White House Childhood Obesity Summit Breakout sessions started at 2:30 pm Eastern. Closing Session scheduled to begin at 4:15 pm Eastern. Watch one or all 3 (Empowering Parents; Healthier Food in Schools; Access to Healthy, Affordable Food) at http://www.whitehouse.gov/live.
Do you know what your kids appreciate most about you or from you? Have you ever asked them? Erin Kurt has.
As a teacher, one of her favorite assignments was a Mother's Day assignment where she would ask her students to write about what their mother or guardian did with them or for them that made them feel happy or loved.
Their answers may surprise you, especially given yesterday's news that children and teens spend an average of more than 7 hours DAILY "married" to technology in the form of TV, cell phones, texting, video games, computers, social networking, the internet, etc., not to mention how "overscheduled" they seem to be!
Here's the top 10 responses Ms. Kurt received from her students:
- Come into my bedroom at night, tuck me in and sing me a song. Also tell me stories about when you were little. - Give me hugs and kisses and sit and talk with me privately. - Spend quality time just with me, not with my brothers and sisters around. - Give me nutritious food so I can grow up healthy. - At dinner talk about what we could do together on the weekend. - At night talk to me about about anything; love, school, family etc. - Let me play outside a lot. - Cuddle under a blanket and watch our favorite TV show together. - Discipline me. It makes me feel like you care. - Leave special messages in my desk or lunch bag.
Insightful and heart-warming, isn't it?
Before I sat down to write this, I asked my kids this question, "What is one thing that I do with you or for you that makes you feel happy or loved?"
I must also share that I was a bit worried about the answers I would receive as my question interupted a texting session between my 13-year old son and six of his friends (he got a cell phone 3 weeks ago and earns up to an hour of texting time each day). He was concurrently watching my 11-year old daughter design a new character for the Wii. (We had finished playing Horse-opoly together a few minutes earlier.)
Their responses were immediate and in unison.
"Cook my dinner and wash my clothes." (Son)
"Tuck me in." (Daughter)
WHEW! What a relief!
Just kidding. I wasn't at all surprised by their answers as the first nine things on the list are part of our family's daily rituals. And the tenth. . . I randomly surprise them with little notes or smiley faces or special treats.
These ten things are purposefully important in our home and are some of my most memorable and favorite things my mother did for me when I was growing up.
What did your mother do with you or for you that made you feel happy and loved while growing up? Ask your kids the same question. They just may surprise you, and themselves! If nothing else, it's a wonderful conversation starter about gratitude and what's really important. Or, perhaps, it may be a much needed wake-up call.
I look forward to reading your comments about how you and/or your children answered this question.
Click here to read the full article by Erin Kurt on Lifehack
This post is not for the faint of heart. . . or stomach! So if you fall into either or both of these categories, then you just may want to stop reading now!
Still with me? Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. . .
I’m not sure when I was first introduced to the term “Mystery Meat”, but I’m sure it was in a school or college cafeteria. The menu may have said hamburger or cheeseburger, but what we found slapped between the two halves of bun certainly didn’t look, smell, taste or feel like any hamburger mom made at home!
The same holds true for the “meat-like substance” used to make menu items “Meat”loaf, Spaghetti with “Meat” Sauce, “Meat”ball Sub, and Salisbury “Steak” with Gravy. We may have joked about it, but, in all seriousness, joking was the only way to keep the brain occupied so that it didn’t ask too many questions about why what it was sensing in the mouth and what it was expecting to find there didn’t compute!
That was more than 20 years ago. Mystery Meat hasn’t gone away. Many would argue it has become even more mysterious today! Do we really know what our kids are eating? Dare I even begin to “go there” given what we currently know about non-organically raised plants and animals and the pervasiveness of genetically modified foods, processed foods and manufactured foods?
I dare, alright! Education is key if we are to turn things around for ourselves and, more importantly, for our children!
Thanks to Michael Moss and the New York Times, today’s “Mystery Meat” is a bit LESS mysterious! (Link to full story published December 31, 2009, follows)
It seems as if a company by the name of Beef Products Inc. produces a “product made from beef” that is a component in ground beef sold nationwide and used by the federal school lunch program, as well as grocery chains and fast food restaurants.
Hmmmm. . . “a component of ground beef”? Since when did ground beef stop being g-r-o-u-n-d beef? And whatever became of McDonald’s “two all-beef patties”? (That’s for another day!)
So, what is this “product made from beef”? Beef Products takes the fatty, slaughterhouse trimmings that used to only be deemed fit for cooking oil or pet food (also a post for another day) and converts it into “lean beef” by liquefying the fat and extracting the remnants of protein using a centrifuge. YUM!!!
They then freeze this “mashlike substance” into blocks or chips and out the door it goes, right to your friendly grocer, fast food restaurant or school cafeteria to be mixed with the ground beef that you ultimately purchase and consume!
Oh, silly me. I forgot to tell you about how they attempt to remove the bacterial contamination (e.g., Salmonella and E. coli) that is typically prevalent in slaughter house trimmings such as these, as compared to inside cuts of meat. . . they treat it with ammonia gas!
Yep! The same stuff used to make the cleaning and disinfecting products you use on your floors and windows! Oh, but don’t expect to find THAT on the food label! The company isn’t required to list ammonia as an ingredient because it is classified as a “processing agent”. Now, don’t you feel better?
In case you’re wondering, school lunch program officials and others sometimes complained that the “beef” from Beef Products had a strong ammonia smell or taste. Imagine that!
Above I mentioned that they “attempt to remove the bacterial contamination” using this ammonia process because results from testing performed by the federal school lunch program indicated that the Beef Products product had a contamination rate 4 times that of other school lunch program ground beef product suppliers. (And just when did the food that used to be sold in school cafeterias become “products”? Yet ANOTHER post!)
At least school lunch program officials were watching out for our kids enough to test all “ground beef” served in the schools and destroying those “products” that were found to be contaminated. However, the same can’t be said for other customers of the contaminated “beef product”. They were never notified of the contamination because the Beef Products product was never tested by anyone other than the school lunch program.
Okay. I could go on about this, but I won’t. (You’re welcome.)
These were just some of the “lowlights” from the article. You owe it to yourself, and to those you love, to read the article "Safety of Beef Processing Method is Questioned" in its entirety. Just be sure to read it BEFORE you take a bite of your burger!
And if you haven’t ever given a passing thought to where, or what, your food was before it got to you or even if what you are eating is REALLY what you think it is, then perhaps you will begin to do so.
This is neither an isolated incident nor an exceptional case. It is but another frantically-flashing, red, warning light illuminating yet another unaddressed, underlying cause of the decline in health that we are currently witnessing.
I hope Michael Moss’s article will awaken your awareness and inspire you to start asking the tough yet necessary questions.
This little guy exudes self-esteem and confidence, as well as a passion for music and entertaining. He's a perfect example of the pure, unspoiled spirit that children embody. . . that is until it is unrightfully stolen away or beaten down by ridicule, doubt, fear, abuse, hate, prejudice, etc.
Let us uplift our children and celebrate all their gifts and blessings, as they are gifts and blessings to us and the world!
Here's to Growing Healthy Kids. . . with Unconditional Love and Acceptance!
Have a blessed Thanksgiving!
Maria
Here's a link to the little guy singing and dancing around his living room so you can see him in all his glory! Singing His Song!
Here's the little guy jammin' from his carseat in the back of a car. . .
Given the empassioned debates regarding the Swine Flu Vaccine and Pandemic, dare I even broach the subject again?
Absolutely! I not only dare to broach the subject again today, but I also promise to continue to post information and resources in the future.
You see, the inquisitive, analytical scientist in me gets extremely curious when the reported conclusions and recommendations don't seem to jive with the data (as you'll see in the report below). So, I begin to ask questions and do a bit of digging. It's amazing what can be found hiding under rocks in dark caves!
My seemingly endless curiosity can quickly turn to frustration as I begin to uncover additional data that was not reported or not considered when conclusions or recommendations were drafted.
My frustration grows when I begin to discover possible conflicts of interest between study sponsors and investigators and those who are set to benefit financially from the reported recommendations.
My frustration quickly turns to anger as I observe the doubt, fear and, often times, hysteria that results from the misinformation or incomplete information that continually streams from the media. It is heartbreaking to me to see people blindly and robotically becoming guinea pigs or making potentially life-altering decisions based on a 30-second soundbite or a 2-minute "Special Report" on the evening news. Such decisions should not be made lightly or without an understanding of all the potential risks. . . and all the information.
Everyone is different. We have different tolerances to risk and different life-situations that impact our choices. The wellness decisions I make for my family today, may be different than the wellness decisions I make for my family 6 months from now, but all the decisions I make will be educated ones.
I encourage you to also educate yourself. Take control of your health and wellness and that of your family! Get informed!
The following report by Dr. Russell Blaylock provides a wealth of information, with references, about the Swine Flu and Vaccine that you may not yet have seen or heard but that you should know. . . including:
- Greater than 30% of pregnant women who have died were obese or morbidly obese and 60% of these had underlying medical conditions that made them higher risk for infections - 60% of children who have died have had underlying medical conditions, typically neurological and/or respiratory - 30% of children who have died were obese or morbidly obese - Those who receive seasonal flu vaccines are twice as likely to develop Swine Flu infection - Pediatric deaths from seasonal flu increased with vaccination against seasonal flu - August 7, 2009: Swine Flu Vaccine "Safety" studies began on 500 HEALTHY adults and elderly individuals - Aug. 17, 2009: An "independent safety monitoring committee" concluded the Swine Flu Vaccine was safe and recommended that trials begin in children 6-months to 17-years of age. - August 18, 2009: Swine Flu Vaccine trials began in children.
(My comment: In one children's study, children would receive 2 doses of vaccine, 21 days apart. In another study, children would be given 2 doses of Swine Flu vaccine AND the seasonal flu vaccine. Don't you find it infuriating, I mean, interesting that trials in children began only 11 days after the trials in adults, yet they would be given 2 doses within 21 days and all trials were not scheduled for completion until Spring 2010? Also, there was NO control group (people who did NOT receive the vaccine) for comparison.)
It seems you can't turn on the TV or pick-up the newspaper or connect to the web without being inundated with frantic news reports and discussions about Swine Flu (H1N1).
But is the situation really as dire as it seems?
To answer that question for yourself and your family, you must educate yourself with the WHOLE story. . . complete information that is based in science and backed by specific, accurate, unbiased data.
Is that what you are receiving through the various media outlets today?
You may be surprised at the answer. . . VERY surprised.
Here's a CBS News report that you may not have seen or heard. . . but you should have!
My friend Susan shared this with me this morning. It was EXACTLY the reminder I needed! It brought tears to my eyes and a smile to my face. I just had to share it with you!
Not only is this an awesome reminder for each of us, but it is a lesson that we should be teaching our children DAILY!
Many blessings, Maria
Twenty Dollars Author Unknown
A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked. "Who would like this $20 bill?"
Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you - but first, let me do this."
He proceeded to crumple the 20 dollar note up. He then asked. "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "what if I do this?" He dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?"
Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.
Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless; but no matter what happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.
Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who love you. The worth of our lives comes, not in what we do or who we know, but by ...WHO WE ARE. You are special - don't ever forget it."
I'll start by sharing that the first day of school went off without a hitch. As expected, they hit the ground running! My daughter (5th grade) had math homework, while my son (7th grade) had no homework...but he brought home a huge envelope of homework for me! Tonight, he may not be so lucky.
As I was clearing our school "action" files of last year's notes, reminders, schedules, projects, treasures, etc., to get ready for the new school year, I found the following poem and wanted to share it with you. It is a reminder and lesson that we can't hear often enough.
We can learn so much from our children...if we only listen.
Enjoy!
Listening A dozen times he must have said, "Guess what I did today!" And just as often I replied, "Not now, Dear, run and play." And when he'd finished all his chores, And wanted praise from me, I was too busy with my own To look at him and see That he had needs that I could fill, Had I but understood That children need attention most When they are being good. But just today he set me straight With words said lovingly, "When I have something I must tell, Please, Daddy, look at me!" And then I saw in his sweet eyes His need for me to know That my attention and my time Was what he needed so. "I love you," were the words he said; "Please say you love me, too." And when I did he smiled and said, "Thanks, Dad, I know you do." But what a truth he taught to me In his sweet, childish way, And now I try to listen when There's something he must say. ~ Hilda Sanderson ~
It's hard to believe but my "babies" started 7th and 5th grades today! Yes, it is only July 7, but in our area of North Carolina we are blessed to be on a Year-Round school calendar.
Not familiar with this concept? To ease overcrowding in our schools due to rapid growth in our area, 52 elementary and middle schools were switched to year-round calendars as it permits the school to serve 20-33% more students without increasing class sizes...or building new schools. This also means that schools do not sit empty for 2-3 months over "summer break" and operating costs are decreased since furniture, textbooks, etc. are "shared" between students.
Here's how it works: Students are assigned to one of four tracks. Each of the tracks is on a staggered 45/15 schedule (i.e., 45 days "in school" and 15 days break or trackout). Three of the four tracks are in school at any one time and the fourth track is "tracked out". All students share a 1-week "summer break" the first week of July before the new school years begins.
Here's how it looks for my kids who are on Track 3: School year starts 3 weeks in school 3 weeks break 9 weeks in school 3 weeks break 9 weeks in school 3 weeks break 9 weeks in school 3 weeks break 6 weeks in school School year ends 1 week school is closed School year starts
We also get the traditional holidays off (e.g., Thanksgiving, Christmas, MLK Day, etc.) and are in class 180 days just like the schools on the traditional calendar.
We LOVE the Year-Round schedule! Essentially, my kids get a 3-week break every quarter, which makes for great family vacation time because most everyone else is in school! These frequest breaks are great for rejuvenating body, mind and spirit!
About the time the teachers and kids have had enough of school, and each other, it's time for break. About the time the kids are getting bored and missing their friends, it's time to go back to school. And with only one week between grade levels, no academic progress is lost! It also means that the first few weeks of school aren't spent reviewing and getting the kids up-to-speed. They literally continue where they left off.
As you can imagine, the frequent breaks and nearly immediate transition to the next grade level result in improved behavior and increased grades and test scores. Kids, and teachers, who aren't burned out and exhausted perform much better and tend to be happier and healthier!
I came across this today and wanted to share it with you. The message is quite intentional and clear...
Eat your fruits and veggies...your body will thank you!
Enjoy!
Maria
Tonight was another one of those nights when I couldn’t help but giggle and wonder if there were other families who had dinner conversations like ours.
We eat dinner together at the dining room table every night. Besides good food to nourish the body, there is always good conversation to nourish our spirits and relationships, as well as our minds. Tonight was no exception.
As is typical, the conversation started with the expected “How was your day?” and “How was school?” and other general discussion to catch-up and share our days’ accomplishments and occurrences.
This “warm-up” is usually followed by some fun trivia challenge initiated by one of the kids and based on one of their three favorite placemats: World Map, U.S. Map, and U.S. Presidents. Sometimes the discussion centers on a school project or upcoming test. We’ve discussed the water cycle, photosynthesis, rocks and minerals, life cycles, food webs, the Civil War, ancient civilizations, etc.
Tonight’s conversation: (1) The number of times a human heart beats in a year, given a heart rate of 70 beats per minute; and (2) The total number of hours my son has spent sleeping during the first 12 years of his life, given that he sleeps an average of 9½ hours each night. And yes, we included the 3 extra days for the Leap Years he has experienced.
In keeping with the season, (my kids will be taking their end of grade tests this week and next) tonight’s dinner conversation and math exercises incorporated both calculator active and calculator inactive components. : )
Now you understand why I was giggling and wondering if other families have similar dinner time conversations!
My kids love this, by the way. It’s a good thing, too, given their parents are scientists who love to learn and share the marvels of science and learning.
Through discussions like these, our kids are developing a deep understanding and respect for our world. The more they understand about all that it is, all that it does and that everything is connected, the more they realize what a truly glorious, miraculous place it is!
So, what did you discuss over dinner tonight?
Food for thought… Maria
P.S. Tonight’s dinner festivities also included the kick-off and Day 1 of our annual “Eliminator” game. More about that another time.
Today is June 1st! Hard to believe, I know. Many view today as the official start of the summer months. School children across the country are counting down the final days of the school year. In central North Carolina, and all areas of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, June 1st also signifies the official beginning to the 2009 Hurricane Season. In my home, the arrival of June 1st brings a bit of apprehension.
My husband and I lived in NC for 6 years before moving to Rochester, NY, in 1995. We spent four years there then returned to NC in April 1999 with our two children ages 2½ and 6 months. We moved into our new home at the end of August. Not even three weeks later, in the late hours of September 15th and wee hours of the morning of September 16th, we found ourselves huddled together on a mattress in our downstairs hallway as Hurricane Floyd came to town.
Mother Nature put on quite a show that night! The nearly constant high winds and pelting rain were accompanied by some of the most amazing lightning and thunder I have ever experienced. The wind gusts were quite frightening as it felt as if the house moved with each gust. The rolling thunder vibrated the walls and windows. Needless to say, it was a bit much for our kids.
Okay. It was a bit much for us and MUCH too much for our kids.
Thankfully, my daughter was too young to remember that night. (It was a lightning strike a couple of years ago that exacerbated her fear of thunderstorms) My son is another story! We revisit the experience of Hurricane Floyd each June and September. "Remember when…"
Suffice it to say he’s not too fond of thunderstorms or hurricanes! Although, his fear and apprehension have decreased over the past 10 years as he has grown older. Talking about it each year has helped.
We also take advantage of the Hurricane Readiness information that is readily available this time of year through special TV programming, newspapers, radio, etc. Discussing and understanding the ‘what ifs’ and being prepared for the possibilities, such as loss of electricity or flooding, significantly help my kids feel more confident and at ease.
Will we see a hurricane up close and personal this season? I don’t know. It is possible. However, what I DO know is that we will certainly experience severe thunderstorms and perhaps even a few nervous moments as tornadoes form in the area during a typical NC late spring-summer-early fall. Being prepared for a hurricane means we will also be prepared for severe thunderstorms.
Being prepared and knowing what to expect make it much easier for our kids to sleep at night…our weather radio and their earplugs help, too!
Growing Healthy Kids, Sowing Healthy Habits...Be Prepared! Maria
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