And so, how can we teach our children the importance of eating what is actually good for their bodies and just not what tastes good?  There is a great website that your children can log onto that will tell them the nutritional value of what they have eaten that day.  Go to fruitandveggiesmatter.gov and help the younger ones for the first time navigate through it.  The website also allows your child to ‘build’ a healthy meal.  They also have recipes online that are healthy that you can make with your children.  Kids can learn a lot about math by cooking,  i.e. measuring the ingredients, counting or dividing, etc.

Just one more trick in our arsenal to help our children eat and be healthier!  The healthier they are, the better they will be able to focus and listen to what is being taught to them.

*Make a list of all the things that are lunchbox acceptable to both you and your child.  Be sure to revisit the list periodically.

*Plan lunches a week or two at a time, using your list.

*Pack lunch the night before with your child’s help.

*Be creative:  A bagel spread with cream cheese and diced raw vegetables such as peppers and carrots make a colorful and yummy lunch dish.

*Think outside the bread.  A healthy lunch could be veggie sushi rolls or wraps, a thermos of chili or soup or a container of sesame noodles.

• Package your own bags or snacks in baggies or reusable plastic containers rather than buying prepackaged ones.
• Take a reusable water bottle instead of a drink like a juice box.  Fill it with water, milk or juice.
• Consider buying more hot lunches, which sometimes cost little more than a dollar.
• Shop around for sales and buy in large quantities when you can.  Freeze things until you need them.
• Think about lunches when you’re making dinners, and set some aside so you have enough for the next day.  That will make sure your family doesn’t eat it up.
• Take a food inventory so you know what you have and can plan around that.  And that will cut down on trips to the store–which could add up to big savings.
• Talk to your kids to see what they really want.  If they’re not going to eat it, don’t give it to them.
• Involve children in the lunch-making process.  Analysts say if kids take part in packing their lunches, they will be more apt to eat them.

Here are some specific steps you can take:

• Limit TV-watching and video game playing—no more than two hours a day—for both kids and adults in the family.
• Give your child “fitness” gifts for birthdays—anything from jump ropes to in-line skates. 
• Make his birthday party something physical. Indoor climbing gyms are popular with the younger set. Older kids might like ice skating, bowling, or facilities with climbing walls, which have become the “in” thing.
• Walk with him instead of driving whenever possible.
• Make family weekends and vacations active ones. Take a bike, ride or swim or go hiking.
• Offer him lessons in tennis, horseback riding, or some other activity he wants to try.
• Get exercise tapes with fun music that kids and adults can do together.

What’s the Latest?  The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) surveyed 5,000 students ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade and found that girls who got from 70 to 300 minutes of physical education per week scored consistently higher on standardized tests.  More exercise also translated into increased classroom participation and concentration skills.

What about Boys?  The study found no correlation between gym class and test scores for boys, but that may be because elementary-school-age males tend to be more active outside school.  And according to the CDC, boys are often more physically fit than girls, meaning gym-class dodgeball might not be enough to give them the same beneficial physiological effects. 

Why Does it Matter?  Many school districts are slashing PE to meet budgets; math and reading are what count on standardized tests–and in assessing schools’ performance under No Child Left Behind.  As a result, most kids have gym class only once or twice a week.  The lack of physical exercise could be adversely affecting girls’ academic development.

ADHD-afflicted people display different behaviors indicative of problems associated with the disorder.  Being inattentive can be seen when a child or adolescent:

• Often does not follow through on tasks.
• Often has difficulty getting organized.
• Often makes careless mistakes, failing to give close attention.
• Often has difficulty sustaining attention.l
• Often does not seem to listen.
• Often dislikes or avoids sustained mental efforts.
• Often loses things.
• Often is easily distracted.
• Often is forgetful.

Having your child diagnosed with ADD/ADHD is best accomplished by a licensed medical professional specializing in AD/ADHA and similar medical conditions.  The most comprehensive testing for ADD/ADHD is performed by a psychologist or neurophysiologist.  Psychological testing provides important data in the process of diagnosing ADD/ADHD as well as other possible diagnoses. 

Simply shaking hands with someone or giving them a ‘high-5′ can pass the germs along.  It’s very important that students wash their hands for at least 30 seconds with warm water and soap.  This will be huge if you want to stay healthy.  Wash your hands at least 3 times a day and especially after using the toilet, shaking hands or being in a crowd of people.  When the cold and flu season are coming around, it is very important to make sure you wash your hands diligently.

Any aged people can come down with MRSA.  There have been 3 reported cases in the Georgia schools in the past two weeks.