Here's a very interesting review of the book "Brain Rules". I have received permisson from Richard Seven to reprint it here.
Monday, March 31, 2008 - Page updated at 12:00 AM
Permission to reprint or copy this article or photo, other than personal use, must be obtained from The Seattle Times. Call 206-464-3113 or e-mail resale@seattletimes.com with your request.
MARK HARRISON / THE SEATTLE TIMES
John Medina is a molecular biologist and an author. In his seventh book, "Brain Rules," he writes about how the brain works and how we can use ours better.
Author appearance
Developmental molecular biologist John Medina will discuss his "brain rules" April 10 at Town Hall Seattle, 1119 Eighth Ave. The talk, part of Town Hall's Seattle Science Lecture Series, is sponsored by Seattle Pacific University, UW School of Medicine and University Book Store. It begins at 7:30 p.m.. Tickets are $5, sold at the door only.
For more information about the talk, seewww.townhallseattle.org. For more information about Medina's book, "Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home and School," see www.brainrules.net.
"Brain Rules"
HERE ARE A FEW of John Medina's "Brain Rules":
The human brain evolved, too. Our ability to solve problems, learn from mistakes and create alliances has been the key to our survival and how we took over the world.
Every brain is wired differently. And what you do and what happens to you actually rewires it.
Remember to repeat. Students should repeat and review what they learned 90 minutes to two hours later — and during school, not just at home.
Sleep well, think well. Taking a nap midafternoon can help make you more productive. One NASA study found pilots improved performance by a third after a nap of about 20 minutes.
Stressed brains don't learn the same way. The brain is designed to combat short bouts of stress — getting chased by a sabertooth tiger — not long-term stress that comes from an unreasonable boss or a chaotic home life.
We are powerful and natural explorers. Medina says the basis of his book is curiosity. Watch how babies learn. They are hands-on as they explore, theorize, test and conclude. Some parts of adult brains are just as malleable as the infants', so we can continue to create neurons and learn new things.
12 rules to boost your brainpower
By Richard Seven
Seattle Times staff reporter
Developmental molecular biologist John Medina admits we don't know much about how our brains work. "In fact, if we ever figured out exactly how it did this," he says, picking up a soda can and sipping from it, "that would be a major achievement."
But the Seattle scientist, in his new book, "Brain Rules" ($29.95, Pear Press), lays out 12 overarching principles — or rules — that he believes can be applied to our daily lives to help us to better teach, learn, conduct business and parent.
"What we know is that it was designed to solve problems related to surviving in an unstable outdoor setting and do so while we were in near-constant motion," says Medina, who is on the faculty of the University of Washington Medical School's bioengineering department and directs the Brain Center for Applied Learning at Seattle Pacific University.
"If you wanted to design a learning environment that was directly opposed to what the brain is good at doing, you'd settle on a traditional American classroom or one of those cubicles people have to work in."
In fact, his rule No. 2 is, "Exercise boosts brain power." While the terrain has been paved and the daily threats are more subtle these days, studies show that our brains still thrive on movement and that exercise boosts concentration and problem-solving. So why are physical-education classes disappearing from schools, and why don't more employers encourage walking meetings?
Medina himself chugs along on a treadmill in his SPU office, sometimes while doing computer work. The center tests the correlation between retaining information and exercise with students in a local school district, and the Harvard Business Review named his concepts for incorporating treadmills into the workplace as one of its "Breakthrough Ideas for 2008."
In fact, he argues, the paradigm might change if brain scientists started rubbing shoulders more with educators and executives.
"Brain Rules" also states that we should respect sleep, during which the brain does valuable processing; recognize the damage done by long-term stress (listen up, cruel managers); and acknowledge that correctly timed repetition is key to lasting memory. And effective multitasking? A myth, he says. It robs focus, promotes inefficiency and causes mistakes. Talking on the cellphone while driving has caused tragedies by sapping focus and delaying reaction time.
Another of his key rules is: "The brain does not like boring things." While all his rules are based on studies that have been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and then duplicated, he writes for a layperson's ear.
Because he believes the brain responds best to moving pictures and emotional content, his book comes with a humorous, sometimes poignant DVD and in tandem with an interactive Web site (www.brainrules.net).He also plans an April 10 Seattle lecture.
Medina has spent most of his career as a consultant — "a troubleshooter, really" — but teaches bioengineering at the University of Washington and has won two national teaching awards. He is energetic, downright excitable when sharing the wonders of the brain.
He believes the brain pays sharp attention for only about 10 minutes at a time unless it is engaged on an emotional level. So after nine minutes of lecturing, he will introduce something, often a story — like about a woman who couldn't see vowels — that jolts listeners. It is his way to reboot attention spans and inject meaning before details.
"Students don't recall a teacher for being so organized," he says. "They remember the inspiring teachers. When you get that relational connection with a student, curiosity runs its natural course. The reason we can send people to the moon is that we can understand each other's motivations. That's emotional, not cognitive."
Brain science has come to the masses in recent years. Computer programs put us through tasks called "brain fitness." Blueberries and pomegranates are considered "brain food." New York Times crossword guru Will Shortz has teamed with an MIT neuroscientist to produce a book designed to keep your brain "young."
Medina decided to write his book, published this month, as a way to apply what he says is grounded neuroscience with real-world applications. He wanted to debunk unsupported claims that he calls "neuro astrology," by citing studies that have been tested and advance real-world thinking.
He wants to start a conversation into how we can change paradigms.
Richard Seven: 206-464-2241 or rseven@seattletimes.com
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
Monday, March 31, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Detrimental Fat isn't just about your looks!
Big belly in middle age, bigger dementia risk?
By Seattle Times news services
FRESNO, Calif. — People who have big bellies in their 40s are much more likely to get Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia in their 70s, according to new research that links the middle-age spread to fading minds for the first time.
The study of more than 6,000 people found the more fat they had in their guts in their early- to mid-40s, the greater their chances of becoming forgetful or confused or showing other signs of senility as they aged. Those who had the most impressive midsections faced more than twice the risk of the leanest.
The study also suggests that abdominal fat is a bigger risk factor for dementia than family history is.
Scientists have known a large belly is associated with an increased risk for diabetes, stroke and heart disease, but this is the first study to show a connection between midlife abdominal fat and dementia.
"A large belly independent of total weight is a potent predictor of dementia," said Rachel Whitmer, a scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif., who led the study. "People need to be concerned not only about their weight, but where they carry their weight in midlife."
Dementia is an age-related condition that involves the loss of memory and other cognitive functions. It affects 5.7 million Americans, or about one in 10 people older than 65. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60 percent to 80 percent of cases.
"This ought to be a wake-up call to baby boomers in terms of diet and exercise," said Dr. Sam Gandy, a spokesman for the Alzheimer's Association who was not involved in the study. "If they are not frightened enough about heart disease, maybe they will worry about losing their mental function."
Kaiser researchers studied 6,583 men and women in Northern California who had had their belly fat measured when they were 40 to 45. Some 36 years later, 16 percent had been diagnosed with dementia.
The Kaiser study found the risk for developing dementia was 2.3 times greater for men and women who were overweight and who had a large belly than for those with a normal weight and waist size.
The chance of developing dementia was 3.6 times greater for people who were obese and had large bellies than for people with normal weight and bellies.
By contrast, people who have parents or a sibling with Alzheimer's disease face twice the risk of developing the disease.
Even people of normal weight who had bulging waist lines were at greater risk — almost two times higher — than those of normal weight without abdominal fat.
To determine belly fat, researchers used an instrument called a caliper to measure the distance from the back to the upper abdomen, midway between the top of the pelvis and the bottom of the ribs.
The Kaiser study was published in Wednesday's online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The research is the latest evidence that fat in the abdomen is the most dangerous kind. Previous studies linked the apple-shape physique to a greater risk of diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
Researchers suspect that those fat cells are the worst because of their proximity to major organs. They ooze noxious chemicals, stoking inflammation, constricting blood vessels and triggering other processes that might also damage brain cells.
"There is a lot of work out there that suggests that the fat wrapped around your inner organs is much more metabolically active than other types of fat right under the skin," Whitmer said. "It's pumping out toxic substances. It's very potent toxic fat."
The study took into account high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, Whitmer said. But a large belly remained a risk for dementia.
More research needs to be done to determine if reducing waist size can lower the risk factor for dementia, Whitmer said. Researchers don't know if the study participants who had large bellies in their 40s lost the fat before developing dementia in their 70s, she said.
But other studies have found a positive effect on high cholesterol and glucose levels with a smaller belly, Whitmer said.
Some experts were skeptical, saying this kind of study cannot rule out the possibility that whatever is making people gain weight in their bellies in their 40s also puts them at risk for dementia in their 70s.
"There could be a connection. I'm not saying there couldn't be," said Barbara Corkery, director of Boston University's obesity research center.
"But it could be those two things are caused by the same root cause."
Material from The Fresno Bee, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times is included in this report.
By Seattle Times news services
FRESNO, Calif. — People who have big bellies in their 40s are much more likely to get Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia in their 70s, according to new research that links the middle-age spread to fading minds for the first time.
The study of more than 6,000 people found the more fat they had in their guts in their early- to mid-40s, the greater their chances of becoming forgetful or confused or showing other signs of senility as they aged. Those who had the most impressive midsections faced more than twice the risk of the leanest.
The study also suggests that abdominal fat is a bigger risk factor for dementia than family history is.
Scientists have known a large belly is associated with an increased risk for diabetes, stroke and heart disease, but this is the first study to show a connection between midlife abdominal fat and dementia.
"A large belly independent of total weight is a potent predictor of dementia," said Rachel Whitmer, a scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, Calif., who led the study. "People need to be concerned not only about their weight, but where they carry their weight in midlife."
Dementia is an age-related condition that involves the loss of memory and other cognitive functions. It affects 5.7 million Americans, or about one in 10 people older than 65. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60 percent to 80 percent of cases.
"This ought to be a wake-up call to baby boomers in terms of diet and exercise," said Dr. Sam Gandy, a spokesman for the Alzheimer's Association who was not involved in the study. "If they are not frightened enough about heart disease, maybe they will worry about losing their mental function."
Kaiser researchers studied 6,583 men and women in Northern California who had had their belly fat measured when they were 40 to 45. Some 36 years later, 16 percent had been diagnosed with dementia.
The Kaiser study found the risk for developing dementia was 2.3 times greater for men and women who were overweight and who had a large belly than for those with a normal weight and waist size.
The chance of developing dementia was 3.6 times greater for people who were obese and had large bellies than for people with normal weight and bellies.
By contrast, people who have parents or a sibling with Alzheimer's disease face twice the risk of developing the disease.
Even people of normal weight who had bulging waist lines were at greater risk — almost two times higher — than those of normal weight without abdominal fat.
To determine belly fat, researchers used an instrument called a caliper to measure the distance from the back to the upper abdomen, midway between the top of the pelvis and the bottom of the ribs.
The Kaiser study was published in Wednesday's online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The research is the latest evidence that fat in the abdomen is the most dangerous kind. Previous studies linked the apple-shape physique to a greater risk of diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
Researchers suspect that those fat cells are the worst because of their proximity to major organs. They ooze noxious chemicals, stoking inflammation, constricting blood vessels and triggering other processes that might also damage brain cells.
"There is a lot of work out there that suggests that the fat wrapped around your inner organs is much more metabolically active than other types of fat right under the skin," Whitmer said. "It's pumping out toxic substances. It's very potent toxic fat."
The study took into account high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, Whitmer said. But a large belly remained a risk for dementia.
More research needs to be done to determine if reducing waist size can lower the risk factor for dementia, Whitmer said. Researchers don't know if the study participants who had large bellies in their 40s lost the fat before developing dementia in their 70s, she said.
But other studies have found a positive effect on high cholesterol and glucose levels with a smaller belly, Whitmer said.
Some experts were skeptical, saying this kind of study cannot rule out the possibility that whatever is making people gain weight in their bellies in their 40s also puts them at risk for dementia in their 70s.
"There could be a connection. I'm not saying there couldn't be," said Barbara Corkery, director of Boston University's obesity research center.
"But it could be those two things are caused by the same root cause."
Material from The Fresno Bee, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times is included in this report.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Pleasing Purple Salad
Here's a recipe I made up today. I hope you like it!
Pleasing Purple Salad
1 wedge of purple cabbage, finely shredded
Salad sprinkles-however much you like
Newman's Own Cranberry or Raspberry Dressing
Salad Sprinkles
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup golden raisins
Put the cabbage into a large salad bowl or salad plate. Sprinkle on however much salad sprinkles you like and top with the salad dressing. YUM!
The salad sprinkles are what I put on top of a lot of my salads. I keep them in the refrigerator in a container that is small enough to put into my lunch container for my spinach salads and my other salads.
Just a few of the benefits of this salad:
Cabbage has lots of fiber and is also a cancer fighter, pecans and walnuts feed the brain (have you heard of “signature”—sign of nature? That’s the idea that when a fruit or vegetable looks like a body part, it feeds that body part. So, walnuts and pecans feed the brain, carrots look like the iris and feed the eye, avocados look like the uterus and so they feed that part, etc.) Sunflower seeds have many nutrients in them, cranberries feed the bladder, and raisins have iron in them.
Pleasing Purple Salad
1 wedge of purple cabbage, finely shredded
Salad sprinkles-however much you like
Newman's Own Cranberry or Raspberry Dressing
Salad Sprinkles
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup golden raisins
Put the cabbage into a large salad bowl or salad plate. Sprinkle on however much salad sprinkles you like and top with the salad dressing. YUM!
The salad sprinkles are what I put on top of a lot of my salads. I keep them in the refrigerator in a container that is small enough to put into my lunch container for my spinach salads and my other salads.
Just a few of the benefits of this salad:
Cabbage has lots of fiber and is also a cancer fighter, pecans and walnuts feed the brain (have you heard of “signature”—sign of nature? That’s the idea that when a fruit or vegetable looks like a body part, it feeds that body part. So, walnuts and pecans feed the brain, carrots look like the iris and feed the eye, avocados look like the uterus and so they feed that part, etc.) Sunflower seeds have many nutrients in them, cranberries feed the bladder, and raisins have iron in them.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Naps Every 90 Minutes for Babies?
Here's an article I found about sleeping. In order for us to be as healthy as possible, sleeping is just as important as eating. Could it be, that the reason some of us have such a difficult time sleeping at night is that we didn't sleep every 90 minutes when we were babies?
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCERhttp://seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/355982_babysleep22.htmlBabies want to nap every 90 minutes
Doctor prescribes a lot more rest to grow happy kids
Last updated March 21, 2008 5:38 p.m. PT
By KRISTIN DIZONP-I REPORTER
The premise in Dr. Polly Moore's book -- "The 90-Minute Baby Sleep Program: Follow Your Child's Natural Sleep Rhythms for Better Nights and Naps" -- may shock today's overachieving, overscheduled parents.
Moore, a neuroscientist and director of sleep research at California Clinical Trials in San Diego, says young babies need to nap after every 90 minutes of wakefulness. And that means spending more time at home in those first five or six months rather than being always on the go.
SEATTLE P-I: So, how big a problem is infant sleep?
Do we need another book on infant sleep? That's what I said when people said I should write a book. What I heard from people is this is the No. 1 concern of parents. ... I think sleep problems in infants are probably at an all-time high. I don't have numbers to back that up, but I don't think people protect sleep like they did in the 1950s.
Why is adequate baby sleep so important?
Babies that don't sleep well become toddlers that don't sleep well and schoolchildren that don't sleep well. And we know that they have higher rates of ADHD, mood disorders and more. ... Your baby can sleep all night long for eight hours and still need a nap 90 minutes later.
Are we over scheduling our infants? Or keeping them awake too much?
We're keeping them awake too much. We don't protect their sleep. We think it's OK if they take a 20-minute cat nap in the car. Part of it is that the parents don't want to give up anything in their lives. That's what I hear: "Well, I don't want to stay home. I want to go out and go to the mall."
What is your NAPS plan?
The NAPS plan is a way to start observing your baby's natural sleepiness and alertness cycles -- to recognize their signs of sleepiness and initiate sleep while they're sleepy. ... Somewhere around 90 minutes, you look for your baby's signs of sleepiness and put them down for a nap. (If you miss that window, after about 10 to 15 minutes, baby will go back to a state of alertness and won't be ready to sleep for another 90 minutes.)
So, why does it work? Why is a baby ready to sleep after 90 minutes of wakefulness?
There's this 90-minute clock that appears to be running in your brain all the time, that you're not aware of. ... This basic rest and activity cycle is seen in all mammals -- whether it's a horse or an elephant or a cat. So cats have about a 22-minute repeating pattern. Monkeys have a 72-minute pattern.
(Moore adds that we don't know why the 90-minute cycle is important in humans and that there haven't been large, systematic studies on baby sleep and the 90-minute cycle.)
It seems counterintuitive, so why does more daytime sleep beget more nighttime sleep?
If you want them to sleep through the night, you really have to focus on the daytime sleep first. People always ask me if I'm nuts. And I say, "It's not going to kill you to try this for a few days."
One of the things that gets tiring for babies is all that sensory noise that they can't sort out yet. Sleep helps reset that signal-to-noise ratio. Good sleep takes that noise level down so you can pick out the meaningful information from this barrage of stimulation. Not being able to do that puts their system out of balance or overloads it. Not being able to sleep enough during the day means their system has to work harder at night to be able to discharge that noise.
How do you feel about co-sleeping in bed with parents?
It is so wonderful and warm and snuggly. I can't say it's terrible and nobody should ever do it. What I will say is that people who co-sleep -- easy as it is when they're babies -- run into a problem when they're toddlers. It's very difficult to get your toddler to sleep on his own when he's been in your bed. I suggest co-sleeping in a limited way. Older children become dependent on your presence to fall asleep. ... Babies that know how to soothe themselves end up with better coping skills for all kinds of stressors later in life.
How do parents react when you ask them to slow down and increase their child's naps?
I don't think they're wild about it. But it's true. I say, "I want you to think about sleep, which is as important a biological drive as eating." And I say, "Would you ever say, 'It's not convenient to feed my child right now?' " You wouldn't. We'd never think of saying that.
THE NAPS PLAN
Dr. Polly Moore created the NAPS plan to help parents clue into her 90-minute cycle theory. Here's how it works.
N: Note the time when your baby wakes up.
A: Add 90 minutes.
P: Play with your baby.
S: Soothe your baby to sleep as the 90 minutes wind down.
P-I reporter Kristin Dizon can be reached at 206-448-8118 or kristindizon@seattlepi.com.
© 1998-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCERhttp://seattlepi.nwsource.com/lifestyle/355982_babysleep22.htmlBabies want to nap every 90 minutes
Doctor prescribes a lot more rest to grow happy kids
Last updated March 21, 2008 5:38 p.m. PT
By KRISTIN DIZONP-I REPORTER
The premise in Dr. Polly Moore's book -- "The 90-Minute Baby Sleep Program: Follow Your Child's Natural Sleep Rhythms for Better Nights and Naps" -- may shock today's overachieving, overscheduled parents.
Moore, a neuroscientist and director of sleep research at California Clinical Trials in San Diego, says young babies need to nap after every 90 minutes of wakefulness. And that means spending more time at home in those first five or six months rather than being always on the go.
SEATTLE P-I: So, how big a problem is infant sleep?
Do we need another book on infant sleep? That's what I said when people said I should write a book. What I heard from people is this is the No. 1 concern of parents. ... I think sleep problems in infants are probably at an all-time high. I don't have numbers to back that up, but I don't think people protect sleep like they did in the 1950s.
Why is adequate baby sleep so important?
Babies that don't sleep well become toddlers that don't sleep well and schoolchildren that don't sleep well. And we know that they have higher rates of ADHD, mood disorders and more. ... Your baby can sleep all night long for eight hours and still need a nap 90 minutes later.
Are we over scheduling our infants? Or keeping them awake too much?
We're keeping them awake too much. We don't protect their sleep. We think it's OK if they take a 20-minute cat nap in the car. Part of it is that the parents don't want to give up anything in their lives. That's what I hear: "Well, I don't want to stay home. I want to go out and go to the mall."
What is your NAPS plan?
The NAPS plan is a way to start observing your baby's natural sleepiness and alertness cycles -- to recognize their signs of sleepiness and initiate sleep while they're sleepy. ... Somewhere around 90 minutes, you look for your baby's signs of sleepiness and put them down for a nap. (If you miss that window, after about 10 to 15 minutes, baby will go back to a state of alertness and won't be ready to sleep for another 90 minutes.)
So, why does it work? Why is a baby ready to sleep after 90 minutes of wakefulness?
There's this 90-minute clock that appears to be running in your brain all the time, that you're not aware of. ... This basic rest and activity cycle is seen in all mammals -- whether it's a horse or an elephant or a cat. So cats have about a 22-minute repeating pattern. Monkeys have a 72-minute pattern.
(Moore adds that we don't know why the 90-minute cycle is important in humans and that there haven't been large, systematic studies on baby sleep and the 90-minute cycle.)
It seems counterintuitive, so why does more daytime sleep beget more nighttime sleep?
If you want them to sleep through the night, you really have to focus on the daytime sleep first. People always ask me if I'm nuts. And I say, "It's not going to kill you to try this for a few days."
One of the things that gets tiring for babies is all that sensory noise that they can't sort out yet. Sleep helps reset that signal-to-noise ratio. Good sleep takes that noise level down so you can pick out the meaningful information from this barrage of stimulation. Not being able to do that puts their system out of balance or overloads it. Not being able to sleep enough during the day means their system has to work harder at night to be able to discharge that noise.
How do you feel about co-sleeping in bed with parents?
It is so wonderful and warm and snuggly. I can't say it's terrible and nobody should ever do it. What I will say is that people who co-sleep -- easy as it is when they're babies -- run into a problem when they're toddlers. It's very difficult to get your toddler to sleep on his own when he's been in your bed. I suggest co-sleeping in a limited way. Older children become dependent on your presence to fall asleep. ... Babies that know how to soothe themselves end up with better coping skills for all kinds of stressors later in life.
How do parents react when you ask them to slow down and increase their child's naps?
I don't think they're wild about it. But it's true. I say, "I want you to think about sleep, which is as important a biological drive as eating." And I say, "Would you ever say, 'It's not convenient to feed my child right now?' " You wouldn't. We'd never think of saying that.
THE NAPS PLAN
Dr. Polly Moore created the NAPS plan to help parents clue into her 90-minute cycle theory. Here's how it works.
N: Note the time when your baby wakes up.
A: Add 90 minutes.
P: Play with your baby.
S: Soothe your baby to sleep as the 90 minutes wind down.
P-I reporter Kristin Dizon can be reached at 206-448-8118 or kristindizon@seattlepi.com.
© 1998-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Healthy and Tasty Hummus
Hummus? Isn't that the stuff that tastes sort of like sand?
Well no, actually, this recipe tastes wonderful and is very good for you. Chickpeas, or garbanzos, are beans and have lots of fiber so eat up, they are very good for you. Also, garlic has been shown to help lessen the effects of a cold or other flu like symptoms. Of all the hummus recipes I have, this is my favorite. The lemon gives it such a nice zest.
I use hummus spread on fresh ground whole wheat bread with slices of soy cheddar cheese, I also use it as a dip with baked whole wheat pita bread triangles as the dippers instead of high calorie, high salt, high fat chips.
Gerri's Hummus (from www.vegsource.com)
2 cloves, peeled and chopped
4 Tablespoons Tahini paste
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 can (15 oz) of chick peas drained, reserve juice (or equivalent of dried beans that have been cooked)
Put all the ingredientsinto the blender (a Vita Mix works well for this heavy mixture). Blend until smooth, use extra chick pea juice if it's too dry. Enjoy.
Variations:
1. Add sun dried tomatoes
2. Add black olives
3. Add chipotle chilis
4. Add any vegetable that you like the taste of
Ways to eat it:
1. Stuff pita pockets with hummus, diced tomatoes and celery.
2. Spread on fresh ground whole wheat bread
3. Use as a dip for celery or carrots
4. Hummus on a jalepeno bagel is to die for!
Enjoy!
Well no, actually, this recipe tastes wonderful and is very good for you. Chickpeas, or garbanzos, are beans and have lots of fiber so eat up, they are very good for you. Also, garlic has been shown to help lessen the effects of a cold or other flu like symptoms. Of all the hummus recipes I have, this is my favorite. The lemon gives it such a nice zest.
I use hummus spread on fresh ground whole wheat bread with slices of soy cheddar cheese, I also use it as a dip with baked whole wheat pita bread triangles as the dippers instead of high calorie, high salt, high fat chips.
Gerri's Hummus (from www.vegsource.com)
2 cloves, peeled and chopped
4 Tablespoons Tahini paste
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 can (15 oz) of chick peas drained, reserve juice (or equivalent of dried beans that have been cooked)
Put all the ingredientsinto the blender (a Vita Mix works well for this heavy mixture). Blend until smooth, use extra chick pea juice if it's too dry. Enjoy.
Variations:
1. Add sun dried tomatoes
2. Add black olives
3. Add chipotle chilis
4. Add any vegetable that you like the taste of
Ways to eat it:
1. Stuff pita pockets with hummus, diced tomatoes and celery.
2. Spread on fresh ground whole wheat bread
3. Use as a dip for celery or carrots
4. Hummus on a jalepeno bagel is to die for!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
New Children's Book - The Great Escape
This looks like a fun book for children. Here's a review from www.vegsource.com:
International animal-smuggling, illicit computer-hacking, break-neck chases and a fast-talking cat. Just your ordinary school holidays...
Adam Stower.
It's the summer holidays and Millie's bored stiff. Every week, she has to clean windows with her dad at a nearby laboratory. But she's sure something weird's going on inside...
Then one day, a cat comes hurtling through the lobby towards her... and asks her for help. And Max needs a lot of help. He's trying to escape, he wants to know who kidnapped him and why - who on earth would want to make cats that can talk? And he needs Millie to help him rescue the friends he's left behind, before it's too late...
"A first-rate read on all levels, not just for children, but adults too, and a salutary warning to cats everywhere to mind their Ps and Qs."
- Michael Bond
"Funny, fresh and feline - this is a strange, sinister, shimmering story which will appeal to cats of all ages."
- Julie Burchill
More fun stuff
International animal-smuggling, illicit computer-hacking, break-neck chases and a fast-talking cat. Just your ordinary school holidays...
Adam Stower.
It's the summer holidays and Millie's bored stiff. Every week, she has to clean windows with her dad at a nearby laboratory. But she's sure something weird's going on inside...
Then one day, a cat comes hurtling through the lobby towards her... and asks her for help. And Max needs a lot of help. He's trying to escape, he wants to know who kidnapped him and why - who on earth would want to make cats that can talk? And he needs Millie to help him rescue the friends he's left behind, before it's too late...
"A first-rate read on all levels, not just for children, but adults too, and a salutary warning to cats everywhere to mind their Ps and Qs."
- Michael Bond
"Funny, fresh and feline - this is a strange, sinister, shimmering story which will appeal to cats of all ages."
- Julie Burchill
More fun stuff
Ask Dr. Ellouise Column #3 3/18/08
Let’s begin this month’s column by reviewing last month’s final point.
What should I eliminate for my child to be healthier?
Eliminating processed food would be one of the most healthy choices you could ever make. Now, I didn’t say it would be easy, but it’s certainly simple.
Eating foods that are as close to nature as possible like fresh fruits and vegetables will benefit you and your child in almost unimaginably wonderful ways.
How can I accomplish this without a rebellion?
The first tip in this area has to do with the TV. Remember those 13,000 food ads mentioned in the first newsletter? Those ads are convincing your child to want (even if it’s disguised as “need”) the items advertised.
But, if the TV has been turned off for a while so you both can do the cross lateral activities, life will be easier.
By not being bombarded with those advertisements (remember that CANDY stands for Continually Advertised Nutritionally Deficient Yummies) your child might be more willing to try something healthier.
Sounds good, how do I actually begin?
The first thing to do is to use up what you have that’s unhealthy or processed (I am not unrealistic enough to think that you would just throw away what you have but if you want to do that, it’s a quick way to get going).
The next step is to avoid buying any more of the unhealthy stuff.
One technique is to shop the outside aisles instead of the middle which usually has the more processed foods.
In order to purchase only healthy foods, you may need to shop alone instead of with your children. Then the whining for the processed foods will be at home and you won’t give in just because people are listening.
Choose organic fruits and veggies so that your move towards better health isn’t sabotaged by the pesticides in non-organic foods.
Using a list is important here too. In order to have a list, though, you need to plan what you are going to have to eat and then plan what you need.
Once you get home with the fruits and veggies, be sure to use a fruit and vegetable rinse on them and dry them before putting them into the refrigerator. The reasoning behind this is: if the fruit is ready to eat, it’s easier to get the child to eat it. Youngsters are used to “fast” food, so they need those snacks to be fast and having to stop to wash the food will make them less likely to choose it.
Having the fruit or veggies attractively arranged helps also. Fruit that can last outside the refrigerator can be put into a lovely bowl on the table. It serves as both a decoration and a quick fix for the hunger pangs of the afternoon.
Veggies can be cut up and put into attractive containers in the refrigerator for more quick munching. Those same veggies, cut a little smaller, can also serve as toppings for salads at lunch time.
One idea is to purchase a plastic bin of organic spinach and one of organic spring mix. After washing and drying them, just combine them and put them into individual containers that are the correct size for one lunch. A quick lunch is then made by putting the spinach mix, several small containers of celery, grape tomatoes, red bell peppers, cauliflower and whatever else you want into the lunch bag. Additional toppings include yellow raisins, pecans, sunflower seeds, and croutons. Just put your favorite healthy light salad dressing into the lunch bag and you have a lunch that is filling, yet healthy.
What should I eliminate for my child to be healthier?
Eliminating processed food would be one of the most healthy choices you could ever make. Now, I didn’t say it would be easy, but it’s certainly simple.
Eating foods that are as close to nature as possible like fresh fruits and vegetables will benefit you and your child in almost unimaginably wonderful ways.
How can I accomplish this without a rebellion?
The first tip in this area has to do with the TV. Remember those 13,000 food ads mentioned in the first newsletter? Those ads are convincing your child to want (even if it’s disguised as “need”) the items advertised.
But, if the TV has been turned off for a while so you both can do the cross lateral activities, life will be easier.
By not being bombarded with those advertisements (remember that CANDY stands for Continually Advertised Nutritionally Deficient Yummies) your child might be more willing to try something healthier.
Sounds good, how do I actually begin?
The first thing to do is to use up what you have that’s unhealthy or processed (I am not unrealistic enough to think that you would just throw away what you have but if you want to do that, it’s a quick way to get going).
The next step is to avoid buying any more of the unhealthy stuff.
One technique is to shop the outside aisles instead of the middle which usually has the more processed foods.
In order to purchase only healthy foods, you may need to shop alone instead of with your children. Then the whining for the processed foods will be at home and you won’t give in just because people are listening.
Choose organic fruits and veggies so that your move towards better health isn’t sabotaged by the pesticides in non-organic foods.
Using a list is important here too. In order to have a list, though, you need to plan what you are going to have to eat and then plan what you need.
Once you get home with the fruits and veggies, be sure to use a fruit and vegetable rinse on them and dry them before putting them into the refrigerator. The reasoning behind this is: if the fruit is ready to eat, it’s easier to get the child to eat it. Youngsters are used to “fast” food, so they need those snacks to be fast and having to stop to wash the food will make them less likely to choose it.
Having the fruit or veggies attractively arranged helps also. Fruit that can last outside the refrigerator can be put into a lovely bowl on the table. It serves as both a decoration and a quick fix for the hunger pangs of the afternoon.
Veggies can be cut up and put into attractive containers in the refrigerator for more quick munching. Those same veggies, cut a little smaller, can also serve as toppings for salads at lunch time.
One idea is to purchase a plastic bin of organic spinach and one of organic spring mix. After washing and drying them, just combine them and put them into individual containers that are the correct size for one lunch. A quick lunch is then made by putting the spinach mix, several small containers of celery, grape tomatoes, red bell peppers, cauliflower and whatever else you want into the lunch bag. Additional toppings include yellow raisins, pecans, sunflower seeds, and croutons. Just put your favorite healthy light salad dressing into the lunch bag and you have a lunch that is filling, yet healthy.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Margerine vs. Butter -Health Facts
This email that I received is a good starting point for many of us to get started talking about health and the various items we put into our mouths without thinking about what they really are.
Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back.
It was a light substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it?
DO YOU KNOW.. the difference between margarine and butter? Both have the same amount of calories. Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams. Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study. Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because they are added! Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.
Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years. And now, for Margarine..
Very high in trans fatty acids .
Triple risk of coronary heart disease.
Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)
Increases the risk of cancers up to five fold.
Lowers quality of breast milk.
Decreases immune response.
Decreases insulin response.
And here's the most disturbing fact.... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING! Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC..
This fact alone was enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance). You can try this yourself: Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things:
* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)
* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow.
Why? Because it is nearly plastic.
Would you melt your Tupperware an spread that on your toast?
Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back.
It was a light substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it?
DO YOU KNOW.. the difference between margarine and butter? Both have the same amount of calories. Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams. Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study. Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because they are added! Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.
Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years. And now, for Margarine..
Very high in trans fatty acids .
Triple risk of coronary heart disease.
Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)
Increases the risk of cancers up to five fold.
Lowers quality of breast milk.
Decreases immune response.
Decreases insulin response.
And here's the most disturbing fact.... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING! Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC..
This fact alone was enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance). You can try this yourself: Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things:
* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)
* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny microorganisms will not a find a home to grow.
Why? Because it is nearly plastic.
Would you melt your Tupperware an spread that on your toast?
Monday, March 10, 2008
How Can Health Coaching Benefit Me and My Children?
Health Coaching is an off-shoot of Life Coaching targeted specifically at improving all aspects of health and fitness using the proven techniques and strategies that make Life Coaching one of the newest, fastest growing, and most effective self-development and performance enhancing techniques available.
Health Coaching is relevant to anyone wishing to improve their own health or the health of their children.
FOR A FREE HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND COACHING DEMONSTRATION e-mail me.
TWO MILLION DOLLAR WEBSITE
I Provide My Clients Access to one of the World'sMost Sophisticated Health Coaching Websites. CLICK HERE FOR A TOUR
A recent study at Yale University has shown that "Health Coaching is a highly effective and superior strategy in reducing total cholesterol, and other coronary risk factors such as blood pressure, compared to patients who were prescribed medication but not coached."
What are YOU interested in improving?
REDUCE STRESS
STOP SMOKING
GET IN SHAPE
MANAGE A CHRONIC HEALTH ISSUE
NUTRITIONAL ADVICE
INCREASED ENERGY LEVELS
Further research has shown that "Wellness coaching is significantly more effective than personal training or dietician consultation in delivering sustainable behavior change. (Principles of behavioral Psychology in Wellness Coaching, Margaret Moore, Wellcoaches Corporation, November 2004).
Health Coaching is relevant to anyone wishing to improve their own health or the health of their children.
FOR A FREE HEALTH ASSESSMENT AND COACHING DEMONSTRATION e-mail me.
TWO MILLION DOLLAR WEBSITE
I Provide My Clients Access to one of the World'sMost Sophisticated Health Coaching Websites. CLICK HERE FOR A TOUR
A recent study at Yale University has shown that "Health Coaching is a highly effective and superior strategy in reducing total cholesterol, and other coronary risk factors such as blood pressure, compared to patients who were prescribed medication but not coached."
What are YOU interested in improving?
REDUCE STRESS
STOP SMOKING
GET IN SHAPE
MANAGE A CHRONIC HEALTH ISSUE
NUTRITIONAL ADVICE
INCREASED ENERGY LEVELS
Further research has shown that "Wellness coaching is significantly more effective than personal training or dietician consultation in delivering sustainable behavior change. (Principles of behavioral Psychology in Wellness Coaching, Margaret Moore, Wellcoaches Corporation, November 2004).
Ask Dr. Ellouise Column #2 3-9-08
Why is it important to help my child be healthier?
Studies show that because of their poor health, this is the first generation of children who may not outlive their parents. That fact alone should bring us all to an about face on the lifestyle’s of our youngsters.
What elements are included in a healthy lifestyle?
Certainly, the quality of the food consumed is a huge issue. Subsisting on fast food is not a healthy idea.
Another element to a healthy lifestyle involves exercise. Studies have shown that cross lateral activity (like walking) is beneficial not only for our weight management but also for such issues as healthy vessels and hearts, flexibility and ADHD.
Another element is the human’s need for a support group and emotional stability. In times past, the support group and emotional stability was provide by the extended family. That’s lacking in many families today.
Another element is clean, pure water. Unfortunately, many cities have public water supplies which aren’t necessarily healthy.
So, what can I do about these issues?
Let’s start with the easiest one: water. It’s fairly simple and not too expensive to add a water filter to your sink so that you and your child are drinking filtered water. A solid carbon filter does the best job of filtering at the least expensive price.
It’s even a good idea to rinse your vegetables and fruits with that filtered water, use it for reconstituting juices or soups and for making your tea or other drinks.
The next element could be to add some cross lateral exercise (like walking, running, or skating) to your life and your child’s life. In order to find the time for that, could you turn off the TV or handheld games for a period of time each day?
If you then gradually lengthened the time they are turned off , you and your child would have more time to do the cross lateral activities. Maybe you would eventually get to the point that these activities and the emotional connection with each other were so much more fun that the TV or hand held games would just stay off! Oops, blasphemy has occurred!
The last element for this column is the quality of food your child consumes. That leads us to the next heading in this particular column.
What should I eliminate for my child to be healthier?
Eliminating processed food would be one of the most healthy choices you could ever make. And, if the TV has been turned off for a while (remember those 13,000 food ads mentioned in the last newsletter?) your child might be more willing to try something healthier.
Eating foods that are as close to nature as possible like fresh fruits and vegetables will benefit you and your child in ways almost unimaginable.
How can I accomplish this without a rebellion?
Whoops! We’re out of space and will need to continue this next month.
Studies show that because of their poor health, this is the first generation of children who may not outlive their parents. That fact alone should bring us all to an about face on the lifestyle’s of our youngsters.
What elements are included in a healthy lifestyle?
Certainly, the quality of the food consumed is a huge issue. Subsisting on fast food is not a healthy idea.
Another element to a healthy lifestyle involves exercise. Studies have shown that cross lateral activity (like walking) is beneficial not only for our weight management but also for such issues as healthy vessels and hearts, flexibility and ADHD.
Another element is the human’s need for a support group and emotional stability. In times past, the support group and emotional stability was provide by the extended family. That’s lacking in many families today.
Another element is clean, pure water. Unfortunately, many cities have public water supplies which aren’t necessarily healthy.
So, what can I do about these issues?
Let’s start with the easiest one: water. It’s fairly simple and not too expensive to add a water filter to your sink so that you and your child are drinking filtered water. A solid carbon filter does the best job of filtering at the least expensive price.
It’s even a good idea to rinse your vegetables and fruits with that filtered water, use it for reconstituting juices or soups and for making your tea or other drinks.
The next element could be to add some cross lateral exercise (like walking, running, or skating) to your life and your child’s life. In order to find the time for that, could you turn off the TV or handheld games for a period of time each day?
If you then gradually lengthened the time they are turned off , you and your child would have more time to do the cross lateral activities. Maybe you would eventually get to the point that these activities and the emotional connection with each other were so much more fun that the TV or hand held games would just stay off! Oops, blasphemy has occurred!
The last element for this column is the quality of food your child consumes. That leads us to the next heading in this particular column.
What should I eliminate for my child to be healthier?
Eliminating processed food would be one of the most healthy choices you could ever make. And, if the TV has been turned off for a while (remember those 13,000 food ads mentioned in the last newsletter?) your child might be more willing to try something healthier.
Eating foods that are as close to nature as possible like fresh fruits and vegetables will benefit you and your child in ways almost unimaginable.
How can I accomplish this without a rebellion?
Whoops! We’re out of space and will need to continue this next month.
Ask Dr. Ellouise Column #1 3-9-08
Why is it important to help my child be healthier?
Studies show that because of their poor health, this is the first generation of children who may not outlive their parents. That fact alone should bring us all to an about face on the lifestyle’s of our youngsters.
What elements are included in a healthy lifestyle?
Certainly, the quality of the food consumed is a huge issue. Subsisting on fast food is not a healthy idea.
Another element to a healthy lifestyle involves exercise. Studies have shown that cross lateral activity (like walking) is beneficial not only for our weight management but also for such issues as healthy vessels and hearts, flexibility and ADHD.
Another element is the human’s need for a support group and emotional stability. In times past, the support group and emotional stability was provide by the extended family. That’s lacking in many families today.
Another element is clean, pure water. Unfortunately, many cities have public water supplies which aren’t necessarily healthy.
So, what can I do about these issues?
Let’s start with the easiest one: water. It’s fairly simple and not too expensive to add a water filter to your sink so that you and your child are drinking filtered water. A solid carbon filter does the best job of filtering at the least expensive price.
It’s even a good idea to rinse your vegetables and fruits with that filtered water, use it for reconstituting juices or soups and for making your tea or other drinks.
The next element could be to add some cross lateral exercise (like walking, running, or skating) to your life and your child’s life. In order to find the time for that, could you turn off the TV or handheld games for a period of time each day?
If you then gradually lengthened the time they are turned off , you and your child would have more time to do the cross lateral activities. Maybe you would eventually get to the point that these activities and the emotional connection with each other were so much more fun that the TV or hand held games would just stay off! Oops, blasphemy has occurred!
The last element for this column is the quality of food your child consumes. That leads us to the next heading in this particular column.
What should I eliminate for my child to be healthier?
Eliminating processed food would be one of the most healthy choices you could ever make. And, if the TV has been turned off for a while (remember those 13,000 food ads mentioned in the last newsletter?) your child might be more willing to try something healthier.
Eating foods that are as close to nature as possible like fresh fruits and vegetables will benefit you and your child in ways almost unimaginable.
How can I accomplish this without a rebellion?
Whoops! We’re out of space and will need to continue this next month.
Studies show that because of their poor health, this is the first generation of children who may not outlive their parents. That fact alone should bring us all to an about face on the lifestyle’s of our youngsters.
What elements are included in a healthy lifestyle?
Certainly, the quality of the food consumed is a huge issue. Subsisting on fast food is not a healthy idea.
Another element to a healthy lifestyle involves exercise. Studies have shown that cross lateral activity (like walking) is beneficial not only for our weight management but also for such issues as healthy vessels and hearts, flexibility and ADHD.
Another element is the human’s need for a support group and emotional stability. In times past, the support group and emotional stability was provide by the extended family. That’s lacking in many families today.
Another element is clean, pure water. Unfortunately, many cities have public water supplies which aren’t necessarily healthy.
So, what can I do about these issues?
Let’s start with the easiest one: water. It’s fairly simple and not too expensive to add a water filter to your sink so that you and your child are drinking filtered water. A solid carbon filter does the best job of filtering at the least expensive price.
It’s even a good idea to rinse your vegetables and fruits with that filtered water, use it for reconstituting juices or soups and for making your tea or other drinks.
The next element could be to add some cross lateral exercise (like walking, running, or skating) to your life and your child’s life. In order to find the time for that, could you turn off the TV or handheld games for a period of time each day?
If you then gradually lengthened the time they are turned off , you and your child would have more time to do the cross lateral activities. Maybe you would eventually get to the point that these activities and the emotional connection with each other were so much more fun that the TV or hand held games would just stay off! Oops, blasphemy has occurred!
The last element for this column is the quality of food your child consumes. That leads us to the next heading in this particular column.
What should I eliminate for my child to be healthier?
Eliminating processed food would be one of the most healthy choices you could ever make. And, if the TV has been turned off for a while (remember those 13,000 food ads mentioned in the last newsletter?) your child might be more willing to try something healthier.
Eating foods that are as close to nature as possible like fresh fruits and vegetables will benefit you and your child in ways almost unimaginable.
How can I accomplish this without a rebellion?
Whoops! We’re out of space and will need to continue this next month.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Health Coaching
Health Coaching
Health Coaching is an off-shoot of Life Coaching targeted specifically at improving all aspects of health and fitness using the proven techniques and strategies that make Life Coaching one of the newest, fastest growing, and most effective self-development and performance enhancing techniques available.
Health Coaching is relevant to anyone wishing to improve their own health but is particularly pertinent to employees and organizations who want to reduce the amount of time and money lost through ill health. In the USA organizations that have invested in health coaching have seen a Return On Investment of between 2.5 and 7.5.
A recent study at Yale University has shown that "Health Coaching is a highly effective and superior strategy in reducing total cholesterol, and other coronary risk factors such as blood pressure, compared to patients who were prescribed medication but not coached."
Further research has shown that "Wellness coaching is significantly more effective than personal training or dietician consultation in delivering sustainable behavior change. (Principles of behavioral Psychology in Wellness Coaching, Margaret Moore, Wellcoaches Corporation, November 2004).
Health Coaching is an off-shoot of Life Coaching targeted specifically at improving all aspects of health and fitness using the proven techniques and strategies that make Life Coaching one of the newest, fastest growing, and most effective self-development and performance enhancing techniques available.
Health Coaching is relevant to anyone wishing to improve their own health but is particularly pertinent to employees and organizations who want to reduce the amount of time and money lost through ill health. In the USA organizations that have invested in health coaching have seen a Return On Investment of between 2.5 and 7.5.
A recent study at Yale University has shown that "Health Coaching is a highly effective and superior strategy in reducing total cholesterol, and other coronary risk factors such as blood pressure, compared to patients who were prescribed medication but not coached."
Further research has shown that "Wellness coaching is significantly more effective than personal training or dietician consultation in delivering sustainable behavior change. (Principles of behavioral Psychology in Wellness Coaching, Margaret Moore, Wellcoaches Corporation, November 2004).
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Ask Dr. Ellouise Intro Column 3-7-08
It seems like such an uphill climb, can I really make a difference in my child’s health?
You can make an incredible difference in your child’s life by teaching him or her to make healthy lifestyle choices. These choices can make a difference not only today, but they will also make an enormous difference 40 or 50 years from now as your child ages.
So, the first, and maybe the most important way to help your child is to be aware that YOU are making choices! Everything you eat, or don’t eat, is a choice and everything you eat, or don’t eat, is teaching your child—even when you think s/he’s not watching! By making healthy choices for yourself, you are modeling healthy choices for your child.
Many of us just drift along when it comes to making lifestyle choices. We do what we’ve always done, we do what is convenient, we do what is inexpensive and/or we do what we’ve been told by the media is what we need (which usually has more to do with their profit margin than it does with our healthy eating).
So, how do I change what my child eats?
Healthy lifestyle choices are not just about what your child eats. They also include how much physical exercise s/he pursues, how much sleep s/he gets and much more. There are also some things to remove from your child’s lifestyle and some things to add to your child’s lifestyle in order to help him/her to be more healthy. We’ll address more so these issues in future articles.
But, let’s begin by talking about what you might already know. Most of us know that sugar is not a healthy choice and that more fruits and vegetables are a healthy choice. Most of us know that more physical exercise is a healthy choice and sitting around on the couch is not a healthy choice.
Unfortunately, what I found when researching for my Ph.D. dissertation was that our actions were not aligned with our knowledge! Many of us aren’t making the above healthy choices even though we know what those choices should be.
Well, why aren’t we?
I believe that both the adults and the children in America have been miseducated by the millions of dollars of advertising on our ever present TV’s. As stated in Eating for A’s: “Our children are educated about nutrition in ways that are disastrous. They get their information from the 13,00 food and soft drink commercials they watch over the course of a year.”
Many of those commercials have “studies” that show how healthy their product is. However, I also believe that “when a manufacturer or supplier stands to gain financially from convincing people to eat their product, the chances of an honest evaluation (study) of that product’s healthiness are slim.”
The old adage “You are what you eat”, couldn’t be more accurate. And, most children in America today are eating in abysmally unhealthy ways.
In future columns, we’ll discuss some strategies for making a change in YOUR child’s life…..no matter what’s going on in the rest of America!
You can make an incredible difference in your child’s life by teaching him or her to make healthy lifestyle choices. These choices can make a difference not only today, but they will also make an enormous difference 40 or 50 years from now as your child ages.
So, the first, and maybe the most important way to help your child is to be aware that YOU are making choices! Everything you eat, or don’t eat, is a choice and everything you eat, or don’t eat, is teaching your child—even when you think s/he’s not watching! By making healthy choices for yourself, you are modeling healthy choices for your child.
Many of us just drift along when it comes to making lifestyle choices. We do what we’ve always done, we do what is convenient, we do what is inexpensive and/or we do what we’ve been told by the media is what we need (which usually has more to do with their profit margin than it does with our healthy eating).
So, how do I change what my child eats?
Healthy lifestyle choices are not just about what your child eats. They also include how much physical exercise s/he pursues, how much sleep s/he gets and much more. There are also some things to remove from your child’s lifestyle and some things to add to your child’s lifestyle in order to help him/her to be more healthy. We’ll address more so these issues in future articles.
But, let’s begin by talking about what you might already know. Most of us know that sugar is not a healthy choice and that more fruits and vegetables are a healthy choice. Most of us know that more physical exercise is a healthy choice and sitting around on the couch is not a healthy choice.
Unfortunately, what I found when researching for my Ph.D. dissertation was that our actions were not aligned with our knowledge! Many of us aren’t making the above healthy choices even though we know what those choices should be.
Well, why aren’t we?
I believe that both the adults and the children in America have been miseducated by the millions of dollars of advertising on our ever present TV’s. As stated in Eating for A’s: “Our children are educated about nutrition in ways that are disastrous. They get their information from the 13,00 food and soft drink commercials they watch over the course of a year.”
Many of those commercials have “studies” that show how healthy their product is. However, I also believe that “when a manufacturer or supplier stands to gain financially from convincing people to eat their product, the chances of an honest evaluation (study) of that product’s healthiness are slim.”
The old adage “You are what you eat”, couldn’t be more accurate. And, most children in America today are eating in abysmally unhealthy ways.
In future columns, we’ll discuss some strategies for making a change in YOUR child’s life…..no matter what’s going on in the rest of America!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Here's the way I start every day, and I have energy to spare--with no caffeine or sugar!
DR. ELLOUISE’S SUPER DUPER START TO THE DAY
1 oz. Ageless Xtra (for vital energy, mental clarity, managing stress, and joint comfort and flexibility)
1 oz. Metaberry (the antioxidant equivalent of 10 servings of fruits and vegetables)
1 bottle of Ageless Essentials (perfectly balanced nutrition)
1 oz. Aloe Gold (promotes a healthy digestive system and skin)
Enough water to make 3 cups
1 Tablespoon Metagreens (the equivalent of 5 plates of spinach & sea greens)
1 RegeniCare (promotes joint comfort and flexibility)
1 scoop of Whole Nectar non-GMO soy milk (soy fights cancer)
1 Banana (for potassium and tryptophan-which the body makes into seratonin)
1/4 cup Flax Seeds (fights cancer, lowers cholesterol, good for regularity)
1/4 cup blueberries (feeds the pancreas)
1/4 cup cranberries (feeds the bladder and liver)
1/4 cup Fiesta blend (papayas, strawberries, pineapple) or whatever blend you like!
Using the VitaMix blender is very helpful, cheaper blenders will burn out sooner. Also, flax seeds will not be finely ground up with a regular blender. Flax seed oil can be used but then it’s not “freshly ground” which has more nutrients. Put in blender, blend and enjoy!
Ageless Xtra, Metaberry, Aloe Gold, Essentials, Metagreens, and RegeniCare are all Univera Life Sciences products and are available from Ellouise Carroll 253 241-5151.
DR. ELLOUISE’S SUPER DUPER START TO THE DAY
1 oz. Ageless Xtra (for vital energy, mental clarity, managing stress, and joint comfort and flexibility)
1 oz. Metaberry (the antioxidant equivalent of 10 servings of fruits and vegetables)
1 bottle of Ageless Essentials (perfectly balanced nutrition)
1 oz. Aloe Gold (promotes a healthy digestive system and skin)
Enough water to make 3 cups
1 Tablespoon Metagreens (the equivalent of 5 plates of spinach & sea greens)
1 RegeniCare (promotes joint comfort and flexibility)
1 scoop of Whole Nectar non-GMO soy milk (soy fights cancer)
1 Banana (for potassium and tryptophan-which the body makes into seratonin)
1/4 cup Flax Seeds (fights cancer, lowers cholesterol, good for regularity)
1/4 cup blueberries (feeds the pancreas)
1/4 cup cranberries (feeds the bladder and liver)
1/4 cup Fiesta blend (papayas, strawberries, pineapple) or whatever blend you like!
Using the VitaMix blender is very helpful, cheaper blenders will burn out sooner. Also, flax seeds will not be finely ground up with a regular blender. Flax seed oil can be used but then it’s not “freshly ground” which has more nutrients. Put in blender, blend and enjoy!
Ageless Xtra, Metaberry, Aloe Gold, Essentials, Metagreens, and RegeniCare are all Univera Life Sciences products and are available from Ellouise Carroll 253 241-5151.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
TODDLERS NEED MORE EXCERCISE!
Even toddlers need to get more exercise, study says
EMMA ROSS; The Associated Press
LONDON - New research suggests even 3-year-olds aren't getting enough exercise, raising concerns over their weight, future disease risk, psychological well-being, behavior and learning ability.
In the first study to rigorously track the movements of preschoolers, scientists found that the average 3-year-old is physically active for just 20 minutes a day, well short of the recommended hour a day for that age.
In The Lancet study published this month, scientists from the University of Glasgow in Scotland recruited 78 children. Each 3-year-old wore an "accelerometer," a matchbox-sized monitor clipped to the waistband, for a week.
The device, worn from the time they woke up until bedtime, gave minute-by-minute readings of the children's pattern of physical activity and the number of calories burned.
The toddlers were burning about 1,300 calories a day - less than the 1,500 calories recommended.
While the problem is one of an imbalance of calories eaten and burned up, experts believe the main reason is children are not exercising enough.
"There are really only two possibilities, reduced activity or increased intake. None of the dietary assessment data indicate that children are eating more. Adolescents may be eating more but young children are eating less," said the study's leader, John Reilly, a physiologist at the University of Glasgow.
"A 3-year-old 25 years ago was eating 25 percent more than a 3-year-old today," he said. "But physical activity levels have dropped quite dramatically over the last 15 or 20 years."
In the study, the children were spending between nine and 10 hours of their day hardly moving at all.
"They may well have been doing a bit of fidgeting, they may have been speaking to their parents or among themselves, but they were just not moving enough to put up the number of calories burned beyond what it would be if they were just resting or sleeping," Reilly said.
The children spent 20 minutes a day in moderate to vigorous activity - the type of activity that would get them feeling slightly warm and slightly out of breath, such as running around, walking to keep up with an adult and most types of outdoor play.
All-day television and recorded videos are a major culprit, Reilly said. Outside the home, children are also much less active than they used to be.
"Many more journeys are made by car and among the 3-year-olds, a fair number of them are being taken around in strollers when they could arguably have been walking," he said.
Another element is recent concerns over safety. Some local authorities in Britain have banned children from bringing balls into playgrounds while others prohibit tree-climbing.
"There needs to be a balance. Perhaps we've taken the n
and safety agenda a bit far," Reilly said.
The dangers of a sedentary childhood go beyond obesity, experts say. More active children tend to be better behaved, and scientists suspect more active children learn more effectively, perhaps because physical activity is a stimulus to brain development.
(Published 12:01AM, January 30th, 2004)
Even toddlers need to get more exercise, study says
EMMA ROSS; The Associated Press
LONDON - New research suggests even 3-year-olds aren't getting enough exercise, raising concerns over their weight, future disease risk, psychological well-being, behavior and learning ability.
In the first study to rigorously track the movements of preschoolers, scientists found that the average 3-year-old is physically active for just 20 minutes a day, well short of the recommended hour a day for that age.
In The Lancet study published this month, scientists from the University of Glasgow in Scotland recruited 78 children. Each 3-year-old wore an "accelerometer," a matchbox-sized monitor clipped to the waistband, for a week.
The device, worn from the time they woke up until bedtime, gave minute-by-minute readings of the children's pattern of physical activity and the number of calories burned.
The toddlers were burning about 1,300 calories a day - less than the 1,500 calories recommended.
While the problem is one of an imbalance of calories eaten and burned up, experts believe the main reason is children are not exercising enough.
"There are really only two possibilities, reduced activity or increased intake. None of the dietary assessment data indicate that children are eating more. Adolescents may be eating more but young children are eating less," said the study's leader, John Reilly, a physiologist at the University of Glasgow.
"A 3-year-old 25 years ago was eating 25 percent more than a 3-year-old today," he said. "But physical activity levels have dropped quite dramatically over the last 15 or 20 years."
In the study, the children were spending between nine and 10 hours of their day hardly moving at all.
"They may well have been doing a bit of fidgeting, they may have been speaking to their parents or among themselves, but they were just not moving enough to put up the number of calories burned beyond what it would be if they were just resting or sleeping," Reilly said.
The children spent 20 minutes a day in moderate to vigorous activity - the type of activity that would get them feeling slightly warm and slightly out of breath, such as running around, walking to keep up with an adult and most types of outdoor play.
All-day television and recorded videos are a major culprit, Reilly said. Outside the home, children are also much less active than they used to be.
"Many more journeys are made by car and among the 3-year-olds, a fair number of them are being taken around in strollers when they could arguably have been walking," he said.
Another element is recent concerns over safety. Some local authorities in Britain have banned children from bringing balls into playgrounds while others prohibit tree-climbing.
"There needs to be a balance. Perhaps we've taken the n
and safety agenda a bit far," Reilly said.
The dangers of a sedentary childhood go beyond obesity, experts say. More active children tend to be better behaved, and scientists suspect more active children learn more effectively, perhaps because physical activity is a stimulus to brain development.
(Published 12:01AM, January 30th, 2004)
WHY LIMIT YOUR TEEN'S ENERGY DRINK USE? READ THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE!
Energy drink banned after Colorado teens sickened
By CHASE SQUIRES The Associated Press
DENVER — A high school banned a caffeine-packed energy drink and 7-Eleven pulled it from Colorado stores after some students said it made them sick and shaky and caused their hearts to race.
About six students became sick in the past two weeks and two were hospitalized after drinking Spike Shooter, made by Biotest Laboratories. All recovered within hours, said Dennis Vigil, assistant principal at Doherty High School in Colorado Springs.
A warning on the can says the drink isn't meant for anyone younger than 18, said Biotest spokesman Tom DeNardin. The drink contains roughly the same amount of caffeine as two to three five-ounce cups of coffee. "It's not targeted at all toward high school [students]," DeNardin said.
7-Eleven pulled the drink from all 222 of its company-owned stores in Colorado after the school asked nearby stores to limit sales to students, spokeswoman Margaret Chabris said. The corporation had never recommended Spike Shooter to its stores and it was not distributed by the company's approved suppliers.
A company Web site says Spike Shooter contains 300 milligrams of caffeine per 8.4 ounces. A five-ounce cup of coffee contains 80 to 115 milligrams of caffeine, according to the London-based International Coffee Organization.
The Web site carries a warning suggesting consumers "Begin use with one-half can to determine tolerance." At the top of the cans a warning says consumers should "Read label before drinking."
The Web site says Spike Shooter should not be consumed by people taking certain other medications or if they have high blood pressure or a number of other conditions. It adds, "Keep out of reach of children."
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
Energy drink banned after Colorado teens sickened
By CHASE SQUIRES The Associated Press
DENVER — A high school banned a caffeine-packed energy drink and 7-Eleven pulled it from Colorado stores after some students said it made them sick and shaky and caused their hearts to race.
About six students became sick in the past two weeks and two were hospitalized after drinking Spike Shooter, made by Biotest Laboratories. All recovered within hours, said Dennis Vigil, assistant principal at Doherty High School in Colorado Springs.
A warning on the can says the drink isn't meant for anyone younger than 18, said Biotest spokesman Tom DeNardin. The drink contains roughly the same amount of caffeine as two to three five-ounce cups of coffee. "It's not targeted at all toward high school [students]," DeNardin said.
7-Eleven pulled the drink from all 222 of its company-owned stores in Colorado after the school asked nearby stores to limit sales to students, spokeswoman Margaret Chabris said. The corporation had never recommended Spike Shooter to its stores and it was not distributed by the company's approved suppliers.
A company Web site says Spike Shooter contains 300 milligrams of caffeine per 8.4 ounces. A five-ounce cup of coffee contains 80 to 115 milligrams of caffeine, according to the London-based International Coffee Organization.
The Web site carries a warning suggesting consumers "Begin use with one-half can to determine tolerance." At the top of the cans a warning says consumers should "Read label before drinking."
The Web site says Spike Shooter should not be consumed by people taking certain other medications or if they have high blood pressure or a number of other conditions. It adds, "Keep out of reach of children."
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
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