Could You Have Adult ADD?

by Leigh Erin Connealt
MD
June 15, 20104

Discussions of ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) normally revolve around children with behavioral and/or learning difficulties. But ADHD and its cousin, ADD (attention deficit disorder without hyperactivity, which is more common in grown-ups), can persist into adulthood. In fact, over half of the adults who were diagnosed as children still have the disorder — that’s about 4 percent of all adults in the U.S.

Although people with ADD look the same as everyone else, the disorder manifests itself in behavior, such as forgetfulness, trouble concentrating, and impulsiveness. If you have ever dealt with a person who has ADD, you know how frustrating it can be, as my patient Mark learned. And if you have the condition yourself, you may be all too aware of how disappointing it is to have the best intentions and not be able to fulfill them.

To make matters worse, adult ADD sufferers are rarely able to correct the situation without some sort of intervention, such as medication, nutrients, therapy, or a support group. But instead of getting treatment, they often self-medicate by shopping, drinking, using illegal drugs, or engaging in other potentially risky behavior that can spin out of control.

 

Recognizing the Symptoms of ADD

Individuals with ADD may become depressed and/or anxious over their seeming inability to accomplish things, setting the stage for new symptoms and complications. And many people don’t even realize they have symptoms of ADD.

 

Symptoms of ADHD and ADD

• Trouble concentrating, especially when reading
• Being easily distracted
• Disorganization and procrastination
• Addictive behavior (e.g., drugs, drinking, gambling, overeating, excessive shopping)
• Restlessness
• Anxiety, depression, mood swings
• Impulsive and risky behavior, including reckless driving
• Low self-esteem
• Inability to finish projects, lacking motivation
• Forgetfulness, chronic lateness
• Being short-tempered, inability to tolerate frustration

Developed in conjunction with the World Health Association (WHO), the following link provides a quick adult ADHD screening test.

 

Taking Control Beyond the Prescription Pad

Oftentimes, adults with ADD know they start many more projects than they finish; and they probably realize that forgetfulness, distractions, and failure to follow through are problems for them. But they may mistakenly blame themselves for being lazy, scatterbrained, or weak-willed, since few adults have been formally diagnosed, a process that requires a psychiatrist or psychologist.

The truth is, people with ADD are often very intelligent and highly creative, but their brains just work differently, so certain things are difficult for them — difficult, but not impossible. Albert Einstein, Bill Gates, Bill Cosby, Eleanor Roosevelt, and former President Dwight Eisenhower are all thought to have had ADD, and they managed to achieve great things. The question is, what is the best way to manage ADD?

The pharmaceutical industry has cashed in on ADD big time. Today, millions of children are taking medication — mostly amphetamines — to control symptoms of ADD, while the debate over the appropriateness of medicating children rages on. Medication is less likely to be used for treating adults. In part, that’s because conventional medicines, primarily amphetamines like Ritalin, Concerta, and Adderall, don’t have the same effect on grown-ups. In addition, these drugs can raise blood pressure and the heart rate and create psychological dependency; and they are linked to a long list of negative side effects, so they’re just not suitable for many people.

11 Healthy Ways to Ease ADD Symptoms

If you’re considering medication for ADD, let me say this: Medication alone does not make ADD go away. It simply helps some people focus for longer than usual. A psychiatrist must prescribe most ADD medication, so the process is expensive, and the side effects can be serious, including everything from digestive disorders to insomnia and impotence as well as heart palpitations and arrhythmia. Clearly, these are not drugs to be taken lightly.

Meanwhile, you can achieve excellent results with changes to your diet as well as by taking certain nutrients and avoiding some substances, such as sugar and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Here are my suggestions:

1. Eat real food.

I recommend at least three to five small meals daily to nourish your brain with a steady supply of nutrients. Be sure to include protein at each meal along with complex carbohydrates that break down more slowly than simple carbs, such as sugary snacks or processed food. Individuals with ADD need to maintain healthy insulin levels in the body, so the brain has access to the glucose it needs to function. Insulin plays a major role in brain function, so much so that Alzheimer’s disease is now considered type 3 diabetes or diabetes of the brain.

2. Stay hydrated.

Drink plenty of fresh, clean water to maintain healthy hydration. Your brain, which is about 70 to 80 percent water, needs hydration as much as the rest of your body.

3. Maintain high levels of essential nutrients.

Take a daily multivitamin and a separate multimineral formula containing at least 400 mg of magnesium, 100 mcg of selenium, and 7 to 10 mg of zinc. Several studies show that correcting deficiencies of minerals like magnesium, selenium, and zinc improve ADD symptoms.

4. Get a daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids.

Numerous studies show that these good fats, primarily found in certain types of fish, can enhance brain functions. For best results, look for a product that has roughly twice as much DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid). I especially like the stable, purified omega-3s found in Calamarine oil.

5. Avoid high-fructose corn syrup and sugar.

HFCS is a cheap sugar substitute with no health benefits and plenty of downsides, including a possible connection to the obesity epidemic. Whenever you see this ingredient on a food or beverage label, consider it a warning and pass on that particular product. HFCS may contain traces of the heavy metal mercury, something that could worsen ADD or cause additional health complications for those with a HFCS intolerance. In addition, HFCS robs the body of the mineral zinc, which plays a role in removing mercury from the body — just what you don’t need!

6. Walk it off.

Although most adults outgrow the hyperactivity aspect of ADHD, not all do. If you find that you’re plagued by restlessness, turn that urge to move to your advantage and go for a walk. Even if the weather isn’t cooperating, you canwalk — or even jog or dance — in place. Activity provides the brain with more oxygen than being sedentary does, and that’s a definite bonus since oxygen is an all-important element in brain function.

7. Get sufficient shut-eye.

Too little sleep makes it difficult to think clearly — whether you have ADD or not — so do yourself a favor and follow my advice on getting a good night’s sleep.

8. Get in the habit of doing the most important — not the most interesting — thing first.

Many people with ADD find it easy to become so thoroughly engrossed in something they particularly enjoy that they miss appointments, forget to eat, stay up half the night, or worse.

Claudia, a longtime patient, told me about the day she realized how serious ADD can be. A talented artist, she had just come home from a shopping trip to buy new painting supplies. Unfortunately, Claudia took the shopping bag into the house first and became so involved in working with the new materials that she forgot her two young children were still in the car unattended. Only when the four-year-old finally made his way into the house did she realize what had happened. “Talk about a wake-up call,” she told me. “Every time I remember that day, I shudder at what might have happened. Some days, getting the kids in and out of the car is such an ordeal, but I never — and I do mean never — do anything before getting them safely in the house now.”

9. Rethink your approach to difficult tasks.

If, for example, you struggle with clutter (a common characteristic of ADD sufferers), break the job into small sections and tackle them one at a time. In other words, don’t attempt to reorganize every closet in the house on the same day. Pick one closet to straighten each week to give yourself time to make decisions about what you’ll throw away, give away, and keep. When that closet is completed, move on to the next.

10. Use the 20-minute-timer technique on complex, multistep jobs.

Set a kitchen timer for 20 minutes, and really apply yourself to the task at hand for that time period. When the timer rings, do something rewarding for a few minutes — stand up and walk in place for a couple minutes, make a fresh cup of green tea, take a few minutes to do some stretching, or meditate. Then reset the timer and get back to work. Breaking large jobs into smaller chunks makes them more manageable, and the periodic rewards relieve the stress that comes with any prolonged effort.

11. Detox, detox, detox.

Many people with ADD find that getting heavy metals out of their bodies helps improve symptoms. There are several different ways to do that, detailed in my earlier newsletter on detoxification.

Since ADD can wreak havoc on relationships and jobs, many people with the disorder have found it helpful to participate in a support group, like CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). Sometimes, simply recognizing why you’re having problems completing tasks and getting organized can be a huge relief. It’s also very helpful to have like-minded individuals to talk to and share strategies for overcoming the disorder.

Just remember, ADD is a challenge you can overcome. Start with a nutrition overhaul, make sure you’re getting the right nutrients, and work on developing new habits. It may take some time, but many people have found that making simple changes is all it takes to stay on track and win the battle with ADD.

 

Source: Newport Natural Health

Editor’s Note: We welcome your comments.  Please Login  or Register to post a comment on this article. Thank you and we appreciate your support!

 

 

 

Happy Father’s Day

By Leigh Erin Connealy,
MD
June 15, 2014

For many families, Father’s Day is a bit different than the lavish, emotional tributes of Mother’s Day. And that’s fine. I know my husband – father of seven! – appreciates being remembered, but likes to keep things low key. And somehow it seems appropriate to honor our fathers with a little less fanfare than Mom. Like so many fathers, my own dad traveled a great deal for work. But my five siblings and I knew that even though Daddy wasn’t home, he still loved us more than anything in the world.

If Mom was the heart of our family, Dad was the backbone. He gave us all a solid foundation to build on, teaching us the importance of courage, determination, hard work, and respecting ourselves and others. Of course, it can be a bit of challenge to find the right words to express our feelings. So today, in honor of all our fathers, I’d like to share a poem that I think captures those emotions so well. The poem is “How Lucky To Have Had So Good a Father” by Italian composer Domenico Scarlatti:

Happy Father’s Day!

Wishing you and yours health and happiness,

 

Editor’s Note: We welcome your comments.  Please Login  or Register to post a comment on this article. Thank you and we appreciate your support!

One in Five at Risk

by Dr. Mercola
Feb.10, 2010     

A study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found that over 20 percent of teenagers in the U.S. have elevated cholesterol levels.

The national study covered more than 3,000 teens whose blood test results were collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

High levels of LDL or triglycerides, and low HDL levels were associated with weight, and the heavier the teenagers were, the more likely they were to have abnormal levels (nearly 43% if they were obese), but even among those with normal body weight over 14% had unhealthy levels.

High cholesterol levels were at first associated with the middle-aged and elderly, but are increasingly beginning to appear in late childhood and the teenage years.

This finding already has researchers urging cholesterol screening for about one-third of teens who are overweight or obese, which will put many of these kids right in the line of fire to be prescribed a dangerous statin drug.

In 2007, the American Heart Association first recommended the use of statin drugs for children with high cholesteron.

Then in 2008 the American Academy of Pediatrics followed suit, recommending cholesterol-lowering drugs for children as young as 8!

There is such overwhelming evidence — nearly 900 studies compiled in this link — showing the damage statins inflict, that this recommendation should qualify as criminal malpractice.

Some of the possible consequences of taking statins for a lengthy period of time, which many of these kids undoubtedly would do, include:

 

Cognitive lose

Neuropathy

Anemia

Acidosis

Frequent fever

 Cataracts

Sexual dysfunction

 

Then there is the serious risk of potentially permanent muscle damage, and the depletion of Co-Q10, which can harm your heart and muscles alike.

Statin drugs used to lower cholesterol are the best-selling drugs in the United States. In 2008 alone they brought in $14.5 billion in sales!

The odds are very high, greater than 100 to 1, that anyone taking statin drugs does not need them. 

The ONLY subgroup that MAY benefit are those born with a genetic defect called familial hypercholesterolemia, as this makes them resistant to traditional measures to normalize cholesterol.

And the first step to understanding why lies in understanding the role of cholesterol in your health, not in disease.

 

Why Cholesterol is Not “Evil”

 Cholesterol has been traditionally vilified, when in reality it is essential and crucial for a wide variety of vital functions in your body.

It’s an integral part of your cell membranes, and it’s also the precursor (the raw material) your body uses to make your steroid hormones – one of which is vitamin D.

Your skin contains cholesterol, and when UVB rays from the sun hit your skin, it converts that form of cholesterol to vitamin D3, which is then transported to your blood.

Your body then further converts it into the active form of vitamin D.

It’s important to realize that there’s a big difference between “average” and “healthy” cholesterol levels. It’s very similar to what we’re now seeing with vitamin D levels. 

Please understand that you have not been told the whole truth about cholesterol. Rather, what you’re getting from most conventional health practitioners is little more than cleverly distorted marketing.

Before 2004, a 130 LDL cholesterol level was considered healthy. The updated guidelines, however, recommended levels of less than 100, or even less than 70 for patients at very high risk.

In order to achieve these outrageous and dangerously low targets, you typically need to take multiple cholesterol-lowering drugs.

So the guidelines instantly increased the market for these dangerous drugs. Now, with testing children’s cholesterol levels, they’re increasing their market even more.

Total Cholesterol Level is a Virtually Useless Test

 If your doctor is urging your child to get a total cholesterol level check, you should know that this test will tell you virtually nothing about his or her risk of heart disease — unless it is 330 or higher.

And, perhaps more importantly, you need to be aware that cholesterol is not the CAUSE of heart disease. 

If you become overly concerned with trying to lower your child’s cholesterol level to some set number, you will be completely missing the real problem.

In fact, I have seen a number of people with levels over 250 who actually were at low heart disease risk due to their elevated HDL levels.

Conversely, I have seen even more who had cholesterol levels under 200 that were at a very high risk of heart disease based on the following additional tests:

 

Your HDL/Cholesterol ratio

Your Triglyceride/HDL ratios

HDL percentage is a very potent heart disease risk factor. Just divide your HDL level by your cholesterol.

That percentage should ideally be above 24 percent. Below 10 percent, it’s a significant indicator of risk for heart disease.

You can also do the same thing with your triglycerides and HDL ratio. That percentage should be below 2.

 

Finally, please do make sure your, and your child’s, vitamin D levels are where they need to be. Vitamin D is not “just a vitamin,” but rather the only known substrate for a potent, pleiotropic (meaning it produces multiple effects), repair and maintenance seco-steroid hormone that serves multiple gene-regulatory functions in your body.

Low levels of vitamin D are associated with an increased risk of heart disease, which is what parents of teens with “high” cholesterol are most concerned about.

About 70 percent of U.S. children have low levels of vitamin D, so this should be one of the first issues you address to keep your teen’s heart healthy.

 

 

 

 

 Source: Dr. Mercola

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchrobnicle.com

How We Sleep with Newborns

 

By: Steven Dowshen, MD
Nov. 28, 2009

 

Does your baby sleep through the night?” is one of the questions new parents hear the most. And the bleary-eyed moms and dads of newborns almost always answer: “No.”

Newborn babies don’t know the difference between day and night yet — and their tiny stomachs don’t hold enough breast milk or formula to keep them satisfied for very long. They need food every few hours, no matter what time of day or night it is.

 

How Long Babies Sleep

A newborn may sleep as much as 16 hours a day (or even more), often in stretches of 3 to 4 hours at a time. And like the sleep all of us experience, babies have different phases of sleep: drowsiness, REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, light sleep, deep sleep, and very deep sleep. As babies grow, their periods of wakefulness increase.

At first, these short stretches of 3 to 4 hours of sleep may be frustrating for you as they interfere with your sleep pattern. Have patience — this will change as your baby grows and begins to adapt to the rhythms of life outside the womb.

At first, though, the need to feed will outweigh the need to sleep. Many pediatricians recommend that a parent not let a newborn sleep too long without feeding. In practical terms, that means offering a feeding to your baby every 3 to 4 hours or so, and possibly more often for smaller or premature babies. Breastfed infants may get hungry more frequently than bottle-fed babies and need to nurse every 2 hours in the first few weeks.

 

Where and How a Baby Should Sleep

For the first weeks of life, most parents place their child’s crib or bassinet in their own bedroom. A separate room just seems too far away at this early point.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recommend against bringing your infant to sleep in bed with you for safety reasons. Although many cultures endorse co sleeping, there is a risk that the baby can suffocate or strangle, and studies have shown that there’s a higher incidence of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) in households where the baby slept in the parents’ bed.

Establishing a routine right from the beginning can help. How we sleep is based in large part on habit and what our bodies use as the signals that it is time to sleep. Always putting your baby in the crib for sleeping will help signal to the infant that this is the place for sleep.

Keep in mind, though, it may take a few weeks for your baby’s brain to signal the difference between night and day. Unfortunately, there are no tricks to speed this up except to be as consistent in your routine as possible.

Always keep sleep safety in mind. Do not place anything in the crib or bassinet that may interfere with your baby’s breathing; this includes plush toys, pillows, and blankets. Although bumper pads are widely used, their safety has been questioned.

One study from the CPSC found a number of accidental deaths appeared to be related to the use of bumper pads in cribs and bassinets. The Canadian Pediatric Society has recommended against using crib bumpers since 2004. If you do use bumpers, it’s best to use the kind that secure at the top and bottom.

Also avoid objects with cords or ties, and those with any kind of sharp edge or corner. Make sure the crib you use meets current safety standards.

The AAP recommends that healthy infants be placed on their backs to sleep, not on their stomachs. The incidence of SIDS has decreased by more than 50% since this recommendation was first made in 1992.

It is now also recommended that premature infants sleep only on their backs.

It is thought that some babies sleeping on their stomachs may have a greater tendency toward sleep obstruction and rebreathing their own carbon dioxide because they are less likely to rouse themselves to change head positions.

Another possibility is that they may suffocate on softer bedding if they are lying face-down.

If your baby has a medical condition, there may be an exception to these recommendations. Your baby’s doctor can best advise you on the right sleep position for your little one.

 

Encouraging Your Newborn’s Sleep

You can help adjust your baby’s body clock toward sleeping at night by avoiding stimulation during nighttime feedings and diaper changes. Try to keep the lights low and resist the urge to play or talk with your baby. This will reinforce the message that nighttime is for sleeping.

Overly tired infants often have more trouble sleeping than those who’ve had an appropriate amount of sleep during the day.

So, keeping your baby up in hopes that he or she will sleep better at night will not necessarily work.

Consider establishing some sort of bedtime routine (bathing, reading, and singing) to help get your baby to relax in the coming months.

Even though your newborn may be too young to get the signals yet, setting up the bedtime drill now can keep you on the right track later.

What if your baby is fussy? It’s OK to rock, cuddle, and sing as your baby is settling down. For the first months of your baby’s life, “spoiling” is definitely not a problem. In fact, studies have shown that babies who are carried around during the day have less colic and fussiness.

The first months of a baby’s life can be the hardest for the parents because you are potentially getting up every few hours to tend to the baby. Each baby is different in terms of when he or she will sleep through the night, and parents differ regarding when they’re comfortable with encouraging their newborn to do so.

By 2 months most babies are sleeping 6 to 8 hours through the night. If your baby isn’t sleeping through the night by 4 months, talk with your doctor about how you can help this to happen.

 

When to Call the Doctor

While most parents can expect newborns to sleep or catnap most of the day, the range of what is normal is quite wide. Check with your doctor if you have questions about how much (or how little) your baby is sleeping.

You may want to talk with the doctor if your baby seems overly irritable and cannot be adequately soothed.

In addition, if your baby is difficult to rouse from sleep and generally seems uninterested in feeding efforts, speak to the doctor immediately for reassurance or further medical guidance.

Source: Kids Health

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Wash Your Hands

By CDC
Oct. 22, 2009

Handwashing is a simple thing and it’s the best way to prevent infection and illness.

Clean hands prevent infections. Keeping hands clean prevents illness at home, at school, and at work. Hand hygiene practices are key prevention tools in healthcare settings, in daycare facilities, in schools and public institutions, and for the safety of our food.

In healthcare settings, handwashing can prevent potentially fatal infections from spreading from patient to patient and from patient to healthcare worker and vice-versa. The basic rule in the hospital is to cleanse hands before and after each patient contact by either washing hands or using an alcohol-based hand rub.

At home, handwashing can prevent infection and illness from spreading from family member to family member and, sometimes, throughout a community. In the home, the basic rule is to wash hands before preparing food and after handling uncooked meat and poultry, before eating, after changing diapers, after coughing, sneezing, or blowing one’s nose into a tissue, and after using the bathroom.

Wash Your Hands: The Right Way

When washing hands with soap and water:

• Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available.
• Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces.
• Continue rubbing hands for 15-20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing “Happy Birthday” twice through to a friend.
• Rinse hands well under running water.
• Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet.
• Always use soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.

If soap and clean water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub to clean your hands. Alcohol-based hand rubs significantly reduce the number of germs on skin and are fast-acting.

When using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer:

• Apply product to the palm of one hand.
• Rub hands together.
• Rub the product over all surfaces of hands and fingers until hands are dry.

Handwashing: The Beginning of Infection Control

 

Ignaz Semmelweis, an Austrian-Hungarian physician, first demonstrated over 150 years ago that hand hygiene can prevent the spread of disease. Hand hygiene as a practice includes performing handwashing, or using antiseptic handwash, alcohol-based hand rub, or surgical hand hygiene/antisepsis.

Dr. Semmelweis worked in a hospital in Vienna whose maternity patients were dying at such an alarming rate that they begged to be sent home¹. Most of those dying had been treated by student physicians who worked on corpses during an anatomy class before beginning their rounds in the maternity ward.

Because the students did not wash their hands effectively between touching the dead and the living–handwashing was an unrecognized hygienic practice at the time–pathogenic bacteria from the  corpses regularly were transmitted to the mothers via the students’ hands.

The result was a death rate five times higher for mothers who delivered in one clinic of the hospital than for mothers who delivered at another clinic not attended by the student physicians.

In an experiment considered quaint at best by his colleagues, Dr. Semmelweis insisted that his students wash their hands before treating the mothers–and deaths on the maternity ward fell fivefold.

Unquestioned today as the most important tool in the healthcare worker’s arsenal for preventing infection, handwashing was not readily accepted in Dr. Semmelweis’s era. Indeed, his pleas to make handwashing a routine practice throughout the hospital were largely met with derision. Another 50 years would pass before the importance of handwashing as a preventive measure would be widely accepted by the medical profession. Sanitation is now a standard and thousands of lives have been saved because of Dr. Semmelweis’s discovery.

 Semmelweis I. Etiology, concept, and prophylaxis of childbed fever. Carter KC, ed. 1st ed. Madison, WI: The University of Wisconsin Press, 1983.

 

Source: CDC.Gov

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

H1N1 Influenza Swine Flu

By Mary L. Gavin, MD
October 17,2009

 

H1N1 Is a New Flu

Usually, we think about just one kind of flu during flu season. But this year, you’ll hear about two: regular (or seasonal) flu and H1N1 (swine) flu. Seasonal flu comes around every year and there’s a vaccine (shot) for it. The H1N1 virus is new and there’s a vaccine for it, too.

The vaccine will be different from the seasonal flu shot that many kids and grownups get. So to be protected against both H1N1 and the regular flu, a kid will need both. For the H1N1 virus, flu mist — a vaccine that gets sprayed up your nose — is expected to be available first, so if you don’t like shots, you may be in luck.

Health experts say the H1N1 vaccine is a good idea, especially for young people. New viruses like this one are unpredictable and more people get the flu in the fall and winter. If we can keep people from getting it in the first place, that would be good for all of us.

Last spring, H1N1 (swine) flu was all over the news. The virus spread from Mexico and eventually people in the United States and other countries also got sick. Most people got better after having a fever, sore throat, and body aches, similar to the symptoms of the seasonal flu. But people who have other health problems may get very sick from this flu.

Health officials consider the swine flu a pandemic. That means the H1N1 virus has spread throughout the world, can make people very sick, and can spread easily from one person to another.

 

Washing Hands Is Best Defense

Most kids want to know: Should I worry or not worry about this flu? Medical experts say instead of worrying, wash your hands! Worry won’t keep you from getting the flu (or any infectious disease), but good hand-washing often can keep you healthy.

A virus is a germ, as you probably know, and germs are too small to be seen. Keeping your hands clean — and following other good habits like not sharing drinks and keeping your fingers out of your mouth, nose and eyes — can help protect you from germs.

Another way to be helpful is for sick people to stay home from school (if you’re a kid) or work (if you’re a grownup).

Symptoms of H1N1 (swine) flu include a fever plus one or more of these:

• cough
• sore throat
• runny nose
• body aches
• headaches
• tiredness

A person who has the H1N1 virus also might throw up or have diarrhea.

Be sure to tell a parent if you’re not feeling well. Most people who catch the H1N1 virus will get better on their own, but if someone has a medical condition, like asthma or diabetes, or is very sick and needs to be hospitalized, antiviral medicine might help the person get better faster.

 

What You Can Do

Here are some everyday steps you can take to stay well:

• Avoid people who are sick (coughing, fever, etc.).
• Don’t drink out of the same cup or share utensils (forks, spoons) with other people.

• Try to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. That’s how germs get in your body.

 

Just the Facts

News reports about the H1N1 virus may make you confused or worried. Because this is a new illness, the news covers both what has happened and what might happen in the worst-case scenario. Because you’ll be hearing more about H1N1, we recommend a “just the facts” approach.

Did you ever hear a TV detective say, “Just the facts, ma’am?” That means we stick with what we know and make decisions based on that. And if you get sick, just tell your mom or dad. With some help from your doctor, a parent can decide if you need to stay home from school.

Expect to hear about the H1N1 virus for a while. It may be months before we know the whole story and how many people it will affect. In the meantime, keep those hands clean and be sure to tell your mom or dad if you have any concerns.

Source: Kids Health

Dealing With Cerebral Palsy

 

By Steven j. Bachrach, MD
Oct. 11, 2009

 

Have you ever heard a family member talk about your first step or the first word you spoke? For kids with cerebral palsy, called CP for short, taking a first step or saying a first word is not as easy. That’s because CP is a condition that can affect the things that kids do every day.

 

What’s CP?

Some kids with CP use wheelchairs and others walk with the help of crutches or braces. In some cases, a kid’s speech may be affected or the person might not be able to speak at all.

 

Cerebral palsy (say: seh-ree-brel pawl-zee) is a condition that affects thousands of babies and children each year. It is not contagious, which means you can’t catch it from anyone who has it. The word cerebral means having to do with the brain. The word palsy means a weakness or problem in the way a person moves or positions his or her body.

A kid with CP has trouble controlling the muscles of the body. Normally, the brain tells the rest of the body exactly what to do and when to do it. But because CP affects the brain, depending on what part of the brain is affected, a kid might not be able to walk, talk, eat, or play the way most kids do.

 

Types of CP

There are three types of cerebral palsy: spastic (say: spass-tick), athetoid (say: ath-uh-toid), and ataxic (say: ay-tak-sick). The most common type of CP is spastic. A kid with spastic CP can’t relax his or her muscles or the muscles may be stiff.

Athetoid CP affects a kid’s ability to control the muscles of the body. This means that the arms or legs that are affected by athetoid CP may flutter and move suddenly. A kid with ataxic CP has problems with balance and coordination.

A kid with CP can have a mild case or a more severe case — it really depends on how much of the brain is affected and which parts of the body that section of the brain controls. If both arms and both legs are affected, a kid might need to use a wheelchair. If only the legs are affected, a kid might walk in an unsteady way or have to wear braces or use crutches. If the part of the brain that controls speech is affected, a kid with CP might have trouble talking clearly. Another kid with CP might not be able to speak at all.

For some babies, injuries to the brain during pregnancy or soon after birth may cause CP. Children most at risk of developing CP are small, premature babies (babies who are born many weeks before they were supposed to be born) and babies who need to be on a ventilator (a machine to help with breathing) for several weeks or longer. But for most kids with CP, the problem in the brain occurs before birth. Often, doctors don’t know why.

 

What Do Doctors Do?

Doctors who specialize in treating kids with problems of the brain, nerves, or muscles are usually involved in diagnosing a kid with cerebral palsy. These specialists could include a pediatric neurologist (say: nyoo-ral-uh-jist), a doctor who deals with problems of the nervous system and brain in kids.

Three other kinds of doctors who can help kids with CP include a pediatric orthopedist (say: or-tho-pee-dist), who handles problems with bones or joints, a developmental pediatrician, who looks at how a kid is growing or developing compared with other kids the same age, and a pediatric physiatrist, who helps treat children with disabilities of many kinds.

There is no special test to figure out if a kid has cerebral palsy. Doctors may order X-rays and blood tests to find out if some other disease of the brain and nervous system may be causing the problem. To diagnose CP, doctors usually wait to see how a kid develops to be sure.

A case of cerebral palsy often can be diagnosed by the age of 18 months. For example, if a child does not sit up or walk by the time most kids should be doing these things, the kid might have CP or some other problem that is causing development to go more slowly. Doctors follow infant and child development closely and look for problems with muscle tone and strength, movement, and reflexes.

 

How Is CP Treated?

For a kid with CP, the problem with the brain will not get any worse as the kid gets older. For example, a kid who has CP that affects only the legs will not develop CP in the arms or problems with speech later on. The effect of CP on the arms or legs can get worse, however, and some kids may develop dislocated hips (when the bones that meet at the hips move out of their normal position) or scoliosis (curvature of the spine).

That is why therapy is so important. Kids with CP usually have physical, occupational, or speech therapy to help them develop skills like walking, sitting, swallowing, and using their hands. There are also medications to treat the seizures that some kids with CP have. Some medications can help relax the muscles in kids with spastic CP. And some kids with CP may have special surgeries to keep their arms or legs straighter and more flexible.

 

Living With CP

Cerebral palsy usually doesn’t stop kids from going to school, making friends, or doing things they enjoy. But they may have to do these things a little differently or they may need some help. With computers to help them communicate and wheelchairs to help them get around, kids with CP often can do a lot of stuff that kids without CP can do.

Kids with cerebral palsy are just like other kids, but with some greater challenges that make it harder to do everyday things. More than anything else, they want to fit in and be liked.

Be patient if you know someone or meet someone with CP. If you can’t understand what a person with CP is saying or if it takes a person with CP longer to do things, give him or her extra time to speak or move. Being understanding is what being a good friend is all about, and a kid with CP will really appreciate it.

Source: Kids Health

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to hear your story, if your child as CP. dan@youngchronicle.com

How to Deal with Everyday Stress

 

By AARP
Oct. 11, 2009

Editor’s Note: As Americans in this tough times, we are dealing with stress on an everyday basis. We hope that this article, which first appeared in AARP. Here are some tips to deal with them. We hope you enjoy it and you will let us know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

 

Are you stressed? Who isn’t? At one time or another, we’re all bound to feel stress from work, family, finances, social situations, or illness. It might be the acute, short-term stress which comes from being stuck in a traffic jam or your boss confronting you at work. Or it could be chronic, long-term stress, the kind that comes from being in an unhappy marriage or taking care of a sick family member for a long time.

At times, some stress is motivating, like when it helps you win a competition or meet a deadline. But we mostly think of stress as a negative or uncomfortable feeling that we associate with sweaty palms, a racing heart, and feeling out of control.

Different things can trigger stress in different people. Planning a big house party or having to give a speech might delight you but totally unnerve a friend.

How you respond to stressful situations depends on several things, including:

• Your view of the situation — how bad is this? Can you get through it?
• Your general outlook on life — do you tend to be more positive or negative?
• Your general health and well-being — Are you well-rested or sleep-deprived? Do you have a healthy diet or live on junk food? Do you get enough exercise or is there never enough time to fit it in? Are you healthy overall or do you have chronic health problems?

Many people who never seem to get stressed have learned to cope successfully with stressful situations.

Stress Affects Your Health

Any stress that keeps occurring can lead to getting sick more often; problems concentrating, sleeping and eating; high blood pressure and heart disease; and anxiety and depression. In other words, left alone stress can be bad for both your physical and mental health.

That’s why you want to get control of your stress before it gets control of you. The time and energy you spend managing your stress will pay off in the long run by promoting health and happiness. Here are five steps to help you get started.

 

Steps to Less Stress

Make a list. Think of the things that cause you the most stress. Write them down, along with the level of stress they cause (off the charts versus a great deal) and how they affect you (keep you awake at night, make you feel shaky inside, etc).

 

Take control. Decide which things on your list you can do something about. Remember that you might not be able to control everything on your list. For instance, your children leaving home or traffic jams are the trying parts of life. Even though you can’t control these events, you can control how you react to them. Instead of getting worked up during morning rush hour traffic, use the time in your car to listen to a book on tape. Even small changes can make a difference and help you feel more in control of your life. Try one or two of these suggestions:

• Assign some of your household chores to other family members.
• Sign up for community services to help you care for a sick parent.
• Start planning early for the holidays — create a budget and stick to it.

 

Unload and learn to say no. If there are things at home or at work that you just can’t or don’t want to do, let them go — cross them off your list if you can. And don’t commit to new things just because you feel you have to. Say “no” to that new project if you already have too many duties at work. Let someone else run the church bazaar this year.

 

Practice. Saying no might feel uncomfortable at first. But taking on too much and failing is more stressful than “passing” on a request in the first place. Work on shedding the “perfection impulse.” Don’t expect perfection from yourself or others. For some things, an okay job is just fine.

 

Set limits. The key to setting limits is to set priorities first. Decide what is most important for your family and you, and set time aside for those things, such as family meals, fun time, or retirement planning. For everything that falls outside your priority list, ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that would happen if I didn’t do this?” If you can live with the answer then drop it from your ‘to do’ list.

Learning to manage the stress in your life can help you live healthier and happier; enjoy your job, family, and friends more; and focus your energies on the things that really count.

 

Source: Grandparents

Raising Fit Kids

 

by Mary l. Gavin, MD
Oct. 2, 2009

 

There’s a lot of discussion these days about fit kids. People who care (parents, doctors, teachers, and others) want to know how to help kids be more fit.

Being fit is a way of saying a person eats well, gets a lot of physical activity (exercise), and has a healthy weight. If you’re fit, your body works well, feels good, and can do all the things you want to do, like run around with your friends.

Some steps only parents can take — such as serving healthy meals or deciding to take the family on a nature hike. But kids can take charge, too, when it comes to health.

Here are five rules to live by, if you’re a kid who wants to be fit. The trick is to follow these rules most of the time, knowing that some days (like your birthday) might call for cake and ice cream.

 

Eat a Variety of Foods, Especially Fruits and Vegetables

You may have a favorite food, but the best choice is to eat a variety. If you eat different foods, you’re more likely to get the nutrients your body needs. Taste new foods and old ones you haven’t tried for a while. Some foods, such as green veggies, are more pleasing the older you get. Shoot for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day — two fruits and three vegetables.

 

Here’s one combination that might work for you:

       at breakfast: ½ cup (about 4 large) strawberries on your cereal

       with lunch: 6 baby carrots

       for a snack: an apple

       with dinner: ½ cup broccoli (about 2 big spears) and 1 cup of salad

 

Drink Water and Milk Most Often

When you’re really thirsty, cold water is the No. 1 thirst-quencher. And there’s a reason your school cafeteria offers cartons of milk. Kids need calcium to build strong bones, and milk is a great source of this mineral. How much do kids need? If you are younger than 9 years old, drink 2 cups of milk a day, or its equivalent. Aim for 3 cups of milk per day, or its equivalent. You can mix it up by having milk and some other calcium-rich dairy foods. Here’s one combination:

       2 cups (about half a liter) of low-fat or nonfat milk

       1 slice cheddar cheese

       ½ cup (small container) of yogurt

You probably will want something other than milk or water once in a while, so it’s OK to have 100% juice, too. But try to limit sugary drinks, like sodas, juice cocktails, and fruit punches. They contain a lot of added sugar. Sugar just adds calories, not important nutrients.

 

Listen to Your Body 

What does it feel like to be full? When you’re eating, notice how your body feels and when your stomach feels comfortably full. Sometimes, people eat too much because they don’t notice when they need to stop eating. Eating too much can make you feel uncomfortable and, over a period of time, can lead to unhealthy weight gain

 

Limit Screen Time

What’s screen time? It’s the amount of time you spend watching TV or DVDs, playing video games (console systems or handheld games), and using the computer. The more time you spend on these sitting-down activities, the less time available for active stuff, like basketball, bike riding, and swimming. Try to spend no more than 2 hours a day on screen time, not counting computer use related to school.

 

Be Active 

One job you have as a kid — and it’s a fun one — is that you get to figure out which activities you like best. Not everyone loves baseball or soccer. Maybe your passion is karate, or kickball, or dancing. Ask your parents to help you do your favorite activities regularly. Find ways to be active every day. You might even write down a list of fun stuff to do, so you can refer to it when your mom or dad says it’s time to stop watching TV or playing computer games!

Speaking of parents, they can be a big help if you want to be a fit kid. For instance, they can stock the house with healthy foods and plan physical activities for the family. Tell your parents about these five steps you want to take and maybe you can teach them a thing or two. If you’re a fit kid, why shouldn’t you have a fit mom and a fit dad?

Source: Kids Health

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

You’re Making Your Child Fat

By Jennifer Gruenemay
Special to Lifescript
Sept. 27, 2009

Let’s face it: It’s tough to get kids to eat healthy foods when they’re screaming for fries or ice cream. But more than 12.5 million U.S. children are overweight and face chronic disease ahead. Are you setting your child up for trouble? Read on for the 10 biggest food mistakes parents make…

Today’s parents are up against the biggest food fight of any previous generation.

Everywhere you look, more junk foods and sugary drinks are available to our children, and there are more kid-targeted food commercials on TV.

“The No. 1 ‘vegetable’ the average 18-month-old consumes in the U.S. is French fries,” says Christina Schmidt, M.S., a certified nutrition educator and author of The Baby Bistro and The Toddler Bistro (Bull Publishing Co.).

What’s worse: Many parents don’t see a problem.

“Parents don’t get it,” says William H. Dietz, M.D., director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Only 42% of parents cite childhood obesity as a health concern, according to the 2007 National Poll on Children’s Health by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

Why?

Some don’t know the nutritional content of the food they serve. Others don’t want to be the “bad guy” and force fruits and veggies on finicky eaters.

Yet childhood obesity can shorten life expectancy by up to five years and lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers, Dietz says.

A recent study in the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity also found that obese children with big bellies are at greater risk for future heart problems.

“Seventy percent of obese children today already have one cardiovascular risk factor, such as elevated blood pressure,” Dietz says.

What’s fueling this obesity epidemic? Not enough exercise, for one. Plus, too much face time with TVs and computers, which experts say are linked.

As a result of this media overload, children ask for foods they see in ads, Dietz says.

That’s why parents have to step in.

“No matter how strong outside influences are, what we do at home is stronger,” says Nancy Tringali Piho, author of My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus: Raising Children Who Love to Eat Everything (Bull Publishing Co.).

 

Here are 10 mistakes parents make when feeding kids:

 

1. Deferring authority.
“Don’t ask your child what he’d like to eat,” Dietz advises. They’ll say “gummy worms” or “ice cream.”

Instead, tell them what’s on the menu and that there will be no substitutions.

“Parents have to remember they’re parents,” says chef Ann Cooper, author of Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children (Collins Living). Your job is to provide nourishing foods; your child’s role is to eat them and reap the nutritional benefits.

 

2. Offering too many choices.
Making hot dogs for one kid, mac ‘n’ cheese for another and a “grown-up” meal for Mom and Dad will drive a home cook crazy.

“Parents shouldn’t be running short-order restaurants,” Cooper says. Plan one menu for the entire family.

But ask your children for their opinion. Broccoli or green beans? Or serve them both.

“Offering two or three choices of a fruit or vegetable encourages kids to try at least one of them,” says Baby Bistro author Schmidt.

 

3. Not setting limits.
The worst thing for a child is not knowing the limits or having ones that constantly change, Dietz says.

Every kid needs boundaries, so stand your ground when it comes to what your child eats. If on Monday you proclaim “no fast food,” don’t go to Burger King on Friday. It sends mixed messages and kids quickly pick up on that ambiguity.

Also, don’t set limits you can’t — and shouldn’t — keep, like banning all foods with sugar. There’s just no way around a little sweet stuff in a kid’s life — and there shouldn’t have to be.

Experts agree: “Everything in moderation.”

Even after you’ve set boundaries, expect them to be tested — repeatedly. Just stand your ground.

 

4. Underestimating kids’ willingness to eat an assortment.
“One mistake parents make is not exposing [their kids] to a wide variety of foods and flavors from an early age,” Tringali Piho says.

Start small and build on each success. Forgo the white-bread PB&J; offer up cucumber and hummus on whole wheat instead. Your kid’s taste buds might surprise you both.

Also, make learning about new chow a game. Let your children discover a new food – through books, the Internet or from friends. Then help them prepare it.

“Kids love to be hands-on with everything they’re learning,” Schmidt says. The more they’re involved, the more likely they are to eat happily.

 

5. Worrying they’ll go to bed hungry.
Hunger can be a persuasive learning tool. Next time your children refuse to eat what you’ve prepared, tell them: “The choices are to eat it now, later or nothing at all,” Schmidt says.

“Unless children learn that they’ll be hungry if they don’t eat, they won’t learn to eat what’s offered,” Dietz says.

If your children push away the food, be matter-of-fact about it, he says. Simply put the plate aside, so they can eat it later.

This may be harder on parents. It’s never fun to watch your children cry and scream. And you don’t want them to go to bed hungry.

But they’ll learn to make a better choice next time: I guess I’ll just eat the salmon patty. Hey, this tastes kind of good!

 

6. Making excuses for their eating habits.
“If kids are labeled as picky, they’ll act that way,” Schmidt says.

Instead, be persistent. Offer up the despised foods as many times and in as many forms as possible. Broccoli hater? Try it steamed, roasted, baked in a quiche, chopped up with a low-fat dip or served with veggie sticks.

 

7. Worrying that they’re not eating enough.
When a child has consumed only three graham crackers all day, it can drive a parent to force them to eat.

The strategy will backfire, Dietz says.

“There’s no quicker way to get a child not to eat than by forcing him or her to eat,” he says.

Even if your child has barely touched food all day, don’t worry.

“Children regulate their nutrition intake surprisingly well,” Schmidt says.

They learn to recognize their natural hunger and satiety cues. “Forcing them to eat destroys these healthy instincts.”

Children go through natural periods of eating very little or eating more than you’d expect. It’s normal and linked to their growth cycles. But if you’re concerned, talk to your pediatrician about whether a multivitamin will provide the nutrition they need.

 

8. Always disguising healthy foods.
Would you recognize zucchini if it showed up only in muffins or cookies? Sneaking extra veggies into prepared products isn’t bad, but it’s important to offer them in their natural state too.

“If we keep those green veggies under wraps all the time, children will never choose them in their true [form],” Schmidt says.

Get to the root of the situation – literally.

“If we want to change children’s relationship to food, we have to get kids involved in cooking, gardening and grocery shopping,” Cooper says.

Grow veggies in a garden pot or plot. Or go to a nearby you-pick-it farm. When children see where food comes from and help get it from farm to table, they’ll appreciate it more.

It helps instill a sense of ownership in what they’re eating – “I picked that strawberry!” or “I grew that tomato!”

 

9. Offering rewards or bribes for eating.
Bribery is another trick nearly every parent uses – but shouldn’t.

“Don’t reward children for eating foods they don’t like by giving them junk foods,” Dietz says. That means not dishing out ice cream because they’ve finished the spinach.

Sure, you’re enticing kids to eat the good stuff, but it will just make mealtime more difficult for you. Before long, they’ll be bribing you with, “I’ll only eat it if I can have a sno-cone!”

 

10. Giving up too soon.
“Parents need to repeatedly introduce new food before accepting that their child doesn’t like it,” Dietz says.

A scrunched-up face or barfing noise doesn’t mean game over.

“It takes eight to 15 times for a child to accept a new food,” Schmidt says.

Most parents give up after two or three tries.

Vary your approach and be creative with presentation, Schmidt suggests. Cut foods into fun shapes (like zucchini stars), make mini versions of their favorites or call foods by nicknames.

Finally, don’t expect good eating habits to be a piece of cake.

“‘Success’ is not defined as ‘no conflict,’” Tringali Piho says. “No one ever said it will be easy!” 

 

Are You Making Your Child Fat?
Are you in control of your child’s healthy eating habits, or could your parenting style be making your child fat? Take this quiz to find out.

Check out Health Bistro for more healthy food for thought. See what Lifescript editors are talking about and get the skinny on latest news. Share it with your friends (it’s free to sign up!), and bookmark it so you don’t miss a single juicy post!

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Source: Lifescript

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

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