The holidays have been full of late nights - at least in our house ( but I am sure we are not alone)! This coming weekend will be about getting the kids back on schedule so they are not tired and grumpy in school. Below are some things I did when when they were small and what I usually re-introduce after a school break.

BEDTIME!

I remember the nights, very well, when it was impossible to get my kids to go to sleep. I actually think it was the true test of my patience! I never let my kids “cry it out” as it was just too painful for us all. So I decided to come up with a plan that really worked for us. I allowed myself to relax and realize that bedtime was a special time for me to have with my kids. I focused more on peacefully reading to my tired kids instead of focusing on them going to sleep. Two books and a short discussion of the highlights of their day would work…so I thought. Well, I needed to devise a more diverse plan. I realized the number one solution was to find a ritual that works for everyone and then stick to it. Here are some suggestions for settling the mood for sleep:

* Having a tea party with a sleepy time tea (or something similar)

* Purchase an 8oz spray bottle and place 1oz of essential oil mixture (rose, chamomile, vanilla and lavender work well) in the bottle and fill the rest with water. Spray on your child’s bedding, but only for naps and bedtimes

* The essential oil mixture can also be put in the bath tub for night time soak

* Purchase a lullaby or a calming cd (better without lyrics) to play in the bedroom when the lights are turned off. Only play this music for nap and bedtime

* If all else fails, let your child colour or look at a book in bed but tell her them they may not leave their bedroom (make sure they have water so they will not holler for some)

Be well,

Science News posted an article on December 6, 2009 titled, Kids Eat Less Junk Food When Middle Schools Stop Providing It. I loved this article and its’ message ( or the facts you could say).

Last year, I spoke to a class of 4th and 5th grades at a local school. We talked about the digestive system, foods and nutrients, and acute and chronic disease. They were all over it asking a million questions. It was a brilliant hour I spent with these inquisitive kids.

The next day the teacher called me and said that the talk had made a huge impact on the kids and she had some happy parents calling her. But there were a handful of kids who said their parents were too busy to purchase the whole foods we talked about and that they were still eating at fast food restaurants.

These poor kids want to eat whole colourful foods and I think we as parents need to make a big effort to provide them these foods. I realize parents are busy and tired….I really get it but we, as parents, need to make a conscious effort to break the bad food cycles we may be in.

Here is a quick meal I whipped together last night. I was in no mood to cook but I had some polenta, tomatoes, cheese, peas and lettuce. I quickly sliced the polenta, put some tomato sauce and cheese on it and put it in the oven. While waiting for the polenta to heat up, I cooked the peas and washed the lettuce. In 15 minutes, I had a great satisfying and tasty meal for everyone.

Let’s really try to give our kids a chance to feel and be healthy. They really deserve it!

Be well,

PS Save those nights where you really really cannot bare to cook for going out!

My oldest daughter, Merrin, began to get headaches about a year ago. They are not very frequent and we have been good detectives and have pretty much figured out the triggers.  Although, I thought I would write a little bit about headaches and kids and what we do as they can be pretty intense.

One of my very first child patients was a 7 year old girl. She  was spending a lot of time in the school nurse’s office because she was having  daily headaches. She was  missing  a great deal of school and her mom was concerned so they came to me for some help. There are 2 things that I initially ask with headaches…

1. eye sight ( straining etc)

2. diet

She had recently had an eye exam and her sight was fine so we dove into her diet. Her diet was pretty good except for the fact she drank a lot of juice so we decided to start there. I suggested that her mom switch the juice with herbal ice tea ( I believe I suggested the Tazo Sweet Orange) and she could add a little honey to it or just a splash of juice. I also encouraged her to give her daughter a water bottle for school.

The results were amazing! Almost immediately, she had no more headaches.

With Merrin, I am thinking her hormones are slowly emerging and she is growing. I encourage her to drink more water and to be aware of her body. If she feels a headache coming on, I have given her some ideas so she can be proactive with it right away. She carries a homeopathic remedy at school with her ( Belladonna 30c works well for her) and when she comes home she immediately does magic socks.

If your child is getting headaches, make sure their eyes are checked and then take a good look at their diet and lifestyle ( maybe they are a little stressed with friends or school work?). You never know, it could be a very simple solution!

Be well,

When I was in school one of my teachers (also a doctor) spoke of a child patient who had cancer. They came to him for some alternative therapies and my teacher suggested some visualization.

He had the child close his eyes and start describing the cancer in every aspect - colour, hairy, ball-like etc. Once that was established, my teacher had him describe his own warriors or defenses in his body. The scene was set, the battle visualized with the  cancer was being destroyed.

This didn’t occur in one visit but over many. The weeks that followed were full of imaginative creative stories on how his body was destroying the cancer. Not only did the child feel better after the sessions, he was physically better.

This story made a big impact on me. It actually is one of the reasons that led me to write my series of educational adventure stories called, Human Body Detectives. And when my kids are sick, I have them visualize their white blood cells destroying the bad bug. They really get into it, describing the bugs in full detail and the battle scene.

We don’t know for sure if creative visualization really boasts our immune systems but as a parent and a doctor, I see how it allows us to be physically and emotionally stronger and proactive in our health.

Be well,

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 18, 2009

Contact: Heather Manley, N.D.

HAWAII DOCTOR PUBLISHES SECOND KIDS’ EDUCATIONAL ADVENTURE STORY

Hawaii Naturopathic Physician, Dr. Heather Manley, announces the release of Human Body Detectives: Battle with the Bugs, the second activity workbook and story-telling audioCD in her Human Body Detectives (HBD) series, on November 18, 2009.

HBD is a series of educational adventure stories for 7-12 year olds where two young “Human Body Detectives,” Merrin and Pearl, magically enter different systems in the body to solve health mysteries. Through action packed fiction stories told on audio CD, listeners learn how the various systems work and what foods best fuel each system. The accompanying workbook filled with games and puzzles reinforces what kids have learned from the story and helps them further understand the importance of maintaining a healthy immune system.

In Battle with the Bugs, while on a family trip to Mexico, the girls are joined by brave cousin Sam on a learning journey through the immune system. They start out in the mucus-filled nose of cousin Max, who is suffering from a bad cold, and proceed to learn everything from what white blood cells do to what causes a fever. Trying to help Max, they even befriend a macrophage warrior named Quickster whom they help fight the bad bug invaders.

Battle with the Bugs follows Manley’s first story, The Lucky Escape, where Merrin and Pearl wind up in their baby brother’s digestive system and narrowly escape his poopy diaper.

HBD stories and workbooks:
• Engage kids in a fun way to learn about how their bodies work
• Encourage kids to make healthy food and lifestyle choices
• Inspire kids to take charge of their own health
• Support parents and teachers by enhancing science/health curricula

As a physician and a mother, Manley believes that if children understand how their bodies work, they are more apt to make healthy food and lifestyle choices. She came up with the idea for the HBD series after discovering a lack of books on the market that help kids learn, in a fun way, about how their bodies work. Manley’s goal is to expand the series to at least five books with corresponding DVD’s. Merrin and Pearl will next appear in the circulatory system, learning about keeping the heart healthy, in HBD: A Heart Pumping Adventure, set for press in spring 2010. Adventures through the nervous and muscular systems will follow.

The activity workbook, audio CD, and DVD packages are geared to serve as tools for families, teachers and home school parents, to supplement current science and/or health curricula. The HBD series is also highlighted on Manley’s website. The site provides a resource for people, especially parents of young children, to learn about preventative health care and taking charge of their family’s health.

Dr. Manley is a naturopathic physician licensed in the state of Hawaii. She is a member of the American Association of Naturopathic Medicine and the Hawaii Naturopathic Medicine Association.

For more information, please visit the HBD site, or email drheather

I remember watching Jurassic Park when it come out years ago and one important discussion very close to the beginning was about controlling nature. The scientist stated their was no way nature could be controlled as it was really chaos - spontaneous, living for the moment  (to survive) - going with the flow ( or something like that.) Whereas the business man thought it could be controlled. Well, all of those who have watched this move, know very well how it ended…

So, in general, I have always thought that it was just finding the right balance to control the “home chaos” and well accepting it to a degree, but  lately my life just seems unusually chaotic.  So my question is to all of you reading this, Can I find some kind of balance within the home chaos? Or do I need to fully accept the chaos and go with the flow of it?

I believe I know the right answer, but wow, it is super hard as the parent at home the most, to do. Please tell me how you handle all the craziness! Especially with more to come with all the holidays approaching.

Be well,

The halloween birthday craze began about 2 months ago when Pearl was determined to start organizing her birthday party. She had a vision of a “mystery party,” followed by bbq dinner with parents and then a night of trick or treating with her friends. It was a completely fulfilled request and most importantly, I survived it!

I highly recommend using Dramatic Fanatic mysteries for your child’s next party. Once I explained the idea behind the party, some of the kids just got it right away, and when I got into character as the host, the rest of the kids started to get into character and the mystery really began!

Dramatic Fanatic was developed for, as they say, “kids who love the spotlight.” There are several mysteries to chose from which were created by the award winning children’s television writer, Jennifer Hamburg. I loved how super easy it was to follow and how affordable it was.

Pearl is looking forward to the next party ( she was hoping for next month but not going to happen) and I think when we do the next party, we will roll out the red carpet and solve the “Movie Star Mystery.”

Have fun and be well,

The other day while my daughter, Merrin was grooming her ( well she wishes her) horse, she asked me to grab her camera out of her backpack. While, I was searching through all her books, I noticed a few things.

It was a moment of true parental satisfaction. The moment where all you teachings about certain things come into fruition.

She had a homeopathic Belladonna ( she sometimes gets headaches - middle school thing), Arnica and a tube of Arnica cream.

She is being proactive in her health. I love it. I want to send her off in the world knowing that she knows how to keep her body healthy and what do do if she gets sick. She is already doing it.

Happy mom!

My daughter, Pearl is obsessed with Halloween ( see my previous post on Arnica to learn more.)

This year she really wanted to have her birthday party on Halloween so all of her friends could trick or treat together. She also wanted to have a mystery party. This past summer, a friend of ours, hosted a murder mystery party and Pearl LOVED the concept. We decided against the murder part ( although we do love the game Clue) and I started doing some research - the thought of writing and putting together this party seemed a bit too much for me - scavenger hunts are about as far as I can go!.

I came across this website, dramatic fanatic, and realized quite quickly that it would be perfect match for the party. Pearl and I decided to chose the, “Witchy Mystery,” and the process for checking out was simple and easy. It downloads to your computer. I just read through the instructions and it seems easy and fun!

I will keep you updated on how the rest of it will go….

Be well,

This was written by a colleague of mine, Dr. Thad Jacobs.

H1N1 Flu Infection Prevention

Vaccination has its benefits, but do the risks associated with the H1N1 vaccine outweigh the benefits? The research indicates that the main groups targeted by manufacturers to take the flu vaccine are the most likely to suffer severe side effects, including:

-Pregnant women
• Children over the age of 6 months with chronic health conditions
• Adults with chronic health conditions such as chronic respiratory disease, asthma, or obesity

According to a vaccine manufacturer’s package insert, these side effects include life-threatening and debilitating Guillain-Barre Syndrome, vasculitis, paralysis, anaphylactic shock and death. Although these adverse side effects are rare, you and your doctor must determine the appropriateness of the H1N1 flu vaccine if you fall into any of the groups listed above or have a severe medical condition.

For people who refuse vaccination or are poor candidates for vaccination due to a medical condition, flu may thwarted by basic hygiene and diet and lifestyle approaches. Basic hygiene involves not touching your face or mouth with unwashed hands, sneezing or coughing into a handkerchief which you DO NOT share with anyone else, and frequent hand washing or use of hand sanitizers, particularly before meal time. A few lifestyle modifications, such as healthy diet, managing stress, and supplementing with vitamin D and colostrum, may also go far in preventing disease.

Healthy Diet Prevents Flu

Put down that donut! A sugary diet suppresses important immune system cells responsible for fighting infections.1,2 In fact, it has been shown that a single sugary snack can suppress immune activity up to 48 hours after sugar exposure. Refined grains, such as white flour, likely has a similar effect when eaten because of how rapidly the carbohydrate in these foods are absorbed into the bloodstream. Limiting sugar and refined carbohydrate intake is not only good for preventing flu and other infections, it’s good for your health in general. Common sugary food sources are sodas, juices, honey, condiments, candies and many baked goods.

Some basic healthy dietary guidelines include:

•Do not over-eat.
• Eat a variety of foods.
• Consider organically grown food.
• Eat as much of your food raw or lightly-cooked as possible.
• Eat fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Avoid drinks containing sugar or caffeine.
• Avoid sugars.
• Avoid processed and refined foods; particularly refined grain flours and foods made with them.
• Avoid hydrogenated trans-fatty acids.
• Use only certain oils for cooking and frying; such as olive oil, for low-temperature cooking, or grape seed oil, for high-temperature cooking.
• Limit animal protein intake in the form of red meat, chicken, pork, eggs and dairy to a few ounces per day.
• Eat whole grains, pseudograins, nuts, seeds and legumes.
• Eat more fish.

With regard to eating fish, it is recommended to avoid fish known to contain unsafe levels of heavy metals and other chemical pollutants. The fish to avoid are tuna, Atlantic salmon, farmed salmon, sea bass, oysters, marlin, halibut, pike, walleye, white croaker, largemouth bass, shark, swordfish and fish know to be from polluted waters. The safest fish to eat are small fish varieties, such as anchovies and sardines, and those grown in minimally polluted areas like the Arctic, Antarctic or Alaskan waters. Wild northwestern US, Canadian and Alaskan salmon and halibut are good choices. Arctic white fish and farmed tilapia are known to be significantly less effected by pollution too.

Stress Can Make You Sick

Stress is a well-known contributor to many types of illnesses. Flu and other infections are higher in individuals who report higher levels of life stress and anxiety. Cortisol is a hormone released in higher amounts when one experiences excessive physical or emotional stress. Cortisol helps us adapt to acute bouts of stress and inflammatory conditions, but prolonged exposure to high amounts circulating in the system inhibits normal immune system cell function.3-7
There are many ways to manage stress to encourage healthy immune system function and health and well-being in general. Eating a healthy diet and getting regular aerobic exercise are the foundation for supporting physical and mental health. Stress management should be individualized to meet your specific needs; therefore, discuss ways to deal with stress with a health care provider who specializes in this area.

Vitamin D May Prevent H1N1

Vitamin D has been shown in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial to prevent colds and flu. Vitamin D, which is actually not a vitamin at all but a hormone, plays a crucial role in the production of antimicrobial compounds in the fluids that coat and lubricate the respiratory tract. Vitamin D deficiency is well associated with increased disease risk and supplementation has been shown to enhance immunity in many studies.
To treat active infection and prevent disease after recent exposure, I recommend taking very high doses of vitamin D to promote naturally occurring antibiotic compounds produced in the body. One thousand international units (1,000 IU) per pound of body weight can be used during active infections. Five to ten thousand international units (5,000-10,000 IU) can be used daily by adults preventively, but a blood test should be given after a two months to determine if this dose provides adequate protection.
For a more in-depth explanation of Vitamin D’s important disease-fighting role in relation to preventing H1N1 illness, I hightly recommend you read the views of vitamin D authority, Dr. John Cannell, MD.

Colostrum May Prevent H1N1

Colostrum is the first milk produced by a cow around the time of giving birth. It is rich in immunoglobulins (antibodies) and other components needed to support healthy immune function of the calf. Colostrum-derived immunoglobulins likely account for the majority of the immune system enhancing effects seen in colostrum studies.
Authors of a 2007 Italian study concluded, “Colostrum, both in healthy subjects and high-risk cardiovascular patients, is at least 3 times more effective than vaccination to prevent flu and is very cost-effective.”8 The study also revealed that colostrum was 3 times more effective than no vaccine prophylaxis. In fact, the flu vaccine was actually found to be worse than doing nothing at all; suggesting that the vaccine was the incorrect recombinant and the well-known immunosuppressive effect of vaccines played a role in predisposing individuals to another flu strain.
It is unknown whether colostrum would be effective against H1N1 specifically, but it sheds light on a potential new, inexpensive, food-based H1N1 prevention and treatment strategy.

References
1. Sanchez, A., et al. Role of Sugars in Human Neutrophilic Phagocytosis, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Nov 1973;261:1180_1184. Bernstein, J., al. Depression of Lymphocyte Transformation Following Oral Glucose Ingestion. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.1997;30:613
2. Ringsdorf, W., Cheraskin, E. and Ramsay R. Sucrose, Neutrophilic Phagocytosis and Resistance to Disease, Dental Survey. 1976;52(12):46_48.
3. Butcher SK, Killampalli V, Lascelles D, et al. Raised cortisol:DHEAS ratios in the elderly after injury: potential impact upon neutrophil function and immunity. Aging Cell. 2005 Dec;4(6):319-24.
4. Reiche EM, Morimoto HK, Nunes SM. Stress and depression-induced immune dysfunction: implications for the development and progression of cancer. Int Rev Psychiatry. 2005 Dec;17(6):515-27.
5. Godbout JP, Glaser R. Stress-induced immune dysregulation: implications for wound healing, infectious disease and cancer. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol. 2006 Dec;1(4):421-7.
6. Cohen S, Hamrick N, Rodriguez MS, et al. Reactivity and vulnerability to stress-associated risk for upper respiratory illness. Psychosom Med. 2002 Mar-Apr;64(2):302-10.
7. Arranz L, Guayerbas N, De la Fuente M. Impairment of several immune functions in anxious women. J Psychosom Res. 2007 Jan;62(1):1-8.
8. Cesarone MR, Belcaro G, Di Renzo A, et al. Prevention of influenza episodes with colostrum compared with vaccination in healthy and high-risk cardiovascular subjects: the epidemiologic study in San Valentino. Clin Appl Thromb Hemost. 2007 Apr;13(2):130-6.

I love how Michael Pollan is educating people about how our food ( at least in America) is grown, produced and consumed. His first book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma, was a heavy, tough but highly informative read and most likely missing a very important demographic - kids ( this is my department - teaching kids about health with my series, Human Body Detectives). Now he has written  the same book but in a young reader edition. Brilliant!

In this edition, he has some real-food rules for kids ( but of course their parents too). I am not a fan of rules but these just make so much sense….away of living.

Here they are:

1. Don’t eat anything your great grandparents wouldn’t have recognized as food.

I love this! I sometimes talk to kids about acute and chronic disease and food, and how these things have affected us  - changed us - in the last 100 yrs or so. Kids are amazed with learning and understanding the evolution of acute to chronic disease and the evolution of our diets.

2. Don’t eat anything with more than 5 ingredients, or with ingredients you don’t recognize or can’t pronounce.

This is wonderful! Kids love to look at the ingredients and try to pronounce some of the words. I love kids being proactive and aware.

3. Don’t eat anything containing high-fructose corn syrup.

This is a good ingredient to have kids look for on labels. It will be a fast and easy lesson - it is in a lot of things!

This will definitely be a holiday gift to my kids ( and maybe many others!)

Be well,

I have been wanting to write a blog about this but to be honest I keep forgetting to jot it down on my “what to blog about” list. Well, my sister helped by sending some information on the new Phillips rechargeable sonic toothbrush for kids. Pearl has been begging for her own electric toothbrush and this will be a perfect gift for her.

Let me back up a bit. This past summer, Pearl went in for her annual dental check. She loves going to the doctor, dentist or chiropractor so she considered it a fun activity. Although this visit was not such a great one ~unfortunately she had a few cavities. I feel like it is a bit my fault. In the last year I have let her brush and floss her own teeth. Brushing is ok but the dentist said that kids do not have the dexterity to floss their own teeth until they are 8. I had never heard of this! Since the cavities were between her teeth, we needed to take some serious action in the flossing department. I bought her some triple clean floss picks and I make sure to watch her do it. This new toothbrush will be the perfect addition to her dental hygiene routine.

This is a really good habit for her to get into now, as dental health is really important. The mouth is the gateway to the inside of our bodies so helping the immune system by cleaning and flossing our teeth can really help keep our bodies strong and healthy.

Be well,

With school just around the corner, I thought it would be a great time to introduce my new discovery, Jonesy’s Allergy Cards.

An allergy card is a custom card created for your child with their name, birth date, allergies, EpiPen directions and your contact information.

To me, they seem quite essential if your child has any type of allergies from food to bees.

Jonesy offers 2 types of cards, one for a restaurant and one for play dates, that will escort your child wherever they are going.  Jonesy will help design a perfect card that fits your child’s own specific needs.

Please pass this information on to anyone you may know who has a child with allergies. It is really an inexpensive way to inform people about your child’s needs.

Be well,

PS Jonesy designs an array of beautiful cards (they do custom work as well), so take a minute and check out her site

I stumbled across this article from a fellow friend and naturopathic physician. Love the conclusion!

“Daily dietary probiotic supplementation for 6 months was a safe effective way to reduce fever, rhinorrhea, and cough incidence and duration and antibiotic prescription incidence, as well as the number of missed school days attributable to illness, for children 3 to 5 years of age.”

PMID: 19651563 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

I think probiotics are extremely helpful in preventing sickness and help during a sickness. We usually have a daily smoothie and  I love my kids getting some fruits from the smoothie, but I really love to throw in some extras goodies to help keep their immune systems strong. Probiotics are one of them along with Nordic Natural Cod Liver Oil and Vital Kids Berry Well.

You may be able to pick some these supplements at your local healthfood store or you can purchase through my site with Emerson Ecologics ( the access code is 96743).

Be well,

My kids have started school …..and now I am working, quietly except for my few YIPPPEEES, with no interruptions.

Every year before school starts I take them to visit their doctor. Since she became their doctor, this is the really the only time and reason we go see her. My older daughter always complains but I think it is important to establish a relationship with your doctor in case something does happen and you really need them.

Ok well this is what happened. Our health insurance changed this year and when I handed over the new cards the receptionist told me that the girls check up would not be covered. I was baffled. How could they not cover something clearly so preventative. And then later in the day I stumbled across this article, “Rate of severe childhood obesity up sharply in U.S.” Maybe if parents didn’t need to pay the $100 or so for the yearly check up, this number may not be so high!

I realize that no simple answer exists but do realize something needs to occur and that it will have to be multiply of things,for example, free yearly check ups, more outdoor play time (PE), and educating the children more about their bodies ( this is where Human Body Detectives could play a role).

Let me know what you think and what problems you may have with your insurance company.

Be well,

That is my book trailer!

I am so excited to share this with you and not to mention that I am happy to have my book out there for everyone to see and hopefully buy!

Here it is! Enjoy! And please pass this on to all your friends!

You can learn more about HBD on my website and purchase the book on my site or Amazon.

Be well,

While in Vancouver last month I came across this company…..

Art-inspired
Independently produced
Always handmade
on the west coast of Canada

I truly wished the owner, Tressa, had started 10 years earlier, as I would have been all over her products for my kids!

All of her products are 100% certified organic usa cotton, 100% eco-lamb’s wool stuffing and best of all, they are machine wash/dry!

The organic teething bonbons really caught my attention. You soak the knots and freeze them – brilliant! And when your baby chews on the frozen knots, the eco-lamb wool centre keeps the baby’s hand warm. This would have soothed my kid’s gums tremendously!

I was also in awe of the Organic Soft Block Set. They are so beautiful and soft – great toy.

Browse through her site (which is so playful, creative and easy on the eyes) and enjoy everything she has to offer. And if you have babies or know of any, all of her products are essentials and worth the purchase.

Be well,

I have officially entered into the summer with kids home ALL THE TIME! So far it is going well (it’s only been a week though) and I expect it to be a fun, relaxing and creative next few months.

Their first day out I had my kids write up a list of ten things they wanted to do this summer. I suggested they be realistic but also put some crazy things on the list, as you just don’t know – it may happen!

The summer really comes down to one very important thing – WATER!



Here are some essentials that include water and also some extra stuff:

1.    some type of sprinkler to attach to hose ( this could be a good hour of fun for kids)
2.    blow up pool ( even older kids will get into this)
3.    water balloons – more kid fun
4.    you have to be set up for some popsicle making – let the kids get creative
5.    and the most important necessity - SUNSCREEN!

PS scavenger hunts are always a success so keep that in your back pocket

On a health note, here are some things in my summer first aid kit:

Homeopathy:
1.    Apis and Bite care: for bug bites
2.    Cantharis: for any sunburns
3.    Arnica: bumps and bruises
4.    Nux Vomica: for those moments when eating and drinking take over at BBQs and picnics

Herbal and vitamins:
1.    Emergency C vitamin packs in pink lemonade – YUM!
2.    Wise Woman Herbal All Purpose salve – for bug bites, minor scraps and cuts

You can go to my Emerson - shop supplements - to purchase any of these items.

Be well,

Today is the first day of summer…that is summer break for the kids.

Friends and family keep asking me, ” What are you going to do all summer?” - with them! Well, Pearl is doing a one week performing arts camp and Merrin is enrolled in a ceramics class. That’s it! Nothing else is planned. I believe the summer is a time where the kids need to feel restless and BORED! I think it is good for the brain and will get them to be creative - build a fort, grab the video camera and just be goofy.

Let me know what goofiness your kids will be doing this summer. Maybe we can swap ideas!

Be well,

We all have times when we eat much too fast ( and too much!) but it can really lead to some digestive problems.  When we are eating too fast are teeth are  not able to break down food thoroughly. And since chewing stimulates the stomach and pancreas to squirt out their digestive juices and  prepare for food, it makes it difficult for the stomach to break the food down. This can all lead to indigestion, heartburn, stomach pains and possibly much more.

Optimally, we should be chewing our foods for 10 seconds. That seems crazy long but for some foods it is reasonable.  When the kids were little, we would hum and count to 10 while we ate.  It was a game but definitely showed the kids the importance of slowing down and really just enjoying the food!

Here is a cute utube on chewing your foods

Be well,

Merrin has had growing pains since her second tooth came in at six months. The gum was blue and bulging…it was terrible. Her doctor suggested homeopathic arnica, so we gave it to her and it worked! Amazing homeopathy is!

As she has been growing up, she has had many nights that she wakes up in terrible leg and foot pain. At the beginning it was horrible. I would run to her room and then grab the arnica cream and pellets. I would rub in the cream into the pain and give her some of the pellets. She would immediately calm down and fall back to sleep.  I  eventually found homeopathic eupatorium ( go to EMERSON to purchase!) to work even better that arnica. Now beside her bed, she keeps arnica cream and eupatorium. If she wakes up with leg pain, she takes care of it herself.

Perfect…I really want her to become more proactive in her own health and giving her the tools makes it an easy transition.

Be well,

Okay I know…a trampoline is dangerous and I have to agree because I cannot believe I survived without a scratch from those jumping years!

Maybe that is why we have never bought the kids one….hmmm though, almost every second friend of my kids has one. Wouldn’t it be better if they were jumping at our house so I could at least watch them? Make a note to talk to the husband.

On a fun flip side, trampoline jumping is fantastic for your immune system. My fellow colleague and friend blogged about it and I need to pass it on. I like to think of it as preventative medicine. Up and down and down and up goes the blood and the lymph to push all the bad guys out!

Please read about it and maybe consider getting a small trampoline because really:

1.    It is healthy
2.    It may help relieve some stress (remember my worry blog?)
3.    It will entertain the kids for hours!

Be well,

My daughter, Pearl, had a rough night.  Actually it has been a rough couple of weeks. I remember when my older daughter went through this – the realization that she and her friends may have different morals, values and views. And wow, it is a tough emotion to process. They are transforming into their own being and becoming aware of it. I definitely handled this lovely conversation Pearl better than with Merrin…when I clicked into what was going on in her little head.

I told her to be true to herself - believe in her thoughts and know that they are perfect for her. I also mentioned that listening and being respectful to others views are a fantastic way to grow and learn more.

I can’t believe how fast my kids are growing up….

Be well,

It is effortless and unconscious process but is an essential need. And a lot of the time, we overlook the importance of breathing despite the fact we are all doing it all the time.

When we are in a uncomfortable situation and are shallow breathing we add more stress on the body (including the mind) and decrease our own immunity.  Not too good.

I encourage my children to use more of their lung space and focus on their breath. They always feel better and more importantly they realize they feel better. ( and then they will tell me to BREATH when they sense me getting uptight - which rarely happens - haha!) They are also encouraged  at their school when having a difficult time with a subject or even a classmate. The teachers say it really helps.

Dr.Weil has a health tip on, The Art and Science of Breathing. It is a wonderful exercise of optimal breathing.

Be well,

www.drheathernd.com

A friend sent me this article about media and our kids. It is truly amazing what technology has presented to us in the last 20 years. Funny, but 25 years ago parents were worried about too much TV (and really there wasn’t much on!) and now as parents we have cell phones, computers with facebook, utube, twitter and my space, video games and so much more.

I am pretty lucky not to my kids so exposed to the technology world as we live in Hawaii and things move and arrive much slower here. I try to embrace what technology is and I think it is a good idea to introduce the positive side of it.

We love creating movies and then editing them on imovie and one of my daughter’s is crazy for singing with her ipod and writing songs.

Be well and creative!

www.drheathernd.com