Fruit juices may not be as healthy as you thought.
Safeguarding your children’s health is one of the major concerns for parents today. Giving your children the right food is key to ensuring they grow strong and healthy.
It is so difficult knowing which foodstuffs are best, especially when there is so much conflicting information out there. Often advertisers play on parental health concerns with misleading claims about the nutritional value of their products. In other cases there are general misconceptions about a certain food and its supposed health benefits. Either way, parents need to separate fact from the advertising spin and the misinformation.
Going on holiday can make you healthier and even more productive.
Everyone loves a holiday, and if your Instagram or Facebook feed is anything to go by, everyone is constantly on one. In reality, however, not everybody is blessed with this opportunity and it’s taking a serious toll on our health.
People who aren’t able to jet off into the sunset at least once a year, or are simply not taking advantage of the opportunity could be at risk of several health problems, such as heart disease, increased stress and bigger waists. Episodes of depression are also a symptom of the non-stop worker, though this could further be attributed to social media feeds, which feed your envy as you see your friends sipping margaritas while you slurp office coffee. Read More →
Home remedies are readily available on the internet today, but do they actually work?
We live in a world where information is easily accessible with the internet at our fingertips and more often than not we tend to believe everything we read (but don’t take my word for it!).
I know that I am a doctor’s nightmare, one of those patients who immediately checks the web trying to figure out if I am dying or not as soon as illness strikes. I diagnose myself with serious illnesses and try weird home remedies in a desperate attempt to get better as quickly as possible. (I’ve burnt my tongue too many times trying to drink hot tea with honey to relieve my sore throat).
It is normal for women to wonder when and how they can start losing the weight once they have given birth.
Women gain weight during pregnancy, this is normal. It is also normal for women to wonder when and how they can start losing the weight once they have given birth. Of course, pregnancy and birth are beautiful and natural processes, but most of us want to go back to the way we looked before.
Unfortunately, celebrities and the media make it seem easy and to be honest the results are often extreme and unrealistic. This leads women worldwide to believe they can get back on the elliptical machine days after giving birth.
Do you know the recommended amount of homework for children?
Even as an adult, though I use the term loosely, I hate homework. Until recently, I had been working as a language assistant, helping to teach English in a Spanish high school, or ‘instituto’. The hours are fantastic, as you are contracted to a 16 hour week with a three day weekend every week.
Despite this, I still resented having to make lesson plans outside of this. When I’m at home, that is my time. I don’t want to bring work home with me; it would, after all, be unacceptable to bring home issues with me to work. And it’s not (entirely) laziness. I’m actually happier working longer hours, as long as it doesn’t spill out of the workplace.
Vaccination is important in protecting children from disease.
There is no greater tragedy than losing a child but imagine the anguish if that death could have been prevented. The development of powerful vaccines and immunisation programmes means that no parent need fear losing their child to mumps, rubella or measles ever again.
Immunisation is a powerful tool in the fight against childhood mortality and one you would assume most countries would embrace. However a 2014 World Health Organisation assessment which ranked immunisation coverage by country found some surprising results.
I’ve said it before, and I will say it a million times again, moving abroad is not easy. Not only are you leaving behind everything you know, but also everyone you care about and everything you have worked for. The great news is that new adventures, friends and life experiences are waiting for you at your destination country. In reality, it’s settling in that really takes its toll – especially on children.
If you are packing up and relocating with your family, then things can get pretty tough. While for your youngest it might be easy, your oldest is likely to be more sceptical. Perhaps mum is not too happy about giving up her career back home to become a housewife, or dad finds out that he has to wear a suit and tie to work every day.
Anything that helps the process of settling in for the whole family is great. It gives children something to look forward to, it gives mum a project to focus on, and it gives dad a chance to unwind from working long hours. Read More →
Ecuador has been ranked the best Expat country overall for the second year running.
Internations recently released their second edition of the ‘Expat Insider’ – an extensive survey involving 14,000 expats across the globe to find out which countries are the top destinations for expats. The survey takes an in-depth look at five key categories which contribute to a truly epic expat experience: quality of life; ease of settling in; working abroad; family life and personal finance. Internations found that Ecuador, Mexico and Malta are the best overall destinations for foreigners.
As a seasoned expat with 6 countries to my name, I have always felt that the most important element of finding happiness abroad (or even back home) is settling in. Admittedly, in the majority of my homes I was still dependent on the bank of Mum & Dad, so I’m a little biased in that ‘personal finance’ or ‘working abroad’ weren’t exactly a concern of mine. But after a couple of years in Spain and being (ir)responsible for myself, I still feel that true happiness in any part of the world is a direct result of how well you settle in.
Are your children covered for school injuries?
Now that the summer is over and children are heading back to school around the world, it might be a good idea to dust off your insurance policy and check that your family is covered for any injuries your child might obtain at school.
Although teachers and supervisors are present, children have an uncanny ability to get in all sorts of trouble which could result in injury. As a parent you’ll be aware what kids can be like, so don’t let minor injuries – such as fractures or broken limbs – take you by surprise resulting in large expenditure on x-rays, medication, or doctor visits for check ups. Read More →
60 million people in Europe are currently living with diabetes. In the UK, new statistics show that the number of people living with diabetes has gone up by 60% in the past decade, reaching over 3.3 million. Importantly, 90% of these cases related to type-2 diabetes, which is typically linked to diet and obesity.
Type-2 diabetes refers to a high blood-sugar level, caused by a lack of insulin in the body or an unusually high resistance to insulin, which is used by the body to absorb glucose from the blood and use as energy.