Doctor Radio:

About Our Kids:

"Stress is the enemy of cognition,"  Dr. Joseph Piro

Gifted children-

With gifted children sometimes schools want to know how intelligent is the child but what they should be asking is how is this child intelligent? He says then that can open up an whole new way of learning for the student. Dr. Piro says when dealing with gifted children,  you should also not discount technology and go to the National Association for Gifted Children and use websites for kids that can help them and increase their learning potential. Every state has their own gifted and talented organization that can help parents learn how to talk teachers and learn how to navigate through the system.

Books

Men's Health:

For men's health and functioning there is a book called, The Hardness Factor: How to Achieve Your Best Health and Sexual Fitness at Any Age

It talks about how men's libido and testosterone really affect the whole body.

From the Psychiatry Show on Doctor Radio:

 A book entitled,  Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help YouFind?and Keep?Love. The premise of the book is about how we form attachments and why attachments are good for our medical health and emotional health.

There is a line in the book that says if you really want to be independent you have to find someone who you can depend on to help you walk down that path of independence.You know that someone has your back... just like with children, they are much more confident when they know mom or dad is there for them. So true.

Rachel Ray featured Gwyneth Paltrow this week. Her new book is called It's All Good. In addition to being an actress it is well known she is a foodie and has a line of cookbooks. He new book touts being super easy, laying out meals for each day. She specializes in clean eating for different eating styles, gluten -free, vegan, athlete, etc. Her tofu mayo for those with egg allergies seems interesting and her sweet potato, five spice muffins for breakfast look very delicious.

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The Nutrition Show with Samantha Heller

Dr. Kerri Boutelle, PhD, University of California professor. Her new study is: Self Guided Help for Childhood Obesity.

She Does a clinical program for weight-loss  for children she shortened her six month clinical program to a self-help manual where you would come in for 20 minutes every two weeks.... She saw a significant amount of weight loss and felt that it was very doable for the population without going through the intensive clinic six month program . 

According to the UCSD researchers, such a program may be an improvement over current methods, especially because the program is designed to fit a busy family's schedule.

Her manuals include parents training and behavior therapy, which is usually missing from other kinds of treatment.

Obesity has changed over the years. Over the past 30 years the numbers have been increasing and now 30% of the children are obese and in low-income areas it's 50% and 60% of the children who are overweight or obese.

Boutelle says a lot of factors play a part. "There are biological factors, it's screen time, it's chemical and the food sources. There are a lot of things, it's not just one thing to blame. It's very complex," she says.

Her program also includes the traffic light model of eating where kids get to choose and they get stickers and rewards for making good choices. Rewards should be relationship based things, not screen time and she urges to try to stay away from money as a reward. She encourages things like celebrations or trips or doing things together with a family member, most importantly acknowledging the efforts.Tips for parents is to keep cut up veggies and fruits at low areas where kids can easily access. However, do not leave the food from prepared meals on the table for easy access, instead plate the food out and serve and keep the extra off the table. Her program teaches ways to increase activity and how to reduce sedentary activities. Lots of small changes can make huge differences because kids are always growing. Reducing fast food and getting parents to agree is a big step. Oddly enough, low income houses eat out, especially fast food more... So sometimes just eating it a fewer amount of times a week makes a difference.

She makes it a team approach. Usually an obese child got that way because of family behaviors., its not mostly a genetic reason. 

For parents who want to help their kids but kids don't want to, Boutelle has a parent-only program. It has had just as much success and parent-child programs. Once the parent has the info sometimes that can help tremendously. Paying attention is the number one step to changing the activity. Weighing in is very important and keeping track with journals.  From 40 years of studies she knows that people who keep track do well and have  success . She loves MyFitnessPal app for keeping track. She also knows from the studies that walking is the number one activity for keeping weight off. Most overweight kids respond very well to parents making positive changes for them. Important to remember is that parents don't buy food, parents do. Therefore, you can make the opportunities for them to eat good food and it doesn't have to be made into such a big deal. Also parents can reduce screen time. They can go over to the TV or the computer and simply shut it off.

Anyone interested in her program can email her at kidsweight@ucsd.edu

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Random Info: 

Did u know?

There are two types of sweat: regular sweat and stress sweat. While sweat from a good workout is made of 99% water, stress sweat is triggered by emotions like fear or adrenaline and mixes with lipids and protein, a mix that is a magnet for your body's own bacteria, says Susan Biehle-Hulette PhD. Stress sweat is located  primarily where there are hair follicles .The glands that trigger this kind of sweat can release up to 30 times more sweat than regular sweat. Things you can do, reapply antiperspirant, shower to wash away bacteria and wear dark colors so that if it happens it is not as noticeable. For real issues with sweat there's clinical strength A.P., prescription strength A.P. and even Botox. Injected into pits it can temporarily block sweat  and is sometimes covered by insurance.

-April is National Stress Awareness Month

-April is Autism Awareness Month -for more info go to autism-society.org

-April 15 is Spring Astronomy Week.. to show your family the latest photos from space go to hubblesite.org

Be Well and Stay Fit!

Marlo

From Doctor Radio
Dr. William Shapiro /Audiologist:
Tinnitus is ringing in the ears or noises in the ear. Loud noises can actually break the
hairs in the ear and they never grow back. That can cause tinnitus. The condition can be
caused by load noises, high blood pressure, nicotine.
A recent study conducted showed as you lose hearing, your body fills the gap with these
internal noises.
Treatments: hearing aid picks up environmental sounds that person is missing and
masks out he internal body noise, neuromonic device for a couple hours a day is a
treatment too. Pillow speakers help at night, which is when many say it is worse. Also it
is important to de-stress... many people when they first hear it get scared, then they
stress out and the tinnitus gets worse... so trying to de-stress is important in order to
break the cycle.
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Dr. Andrews:
Look up ACL prevention on the Internet that is a program that can be done during the
summer for boys and girls teaches them safe and effective ways to plyometrics jump
and land without harming the ACL
From a musculoskeletal point of view and growth factor stability/ gymnastics and
competitive cheerleading do not work well together/There are significant risk factors
including catastrophic injuries
Overall benefit of sports outweighs the risk of injuries but that's why parents need to
read up on sports medicine prevention and can prevent getting injured
The emphasis is trying to now get control of coaches that do travel teams and all yearround
sports so that there can be a rest or break for the kids and not do it all year round.
That just sets the kids up for injuries when they play all year round.
From the Dermatology show:
Toenail fungus - a cure for toenail fungus is a vinegar soak. It is one part vinegar four
parts water and you soak your foot in it three to four times a week. Creams around the
toenails and around the toes that you get from the doctor and pharmacy are also
helpful. There is a nail lacquer that you put on the toenail called Penlac that helps get
rid of fungus. It takes a while to get rid of it since the toenails grow very slowly.
About Our Kids:
Book: Chicken soup for the Soul/ Raising Kids on the Spectrum:101 by Rebecca Landa,
MaryBeth Marsden, and Nancy BurrowsSoup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the
Spectrum: 101 ...
Rebecca Landa, PhD, is the founder and director of the Center for Autism and Related
Disorders and the REACH research program at Kennedy Krieger Institute.
Portion of the proceeds go to ASD research
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From New York Times, Gretchen Reynolds:
Brain fatigue can cause one to be easily distracted, forgetful and mentally flighty.
But an innovative new study from Scotland suggests that you can ease brain fatigue
simply by strolling through a leafy park.
Previous studies have found that people who live near trees and parks have lower
levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in their saliva than those who live primarily amid
concrete, and that children with attention deficits tend to concentrate and perform better
on cognitive tests after walking through parks or arboretums.
But it had not been possible to study the brains of people while they were actually
outside. Recently a lightweight portable device has changed that. An
electroencephalogram (EEG) was set up on each member of a test group as they
walked through urban and rural settings to measure brain waves. What they found
confirmed the idea that green spaces lessen brain fatigue.
The Orthopedic Show with Dr. Cardone:
Planter fasciitis
And OMG this is my problem...
Guest Dr. Jackie Sutera says she is seeing an increase of it lately. A lot of things have to
do with it including activity, shoes that you wear, flat feet. One of the doctors in the
discussion said they would start with the golf ball rolling technique, physical therapy,
and anti-inflammatories as opposed to a Cortisone shot. Heeled shoes, no flats.
Minimalist shoes, if using those, should be eased into use gradually. Most advise
against those though. Orthotics and support is very important for the sneaker. A night
brace is good to put the foot in a nice stretched position so it doesn't tense up. This can
be used during any period of rest, not just during sleep. PRP is showing good results...
(Platelet injection from the arms.) One of the doctors in the discussion uses this for
age related degeneration of the plantar fascia and said "this could speed up the
regeneration and its from your own body. " But the jury is out on the evidence. One of
the doctors said results are 50/50.
Plantar fasciitis can last 6-12 months....
When seen in both feet, a blood test should be done to make sure there is no
inflammatory disease or condition going on.
MBT or stiff-soled shoes can help for everyday walking, hanging out, window shopping,
etc. if you have a forefoot problem. Then switch to your athletic shoes for your athletic
activities... Metatarsalgia, another foot problem, is a soft tissue issue and that
sometimes can feel like a ball under the foot. Toe spacers can sometimes relieve the
pressure. The docs did not seem to keen on the metatarsalgia pads.
General recommendations on foot care.... Thumbs down on flat flip-flops, everyday.
They have a purpose for the pool or beach but not meant to be commuter shoes or
worn all day.
Be Well and Stay Fit! -Marlo

Hi Everyone!
For a long while now I have been missing my writing. But I really love it when I have
information that is helpful and can pass it on to people in my life. I really did love that
aspect of being a reporter. Of course, as many of you know, I get to do that a little bit
through my love of movement and dance and physicality in my everyday profession of
personal trainer and group exercise instructor. However, a few years ago I started a
blog about my kids and on Wednesdays, I had a fitness day, full of great info I would
collect. I love to read and my books of choice are usually fitness/health related, along
with fitness magazines/periodicals. For the last year, I have been a HUGE fan of Doctor
Radio on Sirius/XM. I could go on all day about why I love it, but the main reasons are
that it is timely, up to the minute information, usually based on studies from reputable
sources like New England Journal of Medicine, etc. There are a few shows I listen to
faithfully and I am usually bursting at the seems to share. I think my family is bit sick of
my information overload...I am planning on reinventing my blog but for now I will email a
page or two at a time and share. If you don't want to be on my mailing list, please let me
know nicely, and conversely, if you feel inclined to share it with anyone, please do and
feel free to pass along their email to me. I'm just getting info out and hoping to help or
inform along the way. I'm passionate about exercise and healthcare all across the ages.
Thanks so much!
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Dr. Ira Breite: "One of the great things about Dr. Radio - you find out things before
anyone else does."
from 2/25-3/4
Dr. Todd Cooperman in an interview with Roberta Flack on Doctor Radio. The topic is
Exercise and Energy. Flack was asking about achy joints and what can help, if anything.
Dr. Cooperman reinforced the use of glucosamine, coupled with chondroitin if it is an
osteoarthritis. If however it is a rheumatoid arthritis, then it will not be effective since that
is an auto-immune issue.
Next she wanted to know about energy or motivation to exercise, explaining she has
lost some of her desire to get to the gym. She wanted to know if the 5-hour energy
drinks would do the trick. His answer was a thumbs down because it is a stimulant with
216mg of caffeine, twice as much as a cup of coffee. Considering, only up to two or
three cups should be consumed in a day and that's throughout a whole day, not all at
once. These "energy" drinks are usually taken all at once and since they are so small,
some people even grab for a second one, making for a dangerous situation for some
people. According to Dr. Cooperman, it can cause palpitations and possibly arrhythmias.
The doctor also added that energy by way of a stimulant is not really energy at all. We
get our energy from the foods we eat, glucose molecules. The best producer of energy
is exercise.
From the Dermatology show, a caller asked Dr. Michael Whitlow about
hyperpigmentation and melasma on her face. I can totally relate to this. She wanted to
know what to do for it, if anything, perhaps even lasers. He said the MOST important
thing you can do is wear sunscreen that covers both kinds of rays, UVA, and UVB. The
best is something with titanium dioxide or zinc. Dr. Whitlow says his favorite is Oil of
Olay Complete. Secondly, he suggests a bleaching cream, an example would be
Triluma, which contains hydroquinone, retin A, and a steroid, as a once-a-day topical
regimen. He said positive results from this can be seen in a few months. The issue with
sunscreen and sun is that the sunscreen regimen on the face has to be aggressive and
consistent because even just a little bit of sun on the face can undo all the good. I can
attest to that! Chemical peels can work on certain spots. Lasers, he said, are "iffy at
best and can sometimes make it worse." First do your homework before going the laser
route.
Book reference of the week:
"10 Habits of Happy Mothers" by Meg Meeker, M.D. She is a Michigan pediatrician.