Interesting Article from Dr. Sears: N.D.D

DOES YOUR CHILD HAVE N.D.D.?
A NUTRITIONAL TIP FROM DR. BILL

Oftentimes parents bring their child to me for consultation on learning or behavioral problems at school. They typically open their concern with, “We and our child’s teacher believe he has A.D.D….” After taking a nutritional history, I often reply, “Your child doesn’t have A.D.D., he has N.D.D.” (A term Dr. Bill coined) Obviously, they look surprised. They don’t know what N.D.D. is, but it doesn’t sound like something they want their child to have. I go on to explain that what I mean by N.D.D. is a nutrition deficit disorder. In my experience, many children described as having A.D.D. lose this tag once their N.D.D. is treated. Here’s how:


Since the brain is 60% fat, it stands to reason that growing brains need high-quality fats. Smart fats make the brain grow and perform better. Smart fats, are the omega-3 fatty acids that are found in especially high amounts in seafood. Omega-3 fats are also found in some plants (e.g., flaxseed oil, canola oil, nuts, and seeds), but the omega-3 fats found in plants have to be converted from shorter-chain fatty acids to longer ones before they can be used in the brain. Seafood is the most direct source of long-chain omega 3’s and supplements containing the most important Omega 3, DHA.

Eat Fish be Smart
Oceans of recent research show that omega-3 fats make brains healthier, especially the brains of young kids and older adults. Researchers believe that the high levels of omega-3 fats in breast milk help to explain the differences in IQ between children who received human milk in infancy and those who did not. The body uses omega-3 fats to make cell membranes. Omega-3 fats are also needed to make myelin, the insulation around nerves, and to help neurotransmitters function at the optimal levels. Omega-3 fats are known as essential fatty acids from food. Other types of fats can be manufactured in the body, but the body cannot make essential fatty acids. That is why it is important for growing brains to get adequate amounts of these smart fats from food. If there are not enough “smart” fats available to make brain cells and other key substances, the body uses lesser-quality fats and produce s lesser-quality cells. The “dumb” fats (known as replacement fatty acids), the kind that come from the trans fats in hydrogenated oils, clog the receptors in the cell membrane, and the brain cell does not function well.

Neurotransmitters, the biochemical messengers that carry information from one brain cell to another, fit into receptors on cell membranes like a key fits into a lock. The keys and the locks must match. If the cell membrane is composed of the right fats, the locks and keys match. But if the receptors are clogged with the wrong fats, the neurotransmitter keys won’t fit, and the brain-cell function suffers. Omega-3 fats keep the receptors open so the neurotransmitters fit and the brain can function optimally.

New Studies Show
In the past few years several studies showed that growing children diagnosed with A.D.D. who were given Omega-3 supplements, especially DHA improved their attention and learning.

Eat Fish, Learn and Behave Better
In order for kids to learn they have to be able to concentrate. Studies show that omega-3 fats help the brain pay attention and make connections. Researchers at Purdue University found that boys with A.D.H.D. (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) had lower levels of omega-3 fats, especially DHA, the main omega-3 fat found in fish. The boys with the most abnormal behavior had the lowest levels of DHA. School-age children with the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their blood had the fewest learning problems. In addition, students who were given DHA supplements prior to exams showed less hostility and aggression during this time of stress.

Feed Your Family Smart Carbs and Proteins
Around 50 percent of the energy from the carbohydrates children eat goes to fueling their growing brains. Muscles can store glucose, the body’s main fuel, extracted from digested carbs. But the brain can’t store much glucose. It depends on a steady supply of glucose in the bloodstream. If the blood sugar dips too low, brain function can deteriorate within minutes. The brain is very selective about the carbs it craves, and it prefers that you eat the right carbs with the right partners at the right time. If brain cells could comment on the best ways to give them the carbs they need, here’s what they would request:

Partner carbs with fiber and protein. The brain prefers carbs that are naturally packaged with protein and fiber. These two partners slow the digestive process and steady the rate at which glucose enters the blood. Without protein or fiber in a food, the carbs are digested quickly and rush into the bloodstream so fast that they cause a sugar high followed by a sugar low, as the body releases a large amount of insulin to handle the sugar. Unstable blood sugar levels lead to unstable brain chemistry, which makes it hard for kids to pay attention and control their behavior.
Graze on good carbs. Kids and adults don’t think well when they’re hungry. Frequent mini-meals throughout the day are good for the brain.
Eat protein for brain power. High-protein foods perk up the brain by increasing levels of two “alertness” neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine. A high-protein meal really is a “power breakfast” or a “power lunch.”
Add more protein to each meal and snack.
Avoid fiberless carbs (e.g., candy and soda). Instead, choose the fiber-filled carbs in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains.
Feed your child a brainy breakfast. Since proteins perk up the brains, send your kids off to school with a high-protein, healthy-carb, and healthy-fat breakfast, such as whole-grain cereal and yogurt.
Keep A Mood Food Record
Sample Food-Mood Connection Record
When my child eats/drinks... He feels/acts...
a lot of artifically colored and sugary punch... he can't sit still or think straight for the rest of the day...










Don’t Forget Your Folate
Folate (also called folic acid) is vital for growing brain cells and preserving neurotransmitter function. Best sources of folic acid are green, leafy vegetables, such as collard greens, bok choy, spinach, and asparagus. Other rich sources are lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, artichokes, avocados, and cereals fortified with folic acid.

Eat Blue
Blueberries are a great brain food. The deep blue skin of the blueberry is full of flavonoids, especially anthocyanin, and antioxidant that helps keep both growing and aging brains healthy.

Brain Foods
Here are the best and worst foods for the brain.
Smart Foods:
Blueberries
Nuts
Salmon
Spinach

“Dumb” Foods:
Excitotoxins, e.g. MSG, aspartame, food colorings, and preservatives
Fiber-poor carbs
Hydrogenated oils
“Liquid candy” – sweetened beverages

Exercise Improves Blood Flow to the Brain
Physical exercise is good for brains as well as bodies, so get your kids up and moving. Consider movement another brain food. Improving blood flow to any organ, especially the brain, is like watering and fertilizing a garden. More blood means more nutrients. When you move your muscles, especially the large muscles in your arms and legs, which you use in vigorous exercise, your heart works harder to pump blood through your veins and arteries.

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Boy

Letter B Week

Last week they "studied" the letter B in Ella's class. It also was her week to be the line leader and bring snack, so we decided to have a little fun with the snacks-with it being letter B week and all. :)

Monday, we took Baby Banana Bread Muffins (aka mini muffins) and bananas. Wednesday, we took Bees and Bears trail mix and blueberry yogurt. And for Friday, Ella and I made letter "B" cookies, complete with icing and sprinkles-oh, and we used blue icing. :) Here are a few pictures from the day we made the cookies!

Another response!

For those of you interested, here is a response from Johnny Isakson.

Dear Mrs. Greven:

Thank you for contacting me regarding S.1738, the Combating Child Exploitation Act of 2008. I appreciate hearing from you and appreciate the opportunity to respond.

I believe that the sexual exploitation of children through child pornography is morally reprehensible and punishing these offenders should be a priority for our government. To that end, I recently co-sponsored "Masha's Law", which was signed into law and will increase penalties for those who download child pornography off the Internet. S.1738 will give law enforcement officials the necessary tools to aggressively combat those guilty of exploiting children. By increasing the capacity of law enforcement in both state and federal capacities to locate and prosecute traffickers of child pornography, we can make great progress in keeping our children safe from dangerous predators. I will keep your thoughts in mind should this legislation come before me in the Senate.

Thank you again for contacting me.

Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson
United States Senator

A response...yes!

Here is a response to my e-mail I sent to Saxby Chambliss: (if you haven't already done so, please read my blog below and WRITE A LETTER!)

Dear Mrs. Greven :

Thank you for contacting me regarding protecting our children from child predators. It is good to hear from you.

Crimes against children are reprehensible and those who commit such horrendous acts should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We should provide our law enforcement officers with the resources and tools they need to apprehend and convict these individuals. By increasing the capacity of law enforcement in both state and federal capacities to locate and prosecute traffickers of child pornography, we can make great progress in keeping our children safe from dangerous predators.

In the 109 th Congress, I voted for the "Adam Walsh Child Safety and Protection Act," (P.L. 109-248), which was signed into law in 2006. This law dramatically increased penalties for those who download child pornography off the Internet, including allowing those whose images were used in child pornography to sue those who downloaded their images. It also expanded the National Sex Offender Registry and required the Attorney General to use federal law enforcement resources, including the U.S. Marshalls , to assist state and local authorities in the apprehension of sex offenders who fail to register.

I also recently voted to provide additional resources under the Act, by increasing funding for the U.S. Marshals Service to track down convicted sex offenders who have failed to register as a sex offender as required by law and by increasing funding for U.S. attorneys to prosecute child exploitation and child pornography cases as part of Project Safe Childhood.

S. 1738, the "Combating Child Exploitation Act" was introduced on July 7, 2008, and placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar. This bill includes several provisions that would establish programs and authorize resources to aid law enforcement in combating crimes perpetrated against our children. I support the goals of this legislation and would like to see it go even further and allow law enforcement greater access to Internet service provider records that would help them trace online child pornography.

Our nation owes it to our children to provide them an environment in which to grow up free from those who wish to prey on them. I will continue to work to provide law enforcement with the tools and resources they need to combat child predators and help rid our communities of the malicious individuals.

Please let me know whenever I may be of assistance.

What a difference a little tickle makes :)

Here's how Cooper woke up from his nap the other day...Poor babe :(

Not a happy camper-even the lip came out. This is the best picture I could get of the famous Cooper lip. This picture doesn't even begin to do it justice!

Time for a post nap diaper change....and a little self soothing with the finger sucking...

A little tickle from Mommy....

And VOILA! Happy Baby :)

Our Little Flower Girl-Hair pictures as promised!

For those interested on how to accomplish this look:

1. Do a side part at the front of the head, fading into a zig-zag part down the back.

2. Separate into 2 pigtails.

3. Turn each pigtail into a pull-through knot, having the hair come out the top instead of the bottom.

4. Put pomade on the pigtails and curl small sections until all the hair is curled.

5. Grab the whole pig tail, and twist to the top of the head and pin in place-pining curls to make them stay in place. Repeat on the other side.

6. Finish with some pretty pins, etc....then spray it down with hair spray!

Protect Our Children!!

I watched a very disturbing Oprah show this evening that I had recorded on the DVR. It was about the widespread problem of child exploitation. My heart broke as I listened to them talk about the thousands of small children molested, abused and raped in this country on a daily basis-as young as new born babies :( I couldn't help but think of my two sweet babies, and think who could ever do such horrible things?? :(

PLEASE take the time to read what I copied and pasted from Oprah's website below. It took me 5 minutes to cut and paste the pre-written letter below, and send it (by e-mail) to both senators from Georgia.

Do this now, and help to save all those sweet babies out there from these horrible people. Do it for them. Do it for YOUR precious little ones. We need to reach out and help those without a voice!!!




Help Pass Senate Bill 1738—The PROTECT Our Children Act

Hundreds of thousands of children are victims of sexual abuse each year. Due to the sheer lack of resources, law enforcement is unable to follow up on the majority of leads they have.

The PROTECT Our Children Act will:

* Authorize over $320 million over the next five years in desperately needed funding for law enforcement to investigate child exploitation.
* Mandate that child rescue be a top priority for law enforcement receiving federal funding.
* Allocate funds for high-tech computer software that can track down Internet predators.

Act Now!
Your U.S. senators will be voting on the bill soon, so it is crucial you contact them immediately.
Go to www.senate.gov to find contact information for the senators in your state. Search for your senator by name or state by clicking on the arrow from either dropdown menu. Contact information is provided here. To send an e-mail, click on "Web Form" below his or her name, and e-mail your letter to make a difference!

Call Your Senators
If you choose to contact your senators by phone, be sure to tell them, "Vote yes on Senate Bill 1738—The PROTECT Our Children Act."

Write to Your Senators
If you choose to write a letter, fax, telegram or e-mail, you may use the following sample letter—and modify it how you see fit.

Dear Senator:

I know that you believe, like I do, that we must do everything possible to protect children from sexual predators. That is why I am asking for your help.

Last year alone, U.S. law enforcement identified over 300,000 criminals who were trafficking in movies and pictures of young children being raped and tortured. Experts say that one in every three of these criminals has local child victims. Child pornography trafficking over the Internet has given us a trail of evidence that leads straight to their doorsteps, but the vast majority of these children will never be rescued because investigators are overwhelmed, outnumbered and underfunded.

As your constituent, I urge you to do everything in your power to pass the PROTECT Our Children Act (S. 1738, Biden-Hatch). This bipartisan legislation passed the House 415-2, but it is now the victim of petty partisan politics.

Now that we know where these children are and how to protect them, there is no excuse for the Senate to fail to take action this session.

(Your name here)

Instructions for How to Copy and Paste the Letter
To copy and paste the letter into your senator's web form at www.senate.gov, point your mouse arrow at the beginning of the text that you want to copy. Click your left mouse button and hold it down. While holding the left mouse button, drag your arrow to the end of the text that you want to copy. Release the button. The text should be highlighted. Place your mouse arrow over the highlighted text, click your right mouse button once and let go. A new menu should appear. Select Copy from the drop down menu. When you get to the message form field for your senator at www.senate.gov, point your arrow at the beginning of the message field that you want to copy your text to and right click with your mouse. Click Paste from this menu. Submit your form and help our children!

11 Months!

Cooper turned 11 months this past Thursday! How can it be that we are now less than a month away from his first birthday??

Cooper is really on the move these days!! He is very busy, and loves to PLAY, PLAY, PLAY! He is great just playing by himself for the longest time-getting into anything and everything-especially things that aren't toys! :) He isn't walking yet, but is pulling up to standing, cruising, and also standing up without holding on to anything! He is soo proud of himself when he does that! Cooper also has an obsession with stairs. We have to keep them blocked at all times, because the minute he notices an opening, he bolts it over to the stairs! He definitely is a climber, and will try to get on top of anything higher than the ground-including the dishwasher door when it is down, and I am loading/unloading dishes!

Cooper is famous for his sad face lip. I am telling you, it is the CUTEST most pitiful thing ever. I don't have a picture, because of course, it comes out when you don't expect it, and doesn't stick around long enough to get a picture. If you happen to see it, it will melt your heart. The lady in the gym childcare said that Cooper gets whatever he wants in there because of that lip. hahahaha! Love it!!

Cooper is saying a few words-Mama, Daddy and Ella in relation to the person, "All Done", Uh-oh, we think he is saying "Whoa!", and maybe "Doggy". Some we are not quite sure, but it sounds like he is trying to say them. He also knows a few baby signs, he is the best at "all-done", but also knows "drink" and "more".

Cooper also is waving "Bye-bye", giving hugs, giving BIG slobbery baby kisses, does "Sooooo big!" and dances to music. We love watch him sit there and bop up and down whenever he hears even a snippet of music. haha

Cooper is eating mostly all table food now. He is pretty insistant now about not eating any baby food-because gosh darn it, he wants to ffed himself thankyouverymuch! He do try and sneek in a few bites of veggie baby food once a day, but I usually don't get very far with that! Cooper's every day staples are BLUEBERRIES!, cereal bars, cheese, grapes and crackers. He also loves chicken nuggets and pizza :) I am having a tough time trying to get this little guy to eat meat! He will eat a turkey dog every now and again, but he won't eat grilled chicken or even lunch meat! The only thing I can get him to eat is chicken nuggets, and like I said, the occasional turkey dog. We are down to 3 nursings a day, and have introduced a small amount of whole milk at breakfast time and dinner time.

He is getting to be such a big boy, and is still as happy as ever!! We love you sweet boy!! One more month to the big ONE YEAR OLD!

Here are a few pictures from the other day of Cooper climbing on this little chair that he loves at my parents house.

Fun Weekend!

We are back from an awesome weekend of celebrating Leah and Chris' wedding in downtown Atlanta! We had a blast! I have some pics to share, but I need to make more room on my hard drive in order to put them on my computer. So for now, enjoy this picture of Ella and her GIANT pancake from this morning at Twelve Hotel :)

You Can't Say I Didn't Warn You

Here's an e-mail I got from Pole-La-Teaz today....lol

Hello Ladies!

Welcome to a new session of pole dancing at PoleLaTeaz. We are very excited to have you at the studio! And with each new session comes new and challenging spins! With that said, we'd like to remind you to pace yourself while practicing at home. We understand pole dancing is addicting - a fun and healthy addiction - but please remember not to over do it by practicing several hours a day, every day of the week, especially when you're starting a new workout regimen! Whether you've been taking pole dancing with us for a couple of sessions or is a Level 1 student, it's best to balance out your workout to minimize injury from overuse of any specific muscle groups.

We highly encourage you to practice your pole spins at home, but we also recommend balancing out your workout schedule by sensually dancing in your kitchen one day, planking and doing ab crunches in your living room during tv commercial breaks another day, and working on relaxing and stretching as well. Also, don't forget that PoleLaTeaz offers non-pole casual classes such as Chair Dance, Jiggle It, and Exotic Yoga to add fun and spice to your workout schedule!

Have a wonderful session and please listen to your body and pace yourself!

Sincerely,

PoleLaTeaz Staff

Idiot Proof?

Due to idiot spammers, I had to put the ever annoying "word verification" on if you want to leave a comment...although, I have had more spam than actual COMMENTS!!! (hint, hint) ;)

Girlie Hair-Dos

All Mother's of girls, I found the most awesome website for hairstyle ideas!! I was in search of ideas for Ella's hair for my sister's wedding this weekend, and stumbled across this site. The blog is called It's a Girl Thing, and has pictures of the hairstyles this lady does on her daughter, with step by step instructions. It's awesome! So, check it out when you get a chance!


And in case you were wondering how I decided to do Ella's hair-you'll just have to wait until after this weekend, and I will post pictures! :)

First Day of School!

Here is our pretty girl all ready for her first day of 4 year old preschool! She was SOOOOO excited, and woke up ready and raring to go! This year she is attending school 3 half days a week.

This morning started out very crazy. I was on my way to teach my 6:00 a.m. cycle class at the gym, and had pulled into the turn lane-when lo and behold, there was a dead deer laying right there in the center of the turn lane!! Of course, it was pitch black outside, and I didn't see it until it was too late, and WHAM, I hit the blasted thing!! UGH!! I was in Reid's car, and immediately there was this dragging sound. I was like, oh please do not even tell me that the friggin' thing is stuck to the bottom of my car!! So, I pull into the parking lot, and *whew* the deer is not stuck to the bottom of my car, but this little guard thing on the bottom as pulled loose. See Reid's blog for a picture! So, I teach my class (heart totally racing, and totally shaken up!), come home, get Ella dressed and ready to go, get her some breakfast to take in the car, and I take her to Walmart to get some duck tape, hoping this will temporarily help the situation so that Reid can actually get to work without the part dragging along. Come home, Reid comes out takes a look at the car, decides that it can't be taped up, so proceeds to remove the loose part. While this is going on, Cooper wakes up, I go up and change his diaper, bring him down, put him in the stroller with his breakfast so that he can sit out with Reid while he fixes the car, and I take Ella to school!!

Yikes! What a morning! But Ella was a trooper, and went with the flow, had an awesome time at school and came home very excited! She even came home with a little ring of 5 "sight words" (Words they memorize and learn by sight-they will get a new set to add to the ring every month)-which I was excited to see, and she was very anxious to have me go through them with her. It looks as though this is going to be a great year for her, and I am looking forward to see what is in store!

It's September!

It's September already! Happy Labor Day! We (and by we I mean me) are spending the day cleaning, doing laundry and trying to get a little order and organization going on around here. What are you doing for Labor Day?