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Whether you suffer from chronic stress and anxiety or you experience it only occasionally, you’ve probably already used herbs for anxiety without even realizing it. Chamomile tea for example, is an herb that creates a calming effect. Peppermint soothes an upset stomach, however, it’s also often used to ease tension.

Let’s take a look at some other herbs for anxiety that are commonly used:

Ginseng. Ginseng is often added to energy beverages and is thought to enhance a person’s overall health. However, it is most notably used to reduce stress, maintain emotional balance and help induce a state of relaxation. Ginseng can be taken in capsule form or as a tea.

Valerian. Valerian is often used as a natural sleep aid. It is now often used as an anti-anxiety medication. It can also be used as a sedative or tranquilizer. It’s most often consumed in capsule form.

Passionflower. According to several studies passionflower was as effective as some of the benzodiazepines in relieving anxiety. Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed to patients suffering from an anxiety disorder.

Kava Kava. Kava Kava can be used to treat mild-to-moderate anxiety. However, Kava Kava can have some serious side effects. Most notably, it can cause severe liver damage.

St John’s Wort. St. John’s Wort is often used to treat depression and mild anxiety. Studies have shown it to be effective for mild cases. If someone is severely depressed or suffering an anxiety disorder, St John’s Wort has not shown to be of any help. It can be taken as a capsule or in tea form.

It should be noted with all of the herbs discussed thus far, they can have interactions with other medications. It is extremely important to check with your physician before taking any herb for anxiety to ensure that is is safe to use with other medication.

In addition to the herbs for anxiety that we discussed above, lavender is commonly used as an essential oil aromatherapy to soothe weary nerves and create a state of calm. It can be inhaled, placed on pressure points on your body – like the inside of your wrists. Lavender can also be added to a bath.

Chamomile tea has been shown to induce a state of relaxation as does peppermint tea or peppermint essential oil. Ylang Ylang, Bergamot, Sandalwood and Cedarwood are also great essential oils for relaxation aromatherapy.

If you suffer from mild anxiety or stress, consider talking to your doctor about herbal treatments. They’re generally much safer than prescription medications which can have health side effects and be addictive. Herbal remedies offer significantly fewer side effects. However, it’s still important to be safe.

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(NEW YORK) August 10, 2010 – You help your child stay physically active. You set a good example by serving and eating nutritious foods. And you make sure there are healthy lifestyle choices at home and at school. But even as the quarterback for your child’s health, you still need some coaching. By talking with your child’s doctor, you can make an age-appropriate plan that’s a perfect fit for your child.

As the school year begins and you make the annual visit to the pediatrician, here are three simple questions to ask from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Founded by the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation is focused on reducing the prevalence of childhood obesity by 2015.

How is My Child’s Weight? Does your child need to lose weight, gain weight or maintain his or her current weight? Some kids will grow into their weight, and others may need to shed a few pounds.

What is My Child’s BMI? Body Mass Index is a number that predicts risk of disease by comparing a child’s weight to his or her height. Ask your child’s healthcare provider to measure BMI and educate
yourself on what the number means.

How Often Should We Visit? Ask about follow-up appointments and more tests, as necessary. And find out how often your healthcare provider wants to measure your child’s BMI.

By asking these three questions, you can be sure to keep them on a consistent path to a healthy lifestyle. A doctor knows how to measure your child’s total health—and can evaluate your child compared to other kids in his or her age group.

Interested in learning more tips for working with your child’s doctor? Visit www.HealthierGeneration.org and find out how the Alliance for a Healthier Generation is teaming with national medical associations, leading insurers and employers to offer comprehensive health benefits to children and families for the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.

About the Alliance for a Healthier Generation
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation works to address one of the nation’s leading public health threats – childhood obesity. The goal of the Alliance is to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity by 2015, and to empower kids nationwide to make healthy lifestyle choices. Founded in 2005 by the American Heart Association and William J. Clinton Foundation, the Alliance works to positively affect the places that can make a difference to a child’s health: homes, schools, doctor’s offices and communities.

Children are the future. You want the best for them. Family meals are instrumental in spending quality time with your children and helping them avoid some of the dangers that come with growing up.

Parents and kids have created shortcuts that pass for quality time. Most of us don’t even know that that’s what we are doing. Sitting in the same room watching a movie or saying ‘hello’ and ‘good night’ is not the same as holding a meaningful conversation.

Here are a few statistics that might shock you to learn. According to A.C. Nielsen, parents and children spend an average of 38 minutes per week talking to each other. That is less than six minutes each day finding out what is going on in their lives. They spend more time than that with their friends.

Kids who spend meal time sitting down with their families have a lower risk of starting such behaviors as smoking, drinking and drugs according to the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (2004). These are three of the major concerns that parents have with their kids. The teen years are a time when depression is common as kids seek to “find” themselves. Those depressive episodes are less likely to occur in children who have meals with their family.

Also, kids (and parents) eat slower when they have meals with their families. This cuts down on overeating which is what we do when we are eating in a hurry between activities. Overeating is contributing to a greater incidence of childhood obesity.

Between school and work, very few families take the time to relax. Less often than that, they take the time to relax together. Home is a sanctuary and a place of safety. At the dinner table, you and your kids can let your guard down and listen uninterrupted to each other. For younger children, listening to conversations at the dinner table helps them to learn language and communication skills (Harvard Research, 1996).

Most of the happier moments in our lives center on food and family. That can still be true when you make time for meals. There are no set times for dinner. If your family can only get together at seven o’clock, have dinner then.

Just like working and school are priorities in your life, consider treating meal time the same way. Use that opportunity to discuss what happened during the day and also to give advice to your children concerning tough situations they are facing. In such a calm setting, they are more likely to open up and hear what you have to say.

Visit Dine Without Whine - A Weekly Menu Plan & Grocery List Delivered To Your E-mail Box

If you’re searching for an awesome way to save time and money every month, menu planning is one of the most ideal ways for people either on a limited budget or with limited time constraints to make sure that they and their loved ones are eating nutritious meals. Following are some basic ideas on how to create a weekly menu and the benefits of doing so.

Create a Budget

One of the many ways that financially responsible families do is make a budget for monthly expenses. Just as you would calculate the cost of running a house, paying for your children’s school or transportation costs, you should also decide how much money to spend on food each week or month.

Believe it or not, many shoppers don’t even know exactly how much they spend on food. Additionally, many families prefer to eat out at least several times per week. If you ever tried to calculate the total of eating out 8 times per month for a family of four, it would probably scare you. By preparing a budget, you can conveniently calculate your food costs for the month or even break it down weekly, giving you an estimate on how much to spend on a weekly menu for you and your family.

Creating a Menu

Now that you have devised a budget and know exactly how much you can afford to spend for food each month, your next step should be figuring out which types of meals would be best for your family. The majority of families prefer to start out menu planning with only fresh and healthier food choices, only to find out a few weeks later that they dread eating at home and rush out to purchase fast food or to eat out at the many casual dining establishments. One thing to consider is to plan a menu that is for the most part healthy, but includes foods that each member of your family enjoys ( in moderation of course). By making sure that there are foods that everyone enjoys, it will entice each member of the family to stay home for meals.

Menu planning is an excellent way for the entire family to lose weight together or to reduce certain types of foods in their diets. For instance, many families find that they could all stand to lose a few pounds; menu planning can help with the process. By creating a menu that is low in calories, fats, carbs, etc (depending on your diet of choice), you and your family can lose weight together usually increasing the success of all those involved.

For families that have a history of various types of illnesses like heart disease or diabetes, menu planning is critical to excellent, long term health. By getting into the practice of eating certain types of foods and staying away from others, you can improve your health and form strong foundations for younger children who hopefully will follow the same eating patterns as they age.

Do you need Kid-Friendly Recipes? We invite you to visit Kid Approved Meals to pick up your personal 13 week breakfast and lunch menu designed just for children.

Finding some healthy kids snacks can be hard at time. Most things are high in sugar and just not healthy snaks for kids. Here are some healthy kids snacks that you can incorporate into your childs diet.

Fruits are one of the most nutrient dense foods available. Fruits are a goldmine of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Getting children to eat fruits is easy because they are bright in color and taste great. Fruits are available all season long and they are usually relatively inexpensive. Ideally children should consume at least 1-3 servings of fruit per day depending on their age.

Since fruit is in its natural form contains a lot of water it is easier for the body to process. Our mini fruit and cheese kabob recipe can be flexible. You can allow your child to choose the fruits to thread onto the toothpicks. Making the kabobs is a fun project for children. Some of the fruits that you may want to choose for the mini kabobs is listed below:.

An apple a day will keep the Doctor away. Apples are a great source of vitamins. Apples also have a lot of fiber. Apples are rich in vitamins A, C, E and folate.  Apples are available in green, red or yellow skin when ripe. Apples can help in the reduction of colon cancer, prostate cancer and lung cancer. They also help with heart disease, weight loss and controlling cholesterol.

Bananas are a good source of fiber, potassium, vitamins A, C, B6, E and folate.

*Folate supports red blood cell production and helps prevent anemia. Folates also support cell production, especially in the skin. Bananas help nerves function properly.

Seedless cherries either red or black in color contain anthocyanins that reduce pain & inflammation. Anthocyanins are antioxidant flavonoids that protect many body systems. They have some of the strongest physiological effects of any plant compound.

Kiwis offer a rich source of vitamins A, C, E, B complex, calcium, iron and folic acid. The skin of the Kiwi is a good source of flavonoid antioxidants. Flavanoids help keep blood vessels elastic.

Oranges contain vitamin C and immune protecting flavanoids. Oranges provides pectin and are rich in sodium when ripened in sunshine.

Strawberries are one of the richest sources of vitamin C and fiber. It has high content of sodium and iron. It helps in whitening of the teeth.

Watermelons are high in mineral content, vitamins and iron.

Healthy Kid Snack - Mini Fruit and Cheese Kabobs

Ingredients:

*Fruit of your choice
*Chunks of cheddar cheese cut into 1/2 inch pieces
*Toothpicks

Instructions:

*Use toothpicks as skewers
*Lay out fruit and cheese on a tray
*Fruit can be strawberries, pineapple chunks, mandarin orange slices, grapes or apple slices.

Allow the children to thread the fruit selection of their choice onto the skewers. Let them make several that will last throughout the day. Store remainder of the fruit kabobs in a Tupperware container in the refrigerator where the children can reach them. Make sure the kids are careful with the toothpicks.

Depending on their age, you may want to let them choose the fruit and cheese they want skewered. You can put the fruit on the toothpick for them.

Do you need Kid-Friendly Recipes? We invite you to visit Kid Approved Meals http://www.kidapprovedmeals.com to pick up your personal 13 week breakfast and lunch menu designed just for children.

Cooking in the summer provides a unique challenge. In the winter, turning a cold kitchen in to a warm and cozy place is a benefit of cooking. In the summer, turning that same kitchen into a sweltering inferno is not. Planning ahead can eliminate the need for turning on the oven. Here are several options to help ensure your kitchen remains cool in the hot summer months.

Gazpacho, a Portuguese and Spanish soup made from stale bread, garlic olive oil, salt, vinegar and vegetables doesn’t need any cooking and has undergone many variations since its inception. Modern gazpacho includes a tomato base and a wider range of vegetables. It can quickly and easily be prepared with a food processor and stored beforehand in a refrigerator.

Ceviche is a Peruvian seafood salad marinated in citrus. Traditionally made from raw fish and onions with lime or lemon juice, modern variations include using a tomato sauce of ketchup. In its original form, it can be adapted to most tastes by using a wide variety of fish and cold vegetables. You should check with your local fishmonger to make sure the quality of fish is good enough that it can be eaten raw. The citrus juice in the recipes allows it to be served at room temperature while eliminating the risk of immediate bacterial growth.

Pickled cucumbers and beats can be prepared the night before. Ways to prepare them range from simply placing julienne vegetables in vinegar to more complex and elaborate preparations that include chili oil and sugar. This concept allows for a wide variety based on what you have available and what your taste preferences are. And they don’t require you to heat up the oven.

Likewise, sandwiches are easy to prepare without heating the kitchen. Using coldcuts and already cooked meats and vegetables, they can be quickly prepared to suit individual tastes and served with a wide variety of sides such as coleslaw or any of the ideas above. In addition, setting out a simple tray of individual meats, vegetables, and cheeses that you have on hand will allow friends and family to prepare their own sandwich creations.

The traditional American answer to keeping the summer cool is to grill outside. Virtually anything can be grilled outside, from corn to cucumbers to beef and vegetarian hotdogs. This flexibility can be combined with any of the other ideas above to make a complete meal. Plus grilling allows you to enjoy the fresh summer air without feeling like you should be doing some yardwork.

A crock-pot can cook meats without heating up the rest of the kitchen as much as a traditional stove. Prepared the night before and left to cook on its own without much attention, the crock-pot not only keeps the kitchen cool, but allows the chef to work on other parts of meal preparation, or enjoying the summer weather. You can cook complete meals in the crock-pot by throwing in a roast and vegetables. Or you can cook meat, such as boneless pork ribs seasoned with barbecue sauce which can be used for chopped pork sandwiches.

Salads also offer a multitude of options for summer meals. Using lettuce as a base, the options of what you can add to a salad are limitless, from common vegetables such as tomatoes, onions and carrots to fruit, nuts and diced meats and hardboiled eggs. Salads are not only an effective way to prepare a summer meal without heating up the kitchen, but can also be used to help clean out leftovers. When you don’t feel like cooking, take out leftovers from the refrigerator and allow each member of your family to create their own salad masterpiece. Plus, salads offer the versatility of serving as a meal starter or a meal themselves. You can make them as light or as hearty as you want.

Pasta salads are also great in the summer. You will need to heat up the stove to cook the pasta. But you can cook a big batch and then use it for several options. Add Italian dressing, pepperoni, olives, and cheese cubes. Or add mayo and ranch dressing long with peas and carrots. Just about anything you like can be added to cold pasta to make a zippy salad.

Grilling is another great summer option. Plus it allows you to spend more time outside on the patio rather then in the kitchen. Marinade meat in your favorite seasoning then toss on the grill. Or cut up meat and veggies into bite size pieces and thread on a skewer for kabobs. For even more variety, add fruit such as pineapple or peaches. You can even cook garlic bread and cheesy potatoes on the grill but wrapping them in foil.

For those with more exotic tastes, researching Asian or Mediterranean cuisine online, at the library, or at your local bookstore will provide a wide range of inspiration and ideas. An exotic taste doesn’t mean that food has to be hard to prepare. It can be as simple as using rice paper wrappers, traditionally used to serve hot food , to serve cold food.

Whether your tastes range from the traditional to the exotic, summer cooking doesn’t have to mean heating up the kitchen. Use your imagination to find creative ways to keep summer cooking cool. Planning ahead allows you multiple options will little heat.

For more great meal ideas and a free menu planning report visit Menu Planning Central. Let them show you a quick and easy way tot get lunch or dinner on the table.

Here is the link to Part 1 of this series

Let’s face it; it’s often easier to give up our efforts to get organized than it is to jump over the hurdles. But the hurdles don’t have to defeat us. We can overcome each and every one and succeed in this journey to getting organized. The hurdles can be conquered. Join us as we tackle a few of the hurdles to organizing that we all face.

6. Too much stuff: You are not alone with this condition. Our culture is one that encourages the collection and consumption of much stuff. The trouble with stuff is the amount of upkeep and time it requires. There are only so many things we can use in a given day. For clothing alone, the average person wears 20% of their clothing 80% of the time. Take an honest look at what you actually wear for all of your activities. The excess can be donated. Work suits that you no longer need can be donated to organizations that make them available to women trying to get started in the workplace. You can also sell your items on consignment. This same process works for just about all of the stuff we have.

7: Perfection: Do you suffer from perfectionism? Many of us do. This hurdle can be difficult to overcome, but not impossible. We are under the delusion that we have to have or do everything perfectly. When we can’t we don’t start, or don’t finish. We know that realistically we can’t be perfect. Give yourself a break and give yourself permission to do `good enough’. There is nothing good about trying to be perfect. It only paralyzes us. Good enough is good enough! Think how much more relaxed you will feel when you no longer put unrealistic expectations on yourself. Start small and enjoy the freedom.

8. It was a gift: What is it about gifts that makes us think we have to keep whatever is given to us? Sometimes we keep items out of respect and love for the giver. Sometimes we keep items out of guilt, whether or not it is something we love and use. This is another one that requires a change in our way of thinking. A gift is something given with no strings attached. The receiver is under no obligation to keep any gift they don’t love or use. If you are holding on to something because it is tied to the memory of the person, give yourself permission to get rid of the item but not the memory of the person who gave it to you. Getting rid of the item doesn’t remove the memory from your heart. Give yourself permission to lose the clutter and cherish the memory.

9. Not enough time: Many of us think that if we don’t have hours of time to devote to organizing, then we don’t have enough time ‘period’. While it would be wonderful to have hours at a time to devote to organizing, the reality is that our time is in short supply. Don’t let the apparent lack of time discourage you from organizing. Everyone can spare 15 minutes here and there. It may be hard to believe, but you can accomplish a lot of organizing and decluttering 15 minutes at a time–especially when it’s a focused effort without interruptions, coupled with an ‘I CAN’ attitude.

10. Transition storage-Where do I put it?: When our homes are already disorganized and overstuffed it’s difficult at best to figure out where to put items we want to keep, items we want to donate and items we want to sell. Let’s tackle sale items first. Are you having a garage sale? Designate an area in your garage to store garage sale items. Make sure you set a date for your sale. It’s much easier to work with a specific goal in mind. If you are donating or selling on consignment, put the items in your car at the end of your session and drop them off at least once a week. For those items you are keeping, designate a place in your home for transitional storage and use only that space. It might be a challenge for a little while, but just picture how great things will look when you finish. You can do this!

Finally Organized - Finally Free -  An amazing collection of 2,175 ideas, tips and techniques for organizing your home, your clutter, your time, your schedule, your money, your paper, your family and much more!

While there are many laws to keep child predators away from our children those laws are tough for the authorities to enforce. For this reason our kids may potentially walk by a predator on their way to school or have one drive by them as they wait at the bus stop. While we cannot keep these situations from happening we can provide a tool to help protect our children should something unfortunate occur.

A large majority of kids are kidnapped while on their way to and from school since this gives the predator a chance to watch their habits and daily routing to formulate a plan. Despite our best efforts to teach kids not to talk to strangers and to stay in groups this does not ensure that something will not happen. But an Amber Alert child locator device can go along way toward protecting them in these situations. With a panic button built right in a child can push this button should they feel threatened and instantly parents will receive a notification something is wrong. This will alert parents to take action seconds from the incident occurring not hours later when they finally find out things are not okay.

While the panic button is useful the unit is not capable of preventing a kidnapping entirely. But should the unthinkable happen parents will be able to access the GPS coordinates to find and recover their child quicker. While for some this personal tracking device may sound a bit paranoid, to parents who have lost and not found their children to a abduction many would be more than happy to have one on their child but it is too late. Do not wait until the unthinkable happens to protect your child as they go to and from school each day.

Father’s Day is the perfect day to celebrate our Dads. Finding the right Fathers day Gift to give is easier than you may think. Younger children may have a hard time figuring out what to get their Fathers for Fathers day, here is a resource for you.

There are a number of Fathers Day Gift ideas for younger kids to become involved in. Let’s explore some of them.

In a few weeks, Father’s Day will be here. Your kids are probably trying to come up with unique ideas this year. To help them, here are some Father’s Day ideas for younger kids.

• Make a Father’s Day card using construction paper, crayons and draw dad on the front with the words “I Love You Dad!” Mom can also download the many coloring templates kids can use to glue on to construction boards to make larger 8-1/2×11 cards.
• Kids can take their teddy bears and dress them up with a hat, tie, and glasses….and place a Happy Father’s Day sign for the bear to hold.
• Kids can help you make a Father’s Day breakfast for dad and present it to him either in bed or at the kitchen table.
• Kids can help mom make gingerbread cookies and using piping to outline the facial features. It can then be glued to a piece of cardboard and the kids can decorate the cardboard with dad’s favorite things!
• The kids can present dad with a card containing a list of chores they will do for dad for a week.
•  They can also make a story book using construction paper, to tell about their dad and why he is so special! 
• Mom can bake dad’s favorite cake and the kids can decorate it with dad’s favorite sports games, such as baseballs, footballs, soccer, or basketball.

• Kids love to draw, paint and mold. Using some clay, they can make dad a handprint and sign their names on the palms. He would certainly love that! In fact, kids also love to build things, so why not build day a special kite (with the help of mom, of course), then the entire family can enjoy this wonderful present.
• Special t-shirt painted by the kids; a card made of construction paper and decorated for dad; a picture frame made out of two pieces of cardboard and painted by the kids; or dad’s favorite cookies made by the kids with a little help from mom.
• If dad is a golfer, why not have mom buy a box of golf balls and have the kids paint their initials on each one.
• How about taking a small Xmas tree and turning it into a Father’s Day tree. Decorate it with his favorite candies and cookies.
• Or if dad is a baseball or football fan, the kids can decorate it by taking white Christmas balls and drawing baseball stripes on them; and making cookies in the shape of footballs using gingerbread dough! A baseball cap with dad’s initial can adorn the top of the tree, or you can find a mini sized football helmet and add his name to it as well.

More often than not, dad would probably receive a tie as a gift. Well, make this particular tie special. Let the kids be as creative as they want with paints and sparkles. Does dad lose the remote control often? Why not make him a TV remote holder using cardboard and fabric. The kids can decorate the cardboard with glow in the dark paint color, so that no matter where the holder is, he can always find it!

No matter what Father’s Day handmade gift ideas you come up with, there are plenty of ideas you and the kids can come up with. Don’t forget the handmade ashtray; your dad can use it as a paperweight, too!

Father’s Day ideas for younger kids can be achieved by asking them what they would like to make for dad; or perhaps buy for day. One thing though, he may not want any more ties! Make a Happy Father’s Day Sign using construction paper, and hang it in the kitchen or living room area. Dad will be so happy to see how much effort his children have put into making his day a special one!

Parenting is a wonderful, but challenging, journey. No instruction manuals, no definitive “right” or “wrong” methods.

And, of course, each child is different!

But for one special weekend (May 25-27) you can give yourself a break… while getting your parenting questions answered, brainstorming solutions and learning tips and techniques that work for today’s kids - toddlers to teens.

You can access all of the live workshops at no charge!

You will be able to participate online in over twenty interactive workshops given by professional parenting coaches, educators, and counselors. And if you have to miss any sessions, we’ve thought of that too…

…When you purchase a ticket, you’ll get audio recordings of *every single session*!

(There’s even a Spa Products giveaway for 35 lucky registrants - just so it will really feel like a weekend conference “getaway”.)

Best of all - until May 22nd - you can take full advantage of my “early bird” special pricing:

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What sort of parenting issue will you be able to address? Top parenting experts - each of whom has invested years of dedicated study in the field - will be there to share their wisdom about:

*Raising a confident and happy child able to be resilient to life’s challenges.
*Coping positively but effectively with disrespectful behavior and sassy attitudes.
*How to set your child up to make wise decisions and avoid dangerous behaviors.
*How to balance work and family - while still keeping your sanity!
*You’ll also learn why *therapy is not the answer* in helping your kids overcome stress, anger and trauma.
*How to deal with meltdowns and tantrums– at any age.

In fact, the Online Parenting Retreat will help you tackle everything from sibling rivalry to following your personal dreams while still being a proactive, positive parent.

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