Obesity In Children

Reading the book the ‘Blood Sugar Solution’ not only endowed  me with helpful information about diabetes,but  also opened my eyes to another serious disease that is progressing fast  all over the world. I was brought to my attention  that  Obesity  is one of the underlying cause for diabetes and also for  various other   diseases that could assault our body and bring significant harm to our system.What is even more alarming is that childhood obesity  is drastically on the rise especially among school children. Evidently it has become a cause of concern. A fad for junk food  or  fast food is increasingly  growing amongst children which  sooner or later will   bring  catastrophic results when  the diseases related to it sets in.Junk food may  tantalize our taste buds  but does more damage to our digestive systems.The extra fats  in them  not only make us gain weight but are  notable to  damage the liver and heart.Adults should start promoting and creating awareness about eating healthy food so as to encourage school children develop healthy eating habits.Children should be encouraged to eat more of cereals,green and leafy vegetables,fruits,milk,eggs and curds and yoghurt  as a part of their daily diet.Green salads have a lot of fibrous  elements  that will do good for our health.As parents, we must work effortlessly to  set  boundaries for  eating foods like  hot dogs,pizzas,burgers,sweets and candies,as they  are the culprits that cause obesity.Furthermore,it is n’t too  late to turn around  eating habits.To prevent  further destruction from this epidemic called 'obesity' ,the foremost thing we got to work on  our part is to  convince children  to indulge  in eating home cooked meals as foods cooked at home  are  packed with nutritious values and not as much of calories and fat.

Green Salads have fibrous compounds and are good for the digestive system

The Blood Sugar Solution

For the last couple of months I have been  deeply engrossed in  ‘ Doctor Mark Hyman’s  ‘Ultra Wellness blog’ and  have gathered so much of  information about ‘Diabesity’-a merge between diabetes and obesity. I also enjoyed reading all the rants and the reviews about his latest book.However,since recently,I  have not been able to  do so habitually due to a defect in the computer.I guess our computer system cannot handle more than one program in one go.The computer keeps crashing and I can no longer have several internet applications running at a time.However I am not  tech savvy  to  identify the  hitch.So until this  issue is rectified,I  have  to  patiently bear  with the  slow loading and the sudden crashes which  to some extent is disrupting my social networking.

On the other hand, to my surprise, a couple of  days ago,my dear hubby had  checked in at   the   bookstore in the vicinity   and got me the hard cover. Now I am all set to read….

And so, without further ado,let me  break away   from  the frustrations   generated by this   faulty tech system and the mayhem caused by  an equally faltered immune system and discover some techniques  to get things back to normal with the guidance   of the  ‘Blood Sugar Solution’ . 

Blogging, A Leisure Pursuit

Although people blog for varied reasons they  have one thing in common: an interest to convey freely their thoughts and opinions.Blogging is a tool for online networking.You can share your accomplishments,disappointments, rejoice your achievements and get feedback from your online friends.Being aware of the fact  that there's a  group of readers who show a genuine interest in the  posts you publish and leave you with compliments and best wishes,amplifly your  gratification further.However if criticism is in the offing, learn to take that in your stride as well.Productive criticism from readers should be encouraged so as to  further improvise  blog contents.A blog is typically updated on a daily basis.It is  up to the blogger what he/she wishes to write and it is  the blogger’s choice  again if he/she wanted  their  online diary   publicly shared  over the internet.

Blogging was first started in 1997, by an American  named John Barger.And since then  millions have followed suit.My journey into blogosphere started a little more than three years ago. My blog is my online memoir.Although I am not  up to date,I love browsing through web contents shared by various bloggers from all over the globe.It allows me to learn a diversity of topics and subjects from  people with different backgrounds and cultures  even though poles apart. Little by little with the upsurge of  readers  from across the world, a unique kind of friendship develops,even if it is only by way of commenting on each others blog posts. Reading interesting posts written by other  bloggers and reacting  favourable on their blogs, indoctrinates mutual  understanding  and trust between the bloggers.

Blogging is my leisure pursuit.I write what I am most passionate about: My home and everything around it, the funny anecdotes of my children,their activities and my gastronomic know hows.I have benefited a lot by blogging. Not only I have  gained  new friends but also the opportunity to  exchange ideas,opinions and recipes. Blogging keeps my  mind focused and helps  my writing skills from wilting.

A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed

It’s back to school for the children after a short break.To go through the entire morning without them is mind-numbing.The hushed atmosphere is felt  more than ever as they continuously kept me engaged during the morning hours chattering  nineteen to the dozen. And as a matter of fact, given that I am immune to this kind of  noisy environment,I find it  a bit uncharacteristic to be  in the midst of silence.Currently,I am  trying every possible means  to muddle through  the tranquillity. So to chuck  away  the sense of  being bored, I have actively  turned to my  most dependable companions: Books.

Reading books is a pleasurable experience.They have kept me happy and contended during dark and dull moments.Above and beyond,they cheer me up with their wide range of heartening words.Above all, books  are the most sought after ‘acquaintances’ to  fill in the void and  help me break free from monotony.I am persistently drawn toward them. Unquestionably,they straighten out my mood swings.Time after time,books come to my support when I am in  need  of some driving force to lift my spirits high .

Books are a source of inspiration.They are filled with an abundance of entertainment, information,and references.As grateful as I am,to modern technology,which sets up  a complete library  in front of the computer screen with only a push of a button, I  still  prefer the old fashioned way of enjoying a good read in black and white.There’s nothing  to beat my habit of sitting in a cosy corner with a  paper back  to hold on to and be intensely engrossed in it.

Although the perception of reading books,for many,is slowly weaning off, the magnetism still remains in me.Books teach us a variety of subjects.They give solutions to our problems and stimulate us in every aspect. Inevitably they instigate reading skills and give confidence  to children and young adults.I am forever in awe of the diverse styles and expressions  documented in books by different writers and authors.The other day while looking  through  a  textbook  belonging to my daughter,I found something quite notable.It was a well defined piece of writing. Needless to say, I was fascinated by its characterization that I totally forgot time.

Dear readers,now allow  me  pass on to you something  inspirational I discovered  from that particular book. 

‘Success,real success and happiness come to those who have a bread-making attitude.Those who are willing to knead the dough,wait for hours for it to rise, only to punch it down and knead some more, wait for another couple of hours for it to rise again, then bake it before it is ready to be eaten.Nothing is instantaneous.For every endeavour whether in the area of career academics music, sports,relationships,physical fitness,or even in spirituality-it is a long arduous journey.’

Wouldn't it be commendable if we all adapt the  'bread making' attitude

Toward Healthy Living

To be healthy,eat healthy.That’s exactly what I am doing  since my high sugar diagnosis. My daily consumption of food is a combination of all the nutrients like proteins, fat  and carbohydrates in smaller portions.Thanks to my dietician who  helped me with  a balanced  meal plan which I  got to follow on a regular basis.Having a tete-a-tete with  the  dietician and carefully considering  the pros and cons of certain foods and the harm some food could cause long term,heightened my aspirations,to make changes in my dietary habits.

I have already lost a couple of kilos in the first few weeks of  starting my ‘weight loss-sugarless’ journey. As I am  advised to keep fit and be on the move for at least half an hour everyday,I have made it  mandatory to go on a  walking ‘spree’ for about 20-30 minutes a day. Aside  avoiding everything  which contains sugar, I have also  drastically curtailed salt intake so that the organs in the body will not malfunction.I can no more nibble as I desire  on  nuts and savouries but instead allowed  to  snack on fruits: though  advised to skip mangoes, bananas and avocados, which could spike my sugar levels and who knew my favourites: carrots, potatos and green beans fall in the same category that set off the  sugar elevation.

Drinking plenty of water,possibly seven to eight glasses per day would help flush all the wastes and toxins off the system and also makes one feel full,thereby curbing the  hunger pangs.And with that in mind,without any hesitation,I have now made it a priority to respectedly  drink  the recommended amount of water each day.According to studies,stress is also a major cause  for the sugar swings that lead to type 2 diabetes.So a ‘good night’ sleep facilitates a great deal in diminishing all forms of stress related symptoms and  dampening mood swings thus enabling one to be in peak conditions.

All in all,I am left with  no options but follow this dietary chart and  I  bet  this food diagram will also ward off  my cravings for those occasional treats.Although the task of implementing the guidelines is challenging, I have wholeheartedly accepted to significantly make adjustments in my  everyday life  for I believe this is a good  ‘bargain’ toward a hale and hearty living. 

Healthy option-  baked  vegetables

A Healthy Dose Of Laughter

Children  make the world go round and thus, undoubtedly, make the  adults twirl ,twist and go dizzy as well.More often they spin into their own  world full of fantasy and make-believe.However much these children bubbling with mischief and giggles bring  pandemonium in the home, they  are a blessing to every parent.They sparkle our lives with great joy, happiness and love.All the same they can be unpredictable with their moods,attitudes and opinions  altering  from time to time.One day they can make our hearts go pit-a-pat and  swell with pride and  the next day  our heads  spin  like tops.

There  are  number of adjectives coming into my mind when describing children.The most common that deem fit to portray the brood in my abode would be:  mischievous,bouncy,cheerful, carefree ,happy,funny  and a lot more .

Repeatedly I have been  amused by their anecdotes which  have quite unswervingly acted  as stress relievers.With the  children  away in school every morning ,I am revitalized by  these anecdotes.They  help  lift my spirits higher,calm my nerves and make less burdensome my moods. Here are a few which I have already shared a couple of times with family and friends  and also  with some of my readers in another blog.These are small blessings that make my day .

  

1: A dialogue: with my sons  Scene : Home

I was helping my seven year old with his class assignment.The  lesson was 'What do the following young ones grow into..And thus we continued ..
 I posed the questions and  as usual he bellowed  with  the answers..

Me: ‘An owlet becomes

He: -an owl!

Me; ‘A cygnet becomes

He - a swan!

Me: A kitten becomes

He:  a cat!

Me: A joey becomes

He:  a ....?

Before he could  open his mouth to answer this one , My  ten-year-old,who was seated on the other end of the room blurted out, 'Joey becomes a Friend'

( He was obviously referring to Joey -the character from the TV sitcom  'Friends)

Seeing my seven –year –old  looking very  confused by the big brother’s   response ,I   burst  into  a loud laugh.

However    regaining  my composure  after a while ,I quickly  said, 'Joey becomes a kangaroo'.

Tut! Tut! Now  both my sons  eyebrows are raised..

What a confusion!!

 

2 : Mistaken identity

Ask a ten year old anything but politics.Recently in my son’s class during the General knowledge period, they were questioned on current affairs.They were shown  a picture of  the recently humiliated Libyan leader and asked to identify.They all  seemed to know the answer and  very confidently responded  in the midst of loud  giggles; ‘That's Mr Bean! ‘

Weather the weather,Whatever the weather

Since the past week it has been unusually cold and it has constantly kept me speculating. Here I was thinking it was time to put away the jackets,mufflers and everything woollen ,back into their appropriate places. However I had to unwillingly reverse my plans due to this climate which is playing havoc.I suppose no one except Mother Nature can foretell a change in the weather who by now has probably planned quite a few tricks up her sleeves and would unleash them whenever she deems fit.

More often than not, by this time, we all envision the colourful blossoms,green leaves and a gentle breeze,a picture perfect Spring,but instead,we are repeatedly sprayed with dust from the sand storms and jolted off the beds by terrifying howls from the fierce winds.A frequent occurrence during the break of dawn.What a bizarre climate!
Generally,going outdoors during the weekend is something the children look forward to,but now except for my sons,the two girls are somewhat hesitant to go out merely for the reason they have to wear double padded clothing.

Despite the uncertain weather conditions,the children’s school had planned to go ahead with the schedules organized by the school’s Scout Association.Regardless,my fifth grader who is an ardent member,was all agog as he was about to embark on his very first Scout outdoor activity.However in the last minute due to harsh weather they had to re organize the program indoors.The parents of the participants were also invited to witness a few activities later in the evening.

As much as I enjoyed the children’s wonderful program at school,I also immensely benefited from an experience on our way back home. Amid the dusty roads,polluted atmosphere and the indistinct surroundings,I was amazed at what was unfolding.We were very fortunate to have witnessed  the sunset.While  a bunch of fluffy clouds ( not visible in the picture) looked as if they were reluntantly letting her go.All the same,slowly and steadily they parted ways.An awesome moment! A glorious sight! And as soon as 'Her Majesty' disappeared,darkness approached.What a panoramic view!
Although on earlier occasions I had witnessed atypical view,I was never able to record it.I am glad I got the opportunity this time albeit it was clicked through our moving vehicle.In the midst of the nit-picking and the whimpering about the bad weather,I am grateful the day ended magnificently.

                                            

A Panoramic View -Look at the contrast !This end looked all dark.

                                  

The sun  was slowly disappearing and  the street lights began to flicker.