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My Dad needed major back surgery due to scoliosis. All went well, however, he still could not stand up straight and it seemed to be getting worse. He was sent to the Philadelphia clinic for ALS and they confirmed the disease. We were all devastated. With a 3-5 year life prognosis, we were optimistic because my dad was in very good health.
A few weeks went by and he started having breathing problems. He did not have any of the other symptoms of ALS like muscle weakening or swallowing difficulties.
Reading all about breathing problems, we all realized that he was probably at the end of the disease without getting the muscle weakness or swallowing problems. We hoped against all odds that this was not so.
He started using a breathing machine that helped push air into him because his diaphragm was getting weaker. He seemed to be stable with that.
In June 2010, just 4 months after his prognosis, I left for an out-of-town conference. I asked my dad if he would be ok until my return. I had been going to their house almost every day to help my Mom. He said yes, he would be ok.
Well, on the 2nd day of my conference my sister called and said my father had collapsed from a heart attack and was barely alive. Here I was, several hundred miles away and I couldn’t be there. My father was not really conscious but he must have heard my sister talking to me on the phone because a few minutes after that, his fingers went blue and he passed away.
He was in good spirits when I left, so I never thought anything would happen.
What we didn’t count on was his heart attack.
My father was born a month early in 1935 and they thought he’d never live but a few years. He was happy and healthy until age 75!
In the hospital, my Mom asked my Dad to wiggle his toes if he could hear her, and he wiggled his toes. Unable to speak and appearing unconscious, I think he was hanging on to life until my sister got a hold of me. Once he knew I was on phone, he let go and slowly passed on.
The hospital set him up beautifully and with honor in a hospital bed and waited until I arrived back from my conference. They did not want me to see my father in the morgue. I will be forever grateful to Ephrata Community Hospital for their care and understanding.

Please consider walking with me or sponsoring me in memory of my father and all the other ALS victims. With your help, we will be able to make a difference in the lives of people affected by this disease. I encourage you to get your friends, family, neighbors and coworkers involved!

Often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive, neuromuscular disease that slowly robs the body of its ability to walk, speak, swallow and breathe. The life expectancy of an ALS patient averages 2 to 5 years from the time of diagnosis.

Please visit my ALS personal page

Lori

It’s hard to find a child who doesn’t love sugary foods, and chances are the processed or packaged food your child eats has some amount of added sugar. New research suggests that this trend has spiraled out of control and is causing serious health consequences for families. Foods that are high in added sugar (soda, cookies, cake, candy, frozen desserts, and some fruit drinks) tend to also be high in calories and low in other valuable nutrients. As a result, a high-sugar diet is often linked with obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

A recent American Heart Association (AHA) scientific statement containing specific guidelines on limiting sugar intake has sparked conversation about just how much sugar people should consume and how to make cutting back less bothersome.

How Much Sugar Should You and Your Kids Consume?

The guidelines, published in the August 2009 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, state most women should consume no more than 100 calories, and men no more than 150 calories, of added sugar. These numbers average out to about 6 to 9 teaspoons, or 25 to 37.5 grams, of sugar a day.

Preschoolers with a daily caloric intake of 1,200 to 1,400 calories shouldn’t consume any more than 170 calories, or about 4 teaspoons, of added sugar a day. Children ages 4-8 with a daily caloric intake of 1,600 calories should consume no more than 130 calories, or about 3 teaspoons a day. As your child grows into his pre-teen and teen years, and his caloric range increases to 1,800 to 2,000 a day, the maximum amount of added sugar included in his daily diet should be 5 to 8 teaspoons.

A study conducted by the AHA found children as young as 1-3 years already bypass the daily recommendations, and typically consume around 12 teaspoons of sugar a day. By the time a child is 4-8 years old, his sugar consumption skyrockets to an average of 21 teaspoons a day. The same study found 14-18 year old children intake the most sugar on a daily basis, averaging about 34.3 teaspoons. That is about four times the recommended amount!

For this reason, it is extremely important to be able to recognize sources of added sugar in your diet, understand why consuming extra sugar can be harmful to health, and how best to limit added sugars.

Beware of Hidden Added Sugars

Added sugars are sugars and syrups included in foods during processing or preparation, as well as sugars and syrups that consumers add themselves. According to the AHA statement, a healthy and well-balanced diet contains naturally occurring sugars present in fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and many grains. Naturally occurring sugars supply healthy nutrients while still fulfilling people’s cravings for sweets.

The best way to determine whether a food contains added sugar is to read the ingredient list. Although added sugars may appear in a variety of ways, in terms of calorie content, all added sugars are essentially the same. The names for added sugars used on food labels include those listed below:

• Brown sugar
• Corn sweetener
• Corn syrup
• Dextrose
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrates
• Glucose
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Invert sugar
• Lactose
• Malt syrup
• Maltose
• Molasses
• Sucrose

As of now, sugar grams listed on the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels don’t distinguish naturally occurring sugars from added sugar so it is important to scour the ingredients list for hidden sources of sugar.

The main sources of added sugars in the Western diet include soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages such as fruit juices and sports drinks. In fact, according to the AHA statement, between 1970 and 2000, the per-person daily consumption of caloric soft drinks increased by a whopping 70%! While you may know that such foods are sugar sweetened without reading labels, there are other items that may not be so obvious. Examples include ketchup, barbeque sauce, baked beans, and even some salad dressings.

The Problem With Sugar Overload

High intakes of added sugar have been linked to overweight and obesity, a lower intake of essential nutrients, increased triglyceride levels, hypertension, and inflammation. All of these are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which is what the AHA scientific statement addresses on specifically. In addition, too much added sugar in the diet can also “take up space,” leaving little room for healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy foods, and lean sources of protein.

Defeat the Sweets

Start out small, and note that beverages are often a great starting point for change. Beverages are especially problematic because research shows that liquid calories are not as satiating as calories consumed as solid food. As a result, people don’t compensate for liquid calories in the same way they do calories from solid food. Quench your thirst with these healthier alternatives:

• Plain or carbonated water being the best choice
• Add a splash of your favorite fruit juice to a glass of sparkling water

Although there’s no added sugar in 100% fruit juice, the calories from the natural sugars found in fruit juice can add up. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends limiting juice intake to 4-6 ounces (118-177 milliliters) for kids under 7 years old, and no more than 8-12 ounces (237-355 milliliters) of juice for older kids and teens.

Candy is another sweet treat that many may find difficult to relinquish. Try substituting candy with these healthier alternatives:

• Mixed nuts, dried fruit (made without added sugar), and low-sugar cereals for candy
• 1 square of 70% dark chocolate
• Apple slices with 2 Tablespoons Almond Butter

Remember, enjoying a treat now and again is not a bad thing, which is exactly why 2 red light foods are allowed on the Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right meal plans. Those who allow themselves an occasional indulgence rather than trying to abstain often find success making healthy lifestyle changes. Those who attempt to deny themselves all sweets may not have as much success, especially if they previously consumed a lot of sugar. By taking small steps, you can begin to cut back on the sweet stuff and get on track to a healthier, green light, lifestyle.

Hi!  My name is Joanna Dolgoff, M.D. and I am a pediatrician and child obesity specialist.  My child weight loss program (http://www.DrWeigh.com) and I have been featured on The Today Show, GMA Health, Good Day, NY, WABC News, WNBC News, Fox 5 Morning Show, My9 News, and WPIX News.  I am also a contributing blogger to the Huffington Post.  My biography is included below.  My book, Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right, (Rodale, 2010) is available wherever books are sold.  Children from 45 different states are losing weight with my online weight loss program (http://www.DrDolgoff.com).

Technorati Tags: Adolescence, Child Health, Eating, Green Light, Health, Joanna Dolgoff, Nutrition, Obesity

Journalists, bloggers and comedians have had a field day with the headlines over a Congressional bill that would count the tomato paste used on pizza as a school lunch vegetable. However, the news was really about a much larger issue: the U.S. Department of Agriculture‘s efforts to improve the nutritional quality of federally funded school lunches.

The current nutrition standards for school lunches are based on federal dietary guidelines from 1989. After the guidelines were updated in 2005, the USDA developed a plan to bring the school lunch program in line with them. The plan included:

• Cutting back on ingredients like salt and potatoes; It called for a gradual reduction over 10 years; in elementary school lunches, for instance, the average level would fall from 1,377 milligrams per week now to a maximum of 640 mg per week in 2021.
• Reducing saturated fats and total calories; For saturated fat, the USDA recommends it contribute less than 10% of total calories.
• B oosting fresh fruits and vegetables; they specified that once a week, lunches offer at least one half-cup serving of each of the following items: dark green vegetables (such as spinach or broccoli), orange vegetables (carrots, squash), legumes (chickpeas, kidney beans), starchy vegetables (white potatoes, corn) and “other” vegetables, including tomatoes.
• Increasing whole grain servings; They want to see at least half of the grain servings be whole grain; in two years, all grain servings should be “whole-grain rich.”

What about tomato paste?

Under current regulations, an eighth of a cup of tomato paste is considered the nutritional equivalent of a half-cup serving of vegetables, since that’s how much tomato it takes to make it. But the USDA noted in its proposal that other pastes and purees don’t get the same treatment — they get credit only for the “actual volume as served.” That “loophole” is what makes it possible for a slice of pizza to count as a serving of vegetables.

The USDA acknowledges that one-eighth of a cup of paste contains half a cup’s worth of tomato solids. And that one-eighth cup is a nutritional match for some half-cup servings of other produce items. For example, an eighth cup of tomato paste has more vitamins A and C than a half cup of canned green beans, as well as similar calcium levels and about half the iron and fiber — all for a similar calorie count.

Despite the Department of Agriculture’s good intent, let’s be honest, no one is going to eat half of a cup of tomato paste on pizza or as a side serving.  Children need to eat more vegetables, and we should push for increased intake of conventional vegetables and not look towards pizza as providing a satisfactory substitute.

Although it takes a lot of exposure before children will start accepting new foods, the introduction needs to start somewhere. This doesn’t mean pizza should be taken off the menu, but what’s wrong with adding veggies to it?

Vegetable and fruit consumption is important for children for a variety of reasons. For instance, it gives children the essential vitamins and nutrients they need to grow and helps them establish healthy eating habits at an early age. In fact, the Red Light Green Light Eat Right Program requires that a fruit of vegetable serving be eaten with each meal and snack.

If your child’s school lunch isn’t making the grade, talk to your school food service director and share your concerns. We need to make our voices heard if we are going to boost the nutrition being served to our children.

Hi!  My name is Joanna Dolgoff, M.D. and I am a pediatrician and child obesity specialist.  My child weight loss program (http://www.DrWeigh.com) and I have been featured on The Today Show, GMA Health, Good Day, NY, WABC News, WNBC News, Fox 5 Morning Show, My9 News, and WPIX News.  I am also a contributing blogger to the Huffington Post.  My biography is included below.  My book, Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right, (Rodale, 2010) is available wherever books are sold.  Children from 45 different states are losing weight with my online weight loss program (http://www.DrDolgoff.com).

I believe you may be interested in the article that I have attached to this e-mail.  Please let me know if you are interested in using it for your website or blog.  If you have other topics you would like me to write about, please also let me know and I would be happy to write something up!  You can also respond if you are not interested in receiving further submissions as I only want to be helpful, not spamful!

Dr. Dolgoff’s Biography:

Joanna Dolgoff, M.D. grew up in Roslyn, New York. Dr. Dolgoff attended Princeton University where she graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Molecular Biology. She was elected to the Sigma Chi International Research Honor Society based on scientific research done at Princeton. Dr. Dolgoff earned her Reebok fitness instructor certification during this time. She taught fitness classes at Princeton University and at various gyms in the Princeton area.

Dr. Dolgoff continued her education at the NYU School of Medicine, earning the award for Outstanding Student in Pediatrics and serving as president of the NYU Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society. She also founded and ran the NYU School of Medicine Step Aerobics Fitness Program and taught at Synergy Fitness Clubs in Manhattan.

Dr. Dolgoff completed her Pediatric Residency training at Columbia Presbyterian’s Children’s Hospital of New York. She has previously worked as a private practice pediatrician and is a Board Certified Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Dolgoff’s Weigh: Child and Adolescent Weight Management practice boasts a 96% weight loss success rate.  There are offices in Manhattan, N.Y. and Roslyn Heights, N.Y.  There is also a national online component (www.DrWeigh.com) to the program which children all over the country have been using to lose weight.

For more information: e-mail info@drweigh.com or call 516-801-0022.
–
Joanna Dolgoff, M.D.
Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right!
Child and Adolescent Weight Management

Phone:                  516-801-0022

E-Mail:       info@drdolgoff.com
Website:    http://www.DrDolgoff.com
Blog:         http://www.DrDolgoff.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DrDolgoff
Twitter:      http://www.twitter.com/JoannaDolgoffMD

YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/jodoug
Linked In:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/joannadolgoff

For Laura Ashley Baby Bedding, go to  BabysNursery-BeddingandMore.com

Technorati Tags: Child Health, children, Eating, Joanna Dolgoff, Nutrition

During Hot Dog Season, Memorial Day to Labor Day, Americans typically consume 7 billion hot dogs! Depending on the brand, most hot dogs contain 10 to 15 grams of fat. Many of us make the already fatty dog worse by placing it in a nutritionally-stripped white bun and loading on sugar, sodium and fat with condiments like ketchup, sauerkraut, and cheese. Not only is the sugar, sodium and fat a concern, but nitrate, an ingredient found in many hot dogs, has been linked to serious, life-threatening diseases.                                                                            

While hot dogs are not exactly a health professional’s favorite food, you don’t have to ditch your dog this Labor Day. There are hot dog companies that are now making healthier hot dogs. These companies make hot dogs with less than five grams total fat, less than 500 mg of sodium, ones that are nitrate-free, as well as soy and veggie hot dogs. Finding these healthy dogs can be easy with some smart shopping and simple label reading.

When you’re at the grocery store, here are important hot dog guidelines to follow:

Choose a hot dog, not a Fat dog. you should first look at the total fat on the hot dog’s nutrition facts.  If the total fat is over five grams you might as well call that hot dog a fat dog.

Choose hot dogs labeled “Uncured” or “No added nitrates.” look at the ingredients to see if there is nitrate in the hot dog. Nitrate may be labeled sodium nitrate, nitrite, or sodium nitrites, and all of these should be avoided.

Go for organic hot dogs. These dogs are made from organically raised animals, not treated with antibiotics or hormones. Plus they skip the nitrites and nitrates.

Pick sodium-smart dogs. Look for brands with 370 mg sodium or less. Anything over is way too much and about one fourth of the recommended amount of sodium an child or teenager should be getting in one day.

Here is a list of hot dogs that are lower in fat, lower in sodium, nitrate-free, and the healthiest options for you and your family.

• Applegate’s Farms

Organic Turkey Dog

Organic Chicken Dog

Organic Beef Dog

• Shelton’s Turkey Franks
• Organic Prairie Chicken Hot Dog
• Trader Joe’s Uncured Turkey Hot Dog
• Lightlife: (vegetarian options)

Smart Dogs

Tofu Pups

Veggie Dogs

After you purchase your healthy hot dogs, don’t stop there. Buy whole-wheat buns and load the hot dogs with other lower-fat foods like fresh fruit and vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, onions, and pico de gallo. Get creative and try these healthy hot dog topping ideas:

-Wrap grilled halved hot dogs in grilled whole-wheat tortillas; top with shredded fat-free cheddar, lettuce, and salsa.

-Serve boiled tofu dogs on whole-wheat buns with diced avocado and cucumber, sprouts and shredded carrot.

-Serve boiled hot dogs on whole-wheat buns with dill pickle and cucumber spears, sliced tomatoes, diced onion and yellow mustard.

- Serve boiled hot dogs on whole-wheat buns with sauteed mushrooms and onions.

Please Note – The American Academy of Pediatrics, state that hot dogs are the food most commonly associated with fatal choking among children. Many recommend not feeding hot dogs to children under 3. For children of all ages, cut up the hot dog to appropriate sizes and watch your child eat to ensure he or she does not choke.

Hi!  My name is Joanna Dolgoff, M.D. and I am a pediatrician and child obesity specialist.  My child weight loss program (http://www.DrWeigh.com) and I have been featured on The Today Show, GMA Health, Good Day, NY, WABC News, WNBC News, Fox 5 Morning Show, My9 News, and WPIX News.  I am also a contributing blogger to the Huffington Post.  My biography is included below.  My book, Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right, (Rodale, 2010) is available wherever books are sold.  Children from 45 different states are losing weight with my online weight loss program (http://www.DrDolgoff.com).

I believe you may be interested in the article that I have attached to this e-mail.  Please let me know if you are interested in using it for your website or blog.  If you have other topics you would like me to write about, please also let me know and I would be happy to write something up!  You can also respond if you are not interested in receiving further submissions as I only want to be helpful, not spamful!

Dr. Dolgoff’s Biography:

Joanna Dolgoff, M.D. grew up in Roslyn, New York. Dr. Dolgoff attended Princeton University where she graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Molecular Biology. She was elected to the Sigma Chi International Research Honor Society based on scientific research done at Princeton. Dr. Dolgoff earned her Reebok fitness instructor certification during this time. She taught fitness classes at Princeton University and at various gyms in the Princeton area.

Dr. Dolgoff continued her education at the NYU School of Medicine, earning the award for Outstanding Student in Pediatrics and serving as president of the NYU Chapter of the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society. She also founded and ran the NYU School of Medicine Step Aerobics Fitness Program and taught at Synergy Fitness Clubs in Manhattan.

Dr. Dolgoff completed her Pediatric Residency training at Columbia Presbyterian’s Children’s Hospital of New York. She has previously worked as a private practice pediatrician and is a Board Certified Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Dr. Dolgoff’s Weigh: Child and Adolescent Weight Management practice boasts a 96% weight loss success rate.  There are offices in Manhattan, N.Y. and Roslyn Heights, N.Y.  There is also a national online component (www.DrWeigh.com) to the program which children all over the country have been using to lose weight.

For more information: e-mail info@drweigh.com or call 516-801-0022.
–
Joanna Dolgoff, M.D.
Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right!
Child and Adolescent Weight Management

Phone:                  516-801-0022

E-Mail:       info@drdolgoff.com
Website:    http://www.DrDolgoff.com
Blog:         http://www.DrDolgoff.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DrDolgoff
Twitter:      http://www.twitter.com/JoannaDolgoffMD

YouTube:  http://www.youtube.com/jodoug
Linked In:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/joannadolgoff

Technorati Tags: Eating, family, Health, Joanna Dolgoff, Nutrition, Red Light Green Light