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Everyone knows that fast food is never the healthiest option; at the same time, however, fast food is often the only option! Sometimes, you might be stuck eating fast food whether you really want to or not – either because you are always on the road, or because you work at a job where it makes more sense to eat fast food than to pack a lunch. And you will want to know what your healthiest fast food options are if you are in this situation yourself.

When you are in a position where you frequently have to eat fast food, one of the most difficult aspects can be the fact that you often do not get to choose which fast food restaurant you will be eating at, as this ends up being decided by others. If this is the case, know that most fast food establishments such as McDonald’s and Wendy’s include salads on their menu. Of course, you are not getting organic ingredients (or even ingredients that are necessarily fresh) when you buy salads from these places, but it is better than many of the alternatives!

If, on the other hand, you are able to choose where you will go for your food, one good option is Chick-fil-A. Chick-fil-A is pricier than many other fast food options, but part of the reason for this is because they use fresh, healthy ingredients! And although you might not feel like spending the extra money, it is worth it for the fact that the food is healthier and that, quite frankly, it also tastes a whole lot better!

And if you are looking for the healthiest fast food option (that is, if you have time to not go through a drive-thru), look no further than Panera. You can choose from options ranging from sandwiches to soups to salads at Panera – with many healthy options available among them. But realize that you will have to be careful when you go to Panera – there are also some unhealthy options calling to you from the display cases at the counter!

Of course, if you are able to pack a lunch, this is always a better option; but if you are unable to, you should go for one of these options!

Although every parent has a desire to get along with their children, many parents end up going about this in the completely wrong manner. After all – on the surface – it can seem as though getting along with your children is as simple as simply being nice to them. But many parents who try to get along with their children simply by being nice to them find that this is often a failed experiment!

There are two particular difficulties parents run into when they try to establish a relationship – a “friendship” – with their children simply by being nice to them. The first difficulty these parents run into is the fact that, as children develop, they go through a number of various, distinct stages.

Several of these stages lead the children to feel rebellious toward authority; as these children go through this phase, the parents who simply “try to be nice” end up making concessions. And the more concessions the parents make, the more advantage of these concessions the children take – putting the dynamics of the relationship in precarious territory!

The second difficulty goes hand-in-hand with the first one, and it is the fact that parents are supposed to be the form of authority in the child’s life. If parents try to simply “get along” with their children, it will result in resentment on both sides when the parent actually makes an attempt to exercise their authority.

In the long run – as difficult as this can be at times – the best way to actually get along with your children is to first establish authority, even before you aim for friendship. By establishing your authority in the proper manner – that is, being respectful toward your children, but helping them to understand that you are in charge and that the decisions you are making are in their best interests – you will find that the relationship follows.

Check out the Parental Toolkit - an amazing resource!

Of course, every parent must walk the tightrope of establishing authority and being too heavy-handed with this authority. But if you are going to have to walk this tightrope at one point or another, you may as well walk it first – as this will at least enable you to also have a strong, healthy relationship with your children.

Red Dawn April 2011 Calendar

Red Dawn Martial Arts November 2010 Activities.

November 6: Millennium Cup 2010 tournament (Orangeville) start at 10AM. No taekwondo classes
November 17: Pretest, during regular class time.
November 18: Pretest, during regular class time.
November 25: Grading Day, no taekwondo classes.
November 27: Red Dawn Christmas Special Even, 5pm to 11pm.
December 4: Black Belt Grading, start at 10AM.

Click here to view or print in a calendar format. 

Video Clips of Colour Belts from Red Dawn October 16, 2010 Tournament.

A Close Look at Taekwondo Belts

In this article we well discus the taekwondo belts history and the meaning of belts colours. The colour of the belt a student has will signify their rank within their style of taekwondo. There are many style of taekwondo and they have no universal means or ranking within the taekwondo world.  More or less, a rank tells others how much you know about your specific style of taekwondo.

The use of taekwondo belts is an old practice, dating back hundreds of years.  Belts and their use in martial arts all started by a man known as Jigoro Kano, who created the style known as Kodokan Judo.  Kano started out by using only white and black belts to signify rank within his style of martial arts. 

Shortly after Kano introduced his idea of using belts, other belt colours were introduced to the world of martial arts.  Over the years, it became a great way of telling what experience a student had in their style, just by the look of their belt.  Other styles began to use this system as well over the years, including Karate, Taekwondo, and several others.

Taekwondo belts colour meaning

The colour belts below black belt are known as Kup in Korean and the levels of black belt are known as Dan in Korean.

White:

The lack of colour signifies purity and innocence. The beginner student has no knowledge of tae kwon do.

Yellow:

Yellow represent the colour of the rising sun.

Green:

Green represent growth, the student power begins to develop.

Blue:

Blue represent the colour of the sky which growing things reach for. Physical and mental power starts to stabilize.

Red:

Red represents the colour of blood, the essential life force, so it is associated with energy.

Black:

Black Belt represents the next major step in the student Taekwondo journey. It is the combination of all lower taekwondo belts knowledge and the beginning of understanding the depth of Taekwondo.

Some taekwondo belts are solid and some have a stripe of another colour down the center. These differences are merely variations of school.

Taekwondo belts are an innovation for martial arts schools.  They give students something to aim for, and a reason to keep practicing.  Most students that study martial arts aim for getting the black belt, which is the most prestige belt in taekwondo.  A black belt takes years of practice to obtain, as the student will move through many lower ranked belts before getting the opportunity to try and earn the black belt.

Healthy Regards
Anthony Elliott

Red Dawn monthly calendar

View Red Dawn August 2010 Activies calendar here: