Poison Ivy-Leaves of Three, Let it Be!

 Protect yourself from poison ivy and other poisonous plants!  Do you know what poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac looks like?  Do you know how it is spread?  Did you know that the oil can last 1-5 years  on  contaminated objects?  These plants have a protective oil (urushiol) on them that cause the allergic reaction on your skin.  The rash and resulting blisters do not spread from person to person because they do not contain the oil found on the plant.
Learn how to identify these plants and how to protect yourself by reading more.  Attached are two videos, one describes how the body reacts to the oil, one video teaches how to properly wash the oil off of skin and objects.





http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2010-118/pdfs/2010-118.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8artgA0ODgw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oyoDRHpQK0

Yankee Magazine had an article in their May/June issue titled "Ask the Expert, How to Get Rid of Poison Ivy."  You can learn more by going to the website www.poisonivyremovalcompany.com.

Protecting Yourself From Tick Bites and Lyme Disease

The people of New England were fortunate to have experienced a very mild winter this past year; The relative lack of snow and ultra-frigid temperatures were a welcomed relief, especially after the unrelenting snowstorms we were subjected to during the winter of 2015!

As recently reported by the Gloucester Daily Times, the warmer-than-usual winter months paved the way for what could potentially be an especially bad tick "season" this year.   As discussed in the GDT article, not only is Massachusetts at the epicenter of the tick-borne illness, Lyme disease, but we are now facing the migration of another disease carrying tick, the Lone Star tick, which spreads a number of other diseases, including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

There are a number of precautions people should take to help protect themselves from tick bites:

1. Be sure to wear long pants, tall socks, shoes and a long sleeve shirt when venturing outside, especially into wooded areas or fields with tall grass
2. Treat your clothing with tick & bug repellent.  There are a number of products available that will help to both repel and even kill ticks.  For a breakdown of such repellents, check out tickinfo.com
3. Get into the habit of thoroughly checking your skin for ticks after returning from wooded or grassy areas.

For more information about lyme disease, and other tick-borne illnesses, check out Webmd or the Center for Disease Control.

Later Start to the School Day = More Sleep = Healthier Teens

In the CNN article "Why Letting Teens Sleep in Could Save Lives," CNN reporter Kelly Wallace cites the latest evidence from the CDC's report "Sleep Duration and Injury-Related Risk Behaviors Among High School Students" when making the case for a nation-wide, delayed start to the school day.  There now exists an overwhelmingly abundant amount of information that not only supports the fact that there are numerous health benefits associated with teens getting more sleep, but that there are proven risks associated with getting too little.  The CDC report was able to demonstrate a clear correlation between teen sleep deprivation and an increase in a variety of injury related risk
behaviors. 


Given that we live in a society that often times glorifies people who sacrifice sleep in the name of

"productivity" and "motivation," perhaps it's time that we take a closer look at the negative side

affects of sleep deprivation, and it's dangerous impact on the health of our country's youth.

21 Easy Steps to Personal Environmental Health

Be proactive and keep yourself healthy by learning about health risks in your environment.  The National Institute of Health kids page has some great advice.  Read labels, know the danger of your job, allergy awareness are just a few topics addressed.  An easy read with great hints!

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/topics/healthy-living/teen/index.htm

Stereotypes & Prejudice

Just about every society is plagued by negative stereotyping and prejudice. Confronting the damage caused by these beliefs is an essential step towards negating inequality and making the world a better, and safer place, for everyone.

The following video is a great example of the damage that can be done when stereotypes are allowed to persist... until they are challenged.

Neuroplasticity

It was once thought that we are born with a set number of brain nerve cells that go stagnant.  It was thought that the brain could not change after injury or if it had deficits.  Neuroplasticity now disproves that belief and explains how we can change neural synaptic activity.  Lessons can be learned to create new pathways which will enhance one's health.    Studies have also proven how thoughts can change your brain.  By changing your thought process you can decrease stress and improve your overall health.  Incorporating happiness, humor and various positive coping strategies in your life can help make these positive neural changes.
View the animation below to see how pathways change through repetition.  Listen to the Tedx video to see how one women's life was changed by neuroplasticity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELpfYCZa87g
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0td5aw1KXA&nohtml5=False

KidsHealth

Looking for a great health & wellness related resource?  KidsHealth.org is a school approved, trustworthy website that provides a plethora of wellness related information.  The featured topics are both relevant and age appropriate;  KidsHealth is actually broken into three categories:  Info for kids, teens and even parents! KidsHealth  serves as the primary go-to health related resource for the MERMHS health programs and we highly recommend it to both students and families alike.

World Health Organization Reports Dramatic Rise in Diabetes

The World Health Organization reports that nearly 1 out of every 11 people, world wide, are now affected by diabetes.  Need further proof that we need to prioritize daily exercise, the avoidance of processed foods and healthy living...?

Self Image and Media Influence

Self image is a complicated matter.  The way we view ourselves is a byproduct of our life experiences, the way we've been treated by others, and, in the case of self image as it pertains to the way we look, the idealized version of "beauty" that we are exposed to via a wide array of media sources. The featured videos in today's blog post explore the insecurities that both men and women feel about their body image, and challenge us to become less critical of what we perceive to be our physical faults and shortcomings.

Techno Stress

Techno Stress-Technology that was created to make life easier has actually created increased stress and less leisure time.  Adults are connected to work, even on vacation.  Family time is compromised.
As educators, we see how technology helps AND hinders.  Children are on their phones sharing information with 1000 of their "closest friends."  Time working on homework may be decreased if phones are put away during that designated time.  There needs to be a sense of balance with technology. Take time "off grid" to help your brain regenerate so that it may function in a more productive way.

Obesity Rates Continue to Climb Worldwide

Obesity rates in the U.S. have skyrocketed in the past 25 years.  To put things in perspective, the average American is nearly 25 pounds heavier today than they were in 1960.  Ironically, more people than ever are exercising, yet waistlines continue to grow.  The culprit... processed foods.  Over-consumption of foods high in added sugar, refined grains and a variety of additional additives are wreaking havoc on the lives of millions of Americans.  New data points out that by 2025, a staggering 43% of adult women, and 45% of adult men in the United States will be obese.

There is a proven correlation between adoption of the "Western lifestyle," obesity rates and declining health. The following report, posted on CNN Health, paints a grim picture of the direction the world is heading in regards to the prevalence of obesity and obesity related health maladies.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/01/health/global-obesity-study/

Understanding the U.S. Opioid Epidemic

A staggering eighty percent of new heroin users begin using the drug after becoming addicted to opiods; powerful prescription pain killers.  

From the National Institute on Drug Abuse: "Medications that fall within this class include hydrocodone (e.g., Vicodin), oxycodone (e.g., OxyContin, Percocet), morphine (e.g., Kadian, Avinza), codeine, and related drugs."

Aljazeera America takes an in-depth look at the opioid epidemic that is currently gripping the U.S., and offers great insight into the dramatic rise in opioid and heroin addition that is affecting people of all walks of life.