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Flat Abs Washboard Stomach Exercises, Planks, Proper Sit Ups Form & Special Tip

I just found this health related video on YouTube … and thought you might enjoy it!

youtube.com/watch?v=LwHvtwOkMsI%3Ff%3Dvideos%26app%3Dyoutube_gdata

This video is about how to achieve a flat washboard stomach, a strong core, and defined abdominal muscles. We all know it takes hard work through diet and exercise, including sit ups, but I want to share with you another special tip that I have practiced all my life. It will most definitely work for you as well if you make it part of your life. I hope you enjoy my tip! Your comments and ratings are very much welcome and please remember to subscribe!!!! Thank you for tuning in……. For more helpful tips, please visit me at my blogspot at: www.youtips4u.blogspot.com To purchase a YouTips4U Custom Designed T-Shirt, please click here cgi.ebay.com

Tell us what you think about this video in the comments below, or in the Battling For Health Community Forum!
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Updates on teen health

Teen Vaccination Rates Increasing Across the US
A survey by the Centers of Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) of over 20,000 teenagers aged 13 to 17 years showed an increasing rate of vaccination. As much as 15% increase was reported in terms of vaccinations that were recommended for preteen years for diseases such as pertussis, meningitis, and cervical cancer. Although the increase looks positive, but experts think the current rates could still be improved upon.
According to Anne Schuchat, M.D., director of CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases:

“This year’s data are mixed. We can see that more parents of adolescents are electing to protect their children from serious diseases such as pertussis, meningitis, and cervical cancer, but there is clear room for improvement in our system’s ability to reach this age group.”

Why hipsters are growing gap-toothed grins
Here is a great argument that parents can use against tongue piercing: teeth gaps. While teens may need care much about the risks of catching contagious diseases through piercings, this argument will appeal to their sense of aesthetics. After all, which teenager would want a gap-toothed smile?
Orthodontists report that metal piercings in the tongue can cause diastema, which is a significant space between the upper teeth. A report of such a case has been published in the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics.
But how do tongue studs do this? According to this msnbc report:

Apparently, kids like to play with their tongue studs, often pushing the barbell shaped ornaments back and forth against their front teeth. In the case described in the new study, a young woman managed to create a significant space between her upper teeth — called a diastema — by periodically wedging the thin part of the barbell between them and wiggling it around over the course of seven years.

Other experts report the following cases:

• fractured tooth by repeatedly clacking the piercing against them
• broken tooth when the piercing gets between her teeth as one bites down on some food

Adolescent Brains Biologically Wired to Engage in Risky Behavior, Study Finds
Parents often wonder what goes on in their teenager’s brain to make them do what they do. Scientists are trying their best to find out. And their findings may help us understand the source of rash and risky behavior among adolescents. According to Dr. Russell, professor in the departments of Psychology and Neurobiology at the University of Texas at Austin:

“Our results raise the hypothesis that these risky behaviors, such as experimenting with drugs or having unsafe sex, are actually driven by over activity in the mesolimbic dopamine system, a system which appears to be the final pathway to all addictions, in the adolescent brain.”

Unintentional drug poisoning a.k.a. overdose

We usually associate drug overdose with celebrities: Anna Nicole Smith, Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, to mention the few recent. But the rate of drug overdose, also called unintentional or accidental drug poising is actually on the rise among the general population during the 20 years.

Dr. Leonard J. Paulozzi, a Medical Epidemiologist with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines unintentional drug overdose.

“A poisoning is defined as the effect of taking too much of any substance. Drug poisonings are what people usually call “drug overdoses.” They are called “unintentional” — a term that we prefer over “accidental” — when the person did not intend to harm themselves. For most drug overdoses today in the United States, the person has intended to take the drug, but that doesn’t mean that they intended to harm themselves. If they did intend to harm themselves, the overdose is classified as a suicide.”

These “accidents” often lead to deaths. In the 1970s and 1980s, less than 2 per 100,000 people died of drug overdose. The rate started increasing in the 1990s and has been continuously rising. In 2007, the rate in the US is about 10 deaths per 100,000 population, according to CDC data.

In fact, drug overdose currently ranks second only to vehicular accidents as cause of death in the US and the gap is closing rapidly. “For the first time in 2007, unintentional drug poisoning exceeds motorized vehicle traffic and suicide as the overall leading cause of injury death in Ohio.”

Health experts cannot exactly pinpoint the cause(s) of the rise in drug overdose. However, it is clear that increase in unintentional drug poisoning is not only due to illegal drugs but mainly due to non-medical use of prescription drugs, especially opioids and benzodiazepines. Availabiliy and access to prescription drugs probably plays a major role, e.g. the main source of the medications in the medicine cabinet at home. There is a very strong correlation between the number of prescriptions filled for a drug and the rate of abuse of a drug. The most commonly abused prescription drugs are those that are most commonly prescribed. An example cited is alprazolam, the most prescribed benzodiazepine also ranks first as the most commonly abused in this class of drugs.

Overdose happens regardless of age but is more prevalent in certain age groups. Looking at the age breakdown, the following age groups are ranked from the highest to the lowest risk:

1. 45- to 54-year-olds
2. 35- to 44-year-old range
3. 25- to 34-year-olds
4. 15- to 24-year-olds
5. 55- to 64-year-olds

Experts, however, are concerned that the rate among teens is rapidly increasing.

According to psychiatrists Dr. Richard H. Weisler

“The annual Monitoring the Future Drug Survey suggests close to 10% of high school seniors are using prescription opioids in a year; 3% are using cocaine; and almost 1% are using heroin.”

Pediatricians should warn patients about alcohol abuse

Can you imagine your 13-year old daughter sipping a margarita? Or your 15-year old son downing a pint of beer? It seems unimaginable but it is more common than we think. During the last couple years, there have been more and more cases of teenagers collapsing following binge drinking, some even falling into alcohol-induced coma or dying.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is urging pediatric doctors to discourage their patients to consume alcohol. This is according to the latest policy statement issued by the AAP. The reasons for this call may seem obvious but here are some things we should be aware of:

Adolescent alcohol consumption:

• is the major contributor to the leading causes of teen deaths: accidental injury (particularly car accidents), homicide and suicide.
• increases greatly the chances teens will engage in other risky actions such as substance use, unsafe sex and violent behavior.
• is more likely to result in binge drinking than alcohol use among adults.
• affects developing brains and general health, including possibly harming liver function and ability to fight infections.
• means the earlier they start drinking, the higher is the risk for alcohol abuse in the future.

But hey, how can teenagers get access to alcohol? That’s what the alcohol age limit is for, right?

Unfortunately, there are lots of ways and means by which teenager can cheat or get around alcohol legislations.

False ID. Having a false ID is the most common way by which teens get access to alcohol. The IDs are for sale on the streets and a large proportion of urban teens have them.

Loopholes in the legislation. Alcohol legislations are full of loopholes. Here are some examples:

• In Switzerland, teens are not allowed to enter clubs and other establishments where alcohol us served. There is, however, a loophole: they can, if they are accompanied by an adult, somebody who is at least 18 years old. In other words, a group of teens would only need one fake ID to get into these places. Once they are in, access to alcohol gets easier.
• In the US, some states have lower age limit than others. Thus, young people can cross statelines and get drunk there legally.

Alcohol at home. Finally, the easiest way for teens to get access to alcohol is by raiding dad ‘s or mom’s stock.  In the UK, even children have alcohol if supervised by an adult at home. Unfortunately, the term “supervision” is not clearly defined by law, leaving its implementation at the discretion of the parents.

Finally, here are some statistics from the Center of Disease Prevention and Control (CDC):

• More than 90% of seniors in high school and 60% of eighth-graders say alcohol is fairly easy or very easy to get. 
• 29% of high school students report riding  one or more times in the previous month in a car driven by someone who had been drinking. 
• 10.5% of those students had driven a car at least once in the previous month when they had been drinking.

The new AAP policy statement indicates that parental guidance on alcohol may not be enough, that inputs from health care professionals, especially primary care physicians, may curb the growing teenage alcohol problem.

Medication Abuse and Five Moms

Last month, October was National Medicine Abuse Awareness Month. I apologize for missing the opportunity then to help spread the word about this very important issue. But I don’t think it’s too late to start, even though we’re already into the 1^st week of November. Because substance abuse can occur anytime, anywhere.

Recent reports indicate that abuse of prescription drugs is on the rise, ranking second to marijuana abuse. There is a good reason behind this trend – prescription drugs are easily available within the four walls of the home. According to the US Office of National Drug Control Policy, the 3 classes of prescription drugs most commonly abused are:

• opioids such as codeine, oxycodone, and morphine;
• central nervous system (CNS) depressants such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines;
• stimulants such as dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate

In case you don’t know it, some of these substances are found in your common cough syrup. One of them is codeine, which is a regulated substance. Another one is dextromethorphan or DXM, believed to be the most popular.

Parents are getting concerned about this trend. Some decided to do something about it.

Brought together by the Consumer Healthcare Product Association (CHPA), five mothers from different backgrounds and different parts of the US launched a campaign in 2007 to fight medicine abuse among teens. The campaign is aptly called Five Moms: Stopping Teen Medicine Abuse.

Here are some tips that Five Moms give parents to help prevent medicine abuse:

• Safeguard medicine cabinets. This includes locking them up and keeping a close inventory of its contents.
• Monitor your child’s Internet activity. The Word Wide Web is a rich source of information which might be beneficial or dangerous. It is also a platform where illicit drug deals occur.
• Talk to your teens about drug abuse. Keep an open communication with your teens. Five Moms gives tips on how to talk to your teens effectively.
• Recognize the signs of cough medicine abuse.

The Five Moms site offers a lot of information and resources for parents, also available in Spanish. Here’s what you can do at the Five Moms site:

• Get information, tips and read testimonials.
• Take a quiz about your knowledge of medicine abuse.
• Download the Parents’ Guide on Medicine Abuse.
• Receive a free newsletter

Learn. Act. Talk. Protect. These are what Five Moms advocate. Their Mission:

We are five moms—a registered nurse, an accountant, a D.A.R.E. officer, an educator, and an author—from different backgrounds and from all over the country. We’ve come together with a common concern: teenagers abusing cough medicine to get high. We worry not only about our own kids, but about those of our friends and neighbors, too.

Picture credit: Five Moms icon

Lessons Children and Teens Learn from Caregiving

 A quick search on your favorite search engine will certainly lead you to information and services for caregivers.  However, you will have to dig a little deeper to figure out how Alzheimer’s disease impacts teenagers and children who have parents, grandparents or other family members who are battling Alzheimer’s.

Children and teens tend to be resilient and creative.  Sometimes, they just need a little prompting and they can take over and figure things out.  One day, in frustration, I sat my mom and my son at the kitchen table, gave them both crayons and prayed for a moment of peace.  Well, it was one of the best days we’d had in a long time.  Mom really enjoyed coloring and my son thoroughly enjoyed helping her to select colors and decide what to draw.

Teenagers are interesting creatures.  Often, they are in their own world and seemingly oblivious to what is happening around them.  Yet, they desperately want to belong. They want to be part of something.  That’s why they often cling to their friends and their groups.  The interaction offers them a  sense of belonging.  When tough times come, they often withdraw because they are not sure what to do.  Just  a little prompting on your part can go a long way.

Children and teens can be helpful in the caregiving process.  It’s natural to want to shield them from what can be ugly  and painful at times.  However, sickness is a part of life.  You are teaching valuable life lessons by allowing them to be a part of the caregiving process.

My mom cared for several sick relatives in our home while I was growing up.  I don’t think she ever stopped to articulate these things as lessons, but here is what I learned:

• You only have one family.  Be kind to them and support them when they are down.
• Holding grudges is a waste of time.
• It is a blessing and an honor to care for a dying person.
• If you treat people well when they are alive, it makes the grief associated with losing them less complicated.
• Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity.
• Sick people are still people.
• Put other people first.
• Do the right thing.
• Encouraging children and teens to be part of the caregiving process helps them to become other-centered instead of self-centered.

The natural tendency is to protect and shield our children, yet, the lessons they learn from being appropriately exposed to hard times will teach lessons and values that will last literally a lifetime.  They may also transfer into your child’s attitude about caring for you when it is necessary.

Do you have children or teens? Are they actively involved in caregiving?  Share your experiences.

Dude, What’s Going On With Grandpa? Talking With Teens About Alzheimer’s Disease

Teenage years are already complicated ones.  Toss in a grandparent or close relative with Alzheimer’s disease and the issues of driving, varsity sports, the latest fashions, gadgets, acne, social websites, braces and of course, dating are suddenly not so bad to deal with after all. 

Parents tend to go for the extremes when it comes to talking with teens about Alzheimer’s disease. Either they say nothing and almost act like if they don’t mention it, then eventually grandpa will come back to himself.  Or, they burden the teen with all of the information at once AND expect the teen to grasp it and instantly become co-caregivers.  Family dynamics are different and teens are different.  There are also variables such as the teen’s relationship with the affected person; whether or not the affected person lives with or in close proximity to the teen and how the disease is manifesting itself.

Before we get to the suggestions, just a note or four about teenagers in general. 

(1)   Teenage years are charcterized by the need to gain independence.

(2)   Teenagers are smarter than we think they are.

(3)   Teenagers need you much more than you think they do.

(4)   Teenagers tend to think and feel w-a-y more deeply than they appear to.

With those notes tucked into your back pocket, let’s look at some ways that we can talk with teens and help them to navigate the difficult truth:  Grandpa has Alzheimer’s disease.

Your teenager has probably at least heard of Alzheimer’s disease. Explain that it is a disease of the brain.  It is not just getting older or having “senior moments.”  In short, the brain cells die slowly and grandpa will lose various abilities as different parts of his brain are impacted.  Encourage your teen to do her own research and learn about the disease, and possibly present her findings to the family.

Encourage your teen to explore and express his feelings (see #4).  Let him know that it’s okay to be sad, angry and confused.  Your teen may feel jealousy about the amount of time and attention that the affected person is getting. He may feel guilty for getting mad or frustrated. He definitely may feel embarrassed if grandpa is given to strange behaviors.

• The shared journal is a great idea. Take turns writing your thoughts and feelings about grandpa’s Alzheimer’s disease.  This exercise can open communication in other areas.
• Penny For Your Thoughts?  When things get rough, and the communication slows down, agree that one of you can give the other a penny. That signals that you will take some time to sit down, regroup and TALK about what you are feeling.

Be available and present for your teen (see #3).  You, no doubt are stretched.  However, it is really important that you take some time just for your teen, just the two of you.  Hit the mall, play a game, watch a movie, talk.  Just be there so that your teen feels supported and loved through the ups, downs and changes.

Ask your teen for help (see #1, #2).  Tell her what needs to be done and solicit her participation and engagement in the caregiving process.  If there is something specific that you need her to do, then ask, but you may also want to provide a list of things that she can do and encourage her to select the one or ones she is willing and able to do. That way, she understands that she needs to pitch in, but is allowed to select how she’ll help out.  You might also leave the question open ended and allow your teen to evaluate the situation and see how she might be able to help.

Help your teen maintain as much normalcy as possible. (this one covers notes 1-4).  Everything is changing – the family dynamics, grandpa, and your teen.  So, it’s important that, when practical, some things stay the same.  Help your teen to continue soccor, cheerleading, after school job, etc. These are good outlets for your teen to just be a teenager.   

There really is no formula.  The most important thing is to keep the lines of communication open and revisit these issues as time progresses.

Stress and Parents, Teenage Dilemmas

Contemporary society presents many circumstances that can encourage stress for teens. One of the chief potential stressors is often found right at home: parents.

That’s not to say parents cause teen stress. Even teens are self-responsible individuals, within the realm of actions open to them. And that’s the key to some of the sources of teen stress. They are sometimes given too much freedom, in other areas too little.

Setting a developing person adrift among the variety of choices available in modern, complex society is a near guarantee for stress. That reaction is fundamentally the result of a perceived, unresolvable conflict between “I must” and “I can’t”. In many cases, it is indeed true that the teen can’t.

No one could reasonably expect a fourteen year-old to know how to negotiate the maze of challenges the modern world offers without good guidance. Few are equipped by parents or nature to do so at that age. One isn’t born knowing how, for example, to earn money, raise babies and deal with adult life – and that knowledge is rarely attained by age fourteen.

But it’s also true that teens are not children. They are very self-aware, have complex systems of values and have some knowledge of the world. They have the ability to begin to exercise their powers independently. When that independence is stifled, opportunities to test guesses and solve problems is stunted.

The results of both these false alternatives – independence in the sense of being totally abandoned to one’s own devices, and lack of independence in not being allowed to make choices and deal with the consequences – will inevitably result in stress.

The former leaves the teen in the position of having to solve problems they simply aren’t ready to solve. The latter makes it extremely difficult for them to gain or expand their ability to solve them.

Teens will often implicitly recognize this when they complain to parents ‘You never let me have my way’, or, “I’m old enough to make my own decisions”. Some parents react dogmatically by declaring that they will make those decisions, others err on the other side by simply throwing off all restraint and allowing the teen to ‘sink or swim’.

Knowing when to do one, when to do the other is every parent’s challenge. But the teen can help themselves and the parents out of this dilemma – and in the process save themselves much needless stress.

Just as they are not children, teens are not adults. But they can improve their situation by demonstrating the first and emulating the second. Paradoxically, voluntarily reaching for responsibility is one very effective way to minimize stress before it builds.

Though responsibility can lead to stress – if met with resentment or fear rather than confidence and persistence – it can also help build those skills needed to head off stress before it grows. When the responsibilities are those the teen is actually, with effort, able to handle the result is confidence building.

The surest way to decrease the stress that comes from fear of failure or of dealing with stubborn parents is to successfully tackle the challenges of school, home responsibilities and other hurdles. Sometimes that will require starting over after initial failure. Teens will learn practical knowledge from undertaking the challenge and build psychological strength from making the attempt.