Is Your Kids Having A Common Cold Or Flu?

Your child is sent home from school with a sore throat, cough, and high fever — could it be the flu that's been going around? Or just a common cold?

Although the flu  usually causes symptoms that make someone feel worse than symptoms associated with a common cold, it's not always easy to tell the difference between the two.

Symptoms Guide

The answers to these questions can help determine whether a child is fighting the flu or combating a cold:

Flu vs. Colds: A Guide to Symptoms

Questions

Flu

Cold

Was the onset of illness ...

sudden?

slow?

Does your child have a ...

high fever?

no (or mild) fever?

Is your child's exhaustion level ...

severe?

mild?

Is your child's head ...

achy?

headache-free?

Is your child's appetite ...

decreased?

normal?

Are your child's muscles ...

achy?

fine?

Does your child have ...

chills?

no chills?

If most of your answers fell into the first category, chances are that your child has the flu. If your answers were usually in the second category, it's most likely a cold.But don't be too quick to brush off your child's illness as just another cold. The important thing to remember is that flu symptoms can vary from child to child (and they can change as the illness progresses), so if you suspect the flu, call the doctor. Even doctors often need a test to tell them for sure if a person has the flu or not since the symptoms can be so similar!

Some bacterial diseases, like strep throat or pneumonia, also can look like the flu or a cold. It's important to get medical attention immediately if your child seems to be getting worse, is having any trouble breathing, has a high fever, has a bad headache, has a sore throat, or seems confused.

While even healthy kids can have complications of the flu, kids with certain medical conditions are at more of a risk. If you think your kid might have the flu, contact your doctor.

Treatment

Some kids with chronic medical conditions may become sicker with the flu and need to be hospitalized, and flu in an infant also can be dangerous. For severely ill kids or those with other special circumstances, doctors may prescribe an antiviral medicine that can ease flu symptoms, but only if it's given within 48 hours of the onset of the flu.

Most of the time, you can care for your child by offering plenty of fluids, rest, and extra comfort.

And if the doctor says it's not the flu? Ask whether your child should get a flu shot.

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Oh Acne! How To Get Rid Of It?

What Causes Acne?

Contrary to what you may have heard, acne is not caused by dirty skin. Acne is caused by overactive oil glands in the skin and an accumulation of oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria, which leads to inflammation in pores.

Oil glands become stimulated when hormones become active during puberty, which is why people are likely to get acne in their teens. Because the tendency to develop acne is partly genetic, if other people in your family had (or have) acne, you may be more likely to develop it too.

 How To Get Rid Of It?

Although there is no surefire way to prevent acne, try these tips to help reduce the number and severity of your breakouts:                                                                                                 

1. Washing your skin is essential (it helps remove excess surface oils and dead skin cells that can clog your pores), but washing too much can actually cause damage by overdrying your skin or irritating existing acne. 
2.  Remember to wash after exercising because sweat can clog your pores and make your acne worse. If you work around greasy food or oil or if you've been sweating from heat or because you've been working hard, wash your face and other acne-prone areas as soon as possible.
3. If you use skin products, such as lotions or makeup, look for ones that are noncomedogenic or nonacnegenic, which means that they don't clog pores.
4. If you can't live without your hair spray or styling gel, be sure to keep them away from your face as much as possible. Many hair products contain oils that can make acne worse. Try to use water-based products.
5. If you get acne on areas such as your chest or back, avoid wearing tight clothes, which can rub and cause irritation.

What about pimples you already have? It's tempting, but popping or squeezing a pimple usually won't get rid of the problem. Squeezing can actually push infected material and pus further into the skin, which can lead to more swelling and redness (not what you want before a big date!), and even scarring, which can be permanent.

 If you're taking a prescription acne medication, finish your entire prescription even if your skin clears up, unless your dermatologist says you can stop. If you stop too early, there's a chance your skin could break out all over again.

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How Can I Stop Smoking?

First, congratulate yourself. Just reading this article is a huge step toward becoming tobacco free. Many people don't quit smoking because they think it's too hard to do. They think they'll quit someday.
It's true that for most people quitting isn't easy. After all, the nicotine in cigarettes is a powerfully addictive drug.

Nicotine is both a stimulant and a depressant. That means it increases the heart rate at first and makes people feel more alert (like caffeine, another stimulant). Then it causes depression and fatigue. The depression and fatigue — and the drug withdrawal from nicotine — make people crave another cigarette to perk up again. According to many experts, the nicotine in tobacco is as addictive as cocaine or heroin.
But don't be discouraged; millions of Americans have permanently quit smoking. These strategies can help you quit, too:

Put it in writing. People who want to make a change often are more successful when they put it in writing. So write down all the reasons why you want to quit smoking, such as the money you will save or the stamina you'll gain for playing sports. Keep that list where you can see it, and add to it as you think of new reasons.

Get support. People whose friends and family help them quit are much more likely to succeed. If you don't want to tell your parents or family that you smoke, make sure your friends know, and consider confiding in a counselor or other adult you trust. And if you're having a hard time finding people to support you (if, say, all your friends smoke and none of them is interested in quitting), you might consider joining a support group, either in person or online.

 Set a quit date. Pick a day that you'll stop smoking. Tell your friends (and your family, if they know you smoke) that you're going to quit smoking on that day. Just think of that day as a dividing line between the smoking you and the new and improved nonsmoker you'll become. Mark it on your calendar.

Throw away your cigarettes — all of your cigarettes. People can't stop smoking with cigarettes still around to tempt them. Even toss out that emergency pack you have stashed in the secret pocket of your backpack. Get rid of your ashtrays and lighters, too.

Wash all your clothes. Get rid of the smell of cigarettes as much as you can by washing all your clothes and having your coats or sweaters dry-cleaned. If you smoked in your car, clean that out, too.
  
Keep yourself busy. Many people find it's best to quit on a Monday, when they have school or work to keep them busy. The more distracted you are, the less likely you'll be to crave cigarettes. Staying active is also a good way to make sure you keep your weight down and your energy up, even as you're experiencing the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.  

Quit gradually. Some people find that gradually decreasing the number of cigarettes they smoke each day is an effective way to quit. However, this strategy doesn't work for everyone — you may find you have to stop completely at once. This is known as "cold turkey." 

Use a nicotine replacement if you need to. If you find that none of these strategies is working, you might talk to your doctor about treatments. Using a nicotine replacement, such as gum, patches, inhalers, or nasal sprays, can be very helpful. Sprays and inhalers are available by prescription only, and it's important to see your doctor before buying the patch and gum over the counter. That way, your doctor can help you find the solution that will work best for you. 

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How Smoking Affects Your Health.

There are no physical reasons to start smoking. The body doesn't need tobacco the way it needs food, water, sleep, and exercise. And many of the chemicals in cigarettes, like nicotine and cyanide, are actually poisons that can kill in high enough doses.

The body is smart. It goes on the defense when it's being poisoned. First-time smokers often feel pain or burning in the throat and lungs, and some people feel sick or even throw up the first few times they try tobacco.

The consequences of this poisoning happen gradually. Over the long term, smoking leads people to develop health problems like heart disease, stroke, emphysema (breakdown of lung tissue), and many types of cancer — including lung, throat, stomach, and bladder cancer. People who smoke also have an increased risk of infections like bronchitis and pneumonia.

The consequences of smoking may seem very far off, but long-term health problems aren't the only hazard of smoking. Nicotine and the other toxins in cigarettes, cigars, and pipes can affect a person's body quickly, which means that teen smokers experience many of these problems:

• Bad skin. Because smoking can slow the flow of blood vessels, it can prevent oxygen and nutrients from getting to the skin — which is why smokers often appear pale and unhealthy. Studies have also linked smoking to an increased risk of getting a type of skin rash called psoriasis.
• Bad breath. Cigarettes leave smokers with a condition called halitosis, or persistent bad breath.
• Bad-smelling clothes and hair. The smell of stale smoke tends to linger — not just on people's clothing, but on their hair, furniture, and cars. And it's often hard to get the smell of smoke out.
• Reduced athletic performance. People who smoke usually can't compete with nonsmoking peers because the physical effects of smoking (like rapid heartbeat, decreased circulation, and shortness of breath) impair sports performance.
• Greater risk of injury and slower healing time. Smoking affects the body's ability to produce collagen, so common sports injuries, such as damage to tendons and ligaments, will heal more slowly in smokers than nonsmokers.
• Increased risk of illness. Studies show that smokers get more colds, flu, bronchitis, and pneumonia than nonsmokers. And people with certain health conditions, like asthma, become more sick if they smoke (and often if they're just around people who smoke). Because teens who smoke as a way to manage weight often light up instead of eating, their bodies also lack the nutrients they need to grow, develop, and fight off illness properly.

 Smoking can also cause fertility problems and can impact sexual health in both men and women. Girls who are on the pill or other hormone-based methods of birth control (like the patch or the ring) increase their risk of serious health problems, such as heart attacks, if they smoke.

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Smoking:Once You Start, It's Hard to Stop.

When your parents were young, people could buy cigarettes and smoke pretty much anywhere — even in hospitals! Ads for cigarettes were all over the place. Today we're more aware about how bad smoking is for our health. Smoking is restricted or banned in almost all public places and cigarette companies are no longer allowed to advertise on TV, radio, and in many magazines.
Almost everyone knows that smoking causes cancer, emphysema, and heart disease; that it can shorten your life by 10 years or more; and that the habit can cost a smoker thousands of dollars a year. So how come people are still lighting up? The answer, in a word, is addiction.

Once You Start, It's Hard to Stop

Smoking is a hard habit to break because tobacco contains nicotine, which is highly addictive. Like heroin or other addictive drugs, the body and mind quickly become so used to the nicotine in cigarettes that a person needs to have it just to feel normal.

 People start smoking for a variety of different reasons. Some think it looks cool. Others start because their family members or friends smoke. Statistics show that about 9 out of 10 tobacco users start before they're 18 years old. Most adults who started smoking in their teens never expected to become addicted. That's why people say it's just so much easier to not start smoking at all.

All forms of tobacco — cigarettes, pipes, cigars, hookahs, and smokeless tobacco — are hazardous. It doesn't help to substitute products that seem like they're better for you than regular cigarettes, such as e-cigarettes or filtered or low-tar cigarettes.
The only thing that really helps a person avoid the problems associated with smoking is staying smoke free. This isn't always easy, especially if everyone around you is smoking and offering you cigarettes. It may help to have your reasons for not smoking ready for times you may feel the pressure, such as "I just don't like it" or "I want to stay in shape for soccer" (or football, basketball, or other sport).
The good news for people who don't smoke or who want to quit is that studies show that the number of teens who smoke has dropped dramatically. Today, about 20% of high school students smoke — which means 4 out of 5 don't.
If you do smoke and want to quit, you have lots of information and support available. Different approaches to quitting work for different people. For some, quitting cold turkey is best. Others find that a slower approach is the way to go. Some people find that it helps to go to a support group especially for teens. These are sometimes sponsored by local hospitals or organizations like the American Cancer Society. The Internet offers a number of good resources to help people quit smoking.
When quitting, it can be helpful to realize that the first few days are the hardest. So don't give up. Some people find they have a few relapses before they manage to quit for good.
Staying smoke free will give you a whole lot more of everything — more energy, better performance, better looks, more money in your pocket, and in the long run, more life to live!

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8 Muscle Building Diet Necessities

If you think that pumping weights alone will give you that muscular body you've always want to, well, think again. Reality is, lifting weights (or weight training) is just a part of the equation.

With weight training program, your diet dictates (to a large extent) the physique you will end up with. A very popular false impression is that anybody who takes up weight training will develop a bulky muscular shape. This can't be any further from the truth.

If you want to build muscles and really grow them big, you've got to give your the proper building blocks to do so. Just to put extra emphasis on the importance of having a appropriate diet in growing muscles, 80% of your success actually depends on the food you eat. And these are what you should eat:

Egg Whites - As a matter of fact, If you do not have enough protein in your body you can not build muscle mass. And with a protein to fat ratio of 60:1, egg whites are incredibly one of the purest forms of protein you can have. As an added bonus, the protein in egg whites possesses an extremely high biological value, meaning it is readily utilized by your body for protein synthesis.

Chicken and/or Turkey Breasts - Again, the most crucial thing here is protein. Lean meat such as chicken/turkey breasts contain high levels of high quality protein (and very little saturated and trans fats), which means they are very good for building muscles.

Lean red meat - Talking about lean meat, lean ground beef and cuts of red meat which are rich in protein, iron, zinc and B vitamins, are excellent for muscle building. In addition, red meats have a high calorie per serving ratio, making them superb for those who want to really get bulked up. Be careful not to consume far too much though as they also contain saturated fats.

Complex carbohydrates - In addition to protein, your body also needs a regular supply of carbohydrates to grow muscles. And the best sources of complex carbohydrates are foods that are in their most natural state like oatmeal, bran and brown rice. Other good sources of complex carbohydrates are pasta, bread, and corn.

Fish - In addition to protein (again), fish such as salmon, tuna, trout and sardines contain essential fatty acids (i.e., omega-3) that help in the muscle building process. As a bonus, high intakes of fish and omega-3 fatty acids lead to decreased rates of major depression.

Beans and legumes - In addition to protein, beans and legumes contain large amounts of fiber which is essential in maintaining a regular and normal healthy bowel movement as well as proper insulin response. Proper insulin response is very important as it enables your body to efficiently absorb and use the various nutrients and supplements you are ingesting.

Fluid - Needless to say, you need to replace the water/fluid your body lost during workout. Also, did you know that hydration makes your muscles look full? Many bodybuilders strongly recommend drinking up to 10 liters of water a day. But many more choose energy drinks as a much better option.

Protein shakes and supplements - If you want your muscles to really grow, you need about 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you'll do the math, that will mean having to consume food beyond your stomach's capacity. The best solution? Drink protein shakes and take supplements.

Watch this wonderful video to help you wade through the bullshit so you can simplify and dominate both in and out of the gym.

Here you will found a ton of expert advice on how to bulk up and gain weight. Especially if you are a skinny guy.

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An Easy Muscle Gain Diet Outline

Today I’m going to lay out a simple strategy to your muscle gain diet that will help you to build more muscle mass without having to do anything that could put your health in risk. Sure there certainly are a lot of tips and tricks that you can apply to your diet in order to gain muscle mass, the bottom line is that in order to make it happen, you’ve got to have a really good bodybuilding diet plan in place. The proven muscle gain diet fundamentals that seem like they’re “old school” or outdated are typically the ones that will allow your body to build muscle mass and keep it on for a long time.

If you neglect your bodybuilding diet, then you simply won’t be able to pack on any muscle mass at all. You have to learn how to give your body the macro nutrients that it has to have in order to build new muscle tissue at the right times over the course of the day. If you can master this important muscle building diet skill, then you will be putting yourself in a position to really pack on some new muscle mass. When you get good at feeding your muscles for new growth, you’ll be able to gain muscle mass at will.

The lay out of your bodybuilding nutrition plan is the key to making it work for your muscles. You need to take some time to think about your current lifestyle and also to think about the things that are important to your diet in order for you to reach your goals. If you try to construct a bodybuilding diet that you really don't like, then you will not be able to stick with it for very long. You may become frustrated and disappointed and over time give up on your goal of gaining muscle mass.

The design that I think works best for gaining muscle mass is to simply plan on eating 6 - 10 small (but complete) whole food based meals every day spread out every 2-3 hours throughout the day. This allows you to steadily refuel your muscles and supply your body with the foods that it needs in order to continue to repair broken down muscle cells and build even more muscle fiber.

When it comes to your muscle gain diet, this advice will take you a long way towards achieving your goals without the frustration of having to work hard without anything to show for it. If you simply forget all of the marketing hype and over the top nutritional advice out there and put together a muscle bodybuilding diet plan that the fundamental nutritional techniques covered in this article, then you'll be able to gain more muscle mass than you ever thought you could.

Watch this wonderful video to help you wade through the bullshit so you can simplify and dominate both in and out of the gym.

Here you will found a ton of expert advice on how to bulk up and gain weight. Especially if you are a skinny guy.

Read More