Dear EarthTalk: What are the new nutrition standards for school lunches that have some students boycotting their cafeterias and discarding the food? – Melissa Makowsky, Trenton, NJ Indeed, some 31 million American kids participating in the federally supported National School Lunch Program have been getting more whole grains, beans, fruits and vegetables in their diets—whether [...]
by Deborah Pedrick If “happy and healthy” are words in your New Year’s Resolutions, then sleep should be a top priority to reach your goals in 2013. Lack of sleep takes a toll on your body and overall health. Research shows that chronic lack of sleep is linked to colds and flu, diabetes, heart disease, [...]
Is it true that children are sicker today than they were a generation ago and that pesticides have played a major role? — Maria Jenkins, Clewiston, FL It’s impossible to say with certainty that our modern reliance on pesticides is directly causing more of our children to get sick more often, but lots of new [...]
by Dr. Tom Jackson Sleep hygiene refers to the set of habits and guidelines that promote consistently restful and sufficient sleep at night and complete alertness during the day. It’s what you can do (and in some cases, not do) to help your child (and you) sleep easy and well. Like dental hygiene, instilling good [...]
by Dr. Tom Jackson There are two issues to examine when trying to help a child who’s suffering from nightmares: what to do during the nightmare, or just after the child awakens from one, and what to do in the child’s daily life, before and after sleeptime, to help keep the bad dreams away. Five [...]
By Jennifer M. Koontz Summer is the season for barbeques, beaches and…boredom. Some of the most dreaded words a parent can hear are, “I’m bored. There’s nothing to do.” Despite having a toy closet packed with games and puzzles and a garage filled with bicycles and balls, children always seem to find a way to [...]
A few years back a study found over 200 chemicals in the umbilical cords of newborns, particularly African American, Asian and Hispanic babies. What are the causes of this phenomenon and what can be done about it? – Bettina Olsen, New York, NY The study referenced found traces of some 232 synthetic chemicals in cord [...]
By Maureen Healy, author of Growing Happy Kids: How to Foster Inner Confidence, Success, and Happiness (HCI Books) The Science of Happiness: Happiness and all emotional health start with having a healthy brain. Neuroscientists all say that so much of our brain’s development is as a result of our choices in eating well, sleeping enough, exercise, positive thinking and [...]
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