New research has shown us why sleep is so important to our brain function.  During sleep the brain flushes away potentially toxic buildup.

In a study published on Oct. 18, 2013 in Science, scientist injected a marker into the cerebral fluid of mice.  When the mice were in the awake state nothing occurred, but when the mice were asleep, the fluid was flushed away. The study shows that the glial cells contract during sleep increasing the brain’s interstitial space and allowing unwanted fluid to be flushed away.  They then return to normal size in the awake state.

This study is a breakthrough in neurological diseases linked to protein build-up in the brain such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

The bottom line is if you want to stay healthy and keep your brain functioning at its best, get enough sleep.

It has long been known that too much television is not healthy for developing children, but with the prevalence of  tablets, smart phones and video games  limiting total screen time is more important than ever.

According to the American Association of Pediatricians, “the average 8- to 10-year-old spends nearly 8 hours a day with different media, and older children and teens spend more than 11 hours per day. Kids who have a TV in their bedroom spend more time with media.  About 75 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds own cell phones, and nearly all teenagers use text messaging.”

Guidelines established by the American Association of Pediatrics suggest that children under 2 should not watch any television or entertaining media while older children should be limited to one to two hours a day.

Research shows that children with television in their bedroom have lower test scores.  The AAP supports the idea “screen-free” zones with no television, computers or video games in children’s bedrooms.

Background television is also an issue.  A study published in Child Development compared the length of time a three year old played with a toy while television was playing in the background compared to time  played with the television off.  When the television was on, the play time was significantly reduced.

There have also been strong links between health and television viewing.  Children who spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight.  Simply having a television in the bedroom increases the risk of being overweight.  Other studies have shown correlations between increase screen time and increased incident of asthma as well as an increase in bone fractures.

How do you limit time?  There are a number of timer that have been developed to track and limit screen time on televisions and video games. These can track single or multiple children and devices.   There are a number of Apps such as Game Time Limits control the amount of time spent on tablets and smart phones.

If you are thinking of donating your time or money to help others, you might be surprise to learn that you are actually helping yourself.  Charitable giving and volunteering has been shown to increase longevity, decrease stress and to make you happy.

A study conducted by the University of Michigan followed 423 older couples over a five year period  It found that the elderly who are helpful to others reduced their risk of dying by nearly 60% compared to those who did not offer practical or emotional support to friends, neighbors and family during the same period of time.

A 2006 study by the National Institute of Health found that charitable giving creates a “helper’s high”; it activates the regions of the brain associated with trust, pleasure and social connection. The Harvard Business School conducted a study that found that “very minor alterations in spending allocations—as little as $5 in our final study—may be sufficient to produce non-trivial gains in happiness on a given day.”

A study published in Psychology and Aging found that volunteering 200 hours a year (4 hours a week) can reduce the risk of developing hypertension by 40%.  There was a 22% decrease in those who volunteered 100 to 199 hours a year (2 hours a week).

Next time someone asks you for help, do yourself a favor and say yes.

Looking at my practice, I am astounded at the number of my patients that are following the paleo diet.  My clients claimed to be feeling good, losing weight and having increased energy levels, but what I see is something else.

Their systems have become acidic and fatty and there was no doubt in my mind that their cholesterol and triglycerides are off the charts.  Their channels are very similar to what I had seen in those following the Atkins diet.  During the treatment of one patient, I felt phlegm and fat buildup.  I asked how his cholesterol levels were and if he was eating too much fat, he explained that he was eating only grass fed beef and putting organic butter in his tea.

The paleo diet calls for a wide variety of grass fed meats, fish/seafood, fruits and vegetables, eggs, nuts and seeds and healthy oils, perhaps a main issue is one of choice. There is a difference between choosing rib eye steak over a lean cut of fish and perhaps people are choosing the steak more often than the fish.

A study published in the British Medical Journal looked at over 40,000 Swedish women who followed a low carb high protein diet.  These women did not show consideration to the nature of the sources of carbohydrates or protein, they simply followed a low carb/high protein diet. The results showed that “a 20 g decrease in daily carbohydrate intake and a 5 g increase in daily protein intake would correspond to a 5% increase in the overall risk of cardiovascular disease.”

While there are some short term gains in following a low carb high protein diet, the long term effect of stroke and heart disease are not worth the risk.  Simply adding a small amount of unprocessed grains and focusing more on the fruit and vegetable component of the diet can give you the balance and the results you are looking for.

Bisphenol A or BPA is a chemical used to make polycarbonates and epoxy resin.   Polycarbonates are used in the manufacturing of certain plastic food and beverage containers and epoxy resin is used in the lining of food and beverage cans.  BPA mimics estrogen in the body and has been linked to a number of health concerns including cancer, obesity, diabetes, infertility and behavioral issues.   France has led the way in banning BPA in all food packaging.  The US has banned BPA in baby bottles but has not supported a ban on BPA in food packaging.

AVOIDING BPA

Plastics
BPA is prevalent in plastic food and beverage packaging and storage containers.  BPA plastics are easily identified as they are marked with the recycle code 7 or 1.  These plastics should be avoided and should never be heated or frozen.

Cans
A 2011 Harvard study showed that volunteers who ate canned soup for lunch daily for 5 days had a  1,221% increase in the BPA level of their urine compared to those that ate fresh soup.

Food stored in BPA lined cans should be avoided.  Certain companies such as Eden and Whole Food 365 Brand, to name a few,  use BPA free cans.  Green Century has published a report card on packaging to help you make the right choice.  http://greencentury.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/bpareport2010.pdf

Receipts
The Environmental Working Group conducted tests on store receipts in 2010 and found that 40% were coated with BPA.  BPA can be absorbed through the skin and transfered to food.  There is no way to identify BPA coated receipts, so excess contact should be avoided and they should not be given to children to handle.

Dental Work
BPA is found in some night guards and sports guards.  Be sure to ask for a brand that is BPA free.  BPA is also present in composite filling material.  Dentists should use  the “layering” or “sandwiching” technique to insure the product  is fully cured which prevents leaching or use BPA free filing materials.

Playful Parenting: A Bold New Way to Nurture Close Connections, Solve Behavioral Problems, and Encourage Children’s Confidence, by Lawrence J. Cohen PhD.  is not a new release but it is very noteworthy.  It is a guidebook on how to connect with your children and overcome behavioral issues using the power of play.  He explains how children use play to communicate, deal with stress, learn, express emotions and to simply have fun.  The book is well written and easy to follow and the content is supported by research and entertaining personal anecdotes.

Highlights:

Chapter  6  Learn to Roughhouse
This chapter discusses the importance of wrestling, pillow fighting and roughhousing to connect, to build empowerment and to safely release anger.   He teaches you how wrestle and sets out rules and boundaries for safe roughhousing.

Chapter  8 Empower Girls and Connect with Boys
Dr. Cohen deals with gender stereotyping and how to use play to develop empowerment for girls and to build communication skills in boys.

Chapter  11  Learn to Love the Games you Hate
This chapter is a must read for any parent that dreads playtime because they simply “can’t” play with Barbie or whatever the child’s favorite toy is. He teaches you how to change the type of play you are engaging in not what you are playing with so you can both enjoy a meaningful playtime.

Chapter 13 Rethink the Way We Discipline
Dr. Cohen takes a different approach to discipline.  He believes that bad behavior is due feeling unloved and to fix behavior issues, your child needs to feel loved.  Instead of exasperating the feeling of being unloved by sending  a child away in a time out, he suggest using having a time in and to use the time to connect.

Chapter 14 Play Your Way Through Sibling Rivalry
This chapter deals with multiple children, how to play with more than one child effectively and how to deal with family dynamics through play.

Although I always played regularly with my child, after reading this book, the quality of our play time went to a new level.  It was the first time my daughter literally thanked me for being so much fun to play with.  The advice in this book timeless and can apply to children of any age.  It is a must read for every parent.

Review by Tiffany Miller