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What Are We Feeding Our Children?

By U.S. News & World Report

Childhood disease is rising at an alarming rate. Autism, ADHD, asthma, recurrent ear infections, allergies and obesity are commonplace in our schools. With current statistics, which are based on kids with a medical diagnosis so likely an underestimate, one to three boys per classroom have ADHD.

While there are undoubtedly many factors responsible for this epidemic, what your kids put into their mouths is a contributing factor that you can control. Yes, change is hard. Yes, there will be power struggles. And yes, as soon as they walk out the door they may choose to eat whatever they want. One of the keys may be to educate them to love their bodies and value the nourishing quality of what goes inside. And if you feed children nourishing meals whenever they are in your control, they may be better able to handle the times when they don’t eat healthy with less toxic burden.

If I had to sum up my recommendations: Just eat real food! Specifically, processed foods are usually filled with chemicals and inflammatory fats and very little real nutritional value. You may have heard about chemicals that are allowed in foods in the U.S. but banned in other countries. While I’m not saying government interference is the answer, this should make you think, “Why would these ingredients be banned anywhere?”

Food dyes are one of these chemicals allowed in the U.S. These artificial dyes have definitely been shown to increase hyperactivity in a subset of children. There are countless case reports in the biomedical autism/ ADHD community of behavior improving with removing the dyes.

Phenols are another class of chemicals that seem to affect behavior in a subgroup of kids and are banned in several other countries. Some of these kids have a problem with sulfation, a chemical reaction important in the body, and may feel better limiting the salicylates found in high phenol foods such as apples and grapes. Most of these kids have difficulty processing the artificial phenols that are in artificial coloring, artificial flavoring and artificial preservatives such as BHT, BHA and TBHQ. These synthetic phenols are derived from coal tar, benzene and petroleum.

A few other chemicals to look out for include brominated vegetable oil, or BVO, and azodicarbonamide. BVO, found in flame retardants, has been in many sodas and sports drinks for years in the U.S., despite companies removing this ingredient for production in other countries where it has been banned for decades. Just recently, companies have attempted to meet consumer demand for nontoxic ingredients and have been phasing this out of many products. PepsiCo announced in January 2013 that it would no longer use BVO in Gatorade and announced in May 2014 that it would discontinue use in all of its drinks, including Mountain Dew. As of October 2015, BVO is still an ingredient in Mountain Dew. Azodicarbonamide is used as a flour bleacher and dough conditioner. Thanks to public demand, Subway has removed this “yoga mat” chemical from its breads.

Given the lack of any nutritional value and lack of true safety data for these chemicals, what is the harm in demanding better quality nourishment for our kids? We cannot assume that if our government allows these chemicals to be put in our “foods” that they must be safe. When we vote with our dollars by choosing to buy products that are sustainably produced and chemical free, we actively shape the market place. Help change the way our kids nourish their precious bodies, starting with yourself as an example. Every one of us is so unique and biochemically different, sometimes the best research data to listen to is the testimonial of your own child’s health. For more info on eating toxin-free food and pushing food manufacturers to stop using these ingredients, check out foodbabe.com. For specific information on how chemicals and toxic foods can contribute to symptoms of childhood disease, try nourishinghope.com. If you need support in making these positive changes for your family, consider enlisting the help of a functional or integrative medicine practitioner to personalize a real food nutrition plan for your child.

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What Are We Feeding Our Children? originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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