Breakfast May Prevent Childhood Obesity

The advice we all got from our moms is true  breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, especially for kids

Breakfast gives kids the energy to start their day, and it improves learning and behavior as well. And now new research shows that it can also help keep them at a healthy weight.

“When your kids skip breakfast, they tend to be so hungry by snack or lunch time that they overeat,” says Cleveland Clinic registered dietitian Kate Patton.

Obesity linked with skipping breakfast

A new study followed 625 kids as they progressed from the fourth to sixth grades to find out how often they ate cereal in the morning. They were all children who lived in a low-income minority community, where American kids are at the greatest risk of obesity.

Children who said they ate cereal every morning averaged in the 65th percentile for Body Mass Index (BMI), which is considered a healthy weight. Children who ate cereal only half the time ranked in the 95th percentile for BMI, putting them in the overweight category. They also had lower intakes of essential nutrients.

“This is a problem that only gets worse as kids get older,” says Ms. Patton. “The number of kids who eat breakfast declines with age, putting teens and pre-teens at a greater risk of obesity as they enter adulthood.”

Good breakfast ideas for kids

Sure, cereals are easy and quick in the mornings, but Ms. Patton warns that not all cereals are created equal

“Look for cereals with whole grains and at least 3 grams of fiber per serving,” says Ms. Patton. “Read the labels for sugar and salt content too, and pick ones with no more than 10 grams of sugar and no more than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving.”

Some other ideas for a healthy breakfast:

•Fruit and yogurt (low-fat) parfaits topped with a whole grain cereal

•Whole grain waffles with fruit or nut butter spreads

•A breakfast burrito stuffed with egg, cheese, beans and salsa, or one made with peanut butter and banana

•Oatmeal with toppings like raisins, fruit (dried or fresh) or nuts

“Make sure your kids eat something every morning to start their day right and to help support a healthy weight,” Ms. Patton says.

PROUD MUM: GENEVIEVE FINALLY UNVEILS HER DAUGHTER, EBUKA NNAJI [PHOTOS]

SUNDAY BEST FOR YOUR FASHIONABLE DAUGHTER.....AWWWW SO CUTE

I WANT MY CHILD TO DO SOMETHING IMPORTANT WITH LIFE PART 1........TIPS

Children are born entitled. They are surrounded by adults who cater to their every need.

That’s fine when those things really are necessities: food, clothing, diapers and a place to get some sleep. Children grow up, though, and as they age, many come to define “needs” as an iPhone or a pair of expensive shoes. So how can parents teach their 21^st century kids to be more grateful and truly appreciate things?

    AFFIRMATION:  Sometimes one simple word of affirmation can change an entire life. So make sure your children know how much you appreciate them. And then, remind them every chance you get.

    ART. With the advent of the Internet, everyone who wants to create… can. The world just needs more people who want to…

    CHALLENGE:  Encourage your child to dream big dreams. In turn, they will accomplish more than they thought possible… and probably even more than you thought possible.

    COMPASSION/JUSTICE: Life isn’t fair. It never will be – there are just too many variables. But when a wrong has been committed or a playing field can be leveled, I want my child to be active in helping to level it.

    CONTENTMENT: The need for more is contagious. Therefore, one of the greatest gifts you can give your children is an appreciation for being content with what they have… but not with whom they are.

    CURIOSITY: Teach your children to ask questions about who, what, where, how, why, and why not. “Stop asking so many questions” are words that should never leave a parents’ mouth.

    DETERMINATION: One of the greatest determining factors in one’s success is the size of their will. How can you help grow your child’s today?

    DISCIPLINE: Children need to learn everything from the ground-up including appropriate behaviors, how to get along with others, how to get results, and how to achieve their dreams. Discipline should not be avoided or withheld. Instead, it should be consistent and positive.

    ENCOURAGEMENT:  Words are powerful. They can create or they can destroy. The simple words that you choose to speak today can offer encouragement and positive thoughts to another child. Or your words can send them further into despair. So choose them carefully.

    FAITHFULNESS TO YOUR SPOUSE. Faithfulness in marriage includes more than just our bodies. It also includes our eyes, mind, heart, and soul. Guard your sexuality daily and devote it entirely to your spouse. Your children will absolutely take notice.

    FINDING BEAUTY: Help your children find beauty in everything they see and in everyone they meet.

    GENEROSITY: Teach your children to be generous with your stuff so that they will become generous with theirs.

    HONESTY/INTEGRITY: Children who learn the value and importance of honesty at a young age have a far greater opportunity to become honest adults. And honest adults who deal truthfully with others tend to feel better about themselves, enjoy their lives more, and sleep better at night.

    HOPE: Hope is knowing and believing that things will get better and improve. It creates strength, endurance, and resolve. And in the desperately difficult times of life, it calls us to press onward.

    HUGS AND KISSES: I once heard the story of a man who told his 7-year old son that he had grown too old for kisses. I tear up every time I think of it. Know that your children are never too old to receive physical affirmation of your love for them.

    IMAGINATION. If we’ve learned anything over the past 20 years, it’s that life is changing faster and faster with every passing day. The world tomorrow looks nothing like the world today. And the people with imagination are the ones not just living it, they are creating it.

    INTENTIONALITY: I believe strongly in intentional living and intentional parenting. Slow down; consider who you are, where you are going, and how to get there. And do the same for each of your children.

    YOUR LAP: It’s the best place in the entire world for a book, story, or conversation. And it’s been right in front of you the whole time.

    LIFELONG LEARNING: A passion for learning is different from just studying to earn a grade or please teachers. It begins in the home. So read, ask questions, analyze, and expose. In other words, learn to love learning yourself.

     LOVE: but the greatest of these is love.

I LOVE BEING A WOMAN

Nothing more powerful + sacred than the bond between women. When we stop comparing & judging we allow ourselves to see how very alike we all are and how much we all need each other.

I love being a woman

HOW TO STRENGTHEN LOVING RELATIONSHIP IN THE FAMILY

Everyone’s relationship is unique, and people come together for many different reasons. But there are some things that good relationships have in common. Knowing the basic principles of healthy relationships helps keep them meaningful, fulfilling and exciting in both happy times and sad:

WHAT MAKES A HEALTHY LOVE RELATIONSHIP?

STAYING INVOLVED WITH EACH OTHER: Some relationships get stuck in peaceful coexistence, but without truly relating to each other and working together. While it may seem stable on the surface, lack of involvement and communication increases distance. When you need to talk about something important, the connection and understanding may no longer be there.

GETTING THROUGH CONFLICT:  Some couples talk things out quietly while others may raise their voices and passionately disagree. The key in a strong relationship, though, is not to be fearful of conflict. You need to be safe to express things that bother you without fear of retaliation, and be able to resolve conflict without humiliation, degradation or insisting on being right. 

KEEPING OUTSIDE RELATIONSHIPS AND INTERESTS ALIVE: No one person can meet all of our needs, and expecting too much from someone can put a lot of unhealthy pressure on a relationship. Having friends and outside interests not only strengthens your social network, but brings new insights and stimulation to the relationship, too.

COMMUNICATING: Honest, direct communication is a key part of any relationship. When both people feel comfortable expressing their needs, fears and desires, trust and bonds are strengthened. Critical to communication are nonverbal cues body language like eye contact, leaning forward or away, or touching someone’s arm.

PHOTOS: TUFACE IDIBIA'S YOUNGEST SON TURNS ONE

 His names are Innocent Ejeh Oluwakitan Idibia. He is Pero's son. She had him for Tuface Idibia last year. The little boy turned one today. Happy Birthday Cute

http://blessingheartt.blogspot.com

A 45 YEAR OLD WOMAN, EARNS UP TO £360 A DAY CUDDLING MEN AS THE UK'S FIRST 'PROFESSIONAL SNUGGLER'

Everybody loves a good cuddle, and one woman is capitalizing on people's need for regular hugs as the UK's first professional snuggler. Kitty Mansfield, from Ramsgate, Kent, opens her arms to people who 'crave intimacy' and want to cuddle up on the sofa, or even in her bed, and is earning up to £360 a day doing it. The 45-year-old is happy to get cosy in front of a film or while listening to music depending on what her customers want.

They can even stay the weekend as part of her B&B weekend deal, and get into bed with two women for a 'stereo snuggle' with Kitty and her second snuggler, Natalya 'It's a therapeutic service for people who want to be snuggled,' Kitty said. 'People can just come and talk, or they can snuggle wherever they want for as long as they want, People want to feel a connection’. It's something we have lost out on, touching has become a taboo.'

So much love to give: Kitty Mansfield opens her arms to people who crave intimacy and want to cuddle up on the sofa, or even in her bed

Dressed in her pajamas and slippers, Kitty charges £45 an hour for her 'Be Snuggled' business just by wrapping her arms around her clients at her seaside home. She even invites her clients to bring along their favorite pillow, blanket or teddy bear. Kitty said: 'From the moment we're born we want to be held, it's just natural. ‘I think certain people are better at snuggling than others, but as I like to be close to people, I think I do have a skill.’ Don’t cross the line: Kitty draws a line at full intimacy and cuddlers have to wear underwear at all times

The service, which is the first of its kind in the UK and just one of two in the world, is completely non-sexual. Kitty’s rules clearly state that 'any inappropriate requests or behavior will result in your immediate exit' and areas normally covered by underwear are off-limits. She insists that underwear must be worn at all times, and shorts and tank tops are prohibited - clients should wear pajamas or a t-shirt and tracksuit bottoms. Kitty launched the business after working as a holistic therapist for ten years, using the power of touch to soothe and heal.

Entrepreneur: Kitty launched her business, Be Snuggled, after 10 years working as a holistic therapist

But while her holistic massage has helped her clients deal with their aches and pains, she always felt that a part of the jigsaw was still missing. After heavily researching the benefits of 'snuggling', she opened Be Snuggled. She said: 'People love to be cuddled because it feels good and offers simple contact. However, not everyone has a suitable cuddling partner, somewhere out there someone is in serious need of human contact, yet he or she has no-one to turn to. At Be Snuggled, you will discover a safe, warm and non-judgemental oasis where you can step out of your everyday life, rediscover the pleasure of non-sexual snuggling and enjoy the many psychological and physiological benefits of cuddling. Kitty has also written a 'Cuddle Sutra' for her clients, which is filled with detailed descriptions and illustrations, before deciding exactly how they'd like to be snuggled. Cuddle Sutra: Kitty even has a list of different types of cuddles that her clients can choose from. Here she poses with 'snugglee' Mike Parker

Kitty's research has taught her there is a lot more to being snuggled than merely getting close to someone. 'One proven health benefit of cuddling is the release of oxytocin,' she said. 'Known as the feel-good hormone, oxytocin creates a sense of well-being and happiness. 'In addition, physical contact with others can lower blood pressure and reduce stress. 'But Kitty, who is separated, is aware that many will fail to understand the basics behind her Be Snuggled service. She said: 'People think it's weird for people to just want to be cuddled if it's not sexual. 'People have become so standoffish and political correctness has taken over. 'I think I will get some criticism because it's not a standard type of service I'm offering. 'But the way I see it, hostility is just a symptom of fear.'

MOM GIVES HER SON CIGARETTE TO SMOKE ON EASTER SUNDAY

A mom gave her son cigarette on Easter Sunday,According to Shanghai Style File, the toddler’s parents thought it was pretty funny. The Chinese toddler and his mum were spotted on Easter Sunday in a Shanghai park where she handed her tot a cigarette and then lit it for him. She smiled on as he smoked it… then laughed as he rolled on the ground when he felt sick...... Pictures below.

In my opinion she doesnt deserve the child much less being a mother!!!

 

 

 

 

 

WHY WOMEN LOSE INTEREST IN SEX

As you read this article, no less than one in three women you know are experiencing a loss of interest in sex. Loss of libido in women or low sexual desire is the most common problem for women. It affects anywhere between 33% to 70% women depending on how sexual desire is defined and reported.

It can happen to men too but because it only affects about half as many men as women, it is not men’s top sex problem. So what exactly does loss of libido mean for women and why does it happen? Experts in the field of sexuality have been consulted for causes and the possible treatment as well.

WHAT IS LOSS OF LIBIDO?

It is the lack of interest in sex for several months of the year” as defined by Edward Laumann lead author of “The Social Organization of Sexuality”. In short women know it when they don’t feel it’

“Low sexual desire is not a disease it is the understandable result of an imbalance in your life … in your relationship, circumstances or your body “as noted by Kathryn Hall PhD in “Reclaiming your sexual self: How you can bring desire back into your life”.

However just because loss of Libido in women is normal and common doesn’t mean you cannot fix it many women feel as if they are letting their partners down, they feel alienated and left out in today’s powerfully sexually –charged world where everybody from the models in lingerie, actors & actresses in movies to the Doctors on television seems to think of little else besides sex. It’s as if ‘you’re the only one who doesn’t get the JOKE!!!

 

Even worst losing interest in sex can drain the passion out of the rest of your life as well.

As noted by Esther Perel , a couple and Family Therapist in New York City and Author of Mating in Captivity: Reconciling the Erotic and the Domestic “I  saw this patient for eight years, she had no interest sexually; all she thought about was taking care of her husband n four children  and slowly all the other pleasures of life went too. Food, swimming everything about pleasing herself went one after the other. She was numb”

There are several things women can do to rekindle desire and bring passion and pleasure back into their lives. But the first step is to understand why you might have loss interest in the first place

1.  Biologically consequence

The biology of a woman plays a significant role in loss of libido. For women sex can have serious consequences a baby to take care of for the next twenty years. Not surprising that females are hardwired to approach sex with the sightless abandon than the male folk. It’s a control device pregnancy is a threatening condition for women it renders them vulnerable men on the other hand can actually afford to have sex at any time and moment.

 

2.  Social standards

The social standards of any society /culture can cause loss of libido in women.  We have found that the messages women get from the society is of a Double standard and it affects the libido of a woman. Men are looked at as Studs if they are sexually very active but the women are still called Sluts.

3.  Relationship

The quality of the relationship affects libido. For women desire is elicited in connection in the relationship. If we don’t talk and connect we don’t have sex while for Men, they connect in the sex. As a woman it is not what happens in the bedroom, their desire arises when they interact with their partners like touching, talking when they go shopping together etc.  That starts the sexual interest. Thus if the quality of these intimate but non sexual contacts isn’t being attended to Most women just won’t feel “in the mood”

1.  Hormones

Hormonal fluctuations with pregnancy, breast feeding (resulting in elevated prolactin level) and then the peri-menopause later in life can all reduce libido. Vaginal dryness which can result from declining estrogen levels can make sex painful. Testosterone levels also affect libido in men and women. However in women that hormone often pecks in their early mid-20s and declines from there until menopause, when levels drop dramatically.

 

Other causes of loss of libido would include changing life stages like having a baby, physical stress in the home, losing a job, watching kids leave home without being exhaustive can all trigger stress and dampen libido

TIPS FOR REKINDLING SEXUAL DESIRE

a.    Try selfishness to boast libido: the thing that inhibits desire most is women taking care of the kids, taking care of husband and every other person apart from themselves. Focus positively on yourself even in the presence of others and the desire will flow back.

b.    Small private pleasures: for the woman with four kids feeling asexual and numb to all pleasure, the focus should be on her own private pleasure so Hire a babysitter and go to the movies alone of course, enjoy fragrant leisure bath to remind herself that she deserves to feel pleasure. Start small and build.

c.    Reconnection with partners: for many couples to improve sexually it is important to repair the intimate connection.  Like a simply hug with both partners clothed until relaxed and at peace.  This reconnection maintaining your sense of self when you are emotionally and physically close to others is the foundation of passion in a relationship.

d.    Change of Scenery:

Passion feeds on newness and excitement …..Boredom is the enemy. When things get into a routine it hurts the libido. Get a hotel room even in your own town for a night to spice things up. Or change rooms in the house who said making love always has to happen in the bedroom?

e.    Be Realistic about expectations:

Women can take about three times as long or longer to reach orgasm as men and by some estimate only 26% of women report that they always have orgasms. But even without the Big O, women report still enjoying sex and feeling closer to their partners afterwards. So mentally shift gears from Mommy mode to Sex Goddess Mode. Also give yourself permission to try new things you just surprise yourself.