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Would you like some cereal with that bowl of sugar?
Fruit Loops, Cap’n Crunch, Apple Jacks, Reese’s Puffs- the list could go on and on. All of these cereals boast of their nutritional value by claiming, “now provides fiber”, “made with natural flavors”, or “made from whole grains”, but they all have one thing in common- their shockingly high sugar content. The problem is, these cereals are what many kids crave, thanks to cereal companies who try (and succeed) in luring kids into wanting, NEEDING their sugary cereal product through marketing campaigns that target young children.
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Exploring the link between autism and illness in pregnant mothers
Could autism in a child be related to fever or infection in the pregnant mother?
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How the ketogenic diet can help patients with Epilepsy
In honor of Epilepsy Awareness Month, please welcome our guest contributor, Kelly Urbanik. Kelly is a Registered Dietitian at Arnold Palmer Hospital. She has been working with the Ketogenic Diet Therapy Program for the past 6 years and has worked with over 125 patients for this specialized therapy.
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The morning after pill: what every parent of a teenager should know
In the United States, recent news about teenage sexuality is promising. Fewer teens are having sex, and less than half of girls have sex before they graduate high school according to data from the Florida Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Teen pregnancy rates are also falling, probably due to a combination of fewer teens having sex, better long-acting birth control options such as Depo-Provera, and condom use by teens. In spite of this great news, the U.S still has one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy among developed countries. Nearly 80% of teen pregnancies are unplanned, a result of birth control failure or nonuse, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
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The Mighty Landis
Landis was born premature at 32 weeks and spent 4 weeks in the NICU at Winnie Palmer Hospital. What began as a scary moment for Landis's parents Brian & Hilary has become a defining moment for their family. Thanks to Dr. Gregor Alexander and the incredible team in the NICU Landis has grown from a tiny infant into "The Mighty Landis" - a healthy, happy and hilarious little wild man. Just because you start out mini, doesn't mean you can't be mighty!
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Winning the pacifier war
My daughter has had an intense, rapturous love affair with the pacifier for the past 2 and-a-half years. I’m certain that if the world were ending and she had the choice to keep for herself either Mommy or her bee-bees (her word for pacifier), she would choose the bee-bees any day of the week. I try not to take it personally.
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Why I gave up red meat
I am a native of the South. I was born and raised in Central Florida with a family who enjoys its share of sweet tea, mashed potatoes and gravy, and holiday barbecues. My grandfather even used to dry his own beef jerky in the backyard. So you can imagine the quizzical looks and questions I received when I – abruptly – decided to stop eating red meat. Why would you do such a thing? Are you a vegan now? How long will you keep it up? It’s been two and a half years since my last taste of beef, and now I can look back with greater clarity to answer why I made such a snap decision.
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Putting the "thanks" into Thanksgiving
What are you thankful for this holiday season? This should be a question that all parents ask their kids, not only around the holidays, but year-round too. Studies show that adults who have an attitude of gratitude have more energy, more optimism, more social connections, and are all-around happier than those who do not. And researchers are finding that this same theory holds true for children and adolescents too. Kids who show signs of gratefulness typically have higher GPAs and are less materialistic.
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Friends can impact your child’s activity level
“You are who your friends are.” The phrase every parent knows, but no kid, especially teenagers, wants to hear. Parents often use this popular line as a way to encourage their pre-teen or teenager to choose friends who will set a positive example, build their character, and create healthy habits. But recent studies have shown that this theory can even apply to kids as young as 5 years old. Young kids like to play “follow the leader” and are easily influenced by what those around them are doing, especially when it comes to physical activity (or lack thereof).
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Helping your teen learn to make good decisions
I remember the day I graduated from high school: caps, gowns, diplomas, the whole deal. Questions that I heard over and over were, “So…what are you going to do now?” “Are you going to college?” “Where?” “What are you going to major in?” “What are you going to do with a degree in THAT?!”
