Health and Fitness

Kids Nutrition Calculator
healthy snacks

Make Sure Your Kids' Nutrition Needs Are Being Met With Clif's Handy New Tool

Like all parents, we're constantly doing our best to nourish our little ones with a well-balanced diet.
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Like all parents, we're constantly doing our best to nourish our little ones with a well-balanced diet. But when the nutrition labels on packaged food are targeted to the average adult's diet (2,000 calories/day), it's not always easy to tell just how much (or how little) of the good stuff our kids are actually getting. That's why we're so excited to share this new tool from Clif Kid with you!

Here's how it works:

  1. Head over to Clif Kid.
  2. Grab a food package and identify the nutrition label on the back.
  3. Under "Adult Nutrition Label," pick a nutrient you want to convert for your child, and enter in the grams from the nutrition label on the package.
  4. On the "Kid Nutrition Label" side, you'll see the grams converted into the daily percentage this nutrient takes up in their diet for the day. Notice the difference as compared to an adult's — it's as easy as that.

Put the Clif Tool to work today, and tell us the most surprising finds you discover!

Kids With Older Dads
Health and Fitness

Do Kids With Older Dads Live Longer?

If your kids have an older dad, there may be some unexpected perks in store for them.
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If your kids have an older dad, there may be some unexpected perks in store for them. According to a new study out of Northwestern University, the offspring of older fathers just may have a life expectancy advantage over the rest of us.

"If your father and grandfather were able to live and reproduce at a later age, this might predict that you yourself live in an environment that is somewhat similar — an environment with less accidental deaths or in which men are only able to find a partner at later ages," said Dan T.A. Eisenberg, lead author of the study. "In such an environment, investing more in a body capable of reaching these late ages could be an adaptive strategy from an evolutionary perspective."

The study found that children with older dads inherit longer telomeres (the DNA found at the ends of chromosomes), which have been shown to promote slower aging. The connection between the father's age and telomere length is cumulative across multiple generations.

The researchers did note that their study should not be taken as a recommendation that men make a concerted effort to reproduce at later ages, as previous research has shown that older fathers are more likely to pass along harmful mutations to their offspring at the time of conception, which can lead to increased rates of miscarriage and other health issues. However, "These new findings suggest that there might also be underappreciated benefits to having an older father or grandfather," said Christopher W. Kuzawa, coauthor of the study.

The results of the study may bode well for many Hollywood dads, like Clint Eastwood, who welcomed his seventh child at the age of 63, and Michael Douglas, whose youngest was born when he was 59.

Vacation Fitness Ideas For the Family
Health and Fitness

8 Ways to Stay Fit as a Family While on Vacation

It's easy to justify extra lazy days during a vacation, but it's important to set a healthy example for your kids by making fitness a priority all the time — even when you travel.
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It's easy to justify extra lazy days during a vacation, but it's important to set a healthy example for your kids by making fitness a priority all the time — even when you travel. No need to turn fun beach days into a grueling boot camp, though. By making just a few simple tweaks to your vacation lifestyle, you and your kids can stay active and energized while you're out of town. Hoping to amp up the health factor for your family's Summer vacations? Follow these tips:

  1. Take morning (and evening!) walks to explore the area.
  2. Buy healthy breakfast options to keep in the room.
  3. Skip the movie theater and head to a museum or theme park instead.
  4. Visit local farmers markets or street fairs to get in some extra steps.
  5. Before you go, sign up for fitness-based activities like tennis or kayaking.
  6. Avoid late-night room service calls by stocking up on healthier snacks as soon as you arrive.
  7. Play in the sand, in the pool, at the park — just keep everyone moving.
  8. Set up a daily food budget to avoid eating extra snacks "because you're on vacation."

How does your family stay healthy during vacations? Share your favorite tips!

Source: Flickr user c. bueno

Nutrition Label Facts
Health and Fitness

What's in Your Grocery Cart? Test Your Nutrition Label Know-How

Anyone who's ever tried to decode a nutritional label at the grocery store is well aware that it can be an incredibly confusing task.
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Anyone who's ever tried to decode a nutritional label at the grocery store is well aware that it can be an incredibly confusing task. And for those of us who think we've got it down pat . . . it turns out that the language used on those tricky lil labels is riddled with misleading terminology that may have you feeding your tot less healthy food than you think. Test your nutritional know-how, and find out how well you know what's in your family's kitchen.

Source: Flickr User dougww

Take the Quiz
Babyproofing Your Home
Health and Fitness

The New Parents' Guide to Babyproofing

New dad Nick Cannon recently told Us Weekly that his twins with Mariah Carey are too smart for babyproofing: "They know how to take the knobs and the babyproof stuff off.
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New dad Nick Cannon recently told Us Weekly that his twins with Mariah Carey are too smart for babyproofing: "They know how to take the knobs and the babyproof stuff off. They know what's babyproof, so they are like, 'We are not supposed to be touching that — so we are going to touch that!' It's crazy!"

While Cannon and Carey are certainly not the first parents to have to deal with super-savvy tots mastering the art of turning locks and levers, anyone with on-the-move crawlers and walkers will want to take precautions to babyproof their homes. Here, the hazardous spots around the house that you'll want to secure before your baby can get to them.

The Bathroom The Dining and Family Rooms Staircases Kitchen Doors and "Off-Limit" Rooms
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Getting Kids to Eat Healthier
Health and Fitness

5 Easy Ways to Get the Whole Family to Eat Healthier

Vogue writer Dara-Lynn Weiss's controversial article about putting her 7-year-old on a strict diet is making waves.
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Vogue writer Dara-Lynn Weiss's controversial article about putting her 7-year-old on a strict diet is making waves. While the reaction to Weiss's extreme approach was mixed, most parents can agree that they would never ignore a doctor's recommendation to take action on their child's health and well-being.

Here are five easy kitchen and nutrition updates that every family can make, whether weight loss is a pressing issue or not.

  1. Get More Greens: There's sure to be something that appeals to even the pickiest little taste buds with these five easy ways to make veggies more fun for kids.
  2. Cook at Home More: We all know the feeling — in theory, we want to cook for our families, but in reality, there aren't enough hours in the day. Try to make a little extra effort this month, though. Your slow-cooker is a great place to start, as it allows busy moms to put together a meal in the morning and let the appliance work its magic while you're at the office or running carpool.
  3. Eat a Healthy Breakfast: Ditch the sugary cereal or to-go granola bars and get the whole family's day off to the right start with a well-balanced, nutritionally-rich breakfast. All it takes is a little advance planning the night before to spice up your family's morning routine.
  4. Don't Eliminate Dessert: But do give it a makeover. Jessica Seinfeld's mint chocolate chip ice cream is packed with pureed spinach and Greek yogurt, and 3-ingredient Smudgies are dairy and cholesterol free, contain no added sugar, and taste like an ice cream sandwich.
  5. Make the Kitchen the Hottest Hangout in the House: Instead of keeping the kitchen off-limits to kids, invite them in to explore. Healthy cooking playdates are a great way to get your lil ones comfortable with trying new things, and adding a little adventure into what they're willing to eat. Keep cut-up fruit and veggies stored at kids' eye level so that they can help themselves to a healthy snack instead of the standby chips and cookies.
Kids on Diets
Health and Fitness

Weigh In: Would You Put an Overweight Child on a Diet?

Encouraging a healthy body image is something that every parent wants for their child.
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Encouraging a healthy body image is something that every parent wants for their child. So when the pediatrician brings up the "O" word (as in obese), determining the best course of action is a decision that can have lasting impacts, not only on a child's physical being, but their psyche as well.

In the April issue of Vogue, Dara-Lynn Weiss wrote about her decision to put her 7-year-old daughter on a strict, Weight Watchers-style diet, and the judgment and moral conflict that came along with it.

Bea did not embrace all aspects of this endeavor. She threatened violence against the doctor as we sat in the waiting room every week. She constantly whined about being hungry and begged for food she couldn't have. She railed against the inequity of the portion-size disparity between her brother's dinner and her own. Yet Bea — remarkably, astoundingly — went along with this restrictive new plan.

Weiss was constantly met with criticism from friends, family, and even her husband, saying, "Everyone supports the mission, but no one seems to approve of my methods." After a year of dieting, Bea had lost 16 pounds, and grew two inches, reaching a healthy weight for an 8-year-old. Her mom still refers to the process as "bittersweet," as she admits that despite its successful results on the scale, the year of intense discipline took an emotional toll on her daughter.

Are you the parent of an overweight or obese child? What would you do if you were in Weiss's situation?

Pregnancy Safety Precautions
Health and Fitness

6 Pregnancy Safety Precautions You Shouldn't Ignore

From the day you learn that you've got a baby on board, you'll be inundated with advice and warnings on what not to do for the next nine months.
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From the day you learn that you've got a baby on board, you'll be inundated with advice and warnings on what not to do for the next nine months. The reality is (unless your doctor has instructed you otherwise), for the most part, you should be able to continue with business as usual — with just a few hard and fast potential changes to your routine. Read on to learn the six safety precautions that you shouldn't ignore, for good reason.

Source: Flickr User molly_darling

Ditch the Accutane Avoid Travel to Developing Countries Put Down the Chopsticks Let Someone Else Handle Kitty Litter Duty Don't Eat Deli Meat Stop Smoking
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Natural Way to Predetermine Baby's Sex
Health and Fitness

Natural Selection: Egg Cycle Method May Be the Natural Way to Predetermine Baby's Gender

"Now you can try for a girl!"
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"Now you can try for a girl!" Those were the first words out of a friends' mouth after I gave birth to my second baby boy. Though I was taken aback at the time, I've come to expect it. I've been stopped by strangers on the street who seem to think I need to add a baby of the opposite gender to my brood in order for it to be complete. And it appears that I'm not alone.

Earlier this year, while appearing on The Tonight Show, Jay Leno asked a then-pregnant Jennifer Garner if hubby Ben Affleck was hoping for a boy this time. She responded, "At first I really thought so." But she added that he told her, "Well, we have girls. We know how to do girls; my girls love me. I'm the big guy in the house." That all changed on Monday when the couple welcomed lil Samuel to the family.

While most parents are simply happy to have a healthy child in their arms, there are countless myths about influencing the sex of a child, and science even allows parents to undergo procedures to predetermine a baby's gender. For those who wish to try for a baby of certain sex without medical intervention, the Egg Cycle Method is one way to do so. I spoke with Michal Naim, founder of Girl or Boy 4 U and an expert on the method, to see how and why it works.

LilSugar: What is the Egg Cycle Method?
Michal Naim: Egg Cycle Method (ECM) is a natural method that can be implemented to predetermine the gender of a child. It does not rely on diet or positions during intercourse, rather ECM focuses on the woman's body cycle and the time period in a woman's cycle that her egg receives and fertilizes an X or Y sperm.

LS: How does it work?
MN: The membrane surrounding a human egg emits ions, giving off an electrical charge. This charge attracts either the X or Y sperm during a woman’s menstrual cycle. This attraction changes from cycle to cycle. It is important for a woman looking to have a specific gender to conceive during the cycle in which her ovum will attract the appropriate chromosome. One cycle the egg might "accept" an X sperm, another cycle it might "accept" a Y sperm. I help women identify which cycle is the cycle that her egg will accept the gender of her choice and advise her on conceiving during that particular cycle.

LS: Are their limitations to ECM? Is every woman compatible with it?
MN: There are some limitations to ECM, dependent on each woman and her personal cycle. Not every woman qualifies for the ECM — actually one out of four women do not qualify for the method because I cannot map or read her cycle based on the previous pregnancies' information. Women with irregular menstrual cycles and women without previous pregnancies have lower chances to qualify or to be as successful.

LS: What is the probability of it working?
MN: Of the qualified women that follow my instructions, I have around a 90 percent success rate.