When Should Your Child Stay Home from School Due to a Cold?

-When is it appropriate for parents to let their child stay home from school?

Going to school can be very stressful for children. When children aren't feeling well, the stress of the school day can be too much. When children are ill, they are more tired, cranky and tend not to eat or drink. This sets them up to get further dehydrated and ill. To keep an illness from progressing, a day at home may be the first step. At home, caregivers can encourage a child to eat nourishing food like chicken soup, drink hydrating fluids such as water and rest.

-Is it better for your child to stay home so you don't get other children sick?

Keeping your child home from school is important for both your child's health as well as the health of their classmates and teachers. Children will exchange germs and get ill more frequently compared to adults. Many of the viruses that cause colds are airborne. Teach your children to sneeze into the crook of their arms and to cover their mouths when coughing. Then encourage them to wash their hands after coughing, blowing their noses and before eating. Also coughing onto toys can contaminate them and make others fall sick. Make sure your teacher is aware of your child's illness so hygiene precautions can be implemented at school.

-What signs or symptoms should a child have in order to be absent?

Some general rules of thumb to skip school include a fever over 101 degrees Fahrenheit, a severe cough, and nausea, vomiting and wheezing. These same symptoms also merit calling your pediatrician and arranging for a trip to their office. Other important signs of illness are rash and general malaise.

-Which cold remedy works the best?

Most physicians and the FDA no longer recommend cough and cold medicines for childen especially younger than age 2. For children older than 2, be wary of overdosing a child but using more than one remedy with the same ingredient. Children's Tylenol, Advil or Motrin can help with headache and low-grade fever. Always follow the directions on the label and from yur physician. Cold-EEZE zinc lozenges or oral spray are an effective way to decrease the duration of a cold. Studies from Dartmouth and the Cleveland Clinic have shown a decrease by 42% of a cold's duration. Zinc gluconate works best when started on the first day of symptoms so always keep some handy. Clean humidifiers also go a long way in keeping your child comfortable with their nasal symptoms. Keep you child well-hydrated. Unfortunately, the studies have fallen short in proving the efficacy of Vitamin C.

-Is there a way parents can prevent their children from getting sick?

Teaching your child good hygiene is the best prevention for staying healthy. Washing hands before eating or touching the eyes, nose and mouth is essential. A well-balanced diet, good hydration and rest are also important.

About the Author:
Dr. Yael Halaas, ear, nose and throat doctor. She’s been featured on round up/lifestyle and breaking news segments on The Doctors, FOX News and ABC New York.

Starting a Revolution with Hoes, Horses, and Healthy Habits: Seven Ways MindStream Academy Is Fighting Back Against Childhood Obesity


You’ve probably heard: One in three children in the U.S. is obese. It’s the issue of 
our time, and it seems to be getting worse. Learn what one unconventional school 
in South Carolina is doing to fight the epidemic…one child at a time.

“Obese” is not the word that should first come to mind when we think of the nation’s young people. Vivacious might be a good one. Creative, intelligent, and optimistic wouldn’t be bad, either. And yet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for 12.5 million young people in the U.S., “obese” defines them. When you consider how it limits the potential of so many kids, isolates them, and shortens their lives, you can see why childhood obesity gets so much ink these days. And yet, all the “awareness” in the world isn’t solving the problem, notes Dr. David Katz.

“Childhood obesity is the issue of our time,” says Dr. David Katz, a leading international authority on nutrition, weight management, and the prevention of chronic disease. “And while it’s too crucial a topic not to talk about, all the scary statistics haven’t been able to move the needle on this national epidemic. Grassroots action—taking one child at a time and helping him unlearn the patterns that led to his weight gain—is the only thing that works.”

MindStream Academy, for which Dr. Katz serves as senior medical advisor, is a case in point. A full-service boarding school on a pristine 43-acre horse farm in South Carolina, it helps teens and tweens who want to get healthy and fit, lose weight, take control of their lives, and build self-esteem.

It offers a positive, safe, and caring natural environment in which teens learn proven life skills that allow them to handle the stress and triggers that lead to unhealthy habits. In addition to working with a fully accredited middle school and high school curriculum, students get hands-on intensive and comprehensive health coaching, including nutrition, fitness, and behavioral interventions.

“MindStream Academy operates on the premise that being overweight isn’t just a physical issue,” says Dr. Katz. “It’s not just about eating more healthfully and exercising. It’s also about overcoming negative emotions, low self-esteem, social anxiety, and more. All of these factors play into the toxic cycle that leads to excess weight. That’s why MindStream takes the unusual approach of focusing not just on weight loss but on the ‘whole child.’ We take into account the mind, body, and spirit.”

In other words, MindStream provides its students with the skills and tools they need for a lifetime of healthy and happy living. Read on to learn more about its approach:

MindStream teaches sustainability instead of extremes. There is an avalanche of weight loss advice out there today promising quick results. However attractive these “quick-fix” programs may seem to desperate teens, most are either unrealistic for the average person or require unhealthful extremes. That’s why MindStream teaches its students an organic, sustainable way to lose weight by changing their lifestyles. And it’s why the program requires a semester minimum because it usually takes four months for the behavioral changes to stick.

“MindStream does not promote public weigh-ins, extreme calorie counting/restricting, or aggressive fitness regimens,” notes Dr. Katz. “My perspective on any challenging problem—and obesity certainly makes that list—is that we must both cultivate will and pave the way. Will power can start us moving forward, but only skill power will get us over the finish line. In that spirit, MindStream students learn to better manage stress. They learn to be mindful, to garden, to cook fresh wholesome and delicious foods, to enjoy moving their bodies (perhaps for the first time), and to appreciate the great outdoors—overall becoming more grounded to the earth. These are all the raw materials for physical, emotional, and social well-being.

“The causes of epidemic obesity are obvious and simple—we eat too much of all the wrong things, and do too little,” he adds. “The solutions are equally obvious and simple—we need to eat less and better stuff, and be more active. At MindStream there is nothing extreme about what we are doing. We just bring kids back to the basics. They put down their electronics, develop a relationship with themselves, their bodies, and the world around them, and start setting and achieving goals.

“Feet, forks, and fingers are the master levels of medical destiny for not just thousands, or tens of thousands on any one occasion, but the medical destiny of millions upon millions, year after year. We have known, but we have not managed to care. At least, not deeply enough to turn what we know into what we routinely do.”

It takes kids out of the virtual world and into the natural world. The way kids live these days is unnatural in the most literal sense of the word. It sets them up to become obese. It starts at school where physical education has been severely reduced or cut completely and where healthy food options lose out to pizza and soft drinks. After school, fast food and huge portion sizes abound. And kids spend long hours in front of the computer, playing video games, or watching TV rather than outdoors in physical activity.

“Throughout most of human history, calories have been scarce and hard to get, and physical activity has been unavoidable,” says Dr. Katz. “We applied our ingenuity to these problems and solved them. For most Americans, today’s food supply is readily available. We no longer have to spend energy hunting and gathering to put dinner on the table. We have devised technology that has made physical exertion not merely discretionary, but downright elusive.

“Today’s young people are disconnected from the natural world,” he continues. “MindStream unplugs their video games and computers, turns off the TV, and gets them moving. It gets their hands in the earth and teaches them a healthier way to relate to food. Students spend huge parts of their days breathing fresh air via fitness clinics held outdoors, walking around the campus lake, working with horses, taking lengthy bike rides. As they get back to nature, and to a more natural way of living, their minds, spirits, and bodies slowly become healthier.”

It provides a safe haven for positive change. Many obese teens come from negative school environments where they’re bullied and ostracized by their fellow students. They feel trapped by their weight physically, and those feelings lead them to be trapped socially as well. They often turn to a solitary, sedentary lifestyle where food is a comfort. MindStream takes them out of the world where they learned and developed harmful patterns so they can relearn healthier ones.

“Enrolling in MindStream is like pushing the pause button on a world that’s overwhelming you,” says Dr. Katz. “It gives teens the luxury of immersing themselves in a new way of life. Most of the food options we encounter in most places we go come in bags, boxes, bottles, jars, and cans—not peels. To choose well among these options requires a ‘how to’ skill set: how to read a nutrition facts panel; how to size up an ingredient list; how to see past banner ads and marketing hype to the truth; how to tell which of the dozens of choices in any food category from beans to breakfast cereal is worse for you, better for you, best for you.

“At MindStream, students have the time and the support they need to develop these life skills that will help them make healthy living sustainable. And they’re with peers who know exactly how bad it feels to be young and overweight. You can tell a young person to eat better and exercise, but if he’s in an environment that won’t allow him to practice these new skills until they become habits, it’s just wasted words.”

It helps teens address what’s eating them (psychologically, that is). Being overweight comes with its own psychological and social stresses. So does losing weight. Consider that when young people have bariatric surgery and experience dramatic weight loss, it isn’t uncommon for them to have an existential crisis. They realize they’re still the same person—with the same self-esteem issues, the same unhealthy relationship with food, the same stresses—they’re just smaller. If they can’t deal with the mental and emotional side of weight loss, they’ll never sustain it.

Neurobiofeedback is one tool MindStream uses to help them deal with stress. As part of MindStream’s comprehensive counseling (clinical, therapeutic) program, it retrains abnormal brainwave patterns through a non-invasive, psychotherapeutic, and behavioral technique. Basically, students learn self-regulation exercises designed to keep the psychological, neurological, and biological mind-body connection in harmony.

“We’ve found that this process helps teens learn to regulate dysfunction in their brains that can lead to compulsive, anxious, and depressive overeating behaviors,” explains Dr. Katz. “Neurobiofeedback is a fun, solution-focused, and non-threatening way for MindStream students to get their minds right, so to speak, at the same time they’re getting their bodies back on track.”

It uses equine-assisted psychotherapy to break down defenses and teach kids valuable new skills. Specially trained staff members set up activities involving horses that require participants to use creative thinking, non-verbal communication, and leadership skills to accomplish a task. Equine-assisted therapy is a fun, nonthreatening way for teens to develop problem-solving skills, resourcefulness, personal accountability, improved self-esteem, and more. And of course, they gain a new friend who loves them unconditionally.

“Horses can reach kids that no one else can,” says Dr. Katz. “We had one student who was depressed and possibly even suicidal until he began working with Louie, one of MindStream’s horses. The horse gave him a sense of purpose, and, ultimately, he ended up losing over a hundred pounds.”

It gives them tasks that lead to confidence and self-esteem. Overweight young people face bullying, name-calling, and endless small slights, both intentional and unintentional. In addition they are constantly bombarded with messages in magazines, television shows, ads, and movies that thinner is better and that it’s okay to make fun of and marginalize overweight and obese people. All of this takes a serious toll on their self-image. It’s MindStream’s job to build them back up—and that starts with giving them responsibilities that create a sense of accomplishment and purpose.

“Besides holding teens to high academic standards, leaders expect them to work in the ‘soul garden’ growing fresh vegetables,” notes Dr. Katz. “They harvest fresh plant food ingredients for the kitchen and work hands-on with MindStream chefs to prepare simple, delicious, natural, healthy meals. And they’re also responsible for feeding, caring for, and exercising the horses in the equine therapy program.

“If you don’t believe that you can make changes in your life, you’re probably not going to try,” he adds. “A lack of confidence causes you to stall out before you even begin. The work kids do at MindStream corrects that confidence deficit. When a teen sees that she is making progress in communicating with a horse and doing a good job as a caretaker or successfully prepares a delicious but healthy meal, her confidence grows…and she becomes more open to personal change.”

MindStream makes it a family affair. Young people cannot sustain weight loss if they do not have the support of their family. It is extremely difficult for anyone to continue making weight loss progress when those around them don’t or won’t make healthy living a priority. That’s why students’ families participate in the program through weekly counseling sessions via Skype, nutrition education, and weekend workshops.

“Let’s face it: It’s one thing to lose weight when you’re in a protected environment surrounded by professionals whose only job is to give you the skills to help you succeed,” says Dr. Katz. “It’s something else entirely to walk out of that haven into the real world and be able to continue living those changes. That’s why families have to change, too. And by doing so, we could eliminate 80 percent of all heart disease and strokes; 90 percent of all diabetes; and as much as 60 percent of all cancer. If they’re not part of the solution, they’re part of the problem. They must become a support system to assist the teen in his struggle to control his feelings, behavior, and weight.”

“Perhaps the most significant change that our students achieve is that they arrive feeling despondent and they leave feeling like new people,” says Dr. Katz. “The changes that are made here are not skin deep. There are tremendous shifts in personal responsibility, self-esteem, healthy risk taking, and the students also develop a sense of hope through accomplishing tremendous goals.

“A young person who comes here doesn’t just achieve a change in his physical form,” he adds. “The way he relates to his own emotions, his environment, and the people around him is transformed forever. And what he learns at MindStream will be with him for the rest of his life.”

About Dr. David Katz:
As one of the leading international authorities on nutrition, weight management, and the prevention of chronic disease, Dr. David Katz is in the trenches of the war against childhood obesity. In fact, he warned us many years ago that today’s younger generation will not live as long or as healthfully as their parents. Dr. Katz is also a prolific author, having published over 120 scientific papers, numerous textbook chapters, nearly a thousand newspaper columns, and a dozen books to date. In 2009 he was nominated for the position of U.S. Surgeon General to the Obama Administration by the American College of Physicians, the American College of Preventive Medicine, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, among other national and international health organizations. He is also the founding director of Yale University Prevention Research Center, director and founder of Integrative Medicine Center at Griffin Hospital, president of Turn the Tide Foundation, Inc., and editor-in-chief of the Childhood Obesity journal.

About MindStream Academy:
MindStream Academy is a full-service boarding school on a pristine 43-acre horse farm in South Carolina for teens and tweens who want to get healthy, fit, lose weight, take control of their lives, build self-esteem, and pursue a personal passion.

Tips for Teaching Kids How to Read Food Labels

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity has more than tripled over the last three decades. While only 7 percent of children ages 6-11 were once considered obese, that figure has now risen to 20 percent. Today, more than one third of all children and adolescents are considered to be overweight or obese. One way the CDC recommends preventing and addressing the problem is for healthy eating to become a part of every child’s life. And healthy eating begins with reading food labels.

“Once children know how to read, they are ready to start learning how to read food labels,” explains Jolly Backer, chief executive officer of Fresh Healthy Vending (www.freshvending.com). “The more they know about what they are eating, the more empowered they will be about making healthier food choices.”

There are many potential advantages to teaching children how to read food labels, including that it helps to encourage portion control and will help them find the information they need to make healthier food choices. Reading labels can provide reading practice, as well as a science lesson if you take the time to research what some of the unknown ingredients are. It is also provides a math lesson, especially when they are given the opportunity to measure out their food.

Here are some tips for teaching kids how to read food labels:

Start at home by getting out a couple of their favorite things, such as cereal, along with a measuring cup. Start by teaching them how they can determine what a serving size is, and letting them measure out one serving.

Once they understand serving sizes, move on to showing them things like calories, fat, sugar, fiber, and cholesterol on the label. Explain why it is important to know what quantity of these things constitutes a serving, and what amount is considered high. For example, if they look at a can of soda and see that it has 40 grams of sugar, they will learn that this is high; if they look at a serving of Cheerios, and see that it has one gram of sugar, they will see that this is low.

Try having them read the ingredients list. The longer-labeled products are often less natural and have a lot of artificial ingredients, making them more unhealthy. Remind children that things like fresh fruits and vegetables don’t usually have labels but are usually the most natural and healthiest options around.

Once they have the above steps down, do some label comparisons, so they can determine which choice is the healthiest option.

Be patient with kids as they learn how to read and understand labels. It will take time and practice, but after a while they will understand it and the information they are gaining.

Once children have been exposed to label reading at home, and have had an opportunity to practice measuring and learning about the food, parents can encourage label reading at the grocery store, as well. The more practice that kids get at label reading, the better at it they will become. In time, they will be familiar with many foods, know which are healthy and unhealthy, and be able to identify healthier food options without always having to rely on reading the labels.

“Even when children walk up to a vending machine, where they can’t read labels, you want them to know which is the healthier option,” adds Backer. “With label-reading practice, they will become savvy shoppers who recognize healthy food options when they see them. Label reading is a tool that kids can use for the rest of their life.”

Fresh Healthy Vending is a company on a mission to help address childhood obesity, by providing vending machines stocked with all-healthy food options. Their dual-climate-controlled machines have been placed in over 800 locations around the nation, including school campuses. Each machine is stocked with fruit smoothies, soymilk, yogurt, tea, and even fresh fruits and vegetables.

Those interested in learning more about Fresh Healthy Vending should visit www.freshvending.com.

About Fresh Healthy Vending

Based in San Diego, Fresh Healthy Vending is a company that started in 2010 and is revolutionizing vending machines by filling them with healthy, natural food options. Dubbed the “future of vending,” they are leading the way in healthy food vending. Their machines offer 100-percent juices, fresh vegetables, fruits, smoothies, and yogurts. The Fresh Healthy Vending machines are franchised and are being placed in schools, offices and other locations throughout the country. To learn more about Fresh Healthy Vending, visit the website at www.freshvending.com

You Are What You Eat: Ten “Clean” Foods to Always Put in Your Shopping Cart

When you make out your weekly shopping list, are most of the foods you go for in boxes, cans, or some other packaging? Are the foods packed full of ingredients that you can barely pronounce? If so, then you and your family might not be getting all the vitamins and nutrients you need to stay healthy. You may want to trade in those processed foods for whole foods and start eating clean, says Dr. Jonathan Wright.

“Think of eating clean as cleaning up your life,” says Dr. Wright, coauthor along with Linda Larsen of Eating Clean For Dummies® (Wiley, 2011, ISBN: 978-1-1180-0013-7, $19.99). “Just as you’d like to live in a house free of clutter, you need to remove clutter from your diet. That means throwing out the junk foods, refined sugar, additives, preservatives, trans fats, white flour, artificial flavors, and toxins that can be so prevalent in processed foods.”
 Essentially, the eating clean plan calls you to do the following:

• Eat the foods made by nature, not man.
• Plan to eat five or six meals and snacks throughout the day.
• Avoid processed foods (in other words, anything in a box with a label).
• Use healthy cooking methods.
• Eat before you become super hungry.
• Stop eating when you’re satisfied, not stuffed.
• Don’t count your calories, fat grams, or points.
• Enjoy and appreciate its flavor.

“Remember, eating clean is not a diet,” says Dr. Wright. “It’s a lifestyle. It does not include a complicated regimen that restricts entire categories of food. With fewer chemicals to deal with, your body becomes better able to concentrate on keeping you healthy.”

Read on to learn about the ten foods you should always include on your eating clean shopping list. These foods are great because they have many uses in the kitchen, they’re inexpensive, and they contain the most potent phytochemicals, vitamins, and minerals your body needs to be at its best.

Sweet potatoes are #1. The Center for Science in the Public Interest has ranked sweet potatoes as number one in nutrition, which is no surprise considering that these spuds are loaded with fiber, protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, potassium, magnesium, zinc, carotenoids, iron, and calcium. As a matter of fact, sweet potatoes have more than twice the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of vitamin A, more than 40 percent of the RDA of vitamin C, and four times the RDA for beta carotene. And each sweet potato contains only about 130 calories!

“Looking for great meal ideas?” asks Dr. Wright. “Bake your sweet potatoes, slit them open, and stuff them with some low-fat yogurt or Greek yogurt mixed with tomatoes and celery. Or cut the sweet potatoes into slender sticks, toss them with olive oil and paprika, and bake them until crisp. There are many delicious ways to prepare sweet potatoes, but however you decide to cook them, make sure you always eat the skin! Most of the fiber is located in the skin, and the flesh right under the skin is highest in nutrients.”

Get fishy with wild salmon. Wild salmon contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, protein, and vitamin D. It’s also a great source of niacin, selenium, and vitamins B12 and B6. Eating salmon also helps prevent heart disease and diseases caused by inflammation. Scientists have recently found that omega-3 fatty acids can help slow the degenerative effects of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. These fatty acids can also help lower the risk of depression and aggressive behavior.

“With all these benefits, it’s no wonder that many nutritionists urge people to eat foods like wild salmon twice a week,” says Dr. Wright. “Putting salmon on the menu twice a week can lower the level of triglycerides in your blood and can improve heart function. Remember, when you’re buying salmon, be sure to choose wild salmon rather than farmed salmon because the farmed fish can be high in mercury and toxic chemicals called PCBs, including lead and other heavy metals.”

Olive oil is the healthy way to dress up your food. You can use olive oil when sautéing foods, as the fat in almost any baking or cooking recipe, in salad dressings, and when frying foods. Most of the fatty acids in olive oil are omega-9 fatty acids, which are healthy monounsaturated fats that can help lower total blood cholesterol levels. Extra-virgin olive oil is made from the first pressing of olives, without heat, so it’s high in vitamin E and phenols, both of which are powerful antioxidants. And it has a wonderful flavor. Use it mostly in salad dressings and when briefly sautéing foods.

“When cooking with olive oil, remember that unrefined extra-virgin olive oil has a smoke point (the point at which the oil begins to break down and emit smoke) of about 375 degrees, which is slightly above the ideal temperature for sautéing or frying food but lower than the smoke points of other oils,” explains Dr. Wright. “So use ordinary (not extra-virgin) olive oil, which has a higher smoke point up to 430 degrees, for frying and long-sautéed recipes. Save the extra-virgin olive oil for salad dressings and baking!”

Don’t avoid cruciferous vegetables. What are cruciferous veggies and what makes them so great? Well, the category includes broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, Kohl-rabi, cabbage, kale, and bok choy. And many studies have found a link between eating these veggies and protecting the body from cancer. Specifically, phytochemicals in these foods, including sulforaphane, indole-3-carbinol, and crambene, help the enzymes in your body that destroy carcinogens before they can damage your cells. As an added bonus, these veggies are high in antioxidants, which help prevent oxidation and damage from free radicals.

“The key to getting the most out of these greens is in how you prepare them,” says Dr. Wright. “Be careful not to overcook them. Because they have a high sulfur content, overcooking them releases that chemical and gives them a very unappealing taste. Steam them lightly or eat them raw to keep your body (and your tongue) happy.”

It’s okay to be a little nutty. Did you know that nuts are actually seeds? Well, it’s true; any one nut contains every nutrient needed to support the sprouting and growth of an entire young tree! The many nutrients that nuts provide offer plenty of benefits to you, too:

• Essential fatty acids and monounsaturated fats: Help lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of blood clots
• Vitamin E: Helps reduce plaque development in your arteries
• Fiber: Lowers blood cholesterol levels
• Plant sterols: Lower blood cholesterol levels

“Because nuts have so many health benefits and are so satisfying to eat, they’re a great choice for a healthy snack on the eating clean plan,” notes Dr. Wright. “The healthiest nuts include walnuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, and pecans. Why aren’t peanuts on that list? Well, this may surprise you, but peanuts aren’t technically nuts! They’re legumes, just like peas and beans. Also, keep in mind that nuts lose many of their nonmineral nutrients to oxidation when they’re roasted, so eat nuts raw whenever possible.”

Clean up sandwiches and salads with avocados. Avocados are a rich and buttery treat, and—as surprising as it may be—they’re very good for you! These fruits are high in vitamins E, C, and K, potassium, oleic acid, folate, antioxidants, and phytochemicals (which stop free radical damage). The fat in avocados is monounsaturated, which means it lowers blood cholesterol levels. Plus, avocados contain beta-sitosterol, which is a phytochemical that also reduces cholesterol.

“Use avocados as a sandwich spread in place of mayonnaise or butter,” recommends Dr. Wright. “Just mash up an avocado with a little lemon or lime juice and spread it on whole wheat rolls or bread. Include avocados in your green salads, eat them plain as a snack, and use them to top burgers and grilled sandwiches.”

Go green and eat clean with these leafy greens. To get the most nutrients for the fewest calories, always put foods like kale, collard greens, romaine lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, and escarole in your shopping cart. These greens are rich in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins C, K, E, the B complex, potassium, and magnesium, as well as phytonutrients, including lutein, quercetin, zeaxanthin, and beta carotene.

“A diet rich in dark, leafy greens can help reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease, prevent diabetes and osteoporosis, and reduce the risk of developing cancer,” says Dr. Wright. “Eat the greens raw or cook them in soups and stews. Sturdy, leafy greens are delicious in stir-fry recipes, too. In fact, you can add leafy greens to a wide variety of lunch and dinner meals.”

Spice things up with curry powder. Curry powder is a blend of several different spices, all of which are high in antioxidants and phytochemicals. But the most important spice in curry powder is turmeric, which provides a yellow color and subtle rich flavor. Turmeric contains curcumin, which is a powerful phytochemical.

“People who consume a lot of turmeric-containing curry powder have lower cancer rates, lower rates of Alzheimer’s disease, less inflammation, and improved memory,” says Dr. Wright. “Curcumin has also been shown to slow the progress of prostate cancer. There are many delicious ways to incorporate curry powder into your meals. Sprinkle it on salads, use it in salad dressings, and add it to stir-fries and even your breakfast smoothie. You can find curry powder in mild and spicy blends, or you can make your own (just be sure to include plenty of turmeric!).”

Satisfy your sweet tooth with berries (especially blueberries). Berries are a wonderful sweet treat, and they make a delicious dessert all by themselves. Plus, they’re very good for you. Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and contain phytochemicals that can help fight cancer. Blueberries, especially wild blueberries, are one of the healthiest foods on earth, with the highest antioxidant content of all fresh fruit.

“Dried berries have just as many nutrients as fresh,” notes Dr. Wright. “They’re higher in calories, though, because they have less water. Still, they make a wonderful snack when eaten in moderation. And don’t forget about frozen berries! These fruits are harvested at their peak and are often processed right in the field. Frozen berries can have more nutrients than fresh berries, which may have been shipped for miles. These fruits are also high in fiber, which can help you feel full longer and can reduce blood cholesterol levels. Add berries to green salads, fruit salads, use them to top your morning cereal, and eat them out of your hand as a tasty, sweet snack.”

Get to the root of clean eating with garlic and onions. These pungent root vegetables are good sources of allyl sulfides, which are phytochemicals that can help reduce the risk of cancer and calm inflammation in the body. These veggies are also high in polyphenols and flavonoids, which prevent oxidation and stop free radical damage. Garlic can help lower cholesterol levels, too.

“To get the most benefit from garlic, chop or crush it and let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature before cooking it,” says Dr. Wright. “Doing so helps preserve the allicin content, even after the garlic is cooked. Because the flavonoids in onions are concentrated near the skin, peel your onions as little as possible to get the most health benefits.”

“Even though these foods are the cream of the crop in terms of nutrients, fiber, and good fats, don’t limit yourself to these choices,” says Dr. Wright. “Instead, use them as a jumping off point. Experiment with new foods weekly to help you stay interested in your clean eating plan and to ensure that you’re getting as many nutrients as possible in every bite you take. Don’t be afraid to try new cuisines and new combinations, too. Combine leafy greens with curry powder, coat your salmon with chopped nuts before baking, and cook broccoli or Brussels sprouts with garlic and olive oil. The possibilities are endless!”

About the Authors:


Dr. Jonathan Wright, MD, America’s top holistic doctor, is the author of several books, publishes the monthly newsletter Nutrition and Healing (with a subscriber base of over 100,000), and hosts the radio show Green Medicine.

Linda Larsen is a nutritionist, recipe creator, and the author of 29 books.

About For Dummies®
After nearly 20 years and with more than 200 million copies printed, For Dummies is the world’s bestselling reference series, well known for enriching people’s lives by making knowledge accessible in a fun and easy way. Loyal customers around the globe agree that For Dummies is “more than a publishing phenomenon … [it is] a sign of the times,” [The New York Times]. The books span every section of the bookstore, covering topics from health to history, music to math, sports to self-help, technology to travel, and more. The For Dummies brand presence is further expanded with the addition of eBooks, a corporate custom publishing program, a robust consumer website, and a licensed product line that includes consumer electronics, culinary, crafts, video, software, musical instrument packs, home improvement, automotive, game, and more. For more information, visit Dummies.com. For Dummies is a branded imprint of Wiley.

Healthy Eating for Children During the Holidays

Over the next six-eight weeks, families will gather around the dinner table for important occasions of the year, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Everyone will be cooking their special recipes for that perfect turkey and stuffing, or prime rib and Yorkshire pudding. But the big question is how to enjoy the holidays without over-indulging?

And the question doesn't just apply to adults - it applies to children as well. Christmas Cookies, Thanksgiving Pies, etc - the desserts are special, endless in sight and everyone loves to sample just a taste. So, how do you celebrate the holidays without gaining weight?

For Children:

1) Traditionally when we stuff the stockings we think about putting all kinds of candy in them. This year try and give them small gifts like a homemade coupon book with things like "one dinner alone with Mom" or "one baseball game with Dad." That way you are being healthy and creating opportunities to make memories.

2) Encourage your kids to get a group together and go caroling in your neighborhood. This old tradition is fun, and you will get a little exercise walking from house to house.

3) Include your children in the holiday baking and teach them how making small substitutions can lower the fat and calories in their favorite foods. Using xylitol instead of sugar, skim milk instead of whole milk, wheat or oat flour instead of white flour, and egg whites instead of the whole egg are some examples.

For Adults:

1) When you know you are going to a holiday party don't "save up" your calories and not eat before you go. Eating small meals throughout the day will prevent you from overindulging on too many goodies at the party.

2) Bringing your own healthy dishes to parties is a good way to insure that you will have something to eat if everything served there is laden with fat and calories. Hummus and veggies, fruit and yogurt dip, and turkey roll ups are some healthy ideas.

3) If you see something that looks too irresistible try this strategy. Take small amount and take one bite. This should keep you from the "I can't have it" mentality that makes you feel deprived.

4) Calculate how many miles you have to do on the treadmill in order to burn enough calories to compensate for your favorite holiday treat. Do the miles and eat the treat without guilt!

Number of Children Suffering from Food Allergies Increasing

As we all prepare for the holiday season, we are reminded of a growing segment of our population: children suffering from food allergies. A food allergy results when the immune system mistakenly identifies harmless food protein (an allergen) as a threat and attacks it. You can have a food allergic reaction from consuming minuscule amounts of the problem food. One in 13 U.S. children has a food allergy – that’s roughly two in every classroom – and nearly 40 percent of those children have already experienced a severe or life-threatening allergic reaction. Children with food allergies also are two to four times more likely to have other related conditions, such as asthma and other allergies, than children without food allergies.

Living with food allergies presents a considerable challenge. Many common allergens – such as peanuts, milk, eggs, tree nuts, wheat and soy – are key ingredients in other foods, and so even the strictest vigilance in avoiding problem foods cannot always prevent an allergic reaction. From the constant stress of finding safe food and carrying emergency medicine to the fear of unforeseen contamination and experiencing an allergic reaction, food allergies have a serious impact on quality of life. In a recent study, nearly 70 percent of parents of children with food allergies said it impacted their child’s quality of life, preventing them from eating in restaurants or attending social events like birthday parties for fear of encountering the allergen.

Awareness, education and training are crucial in keeping those suffering from food allergies safe. The increase in the number of children being diagnosed with food allergies means that learning to live with food allergies is a way of life, not just for the families of those afflicted, but for schools and other venues where children can be exposed to allergens. More information about keeping students with food allergies safe is available at www.allergyready.com which is home to “How to C.A.R.E. for Students with Food Allergies: What Educators Should Know,” a comprehensive, interactive online course about food allergies and anaphylaxis designed specifically for school personnel.

As it stands today, there is no cure for food allergy. For those affected, strict avoidance of the allergen is the only means of preventing a reaction. However, a cure is within our reach.

In April 2011, the Food Allergy Initiative, the world’s largest private funder of food allergy research, convened a group of the world’s leading food allergy researchers and thought leaders to discuss current research and the future of food allergy treatments. The group determined a course of action that would bring a portfolio of pharmaceutical-grade therapies to market that would represent effective treatment for the majority of those suffering from food allergies.

The next step in the process is to complete a large-scale registration trial of one of the therapies currently being researched – oral immunotherapy. Oral immunotherapy has proven safe and effective in a number of clinical trials. To complete this trial, additional federal funds – a total of $9 million per year for three years – will be needed. Currently, the cost to society of food allergies exceeds a half billion dollars each year. The economic burden of food allergies coupled with the fact that a cure is close at hand demonstrates the need to move swiftly, efficiently and effectively to fund research to find the cure.

Additional information about food allergies and advances in food allergy research is available at www.faiusa.org

Article By:

Michelle Todd

How to Have a Stress-Free Daylight Savings Experience with Your Children

Back before you were a parent, the end of daylight savings was a welcome relief to pitch black mornings. An extra hour of sleep is more valuable than gold, especially post parenthood. Enter Sweet Bundle of Joy who doesn't share your affinity of snoozing and also has a set, circadian rhythm that doesn't magically readjust over a weekend. Your baby doesn't care that Uncle Sam dictates a useless time adjustment every six months.

As if parenting weren't already the hardest thing anyone has ever done in the history of doing things, we must deal with the time change and our children. Here's what will happen, if you're new to fall-back with children: they wake up after the same number of hours of sleep. So if Junior typically wakes up at 7:00 am, you'll now have a 6:00 am early riser after the change. Start gearing up for that adjustment now with these six easy tips.

1. Extend bedtime a little later each night.
Folks who prefer to rip the band-aid off may just push through a few tough days and move bedtime forward a full hour immediately. Older children can handle a change like that a bit easier. But if you you have a baby or toddler, I recommend pushing bedtime back by ten or fifteen minutes for a few nights. This will take some discipline, but establishing a solid bedtime routine and sticking to it is not only important for your sanity, but for your child's health, too.

2. Expect grumpy toddlers for up to three weeks.
Again, the younger the child the longer it will take to adjust. According to multiple studies, poor or inadequate sleep causes irritability, stress and anxiety. No big surprise there. Pile on top of that an inability to verbally communicate and you've got a cranky young child on your hands for days, if not weeks. Just brace yourselves and prepare to expect some rocky terrain.

3. Reduce other variables to focus on sleep.
Kids do really well when they have time to hone in on one skill or hurdle at a time. If you're potty training, pull back on the reins for a while to let the lack of sleep pass. Trying to concentrate while sleep deprived makes you ineffective and irritable -- and the same goes for Junior.

4. Get room darkening shades or curtains.
Kids sense morning like sharks smell blood; the tiniest crack of daylight can wake even the hardest young sleeper. Keeping it dark in your child's room will encourage more sleep in the morning, something you'll want all year round. If you're not a fan of drapes, grab online coupons for custom blinds from sites like CouponSherpa, and outfit your windows with tailored dressings on the cheap.

5. Consistency is key.
It's tempting to give in to Little Darling when she pitches a fit for candy at the grocery store. If you give in to her demands, she'll just ratchet up the decibels on your next visit. That same principle applies to adjusting your clocks back. Stick to later naps and a later bedtime to avoid prolonged pain. According to Kim West, social worker and sleep coach, children will adjust to your age-appropriate sleep requirements when you are consistent. This means having the exact same routine every night and responding in the same way to your child's testing.

6. Minimize exposure to artificial light.
There's solid evidence that exposure to artificial light limits the production of melatonin, a key hormone in regulating the sleep/wake cycle. This goes for TV too. Cut the pre-bedtime cartoons and opt for relaxing, sleep-friendly activities like reading or puzzles.

Ashley Grimaldo comes from a long line of penny pinchers and enjoys blogging on money-saving tips and advice for frugal-minded parents. She lives with her husband and three children in Bryan, Texas. Ashley has been featured among such media outlets as Redbook, The Chicago Tribune, Time.com, and CBS News-Houston.