Acquiring a dog or any other pets for kids requires some thought. You have to consider what kind of dog to get, where the dog will eat, sleep, and exercise, and you need to be sure you can commit yourself to the care of the dog for its entire life. If you get a puppy, you have to be prepared to housebreak him, train him out of chewing (everything), and teach him how to interact with people appropriately.
Having a dog is a big responsibility, but it also offers equally big - if not bigger - rewards. Did you know that pet owners are actually healthier than non-pet owners? Here are some reasons why.
- Exercise
While it may seem like one of the drawbacks to owning a dog, having to walk her actually offers some of the best health benefits. The whole family can get involved. Families that used to spend the weekend in front of the TV will find themselves planning a weekend that involves the dog: a hike, a trip to the park, etc. Training the dog involves exercise, too - taking the dog to obedience classes, teaching her to heel, fetch, and so forth requires the dog’s owner to get off the couch and get moving.
- Emotional Health
Dogs, with their lavish, unconditional love, boost their owner’s self-esteem, and studies show that dog owners are just happier people in general. Dogs offer so much in return for the most basic care that owners’ spirits are greatly lifted. Your dog needs you, and it feels good to be needed.
Emotional wellbeing is such a well-documented benefit of interacting with dogs that hospitals and nursing homes allow some dog owners to bring their pets in to interact with and improve the outlook of patients who are in chronic pain, terminally ill, emotionally troubled, or otherwise prone to feelings of hopelessness and depression.
- Stress Reduction
So many health problems are associated with stress - heart disease, high blood pressure, digestive disorders, even ulcers. Owning a dog has been proven to reduce stress, and with stress reduction comes better health. An Australian study showed that dog owners have lower cholesterol as well.
- Loneliness
There is nothing quite like having the constant companionship of a dog to reduce feelings of loneliness. Even when your dog is sleeping, you know your loyal companion is there.
- Recovery from Illness
Dog owners are more likely to recover from a major medical crisis such as a heart attack than non-dog owners. This may be due to the exercise dog owners get, or the incentive the owner has to be well in order to be there for his or her dog. This is a real benefit of dog ownership in these days of expensive health care!
Yes, owning a dog is a big responsibility. But the returns are so great for the investment that it is more than worth it.
Children’s growth and child developmentdepend very much on the foods they are fed and the benefits of healthy eating for kids is detailed in this article to alert parents to the dangers of neglecting this aspect of the child’s development. Balanced, nutritious meals are a must for every growing child because the benefits transcend into adulthood. Poor diet leads to obesity and a host of medical and psychological problems for the child.
For those of us not aware of it there is a good guide pyramid, which can help us better understand the different food groups. All of our food is divided into grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy products and meats, beans, poultry, fish and nuts. Your child gets a balanced diet when all the food groups are covered. There are some groups where the intake needs to be lesser than the others, such as the oils and meats.
The benefits of healthy eating for kids will not be felt if you blindly follow the food groups. For example an apple in its natural state will do more for your child’s well being and overall good health than an apple pie with sugar would.
For children to develop healthy eating habits the parents will need to lead by example. It is always advisable to start a child out eating right from a very small age because this becomes habit forming. You should never put a child on a restrictive diet without the approval and supervision of a pediatrician. Overweight children go through quite a lot of trauma as a result of their size and all of this can be avoided if the parents take onus for ensuring that the children eat the right kinds of healthy nutritious foods they need.
Given below are some ideas on how to draw on the benefits of healthy eating for kids:
• You can guide your family’s choices by doing the shopping right; never dictate it will not go down well. Make sure your home has plenty of healthy foods like fruit and vegetables, yoghurts and dips that you can turn into healthy meals and snacks for the family. Don’t stock up on crisps and other junk food no matter how attractive the packaging and how easy it makes the shopping, to simply load up the trolley with a bunch of pre-packaged foods for kids.
• Make mealtimes a family affair with a lot of happy talk and exchange of ideas. This will help children to eat more slowly. Gobbling food will not help a child differentiate between a full and overfull stomach. When there is fun and laughter at the table you will find your children wanting to stay put and take the meal at a slow pace.
• Take your children with you when you go shopping and when you prepare meals as much as possible. Take the time to learn about their preferences and use the opportunities to teach them about the importance of nutrition and the benefits of healthy eating for kids.
• It is no secret that children enjoy snacking between meals and plenty of low fat milk and fruit should be the healthy alternatives. Try to avoid over eating at any cost. Always remember that what you don’t have at home your children cannot eat – so throw out the junk food!
Exercising and being active goes hand in glove with eating right so make use of this article to better understand the benefits of healthy eating for kids.
Healthy friendly recipes for kids are the need of the hour as more children across the globe tend towards obesity, stemming from poor eating habits and inactivity.
You can give your kids what they like to eat, yummy foods that are delicious and healthy. Teaching a child to eat healthy from the start will avoid a lot of problems later on as the child grows. Overweight children tend to have medical issues involving the heart and blood pressure and then there is the psychological factor as well, overweight children get bullied and mocked. You can prevent all of this as a parent by making sure your child eats the right kinds of nutritious food and leads an active life.
Parents can develop healthy eating patterns in children by being innovative and making use of some very healthy kid friendly recipes that use vegetables and proteins in combinations that provide for lower calorie, vitamin and mineral rich foods will teach a child to eat right and enjoy it. Whole grains are full of proteins but need to be served up as appealing fare to get children to eat the food and calcium rich foods are a must for the child’s bone development.
Busy work schedules and microwavable food have seriously affected the growing child’s overall growth and development, because bad eating habits make for nutrition less food. Parents tend to think that as the child grows these deficiencies can be made up for but that it is absolutely the wrong thinking. Right nutrition goes a very long way in making for a healthy child and the positive effects carry on into adulthood, helping defend against medical illnesses.
Children who are raised on nutritious foods adapt quickly to the food and don’t have any problem with eating it, but it is important to start them off right from the word go. Potato crisps are yummy but not nutritious, while fruit is tasty and good for a child. While it is true that it is far easier to whiz through the market picking up snacks and other munchies, it is well worth the time invested in shopping for healthy fruits and vegetables. Buy more fish, which is full of omega 3 fatty acids that are excellent for the body. Always check the child’s food pyramid for your food options and try as far as possible to stick to it.
Make sure your healthy kid friendly recipes include generous helpings of the daily recommended allowances of vitamins and minerals. You can get the vitamins and minerals chart to help you closely adhere to the necessary daily intake and make sure the food groups you buy cover all of them. Children who eat healthy, nutritious food seldom need vitamin supplements. Your pediatrician can help you make informed decisions about the food you give your child. Calcium, iron, zinc and fluoride, and vitamins A, C, D and K should be included in healthy does in the foods you feed your child.
There are several good books that you can buy, which provide healthy kid friendly recipes to help feed your child favorite foods that are healthy alternatives to high calorie diets.
It’s a well known fact – growing children love to snack! Making fun healthy kids snacks will provide your children with fillers between meal times that are healthy and nutritious for child development.
While it is very easy to hand a bag of potato chips to your child to munch on, it will not give the child any nutritional value. Too much fast food, oily foods and over eating have led to a huge problem of overweight children across the country. As parents we have to take control of our children’s eating habits and steer them on the right path to eating foods that provide the nutrition the body needs to grow healthy and strong.
Children get hungry very quickly and if you have trained your child to eat right from a very young age you will not have any problem in getting them to eat the right kinds of snacks. Every growing child is going to need fillers between meals and it is better to train a child to eat smaller portioned meals more often. Healthy snacks are good fillers and can consist of fruits and other whole grain snacks that will add value to the growing body.
Supermarkets are inundated with kids snacks in exciting packages and oh so easy to just dump a few in the trolley and move on. Time savers indeed! These processed foods contain plenty of sugar that is not good for anybody. You can make eating fruit a lot more fun by blending it into yoghurt that makes for a very tasty snack. Alternatively you can also serve the child a fruit platter with a bowl of flavored yoghurt as a dip. Another alternative to getting your child to eat more fruit is to make fruit popsicles – goes down great on a summer day. Fruit smoothies are really very popular among children and can be made from low fat milk, yoghurt and fresh fruit. Your child gets the dual health benefits from fruit and low fat dairy products together. You can make up combinations of fresh vegetables and exciting dips or put low fat peanut butter on whole grain crackers. All of these ideas make for healthy snacks that are going to fill your child up in more ways than one with the goodness of nutrition.
When we are busy rushing around between work, the kids and home with barely a minute to breathe, it is very difficult to think nutritious when easy is all that comes to mind. However, every parent is urged to find the time to make up a list of fun healthy kids snacks based on the preferences of the child. Make a conscious effort to shop right; if you don’t have it in the house the child is not tempted to eat it!
If you take the time to consider your options to provide fun healthy kids snacks you will be pleasantly surprised, there is quite a list of possibilities ranging from fruit, pretzels, crackers with peanut butter, muffins, yoghurt, granola and so much more. Make the time – your child’s health depends on the food you feed him or her.
People all over the country are trying to count calories, skip meals, cut out certain foods, or working out long hours to try to pare the pounds. One thing weight-loss experts recommend to anyone trying to slim down is that they create a food journal to help guide one’s nutrition demands. This is also applicable for overseeing the nutritional requirements of the family, especially recipes for kids.
You can create a food journal out of any number of materials. You can get a three-ring binder with notebook paper, a spiral ring notebook, create a journal to suit your needs, or print out pre-made food journals which you find on the internet.
The purpose of a food journal is to track what you’ve eaten during the day. This will give you an accurate picture of what you’ve eaten all day long. It will ensure you’re getting all of the nutrients you need as well as helping you keep track of how much water you’re getting each day.
* Choose the type of journal you’ll use. As stated above, you can use nearly anything as a journal as long as you can carry it with you to track what you’re eating. Online journals aren’t recommended unless you write everything down during the day and then record things at the end of the day.
* Write down everything you eat during a 24-hour period. This includes all meals, snacks, chewing gum, hard candies, or beverages. You may want to use two pages per day to ensure you have enough room to write everything down. You can also use the space for the day to write down if you’ve eaten alone, with friends, what mood you were in when you ate, or other information which might affect how much you ate during the day.
* Throughout the day, look at your journal to ensure you’re getting enough of each food group. Did you eat get five servings of fruits or vegetables? Did you drink enough water? Did you eat too much of any food or too many fats?
* By keeping the journal, you can see what you’re actually eating, which foods you’re eating too many of and can cut back on, and which foods you need to eat more of. You can also determine how many calories you’re eating each day, and then make a decision as to where you can cut back.
Some pre-made journals will break down what you’re eating into categories such as fats, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, fruits, and vegetables. You decide how in-depth you’d like your journal to be; if it’s too detailed and is more trouble than it’s worth you may not continue using it. The simpler you keep your journal, the more likely you’ll be to use it.
What can you learn when you create a food journal to help you lose weight? You can see if there are certain foods that cause you to stumble. You can also note if there are certain times of the day which you struggle most. Finally, you’ll have a better understanding of how much you’re actually eating during the day so you can decide what changes can be made to help you shed those unwanted pounds.
Facility-laundered, third-party laundered and single-use scrubs are ‘cleaner’
A study comparing the aerobic bacterial bioburden associated with surgical scrub attire shows significantly greater child safety contamination among home-laundered attire than scrubs laundered by the healthcare facility, scrubs sent out by the facility to a third-party company for laundering, or single-use/disposable scrubs. In fact, home-laundered scrubs cleaned and ready to wear had as much bacteria present as facility-laundered, third-party laundered and single-use scrubs which had been worn for one day.
Conducted in the spring of 2009, the study was performed by Bioscience Laboratories, Inc., of Bozeman, Mont., and sponsored by Molnlycke Health Care US, LLC. A total of 80 surgical scrub garments, tops and bottoms, prior to use and after use in the operating room for a day, were collected from multiple healthcare facilities across the U.S. They comprised 10 sets of scrubs in each category: single-use; home-laundered; facility-laundered; and third-party laundered.
The study showed no statistically significant difference in bacterial contamination among facility-laundered, third-party laundered or single-use scrubs prior to use (”clean”), but revealed that the bioburden found on home-laundered scrubs prior to use (”clean”) was significantly greater than on any of the other garments (facility-laundered, third-party laundered or single-use, non-woven) that had been worn for a day in the operating room.
“According to these results, a healthcare professional beginning his or her shift in home-laundered scrubs would essentially be wearing scrubs with the same quantity of bacteria as the scrubs of a healthcare professional finishing a shift in worn scrubs,” said Heather Beitz, BA MEd, Director of Clinical Research for Molnlycke Health Care.
“This study indicates that home-laundering is not as effective as facility- or third-party laundering in decontaminating surgical scrub attire,” Beitz explained. “Another option, of course, is single-use surgical attire. In addition to eliminating cross-contamination concerns as indicated in this study, single-use scrubs are durable and designed for daily use in a variety of surgical procedures and acute care needs and can reduce replacement costs,” she added.
BARRIER® surgical scrub suits and jackets, manufactured by Molnlycke Health Care, are non-woven, single-use products that provide comfort with the soft feel of cotton. They are available in extended size ranges (S - 4XL), assuring a variety of fits. Departments benefiting from the use of BARRIER non-woven scrubs and jackets are trauma, isolation, ER, NICU (for parents), L&D (for fathers), cath and GI labs, oncology, and radiology/interventional radiology.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has designated the week of January 10 through 16 as National Influenza Vaccination Week, in an effort to raise awareness about the importance of the flu vaccine. With flu experts warning that the U.S. should prepare for a possible third wave of H1N1 flu, it is crucial that Americans take the opportunity to protect themselves and their loved ones from this dangerous illness and receive the H1N1 vaccine while supply is available for child safety.
Individuals who would like to find an H1N1 vaccination clinic in their area or learn more about the virus can visit h1n1.findaflushot.com, an online resource sponsored by Maxim Health Systems. Visitors to the site can find convenient clinic locations by simply typing in a local zip code.
“Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent the flu,” notes Steve Pellito, National Director of Wellness for Maxim Health Systems. “By taking the simple step of getting your H1N1 vaccine, you are helping keep yourself, your family, and your community healthy.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) strongly recommends that anyone who falls into a high risk category for complications from H1N1 should get vaccinated. This includes:
People six months through 24 years of age
Pregnant women
People who live with or provide care for infants younger than six months
Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
‘Organic Rising’ Contest Offers Great Prizes Including Trek Bicycles and a Year’s Worth of free Organic Valley Products
The New Year is the time for resolutions, especially ones about kick-starting a lifestyle that’s healthier for the body as well as the planet. This January, Organic Valley - a farmer-owned cooperative of more than 1,300 organic family farmers nationwide - is wheeling out a promotion that will help people fulfill that noble but often elusive resolution for recipes for kids and adults.
Beginning today, consumers can go to OrganicRising.com and enter to win prizes that complement the healthy choices they make when purchasing Organic Valley breakfast products at their local grocery store. Organic Valley will award three grand prizes of a Trek bicycle, free subscriptions to Organic Gardening magazine; and five prizes of a year of free Organic Valley products. The website also offers healthy breakfast tips and valuable coupons for nutritious Organic Valley breakfast products, including milk, orange juice, soy milk, eggs, butter and Organic Prairie brand breakfast link sausage. While online, consumers can use Organic Valley’s online calculator Organic Counts (www.organicvalley.coop/organiccounts) to measure the amount of toxic pesticides and synthetic nitrogen they’re helping to keep out of the environment by purchasing Organic Valley products.
For each Organic Rising contest entry, Organic Valley will donate $1 to the Rodale Institute (www.rodaleinstitute.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people and the planet through organic farming. This will add up to thousands of dollars for organic health and environmental research.
“Organic Valley wants to inspire families to start the new decade focused on the health of their bodies and the planet,” said Sarah Bratnober, marketing communications director for Organic Valley. “Simple choices, from starting each day with an organic breakfast, to heading out the door for a bike ride for some exercise, to supporting the work of organizations like the Rodale Institute are small actions that add up to a big difference.”
Family physician and cholesterol expert Michael Cobble, M.D., has some simple resolutions and child safety fun advice for staying heart healthy in the new year. Cobble is a board-certified clinical lipidologist (NLA), certified hypertension specialist (ASH), medical director of the private practice Canyons Medical Center in Sandy, Utah, and Chief Medical Officer at Atherotech, Inc., developer of the VAP Cholesterol Test.
Here are Dr. Cobble’s heart-healthy ABC’s for 2010:
Active: Be active every day — take the stairs, park further away,buy a push lawn mower. Find ways to move your muscles, clap your hands, move your feet.
Breakfast daily: Start each day with a good breakfast, including dairy, fiber and fruit. Select items such as whole grain toast, low or fat-free milk, bananas, pears and high-fiber oatmeal with nuts and berries.
C. Cholesterol management: Get an advanced test that tells you and you doctor about the dangerous cholesterol — directly measured LDL, non-HDL, apoB and subparticles — that can hurt your arteries. The Vertical Auto Profile (VAP) lipid test from Atherotech is one such test.
D. Diet: Think moderation, balance and “heart healthy” throughout the day. Eat fruits, veggies, fiber, complex carbs, proteins and healthy fats. Experience European dining with each meal.
E. Exercise: Exercise daily — walk at lunch with coworkers, before orafter work with your pets, join in team sports or find an outletthat gets your heart pumping for at least 30 minutes a day.
F. Fiber is your friend: Read the nutrition label on foods so you knowwhat you’re eating and to better manage your cholesterol, fiber andother nutrients.
G. Glucose in moderation: Too much sugar and starch contribute todiabetes. Get tested for diabetes with a blood glucose test, and cutback on pasta, potatoes, sodas, ice cream and fast food.
H. Healthy lifestyle: Lead a healthy lifestyle, which means no smoking,seeing your clinician every year for a physical, and laughing often.Spend time with friends, kids and grandkids.
I. Imagine: Use your imagination to enjoy life and get the most out of each and every day. Have fun, do what you love and what makes youhappy.
Irwin Redlener, MD, President and Co-founder of the Children’s Health Fund, a national organization that advocates for and develops primary child care programs for disadvantaged and medically underserved children, today released the following statement on release of the final Senate health care legislation by Majority Leader Harry Reid:
“First and foremost, we applaud the Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on producing this historic health reform bill which will provide millions of currently uninsured children access to comprehensive health insurance coverage.
“We support Congress’ goal to fulfill President Obama’s campaign promise to provide mandated coverage for all children. We have been vocal in our concern for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and we are hopeful that Senator Reid’s manager’s amendment, that keeps the program intact through the end of 2019 with funding until 2015, will be preserved as Congress moves forward with this process.
“We do remain concerned, however, about its future fate: CHIP will run out of funding in 2015 and expire in 2019, moving millions of children into private coverage through an untested health insurance exchange that will increase costs and may deter families from signing their children up for insurance. The implication of fewer kids with health coverage is disastrous, both from a public health and an economic standpoint.
“As the bill moves forward, CHF urges Congress to preserve CHIP and provide funding for the entire authorization period.
“We are pleased with the number of positive health measures for kids and their families, among which are provisions that will require insurance companies to allow children to stay on their parent’s plans until they are 26 years old and Medicaid expansions that allow foster children to remain on Medicaid until they are 26 years old.
“The legislation bans insurance companies from denying children with pre-existing conditions coverage under their parent’s plans, an important reform measure which we believe will enable sick children, and families suffering under debt, to get the care kids need.
“Likewise, we are pleased with the inclusion of pediatric specific benefits in the list of essential benefits to be provided to all Americans in the newly formed exchange and efforts to strengthen access to oral health for children. Pediatric oral health is often lacking in medically underserved areas, with dire consequences for children and families.
For new parents and caregivers, nothing is more important than child safety. And for SuperBaby, an animated online video character, nothing is more important than keeping young children safe. SuperBaby is part of an online Web series targeting 18-29 year-old new parents. Today, a new SuperBaby episode is being distributed on the internet to address the national voluntary recall with respect to roman shades and roll-up blinds.
According to information provided by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, since 1990, more than 200 infants and young children have died from accidentally strangling in window cords.In an effort to help prevent the potential hazard of strangulation to young children, SuperBaby is educating young parents and caregivers about the recall of roman shades and roll-up blinds.
Consumers can obtain free retrofit kits for roman style fabric looped and flat panel shades and roll up blinds online at www.windowcoverings.org or by calling WCSC’s toll-free phone line at 1-800-506-4636.
Parents and caregivers are being reminded of potential window-cord dangers and are urged to make the right choice and only use cordless window products in homes with young children. Owners and renters should replace all window coverings in the home made before 2001 with today’s safer products. To maximize window-cord safety when young children are present, consumers are urged to follow these safety guidelines:
Install only cordless window coverings in homes with young children. Replace window blinds, corded shades and draperies manufactured before 2001 with today’s safer products.
Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window cords, preferably to another wall.
Keep all window pull cords and inner lift cords out of the reach of children. Make sure that tasseled pull cords are short and continuous-loop cords are permanently anchored to the floor or wall. Make sure cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit movement of inner lift cords.
Lock cords into position whenever horizontal blinds or shades are lowered, including when they come to rest on a windowsill.
In the movies, kissing a frog can result in a prince. But, as the disclaimer often says, “Do not try this at home.”
Frogs, like all amphibians and reptiles, can be a source of Salmonella infections in people. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) are reminding the public that instead of a prince, improper handling of amphibians and reptiles — and that includes kissing a frog — can result in a nasty illness bad for child safety.
Frogs passing on Salmonella to people recently made headlines when the CDC reported on Dec. 7 that water frogs were the source of 48 cases of human Salmonella infections in 25 states in 2009.
While the majority of illnesses were reported in children less than 10 years of age, the AVMA and ARAV are encouraging people with pet amphibians and reptiles to think twice before finding new homes for their pets if they have, or are expecting, children in their households. Instead, safe handling and some common-sense precautions can prevent illness.
“Individuals who have pet amphibians and reptiles really just need to be conscientious about the care of these animals,” says Dr. Mark Mitchell, associate professor of zoological medicine at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine. “Certainly there is a risk associated with keeping them in their house, but it’s no different then the risks associated with cooking chicken or eating raw vegetables. We need to understand that there are potential concerns, and we need to follow through by practicing appropriate hygiene.
“Just like any potential risk, we need to be aware of it so we can protect against it becoming a problem.”
Dr. Mitchell stresses the importance of hand washing after handling amphibians and reptiles to prevent the spread of Salmonella. In addition, amphibians and reptiles, and anything that comes in contact with these animals, such as housing or cages, should not be cleaned in areas where people prepare their food or clean themselves, such as tabletops, sinks, or bathtubs.
The AVMA has developed a complete list of tips on how amphibian and reptile owners can protect themselves and their families from Salmonella infections. These tips are available on the AVMA’s Web site at www.avma.org/public_health/salmonella/amphibians.asp. This Web page also includes links to resources from other organizations, such as the ARAV, U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Autism research led by scientists at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia has been named one of the top ten medical breakthroughs of 2009 by Time Magazine.
On the magazine’s website on Dec. 8, Time cited the largest-ever genetic study of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), published in April in the journal Nature, by a group led by Hakon Hakonarson, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Center for Applied Genomics at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. That study identified DNA variations that account for as many as 15 percent of all ASD cases. Because the gene region affects how brain cells connect with each other in early childhood, the research significantly advances the understanding of how the child behavior problemof autism originates.
“We are proud of this research discovery, and are glad to see it receive this recognition,” said Philip R. Johnson, M.D., chief scientific officer at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. “It provides a starting point for translating biological knowledge into future autism treatments.”
The autism gene research from Children’s Hospital, which included two studies in the same issue of Nature, received extensive news coverage, including the CBS Evening News, ABC World News Tonight, BBC, Reuters, the Chicago Tribune, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and other news outlets in the U.K., India, Australia, Germany and China. Hakonarson’s main collaborator was neuroscientist Gerard D. Schellenberg, Ph.D., of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, with other scientists participating from 14 additional centers.
Herpes zoster, also known as shingles, is very rare among children who have been vaccinated against chicken pox, according to a Kaiser Permanente child safety study in the December issue of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal.
The study, the largest of its kind, used electronic health records to identify more than 170,000 children vaccinated with the varicella (chicken pox) vaccine from 2002 to 2008 in Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California region, then followed children for an average of two and a half years to identify the occurrence of herpes zoster.
Researchers found only 122 cases of herpes zoster among the 172,163 vaccinated children, for an estimated incidence of 1 case per 3,700 vaccinated children per year. This is a lower rate compared to what one would expect in the unvaccinated children based on previous experiences.
“The message to parents and pediatricians is: vaccinating your child against the chicken pox is also a good way to reduce their chances of getting herpes zoster,” said the study’s lead author, HungFu Tseng, Ph.D, MPH, a research scientist and epidemiologist at the Kaiser Permanente Department of Research and Evaluation in Pasadena, Calif. “More research is needed to identify the virus strains that cause herpes zoster.”
This study did not look at side effects of the varicella vaccine.
Herpes zoster is an acute skin viral infection caused by reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus, which remains in certain nerve cells of the body after an infection with either wild-type or the varicella vaccine virus. The wild-type virus is found in the natural infection, in contrast to the virus strain found in vaccine.
Since the vaccine’s introduction in 1995, there have been few studies on the incidence of childhood herpes zoster among children vaccinated with the varicella vaccine.
Following licensure in 1995, 1-dose varicella vaccine was recommended for children 12 months to 12 years of age. In 2006, a routine second dose of varicella vaccine for previously vaccinated persons aged 4 years and older was recommended.
Other study authors included: Ning Smith, MS, Lina S. Sy, MPH, S Michael Marcy, MD, and Steven J. Jacobsen, MD, Ph.D., from the Kaiser Permanente Department of Research and Evaluation
ChristianPF.com released an article listing 10 restaurants that allow kids to get a free meal if their parents purchase an entree. With the current economic conditions, families are looking for any break they can get, so if you have to eat out, why not eat at a restaurant that will serve good recipes for kids?
Some of the restaurants run the “kids eat free” deal every day of the week and some only offer it on a particular day of the week. Each restaurant also has its own definition of a kid. Kids are defined from age 3 to age 12 - each restaurant treats them differently.
These are just a few of the restaurants featured in the article…
*Chick-fil-A:* Tuesday nights from 5:30-7:30 p.m. At participating locations, kids can eat a free kid’s meal at Chick-fil-A on Tuesdays for Family Fun Night. There is a limit of 1 free kid’s meal per adult combo meal purchased.
*Boston Market:* Saturday & Sunday - two free kid’s meals with 1 adult purchase of $6 or more. Four free kid’s meals with purchase of a Family Meal. Offer available to kids 14 and under for dine-in, carryout and at drive-thru. No coupon required, but kids must be present to claim their meals. Promotion ends 1-31-10 and is not valid with any other discounts, coupons or special offers.
*Captain D’s:* Thursdays get 2 free kid’s meals with any adult entree purchase at regular price (dine-in only). Participating locations only - please check with your local Captain D’s for details.
*O’Charley’s:* Every day you can get 2 free kid’s meals for ages 10 and under per adult entree purchase.
With cold and flu season upon us, it’s more important than ever to employ good practices to control the spread of infections and avoid illness. This is especially important for child safety.
“We need to be proactive not only to keep ourselves healthy, but to avoid transmitting illness if we’re sick,” said Eileen Finerty, RN, MS, CIC (certified in infection-control), nursing director for infection control and occupational health at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in Manhattan.
Hospital for Special Surgery has one of the lowest infection rates of any hospital in the country and was recently commended by the New York State Department of Health for its low infection rate in patients undergoing hip replacement. The overall infection rate refers to all infections acquired by patients in the hospital, not only viruses such as those that cause the flu.
Infection control in the health care setting is critical. Nationwide, hospital-acquired infections result in 100,000 deaths each year.
“We emphasize infection control as a best practice,” said Thomas P. Sculco, M.D., surgeon-in-chief at HSS, “and strive to maintain it at every level of patient care from washing hands to a clean and safe environment for our patients in the operating room and the entire hospital.”
HSS employs a combination of infection-control measures, according to Ms. Finerty. Some are highly sophisticated and others are basic good practices.
Strategies used by the hospital to keep germs in check can be adapted for use at home and in everyday life, according to Ms. Finerty. These practices include:
1 - Good hand hygiene using sanitizers.
Hospital: Hand sanitizers located all around the hospital have a sensor that dispenses foam without the need to touch it. The sensor detects hand motion and automatically releases foam.
What everyone can do: Sanitize hands frequently using an alcohol-based liquid hand cleaner. Use about a tablespoon, rub it into your hands and let it dry. Do not wipe it off. Ms. Finerty carries a hand sanitizer in her purse at all times.
2 - Frequent hand-washing.
Hospital: Hospital staff are instructed to wash their hands often. Signs around the hospital say: “Good Hand Hygiene Saves Lives.”
What everyone can do: Wash your hands for at least 15 seconds. You can sing “Happy Birthday” to get an idea of how long it should take. Work up a good lather and rub your hands together.
3 - Good ventilation.
Hospital: Clean air in operating rooms and the use of special panels to direct air flow to maintain the most sterile environment possible for the patient.
What everyone can do: Open the windows and let in some fresh air to ensure adequate ventilation. A stagnant, stuffy environment causes germs to re-circulate around the house.
4 - Controlling the spread of germs.
Hospital: The entire staff is trained in infection-control measures, such as coughing into a tissue and not into one’s hand. Boxes of tissues are located throughout the hospital. Staff are encouraged to stay home if they have a contagious illness.
What everyone can do: Carry tissues and dispose of them properly and immediately after coughing or sneezing. Then wash your hands or use a hand sanitizer. You can also cough into your sleeve to avoid getting germs on your hand that can later be spread.
In general, when you’re outside or at work, or if you have come in contact with a sick person, avoid touching your face. Germs on your hand get you sick when they enter your body through your eyes, nose or mouth, or through a break in the skin. Don’t go to work if you’re sick.
5 - Cleaning and disinfecting.
Hospital: HSS housekeeping staff is especially diligent about cleaning. The routine entails mopping, cleaning, and disinfecting surfaces, getting into cracks and crevices where bacteria can grow.
Think your kids won’t eat healthy foods? Think again for child development. A preliminary report of the Chefs in Schools Initiative by the Harvard School of Public Health, funded by Project Bread, proves that kids not only like healthy school meals, but actually eat more of the healthy foods than they would if they were eating a traditional school meal.
The study sought to analyze the value of the Chefs in Schools Initiative, which was launched by Project Bread in 2007 with the help of the Office of Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Boston Public Schools, and the Boston Public Health Commission. The concept behind the Initiative was simple: over 74% of the nearly 56,000 Boston public school children qualify for free or reduced-price school meals, which include breakfast and lunch.
Clearly, many of these children come from families that struggle to put food on the table, making these children especially vulnerable to hunger and under-nutrition. The Initiative sought to make cutting-edge nutrition available to these children as an ordinary part of their school day.
To accomplish this, the partnership hired Chef Kirk Conrad, a master chef and graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, to work with the Lilla G. Frederick Middle School in Dorchester and the Mario Umana Middle School in East Boston. Chef Kirk, as Conrad is known by all, was charged with serving healthy, cost-effective meals that kids love to eat and creating an environment that signaled to kids, their teachers, and parents that school meals were crucial to their overall health and learning. Chef Kirk’s menus feature fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats — and remove excess fat, sodium, and sugar. These healthy meals are cooked from scratch, using fresh ingredients and herbs to enhance taste, by Conrad, who has also trained a willing kitchen staff in his techniques, who regularly test the palatability of new dishes with their students as they would guests in a restaurant.
As the final step in the rollout of the Initiative, the Healthy Lunch Study analyzed the results of this innovative program. The study compared Boston middle schools receiving the district’s traditional school lunch with the middle schools participating in the Chefs in Schools Initiative who received the healthy lunch. Results were collected from 3,188 trays and researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health stated their preliminary findings as significant:
Over three times as many students ate the vegetables at the Chefs schools as compared with the control schools.
Among students who ate vegetables, students at the Chefs schools ate on average about 30% more of their vegetables.
When only 1% white milk was served instead of chocolate milk, students still drank the same amount of milk.
Meals had over 50% more whole grains at the Chefs schools compared with the control schools.
“Veggiesaurus Lex” Teaches Children that Eating Vegetables Is Important and Fun
At a time when parents spend more each year on fast food for their children than on books, child education materials, DVDs, music, trips to the movies and video games combined, it can feel like instilling healthy eating habits is a losing battle.
With the publication of her third book, “Veggiesaurus Lex” (published by AuthorHouse), Karen Fine offers parents, educators and caregivers a new resource to combat the seemingly endless array of easy, cheap and available unhealthy food.
Meet Lex, a big pink dinosaur who has a big tummy ache after she eats too much junk food. Lex, feeling sluggish and slow, seeks the advice of her vegetarian friends who immediately have an answer for her. Fine writes:
Veggies are great
And they don’t slow you down.
They’re easy to find all around town.
Carrots are roots
That grow in the ground.
Peas are quite yummy; smooth, green and round.
Looking for color?
There’s plenty, they said.
Green peppers also come in yellow, orange and red!
As her friends go on to describe other types of tasty vegetables, Lex decides to try some for herself and discovers that they truly are delicious! With charming illustrations by Ross Novak that bring Lex and her friends to life on each page, “Veggiesaurus Lex” combines a fun, rhyming story with an important message: to stay fit and energized, it’s important to eat vegetables. Find out more in the pages of this whimsical new book.
Leading health and nutrition organizations - including the American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Dietetic Association, American Heart Association, National Hispanic Medical Association, National Medical Association and School Nutrition Association - recognize the valuable role that low-fat or fat-free milk, including flavored milk, can play in meeting daily nutrient needs for child development, and helping kids get the daily servings of milk recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
All milk contains a unique combination of nutrients important for growth and development. And flavored milk accounts for less than 3.5 percent of added sugar intake among children ages 6-12 and less than 2 percent of the added sugar intake among teens. Studies have shown that children who drink flavored milk meet more of their nutrient needs; do not consume more added sugar, fat or calories; and are not heavier than non-milk drinkers.
Flavored milk is an important choice because:
Milk provides nutrients essential for good health and kids will drink more when it’s flavored
Flavored milk contains the same nine essential nutrients as white milk - calcium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, vitamins A, D and B12, riboflavin and niacin (niacin equivalents)
Drinking low-fat or fat-free white or flavored milk helps kids get the 3 daily servings* of milk recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and provides three of the five “nutrients of concern” that children do not get enough of - calcium, potassium and magnesium as well as vitamin D
Low-fat chocolate milk is the most popular milk choice in schools and kids drink less milk (and get fewer nutrients) if it’s taken away.
Lifeway Foods, makers of the nutritious probiotic beverage, Kefir, is spicing up the holidays with the launch of Cranberry Creme Brulee Kefir. Lifeway’s alternative to eggnog this holiday season will give consumers a healthy way to enjoy classic holiday tastes without the classic holiday calories - a nice complement for recipes for kids.
Bursting with the rich flavor of vanilla custard and caramelized sugar, and infused with a tangy cranberry zing, Cranberry Creme Brulee Kefir has only 160 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving. And just like the other 13 flavors of Lifeway Kefir, there are 10 exclusive live and active cultures that work in your body to help build and restore immunity, improve digestion and help fight off pesky cold and flu bugs. Delicious and nutritious, Lifeway Kefir is a perfect way to enjoy holiday flavors guilt-free.
CFO Edward Smolyansky said, “Our hope is that seasonal flavors become an annual tradition for us at Lifeway and something that our customers look forward to each year.”
Julie Smolyansky, CEO commented, “Our Kefir customers have been asking for a special holiday version for years, so we have been working to develop just the right flavor profile.”
New findings presented today show that CONCERTA is the only stimulant medication with data that demonstrate a significant treatment effect on attention at one hour and through 12.5 hours in children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a common and treatable child behavioral problem characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity(1) that is estimated to affect about 5 million children(2) in the United States.
McNeil Pediatrics(TM), Division of Ortho-McNeil-Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., presented the data at the U.S. Psychiatric and Mental Health Congress (Poster 303: Time Course of Treatment Effect of Concerta® [OROS® Methylphenidate] in Children with ADHD).
“Untreated ADHD symptoms can present challenges throughout a child’s day, so new findings on onset and duration of effect are important to understand,” said Matthew Brams*, M.D., a practicing psychiatrist in Houston, Clinical Assistant Professor at Baylor College of Medicine and an investigator who participated in one of the studies. “There’s benefit in medication that acts quickly and lasts through the day, providing treatment coverage when a child may need it in the early morning, through the activities of the day and into the early evening hours.”
The results presented today showed significant improvements in attention with CONCERTA® versus placebo as measured by a validated, time-sensitive math test administered throughout the day.
At one hour post-dose, subjects who received CONCERTA® attempted 38 percent more math problems compared with baseline (from 75.8 problems attempted before treatment to 104.4 problems attempted after treatment), while those receiving placebo showed no change from baseline (from 80.6 problems attempted before treatment to 80 problems attempted after treatment).
The results were statistically significant throughout the study’s interim time points, from the first testing point at one hour after dosing (p<0.0001) through to the final assessment at 12.5 hours (p<0.0001). Accuracy, as measured by percentage of problems correct, was similar for both treatment groups and was consistent across the period of observation (placebo, 92.1 percent to 93.5 percent and CONCERTA®, 94.0 percent to 94.3 percent).
This week at the Obesity Society 27th Annual Meeting, new child development data was presented showing that children deemed “vegetable resistant,” who don’t eat vegetables at all, significantly increased both the amount and variety of vegetables they ate when they were served with one of America’s favorite foods — peanut butter.
Raw carrots, celery, and broccoli were provided either with or without peanut butter for dipping and those not provided peanut butter, did not improve vegetable intake.
“We measured what they ate and were excited to see that even those who reported not eating vegetables, who are the most challenging group, ate a greater variety of vegetables with the peanut butter,” said Dr. Craig Johnston, Instructor at the Behavioral Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine, at the USDA-ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center in Houston, Texas who conducted the study.
Vegetable intake has been shown to be beneficial against the development of many chronic diseases, but consumption in adolescents is well below recommended levels and strategies to increase intake in adolescents are limited.
Peanut butter was paired with vegetables in this study, because it is a nutrient-rich comfort food loved by kids and adults alike. In fact, it was well received and readily consumed by the students in this study all of whom are Mexican-American.
The adolescents are part of a treatment group in a successful weight loss program in schools that is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). Though some believe peanut butter would be associated with increased energy intake, the study has demonstrated significant weight loss that is maintained over time.
In the United States, over two-thirds of the nuts eaten are peanuts and peanut butter. Peanut butter provides over 15 key nutrients and is offered in Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) packages because of its protein, nutrient content, and affordability. Numerous studies have also shown that peanuts and peanut butter reduce the risk of chronic disease when eaten in small amounts daily and that they can help in weight management and keeping you satisfied.
Pairing vegetables with peanut butter is an effective, simple strategy for children and adolescents, which helps build positive eating habits and increases vegetable intake. Eating more vegetables with increased variety, by providing them with healthy, nutrient-rich foods like peanut butter may contribute to healthier lifestyles and chronic disease reduction.
The Peanut Institute is a non-profit organization that supports nutrition research and develops educational programs to encourage healthful lifestyles. Learn more about peanuts and health at www.peanut-institute.org
The vast majority of parents want schools to limit students’ access to high-calorie chips, sodas and candy and to offer them opportunities for physical activity throughout the day for child development, a new survey by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation shows.
The national survey, released today, signals the breadth of parents’ support for changes to make schools healthier places–and their willingness to help make those changes happen. In fact, nearly eight in 10 parents are ready to get more involved to create a healthier environment in their local schools.
Conducted for the Alliance by KRC Research, the survey found that more than 92 percent of parents consider physical education and health education as important as English, math and science instruction. Furthermore, 96 percent of parents believe that physical activity can boost their children’s classroom performance, and virtually all parents (99 percent) recognize that healthy eating also has a positive effect on learning.
The results indicate parents’ increasing awareness of the impact schools can have on student health. The survey also suggests widespread parental concern over the cuts many school systems have made in physical education and recess, often the unfortunate result of budget difficulties and standardized testing pressures.
“Schools across the country are trying their best to provide healthier environments for students, but they are working against significant time and resource constraints,” said Ginny Ehrlich, executive director of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. “What is exciting about the results of this survey is that not only do parents understand how important nutrition and physical activity are to the academic success of their children, but they are overwhelmingly willing to step up and be a part of the solution.”
Among the key findings from the online survey of 600 parents of children in grades K-12:
* Parents nearly unanimously agree (98 percent) that their child’s school should offer opportunities for physical activity throughout the day, whether through P.E., activity breaks or recess and afterschool programs.
* Almost as many parents (96 percent) agree that their child’s school should limit access to unhealthy snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages.
* About two-thirds of parents (63 percent) believe schools play a major role in instilling healthy habits in students.
Cardiovascular disease was the leading cause of death in Florida in 2005, accounting for approximately 35 percent of all deaths in the state. People with heart disease are at a high risk for serious and potentially life-threatening complications from the flu. So get your family vaccinated for utmost child safety.
Therefore, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that heart disease patients get vaccinated against the flu each year. Mended Hearts, a national patient support group affiliated with the American Heart Association (AHA), is spreading the word among heart patients to get the flu shot.
“Heart health is always an important consideration among Central Florida residents. However, many people are still not taking basic steps - like getting a flu shot - to help protect themselves. As heart disease patients take stock of their heart health, we want to make sure that getting vaccinated against the flu becomes a priority, beginning this flu season,” said Heathrow resident Mike Philpott, a member of the Orlando chapter of Mended Hearts and a heart disease patient.
Dr. Pradip Jamnadas, MD, MBBS, FACC, FSCAI, FCCP, FACP, an interventional cardiologist at Florida Hospital, has joined Mended Hearts to help spread this important message to the Central Florida community. “It is important for people with heart disease to do all they can to prevent against possible complications,” explained Dr. Jamnadas. “The flu can be very dangerous for heart patients, and it is important that people with heart disease realize how valuable annual flu vaccination is for them.”
This effort is part of the Mended Hearts initiative, ‘I Heart Flu Shots,’ which was first launched in 2007 to help educate people living with heart disease about the importance of getting a seasonal flu shot. The flu can worsen heart disease and can lead to complications including viral or bacterial pneumonia. Getting the flu shot is an important way for heart disease patients to help protect themselves.
The AHA and the American College of Cardiology recommend that the more than 12 million people in the United States with cardiovascular conditions receive an annual flu shot. However, according to recent CDC data, approximately 40 percent of adults living with heart disease did not receive a flu shot in 2007.
– Seasonal influenza vaccine intentions are up due to H1N1 influenza; mothers see influenza as a child safety health threat
– Overall, mothers view seasonal influenza vaccine as safe and effective, yet misperceptions still cause some to avoid this immunization for their children
– Results suggest health care professionals need to play stronger role as vaccine advocates
Novel H1N1 influenza has raised parents’ awareness and concern about seasonal influenza, increasing the likelihood that they will get their children vaccinated compared to past years, according to a recent national survey commissioned by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID). Yet, while mothers view seasonal flu vaccine as safe and effective, significant barriers remain, causing some to leave their children unprotected.
Based on what they have seen, read and heard about novel H1N1 influenza, nearly half (48 percent) of those surveyed say they are now more concerned about seasonal influenza than in the past. More than half (53 percent) of the parents polled say they are interested in seeking seasonal influenza vaccination for their children this season, while only 35 percent say they got all or some of their children vaccinated regularly in the past years.
This increase is largely because of the heightened attention around H1N1 that has increased parental awareness of how easily seasonal influenza can spread, its potential to kill, and how vulnerable children can be to the illness. About 100 children die from complications of seasonal flu and 20,000 are hospitalized in the U.S. each year.
“Unfortunately, influenza immunization has not been a health priority for American children,” said Carol J. Baker, M.D. Immediate Past President, NFID; Chair, NFID’s Childhood Influenza Immunization Coalition; and Professor of Pediatrics, Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine. “While influenza can be a moderate disease, it also kills healthy children and it is impossible to know which children will die.”
Source National Foundation for Infectious Diseases
Back-to-school means back to hitting the books. Yet this year, one Wisconsin teacher is passing out a different kind of book to her students in grades five through eight. The new fitbook junior, a 12-week interactive fitness and food journal for kids, will teach students at St. Francis de Sales the importance of goal-setting, engaging in daily physical children activities and making nutritious food choices, while balancing their tasks at school and home.
“My goal is to teach students the importance of taking care of their health. I want them to have fun while doing it, and they’ll also be graded,” says Beth Ivey, a Physical Education teacher at St. Francis de Sales. “More than ever, taking responsibility for your health is a critical subject kids must learn while they’re young.”
With child obesity on the rise, and nearly 12 million children in the U.S. significantly overweight*, improving the health of young Americans is a growing national emergency for powerful influencers like First Lady Michelle Obama. In a recent interview with Women’s Health magazine, Mrs. Obama declared combating childhood obesity as one of her top health-related issues: “We need to educate children in particular about how to live a healthy lifestyle. If we provide kids with [that] foundation, they are much more likely to become healthy adults.”
Also on the roster in the nation’s fight to improving children’s health is former President Bill Clinton and his Alliance for a Healthier Generation where he actively encourages schools, non-profit organizations, and most importantly, parents to step up and act as role models. Clinton’s organization states that today, 1 in 3 children or youth (age 2-19) are either overweight or obese and that number is expected increase by 20 percent over the next five years if the current trends are not reversed.
“This is a real passion project for our company,” says Angela Manzanares, chief fitlosopher of California-based fitlosophy, inc., creators of fitbook(TM) junior. “If we can teach the kiddos when they’re young to make healthy choices, we can play an active part not only in combating the trend in rising childhood obesity, but play a major role in changing the shape of America - literally.” Complete with star stickers, the interactive, fun format also includes a ‘coach guide’ to provide parents and teachers with tips on educating and motivating children. “Our mission is to positively influence kids by offering a fun program that the entire family can partake in.”
The release of fitbook(TM) junior is an extension of its parent product, fitbook(TM), a functional fitness and nutrition journal that educates and supports adults to reach their health goals.
“The simple, colorful layout of fitbook junior is easy enough for kids as young as 5 to understand and use, yet structured and engaging enough for the older kids to want to use it. They set goals, track progress with their star stickers, and earn rewards,” says Lisa Greenwood, a mother and Program Director of Fleet Feet’s Zoomerang Kids Running Club in Connecticut. “I use the grown-up book, and my son and I make our plans together. His goals include running eight laps and eating five new fruits this week, while I’m working on strength training and stretching.”
Veteran creative strategist Marlene Byrne today announced that her fourth book in the Project Play children’s series, which aims to inspire child education to get back outdoors for good, old-fashioned playtime, is now available.
Starring Sam and the adventurous Edgebrook gang, Kick the Can is Byrne’s first paperback, chapter-style story in the Project Play (www.ProjectPlayBooks.com) series, which debuted in 2008 with Treasure Hunt, Follow the Leader, and Just a Baseball Game. The new book continues the series’ mission of encouraging timeless, backyard games to children as the characters engage in “kick the can” after sundown at the neighborhood block party.
“I grew up in a small town in Wisconsin, where playing games like ‘kick the can’ and ‘ghosts in the graveyard’ was the norm,” said Byrne. “But after pondering the fading popularity of these games today, I began searching for a way to bring back the carefree days of our youth.”
The mother of two young children, Byrne realized that electronic models of play, organized sports and extra-curricular activities were quickly taking over classic, backyard games. And while she does not condemn video games and team sports, she questions the percentage of time spent and precedence families place on these activities over simple backyard fun.
“Our children are growing up in a generation in which parents, teachers, and coaches tell them how, where, and when to do everything,” said Byrne. “Although our culture tends to place the most value on academic achievement or athletic success, unstructured playtime is crucial to a child’s cognitive development.”
Nestle USA has joined an unprecedented coalition of more than 40 retailers, food and beverage manufacturers and non-governmental organizations to launch the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation, a national, multi-year effort designed to help reduce obesity - one of the less heralded children behavior problems there are - by 2015.
The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation will promote the concept of energy balance - balancing calories consumed as part of a healthy diet with calories expended by physical activity -to people in the places where they spend much of their time: to consumers in the marketplace, to employees through workplace programs and to children in schools.
“The rise of obesity is one of the most significant global public health challenges facing us today,” said Rob Case, president of Nestle Beverage and board member of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation. “At Nestle USA, we believe that balanced nutrition and regular physical activity are critical for maintaining optimal health. We are dedicated to providing our consumers with delicious, high quality foods and beverages that can be enjoyed as part of nutritious diet, clear nutritional information, as well as educational tools that they can use to support a healthy lifestyle.”
Members of the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation have already committed $20 million to this joint initiative to raise awareness about the importance of balancing a healthy diet with physical activity, particularly among children ages six to 11 years old and their parents and caregivers. This effort will include a soon-to-be announced national public education campaign on energy balance.
Many people in the United States have never heard about miso because they don’t eat Asian cuisine. Doctors’ reports, however, have agreed about the healing properties in miso. If you’re curious about it, here are six good reasons to start preparing miso as a recipe for kids.
For those who aren’t aware, miso is a paste made from fermented and ground soybeans which has been fermented for two months up to two years. It is often mixed with rice, barley, or wheat to speed up fermentation. Normally, it can be found in the international aisle of most grocery stores.
1. Miso is versatile. It can be made into a dressing for salads, soup, or made into a tea. Miso comes in white, brown, deep red and creamy beige, each with its own distinct flavor. Flavors range from sweet and mild to savory and earthy.
2. Miso is also high in fiber and probiotics. It increases the enzymes your body produces in your digestive system by increasing beneficial micro-organisms. These micro-organisms will break down foods better which will enable more nutrients to be absorbed, giving you more energy.
3. Most people eat meat to get protein. However, miso provides high quality vegetable protein that is highly usable in the body. In fact, if you were to eat miso with whole grains, the proteins you consume would be increased. It also contains unsaturated oils and zero cholesterol, which doctors recommend as part of a heart-healthy diet.
4. Some reports have confirmed miso as being beneficial by helping prevent some cancers, heart disease, and other illnesses. It has also been touted to eliminate heavy metals, nicotine, and air pollutants from your system. Women who eat miso regularly have been shown to be less likely to develop breast cancer.
5. Miso is high in essential minerals such as zinc which aids the immune system. Iron, copper and manganese are also in ample supply in miso.
6. If you’re moving toward a more vegetarian diet, miso would be a great addition. It is high in vitamins K and B12, both essential for a healthy body.
How on earth do you use miso? There are a number of ways you can try to start using miso in your family’s meals: use it instead of a stock (chicken or vegetable) when making home-made soups, spread it on toast similar to butter, use it as a salt substitute when you’re cooking, or mix it with sesame oil and your favorite seasonings to make an Asian-inspired salad dressing.
Although doctors in the West can be slow to acknowledge the health benefits of foods used traditionally in the East, it seems they’re taking notice of miso. By reading these six reasons to start eating miso, you can see how this food from Japan can improve your health and help you avoid some diseases. Maybe it’s time to find it in your grocery store and make it a part of your family’s diet.
Even though you may not think your child is old enough, you may want to learn how to talk to them about alcohol and drug abuse at an early age rather than waiting. If you wait too long, it may be too late. Every year more and more children begin experimenting with drugs and alcohol, which could lead to a lifelong child behavior problem with substance abuse.
If you begin telling children how you feel about drug and alcohol use while they’re young, you’ll have a better chance of instilling that same belief in them. Talk about how drugs and alcohol in terms they will understand. Explain that people who use them sometimes hurt other people because they can’t control their actions.
You can also explain to them how people who use alcohol and drugs are hurting themselves. Drug and alcohol use causes damage to the body in any number of ways. You can help your child avoid developing serious health issues related to substance abuse by talking to them early and often about it.
Talk to your children of all ages about keeping a healthy mind and body. Give them some ideas of things to do (eat a healthy diet, exercise, and get plenty of rest) and things to avoid (drugs, alcohol, overeating, and being sedentary). You may also tell them how important it is for you, as a parent, to know they understand the importance of staying healthy.
When it comes to older children, of course you’ll want to continue talking to them about your feelings toward alcohol and drug abuse. Another way you can encourage them to abstain is by leading by example. If they see you drinking often they may be less inclined to believe it’s something to avoid. In fact, if you drink or use recreational drugs the chances are higher that they’ll feel drugs and alcohol are alright for them, too.
If you’ve been talking to your children about drugs and alcohol since they were young, keep doing that. As they get older and understand more, you may want to be more specific when you talk about the damage alcohol and drugs can do to your body. Find pictures on the internet of accidents caused by drunk drivers. Pull together pamphlets from anti-drug organizations that are geared toward children. They may be able to explain the seriousness of alcohol and drug use better than you could ever do.
Take time to listen. If your children ask questions about drugs or alcohol, listen to what they’re really asking and try to figure out why. More than anything you’ll want to do your best to keep the lines of communication open with them. They want to know you care and one way you can do so is to give them guidance, especially about such a serious topic.
Learning how to talk to your kids about alcohol and drug abuse isn’t difficult but it can make parents uncomfortable. There are organizations that provide guidance and you’re encouraged to use them. However, if you start talking to them about it while they’re young, they are more likely to listen to your advice and know you have their best interest at heart.
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