It’s Entirely Natural - Articles

Our bodies’ demands change as we age. Although aging is associated with slowing down, we don’t have to accept all the downsides, and can fight back by eating properly and controlling our weight.

The first—and most obvious—step is portion control. As you age, you need less food to support your body’s metabolism. If you keep your calorie consumption down, you can maintain weight. Just remember that you can’t eat as much at fifty or sixty as you did when you were twenty!

What we eat and how much can also impact weight gain. Women and men tend to pack on the pounds as we age. Paying attention to what we eat and our activity level can help us to age more gracefully when it comes to our weight.

The second—and just as important—factor is to eat in a healthy way. Healthy eating requires knowledge of food groups and portion sizes. Physicians and nutritionist can assist us in understanding what our bodies need at whatever age we are at. Normally avoiding fats and sweets or at least limiting the amounts that we consume is a good rule for anyone to follow. Here are some other good healthy eating tips.

Make sure you are choosing from all the food groups during the day. The food groups include: meat and meat substitutes, dairy, fruits and vegetables, grains, and fats and sweets.

Plan your meals around these food groups and make a shopping list around your planned meals. This way the food you have around the house will be the healthy foods you need and not the junk food that you do not need.

Avoid junk food. Junk food, sweets and fats are just extra, empty calories that take the place of healthy nutrients that your body requires to function properly.

Understanding our food habits sometimes requires paying close attention to what we are eating. It helps to keep a food journal and record everything we eat for a period of one week. Take a look at the food audit after a week, and create a healthy eating plan that changes your habits and improves your health.

Don’t try to remake your entire diet overnight. Make one change and then when you are used to that change make another. If you slip up and overeat one day, don’t stress too much, just make a better effort the next day.

Drink plenty of water. Water is an essential nutrient, and often gets overlooked. At mealtimes, have a glass of water instead of a beverage—it will re-hydrate you and reduce the amount of calories you consume.

Don’t go overboard on drinking juice. Most juices contain a lot of added sugar, so read the label. Portion sizes can make or break your healthy intentions so read food labels carefully as they often times will state how much is considered a serving size.

As we age, it may seem that pleasures are being taken away from us one by one. We can still enjoy eating, though. Eating healthy can be fun, if you eat in moderation, and plan to include your favorite foods into your healthy food selections. Having a sweet now and then can brighten your day–chocolate has always put a smile on everyone’s face. Just eat responsibly and balance what you eat with other areas of your life. If you know that you really should not have that extra cookie, but it is calling your name, go ahead and splurge, just walk it off with a friend after supper to take off those extra calories.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Nutrition & Health.

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Tags: aging, diet, Nutrition & Health, stress

It is very hard for us as parents to compete against processed fast food fun meals and to ensure that our children are eating a healthy balanced diet. Fast food is constantly being advertised on TV, promoted by their peers, and it comes in bright packaging, sometimes even accompanied by toys. When children are visiting fast foods restaurants or eating ‘fun meals’ they are missing out on the healthy nutrients that should be filling their little stomachs.

You should always make sure your child’s diet contains whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. To ensure their bones grow strong and healthy, they should also get good source of calcium. Healthy sources of proteins include fish, eggs, meat, poultry, and plant sources. These should be consumed on a regular basis for a healthy balanced diet. Foods such as these provide your child with the vitamins micronutrients and minerals, everything our children need to build strong, healthy bodies.

There is absolutely no reason why your child should be eating large amounts of sugar. Sugar in a child’s diet is seriously bad for them, but is found more and more to the highly refined processed foods available on supermarket shelves.

Some experts contend that a child’s behaviour can be dictated by sugar in their diet, particularly in their activity levels, whereas others state that sugar intake does not play a part. Sugar’s effects probably depend on the physiology of each child.

When a child’s blood glucose level falls below the normal limit, there is a release of adrenaline, known as hypoglycaemia. There are many signs and symptoms that can arise as a result such as sweatiness, shaking and altered behaviour and thinking. This adrenaline release occurs at a higher glucose level in children than that of adults. It is thought sugar itself is not the problem; it’s the highly refined carbohydrates and sugars which quickly enter the bloodstream and cause rapid fluctuations in a child’s blood glucose levels.

By giving your child a high fiber breakfast such as shredded wheat, oatmeal, bananas or berries, your child’s adrenaline levels will be kept at a constant level. This will enable them to maintain concentration throughout their morning. You should ensure that their lunch box is packed with high fiber foods such as whole grain breads and fruits, enabling them to continue through their day without sudden changes in their blood glucose levels.

A child’s insulin control can also be affected by refined sugars. Insulin determines how much fat a child will store. Sugars are found in nearly all foods. They are often referred to with different names such as sucrose, glucose, dextrose, sorbitol or corn syrup.

Sugar is in almost everything we eat, especially if it is processed or refined food. When you look at labels in the supermarket, you will find sugar under a variety of different names which includes sucrose, glucose, dextrose, sorbitol, or corn syrup on almost every label. The more uncomplicated meals from good wholesome foods contain much less sugar and are therefore much better for their tummies.

Fruit juice should only be taken in small quantities as well as it contains a lot of sugar. It is much better to offer your children whole fruit which is much easier to digest.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Nutrition & Health.

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Tags: aging, diet, Fiber, glucose, hypoglycaemia, Nutrition & Health, refined carbohydrates, vitamins, whole grains

Anger is a perfectly normal emotion. We feel angry when we have been hurt physically or emotionally, have been wronged by someone or when we feel really frustrated. Anger is a normal human expression in response to an event or person.

We all have been angry at some time or another. Like of our other emotions: love, sadness, happiness, desire, pride and fear; we can experience anger at different levels of intensity, depending on the experience that triggered the emotion.

As children our emotions can overwhelm us because we have not figured out what to do with them or how to manage them. As we age from childhood to adulthood, we are expected to learn how to manage our emotions, including anger. Managing our anger is essential when living in societal groups because allowing anger to become out of control can infringe on the rights of others.

Uncontrolled anger can cause harm to others or to property. The harm we cause others can cost us not only in monetary terms but also in emotional terms or even in loss of our freedoms. It is wise for all of us to learn how to manage our emotions, especially anger.

Statistics:
According to the Sunday Times of London, anger is widespread amongst Americans:

1. 45% of Americans lose their temper in the workplace on a regular basis
2. 80% of American drivers have been involved in an act of road rage (witness or actual participant)
3. 1 in 5 adults has an anger management problem
4. According to the 2002 WHO report, in the age group 15 to 44, violence triggered by anger causes about 14% of all deaths among males and 7% of deaths among women.

These alarming statistics can be attributed to individuals who cannot effectively manage their anger. This uncontrolled anger causes people to lash out and perpetrate acts of violence that cause pain and destruction to others and to themselves. This lack of control results in the statistics we see above: road rage, violence in the workplace and even murder.

The emotion of anger is not an entirely bad thing. Sometimes we can reap benefits from encounters with this emotion. An example would be when you find out that someone has been taking advantage of you. The anger that rises in you can spur you on to take healthy actions that protect you from future abuse by this person.

Anger is an emotional-physiological-cognitive internal state; it is separate from the behavior it might prompt. In some instances, angry emotions are beneficial; if we are being taken advantage of, anger motivates us to take action (not necessarily aggressive) to correct the situation. Aggression results from righteous anger, and is a healthy defense mechanism.

Anger is not behavior; it is an emotion that we feel in response to a stimulus (event or person). Anger may prompt someone to take action to correct a situation and that action can be constructive or destructive.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Anger Management.

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Tags: aging, Anger Management, emotions, road rage, sadness, temper

Everyone experiences anger. When we get upset the primary emotion we feel is anger, even if anger itself isn’t the result of an event that upsets us. Anger can be triggered by another emotion. In many cases, anger is a secondary response, in reaction to another emotion coming before it.

Realizing that anger is triggered by other emotions is the first step that individuals learn in anger management classes. We learn to identify their true feelings that are often hidden by anger, so that we can begin to learn how to effectively express our anger.

No matter how much anger you experience, it can be very helpful to take an anger management class. Contrary to the popular belief that anger management classes are only for individuals who get sent by the court, they are actually for all kinds of people. Attendees can include employees of large corporations, managers, law offices, school personal, families and volunteers. Anger management classes can help teach you skills you wouldn’t be able to learn anywhere else. These classes teach you how to communicate better and how you can clearly express your needs.

Assertiveness is one of the most common skills taught in anger management classes. By learning this, people acquire the ability to express their moods, needs and feelings in appropriate ways, rather than succumbing to anger to taking control. A part of using assertive language means doing so in a reasonable way with good eye contact. If people don’t learn proper assertiveness then they will usually resort to aggressive or passive-aggressive behavior.

Another skill you learn in anger management classes is how to reduce the amount of stress in your life. By reducing the stress in your life you will notice an overall increase in your health. Too much stress for too long of a time period can lead to damaging effects on our bodies and a decreased life expectancy. Anger management classes show you how you can notice your stress and manage it.

The final skill taught in anger management classes is to show more empathy. By learning this individuals can understand another persons feelings easier. This decreases your chances of becoming frustrated with others and increases your understanding of your own feelings. As a result of learning these skills you will be able to work better with others and build relationships that are strong and last longer.

Since anger management classes can provide so many benefits and greatly improve your life it is important to take advantage of them. Rather than waiting for your anger to get out of control and ruin your life or the lives of those around you, take an anger management class today. You can understand your anger and learn to control it better by taking anger management classes. You can learn to react in positive and appropriate ways which can prevent you from ruining any relationships in your life.

If you learn more about your anger today you will be able to do something about it that can improve your lifestyle. So consider signing up for an anger management class today and prevent anger from taking control of your life.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Anger Management.

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Tags: aging, Anger Management, stress

Anger is an emotional response to someone or something that may have caused us to be anxious. If we don’t manage our anger it may become habitual, and we may experience difficult times stemming from consequences of our bouts of anger.

Usually when we suffer from bouts of uncontrolled anger, we know it. Being out of control can frighten us and those around us. We can learn how to deal with anger; understanding why we get angry and what makes us angry helps us to deal with it better.

If we struggle with anger management, we are not alone. One of five Americans has difficulty managing their anger. Those who cannot control their anger can cause scenes of rage that escalate into real physical conflict that damages property and even other people. Uncontrolled anger hurts everyone involved, even the person who is angry. Uncontrolled anger hurts people and things. It can affect our ability to function properly at work and, in extreme cases, lead to our dismissal.

Anger is normal. Everyone from time to time becomes angry. Anger can even protect us in times of danger. It can be healthy for us to feel angry about a situation in which we were abused, or ripped off, or mistreated. Expressing our feelings of anger at being treated poorly is healthy and normal. It is good to be able to vent occasionally.

When anger becomes unhealthy is when it destroys things and hurts our relationships with others. Uncontrolled anger is frightening to those around us, and even to ourselves as we seem unable to control our feelings. Anger creates fear in those who are victims of uncontrolled outbursts, and it alienates the aggressor from those who may have been willing to be supportive otherwise.

Anger is an emotion that can vary in intensity depending on what causes it. While we are angry, certain physical symptoms can occur. While angry a person’s blood pressure may rise, their heart rate may increase and certain levels of stress hormones, including adrenaline and noradrenaline increase. These hormones stimulate us to action in a ‘fight or flight’ response: this is what allows a mother who witnesses who child being threatened to be able to have more strength than she normally has to combat a kidnapper, or other assailant.

Anger can be stimulated by internal or external sources. Some common triggers include: a coworker, supervisor, another driver, stalled traffic, a personal situation, memories, a traumatic event, or overhearing racial slurs.

Expressing anger is a natural instinct for when we are threatened or under attack. Being able to express anger can help save our lives when used in appropriate situations. Expressing anger in a violent manner, when other methods of dealing with a situation, event or person that is not threatening us directly is called uncontrolled anger. Situations that do not call for a physical response might be; like when someone cuts in front of us in line, or someone we pass in the hallway uses a racial slur not directed at us. These things may be unpleasant and we have the right to feel angry, but expressing our anger in physical ways that cause damage is not an appropriate reaction to an external, non-confrontational stimulus. It simply is not wise to respond by using violence or fly into a rage every time something displeases us.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Anger Management.

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Tags: aging, Anger Management, blood pressure, stress

You can be a back pain sufferer at any age.

Even children can have back pain. But when a person gets older, there are certain conditions of age that are the main culprits in causing back pain. All too often this back pain will send the sufferer to their health care provider for some type of treatment.

Back pain is a bigger problem for the elderly; their health care providers see them often. What physicians do counter back problems is different for elderly patients than it is for a younger person.

Treatment of back pain involves more than simply handing out medication. The pain suffered by young adults, like a slipped disc, is not likely something you will see in a senior back pain sufferer. All too often the older you get the more likely your back pain becomes chronic. Many of the problems that cause back pain when a person ages are more serious, including degenerative conditions relating to the spine which are caused by the natural aging process. Other problems for seniors include serious infections and cancer.

Osteoporosis is a condition of the aged. It thins the bones causing them to have a higher incidence of breakage. This can be a dangerous problem, and the proximate cause of cracked vertebrae, hip or pelvis fractures, or a break in the ankle or wrist. With younger patients, with proper care, healing is expected. As you get older you may heal a little more slowly, and as you heal the pain will diminish. Older women seem to suffer back pain worse than older men.

If you have a fracture of the vertebrae, it can take from a couple of weeks to a couple of months for full recovery, depending on which vertebrae and how bad the fracture is. There can be some very severe pain connected to a fractured vertebra–and walking or standing may be done with considerable difficulty. In these cases, rest is highly recommended.

As one ages there are likely to be diseases cause back pain. These can be arthritis, hip diseases, sciatica or lower spinal degeneration. Degeneration causes the spine to become unstable. Degeneration usually happens when one of the discs is out of place, putting pressure on the other vertebrae. It can result in pressure also being put on the nerves, which can be very painful. It will often not only cause back pain, but may radiate pain down the legs. The pain will appear without warning, triggered by a sudden movement or too much lifting. This pain will come and go as the body is in motion or at rest.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Back Pain.

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Tags: aging, Back Pain

You cannot reverse the signs of aging but you can certainly make the process less painful. When you know what to expect, you can begin to prepare for it. Growing old is more than just wrinkles and gray hair. There are a few more aches and pains to go along with them!

The oldest documented living person was 122 years old. That is quite a life expectancy! Many people are living longer thanks to better health, medications and living conditions. At the turn of the century, the average life expectancy was around 55 years of age. My, how society has improved … with age of course!

You should expect that your body is going to show those signs of aging. However, you don’t have to take them lying down. You can take as many preventative measures as possible to greatly slow the process. Many older adults are successful. The key to success is a realistic view of old age, a healthy diet and of course, safe exercise for endurance, flexibility, strength and weight.

Brain power

Many older adults worry most about losing their minds to Alzheimer’s or dementia. As long as you eat healthy, exercise and challenge your brain frequently, you should be able to avoid this problem. Keep in mind that some forgetfulness is natural though!

The thinning process

As you age, there are quite a few things on and in your body that tend to thin. Your hair gets thinner as well as your skin. You lose a bit of elasticity as a result. Repeated sun block and moisturizers help a lot.

Your retina thins out affecting vision and your auditory canal thins affecting your hearing. Some blood vessels like capillaries thin, which along with thinner skin, makes you more prone to bruising.

Slowing down

Many body processes start to slow down. You digestion slows which may be the reason why you get heartburn or indigestion. In addition, your metabolism slows which means gaining weight, unless you keep up with exercise to burn calories.

Your joints, muscles and bones contribute to the slowing down process. Bones become less dense and weaker while your joints get stiffer and your muscles weaker. This slows down reflexes. Only through exercise can you greatly slow down this slow body downturn.

Other body issues

Some older adults may experience incontinence because bladder muscles weaken. Sex may be a problem thanks to menopause or erectile dysfunction. Sleep becomes disrupted and you may not get as much as you need to rejuvenate your body and mind. Heart, kidneys and bladder also work less efficiently so you have to compensate with better diet and exercise.

All in all, growing older seems like a raw deal all around. This doesn’t have to be true however. Many older adults have a great time in retirement and love being older and wiser. A lifetime a good habits will buy you a better lifestyle in retirement. Just remember that it is never too late to adopt healthier habits like a better diet and exercise.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Healthy Retirement.

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Tags: aging, brain power, exercise, healthy retirment, Menopause, older adults

Aging is no fun for anyone. Your skin wrinkles, your hair turns grey. To stay healthy, exercise is a must. In addition, bruising occurs very easily. It is common to bruise and not remember how it happened. Luckily, most bruises go away in time without any medical treatment. However, keep in mind that if you bruise too easily, it could be a sign of something more serious and you should be examined by a doctor.

Normal Bruising Situations Caused by Aging

Bruises occur when capillaries close to the skin to break after being bumped. These little blood vessels are delicate and bruising is the result of these broken blood vessels leaking blood. In time, your body reabsorbs that leakage and the bruise fades away. Of course, with age come several factors which may contribute to a rise in bruising episodes. These include:

1. Thin skin - As you get older, your skin begins to thin and you lose the protection of some fatty tissue that normally would cushion and protect your blood vessels against bumps and other injuries. In addition, exposure to the sun can break down the integrity of your skin, making it more susceptible to bruising.

2. Weakening capillaries - These blood vessel walls become more delicate as the tissues that surround them weaken. This overall weakening threatens the integrity of the blood vessels causing more breakage.

For the most part, the harder the bump or injury, the bigger the bruise is going to be. However, if you find bruises on your body that you may not even remember getting, you might want to look further into the problem. Most bruises occur on the legs and arms because they tend to get bumped more frequently.

Bruise Causing Medications

Your doctor should inform you of side effects of your medications. Bruising is common for several classes of medications. For instance, if you have hypertension problems, you may be taking a blood thinner or even an aspirin a day to prevent heart attacks. These inhibit blood clotting and, therefore, even the slightest bump could cause a huge bruise when it normally wouldn’t otherwise.

Certain types of steroids and even dietary supplements can make your skin more prone to bruising. Some steroids will thin the skin while supplements can thin the blood. Speak with your doctor if you are taking supplements or before you discontinue medication due to the bruising side effects.

Knowing When Bruising is More Serious

If you don’t have a previous history of bad bruising and suddenly begin experiencing them, pay a visit to your family physician. If the bruises are painful or you are experiencing bleeding issues with your gums, stool, or even your nose, a doctor should be consulted. These are signs of a low blood platelet level and your ability to clot may be compromised due to medication or some other unknown health problem that needs to be diagnosed.

Avoiding the Black and Blue

Clean your house. Many bumps that cause bruising can be avoided by removing hazards in your home. Wear pants and long sleeved shirts when possible to add a layer of protection against bruising. And if you experience mild discomfort or pain, ice the area to reduce swelling and then apply a warm compress to hasten the re-absorption of blood.

Bruising can be a normal sign of aging. It can also, however, be a sign of something more serious. Take the necessary precaution but know when to visit your doctor.

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Scott Meyers is a staff writer for It’s Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more informaton on Healthy Retirement.

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Tags: aging, exercise, healthy retirment, hypertension