FIND THE RIGHT FOOD BALANCE FOODS THAT CAUSE AND REDUCE INFLAMMATION
The food you eat plays a major role in how your body functions on the cellular level. Some foods can wreak havoc on your body, while others can make you feel great. This is especially true when it comes to that all-too- common ailment, inflammation.
know all of those detox diets? They don’t work. In fact, the only way to detox is to let your liver do its job. When you consume alcohol, it’s harder for the liver to pump out the toxins in your body. When it can’t do its job properly, the result is inflammation.
Here are a few examples of foods that lead to inflammation:
Now, for the good stuff. Eat these foods to reduce inflammation:
SUGAR: One of the biggest culprits behind inflammation, sugar is far worse than eating fatty foods. It’s best to skip foods that have added sugar (and this includes sugar of any kind, including corn syrup, fructose, and sucrose). Many manufacturers now label food with more specific kinds of sugar to hide the fact that they added sugar to their product. Be sure to read labels carefully! REFINED CARBS: Basically anything made from white flour falls into this category, including bread, pasta, baked goods, and cereals. Research suggests that refined carbs may be a bigger contributing factor than fat in obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
BLUEBERRIES: Many studies call blueberries one of the best fruits you can eat to ease symptoms of inflammation. These blue orbs of goodness are packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, polyphenols, and so much more. Eat a handful every day! SALMON : As a source of healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is one of the best protein choices for people with inflammatory conditions, or for those who want to keep inflammation at bay. BROCCOLI: One of the most nutritious and easily accessible vegetables around, the little green buds that cover the tops of broccoli are loaded with anti- inflammatory compounds.
ALCOHOL: Too much alcohol puts a burden on your liver, an organ that helps flush toxins out of the body. You
TIME TO LIGHTEN THE LOAD Is a Heavy Backpack Endangering Your Child?
of problems if not corrected. If your child starts to complain about neck or back pain, or you notice their posture has become increasingly worse, check how heavy their backpack is. HOW CAN I PROTECT MY CHILD’S BACK? The quickest way to take the burden off your child’s back is to swap their backpack for a wheeling bag. Unfortunately, many schools have banned wheeling bags for being a tripping hazard, and kids resist them because rolling bags just aren’t “cool.” The next option is to make sure your child is wearing their backpack correctly. They should be wearing both straps, tightened enough that the backpack rests higher than their waist. It also helps to strategize when packing the backpack. Store heavier items at the center and closer to the back so the weight is more evenly distributed. There’s nothing wrong with choosing a backpack because it has Captain America on it, but remember that the strength of the character doesn’t help your child handle the weight of a too-heavy backpack. Help keep your child healthy this school year and make sure their backpack won’t cause back problems.
Kids often choose their school backpacks based on looks alone. Favorite colors and characters make the decision, which might be why some parents fail to realize that the purple My Little Pony backpack is causing their child back problems. HOW HEAVY IS TOO HEAVY? Parents assume heavy backpacks are only a problem for high school or college students with stacks of textbooks. However, it’s not uncommon for elementary school students to be dragging around backpacks that weigh almost 20 pounds! A backpack shouldn’t be any heavier than 10–15 percent of the child’s body weight. This means that a child who weighs 60 pounds should carry a backpack that’s 9 pounds, maximum. WHAT’S THE DANGER? When kids have to carry around heavy backpacks every day, it’s only a matter of time before it has a negative impact on their developing bodies. Heavy backpacks can cause the spine to unnaturally compress, leading to a lifetime
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