Hyvin
A Natural Health and Wellness Blog

To eat fish while pregnant or not to eat fish while pregnant? That is the question, it seems. Those who say “eat” say the beneficial effects of the nutrients in fish far outweigh any risk. On the other side of the question are the Environmental Protection Administration and the Food and Drug Administration, which issued an advisory in 2004 telling pregnant women to avoid eating more than 340 grams of fish — about 12 ounces a week — because of the danger of mercury poisoning.

A new study weighs in on the side of the beneficial effects. Research published in the Feb. 17 issue of the journal The Lancet found that children whose mothers ate at least three servings of fish a week during pregnancy had higher scores in tests of mental function in their early years. And the study found that maternal seafood intake during pregnancy of less than 340 grams a week was associated with increased risk of children being in the bottom 25 percent of verbal IQ at 8 years of age and with suboptimum performance on tests of social behavior, fine motor activity, communication and social development.

The HealthDay report of the research cited several experts on both sides of “the question”, given these new findings. Some say eat the fish. Some say don’t. I don’t get it. Why not just advise pregnant women to supplement with guaranteed ultra-pure omega-3 fatty acids, thought to be the component in fish providing the benefit???

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gases emitted from certain solids and fluids such as paints, cleaning supplies, building materials, printers, glues and photographic solutions and can lead to headaches, nausea, fatigue, dizziness and irritation of the eyes, nose and throat or damage to the nervous system or organs.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that VOC levels are typically up to five times higher inside a house than outdoors, regardless of whether a home is in an urban or rural area. Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland and Ohio State University recently compared VOC levels in indoor air with VOC levels in human breast milk. VOCs from indoor air were 25-fold to 135-fold higher than from breast milk. Reuters Health quoted researcher Sungroul Kim as saying: “”We ought to focus our efforts on reducing indoor air sources of these compounds.”

One good way to reduce indoor air sources of VOCs is to use safe, non-toxic cleaning products. And, if some sources are unavoidable, there is a way to remove the VOCs from the air with state-of-the-art, but very economical air purification. These gases, of course, impact infants the most, but they are harmful to all of us. I am very committed to doing what I can to maintain a healthy home and am SO happy to have product options that support this priority.

The status of your health as an adult began in your mother’s womb. That seems remarkable, yet completely sensible. As our bodily systems develop from the very beginning, they grow and strengthen in progression from what came before. There is ongoing evidence that childhood health is more than just the number of missed school days — it is an indicator of adult health.

For heart health, for example, begin good habits in infancy, according to this recent report by HealthDay News:

The value of adopting a heart-healthy diet early in life is being demonstrated in an ongoing study in Finland, where researchers in 1990 began following more than 1,000 infants who were 7 months old at the time.

Half of the children were allowed an unrestricted diet, while the parents of the other half were directed to feed their children a diet low in saturated fats — the unhealthy fats that are typically found in foods from animals. Those parents also received dietary and lifestyle counseling twice a year.

The benefits of the low-saturated fat diets and counseling were revealed in tests done when the children were 11. Ultrasound images of the boys’ arteries found that those on the low-saturated fat diets had blood vessels that were better able to widen, allowing blood to flow more freely.

No such difference was seen for the girls, a finding reported for females in some adult studies. “The reason for this is not known, but one explanation could be estrogen,” said study co-investigator Dr. Olli Raitakari, chief physician at the Turku University Central Hospital. Estrogen, the female sex hormone, influences the number of receptors for LDL cholesterol, the “bad” kind that clogs arteries, he said.

Still, the findings for the boys were very encouraging, Raitakari said, and the researchers believe the benefits for girls will eventually prove true. The study will continue until the children turn 20.

We all certainly want to give our children the gift of good health. We truly can start giving that gift right now!

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention just issued a report cataloging the deaths and illnesses of children under the age of 2 from taking over-the-counter cough and cold medications. According to the HealthDay News report of the study, researchers made two main points: (1) These are drugs and have risks, including the possibility of death in infants under two years of age; and (2) there is NO evidence that these meds, especially ones containing pseudoephedrine [a nasal decongestant] have any positive benefits for children under two.

Two good reasons, it seems to me, NOT to use over-the-counter cough and cold meds in little ones. I resort to drug intervention only as a last resort, but I have to admit, these formulas are so commonly used by the public, and seem innocuous. This report is an eye-opener for me.

So, what to do with an infant who is stuffed up, coughing and miserable? Time (the great healer) and a humidifier by the crib will help. You may also want to try some pure alfalfa tablets dissolved in warm water. Try dispensing the solution with a dropper. Alfalfa is a natural decongestant with side benefits not side effects.

Nutritional support for optimal learning can make a huge difference to a child in the classroom. Here’s a little quiz: Did you know that if a person’s blood sugar level is too low, it can cause the brain to act sluggish, making it difficult to learn and even behave appropriately? Did you know that B-Complex is essential for the brain and nervous system? Did you know that Lecithin is necessary for brain neurotransmitters and has been shown to improve memory and brain function?

Did you pass the quiz? Well, these are only a few of the nutrients that are important for learning support. And it makes sense, doesn’t it? The body and brain work as a unit and they both need nutrients to function as designed. It’s up to us as parents to learn what the kids need so they can learn!

There was a day when I never would have thought that my household cleaning products could be making me sick. That day, fortunately, was enlightened by an allergy clinic. I discovered that my cleaners WERE making me sick (and I thought I just didn’t like to clean!) Since then, I have learned a great deal about these commonly used products and their effects on our health.

Health Day News recently issued a health tip reminding consumers that bleach-based cleaning products can cause lung damage.

According to a May 2006 study by researchers at the Univ. of California Berkeley and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, many common household cleaners emit toxins at levels that may lead to health risks.

To date, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than 75,000 synthetic chemicals are registered. Only a fraction of them have been tested for human health concerns. We’re beginning to learn just how harmful exposure can be. One recent study, for example, conducted over 15 years, found that women who work at home have a 54% higher death rate from cancer than those who work outside the home. Scientists concluded this was a direct result of increased exposure to toxic chemicals, many of which are found in common household products.

And if these toxic chemicals are having this affect on adults, just think of the consequences to children! In fact, many household toxins have been linked to mental and physical developmental problems in children.

Scientists at the National Toxicology Program found 150 chemicals present in the home are associated with allergies, birth defects, cancer, and psychological disorders. Some of these chemicals may be in common household cleaners. They include:

* Ammonia: Glass Cleaners may contain ammonia. The fumes from ammonia can irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory system.
* Aromatic hydrocarbons (naphthalene, organic solvents, trichloroethane): Used in degreasers, deodorizers, air fresheners, all-purpose cleaners, liquid laundry detergent and pesticides. Many are likely human carcinogens.
* Alkyphenols: Found in multisurface cleaners, liquid laundry detergent. May have hormone-disrupting effects.
* Butyl cellosolve: Found in metal polishes and grease removers, a petroleum-based solvent that can irritate nasal passages and cause liver and kidney damage.
* Phthalates: Found in air fresheners, multipurpose cleaners. May cause birth defects and reproductive disorders.
* Petroleum distillates: Found in floor waxes, furniture polishes, degreasers, all-purpose cleaners. Can damage lung tissues and dissolve fatty tissue around nerve cells.
* Chlorine: Found in sanitizing and bleaching agents, tub and tile cleaners, and pesticides. Ranks high in the causes of child poisonings in the U.S. and may cause reproductive, endocrine and immune disorders.

I cringe when I smell these chemicals in the homes or on the bodies and clothes of friends or their children! I am SO grateful to have found really effective, economical, safe cleaning products that are non-toxic. They are a huge part of my quest to be hyvin (well).

Every stage of a child’s development has its own critical nutrition requirements. And research continues to support the understanding that meeting those nutrition requirements has a dramatic impact on school performance. (Hey, it’ll be back-to-school time before we know it!)

While a well-balanced diet is very important, most children are picky eaters and do not get all the nutrients they need from diet alone, so you’ll also want to consider supplementing their diet.

Supplement their diet with what?! Click here for specific recommendations by age category from a family physician! Your children (and their teacher(s)!) will thank you .

Study findings presented at the Experimental Biology 2005 meeting in San Diego showed that supplemental zinc helped students perform better in school.

This was a 10-week study of 209 seventh graders, some of whom consumed fruit juice supplemented with zinc while others received regular juice. Those receiving the supplemental zinc had better reaction time on a visual memory test, more correct answers on a word recognition test and had better scores on a task requiring sustained attention and vigilance.

It certainly wouldn’t hurt to try a nutritional approach to improving school performance before some of the recommended medicinals. Feel free to contact me if you’d like more information about this.

Keeping well hydrated is one of the most important ways to maintain your health during the summer. Increased temperatures means increased sweating, which means increased water loss.

Here are some remarkable water facts from Nedra H. Sahr, M.S., C.N.S.:

• 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.
• 37% of us think we’re hungry when we are thirsty.
• The Number One cause of fatigue is lack of water.
• Mild dehydration will slow metabolism as much as 3%.

A 2% drop in water stores leads to:

• Fuzzy short term memory.
• Trouble with basic math.
• Difficulty focusing on the computer screen or a printed page.

Can you drink too much water? Sure. Here are the top 3 ways you know you’ve been drinking too much water:

1. You have to empty water out of your shoes more than twice a day.
2. Mosquitoes start nesting on you.
3. You look at a picture of Niagara Falls and say, “Mama!”

What about juice? Can we use some juice in our quest to drink enough this summer?

Well, if you’re an adult, maybe. But In 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued guidelines saying fruit juice should not be given to children younger than 6 months, and that there is no nutritional reason to give it to them before their first birthday. After that, juice is optional, though the group favors whole produce and urges parents to limit juice to 4 to 6 ounces a day for children up to 6 years old, and to no more than 8 to 12 ounces for older children. And even for adults, juice is not encouraged. It is essentially water and sugar (even the all-natural, no-sugar added varieties), and the new dietary guidelines discourage sugar intake, in food or beverages.

Vitamin D seems to be getting a fair amount of attention lately. We’ve learned that it can help in managing congestive heart failure and is important for bone health. New research suggests it also is linked to higher birth weights for newborns.

Reuters Health reported on an article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal revealing that lower levels of Vitamin D consumption — even when those levels were within the recommended range — were associated with giving birth to smaller infants.

Reuters Health stated, “There has been little research, [however,] into women’s vitamin D needs during pregnancy. The adequate level set for all younger adults is based on decades-old research on the amount of vitamin D necessary to prevent the bone disease rickets.”

It is gratifying to see an acknowledgement that “official” recommended nutrient levels are geared only to deficiency disease prevention… and are quite old. They have no bearing, really, on the levels that are optimal for health and well-being. And, as these researchers acknowledged, more, new research needs to be done to establish those optimal levels. I hope it happens!