How To Take Care Of Your Entire Family This Winter

Flu and Cold Season is on the Way

The beginning of the school year, can signal the beginning of colds and flu in your home. When the weather becomes cooler and the days grow shorter, health may become a significant concern. Coughs, colds, and even the flu, as well as more severe diseases, can suddenly become considerably more common. It's essential to understand some of the ways you can help your whole family stay healthy during winter so you can enjoy the time you spend together while everyone is safe and sound. The following tip will help you take care of your family during winter months of cold and flu season.

Tips for staying healthy during cold and flu season

Eat Healthily 

Our bodies are amazing machines that convert what we put into them in the form of food and drink into energy and hormones that do everything for us. We are happier and healthier when we eat the proper meals. A bad diet means our immune systems don't work as well as they should, and sometimes shut down altogether, so eating correctly to get enough vitamins and minerals to keep our bodies strong and ready to fight off the numerous illnesses that attack us, particularly during the winter months, is crucial. Try this recipe for baked salmon.

Adopt Healthy Lifestyle as a Family

Fruits and vegetables are the simplest methods to get these nutrients, so getting your five a day is critical. If it's a challenge to include more fruits and vegetables into your diet, try preparing a nutritious morning smoothie for everyone.  Here's a fun way to get kids to eat potassium rich bananas.

Keep Clean 

The simple act of washing your hands can help to keep everyone in the home healthy, and not just the individual who did the hand-washing. The initial point of contact between you and a virus or illness is usually your hands. Giving a loved one a hug, shaking hands, holding hands, and so on can spread diseases from one person to the next. By ensuring that everyone washes their hands frequently (particularly after using the bathroom, changing a diaper, and wiping your or a child's nose), you can minimize the chance of unpleasant diseases spreading. If washing your hands causes dry skin (as it may during the winter months), then invest in some excellent hand lotion as well to keep the momentum going. 

This "how to wash your hands" interactive printable lesson is great for the classroom or homeschool, it explains the importance of hand washing in detail and makes it fun.

Check The Animals 

If you have pets, you might discover that they are prone to sickness during the winter months as well. They, too, have immune systems, and although they don't function exactly like ours, that doesn't mean they can't become sick. It is important to take your pet to a great vet, such as exceptionalpets.com, if you suspect they are ill. In this way, you can keep your pet healthy, and everyone else in the family since some animal illnesses can spread to humans.  Our pets can even catch Covid19, so if you're sick, watch them for symptoms. Our bird, a Cockatiel, was very sick when we had Covid, luckily he recovered with some TLC.

Exercise

Getting adequate exercise is another brilliant way to strengthen the immune system. This could be as easy as taking your dog for a walk or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Park a bit further away from the supermarket's entrance, so you'll have to walk a little longer. Spend some time cleaning up the leaves in the garden. It doesn't have to be an exercise class or an hour at the gym, and the more people that participate, the better.  We've got some fun PE Activities to get you moving,check them out!

Get Fit with these Fitness Gift Ideas

 Gift Ideas to Stay Fit and Healthy

Here I am again, out of shape. This time, I'm not alone. Covid isolation wasn't kind to many of us. So, once again, I have to get fit. The last time, I really thought I'd kicked it, I had maintained my weight loss and healthy habits for over five years. Sigh. Life is a constant battle. I thought you might want to join me on the journey this time. Are you ready to get fit with these fitness gift ideas? It's okay to buy them for yourself! We all deserve pampering after the past year and a half.

                        This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links for your convenience.

It's July 2021 and I'm kicking off my fitness routine-  Again.  You can follow along on Instagram. Step one, buy cool fitness products to keep motivated!

Fitness Gift Ideas List:

• I've had these Jenn Ardor walking shoes for over two years now. They are lightweight, sturdy, comfortable, breathable mesh. This makes them perfect for hot summer days. 

What I love about them: They just slip on and off, they're comfortable, and they're easy to clean.

Hop over to Instagram to see the shoes on my feet! 

Since then, I've walked in them (you know, back in 2019.) I even mowed the yard in them. Don't you do that, they're a thin mesh, you should mow in boots to protect your feet. Anyway, the point is, these are durable, inexpensive, walking shoes!

• It's not Lemonade, it's Nakedade.  Can you get fit and feel good about yourself naked? I sure hope so! I tried the Nakedade Electrolytes Powder Packets in Fruit Punch flavor. It smells delicious! 

What I like about it: The sweetener is derived from beet juice. Beets are rumored to lower blood pressure. No idea if that works with this powder, but you can read about it, beet benefits.

Here's the blurb about Nakedade:

Nakedade starts with Palatinose™ (isomaltulose), a low-glycemic smart carb derived from sugar beets. We isolate the sucrose from sugar beets, and remove any potentially harmful fructose and glucose. Palatinose™ improves fat oxidation and provides a steady supply of energy to increase exercise endurance.* 285 mg of potassium in Nakedade helps you stay hydrated and replenish electrolytes lost through sweat.

My thoughts:  

• I wish I'd tried Blueberry Lemonade too. It sounds so good. Next time!
• I had to use scissors to open the packet, maybe I'm just a weakling?
• Play fair. Don't drink this after you've had hardcore sweetener like regular juice or soda. Cleanse your  palette with water first. 
• Don't drink it warm. Pop it in a cooler or the freezer for a special treat after a work out. 
• It's a great alternative to those other electrolyte drinks with sugar and artificial sweeteners.
• It's good, especially if you aren't a sugar addict. If so, it may take some getting used to. 

How can you stop consuming sugar? Try these tips.

As always, remember, you can do it!

• I don't know if this falls in the category of fitness gift ideas, but a really good way to help rid your body of sugar loving yeast is to take a daily probiotic. This affordable probiotic from Amazon works well, but it gave me some unpleasant side effects when I used it daily. 

Everyone seems to react differently to different strains. There are many types of probiotics so try a few options before you give up on them. My favorite is the Align generic from Target. My Gastroenterologist actually recommended Align. The Target knock-off is much less expensive and works just as well for me. 

Tip: If I take too much of it without eating properly I get shaky and emotional. You're supposed to take probioitcs with a full glass of water.  Start slowly with one probiotic a day or even every other day.  As you begin to succeed with Candida die off you can get Herxheimer syndrome. A Herkheimer reaction can make you feel tired and cranky. Once you work past the yeast die off, life on the other side of too much yeast and sugar over indulgence is so much better. Just remember Stevia can be your best friend. Learn more about the downside of probiotics.

What I like about it: It keeps thing moving.

• Stevia is a great replacement for sugar. Like the Nakedade above, replacement sweetener can take some getting used to. There are several Stevia based drinks and Gift Packs available.

What I like about it: Stevia comes from a plant that you can grow yourself!

Russel Stove Chocolate sugar free sweetened with Stevia.

• Joy Lab work out clothing for women is comfortable and affordable. At Target, I found navy and peach leggings, tanks, and sports bras.

What I like about it:  This fitness wear is comfortable and well made.

 

• My favorite get fit fitness gift idea is this Weight Gurus Scale from Target.  

What I like about it:  No struggle to turn it on, step on the scale and your weight appears. Connect the Bluetooth app to track you weight loss and bmi.

Recommended:

More on my weight loss journey

Quotes about weight loss

How to Help Protect Your Teen From Mental Health Disorders

Keeping Teens Safe

From their very first days, your mission as a parent has been to keep your children safe from harm. This involves taking proactive steps to ensure their safety and make sure they grow to understand the potential for negative consequences to their actions. It's so hard to know how to help protect your teen from mental health disorders. Protecting your children from harm is a lifelong job.

Like many parents, you likely sought to accomplish this goal by teaching them good eating habits and how totake care of themselves physically. However, the mental challenges that children face, particularly when they

transition into their teenage years, might not have been on your radar quite as much.

It can be difficult for parents to understand the mental struggles that teenagers face in this day and age. Today, teens face a great deal of pressure to live up to a certain archetype and work hard to set themselves up for future success. That being said, from a mental and physical standpoint, teenagers are still developing, leaving them to face such pressures before they even really know who they are or what they want to do with their lives.

As a parent, the best thing that you can do for your teen is take a proactive stance on mental health. With mental health conditions on the rise in young people, and more and more teenagers turning to self-harm and even suicide, it is important for parents to step in and help teens to navigate the burden of this stage of their lives. If you're the parent of a teen, here are a few ways you can seek to protect your teens from developing a mental health condition.

Educate Yourself

First and foremost, the best thing you can do to help your teen avoid developing a mental health condition is

to educate yourself. Learning about the prevalent mental health conditions in teenagers and how to detect

early signs that an issue might be at play can go a long way to stopping the progression of a mental health

condition before things get out of hand.

It's also a good idea to learn about the treatment options available to teens who struggle with mental health disorders. Resources on specific conditions like anorexia and bulimia can be found at edentreatment.com Acquiring information from your family care physician can help you to learn more about the internal struggles that your teen might be facing.

Create a Positive Environment

With busy work and school weekdays, it can be difficult to make time for meaningful conversationsand time together as a family. However, one of the things parents can do to help teens avoid mental health

issues is to work to create a positive and safe environment. Checking in with your teen and leaving the door open for communication is key. Promote a positive sense of self and provide your teen with positive affirmation which can help combat outside pressures to change or act in a certain way that may not align with their personal ethics and morals. Positivity and a happy home life go a long way in helping children cope during the teen years.

Recommended Reading:

How to Protect Teens from Cyberbullying

Self Care is Key to a Healthy Family Life

Teen Mental Health Self Help Books  (Affiliate Link)

Helping Your Kids Stay Fit and Healthy

 Get Started with these Quick Parenting Tips Today

All parents want their children to be happy and healthy, but it's often difficult to encourage our kids to follow a healthy lifestyle, especially if they have grown used to sweet treats and like to spend a lot of their time in front of their screens. If you’re a parent who is concerned about their child’s health, or would just like a few useful tips to keep in mind, below are a some simple suggestions on how you can help your children stay fit and healthy. You know how to do it, getting started is the hard part. So, here's your motivation.

This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience.

Diet

A good place to start is looking at your children’s diet and whether or not there need to be some changes here. You don’t have to feed your kid all organic food to make sure they maintain a good diet, and obviously, not all households can afford the more expensive products. If you want to make sure your kids are eating well, make sure they get plenty of fruits and vegetables and lots of good carbohydrates. 

Strawberry Raspberry Smoothie Recipe

If your kids are fussy eaters, think of creative ways to get them to eat a variety of foods, like making them a healthy smoothie or soup so the veggies and fruits are hidden from view. Also consider taking time to cook meals with your children so they can start to learn this important life skill and about nutrition and what constitutes a healthy diet. We've started ordering dinnerly, an economical food delivery service. Teenagers can cook their own gourmet meals or easy weeknight dinners, you choose the recipes each week.

After School Snack Planning Ideas Printable

Exercise

Sticking to a good exercise routine, can be difficult. Kids are no different. The best way to encourage your kids (and yourself) to get moving is by finding a sport or activity that they truly enjoy. By making exercise fun, kids are more likely to engage and exercise regularly, especially if their friends are involved. Get the family out and moving together on weekends, whether it’s going for hikes or playing Frisbee together in the park.

Outdoor Play Ideas

Oral Hygiene

As well as making sure they’re eating right and getting their hearts pumping, also watch out for your children's oral health. A lot of kids don’t like having to brush their teeth before bed, particularly if they’re already tired and cranky. However, this is an essential routine they need to get into early to avoid problems with their gums and tooth decay, which can be very painful and unpleasant. Make sure your kids brush their teeth twice a day, and be sure to teach them how to floss. If they hate toothpaste, have them brush with water to get the food out and then do an oral rinse.

Is Chewing Gum good for your Teeth?

Mental Health

Physical health is important, but your child’s mental well-being is also crucial to help them stay physically healthy. This isn't always as easy to see, but the best way you can help is by creating an environment at home where your child feels comfortable talking with you about their feelings and problems. If you discover concerning behaviors, ask your kids' teachers if they've noticed anything at school. The pandemic has been rough on everyone, but especially our kids.Make sure you're paying attention, any changes in behavior might be a cry for help. Kids are struggling with depression from being forced to stay inside.

Mental Health articles from Adventures of Kids Creative Chaos

Raising kids is the most challenging thing anyone can do. Keeping your kids fit and healthy is an important part of parenting. Hopefully, these tips will help you find new, creative ways to keep your kids happy and healthy. Be sure to click on the titles between the paragraphs above, for more detailed information on each topic.

As always, thanks for reading. You matter.

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What Breed Dog Should You Get?

 Getting Your First Family Dog: A Guide

Your first family dog is a big deal. Dogs are perfect for kids of all ages and can help them learn responsibility, social cues, and provide emotional support. The right dog will feel like another member of the family — something irreplaceable and perfect. The wrong dog can add frustration and anxiety into your home, which is why it is very important you prepare before you get your first dog. We're sharing tips to help you find the right dog breed for your family. So, what dog should you get? Read on to find out what breed makes the best pet for your family!

This post contains Amazon affiliate links for your convenience.

1. Research the Breeds 

Choosing the right breed is the same as choosing the right dog. Breeds have their own characteristics and general personalities. Though each dog is certainly unique and full of personality, you will want to start off with the right breed profile. Namely, how much care and attention the breed needs. If you live in a wide-open space and are a very active family, you will want a bigger dog with lots of energy. That same dog in an apartment might become bored and frustrated. 

You need to find the right breed for your family's lifestyle. Consider your living space, how long and how far you can go on walks with the dog, and even how much care the dog needs. Some dogs need to be mentally challenged with puzzles or hunting. Other dogs are happy to lay around on the couch for most of the day. 

Service Dogs

2. Find a Reputable Breeder 

While there are puppy mills and puppy smuggling operations, buying from either is supporting cruelty to dogs (in this case the parents.) Be sure to research ahead of time and make sure you find a reputable breeder. Not only does this rule out abuse, it also increases the likelihood of healthier puppy litters. 

Dealing with the loss of a Pet

3. Sign Up for Puppy Training 

As this is your first job you will want to sign up for puppy training. Even long-time dog owners sign up for puppy training because it gives them a refresher and a crash course to get their puppy’s training up to speed. 

Pet Name as Password Quote

4. Split Up Responsibilities 

You don’t want your puppy to end up being only your dog amongst your family. To enjoy the full range of benefits, you'll want your kids to also take care of your dog. Split up responsibilities so that everyone has something to do. Your dog will love everyone in the family, your kids will have emotional support and a playmate, and everyone can improve their sense of responsibility. 

Gift Ideas for Pets

5. Know How to Handle Difficulties 

Dogs come with difficulties. Some are anxious, some get sick in the car, some are destructive, and others are a bit aggressive with their affection. You need to be prepared for these personality quirks and know how to handle them. Anxiety and even nausea can often be improved with something as simple as a CBD treat from ceebeedoo.com, while other issues will need careful training. You'll need to be prepared and be ready to try out a variety of different tactics to help improve your dog’s behavior. 

Cool Gift Ideas for Pet Parents

6. Build a Healthy Routine 

Dogs love routine, so be sure to build one for them. This means eating breakfast at the same time, going for a walk, and so on. Dogs can be very patient while they wait for the next scheduled item on the list, and in doing so, you can keep a calm, clean home with your happy family. 

Recommended:

More Tips on Dogs from Adventures of Kids Creative Chaos

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When you have to find a new home for your beloved Pet

Treating the Gut to Improve Autism Spectrum Disorders

Gut Health and Autism

It is true that autism is generally not curable, but in most cases, people try different therapies to improve autism spectrum disorders. Therapies like occupational therapy, speech therapy, and applied behavioral analysis are the most common ways to treat autism and reduce the effects of autism, but treating the gut can help too!

This GUEST POST contains Amazon and other affiliate links. The information in this post is not written by a medical doctor, be sure to contact your physician before starting any new treatments.

Is anything more important for autism than brain foods? Yes, some foods like fatty fish, milk, egg, nuts, chocolates, and others may help the brain develop and increase its functionality. However, that is also challenging as many autistic children have weakened digestive health and may suffer from irritable bowel syndrome.

Why do many children with autism suffer from weakened gut conditions? Our brains have strong correlations with the gut. Autism can impair brain and gut development. Improving the gut can improve brain development, meaning alleviation from some of the symptoms of autistic spectrum disorder and other sensory processing disorders. 

Gut Treatments for Autism

There are many suggested treatments for improving gut function. Below are some popular options for autism that you may want to try.

1. Use of Probiotics and Prebiotics

Probiotics are good bacteria that aid our digestion and improve the immune system. Some of the common beneficial bacteria include bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, and saccharomycetes. Autism probiotics are an effective treatment since the good bacteria kills the bad ones and helps provide more helpful benefits for the gut. 

On the other hand, prebiotics are food components that boost growth to these beneficial bacterias in the gut. Probiotics are common in food items like kimchi, kefir, miso, and yogurt, while prebiotics is common in items like garlic, onions, bananas, asparagus, leeks, and more. 

Regular use of probiotics and prebiotics may improve leaky gut and prepare the body to accept all different kinds of foods. Studies have found improved gut condition increases neurotransmitter production and helps boost brain functions.

2. Focus on Diets

Because of impaired guts, children suffering from ASD often face mineral and vitamin deficiencies. Also, the lack of fiber can worsen gut imbalance and often contributes to leaky gut symptoms. Many children on the spectrum are sensitive to proteins like gluten and casein in their diet.

To overcome these hurdles, parents often put their children on a ketogenic diet. It is a common belief that a keto diet gives children with austim foods that are rich with omega-3 fatty acids. Foods like sardines, tuna, salmon, flaxseed, chia seed, and walnuts are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. Some also try dark chocolate to help enhance brain functionality. 

3. Antibiotics 

Under a physician's prescription, some try antibiotics like vancomycin but that is usually only for extreme cases. Antibiotics can wipe the gut of both good and bad bacteria leaving negative consequences. As children with autism have more bad bacterias over good ones, trying antibiotics can alleviate some conditions like chronic diarrhea. 

Always consult a doctor for the best therapeutic dose of any medication or herbal remedy. Some people also try antibiotics and probiotics together. In such a case, try fermented products like curd, yogurt, or kefir to help balance gut bacteria.

4. Fecal Transplant

Fecal transplant sounds absolutely bizarre to anyone who is reading it for the first time, but the concept is to transplant fecal material into the GI tract of the patient. This allows a complete shift of microbiome to a recipient without hurting anyone's digestive system. 

5. Microbiota Transfer Therapy

This is a new solution where patients use antibiotics to clear their gut. After clearing their gut, the patient is put on high-dose, standard human gut microbiota for several weeks. This not only improve GI symptoms, but it can also normalize gut microbiomes to that of healthy individuals. 

Try Probiotics over Others

Though we have discussed some possible treatments, most of the options require a physician's help. A diet plan doesn't work well with conditions like diarrhea, and you may also need to consult a nutritionist. These days, there's a lot of focus on probiotics that you can use at home to help your child to improve their gut problems which may, in turn, help improve their autism symptoms.

For most people, probiotics have no major side effects outside of mild gas and bloating. Some of the best benefits of probiotic use include:

1. Probiotics help the body fight cold and flu viruses.

2. Probiotics can boost vitamin B12 in our body, resulting in more energy.

3. Probiotics are helpful in maintaining the ideal body weight.

4. Probiotics can boost the immune system naturally.

5. Probiotics can help eliminate bad breath.

Probiotic Strains and Autism

When it comes to probiotics, people often recommend yogurt, fruits like bananas, mangoes, papayas, and herbs like peppermint and fennel. These foods can help to grow all good bacteria in your gut. The question is which strains of bacteria are good for people with autism? 

Studies have shown that two of the best probiotic strains to help in IBS and autism are bifidobacterium and lactobacillus. Using these with probiotic-rich foods can have synergistic effects to help improve gut functions.

Besides that, lactobacillus reuteri showed promising results in improving social behaviors in kids with autism. A study conducted in Texas found this strain of bacteria to release more oxytocin and improve the social behavior in children with autism. No wonder it can heal gut problems too. Using this form of probiotics also showed a wide array of health benefits including myoskeletal maintenance, improved metabolism, wound healing, and more.

Bacteroid fragilis is also beneficial for kids with autism. A study from the California Institute of Technology found this strain has the unique ability to penetrate the mucus layer and embed itself to repair the intestinal cell lining, which is a big bonus to anyone suffering from leaky guts. 

Things to Avoid with Probiotics

Though probiotics have no major side effects, it's prohibited for post-cardiac surgery patients, patients with bloody stools like hematochezia or melena, patients with pancreatic disorders, and infants. Other than that, anyone with a severely weakened immune system should consult with a doctor before taking probiotics or any other over the counter remedies. 

The Bottom Line

It's been proven that there's a strong correlation between our brains and our guts. If you can fix either of them, the other one will likely react to that positive feedback. When it comes to autism, this correlation is a key part of further study to lessen the effects and work toward a cure. 

You'll likely see significant behavioral changes, improved social interactions, and a big margin of improvement in your child’s learning abiity with gut treatment. In short, treating the gut can result in a better lifestyle for anyone suffering from autism spectrum disorder. 

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