Depression in Children and Teens
Signs, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Signs Short periods of feeling sad or down is a normal part of growing up. However, if your child or teen seems sad, isolated, irritable, and/or no longer seems to enjoy things he or she has always liked doing, and this has been going on for more than a week […]
Bedwetting and the Older Child
Facts and Helpful Hints If your child is five years of age or older and still wets the bed, first understand that this is very common and does not mean your child is lazy or is doing it on purpose. Experts estimate that 15 to 20 percent of children between the ages of 5 […]
Animal-themed Yoga for Kids
Playing around with yoga poses named after some familiar animals can be a fun way to introduce yoga to the children in your life. Get started with these basic poses that can help encourage strength, flexibility, and calmness in little ones. 1. Butterfly pose. Start sitting on your mat or the floor with both legs […]
Adolescents and e-Cigarettes
An Alarming Trend Vaping is the practice of inhaling an aerosol comprising propylene glycol, nicotine, flavorings, and other substances. It has gained popularity among adult smokers in recent years as an alternative to cigarette smoking, but public health groups like the American Heart Association do not officially recommend vaping as a method for quitting smoking.1 […]
10 Summertime Fun Backyard Activities
Summer’s arrived at last! Looking or creative ideas to keep your kids physically and mentally active (and off the computer) during their summer break? Check out these summertime fun backyard activities that are sure to get the body and imagination of just about any rug rat moving…without requiring a lot of parental supervision. Even the […]
5 Easy Things You Can Do to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
According to a study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology, “any form of immersion in the natural world, outside of your internal world, heightens your overall well-being as well as more positive engagement with the larger human community.”1,2 Results of the study indicate that being outside in nature, even for just a few minutes, […]
5 Creative Plant Containers
No need to spend money on expensive planters. Just take a look around your house, in the attic, or in the shed/garage and you are sure to find some household items that, with a little TLC, can serve as perfect planters for your backyard garden oasis. Dresser drawers. See that old busted chest of drawers […]
Yoga for Strengthening & Stretching the Hips
A) Runner’s Lunge Bend your front knee to 90 degrees, making sure that your toes are visible and that the knee is stacked directly over the heel. Place your hands on either side of the foot. Lengthen and engage the extended leg. Release tension in the neck by keeping it straight as an extension of […]
Waste not, want not! Tips on reducing waste in your kitchen
The kitchen is your first step in developing and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It can also be a first step in becoming more eco-friendly. Here are 5 easy things you can do to reduce waste in your kitchen. Avoid disposable, one-use, or non-recyclable products. Ditch the paper towels. Cloth kitchen towels or rags from old […]
Yoga and Mindfulness for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Veterans
RESEARCH A randomized, clinical trial1published in JAMA in 2015 compared the efficacy of mindfulness- based stress reduction (MBSR) with that of present-centered group therapy (PGCT) for the treatment of PTSD in veterans. The researchers recruited 116 veterans with PTSD; half of the participants received nine sessions (8 weekly 2.5-hour group sessions and a day-long retreat) […]
THE NOVA FOOD CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
Group 1 UNPROCESSED/MINIMALLY PROCESSED FOODS Unprocessed/minimally processed foods include edible parts of plants (e.g., seeds, fruits, leaves, stems, roots) or of animals (e.g., muscle, organ meats, eggs, milk) and also fungi (e.g., mushrooms), algae, and water, after they’ve been harvested from their respective natural source. If any processing has occurred, this processing doesn’t add additional […]
Processed Foods: What They Are, How They Affect Our Bodies, and How to Avoid Them
The United States Dietary Guidelines for Americans (www.health.gov/ dietaryguidelines/2015/) defines the term processed food as “any raw agricultural commodity [product] that has been subject to processing, such as canning, cooking, freezing, dehydration, or milling. Processing certain foods can make them last longer by killing organisms in the food or slowing their growth.” Ultra-processed food is […]
