What Is The Açaí Berry?
This is a fruit from palm trees that grow in Central and South American Rain forests. It's a staple in the Amazon, and has been used for centuries to treat diarrhea, fever, and other ailments. Euterpe Oleracea is the one that seems to have lots of amazing potential.
How Do You Pronounce It? It's pronounced a-sigh-ee.
What Does It Do?
About the size of a large blueberry, with a large pit, the açaí berry is nutrient dense, packing carbohydrate, protein, fat and fiber into one small package. It has essential fatty acids and antioxidants. This juice from this berry packs 10-30 times as much antioxidants as red wine. In fact the National Institute on Aging found that it has the highest amount of antioxidants in any food tested.
A study at the University of Florida found that when leukemia cells in the lab were exposed to extract from açaí berries, over 85% of those cells self-destructed. Other studies found that the berry may improve blood vessel functions.
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Part 1 of a 4 Part Series. Check Back For More Practical Tips.
Every parent, including me, knows how difficult it can be to get a baby to sleep, but what may surprise you is how many toddlers and preschoolers suddenly develop nightmares, calling out or crawling into bed with you and suddenly, no one is sleeping.It’s absolutely normal for children to have sleep disturbances at around 18 months, 3 years and again at 5-7.
Here are some toddler tested, practical tips to help bleary-eyed parents get some more sleep.
What Are They Watching?
Just as you and I might not be able to sleep well after watching a disturbing news story or a strange movie, images also affect children.
The first stop in your journey back to restful sleep should be finding your child’s stack of DVD’s. Many popular videos have very scary villains. A character that seems silly to us, may be frightening to a child. Put those away for a few years and think about trying the Berenstein Bears, Max & Ruby or Cordoroy videos.
Our Featured Guest Writer Today is Laura Griffin, RN, CCRN, ACNP
Laura Griffin is an acute care nurse practitioner with ten years of critical care experience. She is currently working toward her doctoratal degree at University of Texas Houston.
Having a loved one admitted to the intensive care unit is a stressful and frightening experience.Not only are you worried about your loved one’s condition, but all around you are wires, tubes, and alarms. Afraid to even touch your family member, you may sit at the bedside in fear that your presence may be detrimental. Here is some general advice on what to expect, and what questions to ask when you are faced with this stressful event.
Don’t be afraid to touch the patient.Unless you are advised by a healthcare provider, feel free to touch your loved ones hands.As long as you don’t pull at any wires or tubes, likely you will not harm the patient.
Featured Guest Writer - Senior Editor Paula Spencer, of Caring.com My mom was an only child, a fact of life she disliked and the reason she gave for having five kids of her own. She finally found a bright side to her solitude in her 70s while looking after her mother, who had Alzheimer's: "At least I don't have anybody to second guess me or argue with me over how I'm doing things."
Let's face it: Siblings have spent a lifetime perfecting the art of bickering and feeling resentful toward one another. So it's little surprise that in the emotionally fraught arena of caregiving for an aging parent or grandparent, "issues" between siblings run hotter than the lava under Kilauea.
Sibling anger and frustration has also been a theme among Caring.com users recently – maybe Mother's Day brought it to the surface.
A lot of misunderstandings occur simply because the non-hands-on brothers and sisters have a hard time fully "getting" what life is like for the day-to-daycaregiving sib. Maybe these insights from caregivers can help sibs to course-correct. (I know I'm typing some of these feeling guilty – but aiming to do better by Father's Day)!
Here's a list of everything you need for summertime emergencies. I was just talking about this with Tanya Rivera onGood Morning America Now.
1. Melting Tylenol – Everyone knows you need pain relievers, look for ones that anyone can take, even if they can't swallow a pill.
2. Hydrocortisone Cream – For any itching, red, inflammed rash, a cortisone cream is a must. I like the new pens that spray and fit in a purse or backpack
3 & 4. Dr. Dean Edell's Zoom magnifying glasses and tweezers – The best way to see a splinter and not dig around for it. If you can't get it the first try, here's a nurse's tip: Soak the area with a warm, wet washcloth. It will help the wood expand and the skin soften, making it much easier to grasp.
5. Campo-Phenique - This completely natural remedy goes on cuts, insect bites, even sunburn. I love the way it smells, it just seems like it will fight germs.
6 & 7. Band-Aids & New Skin – These come in all shapes and sizes, and for those of us who wash our hands a lot, or have kids on the swim team or like to fish, there's a new type of waterproof bandage, called New Skin. This goes on as a liquid and dries over the cut, making a clear, flexible and waterproof barrier.
8. Balmex Baby Butt Cream – Not just for babies, though it works great for them. I recommend this cream because it contains zinc oxide, which can help your child who's chafed from their swim suit, to a person using adult diapers. And, for couples getting chafed from lots of fun in the bedroom, this also cools off the fiery skin irritations.
9. Benadryl quick dissolving strips – These melt on your tongue for fast relief from seasonal allergies, or allergic reactions to pets or foods. I always keep a supply at home and carry them with me when I'm with my niece Amanda.
10. Purell – Since the H1N1 virus, we all know the importance of washing our hands. But sometimes, it's not practical, In the hospital, I have gloves to protect myself and my patients. If you're going to be giving anyone first aid this summer, please wash your hands first. Purell is an alcohol based hand cleaner that also fits in your purse, backpack and can travel through airport security.
