Eggs Extra!!

Eggcellent Recipe – Creme Caramel


Ingredients

175g white caster sugar
150ml milk
275ml cream
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Make the caramel by melting sugar in a saucepan for five minutes. Pour 2/3 caramelized sugar into bowl and coat sides.

To make the custard, heat milk and cream in the saucepan with the rest of the caramel over a gentle heat. Stir gently and remove pan from heat when everything has melted.

Break eggs into a large bowl. Pour hot liquid from saucepan into bowl and whisk in. Add vanilla essence and pour through a sieve into caramel-lined bowl.

Place the bowl in a baking tray and pour in enough hot water to fill 2/3 of the tray. Place in the center shelf of pre-heated oven for one hour until the custard is set. Cover with cling film when completely cold and chill it. Turn out and serve cold with cream.

Eggs Extra!!

Scrambled, poached, boiled, half-boiled, bull’s eye, sunny side up. These are some of the common ways the humble but very versatile egg can be prepared.

Eggs are an affordable and excellent source of nutrients. Eggs contain the highest quality source of protein and almost every essential vitamin and mineral. Besides being “nutrient dense” eggs are also affordable.

Eggs have suffered a bad reputation over high cholesterol. Here’s its actual nutritional content, it may surprise you!

Eggs For Your Eyes

Lutein and zeaxanthin in the yolk are carotenoids that have been shown to protect against macular degenaration, a serious age related eye disease. According to a study in the American Journal Of Clinical Nutrition, because of the yolk’s fats, caretenoids from eggs are better absorbed than those from plant sources.

Eggs During Pregnancy

Eggs have a significant level of folate and are one of the rare food sources of vitamin D and choline, which are essential for pregnant and lactating women. Eggs are also a source of the trace element, selenium, with two eggs providing 47% of the RDA.

Eggs For Ovo-Vegetarians

An excellent source of vitamin B12, eggs are useful for ovo-vegetarians and the elderly, who can find it difficult to cook and/or chew other animal derived food sources. Ovo-vegetarians are vegetarians who include eggs in their diet. Two eggs provide approximately 59mg of omega 3 fatty acids.

Eggs Instead Of Vegetables?

Two eggs provide over a quarter of the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) of vitamin A for children. Vegetables are usually the major source of dietary vitamin A, but as many children dislike vegetables, parents can serve eggs as an alternative source of this vitamin.

Eggs And Cholesterol

A rapidly growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that saturated fat, not dietary cholesterol, is the real culprit in raising blood, or serum, cholesterol levels. Studies conducted at the University of Arizona, the Harvard School of Public Health and others have concluded that the cholesterol levels of healthy people will probably remain the same even if they eat an egg a day.

In addition, the American Heart Association has amended its guidelines on eggs and there is “no longer specific recommendation on the number of egg yolks a person may consume in a week”.

Egg-cetera

* A hen requires 24 to 26 hours to produce an egg. Thirty minutes later, she starts all over again.
* White shelled eggs are produced by hens with white feathers and ear lobes. Brown shelled eggs are produced by hens with red feathers and ear lobes.
* To tell if an egg is raw or hard cooked, spin it! It wobbles if raw and spins easily if cooked.
* If an egg is accidentally dropped on the floor, sprinkle it heavily with salt for easy cleaning up.

The New Margarine – Healthier Than Butter

Butter was the bad boy on the block with its infamous artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol. Then margarine slid smoothly in to take the place of butter in many homes.

How did this happen? It was Emperor Louis Napoleon III of France who encouraged the invention of margarine as a substitute for butter. He had to feed his soldiers and the poorer French population with something that tasted like butter, but was cheaper.

Hippolyte Mege-Mouries, a chemist, rose to the challenge. He studied past inventions, modified some edible oils and churned out what was known as “oleomargarine”. Later, the name was shortened to “margarine”.

Margarine took off and the butter manufacturers were up in arms. For more than a century, the dispute between butter manufacturers and margarine makers was fierce. All political clouts were used. Restriction after restriction was drafted. No yellow food coloring allowed. No, margarine should not look like butter! It should be in its original white or stained pink, but not yellow like butter.

Then came the World Wars, with the Great Depression in between. Dairy products and butter dried up, and margarine became the staple breakfast spread. Butter was reserved only for the rich.

After the crises, the two groups returned to do battle in the marketplace. The powerful margarine lobby successfully fought the majority of legal restrictions and margarine products dominated the supermarket shelves.

Then the bad news! Something inside margarine called “trans fat” was supposedly killing everybody. Those who were not “killed” rushed back to butter. At least, butter came from nature. To die of saturated fat might be better than dying from trans fat, or so it seemed.

However, the truth is that both saturated fat and trans fat are notorious in raising cholesterol levels.

Trans fat is, of course, not good for anyone. When vegetable oil is infused with hydrogen atoms, it becomes semi-hard or solid. This is what is known as hydrogenation. This process is responsible for creating trans fat in margarine. The end products are usually packaged like stick butters.

Trans fat reduces good cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in our blood vessels. HDL carries cholesterol away from the arteries to the liver and subsequently, out of the body. Therefore, it does not need medical experts to tell us that low levels of HDL will increase the risk of heart disease.

To prevent being wiped out of the global marketplace, margarine producers brainstormed. Desperate situations required desperate measures, so scientists, food technologies, product specialists and skilled experts worked overtime. It was do or die!

There were many breakthroughs. New margarine variants with better health benefits began to appear. Who needed hydrogenated oil anyway? The healthier non-hydrogenated oil could produce much better margarine products.

Softer in texture, these new inventions are now marketed as “soft-tub” margarines. Most margarine manufacturers have rejected the unhealthy hydrogenation method. They now use tiny portions of modified palm kernel and palm oil to produce the same soft result. Made with all natural ingredients like canola, corn, safflower or sunflower oils, these products are not only cholesterol-free, but high in monounsaturated fat. They also contain Omega 3 and Omega 6, and some come with reduced salt and reduced fat variants.

Eureka! The new margarine products are very good for health – trans fat is reduced to a tiny fraction; saturated fat and total fat are near zero.

Around the world, many soft margarine products are making a strong comeback. You will notice new awareness campaigns and branding exercises flooding the market, with claims like “Trans-Fat Free”, “Non-Hydrogenated”, “No Cholesterol, 5% Less Saturated Fat Than Butter”, “100% Less Cholesterol Than Butter”, “50% Less Fat Ans Calories Than Butter”, “Good Source Of Vitamin E” and “100% Expeller-Pressed Oils”. Yes, the margarine industry is bouncing back.

Good old butter is back as the bad boy on the block. Unlike margarine, butter contains more saturated fat. The new margarine, on the other hand, is high in HDL. It is manufactured without or with very low amounts of trans fat.

So, you can add soft-tub margarine back on your marketing list. Most margarine products have as little as 0 to 2 gm of saturated fat per tablespoon serving. The “wow” factor is that some types of margarine contain up to 70% less saturated fat than real butter.

However, before buying margarine, you still need to read the labels. Choose a product that does not contain more than 2.0 gm of saturated fat per tablespoon. It should have no trans fat. Its primary ingredients should be liquid vegetable oil.

Unsaturated fats, especially polyunsaturated fats, are really great for your heart because they lower LDL. The guideline is that you should not have more than 30% of saturated fat in your daily diet. Trans fat is an absolute no-no.

So, boldly drop that tub of margarine in your shopping cart. The new margarine is not only healthier than butter, it is also easier to apply. When you take it out of the refrigerator, it is still soft. With all the value-added properties in the new margarine, it would be a shame to ignore.

High Cholesterol Level Risks

How To Lower High Cholesterol Risks

There are many good treatments for heart disease, arteriosclerosis and other serious conditions caused by high cholesterol. But it’s terrible shame to let things get that far when making changes now could prevent these life threatening illnesses. Reducing your high cholesterol risks is a crucial step.

So what should you do? First, go to the doctor. “It’s very important for all adults to get their cholesterol tested”, says Wong. Every adult over 20 should have a cholesterol test at least once every five years.

Also keep track of your cholesterol levels yourself. Write down your current numbers and, if they’re high, what numbers you should be striving for.

If you do have high cholesterol, get serious. Talk with your doctor about what your goals should be and how you should achieve them. Make sure you understand what lifestyle changes you need to make. If you already have heart disease or other risk factors like diabetes, you need to be even more careful.

There are products available in the market to help reduce high cholesterol. One of the most effective and clinically proven is Proactol. It is 100% natural, 100% green (suitable for vegetarian) and certified organic. Proactol is clinically proven to lower blood cholesterol by binding 28% of dietary fat intake, and used as a treatment for obesity. It is backed by many medical experts including Dr. Joerg Gruenwald, a leading scientific director of Phytopharm Consulting, and the author of the international reference work for botanical medicines Physican Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines.

“Coronary heart disease and diabetes are all too often found in people with high cholesterol, excess weight, unhealthy eating habits and lack of exercise. However, it is especially this high risk group that finds it difficult to take charge of their weight and eating habits. It is therefore encouraging to see that a product like Proactol offers a healthy way of making it easier to reduce cholesterol and to take charge of your weight and eating habits,” says Gruenwald.

View Video Demonstration – How Proactol Works

Whatever you do, don’t ignore your high cholesterol risks. Don’t put off treatment for another year. Having high cholesterol may not hurt you today or tomorrow, but if you don’t do something about it, it can have a terrible cost down the road.

High Cholesterol Level Risks

How Harmful Is High Cholesterol?

Everyone has cholesterol in their blood. But if your levels of LDL is too high, the excess can accumulate on the walls of your arteries. This buildup of cholesterol and other substances – called plaque – can narrow the artery like a clogged drain. It can also lead to arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which turns the normally flexible tissue into more brittle.

Plaques can form anywhere. If they form in the carotid artery in the neck, it’s carotid artery disease. When they form in the coronary arteries – which supply the heart muscle with blood – it’s called coronary artery disease. Like any organ, the heart needs a good supply of blood to work. If it doesn’t get that blood, you could get angina, which causes a squeezing pain in the chest and other symptoms.

There are other high cholesterol risks. If these plaques break open, they can form a clot. If a clot lodges in an artery and completely chokes off the blood supply, the cells don’t get the nutrients and oxygen they need and die. If clot gets to the brain and blocks blood flow, it can cause a stroke. If a clot lodges in the coronary arteries, it can cause a heart attack.

High Cholesterol Level Risks

Are We Aware Of High Cholesterol Levels?

Experts say that people don’t take high cholesterol risks seriously enough. According to the CDC, in 2005 almost a quarter of American adults said they hadn’t had their cholesterol checked in the last five years.

One problem is that high cholesterol doesn’t cause symptoms that make people pay attention.

“People naturally respond more to medical conditions that cause symptoms”, says Nathan D Wong, PhD, fellow of the American College of Cardiology and director of the Heart Disease Prevention Program at the University of California, Irvine. SInce you won’t feel your rising cholesterol levels, you won’t go to the doctor about it.

By the same token, people may be less likely to stick to treatment for high cholesterol than they would be for a painful condition.

“People on cholesterol-lowering medicine don’t feel any better”, says Sperling. “It’s not like taking a painkiller for an aching knee, where you know it’s working”. As a result, people may be less likely to follow their treatment plan over the long term, Sperling says.

Also, high cholesterol risks are usually not immediate. The damage accumulates over years and decades – high cholesterol in your 20s and 30s can take its toll in your 50s and 60s. Because the effects take time, many people don’t feel real urgency in treating it. They feel they can just deal with it later.

“Unfortunately, I think that many people are too casual about their high cholesterol”, says Adolph Hutter MD, a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “They ignore it for years and it only gets their attention when they actually develop vascular disease”.

High Cholesterol Level Risks

A lot of people don’t take the risks of high cholesterol very seriously. After all, one out of five people have high cholesterol. Could something so common really be a serious health risk? Unfortunately, yes. Cholesterol is a direct contributor to cardiovascular disease, which can lead to strokes and heart attacks.

“Despite all of the amazing medicines and treatments we have, cardiovascular disease is still the number one cause of death and illness in our society”, says Laurence S Sperling MD, director of preventive cardiology at the Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, USA.

The World Health Organization estimates that almost 20% of all strokes and over 50% of all heart attacks can be linked to high cholesterol. But if you’ve been diagnosed with high cholesterol, don’t despair. The good news is that high cholesterol is one risk factor for strokes and heart attacks that you can change. You just need to take action now, before your high cholesterol results in more serious disease.

High Cholesterol Level Risks

All About High Cholesterol Rick Numbers

When it comes to high cholesterol risks, it’s tough to keep the details straight. We might have a vague idea of whether our cholesterol is good or bad., but we forget the actual numbers by the time we get to the parking lot outside our doctor’s office. So it may be worth reviewing the basics.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance circulating in your blood. Some of your cholesterol comes from the foods you eat. But the bulk of it is actually made in your own body, specifically in the liver. Cholesterol does have some good uses. It helps produce new cells and some hormones. But an excess of it in the bloodstream can lead to trouble.

There are two types of cholesterol: LDL and HDL

LDL is also called ‘bad cholesterol’. LDL can clog your arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. Most people should aim for a level of less than 3.5 mmol/L. However, people who already have heart disease may need to aim for under 3 mmol/L.

HDL is ‘good cholesterol’. This type of cholesterol attaches to bad cholesterol and brings it to the liver, where it’s filtered out of the body. So HDL cholesterol reduces the amount of bad cholesterol in your system. You should aim for 3 mmol/L or higher.

Triglycerides are not cholesterol but another type of fat floating in your blood. Just as with bad cholesterol, having a high level of triglycerides increases your risk of cardiovascular problems. Aim for a level of less than 2 mmol/L.

So although we all talk about high cholesterol risks, the term is a little misleading. What we really mean is high levels of LDL and triglycerides and a low level of HDL.

What about total cholesterol, which is the sum of your LDL and HDL? While anything under 5.2 mmol/L is still considered the target, most expert don’t focus on the number. It doesn’t mean all that much.

Top 5 Lifesaving Test Every Woman Should Have

Other Physical Exams

* Dental checkups – Every six months to a year for exam and regular cleaning.
* Hearing tests – Once during adolescence, no need after that, unless problems appear.
* Eye exams – Every 2 years if you wear glasses or contacts, and if you have good vision, start every 2 years after the age of 40.
* Blood pressure tests – At least once every other year. More often if you’re overweight or have a family history.
* Fecal occult blood test – Once a year after 50.
* Bone density – Soon after menopause, if considering hormone replacement therapy or bone-building drugs.

The Health Benefits Of Wine

Diabetes

The Harvard School of Public Health conducted a 14 year trial called the Nurses Health Study, which required participants to complete a questionnaire every two years detailing lifestyle choices and diagnoses of any medical condition.

The subjects were divided into three levels of alcohol consumption. The study found that women who drank regularly and moderately (one or two drinks per day, or a total of 15-30 gm of alcohol) had a 58 percent lower likelihood of developing diabetes.

Other studies point to multiple benefits of regular and moderate wine drinking, including lower risk of stroke, colorectal tumors, skin and other cancers, senile dementia, and even the common cold, as well as reduced scarring from radiation therapy.

The Health Benefits Of Wine

Nutrition

The nutritional content of wine is minimal. There is no fat, cholesterol or dietary fiber in wine. The official recommendation in the 1995 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (4th edition), published by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is “Advice for today: if you drink alcoholic beverages, do so in moderation, with meals, and when consumption does not put you or others at risk.”

There is evidence that a regular, moderate intake of alcohol can have health benefits. On the other hand, wine is not a cure-all. The vast majority of healthy people may enjoy wine regularly and moderately as a pleasure that supports and prolongs a gracious life.

These findings are not a reason to take up drinking if you currently abstain, but they do represent a reason to cut back if you imbibe heavily.

Top 5 Lifesaving Test Every Woman Should Have

If you are a woman, then surely you are already aware that there are certain things you have to do to take care of yourself and your health.

The problem is that women have so much on their plates these days and it is easy to forget how important your health really is.

Even if you are super busy and can hardly find the time to fit a doctor appointment into your schedule, there are five tests in particular that you should not forget about and which can actually be lifesaving.

1. The Mammogram

Mammograms are extremely important tests for women of all ages. A lot of younger women think that mammograms are only for their mothers, women who are older aged, but this is entirely untrue. In fact, breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death around the world, and in many cases it develops in younger women, even those in their early twenties.

You should get a mammogram at least once every couple of years, and always check for lumps in your breasts. The best idea is to check in circular motions around the area of both your breasts every time that you are in the shower. Not only does the warm water help you to relax but as well it helps you to remember to examine yourself. This is a very important process because breast cancer sufferers have an incredibly high success rate as long as the cancer is caught early, and this means keeping on top of the situation on your own time.

Mammograms are recommended once a year for women over the age of 40.

2. Cholesterol Test

It is always important to keep the health of your heart at the top of your priority list. After all, without a healthy heart you are in serious danger, so it is important that you never let the health of your heart take a backseat. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women these days, which is obviously a quite frightening statistic. Six times more women die from heart disease then breast cancer each year, and most of these cases were due to the fact that the women avoided getting the right tests.

The best way to know where you stand in terms of the health of your heart is to get a cholesterol test. Remember that there is both good and bad cholesterol, but by getting a simple test your doctor will be able to inform you if your cholesterol levels are at a dangerous level. They will also test your blood pressure because high blood pressure or hypertension as it is medically known is a condition which can be very harmful, even potentially deadly.

Cholesterol tests are recommended at least once every 5 years starting at the age of 20.

3. Pap Test

Another test that you do not want to forget about is the Pap test. Many women mistakenly think that just because they do not have an STD or otherwise are not experiencing any problems that they simply do not need to get a Pap test, but this is actually completely untrue. In fact, there are many women who have developed conditions such as cervical cancer out of nowhere, and so whether you are presently experiencing any problems or not, it is vital that you get in and get a Pap test as often as is recommended, which is usually every six months to a year.

This test can detect any abnormal changes that could lead to cervical cancer, as well as various other health conditions. In fact, the American Cancer Society recommends that the Pap test be taken by all women at least once annually until the age of thirty, and if no problems arise until that point then they can begin taking the test only once every two or three years.

Cervical cancer is a major killer not only in the United States but all around the world, and although there are a variety of causes, one of the leading causes is the Human Papillomavirus, or HPV as it is more commonly known. This is one of the leading STDs in the world, and most women do not even realize that they have the disease until months, even years later, if at all.

4. Skin Check

Skin cancer is something that very few women think about, even though it is one of the leading causes of death among women around the world. Even if you stay out of the sun and take proper care of your skin you can still develop skin cancer, so it is important that you take the appropriate tests in order to stay on top of this and make sure that you do not have a skin cancer problem.

Every woman should start taking these tests after the age of eighteen, and this means having a skin exam at your dermatologists every 3 years, and once a year for women above 40. They will typically do an all over examination of your skin, checking for any abnormal pigmentations, red or brown spots, in particular moles that are larger than normal or irregularly shaped.

5. The Katie Couric Test

Colon cancer is not just something that men have to worry about, even though many people once thought this. The colonoscopy, which Katie Couric has now made famous, is a test that all people, both men and women, need to be concerned with. The American Cancer Society estimates that nearly 75,000 women alone will be diagnosed with colon or rectal cancer this year, and so it is critical not only for you to take this test as recommended but also to keep your colon as clean and healthy as possible.

The colonoscopy is a test that allows a doctor to closely inspect the patient’s rectum, during which they will check for any signs of cancer, polyps, or even small growths that may continue to grow and eventually become cancerous. The test is quite simple, and the patient will first be given a medication that allows them to relax and not tense up, as this can make the examination of the rectum much more difficult. The scope is then inserted slowly into the rectum, and on this scope is a tiny video camera, the pictures from this which are sent to a television monitor in the room that the doctor can use to examine the rectum better.

Colon cancer is totally preventable and treatable if found early, so it is important that you stay on top of this.If you are a woman, then surely you are already aware that there are certain things you have to do to take care of yourself and your health.

The problem is that women have so much on their plates these days and it is easy to forget how important your health really is.

Even if you are super busy and can hardly find the time to fit a doctor appointment into your schedule, there are five tests in particular that you should not forget about and which can actually be lifesaving.

The Health Benefits Of Wine

Antioxidants

The antioxidant hypothesis is immensely attractive and intuitive, and has received much publicity. It explains the biochemistry of bad molecules called free radicals. These cause oxidative damage to low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), making them more likely to damage artery walls. It is this atherosclerotic damage that increases the risk of heart attacks. Red wine contains compounds called polyphenols, which have antioxidant properties.

The Health Benefits Of Wine

Blood Lipid Fractions

This is believed to be the most likely mechanism explaining alcohol’s positive effect on cardiovascular disease. There are two types of cholesterol: LDL and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is the lipid that, when oxidized, plays a role in atherosclerosis, which leads to heart disease. Alcohol itself, rather than any particular component of it, has been shown to raise the levels of good cholesterol (HDL). Exactly how alcohol has this effect is not known.

The Health Benefits Of Wine

Digestive Prophylaxis

A study published in January 2003 in the American Journal of Gastrointestinal showed that moderate, regular consumption of wine or beer decreases the risk of peptic ulcers and may help rid the body of the bacteria suspected of causing them.

The Health Benefits Of Wine

The French Paradox

The ‘French Paradox’ is the popular thinking of wine as a medicine rather than toxin. Typically, the diet of people in southern France includes a very high proportion of cheese, butter, eggs, organ meats and other fatty and cholesterol-laden foods. This diet would seem to promote heart disease, but the rate there is much lower than in America. Thus, the French Paradox.

In essence, the ‘French Paradox’ is the observation that although the French don’t eat a particularly healthy diet, they have a much lower rate of heart disease than people of other nations. This startling fact is said to be due to the relatively high consumption by the French of wine, which in some way acts to protect them from heart disease. Of course, this is just a correlation for which there is no direct proof. But it does fit well with the results from large-scale population studies on drinking and mortality.

There is still quite a bit of controversy surrounding the French Paradox. However, the idea is now so firmly entrenched in the public’s mind, and so intuitively attractive a hypothesis, that it looks likely to stay.

The Health Benefits Of Wine

The Beneficial Effects Of Wine

Alcohol has a number of health benefits. Moderate consumption of red wine on a regular basis may be a preventative factor against coronary disease and some cancers.

The chemical components thought to be responsible for this are catechins (or flavanoids). Catechins are believed to function as anti­oxidants, preventing free-radicals from doing cellular damage.

Grapes and wine also have two compounds called resveratrol and quercetin. Studies have shown these to boost the immune system, block cancer formation, and possibly protect against heart disease and even prolong life.

A study published in the 2004 year-end edition of the American Journal of Physiology said that resveratrol also inhibits formation of a protein that produces a condition called cardio fibrosis, which reduces the heart’s pumping efficiency when it is needed most in times of stress.

More evidence suggests that wine dilates small blood vessels and helps prevent angina and clotting. The alcohol in wine additionally helps balance cholesterol levels.

In recent years, new evidence of the beneficial effects of alcohol on other medical conditions has emerged.

The Health Benefits Of Wine

The medical profession has recognized the healthful and nutritive properties of wine for thousands of years. Hippocrates recommended specific wines to purge fever, disinfect and dress wounds, as a diuretic or nutritional supplement. As part of a normal diet, wine provides the body with energy, aids digestion, and contains small amounts of minerals and vitamins. It can also stimulate the appetite. In addition, wine can restore nutritional balance, relieve tension, sedate and act as a mild euphoric agent.

Health Benefits of Krill Oil

Neurological and Psychological Health Benefits of Krill Oil

“Alternative Medicine Review” reported that several double-blind, randomized, controlled trials proved the therapeutic effects of krill oil’s DHA and EPA on a number of brain and mental disorders, including:

* Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
* Dyslexia
* Autism
* Dementia and other cognition problems
* Aggressive behavior
* Huntington disease, a neurological disease marked by abnormal body movements

It is also shown that krill oil alleviates major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. There is also a high hope on the potential use of krill oil in treating schizophrenia.

Health Benefits of Krill Oil

Don’t Skimp on Quality

Quality should be the major consideration when buying any food supplement. When it comes to krill oil, Neptune krill is held as the gold standard.

Neptune krill oil is derived from remote, deep-water seas. This ensures that the krill to be processed are not heavily contaminated by industrial pollutants. Neptune Technologies uses a harvesting procedure that meets international conservation standards. Neptune krill are processed through cold extraction method. This technology removes heavy metals, dioxins, PCBs, and other pollutants while preserving the bioactive components of krill.

So be sure that the food supplements you’ll buy contain the Neptune krill oil as listed below, not just generic krill oil.

Dr Mercola’s NKO Krill Oil

Neptune Krill Oil by Quality Of Life 30 softgels

NKO Neptune Krill Oil by Jarrow Formulas 60 Softgels

NKO Neptune Krill Oil by Source Naturals 500 mg 60 Softgels

Health Benefits of Krill Oil

Antioxidants in Krill Oil Are 48 Times More Potent Than Fish Oil’s

Your body mainly relies on antioxidants to fight cell-damaging metabolic byproducts called free radicals.

Scientific studies prove that antioxidants play a critical role in improving heart functions, memory, and the immune system. Antioxidants have also anti-aging effects.

Antioxidants are widely available in many foods, but most people still lack them because of their unhealthy diet. Antioxidants in an average diet are often outnumbered by free radicals in the body.

To further convince you of the antioxidant potency of krill oil, which is 48 times higher than fish oil’s, consider the following comparative findings based on ORAC evaluations of the antioxidant property of genuine Neptune krill oils:

* Over 300 times more powerful than vitamin A and vitamin E
* Over 47 times more powerful than lutein
* Over 34 times more powerful than coenzyme Q-10

Krill oil also contains astaxanthin. This unique marine-source flavonoid bonds with EPA and DHA. This structure allows direct metabolism of antioxidants, thereby increasing their bioavailability.

Health Benefits of Krill Oil

Health Benefits of Omega-3 Fats From Krill Oil

Seafood is a good source of omega-3 fats. However, eating fish nowadays is tantamount to increasing your exposure to toxic substances. With the high concentration of toxic, industrial pollutants in seas, eating seafood is likely to increase PCBs, heavy metals, and radioactive poisons in your body.

Even the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have warned children, pregnant women, and nursing mothers to avoid certain seafood.

Krill oil may not be as heavily exposed to marine pollutants as other aquatic organisms, making them a safe substitute for seafood. Toxins are unlikely to accumulate among krill population as they rank low in the food chain.

Major health benefits of taking krill oil are:

* Improved memory, learning and ability to concentrate
* Regulation of blood sugar
* Relief of joint-related discomforts
* Anti-aging effects
* Protection for cellular membranes
* Regulation of cholesterol and other blood lipids
* Liver health
* Treatment of PMS symptoms
* Stronger immune system
* Elevated mood
* Healthy skin

Health Benefits of Krill Oil

Treating Inflammation and Arthritis Symptoms With Krill Oil

Several studies attest to the effectiveness of krill oil in managing chronic inflammation and arthritis. Notable among these studies is a paper published in the “Journal of the American College of Nutrition,” which investigated the therapeutic effects of Neptune Krill Oil (NKO) on the above diseases.

A seven-day long krill oil treatment alleviated inflammation among subjects by more than 19%, whereas the placebo group experienced a 16% increase in the levels of inflammatory C-reactive proteins. Reduction in pain, stiffness, and functional impairment was also seen among the krill oil users.

On the third week of treatment, krill oil users reported reduction in inflammation by almost 30%, whereas inflammation among the placebo group worsened by more than 32%.

The researchers therefore concluded that taking 300 mg of krill oil a day could dramatically alleviate inflammation and arthritic symptoms in as little as a week or two.

Health Benefits of Krill Oil

Omega-3 Fats and Antioxidants

Those who believe that food supplements are no better than natural foods in providing essential nutrients may reconsider the nutritional composition of krill. Krill oil has a high level of omega-3 fats, which are lacking in an average American diet.

The ideal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats is 1:1. However, on average, most people’s omega-6 consumption is 20 times more than their omega-3 intake, and in extreme cases, is 50 times more than their omega-3 consumption.

Such nutritional imbalance poses serious health risks. Omega-3 deficiency is so rampant that mainstream health media now considers the lack of omega-3 fats in diet as among the most pressing health issues facing the modern society.

Such severe deficiency warrants the use of omega-3-rich food supplements like krill oil. Krill oil not only nourishes the body with omega-3 fats, but also provides it with a plenty of antioxidants as well.

It is not recommendable to take fish oil to compensate for omega-3 deficiency. Though high-quality fish oil has a lot of health benefits to offer, its lower antioxidant content makes it less ideal than krill oil. The more antioxidants you take, the more omega-3 fats are absorbed by the body. Thus krill oil’s high antioxidant and omega-3 contents make it the better choice.

Not only is fish oil low in antioxidants, it also increases your exposure to free radicals. Fish oil is perishable, and its oxidation produces cell-damaging free radicals. Those who take fish oil need more antioxidants to prevent the oxidation and formation of free radicals caused by the supplement. This doesn’t sound to be a sensible option for those who take supplements mainly for the purpose of fighting oxidative stress.

Trans Fat Foods To Avoid

How to Lower Fat Intake

Make your diet plan attainable by following these two basic guidelines:

* Don’t deprive yourself of fatty foods. This will likely cause you to crave for more fat. Instead, eat fatty foods moderately.
* To be moderate, add more healthy foods to your diet; supplementing with a clinically proven fat binding or natural appetite suppressing products will also help.

When it comes to fat control, perhaps it is better to practice moderation rather than suppress natural appetite for fatty foods. Learning to moderately eat your favorite fatty food is certainly easier than avoiding them. Moderate consumption of fat means eating a doughnut or two and not a dozen, or a handful of chips rather than a family-sized serving.

Having self-discipline is critical to fat control. Those who lack self-control cannot commit to a healthy diet as they let themselves succumb to their unhealthy food habits. Such people may find it helpful to submit themselves to “health authority” such as trainers or physicians who will set dietary restrictions, prescribe exercises and monitor progress. Being accountable to an outside authority helps in pushing these people out of their comfort zone, enabling them to avoid unhealthy foods or adopt lifestyle changes which they cannot do otherwise.

Regulate your trans fat level while enjoying your favorite fatty foods in moderation alongside healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Just remember to have a well-balanced diet consisting mainly of healthy foods.

Health Benefits of Krill Oil

Filed under: Cholesterol, Expert Tips & Advice, Nutrition


Neptune KrillKrill are shrimp-like crustaceans that measure one to five centimeters in length. They are commonly found in cold regions, mainly in the Antarctic and North Pacific Oceans.

Krill population is considered to be the largest source of animal biomass on earth. According to Neptune Technologies, the Canadian pioneer in krill oil extraction technology, there is approximately 500 million tons of krill inhabiting northern seas. Annual krill harvest is estimated at 110,000 tons.

Like fish oil, krill oil is a good source of omega-3 fats, docosahexanoic acid (DHA), and eicosapentanoic acid (EPA).

Omega-3 fats come in various forms. Fish oil’s omega-3 fatty acids are in the triglyceride form, whereas in krill oil, they are in double chain phospholipid structure. In humans, omega-3 fats are in phospholipid form.

The EPA leg of a krill phospholipid is attached to a molecule of astaxanthin, a very powerful antioxidant. Because of their phospholipid structure, EPA and DHA in krill oil are more absorbable. They can easily pass through the mitochondria and the cellular nucleus. Aside from EPA and DHA, krill oil has a complex phospholipid profile, which includes phosphatidylcholine. This substance contains reductive-stress-reducing choline, which has a potent emulsifying effect.

Other bioactive components of krill oil are vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and canthaxanthin, a potent antioxidant. Based on ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorptance Capacity) values, the antioxidant potency of krill oil is 48 times higher than that of fish oil.

Astaxanthin in krill oil fights the harmful effects of ultraviolet light on skin. Scientific data prove that krill oil is very effective in:

* lowering LDL-cholesterol
* raising HDL-cholesterol (as high as 44% in some cases)
* reducing blood sugar

Krill oil is also an effective treatment for pain and inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis and pain in general. It has been proven that krill oil helps in alleviating symptoms in PMS and dysmenorrhea. Krill oil is also considered as an effective treatment for adult ADHD. The above claims were based on clinical trials that compared krill oil with fish oil rather than a placebo.

Because krill oil is rapidly absorbed by the body and has a high antioxidant content, fishy burping and aftertaste are never a problem. However, people with shrimp allergy are not encouraged to take krill oil.

Krill oil is slightly more expensive than fish oil. Nonetheless, the health benefits you will get from krill oil are worth the price difference. Krill oil is exclusively produced and sold to various supplement manufacturers by Neptune Technologies, thus all products containing krill oil just came from the same source. The only difference would be in the duration of idle storage in warehouse, which is unknown just like that of fish oil. Because krill oil has high antioxidant content, the shelf life is much longer as compared with that of fish oil.

There are some cases in which krill oil is more preferable than fish oil and cod liver oil. And more often than not, krill oil is even a better option for most, for a number of reasons (notably its fast absorption into brain tissues owing to its unique phospholipid structure).

The only disadvantage of krill oil is its low level of vitamin D, which is almost as important as omega-3 fats. But you can compensate for this deficiency by having a lot of sun exposure, which is actually the best source of vitamin D.

Trans Fat Foods To Avoid

Checking Trans Fat and Saturated Fat Contents in Food Labels

Even if a nutrition fact label indicates zero trans fat content, it doesn’t always follow that the product is free from unhealthy fats. Health conscious consumers who only scan the trans fat section of nutrition table may not be aware that what they are buying are high in saturated fats , and thus as unhealthy as high trans fat diet. It is important to note that saturated fat, like trans fat, increases cholesterol; therefore, consumers must always check these two types of unhealthy fats.

Disclosure of fat content and partially hydrogenated oil should be more transparent with the passage of new food labeling regulations.

Trans fat increases LDL “bad” cholesterol and lower HDL “good” cholesterol. Like trans fat, saturated fat increases the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Moderation should be observed to ensure that saturated and trans fat just take the recommendation portion of daily diet.

Unfortunately, moderation in saturated fat intake is overlooked by many. Most people get 12.4% of their calories from saturated fat, which is twice as much as the recommended consumption.

Trans Fat Foods To Avoid

Common Trans Fat Sources

Next time you encounter the following foods, be reminded of their high trans fat content:

* Crackers
* Doughnuts
* French fries
* Cookies (also rich in saturated fat)
* Vegetable shortening
* Hard margarine
* Pastries (also rich in saturated fat)

Trans-fat-free foods marketed by restaurants and manufacturers could not be less unhealthy. As much as possible, packaged foods high in trans-fat should be avoided, for many natural foods are already high in trans fat. As a matter of fact, 20% of trans fat consumption comes from natural food, not from oil or solid spread that’s processed to enhance palatability or lengthen shelf life.

For those who avoid manufactured foods to regulate trans fat intake, consumption of fatty natural foods such as meat and dairy products must be monitored as well. Take not also of the following food which is high in saturated fat.

* Lard
* Butter
* Whole milk
* Pastries (also rich in trans fat)
* Cookies (also rich in trans fat)

Trans Fat Foods To Avoid

Though many Americans are aware that trans fat poses health risks, only few can actually identify foods with high trans fat content.

A survey led by Dr. Robert H. Eckel of the University of Colorado revealed that only one in five Americans could identify three foods with high trans fat content, though a large percentage of the population, estimated at 80%, know that trans fat is unhealthy.

Public awareness on the health implications of trans fat does not even prevent Americans and other Western consumers from regulating their trans fat intake.

Confusion about the sources of fat and the best way to determine unhealthy fats exacerbate the trans fat dilemma.

Given these obstacles to trans fat food awareness, it’s no wonder that Eckel’s study reports that:

* only 21% of the 1,000 respondents know three trans fat sources;
* almost 50% of respondents couldn’t name at least one trans fat source;
* almost 30% can name only one trans fat source without referring to a list.

Women, Don’t Lie About Your Health To The Doctor

LIE: “I’m following your prescription to the dot.”

Sometimes, we take our doctor’s warnings about our medications with a grain of salt. If you’re using an inhaler for your asthma, for example, you may be using it more often than what your doctor said would be safe for you. You may not care about the side effects, like trembling hands and a pallid face, as long as you can breathe more easily. And even if your doctor notices these symptoms, you would deny not following his instructions, because you’re afraid he would take your medication away.

It’s very important for your doctor to be able to correctly assess how you are reacting to your medication. If the treatment is not very effective or you are experiencing side effects, he can prescribe a different medication that will work and suit you better. However, if the reason why your medication is not working or you are having side effects is because you are not following your doctor’s orders, you may end up making your condition worse. For example, if you are misusing your antibiotics and you finish your prescription days before you can get a refill, you’ll be giving plenty of time for the bacteria to wreak havoc unimpeded and your simple bladder infection may turn into a kidney infection, or worse, a blood infection.

Women, Don’t Lie About Your Health To The Doctor

LIE: “I’m not on any medication.”

Sometimes, not telling your doctor about the over-the-counter vitamins you are taking is an honest mistake because you don’t consider them as medication. Other times, you lie about buying weight loss pills online because your doctor might not approve.

If your doctor needs to give you a prescription, he has to know if you’re taking other drugs which may react badly to what he is prescribing or may alter its effects. The adage, “what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” is overrated. In this case, what your doctor does not know may kill you. Ibuprofen, for example, is a weak blood thinner, and it’s important for your doctor to know that you are taking it if he needs to put you on another blood thinner medication or a medication that may aggravate this side effect. It is not uncommon for some patients to have seizures or respiratory arrest after taking doctor-prescribed medication because they lied to their doctor about other drugs they are on.

Women, Don’t Lie About Your Health To The Doctor

LIE: “I always use birth control.”

Some women feel embarrassed to admit that they messed up their birth control, like forgetting to put in their diaphragm because they were drunk, or not taking their pills at the same time everyday. These are easy things to manage and they’d rather say that the condom broke that’s why they got pregnant, rather than admit that it was their fault.

It may take time to find the right contraception that suits you. However, if your doctor does not know about the problems you may be encountering with your current form of contraception, he won’t be able to make appropriate recommendations that could help you. It is okay to say that you just don’t like swallowing pills, or that your skin is very oily and your patch keeps falling off. Practicing good judgment is more important that avoiding minor embarrassment during consultation.

Always remember, when it comes to your health it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Having a completely honest relationship with your doctor is for your own good, both in the short and the long run.

Women, Don’t Lie About Your Health To The Doctor

LIE: “I’m not a smoker.”

Some women don’t consider themselves smokers because they don’t smoke two packs of cigarettes a day. When they go to the doctor, they don’t think it’s important to let the doctor know that they do smoke because they really only do it on the weekends, anyway, or they only take a couple of drags every time.

To your doctor, though, it does matter to know that you do smoke, regardless of how often. If you’re taking hormones, lighting up, even if you only do it on rare occasions, still increases your risk for blood clots and stroke. If you need a prescription for the pill for contraceptive purposes or simply to clear up your skin or regulate your menstruation, it’s important that you’re honest with your doctor about your smoking habits. Yes, he’ll probably remind you of the more serious risks of smoking, which you already know, like respiratory disease, emphysema, cardiovascular disease, and lung cancer. But if you need medication, he can figure out a safer option for you.

Women, Don’t Lie About Your Health To The Doctor

LIE: “I never go out without sunscreen.”

Whether you were only giving yourself a tan or not, you should let your doctor know if you are using sunscreen everyday, especially whenever you go to the beach. If your doctor knows that you don’t regularly use sunscreen when you go out, or not at all, he would also know to watch out for melanomas, a form of skin cancer that is very common and very serious. He would know to schedule you for screenings more often than he would if you kept assuring him that you slather on your sun protection. If you do develop skin cancer, your doctor would be able to catch it early if he’s in the know. It’s also important to be honest especially when you need medication for acne or wrinkles, because certain drugs can make you more sensitive to the sun.

Women, Don’t Lie About Your Health To The Doctor

LIE: “I’m monogamous.”

Women lie about their sex lives because they don’t want to be judged. However, if you get an STD and you are not honest with your doctor about how many men you are sleeping with, your treatment may take longer than necessary, which can lead to more complications.

Your doctor is not there to judge you but to make sure that you get the proper treatment. Your doctor’s main concern is whether or not you are at risk for STDs and related complications. If he is not aware of your sexual activity, treatment of your STD can be delayed. This can lead to a more serious pelvic infection, fertility problems, or cervical cancer. But if your gynecologist knows that you have several sexual partners, he can watch out for STDs and complications by giving you annual Pap smear exams.

Women, Don’t Lie About Your Health To The Doctor

LIE: “I’m just an occasional drinker.”

Doctors are aware that women always downplay their drinking habits. Lying about how much alcohol a woman drinks is so common that whatever amount a woman tells her doctor, the doctor doubles that amount in his records. Most women lie about their drinking because they don’t want to be lectured, for the nth time, about the risks of drinking alcohol. Or they are simply in denial about their drinking problem, which is a disease in itself.

Telling your doctor about your alcohol drinking habits is important when being given prescription medication. There are a lot of medications that should not be taken with alcohol. For example, if your doctor prescribed you an antidepressant, like Zoloft, you should not drink any alcohol while taking it. If you disregard your doctor’s orders, you may end up in the hospital with cold sweats and heart palpitations.

If you tell your doctor that you drink, even a little, he can prescribe you medication that won’t react badly with a glass of wine. And even though you may not want to hear it, your doctor would remind you of the risks of drinking alcohol. Even having as little as one glass per day increases your risk for breast cancer. Heavy drinking may lead to liver disease, brain damage, and stroke; inebriation also puts you at risk for assault and car accidents.

Women, Don’t Lie About Your Health To The Doctor

LIE: “I have a healthy diet and I exercise regularly.”

A lot of women bend the truth about their diet and exercise regimen because, again, they don’t want to be lectured. Even if the scales are showing evidence to the contrary, women still lie about watching their calorie intake.

Some lie by being vague when asked how often they exercise. Others lie by subtle deceptions, saying that they exercise daily, when what they actually mean is they walk to the bus stop everyday and that’s enough daily exercise for them.

Women, whether or not they are overweight even by only a few pounds, who are predisposed to certain diseases should always be honest about their calorie intake and how often they exercise. If you have high blood pressure and cholesterol levels and are borderline diabetic, the first thing your doctor would recommend is that you stick to a healthier diet and exercise regularly. If you don’t take this recommendation seriously and lie about it, and your numbers are not getting lower, he would have to put you through a battery of tests and prescribe medications to help you lower your numbers. These would just cost you more money and cause you discomfort. All medications have side effects, including muscle aches, bloating, cramping, diarrhea, and lower libido among others, depending on the type of medication. Because you consider taking drugs simpler, you may become dependent on them and become more complacent with your diet and exercise. This would just result in continuing health problems instead of those problems being solved.

Women, Don’t Lie About Your Health To The Doctor

LIE: “I floss regularly.”

This is one of the most common lies dentists hear everyday. Patients would lie about how often they floss, if they ever do.

Flossing is not as simple as removing those food stuck in between your teeth. Regular flossing keeps your teeth free from decay and your gums free from inflammation and disease. Some studies have shown that gum disease may be linked to cardiovascular disease and preeclampsia, a life-threatening pregnancy complication. But if your dentist is aware that you do not floss, he can watch out for these complications and help you prevent them

Women, Don’t Lie About Your Health To The Doctor

LIE: “I never had a history of STD.”

Having had a sexually transmitted disease may be embarrassing for some women to admit. Some lie about having an STD for insurance purposes. Others just think that it’s nobody else’s business, especially it happened years ago and was already taken care of.

A history of STD puts you at risk for other serious health conditions. For example, HPV increases your risk of having cervical cancer and if your gynecologist is not aware that you had it before, he may not require annual Pap smear tests, which are important to screen for this cancer. A history of gonorrhea or Chlamydia can scar your fallopian tubes and prevent a fertilized egg from reaching the uterus. If your doctor knows about this, he can watch out for pregnancy complications, specifically ectopic pregnancy. Having had genital herpes, even if it was years ago, may cause pre-delivery flare-ups in pregnant women, and if your obstetrician is aware of this, he can put you on medication to prevent this.

Eat More Fiber To Boost Your Health

Two Types of Essential Fiber

Insoluble fiber a type of fiber that can be found in whole grains, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce and the softer water soluble found in oatmeal, pears, apples and strawberries.

The soluble or the glutinous fiber is the softer type and dissolves in water. This kind of fiber avoids cholesterol from being wrapped up in the intestine. It helps to minimize the increase of blood sugar levels after a meal, which is very helpful for people with diabetes.

Soluble fiber comes from: oatmeal, beans, some fruits (mangoes, apples, pears, kiwi, plums, strawberries, blackberries etc.), and vegetables (dried peas, lentils, beans).

Insoluble fiber definitely does not dissolve in water. It practically helps keep bowel movements regular and decrease the risk of colon problems in the future. It may also reduce the risk of obesity, hemorrhoids, and varicose veins.

See how soluble and insoluble fiber work fighting to loose weight in Proactol

Increase your diet with high fiber gradually to allow the natural bacteria of the digestive system to adjust to the change. Fiber also works best in drinking a lot of water because fiber absorbs water making stool soft and bulky.

Processed foods are low in fiber content such as fruit juice, white bread, pasta, and non whole grain cereals. The process these foods undergo removes the outer coat called bran which lowers its fiber content. Also, removing the skin from fruit and vegetable lessen their fiber content. Eating wide variety of this high fiber rich food will solve the problem of poor health.

A lot of foods offer both types of fiber so you don’t have to worry too much. Not all soluble fibers block the absorption of cholesterol into the blood stream. The term soluble and insoluble fiber should not be the bottom line when discussing fiber. All dietary fibers are good to promote healthy lifestyle. Proper nutrition and healthy living plus all high fiber foods will definitely help you along the way.

Women, Don’t Lie About Your Health To The Doctor

Everybody lies. Whether it’s a white lie, a lie by omission, or a lie by exaggeration, women lie for different reasons. We tell lies to our mothers, our partners, our friends. But the one person we should not ever lie to is our doctor. Even the smallest fib or the most innocent half-truth can have serious consequences to your health. Keeping something from your doctor, even if you’re not sure whether it’s important or not, can mislead him about your health condition and keep him from making the correct diagnoses.

Some women stretch the truth about how often they exercise, downplay their smoking or drinking habits, or tell half-truths about their sexual activities and behavior. They do this to avoid being lectured and judged because they know that they are not committing to living healthy the way they should.

Other women omit certain facts because they are ashamed or they don’t really think it matters. They don’t think it’s important to mention that they experimented with drugs a few times in college, or that they had an STD once, or a single pill they missed to take.

Telling your doctor the truth and nothing but the truth can mean the difference between life and death. That is not an exaggeration. Your doctor needs to know absolutely everything in order for him to make a correct diagnosis about your health and give you the proper and prompt treatment when needed. There is no minor or unimportant detail when it comes to your health. Here are the following lies you should never, ever tell your doctor.

Eat More Fiber To Boost Your Health

Eating high fiber foods in your diet may help boost your health thus help to control weight gain. Most people tend to ignore the grams of fiber they get from their diet, for many Americans these grams should be doubled.

Most individual do not get their recommended fiber intake of 20 grams to 35 grams of fiber a day. Average American only has an intake of 14-15 grams of fiber a day. Typical American does not load their plate with fibrous foods like grains, cereals, fruits, and vegetables. Most Americans loves to eat meat stuff and forget the benefit of eating high fiber nutritious foods.

Eat More Fiber To Boost Your Health

Why is Fiber Essential for Us?

High fiber diet has been prove to lower cholesterol level in the blood, improve slow digestion, and prevent constipation. Fiber can actually help us to eat less and lose excess weight. Fiber acts as a cleaning machine inside our stomach that flush away all the toxins and fat that we absorbed in eating unhealthy foods.

Fiber may help to reduce calorie intake by doubling the amount of fiber from the average of 15 grams to 30 grams per day. A diet rich in high fiber foods increase satiety, not only by lowering the energy density of foods but also decreasing the rate of that foods pass through the digestive system. These fibers will surely increase your metabolism.

Always take not that when you increase your dietary fiber intake, do it slowly to avoid gastric distress, and do not forget to drink plenty of fluid about 8 cups per day to avoid constipation.

An obesity researcher found out that fiber does not only make our stomach feel fuller, but also reduces digestibility. A number of studies have shown that large amount of fiber in the diet can control blood glucose and insulin level in the blood.

People who eat much fiber in their diet tend to weigh less and they are less prone to gain weight as they age. The higher fiber intake of at least 25 grams a day for women will have a great impact to their overall health.

Recent studies about benefits of fiber keep pouring in. Studies show that:

* Eating high fiber diet may result to overall healthy lifestyle and may play a big role in healthy Body Mass Index. Study found out that women who ate a lot of whole grains and fiber constantly gained less weight for over 12 years compare to those who only ate fewer fiber and whole grains. Another study was conducted to women with low fiber consumption and high fat intake was more likely to be overweight. American women should place greater importance on consumption of high fiber foods.
* Lower risk of having colon cancer can be prevented by eating foods rich in high fiber. Making wise food choices can reduce the risk of colon cancer for about 40% according to the data collected from 10 European countries. National Cancer Institute found out that high fiber intake lower the risk of colorectal cancer.
* Fiber may decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes. According the most current study a diet high in refined carbohydrate and little in cereal fiber boost the risk of type 2 diabetes. But it is not all about fiber, high fiber foods are also rich in essential micronutrients.

High fiber intake also helps in some metabolic syndrome and cluster the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes:

* Fiber from cereals and whole grain products were proven to slower the buildup of cholesterol from the arteries in postmenopausal women with coronary artery disease.
* Oat fiber shows a protective effect on the heart by lowering LDL or bad cholesterol without decreasing HDL or the good cholesterol.

Risk Of Diet Lack In Fiber

Fiber Solution

A diet with powerhouse nutrient like fiber can help out in weight management, relieve chronic condition, and avoid diseases.

Proactol – the most effective organic fiber weight management solution that binds 28% of bad fat, reduce cholesterol levels and so much more. Check it out!

Always remember to take fiber slowly into your diet and consult your doctors to guide you through you plans. Inserting fiber to your diet quickly can cause cramps, bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Prevent that trouble by adding a small number of fibers in your diet and increase it gradually. Make a habit of drinking plenty of fluids minimum of 2 cups calorie free beverage each meal to avoid any problem.

Risk Of Diet Lack In Fiber

Fiber a Powerful Disease Fighter

A diet rich in high fiber foods does not only help you feel satiated and supports your digestion, but it is a powerful defense on diseases. Fiber may reduce threat of having illnesses such as:

* Cardiovascular diseases: Studies prove that healthy diet low in saturated fatty acid and high in essential fiber can lower blood cholesterol level by 0.5% to 2% for every gram of high fiber eaten daily.
* Hemorrhoids: This kind of illness can be developing when you have difficulty in bowel movement. It is a swollen vein near the anus and the lower rectum, it can be prevented by a diet packed with high fiber foods and drinking plenty of fluid. This diet will soften the stool so that it can pass through the digestive system more smoothly. Consult your physician immediately if you have blood in your stool.
* Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Nerves and muscle of the large intestine are very sensitive to certain foods. The symptoms of IBS are cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. IBS has no treatment, medicines are only use to relieve pain, reduce stress. Avoiding foods that may trigger the symptoms such as fatty foods, carbonated drinks, and alcohol is very necessary. Diet with whole grains and other fiber rich foods can reduce IBS symptoms especially constipation by making the stool more soft and bulky.
* Diabetes: Fiber is a powerful aid in the prevention of diabetes and helps in diabetes management. Reduce the risk of diabetes by 28% by eating foods that are rich in cereal fiber. Another research shows that a diet full of high sugar, low fiber may increase or more than double the risk of women having diabetes type 2.
* Cancer: Diet is related to the increase rate of cancer death individuals having cancer. Most research has shown that diet low in saturated fat and high in fiber rich foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains may reduce the risk of certain cancer, including those of the colon and rectum.

How To Know If Your Child Is Pretending To Be Sick

Try to find out if you are part of the problem

Expecting too much of the child can cause anxiety problems. Disorganized and disorderly families where parents also reflect physical pain caused psychologically are also most likely to have kids who will fake it – this is because these kids pattern themselves after their parents. Very often, the symptoms of the child are similar to the symptoms of the parent, so if the mother says she has a terrible headache before a job interview, the kid may do the same thing before a chemistry exam. If you think you live in this kind of household it is best to seek professional help in dealing with anxiety and depression as well as other psychological problems that may lead to physical problems.

If you have confirmed that the request to stay home because of illness is really just a dupe, then don’t encourage or reinforce ’sick behavior’. Don’t offer the chicken soup or a TV show, otherwise, the kid would enjoy staying at home and this would cause him/her to fake it again in the future because it was a pleasant experience.

Risk Of Diet Lack In Fiber

Filed under: Cholesterol, Conditions & Diseases, Dieting, Expert Tips & Advice, Nutrition, Weight Loss
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Are you at risk? Find out the dreadful warning signs if you are at risk and protect your health. Is your diet lack fruits, vegetable, and whole grains? If you answer is yes, you may not getting all the fiber you need. This will increase your risk of having many kinds of illnesses like heart disease, cancer and even weight gain.

Though signs and symptoms of having poor fiber diet are not always clear, there are four warning signs for you to watch for:

1. Weight Gain

Fiber also known to contribute to satiety. Satiety is the mood of fullness you get after having a meal. Failure of experiencing this feeling it means that you are eating more than your body needs.

Prevention: Meet your recommended dietary goal of 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day by enjoying high fiber rich foods such as whole grains, fresh fruits, and seasonal vegetables. Choose fiber rich foods that suit your preferences for you to eat more.

2. Blood Sugar Fluctuations

If you are diabetes and experiencing blood sugar level irregularity talk to your doctor immediately because it may be a sign that you are not getting enough fiber.

Prevention: Increase intakes of high fiber foods, fiber delays absorption of sugar into the blood, try eating fresh beans, peas and brown rice. Discuss all the necessary changes on your diabete4s management plan with your doctor.

3. Constipation

If your bowel movement is irregular or you are having 3 bowel movement a week and you are stool is are hard and dry, you are definitely constipated. Constipation is cause by lack of fiber in the diet, but too little exercise and certain medications and supplements are also one of the leading causes of constipation.

Prevention: Eating more fibrous food such as apples, carrots, raspberries, broccoli, and whole grains to your diet may help if your constipation is diet related. High fiber rich foods will help to form soft, bulky stools, and preventing and relieving you from constipation. Add fiber to your diet slowly so that your body will get use to it. Help yourself by drinking plenty of fluids and exercise for healthy lifestyle.

4. Diet-Related Nausea and Tiredness

High calorie diet rich in high protein foods like meat, eggs and cheese may lead to increase cholesterol level and leave you feel nauseous, tired and weak.

Prevention: Boost your diet with foods that are rich in dietary fiber together with vitamin and mineral-rich whole grains, vegetables and fruits your body needs, and forget about fatty foods.

How To Know If Your Child Is Pretending To Be Sick

Look for the classic signs of faking

Kids who fake it are not usually consistent, they may be coughing crazy this minute and chatting on the phone the next. Really sick kids have the tendency to doze off so if your kid is attentively watching the television, wide awake, then he/she is most likely faking it. Symptoms are to be taken seriously, but when these are vague and move from one body part to another, chances are, the kid is faking it. An ache does not just transfer from the head to the foot in a matter of minutes.

How To Know If Your Child Is Pretending To Be Sick

Knowing what the problem really is helps, except of course when there is no problem

Once you’re sure that the kid is faking it, try to know why he/she is doing it. There are some kids who feel that because it’s the cold and flu season, they also need a few days off like other kids who are really sick. This is ‘the sense of entitlement’. There are serious reasons, however, like when the kid is being bullied at school; faking sickness becomes a strategy to avoid going to school and being bullied again; sometimes it’s an anxiety or fear attack for a test or class that they think is too difficult. Psychological problems that lead to physical problems can be called ‘malingering’ or avoiding something by assuming a sick role. In such a case, the child may not even know that the cause of the problem is actually psychological. The child is really in pain at this point, but the cause is not physical, rather, it is psychological. Most kids are unable to verbalize their emotions like most adults, so they tend to resort to anxiety to resolve their feelings. Watch out for depression – this can also be a reason for the child’s faking.

How To Know If Your Child Is Pretending To Be Sick

Know the Medical Evidence

Fever, extreme fatigue, dry cough, and body aches are the common symptoms of flu; in a cold, you can have the same, milder symptoms, including a runny or stuffy nose. Check the child’s temperature first. The fever should not alarm you if the temperature of the child does not reach above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. If the kid is complaining about his tonsils and throat, then have a look see – sick tonsils look like moldy strawberries or raw hamburger.

How To Know If Your Child Is Pretending To Be Sick

Filed under: Children, Expert Tips & Advice, Mother's Day Special, Parenting


Pretending To Be SickCold and flu are very common nowadays and kids are the first victims. Here are some tips to know if your kid has the bug or just simply faking it to get away from school.

The symptoms of cold and flu are easy to tell with kids and once these are evident it’s time to take your kid to the doctor; in some cases, however, it’s quite difficult to tell if the kid is sick or not. Your kid might look perfectly fine to you; so, before you panic and start to worry about the kid’s temperature, prepare the chicken soup or call your boss, you might want to confirm first if your kid really has the bug, or something else.

There are millions of reasons out there for your kid to fake sickness, and you have no way of knowing what those reasons are, what you have the upper hand at, is of course trying to find out if the kid is only faking it.

There are studies that show that up to 10% of kids try to fool their parents into making them stay home because of a ’supposed’ sickness. Most of the time, the reasons for feigning disease are very innocent, but sometimes these incidents may outline an underlying problem like anxiety, depression, or wishing to avoid someone at school, perhaps a bully. These reasons can affect a healthy lifestyle.

If your child looks and acts very sick, then it’s really time to call a doctor, but if otherwise, then maybe you should send your kid off to school and let him/her know that you can’t be duped.

Good read:

* Prevention Strategies for Colds and Flu
* Get That Cold Gone In 12 Hours

Here are good ways of telling whether your kid is faking sick or not:

Betwetting – Answers To Mothers

Why does a child wet its bed?

Before moving on to the answer, what has to be understood clearly is whether the child has been a consistent bedwetter with there being no dry spell in between or has it been a recent phenomenon.

Both these cases are two very different scenarios. For instance if the child is a habitual bedwetter with never a dry spell in between than the problem is known as primary bedwetting or in medical terms, primary enuresis.

Then there’s the other problem known as secondary bedwetting or enuresis that is characterized by a long dry spell for maybe even a year and then suddenly, the child starts bedwetting. It is generally uncommon for a child to exhibit secondary bedwetting symptoms and is usually the result of some medical anomaly that the child may be going through, for instance psychological stress or trauma. However, this happens to be true in less than 10% of cases.

In most of the cases, it’s primary bedwetting that the child is affected with though a thorough medical examination of the child including that of urine samples does not reveal the reason behind it. So the exact cause of bedwetting continues to be elusive. The only solace that mothers can have is perhaps the fact that one in every five kid of age 5 is known to be bedwetter.

Summer Colds vs Winter Colds

And The Winner Is

Who do you think won? Summer Colds and Winter Colds are indeed the same. It will not matter if one catches a cold in summer or winter. What really matters is the level of the immunity system of an individual. There is still no scientific study to support which is worse. Looking on our self satisfaction side, we would prefer a Winter Cold because we would like to enjoy all the things that we can explore in summer.

Both Colds will win if our immunity system is weak. Therefore, regardless of the season whether it be summer or winter, we should equip our body from the viruses around us. ImmunityPlus is our recommended remedy to maintain natural immunity and support healthy immune system naturally.

Keep healthy people around us, eat healthy food and always maintain a healthy lifestyle

Betwetting – Answers To Mothers

Infants can be cranky at times and sharing secrets or strategies about how best to deal with them is often the favorite pastime of many mothers. From being fussy eaters to throwing tantrums, these are just some of the things that perhaps every infant will indulge in to some extent or the other. And so is bedwetting.

No matter how embarrassing the problem might be, there’s no denying the fact that bedwetting is one of the most common problems that perhaps every mother of an infant will have to take care of during their child’s growing up years. In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, one in every five 5 year old is a bedwetter.

Summer Colds vs Winter Colds

Summer Colds and Its Causes

Summer Colds is triggered by a virus called Rhinoviruses. Rhinovirus originated from the Greek word “rhin” which means “nose.” This virus is also present in spring and early fall. But since it is more widespread in summer, it was then decided to be called summer colds. These colds represent an estimate of one-third of the one billion colds American catch every year. More than 110 different strains of this virus have been discovered.

Think about taking a long trip to a foreign country. Our immunity system will be on war with people surrounding us with different baggage of viruses. Thus an airplane or jet with hundreds of passenger with Rhinovirus will definitely increase the chances of catching a Summer Cold.

How about staying in an air conditioned areas for a long period of time? This can also give us a Summer Cold since air conditioning removes the humidity from the air we breathe resulting to dryness of the inner protective lining of our nose making us prone to the virus and making us sick.

Summer Colds vs Winter Colds

Winter Colds and Its Causes

Winter Colds on the other hand is triggered by Coronaviruses. A corona (halo-like) was formed when they were examined in a microscope thus making it a basis for its name. This virus can attack the respiratory system of humans and animals too. This can cause respiratory ailments if not aided accordingly. More than 30 different strains of Coronaviruses have been discovered.

Majority of the colds Americans catch per year are Winter Colds.

Children’s immunity system is still on the development stage and this obviously results to an easy transfer of colds from one kid to another. This usually occurs in a classroom. Virus moves faster in an indoor area. Inside a room, the virus is just beside us waiting for us to dwell in them.

In summer, prolonged stay in air conditioned place can keeps us close to Summer Colds. In winter, heating the air or prolonged warming of the room will also dry the inner protective lining of our nose thus making us prone to the virus.

Summer Colds vs Winter Colds

Colds in General

It is certain that symptoms of Summer Colds and Winter Colds are basically the same. We will feel uncomfortable by frequent sneezing and coughing. Something is also unusual with our throat. Once it progresses, we will surely wish for some of our body parts to be detached from our body just to feel a little comfort from a stuffy nose, a cracking voice, headache, body ache, fever and fatigue.

Colds is the #1 short term sickness nationwide. Americans have an estimate 1 billion colds per year. Major catchers are kids with an estimate of 6 to 10 colds per year compared to adults with 2 to 4 colds caught per year.

Getting Your Kids Involved In Grocery Shopping

Grocery games: tag, this is it!

Consider how old your kids are and fill their plates with as much as their age permits them. Divide the grocery list and let your kids find some of the items. If they do, have them cross off as your cart fills up. For their sake, stick to the list as much as possible. It’s an effective way of sticking to the budget and teaching them discipline by being a fine example.

Incorporate some maths in all the excitement by letting your kids keep track of the price list by using a calculator to know how close they are to the final cost.

That is not all of it.

* Ask them to, for instance, place oranges that weigh close to two pounds in a bag.
* Probability: ask them to guess how much apples weight (choose a number like 5), then weigh to establish how close they were.
* For more mature kids, have them work out the prices hypothetically and guess the total price. Compare this to the real thing.
* Become shopping detectives. Have them spy out certain items like a pineapple canned with its own juicy goodness or whole grain bread costing less than 3 dollars or better yet a cereal: 4 grams fiber and 7 grams of sugar per serving.
* Scout: try finding a new fruit like a papaya or dried cherries.
* Compare prices. Tell them to consider national brands to store ones and decide the one that is a money saver.
* Have them decide, between a large and smaller packing, which one offers a better value for your money.

Summer Colds vs Winter Colds

Colds are in two seasons. We can have it in summer. We can also have it in winter. Regardless of its type, there are intelligent probable reasons behind why they are identified or named by season. There are similarities and differences of summer colds and winter colds. Questions will be addressed like “Are they triggered by the same virus?”, “Aren’t they just the same?”, “What will we hate most?” Enjoy reading this article and have a full glimpse of what is worse, Summer Colds or Winter Colds?

Getting Your Kids Involved In Grocery Shopping

I know most parents might think that this is the most ridiculous thing judging from just how tough it can be but don’t give in just yet.

You probably want your kids to make the best food choices and maintain a healthy lifestyle throughout their life right? Grocery shopping is a great way to ensure this since their supermarket skills are nurtured and these replicate to wiser choices in the future, nutritionally speaking.

Don’t be discouraged by the boredom or worse the whining since that comes with the territory. Just make sure that the kids are involved right before you make that trip to the store.

Getting Your Kids Involved In Grocery Shopping

Plan it.

Set up a game plan, call it a grocery plan even and get the kids in it right from the word go. Start by discussing with them the best choices in terms of healthy snacks and meals, then for fun, ask them to hypothetically enlist the things that you will require.

Allow them some excitement by allowing them to choose a few items for school lunches and snacks. Have them keep an open eye for flyers for sales or alternative healthy foods to buy

Make The Lice Go Bye

Lice. A disgusting topic to talk about but one we have to highlight nonetheless. It is like being behind the wheel; you have no control of all the other people around you, but you can stop yourself from running them over.

Lice, you should know are not picky. Whether you take five showers a day or five showers a month, they will easily pitch tent on your head given half a chance. As long as you have blood running through you then you qualify. They are so dependent on human blood; so dependent that they cannot go a day without it (talk about being thirsty). They easily change heads from one person to another.

First thing you should NOT do when your only child comes home from school with a head that is well inhabited by these blood suckers is to panic. It does not help at all. Throwing everything she touches in the waste bag and declaring quarantine is not fixing the problem. Calm down, allow yourself to relax and follow these three simple guidelines.

One thing you should not do is to go to your pharmacist to get something over the counter. Truth is it doesn’t work and it could have very serious implications and health effects that you do not want. Do not even think of trying to pick them out one by one. You wouldn’t get even half of them and the time that it takes, it’s just ridiculous. Good news is that you do not need six years of medical school to fix the problem. Try getting a conditioner and coating everyone’s hair. Leave it on for at least 8 hours (preferably overnight) since this is the long it takes to kill them. People go for different alternatives like Vaseline and mayo. These are hard to remove and as far as mayonnaise is concerned, it is disastrous since 8 hours out of the fridge means that it becomes toxic and if this leaks into your blood stream through the head, the results are not pretty. Enough said.

Do the laundry, from their bedding to their clothes. It is best to use the hottest setting for this since there is no taking any chance of leaving these things alive. To be even more sure, dry each laundry load twice. After all there is nothing to loose and that much more to gain.

The morning after, the breadwinner gets to be first in the cleaning process, them being the head provider and all. After they are well showered, with most of the conditioner out it is time to get picking. Have them sit on a comfortable chair. Get the best lighting in the house because you will definitely need it. You are on the advantage if you have a magnifying glass somewhere since it will improve your accuracy. At this point in time, the head will seem much bigger in surface area than it usually looks but don’t be deterred by this. A little patience is all that is required.

Get a lice comb and section the hair into portions and tie them all separate with rubber bands. Taking attention on one part, remove all the eggs with no mercy at all and once you’re dead sure that you have gotten rid of them, tie back that part and move to the next. It helps if you start from the back making your way to the front consecutively. Picking is the worst of it especially for the kids since they make the job so much harder for you. To reduce this, let them watch a favorite movie to lessen their movement. Try as much as possible not to be irritated because chances are you will be tempted to be on several occasions.

If you complete this process up to this far and you are still in one piece then you can afford a smile since you have just completed the thick of it. The rest of it is not as demanding.

The only other sacrifice you have to make is to repeat the whole picking procedure for another eight days running, making sure you do not miss out on one because that is simply bad news. The cycle is just as east to start all over again and you don’t want that. Redo the conditioner thing on the seventh day for extra caution.

To stop the lice armies from ever invading again, add a little peppermint oil to the family shampoo. They really don’t like that and they will not even consider setting tent on your family again. Besides peppermint is good for your head so it’s a big plus. Neem seed oil does the same, maybe even better but there’s a catch. It does not smell so good. Beside that, it is actually quite good. It not only prevents them from living on your head, it also obliterates them.

7 Simple Techniques for Keeping Your Child Believing in Christmas And Santa Claus

Many parents love to see the joy and excitement Santa Claus can bring to their child. For many people, their childhood memories of Santa Claus are the best Christmas memories they have. Keeping your child believing in Santa, however, can be a daunting task. Children are smart these days, and some of the old Santa tricks just don’t get by them anymore. Many children are perpetually plagued with the question, “Is there a Santa Claus?”

Every family may have slightly different Christmas traditions with regards to Santa Claus, but there are some very easy things any person can do to keep the belief in Santa at an all time high. The following 7 techniques will keep your child believing in the magic and wonderment of Santa Claus and you don’t have to be familiar with the history of Santa Claus to apply them.

1) Have your child write a Santa Letter. This can be a simple letter that your child can write to Santa Claus. Children absolutely love to write a letter to Santa, but they occasionally need a little parental guidance to pull it off.

Help your child include a special list of gifts they desire for Christmas into the Santa letter. Many children enjoy getting more creative by drawing or cutting out pictures that represent the gifts they want.

Once the child’s Santa letter is finished, simply mail it to the North Pole. Mail it to the following Santa Claus address: Santa Claus, 1 Candy Cane Lane, North Pole 00001. Don’t bother using a return address, you wouldn’t want it to return as ‘undeliverable’ for any reason.

2) Write a Letter from Santa and have your child receive it in the mail. Create a personalized letter from Santa by directly mentioning your child’s name and certain information about your child in the text. This will make for a much more believable Santa letter. Be sure to make these letters from Santa different for each child in the same household. The child will have no doubt that Santa Claus is coming to town after they receive their personalized letter from Santa!

“I can honestly state as a parent that the personalized letter from Santa has single handedly restored my son’s belief! The look of shock and amazement on his face when he got an ‘authentic letter from Santa’ quickly abolished any doubt he previously had about Santa Claus.”

Print the Santa letter on authentic looking letterhead, as this will help to reinforce the believability. Many different styles of paper can be found at your local office supply store.

You can add to the fun by getting your letter from Santa postmarked at the North Pole. Simply send your Santa letter inside another sealed, stamped envelope to: North Pole Christmas Cancellation, Postmaster, 5400 Mail Trail, Fairbanks, AK 99709-9999. (It needs to arrive by December 15th)

Many parents add a certificate for being on Santa’s “Nice List” along with the Santa Letter for added effect. Another great item to add with the Santa letter is a Santa Claus coloring sheet. Combining the personalized Santa letter, the nice certificate, and the Santa Claus coloring sheet is a sure fire method for keeping your child believing.

3) Have your child leave milk and cookies out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. This is simple enough to do with your child. It lets your child know YOU still believe, too. Make it a bonding experience for you and your child by baking the cookies together on Christmas Eve. Don’t underestimate how powerful this can be for creating joyful memories of Santa Claus, for both you and your child. Did you know that Santa’s favorite cookie recipe is Chocolate Chip?

Put the fresh cookies on a plate next to a glass of cold milk. You can even put a short letter to Santa Claus next to the cookies and milk. These tasty treats will give Santa the energy he needs to continue traveling to the millions of other households awaiting his arrival.

Don’t forget to leave some crumbs on the table Christmas morning. Your child will feel honored that Santa Claus ate the whole plate of cookies and drank all of the milk before rushing on his way.

4) On Christmas Eve, have your child sprinkle reindeer food on the lawn. Santa Claus gets milk and cookies on Christmas Eve, but what about Rudolph and the rest of the joyful gang? What do they eat? Well, reindeer food, of course!

You can make a batch of environmentally friendly reindeer food with common grocery items such as oats or granola. (Do not use potentially hazardous items, such as glitter in your reindeer food. Although this may make the reindeer food appear to be magical in some way, it can be extremely dangerous if ingested by small children, should they decide to ‘sample’ the reindeer food. It can also be potentially hazardous to the small animals outside such as rabbits, dogs, or cats that may eat the food.)

Once you have the reindeer food mixed up, walk outside with your child on Christmas Eve night and explain the importance of making sure Santa’s sleigh team stays fed. Sprinkle a small amount onto your yard near bushes or trees.

This healthy reindeer snack will give Rudolph and the rest of the reindeer the nourishment they need to continue flying Santa’s heavy sleigh into the night. Your child will be proud for helping Santa Claus on his journey, and is sure to raise the belief in Rudolph and the other reindeer as well.

5) Leave Santa Claus tracks in your house on Christmas Eve. Being sure to not stain your carpet, leave some dirty boot prints by the fireplace (or doorway). Be sure to draw attention to the Santa Claus footprints on Christmas morning. To a child, this is solid evidence that Santa had been to their house.

6) A month or so after Christmas, send your child a postcard from Santa Claus on vacation. This not only keeps your child believing, but reminds your child that Santa is in their hearts all year long. It also answers the common question posed by children after Christmas, “Where is Santa Claus now?”

Be sure to make the postcard from somewhere very warm and sunny. After all, Santa does need a break from all that North Pole snow.

7) Mail your child a birthday greeting from Santa Claus. This technique works in tandem with the personalized Santa Letter you mailed your child previously. Mailing your child a simple birthday card from Santa is an excellent way to keep your child’s belief high throughout the year. Your child will think, “Wow! Santa actually knows my birthday!” The shock on your child’s face will be priceless.

Parents that have extremely intelligent kids or kids that are getting slightly older will genuinely need to utilize all 7 techniques mentioned above to keep their child believing in Santa Claus.

These techniques will assure your child is one of the millions of children that write Santa Letters each and every holiday season… one of the millions of children that believe wholeheartedly in Santa Claus.

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