The Simplest Asthma Solution
The Simplest Asthma Solution
During the Democratic convention the Reverend Al Sharpton quoted a shocking statistic: One third of the children in Harlem suffer from asthma. This shouldn't be completely surprising since asthma cases have been consistently increasing over the years, especially in the cities, escalating recently during the rollback of some key environmental laws, but it is a trend we must turn back.While parents have only limited control over the environment
where they raise their children, there is a personal environmental decision they can make that may dramatically reduce the symptoms their children experience. It all comes down to detergent, and not just any detergent. It is the detergent that they use to wash their children's clothes and sheets. The biggest selling detergents in the United States contain large amounts of irritating phosphates, which are not only a major irritant to the skin and respiratory system, but a source of serious pollution, and a component in global warming.If you are wondering if your laundry detergent contains phosphates just read the label, it is listed there. In most industrialized countries phosphate detergents are outlawed for good reason, but in the United States the chemical industry has a strong lobby and cheap phosphates help manufacturers keep their costs low, so their use continues.
The next time you walk though the laundry detergent section of your supermarket, take a deep breath and notice how much the smell irritates your nose and lungs.What kinds of detergent contain low, or no phosphates? Baby detergent! No mother would dream of washing their newborn's clothes and sheets in the family's powdered detergent! That would give their baby's delicate skin rashes, not to mention an increase in crying and crankiness. There are many readily available natural detergents that are phosphate-free and it's worth the time to find them.We have noticed tremendous improvements for both children and adults when their clothes and sheets are consistently washed in a phosphate-free detergent. By itself this change may not alleviate all of the symptoms of asthma and those related skin rashes, but it clearly removes an insidious irritant from
the equation.It might be helpful to explain why this simple change is so effective. Testing in Europe shows that, while sleeping, people are between two thousand and ten thousand times more sensitive to chemical and electromagnetic pollution than while they are awake. When a child's pajamas are washed with a chemical irritant and they sleep on bedclothes containing those same toxins, their immune system is challenged nightly, during a time when they are most vulnerable. Their body's nutritional reserves are consumed in that battle and they are less able to defend themselves from the pollutants they encounter during their day. Asthma and allergies are not produced by a single irritant, but by an accumulation of minor irritants that eventually overwhelm the body's ability to adapt. It is not a huge leap to imagine that removing a respiratory irritant from the sleeping environment, where a person spends one third of their time, is going to produce an improvement in a child's ability to breathe.Drs. Ralph & Lahni DeAmicis are Naturopathic Physicians. Their educational program, The 10 Minute Herbalist, seeks to put the knowledge of everyday good health into everyone's hands. Information about their program and publications is available at www.SpaceAndTime.com.
Five Steps to Goal-Setting – Goal-Setting
Five Steps to Goal-Setting
What would you like to achieve in your lifetime?Author Basil S. Walth once said, "If you don't know where you are going, how can you expect to get there?" These are words well spoken, because whether you're working toward freelancing full-time or selling your novels, you need a roadmap.Goals are indispensable. They provide direction, long-term vision and short-term motivation. They separate the important from the irrelevant. Goals also build self-confidence by helping you grow as an individual.Olympic athletes, successful business people, and (hint?) bestselling writers are goal setters. You aspire to greatness too, don't you? If you do, and you're not already setting goals, now is the perfect time to start.Five Things to Remember When Setting Goals:1. Write Goals DownAlways jot down your goals-this is powerful. The process of physically seeing your goals helps crystallize them in your mind. This process also better enables you to commit to them.Interesting Fact: A popular Harvard Business School study once found that only 3% of the population records their goals in writing. Another 14% have goals but don't write them down, whereas 83% do not even have clearly defined goals. More interesting is that this 3% earned an astounding ten times that of the 83% group!2. Make Goals Short, Attainable, & MeasurableSet attainable short-term goals that can be measured. This means setting quantifiable goals.Here are some examples:Commit to writing a certain number of words each weekSubmit at least two articles a weekFind two new markets each weekTake at least one writing course a yearAttend at least one writer's conference a yearMake your goals attainable so you won't get discouraged. The short-term goals above are attainable for me, but they may not be for you. Or maybe for you, my short-term goals aren't challenging enough.Goals are very individual. You have to set your own goals?remember, you're charting your own course to success!On the other hand, don't set wimpy goals simply because you're afraid to fail. Talane Miedaner, author of Coach Yourself to Success (McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books, 2002) notes: "People sometimes give themselves 'weeny' goals-they play it safe so they don't fail?But the bigger the goal, the more likely you are to achieve it."3. Create DeadlinesWithout deadlines, your goals are merely dreams. Set deadlines for both short- and long-term goals, and I promise, you'll get there sooner!Remember that deadlines can be flexible. Life changes and so do goals. Never be afraid to adjust the timeframe for a goal. What's important is to keep moving forward.4. Look at your goals everyday!Visual aids are an effective way to program your brain.Reading and re-writing goals are two very effective visual aids. By physically rewriting your goals and pasting them in places you regularly frequent, you make them more real in your mind.I read an article in this month's Shape magazine that inspired me. The author mentioned that before Sarah Ban Breathnach, author of the bestselling book & Oprah Pick Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy (Warner Books, 1995) became a bestselling author, she pasted her name on the #1 spot of the New York Times bestseller list and posted it on her computer. Visual Aids like these give you that extra ammunition that will make a difference.5. Make Goal Setting a RoutineBegin every morning with a "To Do" list. This will help you organize and better manage your time. Plus, your goals will be right smack under your nose every day. Do not get discouraged over any unfinished items. Simply transfer them to the next morning's list.The above said, keep your goals front and forward in your mind. Remember...you only get one chance to live your dreams!In the words of Cecil B. De Mille: "The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly. That is dedication."About The AuthorJennifer Minar is a freelance writer in the health & fitness and writing markets. She is also the founder & managing editor of Writer's Break (http://www.writersbreak.com), a web site and ezine for fiction and creative non-fiction writers.jminar@writersbreak.com
Mommy Is Having A Baby!
Mommy Is Having A Baby!
Preparing for a new arrival from the beginning of your pregnancy is the best way to familiarize your children with the lifestyle changes a new baby brings. Involving young children as your body grows and changes will build the anticipation of meeting the newborn.How you involve your children will depend on their age. Here are some ideas to help your family prepare for a new baby:Explain how babies are made and grow inside their mothers. There are several great books out that will help even little ones understand. Your toddler will wonder about things like where the baby is and if the baby can hear and see him. We think you'll like these picture books for new big brothers and sisters:Mommy's Having A Baby by Camille LiscinskyOn The Day You Were Born by Debra FrasierBeing Born by Sheila KitzingerShow your child pictures of himself when he was a newborn. Take him with you on prenatal visits and to visit the hospital or birthing center. Explain what the ultrasound is and point out the baby and how he moves. Let him listen to the baby's heartbeats and then have him listen to his own.Explain how small and delicate a newborn baby is. Many moms have found that giving a lifelike doll like the Chou Chou baby to their child helps them practice holding and caring for the new arrival. Our favorite Chou Chou is 19 inches with a weighted body - the size of a real baby and her eyes close when she's laid down to sleep.Be ready to answer questions that are likely to be asked by new big sisters and brothers, like "Why does the baby cry so much", "Why do babies sleep all of the time", "When can we play together" and "Am I still your baby". Your child is looking for reassurance that that the new baby you've talked so much about will not take his place.Have your child help prepare for the new baby. You'll be busy painting the nursery, picking out bedding or layette items and it's the perfect time to ask your little one to help. Whether it's folding clothes, selecting a paint color or arranging stuffed animals, little things like this will go far in making your child a part of the excitement.Understand why your child may be jealous. Not only will the immediate family be captivated by the baby, but even casual friends and strangers will be fascinated and make a fuss. Listen to him when he feels sad or says he wants to be a baby again. It's his way of expressing to you how his world has changed and how it's making him feel.About the Author
For more great information about expecting and parenting, visit MomRecommended.com, a site for moms by moms. Annie Valle is a freelance writer, web designer and a mom. You'll find product reviews, recipes, baby names, free projects and more, when you visit http://www.momrecommended.com.