4 Tips for Beautiful Healthy Skin

Your skin is your largest body organ. If maintained and kept healthy, it will protect you from all sorts of environmental harm. Since it's working so hard for you, why not treat it with some tender-loving care? There are a few fundamental things you can do to keep your skin healthy. Below are five tips for healthy skin that are easy to do and should be done daily.

1. Eat a Nutritious Diet. Eating a healthy diet that's rich in vitamins and minerals will nourish your skin and keep it radiant. Some foods that deliver key nutrients like zinc, vitamin A, omega 3, omega 6 and high quality protein for a healthy skin include colorful vegetables, fresh fruits, fish, lean meat, sweet potato, mango, carrot, spinach, olive oil and nuts. The juice of a lemon may help detoxify your body from harmful toxins that can build up.

2. Drink Plenty Water. In addition to eating a healthy diet, drinking 8 glasses of water can hydrate your skin and help cleanse your body from toxins. If you live in a hot climate, it is especially important to drink cold water throughout the day. Lemon juice, if applied topically, may help fight blemishes, freckles, acne marks, and dark spots. Cucumber is also commonly used on the dark circles around the eyes and other blemishes.

3. Daily Skin Care Regimen. Maintaining a daily skin care regimen is important in keeping your skin fresh, clean and clear. Facial skin should be cleansed at least twice a day with warm water and a facial cleanser. Warm water opens up the pores and helps give your face a deeper clean. Clean and Clear facial cleanser is a great and inexpensive product that will cleanse the dirt from your pores and minimize blemishes and blackheads. Try not to scrub your face too much or too roughly as it may also cause irritation and it will push dirt even deeper into your pores. Gently wash your face in circular motion then rinse it with cold water. Always remove your make up before going to sleep.
You should also keep the skin on the rest of your body soft and smooth. To do this, exfoliate daily in the shower using a semi-course body sponge and moisturizing soap. Body hair can trap dirt and oils so if you desire to remove some body hair, try Veet, a popular and effective hair removal product.

4. Get Plenty of Sleep! Getting plenty of rest is perhaps the most important tip for achieving healthy, glowing skin. Try for 7 and 8 hours of uninterrupted rest per night. Don't skip out on your rest on the weekends because you could be stuck making up for it during the weekdays.

For more beauty tips visit http://www.beautyhealthandwellbeing.com

10 Healthy Liver Foods - Things You Can Eat That Protect Your Liver

Liver ailments are very common in developed countries and up to 30% of the population of those countries suffers from what is known as steatosis, or fatty liver, an underdiagnosed condition that causes rashes, tiredness, obesity, diabetes, puffy eyes...

But here are the top 10 healthy liver foods you can eat to get out of that group:

Ginger - you can find fresh ginger, pickled ginger, and dried ginger. They are all a great addition, though some people dislike it's strong fresh. minty, and spicy flavor. Start with small amounts and find out what's perfect for you.

Turmeric - another liver protecting condiment, turmeric is often used in India and other countries to make things yellow. It has a very subtle taste and some people even claim it has no taste at all. A favorite of mine is adding turmeric to plain rice while it cooks.

Green Leafy Vegetables - every vegetable will protect your liver, but leafy vegetables have been shown to be especially protective. People who live in areas where leafy vegetables are consumed in larger amounts have less liver disease, while people who live in countries that consume few of these are plagued with fatty liver. As a rule of thumb, half your plate should be filled with greenies.

Fruit - fruit's fiber, vitamins and yet to be clearly understood enzymes help digestion and reduce the incoming toxic substances your liver has to deal with.

Vegetable and Fruit Juices - these combine the benefits of fruit, vegetables, and raw food (see next). Some people go on a one week or one month juice-only diet and have completely reversed serious liver disease. In fact, some people were diagnosed with untreatable terminal liver disease and have reversed it using this diet!

Raw Food - the heat used in cooking destroys the enzymes naturally found in food. These enzymes usually help digest the food and without them digestion hinders. One of the best ways to eat more raw food is eating fruit and juices.

Artichoke - look beyond its weird look, artichoke is one of the healthiest foods out there and can be delicious.

Whole Grains - the whole here is key. Whole grains have protein and, more importantly, fiber.

Soy Products - soy and its derivates (soy milk, tofu, tempeh...) have been shown to reduce inflammation and reverse and prevent cancer. Since what is going on in your liver is an inflammatory process which sometimes lead to cancer, soy will be a great addition to our diet.

Water - I'm not sure if this is a food or not. But it doesn't matter. Your cells, including your liver's, need this to work, so make sure you drink plenty.

Do Even More For Your Liver

Eating the right food is not the only thing you should be doing. The way you eat it, what you don't eat, some supplements, exercise, and even small periods of detoxing are key to protecting your health and reversing disease.

If you want to know more ways you can protect your liver, head on over to LiverCare101.com and read the free guide to healthy liver.

Tips to Staying Healthy

There is always an article that comes out that lists the things that you need to do in order to stay healthy. These things are always changing. It seems that the only things that stay consistent are that you need to exercise and eat healthy. While these things are important, there is more to staying healthy than just physical changes you can do. This is my off beat list of a few other things in life that can help keep you healthy. It is important to live healthy in all areas. Nobody wants to think about not being around anymore, but if you follow these tips you can at least live the best life possible.

Surround yourself with family and friends. Having connections with people is important to everyone's emotional state. I am not saying that you have to go out and befriend every person that you meet. That would be insane. However you should have people in your life that are a positive influence in your life, people that lift you up and people that you have shared interests with. Think about how it is hard sometimes to not have plans on a Friday. What if this was the case everyday forever? You have to make a conscious effort to let people in and allow the relationships to mature. After all love makes the world go round.

Speaking of the world, get out there and see it. I believe that traveling is one of the most important things that you can do in your life. You can go and experience how other people live. Learn how they talk, what they eat, and their customs. We are all different and that's what makes it exciting. When you travel, you open yourself up to new experiences and you have a different outlook on the world around you.

Read. This is so important. Our nation has a growing problem with literacy and its sad. When you read you are able to educate yourself and even discover different people and places. When you read a great book you completely transform your mind and are entranced by what you are reading. Reading helps you build your vocabulary and learn about things that you might not have learned otherwise. I have a rule of thumb, for every fiction book I buy I also buy a nonfiction book. I love biographies and books about different cultures.

Another great way to stay healthy is get out there and volunteer. There are always people that need help and places always need extra hands to manage it. You can always put your life in better prospective when you are able to hear about someone else's. Helping people is just good for the soul.

Like I said these aren't your conventional tips to stay healthy. I wanted to explore things outside of the physical healthy range. Emotional health is just as important if not more than physical healthy. When you are healthy on the inside then it shows. It's all about getting out there and connecting with the world around you. So get up, get out, and live a long and healthy life.

June Owensboro

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Healthy Diet Tips For Effective Weight Loss

These days, people who are raring to lose weight are always on the lookout for effective healthy diet tips which they can use as guidelines toward achieving visible results. For the most part, it is necessary to know what important components should be present in a diet and fitness routine and how one can effectively follow the necessary steps in order to get desirable results. The following are some healthy diet tips for effective weight loss.

Allow Your Body to Adjust Well to a Diet Program

Many people make it a point to push their body too much too soon which often leads to extreme cravings as well as manifestations of extreme weakness and distress. If you plan to take on a very challenging diet plan such as a low fat, high protein program, make certain that you allow an appropriate amount of time for the body to get used to the new way you consume food. A concrete example is giving up junk foods first when starting a low calorie plan. The next steps would be foregoing take-out food and eating healthy home cooked meals, in that order.

Never Neglect Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Very few people are fond of eating leafy greens and fresh fruits instead of chips. However, you can get used to this particular habit by changing certain aspects of daily meals gradually. For instance, it is easier to get used to fruits if you make them substitutes for pancakes and bacon in the morning. You will still feel extremely full by eating a bowl of fresh berries and non-fat yogurt but without the unnecessary calories.

If you are on a cardiovascular exercise regimen, you can also increase fruit intake by drinking more smoothies after working out. This way, you get to enjoy a sweet and cold treat without going over your calorie intake limit for the day.

Do Not Change Diets too Often

It can be frustrating not to see results after a considerable period. However, it would be imprudent to change diet plans too often, especially since not all bodies react to all diets the same way. Give a program at least 6-8 weeks to yield results before you shift to another one just to give your body a fair chance to adjust and react properly.

These healthy diet tips, if followed correctly and religiously, can very well change the way you look at dieting. Sometimes limiting food consumption is not enough to get the results you want so it would help to know other factors that can improve the effects of the diet you are currently on or the one you plan to follow.

Are you having a hard time losing weight? Be sure to visit my site for tips on healthy weight loss and weight loss help for women.

Healthy Dieting Tips

Before we start let us make one thing clear about the word 'diet'. W hen you hear the word 'diet' what do you immediately think of? Let me guess, no food just soup for the rest of the week or how about no food at all. The word 'diet' is often misconstrued by most. It simply means eating right not just at that moment but as a part of your daily life, a lifestyle choice.

When it comes to dieting, the numerous different kinds you will find on the market that will boggle your mind. The ones that help you lose weight as well are plenty too, from supplements to shakes to patches. All claim to perform dramatic results, fast and effectively. Sounds like an infomercial does it not? I assure you, there is no such thing as an easy way to lose weight because the quicker you lose the weight, the faster you will gain (not only will you get what you lost back, you gain extra pounds as well). Sad but true.

All I can offer are a few tips to help you lose the pounds by putting them into practice everyday and making it a part of your lifestyle.

Drink plenty of water

Water really is an incredible element and the benefits are substantial especially in weight loss. It hydrates the body and when your tummy rumbles from hunger first drink water, it makes you feel full while also helping by reducing the need to eat too much. The other drinks are not quite so effective and often contain empty calories which do more harm than good when treated as a replacement for the remarkable element called water. Water is good for circulation, metabolism and detoxing. That is why your skin will thank you by becoming clear, smooth and will glow with health. Did you know? The body can survive longer without food than without water. Also you need almost eight to nine glasses of water a day to prevent dehydration.

Set yourself some goals

When you are trying to lose weight it is important to set realistic goals. They must push you and provide you with steely determination to keep at it though must not be too tough to achieve that you resort to desperate measures. Why is this important? Simply put, if your goals are unrealistic you will be more likely to quit. The reverse is true as well the tougher the challenge the greater the rewards which is why we are also more inclined to feel inspired. That is why your goals have to be realistic. A little competition is also a common human trait. Get someone to lose weight with and compete to lose more weight than them. You will be amazed how badly you will want to win, you will probably forget about how difficult your journey to weight loss is and just want to beat them. It is human nature.

Eat more

No you are not misreading. Eat more foods high in fiber such as vegetables and fruits. They are good for you and help you with your unhealthy cravings or tendency to binge by providing you with that full feeling.

Get moving

Think about it, the more you move the more calories you burn. It is a fact that in order to lose the weight you have to lose more calories than you consume. So if you want to reach your goals you need to exercise or do more activities especially activities that you enjoy.

Dieting does not have to be tedious, maintain the use of these tips and keep your eye on the price. When you reach your goals and continue to eat right, you stand up straighter and are less inclined to blend into your environment. Your confidence is acknowledged, heads turn and for once you can look people in the eye. The mirror is no longer your enemy and shopping is fun. Remember: if at first you don't succeed try, try again.

For more information on healthy diet tips, visit Healthy Snacks for Weight Loss

The Perfect Healthy Lifestyle Diet Plan

The correct healthy lifestyle diet plan should allow you to focus on your health, while still enjoying foods which are not only beneficial for you but also taste great! Most individuals don't wish to begin consuming healthy seeing that they do not think healthy foods taste well. In fact, I used to be that way. I like sweets and the thought of eating carrots as a snack rather than having a donut was brutal. I didn't think it was possible to adjust the way I eat and genuinely end up enjoying it. But I did!

So what happened to help adjust my thoughts about consuming nutritious? To start, I needed this reason to actually wish to do it. I was overweight and knew that if I continued the path I was on I would have a lot of health problems and not live the best life I knew was possible. So I started eating nutritious foods and implemented a good workout routine. In this process I lost 40 pounds over the course of 6 months and I felt excellent! I learned what I must be eating and not consuming. I also learned to contain the dedication necessary to remain away from sugary foods and take pleasure in fruits and vegetables for a snack. All it was, was a shift in my mindset and what I desired to achieve.

A healthy lifestyle diet plan should consist of consuming much of fruits and vegetables although additionally having a lot of lean protein in your meal plan. When you go to the grocery stick to the perimeter of the store whilst shopping. as soon as you think about it, most of the items that are in the aisles consist of foods in a bag or box that are unhealthy for you. You can discover plenty of nutritious foods around the perimeter, including those yummy carrots, lean animal protein, eggs, and low-fat dairy products. This is where you should be focusing a lot of your healthy lifestyle choices.

Once you start making healthier eating decisions, your taste buds will start to get used to these refreshing foods and you may actually begin enjoying a number of them. When we constantly consume foods high in sugar or salt, the taste buds become distorted and we do not know what really is a good tasting food considering of the overpowering sensations our tongue is used to. There are many fruits which I wouldn't have eaten before and I gave many excuses not to east, but now I like them. I could take a juicy peach and consume it just like an apple and I love it!

You're also going to need to stay consistent with your healthy lifestyle diet plan. Saying that you're going to eat nutritious today and accordingly grabbing a greasy 800 calorie burger tomorrow is not going to work. Now, I do suggest taking one meal a week and utilizing that as a "cheat meal" where you could eat something that would not have on your healthy meal plan. Just do not take this too far and consume 2,000 calories in that one sitting. a cheat meal is to help keep you sane however also to reward you for a job well done during the week and to give you something to eat that may not be healthy, but that you do delight in.

Living this healthy life is greatly critical and there are many benefits of a healthy lifestyle. You could delight in living longer with less sickness whilst doing things which are favorable to your family and the rest of the world. it's potential to get there with a good healthy lifestyle diet plan.

Using some healthy tips might be very beneficial for your health. In fact, if you have children it would be critical if you utilize a healthy lifestyle for kids so that they grow up living strong and vibrant lives.

9 Tips to Stay Mentally Healthy

If it's not broke don't fix it...right? No! One of the best methods of mental health recovery is to maintain an environment prone to mental health and mental illness recovery. Staying mentally healthy is a way of life, not something you do when things start to go wrong. Keep reading for your top 10 tips to staying mentally healthy! Remember sometimes, the best treatment is prevention.

For access to some great cutting-edge research aside from the tips below, check out the Mental Health Center of Denver's Research and Evaluation Team's publications.

1) Stay Physically Active: the human mind developed in an environment requiring one travels the equivalent of 12 miles per day for sheer survival (and no that doesn't mean jumping in the car and flooring it!). Recent research has proven that increased physical activity can actually create new brain cells (once thought of as a static number), this explains why nearly every mental healthcare consumer at facilities such as MHCD are strongly encouraged to begin an exercise regiment immediately.

2) Stay Socially Active: we are social creatures, thus one's support network, be it family or friends, is of immense importance to one's general well being. It is of course ok to take a few nights to yourself, but don't stay shut in. Go out, keep your social relations strong.

4) Be Self-Reflective: you know those few nights a week I said it was ok to just take a night to yourself? Do it! Read a good book, walk your dog, just think things over. Examine where you are in life, where you want to be, and where you've come from. Be honest and complimentary to yourself. You are a brave, amazing person, so act like it :)

5) Play: play is actually tremendously important for staying mentally healthy. Devoting time to just having fun can recharge your battery, revitalize your social networks, and reduce stress/anxiety.

6) Maintain a healthy diet: this goes along with staying active. Stay healthy, both in terms of exercise and in terms of eating. Now don't go crazy here, you don't want to make yourself miserable by being the food-police, just be conscious of what is going into your body. And allow yourself some leg-room to cheat once a week or so!

7) Set goals: when people are feeling depressed, aimless, or like they are just going through the motions, often times its because they are lacking general direction. Set realistic goals for yourself so you are continuously aiming at something, this is a practice known as positive dissonance (you are constantly reaching for a new goal you set, thus you are always striving further and further even if you accomplish a goal along the way). Importantly though, one must not take this too far and find no joy in overcoming a given sub-goal; this will prove to demoralize the individual. You should celebrate your successes! Each and every one of them, and then push yourself to be even better. Once you reach your goal, set another one to get even further! This will constantly drive you, give you reasons to celebrate as you attain goals, and will increase your general level of content and mental health.

8) Balance free time: this is very important! Don't let yourself just lay in front of the TV. That is actually conducive to depressive environments. Relax, watch some TV, read a book, go for a walk, spend time on your hobby. Do it all, not just one of them.

9) Examine your locus of control: in the midst of your self reflections, it is important to examine just where your locus of control is. Are you blaming everyone else for things? Or are you taking on all the fault? Nothing is one sided, remember that. Especially if your depression is focused around relationship woes. Think of what you really did, what others really did, accept that its in the past and that the best thing to do now is learn from it and live on to never make that mistake again!

10) Don't be afraid to seek help: It is a great shame that seeking out mental health professionals in America has become a taboo or secretive endeavor! If you are worried about your mental health, you should be proud of yourself for putting forth an effort to improve yourself. If you are in the general area, I would recommend a recovery-based treatment center such as the Mental Health Center of Denver, or MHCD. The only shame in finding help is not getting help when you can benefit from it!

For some great links to free, cutting-edge psychological research publications, access MHCD Research and Evaluation team's mental illness research page. Or, to find out what a recovery-centered community mental health center is like, access the MHCD Home Page link above.

Stay healthy, stay happy!

Lex Douvasa
Check out the Research!

Heart Healthy Tips

You know how vital a healthy heart is to your body, a study recently published finds that subjects who followed four heart healthy tips cut their chances of heart failure by an impressive 81% in women and 68% in men. What's more, the more healthy habits you follow, the lower the chance of heart failure becomes. Best of all, even making one heart healthy lifestyle choice was enough to bring down the level of risk by 47% in women, 31% in men.

So, what are these four healthy habits?

The four behaviors are:

1. Don't smoke

2. Lose weight (if overweight)

3. Get regular exercise

4. Eat vegetables.

Heart failure is a chronic condition where the heart muscle grows weaker until it is no longer able to pump enough blood to meet body needs. With organs not getting the blood they need, fluid builds in places it shouldn't, the lungs, the gastrointestinal tract, the liver and even the arms and legs.

The symptoms often appear slowly, at first only when you're very active, though over time you might feel breathing problems and some other symptoms even when you're resting. At age 40 your chance of heart problems at some point during your lifetime is almost one in five.

For the current lifestyle and heart failure study, 38,075 subjects in Finland were examined to compare the chances of heart failure between men and women. After a follow up of 14 years, 638 of the men and 445 of the women had been diagnosed with heart failure.

Even after accounting for risk factors we know impact heart failure (high blood pressure, heart attack history, diabetes), healthy lifestyle choices brought a lower likelihood of disease.

- Those who smoke had an 86% increased chance of heart failure, however women smokers especially saw a 109% increase in risk.

- Men who were considered obese had a 75% higher risk; obese women had a 106% higher risk.

- Men who did regular, moderately intense exercise had a 21% reduced risk; women who exercised at the same level were found to have a 13% reduced risk. More intense types of exercise increased the benefit, by 33% in the males, 39% in the female subjects.

- Everyone who ate veggies 3-6 times a week showed a 26% for men, 27% for women reduced risk of heart failure when compared to those subjects who only ate vegetables on less than one occasion per week.

Researchers suggest that any lifestyle changes you make to stay healthy are beneficial. Theoretically, almost half of heart failure cases that happen in the general population could be prevented if people followed at least three of the four healthy behaviors.

This research brings home the point that lifestyle choices are important... critically important. And that's the good news to take from this research - these changes are within our control AND we don't have to do them all, all at once, to get the benefit. Though not easy, by making healthier lifestyle choices we can impact the state and strength of body systems.

Watch for doctors and other healthcare professionals to begin emphasizing the benefits of these heart healthy tips now more than ever before.

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12 Healthy Prostate Tips

Nowadays prostate disorders growth is becoming a more and more serious problem for men's health worldwide. Small prostate dysfunctions can cause more dangerous diseases and even prostate cancer. By the official statistics data, prostate diseases cases quantity has almost doubled for the last 20 years.

1. Minimize alcohol consumption - alcohol drinks neutralize both zinc and vitamin B6 (which works for zinc absorption).

2. Drink low fat level milk and eat lean meat dishes - some researchers believe that saturated fats from dairy products and meats are factors increasing the risk of prostate cancer development.

3. Eat more soy - clinical studies demonstrate that the increasing estrogen-to-testosterone ratio as a result of aging is one of the key factors that impacts badly on the size of prostate gland. At least 2 ounces of soy per day will decrease estrogen levels in your organism and reestablish optimal balance of the estrogen-to testosterone ratio that is getting imbalanced at men age of 60 and older. Rich of soy foods are: soy flour or powder, miso, tempeh, roasted soy nuts and tofu (soybean curd).

4. Improve your circulation - use Kegel exercise workouts to improve a better blood flow for your prostate and urogenital organs. To perform the Kegel workout pull up all your muscles around scrotum and anus, keep them strained and then release. 10 exercises by 5-6 workouts per day will maximize the blood flow to your prostate gland tissue.

5. Follow healthy diet. Eat more fruits, berries and vegetables to provide your body with needed natural antioxidants and vitamins. Exclude from your diet saturated fats, sugars and cooked foods. Meals containing high levels of fat like meats or dairy products can raise testosterone levels that can cause enlargement of prostate gland and abnormal cells growth. Consume different vegetables, especially like cabbage, brussels sprouts, sauerkraut, broccoli and coleslaw. Consuming just 3 servings of vegetables per day can lower the prostate cancer risk by up to 45%!

6. Increase Selenium consumption. Selenium is highly needed to keep your prostate healthy. The foods containing good levels of Selenium are: eggs, cashews, brazil nuts, garlic, kelp, wheat germ, tuna, herring and other shellfish and seafood, cashews, onions and mushrooms, sesame and sunflower seeds, beef liver and kidney.

7. Have two or more meals with oily fish weekly, such as wild salmon (do not consume farmed salmon which is being fed with artificial feed).

8. Increase Zinc intake. Zinc consumption in amount of 15 mg per day helps for proper and healthy prostate functionality. Excellent Zinc sources are pumpkin seed in shell, oysters, nuts and beans.

9. Two portions of tomato sauce per week reduces the risk of prostate cancer. Cooked tomatoes break down their cell walls, allowing your organism to absorb antioxidant lycopene from tomatoes, which is very important for your body.

10. Use nutritional supplementation. Consume a quality multivitamin supplement containing the next microelements and vitamins to keep your prostate healthy: Vitamin A (25,000 IU), Lycopene (10 mg), and Vitamin E (1,200 IU).

11. Respect healthy lifestyle. Provide your body with sufficient amount of rest and regular physical activities. Regular exercising has been proven to ensure improvement of immune and digestive systems, body circulation and cleansing of body toxins and waste. These activities also act for prevention of obesity, as an obesity is considered as one of bad factors increasing risk of cancer and other diseases. Systematic exercising can also reduce the risk of prostate gland getting enlarged.

12. Reverse body damages. Following a stressful lifestyle for years causes many damages to your body. To help stop and reverse these harmful processes use Ayurstate - proven ayurvedic herbal supplement for prostate health. Ayurstate contains more than 2 hundreds of natural ayurvedic phytonutrients that act on molecular level to restore and heal damaged body tissues, provide rejuvenation of your prostate gland, decrease levels of prostaglandin and polyamines. This herbal remedy also effectively stimulates your urogenital system's smooth muscles and reduces uretra and prostate gland inflammation. Developed basing on ancient Ayurveda medicine principles, Ayurstate causes no clinically known side effects and treats not only just symptoms, but deep inner causes of prostate disorders.

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Eat Breakfast Every Day

My family stayed at a hotel in Florida during spring break, and every morning we would have breakfast in their restaurant which featured an elegant morning buffet. The buffet offered a wide range of options from the healthy eggs, fruit and grilled vegetables to the less healthful temptations of waffles, pancakes, sugary cereals, and assorted breads and pastries. My seven year old daughter casually questioned, "Why do they call it an 'all you can eat' buffet when it is really all you can't eat?"

My daughter was referring to the sheer quantity of food compared to the limitations in size of her very small stomach. I had to consider the irony that her quip also applied to the many unhealthy breakfast choices offered which I attempted to distract my daughters (and husband) from eating every morning. Many parents can relate to this struggle. Occasionally lapses from a healthy breakfast while on vacation is one thing, but it is imperative that children have a healthy breakfast every morning before they start their school day.

There is much wisdom in the tired cliche that breakfast is the "most important meal of the day". Sometimes children are too tired in the morning to eat, but skipping breakfast is a big nutritional mistake. Without it, students miss out on a lot of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They also have a hard time staying awake in school and will become hungry later in the day which can lead to overeating in the evening.

According to the American Dietetic Association, more than 40% of girls and 30% of boys skip breakfast on a regular basis. The reason for missing breakfast is often cited for lack of time, or absence of hunger. It is possible to get out the door on time with a stomach filled with breakfast, the key is to strategize and plan ahead. Tips on how to more easily have time for breakfast include setting the backpack and clothes out the evening before, and setting the alarm 15 minutes earlier to allow more time for breakfast. Also, don't allow TV or computer time in the morning, and plan the night before what the breakfast choices will be. Prepare some hard boiled eggs, oatmeal, etc. For those who aren't very hungry in the morning, offer an easy to make fruit smoothie with a scoop of protein powder. If your family doesn't like traditional breakfast foods, offer something non-traditional such as leftovers from dinner the night before.

There are a lot of health benefits to making breakfast a part of your child's routine. The advantages include a reduced risk of obesity, a reduction in tooth decay, and being less likely to be overweight. Many studies have proven that children who eat breakfast perform better on tests than their peers who have empty stomachs. Breakfast eaters also have improved social behavior.

Parents can encourage their children to eat breakfast by setting a good example and eating breakfast themselves. Kids are more likely to develop healthy eating habits if he or she sees you having breakfast every morning. Sit down as a family together at the table and discuss the upcoming events of the day. Let your child help in planning a weekly breakfast menu. It is also helpful to make breakfast choices convenient and easy for your child to reach by putting the choices in accessible heights and places.

The type of breakfast children eat is crucial to their overall health and success throughout the day. Sugar laden cereals, donuts, pastries, etc. tend to make them less alert. High sugar foods actually make people sleepier, not hyperactive as many people believe. Refined sugars also affect insulin control, which decides how much fat they will store for the rest of their lives.

Sugar is not only in cereal, pop tarts, and donuts. It is in practically everything! It is very important to read labels and look for words like sugar, sucrose, dextrose, sorbitol, and corn syrup and avoid the products that contain these ingredients. Also, pay attention to how much sugar is in per serving. Many breakfast cereals popular with kids have as much, or more, sugar than a candy bar. Not only are these cereals loaded with sugar per every serving, most kids don't stop at one serving of cereal. Instead of a sugary cereal, offer your kids a high fiber cereal with berries.

Fruit juice also contains a lot of sugar without much fiber. Many people think of juices as being healthy, but this isn't always the case. Small quantities are fine, but in drinking them the consumer gets a lot of calories without much fiber. Meals made from whole and natural foods will reduce your families consumption of sugar.

Just like other meals, try to eat a variety of foods. Healthy breakfast ideas that my family enjoys include eggs, hot cereals (such as steel cut oats or cream of wheat), whole-grain toast, bagel or English muffin with almond butter, whole grain cereal and a non-dairy milk, or a fruit smoothie with almond or rice milk, whey protein powder, frozen organic berries, and ground flax seeds for added fiber. I sometimes will pre-cook the oatmeal and reheat in the morning or cook it overnight in a crock pot so that it is ready to go in the morning. We top the oatmeal with items such as nuts, flaxseeds, wheat germ, berries, bananas, etc.

Consumption of a morning meal is one of the most important things anyone can do for their health. The benefits are many, and the challenges are easily met with a little strategic pre-planning. Parents are the most important influence in children's lives and they look to us to learn appropriate behavior. Modeling healthy eating supports the development of healthy behaviors in children. In order to model good eating habits, parents should eat and prepare food with their children on a regular basis. Studies show that meals eaten at home are often more balanced and lower in empty calories. Children are not only more likely to eat breakfast when they see their parents eating breakfast, but are also more likely to have healthier eating habits overall. Eating breakfast with your family is an ideal opportunity to reinforce good habits. It also makes for pleasant memories and traditions that will be valuable later in life.

Cheryl Heppard of Michigan Health Coach is metro Detroit's #1 health coach. She has a monthly column in Women's LifeStyle magazine and a successful coaching practice in the Birmingham-Bloomfield area of Michigan. Visit her website at http://www.MichiganHealthCoach.com to sign up for her free monthly health tips and information.