TV=Tragic Vice

From Mercola.com:

Kids Spend an Astounding Amount of Time Watching TV or Using Computer

Today, less than one-third of kids aged 6 to 17 get at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise a day!!

Compare that to the TV-watching statistics below, and you'll realize just how troublesome the above findings may be. It may even be a crucial part of the equation that might explain why so many children are now using anti-anxiety and antidepressant drugs.

* The average American watches nearly FIVE HOURS of TV a day
* More than half of American children have a television in their bedroom; one study put the number at 70 percent
* Twice as many adolescents with a television in their bedroom watch more than five hours of TV a day compared with youths without a TV in their bedroom
* 90 percent of American toddlers, under the age of 2, watch TV, videos and DVD's regularly
* About 40 percent of babies, under 3 months of age, watch TV, videos and DVD's regularly
* Based on a 2007 survey of families in two states, kids at 3 months watched less than an hour of TV daily, and that viewing time climbed to 90 minutes as children reached the toddler stage

Visual digital media such as television programming and educational DVD's are being increasingly introduced to an ever younger audience.

Unfortunately, contrary to what you've been told, this type of educational material may actually retard language development rather than speed it up!

British psychologist Aric Sigman writes in his 2008 paper titled, DOES NOT COMPUTE, Screen Technology in Early Years Education:

"… [T]he scientists found that for every hour per day spent watching specially developed baby DVDs and videos such as Baby Einstein and Brainy Baby, children under 16 months understood an average of six to eight fewer words than children who did not watch them.

One of the authors stated," The evidence is mounting that they are of no value and may in fact be harmful."

Wow!

So much for Baby Einstein and teaching your child to use a computer as soon as they're able to press a button, with the hopes of boosting their development...

The Steep Price of Letting Your Child have a TV in Their Bedroom

Keeping a TV in your child's bedroom is not a wise parenting decision, based on the evidence available.

A growing body of research shows strong links between a TV in the bedroom and numerous health and educational problems.

Children with TVs in their bedroom:

* Score lower on school tests
* Are more likely to have sleep problems
* Are more likely to be overweight
* May have an increased risk of smoking
* Tend to consume more unhealthy foods

Exercising More May Not Be Enough, Unless You Also Shut Off the TV...

Clearly, the vast majority of kids and teens are in dire need of more exercise. However, based on the findings reported in the journal Pediatrics this month, exercising more may not be enough to compensate for the detrimental impact of TV and computer use.

The other side of the equation is shutting off your TV and computer more often...

As reported by Live Science:

"The study found that regardless of age, gender, socioeconomic status, or whether a child had hit puberty, more than two hours a day in front of a TV or computer was associated with more emotional and behavioral difficulties.

Most importantly, the connection between screen time and psychological problems held regardless of how much overall physical activity the kids engaged in."

What that means is that it's not a sedentary lifestyle that poses the greatest risk to your child's mental health, but rather the activities your child engages in while being sedentary.

Other sedentary activities, such as reading or doing homework, had no detrimental impact on the children's mental health.

The researchers found that:

* Children who spent more than two hours a day watching TV or using a computer were 61 and 59 percent more likely to experience high levels of psychological difficulties, respectively

* Children who spent more than two hours a day watching TV, and also failed to meet physical activity guidelines, were 70 percent more likely to experience high levels of psychological difficulties

Watching TV Changes Your Brain Chemistry

While much of the TV debate focuses on advertising messages and the impact of violent or sexually explicit programming on young minds, there's an even more disturbing aspect to television.

As it turns out, TV may be harmful no matter what programs your kids are watching or what ads they're exposed to!

Yes, television in and of itself is one of the most powerful brainwashing devices there is.

According to research by Dr. Aric Sigman, a British psychologist, watching TV actually causes physiological changes – mainly changes in your brain chemistry – and there's nothing beneficial about them.

These changes have little to do with the content you're watching, but rather the fact that when you're watching a TV or computer screen, you're in essence entraining your brain to function and process information differently.

Watching a TV (or computer screen) produces an almost narcotic effect on your brain, actually numbing areas that would be stimulated by other activities, like reading.

And, the longer you watch, the easier your brain slips into a receptive, passive mode, meaning that messages are streamed into your brain without any participation from you. This of course is every advertiser's dream, and accounts for much of the success companies achieve by putting ads on TV.

The 15 Potential Side Effects of Watching TV

Through his research, Dr. Sigman has identified 15 negative effects that he believes can be associated with watching television:

1. Obesity
2. Trouble healing
3. Heart trouble
4. Decreased metabolism
5. Eyesight damage
6. Alzheimer's disease
7. Decreased attention span
8. Hormone disturbances
9. Cancer
10. Early puberty
11. Autism
12. Sleep difficulties
13. Increased appetite
14. Limited brain growth
15. Diabetes

How to Get Your Kids Moving

I think there's no doubt that it is imperative to limit your child's TV, computer, and video game time, in addition to encouraging your child to spend more time doing some form of physical activity.

Overweight and obese children will need at least 30 minutes of exercise each day, and may benefit from closer to 60 minutes. But even if your child is not overweight, you should encourage him or her to take part in physically engaging activities after school and on the weekends – the benefits are just too plenty and too varied to be ignored, including boosting mental health.

Encourage your child to engage in activities that are naturally interesting to them, such as playing on the monkey bars, rollerblading, skateboarding, dancing or playing basketball with friends. Allow your kids to exercise in bursts throughout the day -- a game of tag here, a bike ride there -- so they don't feel pressured or like they're being "punished."

Like adults, kids need variety to their exercise routines, so be sure your child is getting in aerobic, interval training, weight-training, stretching and core-building activities. This may sound daunting, but if your child participates in a gymnastics class, sprints around the backyard after the dog often and rides his bike after school, you'll be covered.

Last but not least, remember that you act as a role model by staying active yourself.

If your kids see you embracing exercise in a positive way, they will naturally follow suit. Plus, it's easy to plan active activities that involve the whole family and double up as fun ways to spend time together. Hiking, bike riding, canoeing, swimming and sports are all great options.

Think of it this way … by taking the time to get your kids interested in exercise now, you're giving them a gift that will keep them healthy and happy for the rest of their lives. Combine that with reduced TV and computer use, and you're giving your child the best platform possible for a healthy, long life – physically, mentally and emotionally.

Love and taking a bat to your boob tube,

Rachel

Vaccinations: The Other Side of the Debate

I know the topic of vaccines is extremely volatile and hot on both sides. I am writing this because I think my side hardly gets told, and certainly not by the pediatricians. I will speak from my own experience, and also post the most compelling case against vaccines from an interview with a reputable board certified pediatrician in New York. This very interview is what put the nail in the coffin in my decision to not vaccinate Avery for the first year of her life (at least). The interview is long. I would suggest carving out an hour and listening, either while making dinner or cleaning around the house, etc. The hour is worth your time.

Let me first say that with the exception of the ONE and ONLY time Avery got vaccinated, she has never been sick. I am talking not even a SNIFFLE! She is 9 months now, and is as healthy as can be.

Avery had her first 2 month appointment, and I was totally confused as to what I wanted to do. So I only had her get the DTAP and Rotavirus. She promptly fell into a deep sleep for two hours, which by the way, I think is strange. Why is it normal for a dose of "perfectly healthy" ingredients to knock out a baby right away? Then again, why is it apparently normal to have an extremely high fever and seizures as a "side effect"? Really?! I'm sorry, but I refuse to think seizures are any sort of normal reaction. That's doing real harm.

So after a day of sleepiness, Avery woke the next day totally sick, with a horrible cough and cold. It lasted about 2 weeks. She was super healthy before the vaccinations, and all of the sudden she's sick? In the interview below, you will hear that there is research showing vaccines disable the immune system, so that the baby is actually MORE susceptible to getting sick. Hearing that and seeing it happen to Avery before my eyes was enough to convince me. I haven't looked back and she hasn't been sick since.

Now let me also point out that Avery has been exclusively breastfed for 8 months, and for the last month I have now added in organic bananas, avocados and sweet potatoes for dinner. You have to set up your kid to be healthy by putting healthy stuff if their body and especially avoiding toxic formula. (Look at the ingredients on a formula label if you don't believe me, its horrible stuff to put in a newborn baby) For the VERY FEW percentage that truly cannot breastfeed after seeing a lactation consultant, you can make your own formula. Look for organic recipes online.

Make sure the baby gets at least 15 minutes of direct sunlight with NO sunscreen for Vitamin D, which also is the number one protector against sickness and influenza (see my earlier post on this). Vitamin D cannot be made on the skin if sunscreen has been applied. Also consider buying your baby an organic mattress, since the conventional ones are filled with toxic and carcinogenic chemicals, which some say is linked to SIDS. (I personally think vaccinations are the cause of SIDS).

Here is the interview with Dr. Palevsky:

EXPERT PEDIATRICIAN EXPOSES VACCINE MYTHS

Love and healthy babies,

Rachel