What Is The Main Cause Of Hair Loss

There are enzymes in men and women who are genetically predisposed to hair loss (called 5-alpha reductase), that turn the hormone ‘testosterone’ into another hormone derivative, ‘dihydrotestosterone’ (DHT). When DHT is formed, it attaches itself to the hair follicles on the top of the head, causing them to continually shrink with every growth cycle. This causes the hair to gradually become thinner until the follicles finally become dysfunctional and the hair no longer grows.

Hair loss in women and men is also frequently caused by lack of intake of certain nutrients, amongst other physical and psychological factors such as hormonal problems or stress.

Keep Your Hair Healthy & Strengthen Using The Natural Methods:

Here are some natural methods to keep your hair healthy, beautiful & strong forever

To Thicken Hair

Add a tablespoon of powdered gelatin to your shampoo.

Hair Shiners

1/4cup lemon juice added to 1/2cup water for light hair.
1/4cup vinegar added to 1/2 cup water for brunettes.Use as a final rinse.

Conditioner for Dry Hair

Mix 1 egg, 1 teaspoon honey, and 2 teaspoons olive oil. Apply to wet hair. Cover with a shower cap or layer of plastic wrap. Leave on for at least 30 minutes before shampooing out.

Nourishing Hair Pack

Here’s what to do with an overripe avocado:Mash it up, and blend through dry hair. Leave the
mixture on for 30 minutes. Shampoo thoroughly.

Damaged Hair Repair

Mash a ripe banana and mix with a few drops of almond oil. Massage over entire head. Leave on for 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

Yogurt Conditioner

Use plain yogurt as a conditioner/final rinse.Massage in after shampooing. Leave on 20 minutes.
Rinse with warm water.

Hot Oil Treatment

Mix 1 cup olive oil and 1/4 cup butter. Microwavefor one minute. Leave on 20 minutes. Shampoo.

Oily Hair Treatment

Add 1/4 cup aloe vera gel to 1/2 cup shampoo. Mix well and apply.

Dry Hair Treatment

Mix 1 tablespoon honey to 2 tablespoons shampoo.Shampoo as usual.

Egg Shampoo

Beat 2 eggs in a cup of warm water. Massage the mixture into wet hair. Leave on for 5 to 10 minutes.Rinse in tepid water.
Caution: If you rinse in hot water, the eggs could scramble right in your hair and be impossible to get out!

Lather and Strengthen

Mix an egg into your regular shampoo.

Natural Baby Skin Care Products

Here Are Two New Natural Baby Product Introduced:

1:Natural Body Wash
2:Light Baby Moisturizing Lotion

The Natural Body Wash is formulated with vitamins and luxurious fruit extracts loaded with antioxidants and unconditional love. Mom’s body wash naturally removes dead skin cells and impurities from the skin to allow newer, healthier skin to surface…leaving the skin feeling smooth, clean and refreshed. Its tear free and great for the whole family.

The light moisturizing lotion is made from the purest natural oils and vitamin rich plant extracts to protect and nurture your baby’s skin – and your skin as well. Essential oils offer a pleasant natural scent of Rosemary, Lavender, and Chamomile.

Hair Is An Important Element Of Looking Beautiful

So what do you want from your hair? You probably want it to behave.You want it to have volume.You want it to shine.That’s just how you decide what you need in a hair product. The number one question I’m asked when it comes to hair:“Is there a difference between expensive hair salon products and drugstore items?”After all these years of research,I still find that there are no immediate answers.I have tried them all(and have the split ends to prove it), yet have not come up with anything that beats the natural-based formulas.Because everyone’s hair is unique, it is necessary to experiment a bit.The key is to purchase the smallest size available (travel sizes are ideal),and see what works.We’ve all seen the big sales and ripped out the coupons.What good is a big vat of that product going to be if it makes your hair look like a miniature haystack?Here’s all you’ll need for beautiful hair.And I pray that you never again overspend, buy a useless product,or have a “bad hair day.”

Stylist You Like and Trust:

Ask a friend or even a stranger on the street whose hair you admire.Pay a little extra to book the salon’s master stylist.This is a stylist who has extra training and probably teaches or lectures.If you are done in less than 30 minutes, move on.That’s not enough time, and they’re not customizing to your needs.Enter the salon with a specific game plan (take a picture along if you need to, but try to be realistic).

Right Shampoo You Need To Use

There are very specific shampoos on the market today to help you make your hair be the best it can be.Occasionally add a couple of caplets of vitamin E to your inexpensive shampoo for extra nourishment.There are very good shampoos that perform more than one task.Use inexpensive brands to strip off extra mousse,gels, etc., at least once a week.

Six Stages of Cellulite

Do you have it? How bad is it? Cellulite does have a
way of progressing like a bad fungus.
Test
Cellulite can be diagnosed by using the skin pinchand-roll technique. Gently take a large fold of normal skin and rub it between your thumb and forefinger.The skin should appear smooth.
Now repeat this test on areas where you think you have cellulite.You may have cellulite in the following stages:
Stage 1
The skin will show no visible signs, but bruises and cuts may be slow to heal in this area.
Stage 2
Looking closely at the skin, you’ll see broken veins and skin discoloration. Bruises will appear after a small hit.When pinched, the skin will feel thicker and slightly tender with slight ripples.
Stage 3
Even without pinching the skin, you’ll see evidence of an orange-peel appearance.
Stage 4
The skin will appear puckered, and is cold to the touch. Broken veins will be present, and bruising can occur spontaneously.
Stage 5
Not only will you feel cold areas, but hot areas will also be evident.
Stage 6
Large lumps of fat are honeycombed in fibers, distorting the appearance of the cellulite area.

Sharing Beauty Treatments

Sharing Beauty Treatments With Some Friends:

For years models have been sneaking into feed supply stores and equestrian shops for Bag Balm and Hoof Maker. Now these beneficial products are being sold in drugstores and mass merchandisers everywhere.Hoof Maker is as it sounds, a hoof conditioner for horses. However, it softens cuticles, heels, and other rough spots. Horse trainers came upon this terrific product by seeing their own positive results. It seems that their nails and cuticles were stronger, longer and more resilient.Bag Balm is an emollient used to soothe those poor cow’s udders that take such a licking in those milking machines. This stuff (it’s very inexpensive) is wonderful on chapped lips and as extra protection during cold weather on hands and face. It’s a must for skiers.Kalaya Oil is one of the oddest moisturizers ever to hit the cosmetic market. It is derived from the “fat back” of the rare Australian bird, the emu.This moisturizer lessens the signs of aging by trapping moisture in the skin.

Know-How About Moisturize:

1. Don’t over-moisturize. Use cream on specific areas.You may not need it all over your face. The
cheeks and forehead tend to be drier than the chin.
2. Choose the right formula for your skin type.More than half of all women misdiagnose their skin type,believing it to be very oily or very dry. It’s highlyunusual for a woman’s skin to be either. If moisturizer is too heavy, the result is clogged pores.Moisturizing techniques need to be changed as the seasons change.
3. Get more from your moisturizer by circulating the skin. Gently tap the face by pretending your face is a piano, and you’re “playing” it.
4. Any moisturizer can be stretched by first applying a film of natural vegetable oil as a base.
5.Wait until a moisturizer is completely absorbed before applying foundation. However, if a foundation is a bit dry, moisturizer can loosen it up a bit.The foundation will go on more smoothly.

Cellulit:
We now know that diet works and thigh creams don’t when it comes to cellulite. So what else can
we do besides just staring at it? Here are some simple steps:

1. Eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables (preferably raw).
2. Keep away from processed foods.
3. Drink lots of water to rid cells of toxins.
4. Stay away from carbonated beverages (even lowcalorie).
5. Avoid alcohol, which negatively affects the liver, the body’s main detoxifier and filter.
6. Try to walk or jog at least three times a week for 30 to 45 minutes.
7. Scrub the skin with a bristle brush or loofah.Brush in slow sweeps, always toward the heart.
There are gloves and mitts available to do this, but they’re not necessary. Try to do this at least five minutes a day.
8. Copy the expensive herbal wraps offered by top spas. Mix 1 cup of corn oil with 1/2 cup of
grapefruit juice and 2 teaspoons dried thyme.Massage into hip, thigh, and buttock areas. Cover
with plastic wrap to lock in body heat. For extra results, lay a heating pad over each area for about five minutes.

Beauty Tips from the Kitchen

Wheat Germ Oil
Available in health food stores and some supermarkets, wheat germ oil is effective in keeping the skin elastic and preventing and treating stretch marks. Pregnant women should definitely use it in the tummy and breast areas.
Clove Oil Cleanser
Combine equal amounts of clove oil (a natural astringent), chamomile (to maintain skin pigment),
and eucalyptus (decongests the skin). Massage gently into the skin by making a circular motion with the tips of your fingers, and rinse.
Crisco
Right from the can, Crisco is a big secret among beautiful women. Use it to remove makeup and as a highly effective moisturizer. Hospitals even use it to treat psoriasis and eczema. They are known to disguise it as cream “C.”
Sweet Almond Oil
Available in supermarkets, almond oil is ideal for removing makeup, helping eyelashes grow, and as a moisturizer for extremely dry skin. It also soothes sunburned skin.
Bathing
Add some baking soda to your bath (about half a box). It will soothe itching skin, irritation, and sunburn. Use Epsom salts (about one-half pound) to relax muscles and relieve swelling.
Try some instant oatmeal (or grind any other to a powder) in the tub to get rid of sunburn.
Apple cider vinegar in the bath will invigorate the body and fight fatigue.
Adding a spoonful of honey is said to help insomnia.
Combine a cup of instant milk powder with 3 drops of almond oil. Soak for at least 15 minutes, then using a coarse wash cloth or loofah, rub vigorously to exfoliate (remove) dead skin. Your skin will Absolutely glow and shine!
Should you start to feel a cold coming on, take a teaspoon of mustard powder and add it to a hot bath. You just might fight off the cold.
Orange slices in the bath are uplifting and beat any aromatherapy available today.
Through the ages red wine has been used as a beauty treatment. Since it is a tannic acid, many beauties use it as an acid-based toner.

The Types of Face Masks

The Types of Face Masks

Tomato Mask

For oily skin,mash up a ripe tomato and leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse with warm (not hot) water.

Milk of Magnesia
Oil-Absorbing Mask

Apply it straight from the bottle. Let it dry for about five to ten minutes. Rinse off with warm water.Gently pat face dry with fluffy towel.

Ultimate Cleansing Mask

In a blender or food processor, grind 1 cup of oatmeal to a powder. Add 3 drops of almond oil, 1/2 cup of milk, and 1 egg white. Continue to blend together, and apply. Rinse off after 20 minutes.

Peach and Brandy

Mash up a peach (use ripe, canned, or frozen) and mix in a tablespoon of brandy. Leave it on for 20 minutes, and rinse off.

Banana Mask

Mash up a very ripe banana. Add just enough honey to make a soft pulp.Apply over face and hair.This is such a great firming mask that aging movie stars have been known to put it in the cups of their bras to make their breasts “perky.” Just make sure that you don’t add too much honey, and that you use a sturdy bra. I recently did a TV show where I attempted to use a lacy bra. Needless to say, it was a little messy!

Honey Mask

Apply pure honey (straight from the bottle) to your face and neck. Allow it to set until dry (about 15 minutes). Rinse with very warm water.

Pepto-Bismol

This is a face mask particularly suited for those with sensitive skin. In the same way that this product coats the stomach, it gently caresses the face. Apply it straight from the bottle with a cotton swab. Allow it to dry and rinse with cool water. It’s as refreshing as a cool summer breeze.

Some more Secret Tips:

To Revitalize and Nourish the Skin

Soak whole dried beans or lentils (fresh are best) overnight. Mash and add a small amount of honey.Apply over face and neck. Leave it on for about 5 minutes and rinse with tepid water.

Tone Up Tired Skin

Make up a smooth pulp of crushed cucumbers, and gently pat all over face and neck. Pull up your hair and apply a little bit behind the ears and behind the neck.This facial is absolutely fabulous for oily skin and clogged pores. Mix 1/4 cup vodka with the juice of one fresh lemon. Dab it on the face, neck, and chest area with a cotton swab. It’s not necessary to rinse off.Let the air evaporate it. The less rubbing that you do to the face the better.

How can you keep your skin beautiful and fresh forever

You can keep your skin beautiful and fresh forever using the following skin care treatments.

Water

Water is the number one beauty treatment favored
by women of every age. You cannot create beauty
without beginning with a clean, clear palette.
Forget the very expensive imported waters. If you
don’t drink at least eight to ten glasses a day, you
are depriving yourself of the best beauty treatment
on earth.
Japanese women spend twice as much time and
money on their skin than any other women in the
world.


The Sun Is Your Skin’s Enemy


You should always make sun protection a priority.
Use a sunscreen formulated for your skin along with
your moisturizer. Much of the evidence of
aging rough skin, wrinkles, age spots, etc.
are really the result of too much sun. Always apply
lots of it not only to your face, but slather it on the
neck, hands, and hairline.

Stop Over Cleansing

The first rule of beautiful skin is to stop overcleansing
it. This is an unnecessary habit, especially true
of women in this country. Unless you’ve been up all
night digging ditches (you poor dear!), your face is
not dirty.Your morning routine should be nothing
more than reactivating last night’s moisturizer with
a splash of warm water or milk.Why milk? Milk is
a lactic acid and will allow your face to receive a
natural acid treatment.
Please be aware that many of the acids on the
market today are synthetic acids that have caused
problems with some women. There have been
reports of everything from sensitivity rashes to permanent
scarring. Be careful of the chemical acids
you use, and when you can, substitute nature’s acids
in your cleansing routine. In addition to milk, consider
these natural acids

1. Pineapple juice
2. Lemon juice
3.Tomatoes
4. Most citrus fruits

Toning An Important One

Toning is your second step, and an important one.
The purpose of using a toner is to remove residue
soap, moisturizer, and oil.You can spend a lot for a
toner (up to $20 and more at some cosmetic counters),
or you can do what many famous models do.
Carry around lemons.They are refreshing and more
effective than those silly toners that contain only a
little lemon but lots of chemicals.
Other inexpensive alternatives:
1. Rose water
2.Witch hazel
3. Hydrogen peroxide
4. Or try the following refreshing tea tonic: Mix 2
teaspoons of green or chamomile tea with 1/2 cup
water. Saturate a cotton ball, and apply all over the
face.Allow it to remain on the skin until it evaporates.

Moisturizing

you can happy to pass on one of the most important
ways to save money. It is not necessary to spend a lot
on a moisturizer. Good basic moisturizers can be
found in any drugstore. Just learn to read the labels,
and look for these low-cost ingredients.
Lipids
Listed as ceramides, cerebrosides, or sphingo lipids.
Essential fatty acids
Listed as sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, and primrose oil.
Sunscreen
Now available in many moisturizers as a step-saver
A Secret Tip:
Don’t buy a vitamin E, A, or C
enhanced moisturizer. Go to your
local pharmacy, and purchase these vitamins in
capsule form. Get as much potency as is available.
Prick open the capsule, and add it to your
moisturizer. You’ll get all the benefits of the
expensive cosmetic creams without the extra
chemicals or expense.

Add Water

You’ll find most moisturizers more effective when
applied to damp skin. It forms a thin film that will
trap moisture in the skin. Evening is the most
important time to take care of your skin.The sleeping
hours are when your face is away from makeup,
dirt, pollution, etc., and is free to rejuvenate.Your
evening regime is also effective and useful in destressing
your entire psyche to prepare you for the
best treatment of all: beauty sleep.
Just follow these steps:

1. Cleanse
Make it easy on yourself, your skin, and your
purse by using just one product to remove both
makeup and dirt. If your skin is dry, use a lotion or
cream-based product that leaves behind emollients
(it will feel like a light film on your face). If your
skin is “normal to oily,” use a gel cleanser or a very
mild facial soap. Even though your skin may be very
oily, be sure to use a gentle soap like Neutrogena or
Dove. Never use a deodorant soap on your face or
neck. If your skin is particularly sensitive, don’t even
use it on your body!
2. Exfoliate
I cannot overstate the need for this step.What is exfoliating?
It is very much like peeling an onion or removing
tiles off a roof. Exfoliating is necessary to get blood
flowing into the face, as well as to remove.
3. Masks
My favorite face mask is the result of my most memorable
investigative reporting story. I had been
informed that those very expensive spas that charge
hundreds of dollars for “herbal wraps” were using
mud. Now the inside “scoop” is that these “chichi”
places were not using some exotic mud from the
Dead Sea, but a formula created from kitty litter.
Okay, we’ve all heard of clay masks. Clay is perfect
for detoxifying the skin.What I discovered is that
these so-called “mud” or “clay” treatments used by
some salons is nothing more than kitty litter. The
catch is that the bag must be marked “100 Percent
Natural Clay.” It cannot contain any chemicals, additives,
or clumping materials. The good news is that
this type of kitty litter is generally the least expensive.

Here’s what to use?

Take a packet of sugar (raw sugar works the
best), add a couple of drops of olive oil to
make it easier to spread, and gently rub it into
the creases of your face.
Open a packet of instant oatmeal and mix it
with water to create a paste. Rub this mixture
into your face, and rinse off the residue. I
would suggest that you use instant oatmeal on
your face, and the traditional old-fashioned
oatmeal to exfoliate the entire body.
Rub sea salt (available in health food stores) all
over both your body and face. You’ll love its
invigorating effects.

How to use it?

Take about a tablespoon of the dried clay and reconstitute
it with a small amount of water. Mud is mud
is mud! I don’t care if it comes from the great Springs
of Italy (and if it does, you’ll spend about $60 a jar)
or from your local grocery store. At less than $2 a
bag, detoxify your entire body with it. I have worked
with the most fabulous celebrities who swear by my
kitty litter facial, including top makeup artists.
Although they love this facial, they know that their
clients may be a little reticent to try such an
unorthodox facial. So they pour the kitty litter into
an attractive container. You might want to do the
same at your house to avoid strange looks. Potpourri
jars make delightful hideouts for your new find.
I have demonstrated this several times on nationalTV
shows with people from the audience, and not one
person has ever told me that it felt anything but
absolutely refreshing. It actually possesses a kind of
pleasant, minty feel. Minerals in the mud also benefit
the skin.
Please don’t try to dig up the mud from your yard.
Real mud is dirty and contains organisms that harbor
diseases.

2 Killer Moves for a Flat Tummy

A toned stomach is like an amazing Chanel bag. It looks good, feels great and takes a ton of work to get it. Some of us were born with it, and some of us spend our whole lives vying for it. Plus, it's sexy.

We can't give you tips on buying a Chanel bag (other than save, save save!) but we can tell you the killer moves to get your stomach into shape. Just keep in mind that these exercises alone won't do it. Click here for fat-burning cardio ideas and metabolism-boosters.

"A toned core will help your body age well in the decades to come, so it's crucial to build a strong one early on," says Valerie Orsoni, founder of LeBootCamp.com. "Also," adds Geralyn Coopersmith, senior national manager at Equinox Fitness Training Institute, "developing a fit core early in life sets you up for amazing posture and a pain-free lower back." (See: 4 Weeks to a Better Body)

Feeding Your Baby

Are your kids picky about eating fruits and vegetables? Learn to make food interesting and enjoyable for your child and the rest of the family.

How to Know When Your Baby Is Hungry?

by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., author of Feeding: The Brazelton Way

1. In the first weeks, most of his crying is likely to be saying he is hungry. If he's been changed, does not soothe with gentle rocking and singing, and is not crying piercingly (a cry of pain), he's probably ready for a feeding.
2. If he's not been fed for an hour or more, it may be time to feed again. After a few weeks, he'll be able to take in more at each feeding and stretch out the time he can go before he's hungry again.
3. When a baby is ready to feed, he'll often lift and bob his head, open his mouth, and even smack his lips, and he'll try to suck on whatever comes his way.

How to Know When Your Baby Has Had Enough?

by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., author of Feeding: The Brazelton Way

1. If you are bottle-feeding your baby, you'll be able to measure the amount he takes in at each feeding. Your baby should be waking up often enough for at least six feedings a day. If not, you'll need to rouse him.
2. If you are breastfeeding, you may need to go by other signs. To start with, your baby should soon be able to empty the first breast you offer, and often even the second.
3. A baby who settles contentedly after nursing has likely had enough.
4. A baby who frequently wets and soils diapers (at least six wet diapers each day, and for bottle-fed babies, at least a few soft, mushy, yellowish stools) is also probably a well-fed baby. Breastfed babies often go for a day or two between stools, and sometimes more, especially after the first few weeks.
5. Your baby's pediatrician will monitor your baby's growth by checking his weight, height, and head circumference. Although your baby may lose a little weight in the first week, he should catch up and make good progress thereafter.

Feeding a Quiet Child
by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., author of Feeding: The Brazelton Way

A quiet, sensitive child may be on a different track from her peers. She may comply with being fed and continue to be compliant even during the usual times of conflict. For example, unlike other children her age, she may allow herself to be fed into the second year, apparently content to be a passive recipient. Then, all of a sudden, refusal! No longer will she put up with being fed. Passive resistance may be her response.

Her refusal to be fed is a warning to her parents to pull back and let her try feeding herself. Since she has not had experience with finger feeding or with utensils, her first attempts to feed herself may be clumsy. A big mess at every meal—food on her face, her clothes, the table, the floor, everywhere—will be the inescapable price for her earlier compliance.

Parents may even be thankful for the slobbery mess when it comes—a welcome relief from the initial food refusal of this phase of self-assertion! Patience with such a child will be the saving grace. Let her learn how to take over the job of feeding. Offer her only two bits at a time of an attractive finger food for each meal. Then ignore her struggle and leave it to her. Keep her company, but don't cajole during meals. If and when she downs the two bits, offer her two more at a time, until she starts smooshing them or launching them over the edge of her high chair. This means it's time to stop—until the next meal. Don't let her "graze" between meals. And for now, don't worry about a well-rounded diet. Remember that this previously compliant child is quickly learning the skills of self-feeding. It might have taken her several months longer to learn had she been less passive and started in with her attempts to take over her own feeding earlier. Be patient and follow her lead.

Feeding an Active Child

by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., author of Feeding: The Brazelton Way

At the other end of the temperament spectrum is the active, constantly moving, curious-about-everything child. She is far more interested in sights, sounds, and rushing around than in food. A parent whose motive is to see that the child is well fed is bound to feel frustrated, even desperate. "Sit down in your seat," a worried parent will beg as the child climbs out of her high chair to hang teetering on the edge. The child looks up coyly, holding out one hand for a "cookie." Anything she can eat will do as long as at the same time she can clamber around the house, up and over furniture and into drawers to pull out clean clothes with grubby fingers.

Many parents of active children have asked me: "Should I feed her on the run ? She'll never eat enough sitting down. She barely sits before she's gone. I wait until she's hungry, but she never is. I feel like I need to give her bits of food all through the day so that she'll get enough. What should I do?"

My advice has been:

1. Keep mealtimes a sacred time for the family to be together. Don't let the phone or other interruptions interfere.
2. When your child loses interest in sitting at the table—that's it. Put her down and let her know her meal is over. No grazing between meals. No more food until the next meal.
3. Make meals a fun time to be together—at least as much as is possible with a squirming, food-throwing toddler. Make meals as companionable as possible—you eat when she does. But if she doesn't, eat your own meal and let her know that you can chat and be together if she stays at the table. If she squirms to leave, put her down. But she'll have to wait for your attention until you're done. Eventually she'll learn to model on you.
4. No television at the table or promises of special sweet desserts to get her to sit and eat.
5. Be sure you let her feed herself. Never say, "Just one more bite." If you do, you'll be setting yourself up for testing.
6. Don't go to special trouble to cook her a special or exciting meal—your disappointment is likely to outweigh the benefits. Instead, let your child know that "this is what we're having for dinner tonight." If she doesn't want it, she'll have to see if she likes the next meal any better.
7. Let her help with meals as soon as she is old enough to do even the smallest task, such as setting the table (start with the napkins only!), cleaning it with a sponge, and so on.
8. Have your child's pediatrician check her weight and growth, and ask her for supplements if necessary.
9. Above all, don't set meals up as a struggle or her high chair as a prison to keep her in.

Feeding at 4 Months

by T. Berry Brazelton, M.D., author of Feeding: The Brazelton Way

Feedings should be more predictable now. Nearly all babies will have settled into a rhythm of 3-4 hours between feedings. Each feeding now is more likely to last for a predictable amount of time. A bottle feeding may take 10 to 15 minutes plus bubbling time. A breastfeeding can last 20 minutes, and sometimes more—with burping and bubbling. Quiet talking and gentle play, so rewarding, may add a little more time. The baby takes in half of his feeding in the first 2 minutes, and 80-90 percent in the first 4 minutes. If he falls asleep after that, he's probably had enough. But if he wants to nurse for longer, and if his mother wants him to, this can be a delicious time for closeness. The baby certainly won't be overfed with these longer feedings.

It has always seemed to me that a parent who takes a few minutes in the beginning to talk and hug and alert the baby, to calm him down if he's frantic, will have a more rewarding, smoother feed.

You probably know your baby's cries by now. The intense, end-of-the-day fussing should be over by now. An alert period of smiling and interacting may have replaced it. By now parents will feel more confident about knowing their baby and what to expect with each cry. Hunger cries are like no others, and you and your baby both know them.

A number of questions will linger in parents' minds during this period:

Q: Will I spoil him if I feed him every time he cries?
A: I don't believe that a baby this young can be spoiled. But be sure you recognize his ways of telling you about his other needs. He will tell you several different things by his cries. Not all cries are hunger cries. There are different reasons for them, such as boredom and the need to play, or fatigue, and the need to be put down to sleep. Each of these needs, and others, are expressed with different cries. Look for them, and you will feel more in touch with him.

Q: He seems to want to eat so often. What can I do to hold him off?
A: This is the age when you can begin to respect your baby's newly developing abilities. When you go to him in less than 3 hours, try to substitute play for your feeding for awhile. He is probably ready for some play on his own. Hang a few colored objects (e.g., plastic spoons) over his crib, so he can look at them as they twinkle in the light. These should be removed when the baby can successfully reach, and they should be fastened securely enough that he or an older sibling can't pull them down. Prop him at a 30 degree angle so he can look at them and listen to them. You may be surprised to see that, with the chance to watch, listen, and try to reach, he'll become intrigued.

He will discover that he can play by himself, handling his boredom and enjoying his waking time between feedings. This certainly will help you—and think what it may mean to him to sense that he can take care of some of his own needs. Then you can both gratefully enjoy the reward of a feeding at the 4-hour mark. You have both worked for it!

Q: Why does he wake up to feed every 4 hours at night?
A: The 4-hour sleep cycle at night is a normal one. Actually, you may be lucky. At least your child sleeps for 4-hour stretches at night instead of waking more often or staying awake at night and sleeping during the day. But this is a good time to begin to push him to learn how to sleep longer at night. As his brain begins to mature, he may be ready to go longer at night.

Continuing to pick up and feed him every few hours could lead to sleep troubles. Feedings every 4 hours at night may not be the answer now. Learning to get himself to sleep may be.

I have found that when a baby has begun to learn how to get himself back down, interrupting the 4-hour cycle can help break it. Wake him at 10:00 or 11:00 P.M. before he wakes himself. Feed him an extra feeding then, without play or exciting interactions. Put him down before he's asleep, leaving him to get himself back down to sleep. The extra feeding can break the every-four-hour cycle, and it may help him learn to get himself to sleep and to sleep longer at night. It has worked to push many of my patients toward an 8-hour sleep at night. Feedings may help, but they won't contribute to the real job of "learning how to sleep."

Healthy Eating

Tips for a Healthy Diet and Better Nutrition

Healthy eating is not about strict nutrition philosophies, staying unrealistically thin, or depriving yourself of the foods you love. Rather, it’s about feeling great, having more energy, and keeping yourself as healthy as possible – all which can be achieved by learning some nutrition basics and incorporating them in a way that works for you.

Choose the types of foods that improve your health and avoid the types of foods that raise your risk for such illnesses as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Expand your range of healthy choices to include a wide variety of delicious foods. Learn to use guidelines and tips for creating and maintaining a satisfying, healthy diet.