There are many complications that accompany diabetes. Most of us just worry about what we eat and our blood sugar level, but a person with diabetes, you may run the risk of getting foot ulcers. To avoid this complication, you must check your feet daily. Foot ulcers are sores generally on the bottom of your feet in a weight bearing area. They are sores that do not heal if unattended to. A further complication of this is that open sores affect deeper tissue which can lead to bone and nerve damage, called peripheral neuropathy. Some of the other issues that come with peripheral neuropathy could be poor circulation and hammer toes. Those that suffer from poor circulation and foot ulcers are most at risk, says Steven Kavros, who specializes in vascular wound care at the Mayo Clinic.
With poor circulation, you may not feel an ulcer on your foot, therefore it is extremely important to self-examine your feet daily. If unattended, these sores will become worse and major health risks may become a factor. See a doctor and don’t let the wound go for days without care.
To control the wounds and the development of wounds, a person with diabetes must be proactive and monitor:
blood sugar levels,
kidney disease,
eye disease,
weight,
smoking,
and alcohol consumption.
If any of the above are out of control, your chances are increased of developing foot ulcers that, left untreated, may lead to amputation.
Try these easy steps to prevent wounds:
Check your feet daily. Look for blisters or open wounds and, if you have them, see a doctor immediately.
Wear the correct shoes. Make sure shoes fit properly to prevent damage if you stub your foot. Cotton socks or those made from natural fibers that breathe are better than socks made of man-made fibers.
Take care of your feet. Keep your feet clean and dry them well after cleaning them. Don’t soak your feet for the risk that skin may become easier to tear.
Exercise gently. You must exercise to help control your weight and diabetes. It is always important to talk to your health practitioner with regard to the best exercise for your condition.
Take these practices to heart. If the above tips can help prevent you from losing a limb, then it will give you a better quality life!
Seasonal allergies make life miserable for millions of Americans.
So, in a bid to ease some of that discomfort, experts from two leading groups of allergists created a task force that has just issued new practice guidelines on the best ways to quell those bothersome symptoms.
The consensus? For most people, nasal steroid sprays are the way to go, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.
The sprays are easy to get—many are available over-the-counter. And, they’re relatively inexpensive.
For the OTC versions, a month of treatment is about $15 to $20. OTC brand names include Nasacort, Nasonex, Flonase and Rhinocort, while prescription brands include Beconase, Qnasl and Veramyst, according to the AAAAI.
But the biggest reason the experts are recommending nasal sprays is that they’re generally more effective than other types of allergy medicine for the initial treatment of seasonal allergies, according to the new guidelines.
Plus, they have relatively few side effects, according to Dr. Punita Ponda, associate chief of allergy and immunology at Northwell Health in Great Neck, N.Y.
Nasal sprays aren’t perfect, however.
“They can cause itching of the nose, dryness of the nose and nosebleeds,” Ponda said. But, she added, using the proper spray technique can help lessen these side effects. She suggested asking your doctor to show you how to use these devices.
Seasonal allergies are often called hay fever and they span the seasons. The Nemours Foundation reports that people can be allergic to one or more types of pollen or mold, and the type dictates when symptoms strike.
For example, in the Middle Atlantic states, tree pollen is the culprit from February through May, followed by grass pollens from May through June, and weed pollens from August through October. Mold spores, meanwhile, typically peak from midsummer through the fall, depending on where you live, according to the foundation.
The new guidelines recommend nasal steroid sprays as the initial treatment for people aged 12 and older instead of an oral antihistamine such as Benadryl, Zyrtec, Claritin and Allegra.
The task force didn’t find evidence of an improvement in results if oral antihistamines were added to treatment, and these drugs may cause sleepiness.
In people 15 and over, the task force recommends starting treatment with a nasal steroid spray instead of a leukotriene receptor antagonist (such as Singulair or Accolate). Again, the nasal spray appears to be more effective. Singulair and Accolate are prescription drugs, so cost depends on your insurance plan.
For people with moderate to severe seasonal allergies who are older than 12, the task force suggests adding an intranasal antihistamine to treatment with a nasal steroid inhaler. The additional medication provided additional benefit for those with more severe allergies, the task force said.
Ponda noted that the task force didn’t recommend intranasal steroids for kids under 12.
“It may be easier to give oral antihistamines than intranasal steroids to children, and there’s concern about possible growth suppression. Oral antihistamines were thought to be useful for this group,” she said.
Dr. Luz Fonacier, who directs the allergy training program at NYU Winthrop Hospital in Mineola, N.Y., also pointed out that the medications in “this guideline for initial treatment of mild seasonal (allergies) may be obtained OTC, and therefore may have been tried by the patient.”
She said that for people who aren’t helped by nasal steroids, oral antihistamines, nasal antihistamines and leukotriene receptor antagonists may lessen symptoms.
Ponda said if nasal steroids and additional drugs don’t control allergy symptoms well, or if someone just gets tired of having to use medications regularly, allergy shots are also an option.
“Allergy shots have been shown to be cost-effective compared to medications. Usually, you get one shot a week for six months, and then once a month for three to five years. It’s definitely a commitment, but it’s the only treatment that’s actually disease-modifying. Allergy shots actually make a person less allergic or non-allergic,” Ponda explained.
The new guidelines were published online in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The stereotype that all seniors are technophobes, or just less able to understand technology, is simply not true–at least, not for most people. In fact, many companies are designing technology with specifically for the needs and wants of aging adults in mind. One of the biggest industries catering to seniors is the app industry for smart devices. The market is chock-full of limitless applications and possibilities: there are apps for entertainment, health and well-being, and even apps that are just handy to have in your pocket. Though the rapid adoption of technology can be confusing, many seniors have found that with the right repertoire of apps, life can be easier and more interesting.
Right now, there are tens of thousands of apps on the market and more coming out daily. Trying to find the right app can feel like trying to find a needle in the haystack: overwhelming, near impossible, and tedious way to spend the day.
To make it a little easier, here are six apps that we think seniors should have on their phones and tablets.
1. Park ‘n’ Forget
We’ve all experienced the confusion of not being able to find our cars when we come out of a building at some point or other. Using this app allows you to avoid the hassle of walking around a vast parking lot or garage looking for your car. You’ll never forget where you parked. Plus, Park ‘n’ Forget does more than remembering the location of your vehicle; it also monitors the amount of time spent. Gone are the days of having parking tickets due to expired meters. Here’s how it works: when leaving your car in a parking deck, pick the color or number associated with the deck level to pinpoint your location.
2. Lumosity
As we age, we become more susceptible to diseases that affect memory, such as Alzheimer’s and other dementias. One way to keep your brain sharp is by exercising it regularly. Learning and brain training apps like Lumosity is a great tool available to stay mentally active. Designed by neuroscientists, Lumosity is proven to benefit memory recall and information retention. The app cleverly disguises its memory improvement objectives by using hundreds of well-designed games and puzzles.
Another app designed to function similarly is CogniFit Brain Fitness. This app works to improve cognitive abilities, such as memory and concentration. What makes CogniFit Brain Fitness different from Lumosity is that it is adaptive to your knowledge. The app adapts each game’s difficulty to your profile and gives you recommendations based on your results.
3. Lyft
Apps such as Lyft and Uber are valuable for seniors to have in their app arsenal. With ride share apps, both service and payment transactions are consolidated into one digital location. In addition, most transportation apps even offer customization options. For example, Uber allows you choose from different sized vehicles to accommodate the number of people in your party. For seniors looking for ways to stay independent, transportation that’s convenient and easy is a must.
4. Shipt
Grocery delivery services are growing in popularity. For seniors, they’re another way to reclaim independence. One of the most popular grocery delivery services right now is the Shipt app. Using Shipt is easy: after you’ve signed up for a membership, open the Shipt app on your phone or desktop. Then, select your items, choose a payment option, pick a delivery time, and place your order. What makes them unique is they’ll unpack your groceries and put them away, and the groceries are from the stores you love.
5. Netflix
If you’re a movie lover, you’ll love the Netflix app. For a reasonable price, you have access to hundreds of your television shows, movies, and documentaries from basically anywhere. Netflix is also producing a number of noteworthy original series. You might find using this app is more valuable than having cable. A bonus feature of the app is it can be used on multiple devices. Many seniors find the mobility of this app useful during workouts or travel.
6. Blood Pressure Monitor
There are a variety of apps available for monitoring health. An app to consider adding to your phone is The Blood Pressure Monitor. You’ll have the ability to track your blood pressure and weight over time without having to call your doctor or rummage through old records. The Blood Pressure Monitor app also provides statistical information, periodic health reminders, and allows you to export data. This is an ideal function if you want to share it with your health care provider.
Harnessing technology for all of its capabilities isn’t just for the younger generations. Seniors are also capable of embracing all the possibilities that the digital age has to offer. With that in mind, apps are a great starting point for enhancing senior living. By equipping your phone with these helpful apps, people of all ages can benefit from a little extra independence and enjoyment in their lives.
The egg section at the grocery store can be intimidating.
Should you buy brown or white? Organic? Free-range? And what do those words really mean?
From a health perspective, free-range and organic are “definitely better,” said Krista Gast, a Culinary Medicine dietitian with Spectrum Health Medical Group.
Organic is a certification from the USDA that means chickens eat feed grown without pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, fungicides or herbicides. They also can’t be given antibiotics or growth hormones.
Free range typically means uncaged, but the government does not regulate or have a definition for that label.
But even those descriptions have caveats. With organic, “there’s a question as to how well those guidelines are enforced,” Gast said.
And when buyers hear free-range, some may envision chickens running outdoors and eating healthy foods like grass, seeds and bugs.
But that’s not always the case, Gast said.
The only fool-proof method, she said, “is to know the farmer you’re buying from.”
Free-range vs. pasture-raised
Gast often buys her eggs at farm markets, she said.
Many small farmers can’t afford to get organic certification—which can cost thousands of dollars—but still raise their chickens in an organic, compassionate way that larger farms can’t always replicate.
“If it just says ‘free-range,’ maybe the chicken went outside for five minutes,” Gast said of large farms. “That’s not really what a lot of people are envisioning.
“It’s definitely better than caged, but there’s no standard: It’s a loose term,” Gast said. “Free-range means uncaged, but it can also be inside of large warehouses, where the chickens are packed in like sardines. They can’t walk around, can’t nest, can’t spread their wings, and generally don’t have access to the outdoors.
“If they’re raised in that way, with that stressful environment and have all these stress hormones coursing through their bodies, it affects their health. And if we eat it, it can get passed on to us.”
If you can’t get to a farm or farm market to see and hear how the chickens are being raised, look for an “American Humane Certified” label or a “pasture-raised” description on the egg cartons or farm’s website, she said.
“‘American Humane Certified’ means the chickens can access spacious areas, are given access to the outdoors, can run,” she said. “There’s a little more of standard and qualification to it.
“Pasture-raised chickens should have access to pasture space to perform natural behaviors. They should be able to peck for seeds and bugs, and that is kind of a hallmark of pasture-raised.”
As for brown versus white eggs, they just come from a different breed of chicken.
“The quality, nutrition and flavor are no different,” Gast said.
‘A great way to utilize eggs’
Eggs aren’t particularly healthy or unhealthy. They have a lot of cholesterol—185 grams per large egg—but the U.S. removed a cholesterol limit from its dietary recommendations in 2016, saying the limit was based on old, iffy science.
But for egg eaters, the difference between chickens raised in a healthy environment or a stressful environment is significant.
Chickens raised in a warehouse are “fed grains, or sometimes even other parts of chickens that had passed away,” Gast said. “This is kind of the ugly side of the business … and it isn’t heathy for us.”
But if a chicken is raised in a pasture, it eats grass, seeds, marine algae and other natural foods, and it becomes loaded with omega-3s.
Omega-3s are an essential fat that can lower blood pressure, lower the risk of heart disease and strokes, and help prevent arthritis and certain cancers, according to Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, so choosing your eggs carefully can have positive effects.
“The benefits from anti-inflammatory foods in your diet, not only eggs, but plant sources like walnuts and other healthy sources of omega 3s, they quell that chronic inflammation in the body that puts us at risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancers and Alzheimer’s,” Gast said.
“Having that low level of chronic inflammation—(partly attributed to) processed foods, a lot of added sugars, saturated and trans fats—can lead to obesity and all kinds of other bad outcomes.”
A good way to tell if the chickens were allowed access to the outdoors is the color of the yolk, said Jim Cross, a certified executive chef and chef supervisor for Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital.
Chicken eggs that were allowed to feed on seeds, grass, bugs and have an overall healthy diet have a much more richly colored yolk.
“Ducks eat a lot aquatic plants and bugs, so the yolks are a deeper, richer orange color,” Cross said. Healthy chickens produce similarly vibrant eggs.
In addition to choosing eggs from well-raised chickens, what you eat with the eggs determines the overall health value of the meal. Consumers should eat their eggs with vegetables like peppers, kale and spinach to increase their healthiness, as opposed to processed foods and those with saturated fats like bacon, ham or lots of cheese, Gast said.
Cross, whose kitchen prepares 4,000 meals per day, goes through about 1,600 eggs per week. He buys all his personal eggs from local farms whose chickens live healthy lives, and both Cross and the hospital buy eggs from farms that don’t clip their chickens’ beaks—a very painful and unnatural process, he said.
In Cross’s eyes, an underutilized way to eat an egg is using it to make egg-based sauces like hollandaise or creme anglaise.
And if you use those egg sauces on top of well-cooked vegetables or in desserts, you add an additional level of flavor and texture to the meal.
“I don’t think eggs are usually considered for sauces because people think of gravies or cream sauces,” Cross said. “It’s a shame, because it’s a great way to utilize eggs in a different way.”
By Ronald Christian Rivera, LMSW, Outpatient Therapist, Leonard Street Counseling Center
Who is therapy for, anyway? Is it for me? How could I possibly benefit from talking to someone for an hour a week? These are questions I frequently hear as an outpatient therapist. I hope that sharing my thoughts on the topic of talk therapy will help to answer these questions.
Let me start by providing a short version of an answer: Most people stand to benefit from therapy for a variety of reasons. In general, it can be highly beneficial to have a trained professional to assist you through moments of crisis or simply to provide guidance and direction in times of doubt and confusion.
When I ask clients what brings them to therapy, I encounter a variety of universally held beliefs: “I’m weak and can’t fix my problems on my own.” “I must not be as strong as others think I am.” These responses reveal how mainstream society has stigmatized mental illness. This attitude stems from the belief that if you need help, then you must be weak. Due to this stigma, those who are affected by stress, anxiety, depression, and other problems begin to buy into the narrative that they are to blame. This serves as a roadblock to services for those who might otherwise be open to seeking help. Rather than stigmatizing and judging, we should acknowledge the strength and resilience necessary to endure tremendous pain and suffering. We should encourage suffering individuals with the message that there is hope, there is help in the form of professional counseling.
While society’s views about seeking help are a barrier for many, personal attitudes also play a role. Some refuse to ask for help due to pride; while others don’t feel they have a problem, they are not “sick” enough for therapy. Maybe these individuals have mild symptoms, or their problems pertain to relationships, life goals, or self-improvement. Avoiding professional help in moments of need may lead to bigger problems: worsening illness; impulsive decisions; increased likelihood of seeking drugs and alcohol to cope with stress. And, contrary to common belief, individuals with “minor” problems stand to gain tremendously from therapy: It serves as a tool to unlocking untapped potential, increased self-acceptance, and personal growth. In this sense, treatment offers a lens to the self. It deepens your understanding of what drives your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and desires. In exploring these concepts, you experience higher levels of self-awareness and increased insight.
I’ve also had clients share that they’ve avoided treatment because they’d be wasting my time, which could be better spent on someone who really needs it. This is a common misconception. In reality, your perception of your situation is all that matters. If it’s important to you, if you believe it has affected you, then it has. Your stuff, however big or small, has an impact on you. You deserve validation.
Another barrier to treatment is the intimidation factor: the counselor’s office can be a scary place for many. We’re talking about opening up to a complete stranger, sharing things you don’t discuss with your loved ones, things you’d rather forget altogether. Talk about a leap of faith!
Truly participating in therapy means letting your guard down and allowing yourself to be vulnerable. Sure, this is a risk, but it’s risky to not seek help, and bear your burdens alone. I encourage your to consider the benefits of a trusting, collaborative relationship. Imagine the liberating experience of placing your burdens at another’s feet, and learning skills to navigate life’s troubled waters. Through therapy, you learn to become an expert at managing your thoughts, feelings, behaviors. You learn to address your needs in a healthy way, implementing permanent, lasting skills that equip you to deal with whatever comes your way.
If you’re still asking yourself, “Is therapy for me?” I encourage you to ask yourself, “Why not me?” When we reach the core of what the therapeutic relationship represents, we are talking about personal growth, a deeper understanding, a heightened awareness, an increased insight that illuminates the path in your personal journey. For some, personal growth simply means learning basic coping skills to reduce emotional pain and suffering. For others, it takes on a different meaning altogether. Whether you’re experiencing mild symptoms of anxiety, or you’re trying to discover your true calling in life, therapy is for you.
You’ve filled out a living will, and designated a surrogate to make medical decisions if you’re incapacitated.
But, your end-of-life planning may not be done yet.
That’s because, according to a new study, your surrogate may still not have a clear idea about what you really want done in a crisis situation—even after you’ve discussed your wishes with them.
In the study, seven out of every 10 surrogates didn’t have an accurate understanding of their loved one’s wishes regarding potentially life-altering medical treatment, even though both believed they had adequately discussed the topic.
“There were a lot of surrogates in those pairs where they both said, ‘yes, we’ve had this communication,’ who didn’t have a good understanding of the patient’s goals of care,” said lead researcher Dr. Terri Fried. She is a professor of geriatrics with the Yale School of Medicine.
The surrogates couldn’t accurately say whether their loved one would want treatment even if afterward they would have to live in extreme chronic pain or with severe mental or physical impairments, Fried said.
“Those are the kinds of things that make people say, ‘Oh, maybe I don’t want to get life-sustaining treatment if that’s the way it’s going to leave me,’” she explained.
These results show health-care professionals need to take a more active role in helping patients make end-of-life preparations, and that includes facilitating in-depth conversations between them and their chosen surrogates about their preferences, Fried said.
“It’s becoming more a part of the responsibility of primary care to make sure this happens as part of health maintenance, the same as flu shots or cancer screening,” Fried said. “We need to do a more thorough assessment of what patients have done and haven’t done, so we know what they still need to do.”
For their study, Fried and her colleagues interviewed 350 veterans, all aged 55 or older. The researchers also separately interviewed their end-of-life surrogates.
Just over half of the surrogates were spouses. Another 27 percent were children. The rest had other relationships with the veterans, according to the study.
About two of every five veterans hadn’t bothered to complete a living will or officially designate someone as their surrogate (health care proxy), or talked about the quality of life they’d like to maintain near the end, the findings showed.
And often, surrogates remained in the dark about the loved one’s wishes even if both agreed that they had discussed the matter.
Only 30 percent of surrogates who thought they’d talked it over could display an accurate knowledge of their loved one’s desires regarding quality versus quantity of life, the researchers found.
That’s better than the performance of surrogates who hadn’t had the conversation (21 percent) or pairs that disagreed whether they’d discussed the matter (15 percent), Fried noted.
But that still leaves a majority of people in a position of thinking that their surrogate knows their wishes when the person really doesn’t, the study authors pointed out.
“Part of it is that patients and surrogates don’t really know what the things are that they ought to be talking about,” Fried said.
In joint interviews conducted after the main study, many of the pairs said that “after you asked us those questions, we realized these are the things we need to sit down and talk about,” she added.
Dr. Timothy Farrell is an associate professor of geriatrics with the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City. He said that “a visit with a physician is often the first time that such a discrepancy may become apparent.”
Doctors who treat the elderly should consider end-of-life conversations as “anticipatory guidance,” similar to the guidance provided parents during well-child visits, Farrell said.
Either a doctor, a physician assistant, a social worker or some other health-care professional can help lead a facilitated discussion that ensures someone’s wishes have all been communicated to the surrogate, he suggested.
“Being proactive is the key, (as is) regularly coming back to this topic before the crisis occurs,” Farrell concluded.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Are you ready for menopause? Or even perimenopause? The storm is coming, so now is the time to act to make it less of a tempest. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
So many women come to see me when they are experiencing what I call the Perfect Storm.
Their bodies are changing and they are faced with night sweats, increased belly fat, irritability, depression, lack of energy, irregular or heavy periods and decreased sex drive. That’s quite a list!
The Perfect Storm occurs when two fronts collide and cause havoc with your body.
The first front is caused by changing hormones, which then leads to an array of symptoms: night sweats, hot flashes, disturbed sleep, anxiety, irritability, decreased motivation and sex drive, and cravings of sweets and simple carbs. The second front is the change in your body chemistry, including changes in hormone levels.
The result? Good cholesterol levels go down, bad cholesterol goes up, insulin resistance increases, belly fat builds up and brain chemicals drop.
To more fully understand the Perfect Storm, it helps to know the three phases every woman goes through in adult life: reproductive phase, perimenopause and menopause.
Here’s a brief summary of each phase:
Reproductive phase—Many women in this phase feel normal and experience regular periods. This is the time we really don’t have to think about our hormones, and our body just makes sense. Toward the end of this phase, symptoms such as menstrual migraines, night sweats, mood changes and sugar cravings sometimes start. These symptoms are predictable and occur the three days before your period starts.
Perimenopause—This stage is sometimes referred to as midlife, and it’s also where the Perfect Storm occurs. Your periods start to become irregular, closer together and heavier, and symptoms like night sweats, sleep difficulties, mood changes and belly fat weight gain can become worse. You may even skip some periods and then begin having regular periods again.
Menopause—This phase means you haven’t had a period in 12 months—yeah! However, it’s important to note that if you go three months without a period and then you get one, the clock starts all over again. Approximately 80 percent of women experience symptoms during menopause, which typically last between two and five years after the start of menopause. The good news is that women who seem to handle the symptoms the best are the ones who continue to kept their weight in the healthy range, remain active, drink plenty of water and get plenty of sleep each night.
After menopause, it is very difficult to alter the course you are on, so if you want to weather your Perfect Storm and keep your symptoms in check, you need to make sure you are on a healthy path right now. What happens during the storm will determine the course of the rest of your life, so ask for the help you may need to sail through your Perfect Storm.
The increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere also causes ragweed to produce more pollen, so these plants are becoming more potent. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
If you live in the north and you’ve never experienced hay fever, new research predicts that climate change has an unwelcome surprise in store for you.
Warmer temperatures in the northern United States will allow ragweed—the plant that triggers hay fever—to flourish in areas it’s never been before. About 35 years from now, the study predicts, ragweed will be found in New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and upstate New York.
But the news isn’t all bad. Folks sneezing due to ragweed in the southern United States should get some relief as the temperatures get too warm for ragweed to grow well.
Ragweed will decline substantially in central Florida, northeastern Virginia and the southern Appalachian Mountains, according to the researchers.
“Ragweed is a major cause of allergies and asthma. Climate change will make some areas worse for ragweed, and some areas may get better,” said Michael Case, of The Nature Conservancy. He co-authored the study when he was a postdoctoral researcher at the school of environmental and forest sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Ragweed is a native North American plant. It produces a lot of fine, powdery pollen from August to November. This pollen causes symptoms in people who are allergic to ragweed, including sneezing, watery eyes, itchy throat, runny nose and headaches, the researchers said.
Case and his co-author, Kristina Stinson, an assistant professor of plant ecology at UMass Amherst, created a model that included data on hundreds of areas with ragweed today, along with the conditions that allow ragweed to thrive.
The researchers then added information from 13 global climate-prediction models. These models were developed using two different pathways of potential greenhouse gas emissions.
When all of this information was combined, the new model predicted the northward creep of ragweed.
After that—from the 2050s to the 2070s—areas with ragweed may see a slight contraction. The researchers said this is because temperatures and precipitation may become more variable.
The study authors pointed out that their model was not designed to know if ragweed could become a problem as far north as Canada or further west in the United States because their model didn’t have information on those areas.
Marian Glenn, an emeritus professor in the department of biological sciences at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J., reviewed the findings.
“This is another example of plants that are migrating north as the climate warms. This is happening with viruses and diseases that are considered tropical, now that the agents that cause those diseases can survive through winter,” she said.
“The increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere also causes ragweed to produce more pollen, so these plants are becoming more potent,” Glenn explained.
And that means climate change will make ragweed season longer and more aggravating for allergy sufferers, she added.
Case agreed that ragweed season will probably last longer. And ragweed isn’t the only plant affected.
“Climate change is extending the growing season for everything,” he said. However, because ragweed is abundant, it made it possible to study that one particular plant.
Case said the study has practical implications. For example, weed control boards should now be aware that they might have to start monitoring for ragweed. And allergy sufferers and their doctors also need to be aware that ragweed may start becoming a problem in areas that haven’t seen it before.
The findings were published online recently in the journal PLOS One.
Move over, Florida! The American Midwest may be the next hot retirement destination. With beautiful scenery, affordable costs of living, and great quality of life, this underappreciated region is a great place to spend your retirement.
The Midwest is officially made up of twelve states, though Midwestern opinions vary on which states make the cut. According to the US Census Bureau, however, the region consists of both Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio.
Cost of Living
The Midwest far and away dominated other regions of the US in the category of financial stability and cost of living in LPL Research’s 2017 Retirement Environment Index. Michigan, in particular, experienced a huge improvement in its rank as a retirement destination, jumping from 19th to 2nd best state for soon-to-be retirees. This is due in large part to median income rising well above the national average and a lower tax burden in the face of rising taxes across the country.
The accessibility and affordability of healthcare is an incredibly important consideration as people age, and cities in the Midwest are quickly establishing themselves as centers for medical innovation. From Cleveland, Ohio, which has been ranked first in the nation for access to healthcare, to the centers for medical research in Ann Arbor, to the “Medical Mile” of Grand Rapids, Michigan, the Great Lakes region is becoming a hub of great healthcare.
Climate and Landscape
In the wider imagination of the country, the Midwest doesn’t have the best reputation for breathtaking scenery and beautiful weather. While there’s some truth to the stereotypical image of farmland stretching to the horizon and frozen winters, these states have so much more to offer. In the space of a few states, you can experience vast mixed forests, miles of beaches, golden plains, mountain foothills, river basins, and waterfalls. Long traditions of outdoorsmanship make Midwestern states popular vacation destinations for any number of outdoor sports, and actually living there makes it so much easier to get active.
While it’s true that Midwestern winters can be arduous, residents relish in the ability to experience four distinct seasons, each beautiful in their own way. Spring thaws bring fresh air and wildflowers, summers are hot but never sweltering, and falls are defined by bright, warm colors and perfect sweater weather. And for winter sportspeople, waking up to a sunlight on a fresh layer of powder is always a beautiful sight.
Overall Quality of Life
Aside from all the financial and logistical considerations, the Midwest is just a great place to live. A psychological study on personality variation in different regions of the United States found that the Midwest was just plain friendlier than other areas. The researchers who conducted this study of over 1.6 million Americans defined “friendliness” as displaying traits of sociability, consideration, and a sense of duty. Though the South gets more lip service, this report could not be better for a region prides itself on its hospitality.
All of this bodes well for soon-to-be retirees who already have roots in the Midwest, as spending more time with family is a popular aspiration for retirement. For people who are deeply connected with their family members, moving away for retirement means less time with children and grandchildren. The overall quality of the Midwest as a retirement location means that the decision doesn’t need to be difficult.
Is it a common cold, or something more? Listening closely to your child’s cough can help you decide if it’s time to seek a doctor. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
It may be croup, a viral illness that causes swelling and inflammation of the vocal cords. The cough sounds like a bark and it may also be accompanied by stridor—a harsh, high-pitched wheeze—when your child breathes in.
Whooping
It may be pertussis. Commonly known as whooping cough, pertussis is a contagious respiratory illness that can cause coughing fits in which children are forced to inhale with a loud “whooping” sound as they gasp for breath.
Staccato
A repetitive cough with short, staccato sounds is a characteristic sign of the lung infection chlamydial pneumonia, especially in infants.
Dry
A persistent, dry cough may be a symptom of asthma, a disease affecting the lungs.
Wet
The common cold often produces a wet, productive-sounding cough with mucus or phlegm behind it.
Although it may go against your parental instincts, Dr. McGee advises caregivers to resist the temptation to medicate children with a cough suppressant. Doing so, he warns, may do more harm than good in most cases.
But parents should also know when enough is enough.
“If your child has had a persistent cough for a week or more, don’t just write it off as the common cold,” Dr. McGee said. “Make an appointment with a pediatrician to determine if something else is going on.”
Seek immediate medical help if your child appears ill and is working hard to breathe, he said.
Here’s welcome news for parents tired of forcing their kids to take a daily bath: Children may not need to bathe every day after all.
That’s the word from Dr. Robert Sidbury, an associate professor with the department of pediatrics and division chief of dermatology at the University of Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis.
“Depending on their age and activity level, most children only need a bath a few times a week,” Sidbury said in a news release from the American Academy of Dermatology. “For children, a few germs here and there are healthy, as this is how their bodies learn to fight off bacteria and build stronger immune systems.”
Sidbury provides these recommendations about bathing for kids:
If a child is aged 6 to 11, only two or three baths a week may be needed, and shampooing is necessary just once or twice a week. Black children or kids of any age with dry or curly hair only need to shampoo once every seven to 10 days.
Special circumstances require more bathing: Kids should take a bath and wash their hair when they get dirty, after they’ve been in an ocean or lake, or when they get sweaty or show signs of body odor.
When kids hit puberty, they should start taking a shower every day. It’s a good idea for them to shampoo their hair every day or every other day, and to wash their faces twice a day to get rid of dirt and oil. Black children and those with dry or curly hair can continue to shampoo their hair every seven to 10 days after the age of 12.
Kids don’t usually need to use conditioners since they’re designed to help dry and damaged hair. But conditioner—applied to the body and ends of hair, not the scalp—can help prevent tangles in kids with long, wavy or curly hair.
“While these guidelines work well for most children, every child is different,” Sidbury said. “If your child continues to have body odor, or if your child’s hair or scalp seem too oily or dry after following these guidelines, see a board-certified dermatologist.”
He also cautioned that kids with skin conditions such as eczema should follow the bathing recommendations of their dermatologist.
Kent County Emergency Management activated its Emergency Operations Center on Thursday, Feb. 7. (Supplied/Kent County)
By Kent County
As a result of the winter storm and its ongoing impact on the county, Kent County Emergency Management activated its Emergency Operations Center on Thursday, Feb. 7, to provide updated information on the current state of affairs because of the significant weather event.
Power Outages
Kent County residents are continuing to experience unprecedented power outages primarily in the north and east areas of the county. Consumers Energy has reported 112,000 people are still without power and they have 366 crews addressing the current outages. Kent County Emergency Management staff remain in contact with the National Weather Service, Consumers Energy, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, as well as several private sector partners.
Emergency Shelter Operations
Arrangements have been made with the American Red Cross and Salvation Army to address the staffing and operation concerns at four emergency shelters — Ottawa Hills High School, Union High School, Walker Fire Department, and North Rockford Middle School.
These four locations also offer free pet boarding services by the Kent County Animal Shelter for those with pets. Residents are encouraged to seek other boarding options first, as space at these emergency animal shelters is limited. Please visit accesskent.com for complete details on the boarding process.
Dispatch Center
Call volumes at the Kent County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center are currently stable. Please do not call 911 to report that your power is out or to see when it is coming back on. Visit consumersenergy.com for a complete outage map.
Kent County Road Commission
According to the Kent County Road Commission, most roadways are clear, however many remain snow and ice covered with challenging conditions. Repeat applications of sand/salt deicing mix has been applied to state and primary roads, but the ongoing snowfall and low temps minimize effectiveness. Motorists should call 911 if they encounter an obstruction or emergency while driving. Please do not report travel emergencies via social media as they may not receive an expedited response.
Safety Tips
Members of the community are encouraged to check on their neighbors, the elderly, vulnerable adults, and persons with mobility issues and assist them if possible or call 911 if conditions dictate.
The following are a few safety tips to be considered when navigating a severe weather event:
Be aware of carbon monoxide hazards associated with operating a generator or alternate heat source. Generators should always be placed outside the home at least 20 feet away from any structure.
In an emergency, always call 911 before calling a utility company.
Always assume down power lines are dangerous. Call 911 and stay at least 25 feet away.
Be sure your food is safe after an outage. Visit foodsafety.gov for complete guidelines.
In a world that tends to be connected at all times, many of us find ourselves too often over-worked, over-extended and over-committed. As an example, think about walking across a college campus. It can be difficult to make eye contact with anyone because many people’s eyes are diverted to devices. We may feel we are connected, however this constant contact can lead to a deep disconnection within ourselves.
How do we get back in touch with our true self? What is the value in reconnecting with our self? Though spending time alone may often have a bad reputation, there is another perspective that says scheduling solitude into your routine can help you reap many benefits and rewards for yourself and those around you.
According to the Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, the article “Solitude: An Exploration of Benefits of Being Alone,” defines solitude as “disengagement from the immediate demands of other people—a state of reduced social inhibition and increased freedom to select one’s mental or physical activities.” In studying solitude, research shows there can be numerous positive outcomes to this practice, such as:
Freedom increases with the ability to engage in desired activities.
Creativity strengthens through using the imagination, discovering self-transformation and developing new thought patterns.
Intimacy increases by becoming more self-sufficient, pursuing
passions and maintaining an awareness of strong relationships with
others.
Spirituality can grow when given the space and freedom to question
one’s place in the universe, personal thoughts and/or desires.
While for many of us it is not common practice to schedule time for
solitude, it is crucial that in the midst of our busy lives we allow
ourselves the gift of spending time alone.
Michigan State University Extension defines social-emotional health and wellbeing as the social, mental, psychological and spiritual aspects of an individual’s life across the lifespan. By spending time in solitude, we gain the chance to reconnect with our thoughts, desires and emotions. In turn, the strength of our relationship with ourselves, determines in large part our ability to connect with others in healthy ways.
Visit MSU Extension for more information or community support on improving your social-emotional health and well-being.
In 2014, only about 11% of adults aged 65 and older were covered by a long-term care insurance policy. Compared to the 52.3% of seniors who will require long-term care at some point during their retirement, retirees are underprepared for covering costs. But as people age, long-term care (LTC) coverage becomes cost prohibitive, which leaves seniors and their families wondering: “Where do we find the money to cover assisted living?” Here are five financial assistance and funding options to consider.
1. Life Insurance Conversions
Many people don’t realize that their life insurance is a financial asset that may benefit them today. If your loved one owns life insurance they no longer need, or premiums have become too expensive to justify the benefit, converting their life insurance policies into long-term care funds can help you cover assisted living costs.
This can be done in several ways. First, you can check with your insurance agent about the possibility of cashing in your policy, or receiving accelerated or “living” benefits. These are all different terms for the same process: the insurance provider will buy back the policy for a portion of its value (usually around 50-75%) so that the policyholder can apply those funds to long-term care or medical expenses. Some providers only cash in policies for policyholders who are terminally ill, while others are more flexible.
Another option is converting a life insurance policy to a “life assurance” benefit. This allows you to switch a life insurance benefit into regular long-term care payments, which can go towards all forms of LTC and senior housing.
2. VA Aid & Attendance Benefit
If your loved one is a veteran, they may be eligible for benefits that help to pay for long-term care and housing.
The Veterans’ Administration offers a special pension with Aid and Attendance (A&A) benefit that is largely unknown and often overlooked by wartime veterans and their families. Paid on top of a wartime veteran’s monthly pension, the A&A benefit allows for Veterans and surviving spouses who require assisted living additional monetary benefits. Most Veterans who are in need of assistance qualify for this pension. Aid and Attendance can help pay for care in the home, in a nursing home, or in an assisted living facility. While the amount you can expect from the benefit varies, the average is a maximum benefit is $1,949 a month for married veterans, $1,644 for single veterans and $1,056 for a surviving spouse.
Costs related to senior living at an assisted living community may be tax deductible for both the community member and their family caregiver if they meet the Internal Revenue Service requirements. This article from the AARP has more information.
There are several ways for your loved one to leverage their home to help pay for assisted living. While it may not be the preferred method, selling the home outright can help to cover a significant portion of the cost of assisted living. Another way for seniors to access their home equity is through a reverse mortgage. While this does require the homeowner to live in their home as a permanent residence, it can make sense in certain cases. For instance, if one spouse is able to live independently but the other requires memory care, a reverse mortgage can help the borrowing spouse pay for their partner’s long-term care.
If home equity accounts for a large portion of their net worth, however, seniors and their families should consider opting for a less immediate strategy. Converting the home to a long-term rental property, for example, gives you and your loved one access to steady income that can be put towards long-term care. However, managing a rental property does take quite a bit of work, and will affect your property taxes, so it’s not a decision to be taken lightly.
5. PACE
PACE, or Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, is a Medicare and Medicaid program that helps seniors get the care they need. To be eligible for the PACE program, you must:
Be age 55 or older
Live in the service area of a PACE program
Require a high level of care (varies by state)
PACE is only available in certain areas, such as PACE of Southwest Michigan, and eligibility may vary by area. You can check here to see there’s a PACE program near you.
Cost shouldn’t hold your loved one back from receiving the care they need and the life they want. Check with your financial and tax advisors to see what strategies make sense for you, or contact a Vista Springs community today.
Extreme cold has come to West Michigan and will be a regular visitor this winter.
Parents should take extra precautions when sending young children outdoors for any length of time, and that means learning the warning signs of hypothermia and frostbite.
Parents need to know how to prevent extreme cold weather exposure and be ready to respond appropriately to problems, said Jennifer Hoekstra, an injury prevention program coordinator with Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital.
“Children don’t realize they can get in trouble quickly when they are out in temperatures close to or below zero,” she said.
Clothing
Problems arise when infants and children are not dressed properly, Hoekstra said. Make sure they’re dressed in several thin layers to stay warm and dry. Adequate outdoor clothing includes thermal long johns, turtlenecks, at least one shirt, pants, sweater, coat, warm socks, boots, gloves or mittens and a hat.
Hypothermia
Hypothermia develops when a child’s temperature falls below normal due to exposure. It often happens when children are outdoors in extremely cold weather without proper clothing or when their clothes get wet. If your child shivers and becomes lethargic and clumsy, hypothermia may be setting in. Your child’s speech also may become slurred.
Call 911 immediately if you suspect your child is hypothermic. Until help arrives, take children indoors, remove any wet clothing and wrap them in blankets or warm clothes.
Frostbite
Frostbite happens when the skin and outer tissues become frozen. This condition tends to happen on extremities like the fingers, toes, ears and nose. Watch for extremities that may become pale, gray and blistered. Children may complain that their skin burns or has become numb.
Here’s what to do if your children show signs of frostbite:
Bring children indoors and place the frostbitten parts of their bodies in warm water.
Apply warm washcloths to frostbitten noses, ears and lips.
Do not rub the frozen areas or use a heating pad.
After a few minutes, dry and cover children with clothing or blankets.
Give them something warm to drink.
If the numbness continues for more than a few minutes, call your doctor.
When the temperatures drop low, “the best advice is to keep your children inside and busy with indoor activities,” Hoekstra said. Same goes for your furbabies, too.
Car seats and boosters can save lives. Just ask this family – The Smith kids, Olivia (4), Blake and Evan (1) get ready for a road trip. The Smith family, Ben and Janna, and kids Olivia, Blake and Evan, 1. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
In 2011, Janna Smith was riding in the back seat of the car with 4-month-old daughter, Olivia. Her husband, Ben, was driving when they were hit broadside by another car. The impact took place on Olivia’s side.
“I could see the base and carrier of Olivia’s car seat move slightly with the impact but then return to its original position, which was exactly what it was designed to do in an accident,” Janna explained.
While Janna suffered some painful injuries, Olivia was unharmed. And it was her car seat that saved her. While that’s a happy ending, the story doesn’t end there.
Always count on change
Fast forward to 2014.
After many struggles to become pregnant with Olivia, Janna and Ben decided to try for a sibling. They focused on their appreciation of Olivia, no matter what the future held.
When they found out they were having twins, they couldn’t have been happier. Nearly as surprising was how complicated it became to find a new car that would fit all three kids across one bench seat.
The Smiths knew from their scary accident how important it would be to have that row of car seats lined up in rock-solid, life-saving perfection.
“We looked at so many cars,” Janna said. “Will three car seats fit? No kids in the way back. Is there enough cargo room? Scratch that one, it’s got a console in the middle. Can it tow our trailer?”
Finally, they found a used Lincoln Navigator that fit the bill.
Brothers Evan and Blake, were born five weeks early on April 24, 2014. They spent their early weeks in the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Did Janna and Ben assume the knowledge they already had was up to snuff when it was time to take the new babies home?
“No way,” Janna said. “You can’t leave anything to chance. We knew all too well from our accident with Olivia how important it is to have everything snapped and perfectly adjusted. She was safe from the direct hit because the straps were adjusted for her body. You can’t underestimate the value of that, which is why we still have our seats checked as the kids grow. How do you know they are buckled right? You go to the pros. We’re on a first-name basis.”
What you might not know
While awareness of proper child restraint use in cars has increased, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration still estimates that about 75 percent of child seats and boosters are improperly installed in family vehicles.
The Smiths considered themselves lucky to be part of the positive 25 percent.
In the Smiths’ case, and for all families whose babies are going home after a NICU stay, there is extra assurance that all is well. NICU babies must pass a car seat test with monitors attached, before they can be discharged from the hospital. This automatically ensures that NICU parents receive expert guidance from the first ride home. But every healthy baby going home is just as precious, and help is easy to find.
So, before Evan and Blake got to check out of the hospital, the Smiths consulted the experts at Helen DeVos Injury Prevention program, with Olivia and the two new car seats. They learned how to get all three seats properly secured on the bench seat and confirm how to assess strap and buckle placement for each child.
“It’s not just about the car seat user manual, either,” Janna added. “Look in your car’s owner’s manual to confirm how your vehicle is designed to work with infant/child safety seats. At the Safe Kids car seat safety check events, they thoroughly install your seat in your car with your kids. They installed an additional convertible car seat in my mom’s conversion van, too. If grandparents or babysitters will be transporting your kids, their vehicles are just as important.” To get started, watch our video on how to properly secure your baby in the car seat.
If possible, plan for each car to have its own car seats. If that’s not an option, make sure everyone who is moving the seats from one car to the next is completely educated on the details. If in doubt, stop in at a local fire department to have the seats checked or to be installed in the other vehicle before transporting. Having little ones safe at every trip, in every vehicle is critical.
Today, Olivia Smith is a charming, precocious 4-year-old. She loves her role as big sister of her equally adorable twin brothers, who just turned 1 year. And Ben and Janna Smith enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing their kids are as safe as can be, every trip, every car, every time.
Your dishwasher may get those plates spotless, but it is also probably teeming with bacteria and fungus, a new study suggests.
Microbes—from bacteria to viruses to fungi—are everywhere, including within and on the human body. So it’s no surprise, the researchers said, that a kitchen appliance would be hosting them.
So do people need to worry about getting sick from their dishwashers? No, said Erica Hartmann, an assistant professor at Northwestern University who was not involved with the study.
“The risk is probably in the realm of a shark attack,” she said. That is, most people face little to no risk, but there are select groups who may be at higher risk—in this case, people with conditions that weaken their immune defenses.
Dishwashers are an interesting case when it comes to microbes because they are actually an “extreme” habitat, Hartmann explained.
“People don’t think of them that way. It’s just your dishwasher. But it really is an extreme environment,” said Hartmann, who studies the microbiology of the indoor environment.
Dishwashers create constantly fluctuating conditions—wet to dry, high heat to cooler temperatures, low to high acidity. They also harbor mixtures of detergents and dinner scraps. So, only certain microbes will thrive.
The new study looked at which bacteria and fungi are actually dwelling there, and what factors seem to influence that microbial makeup.
Specifically, the European researchers took samples from the rubber seals of 24 household dishwashers.
Overall, they found, the most common bacteria included Pseudomonas, Escherichia and Acinetobacter—all of which have strains that are “opportunistic pathogens.” That means they are normally harmless, but can cause infections in people with a compromised immune system.
The most common types of fungus were Candida, Cryptococcus and Rhodotorula—which also include opportunistic pathogens.
Nina Gunde-Cimerman, a professor of microbiology at the University of Ljubljana, in Slovenia, worked on the study.
She said dishwashers and other microbe-hosting appliances are “generally safe” for healthy people. It’s “sensitive groups,” she said, who may need to be more cautious.
Gunde-Cimerman said she and her colleagues suspect dishwashers might play a role in fungal infections called mycoses in certain immune-compromised patients. A fungus commonly found in those patients, she said, is known as Exophiala dermatitidis, or black yeast.
And while that fungus is “hardly known in nature,” she said, it’s easy to find in dishwashers.
However, Gunde-Cimerman stressed, that’s speculation. No one has yet proven a connection between dishwasher microbes and mycoses infections.
How do fungus and bacteria get into dishwashers? The “main entry point” for fungi is the tap water that supplies the appliance, Gunde-Cimerman said. But food, people and pets are other potential sources, she added.
As for the bacteria, the source isn’t clear, according to Gunde-Cimerman. “But we speculate that contaminated food is the main entry route,” she said.
It is possible for dishwasher microbes to break free from their home: They can get out via waste water, or through the hot air produced at the end of the dishwasher cycle, Gunde-Cimerman said.
So one way to keep the microbes contained is to avoid opening the dishwasher before it has cooled down, according to Gunde-Cimerman.
“Do not open the dishwasher when it is still hot and humid,” she said, “to prevent the release of aerosols in the kitchen.”
Wiping the rubber seal with a dry cloth at the end of a cycle can also limit microbe buildup, Gunde-Cimerman said.
Hartmann agreed that people who are concerned can wipe down the dishwasher seal.
But she also emphasized the positive aspects of the microbial communities living in all our homes: Scientists have made great discoveries by studying microorganisms.
Hartmann pointed to the example of a bacterial enzyme discovered in the hot springs of Yellowstone National Park. It was instrumental in developing a breakthrough technique called polymerase chain reaction, which is now used to study DNA in research and clinical labs everywhere.
“Your kitchen might not be Yellowstone,” Hartmann noted. But, she added, it may host some “pretty amazing” microbes.
So if you are ever presented with the opportunity to have researchers swab your kitchen, Hartmann said, consider it.
The study was published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
When you think about your life, what comes to mind? Do you reflect on your job, on how your day and week is largely structured around it? Perhaps you think about your family members and how your interactions with them affect your mood. But how often do you think about how you think?
Mindfulness is one way that we can examine how we think about our patterns of thinking. This skill helps us to change how we think. Contrary to some misconceptions, mindfulness is not a religious ritual or a belief system. While some of its origins come from the Eastern cultures, mindfulness has found its way into Western spheres of thought and practice. Some of its techniques even mirror modern day cognitive therapy.
You may ask yourself why mindfulness matters in our 21st century culture. Consider this: According to the American Psychological Association, chronic stress can cause a variety of mental and physical health problems, such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, muscle pain, high blood pressure, and heart disease1.
While it’s true that we can’t change some of the circumstances in our life, we can change how we think about them. This doesn’t mean we need to be happy about things that upset us in our life, but we can look at such events more objectively and have a calmer, more accepting attitude. Research also shows that mindfulness can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression2.
There are hundreds of books and articles about the origin and techniques of mindfulness, but I will highlight some of the most common techniques and concepts. In short, mindfulness means paying attention to something in the present moment, and refraining from trying to change the situation around us. Remember, mindfulness takes practice and time, and results may not come right away.
Breathing: We all do this, but we often change how we breathe based on how we think and feel. If we are angry or nervous, we tend to breathe quickly into our lungs. If we are tired or falling asleep, we breathe from our diaphragm. To practice mindful breathing, take a slow, deep breath into your diaphragm, hold it for a few seconds, and slowly release it. Repeat this process for a few minutes, and pay attention to this pattern of breathing. Your body will naturally calm itself and put you in a more relaxed state of mind.
Body scanning: We tend to hold stress in different areas of our body, but because our attention is often used for other tasks, it’s easy to overlook cues our body sends us. To practice this technique, sit comfortably in a chair, and close your eyes. Allow your attention to start from the bottom of your feet. Can you focus on the feeling of your socks or the hardness of the ground? Allow your attention to slowly drift up your body. What are you feeling in your ankles? Do your lower legs feel tense? Can you feel the sensation of your upper legs against the chair? You can do this with all areas of your body, from head to toe. The key is to observe sensations in your body without judging them as good or bad. When you first do this, resist the temptation to “fix” the pain you may feel. You may be pleasantly surprised that sometimes, just examining how you feel will allow your bodily sensation to pass.
Five senses: This skill involves paying attention to our sensations based on our five senses. For example, if you are outside on a summer’s day, you can find a comfortable place to observe your surroundings. Listen to each sound you hear: the wind blowing in the trees, the birds singing in the distance, the sound of cars passing by. How does the sun feel on your skin? What smells do you notice? Are you able to pay attention to the colors and shapes in the leaves? If you choose to take a drink of cold water, can you pay attention to its taste? These techniques can be done anywhere, such as the mall or your office. The point is to become comfortable noticing your senses. Doing so can help you appreciate the moment rather than judging it or worrying about other things.
Thought monitoring: From my experience, this is perhaps the most difficult technique to practice and become comfortable with. It involves simply monitoring your thoughts and feelings as they come up, and not attempting to judge or stop them. Your thoughts and feelings will arise, settle, and pass. If you are new to this approach, it can be unsettling to become aware of something you typically don’t notice. But with practice, the approach can improve your awareness and allow you greater freedom from your thoughts. To practice thought monitoring, sit in a comfortable position in a quiet area with your eyes closed. Allow your mind to become still and free of any concerns that you are having. As you relax and allow the darkness and quiet to envelop you, some thoughts and feelings will arise. Notice them without judging or attempting to change them, and allow your mind to return to calmness. If you need a little more grounding to help you return to a state of calmness, you can use mindful breathing. These videos can help you practice this concept.3,4
Mindfulness takes practice, and it’s something that many, including myself, struggle to incorporate into daily life. Like any technique, it takes a commitment to make it a regular skill that we use in our normal daily function. The good news is that you are probably using mindfulness already, and you may not be aware of it. The choice is yours as to how much mindfulness you will incorporate into your life. If you choose to be more mindful in your life, you may be pleasantly surprised at how much peace and calmness you will find.
Many kids love a quick bowl of instant soup or tasty noodles, but these fast foods cause almost 10,000 scald burns in children each year in the United States, a new study estimates.
What’s more, researchers found that two out of every 10 scald burns that send kids to the ER are caused by microwavable instant soup spills.
“We suspect that, in terms of risk, parents may think things coming out of the microwave may be somewhat safer than things coming off the stove,” said study author Dr. Courtney Allen. She is a pediatric emergency medicine fellow at Emory University in Atlanta.
But since so many burns are caused by microwavable instant soup and noodles, “any school-age child consuming these products needs to be adequately supervised,” she said.
Dr. Michael Cooper, director of Staten Island University Hospital’s burn center in New York City, said the study mirrors what he often sees in practice.
“We do see instant soup and noodle burns with kids in this age group,” he said.
The good news is that most of the children were treated in the emergency room and then sent home, Cooper noted. Most didn’t have to stay in the hospital and they would likely heal in two weeks or less.
“These burns are painful, but most appear to be superficial,” he explained.
Cooper said the scenario he often sees is that the parent has heated the prepackaged container of soup and given it to the child. While eating, the child knocks it over and gets burned.
A simple solution might be taking the noodles or soup from the original container and transferring them to a bowl the child is accustomed to using, Cooper suggested. A bowl probably isn’t as tall as some of the instant-food containers.
For the study, the researchers reviewed data from the U.S. National Electronic Injury Surveillance System from 2006 to 2016. They looked for kids aged 4 to 12 with scald burns caused by microwavable instant soup, instant noodles, cups of soup, or water for making instant soup.
Scald burns associated with instant soups and noodles affected more than 9,500 children each year, the findings showed. The average age of a child with such a burn was 7 years old.
The most commonly burned site was the child’s torso—about 40 percent of burns occurred here.
Allen said the database didn’t specify whether kids had cooked the foods in the microwave themselves, or if parents or another caregiver had done so.
She added that injuries may occur when someone grabs a hot container from the microwave and flinches because it’s so hot, spilling it on themselves.
Allen also noted that instant noodles absorb the liquid during cooking. So if a child drops a container of noodles, the hot food may stick to the body.
Cooper said the study shows a need for more education of parents, grandparents and other caregivers. “People need to be more aware that these burns can happen,” he said.
The study is scheduled for presentation at an American Academy of Pediatrics meeting in Orlando. Research presented at meetings should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
When was the last time you had a good cry? It is a natural human reaction to many emotions, beyond sadness. We cry in reaction to stress, frustration, grief and yes, even joy. Scientists have studied the content of our tears and have categorized them into three different types:
Basal — or the protein/antibacterial fluid that gets released when you blink
Reflex — the fluid that gets released in response to irritants like smoke
Emotional — this one in particular contains higher levels of cortisol and adrenaline, both stress hormones
Many people don’t like to cry for a variety of reasons. One is that people believe themselves to be ugly criers. They complain that their faces swell and turn shades of red, along with their eyes. It may seem to take forever to recover from crying also. This is a normal, physical reaction to crying. Additionally, people don’t like to cry because crying often means anger, and in the moment, individuals don’t want to come across as a weak person and not a warrior prince or princess they try to portray. The final reason people don’t like to cry is that it seems like literal flood gates open. Tears are not something that are easily turned on or off.
According to Marleen Becht, Department of Clinical Health Psychology at Tilburg University, Netherlands (2002) women cry more often to men, an average of 3.5 times per month for women as compared to 1.9 times per month for men. Considering our societies cultural norms, men are not encouraged or supported to cry. That is just a crying shame.
A Crying Proneness Scale (Denckla, 2013) helps mental health professionals measure how often people cry and looks at contributing triggers. Frequent crying may be a sign of something serious such as depression or other mental health issues. If a person is experiencing frequent crying and may be showing other signs of depression, they should talk to their doctor.
All humans can benefit from crying. Over the years, studies have shown that crying can help relieve stress and improve your mood. Tears help your eyes fight bacteria and irritants. In addition, tears trigger empathy and compassion in others and softens anger (Trimble 2013).
Have you ever laughed so hard that you cried? That is because the emotional and physical responses are quite similar. We cry in response to intense emotions of sadness, joy and laughter. Surprise, tear content is the same! Cortisol and adrenaline are released which help ease stress.
The Grand Rapids Ballet and Spectrum Health have enjoyed a harmonious relationship for the past five years, with sports medicine professionals and athletic trainers helping dancers achieve ultimate health and conditioning.
“Spectrum sent someone right over,” Houser said. “She really helped me out a lot because I had an important rehearsal that day.”
‘Piece me back together’
Houser said he’s grateful for the quick response, and grateful he could continue his love of “expressing emotion, physically.”
He’s on the mend.
“There was a bunch of stuff out of alignment,” he said. “It sent everything into spasm. It took a couple of weeks to get to a normal place. I think without that quick response, it would have taken much longer to heal.”
Even when there aren’t unexpected injuries, Spectrum Health athletic trainers Emilee Van Hoven and Allie Hoyt visit the ballet twice a week; Heather Pietrzak and Paige Bachelor visit the ballet three times a week. They work with dancers who are recovering from injury.
“It’s a bit reoccurring, so they all help piece me back together,” Houser said.
After six hours a day of dancing—for six, sometimes seven days a week—even the strongest and most fit bodies tire.
“They keep an eye on things that could turn into something major,” Houser said. “My hip hurts a little bit today. My ankle feels a bit jammed. Those little things can become chronic if you can’t be seen quickly. Them being here so frequently is incredibly helpful.”
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Houser said Fridays are typically the hardest day because the aches and pains compound over the week.
“Even if you’re just getting your calves to relax a little, it helps,” he said.
Depending on the nature of the injury, the sports medicine team will sometimes do soft tissue work, sometimes mobilization.
“Sometimes they’ll give you exercises and tools we can use on our own to maintain certain things, like stretches,” Houser said. “Or they’ll tape us up to help keep things in place.”
Hand in hand
Phillip Adler, manager of the Spectrum Health Medical Group Sports Medicine program, approached the ballet about a partnership in 2011. Dr. Axtman had previously worked with the Atlanta Ballet and other dance groups.
“The expertise he had really made the ballet believe we had the experience to manage this unique area of sports and performing arts medicine,” Adler said. “I was the primary athletic trainer that would go down whenever the ballet needed anything.”
And so began Spectrum Health’s performing arts medicine partnership with the Grand Rapids Ballet.
By the second year of the collaboration, Adler brought on additional sports medicine staff to help in the endeavor. They covered not only rehearsals, but performances.
“I have worked with a lot of high-level athletes and NFL players, but I’ll be honest, ballet dancers are not nice to their bodies,” Adler said. “They have to go on point balanced on one leg, with the hip bent at 90 degrees for 15 or 20 seconds with maybe a partner. They’re working eight or more hours a day.”
Ballet companies typically don’t have injury prevention or strength and conditioning programs like many other professional sports teams do.
“I don’t think the vast majority of people realize what goes into putting on a ballet performance,” Adler said.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum Health Beat
Adler said the partnership can help extend dancers’ careers.
“They have such a finite time to be a professional ballet performer,” Adler said. “How can we help them prevent injury or manage injury so that it prolongs their career? Not so long ago a surgery for a ballet dancer was career-ending. We’re making sure if those things come up, how do we maintain careers?”
Ferraro said he has noticed a huge decline in injuries since partnering with Spectrum Health.
“It’s been a huge benefit to us,” the ballet manager said. “The dancers have absolutely loved it.”
The athletic trainers often spot and prevent things before they become serious injuries.
“If somebody starts to feel an issue or something isn’t feeling right, they can let us know and the athletic trainers will come pretty much any day they’re needed,” Ferraro said, noting he’s grateful for the assistance.
“A lot of bigger ballet companies don’t even have this benefit,” he said. “It’s just a phenomenal relationship for us.”
It’s a question that some people dread: how old are you? There are many reasons people don’t want to talk about their age, but dodging, avoiding, and sometimes outright lying about your age could be doing more harm than good for your health, both mental and physical. Whether you’re comfortable with your age or thinking about it makes you squirm, there are some real, measurable benefits of coming to terms with your number of years.
Perceptions of Aging and Healthcare
One study by the University of Michigan set out to determine whether or not the likelihood of seeking preventative healthcare in aging adults was linked to their satisfaction with aging. Older adults are less likely than young- and middle-aged adults to use preventative healthcare services, with less than 30% of people over 50 meeting benchmarks for core preventative services. Efforts to address this gap have focused largely on making healthcare more accessible, both in terms of cost and physical access, but they have only been able to do so much. What is holding seniors back?
The study, testing if personal beliefs were a bigger deciding factor than accessibility when it comes to senior healthcare, found that seniors who were more comfortable with their age were far more likely to obtain screenings for chronic diseases and get more regular preventative care than those who weren’t. That means, when it comes to health issues and conditions such as high cholesterol, which is a major factor in heart disease, breast cancer, and prostate cancer, people who were more comfortable with aging were better prepared.
Why the Taboo?
So why is age such a touchy subject? There are many reasons why someone may be uncomfortable talking or thinking about their age, and they are by no means invalid or unimportant. Here are some of the most common:
End of Life. Mortality is a fact of life, but one that no one likes to be reminded of. While lifespans are growing longer thanks to advancements in medical interventions and technology, aging and retirement living still signals that we’re getting to the final stages of life. Fear of death, or fear of leaving behind loved ones and friends, is completely rational, but it can cause dissatisfaction with aging.
Changes in Ability. As the human body ages, many changes occur – you may notice it’s harder to hear the person talking to you, or that reading strains your eyes. You may experience achy joints or loss of focus. While exercise, diet, and healthcare can all play a part in slowing signs of aging, these small, progressive changes can be frustrating and scary.
Changes in Appearance. Some may consider worrying about appearance changes to be vain or somehow attached to ego, but how you see yourself plays a large part in your mental health. Wrinkles and white hair change how you look, and it’s not vain to miss how you looked when you were younger. Just don’t let your appearance determine your self-worth!
Ageism. Ageism is, sadly, a common prejudice in the United States. Aging and elderly adults are often seen as less capable than younger and middle-aged adults. Whether in professional settings or on the road, younger people tend to doubt seniors’ ability to perform complicated tasks, and no one wants to be seen as less capable than they are.
Age may be just a number, but it’s also just part of living. Being more comfortable with your age can actually help you enjoy life more, but there’s no easy or quick solution. Coming to terms with how old you are requires introspection, discovery, and support from loved ones, so don’t worry if you still hesitate before stating your age or putting your birth date on a form. You’re on your way to a healthier, happier you.
Winter can sometimes lead to excessive screen time.
Kiddos may think it’s too cold, too snowy, or otherwise too gray to venture outside for play. So they resort to endless hours playing video games, messaging their friends, or binge-watching Spongebob Squarepants episodes.
This can be a bit of a problem.
The National Institute of Health defines screen time as activities done in front of a screen, such as playing video games, watching TV or working on a computer.
Screen time is an activity where you are sitting, using little energy and can be described as sedentary. This means that the activity burns little energy.
Why should we limit screen time?
It’s important to limit sedentary activity. To do this, it’s important to limit screen time.
Children who get too much screen time can have trouble sleeping at night and have a higher risk for anxiety, attention problems or depression. This can cause your child to have trouble paying attention and behaving while they’re at school.
These children are also at a higher risk of gaining too much weight, too quickly, thus leading to obesity.
What are the recommendations?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics,
today’s children are spending an average of seven hours or more each
day on media, including cell phones, computers, video games, iPods and
tablets.
Children younger than 2 years old should have no screen time. Children older than 2 should have two hours or less. This includes all media combined.
Screen time for learning is still considered sedentary time and should still be monitored and limited.
How can I help my child?
There are many ways to work with your child to reduce screen
time. First, talk to them about why you’re monitoring screen time and
the health benefits of doing other activities.
Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics has made these recommendations:
Remove the TV or computer from your child’s bedroom.
Do not let your child eat while watching TV or using the computer.
Decide which programs to watch ahead of time. Then, turn off the TV when those programs are over.
Suggest other activities, such as family walks, bowling, roller skating or shooting hoops at the local gym.
Be a good role model as a parent. Decrease your own screen time to two hours a day.
For many children, a snow day means time outside. Sledding, building snowmen, making forts and enjoying the freshly fallen snow. However, it is important for parents to exercise caution. Low temperatures can lead to dangerous conditions, and snow play can cause injuries. Michigan State University Extension offers the following tips to keep your children safe in the ice and snow.
Keep an eye on the thermometer. Winter winds can drive temperatures dangerously far below zero. Pay attention to both the air temperature and the wind-chill. While there is not a hard and fast rule about what temperature is too low, most Michigan schools use 0 degrees Fahrenheit as the guide for when to curtail outdoor recess and -20 degrees Fahrenheit, actual temperature or wind-chill, will cause most schools to close.
Layer up. To prevent frostbite, dress children in several layers and be sure their head, neck and hands are covered. Dress infants and toddlers in one more layer of clothing than older children and adults.
Check in on children. Tell children to come inside when they are cold and wet. Children will often want to keep playing outside when they really should come in. Keep checking on them during outdoor play and bring them in when you think they’re done, not when they say they are.
Play safely. Winter play is fun, and children should be outside when they can in the snow. However, it’s important to use caution and be aware of dangers. Children should wear helmets when sledding, skiing, snowboarding and ice skating. It is never safe to sled in the street, even when roads are closed. Do not allow children to dig into deep snow banks or to build snow forts due to risk of collapse. Avoid scarves and strings on hooded sweatshirts that can pose a risk of strangulation. Teach children how to play safely, and then have fun!
Use caution around fire. Fire places, wood burning stoves and outdoor fire pits are cozy and warm, but can pose a risk to children. Always keep a screen around an open flame. Never use gasoline to light an indoor fireplace. Do not close your damper when ashes are hot. If you’ve lost power, make sure your alternative heating sources are safe for use indoors and that you have working fire and carbon monoxide detectors. Regularly check and replace batteries in both fire and carbon monoxide detectors.
Know the signs of frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite and hypothermia, while both involving cold temperatures, are different. Frostbite is the localized freezing of extremities, where hypothermia occurs when the body temperature is dangerously low. Frostbitten skin, typically on the fingers, ears, nose and toes, will be pale, gray and can become blistered. If you think your child has frostbite, bring them indoors and put the affected area in warm (not hot) water. Signs of hypothermia include shivering, numbness, a glassy-eyed stare and unconsciousness. If you think your child has hypothermia, call 911 and gently move them to a warm location. See the MSU Extension article, “Protect yourself from hypothermia and frostbite while outside this winter,” to learn more about the difference between frostbite and hypothermia, including first aid tips.
Know when to stay in. While it is great to get children outside to play, there is a time when the risks outweigh the benefits. As the polar vortex plunges deep into Michigan and wind-chills dive to -30 degrees Fahrenheit or more, frostbite can begin to set in in less than 15 minutes. Refer to the National Weather Service Wind-chill Chart for a good idea of how quickly cold weather can become hazardous. The elderly and young children are at greater risk. If you must venture out, take a fully stocked cold weather emergency kit with you that includes winter gear for everyone in the car, blankets for each person in the car, hand warmers, water, non-perishable food, road flares, windshield scraper, flashlights, jumper cables and more. Download a printable check list of what to pack in an emergency kit and how to prepare your car for cold weather.
With some precaution and preparation, winter outdoor play can be a lot of fun and provide much-needed exercise for cooped up children on most snowy days. When the polar vortex arrives and it is too cold for school or outdoor play, check out these tips for indoor activities to do with your children from MSU Extension. Stay safe and have fun!
For a growing number of Americans, the final year of life is marked by pain, depression and other distressing symptoms, a study has found.
Experts said the study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, highlights disturbing shortcomings in the U.S. health care system.
Researchers found that between 1998 and 2010, the number of Americans who suffered pain in their last year of life rose from 54 percent to 61 percent.
Meanwhile, the prevalence of depression rose from 45 percent to 57 percent, while other symptoms — such as breathlessness, confusion, severe fatigue and incontinence — either increased or did not improve.
“These findings are troubling,” said senior researcher Dr. Karl Lorenz, of the Pardee RAND Graduate School and the University of California, Los Angeles.
The increase in end-of-life symptoms, Lorenz said, has occurred despite national efforts to improve end-of-life care, dating back to the 1990s.
Those efforts have made a difference. The number of Americans in hospice care doubled between 2000 and 2009, the study noted. Hospice care focuses on easing symptoms and improving quality of life for people with a terminal illness.
But often hospice care isn’t offered until the last few weeks or days of life, Lorenz said.
“It’s often ‘tacked on’ to more-intensive care,” he said.
However, another expert said the findings are not actually about the typical American’s final year of life — because many people with chronic diseases are suffering these symptoms long-term.
“I think the findings are very valid, but the conclusions about what they mean are not,” said Dr. Sean Morrison, who directs the Hertzberg Palliative Care Institute at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in New York City.
“I think you’d see a high prevalence of these symptoms if you looked at older adults’ last two years of life, or last three, or last five,” Morrison said.
The issue, he said, is that more and more Americans are living longer with chronic ills — from heart and lung disease, to painful arthritis, to Alzheimer’s disease. At the same time, the health care system has grown increasingly specialized and “organ-specific,” with less focus on primary care.
“We’re doing a very poor job addressing the multiple health conditions so many older Americans have,” Morrison said. “We’re focusing on treating organs, and not on improving people’s quality of life.”
Morrison said the health care system — including medical schools — needs to pay much more attention to palliative care.
Palliative care refers to therapy that focuses on easing physical or psychological symptoms, rather than curing a disease. Hospice care, which is intended for people with a limited time to live, is one form of palliative care.
Other forms, though, can start as soon as a serious medical condition is diagnosed, and given along with treatments aimed at battling the disease. Usually, a team of providers, including nurses, nutritionists and social workers, is involved.
But Morrison said that to many people, including doctors, “palliative” is synonymous with dying. So it’s often not offered, even if it’s locally available.
“Other research shows that the overwhelming majority of Americans do not have access to high-quality palliative care,” Morrison said.
The current findings are based on a periodic health survey of older Americans. Between 1998 and 2010, slightly more than 7,200 study participants died, and their family members were asked about symptoms their loved one had suffered in the last year of life.
Over time, problems like pain, depression, periodic confusion and incontinence grew more common. Other symptoms, such as fatigue and severe weight loss, held fairly stable.
Lorenz said part of the increase could be due to awareness. More doctors may be asking family members about those symptoms — which would be a good thing, he said.
But the fact that pain and other distressing symptoms are so common is disturbing, he said.
Morrison agreed. “This really is an indictment of the health care system,” he said. “And the public should be outraged.”
He and Lorenz suggested that older adults ask their doctors about any palliative services available for their symptoms — at any point in the course of a disease.
Medicare covers hospice care, and many Medicare Advantage plans pay for other palliative services, Morrison noted.
But relatively few research dollars, he added, go into palliative care. “We invest so much in finding disease cures,” Morrison said. “We should also be investing in making life better for the people living with these diseases right now.”
Sink, check. Toothbrush, check. Shower head? Yes, add the shower head to your checklist of things to replace or clean in the bathroom. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
You no doubt think that stepping into your shower will wash away dirt and germs, but a new study shows your shower head might instead dump nasty bacteria on you that may cause lung infections.
Most people know to keep their bathrooms clean, especially the toilet and sink. But researchers discovered that places in the United States and Europe where germs called mycobacteria are found in abundance in shower heads are the same places where bacterial lung infections are most common. In America, that includes parts of Southern California, Florida and New York.
“We live in a world covered in bacteria, and the bacteria in our shower heads follow some interesting geographic trends, and can be altered by our water source and water chemistry,” said study lead author Matthew Gebert.
“We’re exposed to microbes constantly in our day-to-day lives, some beneficial, some innocuous and a few potentially harmful,” Gebert explained.
He’s a research associate at the University of Colorado’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.
Bacteria thrive in shower heads and water distribution systems. Although most of these bacteria are harmless, some can cause lung infections, he said.
Still, just because mycobacteria live in your shower head doesn’t mean you’ll get sick or are more likely to get a respiratory infection, Gebert added.
In fact, researchers can’t say that a person with a respiratory infection got it through showering, but understanding the sources of mycobacterial exposure is important.
“We don’t want people rushing home and throwing away their shower heads or obsessively cleaning them every day, nor should anyone change their showering habits—swallowing the water is OK,” he said.
For the study, Gebert and his colleagues analyzed shower heads from homes around the United States and Europe, and found an abundance of bacteria. The kind of germs varied by location, and by the chemistry of the water and where it came from.
An interesting finding was that homes whose water was treated with chlorine disinfectants had high concentrations of certain germs, the researchers noted.
The study was published recently in the journal mBio.
“I don’t think there are necessarily any negative implications from the study,” Gebert said. “But because bacteria that can cause illness live in our shower heads, it’s important to understand how people can be exposed to them.”
Dr. Marc Siegel, a professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, noted that bacteria grow in wet places like shower heads.
“This is a reminder to clean your shower head, which nobody does,” he said, though “most of us are likely to tolerate mycobacteria and not get sick from it.”
Bacteria in shower heads won’t cause an outbreak of lung infections, but people who are run down or who have a compromised immune system or a chronic condition may be vulnerable, Siegel suggested.
Bacteria also live on your toothbrush and in your sink—any moist surface, he said.
Siegel recommends cleaning your shower head every week or two with a disinfectant that contains ammonia to be sure you kill all the germs nesting there.
“Add your shower head to the list of things in the bathroom that need cleaning,” he said.
For Ollie, timing and technology came together to make possible the operation, and its happy outcome.
Ultrasound reveals a problem
Kimberly and her husband, Anthony, had no clues of the drama ahead as they prepared for the birth of their second child. They looked forward to welcoming a younger sibling for their 5-year-old son, Elliott.
At 20 weeks, Kimberly had a routine ultrasound near her home in Holland, Michigan. Because the baby’s kidneys and bladder were enlarged, Kimberly’s doctor referred her to the maternal fetal medicine specialists at Spectrum Health.
A few days later, the Lotts visited Dr. Romero and she performed another ultrasound. It, too, revealed enlargement of the bladder, kidneys and the ducts that connect the two.
“It looked like the baby had an obstruction, most likely below the bladder,” she said.
That tiny piece of plastic saved his life.
Kimberly Lott Ollie’s mother
It was hard to get a detailed picture. A developing baby generally floats in amniotic fluid, which aids visualization of the anatomy. But in Ollie’s case, there was essentially no amniotic fluid. Dr. Romero could not even see if the baby was a boy or girl.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum HealthBeat
The lack of fluid can lead to damage of the urinary tract, kidneys and lungs.
“The baby releases urine to the amniotic cavity, and then the baby swallows and breathes the fluid, allowing the lungs to develop,” Dr. Romero explained. “Low amniotic fluid can result in underdevelopment of the lungs—pulmonary hypoplasia, a life-threatening condition.”
In the early stages of pregnancy, the placenta creates the amniotic fluid. The kidneys take over the job after week 17.
By retaining urine, the blockage in Ollie’s bladder disrupted that cycle. Later tests showed he had posterior urethral valves, which means he had extra flaps of tissue in the tube through which urine leaves the body.
Depending on the degree of the obstruction, the condition can be fatal.
‘We will try it’
The Lotts, reeling from the news of their baby’s prognosis, struggled to comprehend the options laid out for them. They could wait and let nature take its course, loving their child for his brief life on earth.
Or they could see if a shunt could be placed in utero in the bladder.
“It sounded kind of far-off,” Kimberly said. “I didn’t know if that was going to work. It seemed weird. But we said we will try it.”
First, they had to see if Ollie was a candidate for surgery. The maternal fetal medicine team had to make sure Ollie’s kidneys still worked and could produce urine. The surgery would not benefit him if the kidneys were so damaged they could not function.
I was so scared. I didn’t want to get my hopes up.
Kimberly Lott Ollie’s mother
Dr. Romero performed a bladder tap, using ultrasound to guide her as she placed a long needle through Kimberly’s uterus and into Ollie’s bladder.
From that tiny sac, she withdrew about a teaspoon of urine.
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum HealthBeat
“I felt it. It wasn’t good,” Kimberly said. “That first bladder tap was the worst. My whole uterus contracted. I was crying. I was upset. I was swearing.”
And most difficult of all: She had to repeat the bladder tap the next day. The second test would show if the bladder filled with urine again, indicating Ollie still had functioning kidneys.
Kimberly didn’t hesitate.
“I wanted to do everything I could do,” she said.
Daring to hope
The tests showed good renal function, so Dr. Romero performed the surgery. Kimberly was 23 weeks pregnant.
Using a larger, hollow needle, Dr. Romero placed the shunt into Ollie’s grape-sized bladder.
The tube, called a pigtail catheter, curled into a loop on each end. She placed one end coiled up inside his bladder. The other end looped in a circle outside his body, along his belly.
Urine flowed through the catheter from the bladder to the amniotic sac, bypassing the blockage.
For the rest of the pregnancy, Kimberly returned for repeated follow-up tests to make sure the catheter remained in place. Babies often manage to pull them out.
With each visit, Kimberly worried about whether the shunt still worked, whether her baby was growing.
“I was so scared,” she said. “I didn’t want to get my hopes up.”
As the weeks progressed without problems, she began to be hopeful. She stopped researching palliative care options and started reading about kidney issues. A few weeks before the delivery date, she finally allowed herself to buy a few baby outfits for him.
Throughout the pregnancy, the maternal fetal medicine team also monitored the growth of Ollie’s chest.
“We were all worried about how his lungs were working,” Dr. Romero said. “We noticed his chest was growing, so we hoped his lungs were growing, too. But we wouldn’t know until the baby was born.”
They planned to induce labor at 37 weeks. But three days before the delivery date, an ultrasound showed a drop in fluid levels. The catheter was not visible on the scan. The maternal fetal medicine specialists decided to deliver him that day.
That night, Dr. Romero performed a C-section, and Anthony Oliver Lott was born. He weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces.
“He came out and just started wailing,” Kimberly said. “It was such a relief to us.”
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum HealthBeat
On his belly lay the coiled catheter that had been so elusive on the last ultrasound.
“Everyone was pointing at it and saying, ‘There it is! It’s in there,’” she said.
It didn’t take long to see it was still doing its job.
Ollie’s lungs managed to avoid major damage. In the children’s hospital neonatal intensive care unit, he didn’t need to be on oxygen.
His kidneys sustained major damage, but that had been expected.
‘We can deal with that’
Kimberly gave Ollie a bottle as her son Elliott played a computer game nearby. She talked about the challenges her infant son has already faced in his short life.
Five days after birth, he underwent surgery to remove the valves that blocked his urethra. Tubes were placed in his kidneys to drain urine from them. And he had a port placed so he can have dialysis in the future.
He will need a kidney transplant eventually. Kimberly hopes she will be able to give him one of hers.
He also has a feeding tube to make sure he gets enough nutrition. Children with kidney disease often have poor appetites, Kimberly explained.
Ollie’s health challenges don’t faze her. She just marvels at her son’s bright eyes and alert gaze, his wiggly arms and legs, his sweet smile.
“When he came out and all that was really damaged was his kidneys and urinary tract system, I said, ‘This is manageable. We can deal with that.’ There’s lots of kids in the world who have kidney disease and they are fine.”
She looks to his future with hope.
“He’s a little fighter,” she said. “He has been since the beginning.”
Photo by Chris Clark, Spectrum HealthBeat
She opened a small bottle and tapped out a plastic tube, curled at both ends: the catheter that had been implanted in utero.
“It saved his life,” she marveled. “That tiny piece of plastic saved his life.”
Ollie’s progress is also deeply rewarding to his physicians.
“This is why you go into medicine, because you want to save lives,” Dr. Romero said. “You want to do good for people.”
She credited Kimberly and her doctor with seeking specialized care as soon as the problem with his bladder appeared. The timing was crucial to the success of the shunt surgery.
Dr. Quiroga praised the Lotts and their vigilance in managing Ollie’s complex health issues, during pregnancy and after birth.
“The family is awesome,” he said.
As for Ollie, he said, “He’s doing great. He’s surprising us. He’s keeping us busy but he’s doing well.”
Reprinted with permission from Spectrum Health Beat.
Be careful with your ticker when temperatures plummet. (Courtesy Spectrum Health Beat)
By Health Beat Staff
Winter is here and isn’t leaving anytime soon.
That means it is time to take precautions when exercising or spending any length of time outside.
We asked Thomas Boyden, MD, a Spectrum Health Medical Group preventive cardiologist, for tips on keeping your heart healthy during this time of year.
“Individuals with a known heart condition or heart disease should be particularly careful when shoveling snow or breathing in cold air during the winter,” Dr. Boyden said.
Five tips for helping your heart stay healthy and warm this winter:
If you have any questions or concerns before engaging in outdoor winter activities, consult your physician first.
Wrap a scarf around your mouth and nose so the cold air is warmed before it reaches your lungs. This eases strain on both your heart and lungs.
Limit shoveling to the level of activity you are already used to. If you haven’t been active for months, don’t engage in this vigorous, weight-bearing activity. Too much exertion increases the risk of a heart-related episode.
If you feel any tightness or pain in your chest, stop shoveling or walking in the cold and seek medical attention.
Try to maintain your exercise routine throughout the winter by finding warm, indoor places to walk such as the mall, health club or senior center.
This advice isn’t just for people with a known heart condition, Dr.
Boyden said. A long, cold winter can be challenging for otherwise
healthy people as well.
Bundle up, stay active and be smart when it comes to winter heart health.
Despite all the stereotypes about seniors who simply don’t understand technology, a majority of adults age 65 and over are now using the internet. According to a report by the Pew Research Center, over 67% of this group uses the internet regularly, and as many as 40% own a smartphone. However, while seniors and technology may be more compatible than people think, it doesn’t change the fact that this generation was raised without it, and may not be familiar with some of the risks. We’ve put together 18 important tips for safer internet surfing:
General Safety & Security
Make sure your passwords are unique and secure. Use strong passwords that don’t include any personal information, and try to avoid dictionary words and common phrases. Many websites recommend a mix of lower and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols. In addition, never use the same password for more than one account.
Use anti-malware software and other protective tools. Be sure that your computer has some sort of trusted security software installed, and set it to automatically update so that you’re protected against the latest risks. Ask an expert or trusted tech-savvy person if you’re unsure what to install.
Don’t download unknown attachments and software. Never download documents, images, or software if you don’t know and trust the source. Scammers and hackers will often disguise viruses and other malware as “free” software tools or interesting content to download.
Consider authorizing a trusted friend or family member to access your accounts. In case of emergency, it can be difficult or impossible for trusted friends and family to access online email, bank, and file storage accounts. Plan ahead and work with an attorney to authorize someone you trust to access your accounts.
Email and Social Media
Understand “spam” filters. Spam refers to unwanted, unsolicited emails. Most email providers have spam filters that remove these emails from your main inbox.
Use social media privacy settings. Be aware of what you’re posting on any social media sites, and use privacy settings to restrict access to your posts to people you trust with personal information.
Report any and all instances of abuse. Cyberbullying may be associated with children and teens, but that doesn’t mean that adults don’t get abused online. Don’t respond. Instead, report abuse – both to the platform you’re on and to people who can help, and remember that abuse is not your fault.
Know the signs of a scam. If it’s too good to be true, it usually is. Offers of low-priced or free big-ticket items such as vacations, electronics, and medicines are usually scam attempts. On the other hand, scammers will sometimes send you requests for money from friends’ personal accounts; never reply or send funds without first verifying the request with the person in some other way.
Money and Purchasing
Look for secure websites. Whenever you’re prompted to enter your payment information into a website, first check that the website is secure. In the URL bar at the top of your internet browser, look for “https://” for a secure site. (The “s” stands for secure.)
Understand and avoid phishing attempts. Be wary of links to sites that ask you to make a purchase or enter your payment information. One common scam, “phishing,” makes a phony site look like a trusted site, then gives your information to the scammer. Look for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and URLs that look different than you’re used to. When in doubt, enter the web address you know to be correct directly into the URL bar.
Do not enter personal or payment information into an unknown site. On a similar note, be sure to verify the website if you’re going to enter personal or payment information. Look for reviews of online retailers, and in the case of banking or government portals, never respond to requests for information. Banks and government agencies will never solicit passwords, Social Security numbers, or payment information.
Monitor your financial accounts. Even when you take every precaution, there is a chance that your payment information may be leaked or stolen from a trusted vendor. Watch your bank accounts and credit cards for unauthorized purchases.
Meeting New People
Exercise caution. Unfortunately, not everyone on the internet is who they say they are. There are many online opportunities to meet new people, from dating sites to hobby groups and forums, but not everyone is trustworthy. Be cautious when interacting with new people, and don’t give out too much personal information where people can find it.
Do not send money to new acquaintances. Similarly to personal information, some people will use the relative anonymity of the internet to get close to their targets, then request money and never be heard from again. Don’t be swayed by stories of personal tragedy or requests for money to visit unless you’re positive of the person’s good intentions.
When meeting up in person, be safe. If you choose to meet someone from a dating website or a friend you met online, choose a public place and let a friend or family member know where you’re going and who you’re meeting. You can never be too safe, even if you feel you know the person well.
Well-being and Health
Know fact from fiction. Websites such as news publishers and health advice blogs often make money by attracting visitors to view and click ads on their pages, and will publish sensational headlines to get those views. Not everything published on a website is true, no matter how official it may look.
Avoid self-diagnosis and armchair healthcare advice. It’s incredibly easy to look up your symptoms on a search engine and find a list of possible diseases, or a forum discussing a diagnosis. Only a licensed healthcare professional who understands your health background should make diagnoses and prescribe treatments. Attempting to use the internet to do so could mean the condition goes untreated or becomes worse.
Follow up with a professional. Of course, not every piece of health advice on the internet is life and death. There are many helpful resources online for nutrition advice, well-being, and fitness, but it’s always good to consult a professional before making any changes that could impact your health, such as a new diet or exercise plan.
The internet is a helpful tool for staying connected and getting informed, but there are some risks inherent to its use. By educating yourself, you can stay safe from the unpleasant aspects of technology while continuing to reap the benefits.
Some bystanders may avoid performing CPR on women because they fear hurting them or even being accused of sexual assault, preliminary research suggests.
In two new studies, researchers tried to dig deeper into a puzzling pattern that has been seen in past research: Women are less likely than men to receive bystander CPR if they go into cardiac arrest in a public place.
One study confirmed that real-world phenomenon in a controlled setting: It found that even in “virtual reality” simulations, participants were less likely to perform CPR when the virtual victim was female, versus male.
People performed CPR on 65 percent of male victims, but only 54 percent of females.
A separate study, which surveyed 54 adults, turned up some possible explanations.
Respondents said bystanders may worry about hurting a woman while doing CPR chest compressions—or fear being accused of sexual assault. Some said people also might believe women’s breasts get in the way of CPR.
The respondents also cited a long-standing misconception: Women are less likely to have heart problems than men.
But the reality is that heart disease is the leading killer of U.S. women and men alike, according to government figures.
And when cardiac arrest strikes, CPR can be lifesaving, regardless of sex, said Dr. Sarah Perman, who led the survey.
People in cardiac arrest need immediate chest compressions, said Perman, an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver.
“Providing this lifesaving procedure for women should be normalized and not sexualized,” she said.
In the United States, more than 356,000 people suffer cardiac arrest outside a hospital each year. Only about 11 percent survive, according to the American Heart Association.
Survival is dismal because without emergency treatment, cardiac arrest is fatal within minutes. But quick CPR can double or triple survival odds, the American Heart Association says.
Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating and cannot pump blood and oxygen to the body. If a bystander performs CPR, that keeps the victim’s blood circulating, buying time until paramedics arrive. Cardiac arrest is not a heart attack, which is caused by an artery blockage that diminishes blood flow to the heart.
“There is still a lot of misunderstanding about cardiac arrest and CPR,” said Dr. Aaron Donoghue, of the American Heart Association and the University of Pennsylvania.
Men and women benefit equally from CPR chest compressions, Donoghue said, adding that the notion that it could injure women is “false.”
As for fears of being accused of sexual assault, Donoghue noted that chest compressions are performed on the breastbone—also called the sternum, it’s the long flat bone in the center of the chest—not the breasts.
“It would be terrible for that fear to deter a would-be rescuer from performing CPR,” said Donoghue, who was not involved in the new studies.
“Doing nothing is always worse than doing something,” he added.
For its pilot study, Perman’s team surveyed 54 U.S. adults. Participants were asked: “Do you have any ideas on why women may be less likely to receive CPR than men when they collapse in public?”
Their answers reflect their personal perceptions, Donoghue pointed out. So, he said, it’s hard to know whether witnesses to cardiac arrest really do act on such beliefs in the real world.
Perman agreed, saying more research is needed to understand why women are less likely to receive CPR. She and her colleagues have already conducted a larger survey, she said, but the results have not been published yet.
For now, Donoghue suggested people educate themselves about cardiac arrest and CPR. The American Heart Association website is one place to start, he said.
Both studies are scheduled for presentation at the upcoming American Heart Association meeting in Chicago. Research presented at meetings is typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Has your spouse or a family member ever told you that you alternate between snoring and gasping for breath while you sleep?
For the sake of your heart, it may be time to seek a solution.
Researchers often identify a connection between obstructive sleep apnea and a number of cardiovascular problems.
Wael Berjaoui, MD, a pulmonologist with Spectrum Health Medical Group, describes sleep apnea as an interference of airflow during sleep. This potentially serious disorder is characterized by breathing that repeatedly stops and starts during sleep, and it’s usually associated with a reduction in blood oxygen saturation.
These episodes can prevent restful sleep, often waking a sleeper as he gasps for air.
But there’s also a hidden impact on the heart.
This condition can worsen coronary artery disease. Research has found that patients who have sleep apnea are more likely to have life-threatening outcomes when they have a heart attack.
“Imagine waking up and feeling like someone is trying to choke you. Of course your heart rate and blood pressure will increase,” Dr. Berjaoui said of the association between obstructive sleep apnea and the heart. “Your body thinks it is in distress.”
Research has shown that patients who undergo continuous positive airway pressure therapy will see a decrease in systolic blood pressure, Dr. Berjaoui said, which reduces the potential for progressive damage to arteries and veins, and in turn reduces the incidence of stroke, heart disease and heart failure.
Continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, is a treatment that uses mild air pressure, delivered through a lightweight mask, to keep the airways open during sleep.
CPAP treatment also can improve the health of people with heart rhythm problems, particularly those with an irregular heartbeat condition known as atrial fibrillation. Up to 80 percent of people with atrial fibrillation also may suffer from sleep apnea, Dr. Berjaoui said.
“It is much harder to control atrial fibrillation or cure it if you don’t treat the (apnea) first,” he continued. “It is important for patients who have cardiac conditions to be evaluated. …Even without all of the symptoms, a patient still could have sleep apnea and it can compromise their ability to effectively manage something like high blood pressure.”
If a patient requires more than two medications to control high blood pressure, for instance, there is at least a 7-in-10 chance the patient also suffers from sleep apnea, even if he doesn’t have the telltale symptoms of loud snoring or excessive daytime sleepiness.
And while there is an association between sleep apnea and cardiac conditions, Dr. Berjaoui pointed out it is not cause and effect.
The important takeaway: Sleep apnea can affect your ability to manage other conditions, including those affecting the heart.
Dr. Berjaoui said if you’re concerned about the impact of obstructive sleep apnea on your heart, you should talk to one of Spectrum Health’s sleep professionals. They can evaluate your sleep patterns in the sleep lab or in an at-home test.
By Ronald Christian Rivera, LMSW, Outpatient Therapist
New Year, new blah… The fact that I put off writing this blog entry (New Year’s inspirational) until the end of January shows my lack of interest for hallmark catchphrases and societally forced transformations. Now, I know I’m coming off as somewhat pessimistic, but I’m the kind of person that thinks we should be seeking growth and transformation in our daily lives and not simply at the beginning of the year. Most of us sprint towards desired changes until we’re faced with obstacles and challenges that our new routines bring about, and in no time we find ourselves right back where we started.
Let me back up a bit and say that I do think there’s something special in regards to the hope and inspiration that a new year brings. For some people it represents a fresh start or a clean slate. If you’re someone that finds that spark for change due to this time of the year, then more power to you. Maybe I should be more embracing of this annual gift.
In treatment we have a scientific phrase used to describe the catalyst for change or universal phenomenon that we refer to as, “whatever works.” So, if kicking off the New Year generates newly found motivation in you to _____________ (insert New Year’s Resolution), then that’s the antidote to ambivalence. Below I have provided a rather commonsensical, yet overlooked, “how-to” guide that (hopefully) may assist in following through with your New Year’s Resolutions for 2016. “May the odds be ever in your favor.”- Katniss Everdeen (I think).
Comprehensive guide to achieving your New Year’s Resolution goals:
Slow and steady wins the race. Set small, measurable, bite size goals that can be reasonably achieved within 1-3 months. This will help you to build off of your daily progress which in turn will provide additional motivation to stick with your plan as you meet short term goals and continue to raise the bar. Example: Instead of saying, “I want to get in shape by summer.” Try, “I’m going to exercise three times a week for the next month and aim to lose 10 pounds.”
Your language matters. There have been some interesting articles that I’ve read throughout the years in regards to how our irrational thoughts can prevent us from taking risks and challenging our comfort zone. Negative thoughts, intrusive thoughts, and self-defeating attitudes can be toxic for anyone who is attempting to make changes in their lives. Even when we have the motivation to try something new and dare to take a leap of faith, our inner critic is right there to remind us of why we shouldn’t. Silencing our inner critic can be challenging, but one effective way to combat that pesky inner voice is by mindfully speaking to ourselves with the wisdom and encouragement that we would give to our best friends. Example: Instead of allowing your friend to dwell on past failures after experiencing a set back on a new business venture, it would be more constructive to challenge their negative attitude by helping them focus on past accomplishments that were only met after overcoming adversity. It is essential that we channel this stream of positivity and affirmation in moments of “self-talk” in order to silence the voice of self-defeat.
Make it fun! This is a big one for me. If the resolution you’re looking to make involves a significant lifestyle change, then it is essential that you have a fun time doing it. We humans love our habits, and man, is it difficult to lose our comforts no matter how destructive or maladaptive they may be. Example: For some of us that might be finding the simple pleasures of adjusting to an early morning routine and for others it could be finding a creative exercise to stay in shape if running or biking are not your cup of tea. The takeaway is this: the more fun or pleasure we get from the activity the more likely our body will crave that we repeat it.
The latest episode of WKTV Journal In Focus offers two discussions focused on important topics: improving Michigan’s prison environment and how Calvin College is reaching out to inmates with education and life-changing opportunities, as well as the current opioid abuse and addiction public health crisis and how Kent County is working to address that crisis locally.
We also have two community guest hosts — City of Kentwood Commissioner Emily Bridson and Grand Rapids Community College instructor Keith St. Clair — who will bring their own unique views to the show.
First up, In Focus is Rachel Jantz, a Public Health Epidemiologist with the Kent County Health Department. She has served in this role for the past 2 and one half years. In March of 2018, the Kent County Commissioners approved the addition of two more experts to deal with emerging public health concerns — PFAs and the opioid epidemic. Jantz is the lead for the Kent County Opioid Task Force.
Then In Focus is Todd Cioffi, an associate professor at Calvin College, and director of Calvin Prison Initiative. The Calvin Prison Initiative, a partnership between Calvin College and Calvin Theological Seminary, provides a Christian liberal arts education to inmates at Richard A. Handlon Correctional Facility, a state prison located in Ionia. This five-year program results in a bachelor of arts degree from Calvin College, but it is much more than simply an educational effort.
Starting Jan. 22m WKTV Journal In Focus airs on cable television in the Wyoming and Kentwood areas on Comcast WKTV Channel 26 and on AT&T Channel 99 Government channel (see our Weekly On-air Schedule for dates and times). In Focus is also available on-demand within a week of play at wktvondemand.com. All individual interviews included in episodes of WKTV Journal In Focus are also available on YouTube at WKTVvideos.
“I loved sugar, and I still do,” says Kelsey Haynes, a community relations specialist for Spectrum Health. (Photo by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat)
No candy or cookies. No soda pop. No hazelnut syrup in your coffee.
The idea filled Kelsey Haynes with dread at first. A self-described “sugar addict,” she didn’t know how she could give up her sweet ways.
But three weeks into a sugar-free challenge, she likes the results. She’s lost a few pounds. She feels energized. She has broken her afternoon candy-jar habit.
“I loved sugar, and I still do,” she says. “I just don’t crave it. It’s changing my habits.”
Sugar-free challenges are popping up on the internet lately, urging folks to cut added sweeteners from their diets for a set period of time, as a growing number of health advocates identify added sugars as a prime culprit behind rising obesity and diabetes rates.
Haynes followed a suggestion from a New York Times columnist, who advised readers to try going a month without sugar.
Most sugar-free campaigns don’t target the sugars naturally found in fruit and dairy products.
They focus on the sweet stuff added to food to make our taste buds happy. Sugar lurks in some surprising places―bread, crackers, ketchup, breakfast cereal, salad dressing and pasta sauce―that don’t seem at all sweet.
Low-calorie artificial sweeteners are eliminated in the sugar-free challenge, as well, because they help fuel the sweet-tooth habit.
“A 30-day (no-added-sugar) challenge is not such a bad idea,” says Christy McFadden, MS, RDN, a dietitian and supervisor of medical nutrition therapy for Spectrum Health. “I think people can learn a lot about how much sugar is in the food that they are eating.”
Haynes meal preps her health lunches to bring to work. Picture above is her cauliflower rice recipe. (Photo by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat)
The challenge requires people to read nutrition labels and discover the many ways sweeteners appear in prepared food. Instead of sugar, the ingredients might include honey, agave, nectar, molasses, cane juice or sucrose―all forms of added sweeteners.
“Fifty-seven things are actually sugar on a label,” McFadden says.
With sugar incorporated into so many foods, people can develop a preference for the sweet stuff without realizing it.
“We want to eat more of it or want to overeat in general,” she says. “When we go away from that for a while and make a conscious effort to avoid it, you can retrain your taste buds to prefer other foods or just not love sugar so much.”
The 10 percent guideline
Haynes, a community relations specialist for Spectrum Health, has long been interested in nutrition and fitness. She already read nutrition labels and had a good idea of the amount of sugar in food.
But she still struggled with a longing for sweets.
“When people would ask me what my favorite sugar was, my answer would be, ‘Yes,’” she says. “That sugar packet on the table―I would open it up and eat it.”
Eliminating added sugars helped her focus on more nutritious options.
“I still eat a decent amount of sugar in fruit form,” she says.
A typical morning smoothie consists of kale, ginger, chia seeds, kefir, a half-banana and an orange.
She also developed an efficient way to plan a week’s worth of meals and snacks―to keep her healthy eating plan on track. She keeps menus and matching grocery lists on file in her computer, so she can print up a list before she heads to the store.
McFadden says the focus on healthier foods is a key benefit of a short-term no-sugar challenge.
Haynes has long been interested in nutrition and fitness. With a serious sweet tooth, she wasn’t sure she could give up her sweet ways. But three weeks into a sugar-free challenge, she likes the results. (Photo by Taylor Ballek, Spectrum Health Beat)
“I think it does force you to make healthier choices for a while and be conscious of that, too,” she says.
Americans get 13 percent of their calories from added sugar. But they should keep it under 10 percent, according to federal dietary guidelines.
Going beyond that point could mean either consuming excess calories or not eating enough nutritious foods.
For those aiming to limit sugar intake, upcoming changes in food labels will help. By July 2017, the Food and Drug Administration will require manufacturers to list added sugars on the labels for most foods. The labels must state the amount of sugar in grams and as a percent of daily calories.
The ultimate goal of a no-sugar challenge should not be to avoid all types of sugar forever, McFadden says. It should be to develop a healthy diet―one that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.
“Milk, yogurt and fruit have a lot of natural sugars. It’s not a pure evil,” she says. “But they come with all these other nutrients. In soda pop, there’s nothing there except sugar.”
No one is great at something the first time they try it. Success comes from hard work, practice and, yes, even failure. When young children are learning to walk they have to fall down again and again and again in order to master the balance they need to stand upright (and even then, they will still fall down). When learning to feed themselves, tie their shoes or master long division, children have to try, practice and learn from their missteps and try again in order to master their new skills. You can help your child learn from their failures and use those failures to work towards great successes.
Encourage your child to take risks and try new things. Trying new things can be scary, especially if we are worried that if we try, we will ultimately fail. Give your child encouragement to try things outside of their comfort zone, and attempt things they might not be good at right away. By taking risks and trying new things, your child can overcome their fear of failing and learn that when you take risks, you learn so many new things and practice new skills.
Emphasize your child’s efforts. Not every effort will result in success. When your child is trying to draw a unicorn for the first time, it likely won’t be a perfect picture. This may be discouraging for your child, but try focusing on emphasizing their efforts. You can talk about their work they put into the project, “You worked so hard on this drawing. You tried something new, you did your best! I’m proud of you for working so hard!” Remind your child that great things happen over time; even famous artists start with a rough draft.
Teach problem-solving skills. Failure often makes us feel stuck and can make someone feel like giving up. Teach your child that through hard work and effort, you can work to solve problems. If they are trying to learn a new skateboarding trick and they just can’t seem to pick it up, help them think about what they can do to solve their problem. Is there someone who knows that trick who can help them? Can they watch a video on YouTube that will help them figure out what they need to do differently? Help your child think about what they can do to keep working and trying.
Value hard work. Show your child that you value hard work by noticing it happen all around you. Notice those who work hard around you and in your child’s life. Point out the construction workers who are working hard in rain to repair the roads. Write a thank-you note to your mail carrier who works extra hard during the holiday season to help deliver gifts and goodies. Showing gratefulness and appreciation for those that work hard will show your child that hard work is to be valued.
Engage in self-praise. When children hear you praise yourself, they learn to do the same. Show off your hard work and that you can be proud of yourself for not giving up on tasks that are hard. When you work hard, say out loud, “I’m so proud of myself! I was having a hard time figuring out how to fix the TV, but I kept trying and I did it! Go me!”
Help your child adopt a growth mindset. Show your young child that making mistakes and failing is normal and something that happens to everyone. It means you tried something new. Failure doesn’t mean an ending—it’s just the beginning. You can teach your child to be a hardworking problem solver that can turn their failures into successes.
For more articles on child development, academic success, parenting and life skill development, please visit the Michigan State University Extension website.
To learn about the positive impact children and families experience due to MSU Extension programs, read our 2017 impact report. Additional impact reports, highlighting even more ways Michigan 4-H and MSU Extension positively impacted individuals and communities in 2017, can be downloaded from the Michigan 4-H website.
By Gretchen Stelter, Michigan State University Extension
