Walking for More Energy Today -The Simple Secret to Improving your Vitality!
by Dr. Brett Saks

Don't consider walking from the fax machine to the copier as exercise, it isn't! Because we have to walk as part of our regular day, walking is often overlooked as a viable form of exercise.

Walking doesn't have the flash or mystique of a spinning or yoga class, but it should be the staple of any health regimen because the motion of walking aids in the circulation of blood, lymphatic and cerebrospinal fluids. By keeping these fluids moving, walking reduces the negative effects of stress and toxicity on the body. It also requires little more than a supportive, comfortable pair of shoes; no fancy equipment and no expensive gym memberships and very little physical damage to the body. Brisk walking can have as much has 80% of the benefit that running does without all of the physical damage and injury to the feet, ankles, knees, hips and lower back.

When we walk briskly (for the specific purpose of exercising) for 20-30 minutes, at least three times per week, we may reap many benefits including:

1. Improved blood circulation, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to the body's 100 trillion cells; improved elimination of wastes and toxins. This equates to increased energy and vigor, better sleep and sharper mental acuity. This process of moving healthy nutrients into the cells and removing toxins and wastes is described in my book Bio-Logikal: Your Guide to Optimal Health as the "exchange of life".

2. Activating muscle tissue. Studies show that it is common in our society for us to lose muscle mass as we get older. By walking (or other exercising), we can maintain more muscle mass longer and later in life. The more muscle mass we preserve, the better our metabolism and generally the healthier we remain.

3. Improved acid/alkaline balance in the body. Maintaining proper pH is a significant factor in regaining and maintaining your health.

In the beginning, how long you walk or how fast is not important. The focus should be getting out there and doing it....everyday. Just walk! As your fitness level improves, you will naturally be able to walk faster and for longer periods of time.

Your Heart Rate: A brisk walk that raises your resting heart rate by approximately 50% is sufficient. To calculate your resting heart rate, sit in a chair for 5 minutes without talking. Using a watch with a second hand, check your pulse with your index and middle finger just next to your Adam's apple. Here you will feel a strong pulse. Count the number of beats in a 30 second period, then double that number; this is your resting heart rate.

An example: If your heartbeat count is 40 beats in 30 seconds, your resting heart rate is 80, and your target (heart rate for exercise) would be 120 beats per minute, or 60 beats counted in 30 seconds. An easy way to calculate the target rate is to multiply the number of beats you counted in thirty seconds at rest by three. In this example, we simply tripled the resting heart rate of 40 counted in 30 seconds: the target heart rate when exercising would be 120 beats per minute (40 x 3 = 120).

Tips: If you are walking to the point where you can't catch your breath or are having cramping, you are going too fast for your fitness level. A good suggestion and guideline for walking is that you should be able to walk with a friend and maintain a conversation without getting out of breath.

If weather is a challenge, go to your local mall to do your walking. The scenery really helps the time fly by! If time is a factor or there are no malls nearby, a simple treadmill can be a worthy purchase. When walking by yourself, listening to your favorite music or a book on tape on your iPod can also help make the workout more fun and enjoyable.

Start walking, you won't regret it. You'll feel great and you'll be even more motivated to follow a healthy lifestyle!

Your Health and Wellness Coach,

Dr. Brett Saks

Dr. Brett Saks is a Doctor of Chiropractic (DC), Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine (NMD), author and lecturer. His book “The Bio-Logikal Diet: Your Guide to Optimal Health” helps readers develop the knowledge to make better, more informed lifestyle choices that they can implement in their daily lives. For more information, or to order a copy of his book, please visit http://www.bio-logikal.com] Dr. Brett Saks may be contacted at http://www.bio-logikal.com/

Getting Your Kids to Talk
by Dawn Goldberg

School has started. All over the country, one can hear wailings of grief over the end of summer or whoops of joy as kids go back to school. (My girls are whooping; I'm wailing a bit.)

I was a little apprehensive about my older daughter starting middle school, as was she, but the entire week went off without a hitch. Now we're looking at the end of our first week with relief (it could have been a nightmare if Kathryn hadn't adjusted well) and excitement (we can't help but be excited for Kathryn in this new journey of hers).

We're able to feel this relief and excitement mostly because Kathryn has openly shared with us many details of her first week at school. As a matter of fact, Monday went something like this.

Kathryn: "Mommy, can I tell you all about school?"

Me: "Sure, sweetie!"

Kathryn: "Well, I'm going to start at the beginning and go in order. First, we got on the bus, and the bus driver was very nice. Kate and I sat together. There were a lot of people on the bus. Then, we got to school, and...."

And so it went. We got the complete low-down about school, her classes, her locker (oh-so important!), riding home on the bus with the mean eighth graders, homework, her binder, all the information she brought home, her teachers, and all the many, many details of her new life as a middle schooler.

Now I know we're lucky. Some kids won't offer any information about their days. Even when asked direct questions, some kids will only give yes or no answers or the shortest possible response. They just don't want to talk, yet we as parents really need to know what's going on in their lives. Here are a few tips for those silent schoolgoers.

--> Tell stories of your own childhood from the similar time frame of your child's age. Share happy stories, stories where other kids were mean, stories of challenges in the classroom, and anything else you can think of. The goal is to share something about yourself and make it about you. That way, you're talking about you, and your kids can safely participate. You aren't talking about them, and they feel free to express their opinions. Then later on, they may be able to share their own stories with you.

--> Play the "what's the best/worst thing that happened to you today" game. Everyone goes around the table (or car, or living room) and shares the best and worst thing about his/her day. Not only do you get some additional information, but your kids get to see you as a real person with real things going on in your real life.

--> Be aware of what's going on in your kids' lives at school. Be familiar with classes they're taking, books they're reading, activities they're in, friends they see, teachers they have, and projects they're working on. The more you know about their lives, the more you can be up to speed, ask questions, and be able to participate intelligently when they actually do speak to you.

--> Be available. When your child (preschooler or high schooler) does finally open up, listen. If you're busy doing something else and only paying half attention, why would he continue to talk to you? Give him your attention (although you may need to be nonchalant and try to get rid of that hungry "he's finally talking to me!" look on your face).

--> Hear what your kids are saying to you. Don't try to turn it into a lesson ("Now what have we learned from this, class?") or a morality tale. If you do, then they'll only come to you when they need a lesson or a moral. How often does that happen?

--> Change the subject. Don't talk about school. Talk about the song that's playing on the radio (or iTunes for those of who have older kids). Go over the plans for the weekend. Discuss what to make for dinner. The more your kids get used to you talking to them about all sorts of things, the more they'll be ready to talk about school.

--> Finally, include your kids in your activities. There are ways to include even the little ones. Cook dinner together. Ask your three-year-old which kind of rolls to buy at the grocery store. Let your teenager pick out the kind of flowers you're going to plant in the front yard.

There's more to getting your child to talk about school than just, "How was school today?" The goal is to get her to open up, trust you, and talk to you. Whether you're whooping or wailing about the start of school, perhaps you can at least celebrate the start of conversation with your kids.

Dawn Goldberg is the Chief Writing Officer of Write Well University, COO of Assist University, mother, community leader, and former teacher. Her vision is to create a resource that helps parents find ways to enjoy valuable, constructive time with their children every day. Sign up for the After School Snacks newsletter at http://www.afterschoolsnacks.com for inspirational, helpful articles on parenting as well as fast, healthy, delicious snacks for any time of the year. Dawn Goldberg may be contacted at www.afterschoolsnacks.com or articles@afterschoolsnacks.com

Television: Stop Brainwashing Your Children
by Deb Wood

The thoughtless consumption of television is producing thoughtless children. Television has become an obsession with the youths of North America. The more we consume the easier we are to program, control and dominate. Couple that with eating "nutrition free" food laden with pesticides and chemicals and we have an entire civilization on the decline. Doom and gloom you think? Check out some of the better known facts, read em' and weep.

We have become a society where we have more televisions per household than people. The average home contains three TVs.

Obesity and illiteracy is on the rise and one of the quickest, easiest and surest ways to turn around this degrading of our future population, the ones who will be controlling and governing our world, is to simply turn off the televisions.

Does that sound too simplistic? Then I will ask the parents this, who is in charge in your home, you or your children?

There is no such thing as a strong willed child; in fact the problem is a weak willed parent.

Do you want the best for your children? Then make the best decisions for them.

Quality Family Time? Get outside and clear your mind by playing ball, taking the dog for a walk, making cookies with the children. Most parents come home after a hard day's work and sit down in front of their TV. Actions speak louder than words, and you are mentoring your child to plunk themselves down and become a couch potato. Kids learn these habits from their parents. In a year, the average child spends 1023 hours in front of a TV--more than the 900 hours they spend in school!

Obesity & Laziness: Extended periods in front of the television can be detrimental to your health. The time spent vegetating on the couch could be spent exercising or playing sports. While they're watching TV, people tend not to notice how much they shovel down their mouths. Ever notice how many food commercials there are on the "tellie"? STOP EATING JUNK FOOD!!! Obesity, due to over-eating, affects one third of Canadians.

Did you know there is less brain activity when you are watching television than when you are sleeping? The expression "Vegging out in front of the TV" is not an understatement.

'Action-packed fun' or Violence? Okay, this is another major pet peeve of mine. We are most definitely desensitizing our children to violence and aggression, and anyone who says that isn't true, has there head stuck up their %*&! . Did I just put that in semi-writing?? Are you aware that the best armies in the world do exactly with their soldiers, what we are, much more subtly of course, exposing our children to. The content of TV lends itself more and more towards violent shows and movies.

Attention Span and Reading: The two are not compatible, because the seven-minute segments of TV content condition children to such an extent that the children's attention span drops to seven minutes. Children who watch a lot of TV find it more difficult to read.

Fuel for Lust: Most television programming does not promote modesty in men and women. A study shows that an astounding 55-65 percent of content contains sexual content in word or deed, yet only 10 percent of those make any reference to being faithful to one's life partner. Do you really want to encourage this type of conditioned thinking in your children? Promiscuity in our young girls is running rampant, leading to a plethora of self esteem issues.

Tips To Dealing with TV

1. TV should be used with discretion to watch educational and insightful programs or decent entertainment.

2. Parents need to take control of the remote, content, hours watched and accessibility. You should consider removing TVs from children's' bedrooms.

3. Be reasonable and implement the changes slowly if you have been heavy TV abusers.

4. Have a family meeting and discuss the favorite shows, perhaps allowing each family member, one that meets the new criteria.

5.Stick with the moral decision to censor your television consumption. Our best investment is our children. We need to consider their mental health on a global scale.

Debbie is the cofounder of www.debnbob.com , a blog focused on alternative choices for thinking people. It is through her blog that she discusses issues that require contemplating and questioning. Sometimes it just isn’t appropriate to take what you are told at face value. Independent thinking is becoming an anomaly. You may feel free to ask Debbie, she is bound to have an opinion. She is also a professional homeschooler, animal advocate, spiritual seeker, alternative thinker and business owner. You may visit Debbie’s blog at: www.debnbob.com Deb Wood may be contacted at http://www.debnbob.com

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