// BLOG
May 18, 2010Sugar…. I like it… do you?
This whole Health Care Debate has me in a tizzy. The question becomes even when we have health care for all, are we looking at the fine print, and more importantly, what is the real issue here. Much of this issue is the state of our health in the nation. Juvenile diabetes is up, Up, UP!! Why you say,… well just take a walk into one of your weekly birthday celebrations. 
It is not enough for the children to run around and have little piece of cake. But now they must be provided with soda, juice, and goody bags full of sweets. No parent would ever deny a child more soda if they are thirsty, especially if it would make them look bad to other parents (do you know what is in a can of soda?)… and you know, these kids get thirsty. I guess water is hardly an option anymore unless the child specifically asks for it. Even at family celebrations, it is only polite to be serving cake, ice cream, and pastries for dessert. Dessert is taken to the next level and the snacks on the shelf in the grocery store qualify for the same category as desserts when I grew up. Parents profess to be aware, but when it comes to this celebration and that celebration we give in… it seems like every day!! I do not claim to be perfect… far from it. All I am saying is there is a lot of talk among parents agreeing on this but when it comes to focusing on your own children and family, it is hard to adjust. That is when the health of our children gets worse, and worse.
Get Informed -
Google It:
http://www.state.nj.us/health/fhs/shapingnj/partners.shtml
http://www.whale.to/v/sugar_q.html
http://www.facebook.com/SmartHabitsFans#!/SmartHabitsFans?v=wall
Get Cerebral:
http://www.techjackal.net/other/2010/04/22/sugar-is-not-so-sweet-for-your-health/
http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v10/n6/full/oby200266a.html
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63J69U20100420
http://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/02/q2/0620-hoebel.htm
Your child may not need that booster shot and the law is on your side.
I have a beautiful four and a half year old boy with autism. In our case he showed signs since birth, but was not diagnosed until after the age of two, after his initial MMR vaccine. After so much angst, expense, tears and most of all, effort we were making progress towards healing him. Our son Emerson, “Little Em” was finally starting to say words and look us in the eyes, then came time for his MMR booster shot. We were sick to our stomachs wondering if this booster would cause regression and thwart all our efforts. The vision of injecting him with something that could hurt him further literally brought tears to my eyes. After much research I found a few things out about the MMR “booster” and what our rights are in the State of New Jersey.
First, the MMR booster is not a booster at all. The initial vaccine inoculates approximately 94 to 95% of the population receiving it. The booster is later administered across the board to simply increase the percentage up a few points to about 97 to 98%. So out of 100 children who initially receive the MMR, about 95 already have enough antibodies and do not require the follow up shot. Secondly, you are allowed to get what’s known as a titer test. This is a blood test to measure the amount of antibodies in the blood stream. If they are high enough, your child is exonerated from the follow up MMR vaccine. All day care facilities and schools must accept this and cannot prevent your child from attending if your child passes the required antibody levels on the titer.
Don’t Be Surprised If Doctors Are Resistant.
In our case we waited until we were in the doctor’s office to receive the booster when I notified the nurse who came in with the vaccine that we wanted a script for a titer. She became quite flustered and insisted that the booster was required. I calmly requested to meet with the doctor. He complied without hesitation, but what I find so disturbing is even with the knowledge of my son’s condition, I still had to garner this information elsewhere. Long story short, my son’s antibodies were high enough and he did not require the booster. I can’t say that vaccines had any ill effect Little Em, but after all we have been going through we didn’t want to risk anything.
Because of Little Em’s autism we meet so many other parents in the same situation, with the same pit in their stomach when it comes time for booster shots, but to my surprise they don’t know of the titer. Why isn’t this common knowledge? With all the concern over vaccines how come school authorities and doctors don’t advertize this choice? Sadly I think it’s part economics, and part that the public is used to lining up like lemmings when it comes to doctor’s orders (imagine how much less money the Pharma companies would make if 95% of the population didn’t get their booster shots because they didn’t need it.)
The titer test is available for the following vaccines:
- MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
- Hepatitis B
- Diphtheria, Tetanus
- H. Influenza (HiB)
- Hepatitis A
- Chicken Pox, (Varicella – zoster)
- Influenza A and B
- Polio
- Pneumococcal vaccines
So if you’re up at night worried about an upcoming vaccine shot for your child, research your state laws and see if a titer test is available. And spread the word. With autism now affecting 1 in 100 children, (1 in 66 if it’s a boy) everyone now knows someone who affected by this condition. Who knows, at the very least you may help save another parent from that awful pit in their stomach.
Jersey Fresh
The Heart of the Matter- Community Participation makes such a difference to your Town! There is so many great things about supporting local farms. Many local Farmers in NJ use much less pesticides! WE are hoping to get an organic farmer for both vegetables, and for meats this year in Caldwell….
http://caldwells.thejerseytomatopress.com/detail/3308.html
Something to think about marriage…it’s a LOT OF WORK!!!!
Something to think about marriage…it’s a LOT OF WORK!!!! We all know that, but what does it really mean? I think it means that in order to create or sustain a WE, it cannot be about ME , much of the time. We are not really wired this way in our society. We are taught to look to ourselves to define much of what is important and consider how we FEEL as a major deciding factor in almost every aspect of our lives. And that very perspective causes us great pain when we need to blend it, especially if it doesn’t meet our vision of what we want or believe is correct or preferable, in any given scenario. It is easy to blend our will when it matches our desire, for example, we both want Chinese food tonight or agree that a purchase is warranted and can be afforded. It is much harder when we see a parenting situation differently or don’t agree on a purchase or lifestyle choice. That’s when the WORK aspect becomes necessary. And I just don’t see that many of us in this day and age are prepared or expect that we should have to compromise or communicate effectively with both send and receive aspects working equally. Yet, we will NEED to do just that, over and over again to sustain a successful marriage. We think that if we just pick the “right” person we can bypass this process. And it is true that the more compatible we are with our spouse the easier this will be. But there are no two people that are so compatible that we can bypass this entirely, so we would be well served to look at ourselves and take stock of how flexible we are, and how maybe we can learn ( and teach our children to be) to be more open to others, accommodating or accepting of compromise unless major boundaries are being violated.
Marci Wolff Ober, LMFT
Staying Healthy During the Pregnancy Yields Benefits
Staying Healthy during Pregnancy yields Benefits afterwards: written by Niva Herzig, PT
Staying healthy while you are pregnant is not only beneficial to your baby, but to you too. This holds true whether it’s your first child or your tenth. What does staying healthy mean? A combination of proper diet, exercise and sleep.
Just because you are pregnant, doesn’t mean you need to double your caloric intake. In fact, caloric increase only needs to occur during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters and by 300 calories. Take in fluids regularly in order to maintain hydration, especially when pregnant during warmer months and during exercise. Continue eating meals consisting of all food groups and keep sugars at a minimum. Include in your diet fruits and vegetables, whole grains and protein. Remember to eat foods rich in Calcium, Iron, Folic Acid and Vitamin C. Be aware of foods that may harm your baby such as unpasteurized cheeses or raw fish and meats. Make sure all meats are cooked and are not eaten raw to avoid exposure to harmful bacteria. Additionally, minimize the intake of caffeine. Once your baby is born, remember to continue eating a well balanced diet and increase fluids especially if breast feeding. For more specific issues and concerns speak with your physician or consult with a nutritionist.
Staying active is very beneficial to you and your baby. (more…)
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