SPOON Foundation

I learned about SPOON Foundation a few months ago from a friend living and working in Kazakhstan. Having lived and worked in Kazakhstan, I once considered the situation for orphans there hopeless. Yes, people were adopting children, but I had always said I would never consider adopting from a former Soviet country. Orphans from former Soviet countries are notorious for having developmental delays, both cognitive and physical, due to severe nutritional deficiencies as infants and toddlers. These children lack key nutrients for "normal" brain development. Many of these deficiencies can easily be solved by a multi-vitamin.

Here's where SPOON Foundation comes in. They are blazing a trail in this part of the world by piloting a simple nutrition program in a handful of baby houses in Kazakhstan. This program includes daily vitamins for orphans. Why didn't anyone think of this before? Such a simple solution to an important problem. Watch this video to learn more or visit their website www.spoonfoundation.org

Air National Guard Wingman Project

Speaking of being "fit-to-fight"...

Air National Guard Wingman Project

Better childhood nutrition needed, retired military officials say – The Chart - CNN.com Blogs

Better childhood nutrition needed, retired military officials say – The Chart - CNN.com Blogs

Is it just me or does anyone else find it interesting that the military is backing this? An interesting turn of events in the passage of this bill. Will congress be more convinced to pass with a military reason? Rather than wanting healthier kids to decrease medical spending and disability later in life, we want healthier kids so we have more adults "fit to fight"?

Managing Diabetes with a Vegan Diet

This may be old news to some folks, but according to one study, a vegan diet may be effective in managing type 2 diabetes. Why am I now just discovering this? See the report from CBS News for yourself here.

What is "vegan"? A vegan diet means eating no animal products. Period. No meat, no eggs, no dairy. I'm giving eating vegan a try myself. Read about my adventures with eating vegan on my other blog: Hearts, Hands, Pots and Pans.

Hidden Health Costs of Transportation

Interesting new report from the American Public Health Association.
View the full report here.

Get Out(side)!

How many of us had mothers who would tell us to go outside after being too rambunctious in the house? If you consequently played outside a lot, you might be a healthier adult because of your mother’s orders. Some people claim more outside time increases creativity in children, but there are some concrete health benefits of getting outside:

1. Childhood obesity is on the rise – according to the CDC, for children ages 6-11 the prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled between 1980 and 2006. It’s a simple calories in-calories out equation. And the sedentary lifestyles of kids spending after school and weekend time watching TV and playing video games is half of that equation. It’s no secret that a child burns more calories playing “War” outside than playing “War” on a video game. And you know what? A child is more likely to spend time outside if it’s modeled for him by a parent. Just like a child is more likely to be sedentary if it’s modeled by a parent. So get outside and play TOGETHER!

2. According to a study in the Archives of Ophthalmology since the 1970’s, we’ve seen a 66% increase in the prevalence of Myopia (near sightedness). (See article in post from Monday, January 11^th) The cause? Partly genetics, but researchers at Ohio State University have found it may be partly due to low levels of outdoor activity. Don’t want to spend money on glasses and contacts until your child is 18? Get them outside!

3. An article published in Pediatrics in 2004 reported the more TV-time a child experienced between the ages of 1 and 3, the more likely they were to develop attention problems (e.g. ADD, ADHD) by the age of 7. Granted, kids are naturally hyperactive beings, but attention problems can significantly affect your child’s performance in school. Make an effort to turn your young child’s energy into productivity.

I acknowledge it’s not realistic for children in some locations to play outside every day, year-round (I grew up in Minnesota, I know firsthand). But knowing that increased outside time can lower a child’s risk of obesity, myopia, and attention disorders ought to motivate parents to encourage getting outside as much as possible.

While increased outside time can lower the risk of certain health issues, it can increase the risk of another: sunburn (and consequently skin cancer). Please be mindful that increased outside time means increased sun exposure, so please act accordingly (e.g. sunscreen, hats, sunglasses).

The Buzz on Nearsightedness (Myopia)

Something for parents to consider: spending time outdoors may help decrease a child's risk of developing myopia. Check out the story from NPR