Stress Reducing Foods to Support Family Health
Last updated on July 18th, 2014 at 09:02 pm
Editor’s Note: Kid’s suffer stress too and stress reducing foods are also very important for their health. So these tips are also relevant for your children. Additional perspectives on foods to reduce stress in kids can be found here.
****************************************************************************************************************************
A rough day at work, a houseful of chores and bickering kids can leave you feeling frazzled. You’re tempted to reach for the pretzels or chocolate, but you know it’s not good to reach for something to eat when you’re totally stressed out, right? Not always! Nutrition experts say that certain foods can actually help us stay calm. Here are some of their stress-combating suggestions:
Start the Day With Breakfast
Missing meals, especially the first one of the day, can leave you with cravings and extreme hunger that actually fuel your stress, says Alison Acerra, RD, national manager of nutrition and wellness for Guckenheimer, a national food service organization. Tip: Reach for a balanced breakfast, complete with high-fiber carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fat. Try whole-grain cereal atop Greek yogurt with fruit and nuts.
Avoid Blood Sugar Spikes
“When your blood sugar levels are unstable, your stress hormones go haywire, as does your mood,” says Susan Barendregt, a functional nutritionist in Viroqua, Wis. “You want to reach for foods that will provide you with minerals and other nutrients needed to fuel the body’s natural processes that keep it in equilibrium.”
To keep blood sugar levels in check, avoid sugary refined-carbohydrate foods like cookies, cakes, white bread and muffins. Instead, go for foods with protein and healthy fats, which are satisfying without spiking your blood sugar. Have a salad with grilled chicken breast and sliced avocado for lunch, and snack on nuts and seeds instead of chips. Plan to eat small meals (every three to four hours) that include a good source of protein, fiber and healthy fats.
Sip Tea
If you’re stressed, skip the coffee and soda. In addition to giving you the jitters, the high level of caffeine in these drinks can interfere with your normal sleep cycles, which will only exacerbate the stress you’re already feeling, says Ivy Branin, a naturopathic doctor in New York City. Instead, turn to tea, a study-proven remedy for stress symptoms. Black tea has been shown to lower levels of cortisol, the brain’s “stress hormone,” while compounds in green tea can help lower blood sugar levels. And researchers have discovered that passionflower tea is as effective at curbing anxiety as a well-known prescription medication.
Think Vitamin C and B
Foods such as citrus fruits and leafy greens can help reduce the stress you’re experiencing because they support your adrenal glands. These are the stress-handling glands that often get taxed after repeated and chronic stress, says Jenny Westerkamp, a registered dietitian-nutritionist at CJK Foods, a Chicago-based chef-crafted healthy meal delivery service.
Stock up on Fish
Your seafood counter is another place to go for stress reduction. Salmon has high stores of protein and omega-3 fatty acids that help promote brain health and decrease production of cortisol. Meanwhile, tasty shellfish — such as oysters, clams and crabs — are a great source of zinc, which helps support the immune system and adrenal glands.
Choose Whole Grains
Whole-grain items, such as brown rice, oats and wheat contain L-tryptophan, the amino acid essential in serotonin production (an essential substance that helps with relaxation and happiness) and key B vitamins. Another great serotonin-boosting food: sweet potatoes, which are loaded with vitamin B6.
Restoring Parental Joy to Support Happy, Healthy Kids
Last updated on August 31st, 2015 at 01:47 am
Parenthood is supposed to be a joy-filled journey – or so the ads and Facebook memes tell us. So why does it seem as though our days are largely about nagging, supervising homework, changing diapers and shuttling kids to and from their activities? What’s wrong with this picture?
“Today’s mothers are stressed out, overworked and pulled in so many directions that it can be hard to find the pleasure in parenting,” says Barbara Siergiewicz, a certified parent coach and child development specialist based in Rockport, Mass. “But if you remember how happy you were when you got pregnant and what you appreciate about your children, instead of the challenges of parenting, you’re making a choice to be joyful.” And happy parents create a happier, healthier environment for kids.
Follow this roadmap to restore the pleasure of parenting:
Make a Heart Connection
Set aside time every day to have a meaningful conversation with your child – one that’s focused on feelings, not homework or chores. “Ask open-ended questions to find out what’s going on in your child’s life,” advises Siergiewicz. “For example, ‘What was the best thing that happened today?’ or ‘What was the funniest thing that happened?’” No matter where the conversation takes place – whether over dinner or in the car – stay in the moment by listening intently. This will create a more relaxed, closer parent-child relationship and will foster what Siergiewicz calls the “heart connection.”
Stop the Gripe Sessions
Sure, it feels good to vent to your BFFs about your kids’ picky eating or to send a Twitter feed about your mom meltdown. But making it a habit is a big mistake – and becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. “If you concentrate on the negative of parenting, it’s like pouring kerosene on the fire,” says Siergiewicz. “Negativity begets negativity — and that will keep you from rediscovering the joy of being a parent.” Try sharing the good things – photos of your child playing in the snow or news of a school concert – and you’ll be rewarded with a glow of pride.
Catch Them Being Good
“Many parents expect adult-level performance from their kids, and they’re not capable of delivering it,” says Siergiewicz. This sets up a lose-lose situation, with the child falling short and the parents feeling perpetually disappointed. Rather than focusing on what your 10-year-old does wrong and nagging him about it (which isn’t very joyful), accept that he’ll make mistakes and praise him for what he does right. Saying “Thanks for putting away your toys” or “Thanks for clearing your plate without being asked” reinforces good behavior. As Siergiewicz notes, “Positive feedback will boost your child’s self esteem and lead to more of the positive behavior you want to see.” And the better the behavior, the less nagging you’ll need to do.
Clear the Calendar
Jam-packed schedules are a recipe for cranky kids and exhausted parents. Limit your child to just two extracurricular activities each week – say, basketball and guitar lessons – so everyone will have a chance to relax, recharge and reconnect. The less time you spend racing from one activity to another, the more time you’ll have to be in the moment with your children and simply enjoy their company.
Create Family Rituals
Families need regular fun time, whether it’s watching a movie together on Friday night or going out for breakfast on Saturday morning. Having something that everyone can look forward to helps increase the joy. “Family rituals that are positive, loving and nurturing – where parents and children are focused on each other – create lasting memories that sustain us through hard times,” says Siergiewicz. (Like those days when you’re busy carpooling!)
Progressive Muscle Relaxation – Stress-Reduction for Children
Last updated on June 7th, 2014 at 06:39 pm
Earlier this year I wrote a post on stress and kids and promised to review a valuable stress-reducing technique for children and adults, progressive muscle relaxation, in my next post. It took longer than planned, but I wanted to make sure to highlight this useful approach.
Many children suffer from stress and anxiety, even at quite young ages, driven by grades and homework, family, and issues with friends and teasing. Even if there are no particular signs of stress, some kids just have difficulty relaxing, which can affect their ability to fall asleep easily. This was definitely the case with our son, Elliott, who figured out how to climb out of his crib at age two and struggled to nap or go to sleep at night ever since. He could most easily sleep when something was restraining him, like a car seat – so that it seemed like his brain needed to be told, “Stop! Calm down, no moving, now you need to sleep.” Over time, sleep became so challenging that I spoke to a child psychologist who recommended a CD for children to walk them through progressive muscle relaxation (PMR).
“Progressive muscle relaxation is a technique that involves tensing specific muscle groups and then relaxing them to create awareness of tension and relaxation. It is termed progressive because it proceeds through all major muscle groups, relaxing them one at a time, and eventually leads to total muscle relaxation” (amsa.org). PMR is useful for stress, anxiety and sleep issues because one way the body responds to stress is with muscle tension – which you may know if you ever get a stiff neck or aching shoulders when doing stressful work. I first learned about progressive muscle relaxation through a public health graduate course on understanding and managing stress, and have used PMR to help me relax at night while going to sleep. Through the PMR process I realized that I had been holding the muscles in my neck and jaw tight, like when concentrating on some difficult work task. My ability to fall asleep or to go back to sleep in the middle of the night has greatly improved since oral hgh using the PMR approach.
So it made a lot of sense to me to try PMR for my son. I am willing to believe that we aren’t all born with a natural or at least optimal ability to relax, and this is a key life skill! The CD that was recommended to me is called I Can Relax!, and is produced by The Child Anxiety Network for children aged 4 to 12. The CD features the voice of Dr. Donna Pincus, a clinical psychologist and expert in child anxiety disorders, who walks children through playful versions of the PMR process for each part of the body. In the box below you can see the sections of the CD.
I Can Relax! CD Contents
Instructions
Taking Deep Breaths
A Relaxing Place
The Worry Train
Making Lemonade
The Turtle and the Stream
Relax Your Face
Hungry at the Beach
Taking a Nap
The Strong, Tall Tree
I Can Relax!
I Can Relax! is available via Amazon for $17.95 and on iTunes for $9.99. It is also available in Canada via other online booksellers. It’s interesting to note that the reviews on Amazon are almost all very positive. One parent who gave a lower three star rating found that her younger child got great benefit but that her 10-year old wasn’t willing to try and got no benefit after being “forced.” I can say that was also an issue with my son, who was older when we tried it. He did get some benefit, but he resisted the idea. I, on the other hand, found huge benefit from squeezing my hands to “make lemonade!” So it may be better to try this out while your children are still young enough to be less resistant to parental suggestions. I also want to highlight that there are many free options for progressive muscle relaxation, with sample scripts online for parents to read aloud to their children, or videos online or at your local library. I hope you find this approach useful because there is nothing more challenging or disheartening than when your child is anxious or can’t relax.
The 5 Best Stress-Reducing, Back-to-School Apps for Parents
Last updated on August 14th, 2013 at 03:57 pm
Getting your kids back to school doesn’t have to be stressful. These great apps will make your life easier now — and all year long.
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, and iPadThis easy-to-use app will make sure you don’t forget any supplies this year. It lets you create separate lists for the students in your family and then combine them to make shopping easier — and take advantage of any sales. You can also sort the lists by items or stores.
Cost: Free
This app’s motto is “Family Life. Simplified.” And boy, does it live up to it. Cozi does it all — allows you to share a family calendar, create to-do and grocery lists, and more, keeping everything and everyone synced. Plus, it sends out automatic texts or emails to family members so no one misses an event or appointment, saving you the time and mental effort of reminding everyone.
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android
Cost: Free
3. MyHomework
No more forgotten math tests or last-minute realizations that a miniature replica of the Taj Mahal is due tomorrow. This app will help you and your kids keep track of assignments, tests and more with a simple color-coded calendar and reminders on your devices.
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android
Cost: Free
4. iEarnedThat
Trying to motivate your child to clean his room (without all the yelling and threatening)? Skip those old-school sticker reward charts and use this app instead. Simply snap a photo of a reward your child wants (say, a new toy) and this app breaks it into up to 60 puzzle pieces. Your kid can then earn the reward one puzzle piece at a time — no stickers required.
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
Cost: $1.99
Should you keep your child home from school because he (or his schoolmates) have an illness other kids could catch? This app, created by the folks at KidsHealth.org and reviewed by pediatricians, answers that dire question about dozens of common childhood conditions from pinkeye to ear infections and more. (Of course, you should always check with your doc too.) In addition, you get essential info on prevention, symptoms, treatment and when to seek immediate care.
Works with: iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android
Cost: Free
What are your favorite back to school apps?
Stress Affects Kids’ Health Too – Maybe All their Lives
Last updated on August 29th, 2015 at 03:00 pm
Throughout my studies in public health I am constantly being introduced to new and interesting perspectives on the health of communities, as well as all the influences that can undermine our well-being. Right now I am taking a course on the behavioral and biological impacts of stress. Stress is integrally related to our health – not just affecting our mood or our sleep – but working at the basic level of our tissues and cells to advance early negative processes that lead to heart disease, or impair our immune systems.
And stress isn’t just an element in the adult world. Children increasingly suffer stress and stress-related disorders as well. The National Institute of Mental Health, part of the government’s National Institutes of Health, reports that 11% of teens have experienced depression at some time in their life to date, and studies have shown similar rates of anxiety disorders among youth. Furthermore, stress in childhood – particularly extreme levels related to neglect, abuse and ongoing family dysfunction – appears to have longer-term health effects. A report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The Effects of Childhood Stress on Health Across the Lifespan, highlights a range of negative outcomes from “toxic stress” such as alterations in brain development, impaired learning and memory, and immune system issues in later life.
Even everyday stresses that result from a competitive and complex society have been shown to adversely impact health, both of people and of animals such as baboons. An excellent National Geographic video – Stress, Portrait of a Killer – outlines how dealing with long-term challenges and having a low position in society (human or baboon) can undermine health. The video is about an hour long, but it’s well worth watching with a – relaxing – hot drink.
So what about kids? Do they experience everyday or ongoing stress? Personally, I’ve seen it with my son. In second grade he experienced a period of bullying and wasn’t enjoying school. It took us some time to realize the extent of his stress and anxiety but he was exhibiting some of the classic signs, such as detachment, crying spells, and self-comfort such as rocking. Click here for more on stress and the possible signs in young children. Now in 5th grade he’s talking about feeling stressed from all the homework he’s getting – and I can see how it is sometimes affecting his mood and sleep. In fact our experience is consistent with findings from a national Kid’s Health poll of 9-13 year-olds that showed the top childhood stressors to be “grades, school, and homework (36%); family (32%); and friends, peers, gossip, and teasing (21%)”.
Thankfully, both adults and children can learn to manage or reduce their stress levels – with a variety of relaxation approaches available to try – from mindfulness, to yoga, to massage and deep-breathing exercises. In my next post I will review a resource for practicing a common stress-reduction technique “progressive muscle relaxation,” created just for kids.
Calming the Morning Chaos with Kids
Last updated on November 17th, 2012 at 05:27 pm
Morning – the most important part of the day but sometimes also the most stressful. Let’s face it, if we have a hectic morning full of chaos, it can ruin or at least put a damper on the rest of the day. If you’re tired of having to nag the kids to get ready for school, frantic last minute searches for car keys or lost homework, and feeling like you are always running late then you need these tips for calming the morning chaos!
[kaltura-widget uiconfid=”535″ entryid=”1_l7ml5gi7″ width=”400″ height=”255″ addpermission=”” editpermission=”” align=”center” /]
Tip #1: Plan and Prepare
The number one most important thing you can do to make the morning run smoothly is to spend a little time each evening preparing for the next day. Take time to ask your kids for any papers that need to be signed and returned to school and check for important school event dates. Keep a family calendar where everyone can see it and add events, activities, & appointments and check the calendar each evening for the next day so everyone knows what to expect. Post it where you and your kids can see it and add activities and important dates as needed.
Also, make sure kids are going to bed early enough to get a good night’s rest so they are easier to wake up in the morning. That also goes for mom and dad too – if you don’t get enough rest, it will be much harder to get going the next day.
Tip #2: Prepare for Lunch the Night Before
You can also save time by packing lunchboxes the night before. If it needs to be kept cold, put it in the refrigerator. Packing a lunch the night before allows more time for kids to choose what they want to take and for parents to make a healthier lunch than pre-packaged boxed lunches. If they are eating the school lunches, check the lunch menu frequently so there are no last minute requests to take a lunch when they don’t like what the school is serving.
Kids can do many things themselves to help tame the morning chaos if they have a morning routine to follow.
Tip #3: Post a Routine for the Family to Follow
First, post a routine of all the steps each kids needs to do to get ready for school. For kids too young to read, you can use pictures.
Tip #4: Choose Outfits the Night Before
Each night have them pick out their outfits for the next day, including underwear, socks and shoes. Put these all together and ready to go for morning. Lay them out on a chair or put them all together on one hanger for each child using a plastic baggie to hold underwear and socks. If they have dresser drawers instead, you could fold and stack outfits together instead of separating shirts, pants, etc.
Tip #5: Create a Launch Pad
Finally, have your kids create a “launch pad” where each night they can put everything they need for school in one place and ready to go out the door the next morning. If possible, have it near the door you will leave out of each morning. This will eliminate those last minute searches for any needed items.
