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Breakfast is considered as the “most important meal of the day” as one eats after a gap of 8-10 hours. It provides all the nutrients required to kick start the day.

Experts say that kids who eat balanced breakfast are more alert in school, perform better in class, and less likely to skip school. As a working or stay at home mom, you are always short on time in the mornings. The easiest and healthiest breakfast for any kid is ready to eat cereal mixed with milk and dash of fruits. Breakfast can be more than the traditional toasts, cereals, etc. Experiment with these quick and easy breakfast ideas for kids to keep their first meal of the day interesting.

Eggs: The most versatile, nutritious and best-loved food of kids. You can make them scrambled, sunny side up or just boil them. On weekend, make eggs interesting by adding chopped ham/boiled chicken, cheese, chopped mushrooms, tomatoes, etc. Pair them with plain or toasted whole grain bread and you have a healthy breakfast on the table.

Muffins: Bake your own muffins with this little recipe. Add mash bananas, honey while baking them for a naturally sweet breakfast muffin. You can try cheese, ham, and bacon for variety. Use whole-wheat flour instead of plain white flour.

Fresh Fruits: Fresh fruit salad with yogurt and nutritious dips like whole grain cheerios dip. Fruit and yogurt smoothie is another option for healthy breakfast food.

Pancakes: Prepare the pancake batter over night and refrigerate it. Next day morning, heat the grill and treat your whole family to delicious homemade pancakes. Serve with maple syrup, jam or fresh fruits.

Bagels pizzas: Split the bagel in half, spread little pizza sauce, grated cheese, tomatoes / mushrooms, chopped veg or non-veg food for toppings. Grill it and enjoy nutritious bagel pizza for breakfast. Try this with English muffins or pita bread also.

Burritos: Tortillas or wraps filled with scrambled eggs, cheese, bit of veggies or ham added to it is a great breakfast alternative to the traditional toasts and cereals.

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Irrespective of whether you are an adult or kid, oral hygiene is of utmost importance to maintain good dental health. Sweets, desserts, junk foods, etc, eaten by kids are harmful for teeth. If you as parents maintain and help your children cultivate healthy oral hygiene habits early in life, it will be beneficial for them in the long run.

Lack of proper oral hygiene causes variety of unwanted conditions such as dental cavities, bad breath, gum diseases and toothache.

To reduce cavities, consume less of sugar, as it will reduce the number of acid producing bacteria. Adequate dietary calcium, phosphorus, vitamins A, D and C promotes healthy and strong enamel formation.

Frequent brushing of teeth helps to reduce acid plaque that damages the enamel, while regular flossing prevents it from sticking to smooth surfaces among teeth. If you cannot brush and floss after a meal, end your meal with self cleaning foods like apple or celery, that are crunchy and help in sweeping away food stuck in between two tooth’s and plaque.

Every meal / snack subjects your teeth to an acid attack. Therefore all day snacking causes the teeth to be inundated in acid constantly. So eat less snacks between meals.

Oral fluorides strengthen the developing enamel and dentin layers of children’s teeth before eruption. Topical fluorides fill in the pores of undeveloped enamel or small early cavities and reduce cavities in already erupted teeth. The dentists do topical fluorides.

Sealants are plastic coatings on the pits and fissures of chewing surfaces of back teeth like molars. They are highly effective in reducing and preventing cavities in baby and adult teeth. Sealants are recommended for all permanent molars in children.

Brushing is irreplaceable. Brush twice a day with soft bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Take time to brush every tooth, front and back as well as your tongue.

Flossing is important to keep the plaque from accumulating as it helps get rid of the food particles in hard to reach areas.

Visit your dentist every six months to have your teeth cleaned and checked for cavities. Regular checkups will keep you informed if your child’s teeth are coming in properly and keep any unwanted problems away.

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It is very puzzling that many young people are taking up smoking despite the number of health warnings that there are. It’s a serious problem, especially in the case of young girls who are increasingly joining the ranks of smokers. Teen smoking is on the rise and the long-term health risks are a worry. In addition to smoking, their health is further threatened by a sedentary lifestyle and poor diet. The situation is like a ticking bomb waiting to go off.

Why aren’t the health warnings working on the young? It’s harder to persuade a young person not to smoke if adults around them, including parents, indulge in the habit themselves. Smoking is decreasing in the general population but teen smoking continues to be a problem. This is despite the ban on smoking in public places, the increased cost and the ban on tobacco advertising in some countries.

Peer pressure has always been a factor in these matters and teenagers look to their friends for approval. It’s hard to be the only one to say no. There must be a way of making smoking an uncool thing to do. This is difficult in the current atmosphere of smokers being perceived as anti-social. Being anti-social attracts the young in the first place. Perhaps some celebrities, such as rock stars and rap singers, could launch an anti teen smoking campaign. This could be worth more than a thousand sermons from the government.

Gritty tactics have to be employed in this war of persuasion. The facts should speak for themselves but it’s hard to get a young person’s attention by telling them that their lungs will stop functioning in twenty years time. That seems like a lifetime away. It’s better to concentrate on the here and now and emphasize that their clothes stink of cigarette smoke, their teeth and fingers are stained and their breath smells. Teen smoking could stop if they think that they’re not going to get a girlfriend / boyfriend because of it.

There isn’t enough effort being put into this problem, compared with other initiatives involving recreational drug use and alcohol abuse. Cigarettes are a drug and should be treated as such. Teen smoking is every bit as important and on a huge scale. It will take courage on the part of young smokers too. They need the help of us all; government, health care providers, schools, friends and families.

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