An important physiological function performed by our body is that of digestion. The power of digestion determines the overall health of the body’s functioning.
We can always do a few things to improve our digestive powers. There are no strict rules that can bring on immediate effects but there are some sure practices that can streamline the digestion processes by way of converting them into good eating habits.
What really happens when you eat? After that burger disappears into your mouth, it makes its way down the esophagus, through the stomach and into the small intestine, where the major part of digestion takes place. Food is broken down into nutrients small enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream. The bloodstream carries the nutrients to all parts of the body and that is how you get the energy to do the things you do every day. Nutrition not only boosts the muscles you use, it also provides energy to keep up the things you do not think about: the building and repairing of cells and the movement of blood through your body.
To improve digestion, eat only when you are hungry.
The body can tolerate even wrong combination of foods in strong genuine hunger. But the fact remains that the digestive system should be handled with utmost care. Some experts are of the opinion that food like milk should not be combined with any other food. It should be taken alone as it is a complete and concentrated food in itself. It prevents the gastric juices from reaching out to the other foodstuffs, hence delaying digestion. Milk is best taken with light snacks like biscuits.
Melons should also be eaten alone. Melons digest more quickly than other foods and may even ferment sometimes. Also, as a law no liquid should be taken with solids. Liquids tend to rush through to the intestines directly taking away all the digestive enzymes thus inhibiting the digestion. Take one type of food or lesser varieties of foods at a time. More variety of foods puts great strain on digestive system since body can handle one food at a time more smoothly. It has no provision to secrete many juices and digest different foods at one time.
Hence many varieties of foods taken at a time result in delayed, imperfect digestion and fermentation and putrefaction. For example, having a beverage like tea, coffee or soft drink with food severely restricts the proper gastric secretions and therefore normal digestion is hindered. Milk and yogurt should not be taken together for the same reason. Fruits and vegetables too should not be taken together. Avoid eating fats with proteins as fat depresses the action of gastric glands and inhibits the release of proper gastric juices, which are required for protein digestion. It lowers the digestive tone by more than 50 percent. Unlike proteins, combination of carbohydrates with fats is tolerable. Applying butter on bread is acceptable.
For optimum usage of nutrients in meals, make it a point to consume natural raw foods to the maximum. Munch on an apple when hunger strikes in between meals. Having a carrot to assuage hunger pangs or a bowlful of pulse sprouts for breakfast or even a few almonds when the craving to munch is there, is a good idea as food such as these is light work for the digestive system.
As it is, these foods are fibre rich and fibre helps in weight reduction. Fibre makes a person feel full even though it does not contribute calories. This is because one has to eat this kind o food more slowly since the food needs more chewing. One will swallow more saliva also in the process to fill stomach. A high fibre diet is always a low fat diet and a high fat diet is always a low fibre diet.
Let us take a quick appraisal of tolerable combinations of foods that are ideally most often used in daily fare:
• cereals and pulses
• cereals and buttermilk
• rice and milk
• rice with fish/ egg curry/ meat
• bread and eggs
• sprouted pulses with lemon or tomato
• egg and milk
• nuts and milk
• yogurt and rice
• yogurt and bananas
Friday, August 29, 2008
MAKING CHILDREN SELF RELIANT
Most parents are trying to stay clear of the label "helicopter parents," because they don't want to be seen as the type of mother or father who hover and "overprotect." The most powerful parents have realized that when their children have the opportunity to make mistakes, they gain an invaluable opportunity to learn from those mistakes. It's developmentally appropriate for children to become more and more independent, self reliant and responsible as they age. It can be challenging for parents to know when to step back and let their children try something on their own. After all, from the time their children were babies, parents have spent years meeting many to all of their child's needs.
Striking a balance between allowing your children to do tasks for themselves and helping them when they seem to need or want is a talent of very powerful parents. This balance allows their children to thrive because they feel more confident in themselves while still feeling supported and properly mentored. How can we instill self reliance and responsibility into our children? (1) Allow your children to make some decisions: Even young children can make sound decisions if you give them a few select choices. Do you want to wear the red shirt or the blue shirt? Would you like a peanut butter sandwich or a cheese sandwich? As children get older, you can allow them to make more important decisions with little to no guidance. They can determine things like which Fall sport they'd like to play, if they need a tutor for math, and which friends they'd like to spend time with each day without needing much, if any, input from parents. While it's tempting to make these kinds of decisions for your older children, they need to stand on their own two feet—after all, their decisions are often correct!
(2) Encourage your children to try tasks on their own: While it's often quicker and more skillfully done when we do it for them, children need to engage in tasks on their own if they're ever going to learn how to do them well. Laundry, shoe-tying, and making the bed are great places to start with young children. Older children can handle more complicated tasks such as cooking, preparing their own lunch, and doing their own homework.
(3) Model responsibility and self reliance: Parents have many responsibilities—let your child see them and hear about them! Say out loud; "This screw seems a little loose, I'll go get the screwdriver and tighten it" or "I have to plan our weekly menu for dinner; let's see...Monday night we'll have..." When children see you making decisions, taking initiative, and displaying self reliant behaviors, they will engage in similar behavior.
(4) Be your child's coach rather than his sage: When your child asks you questions about how to do something or what to do in a certain situation, sometimes asking questions is more important than providing answers. "What do you think you should do? How would you feel if you chose X? What would happen if you did Y instead?" These questions can unlock the answers in your own child's brain so the next time he's in a similar situation he'll be able to call on his own experience and judgment to make a decision.
(5) Be a good support system: Sometimes this means cheering them on from the sidelines and other times it means encouraging them to try again. Of course, when children truly need your help, they should know that they can count on you. If you teach them to ask for help when they really need it (when something seems unsafe or too challenging), they should know that you will be there to assist them. Children who know that they can count on their parents when they really need it feel better about taking risks and the possibility of making mistakes.
(6) Provide them with responsibilities: Chores are great for teaching children how to be self reliant as well as how to work as a team. After teaching them how to do the chore properly, let them give it a try with some assistance, if needed. You can even work on a checklist together which helps to break down the task into easy, age-appropriate chunks. For example, (a) Take the clothes out of the dryer, (b) Separate the clothes by family member, (c) Match up all the socks...and so on. When we provide children with ways to help out the family, we give them opportunities to build responsibility, self confidence, and self reliance.
(7) Encourage healthy risk-taking: Assure your children that making mistakes is OK. The most important thing is that s/he tries! Most things are not done perfectly the first time—even when you're an adult. It doesn't mean "the end of the world" and there is no reason to be embarrassed. Watching our children make mistakes can be challenging. We may want to rush to their aid to shield them from impending failure or disappointment. However, when parents do this, they rob their children of some very powerful tools; self confidence, stick-to-itiveness, and of course, self reliance. Your children are relying on you to teach them how to approach the world. Sometimes that means they have to watch you to learn how to approach the task. But other times that means, you must watch them from the sidelines and encourage them to figure it out on their own.
Striking a balance between allowing your children to do tasks for themselves and helping them when they seem to need or want is a talent of very powerful parents. This balance allows their children to thrive because they feel more confident in themselves while still feeling supported and properly mentored. How can we instill self reliance and responsibility into our children? (1) Allow your children to make some decisions: Even young children can make sound decisions if you give them a few select choices. Do you want to wear the red shirt or the blue shirt? Would you like a peanut butter sandwich or a cheese sandwich? As children get older, you can allow them to make more important decisions with little to no guidance. They can determine things like which Fall sport they'd like to play, if they need a tutor for math, and which friends they'd like to spend time with each day without needing much, if any, input from parents. While it's tempting to make these kinds of decisions for your older children, they need to stand on their own two feet—after all, their decisions are often correct!
(2) Encourage your children to try tasks on their own: While it's often quicker and more skillfully done when we do it for them, children need to engage in tasks on their own if they're ever going to learn how to do them well. Laundry, shoe-tying, and making the bed are great places to start with young children. Older children can handle more complicated tasks such as cooking, preparing their own lunch, and doing their own homework.
(3) Model responsibility and self reliance: Parents have many responsibilities—let your child see them and hear about them! Say out loud; "This screw seems a little loose, I'll go get the screwdriver and tighten it" or "I have to plan our weekly menu for dinner; let's see...Monday night we'll have..." When children see you making decisions, taking initiative, and displaying self reliant behaviors, they will engage in similar behavior.
(4) Be your child's coach rather than his sage: When your child asks you questions about how to do something or what to do in a certain situation, sometimes asking questions is more important than providing answers. "What do you think you should do? How would you feel if you chose X? What would happen if you did Y instead?" These questions can unlock the answers in your own child's brain so the next time he's in a similar situation he'll be able to call on his own experience and judgment to make a decision.
(5) Be a good support system: Sometimes this means cheering them on from the sidelines and other times it means encouraging them to try again. Of course, when children truly need your help, they should know that they can count on you. If you teach them to ask for help when they really need it (when something seems unsafe or too challenging), they should know that you will be there to assist them. Children who know that they can count on their parents when they really need it feel better about taking risks and the possibility of making mistakes.
(6) Provide them with responsibilities: Chores are great for teaching children how to be self reliant as well as how to work as a team. After teaching them how to do the chore properly, let them give it a try with some assistance, if needed. You can even work on a checklist together which helps to break down the task into easy, age-appropriate chunks. For example, (a) Take the clothes out of the dryer, (b) Separate the clothes by family member, (c) Match up all the socks...and so on. When we provide children with ways to help out the family, we give them opportunities to build responsibility, self confidence, and self reliance.
(7) Encourage healthy risk-taking: Assure your children that making mistakes is OK. The most important thing is that s/he tries! Most things are not done perfectly the first time—even when you're an adult. It doesn't mean "the end of the world" and there is no reason to be embarrassed. Watching our children make mistakes can be challenging. We may want to rush to their aid to shield them from impending failure or disappointment. However, when parents do this, they rob their children of some very powerful tools; self confidence, stick-to-itiveness, and of course, self reliance. Your children are relying on you to teach them how to approach the world. Sometimes that means they have to watch you to learn how to approach the task. But other times that means, you must watch them from the sidelines and encourage them to figure it out on their own.
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