VitaNews

Author: Carrie Myers

If you’re like many families, summertime means the loss of a normal routine and schedule. So, when back-to-school time inevitably rolls back around, those first few weeks can be rough—unless you’re prepared. Here are a few tips for easing into a new school year.

Wrap-Up Summer School Projects

If you neglected to go through your kids’ backpacks from last school year, now might be a good time to do so. Hopefully, you won’t find their summer reading list or some other summer project that’s supposed to be completed by the upcoming school year (and hopefully you don’t find that the stench you’ve been smelling is some critter they brought home and were supposed to take care of over the summer!).

Do School Shopping Early

This is especially important if you tend to procrastinate. Get school supplies, backpacks, lunch boxes, and any clothes and shoes well before the start of school (like two or three weeks before). This cuts down on the stress of last-minute shopping—and increases the chances of getting the colors and themes your kids want (unless you hate that cartoon character they’re crazy about, in which case, feel free to procrastinate).

Practice

Don’t wait until school starts to begin some sort of routine. Summertime often means later nights and sleeping in—at least sleeping later than during the school year. Two or three weeks prior to school starting, set a time for bedtime—and announce it early—like the previous week, but also early on in the day that you’re starting it—and remind them often throughout the day so that no one can say you didn’t tell them (little do they know, we moms know all their tricks).

How to set the earlier bedtime is up to you, but it definitely does not need to be all or nothing. Depending on when you’re beginning the earlier bedtime, try starting with 30 minutes earlier for the first few days and then add up from there. Just beware that they may have trouble falling asleep at first, since they’re bodies have adjusted to staying up later. This is where the bedtime routine comes into play. What do they normally do during the school year? Bath, brush, read—or something along those lines? If they’ve gotten out of that habit, now is the time to reinstill it.

On the other end, if they’ve been sleeping in, start setting alarms and practice getting up and getting “ready” in the morning. If you don’t want them to consider you a total summertime buzz-kill, allow weekends to stay on summertime.

Ease New School Year Jitters

Whether your kids will be in a new school this year, or you have a child who does not deal with change well, ignoring their anxiety will not make it go away. Start talking about how they’re feeling, answer any questions they might have, and start them on their new routine so that it becomes familiar to them.

Contact the school and their new teacher and ask if you can all do a meet-and-greet the week before school in their classroom. This will increase their familiarity and help them feel safe going there. If the child is in middle or high school, ask for a tour of the school and a meet-and-greet with their teachers. If they’ll be using a locker, ask if they could get their locker assignment and locker code or combination so they can practice opening it without trying to figure it out with the pressure of other kids and bells going off (I literally still have this recurring dream at least once a year that I cannot remember my locker combo and the bells are going off, I’m late…ahhhh!)

Make Sure You Still Squeeze in Fun

Summer is short enough, and the purpose of preparing for school is not to shorten summer even more. Even with easing back into a schedule and routine, be sure to add plenty of end-of-summer activities and family time (or downtime if summer has been all go, go, go). And while I do not recommend planning your family getaway for the last week of summer, if that is your thing, being prepared beforehand will be imperative!

Here’s to a safe, healthy, happy school year!

We’d love to hear your tips and what works for you! Drop us a line!

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Author: Ashley Wentworth

Seasonal changes usually make us want to consider making changes in other parts of our lives to create that “fresh start” feeling. We often choose to make changes to our activity, nutrition, organization, wardrobe and more. Some of these changes help us simply recharge, and some are necessary—like changing out our winter boots for sandals when temperatures are higher.

Are changes in nutrition necessary during season changes? Let’s explore!

Spring

When spring rolls around, the days are getting longer and some of us winter hibernators may be starting to spend more time outside. Here are some things to consider for your nutrition when the sun is finally showing its face again. 

Vitamin D

Getting enough vitamin D, essential for bone health and many other functions, may not be as much of a concern in the spring as long as you’re spending time outside. Our bodies create vitamin D when exposed to the UVB rays of sunlight. There are a lot of variables involved in deciding how long you need to be outside to get the recommended amounts of vitamin D. Things like how far you live from the equator, your skin color, the season, and even the time of day can all affect how your body synthesizes vitamin D. 

• In spring and summer months when more of your skin is likely exposed to the sun, you don’t need to spend as much time outside as you would in the winter when it is not as strong and your skin is more covered due to the cooler temperatures. Spending about 10-30 minutes in the sun a few days per week is thought to be enough for sufficient vitamin D levels.

• The time of day can affect how well we make vitamin D as well. In the middle of the day the UVB rays are stronger and it does not take as long to synthesize. 

• Skin color can also affect our vitamin D. People with lighter skin manufacture vitamin D more quickly than people with darker skin. This means that people with darker skin need longer exposure to the UVB rays. 

The sun is the best way to get vitamin D as there are not many foods that naturally contain it. As with most things regarding nutrition, it’s all about patterns! Vitamin D is stored in the body’s fat cells so it is not as important to be outside each day, but rather a few days per week. So take advantage of those sunny days! 

Be sure to use caution with sunshine—too much of a good thing can be dangerous. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight without proper application of sunscreen can lead to sunburn and increased risk of certain types of skin cancer. 

Supplements* can also be a good source of vitamin D. Those who live in northern climates, have high risk of skin cancer, or have darker skin may benefit from vitamin D supplementation. 

Immunity

Cold and  flu season tends to linger into spring when the temperatures can be variable during the day. See the Fall section for more immunity boosting information.

Summer

The days are long and the sun is strong. Don’t forget your sunscreen even on cloudy days since summer sun rays are much stronger than during other times of the year. Here are some things to pay attention to in summer months to keep your body healthy.

Electrolytes

When temps are higher and we’re trying to keep up with the kids, we sweat more and lose more fluids and electrolytes. Electrolytes are minerals that help maintain fluid balance, muscle contractions (including your heartbeat), and chemical reactions in our bodies. Electrolytes also play a large role in how we feel overall. If we lose too many electrolytes and fluids when it’s hot outside or through extreme exercise, we can experience:

• Neurological complications, like seizures
• Dehydration
• Irregular heart beat
• Dizziness
• Dark-colored urine
• Weakness
• Muscle cramps

Staying hydrated with plain water when you are losing fluids through perspiration is one of the best ways to prevent dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. But extreme levels of perspiration may require electrolyte replacement. You can find electrolytes in: 

• Dairy
• Bananas
• Salty foods
• Drinks or drink powders infused with electrolytes/minerals
• Watermelon

Whole Body Summer Support

Summer schedules are usually hectic! Most of us are on the go and trying to spend as much time outside as we can. Our skin and bodies can usually use some extra healing power during the summer. 

According to Dr. Thaddeus Gala, here are some must haves to support your skin and body in the summer months:

• Antioxidants like fish oil and other omega 3 sources, vitamin C, and vitamin E are all anti-inflammatory and can help skin heal faster from sun damage and also help support your joints and muscles. 
• Collagen works to repair joints and muscles, and is really what keeps your body held together. It can also help skin damaged from the sun heal faster.
• Biotin supports your hair and skin. So, like collagen and antioxidants, it can help repair damaged skin. Biotin also works to heal muscles.

Fall

Fall is like the perfect storm for germs. Temperatures are dropping, we’re spending more time indoors, and we’re gathering in crowds again for back-to-school and the start of the holiday season.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there’s been a lot of information and research on supplements and nutrients that support immunity. Nutrient deficiencies, even if you don’t have obvious symptoms, can often leave small holes in our immune system which bacteria and viruses can take advantage of. Here are the most common dietary sources and key players that work to regulate the immune system, fight off infections, and keep your immunity armor strong:

• Protein: Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, work directly to help fight germs.
• Vitamin A: eggs, organ meats, leafy greens, and orange and yellow vegetables 
• Vitamin D: fortified milk, salmon, tuna fish, and cod liver oil
• Vitamin E: vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds
• Vitamin C: citrus fruits, tomato products, and potatoes 
• Folate (a B vitamin): whole grains, leafy greens, fruits, nuts, beans, peas, seafood, eggs, dairy, and meats. 
• Zinc (mineral): meat, fish, and seafood, eggs, and dairy
• Selenium (mineral): whole grains, dairy, fortified grain products like cereals, and some fruits and vegetables 
• Magnesium (mineral): nuts, seeds, leafy green vegetables, and whole grains
• Pre and probiotics: supporting our gut health can be a key factor in our immunity levels 
• Probiotic food sources: Fermented foods for the win! Sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, kombucha, tempeh, and other fermented foods contain helpful probiotics.
• Prebiotic food sources: Having a variety of plant foods like fruits, veggies, grains, and beans will help you get the prebiotics your gut needs. Bananas, garlic, onions, and more are all good sources. 

What About Herbal Remedies?

There are a lot of herbal supplements on the market geared toward immunity, like garlic, echinacea, elderberry, and more. Most of these supplements and compounds need more research in human studies to be more specific in how they work to help our immune system and to determine safe and effective dosing. 

Other lifestyle activities to consider to improve immunity include:

• Being sure to Include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and whole foods most of the time 
• Getting enough rest 
• Having a way to manage and cope with stress  
• Moving your body most days 
• Avoiding alcohol, tobacco, and other substances
• Hand washing

Winter

Many of us tend to lose steam in the winter months due to shorter days, less sunlight, and cold temperatures limiting our outdoor activities. And let’s face it, spending a lot of time inside with minimal sunshine can also leave us feeling restless, tired, and blah. Can a change in your nutrition help you avoid the winter blues? Here are some nutrients to consider in winter.

Vitamin D

Many places in the Northern hemisphere do not get much sunlight in the winter and what sunlight there is has weak UVB rays that are unable to produce vitamin D in the body. Many medical professionals recommend a Vitamin D supplement during winter months. Talk to your healthcare practitioner about what dose is right for you.

According to many studies, vitamin D has also been linked to mood. Vitamin D deficiency often can cause mood changes, feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and fatigue. 

If you think you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder or depression, reach out to your healthcare practitioner to discuss what treatment plan may be best for you.

Energy Levels

If you’re feeling extra tired and you’re getting enough Vitamin D, see if you are getting enough of the following vitamins and minerals: 

• B vitamins: meat, seafood, eggs, dairy, legumes, leafy greens, seeds, and fortified cereals and breads 
• Iron: fortified cereals, beef, spinach, beans, oysters
• Vitamin C: citrus fruits, tomato products, and potatoes
• Magnesium: nuts, seeds, leafy green vegetables, and whole grains
• Zinc: meat, fish, seafood, eggs, and dairy.

Bottom Line

So, do you need to take different supplements during different seasons? Maybe! If you feel you may be lacking some of the nutrients discussed above, it may be worth looking into increasing food sources during season changes or considering a supplement*. 

*This article is for educational purposes only. Always discuss supplements with your healthcare practitioner or a registered dietitian. There can be risks of having high levels of some vitamins, minerals, and supplements. 

Author: Ashley Wentworth

Author: Carrie Myers

We all want to be happy, but sometimes life seems to get in the way.

Sick kids, unexpected bills, job loss, strained relationships, overwhelm, exhaustion…you name it. It can all contribute to unhappiness and can even play a role in conditions like depression and anxiety.

What’s a mom to do?

First, you have to decide what happiness means to you. While scientists generally describe happiness as positive feelings you have related to engaging in pleasurable activities, even scientists don’t agree on one perfect definition.

Some researchers define happiness as positive emotions with the absence of negative ones. But do genuinely happy people really have no negative emotions?

Seriously…it’s time to get real.

Positive Psychology 101

According to research on Positive Psychology, there are several things that can increase our happiness score and help us flourish in this unpredictable world.

While it’s true that money might not buy happiness in particular, it might add to your life satisfaction and emotional well-being. Research shows that the magic money number is about $75,000 per year. Beyond that, research showed no significant change in people’s rating of life satisfaction or emotional well-being.

And think about it. If you aren’t worried about how your bills are going to get paid each month, wouldn’t that make you a little more satisfied with your life? Or—I’ll say it—happier?

Greater income means we can also give more to causes that we care about. But no matter how much you make, research shows that giving money or time - to organizations we’re passionate about makes us happier.

Spending more time with family and friends can bring more happiness into your life, too.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. There is no way that spending time with certain family members makes you anything but stressed.

Side note: Did you know that stressed spelled backward is desserts? Just sayin’.

People of faith who are spiritual and/or religious tend to be happier (think peace, purpose, connection…).

Another side note: If you’re not the church-going kind, you really should consider it. Just make sure they have a children’s program. It’s like a mommy break. You can even close your eyes during the service and take a little nap and they’ll think you’re praying.

Sorry. Just a little spiritual mommy humor there…

Happiness and Health

You might think that happiness simply has to do with your mental or emotional health. But happiness has perks for your physical health, too.

For example, researchers have found that happiness is linked to lower blood pressure and heart rate.

And people with heart disease who rated themselves as happiest also had healthier heart rate variability, a test of heart health.

One study had people rate certain positive emotions, like joy, happiness, excitement, contentment, and enthusiasm. They then took these same people 10 years later and found that those who rated themselves higher in positive emotions had lower rates of heart disease. In fact, for every one-point increase in positive emotions, their risk for heart disease was 22% lower.

Happiness has also been shown to strengthen the immune system, protect against stress, reduce the perception of pain, and may even help you live longer.  

This is all great. But what if you’re not feeling the happiness warm-fuzzies? How can you get more of it—starting today?

Hunting for Happiness

Scientists estimate that 30-40% of our happiness quota is genetic. So, for example, if you have a child who just seems more sullen, it doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. They just might be naturally a little less happy.

Okay, so if 30-40% of your happiness is in your genes, that means that a whopping 60-70% of it is within your control.

Don’t allow this to overwhelm you. Having control over how happy you are is a good thing!

And it doesn’t have to be difficult.

Here are a few science-backed, evidence-based findings based on researchers in the field of positive psychology, including a pioneer in this field, Martin Seligman, Ph.D., to help you up your happiness levels.

• Are you isolating yourself? You’re likely to be less happy. Build close relationships with people you can be yourself with. Find a mom’s group. Meet up with girlfriends.
• Volunteer or spend time helping other people. This is a great opportunity to get your kids involved, too. Start with people in your family or neighborhood. Do they need their snow shoveled or leaves raked? Would they like a plate of homemade cookies? Bringing happiness to others makes us happier.
• Being physically active can help us be happier. In fact, according to research, it’s a pretty powerful antidepressant. Exercise has also been shown to improve sleep and mood, and is associated with better quality of life in general.
• Meditating, praying, practicing mindfulness, and showing gratitude have all been shown to increase happiness. Ditto for being a part of a church, and spiritual exploration - even for kids.
• Being fully engaged in a hobby or activity that you really enjoy can make you happier.
• Discovering your strengths and using them to showcase and enhance your purpose will also bring you more happiness.

So, some of these might have to wait until kids are a little older (like being fully engaged in…anything!). But use that creative brain of yours and find little ways that you and your family can begin to incorporate some of these things into your lives.

Of course, you also get to decide what will contribute to your happiness (a warm, sandy beach with a beautiful view and my very own cabana boy come to mind…).

Maybe at this very moment, being able to take an uninterrupted hot shower would make you happy.

Or having five minutes to do abso-freaking-lutely nothing would make you happy.

Keep the big picture in mind. Some things will make us momentarily happy…and other things add to our happiness and satisfaction long term.

It’s nice to have a little bit of both.

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Author: Ashley Wentworth

National Nutrition Month ® was created by the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics as a way to learn more about nutrition and incorporate healthful habits into our lifestyles. Each March the Academy chooses a theme for National Nutrition Month ® and provides information and helpful tips related to the theme.

Fuel for the Future

This March, the focus is “Fuel for the Future.” According to the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, this theme “highlights the importance of fuelling our bodies at every age and eating with the environment in mind.”

As a Registered Dietitian, I am enjoying this pick. It reminds us to focus on getting enough food to nourish ourselves, something I find most people struggle with. A lot of messaging around nutrition is confusing, rigid, or proclaims, “The less, the better!” This can leave us hungry, irritable, hyper focused on food, and can erode our relationship with food and trust in our bodies. Adequate nutrition is a great step towards a healthful lifestyle.

Sustainability

The sustainability aspect of this theme is a great sentiment as well, encouraging us to leave our environment better than we found it. Prioritizing sustainability can be great for some, but can create a hyperfocus on food choices and can also be expensive and inaccessible for many of us. Making intentional, sustainable food choices often requires financial resources, time, and energy. Many of us do not have the capacity to participate in these options as resources are limited, we do not have many options for food shopping, and we need to choose low cost foods to maximize the volume of food we can buy—especially with the current increase in costs of living. We can also get too wrapped up in these practices as well. If you are only allowing yourself to eat sustainable options you may risk inadequate nutrition and obsessive food thoughts and behaviors.

The Academy also provides some tips to try out during the month to help us apply the theme to our everyday lives:

Top tips

Each of these tips can make a big difference in your budget, time, food choices, and relationship with food. I personally use every one of these suggestions in my nutrition choices and planning, as well as in nutrition counseling with my clients.

If you’d like to start implementing any of these tips:

• Start slow! Choose 1-2 at a time to practice.
• Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to “stick to it”. It’s new and will take time to adjust.
• If it doesn’t make things easier for you, it might not work for you. That’s okay!
• Be patient. Improving health and nutrition takes time and often does not look or feel the way we see in media.
• Focus on how these changes are making you feel, and celebrate these wins!
• Physically - do you have more energy?
• Mentally - are you fueling enough and having less irritability? Are you less stressed about food choices?
• Emotionally - are you having more fun in the kitchen? Are you enjoying food and meals more?

National Nutrition Month® also aims to bring awareness to the role of Registered Dietitians.

Registered Dietitians (RD), also called Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN), are food and nutrition experts. Registered Dietitians have completed a specific, accredited curriculum for an undergraduate degree, completed a supervised practice/internship, and passed a national registration examination. We also must maintain continuing education requirements throughout our career.

This extensive training allows us to work in many different fields to:

• Make personalized, evidence-based nutrition and lifestyle recommendations based on your past medical history, budget, schedule, preferences, allergies, etc. 
• Plan, implement, and help people access community food and nutrition programs.
• Develop recipes and food products. 
• Provide nutrition care and interventions in clinical settings like hospitals and long-term care facilities.
• Develop and implement nutritionally adequate menus for schools, hospitals, and other facilities.
• Perform health, food, and nutrition research.
• Manage food service operations.
• Provide reliable health and nutrition information in public health campaigns.

What’s the difference between a Registered Dietitian and a Nutritionist?

Registered Dietitians are credentialed practitioners that have met certain qualifications, and participate in required continuing education to maintain their credentials. Per the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics, “A credential is a professional qualification — like MD for doctors or physicians — that lets the public know that the practitioner is a trained expert. In nutrition and dietetics, the credentials for trained experts is RDN and NDTR.”

The “Nutritionist” title is not credentialed, meaning that there are no qualifications to meet to acquire this title, so in essence, anyone can call themselves a Nutritionist.

Note: All Registered Dietitians are Nutritionists, but not all Nutritionists are Registered Dietitians. Be sure to get health and nutrition information from a credentialed source. Much of the current nutrition information in the media is anecdotal and not based on scientific evidence.

I hope these nutrition tips were helpful! Enjoy National Nutrition Month®!

Ashley