Healthy Kids – Natural Awakenings Magazine

Reiki Healing for All

NA — Sat, 07 Dec 2019 12:55:12 +0000

by Ravindar Kaur

First and foremost, it is important to understand what reiki is. Reiki is universal energy that is pure and unconditional. “Rei” represents universal intelligence that flows to where it’s needed. It’s pure, unconditional constant flow everywhere present. Earth, rivers, oceans—there is no place where it is not. “Ki” represents energy in the human body and is the reason for all your organs to function without your efforts. For example, you don’t tell your heart to beat. When ki is blocked, it creates stagnation and dis-ease.

Also vital to understand is that you can only experience the gift of healing if you have fully opened your heart and soul to receive it with deep faith and trust. If you are doubtful about its unconditional love and intelligence, you may not benefit from it. Images, beliefs and misunderstandings are like walls that don’t let the universe show its fullness of blessings to you.

Reiki could be a very crucial and lifesaving skill for parents, or anyone for that matter. It empowers you and opens your abilities to become equipped with healing emotional, mental and even physical health and well-being for yourself and your loved ones.

Reiki also opens up your spiritual path to wisdom and guidance on each level of your life. Your personal and professional relationships improve as you gain deeper trust in life itself.

Come in for a reiki session and reiki circle to gain more understanding of reiki.

Ravindar Kaur is a Brennan Healing Science practitioner, reiki master teacher, meditation teacher and professional artist. She is located at 55 W. Old Country Rd., in Hicksville. For more information, call 516-519-2458.

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The Sunshine in New York Is NOT Enough to Optimize Your Vitamin D Levels!

NA — Fri, 20 Oct 2017 20:32:13 +0000

by Kristine Blanche, RPA-C, M.D., Ph.D.

Vitamin D has always been known as the sunshine vitamin, right?

Unfortunately, for most people, the sun is not enough anymore. I have been checking vitamin D levels for 10 years in every patient that walks through my door. I have found that over the past several years, I am prescribing five times the amount of vitamin D in most of my patients to get the levels to the therapeutic range of 60 to 80. It used to be enough to tell patients to take 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D in the winter, and then make sure to get 10 minutes of summer sun a few times per week. That, combined with a trip or two to somewhere warm during the winter, was enough. This regimen is no longer enough for most of us New Yorkers. I explain it to my patients this way:

When skin is exposed to sunlight, 7-dehydrocholesterol, a hormone in the skin, absorbs UVB radiation and converts it into D3. This is a good thing. We also know that vitamin D3 has diverse properties and numerous important unique biological processes. Now in 2017, even my sun worshipers that spend the winters someplace warm and surf all summer long are not getting enough vitamin D from the sun. Even these bodies need a supplement of vitamin D in pill or liquid form. The amount varies, but for many patients 3,000 to 10,000 IU is necessary for the body to have enough of this vital nutrient. Some of this shortage can be attributed to stress—and we all know that New Yorkers have a lot of stress. But that does not explain why there has been an increase over the past few years, as New York stress is not a new phenomenon. So why are we seeing this increased need for more vitamin D, even in patients that manage their stress or live in sunny areas, like Florida?

Well, I think I have the answer. One day a patient came for a breast thermography, and she had an envious tan in New York in January. Obviously, I asked where she had vacationed, and to my surprise, she said her tanning bed, two times per week religiously for years. I checked her vitamin D, and it was right where it belonged: 70 ng/dl. This was all the more surprising to me because this patient was under a tremendous amount of stress, and did not take any vitamin D. Conventional wisdom, and even my own experiences, had taught me that a tanning bed was never the answer for a healthy person. But it worked. I discussed this conundrum with an environmental engineer from John Hopkins University, and she explained that because of pollution, the UVB rays no longer makes it from the sun to our skin—they are filtered out, so to speak, from the toxins and pollution in our sky. The result for New Yorkers (and for others in highly polluted environments) is troubling because it has become increasingly difficult for the body to get enough vitamin D without taking significant amounts as part of a regular supplement regimen. The other option, of course, is going to a tanning bed twice a week. But as alluring as that may be for some of us, it is not a practical fix for most of us.

Vitamin D is a very important part of living a healthy life and preventing disease. Its benefits are endless, but some of them include:

Cancer prevention

Boosting the immune system function

Manufacturing hormones, like DHEA, progesterone and testosterone

Lowering the risk for autoimmune disease

Preventing the flu

Preventing/treating depression and seasonal affective disorder

Pregnant mothers protecting their unborn children

You need to be very careful with vitamin D and consult your physician or healthcare professional because there are dangers if too much is taken. My recommended treatment is to check vitamin D 25 OH and vitamin D 125 levels twice a year—once in the fall to help calculate your winter dose, and again in the spring to calculate your summer dose.

Vitamin D is an important part of cancer prevention. Numerous studies have shown that healthy levels of vitamin D can help reduce chances of breast, colon and prostate cancer.

So what can you do to make sure your body has enough vitamin D?

Ask your doctor to check your vitamin D 25OH levels.

Keep your vitamin D 25OH level between 60 to 80 ng/dl.

Actively work to decrease your stress.

Share this information with everyone you love (and those you like, and even those you tolerate!).

This month while breast cancer prevention is on everyone’s mind, please get your vitamin D levels checked! It has been proven that therapeutic levels of vitamin D25 OH, between 60 to 90 ng/dl, affect your body’s ability to prevent breast, prostate and colon cancer. We must do all we can to prevent these cancers and protect our health!

Kristine Blanche, RPA-C, Ph.D., M.D., is the owner of Integrative Healing Center, located at 560 Northern Blvd., Ste. 109, in Great Neck. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 516-676-0200 or visit GetIntegrativeHealth.com.

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Mindful Minutes for Little Ones

NA — Thu, 11 Feb 2016 03:30:57 +0000

Yoga Helps Kids Focus and Relax

JULIANNE HALE

American kids’ school, after-school and weekend schedules now rival the hectic pace of their multitasking parents. Like their adult counterparts, youngsters need time to decompress from the pressures of life and be present in their own skin, and yoga provides the tools to accomplish this.

Most adults take to their yoga mat to create harmony in their body and mind, increase flexibility and balance, build muscle tone and strength, and because it makes them feel great. These same benefits apply to children as their developing bodies and minds respond to yoga on a deep level, both on and off the mat.

Start with Watching Breath

“Breathing and mindfulness practices are important for children,” explains Mariam Gates, the Santa Cruz, California, creator of the Kid Power Yoga Program and author of Good Morning Yoga and the upcoming Good Night Yoga. “There is so much that children are not in control of in their everyday lives; to give them a way to physically process their experience, to self-soothe and find their own internal source of strength, is crucial.”

“Having kids experience simply paying attention to their breath as it comes all the way in and moves all the way out can serve them well in every area of their lives going forward,” says Gates. In the classroom, it transfers to learning skills benefited by the ability to focus.

From toddlers to teens, children can have a difficult time processing and controlling their emotions, which are vital life skills. Carla Tantillo, founder of Mindful Practices, a Chicago-area wellness organization, has found that yoga and the practice of mindfulness help children express themselves in constructive ways. She observes, “In any situation, especially in communities where reactivity, impulsiveness and violent solutions are modeled, yoga empowers children to pause and take a breath so they can own what’s happened, move through it and move on.”

“I like yoga because it makes me feel like there is calm all around me,” says 8-year-old Biko Cooper.

Dee Marie, the Boulder, Colorado, founder and executive director of Calming Kids, a nonprofit program that integrates yoga into the classroom to foster a nonviolent atmosphere, says, “When a child learns through yoga how to feel a sense of themselves and begins to understand their self-worth and stand tall in their power, they can begin to regulate their breath and their emotions.”

These invaluable skills stay with children through adulthood.

Step into Yoga Together

Educators are starting to take notice of yoga’s benefits for children, including those with attention deficit disorders or autism, but yoga practice is still rare among school-age children. As encouragement, “Make it fun,” advises Gates. “It’s essential to create experiences that feel accessible and enjoyable for kids. They must feel empowered to do it themselves and take over the experience.”

Six-year-old Carmen Wheeler likes doing yoga with her dad. “Yoga gets me feeling strong and it really calms me down,” she says. Music can help children relax and focus during their practice. Soothing basic instrumentals are good to start; an Internet search for yoga music for kids reveals many options.

Parents can assist by incorporating yoga into a child’s daily bedtime ritual. “Do whatever they are willing to do with them,” counsels Marie. “Start by lying on the bedroom floor, doing stretches and focusing on breathing. Then move to the bed and teach some relaxation and visualization techniques.”

Marie cautions parents against insisting that their child’s yoga practice mirror their own. “We have to meet children where they are.” Adults think that yoga has to look a certain way, but sometimes children don’t necessarily want to do the postures we’re familiar with. The best teaching reaches each individual child in a way that resonates with them because yoga is a lifestyle, not an exercise regimen,” she says. Yoga novices and parents that prefer specific guidance can take advantage of local studio classes for children and families or use DVDs, online streaming services and instruction books.

Kevin Day, age 5, regularly starts his days with a Boat pose. “I like it because you can do it with a friend,” he says.

Lisa Flynn, the Dover, New Hampshire, founder and chief executive officer of ChildLight Yoga and Yoga 4 Classrooms, is optimistic about the future. “In 10 years, I envision social and emotional learning, yoga, and mindfulness integrated at every school and mandated by educational policy,” she says. In addition to improved physical, social, emotional and cognitive health and wellness of the students, teachers and parents, she foresees “a positive shift in the overall school climate.”
Julianne Hale is a freelance writer and Natural Awakenings franchise magazine editor in Cleveland, TN.

Cultivating Mindfulness in the Classroom

BY JULIANNE HALE

When Scott Frauenheim, director of the Chicago

International Charter School (CICS) West Belden, noticed that some students in his kindergarten through eighth grade urban classrooms were not fully engaged, he decided to focus the 2014-2015 school year on mindfulness for both students and faculty. He enlisted the help of Mindful Practices, a Chicago-based school wellness organization founded by Carla Tantillo.

Using the strategies Tantillo recommends in her book Cooling Down Your Classroom, teachers were taught to involve students in mindful minutes—short bursts of simple yoga poses, breathing exercises and other techniques—to cultivate mindfulness. The initiative proved to be powerful and helpful, explains Frauenheim. “Soon students were able to identify areas of personal need throughout the day and cultivate mindfulness within themselves using what they learned.”

The program concluded last year, but CICS West Belden teachers and students continue to use designated time to practice mindfulness in the morning and as a classroom mental reset when they notice that students are distracted or unfocused during the day. Mindful Practices’ innovative programs have achieved similar success in other elementary, middle and high schools in the Chicago area.

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Kristen Bell on Planet-Friendly Living

NA — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 14:14:06 +0000

Eco-Activist Actress Takes Steps that Make a Difference

GERRY STRAUSS

From Veronica Mars to Forgetting Sarah Marshall, her face is unmistakable. Thanks to the worldwide popularity of Frozen, her voice is now unforgettable, as well. Kristen Bell, though, believes the greatest contribution she can make is embodying an eco-friendly lifestyle together with her husband, actor Dax Shepard, and their two daughters, finding ways to help the planet survive and thrive for generations to come.

Which core beliefs catalyze your passion for consciously stewarding the environment?

I wholeheartedly believe: Every problem has a solution. We are all global citizens. Kindness is always in fashion. We have to laugh at ourselves. There is strength in forgiveness. Honesty without tact is cruelty. No one can make me feel inferior without my consent. Ultimately, we are responsible for one another and for the creatures and places around us.

I felt good about caring for the world around me before I had kids, but now I also derive a ton of self-esteem from being a good example for them.

How has celebrity supported your role in speaking out on behalf of your favorite causes?

I have the rare gift of a public platform, which is amazing to me, since I felt so small and unheard as a child. Social media can be a megaphone, so I use it to be a conduit to support causes I believe in. People don’t have to listen… but when they do, helpful things happen.

My approach is to spotlight an issue while also shedding light on a solution. I particularly like talking about childhood malnutrition and telling people about ThisBarSavesLives (ThisBarSavesLives.com), which donates a life-saving nutritional packet to a child in need every time we buy this organic, gluten-free snack bar. I love their motto, “We eat together.”

What Earth-friendly actions do you and your family embrace in day-to-day living?

Our fun time revolves around being active outdoors. We love hiking as a family, walking a mile to dinner or biking along the river. We often go exploring and make up outdoor games such as: How far can you jump? How far can I throw this? and Let’s race! The kids like to get dirty and my husband and I like to breathe fresh air at the end of a workday. We have a garden where the girls and I are learning about growing and caring for edible plants and how to cook what we grow. Our thumbs aren’t very green just yet but we are trying.

As PETA’s “Sexiest Vegetarian Celebrities” of 2013, why are you and Dax convinced that healthy vibrancy doesn’t rely on eating meat?

I have been a vegetarian since I was 11. I have never wanted to eat meat, even before I knew the positive environmental effects of a vegetarian diet. People need to be conscious of what they are eating. Most edible supermarket items aren’t real food. I like knowing where my meal comes from and who handles it. It makes both my mind and body feel better.

How did the animated film Frozen enable you to reach a larger young audience than ever before?

My goal with the character Anna was to play an imperfect princess, giving voice to the heroine I had been searching for when I was young: Someone who was awkward, clumsy, optimistic, too talkative, caring and didn’t have perfect posture. I wanted girls that feel like they don’t always fit in to have a fearless heroine to identify with. I want to be a real-life Anna, someone who doesn’t apologize for her flaws and stands up for herself and others because she’s strong.

Thanks to Frozen, I have been invited to do more projects that reach young people. I hope to extend my voice as a trustworthy source supporting projects that can benefit them.

You are passionate about the universal need for water conservation. What steps has your own family taken to be water-conscious?

Living in California and dealing with drought firsthand teaches about water conservation by necessity. We carefully consider how the food we eat directly impacts water use; we all understand that producing meat and dairy is water intensive. Replacing our lawn with AstroTurf cut our household water bill dramatically. We never run water from the tap when we are brushing our teeth, and always ‘let it mellow if it’s yellow’, that is, flush selectively. We even reuse the water used to sterilize baby bottles to water houseplants.

Gerry Strauss is a freelance writer in Hamilton, NJ. Connect at GerryStrauss@aol.com.

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What’s Your Child’s EQ?

NA — Mon, 16 Nov 2015 13:58:54 +0000

Six Ways to Raise Emotional Intelligence

TEAL SWAN

Much of our identity is shaped in childhood by key events and the emotions and perspectives we associate with them.

All Emotions Count

Emotional intelligence, sometimes referred to as EQ, is often overlooked as a skill set in today’s world. The recent animated film Inside Out calls attention to effective ways of addressing a child’s journey by embracing and better understanding their emotions; particularly those that don’t feel positive.

A recent study by the London School of Economics Centre for Economic Performance found that a child’s emotional health is far more important in determining future happiness than factors such as academic success or wealth. Parents can help ensure a healthy emotional upbringing by avoiding making three mistakes.

Disapproval of a child’s emotions: This involves being critical of a child’s displays of negative emotion and reprimanding or punishing the child for expressing them.

Dismissing a child’s emotions: This comes across as regarding a child’s emotions as unimportant, either through ignoring their emotions, or worse, trivializing them.

Offering little relevant guidance: While parents may empathize, they don’t set limits on behavior or assist each child in understanding and coping with their emotions.

Recipe for a High EQ

Parents can successfully form deeper connections with their kids by recognizing, respecting and acknowledging their emotional range, rather than telling kids they should feel a certain way. Telling someone how they should or shouldn’t feel only teaches them to distrust themselves and that there’s something wrong with them. As a communication aid, Inside Out may speak best to older children, because younger viewers may get the erroneous impression that emotions can control them, rather than that they can control their own emotional reactions.

The recipe for healthy bonding and emotional development is for all parties to model how they value the importance of each other’s feelings and respectfully listen for the feelings behind the words. In opening ourselves to being understood, we open ourselves to understanding others. Good parenting involves emotion. Good relationships involve emotion. The bottom line is that emotions matter.

We all struggle with negative emotions from time to time, and the way we address and deal with them influences our emotional health. The goal is to develop a trustworthy emotional connection with the other person that is important to us, which enhances intimacy and the effectiveness of the relationship in accomplishing good. Using this six-part process of helpful concrete steps applies equally to the children and adults in our lives.

• Become aware of the other person’s emotions.

• Care about the other person by seeing their emotions as valid and important.

• Listen empathetically to better understand the way they feel, allowing them to feel safe to be vulnerable without fear of judgment. Seek to understand, rather than to agree or redirect.

• Acknowledge and validate their feelings. We don’t need to validate that the thoughts they have about their emotions are correct; instead, simply let them know that it’s valid to feel the way that they do. For example, if a friend says, “I feel useless,” we could validate them by saying, “I can see how you might feel that way.”

• Allow the person to experience their emotions fully before moving toward any kind of improvement. We cannot impose our idea of when they should be ready or able to feel differently. This is when we practice unconditional presence and unconditional love. We are there as support, without trying to fix them or anything else. Don’t be offended if they don’t accept support that’s offered at this time. A benevolent power is inherent in offering love that exists regardless of what someone does or does not do with it.

• Help the other person to strategize ways to manage the reactions they might be having to their emotions after—and only after—their feelings have been validated, acknowledged and fully felt. This is when we can assert new ways of looking at a situation that may improve the way another person is feeling. This is when advice may be offered.

When done successfully, this process can transform a conflict encountered in a relationship into solid gold.

Teal Swan is the author of Shadows Before Dawn: Finding the Light of Self-Love Through Your Darkest Times, on how healing hidden wounds reveals our authentic selves (TealSwan.com). Inside Out will be released next month on DVD.

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Animal Friends Soothe Autistic Children

NA — Tue, 10 Nov 2015 13:42:09 +0000

Relief for Stressful Social Situations

According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) now affects about 1 in every 68 children in the U.S., up from 1 in 150 in 2000. This includes 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls. Contact with animals may help ameliorate this troubling trend. A recent study of 114 children between 5 and 12 years old has found that autistic children having greater contact with animals have less anxiety related to social situations.

The research was led by Marguerite O’Haire, Ph.D., from the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at the College of Veterinary Medicine of Purdue University, in West Lafayette, Indiana. Colleagues from the School of Psychology at the University of Queensland, in Brisbane, Australia, also participated in the study.

The researchers divided the 114 children into 38 groups of three. Each group had one ASD child and two children without ASD. Skin conductance, which provides an objective way for researchers to gauge social anxiety, was measured among the children as they read silently and aloud. As expected, skin conductance was significantly higher among the ASD children as they read aloud in front of their peers. In successive sessions, when researchers introduced pet guinea pigs for the children to pet prior to their readings, the ASD children’s skin conductance levels dropped significantly.

“Previous studies suggest that in the presence of companion animals, children with autism spectrum disorders function better socially,” says James Griffin, Ph.D., of the Child Development and Behavior Branch of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. “This study provides physiological evidence that the proximity of animals eases the stress that children with autism may experience in social situations.”

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Academic Wellness and Your Child

NA — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 11:33:03 +0000

The beginning of the school year can be a very exciting time for students. Connecting with old friends, learning new things and making a fresh start are things students look forward to. However, for students of all ages and in all grade levels, it can also be a very stressful time. Transitioning from one grade to another, or even one school to another, can be extremely challenging, as can managing school work, social pressures, and tests and exams.

Academic Wellness helps students deal with school stress and anxiety. Techniques such as writing therapy and breathing exercises for relaxation, as well as time management and organizational skills can ease academic stress and anxiety. When students are taught these techniques and skills and work toward achieving academic wellness, they become more successful in school.

For more information on Academic Wellness, contact Paulette Nadel, Ed.D., at 516-445-2104 or DrPaulette@aol.com, or visit TestStressHelp.com.

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The Sports Triad—a Must Read

NA — Sat, 01 Aug 2015 22:33:56 +0000

Dr. Robert Kleinwaks is an expert performance coach and author, who practiced sports medicine and sports nutrition for more than 20 years and owned one of the largest health and wellness centers on Long Island, New York . He received his doctor of chiropractic degree in 1983, graduating magna cum laude, and has completed extensive post-graduate study on sports injuries, nutrition, and success principles.

Roughly seven years ago, Dr. Kleinwaks was diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma. A lymphoma so serious that oncologists told him there wasn’t a cure, but they could possibly control the cancer and hope for a remission. Kleinwaks knew then that he would have to find a way to heal himself and that the answer was to do it naturally and get to the “root of the problem.” For the next full year, Kleinwaks tried every conceivable natural therapy under the sun with little or no response. Against his beliefs, he eventually started the traditional chemotherapy treatments, but after three sessions with little response, he stopped.

With his back against the wall, he got a call from a dentist friend, who recommended that he remove all of his root canals and fillings, based on the assumption that they were not compatible with his body. With nothing to lose, Kleinwaks had them removed, had the necessary lab work done to determine what dental materials would be compatible, and had the dental work done. Seven weeks later, Kleinwaks had Cat scans performed and the tumors were gone. A tumor the size of a small football disappeared!

This experience motivated Kleinwaks to write a book and he started lecturing to sports groups and coaches, on the mental and nutritional steps needed to maximize health and performance naturally. He also started lecturing to big businesses, teaching them the same success principles, helping them to perform at their highest levels and creating excellence in their lives .

Kleinwaks’s book, The Sports Triad, teaches three universal principles that anyone, not just athletes, can use to maximize performance and strive to be their very best. All competition and performance in any sport or in life involves these three very important principles that Kleinwaks refers to as the Triad.

The three principles of the triad include; a nutritional component, a mental component, and last but not least a physical component. When it comes to the nutritional component of the triad, Kleinwaks focuses on how certain foods and supplements can affect an individual’s life by improving their energy, focus, endurance, sleep patterns and overall health. According to Kleinwaks, the mental aspect of the triad can be the trickiest. It’s this part that teaches people how to overcome self-limiting beliefs, how to be more positive, and how to deal with and react to stresses put on them by life and competition. The physical aspect of the triad focuses on what an individual sees when he/she looks in the mirror. This is often the thing that drives people to seek professional help. Usually human nature dictates that the physical is the first thing people want to change, but in reality, is the least important part of the triad. That being said, Kleinwaks believes it’s actually easier to work on the physical when people have mastered the nutritional and mental aspects of the triad.

Currently, Dr.Kleinwaks is working with top athletes, business professionals, coaches, parents and anyone interested in taking their health and life to a new level, by teaching them how to maximize health and performance naturally.

Source: Dr. Robert Kleinwaks is available for one-on-one or group coaching by appointment. For more information, call 516-200-5400 or visit EatAndThink2Win.com and mention Natural Awakenings to receive 20 percent off a one on one coaching session. Dr. Robert Kleinwaks is an expert performance coach and author, who has practiced sports medicine and sports nutrition for more than 20 years. He received his doctor of chiropractic degree in 1983, graduating magna cum laude, and has completed extensive post-graduate study on sports injuries and nutrition.

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Stress Less and Parent More

NA — Tue, 09 Jun 2015 20:58:02 +0000

by Sahra Y. Robinson, LCSW-R

Parenting should come with a stress-management manual; while it is enormously rewarding and fulfilling, it is also very stressful. Some stress can be helpful, giving us the motivation and focus to face challenges and get things done; however, too much stress can be overwhelming, making it difficult to cope with everyday life. Parents’ ability to manage their “own” stress is a powerful predictor of their children’s well-being. When parents become stressed, that stress becomes contagious. Kids know when their parents are tense and overwhelmed. In fact, according to holistic physician Dr. Amy Saltzman, “Data shows that the greatest source of childhood and adolescent stress is not schoolwork, extracurricular activities or peer pressure but parental stress.” The key to successful parenting is learning to manage our “own” stress. Parents of children diagnosed with a behavioral disorder or developmental disability are at an increased risk of parenting stress.

What are effective ways to manage parenting and stress?

Mindfulness: Dr. Mark Bertin, a board certified developmental/behavioral pediatrician, says that “mindfulness minimizes stress so we can parent at our best.” Mindfulness is defined as the ability to pay attention to our experiences with openness and without reactive judgements. When parents practice mindfulness, they not only reduce their stress but are also able to make better decisions and “respond” to their children’s behavior rather than “reacting” to it. We should listen first, breathe, and then respond.

Increase quality time with the family: Spending more quality time together improves the parent-child relationship. Planning is one of the more effective ways to manage stress. It’s essential to re-engineer family time so that time is best spent together. We should have fun with our kids. It’s important to remember that not everything we do with our children has to be for academic enrichment. Even just 20 minutes a week can give us a well-needed respite from the stressors of everyday life.
Make time for ourselves: It can be easy to forget to make time for ourselves. We need to make a list of all that we enjoy, and try to do one thing on the list every day or every couple of days. We also have to learn to say “no.” We must be selective about the projects we agree to help others with and re-assess if our kids really need to be involved in five different sports in less than five days. It’s also important to get enough rest. We should try setting a bedtime rule for ourselves like we do for our kids.

Develop a support network: This is an essential step for all parents. We all need help at some point, and it pays to have a system in place before we need it. We should be proactive in arranging to have extra help. Whether we hire a reliable babysitter, barter services with other parents or seek out help from friends or family, it is essential to take this step. Getting together with other parents that all have kids close in age is beneficial socially for the grownups as well as the children.

Despite our best efforts to manage our parenting stress, sometimes things will inevitably be too much to deal with on our own or with our support systems. When we can recognize that we are feeling overwhelmed, we need to take action. We should consider enlisting the help of a licensed mental health professional.

We need to always remember that “everything can be done better from a relaxed state of mind.”

Serenity Zone is a Long Beach-based psychotherapy and stress-management practice. Its team of licensed psychotherapists use therapeutic modalities coupled with effective stress-management teachings, like MBSR (mindfulness based stress reduction). Team members incorporate numerous relaxation techniques (light and sound therapy, progressive muscle relaxation, breathing techniques, meditation, visualization and guided imagery) into their work. They treat children, adolescents and adults as individuals, groups, couples or families.

Sahra Y. Robinson, LCSW-R, is the owner of Serenity Zone—located at 120 West Park Ave., Long Beach—and a proud mom.

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Repairing the Thyroid

NA — Mon, 01 Jun 2015 20:44:11 +0000

In last month’s issue, we addressed how most thyroid problems arise. We will now focus on how to repair this problem. “Most thyroid issues arise from an autoimmune process,” explains Dr. David Pollack, of Pollack Wellness Institute, in Commack. “The immune system starts attacking thyroid-related compounds manufactured by the liver. The process generally worsens over time, particularly with the most common conventional treatments.”

An important question, says Pollack, is how does the autoimmune process begin? “There are
a variety of different onsets to an autoimmune process, but many begin with the digestive tract,”
says Pollack. “Over our lifetime, various stresses begin to break down the lining of the digestive
tract. Poor food choices, emotional stress, years of toxicity and physical traumas, injuries and
postural imbalances wear down the body’s ability to heal.” According to Pollack, these chronic stresses alter the body’s fundamental balance of hormones, particularly that of cortisol, the hormone that controls immune response, among other functions. This breakdown is now involving the adrenal glands, small intestines, liver, thyroid, immune systems, and lymphatic system, among others.

“The process to repair the thyroid is to fix the dysfunctional organs, often in the order of breakdown,” explains Pollack. “Beginning with optimizing digestion, detoxifying and cleansing the body, calming the immune system and balancing hormones. These fixes can be done with the appropriate and orderly use of herbs and enzymes to bring the body back to homeostasis.

A big mistake is often to treat many diseases by cleansing the liver first, and often this is a poor choice. Many people get sick from self-prescribed detoxes because their body isn’t really in the right shape to heal. They thus report they gain no ground with these detoxes, or worse, feel sick from them. Detoxes done correctly should be without ill effect if the body is working well and strong.”

According to Pollack, treating the thyroid requires a comprehensive approach of assessing and repairing the many systems of the body physically, chemically, and often even emotionally, to bring the thyroid and the rest of the body to balance. Always use the assistance of an experienced holistic doctor when engaging in complex systems and the use of medical herbs.

Source: Dr. David Pollack. Location: Pollack Wellness Institute (formerly Creating Wellness Center) is located at 66 Commack Rd., Commack. For more information, call 631- 462-0801 or visit CreatingWellnessLI.com.

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Kids Love Veggies

NA — Thu, 14 May 2015 01:15:07 +0000

How to Instill Healthy Lifelong Habits

CLANCY CASH HARRISON

Starting at conception, the early years of a child’s life are a perfect window of opportunity to establish a foundation of healthy eating.
Want a child to love veggies? Here are simple tips parents can practice in the first three years to establish lifelong good eating habits.

Start early. We all know that eating healthy during pregnancy will help a baby grow, but many may not realize that an infant can taste flavors in utero and through breast milk. Eating a variety of fresh produce during pregnancy and breastfeeding helps shape a healthy diet later in life.

Treat weaning as a time for the infant to explore the texture, taste and aroma of an array of foods. After six months of exclusive breastfeeding, food can be introduced, although breast milk is still the primary source of nutrients. Small, repeated exposures to many foods during this stage will help minimize refusals to try or accept foods in the toddler years.

Children’s foods should be exploding with nutrients. Offering a variety of organic produce ensures optimal nutrition and decreases chemical exposure. Research reported by the Harvard Medical School and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, among others, shows that richly colored foods help build dense bones, powerful brains and tough immunity. Good candidates include butternut squash, sweet potatoes, leafy greens, carrots, broccoli, berries and citrus. Also go for those naturally high in iron, such as peas, leafy greens, apricots, raisins and legumes. Avoid anything high in sugar and other sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, artificial colorings and other harmful additives.

Keep it fun, so that your kids will try new things like vegetables. Remember, it takes 12 times before a baby actually prefers a new food, so don’t give up!
~Veronika Van de Geer Buckley, Maine mother

Another important yet often overlooked foundation of healthy eating is encouraging a child to self-regulate his or her calorie intake. Self-regulation starts on the first day of breastfeeding and is carried through adulthood. Respecting a child’s decision to end a meal allows them to control their own food intake. Common signals infants use to end a meal include turning their head away, arching back, throwing food on the floor and showing an interest in other activities. To encourage self-regulation, always serve meals and healthy snacks on a schedule and allow the child to feed himself when possible.

As early as 7 months of age, most healthy infants are developmentally ready to do this, which should optimize nutrient consumption, increase participation in family meals and contribute to a less stressful mealtime. Appropriate foods for self-feeding should easily melt in an infant’s mouth and be a safe size, such as soft fruits and cooked vegetables. To prevent choking, avoid round, hard and sticky foods such as whole grapes, peanuts, popcorn and nut or seed butters.

Don’t be afraid to add mild herbs and spices to a child’s food. An easy way to teach healthy flavor preferences, develop taste buds and reduce pickiness when they’re older is to expose children to many foods, textures and aromas. A dash of cumin in smashed avocado or freshly chopped mint mixed with diced strawberries introduces new perspective on a favorite food.

It’s important to give the child the same food that the family eats, but in smaller servings. This allows the child to watch others eat and enjoy the same meal.
~Maria Myers Maiden, North Carolina mother

Food refusal is inevitable, normal behavior. Children will love a food one day and hate it the next. Rethinking the definition of variety empowers parents to reintroduce a not-so-favorite food many times. If children don’t like the way an item feels or looks, they may not taste it. The refusal of a carrot doesn’t necessarily doom carrots. They can be coined, minced, mashed, puréed and diced to change the texture, plus they can be served cold, at room temperature or tepid.

A child’s early adventurous eating increases the willingness to experiment with a wider range of less familiar foods as a young adult in a multicultural foodscape. Kids are not born reciting an alphabet; it takes time and practice to read and learn a new language. Similarly, it requires time and patient practice to establish a healthy foundation for eating. Have faith in the family’s ability to make eating together
Clancy Cash Harrison is a mother of two, pediatric feeding therapist, registered dietitian and author of Feeding Baby: Simple Approaches to Raising a Healthy Baby and Creating a Lifetime of Nutritious Eating. Connect atFieldsOfFlavor.com.

Easy Kid-Pleasing Recipes

These recipes are designed to build dense bones, powerful brains and tough immunity by strategically pairing foods to increase the absorption of vital nutrients. Even toddlers love to use the creamy recipes as dips for their favorite vegetable sticks. To encourage self-feeding with a thinner-texture recipe, place food on a spoon and let the infant lean into it or pull the spoon to their mouth.

Sweet and Chunky Avocado

½ ripe organic avocado, mashed with a fork
½ ripe organic banana
Pinch of organic cinnamon (optional)

Mix ingredients well until smooth and creamy. Add breast milk to thin as needed. For more texture, dice the banana and gently mix into mashed avocado.

Basil and Banana

1 tsp finely chopped fresh organic basil
½ diced organic banana

In a blender, mix all ingredients until smooth. Add breast milk to thin as needed.

Cinnamon Smashed Sweet Potatoes

2 Tbsp smashed organic sweet potato
Dash organic cinnamon

Bake sweet potato until its center is soft. Remove flesh from peel. Smashing with a fork, mix in cinnamon. Add breast milk to thin as needed.

Dilled Peas

1/4 tsp organic coconut oil
1 Tbsp organic peas
1 pinch fresh chopped organic dill

In a cast iron skillet, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add peas and cook for 5 minutes, constantly stirring. Toss with dill before serving.

Strawberry and Almond Purée

8 raw, soaked almonds
4 large organic strawberries, diced 1 tsp fresh chopped organic herbs
(basil, cilantro or mint)

Pulse almonds in a blender until finely chopped. Add strawberries and herb of choice. Mix until well blended.

Banana and Coconut Ice Cream

4 frozen organic bananas (without peels)
½ cup unsweetened organic coconut milk
1 tsp organic vanilla extract

In a blender, mix all ingredients until smooth. Top with fresh organic berries.
Recipes and photos courtesy of Clancy Cash Harrison from Feeding Baby: Simple Approaches to Raising a Healthy Baby and Creating a Lifetime of Nutritious Eating.

Kid Feeding Tips

BY CLANCY CASH HARRISON

• Holding off on fruits as a first food to prevent development of a sweet tooth is a myth. A sweet taste preference is engrained in an infant’s DNA (Annual Review of Nutrition; Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care).

• Restricting foods high in sugar and fat increases a child’s preference for them. Then, when sweets are made available, the child feels compelled to overeat them (Appetite; The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition;Proceedings of the Nutrition Society).

• Most children will refuse a new food and by age 2, become afraid of anything new. Therefore, introduce a large variety of foods early in life (Appetite; International Journal of Obesity).

• Infants and children can regulate calorie needs based on current growth patterns and age. Some days an infant will eat large amounts of food, on others very little.

• Pressuring a child to eat is a behavior associated with unhealthy eating habits. Not only does it set them up for long-term food aversions, it teaches them to distrust their internal feelings of hunger and fullness, often leading to a habit of overeating.

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