Sunday, October 10, 2010
Friday, October 1, 2010
Balance Development in Children is Learned
Developing balance and coordination begins early in life. We learn to hold our heads up, crawl and then eventually walk, often precariously at first. We fall a lot initially and then progress towards running, playing, jumping, swinging and other activities that help our brains to develop balance. This is why we adults have fond childhood memories of walking across logs or balance beams, spinning, swinging and balance activities that help to stimulate our vestibular system (balance centers of the brain).
I can’t stress enough how important it is for children to stimulate their brain’s balance centers on a regular basis. Having a good brain is more than academic performance. Developing a good balance center reduces the likelihood of developing vestibular problems later in life including balance problems, learning disabilities, vertigo, dizziness, lack of coordination and injuries.
Children’s brains are nurtured by physical movement; this is why gentle rocking is calming to infants. A child’s vestibular system is properly formed by the feedback it receives from running, swinging, jumping, muscle contraction, etc.
Children should not be sedentary, staring at an LCD screen for hours at a time. If TV and video game activities are performed more than standard physical activities it can reduce the normal vestibular development needed to maneuver in Earth’s gravitational field throughout life.
The brain and vestibular system receive input from changes in muscle tone, movements of the body, head and eyes. Serious developmental and coordinative problems can develop if these centers are not regularly activated. It’s important for children to develop proprioception -- the sense that indicates whether the body is moving with required effort, as well as where the various parts of the body are located in relation to each other. Often called the “sixth sense” proprioception is vital to good balance.
Modalities such as Chiropractic, Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, Craniosacral Therapy, Yoga, and other body-centered therapies can help to improve proprioception and balance. Nothing, however, can solely replace good old fashioned movement and physical activity. Balance and prevention of balance related problems, along with coordination are learned activities developed by our interaction with our environment.
I can’t stress enough how important it is for children to stimulate their brain’s balance centers on a regular basis. Having a good brain is more than academic performance. Developing a good balance center reduces the likelihood of developing vestibular problems later in life including balance problems, learning disabilities, vertigo, dizziness, lack of coordination and injuries.
Children’s brains are nurtured by physical movement; this is why gentle rocking is calming to infants. A child’s vestibular system is properly formed by the feedback it receives from running, swinging, jumping, muscle contraction, etc.
Children should not be sedentary, staring at an LCD screen for hours at a time. If TV and video game activities are performed more than standard physical activities it can reduce the normal vestibular development needed to maneuver in Earth’s gravitational field throughout life.
The brain and vestibular system receive input from changes in muscle tone, movements of the body, head and eyes. Serious developmental and coordinative problems can develop if these centers are not regularly activated. It’s important for children to develop proprioception -- the sense that indicates whether the body is moving with required effort, as well as where the various parts of the body are located in relation to each other. Often called the “sixth sense” proprioception is vital to good balance.
Modalities such as Chiropractic, Massage Therapy, Acupuncture, Craniosacral Therapy, Yoga, and other body-centered therapies can help to improve proprioception and balance. Nothing, however, can solely replace good old fashioned movement and physical activity. Balance and prevention of balance related problems, along with coordination are learned activities developed by our interaction with our environment.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Just because it’s “Gluten Free” doesn’t mean it’s necessarily good for you
So you’ve been diagnosed with gluten sensitivity or Celiac disease and now you have to avoid gluten.
People who are given this life-changing information often go into a panic and read all they can about gluten-free diets and begin quickly substituting foods they once enjoyed, or thought they enjoyed. You find out that there are lots of gluten-free alternatives out there like gluten-free bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, chips, pizza, etc. You can find almost anything without gluten that you find with gluten. Yippee! The problem is that these gluten-free foods are not necessarily healthy.
Switching to a diet filled with gluten-free pasta, cookies, chips, etc. is not the best way to eat on a regular basis. Gluten-free pizza is still pizza! These foods can raise blood sugar and insulin very quickly. Gluten-free breads made with rice or corn flour often lack the fiber that breads with gluten contain. Fiber helps to slow the insulin response and keep the blood sugar from quickly spiking. Some people gain a tremendous amount of weight when switching to gluten-free foods because they’re eating a lot of high glycemic (raises blood sugar quickly)/low fiber foods which can increase body fat very fast. This is extremely dangerous for those who tend to be hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) or insulin resistant (high blood sugar/pre-diabetic state). You can become insulin resistant and shift towards Type II Diabetes. Not good.
It’s best to remember that a diet comprised of pasta, bread, and cookies is obviously not a wise, healthy choice whether you’re gluten free or not. Stick with fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts, legumes and brown rice. The amount of food choices still available to you is huge. It’s ok to have an occasional gluten-free pasta, pizza, cookie, etc. If possible, try to find gluten-free breads with high fiber content.
Remember, comfort food is comfort food is comfort food.
People who are given this life-changing information often go into a panic and read all they can about gluten-free diets and begin quickly substituting foods they once enjoyed, or thought they enjoyed. You find out that there are lots of gluten-free alternatives out there like gluten-free bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, chips, pizza, etc. You can find almost anything without gluten that you find with gluten. Yippee! The problem is that these gluten-free foods are not necessarily healthy.
Switching to a diet filled with gluten-free pasta, cookies, chips, etc. is not the best way to eat on a regular basis. Gluten-free pizza is still pizza! These foods can raise blood sugar and insulin very quickly. Gluten-free breads made with rice or corn flour often lack the fiber that breads with gluten contain. Fiber helps to slow the insulin response and keep the blood sugar from quickly spiking. Some people gain a tremendous amount of weight when switching to gluten-free foods because they’re eating a lot of high glycemic (raises blood sugar quickly)/low fiber foods which can increase body fat very fast. This is extremely dangerous for those who tend to be hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) or insulin resistant (high blood sugar/pre-diabetic state). You can become insulin resistant and shift towards Type II Diabetes. Not good.
It’s best to remember that a diet comprised of pasta, bread, and cookies is obviously not a wise, healthy choice whether you’re gluten free or not. Stick with fruits, vegetables, lean meats, nuts, legumes and brown rice. The amount of food choices still available to you is huge. It’s ok to have an occasional gluten-free pasta, pizza, cookie, etc. If possible, try to find gluten-free breads with high fiber content.
Remember, comfort food is comfort food is comfort food.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Attention Problems in Children Linked to TV and Video Games
A new study just out in this month's issue of Pediatrics finds children who spent more than three hours watching TV or playing video games were significantly more likely to have attention problems.
Iowa State University psychology doctoral student Edward Swing and Associate Professor of Psychology Douglas Gentile studied video game and television exposure of 1323 third, fourth, and fifth graders over a 13-month period, as well as 210 college students. TV exposure and video gaming for the middle childhood group was reported by parents and children, and attention issues were reported by teachers. College students provided self-reports of TV viewing, video game play, and perceived attention problems. The ISU researchers found that children who exceeded the two hours per day of screen time recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics were 1.5 to 2 times more likely to be above average in attention problems; college students showed a similar association, suggesting that TV exposure or video gaming may have lasting consequences.
According to Swing, "It is still not clear why screen media may increase attention problems, but many researchers speculate that it may be due to rapid-pacing, or the natural attention grabbing aspects that television and video games use."
Gentile reports that the pace of television programming has been quickened by "the MTV effect."
"When MTV came on, it started showing music videos that had very quick edits -- cuts once every second or two," Gentile said. "Consequently, the pacing of other television and films sped up too, with much quicker edits."
He says that quicker pace may have some brain-changing effects when it comes to attention span.
"Brain science demonstrates that the brain becomes what the brain does," Gentile said. "If we train the brain to require constant stimulation and constant flickering lights, changes in sound and camera angle, or immediate feedback, such as video games can provide, then when the child lands in the classroom where the teacher doesn't have a million-dollar-per-episode budget, it may be hard to get children to sustain their attention."
The study showed that the effect was similar in magnitude between video games and TV viewing.
TV, video games may contribute to ADHD
Based on the study's findings, Swing and Gentile conclude that TV and video game viewing may be one contributing factor for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
"ADHD is a medical condition, but it's a brain condition," Gentile said. "We know that the brain adapts and changes based on the environmental stimuli to which it is exposed repeatedly. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to believe that environmental stimuli can increase the risk for a medical condition like ADHD in the same way that environmental stimuli, like cigarettes, can increase the risk for cancer."
"Although we did not specifically study the medical condition of ADHD in these studies, we did focus on the kinds of attention problems that are experienced by students with ADHD," added Swing. "We were surprised, for example, that attention problems in the classroom would increase in just one year for those children with the highest screen time." (for full story see ISU News Service.
The report appears in the August issue of Pediatrics
Iowa State University psychology doctoral student Edward Swing and Associate Professor of Psychology Douglas Gentile studied video game and television exposure of 1323 third, fourth, and fifth graders over a 13-month period, as well as 210 college students. TV exposure and video gaming for the middle childhood group was reported by parents and children, and attention issues were reported by teachers. College students provided self-reports of TV viewing, video game play, and perceived attention problems. The ISU researchers found that children who exceeded the two hours per day of screen time recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics were 1.5 to 2 times more likely to be above average in attention problems; college students showed a similar association, suggesting that TV exposure or video gaming may have lasting consequences.
According to Swing, "It is still not clear why screen media may increase attention problems, but many researchers speculate that it may be due to rapid-pacing, or the natural attention grabbing aspects that television and video games use."
Gentile reports that the pace of television programming has been quickened by "the MTV effect."
"When MTV came on, it started showing music videos that had very quick edits -- cuts once every second or two," Gentile said. "Consequently, the pacing of other television and films sped up too, with much quicker edits."
He says that quicker pace may have some brain-changing effects when it comes to attention span.
"Brain science demonstrates that the brain becomes what the brain does," Gentile said. "If we train the brain to require constant stimulation and constant flickering lights, changes in sound and camera angle, or immediate feedback, such as video games can provide, then when the child lands in the classroom where the teacher doesn't have a million-dollar-per-episode budget, it may be hard to get children to sustain their attention."
The study showed that the effect was similar in magnitude between video games and TV viewing.
TV, video games may contribute to ADHD
Based on the study's findings, Swing and Gentile conclude that TV and video game viewing may be one contributing factor for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children.
"ADHD is a medical condition, but it's a brain condition," Gentile said. "We know that the brain adapts and changes based on the environmental stimuli to which it is exposed repeatedly. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to believe that environmental stimuli can increase the risk for a medical condition like ADHD in the same way that environmental stimuli, like cigarettes, can increase the risk for cancer."
"Although we did not specifically study the medical condition of ADHD in these studies, we did focus on the kinds of attention problems that are experienced by students with ADHD," added Swing. "We were surprised, for example, that attention problems in the classroom would increase in just one year for those children with the highest screen time." (for full story see ISU News Service.
The report appears in the August issue of Pediatrics
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