PLAY DATES for PARENTS

When one is residing in an area where there are no other family members, it is important to reach out to neighbours and seek out playmates for your children. (You are also able to do this when you are near friends and families) However regular playdates between children can turn into regular get-togethers for parents. When your children are playing together, it is nice to sit together as parents and chat about the different things that are happening with the children, with yourself, in the community and around the world. As much as children need to socialize with their peers, parents also need to socialize with their own peers. And if you are planning play dates for your children then play dates are built in for you. Most of the time you choose children whose families are similar to yours so it would not be a surprise that you would enjoy the company of the parents. Recently i heard of parents starting playdates for their children which has lasted into the pre-teen and teen years. The playdates create built-in friendships and a support group, perhaps not all the children will get along but most of the time, some friendshsips can withstand the changes that children go through. And for parents, support systems are developed and streghtened as experiences are shared. Children and parents need an outlet and what better way to do so than through play dates where everyone is having fun and enjoying themselves.

DATE NIGHTS

Before the wedding and definitely before the babies, you and your betrothed would spend hours on the weekends going out on dates and engaging in fund activities. One of the things that help us to bond with our mates are through dates. Dates were enjoyable because they bring out the best in each other. Not only are you doing fun things but you are also learning how the other deals in different situations and environments. It is of course more difficult for new parents to continue to date and have those bonding days however this is A MUST! It can be as simple as something i heard recently, barbequing some meat, after the children have gone to sleep, and setting up a picnic outside the house. Whatever you are able to do that is simple, easy and will bring you and your betrothed together. And for those that are ambitious, ask a friend, family member and even a co-worker to babysit for you and ENJOY DATE NIGHTS AGAIN! Here's to great bonding times!

Is Wellness a Luxury?

I was on the website, huffingtonpost.com and i came across this article and it made me pause and think about this title. Even the fact that wellness could be a luxury issue is concerning. It goes back to how expensive the foods we purchase are and how difficult it has come for us to take care of ourselves. Wellness, as part of the health care debate, should be something that is offered to all citizens, regardless of where we reside. She speaks to these three factors (where you live, price and ethnicity/race) that impact on wellness.

In the following paragraphs, Ms.Pooja R. Mootl expands on these factors...

Where you live matters:
If you can't get it, you can't eat it! Being able to get your hands on fresh, nutritious food is harder for some urban and rural populations than it is for the rest. In her campaign to make American children live healthier, Michelle Obama discusses access as it relates to "food deserts" where a lot of inner city kids as well as those from rural America don't have supermarkets within reach - only fast food restaurants and bodegas. Manhattan's Borough President, Scott Stringer is also trying to address this problem in a major way through a new initiative based on the report, FoodNYC, that aims to promote urban agriculture and regional food production. Moreover, studies have shown that obesity rates can actually be predicted by zip code.

Price Matters.
Even if you can get your hands on it, can you afford it? Research has shown that nutrient-deplete foods average around $1.76 per 1,000 calories versus healthy, nutrient-rich foods which can average nearly 10 times more than that. If you can buy an entire lunch meal at a fast food restaurant for $1 versus a head of organic broccoli for more than $3, eating for your wellness becomes a pretty tough decision. Healthy foods simply cost more. And, unfortunately, vegetables and fruits are becoming luxury goods for many. So its not surprising that scientists find the highest rates of obesity among people in lower income groups.

Ethnicity and Race Matters
In a recent report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin noted in her Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation, that many racial and ethic groups in our country are disproportionately affected by the epidemic of overweight and obesity. Her report states that among 40 to 59-year-old women, about 52 percent of non-Hispanic blacks and 47 percent of Hispanics are obese versus 36 percent for non-Hispanic whites. And in the super popular, academy award nominated documentary, Food Inc., it's noted that according to the CDC, 50 percent of American minorities born after 2000 will contract early onset diabetes in their lifetimes as opposed to about 33 percent for non-minority groups.


Some of Ms. Pooja's ideas are well noted and again it is an urgent discussion we should continue to have until EFFECTIVE AND APPROPRIATE CHANGES are made that impact all of us FAIRLY. Wellness should not be a luxury, it is necessity. To look at her complete article and for further interested reading, check out this website... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pooja-r-mottl/has-wellness-become-a-lux_b_479685.html.