In many cultures, including our own, a chunky baby is considered a healthy baby. Even I, a child obesity expert, was proud of my infants’ fat rolls, taking them as a sign that my body was providing all the milk my baby needed to grow strong. As a general pediatrician, I have seen many nervous parents worried that their newborns were too thin. I almost never saw parents who were worried that their baby was too chubby.

Yet now, researchers are warning that babies who gain weight rapidly in the first six months of life are at a much greater risk of becoming obese toddlers.

According to a new study in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics, rapid weight gain in early infancy is a more important indicator of future obesity than how much a baby weighed at birth, the weight of the infant’s parents, or the number of pounds mom gained during pregnancy.

“The perception has been that a chubby baby and a baby that grows fast early in life is healthier and all the baby fat will disappear,” said the paper’s lead author, Dr. Elsie Taveras, an assistant professor in Harvard Medical School’s ambulatory care and prevention department. “But (that) is not the case.”

More interesting, the finding held even for premature babies and babies who were underweight at birth!

One caveat to the study: the kids were only followed for three years. It would be interesting to see what happens to these children throughout the next decade of their lives.

So what can we do to prevent our babies from gaining too much weight in their first six months? I can tell you one thing you must not do; do not put your baby on a diet. Let me say that again. Do not jump to what seems to be the obvious conclusion. IT IS NOT SAFE TO PUT A BABY ON A DIET!

But maybe we can teach parents to better understand their babies’ cues. Babies do indicate when they are no longer hungry. Babies often turn their heads away when they are satiated. Yet many parents still try to get the last few ounces in. Perhaps parents can stop the feeding at the first sign of this cue. If the baby is, in fact, still hungry, she will let you know; your baby will cry, fuss and show ‘rooting’ behaviors. If that occurs, feel free to start to feed again. Parents must give up their preconceived notions of how much a baby should drink at each feeding.

Breastfeeding is another way to prevent too much weight gain. While it is not impossible to overfeed a baby while breastfeeding, it is less likely. Breastfed babies are better able to control their intake because parents have no way of determining exactly how much their baby is drinking. Even breastfed babies give cues when they are done feeding. A breastfed baby will come off the breast when hunger subsides. But I remember, while breastfeeding my own kids, thinking that they hadn’t been feeding long enough to be done. I worried that they hadn’t yet reached the nutrient-rich ‘hind milk’. So I would put them back on the boob. We need to rethink this knee-jerk reaction. If a baby comes off while breastfeeding, moms should wait before trying to feed again. As with the bottle-fed baby, if he is still hungry, he will let you know!

I hope this study causes us to rethink our attitudes toward bigger babies. Parents of normal-weight babies should not worry that their babies are too skinny and therefore unhealthy. Parents must not strive for the chubby baby that has become our society’s ideal. It’s time to change our understanding of what makes a healthy baby!

Joanna Dolgoff MD is a Pediatrician, Creator of Dr. Dolgoff’s Weigh: Online Child & Teen Weight Management and Mommy of two.

Dr. Dolgoff’s Weigh has been featured on NBC, ABC, WPIX & My9 News & boasts a 96% success rate!

Help your child lose weight today at http://www.DrWeigh.com.

The noni fruit is an ugly little fruit from the Polynesian and Hawaiian islands. This fruit is sacred to the Hawaiians because of all the benefits it has for the human body. The Kahunas of the ancient islands used this strange fruit that looks like a bumpy potato, to strengthen their immune systems and promote good health. For thousands of years this fruit has been used for its healing properties but only are we learning why it was.

The noni fruit from the Hawaiian Islands are grown in nutrient rich soil and only when it’s fully ripe is it picked and turned into noni juice. This makes it taste better than other noni juice that is made with fruit that is picked before it is ripe.

Noni juice has many benefits that may help you feel better and live longer. Just be advised that these claims have not been evaluated by the FDA but have been studied by independent doctors.

Some of the benefits of noni juice are:

Immune system- your immune system is very important for your well being it helps you fight off germs, bacteria, and other foreign invaders. Noni juice helps give your immune system a boost to help you fight off these infections.

Circulatory and cardiovascular systems-Noni has scopoletin this has been shown to lower blood pressure; noni also helps the body to produce nitric oxide. Nitric oxide when made in the body helps to relax and expand blood vessels this helps to relieve stress on the arteries and heart.

Digestive tract- Aiding the digestive tract noni helps your body to effectively break down enzymes so that the body absorbs nutrients more thoroughly.

Emotional and mental well being- When taking noni it is suppose to rise your serotonin levels in your brain. Serotonin has been shown to boost your mood and sense of well being.

Noni is also very high in antioxidants and other nut rants so even if you don’t feel any different you haven’t lost anything because it’s still healthy and low in fat so you win anyway. Can you ever eat too many vegetables? Not likely?

The noni fruit has a reputation for not being very tasty but the recommended dosage to start is 1 ounce and you can go up from there, it is recommended to do this slowly. If you don’t like the taste of the juice you could mix it with orange juice or whatever fruit juice you like the best you might even want to mix it with a fruit smoothie.

Noni is classified as a super fruit with its antioxidants and other immune system boosting properties it’s as healthy for you as pomegranates and other super fruits.

Your immune system is central to your overall health. When you have a strong immune system, your body is able to strengthen its various functions. Your body’s cells need to work right along side your immune system, thus helping you to feel healthy and energized again.

Zach Thompson is a Pure Noni Juice Representative. His clients range from actresses to pro athletes. You can get a free consultation by visiting http://findoptimalhealth.com/hawaiian-noni-juice.php

Kids with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) deal with enough attention issues without having to deal with anger. Yet many ADHD children have anger problems, more often than not resulting from the difficulties they experience just getting through the day.

Up to 33% of children diagnosed with ADHD will outgrow the diagnosis by middle school and 50% by the end of high school. These are promising numbers; however, side effects such as anger control can remain a lifelong problem if they were not dealt with in an appropriate way.

Children with ADHD anger should be treated from a holistic standpoint. Their treatment should cover all aspects of their lives: home, school, extra curricular activities, mental and emotional health, lifestyle, and diet. When taking in all aspects of a child’s life, you can open up several teaching opportunities on appropriate responses to stress. You can show your child that anger outbursts and explosions are not the only way he can respond to certain situations. For example, you can show your child how to develop alternate responses to anxiety such as deep breathing, hitting carefully arranged pillows or verbalizing his pain and concerns in a constructive manner.

Some valuable treatment options for children with ADHD anger are Cognitive Behavior Modification Therapy, Family Counseling, EEG Biofeedback, Dietary Therapy and Exercise Therapy. There are classes in gyms and YMCA that can rightfully be called anger management classes. Not only do the children lose weight, get fit, but they learn how to keep negative emotions and stress under control. These are all behavior modification processes that do work, provided the child and family are willing to make the time and effort to do so.

Lifestyle and dietary changes are highly effective if they become part of the whole family’s routines. Children with ADHD often feel singled out enough as it is; it is even more important that they do not feel that isolation at home. Gluten free diets are highly recommended for children with ADHD as well as sugar and dairy free foods. Martial Arts programs also show promising results with hyperactive children; the focus of Martial Arts is not on competition with others, but on mastering the self, especially in the areas of concentration and attention. Dr. John J. Ratey has recommended exercise as the most natural “medication” for ADHD in children.

Parents should take the time to educate themselves on anger, ADHD, and anger management. Helping your child conquer anger issues can be done with a variety of natural behavior modification therapies. Check out your local gym or Y for exercise sessions that work as anger management classes as well.

Bianca Tora is a writer interested in the relationship between lifestyle and the brain, specifically the area of emotional regulation and control. She has written a book on anger management for children. Visit her at

http://www.help-your-child-with-anger.com

As a point of modern 21st century life businesses adapted to the culture and environment of the modern world. Consumers were faced with numerous companies trying to compete for their attention. This environment created many opportunities and challenges for companies that wanted to sell and promote products.

The internet, TV and radio all converged to make a multimedia frenzy that pushed consumers to the limits of endurance and tested the patience of most marketers. Companies started forming that could bypass more and more layers of confusion by seeking direct contact with the consumer.

An example of this kind of marketing and company was FreeLife International. The products that they created and supported were said to be of a beneficial nature to the consumer. The message that they endorsed was primarily in support of a different kind of lifestyle then most consumers where experiencing. People that joined such companies where aware of the benefits and expense, but were looking to make improvements in different parts of their life.

While FreeLife International promoted a healthier lifestyle and created an environment that was mainly utilitarian in terms of the user, it also created opportunities to expand the other parts of the life of the user. Freelife was one of many like-minded companies that began using the changed business model.

Many of these companies promoted a healthy lifestyle, as well as giving the users the chance to pass that lifestyle on to other users while letting the original users make a profit in the process. These companies promoted a holistic approach to marketing that not only made the consumer more aware of health related opportunities but promoted the prosperity of the consumers in the process.

This was a first in business tactics and procedures, creating a way for consumers to benefit both from the products use as well as the products resale to other users.

Most businesses at this time realized that to survive they had to have a healthy, happy customer base. To promote the user was to create a stronger business.

This was perhaps because of the times. The planet itself was in a time of transition. With forces and changes like global warming, pollution and starvation constantly creating fear in the consumer.

Companies also realized that the only way to compete was to create a stable customer base. The only way to create a stable customer base was provide tools and techniques that could help the user be healthier happier and richer.

Companies that promoted this won the approval of consumers, as well as gathered new users every day. This was how business was developed in the 21st century. Competing in this environment companies had a better chance of winning not so much by beating the competition but by growing the business organically.

This was the main shift of the 21st century, companies became interested in not only selling a product but they also promoted the health and well being of the users. This was formula for success followed by these companies investing in the new economy. They didn’t necessarily follow all the rules or reasons of older more established businesses but by creating a pact with their customers they proceeded to define a new space in the American Business landscape.

Zach Thompson is a Freelife Business Marketer. His clients range from actresses to pro athletes. You can get a free consultation by visiting http://www.goji-unveiled.com

Crown lengthening is a periodontal procedure used to correct a gummy smile, a condition where teeth appear too short or too small. This condition can result from several causes. Periodontal disease can cause the gums to overlap tooth enamel and make them look shorter than they are.

Teeth that have been filled with primitive amalgam fillings, or capped with outdated gold crowns, can often decay to the point that they lose a great deal of their enamel and dentin. When the amalgam or gold cap eventually falls out, the tooth appears to withdraw into the gum line.

Teeth that are damaged in an accident can even break off at the gum line itself, making it appear that the person has lost them altogether.

Dentists in past years would have extracted the majority of these teeth. This is not the case today. More recent advances in the science of restorative dentistry have made it possible to both save these teeth from a functional perspective, and also to restore them aesthetically.

Crown lengthening can be done with traditional surgical instruments, or it can be performed using the PerioLase MVP-7, which is the laser also used to perform LANAP. The choice of surgical methods will depend on a number of factors ranging from the patient’s medical history, the presence of disease in the gums, and whether or not the tooth itself has decayed or been broken. The dentist will make this determination, take x-rays of the mouth, and then perform the surgery.

Regardless of the method ultimately chosen to perform the actual surgery, the procedure itself is basically the same. Local anesthetic is usually applied to the gums to prevent discomfort. The dentist then makes the necessary incisions and pulls back the gums until a suitable amount of tooth surface is exposed.

The dentist then reshapes the excess gum and bone tissue to look proportional and healthy in relationship with the person’s smile. Once the gums have been readjusted in this fashion, they are fixed in place with a couple of stitches and given a prescribed time to heal by the dentist.

After the post-operative healing is complete, the patient returns for a follow up dentist. The stitches are removed, and a cosmetic dental crown is then placed over the tooth. This porcelain crown will provide a chewing surface equivalent to that of natural teeth, and it will prevent further tooth decay from occurring underneath its surface.

It also helps prevent a “gummy” smile from reforming because it provides the gum line with a uniform, solid surface that prevents gums from drooping or growing unnaturally long.

The many benefits of crown lengthening are causing an increasing number of cosmetic dentists to recommend it as a precursor to other restorative and cosmetic dental procedures. For one thing, it can prove very effective in helping to treat certain stages of gum disease.

It can also help save many teeth that would otherwise continue to decay and eventually require extraction, and it allows the patient to also eat a normal diet without fear of damaging their teeth. Cosmetically, it offers the patient the confidence of a natural smile they can share with the world without embarrassment or fear.

The Cosmetic Dentistry Center located in Houston, TX offers both Cosmetic and General Dentistry Services, Read more at http://www.cosmetic-dentistry-center.com.

People are looking into new ways to treat their health and well being. More and more are turning their backs on conventional medicine in order to feel their best and treat many common medical conditions with natural and holistic methods.

If you have seen and read the buzz on the internet regarding Noni, Goji, Mangosteen and Acai juices, you may be wondering if investing in these products would be worth your while. There are numerous studies and much research being done on the validity of the claims the merchants selling these products. If you listen to their hype, they would have you believe that the juices are miracle cures for a myriad of medical and mental conditions.

Unfortunately there are no miracle products that can guarantee anyone good health and well being. But you might find that incorporating these juices into your daily routine does make you feel and look better than you had before you started taking them.

These particular products, the fruit of the plant of Noni, Goji, Mangosteen and Acai berries have long been popular natural remedies in their native countries. It has only been recently that the benefits of Noni, Goji, Mangosteen and Acai products have been explored in the Western part of the world and especially in the United States. They are being used at present as dietary and nutritional supplements.

When the juices are grown, harvested and properly processed they are chock full of minerals and vitamins. There are known and unknown at this point, nutritional compounds in these products that can make a terrific dietary supplement and a positive change as to your health.

When minerals and vitamins are taken in their natural states, they are far superior to those that are made of synthetics and created in laboratories. Though it might be difficult for consumers to separate the facts from the hype and fiction of these products, with the use of the internet you can research on your own to make an informed decision.

Anything that has the potential to enrich your life and health is worth looking into and when it comes to these juices, there is so much information, customer testimonials and scientific data that one can research. If drinking a daily dose makes you feel and look better as well as allowing you to think clearer, isn’t it worth the time and effort to find out more of what these products can offer?

There are a variety of venues that can provide you with Noni, Goji, Mangosteen and Acai juices and doing some comparison shopping can allow you to pay the lowest prices available. Most vendors will give you a 100% money back guarantee if for any reason you don’t like the taste or you feel you are not benefiting from adding these products to your daily routine.

Zach Thompson is a Pure Noni and Goji Juice Representative. His clients range from actresses to pro athletes. You can get a free consultation by visiting http://www.findoptimalhealth.com/himalayan-goji-berry-juice.php