Kids and Health

Parents usually have the best intentions when it comes to making sure their kids are growing up healthy. But it can be a challenge, especially with a picky eater or a child who prefers videogames to playing outdoors. The reality is that exhausted and overworked parents often end up making food choices based on convenience—serving the meal that's most appealing, not necessarily the most nutritious, or offering it in front of a TV. Such habits take a toll. Last year, the International Obesity Task Force estimated that more than 35 percent of American children ages 6 to 17 exceeded their ideal body weight, which can lead to serious long-term health problems like heart disease and diabetes, as well as depression and low self-esteem. Good health choices can also go a long way—not just toward physical health, but mental health and intellectual success, too. Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia found last year that kids who play vigorously for 20 to 40 minutes actually do better in school and are happier.

It's no secret that kids have loads more energy than their parents, but when they're allowed to play hours of videogames or watch TV for too long, it becomes harder for their bodies to adapt to doing something active. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that kids under age 2 have no screen time, and that kids older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of TV. A study published last month in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine found that cutting kids' TV and computer time by half reduced the amount of food they ate and helped them lose weight. Researchers said they believed the drop was related to reduced exposure to ads for unhealthy fast foods and beverages. So encourage outdoor playtime with organized sports or tossing or kicking a ball around in a park or in the yard. By sprinkling exercise sessions into the family's weekend schedule, you're building the framework for an active lifestyle.

Kids need a positive role model to show them what it means to take care of their bodies. As a parent, think about the kinds of foods you like to snack on and what you like to do with your spare time. If you encourage your kids to play outside, but then spend all afternoon on the couch watching TV, you're likely to send them a mixed message. It's important to practice what you preach. Your habits should reflect the lifestyle you'd like your children to have.

The meaning of success

I just had to start the week with a very meaningful quote by a very intelligent man, enjoy.

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Living the Western Lifestyle

'WEST' isn't just a direction on the map. It is also a frame of mind. No matter where you are on the map, you can have a piece of the west. Whether you are a "been there, done that" old cowboy / cowgirl, or a streetwise urban cowboy who loves the rustic look and relaxed feel of the Old West, you will find something here to enhance your western lifestyle.

Ahhh, the western lifestyle. Heck no, it ain't easy! The hard work starts before dawn and lasts long past sundown. It all goes back to the days of pioneers and settlers riding west to claim a stake of land on which to raise cattle and crops, to produce food to live on. So much has changed, but in all things western you can still see a shadow of the history of the American Cowboy's lifestyle. For many living the western lifestyle in this day, it means getting up at 2:00 in the morning during calving season to go out to the pasture to check heifers - even if it's raining and cold, yes even in a blizzard! In other seasons, the western lifestyle means mowing, raking, and baling hay in the blazing heat of the summer days, or riding a horse across a pasture of 100's or 1,000's of acres (or larger) to gather calves on a cold windy fall day, to be transported to the sale barn for the next auction. These seasonal chores are just a small portion of the usual year-round duties performed by the cowboys, ranchers, and farmers of the West. Another seasonal duty includes helping neighbors out during the branding season, who in turn reciprocate the favor. While an extensive amount of work goes into each day of branding cattle at each different locale, each event generally turns into a great social time for all. At the end of the day, after all of the calves are branded and vaccinated, and the bull calves have been casterated, participants come together and discuss the top issues in the headlines of the world. This time of social comradery is one of the rewards of living a western lifestyle.

What's so great about a western lifestyle? It is the romantic vision of the attitudes, work ethics, manners and morals along with the history of the American Western Cowboy and his culture. Life in the country, out in the wide open spaces. Time alone on the prairie, or in the desert, or up in the mountains. Some time to think. Watching a beautiful sunset. Peaceful and relaxing.

The cowboys/cowgirls and ranchers who live a true western lifestyle take care of business with their own regions western tack, style of dress and supplies. But even those who will not be riding out to check heifers, or living life on the rodeo trail, can still have a piece of the West with western furniture and home decor. A western theme will accentuate your lifestyle. Please visit and browse our site at www.everythingwestern.net to explore all that is available if you desire a western lifestyle.

Happy Trails!