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How TV Affects Our Kids

Samuel Gultom Always Watching Cartoon

Most kids plug into the world of television long before they enter school. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF):

* two-thirds of infants and toddlers watch a screen an average of 2 hours a day
* kids under age 6 watch an average of about 2 hours of screen media a day, primarily TV and videos or DVDs
* kids and teens 8 to 18 years spend nearly 4 hours a day in front of a TV screen and almost 2 additional hours on the computer (outside of schoolwork) and playing video games

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids under 2 years old not watch any TV and that those older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.

The first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain development. TV and other electronic media can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, which encourages learning and healthy physical and social development.

As kids get older, too much screen time can interfere with activities such as being physically active, reading, doing homework, playing with friends, and spending time with family.

Of course, television, in moderation, can be a good thing: Preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet on public television, grade schoolers can learn about wildlife on nature shows, and parents can keep up with current events on the evening news. No doubt about it — TV can be an excellent educator and entertainer.

But despite its advantages, too much television can be detrimental:

* Children who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight.
* Kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior but also fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them.
* TV characters often depict risky behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, and also reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes.

Children’s advocates are divided when it comes to solutions. Although many urge for more hours per week of educational programming, others assert that no TV is the best solution. And some say it’s better for parents to control the use of TV and to teach kids that it’s for occasional entertainment, not for constant escapism.

That’s why it’s so important for you to monitor the content of TV programming and set viewing limits to ensure that your kids don’t spend too much time watching TV.

Violence

To give you perspective on just how much violence kids see on TV, consider this: The average American child will witness 200,000 violent acts on television by age 18. Kids may become desensitized to violence and more aggressive. TV violence sometimes begs for imitation because violence is often promoted as a fun and effective way to get what you want.

Many violent acts are perpetrated by the “good guys,” whom kids have been taught to emulate. Even though kids are taught by their parents that it’s not right to hit, television says it’s OK to bite, hit, or kick if you’re the good guy. This can lead to confusion when kids try to understand the difference between right and wrong. And even the “bad guys” on TV aren’t always held responsible or punished for their actions.

Young kids are particularly frightened by scary and violent images. Simply telling kids that those images aren’t real won’t console them, because they can’t yet distinguish between fantasy and reality. Behavior problems, nightmares and difficulty sleeping may be a consequence of exposure to media violence.

Older kids can also be frightened by violent depictions, whether those images appear on fictional shows, the news, or reality-based shows. Reasoning with kids this age will help them, so it’s important to provide reassuring and honest information to help ease fears. However, consider not letting your kids view programs that they may find frightening.

Risky Behaviors

TV is full of programs and commercials that depict risky behaviors such as sex and substance abuse as cool, fun, and exciting. And often, there’s no discussion about the consequences of drinking alcohol, doing drugs, smoking cigarettes, and having premarital sex.

For example, studies have shown that teens who watch lots of sexual content on TV are more likely to initiate intercourse or participate in other sexual activities earlier than peers who don’t watch sexually explicit shows.

Alcohol ads on TV have actually increased over the last few years and more underage kids are being exposed to them than ever. A recent study by the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) found that youth exposure to alcohol ads on TV increased by 30% from 2001 to 2006.

And although they’ve banned cigarette ads on television, kids and teens can still see plenty of people smoking on programs and movies airing on TV. This kind of “product placement” makes behaviors like smoking and drinking alcohol seem acceptable. In fact, kids who watch 5 or more hours of TV per day are far more likely to begin smoking cigarettes than those who watch less than the recommended 2 hours a day.

Obesity

Health experts have long linked excessive TV-watching to obesity — a significant health problem today. While watching TV, kids are inactive and tend to snack. They’re also bombarded with ads that encourage them to eat unhealthy foods such as potato chips and empty-calorie soft drinks that often become preferred snack foods.

Studies have shown that decreasing the amount of TV kids watched led to less weight gain and lower body mass index (BMI — a measurement derived from someone’s weight and height).

Commercials

According to the AAP, kids in the United States see 40,000 commercials each year. From the junk food and toy advertisements during Saturday morning cartoons to the appealing promos on the backs of cereal boxes, marketing messages inundate kids of all ages. And to them, everything looks ideal — like something they simply have to have. It all sounds so appealing — often, so much better than it really is.

Under the age of 8 years, most kids don’t understand that commercials are for selling a product. Children 6 years and under are unable to distinguish program content from commercials, especially if their favorite character is promoting the product. Even older kids may need to be reminded of the purpose of advertising.

Of course, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate all exposure to marketing messages. You can certainly turn off the TV or at least limit kids’ watching time, but they’ll still see and hear advertisements for the latest gizmos and must-haves at every turn.

But what you can do is teach kids to be savvy consumers by talking about the products advertised on TV. Ask thought-provoking questions like, “What do you like about that?,” “Do you think it’s really as good as it looks in that ad?,” and “Do you think that’s a healthy choice?”

Explain, when kids ask for products advertised, that commercials and other ads are designed to make people want things they don’t necessarily need. And these ads are often meant to make us think that these products will make us happier somehow. Talking to kids about what things are like in reality can help put things into perspective.

To limit kids’ exposure to TV commercials, the AAP recommends that you:

• Have your kids watch public television stations (some programs are sponsored — or “brought to you” — by various companies, although the products they sell are rarely shown).
• Record programs — without the commercials.
• Buy or rent children’s videos or DVDs.

TV and Baloon

Understanding TV Ratings and the V-Chip

Two ways you can help monitor what your kids watch are:

1. TV Parental Guidelines. Modeled after the movie rating system, this is an age-group rating system developed for TV programs. These ratings are listed in television guides, TV listings in your local newspaper, and on the screen in your cable program guide. They also appear in the upper left-hand corner of the screen during the first 15 seconds of TV programs. But not all channels offer the rating system. For those that do, the ratings are:
   • TV-Y: suitable for all children
   • TV-Y7: directed toward kids 7 years and older (kids who are able to distinguish between make-believe and reality); may contain “mild fantasy violence or comedic violence” that may scare younger kids
   • TV-Y7-FV: fantasy violence may be more intense in these programs than others in the TV-Y7 rating
   • TV-G: suitable for a general audience; not directed specifically toward kids, but contains little to no violence, sexual dialogue or content, or strong language
   • TV-PG: parental guidance suggested; may contain an inappropriate theme for younger kids and contains one or more of the following: moderate violence (V), some sexual situations (S), occasional strong language (L), and some suggestive dialogue (D)
   • TV-14: parents strongly cautioned — suitable for only kids over the age of 14; contains one or more of the following: intense violence (V), intense sexual situations (S), strong language (L), and intensely suggestive dialogue
   • TV-MA: designed for adults and may be unsuitable for kids under 17; contains one or more of the following: graphic violence (V), strong sexual activity (S), and/or crude language (L)
2. V-chip (V is for “violence”). This technology lets you block TV programs and movies you don’t want your kids to see. All new TV sets that have screens of 13″ or more now have internal V-chips, and set-top boxes are available for TVs made before 2000. The V-chip allows you to program your TV to display only appropriately rated shows — blocking out other, more mature shows.
   The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires that V-chips in new TVs recognize the TV Parental Guidelines and the age-group rating system and block those programs that don’t adhere to these standards.

For many, the rating system and V-chip may be valuable tools. But there is some concern that the system may be worse than no system at all. For example, research shows that preteen and teen boys are more likely to want to see a program if it’s rated MA (mature audience) than if it’s PG (parental guidance suggested). And parents may rely too heavily on these tools and stop monitoring what their kids are watching.

Also, broadcast news, sports, and commercials aren’t rated, although they often present depictions of violence and sexuality. The rating system also doesn’t satisfy some family advocates who complain that they fail to give enough information about a program’s content to allow parents to make informed decisions about whether a show is appropriate for their child.

So even if you’ve used the V-chip to program your TV or a show features the age-group ratings, it’s still important to preview shows to determine whether they’re appropriate for your child and turn off the TV if they’re not.

Teaching Good TV Habits

Here are some practical ways to make TV-viewing more productive in your home:

• Limit the number of TV-watching hours:
  • Stock the room in which you have your TV with plenty of other non-screen entertainment (books, kids’ magazines, toys, puzzles, board games, etc.) to encourage kids to do something other than watch the tube.
  • Keep TVs out of bedrooms.
  • Turn the TV off during meals.
  • Don’t allow kids to watch TV while doing homework.
  • Treat TV as a privilege to be earned — not a right. Establish and enforce family TV viewing rules, such as TV is allowed only after chores and homework are completed.
• Try a weekday ban. Schoolwork, sports activities, and job responsibilities make it tough to find extra family time during the week. Record weekday shows or save TV time for weekends and you’ll have more family togetherness time to spend on meals, games, physical activity, and reading during the week.
• Set a good example by limiting your own TV viewing.
• Check the TV listings and program reviews ahead of time for programs your family can watch together (i.e., developmentally appropriate and nonviolent programs that reinforce your family’s values). Choose shows that foster interest and learning in hobbies and education (reading, science, etc.).
• Preview programs before your kids watch them.
• Come up with a family TV schedule that you all agree upon each week. Then, post the schedule in a visible area (e.g., on the refrigerator) so that everyone knows which programs are OK to watch and when. And make sure to turn off the TV when the “scheduled” program is over instead of channel surfing.
• Watch TV together. If you can’t sit through the whole program, at least watch the first few minutes to assess the tone and appropriateness, then check in throughout the show.
• Talk to kids about what they see on TV and share your own beliefs and values. If something you don’t approve of appears on the screen, you can turn off the TV, then use the opportunity to ask thought-provoking questions such as, “Do you think it was OK when those men got in that fight? What else could they have done? What would you have done?” Or, “What do you think about how those teenagers were acting at that party? Do you think what they were doing was wrong?” If certain people or characters are mistreated or discriminated against, talk about why it’s important to treat everyone fairly, despite their differences. You can use TV to explain confusing situations and express your feelings about difficult topics (sex, love, drugs, alcohol, smoking, work, behavior, family life).
• Talk to other parents, your doctor, and teachers about their TV-watching policies and kid-friendly programs they’d recommend.
• Offer fun alternatives to television. If your kids want to watch TV but you want to turn off the tube, suggest that you all play a board game, start a game of hide and seek, play outside, read, work on crafts or hobbies, or listen and dance to music. The possibilities for fun without the tube are endless — so turn off the TV and enjoy the quality time together.

source : KidHealth

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD
Regards,

Samuel Gultom
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SPIRULINA

What Is Spirulina

In its commercial use, the common name, Spirulina, refers to the dried biomass of the cyanobacterium, Arthrospira platensis, and is a whole product of biological origin. The source strain, cultivated by producers in the United States was obtained from the University of Texas at Austin Algae Culture Collection (UTEX). This strain, designated UTEX 1926, was originally isolated from an alkaline salt flat near Del Mar, California, by R. Lewin in 1969.
In its taxonomic use, Spirulina is a name used to describe mainly two species of Cyanobacteria, A. platensis and A. maxima, that are commonly used as food, dietary supplement, and feed supplement. These and other Arthrospira species were once classified by Geitler who combined all species forming helical trichomes into a  single genus, Spirulina. Before Geitler, Gomont had in fact placed the two genera as separate on the basis of the presence of septa or divisions in the trichomes, the Spirulina species being without septa and the Arthrospira species with septa. Recent
detailed studies of morphological, physiological, and biochemical examination of representatives of these genera have shown that these two genera are distinctively different and that the edible forms commonly referred to as Spirulina platensis have little in common with other much smaller species such as Spirulina major. This distinction has also been borne out by results from the complete sequence of the 16S rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) between the 16S and 23S rRNA genes determined for two Arthrospira strains and one Spirulina strain showing that
the two Arthrospira strains formed a close cluster distant from the Spirulina strain.

The various Arthrospira species found in nature and in culture collection appear to be very closely related. Scheldeman et al. carried out an ARDRA (Amplified Ribosomal DNARestriction Analysis on the ITS of 37 cultivated clonal strains from four continents. The data showed that all these strains were closely related. Only two different major restriction patterns were discernible defining two clusters, I and II, with two strains from cluster I falling in a small subcluster. No clear relationship could be observed between this division into two clusters and the geographic
origin of the strains, their designation in the culture collection, or their morphology.
Subsequent studies by Baurain et al., using amplification and determination of the full ITS, also showed a remarkable conservation of the ITS sequences of 21 of the 37 Arthrospira clonal strains from the four continents and assigned to four different species (A. platensis, A. maxima, A. fusiformis, A. indica) in the culture collections.
Using 28 morphological characters or character states, Mühling et al. have also found these strains to be grouped into two loose clusters. It is therefore evident that these strains are very closely related and the assignment of binomial is therefore difficult at this stage of our knowledge of their taxonomy. It should be pointed out that the name Spirulina is used commonly as a name of commerce and will continue to be used since many companies have devoted a lot of
money in the marketing of Arthrospira with the trade name of Spirulina.

This page will use these names interchangeably with the understanding that all the edible forms that are under commercial cultivation and sold as “Spirulina” actually belong to the Genus Arthrospira. The botanical nomenclature is also used often because Spirulina and Arthrospira are considered plants (blue-green algae) by botanists who look at the photosynthetic ability of these organisms as a major determinant of their classification. However, the most recent comprehensive treatise on the subject identifies Arthrospira as follows:

Phylum BX. Cyanobacteria
Subsection III. (formerly Order Oscillatoriales)
Form-genus I. Arthrospira

Morphological Features

Arthrospira (Spirulina) species show great plasticity in morphology. This is attributed to environmental factors like temperature and other physical and chemical factors and possibly also due to genetic change. In nature and in culture, Arthrospira forms helical trichomes of varying size and degree of coiling from tightly coiled morphology to an
even straight uncoiled form. The trichomes in Arthrospira species show distinct transverse cross-walls under the light microscope. The filaments are solitary and reproduce by binary fission. The cells of the trichomes are broader than long and the width can vary from 3 to 12 μm though it can reach 16 μm occasionally. The cell organization
is that of a typical prokaryote with a lack of membrane-bound organelles.

Evolutionary History

The cyanobacteria are believed to have evolved 3.5 billion years ago. Fossils discovered in the 3.5-Ga-old Apex chert in northwestern Western Australia bear filamentous cyanobacteria with strikingly similar morphologies to  resent-day filamentous cyanobacteria (Oscillatoriacea). The occurrence of aerobic respiration and oxygenic photosynthesis, photosynthetic carbon dioxide fixation like that of extant cyanobacteria, cell division more similar to the extant cyanobacterial and recent rRNA analyses showing that the Oscillatoriacea are among the earliest evolved also lend further evidence to the fossil record. Arthrospira belongs to the Class Oscillatoriacea and therefore has a very old lineage. Despite their old lineage, the fossil cyanobacteria are morphologically very similar to their extant forms, suggesting a slow evolutionary process.
The cyanobacteria are the first group of bacteria that evolved that could fix atmospheric carbon dioxide into organic carbon compounds using water as an electron donor and thereby evolving oxygen. We owe the present oxygen-rich environment partially to the millions of years of photosynthetic activity by Cyanaobacteria that made it possible for other life forms that are oxygen dependent to evolve. Indeed it is this same ability to fix carbon dioxide and produce organic matter that we are  presently utilizing in the mass cultivation of these organisms for food.

Distribution In Nature

Species of the genus Arthrospira have been isolated from alkaline brackish and saline waters in tropical and subtropical regions. Among the various species included in the genus Arthrospira, A. platensis is the most widely distributed and is mainly found in Africa but also in Asia. Arthrospira maxima is believed to be found in California and
Mexico. It should be noted that the taxonomic distinction between these two species is based mainly on ultrastructural and morphological differences, some of which are hardly a distinctive feature in view of the morphological elasticity of these species under different growth and stress conditions. The recent 16s rRNA sequence data on 52 strains collected from various regions have revealed only two clusters with species from the various geographical areas represented in both clusters.

History Of Human Use As Food

Algae, especially the macroalgae, have been used as food since prehistoric times and still play a prominent role in the food traditions of many countries, particularly in Asia. The use of microalgae as food is fairly recent. Jasby cites numerous examples of traditional use of microalgae as food spanning over four continents though the majority of the cases are from Asia as in the case of seaweeds or macroalgae.
The first recorded history of the use of Arthrospira (Spirulina) as food comes from Bernal Diaz del Castillo, a member of Hernan Cortez’s troops who reported in 1521 that Spirulina maxima (A. maxima) was harvested from Lake Texcoco, dried, and sold for human consumption in a Tenochtitlan (today Mexico City) market. Bernal Diaz de Castillo described what he saw in the market as “… small cakes made from some sort of a ooze which they get out of the great lake, and from which they make a bread having a flavor something like cheese.” A few years later a Franciscan friar, Bernardino da Sahagun, described the food, then called Tecuitlatl, as “neither grass nor earth, rather like hay … of clear blue color … .” There was no mention of Tecuitlatl after the sixteenth century, though perhaps not surprisingly, the first commercial production of Spirulina started in Lake Texcoco in the 1970s. An interesting description of the
history of Spirulina during the Aztec civilization is given by Farrar.
The present Republic of Chad in Africa, about 10,000 km away from Lake Texcoco, provides additional evidence for the use of Spirulina as food. People have probably being using it for centuries, though it is not clear exactly since when. The recent historical evidence goes back to 1940 when the French phycologist, Dangeard published a paper about a cake called “dihe” and consumed by people of the Kanembu tribe, near Lake Chad in Africa. This report, which stayed unnoticed until the 1960s, described dihe as “a true filamentous, spiral shaped blue alga.” The alga described
was Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis that was also known to Dangeard to grow abundantly in the East African Rift Valley lakes where they represented the main source of food for the lesser flamingoes. Dihe was rediscovered 25 years later in 1966 by J. Leonard, who was attracted by a “curious substance green bluish, sold as dried biscuits” around Fort Lamy. Leonard confirmed that dihe was composed almost exclusively of dried mats of S. platensis (A. platensis). It was collected from the waters of the alkaline lakes in the Kanem area, northeast of Lake Chad. Arthrospira
still makes a large portion of the daily protein diet of the Kanembu tribe in the Lake Chad area and contributes significantly to the local economy. It was at about the same time that the French Petroleum Institute got interested in some samples of Spirulina (S. maxima) that grew abundantly in Lake Texcoco near Mexico City. The subsequent studies by the French group culminated in the establishment of the first commercial production of Spirulina in the world in the 1970s.

Spirulina Production: Nature To Nature

Most of the information that is used to grow Spirulina in outdoor culture is derived from observations made on natural blooms of these algae in natural lakes. Of special significance is their adaptation to highly alkaline (up to 400 meq/l) and very high pH (up to 11) of tropical and subtropical regions of the world. This harsh chemical environment
essentially prohibits the growth of other algae. It is therefore not uncommon to find almost unialgal populations of Arthrospira in these lakes. The crater lakes around the Great African Rift Valley are good examples of these. These lakes support high-standing crops of Spirulina (up to 2.0 g Chl a l−1) and support huge populations
of flamingoes . It is estimated that adult and juvenile flamingoes consume on the average about 66 g of Spirulina per day on a dry weight basis. This means that the whole flamingo population, about a million individuals at the time, extracted 50–94% of the daily primary production or 0.4–0.6% of the algal biomass.
The productivity of these natural ecosystems has not been studied to any great extent. However, there have been some studies looking into photosynthetic productivity (Belay, unpublished). On the basis of these studies some of these soda lakes are among the most productive natural systems. The photosynthetic productivity
reported for these lakes is the highest ever recorded for any natural systems and are comparable to those observed in some waste treatment ponds or mass culture facilities. The values of 43–57 g m−2 d−1 recorded by Talling for Lake Arenguadie in Ethiopia are among the highest ever recorded for natural systems. Comparable
values have also been recorded recently for this same lake (Belay, unpublished).
The high productivity of these soda lakes is a result of (a) high algal contents in the euphotic zone, (b) high photosynthetic capacity favored by high temperature, and (c) a surplus of dissolved inorganic phosphate and an especially huge reserve of CO2. Maximal photosynthetic rates (mg C l−1 h−1) and photosynthetic efficiency
(mg C [mg Chl a]−1 h−1) obtained at light saturation in a continuous culture replete with nutrients were comparable to those obtained in these highly productive lakes.23 Aerial biomass concentrations (mg Chl a m−2) for Lakes Arenguadie and Kilole have been found to be close to the maximum possible on theoretical grounds
(180–300 mg Chl a m−2).

Source : Spirulina In Human Nutrition and Health, CRC Press

Overweight Moms More Likely to Have Asthmatic Kids

A mother’s weight may have lasting effects not just on her own health but on the respiratory health of her children as well.

“Children with asthmatic parents are at an increased risk of asthma if the mother is overweight before pregnancy,” said H.A. Smit, head of the department of prevention and health services research at the National Institute of Public Health and Environment in the Netherlands.

In fact, Smith and his fellow researchers found that the risk of asthma is 65 percent higher among the offspring of overweight mothers if one or both of the child’s parents have a history of the disease.

Smit was to present the findings Tuesday at the American Thoracic Society’s annual meeting in San Diego.

As many as 20 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma, about 9 million of them children, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Despite advances in treatment, asthma is still responsible for about 5,000 deaths each year in the United States, it says.

Not all children born to parents with asthma go on to develop the airway disease. That happens about 40 percent of the time, the academy reports.

Because the exact causes of asthma are not clear, researchers have looked at a number of factors that might contribute to its development, including maternal smoking, the child’s environment and more.

Smit’s study sought to assess whether a mother’s weight before pregnancy could affect a child’s risk for asthma. The study included nearly 4,000 children, who were followed from birth to 8 years of age.

The mothers in the study averaged 30 years old, and almost 21 percent were overweight — which the researchers defined as have a body mass index higher than 25 — before becoming pregnant.

Children were considered to have asthma if their parents reported that they’d had at least one attack of wheezing or shortness of breath or had needed inhaled corticosteroids in the previous year. About 14 percent of the children had asthma by age 8.

The researchers adjusted the data to account for confounding factors, such as maternal education, mode of delivery, maternal smoking during pregnancy, duration of breast-feeding, birth weight and the child’s current weight, according to Smit.

Although they found no association between maternal weight in children born to parents without asthma, children born to parents with asthma who also had an overweight mother had a 65 percent increased risk of developing asthma.

Though the study was not designed to determine why being overweight might affect a child’s risk for asthma, Smit theorized that inflammation could be the connection between the conditions. That’s because obesity can encourage inflammation, and inflammation is at the root of asthma.

Dr. Jennifer Appleyard, chief of allergy and immunology at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, said that “we don’t know exactly what causes or contributes to asthma, but it does look like there are some things that occur in utero that could affect the child later.”

But, she said, it may not be the fact that mothers are overweight. It could be something that they’re eating that’s affecting their children. It’s just not clear from this study, she said, adding that that more research needs to be done.

More information

The U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute has more on the causes of asthma.

Source: Everyday Health

Handling Stress in the New Millennium

Communicating with friends, family, and professionals, as well as making healthy lifestyle choices, will help allay anxiety. So will realizing that you are not alone in feeling stressed.

Though we may go about our everyday lives in different ways, we all have one thing in common — stress. Whether it is the anxiety of work, family, finances, or personal fulfillment, too much stress can lead to serious physical and mental health problems.

When challenges arise, you can prevent stresses from taking their toll on your health by following simple, positive ways of coping. Here are some tips from mental health experts for dealing with the everyday issues that arise in these turbulent times:

This section created and produced exclusively by the editorial staff of EverydayHealth.com. © 2009 EverydayHealth.com; all rights reserved.

Herbal Medicine Products

Echinacea

Echinacea is widely used throughout Europe for the prevention and treatment of colds and other upper respiratory tract infections. A recent Cochrane review of 16 clinical trials has reported that the overall results suggest that some products may have an effect greater than placebo, but that overall the results were inconclusive

Garlic

Numerous studies and systematic reviews have investigated the effects of garlic preparations in lowering raised serum cholesterol concentrations (see Garlic). Generally, the studies report beneficial results for garlic. However the evidence at present is insufficient to recommend garlic as routine treatment for hypercholesterolaemia. One of the major problems in assessing the evidence available on garlic is the wide variation in the chemical composition of the products available, compared with fresh garlic. Further controlled studies are needed using standardised preparations to investigate efficacy in reducing serum lipids, blood pressure, platelet aggregation and antimicrobial activity (see Garlic).

Ginger

Some clinical studies have reported ginger to be an effective prophylactic against motion sickness, although subsequent studies have found ginger to be ineffective (see Ginger).

Ginkgo

Ginkgo is widely used in France and Germany in authorised herbal medicinal products for the treatment of circulatory insufficiencies (peripheral and cerebral). Currently, no licensed herbal medicinal products containing ginkgo are available in the UK.

Several systematic reviews have been carried out analysing the available evidence on the effects of ginkgo in cerebral insufficiency, dementia, tinnitus and intermittent claudication (see Ginkgo). Overall the results suggest some beneficial effects, but further studies are needed.

Ginseng

Ginseng is widely renowned for its adaptogenic properties in Eastern countries, where it is used to help the body cope with stress and fatigue, and to promote recovery from illness or imbalance such as hypertension or hypoglycaemia. Generally, it is only recommended to be used for certain individuals with specific illnesses. By comparison, in the UK, ginseng is mainly self–administered and taken in the form of tablets or capsules containing dried extracts of the root. Ginseng products available in the UK are sold as food supplements, often in combination with vitamins and minerals. A wealth of research describing a wide range of pharmacological activities, particularly on the hypothalamic and pituitary regions of the brain, has been documented for ginseng (see Ginseng, Eleutherococcus).

Saw palmetto

Saw palmetto is widely used in Europe, particularly in Germany, for symptoms associated with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). In the UK, saw palmetto is licensed in a number of products for the symptomatic relief of short–term, male urinary discomfort. Results of clinical trials indicate that saw palmetto is a potential agent for the symptomatic treatment of BPH (see Saw Palmetto).

Valerian

Valerian is widely used in Europe for nervous tension and for promoting sleep. The therapeutic indications proposed by the EMEA HMPWP include relief of temporary, mild nervous tension and temporary difficulty in falling asleep.(19) A systematic review of randomised, double–blind, placebo–controlled trials of valerian reported inconsistencies in methodology between studies, and that the evidence for efficacy was inconclusive (see Valerian). It is unclear whether the active principles in valerian are associated with the volatile oil, the iridoid components termed valepotriates or with some other, as yet unidentified, group of constituents.

Technorati Profile

Toddler Milestone

Overview

During the toddler years, your child will make huge strides physically, intellectually, and emotionally, whether it’s learning to use the potty or how to make friends. Here’s a look at what’s to come.

Physical milestones

Throwing and kicking a ball (12 months)
Soon after her first birthday, your child will show interest in ball play — first by throwing, then by kicking at age 2 (catching comes around age 3 to 4). To help her along:

* For throwing, start by rolling a small soft ball back and forth between you, moving farther and farther apart with each pass. Soon, she’ll want to throw it.
* For kicking, show her how to use her feet instead of hands to roll a ball back and forth between the two of you.
* For catching, have her roll it up a small incline to catch on the way down.

Pushing and pulling (12 to 18 months)
Once your child’s a confident walker, he’ll discover the joy of dragging or pushing toys along. And all the while he’ll improve his coordination, since he’ll be walking forward while occasionally looking back.

So offer him some pull or push toys to play with, or make your own by attaching a string to a toy car (make sure to supervise or limit the length of the cord to 12 inches to avoid a strangulation hazard).

Squatting (12 to 18 months)
Up to now, your baby has had to bend down to pick things up off the ground. But soon, she’ll attempt to squat instead. To help her along:

* When she starts to stoop over for an object, show her how to bend her knees to squat.
* Let her practice. Line up a few small toys on the floor and have a “treasure hunt,” where she has to go from one item to the next and pick them up - a perfect activity for cleanup time!

Climbing (12 to 24 months)
Toddlers climb up on the kitchen table (or your desk or the bed) for the obvious reason: Because it’s there. Kids this age are trying to find a balance between risk and challenge. Of course, you know that the challenge of climbing up the bookcase isn’t worth the risk, but the average toddler’s ability to reason isn’t in line with his physical prowess. Climbing is an important physical milestone, though. It’ll help your child develop the coordination he needs to master skills like walking up steps. Ways you can help:

* Provide safe opportunities for climbing. Toss sofa cushions or pillows on a carpeted floor, or let him loose at a toddler-friendly playground.
* Anchor bookcases and other pieces of furniture to the wall, even if you think they’re too heavy to topple. Clear shelves of things that could fall on him - or that could tempt him to climb.
* Limit access. Keep chair seats pushed under the table, and take a closer look at the stove: Could your child get to it by climbing up shelves or cabinets?
* Set up gates at the top and bottom of the stairs. It’s the only way to keep your child from attempting that irresistible - but dangerous - ascent. To help your child learn to climb the stairs safely, practice together by taking him up and down while holding his hand.

Running (18 to 24 months)
Some kids seems to go from crawling to sprinting in two seconds flat. Others take more time. How come? Because kids fall a lot when learning to run, and some are just more willing to risk it. To encourage your child:

* Play tag where falling won’t hurt too much, such as on a grassy lawn or a sandy beach.
* Chase your child - this is one time you can actually encourage him to run away from you! - and then switch and have him run after you.
* Try racing, especially if older kids are willing to play along.

Potty training (24 to 36 months)
Potty training is one of the milestones parents look forward to the most - no more diapers! But keep in mind that the age when kids are ready for it varies widely. Signs that it may be time:

* Your child peers down at her diapers, grabs them, or tries to pull them off when they’re soiled; or she squats or crosses her legs when she needs to go. These actions show that she’s mature enough to understand how her body works.
* She shows an interest in things that are potty-related - wanting to watch you go to the bathroom or talking about pee-pee or poo-poo.

If these apply to your child, and she can get on and off the toilet and pull her pants down, then give toilet training a shot. Help her associate the about-to-go sensation with using the potty. As soon as you notice the usual signs, give a quick prompt like “Let’s use the potty” as you guide her toward it. For more tips and strategies, check out our Potty Training guide.

Jumping (24 to 36 months)
Between 2 and 3 years, toddlers learn how to jump off low structures, and eventually how to jump from a standing position. Both of these skills require bilateral coordination, or the ability to use both sides of your body to do something different. How you can help:

Go curb hopping. Holding your child’s hand, stand next to her on a curb or a low step and say, “One, two, three, jump!” then jump down simultaneously.

Practice leapfrogging as a prelude to jumping from a standing position, which is more difficult than hopping off a step. Show your child how to get down into a half-squat position and throw her arms up while she hops. Gradually she’ll figure out how to jump from a standstill.

Psychological and emotional milestones

Prereading (12 to 36 months)
Most toddlers love storytime. It’s a chance to snuggle with Mom or Dad, gaze at colorful pictures, and hear interesting sounds. But it’s more than just a cozy activity - your child is also learning the earliest of reading skills, including:

* How books work - we open them, the story is inside.
* We read from left to right.
* Books can tell a story.
* Stories have a beginning and an end.

To encourage your child’s love of reading, try to:

* Read aloud.
* Let your baby play with his books so he gets familiar with them.
* Keep it brief. Little people have little attention spans, and ten minutes - even five minutes - is a long time.
* Ask questions. Have him find simple things, like the baby’s eyes or the pretty flower. Your goal is to bring what’s happening on the page into an interaction between the two of you.
* Follow your child’s lead. If your tot grabs the book from you to explore it on his own, let him - just hold him on your lap and cuddle with him as he looks.

Gaining independence (18 to 36 months)
Most babies don’t see themselves as entities separate from their parents, especially their mothers. This changes quickly sometime in the second year, when they become aware that they’re individuals, and are more insistent on doing things on their own. Here’s how to give your child room to grow:

Allow more time in your schedule for her to do things herself. If she wants to put on her own coat, shoes, etc., getting out of the house will take that much longer.

Include her in your chores. Let her hold the dustpan, or send her around with a rag to dust furniture legs.

Be patient. At first, letting your child use a fork or pull on his pants will drive you crazy. But let her try and don’t step in.

Your toddler’s growing independence comes with a stage that can, at times, be exasperating: She’ll assert her independence by saying “no” all the time. Your impulse may be to show your child who’s boss, but you’ll have better luck if you:

Say yes to your little naysayer whenever you can - in other words, when it isn’t unsafe, inconvenient, or unreasonable.

Be firm when necessary. When you have to get your way, do it as quickly, deliberately, and calmly as you can. Once you’ve physically put your toddler in her car seat, you can explain your reasoning in simple terms - you can tell her that it’s dangerous to ride in a car without one.

Using simple sentences (18 to 24 months)
Ever since your child said his first coo, he’s been working toward this moment: By combining gestures, isolated sounds, and words, he can now speak in simple two-word sentences. You’re thrilled, and he’s thrilled: Now you can have a conversation (of sorts)! Be patient, though - even though he knows certain words, he may not fully understand their meaning for a while. To encourage his talking:

* Don’t finish your toddler’s sentences for him; doing so will only add to his frustration.
* Remember that he’ll still resort to crying when he’s too tired, hungry, cranky, or overwhelmed to use words.
* Give your child lots of opportunities to speak, especially if there are older kids in the house, too.
* As your toddler becomes more verbal, make sure you model good speech rather than correct his pronunciation or his grammar. Children who are interrupted and corrected can feel like giving up.

Learning empathy (24 months)
At this age, toddlers may begin to make the first connections between their own feelings and behavior and those of other people. This is the foundation for interacting with others and building friendships. To help your child’s developing empathy:

Don’t try to fix it when he feels bad. Help your child learn to cope by identifying his emotions for him - whether he’s sad because his favorite toy broke or someone else is crying - and reassure him that it’s okay to feel the way he does.

Watch your own emotions. Don’t be shy about telling your child when you’re angry, sad, or disappointed - but make sure that you’re not overreacting to the situation, which can make your child feel anxious or scared.

When she seems to be regressing

It can be disconcerting when a toddler appears to be regressing in some way. For instance, your chatterbox may suddenly do nothing but point and cry; your avid walker may reach up and demand to be carried. All of this is normal. Toddlers are developing so many skills they can become overwhelmed. What to do when your tot regresses:

* Acknowledge her feelings. If she can’t tell you what’s bugging her, see if she can show you.
* Rather than seeing it as good or bad, see it as a signal. When a child regresses, she’s usually telling you that she needs comfort. Let her snuggle up with you, or read her a book. She’ll likely behave like her normal self soon.

You might worry if your child is delayed in reaching a milestone. But some kids are simply late bloomers; some just master certain skills before others. However, if you’re concerned, speak to your doctor. For more information, go to our Motor Skill Delays guides.

Summary

A toddler is constantly learning how to do new things. Give yours loving support, and as often as possible provide a little freedom for him to strive for independence. And don’t worry if he occasionally “unlearns” a skill - a little regression is just part of the process in the toddler years.

Dads are the primary ‘health role model’ for kids

Academics at the University of Newcastle have found that children are more likely to follow their father’s lead when it comes to healthy eating and exercise behaviours, as opposed to their mother’s.

The study, that found children mimic their father’s habits over their mother’s in terms of diet and fitness, has lead the Hunter Medical Research Institute to fund a world-first study entitled Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids to be trialled over a six month period.
Professor Philip Morgan, heading up the new program, saw astonishing results in a previous trial involving 165 overweight children, which showed that kids who lost the most amount of weight had fathers who were, at the same time, taking part in a new eating and exercise plan. Professor Morgan also learnt in a separate trial that the children of 65 men involved in an online weight loss program shed several kilos alongside their fathers, and that the wives in fact lost weight as well.

According to Professor Morgan, however, mothers are often portrayed as the ‘bad guy’ when it comes to healthy eating, as they are usually the key instigators in putting fruit and vegetables in front of their kids at meal times. “Mum can purchase and prepare the food but dads will often have less greens, or just meat and potato. The kids think ‘mum makes me eat this’ and she is painted as the bad guy,” Professor Morgan said.
However as this study shows, it is the dads who “influence the food and physical activity habits in the home” says Morgan, “through their behaviours, attitudes and approach to food and eating, and act as a role model to their children.”

The study also showed that mothers, as primary care givers, were easier to inform but that when fathers make healthy lifestyle changes, the entire family tends to follow and becomes healthier in general.

So how can you even up the balance so that both parents influence food and exercise choices equally in your household? Spend time as a whole family planning your health, fitness and eating habits. You can use our handy tools, such as the event calendar to schedule in lots of energetic get-togethers with other families, with healthy eating and exercise as the theme.

For example, invite the cousins or neighbours to the park for a big picnic and game of cricket; head to the bike track for your son’s upcoming birthday party; or host a family lunch where fruit skewers are served instead of ice-creams for dessert. (Use our invitation template to spread the word!)

But it certainly doesn’t have to be an occasion for you and the kids to eat well and keep active. Far from it! Using our kids activity ideas list, help your children come up with ideas for living a healthy lifestyle - it’s a great way to get them motivated to try a new physical activity such as horse riding, dance or basketball.

And if you’re really having trouble getting them off the couch and into the backyard for a run around, try including 30 minutes of physical activity as part of their daily schedule - add it to their rules, curfews and guidelines list so they realise how serious you are about them getting regular exercise.

Source :
http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=752377