Oranges have shown to be beneficial for Asthma patients, reducing symptoms of arthritis,  they help prevent kidney stones and lower cholesterol. It also makes you feel better, calmer, makes skin more radiant and strengthens the immune system.

Before describing the numerous health benefits, let’s highlight some known Nutrition facts.

This is for a serving size of 1 cup (around 180g).

Calories 85 (From Fat 2)
Total Fat 0g (Saturated Fat 0g)
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 0mg
Total Carbohydrate 21 g (7% of daily value based on a 2000 calorie diet)
Dietary Fiber 4g  (17%)
Sugar 17g
Protein 2g

Vitamin A (8%)
Vitamin c (160%)
Calcium 7%
Iron 1%

In case you are like most individuals and have skipped the Nutrition Fact information, let us re-iterate some numbers, Vitamin c 160%. Fiber almost 20% of daily requirements. Filled with antioxidants and Vitamin C make it the best natural cold and flu remedy. Just a single orange provides the body with 100 percent of the required daily values needed for a healthy symptom freestyle.

Take a look at what oranges have to offer.

- Look and Feel Great.

Oranges contain Thiamin, which helps convert food into energy. An Orange or a glass of orange juice can provide you more energy (and keep you awake during those 2 hour morning meetings) than 2 cups of coffee.

Oranges is a great source for Beta-carotene (an antioxidant) that prevents cell damage. Apart from tightening your skin and making you look younger, orange peels are full of natural oils that can keep skin soft and moisturized.

- Stress relief property of oranges.

If the 50 stress relief articles on this site haven’t helped you already, how about oranges? A Commonwealth scientific and Industrial Research on the benefits of Citrus fruits shows citrus foods having positive effects on reducing anxiety and stress levels.

- Healthy heart and a healthy mind.

Folate (Nutrition facts: 14% of daily required obtained) is necessary for reducing risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Studies have shown that oranges (and other citrus fruits) help lowering your BP (they contain Magnesium that maintains the BP) and protect against strokes and abnormal hearth rhythms (arrhythmia).

Folate (the natural form of Folic Acid) is also crucial for brain development.

-  Healthy bones and pain free joints

Oranges are a good source of calcium, which as your 4^th grade science teacher mentioned, is the key to strong bones. They also contain provitamin A compound beta-cryptoxanthin that reduce the risk of inflammatory polyarthritis. Xanthophylls (the chemical classification) is shown to prevent symptoms of Osteoarthritis. Not only do they help reduce the risk of diseases, they have been proven to help diminish existing joint pain and discomfort.

Apart from the ones mentioned above, oranges are also a great source of Vitamin A (helps keep your eyes in order), calcium and potassium (helps kidneys, muscles and the digestive system). They are a great source of fiber and are a great source for flavones (which make them an your best friend during a weight loss initiative)

If you want to reverse signs of aging and bust those wrinkles out and at the same time strengthen your immune system and making your inner self as strong as it could. Then the solution is simple. Add Oranges it to your daily diet and see for yourself, they are healthy and very tasty (definitely beats the fish-oil type multi-vitamin tablets). After all beauty isn’t just skin deep, and oranges take care of all the layers.

A few serving ideas:

-     Sauté few onions in a shallow pan and add a little ginger, deglaze the pan with orange juice. Use this as a sauce for a grilled turkey breast.
-     Sprouts, a few greens, beets and sliced oranges topped with a little orange juice make a great salad
And my personal favorite:
-     Scrambled egg with a little olive oil and pepper, freshly squeezed orange juice with pulp and a slice of well toasted wheat bread.

Read the first part here.

Let the kids understand that you are not trying to take their mom’s place. Rather, you are there as a totally different person, with a totally different yet somewhat similar role. “Helping them (the kids) understand that they can love both parents and still be loyal to both is terribly important,” advises psychologist.

A stepmother to four daughters herself, who also has stepparents on both sides and the founder and director of an information and counseling center in New York, suggests allowing time for father and children to spend same time alone together. Like in normal families, moms don’t always have to be the answer to everything all the time because they aren’t. She relates her own experience: “The more I step back and let my daughters be with their dad, the more they would want my presence.”

According to another counselor, psychologist and stepparent, romantic atmosphere most common to courtship and newlyweds usually “stimulate the children and aggravate their jealousy and rage.” One expert suggests that extreme displays of affection should be avoided.

“Each individual adult, as well as the couple, should be thoughtful about seductiveness,” one psychologist commented. “Privacy should be encouraged and respected.”

It is not just the children you have to think about. There is also the memory of the departed wife which can prove to be most enduring and stronger influence in the children’s behavior. A simple reminder to the kids like: “I know you love your mother very much and that I can never be like her and that makes it hard for you to like me. But I hope you’ll try to see me for myself,” is the suggestion of a therapist, stepmother and psychologist for this kind of problem. Also, one counselor comments how a new stepmother should not try to be the answer to the family’s problems of the present and the past. “A new wife cannot be the ephemeral excuse and solution to her stepchildren’s problems with their dad, although she should do her part.”

To be able to do her part, mutual respect and trust should be acquired. One psychologist comments, “A stepmother has every right to take a stand about what happens in a household that’s half hers.” Looseness in any relationship also helps a great deal.

A couple of experts, psychiatrist and psychologist, respectively note the, “need for emotional space” with children and couples as well.

Also, age-old traits such as patience, dedication and determination should be among the virtues of a stepparent to be able to function effectively.

Martha, another stepmother, observed and experienced that living with the problems and realizing it would get easier depends oil time, as the kids grow up and as you do, too.

Just when you think that loving the man is enough; you discover the exact opposite and the hassles of marrying a widower with kids. There is the guilty feeling of taking him and the children away from their departed mom. The main problem would stem from the relationship of the new mom and the kids. “Kids may loom as a constant reminder of your husband’s physical and emotional bond with his first wife.” You also may be seen as one who will erase the kids’ memory of their mother. Or, in case where the kids have lost their mother when they were still small, you have to deal with the way they are used to having only one parent and their independence stemming from that kind of parenting. They may not take orders from you any more than they would from their neighbors.

It doesn’t stop there. There’s also jealousy and competition over the affection of their father, your husband. The father, in turn, is divided among his kids, you and his loyalty to his first wife, not to mention his job, the financial backup needed by the household… etc.

But more importantly, or even almost critically, the first hurdle to clear would be on how you would win over the kids without making it seem to them that you are throwing their mom’s memory to the dustbins and without hurting their relationship with their dad. There’s also the feeling that you are expected to find the kids adorable but you realize later that you don’t even like them.

Also, it is natural with newlyweds to give out a sexual aura on the first few weeks and children may not welcome the different, romantic atmosphere. Then, there is that feeling of isolation among the kids whenever you tend to be a bit show in your affection. They may feel isolated – an outsider in the love you share with your husband.

It’s not easy, but counselors, psychologists and people’s specializing in the field of second families provide some helpful ways to give you an initial push needed for the big hurdle.

Continue Reading Part 2 here.

Alter Your Thinking. Telling yourself you are going on a diet is like telling yourself you are about to be deprived. This feeling of deprivation leads to negative thought patterns and the whole diet can feel depressing. Instead, tell yourself nothing is off-limits; you are just going to be eating healthily from now on. It is important to let yourself know that you always have a choice and can always eat whatever you want, but you choose not to in order to become more fit, lose weight or do another thing that you want. The feeling of freedom itself is enough. Once you realize you can still eat out and enjoy treats, it won’t feel like such a hard slog.

Focus On Enjoying Your Food. You should still be able to eat most of the meals you enjoy. Instead of focusing on eating food because you’re hungry or because you’re eager to get back to whatever you were doing before, take the time to actually enjoy the food you’re eating. Eat slowly, and feel every single of the various tastes of the food. This can make the experience more enjoyable while giving your stomach time to process the food and get rid of the acute feeling of hunger.

Experiment with food swaps. You could also try to add low fat yogurt to that dish instead of cream and still get the same consistency. The trick is to revisit the recipe and make it healthier than before. Reduce the volume of high calorie items on your plate and add more vegetables to close the gap. Swap anything with fat – products like cheese or milk – for a lower fat variety. There are a lot of healthier or less fatty ingredients that can be used as alternatives in most foods, without you feeling the difference in taste.

If you’re going on a diet, you really don’t have to torture yourself. It can be done in a soft and easy way if you use the right approach. Use the advice in this article to start losing weight, felling good and enjoying all the foods you want at the same time!

Choose From the Menu Before You Go. You may be determined to stick to your diet before you go, but once you arrive at the restaurant and mouth-watering aromas fill your nostrils, it’s tricky staying on track. One solution is to make up your mind on what you should eat before you go to the restaurant. It may seem that it’s hard, because you don’t know what they have on the menu, but you can generalize food as meat, salads, sweets and others to make it easier.

Don’t Go to the Restaurant Hungry. Some people practically starve themselves throughout the day so they can get away with eating more in the evening. The problem with denying yourself food all day long is that when you do start indulging, it is very hard to stop – your body just wants to eat as it thinks you’ll go without food for a long period again. When on a diet, the best solution is to always have a small snack – this way you’ll never feel very hungry, especially when you go to a restaurant.

Watch Those Drinks. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that liquid doesn’t count. Some drinks are absolutely loaded with calories. That nice creamy liqueur at the end of the evening is one of the worst culprits. If you are having soft drinks stick to diet varieties, or water. If you are having alcohol, don’t have too much – alcohol may not have a lot of calories itself, but it’s certainly effective at making your stomach better at processing the food you eat and storing more fat than usual.

Think twice before eating the dessert. You’re on a night out and you want to enjoy yourself, right? If you love dessert then of course you should have it. One of the best ways to deal with dessert is to outright deny it, but of course, that doesn’t work most of the times, so what you can do is compromise and only have a small portion – no more, no less. To make it easier, you should take a 5-10 minutes pause after eating the dessert – a lot of the times, the craving for more will go away by itself!

It is definitely possible to eat while still being on a diet, the most important thing is to always remember that you’re keeping to one. By following the above advice, you can easily have an enjoyable dieting experience, lose weight and eat well at the same time.

Next time you find yourself reaching for something to munch between meals stop and ask yourself if you’re really hungry. Be absolutely honest. Your answer will determine which step you take next. If you are reaching for a snack because you’re genuinely hungry, then you should go ahead and have something to eat.

Leaving yourself to get ravenous is a mistake because you never know when your willpower will throw in the towel. The important thing is to be careful about what you eat. Reaching for a quick fix like chocolate, cookies, or chips, may be tempting but they won’t keep the hunger pangs away for long. Before you know ¡t you will be reaching for another hit.

Instead, aim for a healthy snack that will cost you less calories but make you feel more satisfied. Good choices are fresh or dried fruit, low-fat yogurt, air-popped popcorn, rice cakes, or chopped up vegetables with low-fat hummus. If the answer is no, you’re not hungry, then you need to step away from the fridge, cupboard, or vending machine, as fast as possible. Next, establish why you are eating when you’re not hungry.

Is it out of habit, or could it be because you’re bored? Whatever the reason, you need to plan a distraction to implement whenever you find yourself reaching for unnecessary snacks. Some people find brushing their teeth not only gives them something to do, but the fresh taste ¡n their mouth takes away their craving. Other techniques are to phone a friend, go on the internet, put the kettle on, paint your nails, or do some exercise. It doesn’t matter what the activity is, as long as it takes you away from the source of food.

Of course, you should keep in mind that if you do anything that requires a lot of physical or even mental strain, you will naturally get hungry, so you should either do activities that don’t require much effort or go the extra mile and continue an hour or so without eating – that will also burn fat, but you should remember to eat a normal amount of food after you’re done.

Snacks are good and delicious, but you must remember to have the willpower to abstain from them. Next time you reach for a snack, make sure it doesn’t undo all your hard work.

If your baby feels pain, his crying will have a shrill, urgent note that will start your adrenaline pumping. The cause may be bathwater that’s too hot or an accidental prick with a diaper pin, or he may have a more serious injury. A painful condition, such as colic or an ear infection, may make him cry inconsolably. If you suspect that your baby is ill, you should seek medical help.

Lack of physical contact

Your baby may cry simply because he needs physical reassurance from you. The most natural response to a baby’s cries is to pick him up and cuddle him. In many cultures, babies are held and carried in slings most of the time. Hold him close to your body or with his chest and body pressed against your shoulder and walk around with him. If neither of these positions soothes him, try cradling his head and neck in the crook of your left arm so that he is facing out, with your left hand supporting his body and your right hand holding him between his legs.

Carrying him around in a sling is an alternative way of keeping him close to your body and has the advantage of leaving your hands free. Graduate to a backpack when he’s older. Most babies love “kangaroo care,” or skin-to-skin contact with their mother or father. Try giving him a massage. Don’t let your newborn baby cry for long periods. He will become distraught, and it will take you much longer to comfort him if you let him become too distressed.

Boredom

As your baby grows older and becomes more aware of and interested in his surroundings, if he is left on his own with nothing to distract him, he will probably cry to attract your attention. Make sure he has plenty to look at when he is alone. Mobiles, pictures, activity centers, or a few favorite toys will keep him amused when he is awake in his crib. Prop him up in his buggy or put him in a bouncy chair and let him watch what you are doing.

Separation anxiety

About the age of six months, your baby may start to cling to you physically and emotionally. He may become very distressed if he is separated from you, crying even if you are out of sight for only a few moments. Separation anxiety often goes hand-in-hand with a fear of strangers, and he may even become shy with familiar adults. This can be a very trying stage for parents, and it needs careful handling.

Try to get your baby used to the idea of being left with other people, starting with very short periods of no longer than 20 minutes. It’s important that he understands that when you go out, you will always come back. Avoid slipping away without his noticing. He will be distressed if he suddenly finds you are gone and will cry and cling to you even more the next time you try to leave him.

The reason why people want to use natural remedies is because the active substances actually help the body to heal itself, without interfering too much in any specific processes. The chance of suffering from the side effects of these remedies is smaller comparing with the side effects of synthetic substances. Naturally available substances have been used in Aurveda and herbal medicines for centuries to cure asthma and its symptons.

But even though they are natural products, this doesn’t mean that they are miracle healers. They too have to be used with precaution and after discussing with your primary care physician. Before using any type of product is good to be well informed and to know what to expect from it and this information can be found out from the doctor or the pharmacist.

In this article we are going to present you the most well known natural remedies for asthma.

One of these famous remedies is the pineapple. If we want to know how a certain fruit has such miraculous healing potential, we need to know what the substance is that acts on our body in order to make it feel better.
In pineapple this substance is called bromelain which has an effect on the ability of our organism to absorb another substance, called quercetin. The second one enters in the category of antihistamine substances, an important class for the fight against inflammation.

Not only the substances found in pineapple aids our body to fight against inflammation, but the substances found in the organism of coldwater fish. Everybody has heard about omega 3 fatty acids and their benefit effect on our body. Well, these coldwater fishes contain this type of fatty acids. The role of these substances is to improve a certain volume of the lungs, part of the specific capacities and volumes measured to determine if the lungs function properly.

Another natural remedy against asthma is found in licorice and the substance is called glycyrrhizin. The most important effect that a treatment against asthma has to have is the anti-inflammatory effect. But, even though glycyrrhizin helps in calming down the symptoms of asthma, it also can have side effects, like increasing the pressure of the blood. Using this should be done only after consulting with your primary care physician.

Another natural remedy is Ginkgo Biloba. This was known until now for its effects on the circulation of the blood and the improvement of the brain functions. Lately, it was found that Ginkgo Biloba also has a positive effect on patients with asthma. This is because it has an anti-inflammatory effect and it can be used by young children too, and not just by adults.

A well known remedy against stress is the Bach Flower. But now, the substances contained in this are used also for calming down the symptoms of asthma. It is believed that there is a connection between stress and asthma. Asthma crises are occurring more often if that person is under a lot of stress.

So by eliminating stress and calming the body, asthma symptoms can almost disappear. A beverage can be prepared with water and a few drops of flower extract. This is generally recommended to be consumed four times a day.

We have presented only some of the natural remedies against asthma. There are a lot of other options, but consult your doctor before using any of these treatments.

• Whey-dominant. Usually labeled as a first milk or as suitable from birth, this formula has extra whey protein added to it to make it more similar to breast milk. Whey is watery and easier for a baby to digest than casein.

• Casein-based. Slightly higher in protein than the whey formula, this mixture takes longer to digest. It is sold as a “follow-on” milk, designed to satisfy “hungrier” babies. In fact, there’s no conclusive evidence to support this. Both types of milk are suitable for babies from birth.

• Most formulas contain long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPs), which are known to be vital in promoting brain growth in babies. These are closest to breast milk. Check the label to be sure your formula is rich in LCPs.

The right formula

-          Your baby may go through a restless period in the early evening, and you may think he is not satisfied. Some mothers consider adding solids, but there is no need to: this behavior is common for both breast- and bottle-led babies. They settle down as they grow older.

-          A formula that does not suit your baby may cause such symptoms as vomiting, stomach cramps, or a rash or other allergic reactions. If your baby is gaining weight at about 8 ounces (224g) a week and is not showing any of these symptoms, his food is fine. If you are not happy with the formula you are using, consult with your baby’s doctor before changing.

-          Soy-based formulas are available for babies who are allergic to cow’s milk formula, but you should always check with your baby’s doctor before changing. There may be other drawbacks to using soy milk, since some babies are allergic to it.

-          Apart from breast milk, infant formula is the only food suitable for your baby until he is at least six months old. Goat’s milk and condensed milk are not suitable foods for young babies.

-          It is best to continue formula for 9 to 12 months.

-          In an emergency, if you run out of formula, try boiled sugar water until you can get to the store.

Essential equipment

You will need:

• Six to eight 8-ounce (240-ml) bottles. Some types are for use with plastic disposable liners, which collapse as the milk is sucked out, preventing your baby from swallowing too much air when he sucks. A bottle includes a nipple; a cap to protect the nipple when it is not in use; a ring which screws on to fasten the nipple to the bottle.

• Two bottle brushes.

• A sterilizing system or a dishwasher.

• A measuring cup with a lid.

• Plastic knife and spoon.

Causes for Concern

• Antibiotics can appear to cure an illness in the short term, only for it to return later, possibly in a more virulent form. This creates a vicious circle of infection and antibiotic use. If doctors aren’t sure about the cause of an illness, they often play safe and prescribe an antibiotic. They may also prescribe antibiotics unnecessarily for viral illnesses such as sore throats, colds, coughs, and some forms of chest infection, such as bronchiolitis.

• Overuse of antibiotics has meant that some infections that used to be easy to treat are now difficult to cure, for the bacteria responsible have become resistant to the drug by making genetic changes to themselves. Superbugs have developed that are resistant to four or more antibiotics, so the infections they cause are particularly difficult to treat.

• Antibiotics may kill not only harmful bacteria, but also the helpful bacteria that inhabit our bodies. This upsets the body’s natural equilibrium and allows a new infection to develop. For example, yeast is a fungal infection that is usually kept in check by helpful bacteria but that often develops after a course of antibiotics. Some research has linked outbreaks of meningitis with overuse of antibiotics.

What you can do

• If an antibiotic is prescribed for your baby, tell the doctor you would prefer not to give one unless it is really necessary. Depending on the seriousness of the illness, he may suggest you wait for 24 hours or give you a prescription you can use later if your baby doesn’t show signs of recovery.

• Give the antibiotics as prescribed and complete the course. Antibiotics kill off the most susceptible bacteria first, leaving the most resistant. If you stop halfway through the treatment, you leave behind the stronger bugs, which cause a recurrence of the symptoms.

• Give your baby acidophilus powder (available from health-food stores) daily during the course of the antibiotics. This may help to restore the normal bacteria in the gut that are killed by the antibiotics, reducing the risk of side effects such as diarrhea or overgrowth of yeast.

• If your baby’s doctor doesn’t feel urgent medical attention is required, try a natural remedy. They all work at boosting the body’s immune system so it can do the healing work.