and difficult moment. The frequency of these nightmares may manifest in your child’s active hours. For instance, they may refuse to be left alone in their rooms. Some children may also show a disturbing, manic fear of the dark. Although most young children show nervousness in the dark, those dealing with childhood stress exhibit heightened trepidation. Fortunately, there is help as mental health institutes like The Insight Clinic have experience in dealing with child and adolescent issues. Your actions can help save your child’s mind in adulthood.

Drastic changes in what used to be a healthy eating habit

Eating habits can swing either way. A stressed child may show extreme hunger and eat everything in sight, while others lose their appetite. Naturally, children experiencing growth spurts have increased appetites and often eat more during those milestones. The concern, however, is when they eat more than necessary and do not feel satiated. Excessive hunger can be an emotional manifestation of heightened stress.

An adult living with it eats more than necessary to fill a void they perceive within. The same thing happens to young children, and it is your responsibility as a parent to make these timely observations. It would help to engage your kids in healthy conversations to get to the root cause of an over-dependence on food. Sometimes, also, the opposite happens. A persistent appetite loss means your child lacks vital nutrients to aid healthy development.

Sudden bedwetting

According to pediatric data, most children have full bladder control by age five. In others, this may be delayed until age seven. This, however, is during non-sleeping hours. It is believed that by age six, most children have matured central nervous systems that take over bladder control when asleep. There are variations, though. The problem is when your child has already gained full bladder control for at least six months and starts bedwetting. When it is not a medical problem with their bladder, it might be the effects of childhood stress.

If you haven’t yet discovered the source of their stress, it is better to seek help from a pediatric behavioural specialist. Notably, some kids can hide signs of stress from their parents or guardians. This occurs more often when they are bullied in school. As parents, it is critical to keep a keen eye on any changes in your children. The more you detect, the better the chances of offering timely help.