Fatherhood Factor

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Health

Delicious Meals That Help Boost Your Energy

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Being a parent is one of the best feelings in the world, but it requires a lot of energy. While chasing down the little ones, helping with homework, and teaching your teens the ways of life, keeping a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle is important. You must be there for your children and set good examples, so that means changing unhealthy eating habits and eating more fulfilling foods.

Eating whole foods, exercising three to five times a week, and prioritizing wellness are the best ways to obtain a healthy lifestyle! Here are four delicious meals that can boost your energy and make it easy to eat healthy.

Tex-Mex Scrambled Eggs and Potatoes

Start your day with a blast of savory and spice. Create a yummy Tex-Mex scrambled egg dish with a side of potatoes for you and the little ones. Add bell peppers, tomatoes, black beans, and cheese to your fluffy eggs for the perfect bite. You can also add sausage, chorizo, or any meat you want to the dish. Don’t forget to save room for your crispy homestyle potatoes on the side!

Classic Steak and Egg Breakfast

People who’ve served in the military love a steak and egg breakfast, and for good reason! It’s filling, energy-boosting, and tasty. Starting your day with a steak will promote muscle growth, boost your mood, and kickstart your metabolism. Cooking a steak on a Monday may be hard, so treat yourself to steak and eggs on the weekends.

Salmon, Rice, and Avocado Bowl

A salmon and rice bowl with veggies is a quick and easy lunch or dinner. You can customize this bowl to your liking. Adding broccoli, green beans, asparagus, brussels sprouts, carrots, or all of the above will get the job done. This yummy bowl is great for the family to enjoy and have leftovers throughout the week.

Stir-Fried Protein, Veggies, and Noodles

A stir-fried noodle dish is another tasty meal that will help to boost your energy. You can get protein from chicken, steak, tofu, or cashews. Serving this meal is a great way to encourage your kiddos to eat vegetables dressed in a delicious garlic-teriyaki sauce. Adding noodles to this dish can also stretch throughout the week, so you don’t have to worry about cooking every night.

3 Reasons Why Your Child Won’t Drink Water

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Water is a drink that boosts your mood, provides abundant energy, and prevents dehydration. Water is universally the best beverage you can drink to improve your health.

As a parent, you want the best for your children, but you may struggle to encourage them to drink water. You understand its value, but your children still refuse. Continue reading about the reasons why your child won’t drink water, so you can find solutions.

Preference for Sugary Drinks

Sweet drinks like juice are enticing for people of all ages—especially children. Water, however, can taste somewhat bland. Kids don’t think about the health benefits of water. All they want is something they can sip on those tastes good. When water doesn’t taste like much, your children may quickly deem it undesirable.

Try cutting up slices of fruit and adding them to your kids’ water. The many health benefits of fruit-infused water will improve the flavor and provide your children with additional beneficial nutrients.

Another method to improve the taste is to add sugar-free drink mixes to their water. Instead of drinking sweet beverages made of pure sugar, your child can consume the water they need while savoring the flavors they adore.

Forgetfulness

Another reason why your child won’t drink water is they simply forget to. Children are frequently active, whether running around outside or playing with toys. Even when eating a meal that they love, TV sounds or their favorite toy in the living room may distract them. And since water isn’t the most appealing beverage for kids, they often get distracted and forget to drink it.

Not Understanding Water’s Benefits

Your kids may not drink water because they don’t understand how much they need it. Fortunately, kids are curious and ask their parents questions all day! Take advantage of this curiosity by teaching them the importance of water.

Talk to them about how water makes them healthy and strong. Use visual aids like books and videos to make the learning process even more interesting. You can also conduct an interactive game that challenges your children to drink water.

Encouraging your child to drink water and finding which solutions work best will take some time. But with experimentation and patience, your kids will drink water every day before you know it!

5 of the Most Common Pediatric Dental Problems

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Fathers play an integral role in the health and well-being of their children, but you wouldn’t know it sometimes since they don’t get as much credit. Even if you’re not the primary parent in charge of regular dental care for your kids, it’s important to be aware of five of the most common pediatric dental problems.

Early Childhood Caries (ECC)

Typically caused by excessive sugar consumption, early childhood caries (cavities) are a common childhood dental issue. Poor hygiene coupled with an excess of sugary juices and foods can contribute to the problem.

Dads can help prevent childhood cavities by encouraging kids to brush their teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled brush, teaching them how to floss, and limiting sugary snacks or drinks. Dads are pros at making even the most ordinary activities fun, and who knows what hilarity will ensue when you stand behind your kid, making funny faces while they’re brushing! Turning toothbrushing time into a form of play can encourage better oral hygiene habits throughout their lifetime.

Teething

All babies go through the uncomfortable and often painful teething stage. Their teeth emerge when they’re between 6 and 24 months old. Teething infants are understandably irritable, with soreness and discomfort in their gums. You can help ease symptoms with a cold compress or non-toxic, age-appropriate teething toys.

Thumb Sucking

Thumb sucking can cause dental problems if it continues past toddlerhood. Some dentists argue that even in the toddler years, thumb sucking can damage the roof of the mouth and the shape of the jaw.

Parents should know that tongue thrusting and thumb sucking can cause issues such as tooth misalignment, an overbite, or even a speech impediment. They should discourage this behavior by gently redirecting their child’s attention away from thumb sucking and toward other activities, easing an anxious child’s worries, and providing other means of self-comfort.

Malocclusion

Malocclusion is another word for the misalignment of the teeth or jaw, and it’s a common condition among children. Many things can cause it, such as thumb sucking, trauma, or genetics. If you suspect that your child may be developing tooth alignment problems, schedule an appointment with a pediatric dentist or a pediatric orthodontist to develop a treatment plan.

Dental Emergencies

Kids love roughhousing with their dads and their friends. Accidents can happen, and a child’s mouth is particularly vulnerable to injury. Dental emergencies can include chipped or broken teeth, excessive bleeding, bitten tongues, severe pain, or swelling in the gums or jaw. If these occur, contact their dentist right away.

By understanding these common pediatric dental issues, fathers can take steps to ensure their child stays healthy and happy. Regular visits to the dentist, proper oral hygiene habits, and a healthy, balanced diet are essential components of caring for your child’s dental health.

The Best Foods You Should Incorporate Into Your Child’s Diet

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Keeping your children healthy is especially difficult as they love to eat candy, chocolate, and snacks that aren’t as healthy as leafy greens, fruits, and veggies. Yet, with that difficulty, you must still go out of your way to ensure that their diets are healthy, nutritious, and taste good. Read on to learn more about the best foods you should incorporate into your child’s diet.

Yogurt

Yogurt is something that everyone should eat because it’s both healthy and delicious. However, with that said, many child-oriented yogurts come with a high amount of sugar and fewer proteins and nutrients than they’ll need. You should look for more Greek yogurts full of probiotics, protein, calcium, and natural fruit instead of simple fruit flavors.

Leafy Greens

Leafy greens are great additions to any diet, both for your kids and your own diet as well. They are essential components for any diet, packed with essential vitamins, minerals, and much-needed fiber. Collard greens, spinach, and kale are also high in lutein and zeaxanthin, carotenoids that do wonders for eye health and vision. You can steam these greens and mix them into rice bowls or have them in salads, but you can also put them into smoothies!

Healthy Protein

Protein is essential in any diet, but it is even more important in children growing every day. Many children’s lunch meals will have highly processed meats, and while these do have protein, the foods are also high in saturated fats. You should consider healthier protein options that also have essential fats, such as beans, nuts, seeds, fish, and eggs.

Water

Water seems out of place on this list, but it is crucial to consider it a healthier option compared to other options like sugary juices, sodas, sports and energy drinks, etc. These drinks have a lot of calories and sugar with little to no actual health benefit, and they can lead to massive health problems down the line. That’s why it is so critical that you place great importance on drinking water above all else.

The best foods you should incorporate into your child’s diet may not be their favorites, but if you at least get some on the plate, you are doing your job. Of course, it’ll be hard to convert your children to eat this way immediately, but getting them on these foods early will significantly impact their lives.

Top 5 Health Conditions Older Men Might Face

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Men might not like to admit it, but their health may start to decline as they age. They might notice more health problems or that previous health concerns are worsening.

These are some of the health conditions older men might face.

Heart Disease

One in six men will die from heart disease, making it the leading cause of death. Risk factors for developing heart disease include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking, and diabetes. Symptoms of heart disease include chest pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue. To prevent your chances of developing heart disease, you should:

  • Exercise regularly
  • Eat a healthy diet
  • Maintain a healthy weight
  • Quit smoking
  • Manage stress

Heart disease can be treated and managed with lifestyle changes, medication, and surgery.

Prostate Cancer

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. Symptoms of prostate cancer include difficulty urinating, weak or interrupted flow of urine, and pain during urination. The risk of developing prostate cancer increases with age. Men should eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly to prevent prostate cancer.

Erectile Dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is the inability to get or maintain an erection. It can be caused by physical conditions such as diabetes or heart disease, or psychological conditions such as anxiety or depression.

Symptoms of erectile dysfunction include difficulty getting an erection, trouble maintaining an erection, and reduced sexual desire. Treatment for erectile dysfunction includes medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes.

Incontinence

Incontinence is the inability to control urination. Incontinence symptoms include leakage of urine, frequent urination, and frequently waking up at night to urinate. An overactive bladder, weak muscles, or nerve damage can cause incontinence. Understanding the foods and drinks that trigger incontinence can help men manage the condition.

Depression

Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions in older men. Almost one in 10 men report they experience depression or anxiety daily. 

Symptoms of depression can include feelings of sadness, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, and loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed. Depression can also lead to physical health problems, such as reduced immunity and increased pain.

These are some of the health conditions older men might face. Heart disease, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, incontinence, and depression are all common health concerns for older men.

To reduce your risk of developing these conditions, exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, and manage stress. Fathers, grandfathers, and older brothers can play an essential role in promoting the health of their families by being proactive about their own health.

Why You Should Take Your Child to a Dentist Early

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Many parents have trouble figuring out the right time to take their child to the dentist for the first time, whether it’s because they believe their child is too young or because they don’t think temporary baby teeth need the attention that adult teeth do. However, taking your child to the dentist earlier will set them up for success later in life. Here is why you should take your child to a dentist early.

Preventative Dentistry

While the baby teeth are temporary, dental diseases can last much longer. Taking your child in early can prevent plaque buildup and tooth decay while they’re still learning good dental hygiene habits. This preventative care can save your child a lot of pain from sensitive teeth and help ensure their adult teeth grow in without problems. A dentist can provide many forms of preventative dentistry to your child, and they’ll be your best resource for ensuring that your child maintains good dental health every step of the way.

In fact, those temporary baby teeth serve a vital role in helping your child develop proper speech development—unhealthy teeth can impede that process and lead to frustrating issues you’ll need to adjust down the road.

Monitoring Developments

In a similar vein, consistent dentistry starting at a young age will give the dentist plenty of time to monitor your child’s dental health. They’ll be able to get an idea of how well your child’s development is proceeding and catch problems early on before they become more troublesome. If they notice something strange with the development of your child’s mouth, they can even attempt to course-correct early, easing your child’s experience with the orthodontist later on.

Familiarizing Your Child

Many children also fear the dentist, so a good reason you should take your child to a dentist early is so that they become more familiar and comfortable with the process. They’ll establish trust with the dentist and get used to the environment so that they never feel like they’re trapped somewhere strange. With luck, your child will never develop any anxiety surrounding the dentist, but you can certainly expect them to be far less afraid of the dentist than if they were to start later in life.

Is it Safe for Kids to Have an Ultrasound?

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Becoming a parent for the first time is stressful, but only if you let it be. It’s a major lifestyle change to say the least. If you’re an expecting parent, you may believe you should fear everything. Experts constantly shout the latest data about the latest threat that could probably, maybe, kill everyone under the age of three. New information bombards new parents, telling them what is harmful for the baby, constantly.

Take a deep breath, and step back from the edge. The future is not bleak, and everything will be okay. Tune out the noise, and focus on what you can control. A big question that all new parents have is; “is it safe for kids to have an ultrasound?”

The safety of an ultrasound may concern you when applied to your growing baby, and that’s only natural. Understanding what an ultrasound is and how it works are important things to know when answering that question. There really is no need to worry.

Know first and foremost that an ultrasound is completely noninvasive. There is no pain or discomfort during the procedure. An ultrasound is little more than sonar. It uses sound waves to create an image that otherwise can’t be seen. The sound waves flow into the body by a probe, and the waves bounce off soft tissue and organs in the body. The returning waves and the data they create stream into the computer, a formula is applied, and an image is created. Basically, an ultrasound uses sound waves to make a picture.

The main concern surrounding ultrasounds is that the sound waves carry energy into the fetus. The fear is that this energy can raise the temperature of the baby and cause adverse effects. There are inherent risks associated with any medical procedure, but there is currently no evidence showing a prenatal ultrasound, done properly, poses any danger to the baby or mother. Doctors have used ultrasound technology as a diagnostic tool for almost 40 years to monitor fetal development. Most doctors agree that it’s a safe practice when done by a trained medical professional. The diseases and birth defects that an ultrasound can find far outweigh any adverse effects it may cause.

Even though ultrasounds are safe, doctors recommend them only when medically necessary. In the case of a high-risk pregnancy, a doctor may order more later in the term. An overabundance of caution is the impetus behind this practice. Doctors want to reduce any risks to mother or child and make sure everyone is healthy.