I am not suggesting that our followers are unhealthy, but I really like these five simple tips from www.irishtimes.com and Dr Elva Dalton, GP in Stillorgan Medical Center. Common sense, but as the saying goes, it’s not always so common.

1. Maintain a healthy body weight: Obesity raises blood pressure, increasing the risk of stroke and many cancers. It also worsens asthma symptoms and increases joint problems such as osteoarthritis. A healthy diet consists of lots of fruit and vegetables, chicken and fish, brown carbohydrates and not too much refined sugar, fat, red meat and alcohol.

2. Aerobic exercise for 30 minutes a day: Exercise reduces blood pressure and lowers blood sugar, thereby cutting cardiac and stroke risks. It also makes you feel good by releasing happy endorphins reducing the incidence of anxiety and depression by 40 per cent. The leading cause of sick leave is stress and mental health problems.

3. Maintain core strength and flexibility: The number two cause of sick leave is back pain, most of which results from weak core muscles and tight hips caused by a sedentary life. You can improve these with by doing Pilates, yoga, tai chi, or just by practicing a third world squat for two minutes every day.

4. Expose skin to sunlight for 15 minutes / day between April and October. To have an adequate store of vitamin D in northern hemisphere countries we must stock up in summer. Taking care not to burn, be sure to get your 15 minutes of sunshine without sunscreen in the morning or the evening. Vitamin D is necessary for strong bone to prevent the onset of osteoporosis. There is now some evidence that it improves immune system functions, decreases the risk of cancer as well as heart disease and MS, and may improve mood.

5. Don’t smoke: By not smoking you’re cutting the risk of various illnesses such as heart disease, stroke and cancer- the top three killers in Ireland- by 50 percent.

If you are sport mad like us here at coolbaby.ie, you are no doubt looking forward to the Ryder Cup which tees off this Friday at the Belfry. In order to whet your appetite, here are 10 interesting facts about the history of the Ryder Cup;

10 Interesting Ryder Cup Facts

1. The official Ryder Cup trophy was introduced in 1927, for the first ever Ryder Cup match with resulted in USA beating Great Britain 9 ½ – 2 ½.
2. In the unfortunate event of an injury to a player from either team, both captains keep the name of one team member in a sealed envelope. The chosen man will then withdraw from the singles if either of the teams is unable to find 12 players. Each team will then be awarded half a point each.
3. Between the years of 1935 and 1985, a 50 year period, The Europeans were only victorious once; this was in 1957 after a dramatic final hole. This impressive run did coincide with the Second World War, which led to the competition being abandoned for 10 years.
4. Sir Nick Faldo has won more Ryder Cup matches than any other golfer; his overall record stands at 23 victories.
5. Captain’s picks were introduced in 1979, and since then it’s been Europe who have benefitted the most, winning 52 percent of their matches involving captain picks.
6. The oldest player to feature in the Ryder Cup was Raymond Floyd at 51 years of age.
7. The youngest player to feature in the Ryder Cup was Sergio Garcia at 19 years of age.
8. Colin Montgomery has the record for highest overall points in singles history with six wins and two halves.
9. Justin Leonard’s famous 1999 putt to take a half against Jose Maria Olazabal was 45 yards long.
10. With 11 Ryder Cup competitions under his belt, Nick Faldo has appeared in more Ryder Cup competitions that any other golfer.

I can’t believe that some kids are three weeks back to school already. The evenings have already started to get shorter and cooler and the old dreaded homework may also be starting to cause problems. In our latest blog feature, we look at four short methods that might make homework fun for your kids and if not quite fun, these ideas should at least make the whole homework issue easier on both kids and parents. Again, your feedback is more that welcome and if you have any ideas for future coolbaby blog topics, please let me know. I would like to thank http://www.wahm.com/ for some ideas on this topic.

1. Give Rewards

Create a reward system for homework assignments. You can reward your child with one hour of TV time or PSP game time after homework is done. Food is not good compensation; the association of food with reward will create a bad health habit. You can up the fun by giving bigger rewards to higher achievements. You can offer a trip to your child’s favorite park or take the family on a mini-excursion if an “A” is on the homework result.

The best reward is sometimes not games, or toys; sincere warm hugs are oftentimes the perfect incentive for a studious child. Be careful not to use praise too often; this might teach children to seek outside approval.

2. Eradicate Distractions

You can help your child focus by making the homework the most enjoyable activity available for that moment; hide things that compete with the attention of your kid. Cell phones, television, computer, PSPs and MP3 players must be turned off and out of sight. Let them appreciate these items as luxuries and not daily privileges.

3. Join Them in Their Homework

Surprise them once in a while by joining them at their study table. When they see that you are interested, they will think that it is “cool” for them to be involved with the subject too. In this situation, you will have the opportunity to monitor study habits and any improvements.

Don’t, however, overdo this practice. It is good to guide them in the areas that are difficult, but when you nag, children are choked as they try to meet your standards; that’s not a fun way to learn.

And my personal favorite…..

4. Instill Reading Values

The best way to encourage a homework-friendly life is to instill reading time as part of the family routine. Reading perks up the child’s interest for information. Reading opens up children’s hunger for learning; homework will not be enough of an outlet to quench this knowledge thirst. Reading will encourage a child to fulfill career dreams and is a driving force to make homework fun. Reading to your children also helps to improve vocabulary, which will make their homework assignments easier.

Parents need to communicate openly with children so they understand the value of the activity first. When children are treated as being capable and responsible, they will start to do it themselves without nagging (nagging tells them that it is your responsibility and not theirs).

To mark the start of The Premiership 2014/15 season, Coolbaby.ie blog look at some random interesting facts from the history of the competition. I hope my research has been accurate, but congrats to anyone if they pick up on an error! 

1. Sheffield Utd’s Brian Deane scored the first goal in the English Premiership history.
2. No English manager has ever won the league title.  Seriously.
3. English premiership started on 15^th august 1992
4. Ryan Giggs’ dad played rugby for Wales
5. Since 94-95 season only Man Utd, City, Chelsea, Arsenal have won league
6. Sir Alex Ferguson has won 12 premier league titles
7. Sponsors: Carling 1993-2001, Barclay Card 2001-2004 and Barclays 2004 to now
8. The first Sky television rights agreement was worth 304million over 5 years
9. The highest scoring game was Man United 9-0 defeat of Ipswich in 94-95 season, Andy Cole scoring 5 times.
10. Blackburn leads the red card charts with an amazing 75 red cards
11. Chelsea lead yellow card charts with over 1200 bookings
12. 2003-2004 Arsenal went the whole season unbeaten, thus earning the moniker “Invincibles”
13. Alan Shearer leads scoring charts with 260 premiership goals
14. Chelsea scored a whooping 103 goals in the 2009-10 title win
15. Swindon let in 100goals in 1993-94 season
16. Alan Shearer scored 11 premiership hat tricks
17. Ledley King scored fastest goal after just 10seconds
18. David Beckham scored that unreal halfway line goal against Wimbledon on the opening day of 1996-97 season
19. Sunderland(05-06) and Derby(07-08) both only won one home game in a season
20. The most consecutive wins was 10 by Arsenal (10 Feb 2002 to 24 Aug 2002)
21. Derby went an amazing 32games without a win in 2007-08 season
22. Highest attendance 76,398 Man Utd vs. Blackburn 2007
23. Lowest attendance 3,039 Wimbledon vs. Everton 1993
24. Most points in a season Chelsea with 95 points in 2004-05 season.
25. Oldest goal scorer was Teddy Sheringham at 40 years and 268 days
26. Most clean sheets 173 by David James
27. Most red cards Patrick Viera,Duncan Ferguson and Richard Dunne with 8
28. There wasn’t a single corner in the Chelsea vs. Wigan 21^st Aug 2013
29. Kevin Gillespie,Dave Kitson and Andreas Johansson were all sent off without touching the ball
30. Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham are the only teams to compete in every Premiership season
31. Eric Cantona scored the Premiership’s first hatrick playing for Leeds vs. Spurs
32. The first televised Premiership goal was scored by Teddy Sheringham
33. First keeper to score a goal was Peter Schmeichel in 2001 for Aston Villa
34. The first player to reach 100 Premiership goals was Alan Shearer
35. The first African player in Premiership was Peter Ndlovu for Coventry City in Aug 1992
36. Man Utd won the first Premiership title with 84 points.
37. Wayne Rooney is the ugliest Premiership player ever (just joking)

Coolbaby.ie blog is constantly on the lookout for tips and suggestions for parents. We really love this recipe from Annable Karmel and decided to share it with you. (See link below for further great recipes).

The old saying that ‘Fish is Good for the Brain’ is absolutely true. Oil rich fish such as salmon, tuna and sardines are especially good brain boosters. This is down to their high levels of omega-3 essential fats which are vital for brain function and can also help the performance of dyslexic and hyperactive children.

Ideally you should try to include two portions of oily fish a week in your child’s diet. Easier said than done you might think, as fish is a notoriously difficult food to get children to eat; they feel squeamish about any fish that doesn’t come battered or covered in breadcrumbs. So I have come up with a really tasty mini fish pie. It’s good to make these in ramekins so your child has an individual portion that looks attractive. Alternatively you can make a big portion in a casserole dish and feed the whole family. It is ideal for freezing.

Ingredients

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6.
2. Boil the potatoes in salted water.
3. Drain and mash with the butter, milk and Parmesan and season to taste.
4. To make the sauce, melt the butter and sauté the shallot for 5–6 minutes until soft.
5. Add the white wine vinegar and boil for 2–3 minutes until the liquid has evaporated.
6. Stir in the flour to make a roux.
7. Gradually, stir in the fish stock and then cook over a medium heat, stirring continuously.
8. Bring to the boil then cook stirring until thickened.
9. Remove from the heat and stir in the cream and the chopped dill or chives. Season well as the fish is unseasoned.
10. Divide all the fish and peas among four or six mini ramekins (depending on the size) and pour over the sauce.
11. Brush the potato topping with a little beaten egg. Bake for 25 minutes.
12. Freeze, assembled but uncooked.

http://www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/fish-pie

With only hours left until the much anticipated kick off of World Cup 2014, Coolbaby blog remembers a special time for Irish Sports Fans. 

He broke Irish hearts during World Cup 1990, 24 years on, where is Salvatore “Toto” Schillaci?

Salvatore Schillaci was born in Palermo, Sicily on December 1, 1964 to a very poor family, and began his playing career at local amateur side Amat Palermo. Soon, however, he was signed as an 18-year-old by fourth-tier side Messina, and the club rose up to Serie B. Toto’s 23 goals in that division in 1988-89 caught the eye of Juventus manager and Italy legend Dino Zoff.

With the World Cup due to be hosted in Italy at the end of the season, Toto hit form at the perfect time – his 15 goals helped Juve to a Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup double. Italy boss Azeglio Vicini called him up, and he made his international debut on March 1 in a friendly against Switzerland. Despite competition from star strikers including Roberto Baggio, Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini, Schillaci made the cut for the 22-man World Cup squad.

The fairytale continued in the hosts’ opening match against Austria: coming off the bench with less than 15 minutes remaining, he headed the winner within two minutes. Despite his heroics, Vicini left him on the bench again against the USA, but when giving a starting berth against Czechoslovakia he took just nine minutes to justify his place with the opening goal of a 2-0 win. Italy’s unlikely hero scored in each subsequent match up to and including the semi-finals, where the Azzurri were defeated by reigning champions Argentina. Schillaci sealed his claim on the Golden Boot by scoring his sixth goal of the tournament in the third-place play-off win over England, and etched his name forever into World Cup history.

So what happened next…

After the World Cup the goals soon dried up for Toto. He only managed five in Serie A for Juventus the following season, and his next international strike, almost a year later against Norway, proved to be his last. A two-year spell at Internazionale was unsuccessful, and in 1994 Toto sought a new lease of life in Japan, becoming the first Italian to venture into the nascent J-League.

At Jubilo Iwata, Toto’s career was indeed reinvigorated, culminating in his final season in Japan in 1997 when the club won the league and were runners-up in the J-League Cup.

Upon retiring he moved back to his native Sicily, where he founded a football academy, had a stint as a local councilor in Palermo and appeared on reality TV show L’isola dei Famosi, the Italian celebrity version of Survivor. He also popped up on an Irish beer advert in 2002.

Unsurprisingly, his career nosedive has not dimmed the memories of those Notti Magiche di Schillaci, something for which the man himself will forever be grateful: “Even when I go abroad, thanks to the World Cup people know who I am. For any player, playing for your country should be your first priority because it can change your life, the way it changed mine. I still live amongst the people and buzz around Palermo on my scooter,” he explains. “I am one of the people, part of the community, people recognise me but don’t see me differently because I am Schillaci”.

International Statistics

1990 Played 12 games, scored 6 goals.

1991 Played 4 games, scored 1 goal.

I think we are all becoming a lot more conscious of the need and benefits of maintaining a healthy environment for our kids. Coolbaby.ie blog looks at some current research into how me might achieve this balance, however we have tried to keep it simple and fun. Let us know what you think!

1. Plan healthy, tasty breakfasts. Offer children a lean protein at breakfast such as eggs, string cheese, fresh fruit or berries. Whole-grain cereal with nuts is another option. Top off the meal with a glass of milk or yogurt.
2. Discourage mindless munching. Don’t let kids eat in front of the TV or computer and gradually restrict eating and drinking to the kitchen table.
3. Get them involved. Take kids to the supermarket. Skip the sweet aisles and have children select one fruit and vegetable to try each week. At home, include children in lunch and dinner preparation.
4. Get some shut-eye. Allow kids no more than one hour of media time before bedtime (and ideally not just before they go to bed). Try to make sure they get the required 9 to 10 hours of sleep a night. Research shows that lack of sleep equals unwanted weight gain, behavioral problems and difficulty concentrating the next day.
5. Teach kids to dance. Tell them you’re playing Strictly Come Dancing and let them waltz, do the cha-cha-cha or swing dance. This active time will burn four to five times more calories than sitting and improve their overall health.
6. Play outside with your children. Mothers and Fathers should teach their kids to throw, catch, kick, pass, jump and ride a bike because their kids may not be learning these important skills at school.
7. Encourage physical-activity breaks.Research indicates that kids should not sit still for more than 60 minutes at a time. When they are doing their homework or on the computer, they should get up regularly and move around. A good idea is to have them do at least 20 to 30 minutes of physical activity after school.
8. Cut down on sugary drinks. Instead offer water and milk, even low-fat chocolate milk.
9. Use smaller plates. Research shows that kids serve themselves more at lunch when they use adult-sized dinner plates compared with using child-sized plates.
10. Trick their tummies. Add fiber-rich vegetables — such as spinach, butternut squash, broccoli, carrots, peppers and onions — to lasagna, casseroles, pasta dishes and pizza. The veggies lower the calories and increase the nutrients in each bite.