General Health Articles

Back to Lunch : Tips for Children's Healthy Eating

Grocery stores are filled with nutritious choices nowadays and by enlisting the help of your child when shopping for their lunch foods, he or she can learn how to make the best choices as they grow up and create meals of their own.

Be sure to check out the following areas of your supermarket and your child's lunch will not only be filled with great tasting foods, but it will also create a healthy lunch.

• The Produce Section: The produce section is always a good place to start when it comes to a healthy lunch. Choosing fruits and vegetables that your child enjoys and even some they may have never tried is a great idea and is always a good place to find those important vitamins and minerals that every child needs.
•  The Drink Aisle:  While many children would love to enjoy a sugary soft drink with their lunch, a better option is a 100 percent juice instead.  Be a label reader and avoid juices with high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and artificial flavors.
• The Dairy Section: The dairy section is also an area where you can find some great foods.  Try low-fat dairy options, like cottage cheese, string cheese and yogurt.
• The Snack Food Aisle: Many parents would avoid this aisle completely, but there are still some great lunch items that can be found in the snack food aisle. Be on the lookout for baked and not fried snacks, avoid trans fats, choose whole-wheat over non-whole grain snacks, grab some all natural granola bars that offer whole grains, nuts and pieces of fruit all in one snack.

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.

Nasal sprays : there are quite a few nasal sprays on the market that claim to help curb snoring, so it may have to be a trial and error process in finding one that works for you.   Some studies say that eliminating yeast overgrowth in your nostrils may reduce inflammation and nasal congestion, but it also causes snoring.

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.

When to Keep Your Child Home

Back to School 101:

Now that school is back in session and children are more susceptible to colds and the flu, many parents wonder whether it is safe to send their child to school or not.  While many schools have specific guidelines regarding sick children, the following points are a general rule of thumb that will help you determine whether it is safe or not for your child and others.  Your child will need to stay home if:

• They have a fever higher than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit
• They are vomiting
• They have diarrhea
• They are in the first 24 hours of pink eye or strep throat antibiotics

Generally children can return to school when they have no fever, they can eat and drink normally, they are well rested and alert enough to pay attention in class and once they have completed any doctor-recommended isolation due to pink eye or strep throat.

10-second Health Tips

Healthy Living

In the fast paced world that we live in, many people do not take the time out of their day that they should to properly take care of themselves.

But many health issues can be addressed in just 10 seconds.  Check out some of these tips!

Put your contacts in after you shower. 

Getting a shower while wearing your contacts can expose your eyes to infection-causing waterborne microbes.  It's best to wait until after you shower to put them in.

Check your thyroid.

Even a mildly overactive thyroid can increase your heart disease risk by 65 percent.  A quick blood test can check your level of TSH or thyroid stimulating hormone.

Drink hot tea in the morning.

According to the International Journal of Cancer, drinking hot tea in the morning can slash your risk of kidney cancer by 15 percent.  They also suggest trying pu-erh tea instead of green or black tea, because it is better at preventing DNA damage

Recline a little.

Canadian researchers have found that keeping your body at a 90-degree angle puts a lot of strain on your spine.  Give your back a break and recline a little : the ideal angle is 45 degrees off vertical.

Get enough sleep.

British studies show that getting more than 9 hours a sleep a night or getting less than 6 hours a sleep a night, doubles your risk of an early death from any cause.  Experts always suggest that you should aim for 7 or 8 hours a night.

Eat steamed broccoli, not boiled.

By simply modifying the way that you cook your broccoli can increase the concentration of glucosinolates : compounds found to fight cancer : by 30 percent. Always steam your broccoli; boiling actually lowers the level of the compound.

Drink some wine. (Yes, we are serious!)

A recent Israeli study shows that polyphenols, the compounds found in red wine, help block fat absorption, so drink an extra glass of red wine. (or two!)

Understand SPF and Sun Block

In the News

According to an About.com report, SPF is actually determined indoors by exposing human subjects to a light spectrum to determine how the light affects their skin.

The study said that sunscreen with an SPF of 15 filters 92 percent of UVB rays.  In other words, a sunscreen with a SPF of 15, will “delay the onset of sunburn in a person who would otherwise burn in 10 minutes to burn in 150 minutes. The SPF allows a person to stay out in the sun 15 times longer.”

Unfortunately there is currently no measure of UVA absorption that has been determined.  Most sunscreens offer protection from UVA and UVB rays, although the time factor that a person can stay out in the sun and not be affected by UVA rays cannot be determined like that of UVB rays.

Either way, it is extremely important to wear sunscreen of at least a SPF of 15 when you are outdoors and reapply every two- to three hours.