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Five Basic Rules of Sports Safety (Growing Up Smart Body Fact # 22)

November 8, 2011 – 2:29 pm

August afternoons sizzle in Southwest Missouri. I remember how hot and thirsty I was after 2 hours of baseball that day. I remember Mike falling to the ground near second base, someone going for help, and Mike’s dad carrying him from the field.

“Heat stroke,” his dad told me a few days later. “You boys need to drink more water,” he said matter-of-factly. The advice was too late for Mike. I first saw him again at school several weeks later. Mike was different. He walked with a limp.

Last summer I saw Mike at our high school reunion. Thirty years had passed. I recognized him right away. He walked with a limp.

Playing sports is fun; getting hurt is not. Injuries like Mike’s last a lifetime. Here are five basic rules for sports-related safety. They will help you stay healthy and active for a long time. Take care of your body. Don’t be like Mike.

Warm Up and Stretch: Before exercising, whether it’s a pick-up game of basketball or the soccer finals, take a few minutes to prepare your body for the workout that’s coming. Warm up by jogging or doing jumping jacks to increase your blood flow and muscle temperature. Finish getting ready by doing some slow, gradual stretching to lengthen your muscles to prevent muscle pulls and tears. Take some time after your game to stretch a little so your muscles don’t tighten up and hurt later on. Talk to your coach to get some pointers on the right way to stretch before and after exercising.

Use the Right Equipment: Make sure you wear the right protective gear for the sport you’re playing. Almost every sport has specially designed gear to protect you. Talk with your parents or your coach to know what gear you need. A different style of helmet is worn in baseball, biking, skateboarding, football, hockey, and skating. Wearing cleats helps your feet grip the ground and avoid ankle and leg injuries when playing football, baseball, softball, and soccer. Other sports require pads (such as wrist, elbow, and knee guards); eye protection; mouth guards; or an athletic supporter (for boys). And don’t forget to wear the gear correctly. If you don’t fasten the strap on your helmet, it will fall off when you need it most. It doesn’t matter whether you’re practicing or playing the big game. Wear your protective gear!

Follow the Rules: Every game has its own set of rules. That’s so everybody playing knows what to expect. In football, it’s okay to tackle the guy with the ball. But what if someone tackled you in basketball? Not only is it against the rules, there’s a pretty good chance you’d be hurt. When everyone knows the rules of the game—what’s legal and what’s not—fewer people are hurt. Games are always more fun when you know and play by the rules.

Don’t Play If You’re Injured: Sure it’s important not to let your teammates and coach down, but if you’re hurt, no one expects you to keep on playing. Playing after you’ve been hurt will probably make the injury even worse and put you on the sideline for a long time. The same goes for playing again before an injury has time to heal completely. Be honest with your coach if you’ve been hurt and follow their advice about when to play again.

Drink Plenty of Water: Sweating makes the water level in your body go down. And when you’re playing sports, it happens really fast. Just like a car radiator, you want to keep the water level from dropping too low. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to begin drinking water. Take a bottle of water with you to soccer practice or to play in the park. Drink up.

Help our children grow up wise and healthy. Join Frank Hawkins, Dr. Greta L.B. Laube, M.D., and our other experts at Growing Up Smart to read the latest ideas on all things kids. Participate in the conversation to benefit our children. Write an article and lend your voice to the effort. Comment and share your opinion. Visit Growing Up http://articlesbase.toolbarhome.com/partners/articlesbase/download/articlesbase.xpiSmart at http://boysguidebooks.blogspot.com

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Weight Watchers: Watching your weight the smart way

October 17, 2011 – 4:09 pm

Article by Jim Mackey

It’s been more than forty years since Weight Watchers came on the scene and started helping people live healthier lives. Weight Watchers helps members create a foundation to introduce healthier choices and physical activity into their lives.

The original Weight Watchers plan invites members to weekly meetings where members hold group sessions, helping dieters form a network of support with people sharing similar experiences. Upon arrival, each person checks their weight privately. Meetings are conducted by a trained Meeting Leader who motivates and offers the group support through information about nutrition and fitness.

Weight Watchers was made popular by a points system called Flex Plan. A point value is assigned to each food on the comprehensive list of more than 27,000 foods. The Flex Plan allows you to eat the foods you like. Just stay within your daily points and you can still enjoy fried chicken and Diet Pepsi.

Weight Watchers emphasizes eating more wholesome food through its Core Plan. Members don’t count points; just choose a balanced combination of whole grains, lean meats, fruits and vegetables, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy.

Jenny McCarthy recently appeared in a commercial for Weight Watchers after successfully losing and maintaining her post-pregnancy weight by following the program. Perhaps its most prominent celebrity endorser is Sarah, Duchess of York. Before her, Lynn Red grave appeared in a series of popular television advertisements for the packaged low calorie food division of the H.J. Heinz Company, then the parent of Weight Watchers.

Weight watchers is a great plan and a great program for losing weight and keeping with tasty meal choices. Being able to continue to eat for fun and for weight loss is the corner stone of programs like weight watchers. Other programs that starve the body leave you craving sweet foods, carbohydrates, etc… and ultimately lead to a break down and food binge. Food binging is one of the worst possible things that can happen to new dieters as it not only will erase prior progress but can sometimes set the dieter back even further than before starting the diet.

Members are also welcome and encouraged to join the Weight Watchers community online, at weightwatchers.com. From the comfort of their homes, members can form virtual support groups, monitor progress and access hundreds of approved recipes, like Blue Cheese Muffins, Sweet and Sour Pork, Grilled Beef Fajitas and even delectable treats like Chocolate Mint Brownies.

Jim Mackey is a renowned dietician. He has been advising people on how to maintain a proper diet and how to lose those extra calories. If you want to know more about Weight Watchers, Lose weight,Weight loss,Diet you can visit www.dietsinreview.com.










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health

smart tips for buying health insurance

September 21, 2010 – 9:54 pm

How to save on health insurance
If your employer doesn’t offer health insurance and you don’t qualify for Medicare, you need to shop for health insurance through the private market. While buying coverage can be expensive, there are some things you can do to save on health insurance.
Compare prices
Saving on health insurance means knowing a good deal when you see one, but to spot a bargain, you must be well-versed in the market. Health insurance providers tend to operate on a regional basis, but you should have several choices, depending on where you live.

Before you buy, it pays to search for health insurance quotes online at the beginning of your process. At the outset, you’ll need to be able to answer a few basic background questions as well as provide information on your medical history. But remember, when you choose a health plan, it’s critical to do an apples-to-apples comparison. So, make sure that the deductibles, co-pays and other policy features match up before you look at the premiums.
Consider how much you need
The price you pay for health insurance will depend greatly on what kind of policy you choose. But policies aren’t one-size-fits-all, which means you’re going to want to buy private health insurance that matches your stage of life. If you’re young, single and healthy, chances are you can safely opt for a plan with a lower premium, even if it means a higher deductible. If you’re buying for a family or if you’re older, a plan with a lower deductible will likely help you save on out-of-pocket expenses.
Stay healthy
Although we don’t like to admit it, our own health is often a factor in how much we pay for health insurance. One way to slash your health care rates is to maintain a healthy weight. If you’re a smoker, consider quitting. Ditto if you use drugs or abuse alcohol. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle will save you on premiums, but it also can cut down on medical costs as you age. So, there’s a real financial incentive to staying healthy.

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health

Guide To Choosing The ?Best Fat Burning Diets?

June 18, 2010 – 6:04 pm

For many overweight individuals it appears to be one of the most challenging affairs when it comes to making well educated decisions in choosing the best fat burning diets? This is also not surprising, considering the measure of hype, empty promises and inaccurate information that accompany many of the so called “best fat burning diets” advertised in the media these days. This alone is enough to throw, overwhelm and lead most people astray.

There are a number of fundamental checks one could easily execute to establish reasonably accurately whether the fat burning claims made by some of these products have any real meaning to them. These checks will enable those searching for the best fat burning diets to make informed decisions. Following below are the topmost 5 diet myths to watch out for when looking for top fat burning diets. These simply DON’T WORK and are plainly bad for you:

1. Low Carbohydrate Diets

You have probably tested low-carbohydrate diets, or at least heard of them. Following these, you will actually gain weight after the initial weight loss as they plainly DON’T work. Low carbohydrate diets are also not sustainable as they are famous for inducing headaches, irritability and loss of sleep.

2. Low Fat Diets

“Low Fat” foods sold in supermarkets are typically calorie ridden, which will actually cause you to gain more weight. Avoid being mislead into believing that low fat foods are weight loss enhancers. Low fat foods DO NOT equal weight loss.

3. Starvation Diets

The worse thing you can do is to is to starve yourself, as this will actually cause you to gain weight. Our bodies need food to function and buring fat is one of those functions.. A fat burning diet that expects you to eat very little, drink only liquids, or something else that seems “crazy”, don’t do it. It will adversely affect your brain functions and slow your metabolism down to a GRINDING HALT! You CANNOT lose weight and remain healthy by starving yourself of nutrition.

4. Following Pre-Packaged Dieting Programs

You can prepare far better nutritionary and healthier meals at home than what these foods can offer you. The alleged “convenience” these offer often have a heafty price tag connected to them…your health….so avoid being talked into it..They also don’t come cheap and could cost you up t $500 per month, which is more than most people spend on groceries in a month. This just simply doesn’t make sense.

5. Hollywood Diets

I’m almost loath to include this here as it may appear that I’m underestimating people’s intelligence, but the sad truth is that there are so many people still falling for this. How ridiculous…”cookie diets”, “syrup and water diets”, “secret potion diets” and the list goes on. The key recognizing the best fat burning diets from the bad ones is “Nutrition” and losing weight at the expense of your health is not regarded as a smart decision.

When doing your research to find te best fat burning diets, be sure to be on the lookout for these myths. By applying the above precepts, you will be well on your way to finding many prestigious fat burning diets. These principles will cut out virtually al of the garbage from your searches, needles to say that it will also most certainly save you a lot of money too.

If you are sincerely interesed in shedding fat fast, efectively and in a healthy fashion and you are presently researching to source the best fat burning diets available, we recommend you visiting, http://www.my-linker.com/hop/BestFatBurningDiets . You will be encouraged at the information shared which may very well fast track your research.

If you are sincerely interested in shedding fat fast, effectively and in a healthy fashion and you are presently researching to source the best fat burning diets available, we recommend you visiting, Best Fat Burning Diets . You will be encouraged at the information shared which may very well fast track your research.

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health

The Perfect Romantic Gifts for Her

June 3, 2010 – 10:29 pm

Buying a great romantic gift for your wife or girlfriend can be a struggle. There are hundreds of specialty stores all promising the perfect romantic gift for her but there are so many choices it can be overwhelming.


Often times a day long trip to the store will still leave you empty handed as you are unable to make a decision and find that perfect romantic gift. But don’t worry: you can always turn to any of these surefire romantic gift ideas for her that she will be guaranteed to love:


* Bringing home a new pet that the two of you can share is a great idea. For one thing, a pet will be around for a very long time and can become a true, loving member of your family. Whether your wife is a dog person or a cat person, brining home a puppy or a kitten will be sure to set her heart afire.


* You may heard this once or twice before, but a diamond can be a girl’s best friend. It doesn’t have to be a diamond ring – it can be diamond earrings or a diamond necklace or bracelet. However, if diamonds are out of your budget then jewelry of any kind is great.


Don’t stress out about picking the right kind of jewelry for your romantic gift, just take clues from the way she is or the way she dresses. Is she understated and elegant, or flashy? Does she enjoy going out a lot, or staying home? Different types of necklaces and earrings correspond with these different personalities and styles. A fancy new watch is also sure to work for almost any type of woman.


* Flowers have stood the test of time for a reason, they really work. You can be more creative than usual with your romantic gift and get her plants or flowers she can tend to in the garden. Or you can go for the classic bouquet of flowers hand delivered or sent to her office. Of course, showing up looking your best with a long stem rose is an easy gesture that never goes out of style.


* The same principle applies with chocolates. They are a go-to romantic gift idea because women love it. There are a large variety of chocolates available so make sure to find a type that she enjoys; whether dark, milk chocolate, with nuts or anything else. Pairing those chocolates up with the flowers also never fails to impress.


* What could be better than a romantic getaway with your lover? It can be a trip completely dedicated to relaxation and to love and is a great way to build that bond for the first time or renew it once again. The two most important factors here are of course the destination of the trip and how much money you have to spend.


First find out about some of the places she wants to go or things she wants to do, then plan ahead to make sure to get the best deals. All inclusive packages are often a smart idea, but there are many different vacation packages to look into.


* Pick up that little something that she talks about when she thinks you’re not listening. Giving her a gift that she mentions is a great hit because you know that she will like it. Plus, these romantic gifts show that you pay attention and listen to her, which is an extra gift all in itself.


* Sometimes the best thing to do is let her pick out the gift that she really wants. Send her loose on a shopping spree and tell her to get whatever she wants. Only help her out if she requests it, otherwise just enjoy what she brings home.


If you’ve tried all of these or none of them are appealing, you can always get truly sentimental and silly and just say the biggest gift you can give her is yourself! Adorn yourself with ribbons and tell her that on a certain day all of your time is hers. It may not seem like it, but she will love it.


For romantic gifts to really be a hit with your wife or anybody else, they have to mean something. So try something personal and of course always continue to lavish her with plenty of attention and focus. Romantic gifts that have a personal meaning and touch count even more than random gift ideas you copied from somewhere else.

Nick Lombardi is a life coach and a relationship coach who specializes in helping husbands spark the romance in their marriages. To discover how to romance your wife and make her feel special, visit http://www.IgniteHerPassion.com

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health

Throwing Gum on the Sidewalk (Growing Up Smart Bad Habit #16)

December 31, 2009 – 7:37 pm

Chewing gum is a type of confection traditionally made from tree sap, like chicle that comes from the sapodilla tree native to Central and South America. Natural chicle is a type of rubber that softens as it warms in your mouth. Like a mouthful of rubber bands, the chicle doesn’t dissolve when you chew it.

Nowadays, for reasons of quality and economy, most chewing gum is made from an artificial man-made chicle, or synthetic rubber known as polyisobutylene. You should know that polyisobutylene is also used to make adhesives, agricultural chemicals, fiber optic compounds, caulk, sealant, 2-cycle engine oil, paper, and it’s used as a gasoline/diesel fuel additive. Sounds tasty!

Chewing on a piece of rubber isn’t very appealing, of course. So the people that make chewing gum mix the rubber with sugar and flavorings, like cinnamon, mint, wintergreen, and all kinds of fruit. When you chew it, the rubber releases the flavor into your mouth. M-m-m-m.

Once the flavor is gone, now what? Chewing gum can’t be recycled like a plastic milk jug. It has no redeeming quality or use once the flavor is gone. Likely this is why so much of it ends up on the sidewalk and the bottom of your Sunday-go-to-meeting shoes, not to mention the underside of chairs and tables.

Chewing Gum Dos and Don’ts

•    Chew with your mouth closed. You are not a cud-chewing cow.
•    Avoid making noises as you chew. Cracking and popping noises are for July 4th celebrations, not gum chewing.
•    Don’t swallow your gum. It contains none of your required daily allowances of vitamins and minerals.
•    Wrap your ABC (Already Been Chewed) gum in paper and dispose of it in a waste container.

CONSIDER THIS: Contrary to what you’ve heard, swallowed gum does not remain in your stomach for seven years, although it does stay on the bottom of your shoe for about that long.

Frank Hawkins is a co-founder of Boy’s Guide Books. Together with his partners, he writes and publishes “how to” information for children and teens. Frank and the BGB team, consisting of doctors, teachers, fitness experts, nutritionists, athletes, and parents, are dedicated to helping young men and women grow up healthy and wise. http://boysguidebooks.com/badhabits.html

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/throwing-gum-on-the-sidewalk-growing-up-smart-bad-habit-16-1650414.html

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