Depending upon who you talk to, some people believe following a vegetarian diet is healthier than one containing meat products. People of all ages, including teens, have adopted a vegetarian lifestyle. If this sounds like your child, you may wonder how to keep your vegetarian teenager healthy when you feel they’re missing vital nutrients.

What most non-vegetarians don’t realize is that it is possible to meet all your body’s nutritional needs by eating only fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains and legumes. Because there is no meat in the diet, vegetarian diets usually have less fats and cholesterol, although there will be some. It will, however, take some planning to ensure your teenager includes a variety of foods to get all of the vitamins and nutrients they need. By learning more about the vegetarian lifestyle, you will be able to guide your teen into making wise food choices.

Standard diets are based upon a food pyramid and it is possible to find a vegetarian food pyramid as well. If you’re concerned your teen may be missing vital nutrients, you may want to speak with a registered dietician to learn how your teen can compensate by eating other foods rich in those nutrients.

If your teen decides to become a vegetarian after having eaten meat all their life, they may find it’s not as easy as they thought. To be able to enjoy many of the same flavors, your teen can try meatless products made from soy. Protein is needed to keep bones, muscles, and organs healthy. Your teen can eat legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and soy products.

Everyone knows calcium is needed to build teeth and bones. Calcium can be found in dark green, leafy vegetables like kale, spinach, broccoli, turnip, or collard greens.

In order to make red blood cells and help prevent anemia, it is important to have vitamin B-12 which is usually found in meat, milk, cheese and eggs. Some fortified soy products and enriched cereals provide this vitamin, but your teen may need to take a supplement to ensure they get enough of this vital vitamin.

Another component needed to make red blood cells is iron. Most people know liver is a good source; however, if your teen doesn’t like or isn’t eating meat they may not have enough iron in their system. Dark, leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale are good choices as are dried beans and peas, lentils, and dried fruit. Be sure your teen eats or drinks foods rich in vitamin C so they can properly absorb the iron. Citrus fruits or juice, tomatoes, broccoli, and strawberries may be chosen.

Minerals, as well as vitamins, are needed to maintain good health. Zinc is important for cell division and for the body to form proteins. Your teen may want to eat whole grain breads, nuts, wheat germ, or soy products to ensure they get enough zinc.

When you learn that your teen wants to change their diet, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the idea they may not get enough vitamins and minerals to maintain good health. The fact is vegetarian diets can be lacking some nutrients, but by eating a wide variety of foods and taking a multi-vitamin supplement, they should be fine. If you do become concerned, make an appointment with your teen’s doctor or a registered dietician to give you additional information on how to keep your vegetarian teen healthy.

Septicemia

Septicemia, or bacteremia, is another illness parents will want to learn to recognize the symptoms of. It is associated with the gram-negative bacteria such as staphylococci and streptococci. Symptoms include fever, chills, a rapid heartbeat, and rapid breathing.

Septicemia, left untreated, may lead to organ failure or septic shock which has a mortality rate of as much as 60% among people having autoimmune problems. Patients without an autoimmune problem have a mortality rate closer to 5%.

The body has a variety of bacteria within the intestinal tract which pose no threat. However, once they enter the bloodstream, they can wreak havoc by developing into an overwhelming infection. The most common causes of septicemia include having a surgical procedure, urinary catheters, knife or bullet wound, or getting infected fecal matter into a wound.

Diagnosis of septicemia will come through a visit to the doctor where they’ll take your medical history, a physical examination, and blood tests to determine the offending infectious agent.

Treatment is normally aggressive and may vary depending upon the underlying infection, how far the septicemia has progressed, the overall health of the person, and any other disease present. Normally treatment will include antibiotics, intravenous fluids, and blood pressure medications depending upon whether low blood pressure or shock develops.

No parent wants to see their child affected by serious health conditions such as bacterial meningitis or septicemia. Unfortunately, children of all ages are affected by both of these conditions each year. Learning to recognize the symptoms of meningitis and septicemia in children will enable you to get medical treatment as soon as possible so treatment can begin and your child can begin their road to recovery.

The problem with being a parent and having children is that so many childhood illnesses have similar symptoms. You may not know if your child simply has a cold, the flu, or something more serious. It’s important to learn the symptoms of meningitis and septicemia in children to ensure you can make the best decisions for the sake of your child.

Meningitis

Quick, which health condition do these symptoms sound like: fever, fatigue, vomiting, and headache? You may have said the flu. If looking only to these symptoms for diagnosis, you may not think you have anything to worry about. Unfortunately, you may be wrong. These same symptoms may be a sign of meningococcal disease, also known as bacterial meningitis.

Bacterial meningitis is a serious condition and mistaking the symptoms for something less serious could mean the difference between life and death. It is a condition whereby the membranes and fluids around the brain and spine become inflamed. If left untreated, a person may experience paralysis, brain damage, or even death. Early detection is important in order to treat a person and avoid these serious results.

Bacterial meningitis can develop quickly. Symptoms may include diarrhea, vomiting, headache, runny nose, and high fever, all of which could be mistaken for a simple viral infection. However, you can suspect bacterial meningitis if the following symptoms are also present:

* Skin rash
* Sensitivity to light
* Lethargy or fatigue
* Stiff neck
* Seizures

Very young children may experience jaundice, stiffness of the neck and body, poor feeding, high-pitched crying, a soft bulge at the top front of the skull, and a fever or low temperature. If you or a child has many of these symptoms at the same time, get to the doctor as quickly as you can.

So once you have established whether or not your child has a fever, now it’s time to take steps to bring the child’s fever down safely.
There are natural things you can do to bring down a fever without resorting to using fever-reducing medicines.

* If you are concerned about your child’s temperature, you can try bathing them or giving them a sponge bath with lukewarm water. Bathe the child in a few inches of warm water; the act of the water evaporating is what actually cools the child. Keep the bath short, no longer than ten minutes, and don’t give them more than once an hour. Never use cold water or rubbing alcohol to try to bring a child’s fever down.

* Ensure your child has plenty of clear, non-caffeinated liquids or juice. This will keep your child hydrated and urinating. If they refuse a drink, you may want to offer them a popsicle; very few children will turn one of those down. The easiest way to determine if your child is hydrated enough is to look at the color of their urine. It will be light-colored and they will urinate at least once every four hours. Pedialyte is an excellent way of quickly restoring electrolyte balance in a dehydrated child.

* Let them rest. It’s not unusual for children who are feverish to want to sleep and rest. Keep them home from school if they’re running a temperature because that’s usually when most people are contagious. Give them quiet activities such as coloring, watching television or a video, or playing with toys.

* Don’t overdress your child if they’re feverish. Overdressing your child doesn’t allow the body to cool itself through perspiration evaporating from the skin. It also causes the body to become warmer. Dressing your child in a single layer of clothing (pajamas or lightweight clothing) and a sheet will probably be plenty.

There are times you may want to use a fever reducer to bring your child’s temperature down. Remember, however, to never give a child aspirin to bring down a fever as it could result in the child developing Reyes Syndrome. You also don’t want to use adult medicines when trying to keep a fever down in children.

When in doubt, always call your doctor, but otherwise, there are steps you can take quickly, easily and safely at home to reduce your child’s fever and set them on the road to recovery.

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As a parent or someone who cares for children, it’s important to know when they’re sick. If they’re cranky, don’t feel well, and are feverish, this is clearly a sign that something is going on.

Learning how to keep a fever down in children is an important thing to know, especially if the children are too young to tell you how they feel.

Know how to take a child’s temperature. Temperatures may be taken rectally, under the arm, or orally, with different thermometers of course. You should always have one of each of these kind of thermometers in the house, and know how to use them. If you only have one regular thermometer, a good rule of thumb is: rectal is one degree hotter than the mouth, under the arm is one degree cooler.

There are also thermometers which take a temperature in the ear. Please realize each of these methods may not give you the same result. Be sure to let your child’s doctor know how you took your child’s temperature should you need to contact them, and read all instructions as to how to interpret the numbers correctly.

It’s also important to know what constitutes having a fever. Some children may have a higher or lower normal body temperature so a fever to them may be different. During one of your child’s well visits, ask the doctor at which point you should contact them if your child has a fever. They will let you know if they consider 100 degrees or a higher number to be a fever.

If your child is still alert, eating and drinking well, interested in playing, and using the restroom you may not need to do anything. A fever is the body’s way of fighting off infection; by reducing the fever you may be prolonging an illness. If you’re the least bit unsure, don’t hesitate to contact the pediatrician’s office; that’s what they’re there for.

I’m like, So Fat was written by Dr Neumark-Sztainer, a Professor at the University of Minnesota. Her specific research interests are in the field of adolescent health and nutrition and how to prevent obesity and eating disorders. Her book offers in depth information on teenagers’ weight and health issues backed up with strong research.

The book covers chapters on weight-related problems in susceptible teens, causes and contributory factors. Other topics include how and why parents matter, exploring the importance of friends, fads and fashion on a teenager’s health, physical activity, the four cornerstones of healthy weight and body image. Dr Neumark-Sztainer talks about her own experience raising teenagers as well as showing research and case studies. The book also includes helpful advice and strategies for parents.

Furthermore, you can read up on teenage nutrition, teaching teens to pay attention of portion control and calories without obsessing, vegetarianism, how to make a difference at home, how to spot the signs of an eating disorder and what to do about it.

In today’s fast-food and media-obsessed world, teenagers are bombarded with different messages that pushes fat but promotes the opposite. Teenager’s self-image suffers and this creates fundamental health problems in our society. I’m like, So Fat offers excellent advice for all worried parents on how to deal with health issues in their teenagers and how to promote their well-being.

Eating disorders are still a major problem among teenagers and young adults.  When a family member is diagnosed with the disorder, the road to acceptance and recovery can be long.  Here are eight tips for helping them and the rest of your family to get through it.

Teenagers usually don’t communicate everything to their parents.  It is the nature of being young.  To bridge that gap it is up to parents to keep the lines open and spend quality time with their children.  That is one way to catch eating disorders before they get out of control.

1. Acceptance. A parent’s first reaction is that their child is sick because of something that they did or didn’t do.  That leads to denial of the real problem behind the eating disorder.  Without any reservations, believe what the doctor says and admit that your child, parent, sibling or spouse has an eating disorder.

2. Be willing to discuss their feelings. You may be thinking about how this is affecting you but the person with the eating disorder is the primary concern.  Listen to what they have to say even if it is negative.  If you need to, use a mediator such as a psychiatrist.

3. Don’t play the blame game. The last thing that your family member needs to hear is you arguing with other family members about who is responsible for this situation.  Eating disorders go far beyond simply eating or not eating.  There are other emotional issues that tie into it.  Sometimes, placing blame only drives the family member further into themselves and away from you.

4. Take advice from the professionals. They have dealt with eating disorders longer than you have.  Follow their recommendations for helping your family member to heal and get on the road to recovery.

5. Show them affection. There will be time for talk in therapy sessions.  Show that you care with hugs, kisses and a helping hand.  Give them room to move while they are recovering.

6. Remove junk food and comfort foods from the house. These are foods that they have previously binged on or are tempting to them.  Institute better eating habits for the entire family so your family member doesn’t feel singled out at meals.

7. Recognize that there will be tough roads ahead – Just like with alcoholism or drug abuse, the affected person won’t always want to get well.  And, they can relapse.

8. Learn to socialize without food. Spend time together as a family where food is not the focus.  Go to a movie, get a pedicure or simply take a walk in the park.

Eating disorders are hard on everyone but especially the person with it.  Learn to support them in every way that you can.