A child is not going to grow taller than what he will due to genetics but when you offer the correct nutrients balance (this includes fat, protein, carbs, right amount of calories, minerals and vitamins) you will maximize the growth potential. Poor nutrition is going to lead towards permanent stunting or serious growth delays. Because of this, thanks to the recommendations of Kingsberg Medical, here is what you need to always remember about foods that increase child growth. Remember that cooking with kids can be fun and most of the food that the child needs can be offered through daily meals.

The Importance Of Protein

Children that will consume way too little protein will never reach that desired full growth potential. The recommendations are the following:

• 1 to 3 years old – 13 grams daily
• 4 to 8 years old – 19 grams daily
• 9 to 13 years old – 34 grams daily

Keep in mind that these are minimums recommended. More may be needed. Great sources of protein include turkey, eggs, chicken, lean meats, soy products, nuts, seeds and dairy foods. The foods that come from animal sources were proven to be particularly useful for child growth.

Counting Calories

Besides the necessity to eat foods that are nutrient-dense, the right number of calories is really important for child growth. It is also vital for boosting the growth of the children that were malnourished. Children 2 to 3 need around 1000 to 1400 calories, 4 to 8 requires 1200 to 2000 and 9 to 14 requires 1400 to 2600. It might seem like a lot but when children are really active, they do need more calories.

Minerals And Vitamins

Every single day the child needs to receive the adequate quantities of minerals and vitamins. That will maximize growth for the child. Basically all the micronutrients are really important. However, the key nutrients for accelerating growth in kids are vitamin A, iron and zinc. Zinc and iron will be really abundant in sea food, legumes, dark meat chicken and foods that are fortified with zinc or iron (many cereals are like this). In order to make sure that the child has all the vitamin A needed, focus on carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, spinach, peppers, mangoes and cantaloupe.

Dairy Products

Dairy products (mostly milk in most cases) will help the child to grow up to the maximum allowed by genetics. It was proven that the consumption of dairy foods, especially milk, will lead to a higher growth factor in the child. At the same time, it will increase leg bone length. Proof of that was discovered for boys. Most children will need around 2 to 3 dairy foods cups daily, based on how many calories are recommended and age.

As you can easily notice, it is really important that the child eats as much as needed and that the diet is as diverse as possible. Most nutrients are important but those that were mentioned above are definitely more important. Focus on them and do be sure that you measure everything appropriately.

Among the numbers of workout equipment available, the sole elliptical is becoming popular and widely used fitness equipment across the world. Something interesting to say about it is you can now buy this fitness equipment at amazing discount offer price, which can certainly save you more.

The availability of new and upgraded models of sole elliptical has got a huge recognition among the fitness trainers and trainees. The advanced features like LCD display, built-in Bluetooth and other features are making them an amazing product for your daily workout needs.  Presence of Bluetooth will help you to track the record, store the workout history and also select the workout you want to do. This fitness equipment is now preferred by a huge population across the world.

Be it for commercial or residential fitness need, the Sole elliptical can offer you the best features and workout possibilities. You are flexible to perform your workout anytime you want. You are no more restricted with any time limits or specific days to do your workout unlike in the gym. Now you can create your own home gym to do your exercises as you want and maintain your body. It is not only you, but anyone in the family member can also benefit from this fitness equipment. To say, you are saving a huge amount of money by owning Sole elliptical fitness equipment, rather spending in the gym or fitness centers.

The sole treadmill F80 is another best choice of fitness equipment used widely by a many people. This fitness equipment will enable you to jog, walk or even run at any speed you select. Right from children to seniors can benefit from this treadmill fitness equipment. Moreover Sole Fitness is providing the treadmills with many advanced features, which will ease your use and will also increase your interest in performing your workout.

You can find various models of bike and elliptical fitness machines online offered by Sole Fitness company.  You will experience the benefit of workout to the entire body from these machines. They are excellently designed for both residential and gym environment, however, with some key differences to suit two different purpose.

The treadmills will also create you an opportunity to climb with the incline option, apart from simply walking or running. They help you to do the workout without placing any excessive pressure on the joints.  This will also lessen the risk of getting injured to the user.  All these highlighting features make these elliptical machines and treadmills an excellent option for people, compared to the traditional equipments. They are best for people with health issues, as they can manage to do their exercise only to their capability, than compromising to force themselves to work hard.

Besides these factors, the availability of this fitness equipment at discount prices and warranty will make your investment worth.

What is it about comfort food that makes it go down so easy? What is the secret formula that makes comfort food so attractive to the family that there are rarely any leftovers when it is served?

Some feel that comfort food satisfies so well because its time-tested taste makes you nostalgic about home or loved ones. Often prepared simply, comfort foods are a great recipe go-to when you are strapped for time but want your family to eat a good home cooked meal.  Others say comfort food is appealing because it is full of carbohydrates and has that “stick to your ribs” feel. It’s true that many comfort food recipes pack on the calories and carbs that many of us want to avoid if possible.

Lighten Up

While there are some positive nourishing aspects of comfort foods, there is some room for improvement in providing balanced nutrition. One way to do this is to lighten up traditional comfort food recipes with ingredients that lower the fat, salt, and calorie content. This meatloaf recipe takes your traditional meatloaf and lightens it up with some turkey. An antioxidant rich cranberry glaze adds nutrition. Even with a homemade glaze this recipe is true to the simply prepared comfort food definition as it takes just ten minutes to prep before sliding into the oven.

Another comfort food classic that can be lightened up is macaroni and cheese. Using lighter low fat ingredients along with whole wheat noodles keeps the savory taste while making it healthier.

Add a Secret Ingredient

Adding a “secret” ingredient to comfort foods is another way to pack more vitamins into your kids’ meals. You can finely grate zucchini and use it mixed with ground beef and spices in a hamburger patty. The meaty texture of mushrooms when finely sliced and cooked mixed with ground beef is worth a try in your spaghetti sauce. Adding one half cup pumpkin puree to pizza sauce adds beta carotene and increased fiber.

Applesauce and mashed up banana can be used in waffle, pancake, and cookie batter. Beware though that hiding vegetables and fruits is a technique that can backfire. If you have a child that is extremely perceptive about add on ingredients in their food you may be found out quite easily.

The Ultimate Comfort Food Made Healthier

Most people consider chicken noodle soup as the ultimate comfort food. It is known to help ease the suffering of those with a cold, flu, or a bad breakup. In reality, chicken soup is quite healthy on its own. There is chicken, vegetables, and just the right amount of carbohydrates in the form of noodles. The aromatic steam coming up from a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup can open up sinuses and warm hearts. This soup is already healthy in general, but it can be made so much better.

Chicken noodle soup broth runs the risk of being loaded with added fats, MSG, salts, flavorings, preservatives, and colorings.  Au Bon Broth you have a nutritious and wonderfully tasty soup base that is free of any additives. It is packed with vitamins, and minerals and is free of gluten, dairy, and soy. This broth is slow simmered with onion, carrot, celery, herbs, peppercorns, and garlic. You get a gourmet addition to your soup without all the hard work! Try adding it to your rice or mashed potatoes to make them even more nutrient packed.

Add Value

Look for ways that you can add value to your family’s comfort food favorites. In addition to adding healthful bone broth to recipes, check out other ingredients in your family’s comfort food repertoire that can be optimized for better health. Is there a spaghetti sauce that you can buy that has less salt and more vitamin content? Dairy based ingredients without fillers will satisfy without adding unnecessary carbohydrates. Sources of meat raised without antibiotics are a healthful choice for comfort food staples.

Comfort foods are a winner when it comes to feeding your family with something that you know that they will not only eat, but will also get excited about when they know you are making it for dinner. Another plus about comfort foods is it reduces the chance of picky eaters at your table. By using healthy ingredients in your comfort food recipes, you maintain their appeal as well as increase their nutrition.

According to Time Magazine, over a third of all Americans have some sort of debt reported to debt collection agencies. There are a variety of reasons behind this, ranging from switching cell phone carriers with a balance still due to one service provider all the way to to not paying larger loans. Nobody wants to come face to face with debt collector. It can result in some of your possessions being repossessed, or at the very least continual phone calls and mail to your address. But what can you do, especially if you don’t have the money? Here are five ways to avoid debt collectors legally while taking care of your money situation.

Check on the Debt

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While a third of Americans have debt reported to debt collectors, around a quarter of this is reported on the wrong person’s account. According to the Federal Trade Commission, 24 percent of mistakes of reported debt to collectors is for the wrong person. There is nothing worse than being hounded for someone else’s debt. Perhaps it is a different person with the same name, or maybe a previous tenant in the same address. Whatever it is, checking out what the debt is, where it comes from and if it really is someone’s or not is important and can help turn the debt collectors away.

Ask For Proof

Even if you know you likely owe the debt and you have been waiting on the collectors for some time, there is a way to buy you more freedom while you get your money in order to pay the debt back. After receiving a written notice for the debt, contact the debt collector through certified mail, asking for verified proof of the debt. This can take a bit of time for the company to put together and, as it does this, you should experience a bit of freedom from the harassing phone calls. The debt collector is required to stop collection activity while they provide you with verification of the debt. After all, you did not take money or a service from this particular company, but a different company altogether. They need physical proof it is them you owe money to, not another entity all together.

Don’t Fall For Scare Tactics

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Many debt collectors will try to incorporate scare tactics into collecting money. However, this can be illegal. For starters, they are not allowed to call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.. They are not able to threaten legal action, state they will garnish your wages or seize any kind of property. Should a debt collector make such a violation, you need to file a complaint with the FTC and the state Attorney General.

Can’t Charge You Fees

Has the debt collecting agency started mailing you documents, stating you owe more and more money? Perhaps the collector is starting to tack on fees? They are not allowed to do this. You did not sign a contract with the debt collector. Due to this, they are not allowed to start adding on fees. If you are looking to pay the debt and you notice this, point it out and tell the debt collector you are not paying the fees. You don’t have a contract with them and you don’t need to pay it.

Always Negotiate

Negotiation is the name of the game. While nobody likes to deal with debt collection agencies over money, it might work out in the long run for you. Contact the company and negotiate a payment deal. You’ll be able to lower the amount (typically) you need to pay.

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Be comfortable

If you have small children, especially newborn babies, the priority when picking out clothes has to be comfort. New dads will be faced with sleepless nights, dealing with messy situations and plenty of running around. This means comfort has to be prioritized over anything else.

However, this doesn’t have to mean that you can’t be stylish at the same time as being comfortable. You don’t have to wander around the house in sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt all day long. Instead try a well fitting pair of jeans and a simple, classic shirt such as a white tee. Save you nicer clothes for when your child is a little bit older and less likely to stain your outfit. Dressing with care is a sign that you care about your appearance and symbolizes motivation, power as well as self-esteem to your children later on in life.

Neutrals over pattern

Neutral shades such as navy blue, grey, white and deep green tend to suit most skin types and look great in both the daytime and the evening. Ditch your palm printed shirts and socks with the funny prints as these can easily give off the feeling that you simply don’t bother with your outfit. If you love your printed clothes then opt for something simpler such as pinstripes.

A father should look responsible but also stylish, well dressed but never boring. Outlandish prints have a detrimental effect on your style and make you look like you are trying too hard to look ‘cool’.

Invest in classics

The worst thing you can do is to blindly follow outlandish trends as these are better suited to twenty something youngsters who are still finding out what suits them and what doesn’t. Instead invest in some classic pieces such as a great leather jacket, a well fitted blazer, custom made suits. Custom suits fit perfectly, unlike the mass produced.

Fashionable basics

Once your children are older, you can relax around them in terms of wearing nicer fabrics. This is the right time to invest in some classic fabrics, something that every man needs to look polished. Many men put on a few kilos when they have children and this is especially common among older men. The first rule would be to not try and fit into your older clothes from the days when you hit the gym five times a week. Embrace your new physique and use it to your advantage by wearing well fitting clothes in classic fabrics such as khaki and cotton.

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Accessorize

When picking accessories, always remember that less is more. This means not wearing anything that makes you look like you teenage son. Ear piercings are very hard to carry off after a certain age and the same can be said for wearing a dozen bracelets on one arm or an outlandish necklace with a fake tooth hanging at the end. After a certain age, men look best with classic accessories that complement any outfit, such as a great watch or an excellent pair of sunglasses.

Another important point to keep in mind when picking accessories is to never pick overly branded products. This means staying a million miles away from any monogrammed designer shirts and belts with very obvious branding on the buckles. The brand name should be subtle and never visible from a distance.

Grooming

When you are a busy father and have ten other things to think of besides yourself, it’s easy to forget to take care of yourself. This includes basic grooming such as getting a regular haircut, keeping your beard in shape, moisturizing, applying sunscreen, wearing a great aftershave or cologne and even getting a manicure every now and then. All these actions make a father look like his youthful self again and ensure that the weathered look stays away.

Exercise

Dressing with care and grooming are only half the solution to looking your best. Regardless of what age you are, exercise is the essential if you want to getting that youthful glow. Working out has a positive effect on both the body and the brain. Regular exercise helps get rid of stress, helps boost confidence and generally makes you feel great. So try and get your children involved in your weekly exercise regimen for some added fun.

A father has a responsibility towards his children for life but he also has a responsibility towards himself. Having kids doesn’t have to mean the end of taking care of yourself, whether its your clothes, your fashion sense, grooming or exercise. Being motivated to improve yourself everyday will only encourage your children to do the same in their lives when they are older.

Author:

Rose Martin loves blogging on fashion, women, parenting, travel and lifestyle. Rose is also interested in music, fitness and art. In spare time, she loves to spend time with family and friends.

Hormones have a huge impact on our body, helping with various functions that people do not actually expect. One of them is hair growth. The hormones will have an equal effect in both women and men and the truth is that hair loss can happen at any time if you do not take the right steps.

What you have to remember is that it is not the hormones’ presence that will cause hair loss. It is the levels present inside bloodstreams that have such an effect. Those hormones that have the highest impact on hair loss are the same ones that are involved with sexual activities, the so called sex hormones: progesterone, estrogen and testosterone. They will play different development roles and will be at a peak during the puberty period.

As time passes, hormone production is decreased, just as with human growth hormone, which has a high importance for women and men. A similar approach to that of HGH is what helps with the relationship between hair loss and hormones.

Hormonal changes can be challenging, but understanding natural remedies, such as learning how to use batana oil for hair, might provide some relief and support healthy hair growth.

Globulin

Globulin presence will lower hormone levels. This is connected with insulin. As you have higher insulin levels, globulin will not be produced. That means that sex hormones cannot bind and overall levels go down. While globulin will behave differently in men and women, we have the same results when looking at hair loss.

Testosterone

The traditional male sex hormone is highly important due to various different reasons. We have to understand the fact that there are many complicated bindings that will happen inside the body and that will depend on the hormone. Whenever testosterone presence is lower than it should be (it is quite normal for men to have higher levels than women), problems appear. One of the problems is the appearance of hair loss. The initial signs that normally appear are some hairs fall out and the hair that remains is thinner. You can use wig for men’s hair.

Estrogen

Estrogen’s effect on hair loss is similar to that of progesterone. Estrogen levels will normally increase while a woman is pregnant. The same thing happens when contraceptive drugs are taken. We normally see problems with estrogen and hair loss when pituitary glands will not produce enough follicular stimulating hormones, normally because sex hormones will suppress production.

Conclusions

The next time you see that hair falls off, you may want to consider talking to a specialist that knows as much as possible about hormones. That may help you to get rid of your problems since the body will actually be able to produce all the substances needed to make hair grow instead of making it fall off.

Remember that in most cases hair loss can be controlled. It is not that difficult to do this. However, talking to a doctor is a necessity because hair loss cause needs to first be determined. When you do not know why your hair falls off, it is possible that you take a treatment that is bad. An improper treatment can easily lead towards more hair falling off.

It seems more and more couples are choosing to get their vows renewed, and though the reasons vary, the end result is the same—a gorgeous ceremony that allows a couple to reaffirm or add to the promises made in their first year of marriage. From questions about rings to outfit options, these are our fun little guidelines towards vow renewals, whether you and your spouse are interested in taking part in this lovely tradition or you simply want to know more for curiosity’s sake.

Why Do People Renew Their Vows?

There’s no singular answer to this question, really, as couples choose to renew their vows for a variety of different reasons. Some couples may simply want to reaffirm their love in front of their children and loved ones they’ve met in the years since their wedding, while others may have recently made it through a very difficult time and hope to recommit themselves to a lifetime of love together. Some couples choose to renew their vows as an homage to a milestone anniversary. It truly depends on the couple, and any reason is always a good one to celebrate love and a lifelong union. Because the reason for these ceremonies vary, of course so do the timelines. For some couples, it might be only a few years into their marriage, while others may have been together for decades. It’s truly as simple as this one phrase: It’s never a bad time to show the love of your life how important they are.

Should We Get a New Ring?

Some couples—in the spirit of starting over—choose to buy new wedding bands, while others go so far to even redo the engagement process. If you do want to exchange your old rings for new versions but budgetary issues are of concern, instead of replacing the ring with something like a diamond stone, consider an inexpensive but just as beautiful morganite engagement ring. These stones provide a stunning alternative to diamonds, and their price tag is often a lot smaller. Expanding your ring search outside of the classic stones can help you find something that’s just as pretty without breaking the bank. You might even choose to exchange something other than rings, whether it be a pendant for her or a watch for him. It’s a day that’s all about the couple in question, and the ring exchange should reflect that.

What Should We Wear?

If you still want to wear a wedding dress, you can buy one online for an affordable and beautiful dress. Visit Avery Austin to try their wedding dress at home.  Couples who renew their vows usually hold somewhat casual celebrations, but the sky’s the limit if you decide to throw a soiree to remember. Wedding dresses and tuxes are expensive the first go around, and most couples aren’t looking to spend that kind of money again. For her, a simple, elegant dress can do the trick, while nice slacks and a crisp button down are definitely refined enough for him. If she’s looking for something special for her “second big day”, there are plenty of websites that carry special lines of vow renewal dresses.

Who Should We Invite?

Couples who have children should have their little ones (or in many cases, grown up ones) attend the nuptials. In this way, the ceremony becomes a family affair that celebrates the example of love that you have always shown your children. You may also choose to invite extended family members and close friends. Some couple prefer to keep this occasion private, and in those cases, the focus can remain on the simple but profound words exchanged between the two.

There are a surprising number of aspects that go into a vow renewal, and couples who are feeling the urge to declare their love for each other once again have a bit of planning ahead of them. From paring down the guest list to deciding how to approach a second ring exchange, hopefully this guide gave you some insight into the vow renewal process and helps you plan a ceremony you’ll both adore.

Summer is here, and with this warm season comes school breaks for your little ones, days spent by the pool, and of course, the most wonderful summer celebration there is—the Fourth of July. Most employees across the United States get this fun day off, and with this year’s occasion falling on a Monday, that means a three-day weekend. What better reason could there be to celebrate? If you’re wanting to host a fun Independence Day shindig, it’s time to start planning. With these tips in your arsenal, you’ll throw the most perfectly patriotic and festive Fourth of July party your friends and family have ever attended.

Sending Out Invitations

We’re in the 21^st century people, embrace it. You’ll want to get your invitations out with plenty of time for guests to plan, so make sure you write your guest list as soon as possible. To make it easier on yourself, create evites on a site like PunchBowl.com and send them out. While you may usually prefer paper invites, evites make it easier to update guests on any party changes and will make it much easier for you to keep track of RSVPs, which will help you plan supplies accordingly.

Delightful Decorations

The Fourth of July is one of the easiest holidays to decorate for: stick to red, white, and blue, and stars and stripes—you’re pretty much set. Don’t shell out huge amounts of money on decorations you’ll only use one day out of the year (even if you can recycle them for Memorial Day décor). Instead, head to The Dollar Store; these bargain markets have surprisingly amazing deals on fun décor that you won’t feel bad about throwing out at the end of the day. From tablecloths to centerpieces to little American-themed party favors, you can pretty much find anything you need.

The Dress Code

If you’re going all out with a 4^th of July patriotic theme, make sure your guests know to come the part. Make sure your family goes all out. Dad could dress up like George Washington while Mom makes an excellent Betsy Ross, or you could go easy and do patriotic colored clothing, putting the kids in American flag leggings and star spangled banner tank tops. The sky’s the limit; just make sure you indicate on the invitation that you want family and friends to dress up, or you’ll deal with potentially being the only ones dressed up to the American nines on this patriotic occasion.

The Entertainment

The fireworks don’t usually start until the sun goes down, so make sure you have plenty of activities ready for your loved ones to enjoy until the colors start bursting in the sky. If there will be a bevy of little ones at your party, set up a craft table so they can let their imaginative sides run wild. It could be putting out red and blue paint with white paper so they can make their own flags (be sure to hang them up for extra decoration when they’re done), or maybe even red, white, and blue beads strung together in a beautiful bracelet or necklace.

July tends to be a toasty month depending on your location, so make sure you’ve got some fun waterworks set up for the kids if your backyard has the room. A Slip N Slide never fails to entertain, and even the simplest of misters and kiddie pools set up can entertain kids of all ages, and is safe for even the littlest of tots. Just be sure to have an adult always watching over the water play. Adults love games too, so make sure you have some fun options set up for attendees over the age of 12. It might be a fun ladder golf setup, or even a bocce ball tournament that sees some fierce competition.

Some Delicious Treats

Keep your spread classically American. Barbecues are an easy and delicious way to keep costs down and tummies happy, and you can serve burgers, hot dogs, and veggie kebabs without breaking the budget. As far as sides go, ask family and friends to bring their favorite side dish and make it a potluck affair. It helps people feel more involved and saves your budget—a win, win.

Once you become a mom, it is easy for that role to take over your entire life. It can often be a little difficult to think of yourself as anything else. This is especially true if you are home a lot with very young children. Being a mom is one of the most amazing things in the world but it is certainly not all that you are. There are certain things that you need to do to be able to keep other parts of your life alive and kicking.

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One of the most difficult things to do as a mother of small children is to shop for yourself. Sure, you will do the grocery shopping, school shopping, and even clothes shopping for your little one. But you, inevitably seem to get neglected when it comes to the daily to-do list. Here are some things that you can do to shop for yourself:

Do It Online

Online shopping is becoming more and more popular and with good reason. It saves time, can be done from the comfort of your home, and allows you to look for great bargains. A few tips when surfing the web, however. When shopping at online boutiques for clothes, or buying other essential items, always choose a credible website. It is easy to verify if a website is legitimate or not before you provide the site with all of your secure payment details. Another tip for buying clothes off a website is to carefully measure your body. This way you will able to get clothes that fit you a lot better.

Co-Shopping

This is when you take daddy, a friend, or other willing participant along with the kids. You will then have somebody to watch over the children in the store as you look around and try on what you need. It is best, however, to not take children into a store that is not specifically designed for them. There may be a lot of breakable items and your kids may simply get bored really quickly. A great way to keep them occupied is with a snack or some other activity.

Take a Day Off

Sometimes, you are simply going to need some time to yourself. You need to be able to do your shopping peacefully, on your own schedule. This is why it is sometimes a good idea to hire a babysitter or wrangle a family member into watching the kids for you. In addition to giving you a much needed break, this is the best option for actually getting something that you will like. Most times, when under a time limit, we tend to grab the first thing that seems decent. If you are going to have to spend some money, its best that you first put some thought into your purchase. You will be less likely to regret it.

These are just some of the tips that you can use to help you when you need to go shopping for yourself. One of the most important things that you need to remember is not to feel guilty for spending a little time away from your children. This brief separation will be much better for you and them in the long run.