Looking For A Toy For Autistic Children?

By Rachel EvansIt can be hard to find toys that children appreciate andparents approve of as well. When it comes to buying for a toyfor autistic children, the search for the perfect gift can beeven harder. One thing to keep in mind when buying is that mosttoys have age requirements or guidelines. These are great, butthey may not equate with the proper toy for a child withautism. If you have any doubt about age group recommendationsand what would not be appropriate, be sure to ask the parents.There are many great toy ideas however, and as long as you keepthe child and their stage of development in mind, it shouldn�tbe too hard to find something that will be fun and appropriate.Before you choose something, there are a few things that youhave to keep in mind. By doing so you�ll help the child, butalso it will be appreciated by the parents most of all. It isimportant to remember that some children with autism will ripanything they get their hands on, so you want to buy sturdyitems. You might also want to find things that made of only oneor two pieces. Some children will scatter things that have a lotof small pieces. As with all children, small parts might bechoking hazards, so be mindful of that when you shop for a toyfor an autistic child. Again, it depends on the child. Another thing to remember about autistic children is that theyoften love to play alone. It will depend on the degree ofautism a child has, but many like toys they can use on theirown without having to have other players or supervision. Also,some autistic children have a love of repetition. If you canfind something that does the same thing over and over again,this might be a great toy for them. Keep colors and textures inmind. Some children love them, and others do not. If you aren�tsure, ask the parents. Continue reading for more toy suggestions and to sign up forthe free autism newsletter below covering all aspects ofautism. For higher functioning autistic children, there are manyeducational toys that parents and children may love. These toysmay tackle things like simple addition or subtraction, spelling,and writing. Not all children will like these, and they maybecome frustrated with them if they are too advanced. A lot ofchildren with autism love music, and can not get enough of it,so a CD could be a good present. Though this is technically nota toy, it certainly can be a great gift that will be used timeand time again. If you keep the age and developmental level of the child inmind, it won�t be too hard to find a toy for autistic children.However, it is important to remember that no matter how hard yousearch and how great the toy might be, some will sit unused.This shouldn�t offend you, as it is often impossible to knowwhat a child will love and what they might ignore. The best betfor anyone wanting to buy a toy or a gift is to ask the parentsopinion of what works, and what should be avoided.About the Author: By Rachel Evans. Sign up for a freenewsletter for more information on autismathttp://www.essential-guide-to-autism.com/?source=is. You canalso find out more about the varying signs and symptoms ofautism by visitinghttp://www.essential-guide-to-autism.com/autism.html?source=isSource: http://www.isnare.com

Bodybuilding For Teens

Bodybuilding can be a very healthy and rewarding activity forteenagers for a number of reasons aside from the obviousphysical benefits. However, due to their youth and the naturalchanges occurring in their bodies, parents often wonder if thetraining regimen of a teenager needs to vary drastically fromthat of an adult? Most of the dangers relating to teenage bodybuilding actuallyhave more to do with the "teenage" portion of the equation. Noone, other than teenagers, would argue with the fact thatteenagers can behave impulsively and can be prone to ignoringthe precautions and rules they find themselves faced with. Obviously, this doesn't apply to all teenagers, but it issomething that needs to be taken into consideration. There has been a longstanding belief that heavy weightliftingcan actually stunt the growth of bones. The basis of thebelief is that heavy weight lifting can speed up growth plateclosure, prematurely stopping the bone growth. This has beensuggested, but not proven, but weight lifting at an early agecertainly hasn't stunted the growth of the many professionalathletes who started young. However, they may be exceptions tothe rule and the jury is technically still out with nodefinitive proof in either camp. Regardless, the danger is only really associated with heavyduty lifting and only occurs prior to a teenager reaching fulldevelopmental maturity. Though it obviously varies fromteenager to teenager, the average age of full developmentalmaturity is 15 and very few teenagers under that age arepumping heavy iron. A teenager shouldn't try to simply emulate the workout routinesof the adults that he or she may see at the gym. The odds arethat any adult worth emulating in the gym has been training foryears and has vast amounts of experience and training, which theteenager is lacking. While trainers are a good idea for everyone, they areespecially important for teenagers. Bad habits in weighttraining can lead to serious injuries and the U.S. ConsumerProduct Safety Commission states 12% of the annual accidentsinvolving weightlifting equipment involved children between theages of 5 and 14, and 35% involved people aged 15 - 24. A good trainer will help a teenager develop the proper form,which is critical to avoiding injury. A trainer can also helpreign in a teen who, in excitement and immature reasoning, maytry to use weights that are simply too heavy. Another danger for teenagers is the disturbing trend towardssupplement overuse. Again, this can attributed to a lack ofintellectual maturity and experience, but teenagers seemespecially prone to sucking into the mythology that supplementsare a magic key to building muscles and looking better. Despite what they may believe about their own thinkingcapacity, teenagers are especially receptive to advertisementsand magazine hype. The fact that a majority of bodybuildingmagazines are owned and published by companies who also producesupplements isn't widely known. Obviously, these companies aregoing to use the magazines they produce to push the productsthey produce.so don't believe everything you read. Realistically, teenagers are under no greater risk than adultswhile working out as long as it is done properly andintelligently. The key to ensuring that it's done this way isadult supervision and guidance.About The Author: Gray Rollins is a featured writer forMuscleProgram. To learn more about teenage bodybuilding, besure to visithttp://www.muscleprogram.com/teenagersandweightlifting-arethereadditionalrisks/and check out our review of Burn The Fat athttp://www.muscleprogram.com/burnthefat/

Proper Diet And Nutrition Maintains Women's Good Health

One of the most important parts of a woman's ability tomaintain good health is proper diet and nutrition. Researcherscontinue to find growing evidence of the link between healthyeating and a variety of positive health outcomes which include:Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease Cancer Osteoporosis If you are a woman looking to improve your diet you should eatfoods rich in fiber, folate, unsaturated fats and calcium.Choose fruits, vegetables, whole grains and reduce intake ofsugar, salt, cholesterol, saturated fats and trans fats. As you age, your nutritional needs may change and vary. Consultwith your personal physician or other healthcare professional toensure your diet is providing the proper nourishment requiredfor good health. How do fiber, fat, folate, antioxidants, calcium, Vitamin D,iron, protein, alcohol and caffeine actually affect a woman'shealth? Fiber: The many benefits of high fiber intake include: 1.Substantially reducing the risk of coronary heart disease andstroke; 2.Cereal fiber has been shown in particular to reduce the riskof heart attack; 3.Diets high in fiber protect against diabetes; 4.Diets high in soluble fiber found in vegetables, fruits andlegumes can help diabetic individuals control their glucose(blood sugar level); 5.Lower cholesterol levels; 6.Improved bowel function; 7.Research also suggests that diets high in vegetable and fruitfiber may help prevent colon and rectal cancer. Fat: It is important to reduce intake of foods high in certaintypes of fat and cholesterol to help decrease the risk ofcoronary heart disease. Of most importance is to reduce thesaturated fats and trans fats rather than concentrating onreducing the total amount of "fat" intake. Avoid consuming toomany low-fat foods that are high in carbohydrates. Too manycarbohydrates can lower the so-called "good" cholesterol thatprotects against heart disease. Folate: Is a type of B vitamin important to the production ofred blood cells that can help reduce the risk of coronary heartdisease and colon cancer. Folate supplements are recommended forwomen of child-bearing age usually in the form of multivitaminsto help prevent a group of birth defects known as neural tubedefects. These defects include spina bifida and anencephaly(failure of the brain to form). Natural sources of folate include: Certain breakfast cereals Orange juice Peas Peanuts Beans Leafy green vegetables Antioxidants: Certain fruits and vegetables, Vitamins A, C, Eand beta carotene contain antioxidant properties. There aresome studies that indicate antioxidants help prevent cancer andcardiovascular disease. The evidence to support these claimsremains mixed. Calcium: An adequate amount of daily calcium can help preventosteoporosis. Osteoporosis particularly affects many womenafter menopause. It can lead to bone fractures. Calcium mayalso protect against colon cancer and may aid weight loss inobese women. If you are a woman who feels you need more calciumin your diet or you are just not sure how much is adequate foryou, check with your physician about taking supplements. Good sources of calcium include: Milk Yogurt Cheese Canned fish with soft bones such as sardines, anchovies andsalmon Leafy green vegetables Calcium-fortified orange juice Vitamin D: It is important to consume adequate amounts ofVitamin D to aid calcium absorption and bone formation. A lackof vitamin D can lead to softening of the bones. Good sources of vitamin D include: Egg yolks Herring Sardines Tuna Salmon Fortified milk Iron: A deficiency of iron can cause fatigue, decreasedimmunity and a type of anemia called iron-deficiency anemia.Iron is especially important to girls and women of childbearingage. Iron should be taken in moderation. Studies show highlevels of iron can lead to heart disease in postmenopausalwomen. Good sources of iron include: Liver Kidneys Red meat Poultry Eggs Peas Legumes Dried fruits Leafy vegetables Protein: Women should get 10 to 35 percent of daily caloriesfrom protein to help prevent muscle tissue from breaking downand help repair tissue that has been damaged. Good sources of protein include: Fish Poultry Eggs Milk Cheese Dried beans and peas Peanut butter Nuts Bread Cereal Alcohol: Many experts agree the health risks of moderateconsumption of alcohol outweigh the potential benefits ofreducing the risk of cardiovascular disease shown in somestudies. Pregnant and nursing women should not drink alcohol in any formas it can cause harm to their offspring. The many adverse health consequences of alcohol consumptioninclude: Increased risk of cancers of the breast, mouth, esophagus,throat, larynx and liver Alcohol consumed during pregnancy can cause birth defectsincluding fetal alcohol syndrome Cirrhosis of the liver May increase the frequency and severity of hot flashes duringmenopause Caffeine: Is a stimulant and diuretic found in coffee, tea,soft drinks, chocolate and some over-the-counter drugs. Areduction of caffeine is often recommended during pregnancy. Itmay affect the heart rate and blood pressure, contribute todehydration and have other possible side effects. Numerous health problems can be the result of poor nutrition aswell as obesity, which causes additional health problems. Bycontrast, are women with eating disorders such as anorexianervosa or bulimia nervosa. Women who are underweight mayexperience irregular menstrual cycles, a stopping ofmenstruation called amenorrhea, which can lead to dentalproblems and osteoporosis and a shortened lifespan. Source: Science Daily Healthology Disclaimer: *This article is not meant to diagnose, treat orcure any kind of a health problem. These statements have notbeen evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Alwaysconsult with your health care provider about any kind of ahealth problem and especially before beginning any kind of anexercise routine. This article is FREE to publish with the resource box. Articlewritten 4-2007.About The Author: Connie Limon, Trilogy Field Representative.Visit http://nutritionandhealthhub.com and sign up for a weeklynutrition and health tip. The article collection is available asFREE reprints for your newsletters, websites or blog. Visithttp://www.healthylife27.com to purchase an array of superiorquality, safe and effective products inspired by nature,informed by science and created to improve the health ofpeople, pets and the planet.

Knowledge Is Key In Successful Lasik Eye Surgery

If you're considering lasik eye surgery, you're not alone. Each year, thousands of people trade in their glasses and contacts for this procedure that can effectively eliminate the need for them. But, going into eye surgery without understanding what will be expected of you before, during and after the procedure isn't smart.Lasik surgery is a pretty easy procedure, but it is still surgery nonetheless. You will need some assistance and you will need some time for recovery.The key to successful surgery is not only your doctor's abilities, but also your willingness to follow procedure before and after the operation. Following doctor's orders can be a little difficult, but the pay off can be big.Here are the basic things to expect and/or do before and after lasik eye surgery:Before: You will not be allowed to wear contact lenses before evaluations and the surgery. Can you live without these for a while in hopes of being able to live without them for good? You will not be allowed to drive after screening procedures. Can you make arrangements? Do you understand the procedure? Make sure you ask your doctors questions, understand the ramifications and the chances for success. If you're not comfortable, talk with your doctor before you do the procedure. Remember, recovery is fast, but you will still have a few days you can count on being down. Can you arrange to take a few days off? If you wear makeup, plan on taking a day off in advance or perhaps two. You will not be allowed to wear it for at least 24 hours beforehand to help prevent infection. Have you met with your doctor to go over any last-minute questions? Are you comfortable?After: Expect to not be able to see well for several days. You need to make arrangements for assistance where it's needed. Chances are you'll be back on your feet in no time, but little tasks that require sharp vision might be difficult to perform. Be ready to have to wear an eye shield to protect your eyes after having lasik eye surgery. It doesn't look pretty, but it's important to ensure you avoid injury right after the procedure. Do expect some pain and discomfort. The procedure for lasik eye surgery is almost pain free, but remember the word "almost" is in there. Lasik eye surgery will require you to take some medications and eye drops after the operation is done. If you can't put eye drops in yourself, make arrangements to have someone help you after the surgery.The procedure involved in eye surgery is pretty straight-forward, but the more knowledge you arm yourself with in advance the better. The surgery isn't a 100-percent guarantee that you'll have perfect vision, but it does have a good track record of helping people have much better sight. The key to success, however, is not only your doctor's skill, but also your ability to follow instructions before and after the procedure.For more information on Lasik Eye Surgery, Visit:http://www.lasiksurgeryhelp.com

Ten Healthy Eating Tips For Today's Busy People

Eating healthy can be difficult, especially if you are a personwho is constantly on the run. Today, more than ever, people arefinding it necessary to try to maneuver around busy schedules,while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The busier youare, the more difficult this is, but it is not an impossiblefete. Because you are on the go, it is extremely important togive proper attention to eating as healthy as possible. Beloware ten tips that will help get you pointed in the rightdirection. Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need over 40different nutrients for good health, and no single food willsupply them all. Eat plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. There is awide variety out there from which to choose, so you should haveno problem finding some you like. Maintain a healthy weight. Your appropriate weight will dependon many different factors such as body type, size, your height,gender, and heredity. This is very important for maintaininggood health, and is easy to ignore when you are constantly onthe go. Eat food in moderate portions. If you keep portion sizes tothis level, you will be able to maintain a good weight. Youwill also get used to eating those portions. Eat meals on a regular basis. When you are on the go, it iseasy to skip meals, or substitute eating healthy foods for fastfood. Reduce certain foods instead of eliminating them altogether.Elimination is why many diets do not work. Here, people oftencut out certain foods altogether in order to lose weight. Oncethey have lost the desired amount of weight, they assume theirprevious eating habits, which only results in subsequent weightgain. By eliminating certain foods, you also runt he risk of notgetting important nutrients. Balance your food choices over time. Not ever food must beperfect, but you want to create a balance that will help youget the food groups you need, while helping to cut back onunwanted fats or sugar. This does not mean you should eliminatethem altogether. Know your diet pitfalls. Before you can identify what is wrongwith your eating habits, you must first identify them. To dothis, write down everything you eat over a three-day period.Then, compare what you ate with what you should be eating. Thiswill help you figure out where you are going wrong. Make changes gradually. Revamping your diet habits is a processthat is accomplished over time, not overnight. Keep in mind that foods are not necessarily good or bad. Whenselecting foods, do so with your total eating patterns in mind,not on whether or not an individual food is "good" or "bad".About The Author: Tone-A-Matic is a revolutionary muscleexerciser for use anywhere. Electronic muscle stimulator.http://www.toneamatic.com/

Losing Weight The Right Way

Anyone who tells you that you need supplements to lose fat iseither misinformed or is trying to sell them to you. Losingweight does not come from a bottle there is no fat burningpill, drink or powder that has ever being proven to keep it offlong term. In American $30 billion a year is spent on losing weight. Dietprograms and products at first can help you loss some weigh.The only problem most of these millions of people regain thereweight back within the period of 5 years. Many fad diets that claim losing weight the right way such asrapid weight loss are more then likely succeeding short termdue to the expense of muscle loss or water loss or the both ofthem. Water loss and muscle loss should be avoided when losingweight and keep in mind that when it comes to bathroom scalesdo not assume that a scale measures how much weight you havelost if it involves muscle loss or water loss. When it comes to losing weight the right way I recommend you dosome type of physical activity. It can range from walking,walking the dog, aerobics, weight training, social sportsbasically anything that requires you to do some movement.Exercise is not only important to losing weight but youroverall health and well-being. Begin with a daily walk andcouple times a week do a different activity. Do not see it asall to hard to do the more you do something the easier it getsand the results can be very rewarding. Personally after I exercise I feel great at first when youexercise you can feel lethargic but when you get into it youwill be amazed with what you can achieve and how it makes youfeel. When it comes to losing weight anything that promises veryquick weight loss is more then likely trying to get you tospend your hard earn money very quickly by tricking youremotions. People spend a lot of their time and money ongimmicks and diet fads that only get used for a short time withlittle or no result. Losing Weight The Right WayAbout The Author: Tony Pescatore finds and writes helpfulinformation on topics he believes in. To get your Free Fat LossReport Big Fat Lies!! Go to http://burnthefat.com

Reducing Cholesterol And Body Fat With Tea

Reducing Cholesterol And Body Fat With TeaCopyright (c) 2007 Jon M. StoutGolden Moon Teahttp://www.GoldenMoonTea.comHigh cholesterol, heart disease and obesity are serious healthissues, and seem to go hand in hand. A diet heavy in highcholesterol foods like meat, cheese and eggs can cause weightgain and high cholesterol levels. High cholesterol levels andbeing overweight, in turn, lead to heart disease. So, gettingcholesterol levels and weight under control are significantfactors in reducing the risk of heart disease.To reduce cholesterol levels and take off extra pounds, reducethe amount of red meats in your diet, replacing them with poultryand fish. Eat low fat dairy products, and limit your intake ofegg yolks. Eat high fiber, whole grain products like oatmeal, asthese can help reduce cholesterol levels. Be certain that you'reeating lots of fruits and vegetables - fresh is best, and avoidprocessed foods. These dietary changes should help you loseexcess weight and lower your cholesterol levels.In addition to dietary changes, exercise is very important inweight maintenance and lowering cholesterol. Aim for 30 minutesof cardiovascular activity 3-5 times a week (walking is fine). Inaddition, 20 minutes of strength training 3 times a week is alsobeneficial. Strength training helps you tone and build muscle.Since muscle burns more calories than fat even at rest, addingsome extra muscle speeds up your metabolism, which helps youmaintain, or reduce, your weight. In addition, since we all beginto lose some muscle mass each year beginning as early as age 30,building muscle helps compensate for this loss, keeping youstrong as you age.Tea May Help, TooIn addition to making changes to your diet and exercise habits,drinking tea may be helpful, too. In the last few years, therehas been a great deal of research on the benefits of tea. Tea isrich in anti-oxidants, which are known to slow down the agingprocess and prevent disease. Studies have shown tea, particularlygreen tea, to be effective at preventing heart disease and someforms of cancer. Green tea is found to be more effective thanother types of tea because of the way it's processed. Green teais not fermented, which helps to keep the anti-oxidants in theirmost natural, healthy state.In addition to helping prevent disease, tea has also been shownto be an effective way to help lose weight. Tea containscaffeine, which has been shown in many studies to speed themetabolism. However, tea has been shown to be a more effectiveweight loss supplement than other beverages that containcaffeine. So, researchers have concluded that it is more thanjust the caffeine that makes tea so effective. It is believedthat it is the combination of tea's caffeine and itsanti-oxidants, known as catechins, that work together to helpwith weight loss.In addition to speeding up metabolism, it is also believed thattea can promote the oxidation of fat, making weight loss comemore easily. Tea also seems to regulate insulin levels in theblood, which may be of benefit to those whose weight has madethem insulin resistant, a precursor to diabetes. People withinsulin resistance are often overweight and have trouble losingthe weight because the body doesn't process insulin properly.One research study on this subject is particularly interesting.The study looked at Japanese men and measured their body fat andLDL cholesterol levels. First, the participants were put on amonitored diet for a two week period of time. Then theparticipants were divided into groups with similar BMIs and waistcircumference. The study period was 12 weeks, during which timethe participants ate a controlled diet and received one of twobeverages as a supplement. The beverages were either oolong teacontaining 690 milligrams of tea catechins or oolong teacontaining 22 milligrams of tea catechins.At the end of the study period, the subjects were evaluated onfat loss, body weight, BMI and LDL cholesterol levels.Participants who received the tea supplement containing 690milligrams of tea catechins had significantly lower body weight,BMI, body fat and cholesterol levels over the participants whoreceived the tea containing 22 milligrams of tea catechins. Thestudy concluded that with similar diet and exercise routines,drinking tea produced better weight loss results and loweredcholesterol more than diets that did not contain such high levelsof tea catechins.It's important to note that this study did not measure theeffects of tea's caffeine on participants. In fact, the oolongtea consumed by each group contained the same amount of caffeine.So, this study leads us to believe that it is the tea catechinsrather than the caffeine that produces weight loss results.Many people take supplements for weight loss, and many of themprove to have negative side effects or to be unhealthy overall.This is another reason that using tea as a weight loss supplementis preferable to relying on other types of supplements. Tea isgenerally healthy and has no side effects. In fact, most peoplewho are normally sensitive to caffeine can tolerate tea'scaffeine without experiencing side effects. So, if you'reworking to control your weight and cholesterol levels, there maybe no better ally than drinking some tea. http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/81/1/122-------------------------------------------------------Jon M. Stout is Chairman of the Golden MoonTea Company. For more information about tea,(http://www.goldenmoontea.com/greentea) green tea (http://www.goldenmoontea.com/blacktea) and black tea go to http://www.goldenmoontea.com