INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Many people call this the “golden rule,” and it really is a valuable rule to live by.  For children, acting toward your parents, friends and family, and other people with this guide in mind demonstrates thoughtfulness and maturity on your part.  Before you join in picking on a kid in class, think about how you would feel in his shoes.  Or, before throwing a tantrum over a request from your mother to help out with the laundry, consider how you’d feel if you needed a hand and she wouldn’t help you. Good children treat their parents with respect.  They treat other people the same way, which also shows respect for their parents.  You can earn respect by first showing it. Difficult as it may be, this rule applies to how you should treat your little brother (or big sister) as well! If you know how other people are feeling and are likely to react, you will have a great advantage in deciding how you should behave in that situation.  For instance, if your parents are stressed out about how they are going to pay the bills for the month, it is probably not the best time to ask for a video game or new shoes.  Or, if your brother is upset about not making the baseball team, it probably isn’t the best time to rib him about his lack of athletic skills.  You can actually practice "reading" people’s emotional states by studying their faces.  Go to a public place like a shopping mall, for example, and practice trying to identify how strangers are feeling by their facial expressions. Identifying how others are feeling is important in order to show empathy, which is at the heart of the first three steps here (treating others as you want to be treated, reading others' emotions, and showing compassion for others).  Empathy, however, means more than that you can tell how someone else is feeling, and that you can "put yourself in their shoes."  It means you value others and their feelings and treat them with respect, even when they see things differently than you. When someone is hurting, or needs a hand, take it upon yourself to do what you can to help.  The world can always use more compassionate, helpful people.  Why not start when you are still a child?  Part of growing up is learning to expand your “circle of concern.”  As a small child, you usually only think of your own needs and wants (a cookie, a new toy, etc.).  When you get a bit older, you begin to think more about the feelings and needs of people close to you, like family and friends.  Eventually, you should begin to realize that there are people in need all around you. Think about any little things you can do to help, from raising awareness to volunteering to making changes in your own life.  For example, think about the good you can do simply by donating the extra cans and boxes in your kitchen cupboard to a food pantry that helps the less fortunate. You can show compassion in your daily life by standing up for a kid who is being bullied, and asking him to be your friend (maybe by simply saying "Do you want to play with me?).  Or, you can ask your parents to buy an extra meal at the fast food drive-thru and hand it to the homeless person you drove past on the way to the restaurant.  Even the small things you do can have a large impact on someone else's life. As you become more aware of how you can help others, you should also become more aware of all the people that help you.  Let them know you appreciate all they do for you.  This is definitely a “good child” quality, and an important part of maturing into a responsible and happy person.  As a child, you should always start your offers of gratitude with your parents.  Take a moment and think about all the things they do for you.  Write down a list if you need to.  A gift or other token of appreciation will be well-received, but simply offering a “thank you” from time to time will warm your parents’ hearts. To "raise the bar" on your show of gratitude, express exactly why you are giving thanks:  "Thank you, Mom, for always taking the time to help me with my math homework.  You have helped me improve my grades, and I appreciate it."

SUMMARY: Treat others like you want to be treated. Learn to recognize how other people are feeling. Show concern and compassion. Offer gratitude to those who help you.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Supplements are often used to support people who have gone through the stress of a wound. Cortisol, which is a hormone released when the body is stressed due to injury, burns, and infections, causes a decrease in glutamine. Some studies suggest that glutamine supplements help your immune system, which helps you fight against the adverse effects of wounds. Glutamine also helps reduce infections. The innate muscle recovery properties of glutamine also make it extremely effective with patients who have suffered from burns or undergo surgeries. Glutamine is a popular bodybuilding supplement. Just like when the body goes through stress due to injury, your body goes through stress when you build muscle. There is a short-term break down of muscle, and glutamine along with other amino acids are the building blocks of the new muscle that will be built post work out. The common thought is that it helps recharge and strengthen muscles that are overly taxed by exhaustive exercise. Although this is a popular method, there have been no conclusive studies with evidence for its use in bodybuilding. Patients with cancer often have low levels of glutamine as well as other macro- and micronutrients. Due to this deficiency, research is being done as to how glutamine supplementation may help cancer patients. Currently, it is used for malnourished patients who are going through treatment as well as for patients receiving bone marrow transplants. Some studies indicate it may help with stomatitis, which is an inflammation of the mucosa of the mouth, and diarrhea associated with chemotherapy. There are a few other conditions that researchers believe are helped by glutamine. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, may be helped by glutamine supplements. This is because glutamine plays a role in protecting the mucosa, which is the lining of GI tract. Take one 5g tablet, six times a day by mouth for up to 16 weeks. The amount of time for this dosage is limited because it is a much higher dosage than normal.  Although there is some evidence that glutamine helps with diarrhea and inflammation of mucosa near the mouth, studies have not yet shown that it helps with other digestive conditions such as Crohn's disease.  Glutamine may also be helpful in promoting weight gain in patients with HIV/AIDS. A few studies indicate that glutamine, in addition to other supplements, may lead to weight gain and an increase in muscle mass. This is helpful since patients with HIV/AIDS often suffer severe weight and muscle loss. In addition, it may help these patients absorb nutrients better, which is a consideration with this condition.

SUMMARY:
Use glutamine for wound healing. Take glutamine for bodybuilding. Increase low levels due to cancer. Treat other issues.