Ginseng Tea - Cheers!

Ginseng tea is great for short periods; this tea can alleviate many symptoms of common aliments and lessen fatigue.  Ginseng is the main ingredient to many of the medicinal teas.  However, prolonged use can lead to insomnia and heart trouble, so be sure to consult your physician before drinking ginseng tea regularly as an alternative to coffee for that afternoon pick me up.

In China, ginseng is held in high regard.  It is believed that ginseng has rejuvenating powers and provides stimulation to the whole body.  Ginseng also offers protection against fatigue.  Ginseng is known to be a stimulant for the central nervous system.  This root can also help with inflammation, fever, and hormonal imbalances to name a few.

The tea is usually made from the Wisconsin ginseng root.  Slices can be steeped to create a tea that is a strong as the consumer would like, or purchased as a powder and brewed using tea balls.  Both of these methods let the drinker control the amount of tea used.  There are ginseng tea bags available from specialty stores, but it is not recommended to buy the tea without reading all the ingredients as some packaged teas are sold as ginseng but in fact have very little of this herb in them, instead using mostly fillers

Consult an herbal practitioner or naturopath as to the right type of ginseng and how to brew your tea.  The tea can be sweetened with a little honey or stored cold in the refrigerator, as this tea is quite good served iced.

Take note, if you are pregnant use ginseng sparingly or not at all.

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Raising Healthy Families

Raising healthy families today can be hard. Food and activities are very expensive. Considering it can take two parents to make ends meet, it can be hard to afford extra when daycare is astronomical. There are many ways that even the most conservative family can eat and live healthier. Raising the healthy family today includes both physical and emotional teaching. Children must learn what is good to eat, personal hygiene, and about exercise. They also should be taught about the importance of feelings and respecting others and themselves. To be healthy over all, one must be conscientious about both the physical and emotional needs of themselves and others. Being a healthy family starts at home with all members and then spreads into daily life in other areas.

Getting Children To Help

Children love to help by nature. If you get them involved with living healthy, you will find they will flourish. Healthy families start with getting the entire family unit to work together to improve diet, exercise, and emotional support. Gentle ways to get children to accomplish this is to take their feelings and suggestions seriously. A way to get more vegetables into the diet is to plant a garden. This can be a great family project that will not only save your grocery bill, it also adds quality family time, learning to problem solve, and activity. Children are full of energy and life. They work well to inspire tired adults who are burdened with too many responsibilities. Children can be exactly what a parent needs to motivate a better lifestyle. They are usually willing to try anything once if you make it sound fun.

Respecting Each Other

While most people think healthy families are all about proper diets and exercise, they could not be further from the truth. Living right is also emotional. We have to not only learn how to treat others, but how to respect our own selves too. When the emotional aspect of life gets over looked it can greatly affect the physical aspect. Respecting each member of the family is vital in teaching children that all people matter. All opinions should be heard and considered. Feeling should always be validated and respected, even if nothing can be done to remedy the issue. When all family members feel respected and validated, they tend to be able to portray and extend this into other areas of life, such as work and school.

Lessons On Love And Communication

Healthy families revolve around love and communication. These are the keys to long-term happiness and efficient functioning. When you have the ability to communicate well with others, you can problem solve well and portray your feelings effectively. Teaching our children these skills enables them to go into the world productively. More so, when we feel we have effetely communicated out needs to others and are heard, we feel able to open up and feel loved. Love and communication allow for trust, which is vital for healthy living all through out life.

About the Author
Marie Watson writes weight loss, diet plan, health, beauty and general well-being articles for the Slim Eazy website at www.slimeazy.com

Building Better Citizens

Children are never too young to learn how to be good citizens. "Explain to your children that they are citizens of many communities-their town, the country and the world," says Sharon Bergen, senior vice president of education and training for Knowledge Learning Corporation, the nation's leading provider of early childhood care and education. "Most important," says Bergen, "is for parents to model good citizenship."

Bergen suggests parents explain to their children that being good citizens means caring about others. She offers these tips:

Start by encouraging citizenship at the local level. Encourage your children to help elderly neighbors-without payment. At school, they can organize a recycling drive to benefit a local charity. Instill the habit of volunteerism by helping at a library or zem
_slink" title="Animal shelter" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_shelter" target="_blank" rel="wikipedia">animal shelter.

Children can learn to appreciate their heritage. For example, parents can explain why Americans celebrate the Fourth of July and Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday.

To drive home the concept that we are all citizens of the world, teach respect for the environment and for other cultures. As a family, join a cleanup project on Earth Day or contribute time and money to assist victims of natural disasters worldwide.

With a little effort, children will grow up to take seriously their citizenship in the many communities in which they live.

Air Purifiers, Do We Need Them?

Definitely yes would be the answer. There are a lot of reasons and they all have to do with the fact that the problem of people who suffer from asthma, allergies and other respiratory conditions. These people may be discomforted by the particles of dust or pollen. For them air purifiers are necessary, as a main form of protection of indoor air pollution. Air purifiers are great useful tools in your fight with direct irritant sources or materials in your own home environment.

One should not ignore the air purifiers when one designs modern indoor ventilation or filtration systems. They offer a very good environmental control and reduce exposure dust, dander, smoke, pollen particles and many others particles that may be found indoors or outside your home. Air purifiers have different shapes and various designs. They can be: air cleaners, air filters and hepa filters, and they play an important part in the reduction and elimination of the danger of exposure to indoor and outdoor allergens. Usually, the air purifiers are chosen in accordance with the pollution sources and the quality filtration you want to get. Before going and buying such a device, you should think about what exactly you want for your home. You should not forget that choosing the wrong type of filtration system can lead to an exacerbation of the problem by agitating and circulating the particulate matter in your house throughout the place.

You should not consider the air purifiers systems a complete solution for any respiratory condition you may have. Using an air purifier should not make you ignore medical advice and guidance that can lead to the removal of the irritant sources and allergen habitats in your house. At the same time, they are not a substitute for thorough and regular cleaning of the air. However, they can help you to diminish the number of air particles and to maintain a healthier environment inside your house.

Boost Your Energy

Everyone would like to feel more energetic during the day.  You naturally go through periods of higher activity which contrasts with times of relaxation.  The problem occurs when more energy and concentration is required than we can give. Or when we try to sleep and can’t. Follow these invaluable tips to a new you!
1) Stay on a regular sleep schedule.  You can’t stay up late during the week-end and suddenly on Monday morning wake up refreshed.  If you do enjoy later nights on Friday and Saturday vow to get to bed early on Sunday to wake up rested.
2) Avoid the sugar and caffeine roller coaster.  Eat some protein and foods with a bit of fat in the morning.  The brain needs protein and the body does not store it.  You don’t have to eat very much- a glass of low fat milk, a piece of cheese, or a  handful of nuts will get you going instead of pure carbohydrates like a plain bagel.
3) Take a 5-10 minute power nap around lunch.  Even if you just close your eyes and let your mind drift you will be refreshed for the afternoon.  This is also effective anytime you feel yourself not concentrating, reading the same material over and over.  Give in to the urge and completely relax for a few moments.
4) Drink more water and liquids.  I know, everyone says to drink more fluids.  But most Americans are in a constant state of dehydration from filling up on coffee, tea, and sodas with caffeine.  This is very stressful to the kidneys and can cause irritation to the bladder.  Keep a sports bottle filled with your favorite flavored water or just plain and keep it with you at all times.  Set a goal- empty by lunch, refill, empty again by the time work is over. Carry plenty of water in the car too for you and your family.
5) Exercise regularly.  This is easier said than done with a busy schedule.  A poor conditioning level causes you to be short-of-breath and your heart to race when just doing simple things like climbing a flight of steps or doing household chores.  Park farther away when shopping and walk Dust off that exercise machine or get an exercise tape to play when weather is bad. Set an example for the rest of your family and maybe they will join in too!
6) A joke a day keeps the doctor away.  Seriously, laughter has many beneficial effects on the body.  The brain chemicals for experiencing pleasure, happiness, and peace increase with good, hearty  laughs.  Live alone?  Get a funny movie or watch a light-hearted comedy on tv.  Nothing sarcastic or put-down, however.
7) Avoid confrontations and situations with negative people.  You know who they are.  They are not going to change but they will bring you and your mood down.  The complainers, gossipers, and generally unhappy souls we all have to deal with on a day-to-day basis drain our energy if we allow them. Be polite but avoid arguing or getting hooked into listening to their constant problems.
8) Take regular, daily supplements of the highest quality.  Our food and diets simply do not meet the amounts needed for maximum health.  There is a difference between avoiding nutritional deficiencies and optimum performance.

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