Danny The Dragon » Children’s Health

More Studies Support Health Benefits of Friendship

Tina Turbin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:56:18 +0000

Other research suggests the health benefits of social support. One study, published in the journal Cancer, followed 61 women with advanced ovarian cancer. The women with lots of social support had much lower levels of a protein linked to more aggressive types of cancer, and higher levels of a protein that boosted the effectiveness of chemotherapy.
In 1989, David Spiegel, MD, a professor of psychiatry at Stanford University, published an influential paper in Lancet, showing that women with breast cancer who participated in a support group lived twice as long as those who didn’t and reported much less pain. Sheldon Cohen, PhD, a psychology professor at Carnegie Mellon University, has shown that strong social support helps people cope with stress. Other studies have demonstrated that less connected people tend to die sooner after having a heart attack than people with a strong social network and that having a large social network may even reduce chances of catching a cold, even though you’re probably exposed to more viruses when spending lots of time with others.

“Friends help you face adverse events,” Dr. Sheldon Cohen says. “They provide material aid, emotional support, and information that helps you deal with the stressors. There may be broader effects as well. Friends encourage you to take better care of yourself. And people with wider social networks are higher in self-esteem, and they feel they have more control over their lives.”

Take advantage of these findings by increasing your social network! There are plenty of people out there to strike up a friendship with and plenty of health benefits to look forward to as your friendships blossom.

Tina Turbin

Pesticides Are Shown to be Linked to ADHD

Tina Turbin — Fri, 21 May 2010 06:00:12 +0000

As a concerned mother and a children’s author who cares very much for families and children, I found the following article to be both appalling and at the same time refreshing to know that such a critical issue is being exposed.

While it has been known that pesticides used for our food and vegetable supply pose a variety of health risks, the fact that these same pesticides are linked to so-called ADHD in children is a truth that every parent needs to know about.

Click here to read the full article. Afterwards, browse through this section of my website for MANY helpful tips, resources and information to improve your family’s and your children’s quality of life.

I hope the above information helps you.

Tina Turbin

Mom’s Talking About 6-Year-Old Handcuffed and Committed in School

Tina Turbin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 02:06:15 +0000

Times have been slowly but surely changing and it is stories like this that really can hit home as to the NEED for teachers and school officials to have some of their control taken into account. As a mother of three, and American citizen and a humanitarian I can not believe acts like this can not only occur but that they are. This is a story for every parent to read and every family to understand.

When a simple call to a police official can get your pre-school or elementary school child handcuffed and placed in a mental institution, you know something is VERY wrong. What gives them the right to by-pass the parent’s authority of the child and by-pass the parent’s right of guardianship. Not that I agree with my 94 year old grandmother when she commented on this,What happened to the good old days with the simple spanking or slap on the back of the hands with a ruler” -but tell me, what has happened to our society? Can’t we expect and demand simple discipline to child where we can be confident it is safely applied? Isn’t this our right? My advice to you is “get involved”.

I deal a lot with teachers, children and moms as a children’s author and I can tell you the number of times I speak about kids and the school system is often. I welcome any radio station to have me on when it comes ot topics like this. I have a lot to share about actions like this. Please read this:

On FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2010 a young girl was sent to an adult mental institution for being unruly. This seems to be the way Port St. Lucie’s ( FL) school system has in dealing with disruptive students. This same school district allowed an autistic boy to be voted out of kindergarten class for unruly behavior.

Also, a Parkway Elementary School( FL) student was cuffed and sent to an adult mental institution earlier this month after she through a temper tantrum in the middle of class, reports TCPalm.com. The police report stated the cuffs were "for her safety and the safety of others”.The handcuffs calmed the little girl down after an hour in the tight silver handcuffs yet little did her and her family know what was ahead.

A few days later, this same girl had another “fit” and the school called the same deputy, who tossed the little girl in the back of his patrol car and transported her to the local adult mental institution. “The girl’s mother said “These people are going to the extreme”.

5-year-old Alex Barton was voted out of class two years ago for being disruptive in class. Alex Barton had a form of autism and his mother is now suing the school board. The School Board official will most likely be looking into this one!

http://www.momlogic.com/2010/02/6-year-old_student_handcuffed.php#ixzz0fkdVvS0w

As American citizens we can not let things like this happen. I welcome your feedback and any involvement or situations you have witnessed like this. We can find many groups to help violations like this. See My Favorites as a start. Leave a commnet tothis post and I will get it or you may Contact me

Tina Turbin

Encourage Social Skills in Children: Danny the Dragon Author Offers Tips

Tina Turbin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:57:19 +0000

One of the ways parents can increase involvement is by supporting their child’s education and helping him achieve academic success. An important part of this, which parents don’t often think about, is teaching your kids the social skills they’ll need to succeed in school. Here are some tips for parents on how they can send their child to school with the social skills they need to successfully interact with teachers and other students.

First, it’s important to teach your child to ask for what he needs. How can he get help unless he’s able to admit he doesn’t understand something? A great way to instill this in your child is to practice it at home.

One of the most important things you can teach your child is manners. Teachers may attempt to teach students politeness and social skills, but if it’s not being practiced in the home, the child will not successfully absorb these lessons. Your child should be taught when to say, “please,” “thank you,” and “excuse me.” Have him practice sharing things, taking turns, and waiting his turn in line.

Point out good examples of behavior to your child when you see it. If you’re watching a movie or out in public, you can say to your child something such as, “Did you see how the man held open the door for the lady? He was being a gentleman.”

Finally, rehearse at home anything your child may feel awkward saying or doing with other people. In such a way, you’ll be able to get your child interacting with others with ease.

Success in school isn’t only determined by academic skills and knowledge. By following the helpful tips above in the time you spend with your child, you’ll notice an improvement in your child’s education experience in no time as they become more comfortable in their learning environment and better equipped to flourish in it.

Packing the Kids a Healthy Lunch

Tina Turbin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:31:10 +0000

What exactly should you look for in a healthy, well-balanced lunch? You should make sure to include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, calcium, and lean protein. The USDA has daily recommendations for children for each of these food groups, and you should aim to provide as much as possible in each category when preparing your child’s lunch.

Collect recipes just as you would for dinners which can deliver to your child the nutrition he needs in a variety of creative ways. You can make lunch for the whole family in large servings—for Mom, Dad, and all the kids. Not only will this ensure that you’re feeding your child a variety of tasty foods, since you’ll be eating it yourself, but you’ll also save money and time by simplifying lunch-making.

If you’re strapped for time, get your kids to prepare their own lunches the night before (this is usually better than rushing in the morning). Kids are actually happy to help with cooking are able to pull it off with success with some supervision. It is with this in mind that I’ve created Danny the Dragon Children’s Cookbook as part of my Danny the Dragon children’s series.

Give your child the daily gift of a well-balanced lunch and watch him thrive!

Probiotics Can Prevent Children’s Flu

Tina Turbin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 21:22:23 +0000

A recent study shows that preschoolers who were given probiotic supplements twice a day were less likely to experience fevers, coughs, and runny noses than preschoolers who weren’t taking any during flu season. Probiotics are “good germs,” which promote a healthy balance between good and bad bacteria and between good bacteria and yeast in the digestive system. As a result, immunity is boosted.

Breast milk naturally has probiotics and there are also probiotic-fortified formulas out there for non-breastfed babies. There’s also a type of fiber called prebiotics which promotes the growth of probiotics. You can pick up powdered or liquid infant and children’s probiotics at the health food store and add these to breast milk, formula, or other liquids your child is drinking. Make sure to check the container for storage instructions. Usually, they need to be stored in the refrigerator. You can also find this nutrient in probiotic-rich foods such as yogurt and yogurt drinks as well as certain brands of baby foods.

Proceeds from Danny the Dragon CD Support Good Cause

Tina Turbin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 21:16:36 +0000

If you’re like most Americans, you probably haven’t even heard of celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder which causes an immune reaction that can affect the entire body, causing both physical and mental problems. The cause? An allergy to gluten, a component of wheat, barley, and rye. The problem with celiac disease is that doctors don’t know much about it either. They don’t know that it affects an estimated 300 million Americans and that with a simple test, a diagnosis can be made and the easy treatment can begin—a gluten-free diet.

An estimated 300 million Americans have celiac disease and only three percent of them know it. When I’m not working on the latest installment of my Danny the Dragon series or the Danny the Dragon Cookbook, I’m working hard to change this statistic by raising awareness and support for this disease that affects more people twice as many of those who suffer from Crohn’s disease, ulceric colitis, and cystic fibrosis combined.

Proceeds from the Danny the Dragon CD will go to the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University Medical Center, one of the major research centers around studying and bringing awareness to celiac disease. It is one-hundred percent focused on studying celiac disease and carries out research connecting it with various other diseases which it is believed to lead to if left untreated. Its goal is to change the lives of celiac disease sufferers for the better around the world, a goal which it is actively achieving, little by little, every day.

Vitamin D Can Prevent Children’s Flu

Tina Turbin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 21:13:50 +0000

Many studies have recently come out singing the benefits of the super-nutrient, vitamin D, which helps to activate immune cells. It’s recommended that children get 400 IU daily of vitamin D. What’s unique about this nutrient is that you can get it just by enjoying some sun; sunlight triggers production of it in your skin.

Unfortunately, a lot of kids aren’t exposed to enough sunlight, so they’re not getting enough of this important nutrient. It’s important that you provide vitamin-D rich foods such as fortified milk and juices, cheese, eggs, and salmon in your child’s diet. A glass of milk has 100 IU of vitamin D. Unless your child is prepared to drink four glasses of milk a day, which is unlikely, it is probably a good idea to find a supplement with vitamin D in it. Similarly, for infants who are exclusively breastfed, it’s important to find a supplement with 400 IU of vitamin D, as breast milk is deficient in it.

Healthy Eating for the Kids—Easy Tips

Tina Turbin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 21:02:34 +0000

It all starts with some planning. It’s best to create a menu for the week with healthy recipes that take thirty minutes or less to prepare, unless you know you’ll have more time available for cooking. There are many easy, healthy recipes available online which you can prepare in a snap.

Homemade cooking is the best way to ensure the family will be eating right. Even healthier TV dinners can be packed with sodium. When you prepare your own food, you are in control of it. You can add powerful nutrients by throwing in some wheat germ oil, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, low-fat instead of regular cheese, or whatever you’ d like.

When you go grocery shopping, I recommend that you leave the kids at home. If you do have to take the kids along with you while you go shop, make sure everybody eats a big, filling meal first. One of the most important steps in improving your kids’ diets is keeping the house full of healthy foods instead; remember, your kids can’t binge on junk food at home if you don’t have any.

Prepare snacks ahead of time for the week, keeping them in high-quality storage containers. Your kids can grab from these ready-made snacks, such as celery and almond butter, when they start to get hungry. Eventually, you’ll be sure to find tons of good-for-them goodies that you’ll both approve of.

Finally, get the kids involved in healthy cooking. Studies show that children who participate in household chores, such as cooking and making their own lunches, grow up with a better sense of self and end up more successful than less helpful or involved children. Kids of all ages will be able to find some way to help with the cooking, and they will love to be included.