We should all eat healthy foods, but sometimes it can be hard. To eat healthy, you must first choose the right food to eat. Eating healthy is all about what you put into your body, which makes the choices critical to your results.

Eating Vegetables

It should be varied, as you should eat 2 1/2 cups of them each day. Eating dark vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach should be what you eat most. Carrots and sweet potatoes are great for you also. Try to eat more dry beans like pinto beans, kidney beans and even peas.

Eating Grains

You should eat approximately 6 ounces of grains a day. You should eat 3 ounces of whole grain cereals, rice, breads, or pasta. Ounce of grains is contained in a single slice of bread, or bowl of cereal.

Eating Fruits

Fruit is a very important part of your diet. You should eat at least 2 cups per day. Eat a variety of fruits such as fresh, dried canned, or even canned fruit. Drinking fruit juice is great for you also, but you should drink fruit juice in moderation.

Drinking Milk

Milk is highly calcium rich. Adults should drink up to 3 cups per day. Children should drink around 3 cups per day. When you choose milk products or yogurt, low fat products should be what you choose. If you don’t like milk or can’t drink it, you can choose lactose free products. You can find other sources of calcium such as fortified
foods and drinks.

Eating beans and meats

5 ounces of beans and meats everyday is what you should aim to achieve. When you eat meat it is recommended bake it, broil it, or grill it, as this will stop extra fat from adding to the equation. Also vary your protein as well, with more chicken, fish, beans, and nuts.

While cooking food, limit the amount of solid fats such as butter, margarine, and lard. While these foods will add flavor to your meals, they will also raise your cholesterol.

To help contain saturated fat, trans fat, and your sodium low, you should read the nutrition labels on the food you purchase. These labels are found on the food package and they will explain to you the information you need to know about the food you are buying.

So if you pick your foods wisely and watch what you eat, you’ll help control your lifestyle. Exercise is great for you, and it goes along perfect with eating healthy. No matter how old you are, eating healthy will help your active lifestyle for many years and increase your health in the long run.

Exercises for lower back pain helps you to get relief from lower back pain problem
· They keeps you healthy
· They also help in quick recovery
· They strengthen your body muscles
· They make your muscles stronger which helps your spine. Healthy muscles help in reducing strain on the spine, which is necessary to prevent spinal disc injury.

You can take up different exercises. These exercises help in various ways to reduce the back pain. These exercises for lower back pain also help to eliminate lower back pain.

1. Aerobic exercise – Aerobic exercise are very much beneficial in case of lower back pain. Aerobic exercises for lower back pain will relieve you from the lower back pain that you are suffering from. It will also add other benefits like improving your heart function, keeping you fit, conditioning muscles etc.

Swimming, walking and such other aerobic exercises help in maintaining a healthy body and keep the problem of back pain at bay.

2. Strengthening exercises- These strengthening exercises for lower back pain will help you to get relief for a longer time and for future. They will also help you in strengthening your body and its parts like leg, back, stomach etc by strengthening the muscles.

3. Stretching exercises – These exercises helps in making your body flexible. When you practice these exercises, then you will find that your muscles become more flexible and they are offering you better support. You will also find that along with relieving you from back pain, they also make you less prone to injuries and help you recover faster.
Some of the Exercises for lower back pain are

Ankle Pumps – Lie down on your bed or on a plain surface. Slowly move your ankles up and down. Repeat the process.

Heel Slides – Lie on a plain surface. Now bend your knees first and then again straighten them. Repeat the process.

Wall Squats – You will need a wall for this exercise. Now, lean on the wall with your back. Move your feet a few inches to the front. Now you have space to bend your knees while your back still touches the wall. Keeping your abdominal muscles tight, you have to bend your knees slowly. Let your back come down little. Hold in that position for 10 seconds. Then again straighten your knees. Repeat the process.

Straight Leg Raises – Lie on a plain surface or on your bed. Now bend one of your legs. Slowly lift the straight leg up while still bending the other. Keep your leg in that position for 10 seconds. Then lower the leg. Repeat it. Once done, repeat the process with the other leg.

A herbal remedy is also called upon as Home based remedy or natural treatment extracted from natural environmental factor presence such as: vegetables; fruits; herbs and shrubs; etc.

These forms of ingredients mashed to form a particular type of medicine consists no side-effects; there aren’t any chemical mixed in it; these ingredients are inexpensive and they are always meant for the well-being of a human body.

Usually, in India the importance of the first step of preparing a medicine out of mashing the herbs and shrubs starts with the home-made herbal product in the kitchen which is pure by nature.

Herbalism(creating Herbal Remedies) as it is called upon is rather a traditional form of medicinal or folk medicine practice introduced by the use of plant extracts by certain handful of people in our society and they all have adopted a specific criteria to come up with their own solutions and could compare the same with the availability of other psychopathics medicines available in the domestic market.

Herbology includes a vast scope of introducing herbal medicines which is extended to include bee products and fungi formation as well as certain natural environmental minerals, animal organs and shells etc. The psychological concerns of the patients are efficiently dealt by the doctors who have worked and researched overtime to search upon certain solutions for the disease.

It is rather termed as a precursor to any form of modern medicines. Barks; leaves; flowers; berries snd roots etc. are the natural resources received out of the atmosphere around. Infusions; soothing oils; salves and tinctures can be easily made to avoid any ailment concerning a specific disease type.

For adopting aromatic substances, many plants however synthesize for maintaining well-being of the health of a human-being most of them are phenols or oxygen-substituted derivatives such as ‘Tannins’. The others are secondary metabolites out of which around 12000 have been left isolated.

The plant defensive mechanism is what makes this process of herbal remedy unique in itself and is indeed! Dynamic in nature that defense against predation by minute micro-oganisms; herbivorous and insects present in the environment. The useful medicinal compounds are used by humans as the herbs and spices acts as a season food yields towards them.

Systems of Herbal Medicines and their usages

Herbal Ayurveda

The Ayurvedic medicinal procedures predated all other modern forms of medicines available in the domestic market in this day and age. According to Ayurvedic doctors life force responds to equivalent treatments to a patient in different ways in different people. The healing & preventive regimens are customized to tailor the spiritual tendencies of a human body. The Ayuvedic medicine incompasses Yoga; Meditation; diet; Aromatic oils; etc. as these forms fosters balane in a human body and cleanses up many impurities from the human body.

Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicines

The standardization of Chinese herbal medicines incorporates the use of acupuncture; physical voluntary ad involuntary movements of a human body with certain specific massage of the organs of the body. The Chinese Oriental doctors sees upon in a body an intricate web of organs interconnected by channels through which universal energies flows and transforms for utilitarian purposes by the body.

* Naturopathy/ Homeopathy The body’s innately capable of recoveing from any form of disease or inury because our human body is always at its natural state. The naturopaths have there own way of including various forms of therepies implies for the exact treatment of the disease of a human body.

Naturopathy has now taken a separate course to understand medicinal practices based upon on the precepts of medicinal regimen of hydrotherapy; sunlight; exercising; etc this system has become the wide-spectrum of holistic system treatment whereas homeopathy implies of the real fact of the treatment of the disease in which small courses of natural doses are given to a patient so that the disease ca be educed thereupon. The homeopaths uses serially-diluted remedies out of natural sources and they could prevent the illness. The homeopathy remedy requires a licensing from state to state.

Your eyes are one of nature’s most wonderful gifts to you because without them, it would be impossible for you to fully enjoy the beauty of your surroundings. The eye is indeed a very amazing and complicated organ, composed of a perfect system that includes the pupil, retina, cornea, iris, lens, and optic nerve. All these parts belong to forty individual subsystems, and together, they capture and interpret more than one million pulse signals per millisecond, something that even supercomputers cannot perform without flaw!

However, just like other organs in the body, the eye can be subject to stress and injury, and can lose its full potential when not properly taken care of. If you have a pair of beautiful eyes today, you have to do your best to maintain them even as you age.

1. Load Up With Eye-Healthy Foods

Most eye conditions are a result of poor nutrition, so if you want to maintain and enhance your vision, you have to add more eye-healthy food to your diet. Many of the foods that are considered beneficial for the eyes contain vitamins and nutrients that do not only improve your vision but also delay the onset of degenerative eye diseases. Green, leafy vegetables such as green cabbage and spinach, for instance, contain quercetin and rutin, two substances that protect the eye from ultraviolet radiation and reduce the leakage from small blood vessels in your retina. Zinc found in yogurt, beans, whole grains, and some meats also improve eye health by increasing the production of melanin, which is a protective eye pigment. Load with omega-3- and vitamin A-, and vitamin E-rich foods as well, because they play a very important role in fighting off free radicals and in the development of the retina.

2. Protect Your Eyes from the Sun

The eyes are a very sensitive organ, and when directly exposed to the sun, can develop certain diseases that can eventually lead to blindness. Ultraviolet rays that come from the sun can create cumulative damage, which means the longer your expose your eyes to the sun, the greater your chances of acquiring macular degeneration when you get old. Protect your eyes by wearing eyewear designed to ward off harmful UV rays. Invest in a quality pair of sunglasses that could block at least 99 percent of UVA and UVB radiation. In the same manner, a large umbrella or hat should be able to protect your eyes by blocking out up to 50 percent of UV radiation so make sure you bring one every time you leave the house.

3. Take a Break from the Computer

Many eye conditions are a result of spending too much time in front of the computer or the television. When working with computers, make sure you take 5 minutes break for every thirty minutes to an hour of work. Staring in front of the monitor for too long can cause eye strain and tension, which may lead to eye problems in the long run. As much as possible, limit your television watching to two hours.

4. Prevent Eye Hazards

If your job involves working in areas that pose eye hazards, make sure that you wear protective goggles all the time. Doing so will reduce your risk of eye injury due to accidents by up to 90 percent. Tiny wood or metal debris can cause abrasion to your cornea, so as much as possible, stay away from areas that pose eye hazards if you’re not wearing any eye protection. You can also eliminate the possibility of any eye injury by checking your equipments before starting your work. Glass lens are preferable when you’re choosing safety eyewear because they are less likely to get scratched and you can even have one designed for your eye corrective prescription.

5. Walk Your Way to Healthy Eyes

Finally, don’t forget to perform your daily exercises. Scientists have found out that light to moderate exercises such as brisk walking can reduce a person’s risk for glaucoma by a large percentage. When glaucoma patients were asked to incorporate at least fifteen minutes of walking exercises to their daily activities, a significant improvement in their condition was found to a point that some of them even stopped taking their medications.

If you are still young, it would be a good idea to start incorporating these habits to your life. When you do, you will have a higher chance of maintaining healthy vision even in the later years of your life.

The brain is considered as the central processing unit of the human body. It is the main organ that controls the rest of the bodily parts. And since the brain is like a muscle, it needs to be exercised regularly in order for it to stay in optimum condition.

It’s true that every organ in the body has an important role to play, but besides the heart, the brain is one organ you would want to keep healthy all the time. It is through the brain that we learn, think, and remember things, and if we fail to maintain its health, we may end up with a high risk for degenerative brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia. It’s a good thing that there are several things you can do to take proper care of your brain so that you don’t easily succumb to mental problems and brain diseases.

Stress is the number one cause of diseases and disorders in the bodily organs. If you want to maintain the youth and health of your brain, do your best to get rid of the stressors in your life. When you are under severe stress, hormones called cortisol rush to the hippocampus, the part of your brain that stores short term memory. When there’s too much cortisol rushing to the hippocampus, brain cells may die and result to poor learning and memory function. To avoid short term memory loss and improve your brain function, try some relaxation techniques that will help you eliminate or at least control stress. When you’re stressed, take long deep breaths to allow more oxygen to enter your brain. This encourages relaxation and helps improve your focus and concentration.

Sometimes, stress can be a result of lack of sleep. For your information, sleeping helps improve the brains health not only by reducing stress. Sleep is designed to allow damaged tissues in your body to heal. During sleep time, your body repairs the part of your brain that holds your memories together, making it an excellent activity to boost your long-term memory. Even a short nap during the day can boost the health of brain significantly. Some establishments in America allow their employees to take 20 minute power naps in the afternoon because they believe it can help improve their performance at work. This is quite true because according to studies, people who get at least 8 hours of sleep every day have sharper memories than those who only get 4-5 hours of sleep.

Speaking of sharper memory, playing brain games like scrabble, crossword puzzle, and Sudoku can richly enhance your mental ability. Whenever you spend time brainstorming or thinking hard on how you can win in Mastermind, the hippocampus in your brain generates new cells. The more mental stimulation and mental excitement you experience, the better.

Another more exciting way to improve your brain’s health is by feeding it. According to scientists, your thinking and your memory is greatly influenced by the kind of food that you eat. Since your brain is made up mainly of fat, what better way to fee it than by eating more fat? When we speak of fat, we’re referring to healthy fat or monounsaturated fat that you get from olive oil, avocado, canola oil, and nuts. If you’re not aware of it, Omega-3 that’s considered a brain food is actually a form of polyunsaturated fat. Include more Omega-3 –rich foods in your diet like tuna, sardines, salmon and mackerel. Other rich sources of Omega-3 are dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, asparagus, and broccoli. Alternatively, you can also improve your intake of Omega-3 by taking supplements.

Aside from monounsaturated fat, your brain also needs protein in order to function properly. Protein found in eggs, poultry, and fish increases serotonin in the brain. This chemical helps boost the feelings of the well-being of a person. In short, it acts like a “feel-good” chemical, just like endorphin. Endorphin, likewise, is a chemical released by the brain during physical activities like exercising. That makes regular physical exercise an excellent way to maintain the health of the brain as well. Each time you work a sweat by performing your favorite workout routine, you are actually promoting circulation of both blood and oxygen to the brain.

There is no question that your brain controls most of your bodily functions. By keeping it on top condition all the time, you can keep your overall health in check as well.

It is common knowledge that what children watch on television or videos affect their behavior. But do you know that even sleep, something that they do not have conscious control over, can be affected?

Although children normally go through night awakenings regularly, especially for younger kids, experts indicate a difference between these natural awakenings and what they call “night terrors.” Interestingly, most parenting books tell parents that when their children experience these night terrors frequently, they should consult their pediatrician.

Night terrors are characterized by rough awakenings in the night wherein the child wakes up crying and takes a long time, if at all, to be comforted. Sometimes the child will actually be awake, other times he may appear to be asleep but crying incessantly. Parents who are familiar with their child’s crying patterns may notice that the cry does not seem to be one of familiar cause, such as the usual hunger, pain, or needing company; instead, trained ears may notice that the cry sounds more like an unknown fear.

Some parenting books even go on to say that the cause of such night terrors is unknown. This gives parents little solace, especially when they experience the nightly disturbance to sleep with no idea how to comfort the little ones.

Do you know that the media that your children are exposed to can actually contribute to these night terrors? This is especially true for children below six years old, as studies prove that children of this age range are incapable of distinguishing between reality and fantasy. As such, mystical creatures that you may easily shrug off as not true may not be as impossible for your little one. It will therefore be no surprise when your little one tells you that he had a nightmare filled with dragons and monsters and other things that you know are not real.

Knowing this might help you to make wiser media choices for your children. Various experts have proven that children naturally desire beautiful and good things. This is a good starting point. Instead of struggling to undo the damage done by negative media, perhaps a better way would be to infuse your child’s media exposure with beautiful things, such as happy movies, cartoons with love as the main theme, and similar things. Some Christian families have observed the decreased occurrence of nightmares among their children when they have switched to Bible-based stories, which after all, tell them about a God who loves them and is for them. Some children also enjoy a good night’s sleep when they have happy bedtime stories told them, especially of stories that show how a hero is always looking out for their good and takes care of the big bad wolf and the dragon.

Of course, these days, it is hardly possible to screen everything your child watches, especially with the Internet being an easy access. Still, when you know how these media can cause night terrors, you might not be quite so passive about making sure your child gets a daily feeding of positive media. In addition to infusing stories into your child’s daily schedule, music can also play a role. Christian families also report that exposure to worship music at a young age causes young children to report having happy dreams of a God who loves them instead of nightmares of monsters and demons.

Now that you know how media can affect your children’s sleep, you will most likely be interested in finding more choices of videos and stories that will be beneficial to your children in the long run. After all, if you love your kids enough to give them healthy food, you will also likely want to give them a healthy feeding for their minds, as this will have greater repercussions for their lives much more than healthy eating habits.

Once you’ve finally decided to stop smoking, you’ll find that you will need something to replace that habit. It’s very difficult to stop smoking, some say it’s harder to stop smoking than it is to stop taking addictive narcotics. Exercise can be the key to you being able to sustain your regimen. Exercise gives you endorphins, which replaces the serotonin that smoking used to give you… the ‘feel good’ hormone.

You should sign up to a gym. I’m 57 years old and I signed up for a gym. I used to smoke, and now that I’ve stopped, I’m so glad that I did. I started coming down with symptoms of emphysema. You realize that emphysema can’t be reversed, it can only be slowed-down. Walking and running will condition your lungs and heart so that you won’t have such problems with breathing, as you probably do now.

If you learn to walk more, and get more aerobic exercise in, then your battered body will reward you by you’re breathing better. You should also do things with your diet, at the same time, in order to better your health. Antioxidants will help repair the damage you’ve done to your lungs. Walking at least a half-hour a day is essential. Start with the jogging machine, and start off by walking four miles-per-hour for ten minute’s duration. After a week, increase that to 15 minutes.

Remember that you’ve starved your heart muscles for a long time. Oxygen is essential to muscle tissue, and you’ve been taking oxygen away from your system by smoking. Now, I found that doing some rounds on the Nautilus equipment helps condition you body and build it up enough so that you have endurance, but it’s not essential. You can get back into health just by either jogging, swimming or walking.

Oftentimes, the problem to exercise is… people start off too fast. They rush too many exercises into their regimen too quickly; then, when they have pain all over their body, the never go back again. Always write down your exercises on a log sheet, when you first begin. That way you can make sure you don’t overdo. If you do Nautilus equipment, make sure you keep it steady. A good rule-of-thumb is to do two repetitions of ten. Always start off much lower than you think is actually good for you. After three days, if you don’t have any pain, increase that by only five pounds.

The best time to exercise at a gym is in the morning. It’s been shown that if you do your exercise in the morning, you’ll stick with an exercise program longer than if you do it in the evening. After work you’ll go, “Aw. I feel to tired to go to the gym.” Remember that going to the gym will make you feel more invigorated, not more tired. Stay clear from drinking coffee, too. Switch to green tea. Green tea is filled with antioxidants and is very healthy for you.

If you learn to do such things as yoga, or other stress-reducing exercises, then that will help you keep from smoking. Learn to take time for yourself. Smoking used to give you that excuse to relax for a time, find a good substitute so that you’re not a work-aholic. Learn to shut off the TV; TV isn’t conducive to health. Start playing games such as Scrabble or Boggle. They’ll get your mind active, and you won’t just veg out at the TV.

Learn slow-breathing techniques. As you slowly inhale, concentrate on the most beautiful day of your life. Count as you breathe in, and count again as you breathe out, keeping the breath slow and regular. Realize that if you breathe out too much, you actually limit the amount of oxygen going to your body by retaining carbon dioxide. So, think more about holding your breath than breathing deeply and you’ll realize how little breath you really need; strange enough, that will give your body more oxygen in the end.

Hyperacidity is usually detected in children when they have problems with the natural process of bowel movement: for example, diarrhea and constipation are taken as natural symptoms of a problem in the digestive system. So is vomiting. However, these are usually attributed to other causes, such as parasites, indigestion, or any other sickness, with hyperacidity being the last that parents think about. This may perhaps be due to the seeming simplicity of hyperacidity, or perhaps more likely, to its intangibility.

What causes hyperacidity? Whether in adults or children, studies have shown that stress and pressure contribute to the release of acids in the stomach. Even worse, having this causes extreme discomfort, which adds to the agitation and stress levels that the child faces, resulting in an endless cycle. Is there a way to cut this cycle? In adults, it is possible to train them to relieve their stress. Also, adults have antacids that can help alleviate the problem. On the other hand, to date, there has not yet been a strong availability of antacids designed for children. So how do you, as a parent, help your child if you suspect he is suffering from hyperacidity?

1. The first thing you can do is try to adjust his diet. There are certain foods that inarguably trigger acid in the digestive system. Top on this list would be acidic fruits and juices, such as lemon, lime, and other citric fruits like orange and pomelo. Too much sweets is also known to cause hyperacidity, especially when taken on an empty stomach. You can also try to reduce his intake of heavy meats and switch it with easier to digest vegetables and starches like potatoes.
2. The next thing you need to consider is the level of stress he faces daily, and then you need to try to make adjustments as necessary. If your child is young and goes to school, the rushed preparation for the school day may be part of the irritants. In this example, you can make things more relaxed perhaps by waking up half an hour earlier. This will translate into a less pressured preparation time both for him and you. If you find him stressed over school work, perhaps finding a tutor to help him get back on track temporarily might help.
3. Is he getting enough rest? A child who is sleepy tends to be cranky and therefore much more stressed than one who is well rested. For this, you will need to check his bedtime routine. If he seems to get enough hours of sleep but wakes up cranky, check if he’s waking up during the night disturbed by nightmares or unnecessary noises. You can reduce the disturbance by toning down your own night time activities, or perhaps by playing music in his room to act as white noise. If nightmares are a disturbance, check his intake of media: studies have shown that excessive TV watching, especially of material that is not wholesome or beneficial, can cause nightmares and night terrors in children.
4. Take the time to laugh! The person who coined the phrase “Laughter is the best medicine” is right on par. Not only should you try to avoid stress for your child, you can actually combat the effects of stress by having laughing sprees. Adults nowadays, especially with busy work schedules and family commitments, sometimes overlook the beauty of laughter, especially in terms of sharing it with their little ones. But this can do wonders to your child’s health, when he gets a healthy dose of good, clean fun with his parents. Whatever stress he may be facing throughout the day will likely disappear after just a few minutes of laughing, either through a funny movie or a tickle fest with his parents.

These practical tips might not seem like much, but you will see the effects when you find your child having a more relaxed and happy demeanor. And sooner or later, you can be sure you will be able to kiss his hyperacidity and the uncomfortable symptoms goodbye forever. So go ahead, you have permission to make life more fun for you and your child!

Children in the U.S. have been increasingly facing challenges when it comes to their health. While some are diagnosed with obesity, others are simply malnourished due to the high prevalence of fast food and processed food choices that keep them from getting sufficient nutrients from their daily diet. Whereas the last generation had enjoyed at least a daily home-cooked balanced meal high in fruits and vegetables, the increasingly busy lifestyles, particularly with many moms also holding down several home-based jobs, have contributed to the poor nutrition of children.

With this challenge, how can moms be sure that their children are getting proper nutrition? Of course, making sure they get balanced diets high in vegetables, grains, and fruits, is key. From there, though, how can they tell if they are succeeding? After all, while there is a rough range of developmental milestones, there is still the issue of individual difference that tells mothers not to compare their child directly with other children his age.

The following checklist is considered a tell-tale list for a child’s state of nourishment:

1. Check if his eyes are clear – Clear eyes are not only those that you see in the eyes of cartoon princesses. These “windows to the soul” are scientifically proven to be an accurate check of the overall health of a person. For a child, clear eyes are a good sign that he is in good health. If his eyes look dull or lifeless, it may signal an emotional problem or a physical condition, so it would be best to pay a visit to your paediatrician.

2. His hair is shiny and his skin is clear – While the hair and skin may be tell-tale signs of how pretty or handsome a child is, they are also great ways to check overall health. Why? A person’s hair contains essential oils and proteins, and these nutrients go into the hair after the rest of the body gets their share. This means that a shiny hair indicates enough nutrients for the rest of the body. The skin is also a good indicator of sickness, as it tends to get dry and saggy during illness. If there is a low level of essential oils, chances are, something is amiss.

3. His muscle development is good – This is a good indicator of the sufficiency of protein and enough natural movement. A child typically does not require extra exercise, as his daily routine involves much running and jumping around. Typically, a child who spends his time loafing in front of the television will suffer in this area, and this gives you a cue to cut back on the tube.

4. His posture is good, and he is cheerful and alert – Posture is related to many things, such as good bone structure, but also to a child’s emotional state. For example, a slumping posture may be an indication of physical weakness or illness, yet it may also be an indication of a poor self-esteem. General cheerfulness and alertness are also good indicators of a child’s emotional well-being, and a good sign if he is getting enough sleep.

5. His sleep is sound – Indeed, sleep is crucial for a child’s development. If your child is constantly getting disturbed sleep not caused by external factors, it may signal some level of anxiety.

6. He has regular bowel movements – This is a good indicator of the proper functioning of his digestive system. It also shows that he is eating enough. It might interest you to note that the way doctors check on the thriving of newborns is to check the number of soiled diapers they have in a day.

7. He typically has a hearty appetite – A poor appetite may indicate a poor digestive system, or even a lack of proper rest and sleep.

8. He has the right weight for his height – While it is not advisable to compare a child’s development with another child his age, there is a rough range that shows normal development, and this takes into account the proportion of a child’s weight to his height.

Once these things are place, you can breathe easy that your child is getting enough nutrition. If one of these factors does not seem in place and it bothers you, feel free to get in touch with your paediatrician, as it is his desire to help your child grow to his utmost potential.

According to credible surveys made around the world, it is estimated that 1 out of 6 persons will suffer from clinical depression during his or her lifetime. In fact, this emotional and mental malady has become so popular that it is common to read about it in ordinary magazines and newspapers. But how will we know when to take the depressed person to a psychologist or psychiatrist for him to have the proper treatment? And what are the different types of depression?

It isn’t that easy to distinguish an ordinary and harmless episode of anxiety and depression to a more serious episode that requires medical attention. Of course each of us undergo the “blues” and lose our energy and will to live from time to time. However, the more severe type of depression deeply overwhelms a person. It may have started out as a dark feeling but has progressed to an illness that affects every aspect of the person’s life. Clinical depression is different from having “the blues” in that it is all consuming and requires treatment. Depressive illness or clinical depression impacts on everything: sleeping, eating, and energy level, ability to work effectively, mood, cognitions (thoughts), judgment, and more. It can be viewed as both a psychological and physical condition.

The kinds of depression discussed in this article are defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), an American Psychiatric Association publication which describes the standard criteria for different types of psychiatric disorders. Here are the more common types of depressive disorders:

Major Depressive Disorder (also known as Major Depression, Clinical Depression) – This episode occurs with symptoms that last for most of the day, nearly every day for at least two weeks. A symptom must either be 1) depressed mood or 2) a noticeable decrease in interest or pleasure in all or most activities. At least four (or more) additional symptoms are present:

- significant weight loss / weight gain or decrease / increase in appetite

- difficulty sleeping or increase in sleeping

- excessive movement or slowing down associated with mental tension (observed by others)

- fatigue or loss of energy

- feeling worthless or excessive guilt

- difficulty thinking, concentrating or making decisions

- repeatedly thinking about death or suicide, trying to attempt suicide or having a specific plan to commit suicide

Dysthymic Disorder (or also referred to as Dysthymia) – Nearly continuous depressed mood for at least 2 years along with at least two (or more) of these other symptoms:

- decrease or increase in eating

- difficulty sleeping or increase in sleeping

- low energy or fatigue

- low self-esteem

- difficulty concentrating or making decisions

- feeling hopeless

Manic Depression (now known as Bipolar Disorder) – This kind of depression incorporates phases of mania and depression. Cycling between these two conditions can be fast or only mania can be present without any depressive episodes. A manic episode consists of a unrelenting prominent or ill-tempered mood which is mostly extreme, which lasts for one week. These are the other signs of manic depression:

- inflated self-esteem or self-importance

- decreased need for sleep

- more talkative than usual or compelled to keep talking

- experiencing racing thoughts or ideas

- easily distracted

- increase in goal-oriented activity (social, work, school, sexual) or excessive movement

- excessive involvement in potentially risky pleasurable behavior (e.g. over spending, careless sexual activity, unwise business investments)

These different types of depression all need psychological help from psychiatrists. The treatment to be given varies from one depressive disorder to another. In the case of major depression and dysthymic disorder, psychotherapy and medication are both needed by the patient. Psychotherapy should focus on learning how to cope with the disorder, problem solving, challenging negative mindsets and replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. This is usually very effective especially when the family members and friends are cooperative. Antidepressant medication can often assist to alleviate painful impacts of symptoms like inability to concentrate or sleep, work, control emotions or make decisions that directly affect everyday living conditions.

Manic depression treatment will include medication. As this has a tendency to be a disabling mental illness, proper diagnosis on the part of the doctor is vital. The chronic and manic episodes followed by depressive episodes mostly are recurrent without long term therapy. Lithium and anti-convulsive medications are often used in combination in achieving the desired effect. Getting the patient on the best combination of medication is both science and art and can be challenging for the patient and his loved ones. People with manic depression at times feel overwhelmed by the difficult task of keeping their moods in check over long periods of time. The patient sometimes whines that the “high” feeling has been replaced by a different mood, a more stabilized one which may be interpreted as uninteresting. When this occurs he may stop taking the medication and go back to juggling through his racing emotions and thoughts again. That is why long-term counselling is often crucial in maintaining control over bipolar disorder.

However, the medical community cannot assure that psychotherapy and medication will effectively prevent the person from suffering clinical depression throughout his life. That’s why it is vital to learn self-help and natural remedies to counter depression. If you are a person with spiritual belief, have a closer connection to your religious community. Your faith in the Supreme Being is one of the best keys to overcome depression. Family support is also essential. Unload all negative emotions to your family members, since they are the ones who know you better and take their advice constructively.

Don’t neglect to have a regular bonding time with your peers since their presence allows you to relax and enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Having regular exercise releases the “happy hormones” in your body. Never overindulge or relatively lessen your caffeine, sugar and fat intake. A healthy diet promotes better sleep and causes serotonins to balance brain chemicals.

Many relaxing herbs can help relieve your stress and anxiety. Lavender, chamomile, jasmine, and rosemary teas are very much recommended. You can also use the essential oils of these herbs and use it as aromatherapy in your homes. These are certified tension busters that promote better sleep, lessen irritability, and help your digestion as well too. It is also of utmost importance to check your vitamin intake, vitamin c and e are vital in assisting neurotransmitters in the brain.

Finally, self-empowerment is much needed to overcome this existing battle. Thinking positive thoughts creates wonders and miracles for the depressive person and for his loved ones as well. Remember that we are the masters of our souls and the captain of our lives. Going to a health professional to have a consultation or diagnosis on depression isn’t to be ashamed of. Rather, we must be proud to take that bold step into self admittance of our shortcomings and not recklessly throwing our lives away with self diagnosis which can be potentially fatal.