Day: 09/05/2013

9 Secrets of Highly Happy Children.

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Story at-a-glance

  • Stress, depression and poor mood impact kids just like adults, so tending to your child’s emotional health is vitally important
  • Healthy eating, proper sleep, and time for free play are essential for kids’ happiness
  • Kids also need unconditional love, the ability to make choices and express their emotions, and they need to feel heard by their parents
  • You have a tremendous impact on your child’s happiness; lead by example by modeling happy, healthy habits for your children

Children are probably not the first ones who come to mind when you think about stress. After all, they’ve got no bills to worry about, no job or other responsibilities on their shoulders…

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Yet, children feel stress, too – often significantly. They worry about making friends, succeeding at school or sports, and fitting in with their peers. They may also struggle with the divorce of their parents or feel anxious about war and violence they see on the news.

While a child’s natural state is to be happy, vibrant and curious, it’s estimated that up to 15 percent of children and teens are depressed at any given time.1

In reality, many of the same worries that make you feel anxious and sad have the same impact on your children. However, kids also have unique needs that can interfere with their ability to be happy if left unmet.

Nine Tips for Raising a Happy Child

Virtually every parent wants their child to be happy. The Huffington Postrecently highlighted seven simple strategies for achieving this goal,2 and I’ve added a couple of my own as well.

1. Healthy Eating

Mood swings and even depression in kids are often the result of a heavily processed-food diet. In fact, the greatest concentration of serotonin, which is involved in mood control, depression and aggression, is found in your intestines, not your brain! Your gut and brain actually work in tandem, each influencing the other.

This is why your child’s intestinal health can have such a profound influence on his mental health, and vice versa – and why eating processed foods that can harm his gut flora can have a profoundly negative impact on his mood, psychological health and behavior.

The simplest way back toward health and happiness, for children and adults alike, is to focus on WHOLE foods — foods that have not been processed or altered from their original state; food that has been grown or raised as nature intended, without the use of chemical additives, pesticides and fertilizers.

You, a family member, or someone you pay will need to invest time in the kitchen cooking fresh wholesome meals from these whole foods so that you can break free from the processed food diet that will ultimately make you and your children sick.

Food is a part of crucial lifestyle choices first learned at home, so you need to educate yourself about proper nutrition and the dangers of junk food and processed foods in order to change the food culture of your entire family. 

To give your child the best start at life, and help instill healthy habits that will last a lifetime, you must lead by example. If you’re not sure where to start, I recommend reading my nutrition plan first. This will provide you with the foundation you need to start making healthy food choices for your family.

2. Eating on Time

If a child goes too long without eating, it may lead to fluctuations in blood sugar levels that lead to irritability. Children need to refuel their growing bodies on a regular schedule, so try to keep your child’s meal and snack times consistent.

3. Regular, High-Quality Sleep

Too little sleep not only makes kids prone to being grouchy and having mood swings, it also negatively impacts children’s behavior and attention. In fact, as little as 27 minutes of extra sleep a night has been shown to have a positive impact on children’s mood and behavior.3

Children aged 5 to 12 need about 10-11 hours of sleep a night for optimal mood and health. To help your child get a good night’s sleep, get the TV, computer, video games and cell phone out of your child’s bedroom, and be sure the room is as dark as possible. Even the least bit of light in the room can disrupt your child’s internal clock and her pineal gland’s production of melatonin and serotonin. I recommend using blackout shades or drapes. For my complete recommendations and guidelines that can help you improve your child’s sleep, please see my article 33 Secrets to a Good Night’s Sleep.

4. Free Play

Unstructured playtime is essential for kids to build their imagination, relieve stress and simply be kids. Yet today, many kids are so over-scheduled that they scarcely have time to eat dinner and do homework, let alone have any free time for play. Even the American Academy of Pediatrics states that free, unstructured play is essential for children to manage stress and become resilient, as well as reach social, emotional and cognitive development milestones.4

Along with slowing down and resisting the urge to sign your child up for too many activities, be sure to provide your child with simple toys like blocks and dolls that allow for creative play. Free play time is also an ideal time for active play – like tag or chasing butterflies – which is naturally mood-boosting (as exercise is for adults).

5. Express Emotions

Kids need to yell, cry, stomp their feet and run around with excitement. This is how they express their emotions, which is healthy for emotional development and will prevent a lifetime of internalizing negative emotions. Encourage and allow your child to vent and express his emotions in healthy ways.

6. Make Choices

Kids are constantly being told what to do, so giving them the ability to make choices goes a long way toward increasing their happiness. Try letting your child decide what to wear or what to eat (within reason), or give her a few choices for activities and let her decide which one to do.

7. They Feel Heard

Your child knows when you’re not really listening to them (such as if you’re ‘talking’ to them while surfing the Web or watching TV). Yet a child’s happiness will soar when he feels like his parents truly listen and respond to what he’s saying. Not only will you feel more connected to your child, but you’ll also build his self-confidence and happiness.

8. Unconditional Love

Above all else, children need unconditional love, and they need it consistently. If your child makes a mistake, let her know you still love and support her regardless. Your child will grow up confident and happy knowing you are behind her every step of the way.

9. Be Happy Yourself

If you’re stressed out and unhappy, your child will sense this and also feel sad and worried in response. You are your child’s first role model, so lead by example by embracing the bright side of life. If you need some help, use these 22 positive habits of happy people to become a happy person yourself.

Does Your Child’s Mood Need an Extra Boost?

If you’ve addressed the lifestyle factors listed above, especially proper diet, sleep and time for free, unstructured play, but your child is still unhappy (for no obvious reason, such as being bullied or due to stress such as divorce at home), try these three tips below:

·         High-quality animal-based omega-3 fats: Low concentrations of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA are known to increase your risk for mood swings and mood disorders. Those suffering from depression have been found to have lower levels of omega-3 in their blood, compared to non-depressed individuals. Krill oil is my preferred source of omega-3 fats.

·         Regular sun exposure: This is essential for vitamin D production, low levels of which are linked to depression. But even beyond vitamin D, regular safe sun exposure is known to enhance mood and energy through the release of endorphins.

·         Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT): If difficult life circumstances and the negative emotions they create are making happiness hard to come by for your child, try EFT, which is a form of do-it-yourself psychological acupressure. This simple technique can help clear your body and mind of negative emotions so you can implement positive goals and habits more easily in your life, and kids can learn to do it themselves.

·         Source: mercola.com

 

 

Chamomile Shown to Battle Anxiety, Depression Significantly.

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When you think of chamomile, you likely think of the tea that can help you fall asleep. Relaxation is certainly the most commonly known benefit of this plant. But, there are many other benefits, and scientists have found this power to relax could extend to even fight anxiety and depression.

A study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, initially undertaken in 2009, indicated chamomile to have remarkable benefits in the treatment of anxiety. For that randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, researchers gathered a group of individuals including 19 who were diagnosed with anxiety and depression, 16 who were diagnosed as having a history of anxiety and depression, and 22 people who had no anxiety or depression either in the past or the present.

Half of the group was treated with chamomile capsules and the other half was given a placebo. Over a period of eight weeks, their anxiety was scored using the Hamilton Anxiety Rating (HAR) to determine any changes. Three other tests were also used to confirm their findings.

The chamomile group was initially given 220 mg of chamomile extract. If they experienced no changes, that dose was increased throughout the testing period. According to GreenMedInfo.com, the researchers found 57% of participants in the chamomile group had reduced their anxiety scores by more than 50% throughout the study. This makes chamomile one of the top herbs for anxiety and stress.

Last year, the study was revisited as scientists wanted to determine if the findings were “clinically meaningful.” This means the researchers wanted to find out if the results were significant enough to allow peers to use it as a prescriptive anxiety treatment. They determined it was.

They concluded, “the research team observed a significantly greater reduction over time in total HAM-D scores for chamomile versus placebo in all participants.”

 

This means not only did the anxiety scores improved, but they continued to improve over the course of the study. Best of all, chamomile comes without the nasty side-effects of traditional anxiety and depression medications.

Herbalists typically recommend people give herbs three months to a year to work and reach their full potential. If eight weeks can improve anxiety levels of those diagnosed with anxiety disorders, further treatment could potentially eliminate anxiety altogether, or at least get it to manageable levels.

If you’re interested in harnessing the healing powers of chamomile, you can read more about the easy-to-grow herb here, and how it can help in the treatment of skin disorders, digestive problems, mouth sores, migraines, insomnia, and more.

Source: http://naturalsociety.com

Multiple sclerosis patients are missing out on drugs.

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Only 40% of people eligible for drugs to combat multiple sclerosis in the UK are actually taking them, says a report from the MS Society.

A survey of more than 10,000 adults with MS showed that many were missing out on the seven licensed medicines approved for use.

The charity said a lack of information and access to specialists was to blame.

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It is calling for the government to provide a personalised care plan to every person with MS.

The MS Society’s survey and accompanying report showed that there were differences in access to disease-modifying treatments (DMTs) across the four nations of the UK.

These are medicines that can reduce the frequency and severity of MS attacks, and in some cases can slow the progression of the disabling condition.

Someone living in Northern Ireland with MS was twice as likely to be taking a DMT (68%) than someone with the condition in Wales (30%), for example.

Access to treatment in Scotland and England was only a little higher at 36% and 40%.

What is multiple sclerosis?

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological condition that affects around 100,000 people in the UK.

Most patients have it diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40, but it can affect younger and older people too.

Almost three times as many women as men have MS.

In Europe, additional research shows that only Poland and Romania have a smaller proportion of people with MS taking licensed medicines.

Routine assessment

The charity’s report said that being well informed about the medicines available was crucial.

Those who felt they had enough information about medicines were 32% more likely to be taking a DMT, the survey found, and those with access to a specialist MS nurse or neurologist were more than twice as likely to be taking the appropriate drugs.

Northern Ireland is the only place in the UK where most people with MS are routinely invited every six months to see a neurologist or MS nurse for a review.

This means that people with MS are constantly having their treatment options assessed, the report says.

As a result, they are more likely to get the information they need and discuss issues such as side-effects.

UK licensed medicines for MS

  • Avonex, Betaferon, Rebif and Copaxone were all made available on the NHS in 2002 throughout the UK.
  • Extavia was licensed in 2009 and reduces relapses by a third.
  • Tysabri is a monthly infusion administered by a healthcare professional. It can reduce the number of relapses by an estimated 67% and slow disability. It was approved for use on the NHS across the UK in 2007.
  • Gilenya, the first pill for MS, is said to reduce relapse rates by 54-60% and slows disability progression by around 30%. It was approved in 2012.

Yet this may not be the only solution. Forty-one per cent of those who said they did have enough information about drug treatments still did not take a disease-modifying treatment.

The report concluded: “This could be due to barriers to accessing medicines; because individuals make an informed decision not to take them; or because they don’t know what information is out there that they could have access to, such as around new treatments or new evidence of efficacy.”

New policy

Nick Rijke, director for policy and research at the MS Society, said people with multiple sclerosis were facing a lottery.

“These findings worryingly suggest that the likelihood of someone receiving a life-changing treatment is often based on luck – like where they live or how helpful their healthcare professional is – rather than their genuine clinical need.

“When it comes to prescription rates, the UK ranks 25th out of 27 European countries. Given the relative wealth of the UK this is simply unacceptable.”

The MS Society is now calling on all four governments in the UK to ensure every person with MS has a personalised treatment, care and support plan, with two comprehensive reviews each year.

Ed Holloway, head of care and services research at the MS Society, said that because some MS drugs were costly, they were often not offered when they should be because of restricted NHS budgets.

A spokesman for NHS England, which has recently taken on the commissioning of treatment for MS from primary care trusts, said a new policy from 1 April would mean that people across England would have the same access to treatment.

“By making decisions nationally about specialist treatments, we are confident that patients will now be able to receive the treatment they need, irrespective of where they live.

“As with all policies, we will continue to collect and review the outcome of treatments for patients and consider them when our policy is reviewed.

“If a patient has concerns about the treatment they are receiving we would urge them to speak to their GP or consultant.”

Source:BBC

 

 

 

Sleep ‘boosts brain cell numbers’

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Scientists believe they have discovered a new reason why we need to sleep – it replenishes a type of brain cell.

Sleep ramps up the production of cells that go on to make an insulating material known as myelin which protects our brain’s circuitry.

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The findings, so far in mice, could lead to insights about sleep’s role in brain repair and growth as well as the disease MS, says the Wisconsin team.

The work is in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Dr Chiara Cirelli and colleagues from the University of Wisconsin found that the production rate of the myelin making cells, immature oligodendrocytes, doubled as mice slept.

The increase was most marked during the type of sleep that is associated with dreaming – REM or rapid eye movement sleep – and was driven by genes.

In contrast, the genes involved in cell death and stress responses were turned on when the mice were forced to stay awake.

Precisely why we need to sleep has baffled scientists for centuries. It’s obvious that we need to sleep to feel rested and for our mind to function well – but the biological processes that go on as we slumber have only started to be uncovered relatively recently.

Growth and repair

Dr Cirelli said: “For a long time, sleep researchers focused on how the activity of nerve cells differs when animals are awake versus when they are asleep.

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“Now it is clear that the way other supporting cells in the nervous system operate also changes significantly depending on whether the animal is asleep or awake.”

The researchers say their findings suggest that sleep loss might aggravate some symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), a disease that damages myelin.

In MS, the body’s immune system attacks and destroys the myelin coating of nerves in the brain and spinal cord.

Future studies could look at whether or not sleep affects the symptoms of MS, says Dr Cirelli.

Her team is also interested in testing whether lack of sleep, especially during adolescence, may have long-term consequences for the brain.

Sleep appears necessary for our nervous systems to work properly, says the US National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Deep sleep coincides with the release of growth hormone in children and young adults. Many of the body’s cells also show increased production and reduced breakdown of proteins during deep sleep.

Since proteins are the building blocks needed for cell growth and for repair of damage from factors like stress and ultraviolet rays, deep sleep may truly be “beauty sleep”, says NINDS.

Source:BBC

MS damage repair treatment looked at by Edinburgh researchers.

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New treatments that could help slow the progression of multiple sclerosis could be a step closer due to research by Edinburgh University.

In MS patients the protective layer around nerve cells in the brain, known as myelin, is broken down.

Scientists have discovered that immune cells, known as macrophages, help trigger the regeneration of myelin.

The researchers hope their work could eventually lead to the development of new drugs.

The sheath around nerves cells, made of myelin, is destroyed in MS, leaving the nerves struggling to pass on messages.

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This leads to problems with mobility, balance and vision. There is no cure but current treatments concentrate on limiting the damage to myelin.

‘Stripped away’

Now the team at Edinburgh University has found that the immune cells, known as macrophages, can release a compound called activin-A, which activates production of more myelin.

Dr Veronique Miron, from the Medical Research Council Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the university, said: “In multiple sclerosis patients, the protective layer surrounding nerve fibres is stripped away and the nerves are exposed and damaged.

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We look forward to seeing this research develop further”

Dr Susan Kohlhaas MS Society

“Approved therapies for multiple sclerosis work by reducing the initial myelin injury – they do not promote myelin regeneration.

“This study could help find new drug targets to enhance myelin regeneration and help to restore lost function in patients with multiple sclerosis.”

The study, which looked at myelin regeneration in human tissue samples and in mice, was funded by the MS Society, the Wellcome Trust and the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada.

The findings are published in Nature Neuroscience.

Scientists now plan to start further research to look at how activin-A works and whether its effects can be enhanced.

Dr Susan Kohlhaas, head of biomedical research at the MS Society, said: “We urgently need therapies that can help slow the progression of MS and so we’re delighted researchers have identified a new, potential way to repair damage to myelin.

“We look forward to seeing this research develop further.”

Source:BBC