Happy Memorial Day!

Today we celebrate the memory of all the hundreds of thousands of courageous men and women who have given their lives for our country, and for the pursuit of freedom in other countries. What an amazing gift we have received!

I wish we voted on Memorial Day, as I believe we'd have a much greater turn out...what other country freely and loudly complains about their government (local and nationally) and then doesn't show up to vote?? But I digress...

I would like to use today's theme to transition into some blog entries on MEMORY. Memory itself is an amazing gift, and one we typically take for granted until we notice something missing. Memory is not only about the past, but is the key to hope of future events as well.

Dementia- memory loss- affects over five million Americans today. As our society ages, those numbers will escalate further. If you do not have a family member or friend affected by dementia yet, you are unusual- count your blessings.

Bottom Line: Today, on Memorial Day, let's be grateful for the precious gift of memory.

Get Cooking! (Another Summer Suggestion)

In our BORED list earlier this week, I didn't have space to include COOKING. Summer is a wonderful time to encourage your kids to participate in the family meal plan, as well as learning to cook. It's easy to fall into the routine of hot dogs, burgers, fries, and pizza, if you are not paying attention. Kids in general love to cook, and with no homework to tie them up, they're free to help out in the kitchen. Teach them how to safely chop up vegetables, or create a salad (even if they don't like salads yet, they can pitch in during the preparation.) Supervise them tossing ingredients into a slow cooker in the morning, and then they are proud they prepared dinner.

Another summer suggestion is to make sure every day's diet includes five to ten servings of fruits and veggies. Fruit smoothies are delicious, and especially refreshing in the summer. Toss a banana in the blender, add in a cup of yogurt and a handful of frozen berries, and you're all set! Right there, you've got a couple fruit servings.

Grab some melons- I'll bet a watermelon will disappear in a heartbeat! I challenge everyone to set out a platter of cut up melon, strawberries and grapes in front of some teens and see how long it takes for them to inhale it. Add some cheese and whole wheat crackers, and you've got a healthy lunch.
BOTTOM LINE: Include the kitchen in your summer fun!

Heartburn or Broken Bones?

Okay, I'm interrupting my summer tips with this "breaking" report. The FDA has issued a warning regarding proton-pump inhibitors (PPI's) which are medicines that stop acid production such as Prilosec, Nexium, Prevacid, etc. Six of seven studies showed that people, especially those over 50, who take these medications- whether they are the over the counter version or prescribed- for over a year or in high doses, have increased risk of fractures in their hips, spines, and/or wrists.

So what does this mean? Do you have to choose heartburn or broken bones?

Of course not. What it means is that these drugs, like every other class, have potential side effects. We need to use them judiciously, and not as a band-aid for a long term problem. GERD is typically caused by behaviors that can be modified: caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine are at the top of the list. Consider switching gradually to decaf, decreasing your alcohol intake, and quitting smoking instead of routinely grabbing your acid pill every day.

BOTTOM LINE: All medications have side effects; please review ALL of your medications with your doctor and see which, if any, can be reduced or eliminated if you are willing to make some behavioral changes.

OMG, IDK what to do without a screen!

So...keeping with the theme for the week, we're talking about summertime suggestions. If you limit screen time to two hours per day, what do you do for the other waking hours? Well, here's the good news, as a parent it is not your job to fill in all the blanks! I have always found kids to be amazingly creative and resourceful, when given the chance (or, okay, I'll say it- when they have no other choice.)

EARLY this summer, ask your kids to sit down and brainstorm, creating a list of at least a dozen (preferably more) activities. This is your "I'm bored" list! Post it on the fridge, and when someone says they're bored, refer them to the list. It works beautifully!
So, what might go on the list?

The obvious, first- READ A BOOK! Happily, this can be ANY book, not only the potentially required summer reading.

Board games always come next in our house. Clue, Monopoly, Sorry, and many more are fun, but get shoved to the back of the game closet during the school year. Don't forget checkers, chess, scrabble and Bananagrams!

Card games are another category- UNO, war, spoon, rummy- the list goes on and on.

Girls often enjoy a "salon" afternoon- pulling out every color of nail polish and giving each other pedicures and manicures.

Crafts may require parent supervision, but many do not. Finger knitting, rock painting, paper air planes, bracelets, key chains, bird houses...

Don't forget "sport" options- basketball, soccer, volleyball, or swimming. Pull out flashlights at night and enjoy a game of flashlight tag for "big" kids.

BOTTOM LINE: Have your family create a BORED list, and you WONT be bored this summer!

Screen Time Limits

Okay, it's summer, and my first suggestion was to RELAX. Does that mean vegging out in front of a screen? How much tv, videos, computer, iTouch, iPad, and iEverything is TOO much? Not surprisingly, I have an opinion, and so do the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the AMA. "Too much" is more than TWO HOURS per day.
Does that sound like a bunch? It does to me, but sadly, the average American kid may have over six hours of screen time per day, by the time you add in all the different media sources.

Does this mean you should never allow your kids a movie marathon day? Of course not. However, unsupervised, many kids would choose to spend their whole summer in front of a screen. Set up the rules at the BEGINNING of the summer, so you're not forced to break a bad habit. Your world does not need to revolve around this schedule. Simply help your kids to be aware that if they want to hang out and watch movies, play Wii, computer games, or text their friends all of one afternoon, they should plan NON-screen activities for the next day.

Another option is to make a rule "no screen time before 4:00pm"- that wouldn't automatically limit screen time to two hours, but it would certainly encourage everyone to find other activities during the day...even if they sleep late.

BOTTOM LINE: Limit TOTAL screen time to TWO HOURS per day.

Almost Summer!

Wow! We're in finals week in our home, looking at summer officially beginning next week- yea! I can hardly wait for the break in homework and hectic schedules. No, it's not MY homework, but helping kids maintain focus or quizzing them for spelling certainly involves me, and I am the head chauffer for dance four days per week.

At any rate, we all welcome summer! So, I thought for this week, I would focus on some summer suggestions. Today's suggestion is deceptively simple- RELAX!! I think we have all become so programmed to cram in a million activities, that we tend to over-schedule our kids, even in the summer. By the time you include a camp or two, family vacation, service opportunities and sports obligations, your calendar looks as packed as the school year!

Make sure there is enough down time scheduled in (yes, I find if I don't block out some days/weeks, they will all fill up!) for your kids to actually say they are BORED. I think I can literally count on one hand the number of times our kids have complained of boredom, which tells me we have been too scheduled.

No kids to worry about? Well, you went to school for many years, so I know you still remember the joys of summertime. Look at your calendar, and see where you can schedule in some summertime relaxation. You're never too old for SUMMER!

BOTTOM LINE: Enjoy some real "lazy days of summer" this year, and rejuvenate!

Weighty Issues

The American Academy of Family Physicians is ramping up our patient awareness of individual responsibility and health choices. As family doctors, we certainly are well-positioned to take the lead on community education, as well as prioritizing preventative care with our patients. Has your doctor addressed your weight issues? Do you wish (kind of) that she would?

You may wonder why more doctors do NOT address their patients being overweight. Well, let me share a few (misguided) reasons. Primarily, doctors want to help their patients, but do not want to be perceived as rude or judgmental. Additionally, many doctors are overweight themselves, so it's a bit easier to turn a blind eye towards this particular issue. Physicians fear if they bring up this subject, they may be in for an extended visit that will put them running behind the rest of the day. Additionally, insurance companies do not want to reimburse us for nutrition counseling, and with our overhead expenses, we have to mindful of the bottom financial line. Finally, many physicians feel at a loss for what they can offer their patients.

I hope any doctors not actively addressing overweight & obesity issues will read the latest issue of AAFP NEWS NOW and see how I and many other FPs are tackling these obstacles. Feel free to forward this link to your doctor and open up the lines of communication for your health!
BOTTOM LINE: Ask your doctor about ALL your health concerns, including those 10, 20, 50 or more pounds you want to lose!