Friday 30 September 2011

How Super Foods can help improve your relationships…Eat Up!


We all know that eating healthy is good for us. But, did you know that eating certain super foods can actually enhance your relationships? Well they can! Here’s how.

Help You to Stay Calm and on an Even Keel

Being snappy and irritable can make you incredibly unpleasant to be around, and can ruin your relationships with your family and friends and most especially, your significant other. Although being impatient with others can be a part of your personality, it can also be caused by certain nutrient deficiencies.

Foods that are high in B vitamins and vitamins A, C, E and the mineral magnesium can help to calm your nerves and keep you calmer. They can even help prevent or lessen anxiety attacks.

Friday 23 September 2011

Pregnant vegetarian – what do you need to know?

Are you a vegetarian expecting a baby? First of all, congratulations on your pregnancy! Eating a meat-free diet is much more accepted now than it was a few decades back, but there are still plenty of people who will get on your case about being a vegetarian during pregnancy. Are your doctor, relatives, or friends concerned that being a vegetarian will negatively impact your unborn baby? Or do you, yourself, wonder whether pregnant vegetarians can meet all the nutritional needs of their growing fetus?

Many vegetarians eat extremely healthy diets, and are much more conscious about what they eat than the average omnivore. Pregnancy and being a vegetarian can combine very well – something I know from personal experience with my two pregnancies, and something my mother can also talk about. That's right: My children are third-generation vegetarians. My mother's doctor predicted that pregnant vegetarians can give birth to healthy babies, but he warned her that her child might be infertile due to her meatless diet. The doctor was wrong, and there is no scientific basis for views like that. But there are some things that pregnant vegetarians need to take additional care of. What are they?

  • Many newer vegetarians report craving meat as part of their pregnancy signs and symptoms. It is up to individuals to decide whether or not to give into these cravings. Some veggies opt to eat certain meat or fish meals while they are expecting a baby, and sometimes while nursing. 
  • Pregnant vegetarians are at a higher risk of developing iron-deficiency anemia. Leafy green vegetables like spinach, beets, kelp, egg yolks and beans (including soy beans) are especially rich in iron. As long as you eat plenty of these, you should be fine. 
  • Calcium is essential for your baby's bone and organ development. Milk and dairy products are well-known sources of this mineral, but you can also find calcium in broccoli, sesame seeds, parsley and other vegetable sources. Calcium also promotes the absorption of vitamin D, which is best assimilated through sun light but can also be found in certain food sources.
  • Veggie moms to-be who eat plenty of beans, nuts, eggs, and tofu can rest assured that they are meeting their recommended intake of proteins (60 grams daily for pregnant women). If you don't eat enough protein, boost your intake through a combination of these sources. 
  • Vitamin B12 deficiency is something else vegetarians need to watch out for during pregnancy. If you are concerned, the best approach is having your blood tested. You may look into a supplement, or consider taking cod liver oil if you are not ideologically opposed to that. 
  • Many women are worried about how to achieve weight loss after pregnancy . As a vegetarian, it is easier to maintain a good diet without too many saturated fats. Staying away from fast foods is always a good idea, whether you are an omnivore or a vegetarian. 
Olivia is a vegetarian mother of two. She writes about fertility, pregnancy and babies at her blog, Trying To Conceive.



Friday 16 September 2011

Dating a Diabetic



You are a single dad and are now preparing for a life again in the dating scene. When you go out to the wild side again, do be prepared for a very different landscape from the last time you were out on a date. Amongst the many changes would be the conditions of the women out in the world.

According to the most recent American Diabetes Association, nearly one of every ten single Americans would become a diabetic in the next few years of their life. A greater percentage of them would be single women. This statistic alone should help you prepare for what lies ahead, eventually dating a single diabetic woman. This is not something you should avoid but something your should embrace and accept as part of the new world before you.
 
Diabetes is a metabolic condition where the body is either unable to produce and/or properly metabolize the hormone insulin. This hormone is important for the proper functioning of cells as the hormone helps process blood sugar for cellular processes. These cellular processes include regeneration and proper functioning of the body’s organs. Thus when you encounter a diabetic on a date, here are the following tips you need to know in order to get a chance at another date and hopefully a long term relationship.

Friday 9 September 2011

Sex After Baby: How to Re-Warm the Sheets After a Brief (or Lengthy) Cool-Down


Having sex after having a baby can be problematic even for the most regularly active couples. First of all, sex is out of the question for a minimum two weeks after birth, and at least six weeks is what most doctors recommend. However, even after six weeks, there could be factors that hinder couples from reuniting in the bedroom. The new little member of the family is usually the prime culprit. In the first month or two after the baby is born, he or she will probably wake up every two hours, at least. This can make it hard for mom and dad to find time to be alone.

There are also physical factors that could get in the way. If you have had an episiotomy or tearing, you will likely be tender for a while. Some women heal pretty fast, but others take a while.