By Nancy Macnamara, M.Ed.
Getting back to the routine and rigor of school after a summer break that’s been filled with relaxation and fun-in-the-sun activities can be quite an adjustment, even for those kids who love school. Change can be difficult, no matter how exciting and happy we are to be going through it. You can help ease some of the anxiety that comes with this change by taking steps to anticipate what will trigger uneasiness in your child as the first day of school approaches. (more…)

By Tanya Streeter
I can’t protect my children. It’s as simple as that. In fact, it’s worse than that. I have unwittingly poisoned them….BEFORE THEY WERE BORN. That’s the reality of the human health impact of plastic pollution.

This stark fact turned my stomach and made my head spin. I was already a mother of one very lovely redheaded daughter, and wading through yet another round of IVF in my journey to conceive our sweet son when, whilst shooting scenes for “A Plastic Ocean” (available on iTunes), I learned there is one way it’s thought that we are able to reduce toxins already accumulated in our bodies: by reducing our exposure to plastics…really. I suppose that’s a little piece of good news: the possibility that we can reduce our levels of those toxins, right? Well, when I say “we”, I mean us women. You see, men can’t. Want to know why? Because they can’t have babies. (more…)

By Elissa Goodman
Every mom I know has a vacation horror story…sick kid on the plane, a little one that either can’t go or can’t stop going, the whole family that ended up with food poisoning. In my own experience, I have one child who was born to travel and another child that gets very thrown off by the change in routine.

It’s a balancing act every time we hit the road.

The combination of stress, exposure to travel germs, changing routines, and nutritional challenges take a toll on the health of the whole family. Along the way of managing my own travel schedule and bringing the kids along, I’ve picked up a few tips that make the process a little less stressful. (more…)

By Jourdan Rystrom
The SaunaPod is a modern-day evolution of infrared wraps and wood saunas utilizing near and far infrared light therapy. Both fast and slow wavelength light permeate and heat the skin from the inside out, without heating the surrounding air. Traditional saunas heat the air, which in turn heats the body from the outside at temperatures that range from 180 to 220 degrees. The infrared SaunaPod’s novel heating method coupled with the fact that the user can breathe fresh room temperature air affords special healing properties. Benefits range from skin, detox, diet, pain and stress relief. Longer treatment times and greater detoxifying effects are just a few of the benefits reaped from this state-of-the-art heating method. The longer you spend detoxifying your body, the greater the tension is released. (more…)

By Kate Carr
We’ve all had personal or professional experiences that are so meaningful that we’ll remember them forever. I’ll never forget walking through South Africa with a group of people all working to make sure babies were born HIV-free and that their mothers stayed healthy and could care for their children. I’ve also walked hand-in-hand with brain cancer survivors and cheered on marathon runners to raise awareness for many worthwhile causes.

There is nothing more empowering than being part of a sea of people committed to saving lives. It’s those moments that inspired Safe Kids to find a way to highlight our cause by giving all parents a chance to come together around the one thing we care about most: our kids. (more…)

By Fern Langham
More and more women, especially hardworking moms, are experiencing thyroid and hormone imbalances – which manifest as unfavorable and un-sexy symptoms such as weight gain, brain fog and anxiety. Quickly and deservedly so, women become disheartened and down-trodden by these symptoms, perhaps even angry, confused or exasperated at the ways in which their body is ‘failing them.’ Yet oftentimes women keep pushing their bodies, going and going and going, in a desperate bid to keep up with all the things they wish to accomplish everyday… and who can blame us? Modern life calls for heavy expectations on women, both from society and frequently, ourselves too. Too often we are expected to be super-woman; donning our capes and flying off into the world, keeping everything running just-so. But what is providing our fuel? What is nourishing us? (more…)

Dr. Raj of the California Wellness Institute shares his secrets on living a healthy lifestyle.

By Dr. Raj
Q: What is the key to maintaining our health and staying lean?
A: Discipline! Healthy nutrition, low Carbohydrate diet with adequate protein, preferably organic fish, lean animal meat, chicken, lentils, vegetarian beans, eggs, and lots of colorful veggies that provide micronutrients. Avoid dairy products and drink lots of water. Minimize alcohol intake and avoid smoking.

Exercise at least 10-15 minutes daily, meditate and do some yoga style deep breathing. (more…)

By Jacob Bustos
We live in the most amazing country! We have access to the best of the best. My focus is on Food. More specific, portion sizes! Food is a daily necessity and an everyday pleasure. Who doesn’t love food? We all love to eat! In fact, in most cultures, food means so many different things. Love, family, friendship, home and comfort.

It is unfortunate that in this day and age, we are dealing with a national epidemic. It is shocking to know that 1 in 3 of our youth ages 2-19 are overweight or obese. (more…)

By Joseph Itaya
In a perfect world, two words you’d never find in the same sentence. But they are. Welcome to reality. A reality never more visceral than when you take an elevator to the dialysis ward at CHLA. Next to you, a mother of three. (more…)

By Shirin Yadegar
Q: As a holistic, Ayurvedic and Sports Nutritionist, how do you assess which foods create optimal health individually for each patient?
A: I look at the bigger picture of the individual—what their childhood eating patterns were like, periods of stress they’ve gone through in their lives, their ancestry, their blood type, hormonal panels, what their daily schedule is like, how often they’ve been on antibiotics, what they are currently eating, what foods they’re attracted to, their skin, even their dream patterns. I really try to get to know the deeper nuances of the person before making any suggestions because every little piece of the puzzle makes a huge impact on the ideal dietary and lifestyle suggestions for them. (more…)