From the Founder: Sleep Spa

Sleep for me these days seems like a luxury. Lately, I just can’t seem to get enough. Last night, or afternoon I should say, I fell asleep at 6pm! No, I am not 70- I know most of you are wondering my age since falling asleep at that time seems to be the norm of the people living in a retirement community.

As much as my current lifestyle requires more hours for work and somehow I still put a decent amount of time into my social life, I am learning to give in to sleep. In this go-getter era, our lifestyles rarely allow us to give in to sleep except on the weekends and even then most of us feel guilty that we are wasting our time or that it is not allowed. After reading this week’s guide, I know most of you are thinking (whether there is a sleep spa in your city or not) There is no way I could break away from work for a nap!

Now back when I worked 9 – 5, I could see where that mentality comes from, but at the same time if I think hard enough I could really add some wasted time spent on Instant Messenger, Email, Chatting in the Lunch Area, etc. All of which could add up to 20 minute increments which if I had known back then would have traded for some ZZZ’s.

Napping of course is not something we need everyday. Even though an afternoon rest is a part of the European and Latin American cultures as Susan mentioned, we Americans need moderation for both setting the time aside and accepting the fact that it's OK to shut down just like a computer and reboot 20 minutes later.

When Susan shared the experience she and her friend had at Yelo in her Spa Blog, I wanted our BalanceBoost readers to know more. One of the things she told me that stuck out was how she woke up naturally. She said that they simulated a sunrise with the LED light which as most of us nappers know when we pass or voluntarily take a nap, sometimes waking up comes with a jolt of confusion- was I sleeping? how long was I sleeping? or from the noise of an annoying alarm. Most of know that feeling sometimes defeats the whole rest that we got from the nap and in
Susan’s feature, she told us about the benefits sleep has on our skin and appearance. Now napping, for me at least, has more value to it, because not only am I hoping to increase my energy and concentration when I wake up, I may also be contributing to my aesthetics.

Even though I have not been to a sleep spa yet, I definitely recommend that you try it once just to have the experience to compare to a cup of coffee, energy drink or to see what you look like after (it's not a makeover, keep your expectations in the realistic zone).

So sleep away and you may wake up looking better and ready to conquer the world! Source: http://balanceboost.blogspot.com/

Diabetes in Children

Healthy Living
Children

Diabetes Mellitus, commonly known as Diabetes is a health disorder in which the body has trouble regulating its blood sugar levels. Diabetes can be categorised as type 1 diabetes (an autoimmune disease also known as juvenile diabetes) and type 2 diabetes (a metabolic disorder also known as adult onset diabetes).

Respiratory Diseases in Children

Healthy Living
Children/Teens

More than 3 million Canadians suffer from serious respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, influenza and pneumonia, bronchiolitis, tuberculosis (TB), cystic fibrosis, and respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

Television and Children

Healthy Living
Children/Teens

Parental guidance is required

The invasion of cable TV, DVD and Direct to Home (DTH) TV in our family lives, especially in the context of children, has spread more ills than the benefits they can offer.

Children/Teens

Health Guides
Little Footprints
Foot Care

Foot care is important at all stages in life, but the first few years are the most crucial to your children’s development of healthy feet. After all, these little twinkle toes are going to carry them places for the rest of their life. Ensuring good foot care in the initial days will help preventing problems that might arise at a later stage.

Baby Steps:

During the first year, the infant’s feet undergo radical changes. Avoid putting too much strain on them, as they are very flexible and delicate and hence, more prone to damage. Allow the baby to freely kick and stretch its feet for normal growth. Also, make sure that the socks and shoes do not squeeze the toes.

The First Steps:

It is not advisable to force your toddler to walk. Avoid making comparisons with other toddlers as they learn how to walk between the ages of 10-20 months. Hence, if the neighbour’s child walked at 10 months and your 15-month-old kid still wobbles in a walker, do not press the panic button. When ready, the baby will take the first steps.

The Little Dynamo:

By the time children are 7-8 years old, their feet are fully formed. Measure your growing child’s feet every 2-3 months and if required, change his/her footwear. Even though foot problems arise mostly from play injury, illness, deformities or heredity, improper footwear can further agonise those conditions. Timely medical intervention can help prevent bone risk problems.

Common foot dilemmas

In-toeing: Metatarsus Adductus, popularly called Pigeon Toes, is a common foot condition affecting young children. It affects babies of both sexes. Though the actual cause is not known, doctors believe that this happens due to the babies being tightly curled up in mother’s womb. This condition may make it difficult for the child to walk and he/she may trip often. These kids rarely require treatment and get better with time. Occasionally they might need casts or special corrective shoes. Surgery may be suggested only in extremely rare cases.

Flat feet: Baby feet are way different than adult feet. Though the structure is the same, many babies at birth naturally appear flat-footed. This is because of the arch that is yet to develop and a thick layer of baby fat, which protects your infant’s feet. Do not worry, if your little one’s feet are fat, flat and floppy. Just as in-toeing, even this condition will disappear in most cases as your baby begins to stand and walk. However, check with your podiatrist if this condition prevails even by the time your child turns five years of age.

With or Without Shoes

Under proper conditions, it is healthy for kids to roam around barefoot for the proper development of their feet. Footwear is very important from the point of view of healthy development. Wearing poorly fitting shoes in childhood can lead to a number of problems in adulthood. Children’s bones are so flexible that the feet will deform even without their realising it. Despite footwear being essential for the protection of little feet, it is advisable to limit its usage to outdoors and certain dress-up functions at home.