Many people feel overwhelmed by the diet and nutrition information that abounds in type and online. If you are always trying to lose weight this time of year–let’s all get ready for summer!–then you have probably tried many different weight-loss plans over the years. How about your kids? Have some of your diet successes and failures trickled down to them?

You know showing your children how to eat healthy is necessary, but buying fresh fruit for a change is only a part of it. Many children, both boys and girls, begin developing food issues,…

Photo by healingdream at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Our lifestyles are killing us. From the day we are born to the day we leave this world, a lot of us seem to be making the wrong choices. Why? Could it be that we think good health is not that important? Or could it be that we are not thinking so clearly given our poor diets, lack of exercise and electronic lifestyle?

Consider this: When was the last time you walked anywhere? If you live in a city, you may have walked to work. But if you are like most people,…

  When you asked for something, does it go something like this? “Please, hand me the [fill in the blank].” And do you reply with “thank you” when your request is approved? It seems pretty basic but, these days, I rarely hear it. Remember when you were a child and you always felt you had to be nicer to the child who was nicer to you? We tend to gravitate toward those who respect, acknowledge and care about us. Why? Because it feels comforting and nice. Can we be nice in return? Yes, most of us…

Even though you bundle up and brace yourself for the cold, many children do not seem to mind it. Why? What do they know that adults don’t? Children tend to complain less about cold weather, but it can wreak havoc on them just as it can on you. Dressing with layers applies to all of us, including kids. If you get too warm, you can remove a layer; small children may not beable to tell you when their sweating in their snowsuit, however, a quick check of the skin (the largest organ…

Winter temperatures and the common cold practically go hand in hand. As you pass people on the street/in the hallway/at the office, you can hear sniffles, sneezes and coughs of every variety. What is a healthy person to do to avoid all of this illness? It’s not new advice, but how dirty your hands are and what you should and should not touch with them is so important. These days, children are taught to cough into their arm/shoulder. This can help them avoid airborne viral droplets and contaminating their hands. How many adults…

Image by Jean Ryder

It’s been said that learning something new (every day) keeps us mentally sharp. Think back to your days in school–do you think your mental acuity was better then? To maintain your knowledge about any subject takes practice. 

When we teach children to administer their own insulin or other medication, they generally get more and more comfortable, and less and less stressed about this new skill. A good thing, right? Yes and no. Research has proven that many people begin to take shortcuts that result in errors, like getting the wrong dosage.…

by Peter Griffin

Nurses who visit people in their homes are sometimes the only way that patients receive health information and learn prevention strategies that can improve their overall health. Sometimes, the patients can be challenging, but for nurses, perseverance pays.

One such example involved a young mom of a premature infant. The mom had a history of feeding difficulty and was on some medications. Mom wanted to breastfeed but refused to pump and measure volume. What to do when trying to explain this to the mom was getting difficult? Teaching is a big part of what…

It will soon be a month of living in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. Many people in our area are still trying to recover, and many are just at the beginning, having lost everything. In the event of a major catastrophe, children often watch quietly as their world changes. A few kids may express their fears and concerns, but some will never openly discuss what they are feeling. As parents, it is very important to keep lines of communication open and provide your children with a loving home, whether or not you are displaced.

Post 9/11…

Some of us are lucky enough to be born healthy and free of chronic diseases that can impair our ability to live full and active lives. “Lucky” is really the key word here. And maybe, we’re lucky enough to have health insurance, too. As health care is changing, so are patients and their families. They are trying to do more with less. Fewer professionals (yes, there is a shortage), less access, and fewer opportunities to prevent chronic problems (education). Health care reform briefly mentions prevention, but it doesn’t address implemenation of prevention. How…

Let’s say you are a new parent. And in that new role, which you have never experienced before, you find yourself overwhelmed by the little things that used to bring you happiness. You suddenly feel that it takes all of your effort to get out of bed. This is supposed to be an amazing and happy time–at least that is what you were told and that had been your expectation. But here you are, and that baby seems just too much for you to handle. What to do? Babies are born, and…