General Health Articles

In the News Back to School Health Tips – Part II

(continued from Part I…) 

play time, sport activities, and sleepovers.

Scoliosis – watch for uneven shoulders or hips, and make sure your child gets regular scoliosis check-ups. Early diagnosis is key.

Bullying – Only 17% of children seek help after being bullied. Don’t miss the early signs: changes in behavior, academic problems, anxiety, depression and self-harm. 

Poor Vision – Squinting, tilting the head, and holding handheld devices too closely are just some of the signs your child may have a vision problem.

Make sleep a priority.

Children (and adults) lose sleep due to overuse of electronic devices.

Sleep is equally important as diet and exercise.

Most healthy children need 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night.

Establish a sleep ritual by:

• Putting away electronic devices at least an hour before bed
• Encourage your child to read a book before bed
• Aoid exercise before bed instead take a warm bath or a hot shower
• A light snack can be beneficial but avoid caffeine.

Be a partner in your child’s education.

Start the conversation by talking to your child’s teacher about their likes and dislikes, strengths and struggles, preferred learning styles, and any issues that may affect them at School.

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.