Being Healthy is Easier than You Think

 

School is back in session, schedules are packed with various activities, and parents are scrambling to get everything accomplished. Ask any parent what their biggest challenge is for taking steps to be a good healthy role model for kids and they’ll tell you it’s not enough time. Even with today’s hectic lifestyles, being a good role model takes less time than you think.

     Healthful Eating Basics

• Give kids a healthful variety of foods. Allow them to choose what and how much to eat from the healthy foods you offer.
• Tune into hunger cues. Teach kids to eat when they’re hungry, not just because it’s a habit.
• Eat until you are satisfied, not overly full
• Make sure everyone eats breakfast. Offer quick options such as whole grain cereal, yogurt, fruit, low-fat milk and 100% juice.

• Keep healthy snacks upfront in the fridge or cabinet so they’re easy for kids to see and grab.

When it comes to treats, size matter

You don’t have to banish kids’ favorite treats such as chips, cookies and candy. Just offer them once in awhile and in sensible portions.

• Buy single-serving sizes of chips and cookies, or portion your own into re-sealable snack bags
• When you eat out, split the fries, onion rings or the dessert
• Serve beverages such as soft drinks in small glasses
• Let your kids see you enjoying small portions

      Be a Screen Time Monitor

     Try these tips to set some limits on screen time and get your kids moving.

• Set a Screen Time Budget – allot kids one to two hours per day to spend on TV, Video games or fun time on the computer

• Devise an After-School Action Plan. Brainstorm to create a list of activities to get them on their feet and away from the screen.
• Click it off at Meal Times. A ‘no’ TV’ policy during family meals channels your attention into what’s going on in each other’s lives.

Get Active with Your Kids

Being active with your children gives you more quality time with them, boosts your energy and helps you mange stress.

Help Your Kids Strike the Right Balance

One of the most important skills you can ‘model’ for your kids is how to maintain a healthy weight by balancing the calories in the foods you eat with the calories you burn through physical activity. Set an example by eating moderately-sized portions and be physically active yourself.

Being Healthy Takes Less Time Than You Think

If not having enough time is your biggest barrier to being healthy, you are not alone. With today’s hectic lifestyles, many parents feel the same way.

·         Map out a week of healthful meals and snacks so you can stock up on what you need in one trip to the store.

·         Use supermarket time-savers such as rotisserie chicken, pre-washed salad greens and canned or frozen fruits and vegetables.

·         Ask kids to help you plan their lunches and family dinners

·         Enlist their help with meal prep.

For more information about this topic go to: http://ific.org/kidnetic

Snacking revisited: Done properly, it's not a bad thing

William Nichols - Writer and featuring  Katherine French – Mercer County Extension Educator
Turns out, for most people, eating between meals may not be such a bad thing after all.

Healthy snacking is a great way for kids -- and adults -- to keep up energy levels, avoid overeating at main meals and ensure that they are consuming enough essential nutrients, according to a registered dietician in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

"Nearly all children need at least one healthy snack a day," said Katherine French, a nutrition, diet and health educator with Penn State Cooperative Extension in Mercer County. Younger children may require two to three snacks per day, while older children may only need one.  Read more...  http://live.psu.edu/story/47894

Minimize children's sleep problems with bedtime routine

William Nichols - Writer
Laurie Weinreb-Welch - Clinton County Extension Educator

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Unplug the TV, turn off the computer and force the kids to quit stalling and go to bed.


Doing so can help parents and caregivers recover up to 200 hours of sleep a year lost due to children's nighttime awakenings, according to a Penn State Cooperative Extension expert.
 
"American children sleep less than doctors recommend. In fact, two-thirds experience frequent sleep problems," explained Laurie Weinreb-Welch, a children, youth and family extension educator based in Clinton County.

These sleep problems develop during infancy and result in one-quarter of infants, toddlers and preschoolers appearing sleepy or overtired during the day, according to the National Sleep Foundation. This number increases to three out of 10 school-aged children having difficulty awakening in the morning.

Read the entire article http://live.psu.edu/story/47800

Eating a good breakfast boosts chances for school success

William Nichols - Writer

Katherine French – Mercer County Extension Educator

Your mother was right -- breakfast is the most important meal of the day, according to an expert in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences.

Eating breakfast improves concentration, memory and problem-solving ability, said Katherine French, registered dietitian and extension educator in Mercer County. "Eating breakfast improves the brain's ability to function and gives you the energy to get you going and keep you going throughout the day."

This is especially important for school-age children because those who eat breakfast are more alert, less irritable, participate more fully in learning activities and have better behavior, noted French. "These kids have longer attention spans, get better test scores and are tardy and absent less often," she said. "Breakfast-eaters even make fewer visits to the school nurse."

Since breakfast-skippers consume more calories and fat later in the day than breakfast-eaters, researchers suggest that eating a nutritious breakfast helps to control body weight.

Despite the advantages of eating breakfast, some children (and adults) choose not to. They believe they don't have time, aren't hungry or just don't like breakfast foods. "But when it comes to kids not eating breakfast, the main reason they may not eat is that there may not be a parent or caregiver around at breakfast time," French said. "They need encouragement to eat and to help them to put together a quick, easy breakfast."

To encourage breakfast-time consumption, French suggested having quickly accessible breakfast items, such as ready-to-eat cereals, instant oatmeal, fresh fruits or juices, mini-bagels, muffins, toast, yogurt, string cheese and milk. "Set the breakfast table the night before," French urged. "For children, just seeing the bowl, spoon and box of cereal on the table is a good cue that they will be eating breakfast."

Read the entire article  http://live.psu.edu/story/47703/rss69.

 

Are we there yet?

Recalling those long trips to New England every summer to visit family reminds me of that familiar phrase “Are we there yet?” With two young children and at least seven hours of driving time, the challenge to keep them entertained was huge. It was my husband’s job to get us there safely, and it was my job to keep peace in the car so Dad was not distracted and everyone arrived in one piece… including me.


After one ‘not so successful’ trip (you really don’t want to know), I decided there had to be a better way! So with a little creativity I came up with a method to keep the ‘troops’ happy. Shopping at my local farmers’ market one day I discovered sturdy plastic boxes with a tight fitting lid that seafood came in that one of the vendors was selling. They were just about the size of a child’s lap and deep enough to provide room for lots of goodies. They needed cleaning and deodorizing, but a little elbow grease, some lemon juice and a little sunshine took care of that. The next challenge was - what would keep my kids busy, not cost me a fortune, not make too much of a mess and still fit into this box?

After a quick search through the house I found construction paper, scissors, crayons, markers, glue sticks, colored pencils and stickers, not a bad start. We also had a series of cassette tapes of favorite children’s stories. At a discount store there were comic books, coloring books, puzzle books and some inexpensive trinkets. And as an added treat I bought some juice boxes (they were brand new when my kids were little!!!) and a few non-traditional snacks. Oh yes and did I mention the library? It was a great source for games to play in the car while traveling. Now that the ‘loot’ was assembled, how do I make it fun?

We started our trips pretty early in the morning so there was not much activity right away, but after that first rest stop, the troops were rarin’ to go and usually needed a drink or a snack. When everyone was strapped in and we were comfortably on our way, I would hand each child a box, complete with their name written on the side in their favorite color. Inside the box was a piece of constriction paper, and some markers. Their first job was to make a card for Aunt Jeanine and Uncle Jerry thanking them for having us for a visit. The lid of the box provided a desk top for writing or creating and all of the supplies were kept neatly inside during the trip. Every 30 minutes or so I would hand them something else from the goodies I had hidden in the front seat beside my feet. When it seemed that they needed to relax a bit, we would pop in one of the story tapes. After a while the whole family might get involved in a game, like ‘name the license plates’ or ‘I am going to market and I am going to buy …’ trying to come up with an item for every letter of the alphabet or we might even sing a few songs. As the children got older, the items in the box changed but they still looked forward to the next 'treasure' from Mom's front seat stash.

Traveling with children can be fun…just be prepared with a good bag of tricks!

Street Corners Markets —Drugs, Gangs, and Obesity!

We all know the dangers of drugs and gangs facing our children at the nearest street corners. But what most parents don't realize is that corner market may also be endangering the health our children. Leading obesity researchers across the nation consider "food environment" a major contributing factor of the obesity epidemic. A recent research study at Temple University in Philadelphia found that adolescents are consuming large quantities of calories through snacks purchased from their local corner market. More than 50 percent of the kids from this study said they shopped at corner stores once a day, five days a week. Nearly 30 percent visited the stores twice a day -- before and after school. For the full articles on the study: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/peds.2009-0964v1

In most urban to suburban areas, corner markets or convenience stores are abundant making them very accessible for youth while walking to and from school. For little over a dollar an adolescent can choose from an assortment of snacks, but few are aware of the possible 350 calorie price tag. What can be done? The following are suggestions to change present patterns and possibly slow growing obesity rates.

In The Home:

• Being a healthy role model.
• Pack snack from home.
• Teach adolescents to read nutritional facts labels.
• Serve them a healthy choice food before going to school.
• Promote healthier choices like milk, water, and fruits and vegetables.

In The Community:

• Endorse school's wellness policy at home.
• Support healthy alternatives for school activities.
• Promote healthy snacks for intramural sport leagues.
• Request healthier options at the local market.
• Contract other interested parents to get involved.

There is no magic to prevent obesity. But through developing healthy lifestyle goals for family and community partners, we can set a new direction. Start with small changes to yield long term results to improve the quantity and quality of children's food intake and to build new habits and lower the obesity risk. For more on healthy choices check out http://www.mypyramid.gov/kids/index.html

Getting Dressed . . . By Myself!

When children become toddlers, they begin to develop a self-awareness and independence. All parents know this is when the word “no” enters the vocabulary! One of the ways that toddlers express their independence is through their ability to dress and undress themselves and to make clothing choices. Clothes are more important to young children than most people think. Comfortable clothes make a child feel confident and independent. They also help the child express their personality through color, style and texture. Toddlers love to undress themselves to demonstrate independence and usually start by removing socks, shoes, hats, coats and mittens. Of course by age two; they will probably master the art of undressing completely and streaking naked across the living room, usually when you have company! The dressing process is a little more complicated than undressing, but by age two most children are able to pull on simple clothing. You can assist by providing clothing that is easy to put on and take off such as shirts with stretchy necks and pants with elastic waists. These pull down pants will also help with toilet learning. With practice, the young child will get very accomplished with dressing but may still put clothing items on backwards or shoes on the wrong feet. It’s best if you use a teamwork approach and be on hand to help when needed so the toddler does not become too frustrated. You may find you need to unbuckle overalls or unbutton garments before the item can be pulled on. It is hard for little hands to manage buttons, zippers and other small fasteners. Another way you can help is to lay out the clothing in the order that it should be put on. You can point out that the tag goes in the back or the elephant design goes in the front. This is a great time to work on other skills such as colors and the parts of the body (the RED shoes go on your FEET). You can practice giving simple instructions to the child such as “pull the shirt over your head”, “put your arms in the armholes”, and then “pull the shirt down”. Don’t make it too complicated. This whole learning process of getting dressed lasts from about 18 months to four years. Most children are four or five before they can tie their shoes or button shirts correctly. Surviving this developmental stage is a balancing act for parents; if you don’t let them do it or if you interfere too much, the child gets frustrated. But if you don’t help at all, he may never finish dressing and will also end up frustrated. One of the most annoying parts of having preschoolers dress themselves is that it takes so much time! They have a poor sense of time and don’t understand what it means to be in a hurry. They are not dawdling to make you angry; it is just a normal developmental stage. Try to schedule extra time for dressing so the activity doesn’t end in an angry outburst. A huge source of conflict in children dressing themselves is over what the child is going to wear. I am in favor of letting a child make decisions in this area, but by all means you need to limit the choices or you will never make it out of the house! Ask “do you want to wear the blue shirt or the red one” instead of “what shirt do you want to wear?” As children get older and insist on selecting their outfits, things get even more interesting. We have all seen children in the grocery store wearing a bathing suit, boots and a scarf around the neck and smiled to ourselves when we guessed who picked the ensemble that day! Unless the clothing is inappropriate for the weather or occasion, let your child have a little freedom of expression. And of course take a photo to show them when he or she is a teenager! I think it is this conflict over what the child wears that distresses parents most. We all think the people who see our child in multi-colored, mismatched clothing will judge us as parents. Relax and consider that all parents face this “opportunity to teach”. Remember that in the long run, having a child who has learned to make decisions and act independently is much more important than having a child with a stylish, coordinated outfit!

In Search of the Clean Bedroom

A group of parenting educators was having a discussion the other day on the topic of kids cleaning their bedrooms. All five professionals agreed that this parenting struggle is probably the most common issue raised by parents. What is the big deal about children cleaning their personal corner of the world that irks parents? What are some strategies for getting kids to maintain a presentable living space without creating a battleground in the home? For many parents, the issue of cleaning bedrooms is a matter of their expectations around cleanliness and order. What parents don’t always realize is that kids don’t have the same definition of what makes a room “clean”. “Go clean your room” is a command that has a wide range of interpretations. A suggestion might be to demonstrate or show the child with a picture of a clean room what it is you expect their room to look like when they are done. Sometimes parental expectations are too high for a child depending on the child’s age or stage of development. For example, a four year-old does not have the motor skills to make a bed as well as an adult, so parents need to adjust their expectations accordingly. In some families, cleaning bedrooms is a power and control issue. Kids are good at knowing what pushes parents’ buttons, so children who are strong-willed will often drag out the process or fail to complete the task at all. This can lead to nagging, yelling, and all kinds of chaos. This kind of interaction only serves to exacerbate the problem. Rather than nagging, say it once, making sure your instructions are clear, and let the rest to the child. Children generally do well when they are given some control over a situation. Parents can work with their child on deciding on a good time to clean bedrooms. Perhaps right after school is not a good time since many children like some downtime after a full day of classes. Find a time that you can both agree on, then stick to it. Consider a “family chore time” where everyone is engaged in the upkeep of the household. It is much easier to get started on something that everyone else is doing. A great strategy that puts kids in the driver’s seat is the “when/then” approach. You can tell your child, “When you are finished cleaning your room, then you can watch the football game (or go on the computer, etc.)”. This puts the child in control; however, the parent needs to be consistent and follow through. If the room is not clean, then the child should not be granted the privilege. Many children become overwhelmed by the thought of cleaning their bedrooms. A week’s worth of disarray can be daunting. Breaking the overall task into small, achievable steps can help. Instead of telling the child to “clean your room” parents might say. “Please go put all your dirty laundry in the hamper.” After that, a parent might instruct. “Now put all your clean clothes in your drawers.” One way to keep the clutter from piling up is to build in a daily straightening up routine. Regular maintenance means less work on cleaning day. Some parents simply have had to lower their expectations of children when it comes to the condition of their bedrooms. For some, it is acceptable that the room be in livable condition, free of dishes, trash, and strange odors. Finding the right balance between what you can live with and what you must have your child do without hassle is the key. There is no right or wrong to this one expect for constant battling and nagging which does not build a strong parent-child relationship. As one educator said, “When all else fails, close the bedroom door!”

Parenting Tips for the Remarried...

Parenting after Remarriage... Many of today’s families will experience the challenges brought about by remarriage. When there are children involved, whether they are resident or visit only periodically, “his, hers, or theirs,” stepfamily dynamics are likely to be very different because of the often unspoken expectations each side brings to the new unit. Here are a few observations that may give you some insight into stepfamily interactions and some tips that may help you with your future parenting efforts. Using a term like “blended family” may be trendy, but it is inaccurate and sometimes hurtful. It can set up unrealistic expectations and make the necessary adjustments more difficult than they need to be. Stepfamilies do not “blend”; the children in these families do not lose their individuality or their emotional attachment to the non-custodial parent. The new unit does not wipe away prior relationships and usually does not sever all connections to the absent parent. Children in these families may actively resist any inference that the stepfamily is to be considered their primary family and thus entitled to their full attention and loyalty. 1. It is preferable if the original parents can agree on basic rules of behavior and adhere to them in both residences, but if that ideal is beyond possibility at this moment, do not give up on setting rules for the new household in which YOU are operating. 2. Children are capable of learning and functioning under differing sets of rules in different circumstances. You need only think of children involved in sports to realize this truth. Children use one set of rules to play baseball, another set for football, another set for basketball and yet another set for soccer or volleyball. Most individuals are capable of recognizing that different types of apparel are worn when they go to different environments – religious services vs. the swimming pool vs. a dressy or formal celebration at school. Switching between custodial and non-custodial households can also be routine if you plan for it in advance and structure your own rules accordingly. 3. Remember that a stepfamily will generally not function like a traditional family. Seek out sources of information or educational opportunities that will help you understand the multiple dynamics that operate in stepfamily situations. (Educational handouts are available as well as the opportunity to schedule a group workshop series on this topic. Contact your local cdooperative extension office or land-grant university). 4. Realize that in the new stepfamily unit, there will be inevitable conflicts. The best way to deal with this potential hazard is for the parent and the new partner to jointly establish expectations of behavior that will apply in the new household. Deal with any conflicts promptly. 5. Remember that there are no ex-parents – only ex-spouses. You are a parent forever. Whether you are part of the custodial or non-custodial household unit, do not abdicate your parental obligation to maintain discipline. Children need guidelines and boundaries for their behavior, and it is natural for children to test those boundaries, whether they are residing within their original family or in a stepfamily environment. Without appropriate boundaries, they are at much greater risk of growing up to become undisciplined adolescents / adults. 6. Establish structure immediately. Reinstate the Four R’s – Roles, Rules, Responsibility, and Respect. The new couple needs to jointly establish these expectations, or the stepfamily household will become chaotic because of lack of leadership. 7. Establish a clear and precise schedule of visitation dates and times, etc. For young children, fifteen minutes of lateness feels like hours. Children of divorce have lots of issues with abandonment – waiting for a parent reminds the children of the old feelings of loss and further abandonment. Be on time and keep your promises to the children. 8. Be civil when dealing with your ex – he or she is still the children’s parent! Set up co-parenting agreements in writing. Be clear about all arrangements; be polite and consistent. Re-evaluate arrangements as school semesters and obligations change; re-evaluate the schedule again before summer vacation. Handle re-evaluations in advance – not at the last minute – everyone will benefit if upcoming schedules have a relative predictability. 9. Do not use the children as messengers for anything. Don’t pump the children for information after visits. If the children say, “Oh, dad let us stay up until 3 AM watching a movie,” you might say, “That is not what I would allow in my house, but dad makes the rules in his house.” 10. Don’t speak poorly of the other parent. It damages your children. It leads to confusion and conflicted feelings within the children. Use some emotional etiquette whenever relating to your ex within hearing of your children. Be civil and respectful. Be a good role model for desired manners or behavior. The children should NOT experience your negative feelings about your ex. If they ask you specific questions, respond to them in a truthful but neutral manner. When they are older, they will be better able to appreciate your mature approach to the relationship with their other parent(s) and their own feelings as children. The children know they have divided loyalties, and each parent must accept the reality that their children have “lots” of parents now. If both adults in the original family remarry or reside with other adult partners, the children are actually part of two distinct stepfamily units. They are no longer going to be part of a ‘traditional’ family structure; thinking in terms of an ‘expanded family model’ or an ‘extended family model’ will be more helpful to all involved. (Sources: Original articles from Better Kid Care Program, Penn State University; Jeannette Lofas, CSW, for Family Information Services, Minneapolis, MN; and Robert Hughes, Jr., Ph.D., Ohio State University.)

Discipline is what it's all about!

Children are constantly discovering, exploring and learning. Often the focus is on cognitive skills such as those needed for reading. While it is important to provide our children with opportunities to learn and explore the world around them, the most important lessons that they will learn are related to behavior. Life is pretty difficult for a child, and for those around the child, when he or she has not learned the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behavior. It becomes even more difficult as the child gets older! Children are born with many things but knowing how to behave appropriately is not one of them. That task lies with those who care for and love the child. Discipline is a wonderful gift we can give to children. A child who is taught the difference between right and wrong, what is acceptable and what is not, and how to respect and care for others, is a child who is well on his way to becoming a confident adult who can control impulses and manage the stresses that come with everyday life.

It is important that we recognize the difference between discipline and punishment. Discipline is a positive and nurturing learning experience with a goal of self control and self direction as well as a concern and care for others. Punishment on the other hand applies something negative to the child to eliminate a certain behavior. Discipline is proactive, taking steps to prevent misbehavior whereas punishment is strictly reactive.

A positive relationship between child and parent is essential for discipline. The child must know he is loved and supported by the parent. Parents need to have a plan and a vision for the qualities and traits they want to see in the adult that their child will become as well as a plan to handle misbehavior when it occurs. Discipline does take time and effort on the part of a parent but ask yourself this, “Why is it that we find the patience to teach children to ride a bike and tie their shoes but when it comes to teaching appropriate behavior we often find our patience gone?” We understand that learning to ride a bike and tie a shoe do not occur overnight. Learning to behave appropriately is just as difficult for a child. Yet we often get discouraged and tired of having to remind children what is okay and what is not. We can’t assume that children understand what it is to share, or what it is to behave appropriately. These are learned behaviors. How many times have we seen two children arguing over something? Typically they are told to “be nice and share!” Just what does that mean to a child? Probably not much unless that child has had sharing modeled for them. Take the time to model sharing, sit beside the children and give them the language they need to smooth out the problems. When an adult has modeled appropriate behavior often, the child soon learns to behave appropriately without being prompted. It is important that we invest our time in children when they are young. The future payoff is well worth it for the child, for us and for our society.

Celebrating Your Child's Birthday

Birthdays are important milestones that deserve to be celebrated but we need to ask ourselves, “If we are going to all of this effort when they are in preschool, what will they expect for their sweet sixteen, graduation or wedding celebrations? Is this really something I want my child to see as important?” It is possible to have a wonderful celebration and create special memories without spending a lot of money. Birthday parties are held for the child and their friends. There is no need to feel as if you must keep up with celebrations held by other families.

Consider the age of your child when deciding on your guest list. Young children can be easily overwhelmed by lots of other children. One suggestion is to invite one friend for each year of age. When your child turns three, inviting three friends to play is manageable and will probably be much more pleasant than a group of twenty. Decide what your family rules are. Some families choose to have family celebrations and only invite friends every second or fifth year. You may decide to celebrate with a party on certain milestones birthdays. Whatever your family decision is, do not be afraid to abide by it. Involve your child in the planning process. Often their wishes are simple. If they are more extravagant than your budget, do not be afraid to let them know. Setting guidelines, including a budget, is an important skill for children to learn.

If you are feeling a bit intimidated going the party route alone, find another adult, a family member, friend, or even a teenage babysitter, who will be willing to help at the party. You can find party games in books or on the internet. Simple crafts are also fun for the children. Very often children simply appreciate the opportunity to play together and lots of planned activities are not needed. It is also important to have a discussion with your child ahead of time about which toys can be shared with friends and which cannot. Those which your child does not want to share should be put away before the guests arrive. Remember, whenever you are responsible for another person’s child, it is important to have some basic information such as an emergency phone number and be informed of any allergies or special needs that the child might have. Finally, take some time to stand back and enjoy the day, knowing it will be one of many special memories your child will have for years to come.

Your Kinder-garden

Often parents of young children lament that they cannot raise a flowerbed or vegetable garden because their children need so much of their time and attention. Well, growing a backyard garden may be the best way to do this! You can teach your child a variety of skills while tending your crops. By engaging your child in your hobby, you have a golden opportunity to teach your child many skills that he or she will need for school such as:

• Math skills- count fruits, flowers and vegetables together; ask questions like “How many yellow flowers are there?” and “How many tomatoes are left in the basket if I take out 5?”
• Science- encourage curiosity and exploration by talking about how the plants are different from each other, how they change from one day to the next, how they grow. Point out and name colors, shapes, sizes.
• Language- talk, talk, and talk some more! Explain to your child what you are doing as you do it. For example, you can say, “Now I am filling the hole with dirt to cover the seeds so they can grow.” Ask your child open-ended questions (ones that require more than a “yes-no” answer). Listen to your child talk to you as well. Have him or her tell another family member what you did in the garden together.
• Following directions- give your child simple directions to follow- one- or two-steps depending on their age; set a few basic rules for working in the garden and give recognition to your child for following them. Your garden and your child can both blossom when you work together. Gardening can really be as simple as child’s play!

Concerned about Food Allergies?

Food allergies are a growing concern in the U.S. with the incidence of food allergies doubling in the last 10 years. Food allergens are the leading cause of severe life threatening reactions, causing an estimated 30,000 emergency room visits yearly and
150 – 200 deaths. About 2.1 million children in the U.S. have food allergies. These statistics come from a 2007 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Eight foods account for 90% of all food allergies. These are: milk and dairy products, eggs, fish, crustaceans and shell fish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans. More than half of children with allergic reactions to milk, eggs and soy will outgrow their sensitivity to these foods by school age but allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish are rarely outgrown.

Symptoms of food allergies can include a tingling sensation in the mouth, swelling of the tongue and throat, difficulty breathing, hives, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness and even death. Some people have mild reactions and can eat small amounts of the offending allergen. Others may go into anaphalactic shock when oils or crumbs of the food are in the room. Food allergic reactions involve the immune system and are the body’s reaction to an offending protein in the food.

Some reactions to food are food intolerances, rather than allergies. These reactions usually involve the gastrointestinal system causing gas, bloating, diarrhea or vomiting. Other reactions such as headaches and skin rashes are also common. The most widespread intolerance in the U.S. is lactose intolerance. This inability to digest lactase, the sugar in milk, is common in the African American, Hispanic and Asian communities. Lactose-free milk is found in most grocery stores. Many lactose intolerant people can enjoy processed milk products such as cheese, ice cream or yogurt if eaten in small quantities.

Celiac disease is an intolerance of gluten, found in wheat, rye and barley. Serious reactions to gluten can include destruction of the lining of the intestine leading to a malabsorption of nutrients, stunted growth and even neurologic symptoms. Recent interest in gluten free diets has shown improvements in a multitude of symptoms, especially those resulting from infections. Further research will confirm these links. Avoiding gluten in processed foods can be difficult since wheat products are staples in the American diet. Choose foods made with rice, corn, oats, potatoes and beans. Read labels closely to see if wheat products are used as thickeners, extenders or coatings.

Since 2006, food processors have been required to list any of the eight food allergens mentioned above that are in packaged food. This listing is usually found within the ingredient list or separately near the Nutrition Facts label. Packages may even mention a food allergen that might be remaining on equipment from processing a similar food. An example would be a processing a variety of granola bars on the same day.

Whether you suffer from food allergies or keep company with those who do, becoming acquainted with food ingredients is important. It may take more time to prepare food from scratch, but you are assured that your food is uncontaminated with food allergens. It may also be a healthier way to eat. Not only are you avoiding offending ingredients, but hopefully choosing fresh, simple ingredients that contain nutrients in their natural form.

Welcome to the Southeast Region Family Living Blog!

Greetings from the Southeast Region of Pennsylvania. We are a group of Penn State Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Educators. If you have any family related questions or issues please send us comments. In future weeks we will covering topics such as nutrition, financial management, food safety, parenting, stress management and family issues across the life cycle.