Health: The Take-Charge Guide to Allergies

Spring has arrived! and so have the allergy triggers!



The Take-Charge Guide to Allergies

Health: Weight Loss & African Americans - BlackDoctor.org - Diet Rules Meant To Be Broken

Forget all the myths you heard on maintaining a healthy diet.... Read on!

Weight Loss & African Americans - BlackDoctor.org - Diet Rules Meant To Be Broken

Health: Women's Health & African Americans - BlackDoctor.org - The New Pap Guidelines: Embrace Or Ignore?

Women's Health & African Americans - BlackDoctor.org - The New Pap Guidelines: Embrace Or Ignore?

Health: Diet & Nutrition & African Americans - BlackDoctor.org - Get Out The Gloves! It’s Good Fat Vs. Bad Fat

This is an excellent article on making food choices in terms Good Fat vs. Bad Fat. The unfortunate part for me is switching from ground beef to ground turkey. I love the flavor of beef burgers on the grill but for the sake of good health I will have to find a great recipe for turkey burgers.

Last night I was discussing salmon with Jen(@jaeldesignsinc) and Shynea(@ppdiva) because this has never been a seafood favorite. I think finding the right marinade or sauce will do the trick. If anyone has a great recipe feel free to send my way. Salmon is on the list as a healthy alternative to meat.



Diet & Nutrition & African Americans - BlackDoctor.org - Get Out The Gloves! It’s Good Fat Vs. Bad Fat

The Healthy Kitchen: 35 Best Foods to Stock in Your Fridge and Pantry

Today was my grocery shopping day and in addition to our normal staples, I tried to incorporate some additional items so the kids can still enjoy their snacks without a lot of the normal sugary choices. I found myself buying string cheese, peanut butter, pretzel sticks, cheese cubes, whole wheat tortillas, crackers, yogurt, oatmeal, 100 calorie bags of microwavable popcorn, unsweetned applesauce, apple & eve juice(no sugar added), frozen strawberries. If I do give them regular juice like OJ or apple juice I dilute with water.

I normally pack my little man's lunch and although he prefers to take PB&J every day, I try to switch it up a bit by using whole wheat bread, tortillas or even waffles. In the past week, I received some really great ideas on snacks from my readers so I tried to incorporate a lot of those suggestions on my grocery list. The kids love yogurt and I never thought about adding frozen fruit for a smoothie. I know they are now fans of apple slices with peanut butter. The one thing I like about using tortillas for sandwiches is I can hide lettuce and tomato and my little man is none the wiser. He enjoys the sandwich so much and totally forgets about eating vegetables. I am committed to providing the best possible menu in spite of their picky eating habits.

In terms of the other snacks, I put those in an undisclosed location to control their desire to snack around the clock. I feel good about taking on this challenge and know the kids will definitely benefit in the long run.


I read great food items to have on hand in the fridge, pantry and freezer. You may find this helpful as well.

The Healthy Kitchen: 35 Best Foods to Stock in Your Fridge and Pantry

Health: Bedtime Is So Much Better Now........

Today is Night #5 since I started my "tough love" bedtime routine and it is working like a charm. I found these tips on Parents.com and tips 2,3,4, and especially 6 are definitely worth using at bedtime. Routine, Routine is so critical. Both kids are sound asleep at 10:00 each night, woo hoo!

For my little one, allowing her to cry and soothe herself back to sleep was definitely key in our new routine.

Tips to Make Bedtime Easier

Health: 3 year Well Visit

On Monday, my little princess was scheduled for her 3 year checkup. After weighing and measuring, the nurse told me she is in the 50% percentile for weight and the 80% percentile for height. She is such a picky eater after moving from baby food to solid foods but I just chalked it up to her being a typical toddler. During this transition, her pediatrician told me it was not uncommon for toddlers to have smaller appetites or be very selective on food choices.

During our visit, I wanted her pediatrician to offer some suggestions on providing a more balanced and nutritional diet. One thing I discovered is the amount of juice I allowed her to drink on a daily basis. I believed as long as the juice was organic, 100% juice, 25% less sugar or diluted with water it was acceptable. Her pediatrician instructed me to only allow 4-6 oz of juice per day. She said the juice consumption was more than likely filling her tummy and causing her to refuse solid foods. I know that in addition to juice the rest of her liquids should be milk or water. One thing I did resolve to do with my kids this year is to encourage more water consumption.

If my little princess had her way she would eat cheese, yogurt, peanut butter, chicken nuggets and drink milk. Her pediatrician suggested giving her a fruit/vegetable juice blend, veggies with a dip, hummus or guacamole. I also wanted to confirm whether a multi-vitamin is necessary and of course her pediatrician said absolutely. My fingers are crossed as I attempt to get creative with her meals.

This is going to be an interesting journey and I welcome any and all suggestions from other mommies who may have meal planning ideas that work for their picky eaters.

Health: Asthma & African Americans Tips For Parents With Asthmatic Children

Both of my children were diagnosed with asthma. My little man has outgrown his asthma although I look for signs of the condition recurring especially when the seasons change.

For my little princess I was a little more persistent with her pediatrician when I concluded the prescribed regimen was not effective. I asked our pediatrician to refer an allergist because I was convinced my little princess' congestion was being triggered by something in our home or outside of the home. The allergist conducted an allergy skin test for a variety of environmental triggers. The skin test was negative for all the environmental triggers . The allergist concluded her asthma was triggered whenever she experienced cold symptoms. One of the recommendations he made was to discontinue using the nebulizer for her daily treatments and switch to an inhaler spacer. The spacer was very effective in administering her medication and within weeks I saw improvement. It has been a year and a half under the allergist's care and she is doing very well. I am happy I took the initiative to ask her pediatrician to refer us to a specialist.

In an effort to reduce the triggers in our home, I avoid using sprays such as air fresheners, carpet deodorizers, perfumes and minimize stuffed animals in bed. Also avoid any environments where there is second hand smoke. The ideal situation is to remove the carpet but for right now it is cost-prohibitive. We did invest in a vacuum cleaner with a high suction power to minimize the dirt and dust with the carpet.

The below gives great tips on controlling your child's asthma:

Asthma & African Americans - BlackDoctor.org - Tips For Parents With Asthmatic Children

Health: First Dental Appointment

For my little diva, I usually schedule her "firsts" as I did with my little man. I remembered his first dental appointment was at the age of 3 so I scheduled her appointment 2 weeks ago.

I started to reschedule because she was not feeling so great in the beginning of the week but after her doctor's visit and 4 prescriptions later she was on the road to recovery. We spent about an 1 1/2 in the doctor's office and I insisted she take a nap in preparation for her dental appointment. The nap never happened. On the our way to the dentist's office, she fell into a deep sleep in the car, dozed off again in the waiting area and was still asleep in the dental chair. Finally, she realized it was time for her exam and woke up for the exam.

The dental hygienist worked very well with her and she finally got a burst of energy. The cleaning and examination by the dentist were uneventful much to the surprise of our dental hygienist. My little diva resisted when it was time to apply fluoride to her teeth. A little coaxing and the idea of taking home a prize made convincing her a little easier. I was really bummed because I forgot my camera and unfortunately the doctor's office did not provide a 1st time visit picture.

The dentist mentioned there is a possibility she will need orthodontic work. My little diva's teeth are very close together and in some cases this makes it difficult for the permanent teeth to come in. I had braces eons ago during middle school, yuck! All I could hear in my head was a cash register going cha-ching, cha-ching! I believe braces are somewhere around $5K. It will be worth it to keep this smile beaming!

A battery operated toothbrush is now my favorite gadget with her. It makes brushing a lot more interactive and fun.

The website for the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has very helpful information.
FAQs

If you want to find a pediatric dentist in your area:
Pediatric Dentist Directory

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Health: My Battle with Carbs

I am addicted to carbs! They are are my true nemesis! My goal abs are above!

I love potatoes -potato chips, regular fries, steak fries, and home fries. To try and show some semblance of control I only buy a bag of chips eat half of the bag, save the other half or give to the kids. I refuse to buy the family size(as if any family needs all of these calories) bag of chips because the temptation is just too great.

To add insult to injury, why did my Southern parents ever introduce me to grits? and why do I add butter, milk and cheese so they are a rich and creamy consistency.

Next is my love of bread or anything made from dough -French, Italian, Portuguese, rolls, biscuits, tortillas, soft pretzels, pizza(thin crust, not), bagels you name it and I am slathering either mayo or butter on it. I only buy 100 % whole wheat bread. Oh, did I mention my love of French toast and this is when I buy cinnamon swirl bread, extra thick raisin bread or a babka bread sold at one of my favorite supermarkets. I got it bad!

Finally I love white rice, I know I should trade this in for brown rice. I have tried and tried but the brown just does not cut it.

I need a challenge to kick the carbs, my goal was to start off reducing carbs and then start running every other day to crank up my cardio. For some reason I cannot get jump started. Although I work out, my abs are in need of serious conditioning.

My goal is to buy a two piece (a few if I can pull this off) bathing suits that are not tankinis.

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Health: Ear Infections & Ear Tubes

Wow February is around the corner and I realized we are approaching 1 year with ear tubes. In 2008, my little diva's pediarician was concerned with her inability to thoroughly assess the condition of her inner ear. The little patient was not always cooperative during her checkup when it was time for her ear exam. Our pediatrician prescribed antibiotics to treat an ear infection as a preventive measure. In order to get a more in depth study of her ears, she suggested we see an ENT doctor at one of CHOP's specialty centers.

During our visit at the specialty center, the first step was to meet with the audiologist to complete a hearing test. The hearing test indicated hearing difficulty at specific decibels. Next, the ENT doctor performed an ear exam with a high powered scope that allowed him to get an in depth look at her inner ear. I was a little concerned with her fussiness during the exam but the little patients are placed on an exam bed and gently swaddled to prevent interruption of the exam. The ENT doctor recommended that she get tubes due to the build-up of fluid in both ears as well as indictions of slight hearing loss. I was a little apprehensive after learning she was going to have outpatient surgery but relieved to know we were at one of the best children's hospitals in the country.

In February of 2009, we were put on the schedule for her surgery. CHOP does an excellent job in providing all the necessary information related to prepping for the outpatient surgery the day before and what to expect the morning of your surgery. The nursing staff was really great in making her feel comfortable before the surgery as well as after the surgery. The surgery was about 15-20 minutes. She was a little irritable during the recovery period as the anesthesia begins to wear off. We received a thumbs up during our 3 month and 6 month follow-up appointments. No surgery is required to remove the tubes as they eventually come out of the ears. The tubes can remain in the ears from 6-12 months.

I am grateful our pediatrician suggested we visit a specialist and she is doing extremely well. After meeting other parents on the morning of her surgery I realized that in addition to hearing loss, some children experience delays with language development. It is very important to address this medical condition with your healthcare professional and take the necessary steps for treatment.

The article below from Parents.com contains some valuable information related to ear ://www.parents.cinfections.

Health 101: Ear Infections: Does my child need ear tubes?

Dorel Asia Cribs Recall - Product Recalls - Parents.com

These cribs are sold at K-Mart, Sears and Wal-mart stores. Please forward!


Dorel Asia Cribs Recall - Product Recalls - Parents.com

Graco Product Recall- 2010 Alana and Spree Stroller

I wanted to pass this on because as a mom I tried to buy everything Graco. While watching GMA I heard this recall notice. There were 5 amputations reported as a result of the problem with the stroller. Please forward!

Graco Stroller Safety and Recall

Skin and Beauty & African Americans - BlackDoctor.org - Top 10 Tips For Healthy Winter Skin

Great tips for your skin during the frigid winter months ahead!

Skin and Beauty & African Americans - BlackDoctor.org - Top 10 Tips For Healthy Winter Skin

Colds & Flu & African Americans - BlackDoctor.org - LeBron, Swine Flu And The Rest Of Us

This is a very hectic flu season in terms of getting the kids scheduled for their influenza shots. My oldest is covered, however my little one's pediatrician has run out of the influenza vaccine. It appears the shipments are delayed due to the pharmaceutical company concentrating on manufacturing the H1N1 vaccine. Due to the H1N1 epidemic, my son's school was selected to administer the H1N1 vaccine at the end of this month. For my other child we are looking at the end of November for both. This is really starting to worry me as we approach the flu season and she is part of the risk factor group with asthma. Her pediatrician's office suggested going to the mini clinic at CVS as they have nurse practitioners administering the influenza vaccine. Well I checked the closest location and they are out and only administer to children who are 4 years of age or older.

The below contains some helpful information:


Colds & Flu & African Americans - BlackDoctor.org - LeBron, Swine Flu And The Rest Of Us

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National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

According to the American Cancer Society, there are about 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the US. In light of this fact, I have included an extremely informative website. The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month website, provides a true education on breast health. First and foremost, remember to schedule your yearly mammograms.

A National Campaign:
Friday, October 2nd is Lee National Denim Day Wear Jeans to Work on Friday!

In Philadelphia:
2009 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Philadelphia
October 11, 2009
If you are interested in participating, check out the details here: Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk

Black Doctor :: Content - KwikPen Offers Free Vouchers

Black Doctor :: Content - KwikPen Offers Free Vouchers

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Children's and Infant's Tylenol Product Recall

This was posted at my little diva's daycare on Friday. My apologies for not posting sooner. McNeil Healthcare Consumer Products has issued a voluntary recall of Children's and Infant's Tylenol liquid products manufactured between April 2008 and June 2008. The following link contains the lot#s of the recalled products as well as a toll free number for the consumer call center if you have any questions or concerns.

Children's and Infant's Tylenol Recall

Weight Loss & African Americans - BlackDoctor.org - Melt Away Calories In Less Than An Hour

Great tips and an excuse to enjoy your favorite pasttimes while burning much needed calories!

Weight Loss & African Americans - BlackDoctor.org - Melt Away Calories In Less Than An Hour

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Black Doctor :: Content - How To Live With Diabetes

Black Doctor :: Content - How To Live With Diabetes

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