Also take a look at EWG’s list of top sunscreens. It contains products at every price point, so there is no excuse to be using a conventional sunscreen that is full of chemicals. I continue to use Badger Sunscreen for both of my children. I have found it to be quite effective for my 3-year-old son and my 1-year-old (very fair) daughter.

Some of the best sunscreens can be “clay-like” or “greasy,” but I find that if I work with a pea-size amount at a time, that it absorbs well. And don’t forget to apply sunscreen to tips of ears and tops of feet. Covering up with big floppy hats and rashguards also give extra protection.

Have fun the in the sun!

Bone is living tissue that changes constantly, with bits of old bone being removed and replaced by new bone. At about the age of 30, the amount of bone being made starts to decrease, increasing the risk of osteopenia and osteoporosis.

There are many factors that affect peak bone mass. Some like gender and race cannot be changed. However, there are three factors that you can do something about.

1. Diet/Nutrition: Maintaining a healthy diet that combines calcium-rich foods is important to building and maintaining bone density. Dairy (organic is best), dark leafy greens, almonds and salmon are rich calcium sources and should be incorporated into your diet to achieve the recommended 1000mg of calcium per day. If you have a hard time achieving that with food, supplementing with a calcium product like Pathway Bone Guardian is an important factor to consider.

2. Physical Activity: Girls and boys and young adults who exercise regularly generally achieve greater peak bone mass than those who do not. Women and men age 30 and older can help prevent bone loss with regular exercise. The best activity for your bones is weight-bearing exercise. This is exercise that forces you to work against gravity, such as walking, hiking, jogging, climbing stairs, playing tennis, dancing, and weight training.

3. Lifestyle Behaviors: Smoking has been linked to low bone density in adolescents and is associated with other unhealthy behaviors, such as alcohol use and a sedentary lifestyle. People who begin smoking at a younger age are more likely to be heavier smokers later in life. This greatly impacts peak bone mass, as well as putting older smokers at additional risk for bone loss and fracture.

If you are under the age of 30, do what you can to increase bone density now. If you are currently diagnosed with osteopenia or osteoporosis, the three factors above are equally important to help with maintaining the bone mass that you have.

According to the study, these effects were more evident in a subgroup of 17 children with learning difficulties and also included improved spelling, improved ability to divide attention, and lower parent ratings of hyperactivity and restlessness.

DHA (docosahexanoic acid) is an omega-3 essential fatty acid. It is an essential component of the brain and central nervous system. DHA can be taken in through the diet by eating fish or fish oil. The body can also convert alpha linolenic acid (ALA) from vegetable sources like flaxseeds, into DHA. However, some people have difficulty converting the ALA to DHA, resulting in deficiency.

Personally, I like Nordic Naturals Pro DHA. It comes in liquid or softgel, and is also available in flavors like strawberry or orange. Both my children take this and have since birth. If you do not tolerate fish, Neuromins is a vegetarian DHA.

Christophe Merville, D. Pharm., has been the Director of Education and Pharmacy Development for Boiron – the world’s leading manufacturer of homeopathic medicines – since 1990. Dr. Merville has created training programs, both online and in print, for pharmacists and retailers on homeopathy and medicines available to treat common health conditions.

Tune in this Sunday from 10-11am on 1500 AM (WFED) or listen live on the web. Our shows are streamed everywhere.

Last week’s show was on prolotherapy – a natural treatment for chronic pain. Click to listen.

A cup of tea: With names like Get Gorgeous Be Well and Get Relaxed Be Well, and flavors like double dark chocolate and ginger peach, Republic of Tea teas are a tasty and warm gift to give. Pair a tin of tea with a beautiful antique tea cup and tea strainer for a lovely morning treat for mom.

Bath time retreat: Dr. Hauschka has combined trial sizes of our five luxurious aromatherapy baths, “Lemon Bath, Lavender Bath, Rosemary Bath, Spruce Bath and Sage Bath,” in this handy metal tin. Pure essential oils combined with sulfated castor oil disperse readily in bath water for a mood-altering experience.

Lip treatments: Badger Lip Balms are super moisturizing and petroleum free. With lots of delicious flavors to choose from and at a great price point, mom can have one in every hand bag!

Sweet-tooth mom: Panda licorice is the best licorice I have ever tasted. Soft and chewy it is the perfect cure for those sugar cravings. Choose between raspberry and natural flavors.

Choose one or combine all of these gifts into a beautiful basket and mom is sure to have a relaxing day!

Stop in at Village Green Apothecary for more great ideas for the special mother(s) or grandmother(s) in your life.

Wonder where all those pretty blooms come from?

Just like fruits and veggies, many cut flowers have pesticides. So before you put you take a deep whiff of that bouquet (or let your children do that), keep this in mind…

Most cut flowers from flowers shops in Canada and the US come from Columbia and Ecuador and, according to the Washington, DC-based International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF), an advocacy organization aimed at establishing just and humane treatment of workers around the world, workers on some flower farms in Colombia and Ecuador are regularly exposed to toxic chemicals that have been linked to respiratory problems, rashes, miscarriages, premature births, and congenital malformations. 

A 2004 report by Oxfam found that some flower companies use more than 30 different pesticides, while an International Labor Organization survey found that only 22% of Ecuadorian flower companies train their workers in the proper use of chemicals. Therefore, all these workers are being exposed daily to carcinogenic chemicals so that we can have a dozen roses on our kitchen table. Definitely, something to consider, don’t you think?

And although those who work in the industry are at greatest risk of suffering negative health effects from pesticides, consumers need to be aware of the potential consequences as well. When you sniff those roses, you could be inhaling toxic fumes. Unlike fruits and veggies, most of which are washed before handling, flowers are not. So you are constantly exposing yourself and your family to the chemicals that have been used on them.

Although, we can’t avoid chemicals altogether, we can be more aware of our decisions and purchases to reduce exposure. We also don’t want to stop enjoying beautiful flowers in our homes. But there are ways to have flowers in your home naturally. Here are some tips:

· Look for flowers that carry a label such as Veriflora, Fairtrade, or Fair Flowers Fair Plants.

· Tell your flower retailer that you care about what products they carry and share your desire for sustainable, environmentally friendly, fair trade flowers.

· Support organic, locally grown flowers by looking for such products at farms or farmers’ markets.

· Plant your own garden. Planting a garden with your children can be a learning experience and teaching opportunity.

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers!

In terms of supplementation, most of the typical protocols prior to vaccination suggest you start 4-6 weeks pre-vaccination and continue on anywhere from 1 to 3 months following. That being said, other professionals will recommend supplementation the day before, the day of, and the day after vaccination. The truth is, there is no one gold standard to follow. Choose a schedule and protocol that you feel comfortable with and that will easily fit into your daily schedule without adding unnecessary stress to your life, or your child’s.

I recommend supplementing daily with 500 mg of L-glutamine and probiotics to ensure healthy gut flora, healthy absorption of nutrients and elimination of waste. In addition, 500-1,000 mg of vitamin C and 50 mg of vitamin B6 daily have also been recommended both pre- and post-vaccination to support the immune system. Zinc and vitamin D3 are also recommended by some for immune support.

If you are vaccinating infants, homeopathics are an easier way to provide protection. Thuja (30C)  should be taken right after vaccination and once daily for 3 to 4 days following. If you are nursing, you can provide extra protection for your baby by taking 1,000 to 2,000 mcg per day of vitamin C in divided doses. Continue to take your prenatal vitamin, and consider a fish oil supplement, high in omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. In terms of diet, make sure your diet is low in common allergens like dairy and eggs, as well as low in immune suppressing foods such as sugar and processed/pre-made foods. Post vaccination, add an astragalus, echinacea and/or oat straw tea into your daily routine for further immune support.

No matter what decision you make in regard to vaccinations for your children, as long as it is an informed decision, rest assured it is the right decision for you and your family.

Ali Safayan, MD, is a founder of one of the first integrative medicine practices in the Washington, DC area. He incorporates the best of conventional medicine with complementary therapies such as medical acupuncture, allergy elimination technique, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, prolotherapy, nutritional counseling and supplementation.

Tune in this Sunday from 10-11am on 1500 AM (WFED) or listen live on the web. Our shows are streamed everywhere.

Last week’s show was on essential fatty acids (EFA’s) – building blocks for better health. Click to listen.

In another study (Jarvill-Taylor, Anderson, Graves, et al 2001) the Type A Polymers increased glucose metabolism roughly 20-fold in vitro. In animals, the doubly linked Type-A Polymers appear to have supporting effects on reducing blood pressure. In humans, Cinnulin PF has been shown to support glucose transport mechanisms by enhancing the insulin signaling pathways. Cinnulin PF helps metabolic syndrome by supporting healthy glucose levels, body composition and blood pressure in healthy individuals.

Wanting to take Cinnulin PF? You can find it in our Pathway line of supplements, as Cinnamon. The recommended dosage is 250 mg, taken twice daily prior to meals.

Sound familiar?

You’re not alone. With the best of intentions, many of us binge and the first step is discovering the reason why this is happening. It means looking at your current food choices, your habits, behaviors, emotions, triggers, lifestyle and more.

So, ready to dig a little deeper?

Let’s start with your food choices. If you’re currently eating a high sugar diet filled with carbs and empty calories, it’s no wonder you’re struggling with your food. Sugar, in all of it’s various forms trigger us to overeat for so many reasons. 

* These choices trigger receptors in our brain that tell us this is pleasurable so we want more of it.

* Sugar triggers a surge of insulin to be released. Insulin helps take sugar to the cells so if extra is released, we’ll want more sugar to give that insulin something to do.

* These are empty calories which fill us, but don’t nourish or satisfy us so we keep eating to give ourselves a sense of satiety and satisfaction.

* These types of foods give us a temporary sense of calm –  a feeling we may be searching for in the first place and use food to temporarily get us there.

* Sometimes we binge because we’ve let too much time go by in-between meals. We’re over-hungry and we overeat as a result.

* Sometimes the food choices we make simply aren’t satisfying. We think we’re doing ourselves a favor by skimping on the flavor or texture but it comes back to get us… with a vengeance.

Here are a few reasons why many of us binge due to habit.

* We may be in-between tasks or obligations. We have a few extra minutes and want a diversion. This may seem like the perfect time to grab a snack.

* We may have been conditioned to eat according to the time, the size of our plate, what was served, or in response to what everyone else was doing around us. This conditioning may have become a habit.

Now let’s talk about behaviors like emotional eating, mindless and social eating.

* With emotional eating, we use food to soothe, calm, numb and relax. Food is a self-soothing technique we were taught or learned ourselves as a way to deal with our problems or our pain. Food is accessible, available and is simply… the drug of choice

*With emotional eating, we’re stuffing ourselves in an attempt to “stuff” an unmet need. Can this be changed? Of course! And it’s one of the most freeing and liberating feelings you can imagine when you become in control of your eating and it loses the powerful hold it has over you.

* With mindless eating, we’re unaware of how much food we’re taking in when we’re distracted from eating. We can eat as we’re passing food to others, while we walk by someone’s desk, while we’re watching TV and any other activity that distracts us from paying attention to our hunger and fullness cues.

* With social eating, we want to feel part of the group, team or experience so we may choose to eat and drink what the others are eating and drinking even if goes against our healthy eating intention. This is often about fitting in, getting caught up in the moment, and entering the event without a strategy or plan in advance.

Now let’s talk about emotions and binge eating.

* If you tend to eat emotionally, it’s your emotions that are the causes of your binge eating. Maybe you eat when you’re sad, anxious, lonely, angry, frustrated or any other emotion that you tend to temporarily soothe through food. The key here is identifying the mood, then “feed” that real need by getting to the root of the emotion vs. feeding the symptom.

Triggers!

* People, places, thoughts and feelings can all trigger a binge. It could be that annoying coworker, smelling those delicious goodies as you pass a bakery, thinking about an unresolved issue and the feelings associated with it, etc. It’s these triggers that can easily trigger a binge.

Why else would you binge?

* Often, binges are triggered in response to a search for more energy. When we’re tired, we may look for energy in two ways; sugar and caffeine. Instead of getting the sleep we need, we reach for “temporary energy” that a sugar induced binge provides. Where does these leave us? With a sense of being “tired and wired,” with stress hormones and chemicals overly secreted, which encourage more eating and fat storage along with being groggy and unable to focus.

I hope this helps create awareness around some of the choices you may currently be making, and why. Now let’s do something about it so you can feel like the sleek, emotionally strong, vibrant and healthy person you truly are.

What are your next steps? I’d love to know, comment and share!