Do You Need to Detox?

Going through detox is like giving your body a vacation. It allows healing and rebalancing to begin in our body. You need to sometimes work to make this happen. Many of us find it very difficult to give up sugar, nicotine, caffeine, alcohol and chemicals.
Still steeling your will to go through a detox might be necessary especially if you are getting that wakeup call about your health. It is absolutely necessary in this day and age to take responsibility for yourself. It is only thing you can do to prevent disease and ensure that you will live a long and happy life.
A detox regimen has a fantastic effect on your physical, emotional and mental state. A greater sense of serenity, peace and calm often is the result of the process. Most people also achieve a more youthful appearance and a healthy, vibrant glow once they complete a cleanse.
You should also be aware that fasting can be physically uncomfortable for some people. However many people do not experience any physical problems at all but some people really do. If you do it means you are physically addicted to whatever you have eliminated from your life – it could be anything from cigarettes to booze to sugar!
The good thing is these symptoms pass in just a couple of days. Many people become cranky and lethargic. It is very common to get headaches.
Some people have insufferable cravings for sugar when they go on one of these fasts. Caffeine addicts can also have a hard time. Both caffeine and sugar are really hard to withdraw from if you have been eating it any day.
If you are a steady drinker and you give up alcohol, you will likely experience the stress and anxiety that you were trying to blot out with your drinking. If you are drinking to obliterate reality then you might see a fast as a chance to deal with your problems and traumas. Some people use the cleanse as an opportunity to face their demons.
Alcohol acts a lot like sugar does in the body and you may feel agitated if you don't get your fix. Giving up caffeine makes some people very moody and jittery. Giving up gluten (breads and starches), however, sometimes gives some people an immediate relief from any irritable bowel type symptoms. Processed flours also act in the body much the same way sugar does.
Not eating meat makes some people feel quite lethargic as well. If meat was the mainstay of your diet before the fast you may not feel that great and experience a lot of cravings.
While I want to warn you that you may have cravings. I also want to stress that there are many, many people who don’t have a hard time at all, and also stress that almost everyone feels lighter and more energetic within a day or two.
Simply put, what you are doing in this cleanse is eliminating common craving triggers and giving your body a break from artificial food-borne stimulants and depressants. This gives your physicality a chance to find its own natural balance.
Why not try a cleanse? You will live longer and your kids will thank you for staying alive to meet their kids!

Parenting Tips
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Home Made Sports Drink!

A couple of summers ago researchers from the University of Connecticut's Department of Kinesiology showed up at youth soccer and football camps on the East Coast to study how kid's rehydrate themselves after exercise. What they found is that most kids did not drink enough and that most of them became very dehydrated day by day. By the end of the four day camp between half and three quarters of the kids were seriously dehydrated. This happened despite the fact that there was lots of water around to drink. This is partly because kids just don't think to drink water.

The reason your kids need to stay hydrated is because even alone percent to two percent reduction in body mass through perspiration reduces aerobic performance. Kids weight less than adults so water loss is a very serious thing because in just 90 minutes of exercising without enough water their core temperatures can increase very rapidly.
In a Canadian study, when the kids were offered grape-flavored water, they voluntarily drank 44.5 percent more than when the water was unflavored. And when the drink included 6 percent carbohydrates and electrolytes — when, in other words, it was a sports drink — they eagerly downed 91 percent more than when offered water alone. Does this mean that the parents should be stocking their refrigerators with Gatorade, Powerade or the new Crayons sports drinks for kids (
Some experst say that they will likely drink more of a flavor they like as compared to water, and will benefit from the carbs and electrolytes. Furthermore the salt in these drinks increases the body's ability to retain fluid.
The problem is that sports drinks are not exactly healthy for anyone. They are just sugar water with salt added. They have also been linked with obesity and weight gain.
Sports drinks are also really expensive. Why not try making your own version using the recipe below.
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 1/2 cups cold water
In a quart pitcher, dissolve the sugar and salt in the hot water. Add the remaining ingredients and the cold water. The drink contains about 50 calories and 110 mg of sodium per 8 ounces, approximately the same as for most store bought sports drinks.

Parenting Tips
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