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eParisExtra
Dozers and loaders from Sanitation Solutions, rapidly demolished a set of old buildings on the PJC campus Monday to make room for the $11 million expansion project that will house the PJC Math and Sciences Building. The new building is scheduled for completion in November 2012 and will occupy 42,000 square feet on two levels.
Chisum Elementary and National Geographic Kids Magazine
Sets Out to Break Guinness World Records® Title for Jumping Jacks
Chisum Elementary will help National Geographic Kids magazine set the Guinness World Records® title for the most people doing jumping jacks in a 24-hour period. To break the record, more than 20,000 people worldwide need to complete one minute of jumping jacks in events occurring between 3 p.m. ET October 11, 2011 and 3 p.m. ET October 12, 2011. On Wednesday, October 12th, 367 Chisum students will participate in the challenge by doing one minute of jumping jacks at PE.
Visit http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/lets-jump/for official rules, additional locations, and other information.
“Let’s Jump!” supports First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign, which encourages kids and families to get healthy and active. Mrs. Obama is scheduled to kick off the 24-hour period with one minute of jumping jacks at the White House.
National Geographic Kids magazine encourages kids and families to get teams, classmates, organizations and communities to join them in breaking the magazine’s fifth Guinness World Record. People can also take a pledge to jump and help break the record at www.teamupandpledge.com as part of Team Up for a Healthy America, Jamba Juice’s national grassroots campaign to help raise awareness about the nation’s obesity epidemic.
Other supporters include National Geographic Education; the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition; Macerich Malls; National Recreation and Park Association; SparkPeople.com; Let’s Move in School, an American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) initiative; Flash Mob America; Girl Scouts of the USA; We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity & Nutrition)®; and Let’s Move Cities and Towns.
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Talor Trenchard
by Talor Trenchard
As parents, most of us do not need the FDA, a psychologist, or a nutritionist to tell us that what our children eat affects their behavior. In fact I know from personal experience, involving blue birthday cake frosting, that sugar can lead to hyperactivity in a three year old! But now with childhood mood disorders, like depression, ADHD, other behavioral and learning disorders more prevalent than ever, many parents and professionals alike are starting to realize that some of the foods our children eat may be causing more than just a mere sugar rush. Every cell in our bodies is fueled by the food we eat; it is only logical to assume that our diet will affect our behavior. And of course the same is true for children, and probably more so since children tend to be less able than adults control their emotions and since those emotions are more readily influenced by their physical state. If you have spent an afternoon with a tired or hungry child, you know what I mean!
To understand how what we eat affects our behavior, we need to understand a little bit about how our brain works. Our brains are composed of tiny individual cells called neurons. Each cell uses glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream to function and to communicate with other cells. Since the brain does not store glucose for later use, it depends on a constant supply from the bloodstream. Some of the foods we eat contain sugars that enter the bloodstream really quickly, while other foods contain sugars that take longer to break down and therefore enter the bloodstream gradually overtime. The first type of food causes a spike in blood sugar levels soon after the meal and then a sudden drop later. Behaviorally, this results in a hyperactive, jittery brain soon after the meal, and then drowsiness, mental fog, and low energy when the blood sugar drops again. On the other hand, when sugar enters the blood stream gradually, the brain has a more steady supply of glucose and can be alert and focused without the spikes and sudden crashes.
Hyperactivity and inattention, the primary symptoms of disorders like ADHD, are among the most common behavioral problems in schools today. In fact approximately 7 percent of school-aged children are now diagnosed with ADHD and another 3 percent are diagnosed with other learning disorders. Medicines, therapy, and other interventions are often helpful, but sometimes all that is needed is a better nutritional plan. In fact, in his book “The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood,” pediatrician and author Dr. William Sears claims that many of the patients who come into his office with symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity are actually suffering from “Nutrition Deficient Disorder” or “N.D.D”. rather than A.D.D. (attention deficit disorder). Many children eat junky carbohydrates, without much fiber or protein for breakfast before heading off to school. These foods are broken down quickly, as I described above, and cause a spike in blood sugar, leaving the child jittery and hyperactive. The spike in blood sugar levels also triggers the production of extra insulin, which quickly cleans the sugar out of the blood stream, and thus the “crash.”
In addition to that sugar rollercoaster, the excess sugar available in the sudden rush also stimulates the release of serotonin, a chemical messenger, which among other things acts as a sedative in the brain. Obviously a sleepy brain makes it tough to focus and learn in the classroom. And the detrimental effects do not stop there. When the blood sugar falls, the body panics and releases stress hormones, like cortisol, which tell the liver to release stored sugar. The brain recognizes that stress hormones have been released and responds with feelings of anxiety and uneasiness, again making it tough to sit still and focus. Gailon Totheroh of CBN news reports, “One study gave kids sugar equal to one soda. As a result, their test scores went down. In fact, at one hour after the sugar, they made twice as many mistakes. The sugar-loaded students also showed more “inappropriate behavior” during free play.”
And the truth is sugary sweets and other junky carbs are not the only culprits that can contribute to inattention and hyperactivity. The additive monosodium glutamate (MSG), which is found in thousands of food products, is similar to our natural glutamate, a chemical messenger in the body. Glutamate has important functions, but MSG in addition to naturally occurring glutamate can be dangerous and lead to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). According to Totheroh, hypoglycemia in children often results in hyperactivity. In both children and adults, it may lead to violent and aggressive behavior. In the brain of the elderly, it can result in mental confusion and make them more prone to Alzheimer’s. Artificial sweeteners, like the ones found in diet sodas may have similar effects.
Last but not least, another big and controversial factor are the artificial colors used to dye many foods to make them more appealing. These dyes are used for aesthetic purposes only and contain NO nutritional value, yet there is evidence that they provide plenty of harm. Many studies have linked food dyes to hyperactivity and behavioral problems in children. In the spring of this year, the FDA reviewed the evidence from many of these studies, but determined not to ban the dyes – even though the bans are already in place in other countries. Their decision was based on the fact that the studies found significant behavioral effects in kids who had already been diagnosed with ADHD and not necessarily the general population. However, it is important to note that the level of the dyes used in the studies was much less than the average American actually consumes each day, and thus these dyes may very well affect us all at some level. Natural dyes are available, but more expensive, so food manufacturers continue to use the harmful ones. Specifically, Blue No. 1, Blue No. 2, Green No. 3, Orange B, Red No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5 and Yellow No. 6 are the dyes have been found to produce these negative behavioral effects in children. Rather than trying to remember the names of these eight dyes, a general rule is to avoid any product that lists a color with a number or letter.
Making nutritional changes can be tough, but remember to be honest with your family. Tell them why you are making theses changes and that you are doing so because you love them and think they deserve the very best. Let them know that this is not a “health kick” but that it is a lifestyle. When they ask for fast food for dinner, tell them, “I’m sorry we do not eat food like that, it just isn’t good for your body.” For younger children, remember that you can buy the kid’s meal toy without the food at most fast food restaurants. Kids love to be a part of decision-making and family planning, so it may also help to let them tag along to the grocery store and pick out some healthy items, or let them find a recipe that uses a vegetable or fruit you have never tried or rarely eat. It is also okay to cheat 5-10 percent of the time. You can even make a once a month cheat day a family event, like movie night where you all have one not-so-healthy snack. And finally, do not forget to help them notice the changes in how they feel as they begin to feed their brains the nutrients it needs.
Intuitively we tend to know which foods are nutritious for us and which foods we should probably steer clear of, but often times the junky stuff is more convenient, and we have trained ourselves to crave bad fats and empty carbohydrates. On top of that, today’s marketing and packaging campaigns by food manufacturers make it increasingly difficult to even know what you are eating, much less if it is healthy for you. Thanks to diligent research by many doctors, psychologists, and other scientists, we now understand a variety of food factors that contribute to our behavior and psychological health and development. Consult your child’s pediatrician for more information about giving them a great start on a proper nutritional path. I also highly recommend the book, “The healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood” by Dr. William Sears. This book is full of accurate, in-depth, easy to understand nutritional information and great ideas on how to get your whole family on board with eating healthy. Here are a few general tips to help you get started:
Talor Trenchard, a Paris, Texas native and happily married mother of two, has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in applied psychology. She isa therapist at Insight Counseling Group.(www.insightcounselinggroup.com) Talor is trained in psychological and neuropsychological evaluations and specializes in cognitive, achievement, and personality assessments. She has experience diagnosing and working with individuals with a variety of psychological conditions including but not limited to, ADHD, dyslexia, mental retardation, personality disorders, depression, anxiety, reactive attachment disorder, schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia.
References
Sears, W., Sears, M., Sears, J., Sears, R. (2006). The healthiest kid in the neighborhood. Little,
Brown and Company: New York.
Tatheroh, G. (2009). What’s in that: how food affects behavior.
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/353246.aspx
By Jeff Parish
Paris Independent Bikers are rolling out a Huge Sale next month to help one of their fellow bikers on the road to recovery.
Caral “Bossman” Dake III was involved in a motorcycle accident Sept. 23 that broke both his legs. He underwent surgery the night of the accident, but recovery and rehabilitation could take months. A construction worker, Dake has started moving about with a walker, but the healing bones won’t be able to bear extra weight for some time. Hard news for his family, which includes 16-month-old daughter Addison.
“The doctor says he’s not going to be able to work for a good year,” said association Vice President Jessie Spears. “We’re trying to help with living expenses, medication, things his daughter might need, that kind of thing.”
To help meet that need, Paris Independent Bikers has a garage and bake sale planned for Nov. 4-5 at the Lamar County Fairgrounds Coliseum. A silent auction will be held Nov. 5. There’s also a raffle for a chance to win $100. Tickets are $1 each. Drawing will be held Nov. 5.
The association is looking for donations for the garage sale, bake sale and silent auction. For more information, call:
“If anybody is cleaning out the garage and wants to get rid of some stuff, they can call us, and we’ll come pick it up,” Spears said.
For those who’d like to make a more direct donation for Dake’s expenses, an account has been set up at Employees United Federal Credit Union at 2285 19th St NW, near Trinity Christian Academy. Ask for Linda Spears to make a donation to Bossman’s account.
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