Vacation Rental Homes – 3 Catastrophic Consequences When Costa Rica Tourists Feed Monkeys – Part 2

Article by Evelyn Gallardo

One of the many attractions to Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica is the abundant wildlife particularly its primates – capuchin, howler and the endangered Red-backed squirrel monkey. Having Manuel Antonio National Park in such close proximity to many vacation rental homes gives vacationers the added thrill of seeing wildlife in their own backyard.

Unfortunately out of ignorance, indifference or for a photo opportunity many tourists feed the monkeys. However, they’re not fully to blame. Although local hotels are completely aware of the dangers, a few still encourage feeding monkeys to attract more clients. When tourists see others doing it they assume it’s acceptable. But feeding the monkeys is so detrimental to their health and survival it can have catastrophic consequences.

Catastrophic Consequence #1

As monkeys are attracted to more populated areas to be fed by humans they face new kinds of predators. Although monkeys spend the majority of their time in the trees, they’ll run along the ground briefly to get to desired food source if there’s no overhead passage through the rain forest canopy. This proximity to the ground increases their risk of dog attacks. Dogs are popular pets in Manuel Antonio and most homeowners have one or more. Running across a road to get to tourists tempting them with bananas also makes monkeys vulnerable to being hit by cars.

Catastrophic Consequence #2

In order to maintain good physical condition, the monkeys of Manuel Antonio need to travel an average of 17 kilometers per day. When they become accustomed to being fed by humans they tend to stay within an area where there’s “fast food,” upsetting their normal foraging routes and physical routines.

Catastrophic Consequence #3

When monkeys have repeated contact them they lose their fear of humans. This facilitates the illegal trade in wildlife by making it easier for poachers to catch them.

When you’re in Manuel Antonio resist the temptation to feed the monkeys. That cute endangered Red-backed squirrel monkey who you feed a banana to today could be attacked by a dog, be hit by a car, sold to the pet trade or die from the bacteria on your hands tomorrow. Treat nature’s creatures responsibly, so they’ll still be there when you return.

About the Author

Evelyn Gallardo is a vacation rental homeowner with 10 years of experience with homes located within the monkey corridor in Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica. For more information visit http://paradiseawaits.me or http://DiscoveryBeachouse.com

How to recognize Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder?

Article by Kinjal Shah

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder also known as Attention deficit Disorder (ADD) or ADHD is a common behavioural disorder that affects an estimated 8% to 10% of school-age children. ADHD is a medical condition that affects how well someone can sit still, focus, and pay attention. ADHD is a condition involving a broad array of behaviours – attention, activity, and impulsivity. It can affect how kids interact and function socially, academically, and at home and can cause children to be aggressive and disruptive, making things uncomfortable and unpleasant for other children in the home. ADHD is a condition that becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years. However, it is a syndrome and oppression, not a concrete medical condition and is more common in males than females.

ADHD causes children to have problems with concentrating, reading and behaviour, leading to aggression, poor social skills and educational failings. ADHD cases involving kids are on the rise; hence it is necessary to understand the causes and symptoms of ADHD so that you can take action early on.

Before understanding the symptoms of ADHD let us understand what are the types of ADHD? There are 3 subtypes of ADHD:* Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive – these are kids that are more hyperactive and have less inattention problems.* Predominantly inattentive – these are kids who are less hyperactive or impulsive but have inattention problem.* Combined – these are children who have both hyperactivity and inattention problems.

It is necessary to understand that there are treatments available that can relieve many of the disorder’s symptoms, but there is no cure. With treatment, most people with ADHD can be successful in school and lead productive lives.

Let us understand the symptoms of ADHD and how you can recognise that your child is suffering from this syndrome so that you can act fast. In order to be diagnosed of ADHD your child should display some of the behaviours listed under each of the three ADHD sub types before age of 7 for a period of at least 6 months. Following are the common symptoms you need to be aware of:

Children who have symptoms of predominantly hyperactive impulsive behaviours would typically exhibit following behaviours:* Constant fidgeting and moving in their seats; cannot sit still on their desk in school or on dinner table.* Unnecessary and excessive talking* Want to touch and play with everything that they can see* They constantly need to be doing things and are in motion all the time; but they can never complete a task or activity in hand. They keep on jumping between tasks, wanting to do everything. * They are very impatient; they cannot wait for their turn and are ready to break rules all the time.* They often don’t think before talking, they show their emotions and have no regard for consequences of their behaviour* They do not listen and often interrupt conversations or others’ activities.

Children who have symptoms of predominantly inattention would typically exhibit following behaviours:* They are often distracted, miss important details forget things and keep on switching between tasks and activities. They cannot complete any single task and have difficulty in focussing on a task beyond few minutes. * They also have organisational problems (cannot organise themselves and their tasks), are often confused and have difficulty in learning new skills. * They often lose their things especially those that are needed to complete their activities. * They do not listen and are constantly in their own world, daydreaming and moving slowly. Hence they cannot follow instructions or process information easily and accurately.

Children with ADHD syndrome show a combination of above symptoms. As a result of these symptoms these children often lack confidence and show signs of excessive worry, fear, or panic leading to physical symptoms such as a racing heart, sweating, stomach pains, and diarrhoea. Some symptoms include limited social skills, school performance issues, needing extra time to learn, irritability, inability to concentrate, impaired cognitive skills and a short attention span.

It is necessary to understand that ADHD is not caused by poor parenting and its biological origins are not yet clearly understood. Hence there is no single cause of ADHD and it can be a combination of various genetic and environmental factors that can cause ADHD. Some of the common reasons attributed to ADHD are:

Genetic: There are several studies that show that ADHD runs in the family and some children with ADHD have thinner brain tissue. Environment and Life Experiences: High usage of alcohol or cigarettes during pregnancy, premature birth or exposure to lead leads to ADHD. Kids who have experienced a divorce, a move, an illness, constant change of school due to parent jobs, or other significant life event may suddenly begin to act out or become forgetful. Some studies have also shown that watching excessive television as a child can cause future attention problems.Brain injuries or medical/mental condition: Children who have suffered a brain injury or have undetected seizures may show some behaviour similar to those of ADHD. Undetected vision and hearing problems, infection in ears can also cause attention deficit. Finally if the child is suffering from any psychiatric problems like anxiety or depression, then they are more likely to have ADHD syndrome.Food additives: There are some researches done recently, that show that consumption of certain food additives like artificial colours or preservatives can increase hyperactivity in children.

No single test can diagnose a child as having ADHD and it is necessary to speak to the child’s paediatrician. The good news is that with proper treatment, kids with ADHD can learn to successfully live with and manage their symptoms. Although it can be challenging to raise kids with ADHD, it’s important to remember they aren’t “bad,” “acting out,” or being difficult on purpose. And they have difficulty controlling their behaviour without medication or behavioural therapy.

For more tips on parenting refer to my free e-book “New Parenting Style” onhttp://www.newparentingstyle.com/index.html

About the Author

The author is a successful marketing executive in a large consumer good company and a mother of two boys. She has had a rough ride in the past two years and has successfully saved her family from the brink of disaster by working on her parenting style. She has recently built a website http://www.newparentingstyle.com, which touches upon some effective parenting tips that have helped her in her success.

Weight Loss Tip : Treat yourself like a Child

Article by Janice Elizabeth Small

Whenever you feel your motivation slipping give yourself a boost by treating yourself like a precious child.

1. Talk to yourself kindly

You encourage your children to do their best and to have another go when they fail. You don’t say “Might as well give up then, you’re useless at this. You’ll never succeed”. If they’re learning something new, you encourage them to keep practising until it becomes second nature. Give yourself the same wise words when you’re trying to lose weight! You can do this! You really can!

2. Nourish yourself

Would you let a child stand at the fridge wolfing down a whole tub of cookie dough ice cream? Would you let them ask for a chocolate biscuit and then eat the packet empty? Why not? You know what’s good for them, that’s why not!

Parents who care for their children don’t feed them a lot of junk food, coffee, wine and cigarettes. Aside from the legalities of it all, they want their children to grow up healthy, fit and strong. Why would you want any less for your own health?

Give yourself the very best nourishment you can. Eat lean meat, fish, healthy carbs and vegetables and allow yourself the odd treat. Don’t spoil your appetite for healthy meals by eating unhealthy snacks all day – give junk food the thumbs down.

3. Play

Children’s bodies cry out for physical activity so we take our children out and give them lots of active play. But what are we doing for ourselves while we are running around chauffeuring them from one thing to the next? Are we just complaining we haven’t got time to exercise? Carve some time out of your schedule every day to do something active, even if it’s just a 10-minute walk at lunchtime. No child deserves to be cooped up all day and neither do you. You can’t expect to perform at your peak if you only ever move between your desk and the coffee machine or the sofa and the fridge.

4. Stick with It long term

When you have a child, you’re in it for the long haul. You’re not here one day and gone the next. You commit to taking responsibility for the child’s welfare at least until they grow up and probably for long after that. So why should it be any different where your own health and welfare is concerned? You deserve long term care, not a two-week crash diet “that’s all I’m giving it” before going back to abusing your body. Make a commitment to care for your health forever.

5. Be Consistent

You care for a precious child day in day out. You don’t give the child lots of love and care on Monday only to neglect him or her by Friday. That’s exactly how you treat yourself when you start a new diet every other week. You need to be consistent in treating yourself well to get great results.

6. Make it routine

Children thrive on routine. Despite their protests they love the security of knowing the rules of the house and someone caring whether they keep to them or not. They like order and certainty about how things are done.

Adults are no different. Everyone is a creature of habit to some extent.

When we have good habits we eat healthily and move our bodies without thinking about it. And we reach our weight loss and fitness goals as a result of following our habits – almost automatically.

If you don’t have a good routine, like any child you need some discipline to keep to the habits which are for your benefit in the long term. But after a while you will find you settle into your new routines without a fuss – after all they feel so natural and they’re doing you good.

It takes just 21 days of consistent practise to form a new habit. So start today and create a slim, healthy and fit new you one habit at a time.

Copyright 2005, Janice Elizabeth Small

About the Author

Janice Elizabeth is a weight loss coach, slimming club owner and author of “The Diet Exit Plan”, an 8 week coaching program for automatic permanent weight loss. Get her FREE 15 page report “How to lose weight without dieting – 7 secrets the diet industry doesn’t want you to know” at http://www.SimplySlimming.com TODAY!

What is the Connection between Nutrition and Child Behavior?

Article by Bianca Tora Ph.D.

We are what we eat. Moreover we need to be more careful about what we put in our children’s mouths. Studies have shown that we have reason to be concerned about the relationship between food and behavior.

Our food is depleted of nutrients because of changes in agricultural practices adopted in the seventies. What we eat is contaminated by additives. We also tend to over process our food, thus further depleting it of nutrients.

First, changes in agricultural practices have changed the nature of our food. In his book, “Anticancer: A New Way of Life,” Dr. Servan-Schreiber locates the paucity of omega fatty 3 acids in our modern diet in the dietary changes of our modern cows. Grass pastures are naturally rich in omega 3′s. The replacement of grass pastures with battery farming in the seventies has changed our cattle feed from grass to a mixture of corn, soy and wheat which are wholly devoid of omega 3 fatty acids.

Battery farming has literally taken omega 3 out of the human food chain. Research has shown that children with ADHD have lower concentrations of omega 3, specifically DHA in their bodies, a situation that has already been linked with an increased risk of depression and brain deterioration.

Researchers have also linked the doubling of fatty tissues in children between 1970 and 1990 to the change in the character of milk coming from corn fed cows.

Second, most of us are unaware of the added components in our food like emulsifiers, preservatives, thickeners and additives. According to Dr. Janet Starr Hull, there are over 14,000 man-made chemicals added to the American food supply today.

Children are the most vulnerable victims because they are often fed these additives from infancy. What many people do not realize is that these chemicals can produce a host of different reactions in different people. Most studies on food additives have been done on separate and individual items.

The safety of one item does not guarantee the safety of the product in which multiple additives are combined. Certain combinations can trigger allergic reactions in sensitive children; others may not be affected at all.

Third, our modern food processing procedures strip foods of important nutrients. Commercially grown vegetables have been stripped of 87% of their nutrients. Refined white flour, for example, has only 2 or 3 nutrients while unbleached whole wheat flour has more than 60.

Foods processed in cans are heated at high temperatures. What this means is that natural enzymes are destroyed. In our modern culture, we do not eat enough raw foods which are filled with natural, life supporting enzymes.

We need to become more conscious of whole foods cooked at home: bread baked with unbleached whole wheat flour without additives, soups and salads made with organically grown fresh garden tomatoes and greens harvested not weeks ago, but moments ago.

We have traded the immediacy of “live”foods for convenience and we have contaminated our children with a culture of food allergies and sensitivities. ADHD and various behavior orders in children are on the rise. We can change this situation by returning our children to whole foods that are free from chemicals and additives.

About the Author

Bianca Tora is a writer interested in the relationship between lifestyle and the brain, specifically the area of emotional regulation and control. She has written a book on anger management for children. Visit her help-your-child-with-anger

The Effects Of A Divorce In A Child’s Psyche

Article by Joe Goertz

Some people tend to make it more difficult for things to take place when they really need to. This happens most times when it comes to the relationship. People find that they are not compatible after a few years in time and then they decide that they need to divorce. This is more than common place these days as people are getting divorced every day. In many cases this becomes a bitter battle to see who can hurt who the most in the shortest amount of time. Making the most of this situation is the best chance that you have for being amicable in the case of the time that you need to be happy and still be divorced. What many people tend to forget when they are going through a divorce is the fact that the children that are involved are going to be adversely affected by the divorce. This is the first thing that most people should be thinking about but sadly they do not take the time to put the children first in the whole situation.

When there is a child involved divorce the effect of the break up can mean some feelings in a child that are difficult to deal with. The first feeling that most children go through is that the divorce is their fault. This is the most dangerous of all the feelings that a child will have in the process. When this occurs there is an onset of depression that can overwhelm the child and make it difficult for them to bounce back to their normal self. To help stop this type of reaction from the child you should take the child and sit down for a good long talk. In many cases even the smaller children will understand much more then the adults will give them credit for.

This is the reason why the parents that are planning on divorcing should take the time to speak with their children. Sit them down and tell them that there is nothing that they have done wrong in the whole situation. Make sure that they understand that the divorce is based on the adult issues involved in the whole matter and nothing to do with the how they have behaved or how they react to anything. You should sugar coat any situation that could shed an unpleasant on either parent. This can have a very poor effect on the way that the child deals with the divorce should one or the other parent be made to take the blame for the entire divorce. You need to maintain a level head throughout the entire ordeal for the sake of the child.

The other issue is to remain on the same page as your spouse when it comes to how to handle the child. The main mistake that a lot of divorcing parents make is to try and make themselves come out in a better light then the other person involved. Children will use this type of thing to their advantage to make certain things happen. Before you know it there are problems and the child is impossible to handle. To avoid this happening you should remain on the same page as your former spouse when it comes to the discipline and raising of the children.

About the Author

You will find more from this author at: myfamily-magazine.com