National Parents Center

Start Looking For Summer Programs Now!

Sebastian Barclay — Wed, 16 May 2012 20:16:18 +0000

The school year will be coming to an end soon, so if your kids are hoping to be involved in any organized summer activities, its time to start looking around your community for what is available. Sign-ups are often limited to a certain number of children to maintain safe adults-per-children ratios, so dont wait for the last bell to ring before checking out whats happening in your area.

Summer Camps

There are two kinds of camps: day camps and sleep-away camps. Day camps can run for a couple of hours during a specified week to all-day events over the whole summer. Sleep-away camps also range from a week to all summer long.

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Test Before Incontinence Surgery Often Unnecessary

Noah Nickle — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:59:47 +0000

A routine test done in women before urinary incontinence surgery may be unnecessary, a new study reports. Patients who had bladder function tests before their surgery had no better outcomes than those who only had a check-up in a doctors office.

Urinary incontinence refers to a loss of bladder control. It’s caused by problems with the muscles and nerves involved in holding and releasing urine. Urinary incontinence affects nearly 13 million Americans and accounts for an estimated $20 billion in annual health care costs. Although anyone can have this condition, it occurs most frequently in women and the elderly. <

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7-Eleven to offer healthier Slurpee

Mackenzie Fowles — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:35:54 +0000

WASHINGTON — The popular 7-Eleven Slurpee will soon have a healthy option

The convenience store chain says its new Slurpee Lite will have 50-percent fewer calories than the original Eight ounces of the new Fanta Sugar Free Mango drink will have 20 calories

Other flavors will be introduced throughout the year

USA Today says this is the first time 7-Eleven has rolled out a low-calorie line of its Slurpees nationally

If you’re a Slurpee fan, mark May 23 on your calendar It’s free Slurpee Day at participating stores from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm

Gaining weight at pregnancy week 26: you and your baby

admin — Fri, 11 May 2012 10:33:05 +0000

Pregnancy week 26 brings a lot of changes and expectations. Your baby is now starting to add some fat to his/her bones, but it will not be noticeable until the third quarter. Your loved one is beginning slowly to look more like he / she will be at birth.

The nerves in your baby’s ears are mature and more sensitive than before. So, it might even be able to hear the voice of your partner now, so engage and talk to the baby!

Now, your baby’s hand and feet movement becomes more coordinated. The face of your toddler becomes rounder at pregnancy week 26, due to its fat reserves plumping up the face. He/she continues to breathe in and out small amounts of amniotic fluid, which is important for the development of the lungs. The Read full post…

How to Get Fit, Lean, and Strong…Like We Used to Be

Noah Nickle — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:21:31 +0000

Exercise science is an amazing thing and top athletes certainly are performing at higher levels than they ever have, the results prove it with world records being pushed continually.

But what about us guys that aren’t professional athletes, has our health and fitness improved in the same fashion?

Take a look at any of the statistics on overweight and obese adults these days. Compared to days gone by its clear to see that we are not traveling in the right direction when it comes to keeping a check on our own health and fitness.

So lets take a look back in time to see how much fitter and stronger we have been in the past. I want to go way back, where it all began.

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Eating Greens for Weight Loss

Sebastian Barclay — Sun, 06 May 2012 00:01:06 +0000

Well it comes as no surprise that eating right is key to successful weight loss, but did you know that upping your green veggie intake actually speeds up weight loss? New data has come in suggesting that eating your green foods in higher amounts can dramatically increase your ability to shed pounds.Eating greens is a great way to lose weight. Studies consistently show that those whose diets are composed of fruits, veggies, beans and greens have lower body fat and are in better physical shape.The reason for this however involves more that simple arithmetic about calories in and out. According to recent research, eating greens in higher than recommended servings not only fills you up therefore decreasing the likelihood of binging on other less healthy foods, but also increases weight loss potential in other ways.Bascially, eating superfoods like kale, broccoli and spirulina keeps you from eating less nutrient dense fare, but the really interesting findings is that eating these types of foods in higher than average ratios also actually decreases cravings for processed foods. For those already tuned in to a nutrient dense, plant based diet this will come as no surprise but for others this news could really make a difference.Considering that the average American diet is composed roughly of only 8 percent fruits, vegetables and beans, these new findings could help to really ramp this up.While the recommended daily amount of 5 portions or more a day of vegetables and fruits can certainly increase health and well being, the new research suggests that eating more than this is key.Eating a diet that is mainly composed of fruits, veggies and beans, with the highest emphasis on green veggies and green superfoods, will result in lower cravings and better weight loss. This is especially the case for people who have come to rely on low nutrient, processed foods. By switching things up and radically altering your intake of fruits and veggies you will see dramatic results in only a few short days. More than this though, your body will start to recalibrate and most people will see a return to health and revitalized energy levels.Kale, swiss chard, spirulina, spinach, wheat grass and other superfood greens are best eaten raw or as close to raw as possible for optimal benefit.

Fridge Friend Note Recorder Review

Sebastian Barclay — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 07:26:44 +0000

Every so often I am sent products to review by various people, and this review is based around something called the fridge friend. The idea behind this is that you can record small memos up to a maximum of 15 lasting approximately 80 seconds each.

It has two buttons on the front of it below the screen. The left-hand button has a power sign next to it as well is a play sign the button next to it is the record button, so in order to record a video message which could be to remind yourself to do some exercise or some particular diet tip, once you switch the device on , you will see yourself in the camera.

Then its just a matter of pressing the right-hand button and this will start the video recording process. Read full post…

Features of the Best Pushchair Travel Systems

Noah Nickle — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 07:59:43 +0000

When you are expecting your baby, on the shopping list for your new born will definitely appear a pushchair and car seat, or perhaps a traditional baby carriage. Presently baby carriages with huge wheels are outmoded, and have been replaced with collapsible buggies and strollers that are both easy to maneuver and fold away into your car.

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‘Potatoes are banned by food police!’

Mackenzie Fowles — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 21:26:33 +0000

I get up and the first thing that I do is turn on my iPad and start playing chess with other people online.

9.15am

I spend the next 45 minutes doing my daily reading of the Bible online on my iPad. I do readings for two days because tomorrow we will be travelling.

10am

Breakfast is a bowl of porridge with linseeds and soya sauce. A friend of mine sent me a type of Chinese root used for making tea and I cut off a bit of that and stick it in the teapot. I don’t know exactly what it is, but it’s meant to be good for your health and it tastes very nice.

After I’ve finished eating, I make a call to see about getting my grandson a new clarinet.

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Chocolate milk stirring up controversy in schools

Mackenzie Fowles — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:02:56 +0000

As childhood obesity continues to increase the federal government, along with local school systems, are looking at ways to cut calories and provide healthier lunches to their students

That includes salad bars, cooking from scratch and healthier drinks But one drink in particular is creating a lot of controversy Chocolate milk has always been sort of the “bad boy” of the lunch room High in fat, calories and sugar, the average eight-ounce carton once carried about 29 grams of sugar and around 200 calories

Now a lot of public school systems have been taking it off their shelves in order to fight childhood obesity But some students are refusing to drink unflavored milk They are even holding boycotts

The USDA is telling schools that serve flavored milk that it should be fat free and low in calories Many dairy processors have substituted the high fructose corn syrup with regular sugar But doctors say sugar is sugar

For most kids and their parents, cutting fat and revising the formula seems to work One county put a non-fat version of chocolate milk on their shelves because they felt it was a better alternative than no milk at all

Risk in Red Meat?

Noah Nickle — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:11:42 +0000

A new study adds to the evidence that eating red meat on a regular basis may shorten your lifespan. The findings suggest that meat eaters might help improve their health by substituting other healthy protein sources for some of the red meat they eat.

Past research has tied red meat to increased risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers. The studies have also pointed to an elevated risk of mortality from red meat intake. But most of these studies were done over limited periods of time, had design flaws, or were done in populations with diets other than that of the typical American.

A research team led by Dr.

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Real Green Beer – Sustainably Brewed

Mackenzie Fowles — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:07:17 +0000

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Happy St. Paddys Day! We celebrated in the studio by talking about green beer . . . not the color silly, sustainably brewed beer! We had fun with our Sleeping Naked is Green segment talking about good reasons to use recycled toilet paper and paper towels. Our first Getting Local with the Green Divas segment with the Daily Records Grassroots editor Meghan Van Dyke was a nice discussion about local food systems.

Our feature interview was with our favorite green car dude, John Voelcker, Sr. editor of GreenCarReports.com. He answered a listeners question about what to buy for best value and efficiency if you had $15k to spend on a car. Als

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If You Could Give Your Kids Everything, Would You?

Sebastian Barclay — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:36:54 +0000

People are going nuts over the impending $540 million lottery draw tonight. Many are rushing out to get tickets and are already daydreaming about calling in rich to work on Mondaymyself included.

My husband and I talked about what wed do if we hit the Mega Millions. All the usual priorities came to mind: paying off bills, buying a humongous house, helping our families out, vacationing, setting up trusts for the kids and, of course, some ridiculously impractical new cars. We whiled away an hour fantasizing about never living paycheck to paycheck again.

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Eating for Energy

Sebastian Barclay — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:57:36 +0000

When it comes to getting good workouts in on top of keeping up with everyday commitments, eating foods that give you energy is a must. But instead of loading up on caffeine and sugar in an attempt to get you through that afternoon slump, why not try the high energy foods listed below. These are sure to get you energized without giving you the post-caffeine or sugar crash.1. Bananas: Instead of reaching for a sugary pick me up, why not try eating a banana instead. Did you know that bananas are one of nature’s very best energy foods? Bananas contain potassium which is an electrolyte. Since the body doesn’t store potassium you need to make sure you get enough frequently in your diet. The small natural sugar in bananas will also give you a little boost without all the problems that come along with sugary sweets.2. Water: Wi

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