To Game Or Not To Game, That Is The Question 

    Regardless, there will always be people who believe that no 
    matter what you say, kids shouldn’t be sitting down in front of the 
    TV or a computer playing video games.  But new research 
    indicates that the finger shouldn’t be pointed at all video games, but rather only at certain kinds.  Active video games, a new generation of video games can produce as much activity as walking, skipping and jogging according to a recent report in Pediatric Exercise Science.  So with these new-style video games, if you’re worried about your kids becoming couch potatoes; don’t.  In addition, the American Academy of Pediatrics claims that some of the new active video games can actually burn more calories than walking on a treadmill.  Dance Dance Revolution, Sony Eye Toy and the active game system for 3-6 year olds, Smart Cycle from Fisher-Price, are among the new wave of video games that require moving. 

As for gaming’s impact on learning, another study showed that video games had no affect on boys’ homework time during the week.  On the other hand, girls who played video games during the week spent less time on homework, representing about one-third less time than non-gamers.  Go figure.  The meaning behind this is not clear and researchers admit that more work needs to be done in this area because they are only just scratching the surface. 

But as a parent, if you’re coerced into buying video games and you’re concerned about your child not spending time with family and friends or engaging in real sports activities, rest assured.  According to the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, there is no significant difference between gamers and non-gamers as far as spending time socializing or being involved with sports.  And if your child falls into the former category, and you’re looking for suggestions on the best way to regulate gaming activity, here are some gaming guidelines.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children’s overall media diet of computer use, television, videos, and video games does not exceed two hours a day. 

…And Now You Know.


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Save Now Or Pay Later;  Raising A Smart Saver 

At what age should you begin teaching children to save? Financial experts say as soon as they know what money is. Parents almost can’t start too soon teaching their kids financial responsibility. Spending and saving habits are formed early.

Once kids are in grade school they can usually grasp the concept of saving, but the concept will likely resonate more when they reach the age of ten. The message should be you have to save some money coming in: (1) Some money is spent in the present (2) Then there is some money left to spend later.  This money could be used as spending money in college, to buy some trendy clothing or technology, like an Ipod, or any special item they want to purchase. What portion of kids’ allowances should be saved? It doesn’t matter if it’s 10% or 25% or half, but rather the thought of saving some portion for later. The point is for kids to save some part of every dollar they have from their allowance or gifts from relatives and friends. Even if kids grow up witnessing your frugal habits, if you don’t teach them financial responsibility, they won’t get it. And the longer you wait to teach them, the longer it will take them to learn. However, once they do start saving and get into the habit the rewards will be great and have a long -term effect on the way they manage their financial lives.  

Most importantly, kids often forget about the money once they put it in the bank, but when they see how much they can accumulate, they learn the value of interest and saving and see the results of their efforts.  

Also, teach kids how to comparison shop and make smart purchasing decisions. Parents should expose them to the differences between price points at a retail store vs. a discount store, the significant savings for items when they go on sale. 

Basically just because parents have the money to buy their kids everything; does not mean they should. It isn’t doing the child any favor in helping them learn responsibility and grow up to be contributing adults in society. Teach your kids early that money doesn’t grow on parents; it only grows when you put it in the bank. 

 

...And Now You Know.  

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Married Couples Getting To The Heart Of The Matter

Of course, arguments are a part of married life.  But now researchers are putting the marital quarrel under the microscope to determine if the way you fight can affect your health.  As study of nearly 4,000 men and women reveals that 32% of the men and 23% of the women said they “typically bottled up their feelings during a marital spat.”

In men keeping quiet during a fight didn’t have any measurable effect on health.  But women who didn’t speak their minds in those fights were four times as likely to die during the 10-year study period as women who always told their husbands how they felt, according to a recent report in Psychosomatic Medicine.  The tendency to bottle up feelings during a fight is known as self-silencing.  And when women stay quiet it can take an alarming toll.  Another study links the self-silencing trait to numerous psychological and physical health risks, including depression, eating disorders and heart disease.  What do couples fight about most?  Here are the top reasons, and in this order: Children, Sex, Housework, Money, Leisure, and Alcohol.

           
The key to productive and successful marital spats is to use a “warm” style of arguing; one that is not hostile and does not involve criticism.  So take heart, how you conduct yourself in an argument and engage in conflict resolution can mean the difference between life and death.  

...And Now You Know.

 
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D For Vitamin D And Dark Skin, Do You Have Enough?

Melanin certainly has its benefits, but word from Harvard Medical School researchers indicate that it may inhibit vitamin D absorption.  We all know that vitamin supplements can help keep us healthy, but the one vitamin that researchers are now finding we don’t get enough of, especially African-Americans, is vitamin D. 

Studies link low blood levels of vitamin D to type I diabetes, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, colon cancer, even the flu.  Unlike most other vitamins, vitamin D is in only a few foods; dairy, some brands of orange juice and breakfast cereals.  As the result, most of the vitamin D our bodies get is from the sun through skin absorption, and skin pigmentation affects the way we process it.  Because African-Americans have melanin, it acts like a sunscreen.  Research reveals darker-skinned individuals require at least five times as much sun exposure to form a given amount of vitamin D, compared with a very light-skinned person.  All this suggests that the majority of African-Americans have low levels of vitamin D. Combine this notion with the fact that many of us are lactose intolerant, unable to digest dairy, makes the deficiency even more significant. 

Regardless of your age, size, the time of sun exposure, the season and geography, all affect how much vitamin D you produce.  So as we approach winter with less sun on our skin, and shorter days with longer nights, you may want to ask your doctor for more information on vitamin D and what it means for you. 

...AND NOW YOU KNOW.  

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TOO CHICKEN TO EAT BUFFALO?

At one time on the verge of extinction, the magnificent buffalo is making a comeback – this time not only on the range, but on dinner tables across the country and perhaps coming to a restaurant near you.

Buffalo is finally coming of age as an alternative red meat.  It took many years for this red meat to catch on, but now it has achieved an enviable position, receiving simultaneous praise from chefs, nutritionists and environmentalists.  At last, a steak without high calories, cholesterol and fat that is also a significant source of iron.

           
The proof is in the tasting.  Not only is the meat delicious, as I’ve experienced firsthand, but it fits right in with the public wanting to know now more than ever where their food comes from, what the animal ate, and if they were raised humanely.

           
In general, people who raise buffalo love their animals unlike those who raise beef.  For the cattlemen, it’s all about the price, whereas for buffalo ranchers it’s all about restoring the prairie. According to the Agriculture Department, a lean raw 100-gram buffalo rib-eye steak has 116 calories, 2.4 grams of fat and 62 milligrams of cholesterol.  A similar beef rib-eye steak has 161 calories, 8.3 grams of fat and 59 milligrams of cholesterol.

The downside is, buffalo meat tends to cost more than beef, but sometimes you can’t put a price on your health. (Cuts of buffalo are also sometimes sold at Food Emporium, ShopRite, Kings, Balducci’s and Whole Food Stores.) 

 

 ...And Now You Know.

(source: NYT, 8/15/07)

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What Is Your Doctor Really Talking About?

 

How often have you left your doctor’s office wondering exactly what you were just told to alleviate your problem or prevent an illness?  In this fast- paced health care system of HMOs, when was the last time your doctor spent more than a few minutes with you after an examination discussing the problem thoroughly, answering all of your questions?  If any of this sounds familiar, it’s even more important to know what the doctor is talking about and how to ask the right questions.  Despite major reports on the need to improve health literacy issued in the last decade by organizations including the American Medical Association and the National Academy’s Institute of Medicine, little improvement has been noted in how much patients understand and remember encounters with health care practitioners.  A main obstacle has been the decreased time patients can spend with their doctors, dictated largely by managed care and other medical reimbursement plans.   Here are some strategies for improving communication with your doctor. 

 

• Make sure you ask your doctor to explain basic baseline information “Can you tell me what I need to know about the problem?”
• Ask your doctor to use plain language and not vague terms or medical jargon to communicate with you.  For example, they should say chest pain, instead of angina.
• Repeat things back to your doctor to make sure you understand and have clarity.
• Confirm your understanding by asking your doctor to demonstrate the use of a nebulizer or inhaler for asthma, and then you take time to demonstrate back to the doctor as well.
• Make sure your doctor provides you with written instructions in addition to educational materials or pamphlets so you and your family can review at home.
• Insist that conversations about serious medical matters take place when you are dressed and in the doctor’s office.
• Take notes or bring along an advocate who can take notes for you.  Another suggestion is to bring along a tape recorder to make sure you get the information right, but this only works if your doctor feels comfortable with the device.
• If you have received a diagnosis and would like to explore it further on the Internet, be sure to look up on reputable sites.  Two that can be relied on are www.nlm.nih.gov, produced by the National Library of Medicine, and www.healthfinder.gov, produced by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.  Many major medical centers also provide useful, accurate information online.
• Avoid information and advertisements by commercial organizations that overtly or covertly sell products.
• By using these strategies, you’ll have better control of your doctor’s visits and make the best use of your time, which could perhaps even result in shorter and less frequent trips to your physician’s office.

 

…And Now You Know.

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Get Smart With Vitamin C

 

We all know that vitamin C has been long recommended to ward off the common cold, but researchers now have evidence that folic acid dietary supplements may also significantly improve thinking skills that tend to decline with normal aging.  A Dutch Study assigned men and women to take a daily oral dose of 800 micrograms of folic acid or a placebo.  Test subjects were healthy, however had high levels of an amino acid, which in previous studies had been particularly associated with poor cognitive performance.  At the beginning of the study there were no significant difference in the scores between the groups.  But at the end, after controlling for cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass, smoking status and other variables, the folic acid group performed significantly better on three of the five mental tests, in addition their average for all tests was significantly higher than before.

Jane Durga was the lead author of the study published in the Lancet Journal of Medicine 1/20/07, and had this to say,” Based on this paper alone, I wouldn’t be waving it around” to urge people to supplement their diets.  While this is a high-quality study it needs to be repeated and tested in other populations and countries with lower or higher doses to determine lesser or greater effects.

By law, flour in the United States is fortified with folic acid to help prevent neural tube defects in newborns.

           
While it may be too early to rush out and buy more vitamin C, you may find some solace in knowing that the vitamin C you’re already taking may not only help prevent colds, but boost and improve your thinking skills as well.

 

…And Now You Know.