Currently less than 6% of the world’s population speaks English as their native language.  The list of reasons why people should learn another language is increasing almost as fast as the human population itself.  There are so many reasons why one should learn another language it is very much possible that someone could right their dissertation on the very subject.  In fact, one could do research on all the reasons why people choose not to learn a foreign language and I would guess that all the results would point to one of two things: either there isn’t an opportunity to effectively become fluent in the language long enough to remember it OR the person is just narrow minded.  These days the latter is becoming more and more the only reason why someone wouldn’t try to learn another language.
 
So, as you review the following list of reasons why you SHOULD learn a foreign language of your choosing, consider this: learning a foreign language is easier than most people think and the consequences of not learning another language are far greater than the benefits of staying monolingual.
 
Practical Reasons for Learning a Foreign Language
 
1. You can increase your IQ.  Studies are showing everyday that children who study foreign languages have a higher IQ than their monolingual counterparts.  In fact, children who start learning a second language from birth usually have an easier time acquiring additional languages. 
 
2. You will open areas of your brain that are a little dusty and could use the exercise.  As we all get older, our short term and long term memory fails us time and again.  The key to living long and healthy is to exercise that part of our brain more often.  Learning a language that is not native to us is indeed a very fun way to keep the brain in shape.
 
3. You can talk to your neighbor in his native language.
 
4. You want to be friends with someone who doesn’t speak your native language very well.
 
5. People have told you that you are narrow minded and you want to prove them wrong.
 
6. You can travel around the world and bargain in the native language, thus saving you lots of money because you will seem like a local.
 
7. You can expand your career in multiple ways including getting a raise and moving on up the career ladder to another position.
 
Ethical Reasons for Learning a Foreign Language
 
1. It is your duty to try to make this world a better place by learning about other cultures.  Learning another language is like saying yes to learning about someone’s culture.
 
2. Some languages are actually becoming non exisistent because no one wants to learn about the language because they don’t believe it will benefit them in anyway.  Think about that…somewhere out there a language will be forever wiped away from our human history all because people who already know a dominant language refuses to learn another.
 
3. For those who immigrate to your country and are fighting hard for basic rights, you can join their fight at least in solidarity because by learning their language you will understand and relate more to their culture and way of doing things.
 
4. For those who live in very poor countries across the globe you will be able to travel to those places and perform voluntary work in the name of peace and unity.
 
Logistical Reasons for Learning a Foreign Language
 
1. The one and only reason in this category is that you will be forced to anyway.  Already in Europe there are many countries that have bilingual or even trilingual people because there is such a collision of languages that in order to function in the community you must know more than a language.
 
2. Once in college, you may find that subjects you are very interested in studying in depth are mainly published in a foreign language.  For example, a lot of old psychology theories were published in German and the artistic movement of surrealism was mainly in French.
 
3. You want to live in another country for an extended period of time and you do not want to stand out or look like a complete idiot.
 
4. There is a community emergency and everyone is trying to communicate with one another and you want to be able to communicate effectively, even if on a basic survival level.
 
Now, after considering all of these reasons for learning a foreign language, you might ask yourself, which language you should learn.  Well, some might say just stick to the European languages because those are the most widespread.  The most popular European languages include French and Spanish which combined are spoken in pretty much half of the world, however, there are many corners of this globe and Asian languages also share a rich cultural diversity as well.  Asian languages like Mandarin (Chinese), Thai, and Vietnamese also deserve equal press time. 

Feeling sick to your stomach and vomiting is very common during the first trimester in pregnancy.  Many women complain of it occurring in the morning, but it is likely to happen throughout the day if the proper prevention measures aren’t taken.  Usually by the fourth month in pregnancy, or the beginning of the second trimester, things will improve.
  
Well, I’m sure you don’t want to wait for three months to pass to start feeling better so this article will go over a variety of proven steps you can take to make that first trimester more pleasurable.  As you read through these tips, just remember that “morning sickness” doesn’t last forever and for some women it lasts less than a month.
 
• Eat every two to three hours throughout the day even if you’re not hungry.  In order to keep nausea at bay, you must keep something in your stomach because an empty stomach can make you feel worse.  If you are really having a hard time keeping foods down, go ahead and even eat every hour on the hour but just in tiny amounts of food like half a banana and then an hour later 8 ounces of skim milk for example.
 
• Before getting out of bed, try to eat something dry and simple like crackers, bread sticks, or dry cereal.  Other options include vanilla wafers, pretzels, plain popcorn, and dry toast.  These foods have been proven to help you from feeling the typical morning nausea that comes from being disoriented when first getting out of bed.
 
• Drink fluids in between meals like 100% fruit juice, water, skim milk, or even caffeine-free pop.  Keeping fluids down will be extremely important for health reasons if you are vomiting a lot. 
 
• Eat fewer fatty foods and skim fried foods, salad dressings, butter, margarine, bacon, sausage, donuts, or other sweet and fatty foods.
 
• Try sour or salty food like lemonade or pretzels and chips.  These foods often reduce the symptom of nausea in the morning especially but can work throughout the day as well.
 
• Eat foods that sound good to you.  Again, you don’t want to lose much weight during the first three months of the pregnancy so try to eat foods that sound good even if you have to eat the same thing every day for weeks.
 
• Remember that just the smell of food cooking causes that nauseous feeling.  If you must cook, try to cook with a fan running or by an open window.  Eating fresh fruit, yogurt, sherbet, hard-boiled eggs, cheese and crackers, and cold sandwiches while preparing a meal for your family can ease the feeling.
 
• As always, avoid drinking caffeinated beverages like tea, coffee, and soda.
 
• If you smoke, cut back drastically or better yet stop smoking altogether.  There are many resources available, especially for pregnant women, to cut down or quit smoking.
 
• Be sure to move slowly when running errands or being at work.  Sure you don’t want to make a big deal of your pregnancy by slowing down your every move and drawing attention to yourself, but it really does help lesson the nausea.
 
• Try to rest often by taking a nap during the day and be sure to get plenty of sleep at night.  Becoming overly tired makes the nausea worse.
 
• Try to avoid smells and foods that bother you.  Usually smelling a freshly cut lemon helps.
 
• Finally, take your prenatal vitamin with food or later on in the day.  If you think you are getting sick from the prenatal vitamin even after eating it with food and later in the day there are two alternatives.  You can either try taking half of the vitamin in the morning and the other half at night OR you can phone your healthcare provider with your symptoms and request another kind of prenatal vitamin.  Your provider may offer you a multivitamin or even a chewable prenatal vitamin.
 
So there you have it.  All the tips proven to help prevent or treat nausea.  In summary, in order to treat nausea in pregnancy you basically have to avoid the foods and smells that make you feel sick and then try to eat small meals and drink fluids as often as possible in order to prevent nausea and continue to gain weight slowly.  It’s as simple as that.
 
Also, as you begin to follow some of the tips mentioned here; it is important to remember that if you are vomiting more than three times a day you should call your health care provider right away.  Also, if things are really severe do not attempt to take any medications without asking your provider first.  You can also ask about those fruity little tablets they sell at a variety of stores that are like little vitamins made especially for pregnant women experiencing nausea.

Although you might think it was difficult just deciding that you want to study abroad, some might argue that choosing a program is even more difficult.  In fact, with so many places to travel around the world, the decision can certainly be mind-boggling.  However, even though choosing a study abroad program can be difficult, you want to make a careful and calculated decision in order to truly enjoy your time abroad.
 
While there are many different kinds of study abroad programs, you will want to make your decision by narrowing down your desired programs by using a few categories to guide you.  Once you have an idea of the type of program you want, you can start to make a list of advantages and disadvantages of each program.  Below is an example of ways you can categorize your study abroad programs:
 
1. Language – If your desire to learn a particular language or become more fluent in that language you will need to decide to what extent learning that language will be important.  Some programs encourage students to take classes with native students in whatever subject you desire.  However, other programs prefer students take literature or language courses with their fellow non-native students.  I would offer the advice that if you are more free spirited and really want to become fluent, it’s best that you take coursework with other native students and not be tied down to hang around other students who also speak the language poorly.
 
2. Housing – Some programs offer students the chance to live abroad with a host family.  Other programs offer students the chance to live in a dormitory, while others let you decide.  Again, if your goal is to become fluent in a language and make good use of your financial resources, you should opt to live with a family.  However, if your goal is to study abroad without much home life guidance and no restrictions, then off campus housing or staying in a student dormitory is for you.  
 
Note: When choosing a study dorm, be sure to check out whether the dormitory is a “foreigner’s dorm” or a regular dormitory for natives as well.  I once went on a study abroad program where they had us stay in a dorm that was exclusively for foreigners.  Although it was as nice as a hotel, I felt somewhat out of place with the local friends I made.
 
3. Coursework – If you desire to have your credits transfer back to your school then you will want to go on a program that allows you to take coursework for credit.  If you are less concerned about the coursework transferring or transferring with grades, be sure to check into this as well.  Some countries have universities that may have more or less challenging coursework your school offers.  If you want to go abroad and do coursework that’s not too serious, you may have to go on a program that won’t transfer back to your school.  If you want to go abroad and do coursework that is serious, you may have to investigate a little more and perhaps study abroad all on your own through an exchange program.
 
4. Social Life - This category can be extremely important.  If you know for example you are a bit shy about traveling alone, you probably would like a very well structured program that has an itinerary already made up of different locations to visit and histories to learn about.  However, if you are very adventurous and perhaps are going with a group of friends, you probably want a program that offers the flexibility of doing what you want in a less organized fashion.
 
Now, once you have decided on the type of program you would like to study, there are a few more things to settle out before actually choosing a study abroad program. 
 
First, you should find out how much the program costs and what they include.  Some programs will include the cost of the flight (roundtrip), tuition, room and board, and so on.  Other programs might exclude the flight and food expenses.  Keep in mind that programs sponsored through your school might be very expensive equally what you pay for tuition at your school.  However, if you decide to go on an exchange program you might pay the local tuition rate because your school isn’t paying its own professors to go abroad and teach.  The question in the end really is just how much do you have to spend?
 
Lastly, you should figure out how long you want to spend abroad.  Some people go abroad and never want to come back.  If you think you are one of these people, it might be best to go abroad your sophomore or junior year where you can decide randomly to spend an extra semester abroad without much penalty on academic planning for graduation.  Also, some programs offer short term study abroad programs that last just for the summer.  If you think you want to go abroad just for a vacation from the regular campus scene, a summer program would be ideal.  But again, if you want to become fluent in another language while abroad, it’s best to stay for a year.

For all you cat owners who believe in developing and maintaining a beautiful relationship with your cat, you will need to put time and effort into it just like any other relationship you have ever had.  Cats, like dogs, are a man’s best friend.  The only difference is that dogs usually sell out in the sense that they can be friends with ANYONE where as a cat is very picky and will only befriend someone after an intricate system of trust has been established.
 
In order to spoil your cat you must first understand what the foundation of the relationship is.  By that I am saying that you must understand that your cat isn’t under the impression that it needs you, but rather you need it.  This is why cats live very independently and although they crave human interaction as well, they are patient because they know how cute they are.
 
This article contains a list of ways I spoil my own cat.  As you read them, keep in mind that I sometimes receive ridicule from spectators because they think, quite frankly that I’m crazy.  But this means nothing to me.  The relationship I have established with my cat Napoleon (named after the French conqueror Napoléon Bonaparte).  If you too are willing to withstand the ridicule than let us begin the journey.
 
The following is a list, in no particular order, of ways I have spoiled, are spoiling, or will spoil my little Napoleon.  Take notes!
 
• No matter what, you must pet your cat on demand.  This means if he jumps on you, certainly you must pet him.  If he enters the room you are in, you must pet him.  If he exits the room you are in, you must either go and pet him upon his exit or at least say I love you from a distance.  You should also pet him while he eats if he likes this and be sure to do it at least once a day.  After all, you don’t want him to feel neglected do you?
 
• If you have another child or person in the house that requires a lot of attention as well, be sure to explain to them that you cannot equally divide the attention all the time and that there will be times that your cat must come first.  For example, when your cat wakes up in the morning from his six hour nap, you must pet him and cuddle with him.
 
• Only offer filtered mineral water verses tap water.  Cats have a sense of taste and can also sense when you’re trying to be cheap.  If you offer your cat tap water he will know you are using him instead of trying to build a relationship.  Our cat gets the best filtered water money can buy and he knows it!  If we run out of the water in the house, we drive miles and miles late into the evening just to make sure he will have enough water with his breakfast. 
 
• Speaking of breakfast, be sure to promptly serve whatever it is he likes at the same time each day.  If you do not serve meals at a specific time, your cat will learn not to trust you and therefore he will not show off all his cute skills when you have company over the house.
 
• If your cat is an indoor cat but shows signs of wanting to go outside, let him go.  A cat that wants to be outdoors but is forced to stay in usually develops a bad attitude and is likely to resort to biting to express his dissatisfaction. 
 
• Whenever you see your cat looking so cutely out the window at the morning sunrise or evening sunset, be sure to tell him you love him.  Also, if he turns his head towards you and tries to speak, you must rush immediately to his side, and offer as much affection as possible.  He will love you for this as long as you pay attention to his every whim and no when not to bother him.
 
• Do not just buy him the most expensive cat food available.  Some of that food can taste like garbage.  To spoil your cat, the best thing to do is buy various samples of nutritious cat food and offer the samples to your cat at each meal.  Soon he will develop a preference and that is the cat food you want to offer him for a few months.  Afterwards, it is your duty to switch it up a bit and offer something new and exciting. 
 
Cats, like humans, do not like to eat the exact same thing all the time.  You changing it up will teach him that you understand his needs and are always listening.
 
In summary, as you can see it is not really spoiling your cat by doing these things.  In fact, you are simply building a relationship on trust and love.  There is nothing wrong with that, right?

Telling the news of a pregnancy when a pregnancy is planned is something that is usually associated with a celebration.  Whether you call a friend on the phone or plan an elaborate baby shower, the emotional joy and pure state of bliss is life-altering.  When a woman has not planned a pregnancy, unwanted, or maternal and infant complications arise, it becomes even more important to celebrate.
A celebration creates a positive social atmosphere that should be done whether the pregnancy is considered a good thing or a bad thing.  Of course, an explanation is certainly due to support this idea.  A celebration of conception, baby’s development, and birth generally are associated with being good.  But it can be proposed that a “celebration” is also helpful especially when the pregnancy is considered bad.  The definition of celebrating is “to observe (a day or event) with ceremonies of respect, festivity, or rejoicing.”  This definition should be extended to “unfortunate” and “unplanned” events as well.  We have this for example with funerals where we come together to “celebrate” the life of someone close to us.  I would argue that women who go through an unplanned or difficult pregnancy also deserve the chance to celebrate.  Below are some scenarios that illustrate reasons why every pregnant woman has the right to celebrate.
 
• A woman who has decided to carry a pregnancy through and give it up for adoption because she cannot handle the responsibility, is something that should be celebrated no matter her age, social status, or race.  In fact, it is something to be celebrated to the highest extent because some women are not yet at the point where they can accept that it will be difficult for them to raise a child in this world and so they go forth with it when it is likely to cause problems for both themselves and the children they raise.  The decision to let your child go up for adoption is very emotional and should be handled with the same celebration that would go into a regular baby shower.
 
• A woman, who has decided to proceed with an abortion because her body cannot carry the baby without hurting her, is something that should be celebrated.  The pure fact that her life was in danger and was saved by her choice to live is something that while depressing, should cause her to celebrate your life and existence on this planet. 
 
• Likewise a woman who has decided to get an abortion, but because she is simply not ready to have a child and does not think it fair to add to the world’s population crisis and foster care systems is also cause for celebration.  Even though some might argue that the pregnancy should have been avoided altogether if that were the case, this is very judgmental because no one knows except for that woman exactly all the emotional reasons that went into how the pregnancy began. 
 
•  A woman, who has decided to keep a child despite all the social and economic obstacles, is something that should also be celebrated.  Why?  Because this mother is willing to accept ridicule and the economic challenges that are to come in order to allow a life she created to be given a chance on this planet.  This is great cause for celebration not only because you do not have to be rich to raise a healthy and happy child, but also because of the fact that families that have seen tough times are often closer as a result.
 
• A woman, who has decided to have an abortion because she is only 15 and wants to finish school, is something to be celebrated.  Why?  Because education is the key to not only personal freedom, but also social and financial freedom.  This is to also be celebrated in high terms and supported because we need more people in this world who are receiving a good education.
 
• Also, a woman who has had a miscarriage should also be supported if not celebrated in the sense that through this loss she is finding ways to move forward either through the hope of another pregnancy, adoption, or just the hope to take care of her spiritually, physically, and mentally.
 
All of these women have discovered something very important through these unplanned challenges.  They all deserve to have support, if not a celebration held in their honor.  They have learned what is the quality of life, what they must do to have a good life, and they have faced a serious life-altering condition that will forever change their lives.  Most people do not have to make these life-altering decisions on a daily basis, and because of this, they should refrain from judgment and do everything they possibly can to support whatever outcome a pregnancy has for the woman. 
 
A celebration is required, no matter what. And if you are around someone who is faced with these kinds of decisions, it is important for you to let them know you want to celebrate “life” with them in whatever way they choose.  Like childbirth, pregnancy is also an incredible experience for women all over the world.  Whether planned or unplanned, take the time to become educated, help her develop a network of support, and most importantly celebrate, no matter what the circumstances.

Many minority women are not familiar with all the problems associated with childbirth and the how they can do basic things to prevent them from happening. Whether this is the fault of the public health community, or your own inexperience it is a problem that must be resolved during childbirth.  The highest determinant for most pregnancy complications includes women’s inability to receive adequate prenatal care.  The objective of prenatal care is to monitor your health and the health of your delicate baby.  Many times health care providers are unaware of the social aspects of gaining access to prenatal care and the issues surrounding and actually receiving good care once a woman is in the health care setting.  This again, reflects the medical community’s inability to reach the populations that need special attention.
In anticipation of the consequences of social inequalities and their negative affects on minority health, I have three suggestions that will drastically improve your chances of receiving excellent maternal care. 
 
• First, make sure you do whatever it takes to have access to a GOOD doctor as SOON as you find out that you are pregnant.  At this visit it is very important to make a pest of yourself by asking hundreds of questions.  The questions can be and SHOULD be as simple and/or complicated as you wish.  The idea of this question-answer marathon is for you to access how eager your doctor is about assisting you during your pregnancy and to actually learn about what you can do to ensure good health for you and your baby.  It is very important and not an absurd request to demand that your doctor be trained on minority health issues.  Contact your local hospital to ask if doctors and other medical staff have been trained on minority health issues, especially if you are a black woman.  Black women have higher maternal mortality and are at higher risk for a premature birth than any other ethnic minority group.  When choosing a doctor, and remember you do not have to stay with the same doctor the entire way through if he or she is not supportive, make sure this doctor is familiar with minority health problems.  Ask him to discuss what he knows about high risks for black women in this country.  Ask him to explain what he is doing to prevent complications from occurring before 15 weeks of gestation.  Ask him to discuss why he thinks some health disparities exist between minority women and white women and demand that he explain what he will personally do to ensure that you will receive quality prenatal care. 
 
• Second, talk to whomever you feel is closest to you and discuss with them how you can create a very supportive environment for yourself during the prenatal and post-partum period.  This person can be a friend, your partner, a relative, or even a social worker or public health professional.  The idea of this discussion should be to identify who or what factors interfere with your ability to have a successful pregnancy, physically and emotionally. 
 
• And finally, become educated through many free resources out there for pregnant women.  The local health department should have information that will help you become familiar with things that your doctor mentioned or things he did not mention.  For example, many public health departments have programs that will allow a nurse, social worker, and nutritionist to come visit you in your home during your pregnancy and afterwards in order to ensure that you have access to everything you need to have a successful birth.  Also, other community centers, health clinics, and local community organizations can provide you with information directly related to your motherhood, or can find other resources for you.  Having a detailed question-answer session with your doctor, discussing your pregnancy needs with a friend, and becoming educated on maternal and infant health does really help eliminate some social and health inequalities because all of this creates a foundation of support that will be there when other potential complications arise.  It may take more work, but also requesting the same group of nurses and the same doctor throughout the entire pregnancy is very important.  This is why, again, it is very imperative to become educated on what constitutes quality maternal care and create a support group of family members and friends who can be there to supervise medical procedures having some knowledge themselves.
 
These three tips of having good early access to healthcare, talking with your providers, and educating yourself about maternal health issues are very useful for preventing adverse pregnancy outcomes.  Some tips are easier to follow than others, but definitely spend time learning more about these issues.  Having a healthy baby is as always the desired outcome and as a woman of color it is up to you to bridge a gap between that goal and the unique challenges you may face.

Yes!  You are reading the right article.  It is possible to learn to speak conversational message in less than 3 months.  The key is to be consistent and practice daily!  All you will need are a few items you can buy at your local bookstore and motivation to keep up daily practice. 
Learning Spanish should be a fun experience and at no point be viewed as a chore.  Learning another language requires using the right side of our brain, which if not usually exercised, may be difficult at first.  The following 7 things are necessary in order to learn conversational Spanish in 3 months.
 
1. English-Spanish and Spanish-English dictionary – You can buy one online or at any local bookstore.  Depending on where you might travel in the future and use your Spanish, you can choose from Latin American Spanish or Spanish that is spoken in Spain.  A good dictionary might even have both.
 
2. Three Children’s Books in Spanish (less than 15 pages) – The books should have roughly 5 to 15 words on a single page and contain
 
3. Access to the Internet – You will need to access the following sites for free lessons: http://www.studyspanish.com/, http://www.conjugation.org/, http://www.myspanishteacher.com/learnspanish_FreeSpanish
 
4. Optional: Verb Conjugation Book – You can buy this book at a well stocked bookstore.  It will contain a list of verbs that are already conjugated in every tense.
 
5. Note cards – You can find these almost anywhere.
 
6. Access to Music or Movies in Spanish – Buy a CD or two that are entirely in Spanish.  Try to rent or buy a single foreign film where the spoken language is Spanish.
 
7. Optional: Access to a local club, restaurant, or café where you can get a little real practice in on occasion.  You could also find a chat buddy online who doesn’t mind practicing with you.
 
Once you have bought or explored he 7 things listed above, you will need to follow the plan below in order to learn conversational Spanish within 3 months.  As you review the plan you will need to keep in mind this: learning anything takes practice and confidence.  If you find you retain information faster by spending more time on one learning method more than another, feel free to do so.
 
• Everyday for 5 minutes read aloud and translate a children’s book.  You should have 3 books, which leaves you time to study from one book each month.  The short duration of 5 minutes is long enough for you to start connecting pictures with the words and leaves just enough time for you to translate a few of the words you don’t know.  The children’s books will serve as a way for you to build vocabulary that you will retain easily if you are an image based learner.
 
• Everyday for 5 minutes write down about 1 word or phrase you want to learn.  Then look it up in the dictionary for the Spanish version of the word.  Afterwards, write it down (by hand) 10 times each.  Then the word to a single note card and use as for flashcards.  This exercise will serve as a way to build vocabulary by repetition.  If any part of the 5 minutes is left, go over your flashcards.
 
• Everyday for 15 minutes access the above mentioned sites and start reviewing basic lessons by reading from them, taking quizzes, or playing the games they have.  These 15 minutes of your study session should help you start building a conversational base for Spanish.  Each site takes a different approach in presenting the information, so be sure to become familiar with the sites before starting a set of lessons.
 
• Then spend the last 5 minutes listening to a song or Spanish radio.  This will help you improve your listening and pronunciation skills if taken seriously.  Try popular artists in the genre you like, that way if you like the music a lot you can listen to the whole album on your way to work, coming home, when running errands, etc.  This part is very important because subconsciously you will be adding vocabulary that even though you won’t understand it all, soon you will start to connect certain words or phrases with the meaning of the song.
 
Beyond doing these exercises every day for 30 minutes, you should also take a break from studying Spanish at home and find some way to communicate with someone (live) who speaks Spanish fluently or very well.  I would say you should try to do this twice a week for about 20 minutes each time.  On the days that you talk with someone live you can spend about 10 minutes prepping for the conversation, that way you do not waste time with just dead silence not knowing what it is you want to say.  This frequent practicing is the best way to actually learn how to speak conversational Spanish within 3 months.

Pregnancy only lasts nine months and you want to try to enjoy to every moment because they do fly by very fast.  In fact, you should plan to take photos of yourself and try to get out and about and experience the world as a pregnant woman.  However, one of the things people don’t often explain to you about pregnancy until you’re already pregnant is that it is filled with various day to day ailments that can often seem like they’re robbing your of your joyful experience.
 
Some of those ailments include heartburn and constipation.  While many healthcare providers will tell you that your second trimester is when you will experience these things, many women experience these ailments all throughout the pregnancy.  Having a basic understanding of what causes heartburn and constipation and tips on how to prevent it should help you get through those months a little easier.
 
Heartburn is caused by the build up of stomach acids that come into the throat and create that burning sensation.  In pregnancy, this is usually caused by body changes and the fact that the baby pushes up on your stomach causes it to rush back up into your esophagus.  Below are some tips you can follow in order to prevent heartburn:
 
• Eat small meals and eat them often.
• Eat and drink very slowly.
• Drink fluids an hour after having a meal, but if you need to drink with a meal just keep it to tiny sips.
• Eat less fried and fatty foods.  Ice cream, pizza, chips, sausage, pastries, etc can all cause heartburn so keep them to a minimum.
• Take an antacid tablet with calcium if you think you will consume something spicy or some other food that will cause heartburn.  Some brands that are safe in pregnancy include Rolaids and Tums.  Buy the chewable tablets so you can carry them around with you and take them to work easily.
• Drink less coffee and soda.  These beverages often have caffeine in them and caffeine causes heartburn.
• Be aware of other foods that cause heartburn like chocolate, spearmint, etc.
• Wearing loose fitting clothing will help your stomach from feeling squeezed which often causes those stomach acids to travel back up towards your chest.
• Don’t lie down immediately after a meal.
• Limit stress and situations that cause stress.  Stress causes your whole body to be irritated and jumpy which can lead to heartburn.  Just try to relax as often as possible.
 
Constipation, or hard and dry stools, is usually caused by the normal body changes that happen during pregnancy.  Unless you have blood in your stools, you can ease constipation without taking medication by doing the following:
 
• Eat more fiber rich foods every single day
• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables every day.  Ideal range of fruits is around 2 servings and vegetables at least 3.
• Eat raw carrots, broccoli, apples, or other easy carrying foods to snack on throughout the day.
• Try to eat high fiber cereals and breads.
• Drink at least 8 glasses of fluids each day.  
• This includes your milk, juice, and of course water.  Soda doesn’t clear the system like these other beverages so don’t include a can of soda into your 8 glasses of fluids.  
• Preferably 4 glasses will be with water.
• 1-2 glasses of 100% juice.
• 2-3 cups of skim milk.  The reason I say skim milk is because it is generally healthier for a pregnancy AND some women get constipated with the fattier kinds of cow’s milk.
• Limit coffee and tea due to the caffeine.
• Try to be active if your healthcare provider thinks it’s a good idea.  
• Walking, swimming, and riding a stationary bike are activities that help with circulation.
• Being active also helps keep things moving around so you should always feel light on your feet.  Well, at least until the last trimester.
• Do these activities for no longer than 30 minutes each day as you do not want to have the undesired effect of losing weight during a pregnancy.
• Always use the bathroom right away if you feel you have to.  Getting backed up down there can cause constipation.
The best thing about all this advice on heartburn and constipation is that you should be doing all these things anyway.  Between eating lots of fruits and vegetables and avoiding fried foods not only will you have a healthier pregnancy but if you keep the habits up postpartum you are likely to feel more energized. 
 
If all of the above things do not naturally help you reduce the heartburn or constipation you may be experiencing, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider soon.  They can provide you with a safe stool softener or strong heartburn medicine that has been proven effective and safe during pregnancy.

The analysis of a piece of fiction or writing can seem daunting especially if after the first chapter you have absolutely no idea of what’s going on or you think to yourself “So what?”  Well rest assured.  If you read something and don’t understand it you are among the hundreds of thousands of students who also don’t’ get it.  However, one of the things your teacher or professor will explain to you is that the whole point of studying literature is to look beyond the print and find alternative methods for understanding it.  This whole process is called analyzing. 
 
In order to analyze literature you have to understand the various methods one can use to try to understand or present an argument about the piece of writing.  Sometimes it will be necessary to explore several methods before you finally find one that will work for the literature you are to analyze.  Other times a single method will hit you in the face as you are reading it and things will pull together rather quickly. 
 
When deciding to analyze a piece of literature, you should obviously follow the guidelines your instructor has given you and then proceed from there.  However, sometimes your instructor may not give specific guidelines.  Instead he or she rather might offer themes or characters to work around.  Depending on how much practice you have searching for a needle in a haystack, you might find either more challenging.  The best thing to do is to start with a particular method of analysis and then go from there.  Below are examples of methods used to analyze a work of literature:
 
1. Symbolism – This method involves searching for symbols that are either repeated again and again or represented in one particular part of the literature.  For example, is there an object, situation, or person that appears again and again?  Or even, is there an object that doesn’t appear that seems like it should?  If so, what does that mean?
 
2. Character Development – This method is usually the easiest and involves just choosing one character and looking at how they develop throughout the literature.  For example, is there a side-character who serves a particular role in the novel?  Why is that and what is his or her background story?
 
3. Plot – This method involves truly looking at the soul, shall we say, of the literature.  This is where you can analyze the entire piece of writing all the way from the introduction to the climax to the end.  Analyzing this way can sometime be overwhelming depending on the length of the writing and can often end up being a summary verses a real analysis.
 
4. Author Background – This method is extremely important for most college level coursework because often the literature you study will mean absolutely nothing to you if you have no idea what movement it comes from or what was the inspiration of the author who wrote it.  It might be beneficial to use this method of analysis if you are having difficulty understanding the work to begin with.
 
5. Location and Setting – This method is fairly simply and it entails simply looking at the location and setting of the characters in the literature and deciding what is unique about it.  For example, is there a change in setting that happens towards the end of the writing?  What does that mean?
 
6. Writing Style/Point of View – This method of writing is always fascinating to understand because it allows you to take the writing to another level that usually is not seen by most readers right away.  For example, does the author use the first person point of view or third person?  What did that present or exclude for the audience?  Does it mean anything?  Also, does the author use poetry or other breaks in the writing often?  Why do you think the author does this?  Another example would be to analyze the titles of each chapter (if there are any).
 
Now, once you have decided on one of the above methods of analysis, you can begin to find examples within the literature.  Some examples you find may be more useful than others depending on the direction or argument you take with the analysis.  For example, you might find that one character is more present throughout the novel with many examples of him talking or stating his opinion, however they may not be very interesting.  On the other hand, you might find one or two side characters who may not speak many words but represent a lot either through their action or inaction for example.  Either way, once you have found a good number of little examples OR a few big examples, you can develop your argument.
 
Your argument should be based on the examples you will provide using one of the methods above.  The argument should be simple and straightforward that way you can build on it more easily.  It will be easier to build an argument on a few good solid examples that strongly support your argument through the method you choose verses many little examples that could be interpreted in many different ways.
 
Once you have your method, examples, and argument, analyzing literature is really not that difficult.  The difficult part will be putting it all into your own words, which is another topic entirely.

We all know that our bodies must have water in order to survive but while this liquid has no calories, it is also loaded with minerals that promote good health.  Did you know that the human body is comprised of between 60% and 70% water?  Remember that blood is mostly water, and even major organs such as the lungs and brain, along with muscles that also contain water.  Without adequate intake of water, the body cannot efficiently regulate body temperature, flush out toxins and chemicals, move oxygen to cells, protect organs and joints, and help nutrients travel throughout the body to nourish it.  As you can see, water and you go together, promoting a long, healthy life.
 
As far as water and you pertaining to intake, it is recommended that people drink anywhere from eight to ten glasses of water daily, more if they can.  A good way to determine the exact amount of water needed is to use your weight, dividing it in two, which equals the number of ounces you should drink daily.  For instance, if you weigh 140 pounds, half of that comes to 70, which means you need a minimum of 70 ounces of water every day.  While that might seem like overkill, it is essential.  In fact, once you become accustomed to increasing your water intake, you will actually begin to crave it.
 
Other situations will arise in which even more water than the daily recommended amount should be increased.  For instance, skiers in the mountains become dehydrated quite easily, so they need more water.  Then, you plan to travel and fly to your destination, try to drink eight ounces of water for every hour you are in the air.  Then, for people who exercise or are involved heavily in sports, eight ounces of water for every 20 minutes of activity is a great rule to follow.
 
Typically, a person can tell when he or she is not getting enough water, ultimately becoming dehydrated.  Keep in mind that every time you go to the bathroom or sweat, the body is losing precious fluid, especially if you are physically active.  By not getting enough water, you would likely experience problems such as pain in the lower back region, constipation, headache, and even joint pain.  You might also notice that the color of your urine is a dark yellow to light orange, and has a strong, foul odor.  All of these symptoms of dehydration should be paid attention to and addressed.
 
We also wanted to provide you with some interesting facts about water, supporting the importance of why you need to drink more than you probably already do.  Although you will need to work your way up to the right amount, remember that water and you are a team for life with great rewards.
 
• Approximately 80% of world is covered by water or ice
• About 97% of the world’s water is salty with 2% being ice.  That leaves only 1% of water on the planet being suitable for human consumption.
• In an average day, the average person will lose about 3.5 liters of water, which increases in warm weather and increased physical activity
• The human brain is made up of approximately 75% water
• Typically, the male’s body is between 60$ and 65% water with the female’s body about 50% to 60%
• Although a person can survive for weeks to almost two months without food, survival without water is less than one week
 
The bottom line is that for water and you, it is essential.  If you are not feeling well, you might increase your intake of water to see if it helps.  Now, while you could drink tap water, just remember that most often, this water contains organisms that you probably do not want in your system.  For this reason, we also recommend that you use some type of water filtration system, or purchase bottled mineral water.
 
Water is the best thing you can put in your body.  Water also makes a huge difference in the skin.  Often, people who suffer from acne or ongoing breakouts are not drinking enough water to flush out impurities.  Water also helps make the skin appear smoother because it is getting what it needs most.
 
The bottom line is that we all have to have water to live – period.  If you can drink bottled water that would be ideal but if not, make sure you at least drink flavored water.  As long as you are getting a minimum of eight full glasses of water a day, you are doing something great for your body, helping it live longer and better.

Diabetes is a disease that if not monitored and controlled properly, it can lead to serious health issues.  It is important to understand the two different types of diabetes, what causes them, and ways in which they are managed.  When it comes to diabetes, knowledge is your power.  The more you can know about the disease itself, as well as treatment options the better chance you have of living a normal or near normal life.
 
Type 1 Diabetes
 
This type of diabetes is also known as Juvenile Diabetes in that it primarily affects teenagers.  However, after 1997, the name changed to Type 1 Diabetes, which is the second most common, chronic disease found in children, falling second only to asthma.  Today, it is estimated that approximately 13,000 new cases of this form of diabetes are diagnosed every year in the United States.
 
For diabetes, medical professionals believe that between 5% and 10% of all diabetes cases are Type 1.  Interestingly, boys can certainly develop diabetes but it is more prevalent in girls.  Although Type 1 Diabetes can actually be confirmed regardless of age, it is most often discovered in children and teenagers.  As you can imagine, for children and teens, learning of having diabetes is disturbing, often leading to a level of depression.  Therefore, parents of these children will need to not just understand the disease, but also help children manage it while providing needed support.
 
With Type 1 Diabetes, the problem is that the immune system actually begins to attack beta cells found in the pancreas, the very place where insulin is created naturally.  Because of this, Type 1 Diabetes is considered a type of autoimmune disease as well.  With the cells being attacked, they are no longer capable of producing insulin, which is actually a hormone that takes blood sugar and uses it for energy.  Eventually, these cells are not getting the energy needed to function and sugar builds up in the blood.  As a result, glucose levels can skyrocket, putting the individual in danger.
 
To control Type 1 Diabetes, daily shots of insulin are required.  Without these shots, the sad news is that people with this form of diabetes can die.  In addition, individuals living with Type 1 Diabetes need to be on a specific diet designed for this disease, get daily exercise, and always monitor blood sugar levels.  Without taking these three steps for management, the disease would run rampant, causing significant destruction.  Without doubt, Type 1 Diabetes is a life-threatening disease that has to be controlled, which is why involvement from parents is so vital, especially for younger children.
 
Unfortunately, the only way cure Type 1 Diabetes is for the person to undergo a pancreas transplant, something seldom performed.  The reason is that one, finding pancreas donors is very difficult and two, the patient would be required to live on a long list of drugs for life to ensure the body would not reject the transplanted organ.  Therefore, for all uncertain purposes, Type 1 Diabetes is not a curable disease.  Even so, remember that insulin injections, along with proper diet, exercise, and ongoing monitoring of blood sugar levels can allow a person to live happy and healthy.
 
Type 2 Diabetes
 
Type 2 Diabetes is different from Type 1 in many ways.  For instance, this type of diabetes does not require insulin injections.  However, in some cases, medication may be prescribed but shots are not a part of the treatment and management.  For this type of diabetes, it is believed that more than 18 million people have it.  One major difference is that unlike starting life early with diabetes in the case of Type 1, Type 2 usually does not develop until after the age of 45, with risk increasing with age.
 
With Type 2 Diabetes, the pancreas is capable of making adequate levels of insulin but the body still resists what insulin does, meaning blood sugar levels are still not controlled.  Keep in mind that in this case, a number of factors can increase the risk of developing the disease, which include:
 
• Obesity
• Heredity
• Age
• Sedentary Lifestyle
• Race
• Some Medications
• Women with prior Gestational Diabetes (a form of diabetes that develops only during pregnancy)
 
To control and manage Type 2 Diabetes, you are looking again at changing diet, making sure it is well-balanced, incorporating exercise to your daily life, and again, possible medication.  In rare cases, a person with this form of diabetes may need to take insulin shots as well.  The key with this form of diabetes, as well as Type 1, is to work with a qualified doctor, one that can provide guidance, education, and support.

Although issues of obesity are bad all around the world, this health problem has reached epidemic proportions in the United States, leading to a huge rise in heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and various forms of cancer.    It is important for Americans to understand the severity of the problem so they will be encouraged to make major, lifestyle changes.
 
Going back 35 years ago, the increase of obesity and overweight people has been dramatic, not just for adults, but also children.  For instance, among adults aging from 20 to 74 years of age, the increase is close to 33%!  Then for children between the ages of two and five, the percentage is 14%, for ages six to eleven almost 19%, and for teenagers from twelve to nineteen years of age, more than 17%.  As you can see by these numbers, the weight problem in the US is staggering.
 
As a result, from such increases, the health of people in the United States is taking its toll.  In addition to not looking very good, obesity also creates issues with the mind such as depression, anxiety, anger, guilt, and so on.  Even worse, health is hit hard, increasing the risk of many different diseases and conditions, some of which include:
 
• Gallbladder Disease
• Coronary Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• Sleep Apnea
• Osteoarthritis
• High Blood Pressure
• High Cholesterol
• Stroke
• Various forms of Cancer
 
With such as serious problem currently and numbers growing, health organizations and professionals around the country are working together to devise a plan that by 2010, obesity would see a reduction by 15%.  The challenge is that even with more and more plans being created, healthier diets being introduced, and medications formulated to help with obesity, the numbers continue to climb.
 
More than focusing on the numbers on the scale, the Body Mass Index, or BMI, is what is being carefully monitored.  With this, a person can determine the percentage of fat that makes up the body.  When numbers are 18.5 and below, you are actually considered underweight.  Numbers of 18.5 to 24.9 falls within the normal weight category.  However, overweight would be considered 25 to 29.9 and anything over 30 is obesity.  Keep in mind that the higher the number the greater the health risks.
 
To determine your BMI, you can visit any of the following websites that offer free BMI calculators, giving you much better insight into your current position.
 
• http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi
• http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/bmi.htm
• http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/tl/cl/bmi/bmi.jsp
• http://www.bmi-calculator.net
 
Statistically, studies show that today, more than 3.8 million people in this country weigh 300 pounds or more!  For women, the average weight is 163 pounds but the most shocking information that came out of these studies is that 400,000 people, primarily men, weigh 400 pounds and higher.  These numbers are alarming, showing that the population in the United States is in serious condition and something needs to be done now.
 
Okay, so if you are carrying around too much weight, what can you do?  The good news is that you can do a lot!  For starters, you need to get on a healthy diet, one consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, and little dairy.  With a better diet, you can begin to lose weight.  As a part of this change, you also want to make sure you drink more water, a minimum of six to eight hours a day, and eat foods high in fiber to give you a feeling of being full.
 
Additionally, adding a minimum of 30 minutes of exercise to your daily regimen will also be highly beneficial.  The best type of exercise is anything aerobic such as biking, hiking, walking, jogging, swimming, skiing, etc.  In other words, any exercise that will help your heart reach its maximum performance level is good.  Although you will need to start slow, with time and determination, you will start to drop pounds and tone up muscles.  The bottom line is that while obesity is a constant threat, making change will put you back in control, allowing you to live a long, healthy life.
 
If you are a parent and struggle from being overweight or obese, you have the perfect opportunity to be a living example to your children.  By eating right and exercising, your children will see your determination and dedication, encouraging them to do the same.  The result is breaking the obesity cycle that continues to grow in this country.  Stop the purchase of fast food, no more junk and sugary snacks, and make exercise fun.  The entire family could join a gym, take up swimming, or do some type of activity fun for everyone.  The bottom line is that you can make a change for you and future generations.

A growing problem in today’s society is lack of proper diet for our children.  Without doubt, we live such busy lives today that finding time to sit down to a healthy meal can be challenging, but not impossible.  Changing your child’s diet will benefit him or her as a child but also into adult years.  Learning to eat the right foods, but also the right amount will reduce risk of obesity, which leads to serious health problems such as diabetes, heart conditions, and even some cancers.
 
Sadly, child obesity is around 20% today, a huge increase from 5% in 1964.  In addition to eating too much food and the wrong types of food, we see children spending far too much time in front of the computer or television.  Twenty years ago, children were outside much more, riding bikes, playing basketball, spending time at the playground, building forts, and other sedentary activities.  Sadly, inactivity is a serious and growing concern for children today.
 
In addition to getting your child involved with some type of physical activity or sport, you can also change your child’s diet.  Simply incorporating healthier food choices and cutting back on the quantity are great starts to giving your child a much healthier and happier life.  The key to this success is increased parental involvement.  Sure, this is difficult in times.  Between busy jobs, going to school, and running children back and forth to various functions and parties, finding time to sit down to a good meal takes planning and determination.  However, getting your child on the right track to health is something that every family can accomplish.
 
As stated, good planning is one of the most important elements when it comes to your child’s diet.  For instance, it is far easier and more convenient to purchase fast foods, which are loaded with fats and carbohydrates.  Additionally, these types of meals are typically huge, meaning your child is eating more than the body needs.  As a result, the extra food consumed is stored in the body as fat and if not burned off with some type of physical activity, increased weight becomes a serious issue.
 
You can start by teaching your child the right way to eat.  This involves sitting down to a light but healthy breakfast, providing fruits and vegetables to lunchtime meals, and preparing family dinners consisting of the main food groups.  Getting involved with your child’s diet will help control the amount of food consumed.  In addition, you can show your child how foods high in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes will make him or her feel full but without unwanted calories.  Good food choices will fill the stomach and increase levels of energy and concentration while unhealthy food choices make a person feel hungry within an hour after eating, also producing a sense of fatigue.
 
With meals supersized, knowing the right amount of food to feed your child is hard to determine.  Of course, you would need to take a number of factors into consideration such as the child during growing spurts.  However, a great rule of thumb is that up to the age of five, your child only needs approximately one tablespoon of each food per year.  In other words, if you were serving a meal consisting of meat, potatoes, vegetables, and bread, and your child were four years of age, you should only expect him or her to eat four tablespoons of meat, four of potatoes, four of vegetables, and four bites of bread.  While this rule will vary somewhat, a child going way beyond this guideline is likely eating too much.
 
Take breakfast as a great example.  For a child between the ages of one and three, the following would be considered normal and healthy.
 
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1/4 cup of fresh fruit or fruit juice
• 1/4 cup of cereal
• 1/4 slice of bread
 
However, for a child between the ages of four and six, the quantity would change to the following:
• 3/4 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup of fresh fruit or fruit juice
• 1/3 cup of cereal
• 1/2 slice of bread
 
Keep in mind that if you find your child is constantly hungry or does not get full on what is considered a healthy amount of food, you should talk to your doctor.  Sometimes, certain health issues can cause problems that would make your child hungrier than usual.  However, once any type of health issue has been ruled out, you will need to start slowly cutting back on the amount of food, teaching your child to eat the right amount and right type of foods.
 
Of course, if your child has been eating too much food or all the wrong types of food, you cannot expect to one day, change everything, which would be disastrous.  You would end up with a very, upset child, one refusing to eat the good foods placed on the table.  Making change to your child’s diet is a process.  Typically, you could begin the change and within one month, have the food types and quantity adjusted where they should be.

Children in today’s society are not getting high enough levels of nutrition, especially fiber.  Unfortunately, because of busy lifestyles, children are often fed diets loaded with carbohydrates and fats.  While some carbohydrates and fats are needed in a diet, fiber is even more important.  In addition to adding more vitamins and minerals to the diet, plants such as fruits and vegetables have a number of other benefits.
 
• Fiber makes a person feel fuller, which means the body consumes more vitamins and minerals but without extra calories.
• Plants in the diet also help by reducing high cholesterol
• Fiber is excellent for protecting children against diabetes
 
The bottom line is that the more plants you can incorporate into your child’s diet the healthier he or she will be.  Now, we all know that many children baulk at the thought of eating fruits and vegetables but using the right recipes, you can make these foods taste good.  In fact, there are ways of adding plants to normal recipes without the child even knowing.  Two great examples are meatloaf and chili.  In both cases, you could easily add pieces of broccoli, carrots, and even Brussels sprouts.  Keeping the pieces small so they mix in, your child will have no idea that the delicious meal is also nutritious.
 
Plant foods are from not only fruits and vegetables, but also whole grains and legumes.  Health experts recommend that children eat a minimum of five servings of these daily.  Again, making the food look more appetizing and fun, as well as incorporating plants into other dishes is an excellent way to meet this quota.  If you have a child that refuses to eat plants such as broccoli or carrots, you could choose pears, baked potatoes with the skin on, or dried fruits instead.
 
The goal with adding plants to your child’s diet is to find the ones your child likes and stick with them.  Of course, you can always encourage your child to try new fruits and vegetables but starting with those you know will be eaten is the best action to take.  For instance, you might start with fruit and then introduce your child to small pieces of broccoli with melted cheese or baked potato skins with butter and bacon.
 
Other keys to getting your child to eat more plants is by sticking with things that have a crunchy texture and not peeling fruits and vegetables.  First, children typically prefer a crunchy texture to a soft texture.  Additionally, the peel of fruits and vegetables is where all the vitamins are found.  Therefore, cooking these plant foods with the skin on will provide more vitamins and minerals but also improve the taste.
 
You could also encourage your child to eat more plant foods by creating a delicious dip.  For instance, children often love crunchy celery, carrot sticks, and even cauliflower as long as there is a delicious, creamy dip to go with it.  It would be easy to choose a low-fat dip, again giving your child the flavor he or she wants but without the added calories or fat.  Something this simple can be very successful.
 
Children also love being involved with things.  If you have a child who simply refuses even to try fruits, vegetables, whole grains, or legumes, ask him/her to help you make dinner.  Many times, just being involved in the preparation and cooking process is enough to peak the child’s interest.  With this, your child will feel as if he/she played an important role in making the food, thereby being more willing to eat it.
 
You might also consider growing a garden, again making this a family project where you could teach your child about gardening while producing healthy plant foods.  By being involved, you will likely find your child more willing to try new foods, and actually learn to enjoy them.  Remember, it is never too late to introduce plant foods into a child’s diet but the most important thing is to start while the child is very young, introducing all types of healthy foods.  With this, your child will grow up not knowing any different!
 
Most importantly, be patient.  If your child has never eaten healthy plant foods before, it will take time and patience.  Do not force your child to eat fruits and vegetables in that he or she will refuse.  Instead, start by adding these plant foods to regular food dishes, while offering crunchy foods with the meal.  In most cases, the child will eventually taste the plant foods, choosing what he or she likes best.  Keep in mind, peanut butter added to celery, creamy dips provided with carrots, and cheese with broccoli are great ways to enhance the flavor of the fresh foods.

The typical American family has a lot going on these days.  Between the likelihood that both parents work full-time, the kids are involved in more than one extracurricular activity, and the accessibility of technology, it would seem that family meals are a pastime only observed on special holidays like Thanksgiving and Kwanzaa.  Family meals have become a pastime because we have forgotten all the benefits they hold for our fast paced culture. 
 
Family meals are difficult to uphold because they are seen as not being worth the energy and effort it takes to get the whole family together every single day of the week.  In fact, the more there is a range in age of the children; it can be even more difficult to convince the oldest child to be patient with the youngest child.  This reason, among others, makes family meals not so appealing.  After all, who wants to beg the family to do what they don’t want to do.
 
Family meals are essential to the health of a family like education is essential to finding a good job, the two cannot be separated.  In other words, you cannot have a truly healthy family without having family meals.  If you are considering what family meals have done or CAN do for your family, check out the following things we know to be true about them:
 
• Family meals support good parenting – Children always do better when there is structure so when meals are planned and around the same time each evening, they usually start expecting them and enjoy being under the guidance of their family.  It makes them feel safe.
 
• Family meals remind everyone they are part of a loving family – During a family meal, one can make a habit out of asking how the day went for everyone.  This reminds children and adults that they are loved and cared for and how their day went is important to someone.  This is crucial in child development.
 
• Family meals support healthy eating and proper growth for children – when a family has structured meals for everyone, kids are not allowed to graze on food all day snacking on whatever they please.  Family meals allow them to look forward to spending time with family thus also providing a wonderful excuse for not being in the kitchen all day preparing snacks for them.
 
• Family meals teach children to like different foods – Often kids will want to snack on the same food again and again.  Family meals can’t be the same food again and again because not everyone will want to eat macaroni and cheese everyday for a week, so this way kids are exposed to a variety of foods and with practice start to eat them all.
 
• Family meals connect us back to our culture – All of our ancestors organized their entire lives around hunting and gathering, thus whenever meal took place, it was with the whole family.  During meals our ancestors would share stories and information about the dealings of the day.  This is the same for today.  Family meals are a time where members can reconnect about what happened during the day.  Even small children can get involved.
 
• Family meals teach children manners and conversation skills – Children watch their parents interact during meals positively and so they also want to talk and be listened to.  Also, they will see there parents treat each other with respect and not “play” at the table.  This will teach children to behave and not play at the table.
 
• Family meals provide children with social support – Children admire their parents and want to spend time with them.  Sometimes in our busy lifestyles, the family meal may be all we truly have to spend with our children.  Structuring this time and being consistent will guarantee we always spend time with our children no matter how busy we become.  The time they share with us reinforces positive social interaction.
 
• Family meals support good eating habits – Children watch their parents eat healthy foods and enjoy the meal therefore they too will want to mimic this behavior.  Although you may not believe that at first, especially when they are very little and for the teenagers who verbally test their limits, at the end of the day when they go to sleep at night, they have learned something and you should be proud of that.
 
Family meals have proven all these things to be possible with the consistency, structure, and loving environment they provide.  In addition to these benefits, family meals also have other positive implications including better grades, social skills, prevention of obesity, etc.  So next time you think about avoiding a family meal due to all the energy it will take to plan one, think again.  Think about all these benefits.  Who can say no to them?