Posts Tagged ‘
health ’
Tuesday, February 19th, 2013
It’s only February and some of our treadmills (mine included) 
have already started collecting dust. Let’s face facts: after a long day, getting the kids to sleep is about as much exercise as our bodies can take. That’s why I’ve decided to start focusing more on my diet, and less on getting 5 workouts in every week.
Two weeks ago, just a day after a pair of my favorite slacks refused to close, I came across the George Foreman “Grills” Weight Loss Challenge. George Foreman grills has partnered with Food Network star, Gina Neely, from Down Home with the Neely’s, to present this new program, which runs from March 4th to May 26th. Sign-up closes March 3rd.
You can sign up for free at GeorgeForemanCooking.com/WeightLoss by March 3rd, and you’ll get a weight loss kit that contains 28 days of meal plans created by Gina. These are 10 minute, low-calorie, delicious grilled meals. Yesterday I made my husband two Southern BBQ Turkey Sliders for lunch. They took 10 minutes to make, and together they were only 332 calories. They were so good; he kept demanding to know where I bought them.
Along with the meal plans, you also get fitness tips including exercises that you can do at home with no extra equipment, a calorie calculator, grocery shopping cheat sheet, food tracker, and restaurant guide. The George Foreman Cooking Facebook page also has an online community where you can get additional support and tips, and interact with other contestants. Perhaps the most exciting thing about the challenge is the chance to win a first place prize of $1,000 prize money and a $500 credit for product from Whole Heath, or a grand prize of $2,500 prize money and a $500 credit for product from Whole Health.
Gina Neeley took the challenge and she looks amazing! When I spoke with her, she said that, in just a few weeks, her palate has gotten so accustomed to the new, healthier meals, that she couldn’t handle the sweetness of her old favorite goodies. I’m ready to make that my story. Rev up your New Year’s resolution with me and sign up!
Thursday, January 24th, 2013
If your child is anything like mine, you probably dread vaccination day. When my then 3-year-old daughter wrapped her arms around me, and used every muscle in her little legs to push off of the examination table sending me flying backward into the hall, I have to admit, I deeply considered skipping the next round. But we pushed through them, and now at five, she’s replaced her fear of needles with a fear of large cotton swabs (a strep test — it’s a long story).
Although we’ve all witnessed a runaway kid or two at the pediatrician’s office, the truth behind this needle nightmare is that one in every 10 Americans has a fear needles, or trypanophobia. Digital health media company, Healthline, has called it an under-reported healthcare crisis. Fear of needles can cause a person to skip vaccinations, which puts everyone’s health at risk.
According to Healthline, needle phobia usually develops around age 4 or 5 with a traumatic immunization experience. And if you told your kid that it wasn’t going to hurt, you can bet his immunization experience was traumatic.
According to Healthline’s CEO West Shell, “The key to ending needle phobia is awareness, education, and action. Needle phobia must be addressed and it must be addressed on large public platforms. Fear of snakes or fear of public speaking doesn’t kill people, but fear of needles does.”
Healthline has recently launched a public health campaign to help put an end to needle phobia. Take the End Needle Phobia Pledge, and help prevent your children from developing needle phobia by telling them the truth: shots help to protect them and others from dangerous diseases, and they hurt – but only for a second.
You can also download the first ever app to help children overcome their fear of needles, Pablo the Pufferfish: Big Shots Game.
Our kids get about 30 shots before they turn 5. It’s time we take steps toward making it easier on all of us.
Image: Worried and Afraid Little Girl Receiving An Injection via Shutterstock
Categories: GoodyBlog, Health & Safety | Tags: doctor, doctors, fear of needles, fear of shots, health, health and safety, HPV vaccination, needle shots, needles, safety, vaccination, vaccine, vaccines
Thursday, January 3rd, 2013
I’ve always thought of Jamba Juice as a delicious place for smoothies. Still is. But today it started offering a couple of kids’ lunch and snack options, plus three smoothies in smaller portions. My favorite new menu item: the “pizza swirl,” an adorable pinwheel-shaped mini pie with turkey, cheese, and tomato sauce on whole-grain crust. (But your kid will never notice because it doesn’t look at all like it’s made with whole-wheat flour). The pizza contains 300 calories and only 300 milligrams of sodium—which is super-low for fast-food fare. My daughter most wants to try the new Poppin’ Peach Mango Smoothie. It doesn’t have added sugar; it’s made with bananas, peaches, mangos, and passion fruit juice. For more healthy picks when dining out, check out Parents new guide to chain restaurants.
Friday, December 21st, 2012
Kids Given Healthier Snacks Eat Fewer Calories
Kids given a combination of cheese and vegetables will eat only about a quarter as many calories as those given potato chips, according to a new study. (via Reuters)
Children of Older Parents with Cancer May Be at Risk, Too
Children of parents diagnosed with cancer when they’re old are at increased risk for certain types of cancer, a new study suggests. (via HealthDay News)
Poor Children Have Highest In-Hospital Death Rate
Children from poorer neighborhoods who are hospitalized are more likely to die before discharge than kids from wealthier areas, according to a new study. (via Reuters)
Supportive Role Models, Coping Lead to Better Health in Poor Teens
Low-income teenagers who have supportive role models and engage in adaptive strategies have lower levels of a marker for cardiovascular risk than low-income teens without such resources, according to new research. (via ScienceDaily)
Parents: Don’t Jump Into Sibling Squabbles
Sibling conflict may increase a young person’s risk for depression and anxiety, but parents can help guard children’s mental health by setting up “house rules,” a new study finds. (via University of Missouri)
Tuesday, December 18th, 2012
Children Can Usually Recover From Emotional Trauma
Witnessing lethal violence ruptures a child’s sense of security leaving behind an array of emotional and social challenges that are not easily resolved. But the good news is that most of these children will probably heal. (via New York Times)
Groups: Autism Not To Blame For Violence
Before the motive of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy was fully known, reports began to surface that the shooter, Adam Lanza, was autistic or had Asperger’s syndrome in addition to a possible personality or anxiety disorder. However, national autism organizations cautioned against speculation about a link between violence and autism or Asperger’s. (via CNN)
The Most Health Conscious Cities in America
Tracking the 2.5 million appointments made through the online doctor appointment booking service ZocDoc each month, the service ranked cities (and some regions) based on the percentage of total appointments booked by health-minded residents in each city. (via Time)
Expandable Toy Recalled Due To Ingestion Risk, Group Says
A toy that absorbs water and can expand to 400 times its original size has been voluntarily recalled after a report that a baby ingested one and needed surgery to remove it, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said Monday. (via CNN)
Tuesday, December 11th, 2012
U.S. Students Still Lag Globally in Math and Science, Tests Show
Fourth- and eighth-grade students in the United States continue to lag behind students in several East Asian countries and some European nations in math and science, although American fourth graders are closer to the top performers in reading, according to test results released on Tuesday. (via New York Times)
Obesity in Young Is Seen as Falling in Several Cities
After decades of rising childhood obesity rates, several American cities are reporting their first declines. The trend has emerged in big cities like New York and Los Angeles, as well as smaller places like Anchorage, Alaska, and Kearney, Neb. The state of Mississippi has also registered a drop, but only among white students. (via New York Times)
Vermont Tops Lists of Healthiest States
The annual America’s Health Rankings list is out, pitting U.S. states against each other in a no-holds-barred contest of health. For the fourth year in a row, Vermont takes the top spot as healthiest state. How did your state fare? (via ABC Health)
Overeating in Children may be Linked to Drug Use
Do bad nutrition habits like overeating or binge eating lead to smoking pot? Some health experts think they might, according to a study published Monday. (via CNN Health)
D Is for Divorce: Sesame Street Tackles Another Touchy Topic
In early 1992, a census report predicted that 40% of children would soon live in divorced homes. As one of the most famous children’s-television programs in the world, Sesame Street was determined to take on a topic most kids shows wouldn’t touch. (via Time)
Categories: GoodyBlog, News | Tags: America's Health Rankings, cities, divorce, drug use, health, healthiest states, math, Noelia de la Cruz, obesity, Parents Daily News Roundup, Science, sesame street, students, Vermont
Friday, November 16th, 2012
Editor’s Note: Parents.com has partnered with LearnVest.com to bring you a monthly series of posts about money-related topics related to moms. These guest posts will be shorter, edited versions of longer features from LearnVest.com.
As a mom, you know just how accident-prone and fragile kids can be. Cuts, scratches, scrapes, skinned knees, and bumps to the noggin’ are all frequent players on your “must fix” list. And there’s nothing worse than having to play Dr. Mom without having all of the needed medical supplies to heal your little patient.
Setting up a first-aid kit now for your home and your car will save time (you can quickly attend to injuries), money (no middle-of-the-night runs to the insanely expensive convenience store), and a whole lot of tears.
Keep these drugstore staples on hand and you’ll be ready for anything your active kid can throw your way.
1. Bandages and Gauze Pads
Your kit should include bandages in a variety of sizes. These little stickies help protect wounds from reinjury, hide scary-looking cuts, and magically make tears disappear. Before you spring for the more expensive character bandages, a little DIY craftiness can save money. Buy plain bandages and then decorate them with your child’s name, silly drawings, or stickers once they’re in use. Gauze pads will come in handy for more serious wounds (don’t forget the tape). You can also use them when applying ointments or cleaning agents. When purchasing gauze pads, bigger is better. You can always cut the pad if you need a smaller size.
2. Scissors
Speaking of cutting, a good pair of sharp scissors is a necessity. In addition to cutting gauze, you may also need to cut other material, like clothing, during an emergency. Regular scissors are fine, as long as they’re sharp enough to cut gauze, clothing, etc.
3. Cold/Hot Packs
Hot and cold packs can relieve swelling and reduce the pain of minor injuries. Because you’re not guaranteed to have access to ice or hot water or a heating pad, stock up on the instant cold and hot packs (like this one) that you squeeze to activate.
4. Pain Medication/Fever Reliever
Pain is a big deal to little kids, so it’s always a good idea to have a children’s pain reliever around to reduce fevers and calm headaches, teething pain, and minor sprains and strains. Remember, aspirin isn’t recommended for kids, so the best choices are children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
5. Antihistamine
For kids with food allergies, it can be difficult to make sure no forbidden foods ever slip through. If your child does consume something she has a slight allergy to, an oral antihistamine can reduce a potential reaction, says Emily Tuerk, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. Even if your kid doesn’t have food allergies, it’s still a good idea to have an antihistamine on hand. “Oral antihistamines and topical antihistamine creams can lessen the reaction to insect stings or bites,” says Dr. Tuerk. They can also decrease symptoms of hives, poison ivy, and other skin reactions.
6. Tweezers
This standard beauty supply isn’t only for plucking stray hairs from your eyebrows. Tweezers come in handy to remove splinters, glass, insect stingers, ticks, or even candy. (You know, for when your 3-year-old decides to put a piece of candy up his nose.)
See the remaining 5 drugstore must-haves at LearnVest.com.
Plus: Don’t forget to also sign up for the Baby on Board Bootcamp newsletter, a free newsletter that helps moms budget and manage family finances better over a course of 10 days.
Categories: GoodyBlog, Health & Safety | Tags: child safety, children's health, first aid, first aid kit, health, Health & Safety, kids' health, LearnVest, LearnVest.com, safety
Wednesday, November 14th, 2012
Last month, for Down Syndrome Awareness Month, Parents.com introduced some resources from the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS). Since Down syndrome is related with certain developmental and health issues, we’ve gathered the best sources from NDSS.org to help you understand the genetic condition.
Development
Health
