GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS | Better Health Channel

I was planning to browse the article that I am sending you the link of but the factual information in it was so interesting, informative and important that I could not help but share the whole article with you. Just click on the link below and have a good read through it. It is really good to know!

Link: Genetically modified foods | Better Health Channel

HEALTHY, YUMMY, QUICK and EASY CHIPS?

Could anyone ever describe chips as above (especially 'healthy')? The answer is YES. I am talking about some homemade chips, of course.

This is one of our family favourites especially on Spring and Summer days. It is extremely easy and is definitely a healthy choice. It is much more inexpensive than the chips you can buy from today's almost every market. I am sure pretty much everyone in the family will enjoy this particular food.

Now, let me share with you this everyone-can-make type of recipe. First the ingredients of course:

• Lebanese bread (flat/pitta bread) (most supermarkets as well as mini-markets and bakeries in Australia stock them these days. They generally come in a pack of 5 but I would doubt you can go through it all at once unless you have a big family or a party going on)
• A working flat-bed toaster (sandwich press), grill or an oven (we generally use the toaster)

Cut up the bread to your preferred size and shape (you can separate the two layers of the bread or keep it double layered when cutting) and toast/grill/oven them until crisp. Don't walk away when you start cooking them as they need only a minute or two before they become nice and crispy. I recommend you dip it in your favourite homemade dip (we love our guacamole dip (the one with avocado) the most but experiment it with a variety before deciding on your family's favourite combination. You can also serve it with some spreadable cheese if you don't have a dip at the time. Just give it a try, you can't go wrong.

If you can think of another combination or a variety of it, please share with us.

Caution: It is addictive!!!

Note: If you have any leftover chips, just put it in an air-tight container until the next time or you can give it to your child to snack on (he is sure to love that crunchiness of it) or consume it with some homemade soup. You could even take it to work as a part of your lunch or snack. It is not going to leave you with a messy or smelly desk, nor will you have any oily fingers after eating it!

A 'DINOSAUR MUSEUM' NEEDED!

HELP!

This overcast Sunday morning Mr. Junior got up begging us to take him to a museum where there are lots of dinosaurs on display. Explanation and distraction techniques haven't worked for us today. What do we do now? Help!

MANUKA HONEY

Manuka honey is a 'must' for us at home. Even though it originates from New Zealand, the first time we learned about it was when Mr. Hubby and I were on a holiday in a beautiful tropical city of Australia, Cairns, about 5-6 years ago. Since then, we cannot do without it especially during cooler days when we are more prone to colds and bacterial infections.  We simply have a large teaspoonful generally in the morning when we feel that we are coming down with a cold etc (Note: when I say we, I exclude Miss Junior in this paragraph as she is too young to have honey yet. Please refer to my post titled WARNING: NO HONEY FOR BABIES -published on 11/11/2011- before deciding on whether to use honey for your children or not).  Below is some factual information I've found after researching for detailed information on active manuka honey.

Manuka honey is a form of monofloral honey that’s created by honey bees as they gather nectar from the flowers of the manuka bush (Leptospermum Scoparium).

It is possibly the oldest known medicine. Aristotle (384-322 BC) said, "It’s good as a salve for sore eyes and wounds" and Dioscorides (50 AD) referred to it as "Good for all rotten and hollow ulcers".

In New Zealand, Professor Peter Molan of the University of Waikato believes manuka honey is as close as you'll get to a medical magic bullet. According to a source, he says: "When it comes to serious infections, Manuka honey is particularly valuable because it has a much better anti-bacterial activity than other honey. When I cut my finger with a chainsaw quite deeply, quite a wide cut, I just put honey straight on it, wrapped it up and kept on working for the rest of the day — there's not a mark on it".

 According to professor Peter C Molan (MBE) BSc (Hons) Wales. PhD Liv. from New Zealand's University of Waikato, "It works on bacteria, fungi, protozoa. We haven't found anything it doesn't work on among infectious organisms."

Active Manuka honey is claimed to have 100 times more medicinal properties than the ordinary table honey. They have ratings and 10+ and higher are better than the ones with lower activity ratings such as 5+. 

Manuka honey is a healthy healing option and is often used for;

• Skin ulcers, wounds, boils
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Stomach aches, ulcers and related conditions
• Ulcerative colitis
• Heartburn
• Sore throats, strep throat & colds
• Gum disease
• Acid reflux disease
• Esophagitis
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Gastritis
• Cold & flu symptoms & more

THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY

Play helps babies and toddlers learn new skills, gain knowledge, explore their abilities and develop in many ways. During this age group, they're undergoing heaps of growth and development and playing can aid this significantly. In fact, engaging your baby or toddler in age appropriate play can do wonders for their early childhood education and learning ability and give them a good foundation for future learning.

Baby Play Ideas:

• Babies love songs, especially with repetitive words,
• Books are great for children and getting them into books from a young age is beneficial. Books for babies are often brightly coloured, have touch-and-feel aspects or may be interactive. You can read them stories and engage their attention with the colour and pictures.
• Hand and finger puppets are lots of fun and you can create your own stories to entertain your baby. Use funny voices or accents for an extra degree of entertainment!
• Rattles and other toys that make noises are lots of fun for babies.
• Baby play mats, which have rattles, scrunchy noises or other playful aspects included help gain a baby's attention. 

Toddler Play Ideas: 

• Making towers of building blocks is great fun, but develops key skills too. Children will probably love the part where they get to knock things down too!
• Many toddlers love dressing up boxes and acting out play themes.
• Drawing, colouring and other art and craft activities are loved by many toddlers, plus it can help their fine motor skills.
• Playing with a ball - either playing catch or kicking it around.
• Walking and running around outside or playing in a children's playground.
• For some outdoor activities, older toddlers can help in the garden, by watering plants or planting seeds.
• Singing songs is loved by toddlers too and adding actions adds an extra element. 

The above are some notes from a 'Positive Parenting' course.

DID YOU KNOW ... ? (1)

A newborn elephant already weighs roughly 100kg.

DID YOU KNOW THAT... ? (3)

Full-grown polar bears have black skin under their white fur.