Steroids and our children are becoming tightly linked through our sports and recreation programs. This is not to say that all programs promote and participate in this venue but the facts are starting to come out and more and more children from Middle School to High School age are experimenting with steroids. We can look the other way as a society or we can do what some of the professional sports leagues have taken on. Educating the victims, yes the victims. Athletes at all levels suffer from the kid next store or the top ranked individual they must target to replace. Pro sports teams are moving in an educational training direction and our schools can

benefit from lessons learned here to implement similar programs perhaps. Start administering education in the classroom. Think about it, if we took 15 minutes of each gym period for our children and discussed a topic like the effects of steroids on the body we might just turn this category of a nightmare into a success story. Our children, thanks in large part to the 24 hour media society we now live in, are constantly reminded of the polished professional athlete. We market to them constantly as we show off the top performing individuals and colleges. In my area we even promote the local area High School Sports on their own television show. So the kids are in constant reminder of who the best athletes are and how this one and that one are going to USC, CAL, Ohio State etc. There is a price to pay here folks and we can do something about it.

Education is the answer. If we design this into our systems of teaching at a young age we can turn this addiction around. We have proof by the way. With the invention of the automobile we learned about needing seatbelts. How? Because cars move at a rapid pace and tend to collide, at times, with other objects. People were getting hurt and in dying in some cases. So we engineered a

restraint system. But think back to the 60 s through the late 80 s. No one was using them even after they were put in all cars. They were just an inconvenience to those generations that grew up without them. Then we started taking the message to the elementary schools. No the first people to click in are the kids. Of course we solved the adult problem by enforcing laws but our kids do click in as a force of habit not reminder. The same can be done for the negative effects of steroids on the body. It may look good short term and might even get a Division One College offer but at what price to your overall health?

If you truly need supplements and in most cases the all natural supplements are a good addition to anyone s daily food intake then do your homework. Research the companies on the net and working with your professional physician or dietician plan a well balanced program for health and wellness. Companies like Mona Vie International are making great strides in providing a natural supplement made of 19 fruits lead in formulation by the acai berry. There is tremendous excitement around this berry from the Amazon and daily we hear of new results from people all over the globe being introduced to the acai berry as a great alternative to

your daily health needs. But don t stop there. Build a daily exercise and fitness program. If you follow all of these basic guidelines you will see, over time, that your body will respond and your health and wellness will be on a proper track towards an overall improved lifestyle.

Irene has been servicing the Health and Wellness industry since graduating from Cal State Fullerton in 1982. Through her professional experiences in primarily the Physical Therapy field (presently working) she has gathered deep understandings on nutrition, exercise and overall healthy programs to share with her readers and clients of Planet Berry LLC. To learn more on Irene or Planet Berry please visit their corporate web

site at http://www.planetberries.com or email at [mailto:info@planetberries.com]info@planetberries.com