Cucumbers

From World's Healthiest Foods;

Comment: Another excellent food we will be trying out at school this week.

To be "cool as a cucumber" add them to your menus during the warm summer months when they are in season. Although slicing cucumbers are available year round, they are at their best from May through July.

Cucumbers are scientifically known as Cucumis sativus and belong to the same family as watermelon, zucchini, pumpkin, and other types of squash. Varieties of cucumber are grown either to be eaten fresh or to be pickled. Those that are to be eaten fresh are commonly called slicing cucumbers. Cucumbers such as gherkins that are specially cultivated to make pickles are oftentimes much smaller than slicing cucumbers.

This chart graphically details the %DV that a serving of Cucumbers provides for each of the nutrients of which it is a good, very good, or excellent source according to our Food Rating System. Additional information about the amount of these nutrients provided by Cucumbers can be found in the Food Rating System Chart. A link that takes you to the In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Cucumbers, featuring information over 80 nutrients, can be found under the Food Rating System Chart.

• Health Benefits
• Description
• History
• How to Select and Store
• How to Enjoy
• Safety
• Nutritional Profile
• References

Health Benefits

The flesh of cucumbers is primarily composed of water but also contains ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and caffeic acid, both of which help soothe skin irritations and reduce swelling. Cucumbers'hard skin is rich in fiber and contains a variety of beneficial minerals including silica, potassium and magnesium.

A Radiant Complexion

The silica in cucumber is an essential component of healthy connective tissue, which includes muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and bone. Cucumber juice is often recommended as a source of silica to improve the complexion and health of the skin, plus cucumber's high water content makes it naturally hydrating—a must for glowing skin. Cucumbers are also used topically for various types of skin problems, including swelling under the eyes and sunburn. Two compounds in cucumbers, ascorbic acid and caffeic acid, prevent water retention, which may explain why cucumbers applied topically are often helpful for swollen eyes, burns and dermatitis.

An Easy Way to Increase Your Consumption of Both Fiber and Water

Trying to get adequate dietary fiber on a daily basis is a challenge for many Americans. Adding a crunchy cool cucumber to your salads is an especially good way to increase your fiber intake because cucumber comes naturally prepackaged with the extra fluid you need when consuming more fiber. Plus, you get the added bonus of vitamin C, silica, potassium and magnesium.

High Blood Pressure? Cucumber Can Help You Cool Down

When people who participated in the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Study added foods high in potassium, magnesium and fiber, their blood pressure dropped to healthier levels. Those people in the study who ate a diet rich in these compounds in addition to the other foods on this diet (low fat dairy foods, seafood, lean meat and poultry) lowered their blood pressure by 5.5 points (systolic) over 3.0 points (diastolic).

Garden School Tattler

First Tattler for the new school year! Wow, it's really here! We're back! It was a very quick summer. Glad the kids had a good time, but now it's school time, and for the most part the kids have been remarkably interested. First week, of course, is spent on rules. Most of the older children are well versed and are spectacular in making and keeping lines, bathroom routines, and lunch routines. Some have forgotten and some are just learning.

For parents who want to help out, please remind your child that lines are quiet places, that only three children belong in a bathroom at one time, and we don't touch our neighbor during lunch. Here is the reasoning:

When we take the children out in public, lines are important safety feature. If lines are quiet, children will be focusing on the adult and not on the child near him. He will be listening instead of talking, and the line will be able to move steadily. When children play with neighbors, they don't remain in line.

When children don't have a toilet or a sink, the bathroom becomes a party zone and the next activity waits and waits while children talk and talk. The girls begin to use the bathroom as a gym hanging on the bars and balancing on the toilet seats and worse! And the boys use the bathroom as a punching arena. So the rule continues: If you don't have a sink or a toilet to use, you don't belong in the bathroom.

The state requires that children eat as germ free as possible. The are required to wash their hands before they sit down. They are required to sit at bleached tables, and they are asked not to paw one another during meals. Most children will pick off one another's plates, drink one another's milk and fight with food. Even when a teacher is looking, sitting with a child or monitoring a group, the children in that group have little respect for food and will use it as a weapon or a game.

Other rules include no running indoors, and stop look and listen when the bell rings. It's always interesting to watch children respond to rules. Truly if a child behaves poorly at school, you can bet he is behaving poorly at home. If he is behaving poorly at home, his home needs rules and structure. Children love structure. They love being told what to do and how to do it. Then once they have mastered how to, they are ready to actually accomplish something on their own.

There is a terrible child care theory that children should be allowed to do anything they want any time they want. When this theory is in place, the natural outcome is a child who never learns to listen and is always resistant about learning. He is stuck in the self rearing mode of fear and frustration, and he usually becomes a block head - one of those children a teacher can't teach. Guidance, rules, and routine are the badges of parenthood, and these badges go with a child to school.

Children can learn a great deal at school, but if they return to homes that are lax and filled with chaos, they will nearly always revert to a lesser behavior.

Today we will go off to Audubon Park for a walk in the woods and a picnic. It should be a beautiful day. We will practice lines and listening skills. Next week - it's on the calendar - we will be working on listening skills.

Broccoli

Broccoli can reverse diabetic heart damage, say researchers

By Shane Starling

Comment: This is the kind of article every food provider should read.

08-Aug-2008 -

A UK study has found consuming broccoli can reverse damage caused to the heart blood vessels of diabetics due to the presence of a sulfur compound.

Researchers from the University of Warwick concluded the compound could function as a “dietary activator”, and thereby “prevent biochemical dysfunction and related functional responses of endothelial cells induced by hyperglycemia”.

Endothelial cells are those that form a thin layer on the interior of blood vessels. Their dysfunction is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among diabetics and has also been linked to problems such as kidney disease.

Hyperglycemia is the condition of having elevated blood sugar levels.

Findings

Lead researcher Professor Paul Thornalley and his colleagues found the compound – sulforaphane – provoked production of a protein called nrf2 that was beneficial to blood vessel health, even those damaged by hyperglycemia.

Thornalley’s team observed a 73 per cent reduction of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which are commonly known as free radicals. ROS levels have been known to increase by as much as 300 per cent in diabetics.

“Our study suggests that compounds such as Sulforaphane from broccoli may help counter processes linked to the development of vascular disease in diabetes,” said Thornalley.

“In future, it will be important to test if eating a diet rich in Brassica vegetables has health benefits for diabetic patients. We expect that it will.”

A free-radical reducing, antioxidant effect was observed among the incubated human endothelial cells kept in low and high glucose concentrations (five and 30mM). Activation of nrf2 was assessed by nuclear translocation.

The presence of sulforaphane doubled the activation of nrf2.

“Sulforaphane prevented hyperglycemia-induced activation of the hexosamine and protein kinase C pathways, and prevented increased cellular accumulation and excretion of the glycating agent, methylglyoxal,” the researchers wrote.

The study adds to a small but growing body of evidence demonstrating the potential for Brassica vegetables such as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, suedes, turnips and cabbages to benefit diabetic conditions.

Other studies have shown their consumption can ward off the onset of diabetes.

One such study conducted at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans found increased intake of green leafy vegetables may reduce the risk of women developing type-2 diabetes.

Published in the journal Diabetes Care, the epidemiological study of 71,346 female nurses found for every additional serving of green leafy vegetables, the risk of developing diabetes may be reduced by almost 10 per cent.

The study followed the women, none of whom had diabetes, heart disease or cancer at the start of the study, for 18 years.

An estimated 19 million people are affected by diabetes in the EU 25, equal to four per cent of the total population. This figure is projected to increase to 26 million by 2030.

In the US, there are over 20 million people with diabetes, equal to seven per cent of the population. The total costs are thought to be as much as $132 billion, with $92 billion being direct costs from medication, according to 2002 American Diabetes Association figures.

Autism

From Food Navigator

Research targets dairy autism fears

By Neil Merrett

11-Aug-2008 -

New US research hopes to determine whether anecdotal concerns over the presence of dairy and gluten-containing products on the behaviour of children with autism are justified.

The double-blind clinical study, which is being carried out by researchers at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston, is part of a number of trials looking to shed light on the true impacts that some foods may have on the neurobehavioral disorder.

According to specialist UK-based charity, the National Autistic Society (NAS), many parents of children with the disorder have considered turning to diets free from either gluten or dairy produce, with reports of varying levels of success.

With the dairy industry increasingly keen to play up the health and nutrition benefits of their products, the research could have major impacts on current nutritional advice for consuming such goods and has been welcomed by some of its members.

“Most of the studies conducted to date in this area have not been well controlled and have not provided the strength of evidence needed to justify removing two nutrient rich food groups important in children’s growth and development,” stated Judith Bryans of the UK-based Dairy Council.

“The recommendation to remove dairy and gluten from the diets of autistic children has not been approved by the medical community who to date do not believe that there is enough evidence to show overall that elimination diets are an effective treatment for autism.”

Dietary uncertainty

According to the researchers, previous studies have found differences in the central nervous systems of those diagnosed with the disorder to those without the condition. However, the cause of autism remains unknown and is suspected to be the result of a mixture of genetics and environment some studies have said.

Lead researcher Fernando Navarro said that a better understanding of the causes of the disorder, which has been linked in some cases to negatively affecting brain development, was vital.

Navarro said that an estimated six in every thousand children were currently affected by autism.

“There’s a lot of misinformation, so that’s why this study is so important,” he stated. “Hundreds and hundreds of parents think this works, but we need serious evidence.”

Katherine Loveland, co-researcher on the project and a professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences, said that links have been previously made between children with autism and gastrointestinal problems like constipation and diarrhoea.

Loveland added that the full impact of these problems on brain development was uncertain particularly in terms of being detrimental or beneficial to behaviour.

“There are neurotransmitters and neuroreceptors in the gut that correspond with those in the brain,” she stated. “There are some scientific reasons to think that some kids may benefit from this diet.”

Proposed methodology

The four week-long project, funded in part by the Department of Paediatrics, will draft 38 children diagnosed with autism between the ages of three and nine to test the impacts of both gluten and milk proteins on intestinal function.

Before testing is expected to commence, the subjects will be required to cut gluten and dairy products from their diets. Gluten, which is a protein in wheat, and casein and whey proteins in milk in the respective form of gliadomorphin and casomorphin peptides are thought to impact behaviour, the researchers claim.

To test this, intestinal permeability, also known as leaky gut, will be measured by urine collection, and behaviour responses will be recorded through psychometric testing.

News of the research has been welcomed by the NAS, which claims that there is currently insufficient evidence on the impact of diet on autism, which has led to uncertainty over causes of the disorder.

The organisation’s director of communications said that there had been cases where concerns over children’s bowel problems were being dismissed as hysteria or an untreatable result of autism.

“It is vital that any suspected gut or bowel problems are investigated thoroughly and promptly, and where necessary referred on for specialist advice and treatment,” stated Benet Middleton.

Middleton added that when it came to dietary intervention, people with autism responded in unique and varied ways and research could not be generalised.

In a previous year-long trial into the impact of casein and gluten free diets on people with autism, it was suggested that there was a link between consumption and urinary peptide abnormalities.

These abnormalities, according to the same research, could be linked to behaviour in cases of diagnosed autism. However, the researchers claimed that further research was needed to find what types of people may actually benefit, if at all, from such diets.

Diet, nutrition & weight loss

Eat safe — six simple ways to enhance the quality of your food

by Marcelle Pick, OB/GYN NP

Comment: An excellent article from an excellent site: Women to Women. As we get back to school, our focus on nutrition and food continues.

It’s hard to miss the food headlines these days — E. coli on our spinach and now salmonella in tomatoes and jalapeños. I’m always telling my patients to eat fresh veggies, but with press like this it’s no wonder women are frustrated! I read a quote the other day from a former FDA official who said that “produce is produced in a very complicated system... making it very, very difficult to trace a given tomato back to its source.”

Since when did growing and selling vegetables become so complicated? Not to mention the antibiotics and hormones in our eggs, beef and chicken, or the mercury in our fish. Believe me, I know it can be overwhelming to decide what to eat. It’s sometimes enough to throw your hands up in defeat. But please don’t give up — there are ways to navigate through these complicated everyday food choices. And many times the answers come by simply following your instincts.

With simple choices you can lessen the burden of contaminated food on your system or avoid it altogether. And it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune in organic groceries. Let’s take a look at six easy choices that can enhance the quality of your food and get you back to nourishing your body without worry.

1. Know where your food is coming from — the closer to home, the better.

In a perfect world, we could all grow our own vegetables and raise our own animals in the best of conditions. But the reality for many women is that life is too complicated to start and tend a garden, let alone raise our own cattle or chickens!

Pesticide residues in common fruits and vegetables

Pesticide amounts vary from one vegetable to the next. Here’s an alphabetical list of items that are consistently highest and lowest.

High pesticide produce: Apples Bell peppers (sweet) Celery Cherries Grapes (imported) Lettuce Nectarines Peaches Potatoes Spinach Strawberries

Low pesticide produce: Asparagus Avocados Bananas Broccoli Cabbage Corn (sweet) Eggplant Kiwi Mangos Onions Papaya Pineapples Peas (sweet)

*Adapted from data gathered by the Environmental Working Group.

So if you can’t get food in your own back yard, the next best thing is your local farmers market. Vegetables grown locally do not have to sit on trucks for days on end or change as many hands. Nor do they endure the factory-like growing conditions now standard on industrial farms. Local farms are often smaller and can tend to their crops in a way that is impossible on large industrial farms. Not to mention the fact that local veggies are also fresher and may be more inexpensive because they don’t have to travel very far. Just remember to ask if their crops have been treated with herbicides or pesticides.

The same goes for your meat. Buying from a nearby farm or getting to know your butcher at the grocery store to ask where your meat is coming from will give you the chance to ask about the health of your chicken, beef, or other meat before you buy it. I’ve found that my patients who ask questions about the history of their food tend to make healthier choices. In this case, knowledge is not only power, but it’s also healthy!

2. Learn which vegetables are high and low in pesticides.

Anyone who’s ever planted a garden or just grown a few sprigs of basil on the kitchen windowsill knows that bugs like our veggies as much as we do, and it takes careful tending to keep them away. So it’s not surprising that pesticides are so commonly used on larger farms. It’s much easier for large industrial farms to spray than to strategically plant marigolds, or purchase ladybugs to keep critters away.

Thankfully, there are some crops that don’t need as much protection from pests, and these are the ones you might consider buying conventionally grown rather than organic — especially if your budget is tight (see the list at right). And for those vegetables that are highest in pesticides, choosing organic or locally grown options will lessen the chemical burden on your system.

My patients have also found produce washes or soaks helpful in removing excess pesticides, bacteria or residue from their fruits and vegetables. Here are some easy recipes we ourselves use at the clinic:

Veggie spray:

• 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon of baking soda
• 1 cup of water

Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle and shake gently to mix. Be careful because the mix may foam up. Spray on veggies and fruit and allow it to sit for 2-5 minutes, then rinse produce under cold water. Keep the spray refrigerated when not using it. It will stay fresh for about a week.

Veggie soak:

Fill a clean sink or bowl with water. Add ½–1 cup of white vinegar and 1 tablespoon of salt. Swish the mixture around with your hands. Allow your produce to soak for 20 minutes, then rinse well when finished.

3. Choose fish low on the food chain.

Your seafood choices make a difference

Here is some seafood shown to have relatively low mercury and/or PCB levels, along with some seafood that is usually best to avoid. Keep in mind that information on mercury contamination in seafood can change depending on the agency collecting the research. And this is by no means an exhaustive list! For more healthy seafood options and recipes, visit the Environmental Defense Fund’s page on eco-best fish.*

Good seafood choices Anchovies Farmed arctic char Atlantic mackerel Catfish Mussels Farmed oysters Wild Alaskan salmon Pacific sardines (US) Farmed rainbow trout

Seafood to avoid Chilean sea bass Grouper Farmed Atlantic salmon Monkfish Orange roughy Swordfish (imported) Bluefin & yellowfin tuna Canned albacore

* Adapted from data collected by the Environmental Defense Fund.

A few years ago I had a patient come to see me from New York. She was experiencing memory problems, fatigue, hormonal imbalance, and, on top of all this, her hair was falling out. She was devastated, and the doctors she’d been seeing couldn’t figure out what was wrong. During one of our conversations she told me she was eating canned tuna every day. I decided to test her for heavy metals and found that her mercury levels were extremely high. Once we got her off of tuna and limited her exposure to other mercury sources, her hair grew back and many of her health problems resolved.

While this was an extreme case, and we cannot say for sure that tuna was the source of her problems, the sad reality is that in today’s world, eating tuna daily can pose a hazard to your health.

Most women know that fish is low in saturated fats, high in omega-3 fatty acids, and generally a great choice when it comes to healthy protein. The down side to seafood is mercury and PCBs — as well as the general sustainability of our fisheries industry! Because of industrial and municipal discharge, stormwater runoff, and modern farming practices, contaminants like mercury and PCB’s are entering our oceans, lakes and rivers, and in a process called biomagnification, building up in fish.

Mercury (specifically, methylmercury) binds to protein, so it can be found throughout fish tissue, while PCB’s tend to build up largely in fatty tissue. Nowadays, most fish has some mercury in it. But the good news is that you can limit the amount in your system by eating fish low on the food chain and by limiting how much fish you eat per month. Smaller species, with their shorter life cycles, and those that feed off of the “bottom” of the ocean don’t accumulate as much mercury in the short amount of time that larger predatory fish can. So it’s wise to eat fish like sardines and catfish rather than swordfish and sea bass, for example. Take a look at the chart above for healthy seafood options.

You probably noticed that I haven’t included shrimp in the chart above. This is because depending on where it comes from, shrimp can be a really good choice or a seafood choice to avoid. The best choices for shrimp are US farmed shrimp, spot prawns from Canada and Oregon pink shrimp (small cocktail shrimp). The problem is, 90% of the shrimp eaten in this country is imported from Southeast Asia and Latin America, where environmental regulations aren’t as stringent. And this imported shrimp can be high in contaminants. Middle-of-the-road choices include northern shrimp from the US and Canada, spot prawn from the US, and wild shrimp from the US. As for scallops, good options are farmed bay scallops or sea scallops from New England and Canada. Avoid sea scallops from the Mid-Atlantic. Also be sure to check with your fish market to make sure the scallops you’re buying are indeed scallops and not skate. To maximize profits and avoid the rubbery texture, some markets are selling skate in place of scallops.

There are better choices than others when it comes to canned tuna as well. Since albacore (or white tuna) is much larger in size than chunk light tuna (consisting of the smaller skipjack), it accumulates mercury faster. It eats larger fish, who have consumed fish as well, so the contaminants can add up quickly. If you’re making a decision in the grocery store, choose the chunk light instead of albacore. It’s lower in mercury — and less expensive.

4. Enhance your gut flora with healthy bacteria.

Another way to prevent contaminated food from making you sick is by working with your body’s innate defenses. From our earliest days following birth, we each acquire a complement of organisms that quietly cohabit nearly every crack and crevice of our bodies, especially our digestive systems. These tiny guests pay us back by helping our bodies with digestion, metabolism, detoxification, and our immune response. We can in turn boost their function by taking probiotic supplements — and having a good source of probiotics on board is always a good idea when concerned about contaminated food or enhancing your nutrition.

Many of my patients have had success with a high-quality probiotic blend like the one we offer in the Personal Program. Research shows this a great way to support a healthy gut and a strong immune system. You might also consider adding more naturally fermented foods to your diet, like yogurt, kefir, homemade pickles or “natural” sauerkraut, kimchee or even natto. These foods are recognized in other cultures as essential to strong digestion — and longevity.

I recently read about a related controversy surrounding this topic in a fascinating article in Harper’s on raw milk. This details the question as to whether pasteurizing milk, that is, heating it to 161°F to kill its bacterial content — is a health measure that is doing us more harm than good. Some scientists are hypothesizing that we may even have become so “sanitary” about our food that we lack the biological immune defenses that milk’s natural bacterial content afforded us in the past. Obviously, this is a highly controversial subject, and raw milk is illegal in many states. Yet many believe it can be a wonderful health food when obtained from a farm where cows are well cared for, allowed to eat grass instead of grain, and graze naturally.

Thankfully, there are many simple ways for us to accumulate healthy bacteria, and in the end they can protect you from more harmful bacteria and toxins that may enter your system.

5. Be generous with antioxidants.

You’ve probably heard that antioxidants prevent aging and cellular damage, but many of my patients don’t realize that they can also help get rid of toxins and boost immune function. Antioxidants protect us from the molecules called free radicals becoming overzealous, where they can do damage to cells and lead to disease. Free radicals appear in the body whenever there is an oxidation going on, which includes many natural, everyday body processes like breaking down foods, but also when we’re exposed to environmental toxins.

Sulfides, or thiols, are a group of antioxidants that may enhance our ability to detoxify harmful compounds in the body , lessening the burden from potential pesticides or mercury in food. Foods rich in sulfides include garlic, onions, scallions, broccoli, cabbage, bok choy and collards. Try a stir-fry or a simple nourishing soup made with kale, onions, and chicken broth. Sliced thin and cooked down in chicken broth, kale loses its bitter flavor and makes a great antioxidant-rich meal. You can also add soy milk, cream or butter, and put it in the blender to make a creamier texture. I fed this to my kids when they were younger and they ate it happily.

Simply adding antioxidants to your diet will not only help rid your body of the harmful heavy metals or chemicals we can consume in our food, but it will also help preserve the body’s ability to fight off bacteria like E. coli or salmonella if we are exposed to a bad tomato every now and again.

6. Finally — savor your meals!

This may be the most important choice on the list. And it’s one we often forget to do with our busy schedules and overwhelming responsibilities. In many countries around the world, people sit down together to eat. They enjoy their food with family and friends in a comfortable space, without talking on their cell phones, trying to drive, or eating next to their computers at work. In the rush of day-to-day activities, we often forget that eating is a pleasure, a time to sit and relax, to indulge our senses and feed our bodies.

Relaxing while eating might not prevent you from getting salmonella poisoning or inactivate the pesticides that may have been sprayed on your lettuce, but it will lower your stress and allow your immune system to better serve and protect you in the long run.

The purpose of this list is not for you to take every word and follow it exactly every day — you’ll drive yourself crazy! — but my hope is for you to stay aware of what you’re eating, and to make small but smart choices wherever you can that can make all the difference to your health.

Contest Anyone?

Comment: I got this from Molly and it looks like fun.

ALERT YOUR READERS-
Share your parenting knowledge with the world and win $2,000.

VideoJug.com (http://www.videojug.com/), the worlds largest video How-To site, is hosting a “Made By You” competition to see which viewer can create the best homemade, how-to video. The video which receives the most views will win $2,000!

Within the "Made By You" competition (http://www.videojug.com/tag/made-by-you), viewers upload their own videos to the site giving viewers a chance to offer their expertise to the public. From “How to make your own reusable diapers” to “How to create a nanny cam,” it is time to cash in on all those secret tips and share your knowledge with the world.

The first prize winner wins $2000, 2nd prize receives $1,000, and 3rd $500. Only films with a total star rating of three stars or more will be eligible for the prize.

For more information on the competition, head over to VideoJug’s- “Made By You” section where you can get tips on:


How to Upload Your Video (http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-upload-a-film-to-videojug-2)
How to Make a “How-To” film (http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-a-how-to-film)
Ideas for a Video (http://www.videojug.com/suggestions?tab=popular)
How to Win the Competition (http://www.videojug.com/article/how-to-win-the-user-film-competition)


Please let me know of you would like more information. To embed videos in your posts, you can use the “embed” code provided below the video.

Best,

Molly

--


Molly Murphy

Lead

From Food Navigator

Food watchdog detects lead risk in confectionery chain

By Lindsey Partos

07-Aug-2008 -

Comment: since lead has become a new worry for parents, I thought this article was interesting.

Heavy metal risk to the confectionery supply chain comes under the spotlight this week in the US as health officials detect banned levels of lead in two different chocolate confectionery brands.

California's department of public health warned consumers not to eat Huevines Confitados Sabor chocolate products, made by Mexican firm Confitados Finos Del Bosque, after tests found the product contained as much as 0.20 parts per million (ppm) of lead.

California considers confectionery with lead levels in excess of 0.10 ppm to be contaminated.

And on the same day, consumers were alerted to even higher levels of lead detected in individually wrapped brown sweets made by Malaysian firm Kee Wee Hup Kee Food Manufacture.

Analysis of the Ego Hao Jin Bang brand found the confectionery contained over seven times the legal amount, with levels reaching as much as 0.73 ppm of lead.

Lead, a heavy metal, is particularly harmful to babies, young children and developing foetuses, and can lead to learning disabilities as well as behavioral disorders.

"Consumers in possession of Ego Hao Jin Bang candy should discard them immediately," warned the Californian health officials, adding that pregnant women and parents of children who may have consumed this sweet should consult their doctors "to determine if medical testing is needed."

The Malaysian manufacturer said this week that it has recalled the confectionery brand from global markets. Indeed, an Associated Press report writes that a spokesperson at Kee Wee Hup Kee Food Manufacture said the sweets may have been contaminated during production, adding that the company was still investigating.

Stringent rules in Europe lay down strict concentrations of metal elements - such as aluminium, arsenic, cadmium, copper, iron and lead - in a variety of ingredients.

Metals and other elements can be present in food either naturally, as a result of human activities, such as farming, industry or car exhausts, from contamination during manufacture/processing and storage, or by direct addition. Excessive amounts of any metal could be potentially dangerous.

In 2006 the European Commission widened the scope of limits on heavy metals in foods, cleared the path for Commission Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 of 19 December 200 that sets maximum levels for certain contaminants in foodstuffs.

The new regulation consolidated and replaced European Commission regulation 466/2001 and its previous amendments, and introduced changes that require food processors to take greater care in the sourcing of the ingredients used in their products.

Other changes include an amendment on measures applying to dried, diluted, processed and compound foodstuffs. This would require food businesses to provide data on the specific concentration or dilution factors used for their products.

There is still a large amount of work to be done in this field. Some metals and other elements, such as copper, manganese and zinc, can act as nutrients and are essential for health, while others, for example, arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury, have no known beneficial health effects.

In 2006, the UK's watchdog, the Food Standards Agency (FDA) investigated 1342, frequently high profile, contamination incidents in the UK.

They found that the major categories of incidents were: environmental contamination (fires and spills/leaks) 28 per cent; natural chemical contamination (mycotoxins, algal toxins and others) 13 per cent; microbiological contamination - Salmonella, Listeria, verocytotoxin producing E.Coli et al - at 11 per cent; and physical contamination, such as pieces of plastic, glass, metal etc, reached 10 per cent.

The Last Summer Day

Yesterday was a glorious day. It was perfect weather. The bus trip was not so tedious because the temperature was in the low 80's. Lots of the kids and more of the parents had not been to Pounds Hollow before and we could hear the oohs and aahs as we began the descent to the lake. Pounds Hollow is not on the map, so our GPS only worked part of the way, but Miss Sandy knows the way. She's better than a GPS because she remembers most of the time.

The beach was pristine, there was only one other family there, and the facility was clean and neat. The kids loved the clean lake water. They played and played and many of them did not want to get out of the water to eat. We took only five non swimmers, and they loved it too. I was a little worried about Isaac and Nathan, because although they will go under water, they don't like to remain there very long. They went out to their necks and then dunked and then returned to shore none the worse for wear. We kept an eye on Markel as well, and Devin's mom kept him close. He's probably the most adventuring. He's not as young as mom thinks he is!

The only other non swimmer was Robbie, Molly's toddler. He loved the water on his terms, and when she finally let go of him, he played close to the shore or took a little boat ride. Once he discovered the great little boats Mrs. St. Louis bought for us, you couldn't pry him lose.

Picnic was different yesterday. We had barbecued hot dogs and hamburgers compliments of Amy and Phil. We had potato salad compliments of Amy. We had seafood pasta salad compliments of your's truly. We had fresh fruit and vegetables including peaches from our own peach tree. There were many donated chips, cookies and drinks. We thank all the parents who brought food to help with expenses.

When some of the teachers got together to gab on the sidelines, we were amazed how many children learned to swim this summer.

Many children like Jay and Kamden started off the summer barely putting their faces in the water and at Pounds Hollow, they swam well enough not to even have to worry at all. When a child jumps off the board, he or she is a swimmer.


They know enough about the water to be safe. It was a joy to watch as the kids spent hours swimming freely in the lake.

Thanks to all the men for spending time throwing kids into the water from shoulder level. Swimming with men is a joy to kids because men really know how to play!

Edith's family was able to join us from Wisconsin. They drove down to visit and came along for the last picnic. It was fun to see how Edith's grandchildren have grown. Greta is nearly grown up, beautiful and gracious. Augie was a beach scavenger yesterday and took great delight in combing the beach and manning a children's digging expedition! And Lily played in the water with the non swimmers.

It's always amazing how many older children love this trip and turn out for it. We had lots of returning grade schoolers travel with us.

We hope everyone had a good time.

And now that the last summer trip is finished, it's time to get back to school. It's been one heck of a summer, and we've enjoyed it very much. We hope that this school year is as much fun as the summer.

We start off August with classes Monday through Thursday and a field trip on every Friday the rest of August. Kids are still restless, and need to get back into the classroom slowly. It will be beautiful all week, so that's a good.

August is a learning to listen month. Lots of prizes for children who listen. We will listen to the rules the first week, and then we will learn to listen and then learn to follow directions. In September our theme will change to work people do and families, which will culminate in our Grandparents' Tea on the 26th.

So expect to see pictures from the lake in the next few days.

the Maids Home Services

Kid-Sized Cleaning

THE MAIDS^â offer cleaning tips for all ages

Comment: This is from the Maids Home Services. I thought it was cute, and helpful at home no matter if it is summer or all during the year. Take a look to help make your children or class at home or at school a little more likely to help clean!

Summer is here and kids are looking for fun both inside and out. If your home pays the price in kid-sized messes, get the kids involved in cleaning using these fun tips from THE MAIDS Home Services.
• Don’t expect kids to use adult tools to clean, instead create supplies that are kid-friendly. Use an ice-cream pail for mopping chores or shorten an old mop handle or broom to make it kid-sized.
• Fill a squirt gun from a solution of a gallon of water and a drop of dish soap. Let kids squirt windows and mirrors and wipe dry with paper towels. Leaves glass clean and streak free!
• Cover kids’ hands and arms with dad’s old athletic socks then squirt the socks until lightly damp with a safe solution of vinegar and water. Send them off to dust around the house.
• Got a pile of blocks or action figures strewn on the floor? Scoop up toys in a few swoops using a kid-sized leaf rake to form a pile for easy pick-up.
• Make cleaning a game; give young kids grill tongs and challenge them to pick up toys and put them in a toy box or bin only using the utensils. Keep score and see who wins!
• Don’t forget the fun music to help your kids get a groove on as they boogie around the house cleaning.

About THE MAIDS Home Services:
THE MAIDS Home Services, founded in 1979, is the most trusted name in home services due to their consistent quality service and premium products which meet or exceed customers’ expectations. THE MAIDS promises to deliver a cleaner, healthier, happier and more comfortable home…guaranteed because “Nobody Outcleans The Maids.” Rated as the fastest-growing residential cleaning franchise in Entrepreneur magazine for the past four years, THE MAIDS is one of the oldest and largest residential cleaning franchisers in the United States and Canada, serving over 40 states and four provinces in North America. For more information, visit THE MAIDS Home Services’ web site at www.maids.com or call 1-800-THE-MAIDS, “Nobody Outcleans The Maids.”

Dog Days of Summer

This last week of summer is my least favorite time of the year. So many goodbyes, so many changes, so up and down, so many feelings to try and figure out. Was it a good summer? Was it a learning experience for the kids?

At the end of the summer, I regard the heat, the tired kids, the mess, the lost appetites and it all keeps me down, and these things shouldn't.

A great and dear friend of nearly 40 years whose life has been very other than my own - she was a Justice Department lawyer in Washington DC and has recently retired - wrote recently to say how different our lives are. And that's true. She is enjoying living for the first time in years. I, on the other hand, have lived for years doing pretty much what I wanted.

And speaking of the devil, tomorrow, Miss Amy and I will be going to Columbus IN for a teaching conference. Because of all the ear infections, the extreme heat, and the short staff, we are canceling swimming for tomorrow. We are having an indoor movie day with all the fuss.

Wednesday will be our last day to the pool, and then on Friday, we will have our last field trip to Pounds Hollow. By Saturday, I will be wondering where the summer went.

I'm not a summer person; I'm a deep fall person, so putting on the swimsuit and the shorts is not my favorite thing, but I think it's important for kids to have a real go, go, go summer.

What I do love are fog, rain, bleak skies, night for day, and that chill that creeps into your bones that only a hot bath can remedy. I'm happiest in wind and sleet, but not snow. I love to sit quietly and write in the deep fall with my door open and the lights off. I rarely turn the lights on.

Recently I got some good news. I published my second book, Porkchops. Porkchops is a slapstick comedy about Catholic parish life. It's a roller coaster novel that empowers women and makes you laugh out loud. The publisher is Whiskey Creek Press. I'm excited. I hope you will visit this site. My book will be there sometime in January.

I've written seven novels over the last ten years. Right now I'm working on one as a catharsis for my mother. Long story. Writing is only one of my interests outside school.

In addition to writing and cool weather, I cook a lot at home and read a lot of cookbooks. Recently, I've been doing some cream cheese work. New recipes to be tested on kids soon.

I read books I've collected over the years that have been published before 1940.

Recently I've picked up the crochet hook again and have been knitting handbags.

My husband and I watch a lot of English movie and TV productions. Otherwise, I don't watch TV at all.

One of my new favorite adventures is collecting odd pieces of china and pottery, napkins, serving pieces, and table linens so that every night when I set my table it's different.

I like gardening, and lately I've been making herb vinegars for the table from my herbs grown in my garden.

The blog takes a lot of time. I read a lot of articles on early childhood education and education in general. I read from many different sites and that takes a lot of time. I think the world of early childhood is confusing to many parents. One hears a smattering of things from the media, but that's not really the early childhood world. By posting the articles I think touch the heart of early childhood, I think ideas can be shared. Ideas are the most important refueling there is in any human ongoing event.

This school year, I hope to write more for the blog, and I plan to share more about the individual children and their accomplishments. It is only through the observation of life can life be understood. That's what Anne Lynch says in Porkchops: "I'm a writer - you know, observation and tattle..."

Corn

From World's Healthiest Foods

What vegetable is more synonymous with the coming of summer than freshly picked corn on the cob? Although corn is now available in markets year-round, it is the locally grown varieties that you can purchase during the summer months that not only tastes the best but are usually the least expensive.

Corn grows in "ears," each of which is covered in rows of kernels that are then protected by the silk-like threads called "corn silk" and encased in a husk. Corn is known scientifically as Zea mays. This moniker reflects its traditional name, maize, by which it was known to the Native Americans as well as many other cultures throughout the world.

Health Benefits

Hot, fresh corn-on-the-cob is an almost essential part of any summertime party. Fortunately, it is also worthy part of any healthful menu. Our food ranking system qualified corn as a good source of many nutrients including thiamin (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese.

Corn for Cardiovascular Health

Corn's contribution to heart health lies not just in its fiber, but in the significant amounts of folate that corn supplies.

Folate, which you may know about as a B-vitamin needed to prevent birth defects, also helps to lower levels of homocysteine, an amino acid that is an intermediate product in an important metabolic process called the methylation cycle. Homocysteine can directly damage blood vessels, so elevated blood levels of this dangerous molecule are an independent risk factor for heart attack, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease, and are found in between 20-40% of patients with heart disease. It has been estimated that consumption of 100% of the daily value (DV) of folate would, by itself, reduce the number of heart attacks suffered by Americans each year by 10%. Folate-rich diets are also associated with a reduced risk of colon cancer. A cup of corn supplies 19.0% of the DV for folate

Supports Lung Health

Consuming foods rich in beta-cryptoxanthin, an orange-red carotenoid found in highest amounts in corn, pumpkin, papaya, red bell peppers, tangerines, oranges and peaches, may significantly lower one's risk of developing lung cancer. A study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention reviewed dietary and lifestyle data collected from over 63,000 adults in Shanghai, China, who were followed for 8 years. Those eating the most crytpoxanthin-rich foods showed a 27% reduction in lung cancer risk. When current smokers were evaluated, those who were also in the group consuming the most cryptoxanthin-rich foods were found to have a 37% lower risk of lung cancer compared to smokers who ate the least of these health-protective foods.

Maintain Your Memory with Thiamin (Vitamin B1)

Corn is a good source of thiamin, providing about one-quarter (24.0%) of the daily value for this nutrient in a single cup. Thiamin is an integral participant in enzymatic reactions central to energy production and is also critical for brain cell/cognitive function. This is because thiamin is needed for the synthesis of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter essential for memory, whose lack has been found to be a significant contributing factor in age-related impairment in mental function (senility) and Alzheimer's disease. In fact, Alzheimer's disease is clinically characterized by a decrease in acetylcholine levels. Don't forget to make corn a staple in your healthy diet.

Support for Energy Production, Even Under Stress

In addition to its thiamin, corn is a good source of pantothenic acid. This B vitamin is necessary for carbohydrate, protein and lipid metabolism. Pantothenic acid is an especially valuable B-vitamin when you're under stress since it supports the function of the adrenal glands. A cup of corn supplies 14.4% of the daily value for pantothenic acid.

Health-Promoting Activity Equal to or Even Higher than that of Vegetables and Fruits

Research reported at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) International Conference on Food, Nutrition and Cancer, by Rui Hai Liu, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues at Cornell University shows that whole grains, such as corn, contain many powerful phytonutrients whose activity has gone unrecognized because research methods have overlooked them.

Despite the fact that for years researchers have been measuring the antioxidant power of a wide array of phytonutrients, they have typically measured only the "free" forms of these substances, which dissolve quickly and are immediately absorbed into the bloodstream. They have not looked at the "bound" forms, which are attached to the walls of plant cells and must be released by intestinal bacteria during digestion before they can be absorbed.

Phenolics, powerful antioxidants that work in multiple ways to prevent disease, are one major class of phytonutrients that have been widely studied. Included in this broad category are such compounds as quercetin, curcumin, ellagic acid, catechins, and many others that appear frequently in the health news.

When Dr. Liu and his colleagues measured the relative amounts of phenolics, and whether they were present in bound or free form, in common fruits and vegetables like apples, red grapes, broccoli and spinach, they found that phenolics in the "free" form averaged 76% of the total number of phenolics in these foods. In whole grains, however, "free" phenolics accounted for less than 1% of the total, while the remaining 99% were in "bound" form.

In his presentation, Dr. Liu explained that because researchers have examined whole grains with the same process used to measure antioxidants in vegetables and fruits-looking for their content of "free" phenolics"-the amount and activity of antioxidants in whole grains has been vastly underestimated.

Despite the differences in fruits', vegetables' and whole grains' content of "free" and "bound" phenolics, the total antioxidant activity in all three types of whole foods is similar, according to Dr. Liu's research. His team measured the antioxidant activity of various foods, assigning each a rating based on a formula (micromoles of vitamin C equivalent per gram). Broccoli and spinach measured 80 and 81, respectively; apple and banana measured 98 and 65; and of the whole grains tested, corn measured 181, whole wheat 77, oats 75, and brown rice 56.

Dr. Liu's findings may help explain why studies have shown that populations eating diets high in fiber-rich whole grains consistently have lower risk for colon cancer, yet short-term clinical trials that have focused on fiber alone in lowering colon cancer risk, often to the point of giving subjects isolated fiber supplements, yield inconsistent results. The explanation is most likely that these studies have not taken into account the interactive effects of all the nutrients in whole grains-not just their fiber, but also their many phytonutrients. As far as whole grains are concerned, Dr. Liu believes that the key to their powerful cancer-fighting potential is precisely their wholeness. A grain of whole wheat consists of three parts-its endosperm (starch), bran and germ. When wheat-or any whole grain-is refined, its bran and germ are removed. Although these two parts make up only 15-17% of the grain's weight, they contain 83% of its phenolics. Dr. Liu says his recent findings on the antioxidant content of whole grains reinforce the message that a variety of foods should be eaten good health. "Different plant foods have different phytochemicals," he said. "These substances go to different organs, tissues and cells, where they perform different functions. What your body needs to ward off disease is this synergistic effect - this teamwork - that is produced by eating a wide variety of plant foods, including whole grains."

List Caddy the New Coolest Gadget

If you're a crazed shopper like I am, new shopping gadgets are really too cool for words. This one I just love because it makes life a little easier.

It's the List Caddy. Lists, recipes, coupons attach all week on your refrigerator, and then it goes into your purse to the store and then onto the basket handle. I love it.

For those of you lucky enough to come to the GS, you can see a List Caddy in the kitchen.

Otherwise, look here and you'll find it on line.

I Break for Meltdowns Blog

Parents of the gentler touch childcare philosophy might look at this blog. It's got some great ideas:

I break for meltdowns

Swimming from the Experts

Experts debate validity of swim classes for tots

Comment: just getting kids close to the water over and over and over again will teach most of them what they need to know. A child's natural ability to explore water and find fun in it will do more for a child than hovering with expensive lessons. True that an adult needs to watch children every single second. Swimming is a natural delight but should never be done alone.

Most children will learn to do a respectable dog paddle about age 4. Somewhere before five a child will begin to explore deeper water. By five, most kids can keep themselves up most of the time. And kids know when it's too deep or not safe - If you allow them to know!!! When do you stop worrying? Never.

Rebecca D. Williams, features@knoxnews.com
Monday, July 21, 2008

Chloe Smith, 3, and Tristan Cody, 18 months, use a foam mat to practice kicking in the Parent/Tot II class at Adventure Swim School in West Knoxville. Swim teacher/owner Ed Pemberton is at right, and Tristan’s mom Angie is in the foreground.

Tristan Cody, 18 months, claps his hands after swimming underwater to his mother, Angie Cody.

Infant aquatics

A number of Knoxville-area pools offer infant or toddler aquatics classes. All require that an adult get in the water with the child. Costs range from $5 to $26 per lesson.

• City of Knoxville: The city offers Mom-N-Me classes, which follow American Red Cross aquatic guidelines for infants 6 months and older. Classes are usually offered fall and spring at the city's two indoor pools, the South Knoxville Community Center and the Adaptive Recreation Center, although the schedule hasn't been set yet for this fall. Check www.cityofknoxville.org for dates and times, or call Kristin Manuel, 865-215-1406.
• YMCA: Westside YMCA, 865-690-9622; the Cansler YMCA in East Knoxville, 865-637-9622; and the Northside YMCA, 865-922-9622, offer lessons for infants 6 months and older at various times during the year, using national YMCA curriculum. Call for information, or visit www.ymcaknoxville.org.
• Private Swim Schools: Adventure Swim School in West Knoxville offers parent-tot lessons for babies 3 months and older. See www.adventureswim.com, or call 865-691-2525. Various private health clubs with indoor pools offer infant and toddler classes for members and their children.

Did you know?

• Drowning is the second leading cause of accidental injury-related death among children 1-14 and the leading cause of accidental injury-related death for children 1-4.
• Most child drownings and near-drownings happen in residential swimming pools or lakes.
• Children 5 and younger, and adolescents 15-24 are at the highest risk for drowning death: toddlers, because they wander and accidentally fall into water, and teens because they are more likely to be engaging in risky behavior.
• More than 40 percent of drownings occur on a Saturday or Sunday.
• Most children who drown in pools were out of sight for less than five minutes.
• Each year, 5,000 children 14 and younger are hospitalized from unintentional drowning-related incidents; 15 percent die in the hospital; as many as 20 percent suffer severe, permanent neurological disability.
• Each year, 300 children 4 and younger drown in residential swimming pools.
• Most drownings of infants younger than a year old occur in bathtubs; some occur in toilets and buckets.
• U.S. drowning fatality rates are highest in the southern United States.

Wearing tiny flippers, 3-year-old Chloe Smith holds her breath and bobs under the water. Her teacher, Ed Pemberton, holds Chloe's head down while she kicks and moves forward.

"One-two-three-four-five," counts Pemberton, before letting Chloe up for air. She spits out some water, but doesn't choke.

"Wow, you can really hold your breath under there," says Chloe's grandmother, Kathy Shilling. She and her husband, John, bring Chloe to Adventure Swim School in West Knoxville twice a week, just as they have every summer since Chloe was barely able to walk.

"We're big proponents of this and have been since the beginning," says John Shilling. "We've seen a big improvement this year from last. She can fall in and be OK, come to the surface, and take a breath."

Water safety for young children is a hotly debated topic each summer among early childhood experts.

Drowning was the leading cause of accidental death among children 1 to 4 years old in 2005, the latest statistics available, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 30 percent of 1,664 accidental deaths of young children were from drowning. And yet experts disagree about whether swim lessons are appropriate for infants and toddlers.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that aquatic programs for infants and toddlers have not been shown to decrease the risk of drowning and does not recommend them for children under the age of 4.

Dr. Marilyn J. Bull, who led the committee that wrote the academy's position, said research shows children are not capable of understanding the dangers of swimming, and that parents should not believe their child is safe from drowning after participating in such programs.

A neurodevelopmental pediatrician and professor at the Indiana University School of Medicine, Bull said parents often overestimate their child's ability for judgment, reasoning and processing. She stressed that swimming lessons are not a substitute for supervising a child in water.

It's possible that swimming lessons at a young age reduce fear of water, Bull said, but no research shows that a child taught to swim at 2 or 3 years old is less likely to drown than a child who learned at an older age.

The academy also warns that infants and toddlers may swallow harmful quantities of water, and that they aren't able to do traditional swimming strokes.

Despite these warnings, private swim schools, the American Red Cross, and the YMCA of the USA all offer infant and toddler aquatic programs, including many in the Knoxville area.

"We're not really teaching them to swim," says Pemberton. It's more about pre-swimming activities like holding breath, kicking and blowing bubbles, he says.

Like Pemberton, other local infant aquatics teachers say they use gentle techniques to minimize the amount of water children swallow. And they also say they stress water safety with parents.

"Truthfully, that's why I teach this," says Teresa DeLoach, aquatics director and teacher at Westside YMCA, which offers infant and toddler classes. "There's no such thing as drown-proofing a child."

"You're not even drown-proof at 25 and an Olympic swimmer," agrees Kristin Manuel, aquatics coordinator for Knoxville Parks and Recreation, which offers infant and toddler lessons at the city's two indoor pools. "It's about being more comfortable in the water. What it's going to do is help the parent learn things to do with the child, to get the child ready for swim lessons."

As for Chloe Smith, she'll be ready for traditional swimming lessons next summer, this time without her grandparents.

"Every time, she's doing a little more in the water," says John Shilling.

Sean Nealon of the Riverside (Calif.) Press Enterprise contributed to this report.

Teaching

From Teacher Magazine

Comment: last night our faculty met at Angelo's for a spectacular dinner party. We discussed the upcoming year and how much we are all looking forward to teaching. Our classes are small and the students are A+. This morning when I read the article that follows, I thought how much each teacher embodies all these five points. It doesn't matter if you are teaching three year olds or college kids. Teaching is a work of the head that is delivered by the heart. If you want to see what it's like from a positive insider's point of view, read on.

Teaching Secrets: Five Tips for the New Teacher

By Cindi Rigsbee

As the average birth year of our school faculty begins to dip below the year I began teaching, it becomes apparent that I am what some would consider an "experienced teacher." That and my tendency to repeat myself. It occurred to me not long ago that there are expressions I use over and over when giving advice to beginning teachers. Here, in no particular order, are some possibly useful maxims from Ms. Rigsbee’s Guide to the Teaching Life.

1. Hit the floor running and breathe when you leave.

I have always been one of the first teachers to pull into the parking lot in the mornings. Getting to work a good 20 to 30 minutes before the "official" start time is necessary for me. First of all, it gives me time to think quietly about my day. Also, it alleviates the problem of standing in line at a copy machine (or finding a jammed copy machine that was left blinking wildly by a teacher who didn't attempt to fix it). After the copies are made, the agenda and goals are on the board, and the room is ready, there's time for nice adult conversations (there may not be another opportunity until after school) and opportunities for relationship building as students arrive.

I understand there are "circumstances." The year my chronically oversleeping son was a senior in high school, I had to fly into the school parking lot on two wheels every morning just as the second hand on the office clock was announcing I was late. So I do know it may be difficult to arrive as dawn breaks. But the earlier the better, so you can begin the day relaxed and ready.

Relaxed and ready is also the way to end the school day. I tell beginning teachers to beware of the 3:30 Club. Never get between them and the door at 3:30 (or whatever time school is out for you). I prefer to take my time in the afternoons, look over some lesson plans, straighten up my classroom from the day's activities, and get ready for tomorrow. Also, I like to wander around the school to see what my students are up to. There's nothing better than grading a few papers outside on the bleachers on a warm fall afternoon during football practice. My students, who should be paying attention to their coaches, always wave wildly when they see me (like they didn't just see me in class 30 minutes before).

The "breathe when you leave" part? That means teachers need to take care of themselves and relax during their hours out of school. This doesn't mean they can't grade the occasional paper or do schoolwork. For me, it's very relaxing to do my lesson plans on Sunday afternoons, turn on some professional football and plan the week. But this routine may not work for some teachers. I tell new teachers to figure out what works for them, but to make sure to breathe.

2. Always remember, the show must go on.

I have always said teaching is a performance. Standing in front of (or facilitating around) a classroom of kids of any age requires energy and enthusiasm. We don't work behind a computer screen at a desk all day, so we can't just slump in our seats if we feel like it. There have been many days in my career when I have looked at the clock to see that it was time for my next group to come to me. "I can't do it," I would think. But I would take a deep breath, put a smile on my face (it's OK if it's fake at first), and start slapping some fives when those kids entered the room. Pretty soon their energy level would match mine, my smile would be real, and we would take it from there. The idea is to prepare ourselves for the "audience" and be the best we can be when we're with them. Our students deserve no less.

3. Put on your cheerleading uniform.

Yes, we have to encourage and inspire. We know that. Some of our students come to us from dismal situations. I often wonder how some of them can even put one foot in front of the other to get to the bus stop. But they do, and while they're with me, I'm going to do what I can to make their school day the best it can be.

But I'm not only talking about students. We need to cheer each other on, too. Schools can be toxic places. The job is stressful, and hopefully we aren't complaining to kids all day. So when teachers get together, there can be some "venting." That's when I put on my metaphorical cheerleading uniform and go at it. Don't worry—I don't act like Little Mary Sunshine. I do understand, and many times agree with, the complaints that are discussed in team rooms and school hallways. But I do try to put a positive spin on things if I can.

Also, I feel strongly that it's important to be cheerleaders for our profession. I am weary from hearing "if you can't do ... teach" and other misrepresentations of what we do every day. We have to market ourselves as the professionals we are. Some folks have the idea that teachers are still Charlie Brown's wa-wa-wa-ing lecturers, whacking kids with yard sticks if they misbehave. But we know real teachers are committed professionals who believe in purposeful instruction and who have our students' best interests at heart. As we speak to others, in the grocery store or by the neighborhood pool, we must embody that professionalism—not fuel the negative fires that surround so many schools.

4. If you make them the enemy, you will lose.

The rest of this expression goes like this: There are more of them, and they have an audience. As a middle school teacher, this is one saying that I share with teachers often. Teaching cannot be an "us" and "them" situation. In the community of a school, we are all family, and when the students know this (and feel this), they are much more likely to cooperate, be pleasant, and learn.

If, instead, they are aware of the animosity a teacher feels toward them, they will push back, and it probably won't be pretty. Being in this school thing together is much more productive and much less stressful. A student on your side can be the difference between loving your job and dreading getting up in the morning. Do what needs to be done to ensure they're on your side—and it’s mostly about being on theirs.

5. Don't hide your light under a bushel.

I can't take credit for this one. I believe it was mentioned in the Sermon on the Mount. It was also mentioned by my Mama about once a week as I was growing up. Basically, it means "don't hide your talent." I share this one with new teachers as I encourage them to use their talents, even some that aren't so obvious, to make their teaching experience more enjoyable.

For example, I love to write poetry. I'm not a published poet, but I don't need to be. I have a captive audience every day. By sharing my poetry and bits of my personal life, I'm able to connect to my students in a way that may be difficult otherwise. Some teachers use their athletic talents to inspire students; I've worked with two Ultimate Frisbee playing teachers (in two different schools) who have taught their students these skills while at the same time teaching teamwork and perseverance. One of my dearest teacher friends teaches math and clogging at the same time. (And if you don’t know what clogging is, check it out on YouTube!)

Another way I hope new teachers will shine their lights is by marketing themselves as professionals. Each parent who has a child sitting in a classroom should know the credentials that got that teacher there— college degrees, honors and awards received, types of experiences (not necessarily years of experience but types—has the teacher worked with different grade levels before or taught other subjects?). I believe teachers should have a pamphlet ready to hand to classroom visitors that includes all of your career highlights.

There are a few other expressions I throw out now and then. For example, "He is the boss of you" is one I use when teachers are complaining about the principal's expectations. But that’s a story for another day. For now, I'll just look back over the years I've been teaching and wonder when I stopped asking so many questions and somehow got so old that I started answering a few.

Cindi Rigsbee is a National Board-certified reading teacher at Gravelly Hill Middle School in Orange County, North Carolina. She was recently selected as North Carolina’s State Teacher of the Year for 2008.

Just for Fun

From Georgia Education News

Early Life Nutrition May Be Associated With Adult Intellectual Functioning

Comment: I'm a fan.

• Adults who had improved nutrition in early childhood may score better on intellectual tests.
• Poor nutrition during childhood is associated with poor cognitive performance in adulthood.

Adults who had improved nutrition in early childhood may score better on intellectual tests, regardless of the number of years they attended school, according to a report in the July issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

"Schooling is a key component of the development of literacy, reading comprehension and cognitive functioning, and thus of human capital," says Aryeh D. Stein, PhD, MPH, an associate professor of global health at Emory University's Rollins School of Public Health.

Research also suggests that poor nutrition in early life is associated with poor performance on cognitive (thinking, learning and memory) tests in adulthood.

"Therefore, both nutrition and early-childhood intellectual enrichment are likely to be important determinants of intellectual functioning in adulthood," Stein says.

Between 1969 and 1977, Guatemalan children in four villages participated in a trial of nutritional supplementation. Through the trial, some were exposed to atole--a protein-rich enhanced nutritional supplement--while others were exposed to fresco, a sugar-sweetened beverage. Stein and colleagues analyzed data from intellectual testing and interviews conducted between 2002 and 2004, when 1,448 surviving participants (68.4 percent) were an average of 32 years old.

Individuals exposed to atole between birth and age 24 months scored higher on intellectual tests of reading comprehension and cognitive functioning in adulthood than those not exposed to atole or who were exposed to it at other ages. This association remained significant when the researchers controlled for other factors associated with intellectual functioning, including years of schooling.

"Nutrition in early life is associated with markers of child development in this population, and exposure to atole for most of the first three years of life was associated with an increase of 0.4 years in attained schooling, with the association being stronger for females (1.2 years of schooling)," Stein says.

Thus, schooling might be in the causal pathway between early childhood nutrition and adult intellectual functioning, says Stein. The data, which suggest an effect of exposure to an enhanced nutritional intervention in early life that is independent of any effect of schooling, provide additional evidence in support of intervention strategies that link early investments in children to continued investments in early-life nutrition and in schooling.

###

In addition to Stein, study authors were Meng Wang, MS, Ann DiGirolamo, PhD, Usha Ramakrishnan, PhD, Kathryn Yount, PhD, and Reynaldo Martorell, PhD, all of the Hubert Department of Global Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University; and Ruben Grajeda, MD, and Manuel Ramirez-Zea, MD, PhD of the Unit of Public Policies, Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama.

This study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and from the National Science Foundation. The National Institutes of Health, the Thrasher Fund and the Nestle Foundation have funded the work of the INCAP Longitudinal Study since its inception. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

Reference: Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2008;162[7]:612-618

Sugar Drinks and Diabetes

From Food Navigator

Comment: What we notice at school is the heavier children drink a great portion of their food. In drinking, a person consumes many more calories than eating. Drinking is easier for some children. When a child drinks sugar juices as the predominant food, the child tends to be overweight. When children break this habit, the weight drops off.

Breaking News on Food & Beverage Development - North America
Study links fruit drinks to sweet beverage diabetes risk
By Neil Merrett

Sugar sweetened beverages like fruit-flavoured drinks may increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new US study.

The research, which appears in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that African American women within the US, who consume at least two soft drinks a day, were 24 per cent more likely of developing the disease compared to those who drank one product a month.

The same daily consumption of fruit drinks led to a 33 per cent hike in incidence. However, juice products derived from oranges and grapefruit, as well as diet soft drinks, were not linked in the study to diabetes, said lead researcher Julie Palmer of Boston University.

In a number of markets, consumer demand for health and wellness products has led manufacturers to develop a growing number of fruit drinks for their portfolios, due to their association with the health benefits of their flavours.

Fruit drink consumption

Despite the research's conclusion, the study pointed to some differences in the consumption patterns of regular sugar-sweetened soft drinks compared to sugar-sweetened fruit drinks.

The researchers said that consumption patterns between the two beverage types were not linked to respondents Body Mass Index (BMI) or education background, but to some dietary and activity trends.

"[Fruit drinks] were positively correlated with physical activity, cereal fibre intake, and eating a low-glycemic index diet," the researchers stated. "To some extent, then, soft drink consumption was correlated with unhealthy behaviours and fruit drink consumption with healthy behaviours."

Sugar concerns

In identifying contributing factors for the study's findings, weight gain from beverage consumption was identified by the researchers as a key element in the onset of diabetes.

"A systematic review of the literature indicates a positive association between greater intakes of sugar sweetened beverages and weight gain and obesity in both children and adults," the researchers said. "These beverages are dense in calories and are typically consumed as an addition to usual food intake."

The researchers claimed that the use of sweeteners such as high-fructose corn
syrup (HFCS) were likely to have a particularly strong impact on weight gain, due in part to the possible affects it has on insulin secretion and leptin release.

By comparison, the naturally occurring sugars in orange and grapefruit juice, identified in the research as glucose and fructose, were linked to different metabolic effects than those associated with HFCS.

Methodology

The findings were derived from an ongoing health study of 59,000 African American women aged between 21 and 69 years of age across the US.

The research began with a baseline survey back in 1995, which called for various medical and lifestyle information such as weight, height, reproductive history and everyday questions on diet, cigarettes and alcohol use, according to the study.

Updates of these surveys were then issued every two years to respondents detailing current lifestyle practices, with an average return rate of 80 per cent, over the ten-year period that the beverage study was based on.

Researchers added that subjects that had reported already having diabetes, gestational diabetes, cancer, heart conditions like strokes or being pregnant at baseline were not included in the testing.

A total of 43,960 respondents' information was used in the final study.

Other studies

The researchers said that the findings reflected similar follow on studies conducted on US nurses, which was a predominantly white respondent group by contrast.

"Positive associations, somewhat stronger than in the present study,
were found for both soft drinks and fruit drinks," said the researchers. "The weaker associations observed in our study may be due to the higher baseline risk of diabetes experienced by African American women."

Source: Archives of Internal Medicine
Vol 168, Issue 14, July 2008
"Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Incidence of Type 2
Diabetes Mellitus in African American Women"
Authors: Julie Palmer, Deborah Boggs, Supriya Krishnan, Frank B. Hu et al.

The Garden School Tattler

It's going to be very hot today. We're going swimming. It should be a great swimming day.

On hot days, we take a lot of drinks and we mind who is drinking what. We also tell the kids there is a drinking fountain on the deck of the pool for those who need it. Keeping hydrated is an important part of child care.

When we arrive back at school after we swim, children are encouraged to drink as much water as they can. We will then cool off in the building and relax with cool down period.

Taking care of little ones is a multi faceted scheme. These days are exhausting for young children and parents should make sure that children are in bed before 8:00. If possible, don't wake them up until they wake up in the a.m.

This week we will swim three times. Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

August 8 is our last out of town field trip. It's to the Garden of the Gods and then Pounds Hollow Lake. It's a great trip and parents are encouraged to come. The lake has a sandy bottom as far as the feet can manage to touch bottom, and the lake is beautifully clean and wide. Swimming with your kids in this beautiful lake is a great plan!

We will be taking hot dogs and hamburgers to cook on the spot. If you want to come, please let us know on the sign up sheet on the front door. There are bathrooms at the lake, so you can change there, but wearing you swimsuit with a pair of shorts and a t-shirt over makes the most sense. Bring a towel!