Mindful Eating

By Laurie Searle
Laurie SearleThe holidays can come and go in a blur. Here are some tips to make the memories last and the extra party pounds stay away by being mindful in the present and holiday joy.

1. Small snacks keep you from over doing it later on in the day or when it’s party time. If you are holiday shopping or preparing for multiple parties fuel yourself in preparation. Find a small mix of protein, fat and carbs to curb your hunger when you are in line at the cash wrap or buffet table. When shopping for presents keep a bottle of water, string cheese, 100-calorie pack of almonds and a wedge of a single wrapped chocolate in your purse. When the blood sugar dips sip some water. If you feel woozy from being over-heated or in over-crowded spaces grab those almonds. Feeling frazzled and stressed – suck on the chocolate and let it melt in your mouth. A little healthy fat like avocado on a cracker with some Gomasaio (sesame, seaweed and sea salt), apple or banana with a tablespoon of peanut butter or some grapes and low fat string cheese will keep your metabolism steady, digestive fire stoked and keep you from dipping into the chips and dip. You will be able to steer clear of free samples or high calorie and fat temptations at parties if you are well satiated already. (more…)

How to Feel Full on Fewer Calories

By Daniella Lavi-DrayDaniella Lavi DrayThe Volumetrics Eating Plan is based on a basic fact: people like to eat. And if people are given the choice between eating more and eating less, they’ll take more almost every time. The Volumetrics diet doesn’t try to fight this natural preference. It’s creator, nutritionist Barbara Rolls, PhD, argues that limiting your diet too severely won’t work in the long run. You’ll just wind up hungry and unhappy and go back to your old ways. (more…)

Coping with Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death

By Fran SolomonFran SolomonWhen a baby dies before it is born or soon after birth, parents face a difficult emotional task: they must try to say goodbye to someone they had little chance to know. They must accept that a life has ended, even though it barely began.

Common Feelings
Guilt is a common reaction to loss of a child and can be particularly acute for parents who lose an infant or an unborn baby. Parents of unborn babies who die often mistakenly blame themselves for the death. The mother may believe she harmed her baby. Both parents may tell themselves they should have sensed something was wrong. While this is a normal reaction, eventually one must find compassion for themselves and realize that this was not their fault. They were not responsible. (more…)

The Food Battle

By Carol Bovill
carol bovillNutrition is one of the many topics that parents often come to see me about. Questions range from, “How do I know if my child is getting enough nutrition and how can I help create a healthy eater?” to “Can you tell me how I get him or her to eat more fruits and vegetables?” Many pediatricians say to relax; chances are that although your child may be a fussy eater, he or she is still getting adequate overall nutrition for his or her needed growth and development. Parents are still capable of teaching children good eating habits in their formative years. (more…)

Why Are Some Kids Better Readers Than Others?

Three Things Parent Can do to Help

65312487: This series of numbers would be hard to remember.
12345678: This series of numbers is easy to remember.
valChildren who have exposure to a wide range of experiences and information are better readers than children who are not. When people have prior knowledge about a subject, they connect to the words on the page they are reading. If they don’t know anything about the subject, the words have very little meaning.

At Learning Encounters, we see a lot of children who are up on the latest news in sports, music, tech devices, and in general pop culture. Many children, however, have limited knowledge about the world outside their inner circle, and there’s a direct correlation between the exposure a child has to the world and a child’s reading comprehension skills. (more…)

Staying Healthy During the School Year

Are your children prepared to return to school?

By Peter S. Waldstein, M.D., F.A.A.P and Julia A. White, M.D., F.A.A.P
Julia WhiteBack to school time is upon us, which is a great opportunity to make sure your child is ready from a health perspective. It is also a great time to refresh on illness prevention while being at school.

Staying Healthy
Maintaining proper health begins at home. Back to school time is a good excuse to refamiliarize your children on the importance of hand washing at home and school. Most illness is spread through contact, and hand washing has been proven to be one of the most effective ways to prevent your child from becoming ill while at school. Washing before eating, after playtime, and anytime before touching the face, mouth, or eyes is key. If you are not able to wash, you may use hand sanitizer instead. You can consider packing a small travel-sized Purell bottle in your child’s bag to encourage proper hygeine. Also remind your child to cover coughs with the arm. Should your child become ill, he or she should stay home to prevent others from becoming ill. Check with your pediatrician if you are unsure if they should stay home. (more…)