Thinking Healthy

The way that we think about our health and ourselves can be as important as our actual health. The power of the mind is an amazing thing, and it's important to understand how much it can sway our physical state. Many cases have been shown of people getting healthy again or recovering from some terrible illness with the power of their thoughts. Mind over matter. Now, I'm not saying that your back pain will automatically disappear become you think good thoughts, or that your cancer will be eradicated. What I am saying, however, is that good thoughts can't hurt. Period. Ever. And the more that we try to have good thoughts, and we truly believe that we are going to be healthy, the better it will be for us.

We need to think of ourselves as being healthy and believe that we can be healthy. We also have to believe that we deserve to be healthy. Each of us is capable of being strong, healthy and fit. If we are 100 pounds overweight, that isn't going to change overnight. But, if we say that we will never be able to walk one mile, so why even begin? we've defeated ourselves before we even try. If, instead, we walk one block today and set our goal that we will be able to walk a mile in a month or two, we might actually get there. Healthy is a state of mind as much as it is a reality. Believe this and you are half way to a healthy life!

Running, Biking and Gadgets

My husband picked up biking about four months ago as a form of exercises and it's really made a difference in his life. It's amazing. At 36, he hadn't found an exercise that he enjoyed doing for about 10 years. Finally, he noticed that a number of guys where we live were biking and he decided to join them. Now, at first, he could barely get around the block. He built up over time, however, and now he comes home at least every other time with a flat tire from the bumpy terrain that they are going on. He goes mountain biking and really challenges himself on some great mountains. He spoke recently with a biking trainer who said that he needs to run as well. Another thing to do! So, now, on the days when he isn't biking, I find him running all over the place. This bike instructor said that biking is great, but it also lets you coast some of the time. Running never allows for coasting, and so it's even better exercise. In the last four months, he's managed to lose 20 pounds - no small feat! Now, we just have to earn more money, however, with all of the little gadgets and outfits that he's buying for his biking and running expeditions.

The moral of the story, however, is to find some form of exercise that you enjoy and that you feel that you can sustain. This is really the key to exercising and to losing weight. Don't torture yourself - but find your groove and enjoy!

Fevers

Poor kid. My five year old is home with a fever today. During the day yesterday, he started to act more cranky than usual (and that's quite an accomplishment!) I figured that something might be wrong. When we got home at about 4:00, he fell asleep on the couch and woke up with a fever. Now, what is the best thing for a mother to do when a child develops a fever? First of all, give them a lot of drinks. Most children will resist eating when they aren't feeling well, and they may resist drinking as well. It's very important, however, to get them to drink. The last thing you want is to end up in the hospital with a dehydrated, feverish child. Next, give them so medicine. It's amazing how well and quickly Tylenol and Motrin work to reduce fevers. There is no reason that your child should have to suffer just because he has a fever.

The next great thing to do is a bath. Now, kids with fevers will not enjoy this. They probably have the chills and will say that they are cold. But, a warm bath really does work wonders for fevers. Make sure not to make it too hot - or too cold. Help them to get dressed into some really cozy clothes afterwards and give them some loving care.

If the fever doesn't break after about 24 hours, you might want to take them to the doctor. Usually, a fever will go away on its own with a lot of fluids, a lot of love, and rest. Let them sleep for as long as they need to, and try to keep any other children or noises away.

Feel better soon!

Children's Exercise Videos

I tend to cringe when I see exercise videos for children. What's wrong with the good old-fashion playing at the park? What happened to picking up a few friends and going to the basketball court? Children today seem to have forgotten how to play - or maybe they never knew how to now that they have so many indoor distractions. The television set, computer, and game-boy have all crushed their ability to run outside with glee and play. Additionally, so many schools have cut back on their physical education programs, that it's no wonder that American kids are fatter than ever.

So, what can you do about this? Certainly, don't buy your child an exercise video! Children shouldn't feel that exercise is something that they have to make time for. It should be something that they enjoy and don't realize that they are doing. Us adults need to think about our exercise time, and can even buy videos if it will help us to get the job done. Children, however, should naturally be exercising by riding bikes, running around, playing basketball, going swimming, and the like. While we want our kids to be healthy, we don't want to drive them crazy, or feed them with the idea that they have to be skinny. Exercise helps you to be healthy - if you lose weight from it, that's a nice side benefit! Throw out those exercise videos and help your kids to enjoy their time outdoors. When they are older, they will pine away for the days when they had the time and the energy for play and fun. Don't make them sit inside and exercise while they are young!