Your gut area, including the stomach, small and large intestine, are known as the "enteric nervous system," or second brain. Nearly every brain-regulating chemical is made in this area, including hormones and neurotransmitters. When your digestion is out of balance, the manufacture of these chemicals may be affected, which in turn can affect your emotional state.
Besides taking expensive digestive enzymes, there are some things that you can do to help your body and digestion naturally. Here are four tips to get you started.
Tip Number 1: Chew your food well, because good digestion starts in the mouth. Many people believe if they don't chew enough, then it will simply take longer to digest in the stomach. Unfortunately not only is this not true, but could lead to problems.
Chewing your food serves two purposes. First, to break down the food into softer substance. This makes it easier for the stomach to break down and to swallow. Secondly, chewing starts the digestive process. Your saliva contains enzymes that break down the sugars in carbohydrates and enzymes that start the breakdown of fats. If you don't start this process in your mouth, then the food cannot be broken down in the stomach or intestine.
Thoroughly chewing your food is actually more difficult than it sounds. Many people chew a few times then swallow. This may be because of habit or being short on time. But your digestion and your health will thank you if you take your time and chew until all the food is broken down before you swallow.
Tip Number 2: To help your body achieve good digestion, be aware of the portions of food you eat, and don't over eat. Your body can only break down so much food at one time. If you eat too much, your body will not digest it later. It may even just sit in the digestive tract and contribute to excess, built-up waste in your body - otherwise known as gaining weight.
To start with, when eating proteins, make sure your serving is about the size of your palm. This will help to give you an idea of a portion that is good for your body without having to weight and measure.
Overeating proteins is one of the biggest contributors to excess weight gain, and makes sense since your body can only digest small amounts of protein at a time. If not digested shortly after it is eaten, it can easily get stored and even cause added fat in your body - no matter how lean the protein is.
In addition to controlling your protein serving, be cautious of the amount of starches you eat. These types of foods can easily cause an unwanted spike in blood sugar. Too much can interfere with your body's protein digestion and contribute to weight gain. Stick to about one-half to one cup per meal. Look for the easier to digest starches such as quinoa or basmati rice.
Tip Number 3: Be sure your intestinal bacteria is in check. Bacteria, both good and bad, is found in your digestive tract including your small intestine and colon. Good bacteria is imperative for good digestion.
Good bacteria are responsible for killing bad guys such as harmful bacteria (including e.coli) and other pathogens that can wreak havoc in your system. They also can help reduce gas and stomach bloat, help break down soluble fibers which help prevent bad cholesterol build-up and reduce inflammation.
Keep your good bacteria in check by eating plenty of whole, unprocessed vegetables, fruits, and whole, unprocessed grains. These are the building blocks your body needs to manufacture good bacteria. In addition, eat foods that include good bacteria such as yogurt and kifir.
Tip Number 4: Cleanse your colon and your body. Good digestion can never happen if the digestive tract is blocked or weighed down with excess waste. Build-up can happen in these tubes just as build-up occurs in your bloodstream even though your blood continuously flows.
Be sure to consume natural fibers that can help clear this area, such as those found in whole fruits and vegetables. A fiber supplement can help as long as it doesn't clog your body. For more intensive cleansing, a colon cleansing program may help your body remove excess waste.
Your food choices and lifestyle will be more important than anything else you will do to help your digestion. Help your body stay healthy and take the steps you need to improve your health with good digestion.
I know, it seems like a nice idea and all, but how the heck do you actually get kids to want to and enjoy helping with clean up?
At first, I didn't think it was possible either. But it turns out, I was grossly underestimating young people.
In fact, during my first year as a preschool teacher in a Montessori school, my limited ideas of the kids' cleaning capabilities were completely blown out of the water!
I looked around the classroom and saw three-year-olds sweeping, mopping, dusting, and helping each other clean up messes!
Three year olds. No kidding!
Now here's the kicker: Not only were these young people happily cleaning up after themselves and each other, they also felt proud of their accomplishments and were internally motivated to continue!
So, how can you get your kids to help you out around the house? Here are my five keys to promoting cooperation during clean up:
1) Invite them!
I don't know about you, but I HATE being told what to do. When somebody tells me what to do, I immediately resist.
So, next time you want your kids to help with clean up, try inviting them instead. This means you're actually going to be ok (and not give them the silent treatment) if they refuse; it's not a demand, it's an INVITATION.
2) Help them figure out the steps.
A four or five year old might not know exactly what you mean when you say, "Clean up your toys.". They know you want their toys put away, but they don't have a clear strategy of understandable steps toward success. If you can take a few moments to break it down for them, you'll get much more cooperation. Rather than feeling overwhelmed and confused, your kids have a step-by-step plan for how to "clean up".
Offer something like this: (and supervise kids who are beginners or who get distracted easily)
Step one: Say, "Can you find a basket?" (when they have it, say, "Yes!")
Step two: Say, "Look around the living room and ask yourself, "Does this
belong to me?"
Step three: If you find something that belongs to you, put it in the basket
Step four: Take the basket to your bedroom Step five: Take one item out of the basket and find a home for it
Step six: Repeat as necessary until the basket is empty
Step seven: Ask for help if you need it
Step eight: Jump around, jump around, jump up, jump up, and get down!
3) Be Consistent
If you don't care about food on the floor, nobody else will either. And if you want kids to learn to clean up after themselves, you've got to be committed to modeling it yourself, helping them, teaching them how, and supporting them in enjoying cleaning up.
It also helps to be clear about specific requirements like what must be done and to what standard. For example, when something spills, we clean it up right away.
If you can be consistent by making sure that every member of the family is living up to the requirements, it'll be much easier for kids to comply with the standards. On the other hand, if you bend the rules (especially at the beginning of a new regimen), get ready for everyone in your family to start testing to see where the boundaries are.
4) Model enjoyment of cleaning tasks and offer kids challenges
You want your kids to clean up willingly and joyfully, right?
So how will they learn how to do that?
By your example, of course!
If you're grumbling about the dishes every night, they'll learn that doing dishes is no fun. But if you're singing softly and enjoying the soapy water (it really is like a hot tub for your hands, right?), pretty soon you'll have little fingers reaching in to help!
Keep an eye on what your child is able to do easily, what he can do with some effort, what takes a lot of effort, and what is so difficult it's frustrating. Offer your child a challenge when he seems bored, but be fairly confident he can succeed at it.
5) Appreciate their efforts
OK, so I'm not saying that your kids will clean things as well or as thoroughly as you do, but that's no reason not to let them try. If you can appreciate their efforts and offer encouragement, they're more likely to get better at it.
If you just can't stand the remaining mess, you've got several options- If you think your child is capable of doing a better job, you can gently invite him to revisit the job. "Hey I saw that you swept and I really appreciate it. I did notice some dirt left on the floor, would you be willing to take care of that?"
Another option is to clean up after them, but observe your child first- does she look proud of the job she did?
If so, don't let her see you cleaning up after her. If kids see you re-doing a job they've just done, they could feel hurt or discouraged which can completely undermine the progress you're making. Instead, wait until they're asleep and go back over it when there's no chance of getting caught.
I don't mean to imply that you shouldn't help your kids, if they need support. By all means, let them know you've got their backs, especially if they seem frustrated or are having an especially hard time. And remember that as skills develop they might be inconsistent.
One day she can put her socks shoes on all by herself, and the next she can't even pull on her own socks. That's perfectly normal. Repeated experiences of success produce long term learning, so help your kids succeed as often as possible. If you can tell he's not up to the task today, offer your help joyfully.
Some kids have a hard time sticking with it when they don't succeed right away. If that's your situation, you can remind your child that learning new skills takes time and practice. If she gets discouraged quickly, help her gain confidence by encouraging her to try again.
And remember to praise the effort rather than the result. Now you know my favorite ways to encourage young kids to help with clean-up! I hope it helps!
Both Cindy Papp & Shelly Birger are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Cindy Papp has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Fitness and Metabolism. Cindy Papp is a Nutritional Counselor and has been actively working in the holistic health field for 14 years. Learn more about and. Cindy Papp's top article generates over 6120000 views. to your Favourites.
Shelly Birger has sinced written about articles on various topics from Parenting, Fitness and Parenting. Shelly Birger is a parent coach who co-writes , an online weekly newsletter. Frustrated with toddler tantrums? Not sure if you're raising them ri. Shelly Birger's top article generates over 6120000 views. to your Favourites.