Family Fit Night @ Candlebrook Elementary School

May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.  This is a great time to look and see if you and your family are living up to the recommendations to exercise for one hour each day.  I know, everybody is very busy these days. It takes time to drive our kids to all of those sporting events.  Keep in mind that a family that exercises together is forming habits that last a lifetime.  It should also be noted that many children and adolescents participating in sporting events may be spending more time watching then actually moving on the field.

In the book Spark, Harvard Psychiatrist Dr John Ratney states that kids must move their bodies in order to learn in school.  He also speaks of cases where many youth play sports in school but as adults do not maintain an active life style.  I have seen many a football player who was active during his school years only to put on massive amounts of weight later in life.  Or the mom who played soccer but now has trouble finding an adult league.

Diabetes

Yesterday I caught the headline that 3,600 American kids are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.  This  illness is caused by lifestyle factors: packing in carbohydrates, routinely drinking soda or so called “sports drinks”, eating too much, and out at restaurants too often.  Can they get back to serving appropriate portions at restaurants?  The sad news is a new medical study found children diagnosed with this chronic illness do not respond well to routine medications and will most likely need daily insulin shots. Once again we are faced with a headline informing us that our children are getting heavier and sicker.

The research leader of the study, Dr Phil Zeitler, said, “It would be much better if these kids didn’t get diabetes in the first place. It’s a bad disease when they get it.”.  Bad Indeed!

This disease will increase your risk for a disabling heart attack, a paralyzing stroke, infected foot sores and amputated toes.  Am I hysterical enough? P.S. I have seen ALL of these tragedies in the hospital settings.  Up front and heart-breakingly personal as well.

Exercise has a multitude of benefits besides preventing diabetes.  It may prevent cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart attack, and stroke. It may also be useful for treating mood disorders such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD. Dr. Ratey found that children who exercise in the am before school have consistently higher test scores.

So yes I know, an extra hour is hard to find in your day, but the hour of exercise can be broken up into 10 minute increments.

Exercise Tips

Here are some tips for including exercise into your daily routine.

Jump rope!  It is a great activity to help build strong bones in our kids. Parents, if you have bad knees, try marching in place for 10 minutes while your kid jumps rope.

Take a quick, brisk walk.  We have many lovely parks inMontgomeryCounty. My daughter and I like to walk and talk through historicValley ForgePark. If we are not pressed for time, we take in a bit of history reading the monuments along the way.  This can be a great way to sneak in some historical facts while you are spending time outdoors with your child.

Do not be afraid of your local gym.  Yes, I know it can be intimidating walking into a place with fancy exercise bikes and mountains of weights.  Most gyms offer a free 1 week trial and a free personal training session that can help you learn how to maximize your goals.

Get in the garden.  Dig some holes and have your kid run back and forth to the hose to fetch some water.

Put some music on and dance for 15 minutes, or go to the library and checkout Just Dance or Zumba for the Wii.  Studies have shown that these electronic play games can motivate kids to stay moving.  Just don’t get upset when your kid scores higher than you.

Ride your bikes together.  You can probably find more time for an hour ride on the weekend or in the summer.  The trail off of Pawlings Rd. into Oaks is flat and an easy one for kids to navigate.

Get some boxing gloves and a standing heavy bag.  Punching and kicking the heavy bag will make you sweat real fast and can be a good way to get out frustration at the end of a long day.  If you are unsure of how to hit or kick the bag drop by a local Martial Arts studio to see if you can sign up for a few hands on lessons.

Many of us made commitments’ to ourselves and families with the New Year, promising that we would be healthier, or lose weight.  When February rolled around we found that we lost some resolve and got caught up in the hectic pace of our daily routines.  Spring is the time for renewal and growth.  So get up, recharge, and get moving again.

I read the other day about the healing benefits of Apricots and wanted to share that information along with any easy recipe with you.

Apricots contain vitamin A, a nutrient that promotes healthy skin and good vision. They are a good source of fiber and contain the cancer fighting nutrient Lycopene.

20 dried apricots serve up 7.5mg of Iron, that’s 42% of the recommended daily allowance.

When selecting dried apricots consider choosing organic; conventional apricots are usually preserved with sulfites which may cause adverse reactions in some individuals.

Apricot Almond bars:
1/3 cup of dry roasted almonds

2/3 cup of whole oats

¾ cup of raisins

1 cup of dried apricots cut into small pieces

4 tbsp of orange juice

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

2 tbsp of flax seeds

1. Roast oats in a toaster oven on 350 F for approximately 20 minutes or until lightly toasted
2. Put the raisins apricots, and orange juice into a food processor and puree until the mixture is smooth.  Pour the puree into a large mixing bowl.
3. Put the nuts, oats and seeds into the processors and mix until finely chopped. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the fruit puree.
4. Stir the ingredients until they are well mixed.    Line a 7 in x 10 in baking pan with wax paper.

Spread the mixture evenly in the pan.  Chill for 3 hours until solid.  Turn the solid mixture out of pan and peel off the wax paper. Cut into bars

The first National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month was proclaimed in September 2010 and endorsed again by President Obama this year.  Public Health experts describe the childhood obesity epidemic as one of the greatest health and economic challenges of the 21^st century.  Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has called for personal responsibility. Public health officials are asking schools to intensify their efforts to promote increased levels of exercise and healthy eating habits.

Dr Oz aired a show asking: “Is it child abuse to have an overweight kid?” Dr Oz reminds us that over weight children become over weight adults with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Over weight children do not perform as well as normal weight children in school. Another pediatric expert, Dr. David Ludwig, suggests taking away extremely obese children from their parent’s home.

I began asking my friends and neighbors: who is to blame for children getting fat? The typical answer was “Their parents!”  Really? As a registered nurse, fitness instructor and mom, I am forever at the podium or gym promoting exercise and healthy eating. However, I still have to contend with the requests of “please mommy can I have it?” Yesterday I wanted to scream when I saw a television ad claiming that three cookies for breakfast contained as much fiber as a bowel of oatmeal.” Are you kidding me?  Cookies for breakfast?  How can good old-fashioned oatmeal compete with that? I agree that it is my responsibility to keep my child healthy. I also find I am fighting an uphill battle when computers games, fast food, and chunks of sugar called cereal are calling my child’s name.

More than 23 million children and teenagers in this country are considered over weight or obese. Three million receive prescription medication for high cholesterol. The obesity rate for children has alarmingly tripled since 1980. The Federal government and my school district have taken steps to help solve this public health problem.  First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative focuses on low fat recipes for eating, and has even recruited pop star Beyonce to offer up dance moves to keep adults and children moving.

Many doctors express frustration regarding the care of overweight children. They listen to parents that have to beg, bargain, and hide food from children that are over eating. Pediatricians have taken a further stance against companies peddling foods high in fat, sugar, and empty calories.  The Academyof Pediatricsrecently called on congress to act in the interest of protecting our children from such advertisements. Doctors are concerned that TV ads condition children to prefer and request high fat and high sugar foods. They also suggest that poor snacking habits while watching television may contribute to weight gain. Another advocacy group (www.ewg.org) reports food giants such as Pepsi and Kraft are lobbying the government to remove health and nutrition guidelines for responsible advertising. In 2006, 1.6 billion dollars in ads was spent targeting junk food to our children.

Here are some things we all can do to assure that our children stay healthy:

Move your body.  Most health organizations recommend 60 minutes of physical activity for children and adults EVERY day!  The American Heart Association has softened their stance and asks for a mere 30 minutes a day. This time can be split up during the day so children may play at recess, and then take a walk with parents after school or dinner.  Good news! Researchers found that exercise games such as Dance, Dance Revolution helped kids burn more calories than walking on a treadmill. My family loves dancing with Michael Jackson on the Wii. Many parents drive their kids to an athletic event, sit there, and watch them.  It would be nice to see more programs where families exercise together.   I was at the park the other day and only counted 12 children on the playground.  Upper Merionis so fortunate to have the gift of a strong Parks and Recreation Department.  We have ball fields and parks that other cities would regard with envy. In a society scheduled with organized classes and video games, we forget the value of playing tag and hanging from the monkey bars.

Change school policy

Studies show that recess is crucial to healthy childhood development.  Our school lunch period only provides 40 minutes to eat and play. The kids tell me that they are barely finished eating, when the bell rings to end recess. My daughter has gym class once a week even though the exercise recommendation is for at least 30 minutes a day. Fit kids equal smarter kids.  Research has also shown that school based fitness programs improve test scores and academic performance.

Portion Control (see http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ ), a program sponsored by the government, focuses on enjoying our food but simply eating less of it.  They provide an easy guideline that divides your plate into sections. Half of your plate should be filled with brightly colored fruits and vegetables and the remaining portion is for lean protein and whole grains. We are over feeding our kids.  I know this is a complex subject since there are still children in our country living at the level of poverty. However, children from lower income families are the most likely to be obese. Our abundant society has provided access to restaurants and stores serving up super sized portions of food loaded with fat, sugar, and salt.

This brings me to the subject of special occasions. When I was a kid, we enjoyed a slice of cake at birthday parties. Halloween candy usually lasted a few months since it was our responsibility to save our pennies, walk to the corner, and buy more.  Today there is a party for every reason and season. At Birthday parties we give kids cake, pizza, AND a bag of candy.  At a sporting event, I watched a young child fill her plate with orange cheese puffs, a large piece of cake covered with sugary frosting, and potato chips. Did I mention that there were celery and carrots at the party but I did not see one child with veggies on their plate.

It takes a village to raise a child.  Educating young people to become and stay healthy will foster citizens that will be the best and brightest leaders of society.

I first thought about heart disease 24 years ago.

My dad was being admitted to the hospital for triple bypass surgery. He was 46 years old.

A few years later I started nursing school. To make ends meet and score a free membership to the gym, I began teaching weekly aerobic and weight training classes.

Several years after working as a nurse, I landed a job in cardiology at The University of Pennsylvania Hospital. I saw men and women who were no longer able to take a shower without getting short of breath.

I performed testing on patients that were given the diagnosis of heart disease at the ripe age of 40. Working with extremely sick hearts further pushed my conviction to live a healthier life through diet and exercise.

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women over the age of 40. Every year more than 400,000 women die from heart disease in the United States.

For many of us, it is a daily struggle, especially after having children, to maintain an ideal body weight. We are busy taking care of others and consider ourselves last. We often eat food on the run that has too many calories and little nutritional value. We go to bed at night exhausted, having let another day go by without moving our bodies in a healthy fashion.

Last winter I was feeling a little depressed and still carrying those few extra pounds of “baby weight.” I made a New Year’s resolution to go to the gym and work harder to get back in shape. My daughter is now eight, so child care is no longer an issue. I thought to myself, “no more excuses.” I was ready for a change. I cautiously entered my local health club to check out a Zumba class. I was a big fan of Latin dance (and Ricky Martin), so I figured it might be fun. The teacher turned on the music and I was hooked.

That was a year ago. I am now happier and 8 lbs. lighter.

Exercise is one way to be good to your heart.

In fact, physical inactivity is considered a major risk factor for developing heart disease.

According to the American Heart Association, there are other lifestyle changes that may lower the risk of developing this deadly disease.

Quit smoking — Smokers are twice as likely to die from sudden cardiac death as non-smokers.

Reduce high blood pressure — high blood pressure requires your heart to pump harder.

This may eventually increase your risk of heart attack, kidney failure and stroke.

Reduce high cholesterol and triglycerides — Know your numbers. You should discuss with your doctor your good vs. bad cholesterol. Your HDL or good cholesterol should be 50 mg/dL or higher. Most experts agree that LDL or bad cholesterol should be less than 100 mg/dL.

Triglycerides, a measurement of the amount of fat in your blood should be 150 mg/dL or less.

Lose weight — If you have excess body fat (especially around the waist) you are more likely to develop heart disease and stroke even if you do not have the other risk factors.

Eat less and fill half of your plate with vegetables. Choose healthier fats and proteins such as salmon, chicken and beans.

Control you blood sugar — Individuals with diabetes are at greater risk for heart attack and stroke.

Regarding sugar consumption, the American Heart Association has also asked that you consume no more than 100-150 calories a day from added sugar such as those found in soda and snack foods. Consuming high amounts of these foods can significantly contribute to obesity and poor cholesterol numbers which may increase the incidence of heart disease.

In my twenties, I was the girl that chased people around the store spritzing perfume. Fragrance has been used for many years to invoke feelings of harmony. Advertisers would have us believe a beautiful bottle of perfume will help you get the right guy and end up with a glamorous career. I love to smell “pretty”, but at what cost? Are we jeopardizing the health of ourselves and children in the process?

Scientist Shanna Swan studied the urine of 106 mothers during pregnancy. She later examined the babies at 12months. Boys whose mothers had the highest phthalate levels were more likely to have smaller penises and undescended testicles. Other studies have been conducted in animals. These tests suggest that phthalates can interfere with sex hormones. You can find the entire article at USA Today: Exposure to chemical may affect genitals of baby boys.

The Environmental Working Group(www.ewg.org) conducted a study and found phthalates along with other hormone disruptors in the urine of teenage girls aged 14-19. When scientist Jane Houlihan first started researching cosmetics for EWG, she found that several beauty products contained phtalates, but were not listed on the label as an ingredient.

So what can you do? For starters you can make your own perfume using all natural essential oils. You can buy fragrance that has signed the compact for safe cosmetics and are listed as safe on EWG’s Skin Deep data base www.cosmeticsdatabase.com.

My favorite phthalate and paraben free fragrance line is from www.pacificaperfume.com.
I have tried two yummy, fruity scents: Hawaiian Ruby Guava and Tuscan Blood Orange. I also like two earthy blends: Mexican Cocoa and Tibetan Mountain Temple. I prefer the fragrance spray and body butters,but they also make a solid perfume. The price is good too $22.00 for a small spray and less than $20.00 for a body butter.

Try this simple recipe to make your own uplifting blend:

For some of the finest organic essential oils I use www.moutainroseherbs.com you can also find spray and dropper bottles here.

6 drops of Lavender essential oil
6 drops of grapefruit essential oil
4 drops of tangerine essential oil

Combine drops of each oil in a glass bottle with one once of 100 proof vodka.
Let blend age a few weeks in a dark place, then enjoy!

Researchers assessed cough frequency and severity, and sleep quality of both child and parent as assessed by surveys completed by parents. For most symptoms, honey scored 15 to 39% better than Dextromethorphan(DM). When I was sick with a cold last winter, my medline search revealed that DM is no more effective than placebo. Remember that DM acts centrally on the brain to inhibit the cough reflex,may be linked to side effects, and has the potential for abuse.

Honey is a bacteria fighter and even has wound healing properties. Some holistic doctors recommend honey to increase resistance to pollen and prevent seasonal allergies. Buckwheat honey is dark brown and typically contains more antioxidants than lighter honeys. According to Herbs for Health http://www.herbsforhealth.com/, buckwheat honey has 5 times more antioxidant strength than light acacia honey.

So what do you have to lose? The next time you or a loved one has a cough grab some yummy honey. I have also include a recipe for honey scones:

Honey -Lemon Scones

2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 egg beaten
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
honey for topping scones

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together flour,oats,baking powder,baking soda and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans.
In a small bowel, whisk together egg, honey,yogurt,lemon juice and vanilla . Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour liquid mixture in the well and mix the center in with the flour mixture to form a soft dough. Coat a 12 inch cast iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray or oil. With floured hands, pat dough into skillet. Score the top into 8 pie-shaped wedges.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm with honey drizzled over the top.

Some companies are using the word “natural” to describe their products when in fact they contain a large number of questionable chemicals. There is no standard to regulate natural beauty products the way the FDA supervises organic food.

Some chemicals to avoid are parabens such as methylparaben and polyparaben, along with sodium laurel sulfate,PEG’s, and phthalates(just to name a few). For a more complete list you can look to the list on the Environmental Working Group www.ewg.org and Stacy Malkan’s book: Not Just a Pretty Face The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry. According to Malkan, the average woman uses a dozen personal care products conatining 168 chemical ingredients every day.

Recently, a few industry leaders met from the Natural Products Association www.naturalproductsassoc.org to set standards for natural products. The association’s certification assures you that products with its seal contain at least 95% natural ingredients, while prohibiting ingredients that have suspected human health risks such as parabens. This certification is certainly a step in the right direction to set standards for this unregulated industry. We will need to watch however, that these companies hold to these standards themselves. I was a bit dismayed when I discovered that Burt’s Bees was bought by Clorax. Burts Bees is one of the companies involved with the Natural Products Association along with Weleda and Aubrey. I am also a little annoyed that some of the companies that belong to the Natural Products Association were using parabens in their products even after animals studies showed they could be harmful. These are some of the “big boys” of the natural health and beauty industries. I try to buy products from small companies that are made locally.

Some smaller companies may not be certified by this association and are still reputable. It is also a good idea to see if the company that you like has signed the pact with the Campaign for safe cosmetics.

My favorite lipstick and lip gloss are made by a small company in Pennsylvania called Honeybee Gardens. I wear a color in the mauve family called San Franciso. The lipstick is moist but stays on well. I also like the lip gloss Viper, “seductive ruby red with a raspberry flavor. The lipstick retails for $9.99 the gloss $8.99. Both products contain natural mineral pigments.

Eczema is described as dry, itchy irritated skin. My daughter would scratch until she was bleeding. Although contact with a substance such as soap or laundry detergent is often blamed, the real culprit may be a food allergy. According to Dr Robert Wood from the Allergy department at John Hopkins, egg is usually the offender. In the case of my daughter, skin prick testing confirmed my suspicion that she was sensitive to milk and wheat. Children with eczema need to limit their exposure to allergens and potential irritants such as chlorine.

Treatment of eczema should also address the underlying causes of the condition. Holistic doctor Mary Bove recommends building up the digestive and immune systems. Other holistic researchers such as David Horribin have found that a fatty acid deficiency is to blame.

My daughter’s skin condition has been under pretty good control. We only resort to occasional hydrocortisone in the summer, when heat and environmental allergens such as pollen and ragweed flare up her condition.

Treatment: Fatty acids in the form of omega 3 from fish and omega 6 from evening primrose oil. You can try a liquid such as Udo’s Perfect Blend with flax and evening primrose oils. Carlson’s has a pleasant tasting liquid fish oil. Several companies now offer fish oil chews, such as Nordic Naturals which is always highly rated. The dose of fish oil for children is usually 200mg a day.

When my daughter was an infant, I rubbed evening primrose from a capsule on her skin, and supplemented my diet with 2 grams of fish oil while she was still breastfeeding. If you are a vegetarian you can use flax seed oil in place of the fish oil, 1-3 teaspoons a day.

Acidophilus powder for children 1/2 to 1 tsp. One brand that has been studied extensively is lactabacillus GG. One study found that pregnant woman supplemented with lactobacillus had a lower incidence of atopic conditions such as eczema.

The Encyclopedia of Natural Healing for Infants and Children by Dr Mary Bove also recommends zinc, 10-30 mg daily and bioflavanoids , 100-500 milligrams daily.
Food sources of bioflavanoids include apples,berries,onions, and red grapes.

Topical creams and salves:

For every day use and to keep skin moisturized, I like California baby Everyday Lotion No Fragrance Super Sensitive. No nut oils,no parabens.

For skin that is getting scaly and red, I use a salve with calendula and olive oil.

Calendula Cream for Face and Body by Farm at Coventry www.farmatcoventry.com

I also like like Un-petroleum Jelly by Alba www.AlbaBotanica.com

When I have more time (ha ha) I am going to start making my own cream and salves.
You can find some good recipes at www.mountainroseherbs.com

Now we may have to worry about high BPA levels causing heart disease. This week The Journal of the American Medical Association published a report involving 1,455 men and woman. The researchers looked at urine levels of BPA. Subjects with the higest concentration of the chemical were three times more likely to have cardiovascular disease and 2.4 times more likely to have diabetes.

Higher urinary concentration of BPA was associated with an increased prevalence of “cardiovascular disease,diabetes,and liver enzyme abnormalities” wrote the researchers led by David Melzer of Peninsua Mediacla school in Exeer, England. ” These findings add to the evidence suggesting adverse effects of low dose BPA in animals.”

For more information see the Washington Post article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/16/AR2008091601037.html?sub=AR.

Remember: NEVER microwave plastic. If you can, remove the food from the container and put in a class containers. We found nice glass food storage containers from Ikea and Crate & Barrel.

According to Dr Andrew Weil, safer plastics include
#1: polethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE) often found in soft drink and water bottles

#2: high-density polyethylene (HDPE) often found in milk and water bottles

#5: polypropylene (PP) often found in yogurt containers and syrup bottles

When we decided to build a home office 3 years ago, I researched the subject of low or no voc paints. VOC refers to Volatile Organic Compounds which may be harmful to health, and can be more serious for pregnant women, small children, and those with chemical sensitivities or respiratory issue such as asthma. According to www.greenbuilder.com, VOC refers to chemicals which evaporate at room temperature. VOC’s are present in all oil-based paints and many latex paints.

Some paint stores may boast products that are “low-VOC”. When I was painting 3 years ago, I went to Benjamin Moore and asked if they had a low voc line. The clerk became annoyed with me and told me that “All paints are low voc nowadays.” These paints may meet the EPA guidelines for reducing ozone formation outside, with no regard to the quality of the indoor air. The Green Building program requires paints have no more than 150gm per liter of voc’s. For those with chemical sensitivities, it is recommended to use less than 1gm per liter or no voc’s.

Three years ago I chose the Harmony no voc line from Sherwin Williams. The paint went on nicely and did not emit an odor. I was disappointed however with the way the paint lacked luster, and did not clean up well after being soiled or marked. I decided to paint again this year and went to my local Home Depot store to try the Freshaire line. The paint looks better, and I was promised by the clerk that it cleans up well and there have been no customer complaints. However, we painted a week ago and the room still has stinky paint smell!

I went on the web site for the Freshaire line to discover that the paint contains vinyl acetate which may cause cancer in rats. So does no voc mean not harmful? I am constantly searching for the best products in this new age of “greenwashing”