American Heart Association helps families get healthy

January 20, 2011 by
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Childhood obesity is a growing problem in more homes today than ever before. Jumping from a small percentage of children in the early 1980’s to our current percentage today (20-30% according to the CDC~children having a BMI of greater than 30), many families are facing new challenges. Deemed the first generation in our history in which children may not live longer than their parents, many families are trying to find ways to help improve diet and exercise as well as preserve and prevent long term health conditions. Resources to help parents find ways to be healthier as a family can be a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Child/Teen Health, Healthy Mommy & Baby

Healthy Heart = Healthy Woman

January 20, 2011 by

Did you know that women experience different symptoms for a heart attack than men?  Believe it...we do!  Many women don't even realize they may be having a heart attack, since the symptoms are less severe than men. Symptoms include: sweats and clammy skin crushing chest pain nausea and dizziness stomach / abdominal pain difficulty breathing / shortness of breath crushing chest pain pressure in your shoulders, back, neck, arms and jaw tightness in chest, difficulty getting full breaths, squeezing feeling in the center of your chest anxiety, or even weakness If you, or … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Family Nutrition, Healthy Eating, Healthy Mommy & Baby, Nutrition, Physical Health, Physical Illness, Women's Health

Newsbite: Meditation Reduces Heart Disease

January 20, 2011 by
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A recent study found that the practice of meditation reduced cardiac disease risk by nearly 50%.  During the nine year study, 201 African American men and women, average age 59 years and identified with narrowing cardiovascular arteries, were randomly assigned to either practice a form of meditation or participate in a control group which received health education classes including topics of diet and exercise.  The meditation group practiced Transcendental Meditation (TM) twenty minutes twice a day.  Results included 47% reduction in death, heart attacks, and strokes in the participants who … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Integrative Wellness, Mindfulness, Physical Health, Physical Illness, Stress/Anxiety

Preventing Eating Disorders In Children

January 20, 2011 by
crazy-mirror-at-children

National Eating Disorders Awareness week is Feb 20th - 26th.  Unfortunately, eating disorders and body image issues can be found amongst all ages.  One of the questions that I often ask children during my initial therapy assessment is “Do you think you need to lose or gain weight?”  The amount of children who say yes is astounding, and those that say yes usually state they feel overweight or need to diet, even if they appear an average weight. Certainly, obesity, over-eating, and unhealthy eating are concerns especially in the United States…however, just as much attention must be given to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Child/Teen Health, Child/Teen Mental Health, Child/Teen Nutrition