Topics for Discussions of Environmental Issues for Kids

Environmental Issues for Kids

Although global environmental issues are considered to be one of the important subjects in the world today, it doesn’t mean that only adults get to speak about them. Part of encouraging children to learn about the world is also making them aware of what’s going on in the condition of our environment, such as for example, global climate change. Here are some tips on how you can teach environmental problems for kids:

Teach the children first about the ecosystem and the normal processes happening in the environment such as the water cycle. It would be nice if they already know about these natural processes at school. If they have adequate knowledge about these, it would be easier for you to talk about environmental ramification for kids.

Engage them in conversations that are relatable to them such as asking a child if he wonders why it rains or how come flooding happens in some areas. Flooding is one of the major environmental issues considered to be effects of climate change.

You may read environmental issues articles and ask children about what you learned. Be sure to only include those that they already know about and use terms that they can understand.

You may also let them read those environmental issues articles if you think these are easy for their eyes and for their understanding. Although some kids may still prefer to read books, many others choose to participate in activities that are highly stimulating such as watching movies. There are animated movies and other kid-friendly movies that you can watch with the kids to increase their knowledge about the environment.

Good topics on environmental implications for kids are usually the ones that they are able to observe in their everyday lives. Take for example, the air pollution. Teach them about air pollution and how it affects the environment after a day out in a busy city where traffic and pollution is apparent.

Have the kids participate in small, creative, and fun activities related to global environmental issues such as planting trees, preparing trash cans with the right labels for segregation, and recycling materials.

More topics on environmental issues for kids also include caring for animals. Bring them to a zoo or a pet shop or introduce the kids to wild animals through watching documentary films together.

When there’s breaking news on the TV or radio about natural disasters happening in certain places and the kids are starting to ask questions, answer them with an adequate explanation on how these effects of climate change take place.

Use of dioramas, pictures and cards also help in giving them visualizations of the nature climate change and other environmental issues for kids.

Aside from making them aware of the climate change effects, teach them also the causes of climate change such as deforestation. A child’s mind is a good soil for cultivating social and environmental awareness and helping them become aware of the effects of climate change or current environmental issues is a good step in developing their sense of responsibility.

Free Yourself From Stress And Frustration With Emotional Freedom Technique

Stress and frustrations can mar your entire life if you fail to do something positive to deal with them. If you’re constantly stressed up, there’s no way you can succeed in any venture in life. The same scenario is also applicable when you’re frustrated. The good news is this: there’s always a way out of stress and frustrations. You can use Emotional Freedom Technique to free yourself from such conditions.

Basically, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) refers to an alternative intervention being propagated by the proponents of energy psychology. The famous psychologist, Gary Craig was the brain behind the invention. EFT is also a kind of technique in psychotherapy which is used in helping individuals suffering from all kinds of mental or emotional problems. Desensitization is the major goal in EFT. It makes uses of the tapping of acupuncture points in helping an individual when he or she focuses on a specific issue during therapy.

Despite the many criticisms leveled against the Emotional Freedom Technique, it has continued to be very beneficial to people who use it. In most cases, the technique has a placebo effect on patients. It can also distract your attention from negative thoughts and also gives you a therapeutic effect when used properly.

Really, Emotional Freedom Technique can actually help a lot in dealing with stress and frustration. There’s always a particular process of using the technique in order to realize great results. In most cases, emotional intensity of the individual involved is rated on scale while some positive affirmations are repeated at the same time when a specific spot on the chest is being rubbed. The next process that follows is the tapping of a series of acupressure points while some affirmations are still voiced out. At the end of the therapy, the person’s emotional intensity is properly re-scored.

Indeed, with EFT, one can bid goodbye to stress and frustration. When properly engaged, the technique deals with stress and also removes the self sabotaging tendencies that lead to stress and frustration. The tapping process is mainly the aspect you need to learn in EFT. If you’re confused about that, you need to watch the EFT video online to discover how the technique actually works.

Meanwhile, it’s very important to know the root cause of your stress and frustration before attempting to use Emotional Freedom Technique. In most cases, the problem is half-solved when you’re able to decode the root cause of your ugly condition. If for any reason you find it difficult to decode the root cause, you might consider meeting a psychotherapist to help you out. In most cases, the psychotherapist will take you through a counseling or probing process in order to decode the root cause of your problem. He or she will also recommend EFT or any other means to help you deal with the problem.

Treating Eczema With Natural Medicine and Stress Reduction

Eczema can be classified as either an allergic reaction or an autoimmune condition, but in either case it involves the body’s immune system running out of control in the layers of the skin. This causes the symptoms of eczema, which include a red and itchy rash, with dryness, thickening, and scaling of the skin. Most often it will appear on the hands and feet, face, knees and elbows, though it can affect any part of the body.

Eczema is increasing in incidence, and is more common in babies and children, though it affects many adults as well. It is estimated that as high as 30% of the US population has been afflicted by eczema at some point in their life. The cause of eczema is unknown, though it has a genetic component and is associated with other autoimmune type conditions such as seasonal allergies or asthma.

For sufferers of eczema, you know how difficult it can make life at times. Fortunately, there are a number of things you can do to help relieve the symptoms of eczema as well as prevent breakouts.

First, there are some basic tips you can follow to help with eczema.

Avoiding harsh soaps and detergents with synthetic chemicals can reduce the sensitivity of your skin. Try to use natural products instead.
Avoid extremes of temperature, especially heat. Overheating and excessive sweating can trigger outbreaks.
Don’t wear clothing that can irritate the skin, such as wool.
Use a quality natural moisturizer daily. Dryness of the skin increases eczema attacks.

Conventional treatments of eczema are unfortunately few, and some of the ones that are available come with potential unwanted side effects. Over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream can help with the itching and reduce inflammation, and stronger corticosteroid creams can be prescribed, but while these help with symptoms they do little to reduce the occurrence of outbreaks. Other prescription creams are available that help to modulate the immune response in the skin, however they come with warnings that they may increase the risk of skin cancer. Antibiotics have been shown to reduce outbreaks as well as prevent infection, however as with the use of any antibiotics long-term, this carries the risk of developing resistance to the antibiotics as well as disrupting the immune system.

For this reason, unless your eczema is severe, it is likely you will want to try natural treatments first. There is no one-hit-wonder for treating eczema naturally, so effective natural treatment for eczema will involve understanding more about the triggers of eczema and what systems of the body are involved.

The two most important areas to consider in relationship to your immune system are your digestive system and your endocrine system.

The digestive system contains a large number of immune cells in it, so an unhealthy digestion will make your immune system weaker and make eczema outbreaks more common.
The endocrine system involves your hormones, and in the case of eczema, the hormones involved in stress specifically will have a negative effect on your eczema if your stress levels are too high.

To keep a healthy digestion with eczema it is important to avoid foods that increase inflammation in the body. These include foods high in sugar and saturated fat, red meats, dairy, and eggs, as these increase the processes in the body that produce inflammation. While it may not be possible for everyone to completely avoid these foods, try to consume them minimally or in moderation. Some people have allergies to certain foods like wheat or dairy, so if you notice certain foods making your digestion worse, try and avoid these foods. Overall, keeping a healthy and balanced diet with adequate protein, healthy carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and fiber will go a long way in creating a healthy digestive system and reducing eczema outbreaks. Also, drinking adequate water to stay hydrated helps the body resist the allergic response associated with eczema.

Stress is not just a mental concept, but a very real physical condition. When the body is in a constant state of stress, it affects the hormonal production in your body, which will then affect a variety of your bodies systems. In the case of eczema, increased stress hormones weaken your body’s immune system, leaving your immune system more hypersensitive and likely to have an outbreak of eczema. In addition, chronic stress over time will fatigue your body, weakening your adrenal glands and metabolism, and make it harder for your body to keep your immune system stable and more likely for eczema to occur.

With stress and eczema, there is also a potential for a cycle of stress and eczema outbreaks to take place. Eczema is a stressful condition to deal with, and the stress it causes can actually lead someone to become more susceptible to eczema, which of course can then become a vicious cycle. It may seem counterintuitive, but worrying and being overprotective too much about outbreaks of eczema can actually make it worse.

The mind-body connection in eczema may be something to consider. Your skin serves as your first layer of protection from harm for all of the sensitive internal organ systems making up your body. It follows then that an overprotective mindset may lead the skin to become overprotective as well, and hypersensitive to its environment. Remember that eczema is an immune condition, and the immune system is responsible for protecting the body from threats.

My personal suspicion as to why the incidence of allergies and eczema is increasing so drastically in children these days is that parents in today’s world are becoming more overprotective with their children, which can cause stress as well as make it harder for kids to have fun. Whether you’re an adult with eczema or a parent dealing with a child with eczema, it is something worth considering that feeling overly protective can be a factor in causing eczema outbreaks. It may sound like a silly theory at first, but the body is very sensitive to the state of your mind and emotions. Try to find a balance where you are protecting yourself (or children) where it matters, but still leaving room for adventure and fun so that life can take its natural course.

There are also some natural medicine supplements that may help with eczema:

Topical creams or salves containing aloe, calendula, chickweed, comfrey, calendula, echinacea and other herbs can help heal and soothe the skin, reduce itching, and prevent infection
Fish oils supplements contain EPA/DHA which help reduce the inflammatory response in the body and strengthen the immune system
Adaptogens such as ashwaghanda, rhodiola, licorice or eleutherococcus can help improve your resistance to stress, increase your energy, and improve the quality of sleep
Natural anti-inflammatories such as turmeric, bromelain, or boswellia can decrease the inflammatory response associated with eczema

Overall, there are a number of things to try in treating eczema naturally before resorting to harmful prescription medications. Regardless, in dealing with eczema it is important to be patient and recognize that symptoms may not disappear overnight, but if you are consistent in your treatments you will see improvement over time.

The Effects of Media on the Skinny Side of Eating Disorders

What is the most deadly psychological disorder today? If you guessed an eating disorder, then you are right. According to WebMD, eating disorders are illnesses that cause a person to adopt harmful eating habits. So, does this make WebMD just a great resource, or is this really true, and is an eating disorder really a dangerous illness? Most sufferers of an eating disorder are often mocked about their problem, and they are not taken seriously. People should not misinterpret or disbelieve sufferers of an eating disorder because it is, in fact, a very serious illness. There are, however, minor cases of eating disorders but there are far too many deaths related to them, thus we must take this issue very seriously and approach it with care.

Why are eating disorders the greatest killers among the many different psychological disorders? This is because of the media, as well as the disorder’s dramatic and deadly affects on the body. Today, media is in our lives no matter where we go. From television, radio, and the news, to magazines, newspapers, and the internet, media plays a big role in the spreading ideas, norms, and styles to people. Media spreads information really quickly to millions of people. Media is around people no matter where they turn, and they face it on a daily basis in some form. So, how is media related to eating disorders? This question, and many other questions, will be answered after we get a better understanding of what an eating disorder is, its characteristics, statistics, and ways to prevent and treat it. I will, however, focus only on anorexia and bulimia because they are more affected by the media than overeating disorders are.

People with eating disorders obsess about their intake of food, and they spend a lot of time thinking about their weight and body image. Their body is badly affected both emotionally and physically. People with an eating disorder may suffer from a number of different symptoms, and not everyone gets the same symptoms as they vary from individual to individual. According to the Help Guide-Mental Health Issues, even though anorexia is the most revealed eating disorder in the media, bulimia is the most prevalent eating disorder.

A person suffering from anorexia sees themselves as fat when they are, in fact, skinny and underweight. Their weight does not match their height, activity level or age. They get bad memory, feel depressed, have a fear of gaining weight, feel light headed, and often faint. Women with anorexia may have problems with their menstrual cycle such as missed or late periods, as well as trouble getting pregnant. Woman who are pregnant have a higher risk of a miscarriage and a higher risk to need to deliver their baby through C-section. People suffering from anorexia can also have muscle and joint problems, kidney stones, kidney failure, anemia, bloating, constipation, low levels of potassium, magnesium, and sodium in their bodies, low blood pressure, slow heart rate, and heart failure. Some physical signs that can be seen on a person suffering from anorexia are dry or yellow skin, brittle nails, more hair growth on their body, and thin and brittle hair. A person with anorexia may also get cold easily, bruise easily, and feel down a lot.

A person suffering from bulimia can get the same effects as a person suffering from anorexia since both disorders involve the loss of major and rapid weight, which leads to very unhealthy changes in the body. Symptoms between anorexia and bulimia sufferers differ in the way that sufferers of bulimia would eat a lot of food in a short amount of time and then force themselves to throw up, when people with anorexia just don’t want to eat altogether. People with bulimia also misuse laxatives and go on strict diets of fasting and rigorous exercising. Sufferers from eating disorders in general are affected emotionally, psychologically, behaviorally, and socially. Emotional and psychological changes include increased anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, guilt, and low self esteem. Some changes in behavior of a person suffering from an eating disorder include dieting, frequent visits to the bathroom after eating, a change in fashion, and constantly checking their weight. Some social changes of a person suffering from an eating disorder may include isolation, being anti-social, avoiding social gatherings where food is involved, and a loss of interest for hobbies. Other physical signs of eating disorders in general include edema, a reduction in metabolism, sore throats, stomach problems, heartburn, and hypoglycemia; which leads to irrational thinking, shaking, confusion, irritability, and comas.

Eating disorders have a big impact on society on a small and on a large scale; meaning both individuals and society as a whole dedicate significant parts of their lives to the struggles of dealing with eating disorders. A lot of money and time go into the troubles of dealing with an eating disorder, as well as into the measures taken in order to treat and prevent them. Eating disorders are very common amongst celebrities, mainly because their profession puts pressure on them to be skinny. The majority of celebrities that we see in the media are all skinny, and most of them are anorexic or bulimic. The fans of these celebrities look at the bodies of their idols and they want to be like them. The problem with this is that anorexic and skinny celebrities do not make good role models for their fans because their skinny figures are not a healthy look to follow. Famous people believe that in order to be successful they must be skinny. This is not true. Celebrities expose their looks and body image to the media where fans can see them and get the wrong idea that their idol’s looks are acceptable when their idols are only trying to lose weight for their own “success”. In a weight article, Monica Seles stated that “Women in society have much tougher pressure to be thin.” It is like a cycle; celebrities are skinny in order to impress their fans and companies. They send their fans the wrong idea, thus making their fans lose weight. In the end, everyone has the idea that they must be thin and they must lose weight, thus, being skinny becomes the norm.

According to the article “Eating Disorders and Body Image in the Media” by Heather Mudgett, media can be very hypocritical because while the media shares news about celebrities dying from eating disorders, it also contains images of underweight celebrities modeled as if everyone should look like them. We might also see an article about a person dying from an eating disorder in a magazine, and on the next page we might see an underweight model, modeling a popular product. The underweight images of people in the media give consumers the wrong idea that being skinny is OK and that there is nothing wrong with it, when, in fact, being that skinny can lead to a person’s own death. Consumers spend so much money on products and services that will help them lose weight, such as weight loss drinks, nutrition bars, pills, laxatives, weight loss videos, and they even take weight loss classes. People also misuse drugs and liquids in order to force themselves to lose weight, and this can be very stressing to the body. Any time that we do something against our body’s natural functions, we hurt our body and put ourselves at great risk to further health problems in the future.

So many celebrities suffer and have died from eating disorders. Singer Karen Carpenter was struggling with anorexia and bulimia and after she went to treatment for years, everyone thought that she had recovered and was doing better. After that, she was found dead on the bathroom floor in her parent’s house. She had a heart attack and it was said that the result of it was because she had abused the drug Ipecac for years. Ipecac is a liquid that is used to induce vomiting, and it is often abused by anorexics and bulimics.

According to the South Carolina Department of Health, about seven million American women and one million American men have an eating disorder. About one in every two hundred women in America has anorexia, and about two or three out of one hundred women have bulimia. About half of Americans know at least one person who has an eating disorder. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, about 5% to 10% of people diagnosed with anorexia will die within 10 years of having the disease, about 18% to 20% of people will be dead after having the disease for 20 years and only 30% to 40% of people will recover from it. It is very scary fact that the rate of mortality for people with anorexia is twelve times higher than the rate of death of all of the causes of death for females from 15 to 24 years old. (South Carolina Department of Health). Nearly 20% of the people who have anorexia will die prematurely from health problems and heart problems due to their eating disorder. About 95% of people with an eating disorder are between the ages of 12 and 25, about 50% of females between the ages of 11 and 13 see themselves as overweight, and around 80% of 13 year old’s have, at some point, tried to lose weight. It is a very sad fact that over 80% of females who have made an effort to go get treatment for their eating disorder, have not received the full treatment that they need in order to fully recover. This often leads to the disorder reoccurring and to the patients hurting their health even more. Obviously, eating disorders are really serious and they should be treated as soon as possible.

Since eating disorders are such important problems facing society today, researchers have used psychological theories to try to solve these problems including group therapy, medical treatment, and nutritional counseling. Eating disorders are treatable, and a person who has an eating disorder does have a chance of getting better, however, if the media continues to idolize skinny celebrities and condone their extremely thin size, it will continue to aid people in trying to lose weight. Having an eating disorder is like a really bad habit that needs to be stopped. A lot of people do not have the ability to stop this bad habit on their own, thus they need help from professional doctors and even family. There are several different methods used to treat an eating disorder. Since an eating disorder affects individuals both physically and psychologically, the treatment for an eating disorder has to satisfy both the physical and psychological aspect of the disorder. Medicine alone wont help a patient get better. In order to get positive long term effects from the treatment, a patient has to receive a mix of medical and psychological help for their disorder. Some therapies that psychologists use to determine the problem and treatment of an eating disorder are cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, rational emotive therapy, and psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy allows psychologists to see the patient’s thought process, interpersonal therapy involves dealing with difficult relationships with others, rational emotive therapy involves studying a patient’s unhelpful beliefs, and psychoanalytic psychotherapy involves looking at a person’s past experiences. All of this information can help a psychologist find the problem, and come up with the solution to the problem. Group therapy is a helpful part of treatment that allows sufferers of the similar eating disorders get together to discuss their problem. Groups are able to discuss coping strategies, ask and answer questions, and talk about ways to change their behavior. Medical treatment is necessary in order to make sure that the patient receives full treatment. Drugs such as anti-depressants can be prescribed by an experienced doctor who knows your condition in order to help treat your illness. Nutritional counseling is another effective and good way to help treat eating disorders. Dieticians and nutritionists can help patients understand what a well-balanced diet is and what foods they should eat on a daily basis. Nutritional counseling can also help patients face their fears about food and get over their fears of being afraid to eat.

A lot of people are confused about what “normal eating” is so they need nutritional counseling to help them get back on track. Not that many people who suffer from an eating disorder go to get treated for it. According to the South Carolina Department of Health , only 1 out of 10 people who suffer from an eating disorder go to get treatment. The cost of treatment for an outpatient is very expensive. Costs for outpatient treatment can be over $100,000. In the US, the cost of treatment for an eating disorder per day is anywhere from $500 to $2,000. On average, a person in inpatient treatment has to pay $30,000 a month. People with eating disorders need approximately 3-6 months of inpatient care in order to recover. The cost of treatment for an eating disorder is ridiculously high, and the high costs might be a reason that people do not go to get treated. It is very hard for most families to pay for the treatment of their illness, especially when insurance companies don’t usually cover eating disorder costs. Another way to help reduce the number of people with eating disorders is to educate people about the dangers of eating disorders through media. The media is a good tool to help educate people on the dangers of eating disorders, but it is also a tool that hurts people by condoning the appearances of skinny people who suffer from such disorders. Another way that eating disorders can be treated and minimizes is through the “Doll Experiment”. People were shown that if a human being had the same attributes as a Barbie doll, the body would not be able to hold itself because of its awkward shape and structure. This is a good way to show people that a Barbie doll isn’t necessarily what women today should aim towards looking like. In the same way, the celebrities we see on TV are not people who we should try to look like either.

I believe that as long as the media continues to idolize thin celebrities, the effects of education about the dangers of eating disorders through the media will not be effective. For each step that they take forward to solve the problem, they take two steps back by continuing to idolize thin celebrities. It is not a question of what effects have a greater likelihood of causing an eating disorder, but it is a fact that media does contribute to people developing and maintaining eating disorders. There are other causes of eating disorders, such as interpersonal or biological factors, but if the problem of media influencing eating disorders can be changed, there will be fewer cases of eating disorders. We have to take one step at a time in order to solve this very serious problem of eating disorders, and a great place to start is to change the fact that media influences eating disorders. There is not one cause of eating disorders, but media is a big influence to them since media reaches so many people. Personally, I think that group therapy very helpful in the treatment process of an eating disorder. Victims of an eating disorder are able to ask questions and receive answers in order to better understand their situation.

This is very helpful and it might make the victims of eating disorders feel more comfortable knowing that there are other people out there who are going through the same thing. Unfortunately, people are put under so much pressure to be thin by watching skinny celebrities all over the media be idolized. If they are being idolized does that means that they are good role models and their behaviors should be followed? No, most of the time, celebrities are not good role models. I believe that early childhood education is very important because I think that eating disorders start at an early age when children are naive and susceptible to being changed by others. Educating young kids about the media and how to criticize media is a very important step to reducing the number of people with eating disorders. Since media has such a big influence on eating disorders, children should be able to effectively criticize it and not fall victim to its schemes.

New Generation of Behind The Ear Hearing Aids

Hearing loss is a common condition that affects adults and children. 1 in 3 people over the age of 60 have hearing loss. However, a growing number of young people (in their 30s and 40s) are suffering from hearing loss caused by excessive noise such as loud music, motorcycle engines and loud nightclubs. Yet, many people refuse to wear a hearing aid because it makes them look old.

In view of the stigma associated with hearing aids, manufacturers redesigned their products – targeted at the baby boomers – to look more hip and cool. New behind the ear hearing aids now come in various shapes and attractive colors. They are now smaller and hardly noticeable. When you do see them they often just look like an ordinary cell phone or Bluetooth ear piece.

Along with the newer sleek designs and colors of behind the ear hearing aids comes a new wave of technology. This advanced technology provides state of the art features, making behind the ear hearing aid a must have gadget that the baby boomers don’t mind wearing.

Phonak and Oticon are two of the leading manufacturers who have revamped their behind the ear hearing aids to appeal to the baby boomer generation and first time users. Phonak’s new Audeo Personal Communication Assistant (PCA) is a sleek new behind the ear hearing aid that comes in 15 attractive color choices. The state of the art features include Crystalsound, which is extended high-frequency amplification, and Digital SurroundZoom the best directional microphone system. The unique shape and award winning design gives behind the ear hearing aid a fresh look.

The Oticon Delta is designed for those who want high-tech features in a sleek, modern behind the ear hearing aid. The Delta uses Artificial Design (AI) which functions much like the human brain by automatically making thousands of minute adjustments to keep the sound perfect. It uses directional microphones to help reduce unwanted noise. It comes in a wide array of colors making it not only a great hearing aid device but also a cool one. The new Delta triangular shaped hearing aid was named one of the best inventions in personal electrics at the 2007 Consumer Electronic Show.

Behind the ear hearing aids require little fitting adjustment. So you can buy one “off the shelf” and then make the necessary amplification adjustments. There are numerous adjustments that can be made via easy connection to a computer by your hearing care professional.

The new behind the ear hearing aids are making a strong comeback in a market that is catering more and more to younger people with hearing loss. The state-of-the-art features, unique designs and colors certainly make behind the ear hearing aid a popular choice not only among the baby boomers, but also the older people. The new open fit hearing aids are certainly discovering a new place in the market.