Victor Kuri

Archive for the ‘Children’s Health’ Category

Let’s face it – if there were a super multivitamin supplement for ADHD, all the pharmaceutical companies would go bankrupt very quickly. But maybe they are not telling us something! At the moment there is no conclusive proof that vitamins for ADHD kids will significantly help them manage ADHD. However, having said that, there are some vitamins which can help brain function and that is important. It is also important for general health too.

I know some parents who have been told to put their children on Adderall XR and now they find that the children will just not eat at all. The drug companies have to admit that weight loss and stunted growth are some of the side effects of these psychostimulant drugs. Why not opt for a natural ADHD homeopathic cure which will not affect the childs appetite?

Whatever option we go for ,we still have to feed our kids. If a diet for ADHD children is perfectly balanced and has all the vital vitamins and minerals, then there is little need for vitamin supplements. The best vitamin for ADHD kids is the Vitamin B complex. Why ? Because it has been found to be the most efficient one for brain function. The B family of vitamins helps to break down the carbs into glucose and that produces energy. They are also most useful for breaking down fats and protein. Their greatest asset is that they can keep the nervous system in good shape and help to develop children’s brains.

The Vitamin B3 is an important member of the Vitamin B group and it is sometimes known as Niacinimide and is good for getting rid of toxins. Vitamin B rich foods are eggs, green leafy vegetables, yeast, milk, fish, and cereals. Another Vitamin B form (Vitamin B 12) has done well on studies in children where their attention span and focus definitely improved. Yet another member of the Vitamin B group is B6 which also has shown positive results in helping to reduce hyperactivity in children. You can see why the Vitamin B complex group is one of the best vitamins for ADHD kids out there.

Did you know that oranges (great source of Vitamin C) are important in improving our mood ? The reason is that oranges contain folate and that is important in the manufacture of serotonin which is the basic component in antidepressants. Basically serotonin is one of the brain’s happy chemicals. All the other citrus fruits such as lemons and grapefruit are equally good for lifting mood and will be a great addition to any diet for ADHD children.

Varying children’s diets and favouring fruit and vegetables over fast food is going to help a lot. The best vitamins for ADHD kids are those of the Vitamin C and B groups as we have seen above. There are so many parents who swear that ADHD inappropriate behaviour improves when their children are on a healthy diet. Taking a vitamin supplement can really help with ADHD. And medication? If you do not want to jeopardize your child’s appetite, then try a natural homeopathic remedy for ADHD which has no side effects.

It is important for everyone to have health insurance, but it’s especially important for children. Here’s how to get low-cost children’s health insurance to help keep your children healthy and growing strong.

Why do Children Need Health Insurance?

Even if your children are healthy, health insurance can help them stay that way. Consider these facts:

* Uninsured children are less likely to have their health needs taken care of.

* Uninsured children are less likely to get the prescription drugs they need.

* Uninsured children are more likely to end up in the hospital.

Even healthy children need vaccinations plus well-baby and well-child checkups to ensure they stay healthy. And every child is going to have illnesses that require medical attention, whether it’s a simple ear infection or a chronic illness.

What Resources are Available for Children’s Health Insurance?

About nine million children age 18 and younger lack health insurance in the United States. Almost half of these children may qualify for Medicaid coverage or other state-sponsored children’s health insurance programs that offer free or low-cost health insurance. Your state’s insurance website will help you determine if your family qualifies for such a program.

Another option is to look for affordable private insurance. Think private health insurance will be too expensive? You can keep the costs down by choosing an HMO or PPO plan, which offer lower costs in exchange for your choosing a health care provider from an approved list.

In addition, you can save money by shopping rates and finding the company with the best rate for the coverage you need. To shop rates, go to an insurance comparison website and get quotes from several insurance companies. Compare their costs, coverages, and features, then choose the plan that’s best for your children (see link below).

Childrens Omega 3

Parents need not look specifically for so-called “childrens omega 3 supplements” to get their kids the best product.

A label is merely a label — often just used for marketing purposes to appeal to a niche, in order to drum up sales.

You must judge a product on its merits despite who it’s advertised for. Before we discuss what criteria you should look for when deciding on childrens omega 3, let’s talk briefly about its importance.

Omega 3 fatty acids are vitally important for our diets, and most of us in the Western world are deficient in these nutrients.

The reason childrens omega 3 supplements are in especially high demand is because toddlers and kids are still growing. Because the brain vitally requires copious amounts of omega 3 fatty acids in its developmental stage, and because many kids are lacking in omega 3′s — just like us adults — concerned parents are trying to give their children the best start to life possible.

This is precisely the reason I myself started to look for a high quality childrens omega 3.

Choosing a Quality Product

The best omega 3 source hand’s down is fish oil. Fish oil is preferable to vegetable and plant sources like flax seed. The reason is because in plant sources like flax seed, the omega 3 comes in ALA form which must be converted by the body into the other two crucial omega 3 fatty acids, called DHA and EPA.

This conversion does not always happen efficiently, which means getting DHA and EPA directly from fish oils is the best bet.

Just how important are DHA and EPA? Well, almost 60% of the brain’s mass is fats, and half of those fats are DHA!

In short, DHA and EPA are crucial for optimal brain functioning and development.

Childrens Omega 3 Supplements

However, if you want to use fish oil as a childrens omega 3 supplement, like I do myself, then you should watch out for a few things:

1. You must only buy purified fish oil products. This is simply because much of the fish in the world harbors toxins due to contaminants in Ocean waters. This is regrettable, but it’s a fact of life nonetheless. Purified fish oil products should use a process called molecular distillation which removes all contamination and leaves only the pure fish oil rich in omega 3 to be used in the products.

2. You must understand that not all fish species yield equally high amounts of omega 3 fatty acids — DHA and EPA. I have personally discovered a fish oil supplement product that I use myself and also have my children using daily that contains naturally high DHA and EPA. You can learn more about this below. But just understand here that not all fish oils will give equal quantities of these omega 3′s.

3. You should only buy what are called “pharmaceutical grade” fish oils, which are the highest quality products on the market.

Having said all of this, you should also understand, as we alluded to in the beginning, that there is no such thing as “childrens omega 3 supplements” per se. This is just clever marketing.

If you pick a good childrens omega 3 it will work for adults as well, and visa versa.

Now, it may be true your children are too young to swallow typical fish oil sized capsules. But, if such is the case, then you may do what I do personally for my kids: I simply cut gently into the fish oil capsule and then squeeze the contents into their meals, giving them their needed omega 3 fatty acids without need for swallowing capsules.

This also helps you determine the amount you are giving them.

The bottomline is that I give my children the same omega 3 fish oil supplement that I personally take myself, only in smaller amounts.

Once I was satisifed from extensive research that I had found the highest quality, purified fish oil on the market, it was only a matter of making sure my kids could also use them without having to worry about swallowing them.

One of the biggest risks to a child’s health is the unseen and unresolved levels of mold hidden in central air conditioner units. The mold found there, often goes undetected until it’s breached the boundaries of the vent and starts spreading throughout your walls. By then, it’s too late – you have a serious mold problem and it’s in the best interest of your family to vacate your home till the issue is resolved.

What is mold?

Thriving on the very last rung of the food chain, mold thrives on very little and grows rapidly. If you’ve every forgotten to wash a container with food remnants still stuck to the bottom, you’ve been a first-hand witness to mold’s rapid growth rate. Now imagines this in places in your home that you can’t see or have easy-access to! And given the right conditions, mold can and will pop out of thin air just about anywhere. One mold organism can quickly multiply to trillions in less than three weeks simply through their constant production of spores!

Most families find out they have a mold problem when it’s too late, and the number one cause and circulator of mold is your air conditioner. While central air conditioners are a seen as a luxury item, they are also an ideal host for mold. The ductwork and drain-pans provide a perfectly moist and recessed environment for fungal growth.

How mold can harm your child

It’s doubtful that any parent would want their child around mold, but unfortunately most well-intentioned parents think that if they can’t see the problem or its effects, then it can’t be that serious. But mold causes serious health problems, especially for young children who are still developing their immune system. Mold can cause allergies, asthma, hypersensitivity, skin care problems, pneumonia, constant colds and flus, and even the possibility of bleeding lung disease – all of which will damage and weaken your child’s immune system. Letting mold perpetuate in your home is as bad as blowing air over a swamp or through a sewer and right into your home where your children live, sleep, eat and play.

Signs of mold

Wood or fabric discoloration is a big. However, all discoloration is not due to mold. Carpeting near baseboards, for example, can be stained by outdoor pollution entering the house. Stains or soot may be caused by the smoke from burning candles or cigarettes. However, if you suspect mold, then keep a look out for discolored growth and contact a professional immediately. Note that it is difficult to identify mold since not all of the 270 mold types can be detected through smell.

How your child can be at risk

Indoor air quality studies by the World Health Organization show that 60-80% of indoor air quality problems are mold related, and that the most notorious perpetuator of mold is the central air conditioner system lurking in your home, with ducts and vents accessing each corner of your house – making it easy for an invasive attack of mold spores without you ever knowing it.

As mold and bacteria grow on in ducts and drain pans, they are distributed through ducts to your living spaces. This is an ever bigger concern if you’re child is in school or day care. In such populated settings with poor AC environments, its very possible for a sick child to enter the premises and get other kids sick. How does this happen? For example, if a child comes in with the flu, its a very real probability that the virus may get transmitted to the air conditioner unit and remain there till it’s redistributed throughout the room(s). This is one of the number one ways children get sick at a facility, even though they may be in completely different rooms.

If you suspect your child is getting ill at their school, talk to the school’s superintendent and voice your concerns. Public buildings with poor air quality and possible mold/air pollutant problems are identified as “sick buildings”. Make sure you take action because this is a problem that isn’t going to go away on its own.

What you can do

Your best bet for avoiding mold problems in your home, or child’s environment, is to invest in a portable AC. Portable ACs are fast becoming the smart family’s alternative to cooling their home. These mobile room air conditioners offer spot cooling without the hassle of ducts and vents – all glorious havens for mold spores. Most mobile ACs now come with the multiple filters and dual functions, including dehumidifiers to remove excess mold-causing moisture from the area.

A company offers healthcare benefits and an employee doesn’t use the benefit?

Who in their right mind would refuse benefits? While there may be many reasons, the number one reason is that the employee can’t afford the payroll deduction. This is especially true with a lot of hourly employees who live paycheck to paycheck and need to bring home every dime they make.

Risking the health of their family as well as potential financial ruin if someone gets sick is the circumstance of many employees because they simply cannot afford the company-offered healthcare.

Employees who find themselves unable to pay for company-offered healthcare plans may find help in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

Many states offer a program that provides employees assistance with paying the cost of the premium for their company-offered healthcare plan through Medicaid or CHIP. The employee must apply for and be ruled to be eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. After eligibility is confirmed, he then has 60 days to request to join the employer’s plan.

The law requires most employers to notify their employees of their potential rights to receive this benefit beginning this year. By next year, all employers who offer health care benefits will have to issue notification about the program.

Instead of waiting until next year to tell your employees about this program, it would benefit all employers to create and issue the notice now.

Why? The burden of worrying about not having healthcare can reduce an employee’s productivity. Employers should also be aware that a good employee who can’t afford the healthcare will likely leave the company for cheaper benefits being offered by another employer. CHIP could help you from losing a valuable employee by providing them with affordable healthcare.

Most states participate in CHIP. You can get more information through your local Medicaid office, (877) KIDSNOW, or on the web at http://www.insurekidsnow.gov.

(C) 2010 Jerry Ballard, Perfect People Solutions

In the era of lunchables, cheesestrings and conveniently processed snack packs, it’s no wonder why over 26% of Canadian children are overweight or obese. More children today are facing an early onset of diabetes, heart disease, cancers and more notably mental health and cognitive issues, such as ADHD, poor concentration, and decreased learning ability. For years, numerous studies have linked inadequate nutrition to the above conditions – including poor academic performance.

The Food Brain Connection

The human brain, although extremely complex, operates on a simple principal – it requires ample nutrients, including vitamins and minerals to function optimally. Even the slightest nutritional deficiency can have a huge impact on brain chemistry, resulting in impaired learning and cognitive functioning, decreased attentiveness, inability to problem-solve, anxiety, and other behavioural disorders. Skipping a meal entirely or substituting wholesome meals with nutritionally depleted foods laced with sugars and saturated fats can have the same effect.

But it’s not only malnutrition that impacts student performance. A newly released study conducted through the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta and Dalhousie’s Faculty of Medicine highlights that a quality diet with an adequate and diverse selection of quality foods is significant in academic performance. This stresses the importance of variety with particular emphasis on increased fruit and vegetable intake and moderate consumption of dietary fat.

What to do?

Simply put, what we put in, we get out. In order to achieve optimal health and academic performance, we must begin with optimal nutrition. Here are some tips to help your child to reach their full potential

1. Begin with Breakfast

We’ve all heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but that’s not a reason to give Froot Loops the same kudos as rolled oats. A sugary start to the day will have the same negative cognitive impact as skipping breakfast all together. Opt for wholegrains, fresh fruit and proteins, such as nuts and seeds, for long-lasting energy and mental alertness.

Try this:

Sprouted wholegrain bread with natural peanut butter or almond butter for sustainable energy and protein. Add nuts, seeds and fresh berries to wholegrain cereals Use quinoa as a warm cereal. Quinoa a complete protein source that contains all essential amino acids and is an excellent source of energy and essential fatty acids. Mash in a banana and stir-in coconut flakes for natural sweetness.
2. Add Healthy Fats

Omega 3 (alpha linolenic acid) is an essential fatty acid critical for proper brain development and functioning. Studies show that children with the highest levels of DHA (an omega 3 derivative) have the least risk for depression, bipolar issues and ADHD. Sources of Omega 3 include flax seed, hemp seed, walnuts; and for DHA, oily cold water fish.

Tips to try:

Make baked fish sticks using salmon Sprinkle ground flax seeds onto morning cereal or use flax seed oil in dressings and dips. Substitute cow’s milk with hemp seed milk for a healthy dose of omega fatty acids
3. Limit refined sugars, simple carbohydrates and processed food

Refined sugars, sodas and simple carbohydrates suppress the immune system, cause blood sugar fluctuations and yeast imbalances – all which effect mood, concentration and performance.

Tips to try:

Instead of refined sugar use:

Agave nectar – a low qlycemic natural sweetener extracted from a cactus plant Pureed fruit – such as dried apricots or fresh apples Sweet spices – such as cinnamon, nutmeg and clove
4. More Greens Please

Fruits and vegetables are loaded with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients essential for optimal brain functionality, with dark leafy greens, sprouts and algaes being the most powerful.

Tips to try:

Make a green smoothie blending leafy greens and sprouts with fresh fruit, such as bananas and mango – you’ll be amazed how good it tastes! Use collard greens as a sandwich ‘wrap’ or crispy romaine leaves as a fun taco shell Pack raw veggies with dip as an at school snack

Making small changes in the right direction will yield tremendous result in your child’s development and path towards optimal health, happiness and success. Get ready to watch their grades soar!

Peggy Kotsopoulos

Nutrition Consultant

beVibrant Wellness Consulting

http://www.beVibrant.ca

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