3 Family Craft Projects

Winter often brings families together for more shared time. Here are three activities to spend that time creatively.

1. Design personalized cards for greeting, birthdays and thank-you cards. (See the blog on Scraper Art and Colorful Coffee Filter Paper [link] to create some great paper for this project.)
2. Take a walk and bring home found treasures to make into a centerpiece/collage
3. Create aromatic Air Fresheners*

*Aromatic Air Fresheners

Materials:
Equal parts apple sauce and cinnamon
Cookie cutters
Ribbon or string

Step 1: Mix equal amounts of applesauce and cinnamon (for instance 1 cup of each) until you have a dough.

Step 2: Roll out on waxed paper and cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Poke a hole in the middle, near the top to hang a ribbon or string when the air freshener is dry.

Step 3: Dry. Air drying will take several days and you'll need to carefully turn shapes to dry both sides. As an alternative, place air fresheners on a cookie sheet in a warm (200 degrees) oven. Drying time will depend upon the amount of moisture in the dough.

2 Techniques to Jazz up Your Kid’s Art

Bring out the paint and bring on the kids! Here are two favorite projects with a new twist: Scraper Art and Colored Coffee filters. The finished art makes great paper for other craft projects and is worthy of any refrigerator!
Scraper Art
Scraper Art updates finger painting into modern art.
Materials:
Finger paints – bright colors and pastels work the best
Palette - any flat surface to hold the paint such as a plate or pie pan
Paint spreader - brayers, fingers or brushes
Paper - heavier paper works best for frame-able art or gift cards
Scrapers – credit cards, combs, cardboard shapes, popsicle sticks, the eraser end of a pencils, etc.
Newspaper

Step 1: Cover your work surface with newspaper.

Step2: Put some finger paint on your palette.

Step 3: Spread the paint in stripes on the paper.

Step 4: Run the scraper over the wet paint to create a design.

Step 5: Let your painting dry flat on the newspaper.


Colorful Coffee Filter Paper
This paper is very sturdy and good for delicate projects like snowflakes as it doesn’t fall apart. 

Materials
Coffee filters
Brightly colored water color markers or water color paint
Newspaper
Scissors

Step 1: Cover your work surface with newspaper.

Step 2: Decorate the filters with markers or paint.  Any shapes, any design, any amount.  

Step 3: Wet the snow flakes with water. You can spray, flick drops, or ring a wet wash cloth on the filter to create a new design.

Step 4: Let dry. Great news, coffee filters dry very quickly and will soon be ready to use in another project.

Family Memory Game

This variation on the traditional memory game fosters the retelling of family stories as well as helping build memory skills.
Materials:
Place several pieces of family memorabilia in box – fewer for younger children, more for older kids and adults.
How To Play:
Show the items in the box. Remove one or more items out of the box (without the players seeing you). Have the players guess what items are missing.
For older children and adults put items on large tray or cookie sheet. Cover. Remove cover for 20-30 seconds and then recover. On your mark, the participants write down as many items that they can remember from the tray before you yell, "STOP". The most correct answers wins.

4 Ideas to Seasonalize Game Night

Bring everyone together and put a new twist on old games to liven up these cold days.

1. Replace board game pieces with colored, wrapped candies
2. Play charades with seasonal song, story and movie titles.
3. Play games such as Scrabble, Apples to Apples, Boggle, BuyWord, etc. using only seasonal words
4. Create a Memory Game with family memorabilia

Dr Jen’s Repertoire of Cold and Flu Remedies

Hydrogen Peroxide. Pour 16 ounces of hydrogen peroxide into a humidifier and fill to capacity with water. Run the humidifier in the sick person’s room all night. This is a great disinfectant and helps prevent the virus from spreading to other members of the household.

Vitamin D*: increase to 50,000 units (if you weigh over 100 pounds) for 3 days in a row if you are already infected with the flu.

Vitamin C : increase to bowel tolerance. In other words, when you start to get diarrhea, decrease the amount and stay at that dose.

Herbal remedies: andrographis, Echinacea, licorice (good for coughs), ligusticum, artemisia, bupleurum root, and garlic.

Hot tea with honey and lemon

Warming sock therapy

Chicken soup (preferably homemade) with lots of garlic

* I hope you’ve already read my blog entry on Vitamin D. Vitamin D is superb for maintaining your immunity. Ideally, I recommend keeping your Vitamin D blood levels at 60-80ng/ml. A simple test is available from our office that will help you determine your current level.
Contact my office for more information on any of these topics.

Vitamin D & the Flu

Vitamin D increases your immunity to the flu.

There are two forms of Vitamin D, synthetic Vitamin D2 and natural Vitamin D3, that contribute to the human body’s supply of vitamin D. Vitamin D3 is thought to be at least four times more effective than Vitamin D2. Sources of Vitamin D include food, exposure to sunlight and dietary supplements.

Food

Salt water fish such as herring, salmon, sardines, and fish liver oils are good sources of Vitamin D3. Small quantities of Vitamin D3 are also derived from eggs, veal, beef, butter and vegetable oils. Foods such as milk, margarine, butter, cereals and chocolate mixes often have added Vitamin D.

Sunlight.
Twenty minutes of sun exposure will provide ten to twenty thousand IU (International Units) of Vitamin D. However, exposure to sunlight is controversial. Although an excellent and inexpensive source of Vitamin D, the American Academy of Dermatology continues to warn the public about the danger of sun exposure.

Dietary supplements.
I often advise well adults and adolescents to take 5,000 IU per day of Vitamin D3.

However, this is not a one-size fits all solution. Getting the right amount of Vitamin D is critical.

Monitoring your blood level is important to maintain the optimum level of Vitamin D. We use a quick and inexpensive test to measure a metabolite known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D, or 25(OH)D. Blood levels between 60 and 80ng/ml are ideal to maximize your personal immunity. Levels under 40 ng/ml indicate a Vitamin D deficiency and increased vulnerability. As Vitamin D is fat soluble, it is also possible to build up a toxic level over 90 ng/ml.

Set up an appointment to find discuss your personal needs and test your current Vitamin D level.

Call 503-492-9427
email jen@favoritedr.com

Antioxidants & the Flu

Antioxidants protect against lung damage caused by the influenza virus. As we approach this flu season add more foods high in antioxidants to your regular day! Look for foods rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Beta Carotene, and Selenium. Below is a list of some of the best and most studied foods high in antioxidants.

Vitamin C
Amla Fruit
Apricots
Apples
Blueberries
Blackberries
Acai Berries
Cranberries
Raspberries
Rosehip
Cherries
Wolfberry
Blackcurrants
Citrus Fruits
Strawberries
Prunes
Grapes
Raw Cabbage and Potatoes
Green Leaf Vegetables
Green and Red Bell Peppers
Artichokes
Broccoli
Watercress
Spinach
Watermelon
Walnuts
Tomatoes
Vitamin E
Astaxanthin (found in Salmon)
Wheat Germ
Nuts
Seeds
Whole Grains
Green Leafy Vegetables
Vegetable Oil
Fish Liver-Oil
Beta Carotene
Carrots
Winter Squashes
Broccoli
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes
Kale
Collards
Cantaloupe
Peaches and Apricots
Spirulina
Selenium
Fish
Shellfish
Red Meat
Grains
Eggs
Chicken
Garlic
Unexpected Foods High In Antioxidant
Beans
Potatoes
Artichokes
Olive oil.
Sesame seed oil Sesame seeds
Pistachio Nuts.
Flaxseed Oil
Maple Syrup
Ginger
Ground cloves
Cinnamon

14 Tips for immediate relief from bad stress

1. Run a hot bath with essential oils

2. Breathe deeply. Use square breathing: inhale 4 counts, hold 4 counts, exhale 4 counts, hold 4 counts.

3. Meditate or pray

4. Aromatherapy

5. Take a time-out

6. Focus intently on something pleasant – such as your favorite music

7. Get a massage

8. Engage in vigorous, productive activity (such as cleaning)

9. Exercise or take a brisk walk

10. Talk with someone in your support network

11. Hug someone who cares about you

12. Drink lots of water

13. Look yourself in the mirror and repeat your favorite affirmations

14. Write down everything that bothers you (and then destroy the paper!)

The best cup of tea you’ll ever relax with…

This tea recipe was a favorite with my patients when I was a student. It tastes good and has several nervine herbs to sooth and relax you. You can brew it up and drink it hot or cold. It also is very high in vitamin C, Magnesium and Calcium. Note that this recipe is for bulk herbs which you mix together in a bag and then can use in a tea ball or make in bulk for batches of tea. If you let us know ahead of time we will order the herbs for you and make it easy!

Recipe:

Lemon balm 3 oz

Oat straw 3 oz

Chamomile 1.5 oz

Spearmint 1.5 oz

Orange peel 1 oz

Lavender 1 oz

Rose hips 0.5 oz

4 Tbs. of herbs in 4 cups of hot water brews 1 quart of tea. Drink 2-3 cups a day.

10 Tips for a Good Night’s Sleep

Restful sleep helps to keep your heart healthy, prevents cancer, makes you more alert, aids memory function, reduces risk of depression, helps your body make repairs and may even help you lose weight. Most of us would like to sleep soundly and wake refreshed. Ah, if only we could…try some of these tips:
1.
Set and keep a bed time. For maximum benefit, plan to be asleep before 11 and allow for 7-9 hours of rest.
2.
Follow the same bedtime ritual every night.
3.
Engage in a restful activity before bed. Put work, TV programs and Stephen King novels away an hour before bedtime. Let your mind unwind with relaxation techniques, meditation, prayer, soothing music or journaling or other restful activities.
4.
Take a warm bath, shower or sauna before bed.
5.
Wear socks to bed. Cold feet can make your entire body miserable and restless. (See the Warming Sock Treatment posted on my website.)
6.
Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars. Substitute a bit of fruit if you are hungry.
7.
Avoid drugs, alcohol and caffeine.
8.
Exercise during the day.
9.
Reserve your bedroom for sleeping. Condition your mind to think of your bed as a just a place to sleep.
10.
Regulate your natural clock. Getting some sunlight during the day and sleeping in complete darkness helps to regulate your sleep cycle.

If you are still experiencing poor sleep on a regular basis, give me a call. Some physiological issues, such as overactive hormones and adrenal glands, are often the problem. Simple tests and treatments are available.

Read those food labels – they may save your life!

Give yourself the gift of reading ingredient labels. What you eat is a choice; reading food labels helps you make an informed choice.

Remember sugar, sucrose, dextrose, lactose, fructose, high fructose, honey, maple syrup and corn syrup are all sugars . Sodium , the ingredient in salt that is linked to hypertension, is found in salt, monosodium glutamate, baking soda, baking powder, seasoned salts, sodium lactate and meat tenderizer. One of your bonus discoveries in reading labels is discovering that some stores routinely plump all of their meats with saline solution! Saline – that’s another form of salt, of course.

The Nutrition Fact label on foods will list all required nutrients as a percentage of daily value per serving. Percentages are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. The actual number of calories you need may be more or less to maintain your body. If you aren’t happy with your current nutrition, call Dr. Jen to assist you in planning out your calorie intake and nutrition.

Actual serving sizes often vary from the servings listed in the Nutrition Facts. For example, the Nutrition Facts on a 14.75 ounce can of salmon lists 7 servings per container. Yet the same label displays a recipe that yields four salmon burgers. The sodium listed for 7 servings is 11%, but the sodium in one salmon burger is 19.25%

Some products lower one ingredient, for example fats, while raising another, such as salt, to compensate for the loss of taste. For example, the traditional Best Foods Mayonnaise recipe has 4% sodium per serving (1 tablespoon). Best Foods Light Mayonnaise boasts half the calories and fat however the sodium increases to 5% per serving.

Do you ever stop to wonder if you should choose fresh, canned or frozen products? Several studies suggest that frozen and canned vegetables may offer nearly the same nutrition as fresh vegetables. Surprised? In many cases the nutritional loss suffered during the canning or freezing process is similar to the nutritional loss suffered during transportation for fresh products. In general, however, canned products do have more salt than their fresh counterparts.

Give yourself the gift of reading ingredient labels. When you choose to put healthy food in your cart, you take home healthier food!

Three Tips for Healthier Grocery Shopping

The foods you choose to eat do make a difference in your health. One of the easiest ways to eat healthier is shop healthier.

You probably already use several smart grocery shopping strategies such as:
-Preparing a list ahead of time
-Avoiding shopping when you are hungry
-Leaving the impulse shoppers home

Shopping with a plan saves time, money and energy. Shopping with a plan can also enhance your nutrition when you plan to shop healthy. Here are three simple ideas to improve the nutritional value of the food you put into your grocery cart:

1. Shop the perimeter. Take a moment and visualize the layout of your favorite grocery store. Most stores have the fresh produce, dairy, breads, meats & fish around the outside of the store, right? When you select these fresh items you are choosing the least refined foods and, in general, the most nutritious.

2. Walk only as far as you need. If you need an item in the middle of an aisle, head into that aisle as you walk by. Go only as far as the item you need and then back out of the aisle. Ignore the food products displayed at the end of the aisle products demanding your attention, too.

3. Avoid food coupons. Most coupons come from the processed food manufacturers. In general, more highly refined foods are lower in genuine nutrition.

Shopping with a plan to stay healthy improves the choices you make about the items you put into your shopping basket. When you take healthier foods home you are more likely to put healthier foods into your body.

Brain-Power Foods

If you are feeling good, you can eat just about anything – so why not add the foods that increase brain-power.

Take a look at this list of brain-power foods from the ADD/ADHD Help Center


Blueberries
Add at least 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries or other berries a day to your diet.

Wild Salmon
Add a 4-ounce serving of the natural brain food salmon or other Omega-3 rich fish to your diet two to three times a week.

Nuts and Seeds
Add an ounce of nuts or seeds to your daily diet. Be careful that you do not overdo this brain-booster. Too much of this higher calorie food will add to your waistline.

Avocados
This is another high calorie "Less is More" food. Just 1/4 to 1/2 of an avocado daily will do the trick.

Whole Grains
Add three slices of whole grain bread, a 1/2 cup of oatmeal or other whole-grain cereal, or two tablespoons of wheat germ to your daily diet.

Beans
Add at least a 1/2 cup of beans or other legumes to your diet every day.

Citrus Fruits and Colorful Vegetables
As many colorful vegetables as you can, with an absolute minimum of five servings daily. Since colorful fruits are higher in calories, add two to four servings daily to your diet.

Freshly Brewed Tea
Two to three cups a day of freshly brewed tea. Note that bottled or powdered teas don't count.

Olive Oil
Replace regular oil in recipes with olive oil. 2 Tablespoons of olive oil is recommended.

Dark Chocolate
Enjoy 1/2 ounce of dark chocolate daily. Note that the more processed chocolate varieties such as milk chocolate and white chocolate do not provide the same amount of benefit as dark chocolate.

Water
Drink pure water and plenty of it - at least eight glasses daily. The two to three recommended cups of fresh-brewed tea count toward this brain hydration requirement. Higher activity levels will increase this requirement, as will hot and humid weather, illness, pregnancy and breastfeeding.