Monster. Red Bull. Amp. Full Throttle. Rockstar. They're all the rage. The younger crowd love their energy drinks and it's gotten almost a cult following. Does drinking energy drinks make you cool? Apparently so if you're around 12, but the facts may have Mom and Dad thinking twice about supplying them. Believe it or not, caffeine is a drug. It is a central nervous system stimulant and is considered the world's most widely used psychoactive drug. A psychoactive drug is a chemical "that crosses the blood–brain barrier and acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it affects brain function, resulting in alterations in perception, mood, consciousness, cognition, and behavior". Caffeine is in a variety of things that we consume everyday like coffee, soda and chocolate and is relatively harmless at low levels. At higher levels though, things start to look a little different. High levels of caffeine can result in increased heart rate, insomnia, palpitations, anxiety, hypertension and bladder instability. Caffeine also can be addictive if used regularly.
Experts recommend that kids age 13-19 consume no more than 100mg of caffeine a day and for kids younger than 13 it is not recommended at all. To give you an idea, a 12oz cup of coffee has 100 to 400mg of caffeine in it. An energy drink has 50 to 500mg plus an addition of a lot of sugar and even some "herbal" stimulants in some. To make matters worse, whereas coffee is sipped which introduces a slow steam of caffeine into the body, energy drinks are cold and can be guzzled which can shock your child's body with an immediate dose of caffeine. In the past 4 years, emergency room visits involving children and energy drinks have doubled and of all of the poison control calls involving energy drinks more than half were for kids under 6 and more than half of those were recommended to seek immediate medical attention. Energy drinks have really started to make an appearance on the news and people are starting to look closer at them. Some people are calling for age limits on these drinks.
Talk to your child about the dangers of consuming energy drinks and find out the reasons why they feel they need it. If they are tired during the day, then they may need more sleep. If they do it because everyone else does, then let them know that is not a good reason for putting their health in jeopardy. Water is always the best option.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Children and Weight Gain
The American Heart Association says that 1/3 of all children and teens in this country are currently overweight or obese. This puts our children at risk for many different types of physical, social and emotional problems. Physical issues directly relating to weight gain include joint pain, asthma, sleep apnea and skin infections. Children are being diagnosed now with concerns that were once saved for older folks. Pediatricians are now screening for high blood pressure and high cholesterol which are on the rise for young people.
What's the culprit? The equation is simple. Children are taking in more calories than they are expending. Food is everywhere and in massive quantities. Sugary drinks have settled into becoming the norm. Children sit for hours in front of a screen of some kind. All of these behaviors contribute to an unhealthy way of living.
I remember back in the 70's growing up. Kids played from sun up until sun down. Remember "come home when the street lights come on"? We stayed outside. We played games like Tag and drew hopscotch boards on the streets with chalk. We jumped in sprinklers during the summer. We rode our bikes everywhere! We never stopped for snacks nor did we carry a water bottle wherever we went. Where have we come? Snack bags are in every car and in every Mom's purse. A child just has to feel a tinge of "hunger" and Mom is right there with a crinkly package. Cars are stocked with goodies for kids on the go. I've seen kids walking through stores eating! Fast food has replaced home dinners. No matter how "healthy" these fast food restaurants want to say their food is, it is still packed with preservations and high calories. Children are eating more at one sitting. As a child, we got fast food (and there were fewer fast food places than there are now) as a treat very rarely. A happy meal was enough to satisfy me. Now kids as young as 5 are consuming an entire adult meal!
What do we do? The first step is to see, understand and accept the problem. It's hard to admit that your child is overweight and even harder to accept that you've let that happen. As parents we want to give our children everything and make sure they are happy, but as parents we are also responsible for teaching them how to live a healthy lifestyle. SAA will investigate many ways of integrating healthy habits for you and your whole family to enjoy!
What's the culprit? The equation is simple. Children are taking in more calories than they are expending. Food is everywhere and in massive quantities. Sugary drinks have settled into becoming the norm. Children sit for hours in front of a screen of some kind. All of these behaviors contribute to an unhealthy way of living.
I remember back in the 70's growing up. Kids played from sun up until sun down. Remember "come home when the street lights come on"? We stayed outside. We played games like Tag and drew hopscotch boards on the streets with chalk. We jumped in sprinklers during the summer. We rode our bikes everywhere! We never stopped for snacks nor did we carry a water bottle wherever we went. Where have we come? Snack bags are in every car and in every Mom's purse. A child just has to feel a tinge of "hunger" and Mom is right there with a crinkly package. Cars are stocked with goodies for kids on the go. I've seen kids walking through stores eating! Fast food has replaced home dinners. No matter how "healthy" these fast food restaurants want to say their food is, it is still packed with preservations and high calories. Children are eating more at one sitting. As a child, we got fast food (and there were fewer fast food places than there are now) as a treat very rarely. A happy meal was enough to satisfy me. Now kids as young as 5 are consuming an entire adult meal!
What do we do? The first step is to see, understand and accept the problem. It's hard to admit that your child is overweight and even harder to accept that you've let that happen. As parents we want to give our children everything and make sure they are happy, but as parents we are also responsible for teaching them how to live a healthy lifestyle. SAA will investigate many ways of integrating healthy habits for you and your whole family to enjoy!
Thursday, May 2, 2013
No Screens Week
No Screens Week is celebrated 29 April through 5 May. This special week is a time to set down all electronic devices, video games and computers...all screens!...and get back to friends, family and hobbies. Pick up something that you've set down years ago. Delve into scrapbooking. Grab a good book you've been meaning to read. Go out for a walk with your whole family. Dust off a board game and give it a go. There are a million things to do when you're not bogged down with technology. It's never too late to try out No Screens Week. Ask your kids if they have signed the pledge at school. I bet they have conveniently forgot. Have them find and sign that form and get together as a family and TURN THOSE SCREENS OFF!
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