Positive Parenting

Don’t Use ADHD Meds (This Works Better Anyway…)

There is no longer any convincing evidence left that kids should be considered for Rx methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, etc…) In fact, a new study now urges physicians to use caution when prescribing these medications and reveals that there is no data to support the use of these prescriptions, especially in light of the serious side effects they can cause. Published on Nov 25, 2015 in the Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews, researchers looked at over 185 randomized control trials that evaluated the use of ADHD meds in over 12,000 children in the USA, Canada and Europe.   The details: The …

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A Supplement So Good For The Brain It Can Prevent Psychosis

So last week on the blog we talked about how teens are more affected by good moods than bad moods and how being around others with positive mood can help them recover from depression and even prevent it in the first place!   What else can we do to support their brain?   A new study published in Nature Communications (August 2015) showed that psychotic illness can actually be prevented long term… …even SEVEN YEARS LATER… …by a brief three month intervention with Omega 3 fatty acids!   These results are so incredible they should be shouted and touted from …

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Good Moods Are Contagious In Teens (And Prevents Depression)

As I blogged about last week… mood is not just something that colors our day. Our moods actually make a huge difference in our projected lifespan… this is now a medical fact!   On the heels of that study, yet another study was published just last month (August 19, 2015 in the Proc Biol Science) revealing that a positive mood among teens is not only “contagious” and spreads among peers… … but is also associated with enhanced recovery from depression and decreased future risk of depression. And even better, the reverse is not true: depressed mood does not appear to …

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Higher Morale, Longer Life Span

  A new study shows that having a sense of optimism about your future actually helps you live longer… much longer!   Published March 15, 2015 in Age and Aging, the results are clear: a higher morale leads to a longer life.   Researchers looked followed over 645 elderly participants (85 years old and older) for over 5 years using interviews, assessments and home visits, and after adjusting for age, health conditions, mobility, functionality and other variables. Those with higher morale lived on average 5 years longer than their more pessimistic counterparts. If folks who are already 85 years old …

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Sleep A Key Factor In ADHD

On the heels of last week’s blog post that named deep sleep as one of the top 3 ways to preserve your brain volume… a new study has recently revealed that good sleep helps with ADHD as well!   Sleep problems have long been considered a hallmark of ADHD… leading to reduced quality of life, reduced level of functioning and reduced school attendance. A study, recently published on January 20, 2015 in the British Medical Journal, has found that even a simple, brief sleep intervention with ADHD children provides lasting benefits that lead to improved sleep and decreased ADHD symptoms. …

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My Valentines

    Dearest Reader, Happy Valentine’s Day this weekend.   My Valentine’s wish for you is that you *know* and *feel* that love surrounds you. In ways both ***Seen*** and ***Unseen***   In ordinary ways and in extraordinary ways. In ways that are obvious and known to us and also in ways that are hidden and unknown… … in ways perhaps we can’t fully realize until our lives are over and we return into ALL THAT WE ARE and can understand from a broader perspective.   This Valentine’s Day, I want to share with you a glimpse of my own …

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Pesticide Exposure and Autism

There is ample proof to show that pesticides are contributing to the steep rise of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and developmental delay (DD.)   The latest study was published a few weeks ago on June 23, 2014 in Environmental Health Perspectives.   This study specifically links prenatal exposure of organophosphates (the most commonly applied agricultural pesticide) and other commonly used pesticides to autism rates in offspring.   Pesticides are neurotoxins that are clearly having a known, predictable and permanent effect on the developing fetal neurology during gestation. This particular study looked at northern CA residents (the state of CA alone …

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