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Wellness

The Holiday Survival Toolkit: How to Not Drink at Parties (And Still Have Fun)

cocktailThe holiday season is upon us and we all know what that means—parties.

Parties at work, parties at church, parties at school, fundraiser parties, caroling parties, Secret Santa parties…

It’s the season of so many parties that we long for a weekend night with nothing scheduled.

All the parties can lead to excess, but the biggest party of the season, New Year’s Eve, can be the topper.  Many people drink so much that it can take days to feel healthy again. And even if you don’t drink to drunkenness, your extra alcohol intake in the month of December can take its toll.

Drinking also loads up the empty calories! A jigger of liquor has about 100 calories. Mix in juice or soda and the calories add up quickly. A glass of wine contains about 100 calories. A bottle of beer is about 150 calories. Its not just the fruit cake and holiday cookies that are packing on the unwanted pounds.

I think it’s great to celebrate and enjoy the company of your loved ones, but I don’t want to see you sick.  Find out how to not drink (or at least drink less) this party season. continue reading »

6 Facts to Know When Using Acupuncture to Quit Smoking

No_SmokingSmoking is a strong, complicated addiction.  Quitting smoking is no small task and you will need lots of support to be successful.  You need the best tools to help with the physical and emotional symptoms, and acupuncture is a great resource to help you succeed.

Here are the 6 things you should know about using acupuncture to quit smoking.  continue reading »

Keep Kids Entertained With A Cool Jungle Gym

untitledKids spend a lot of time inside these days, playing on the computer, watching TV or updating their social media accounts. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could get them to go outside and play, get some exercise, and see the sun once in a while? Why not surprise your children with the kind of toy that will really get them excited about going outside? An awesome jungle gym!

With the incredible imagination of a child, this isn’t just a play set; it’s a mighty fortress under siege, a dark dungeon to escape from, a thick forest full of wild beasts or a giant robot laying waste to the city! With all of that in the backyard, you’ll have trouble getting them back inside, and they’ll be building real friendships again when their friends all want to come over to play. Plenty of vital social skills are learned on the playground, so why should your children have to leave the fun at school when they come home for the day?

Playsets like these are easy to build and can have extra accessories attachedto expand the set. Don’t be afraid to encourage your kids to help out with the project. If the little ones are involved, they’ll be even more excited about an awesome new toy to build. With their attention focused, they’ll be building their creative skills, learning how to make things themselves and taking responsibility for their own entertainment, instead of having it fed to them by a screen.

Swing sets are just as fun, and they never get boring! What child doesn’t want to fly? A good swing set means that a trip to the park or playground is as easy as opening the back door and turning the kids loose. Active kids who get plenty of exercise will grow up healthier and have the idea that exercise is good for them instilled at an early age! And installing swing sets is even easier than setting up a jungle gym!

If a jungle gym or playground set isn’t your style, why not install a basketball hoop and get the whole family involved? Playing basketball is great because not only can the youngest members of the family get in on the action, but the oldest members can appreciate it as well while playing classic games of basketball, practicing free throws or even playing a game of H-O-R-S-E. There’s a reason sports are so important; they build teamwork skills, motor skills and help them to be comfortable in their own bodies. Playing at home can even cultivate a love of the sport, shaping your child to be the next Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant or LeBron James.

With so many great outdoor activity options, there’s no reason your kids have to spend all day in front of a computer for entertainment. Kids naturally love to run around outside and there’s no better way to encourage them to do so than with a cool playground right in your own backyard!

Bio
Child health blogger Kyle Randling advises his readers on where to get the best play equipment for children in order to ensure they get the exercise they need to stay healthy. You can find an amazing Play Rainbow swing set and other jungle gym systems online at the Play Rainbow website and Kyle highly recommends you check it out!

More than Needles: 3 Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapies You Can Do at Home

Baduanjin_qigong_smIf you asked the average person how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) keeps you healthy, they would probably answer that it uses acupuncture needles.

That is a good start.

TCM is a complex understanding of how Qi, or life force, affects your health.  Qi flows through meridians passing through points which can be used to regulate and control that flow.  When the flow of Qi increases, decreases or its quality changes, your health is affected.  The most common way to manage the flow of Qi is with acupuncture needles.

But TCM is much more than needles.

In the second part of our two-part series “More than Needles,” you will learn three ways to keep yourself healthy using Traditional Chinese Medicine principles at home.  By using these techniques in your daily life, you will be in charge of your health. continue reading »

The Surprising Truth about Migraine Triggers

migraineHow much do you really know about controlling your migraines?

New research suggests you may not know as much as you think.

According to Timothy T. Houle, Ph.D and co-author Dana P. Turner, M.S.P.H., both of the Wake Forest Baptist anesthesiology department, migraine sufferers make inaccurate conclusions about what triggers their migraines.  Houle and Turner conducted a 3-month study of 9 women who suffered from migraines.  They tracked the women’s hormone levels, their stress levels and the weather.  The women kept daily diaries.  At the end of the study, the scientists could not accurately predict which triggers would cause a migraine.

Their conclusion—most people can’t isolate the many complex variables in everyday life to accurately determine their migraine triggers.

So what can you do?  Can you start eating anything you want?  Do you give up managing your migraines?

continue reading »

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