General Health Articles

In the News Back to School Health Tips – Part I

Going back to School can be a stressful time for children, but also for parents. After a long, fun break from School, even getting back into regular routines, can be unnerving.

As a parent though, there may be additional stresses that you deal with – like your child’s academic performance, their health and their relationship with their peers and teachers.

While you can’t be with them all day long while they are at School, you can encourage healthy habits that will carry over throughout their School Day.

Here are some ways that you can support your child’s health from preschool to graduation.

Focus on your child’s nutrition.

Statistics show that 17% of children aged two to 19 in the United States are obese. 

Forty percent of daily calories for two- to 18-year-olds are empty calories from added sugars and solid fats. 

If you have a picky eater, follow these tips:

• Continue introducing new foods.
• Be a role model for a healthy diet.
• Don’t use food as a reward. 

Know the risks your school-aged children could face. 

Head lice – the most common way to get lice is by head-to-head contact that often happens during 

(continued in Part II…)

Healthy Living Snore-free Night’s Sleep

Studies show that 30 to 40 percent of the general population snores… which means there are an awful lot of people out there not getting a good night’s sleep.  Whether you snore, or your partner, there are some easy ways to alleviate snoring and catch some zzzz’s before you know it.

Tongue exercises – believe it or not there are exercises that you can do with your tongue that will help “train” your tongue where to stay in your mouth while you are sleeping to prevent snoring.  One good tongue exercise to practice is making the “t-t-t-t-t” sound – sort of like you are scolding someone.  This strengthens the tip of the tongue.  You can also let your tongue hang out relaxed, then tense your tongue by pointing it and holding this position for three seconds. 

Buy a mouthpiece – one of the most effective anti-snoring techniques is using a “boil and bite” mouthpiece.  These mouthpieces form to your upper and lower teeth and pull your lower jaw and the back of your tongue forward.  This process allows your airway to be opened and you to breathe easier.

Wear an air mask – commonly used for severe sleep apnea, a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) mask pushes air into the nasal passages and throat, allowing the airways to be opened.  Unfortunately, only 50 percent of users use their machine correctly, as they cannot keep a mask on throughout the night. 

Sleep with a tennis ball – say what? Hear us out on this one… because most people snore while sleeping on their back if you provide a barrier between your body and your back while you are sleeping you will be less likely to sleep on your back throughout the night… thereby reducing your snoring.  Some people suggest putting a tennis ball in a pocket T-shirt then sleeping with the T-shirt on backwards.  You can also put the tennis ball in a fanny pack and then wear that backwards.  If you happen to turn onto your back during the night, the ball, whether it is in your shirt or in your fanny pack, will cause discomfort and you will roll onto your side.

Grilling 101: Grilling Safety

The summer months and grilling always seem to go hand-in-hand. Because this is a popular cooking method in the summertime, experts remind us that there are ways to grill safely and to avoid cookout germs.

• When handling raw meat, make sure you separate it from other foods. Wash your hands immediately after handling raw meats.
• Throw out marinades/sauces that may have come in contact with raw meats.
• Clean your grill and check all tools before cooking with them.
• Use a food thermometer and check the temperatures that each meat should be cooked until (can be found using a Google search)
• Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking.

In the News Vitamin D Deficiency – Part II

(Continued from Part I…)

Depression - If you’re familiar with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), you may not be surprised to hear that vitamin D deficiency may be linked to a higher risk of depression. After all, the nickname for vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin, and that’s not just because people may generate much of the vitamin D they need with sun exposure. There is research evidence that shows a relationship between mood and vitamin D levels, where deficient vitamin D levels are related to depression. 

Risk of Schizophrenia - Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder that affects between 0.25 and 0.64 percent of American adults, according to the NIMH. Symptoms of schizophrenia, which commonly appear between ages 16 and 30, include hallucinations, incoherent speech, withdrawal from others, and trouble focusing or paying attention.People who are vitamin D deficient may be twice as likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia compared with people with sufficient vitamin D levels.

Dementia - A study in the journal Neurology found that moderate and severe vitamin D deficiency in older adults was associated with a doubled risk for some forms of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Dementia involves a decline in thinking, behavior, and memory that negatively affects daily life. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia. 

Diabetes - Research found that when vitamin D is deficient, many cellular processes in the body begin to break down, and this sets the stage for the onset of diseases such as diabetes. 

Prostate cancer - There is some evidence that vitamin D deficiency may play a role in prostate health. One study found a link between low blood levels of vitamin D and aggressive prostate cancer in European American and African American men.

In the News Vitamin D Deficiency – Part I

It’s summertime and the primary source of vitamin D can be found if you step outside and look up into the sky – the sun! The sun helps synthesize vitamin D in the skin promoting the growth of strong bones and cognitive health.

As beneficial as vitamin D can be to our bodies, a lack of vitamin D can lead to many health issues.

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include bone pain, muscle weakness, fatigue and mood changes. People with darker skin, those with certain underlying health conditions or who are taking medications, and those who live far away from the Equator, may be more prone to having low vitamin D.

Not getting enough vitamin D may raise your risk for other diseases and conditions – some of them life threatening.

Here are some potential complications linked to vitamin D deficiency.

Respiratory Illness – Research shows that vitamin D may help protect people from respiratory illness. One study examined the impact of vitamin D on respiratory infections including pneumonia, bronchitis, and sinusitis. Researchers found that people who took vitamin D were 12 percent less likely to develop respiratory illness compared with people who did not take the vitamin. 

Osteoperosis - One of vitamin D’s primary roles is to maintain bone health.  Low levels of vitamin D lead to low bone calcium stores, increasing the risk of fractures. A vitamin D deficiency may put people at risk for osteoporosis, which happens when new bone doesn’t generate at the same pace as the loss of old bone. Low vitamin D levels decrease calcium absorption, and calcium absorption is important for bone health.

(Continued in Part II…)