Is Your Child Vitamin D Deficient?

We were starting to think that Vitamin D deficiency was a thing of the past. I mean, when was the last time you met someone with rickets? But a recent study in Pediatrics showed that over six million children in the United States do not get enough Vitamin D. That is one out of every five kids! It seems that Vitamin D deficiency is more common than we thought.

 Vitamin D is an important vitamin! New studies are proving that vitamin D can help prevent many diseases such as cancer, depression, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, autoimmune diseases and cardiovascular disease. Other research has linked low Vitamin D levels to obesity; studies show that overweight individuals are much more likely to be Vitamin D deficient. It is not clear, however, whether increased body fat leads to Vitamin D deficiency or if low Vitamin D levels cause a person to gain weight. Is one responsible for the other? More research is needed in this area.

 There are a few different ways to get vitamin D. Vitamin D may come from foods or vitamin supplements; vitamin D can also be made by the skin when it is exposed to ultraviolet rays (UV light). Fortified foods are the main dietary sources of Vitamin D as few foods naturally contain it. Although milk is fortified with vitamin D, dairy products made from milk, such as cheese and ice creams, are generally not fortified with vitamin D. Fatty fish and fish oils are natural sources of Vitamin D.

 Vitamin D deficiency is often missed because there are no real symptoms associated with it. Rickets and osteomalacia (softening of the bones) are the most common signs of vitamin D deficiency but there is no way for parents to tell if their child is suffering from these illnesses. The only way to prove that your child is vitamin D deficient is by completing a blood test which screens for a particular form of vitamin D, called 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D).

 Think that name sounds complicated? Unfortunately, many doctors do too. In fact, doctors often order the wrong blood test when assessing vitamin D levels. Be sure to ask for 25(OH) D blood test not 1, 25-dihydroxy-vitamin D (aka calcitriol). With such complicated names, it is no wonder that such mistakes are made!

Vitamin D deficiency exists when 25(OH) D levels fall below 25 ng/mL. Levels may vary depending on time of year, direct sunlight exposure, skin color and vitamin D consumption. Levels should be between 50 – 80 ng/mL year-round for both children and adults.

 

Find Dr. Joanna here



1st grader can't identify fruits & veggies

Unbelievable.....

I viewed this tonight on FaceBook. Thank you Amy for sharing this. We post a lot about this issue on our perch but this made me so sad! What we eat in America is really a problem!

If you have more time, view this too; from Jamie Oliver. Eye opening!

 

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Monday at the Nest~ Local Burger

In the spirit of the New Year, a time to get organized, make goals & resolutions we are doing something new at the Perch. We will be posting the best of Lawrence, KS!

One of my goals this year is to know what is in the food I eat when I am out and about. That is tough to do in Southern California and honestly I am afraid to find out at times! All though we moved  our Blessed Nest production to Lawrence KS; Our sales studio remains in Southern CA where I reside with my two cheer coordinators and wonderful husband!

Heather loves it  in Lawrence and has made it her home.

Today we are talking about one of Heathers favorite places to eat. Local Burger! Local burger is healthy fast food. I know, I didn't think there was such a thing. But here it is! Local Burger is committed to teaching others to be aware of where their food comes from! Here is a list of their local Ranchers, bee keepers, and more!

Oh my, check out their menu! Did they really say, Gluten free buns are offered?

"All meats used in Local Burgers are raised using sustainable and humane practices and are free of antibiotics and hormones.

All Local Burgers are 1/4 pound and are served on Rudi's organic whole wheat buns or Olivia’s Oven gluten-free buns ($1.00 extra) and are topped with local and/or organic lettuce, onions, pickles and tomatoes."

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about local burger

Local Burger is the brainchild of chef and entrepreneur Hilary Brown, who fulfilled her vision of offering healthy fast food in a casual environment by opening the first Local Burger on September 14, 2005.

Established in historic downtown Lawrence, Kansas, the restaurant sources all of its meats locally and features a variety of burgers, including beef, buffalo, elk, lamb, pork, turkey, and tofu, and is home of the World's Best Veggie Burger (it's gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, corn-free, soy-free, and DELICIOUS!).

Our Mission

At Local Burger, Our Mission is to serve delicious food at a fair price with impeccable service while creating a culture of passion for knowing where our food comes from and how it connects us to our world, to our communities, and to ourselves.

If you live in the Lawrence area stop!

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Remember you can get 15% off at BlessedNest.com by entering "2010" at check out! Offer ends 1/15/2010

 Become a fan at FaceBook and tell your friends too! When we reach 200 fans one of you will receive a Nest Egg pillow!

Love to the moon and back,

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How To Handle A Party

  Today's post by Dr. Joanna Dolgoff

party girls

Does it seem that your child goes to a birthday party every weekend? Do you send your child off to school wondering if there's going to be another celebration in the class? Do you think your child is going to feel left out if he always avoids sweets at parties?

The answer to these questions are almost always YES. It seems as if there is always another party or celebration on weekends or at school, complete with fattening foods. And YES, your child is going to feel left out if he always forgoes the treats.

Your child does not need to say "NO" to sweets. If you don't make sweets an everyday occurrence, there is no reason why your child cannot enjoy those foods when he's out at a party with friends!

Here are ten simple ideas to follow so that your child can make healthy choices at parties with friends and in the classroom.

1. Never send your child to a party hungry! Make sure your child has lunch, dinner, or a snack, like a piece of fruit and a granola bar, before sending him out. He will be less tempted to overeat if he is satisfied before leaving!

2. If you are hosting the party, don't let the focus of the party be on the food! Plan games, outdoor activities, play music, etc.

3. If you are worried your child will overeat at a school party, be sure to communicate your concerns with the teacher. Ask the teacher to hand out one cupcake, or three munchkins, or whatever the appropriate serving size is to each student and pack the rest away for the birthday boy or girl to take back home.

4. When it's your child's birthday, bring in lighter versions of your son or daughter's favorite sweet, mini-sized versions of sweets. Bring only enough so that each student in class can have one!

5. Bring in NON-food goodie bags for the kids, with items like streamers, whistles, stickers, colorful pens and pencils, etc.

6. If your child is out at a party and there are going to be a lot of tempting choices, encourage your child to pick one or two of his favorite things and just go up once to the snack table!

7. If your child goes out to a fast-food restaurant with friends, encourage him to make healthy choices. Go for water or low-fat milk instead of soda. Try the apple "fries" instead of regular fries. Get a small hamburger without cheese instead of Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese!

8. Instead of having a party at a restaurant, try having it a roller-rink or a bowling alley, or have it at your house that way you can control what you make!

9. Encourage your child to be the one to tell his or her friends not to focus on food and get outdoors and have fun! Sometimes it is about teaching your child to be the agent of change if he or she has friends who like to eat!

10. If your child goes to a party where there is nothing but chips, soda and pizza, pre-plan what he is going to pick as his "red" food and if there is a setback be supportive and encourage healthier choices for the next time!

Buy Dr. Jaonna's book Red Light, Green Light Eat Right

 Be Well,

 Joanna Dolgoff, MD
Dr.Dolgoff's Weigh

Visit Dr.Joanna at Dr Weigh.com

and blogging here

Become a fan on FaceBook

and Tweet with her here at Twitter

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Remember you can get 15% off at BlessedNest.com by entering "2010" at check out! Offer ends 1/15/2010

 Become a fan at FaceBook and tell your friends too! When we reach 200 fans one of you will receive a Nest Egg pillow!

Love to the moon and back,

,

 

Eating well~ Lawrence, KS~ Blessed Nest Studio

I'm always encouraged by other blog mom's who are making an effort to choose healthy meals for their families. On our recent visit to Lawrence, KS to see Heather at our Blessed Nest Studio;I ate so well! Heather gave my husband and I a treat and watched the girls one night so we could go out on the town. While Heather snuggled with our girls giving them knitting lessons, we ventured out to charming downtown Lawrence!   The restaurants in Lawrence are unique and I would say 90% of them buy from local farmers! We ate at the best burger place in town. The Free State Brewing Company! We had  a  Brewery Burger~ It was delicious!   I love meat but eat it rarely. I just can't stomach the meat in our markets and we don't really have a farmers market where they sell fresh organic meat. So today I ventured out and made a homemade Black Bean Veggie Burger. It was YUMMY Here is the recipe I enjoyed! Homemade Black Bean Veggie Burgers found via All Recipes

Rated: Submitted By: LAURENMU Photo By: baskerville_gal Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Ready In: 35 Minutes Servings: 4

"Spiced up with chili sauce, cumin, garlic and chili powder, these quick and easy black bean burgers will make you forget all about frozen, packaged veggie burgers. They're great on the grill or baked in the oven."

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 2 inch pieces 1/2 onion, cut into wedges 3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 egg 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon cumin 1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce or hot sauce 1/2 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

1.	If grilling, preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil a sheet of aluminum foil. If baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C), and lightly oil a baking sheet.
2.	In a medium bowl, mash black beans with a fork until thick and pasty.
3.	In a food processor, finely chop bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Then stir into mashed beans.
4.	In a small bowl, stir together egg, chili powder, cumin, and chili sauce.
5.	Stir the egg mixture into the mashed beans. Mix in bread crumbs until the mixture is sticky and holds together. Divide mixture into four patties.
6.	If grilling, place patties on foil, and grill about 8 minutes on each side. If baking, place patties on baking sheet, and bake about 10 minutes on each side.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 10/28/2009