Young Adult Drinking

Young adulthood is a stage of life marked by change and exploration. They launch from their parents’ home into dormitories or apartments with peers. These young adults will go to college, begin work full-time and develop serious relationships as they discover their identity in this world. The role of the parent weakens and the influence of peers will gain dominance as adolescents begin to make more decisions on their own.

Alcohol and the maturing brain

Research shows that the brain continues to develop throughout adolescence and well into young adulthood. Drinking excessively during this developmental time can lead to life-long impairments affecting motor skills, coordination and memory. Binge drinking is defined as consuming five or more drinks in a row at least once a month. Heavy drinking is consuming five or more drinks on at least five occasions a month. According to the NESHRC (National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions 2001-2002) 46% of young adults (12.4 million) engage in drinking the exceeded daily amount at least once in the past year. Another 14.5% or 3.9 million exceeded the weekly limit which is one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men.

Set personal limits of moderation

Every year there are reports of alcohol-related tragedies that expose adolescents or young adults who have been drinking while driving or were found with alcohol blood poisoning. Some people drink when they attend parties or drinking establishments as a way to relax and socialize with friends. Other individuals will experiment to feel a part of the group or display a certain image of appearing older. When they don’t know their limit or haven’t determined a designated driver, lives will often be lost.

Parents who drink will have a more difficult time to convince their teen not to take risks with alcohol. The best deterrent for parents is to monitor their children and know where they are, what they’re doing, and who they are with. The other option is to implement restrictions and consequences when rules are broken. Holding the teenager accountable for their choices has a strong influence and can impact future decisions, which help them to learn from the experience. The parent becomes less effective with the autonomous young adult. The parent no longer has the ability to enforce protective boundaries but can with hold monetary support.

If your child is struggling with substance abuse the best intervention is professional help. There can be underlying reasons that they have chosen to be self-destructive or self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. Kansas has several treatments centers to chose from or counseling that can help to stabilize the situation. The earlier the treatment the better chance there is for success. Reach out for help today!

The Heart Truth

Every February 14th across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones. The heart is associated with Valentine’s Day as it is considered the source of all human emotions. The custom of drawing a heart shape began with the first attempts to draw an organ that no one had seen. It eventually evolved into a symbol of love.

Heart and brain dialogue

The experience of emotion results from the brain, heart and body acting in concert together. Research from the Institute of HeartMath has linked the activity of the heart to our emotions, health, vitality and well-being. The heart is in a constant two-way dialogue with our brain. Our emotions change the signals the brain sends to the heart and the heart responds in complex ways.

The heart is the center of our being. Research shows that when we experience heart-felt emotions like love, compassion, appreciation and care for others the heart will produce a rhythm of smooth, gently rolling hills. By simply recalling a time when you felt sincere appreciation, the concurrence of your heart rhythm will reduce your emotional stress and improve your health.

Language of love

A heartfelt emotion is sincere, impassioned and deeply rooted in the person who experiences it. We feel emotions in our chest and rely on language to help us express those feelings: we are heartbroken, our heart aches, bleeding heart and grows cold. The heating of the heart in love or the chilling of the heart in grief can be lethal to our well-being.

The feeling of appreciation is one of the most concrete positive emotions for individuals to self-generate by simply recalling a time you felt sincere appreciation. Positive emotions can help you replace stressful thoughts with more positive perceptions that will reduce your stress and anxiety. To maintain a heart healthy lifestyle you must include a low-fat diet, moderate exercise, a smoke-free environment and emotional management. Begin today by displaying appreciation to those you love in your life and your heart will be happy.

Teach Your Children to Save Money

In many families money is a taboo topic, but teaching children about money is an important part of parenting. Children who learn to save at an early age have a great advantage over others who have never been taught how to manage their money. Families can learn the process of saving together and enjoy the benefits of becoming money-savvy.

Teaching the concept

The American Bankers Association Education Foundation (ABA) taught over 1 million children how to save and manage their money in 2009. The concept was such a success the ABA expanded their education efforts in 2010. They would like to see every child have the opportunity to learn how to save for their future. Experts agree that you can start teaching your children about money as soon as they understand the concept that money can buy things.

You could begin by requiring your children to save 10 per cent of any money they receive. Start by matching every dollar they save and when they are older you can decrease the amount to 25% or 50%. Introduce your children to earning an allowance early. A weekly allowance may be appropriate for early grade school children but as they get older you can move “paydays” to every other week or once a month. Have them set goals to save as much as they intend to spend and still have money in their account. Allow your children to make their spending choices. That is how they will learn to budget their money and determine if the purchase was worth the money spent.

No more bailouts

Children will make mistakes as they learn how to manage their money. If they spend all their money and don’t have enough to go out with their friends then they should miss their outing. Loaning them the $20 may make them feel better but they will have learned that you will always be there for the bailout. That is a lesson that you will regret when they’re an adult and ask you to pay off their credit card bill. Teach them that you are not their personal banker and to save for their own future.

Healthy Eating Helps ADHD

If you are a parent of an ADHD child you have probably read that the American diet of foods high in fat, salt, and processed sugar does little to help your child. In fact our “Western-style” diet gives children a higher risk of ADHD than children on a healthier diet that is rich in fish, vegetables, fruit and whole grains all of which contain a lot of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.

Healthy diet

Researchers from Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago compared the recent studies of diet for ADHD children. They found that children with this diagnosis perform best on a diet that avoids dyes, preservatives and other additives.

There is no doubt that we are what we eat. The poor nutrition from the “Western-diet” has also affected young children with an increase in obesity. These foods that are full of preservatives have a parallel effect with a child’s neurodevelopment.

Natural treatment versus medication

There are 13 essential Recommended Daily Allowances of vitamins and minerals that children need for optimum health. Growing bodies need carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals to develop correctly. Most American children don’t meet the proper nutrition requirements. A national survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 1 in 4 teens were eating fruit less than once a day and 1 in 3 were eating vegetables less than once daily. Teens should be eating 4 to 5 cups of fruit and vegetables a day. A cup is a medium apple or a large tomato.

If your child is a picky eater a multivitamin can provide missing nutrients and minerals. Omega-3 fatty acids are needed for healthy brain development. Fish oil capsules and flax seed supplements can be used as a replacement for fresh fish or salmon. Vitamin D is naturally absorbed during outdoor activities. During the winter milk, soy and orange juice can help fortify this gap. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 200 IU of Vitamin D and 500 mg of calcium for children 1 to 3 years old. These amounts increase as they grow.

Most parents will want to try a natural treatment for their child that is diagnosed with ADHD. This should also be combined with behavioral therapy which involves positive reinforcements to help children control their impulsivity. Medications are still the single most effective treatment available for ADHD which affects 5 to 8% school-aged children. These symptoms can persist into adulthood with inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Parents should pursue options that are best for their child with the understanding of the limited research to them to determine benefits and outcome.

Persevere With Your Resolutions

A New Year’s resolution is a ritual of hope that can provide us with the opportunity to evaluate progress with our life goals or personal growth. Unfortunately, many of us will try to begin a resolution on January 1st when we are still eating unhealthy and are transitioning back into our regular routine. Eighty percent of people who try and begin their resolution on January 1st will fail to follow through with it by January 31st. If the resolution is focused on health and fitness goals, 90% will have quit by January 15th.

Perseverance

Change involves sacrifice, motivation and willpower. Don’t focus on your past failures in 2012. That can overwhelm your thoughts with the negativity of debt accrued, pounds that were gained or relationships that failed. Begin by reviewing the positive aspects of your life. Think about things that you are proud of, what you are grateful for and how you have helped others in your life.

Start your resolution with small significant changes and build on each small success you experience. Set a goal to have a new experience every month this year. It can be as simple as going to a new restaurant each month, reading a book, taking a class or volunteering for a charity. Success with a simple goal will help to build confidence with a more challenging one. Reward yourself for each success. It doesn’t matter how long it takes for you to reach your goal as long as you continue to make progress.

Face your fears in 2013. You will become whatever your choices are, so be fearless this year. Each day you will get closer to obtaining your goal and when you begin to waiver on your resolution use your support system to help you persevere. “You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” Eleanor Roosevelt

A New Year Brings New Opportunities

A New Year brings a time of reflection and also a vision of hope. When you review your past successes and errors it can help you determine how to move forward and create the life you envision for yourself. The possibilities are endless as long as you believe in yourself and are motivated to make the necessary changes needed.

Create the possibilities

Studies are reporting that it takes 30 days of consistency to change behavioral patterns. This is a difficult, time consuming process for some individuals. Novelist Arnold Bennett states “Any change, even change for the better, is always accompanied by drawbacks and discomforts.” So if you find change difficult to handle, you are not alone. Change is the only constant that we have in life so it is better to learn how to use it to your advantage.

First30Days is an organization that has outlined several principles to overcome the obstacles of change. First, change your point of view. A positive outlook can motivate you to view the situation from different perspectives. Recognize that you are stronger than you think and that something good will usually evolve from those challenges associated with change. Accept the process of change, as resistance is usually wasted energy. Remember, that negative thoughts will hinder your progress and you are the only one that can control what you think and feel.

New Year....new opportunities

Life is a gift that we may cherish or waste. If you are unhappy with your present situation take the steps to change it. You only have control of yourself. Do not wait for your spouse, boss, children or family to change. It will never happen unless they decide to make the changes themselves. What you need to realize is that your happiness lies within yourself, not upon others. Create the life you want and the joy will follow.

Eating Healthy over the Holidays

Experts report that the majority of us will gain one to five pounds over the holiday season. This may not seem like a lot but as we continually add pounds it can accumulate over time. During the winter holidays we tend to indulge by eating our favorite foods while sitting around doing nothing to burn the calories. Many of us will justify the extra calories by promising ourselves that we will lose the extra pounds as a New Year resolution. That seems to give us permission to eat everything and anything in sight. Children have a greater challenge than adults with holiday eating as they have less impulse control when faced with tempting sweets. They don’t monitor appropriate portion size or which items might be healthy.

Healthy choices

Many of us try to determine how to have a healthier holiday without depriving ourselves of those Christmas cookies and fudge. Dieticians tell us to plan, plan, plan. Try making healthy options to take and have available at gatherings like string cheese or a fruit salad to nibble on. Give your children a healthy snack before leaving for the festivities so they won’t over indulge with sweets. If your family has a tradition of making holiday cookies, continue to make them but give some away so they are not a constant temptation for everyone.

During the holiday don’t deprive yourself of those specials treats, just monitor your portion size. Try to eat balanced meals and avoid the sweet carbohydrates when possible. Fight the temptation to hibernate and stay active. When we are active and busy we don’t have time to rummage in the cupboards.