Life and Reviews

Life.  As summer comes to a close this weekend giving many a long weekend to relax and be with family and friends…it makes me think how quickly life goes from the slow pace of summer to the over-scheduled school year. 

Wow…one weekend we are sleeping in and the next week bam! We are up at the crack of dawn and on the road most of the day going from school to after school activities.  I feel like a taxi.

With two weeks of school already behind us, the hectic pace is in full swing.  With soccer practice, games, gymnastics, speech therapy, Brownies and what not….everyone is worn out.  I hate being over scheduled and much prefer the less scheduled summer days. 

I do limit my kids’ activities and try to make sure they have enough down time to relax and do nothing.  This is becoming harder and harder as they get older.  From tons of homework and projects to sports to other activities it just consumes every minute it seems.

What to do? I am at a loss as to how to make time for it all.  I mean you blink your eyes and it is Thanksgiving then Christmas. 

Time just goes much too quickly and children grow up much too quickly.  Maybe I am overly sentimental, but I do think about this quite a bit.  I try to enjoy and savor each and every moment with my children.  Sometimes I just wish I could freeze time and keep everyone the same for about 20 years to really have time to enjoy my family before they are grown and gone.   Life.

How many others feel as I do I wonder?

As parents trying to get kids to behave, we are often like mechanics trying to tune up a car engine — without the proper tools.  We parents are headed toward a similar destination, raising responsible kids who own and solve their own problems.  Or, at least that should be the goal of all parents.  That not being the goal of some parent is what is causing a lot of the problems with society today.

In my journey with my own children, I have learned a great deal about parenting, children, and life.  My children have taught me a great deal.

A book that my children’s physical therapist had told me about has helped my parenting techniqes tremendously.  The book is Tickets to Success by Jim Fay.  I love how he uses humor and great life examples to make his points. 

In the introduction, Jim Fay talks about how we as adults make decisions by collecting data and weighing the alternatives — both of these steps are unseen by our children because it is hidden between our ears.  We then weight the alternatives against consequences another step our children do not see.  After that step, we put a price tag on our decision determining which alternative we can afford physically, emotionally, and financially.  When, at last, we have made our decision, we open our mouths and announce it.  That decision is all our children get to see. 

He believes that in giving children experience in making their own decisions that their mistakes or misbehavior can provide tickets to success.  As a school principal for 17 years, Jim Fay gained much insight into children’s behaviors.

One of the examples that really hit home for me was when he said that the most responsible children he ever saw in his life were when he was principal at an inner-city school.  He said those children would wake up without alarm clocks, without their parents to help them get to school for breakfast.  As he stated, those children knew that if they didn’t, they missed getting breakfast.  They never missed the bus if it was going somewhere they wanted to go.

Furthermore, he said the most irresponsible children were when he was principal at an upper-middle-class suburban school.  The first day of school half went to the office to use the phone to call home about something they had forgotten and needed their parents to bring them.  Moments later, that parent would bring whatever it was that the child had forgotten.  These children’s parents were constantly “rescuing” them from any problem they encountered.

The “rescuing” children from their mistakes is the very basis for this book.   By constantly “rescuing” our children each time they make a mistake or forget something, we are depriving them of their opportunities to learn responsibility. 

Jim Fay made a rule for use of the office phone.  He announced that the children could use the phone any time, with only one restriction:  They could not use the phone to make a problem for anybody else. 

This book is a very good read.  It certainly brings to light how our rescuing our children actually hurts more than it helps. It totally changed my way of thinking and we have seen amazing improvements in our children’s responsibility.  I highly recommend it along with other books by Jim Fay. Watch for my reviews on his other books I have read.  These are must reads!!!

The Labor Day holiday originated in 1882.  The Central Labor Union in New York City wanted to create a day off for working citizens.  It was made into a federal holiday in 1894 by Congress and is celebrated in all fifty states. 

Most Americans view Labor Day weekend as the last weekend of summer.  Up until several years ago, schools and colleges did not start the academic year until the day after Labor Day which made knowing when school started up each year much simpler than today.  It used to be viewed as the last chance for a summer getaway prior to the start of school.

Labor Day is celebrated with picnics, cookouts, barbecues, water sports, and fireworks.  It is a time to get together with family and friends to relax.  School aged children enjoy the day off from school. 

However, Labor Day does mark some important sporting events each year.  It is the beginning of football season for the NFL and NCAA.  The NCAA plays their first games during Labor Day weekend, and the NFL usually the Thursday following Labor Day.

I find that Labor Day is a great way to show off favorite recipes and spend times with friends and family.  We usually have a cookout and make home made ice cream. 

This year we are going to try some new recipes to see how everyone likes them…these are what we decided on.

• Appetizer:

Grilled Shrimp Marinated

1 pound large shrimp (16 – 20)

1/2 cup citrus olive oil 

2 tbs minced red onion

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tbs finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tbs lemon juice 

metal skewers

salt and freshly ground black pepper

De-vein shrimp.  Put shrimp in a shallow, non-aluminum baking dish.

In a small bowl, whisk together citrus oil, onion, garlic, cilantro, and lemon juice.  Pour over shrimp, cover, and let marinate, refrigerated, 1-4 hours.

Preheat grill.

Thread shrimp on skewers when ready to grill and discard marinade.  Salt and pepper to taste, grill, turning once, until just done, 2-3 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Homemade Salsa & Chips 

Salad:

Marinated Tomatoes (fresh from my garden!!) 

3 tbs chopped fresh parsley

1 tbs sugar

1 1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/1/2 tsp seasoned salt 

1/2 tsp ground pepper

3/4 tsp dried thyme

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2-3 green onions, chopped

4-6 large tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges

Combine all ingredients but tomatoes in a large measuring cup or mixing bowl.  Whisk well.  Place tomatoes in a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over.  Marinate at room temperature for up to 2 hours, turning the bag occasionally. 

• Main Dish:

Basil Grilled Chicken

3/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

4 skinned chicken breast halves

1/4 cup  freshly chopped basil leaves and

2 tbs freshly minced basil leaves

 1/3 cup butter, melted, plus 1 stick butter at room temp

1 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper
 

Heat grill.

Press coarsely ground pepper into the meaty side of chicken breast halves.  Stir chopped basil into the melted butter.  Brush the chicken lightly with this mixture.  In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, minced basil, Parmesan, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Beat at low speed with electric mixer until smoothly blended.  Transfer to a small serving bowl; set aside.

Grill the chicken over medium heat for 8-10 minutes on each side, basting frequently with the remaining melted butter mixture.

Serve the grilled chicken with the basil-butter mixture. 

Recipes courtesy of http://www.foodnetwork.com

Enjoy your Labor Day activities!

By:  Lettuce Wrap 

Sleep deprivation is not a good thing.  What is really bad is when you are so tired that it hurts to keep your eyes open, but when you lie down, sleep doesn’t come.  Sad but true, that is what usually happens my first night off work when I try to get back a day shift life for my 2 or 3 days off.  This is known as “shift lag.”  That is where I am this morning.  Unfortunately, life doesn’t stop for sleep deprivation or a 3rd shifter. 

 I have to roll out of the bed this morning after less than 3 hours sleep last night to get up and get the kids up and off to school.  On top of that, it is raining heavily and has been for a couple of days which means the streets have lots of standing water on them.  Now, I have to drive quite a ways across town to get my kids to school half asleep driving in the rain.  This scares the very crap out of me every time I have to do it.  I worry that my reflexes won’t be fast enough if something happens and I need to react quickly.  Fortunately, God has watched over me and kept that from happening so far.  It is a frightening cycle I deal with on a weekly basis as do many 3rd shift workers. 

What’s more, it has been proven that missed or lost sleep can never be “made up.”  It is always a deficit.  I have worked 3rd shift for 8 years now.  Why do I work 3rd shift you may ask yourself? In my field on 3rd shift I do not have to deal with as many doctors, managers, or patients as I work at a local hospital as a radiologic technologist (x-ray tech).  Actually, I do as many patients on 3rd shift alone as day shift does with 5 techs. 

What if anything can a shift worker do to improve sleep quality? 

As a shift worker, I have read that the first step we need to take is to make sure we have no underlying health factors causing us to have poor quality sleep.  Some common sleep disorders that further complicate sleep include:  sleep apnea, nrcolepsy, and even depression.  Discuss your problem with your primary care and he/she may recommend you have a sleep study to make sure you have none of the above conditions.  

As a shift worker, it is imperative to find a dark, quiet, cool place to sleep during the daytime.  This tricks your brain into thinking it is night-time.  I have heavy shades that I pull down when I am sleeping during the day that mimic night-time darkness.  Also, when I get off work and the sun is beginning to rise, I put on my sunglasses to help my brain still think it is night-time.

Surprisingly, people can go without sleep for prolonged periods of time, but it will definitely cut into your productivity.  Long-term sleep deprivation injures your health.

Check out the link below to see just how detrimental third shift can be on a person….

http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/1031002656.html

The loss of sleep over the years causes some serious problems not only in your health but your coping mechanisms, family life and social life.  This certainly describes me, “They are more likely to be emotional and impulsive rather than patiently working things out with family members.”  Especially since I am in the “sandwich generation” which means I am taking care of my small children and my mother.  Talk about the pressures of life! Geez.

Some of the tips I am certainly going to implement to improve my life are:

• wearing dark wrap-around sunglasses on the drive home
• free up the entire day for sleeping
• wear earplugs or make sure your house is well sound-proofed
• getting bright light at work to keep me alert
• taking over-the-counter melatonin 

Radiation Doses From Things Around Us

Did you know…

• Foods that are rich in potassium like fruits, beans, lentils, vegetables, and some whole grains expose us to radiation as potassium decays? Less than 1/4 of one percent of the potassium in foods we eat is radioactive.  The food we eat exposes us to about 40 millirem of radiation each year.
• If you live near a nuclear power plant, you’ll receive about .009 millirem of radiation each year.
• Smoke detectors save lives, but they also expose us to radiation because they contain a tiny amount of americium, a man-made radioactive element.  When smoke blocks the radiation emitted by the americum, a sensor sounds the alarm.  A smoke detector exposes us to less than a millirem of radiation each year.
• Smoking 1 1/2 packs of cigarettes a day can result in exposure to 1,300 millirem of radiation per year.  Tobacco has a high concentration of polonium-210, a naturally occurring radioactive element.
• Flying in an airplane reduces the thickness of atmosphere shielding you from cosmic sources of radiation, including our sun and cosmic rays.  You receive about 1 millirem of radiation for each 1,000 miles you fly.  If you flew the Space Shuttle, you’d receive more radiation:  between 433 millirem and 7,864 millirem depending on the duration of your mission.
• A miner works underground, closer to the elements that decay under the earth’s surface.  A uranium miner, because he’s mining a radioactive element, may receive upwards of 300 millirem per year. 
• A member of an airline crew receives about 200 millirem a year on the job.
• A chest x-ray only gives about 25 millirem
• Dental x-rays give 25-35 millirem/occurrence
• Dental x-rays give more does also because they are not calibrated as often as x-ray equipment.

Of course, these are just a few ways we receive radiation exposure often without even realizing it.

A new positron emission tomography technique could provide early detection of prostate cancer spread to nearby lymph nodes, allowing opportunities to treat the cancer before it spreads to distant organs. 

Prostate cancer spread to the pelvic lymph nodes is an important prognostic indicator, suggesting disease recurrence and progression.  Detecting spread to the lymph nodes is critical for treatment planning.  However, small cancer metastases in the pelvic lymph nodes are very difficult to find using conventional imaging tools such as computed tomography.

Researchers at the University of CA in Los Angeles developed a new method for detecting prostate cancer spread to the lymph nodes by engineering a virus that travels to the cancer and delivers its payload of proteins there.  The proteins are visible on PET scans.

 This helps to improve the prognosis for these patients by letting us find and treat these metastases early.

By the time my son had turned 5, I was certain there was something very different about him compared to other children.  He had chronic ear infections from the time he was born having to have ear tubes after ear tubes.  He also had his tonsils and adenoids removed.  Still he continued to get ear infections.  He also was super sensitive to loud noises including airplanes, firecrackers, anything loud or sudden, loud flushing toilets, and hand dryers.  He would cover his ears with both hands and cry.  I attributed this to the ear problems.

Although he was very intelligent, I noticed he did not do things like other children.  He had an uncanny sense of smell.  He could smell things no one else could.  When trying to skip, he would just gallop and not alternate feet.  We worked and worked on this but for some reason he just could not get it which seemed very odd to me.  He was so bright, he learned to hide his inability to do certain things.

I enrolled him in gymnastics through his preschool.  After a few classes, I noticed the instructor had little to no patience with the fact he just could not get how to do a beginning cartwheel.  She would just skip over him.  It really angered me.

He did not run like other kids.  His arms and legs did not work together like other kids.  He just flailed his arms as he would run.  He did not climb.  He did not seem to notice if he had food on his face.  He craved touch to the extent he would want to hug his friends all of the time which caused problems in the preschool class.  He was extremely touchy feely.  He would often fall out of his seat on purpose which would disrupt the class.  He did not get the “my space – your space” issue.

He did not pick a dominant hand.  He would constantly switch hands when writing, eating, coloring, or painting.  I remember a preschool teacher told me he just HAD to pick a hand because it was past time to do so. 

He had extreme difficulty buttoning, zipping, or snapping clothing.  Forget tying shoes! He could not open candy or anything other kids did. 

I made an appointment with the pediatrician to discuss my concerns.  He told me that he wanted me to take him to Children’s Therapy to be evaluated by an occupational therapist.  This alarmed me a great deal. 

Once we met the therapist, I filled out a ton of questionaires.  We then discussed my concerns.  After watching my son play for a few minutes, she asked me if I had ever heard of Sensory Integration Dysfunction.  I told her no.  She said she felt certain that is what my son had. 

She explained to me that Sensory Integration (SI) is the neurological process that organizes sensation from one’s own body and the environment, thus making it possible to use the body effectively within the envir0nment.  While we all have our own sensory difficulties, we all have our own quirks.  Children too, have their own little quirks.  The difference between quirks and sensory difficulty is that the latter interfers with daily life, thus preventing the child from seeking new things.  This indicates a need for intervention. 

As you know, sensory experiences include touch, movement, body awareness, sight, sound, and the pull of gravity.  In essence, Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID) is the neurological inability to integrate properly the seven (yes, there are seven!) senses.  These include sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch, proprioception and balance / coordination (vestibular sense).  The process of the brain organizing and interpreting this information is called sensory integration.  Sensory integration provides a crucial foundation for later, more complex learning and behavior.

The senses all work together.  Each sense works with the others to form a composite picture of who we are physically, where we are, and what is going on around us.  SI is a critical function of the brain that is responsible for producing this composite picture.  In order to achieve developmental milestones, children must first be able to intake sensory input, process it, and then respond appropriately within seconds.  For most, SI occurs automatically and subconsciously, without effort.  For the child with sensory dysfunction the process is often inefficient, demanding effort and attention with no guarantee of accuracy. 

In other words, sensory integration dysfunction is sort of a ‘traffic jam’ in the brain.  Some bits of sensory information get ‘tied up in traffic’, and certain parts of the brain do not get the sensory information they need to function properly. 

Sensory integration dysfunction affects both fine and gross motor movements.  Instead of both halves of the brain comunicating back and forth, each half develops completely independent of the other half.  The child does not have a dominant side nor a hand preference.  Since there is no dominant hand, handwriting is very difficult and illegible.  Cutting is a nightmare.  These were some of the things his teacher was complaining about. 

The occupational therapist, tested my son and after completing the tests felt certain that we had found the problem as did I.  We saw the therapist weekly for an hour a week.  She gave me exercises to do with him at home.  She would work with all of his senses during therapy each week.  He loved therapy and could not wait to go each week. 

What are some signs of sensory integration dysfunction? A child can have any combination of these signs…

• Coordination problems
• An unusual heightened sensitivity to sounds and smells. 
• Overly sensitive to touch, movement, sights, or sounds – (does not want to be touched! – Avoidance of physical contact with people and with certain textures such as sand, paste and finger paints.) 
• Under reactive to touch, movement, sights, or sounds — craves touch (falling out of his seat was for sensory input as was the constant hugging and touching others)
• Easily distracted (can be ADHD but not necessarily so)
• Activitiy level that is unusually high or unusually low
• Physical clumsiness or apparent carelessness (he was always falling)
• Impulsive, lacking in self control ( a biggie for my son – often misdiagnosed as merely ADHD)
• Difficulty making transitions from one situation to another (makes school a nightmare!)
• Inability to unwind or calm self (again often misdiagnosed as ADHD)

The important thing is to realize you are not alone and that there is help out there for both you and your child.  This is much more common than people realize; it is often misdiagnosed as ADHD.  While children may have both sensory integration dysfunction and ADHD, they can have one without the other.  One thing I learned is to go with your intuition.  Do not settle for just one evaluation.  If you feel there is more to it then by all means seek other opinions.  Do not let your child be judged unfairly.  You are your child’s best advocate.  You know your child better than anyone else.

Everyone kept telling me my son had ADHD, but I knew it was something else after researching ADHD.  I found it was important to find a good occupational therapist – preferably one that specializes in sensory integration dysfunction.  A good therapist can help guide you and your child  in finding the best school and assistance you need. 

We were fortunate enough to be told about an awesome physical therapist who specialized in children with sensory integration dysfunction and learning problems.  She has been a Godsend for our family.  She helped us find a great school, a person specialized in testing our son, and just gave me the support system we needed to give my son what he needed.  Thanks to our therapist, we had a great speech pathologist, a wonderful gymnastics teacher, and many other wonderful people to help.

Sensory Integration Dysfunction (SID) is a neurological disorder pioneered 40 years ago by A. Jean Ayers, Ph.D., OTR.  I have read most of her works and found them to be extremely helpful.

Some great resources I have found to be very helpful on my journey of learning all about sensory integration dysfunction…

Books:

The Out-of-Sync Child     

The Everything Parent’s Guide To Sensory Integration Disorder:  Get the Right Diagnosis, Understand Treatments, And Advocate for Your Child 

Answers to Questions Teachers Ask About Sensory Integration 

Like Sound Through Water 

Love, Jean 

Products & Equipment:

Southpaw Enterprises

Therapy Shoppe

Websites:

Sensory Integration Global Network

Incredible Horizons

If you looked at my son today, you would never know he ever had any sensory problems.  He is now 13 and a great athlete and honor student.  We learned a great deal with my son which helped us to be ready for our daughter who had much more severe sensory integration problems as well as ADD and some learning problems.  Thankfully, we had our support in place and dove in head first.  Our daughter is now thriving and doing well academically.  It has been a long journey, but I would not trade our experience for anything.  We have met and worked with some wonderful people.

Well, it’s that time again and the stress mounts  on kids, tweens, teens, and parents as school starts.  The stressors include clothes, appearance, grades, peer pressure, sitting in the right seat, getting a good seat in the lunchroom, school violence, gangs, getting the right classes and teachers, sports, clubs, weight, being socially accepted, and not doing anything stupid.  Peer pressure and stress is much higher than when we were in school. 

Many kids and parents feel a growing anxiety over getting  back to school — the morning rush, the dreaded homework and projects, deadlines, and the quicker pace of life in general.  While this doesn’t necessarily mean we do not like school, the advent of the busier lifestyle, along with the new changes that ‘back-to-school’ time brings (new teachers, new classmates, new material) can all lead to increased stress. 

The stress is also on adults as we drop of our kids at school or watch them catch the bus.  Thoughts race through our minds….will they eat a healthy lunch, did we spend enough time on their homework, did we explain it well enough, did we even understand their homework, are they making friends, do they fit in, are we saving enough money for their college education, and the list goes on and on. 

Some of the symptoms of stress in kids show as stomach ache, grumpy mood, crying about going to school, to wanting to stay home.  Fortunately, most children manage to cope with daily stressors in healthy ways, and get through these challenges just fine.  But, it is a fact that chronic stress can take a toll on young bodies and minds.  Every child and adult needs to learn good stress management strategies in order to be successful in life, and moms can help teach and model these skills.  By learning simple, healthy techniques for managing daily stress and pressure when they are young, kids can avoid turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms later on. 

A healthy diet is essential to help the body cope with stress.  Did you know you can reduce your stress just by eating right? Poor nutrition actually contributes to stress.  Despite best intentions, many people find themselves falling short of their recommended daily allowances of fruits and vegetables.  Make sure you incorporate the guidelines for the recommended daily allowance of fruits and vegetables for your family as much as possible.  Put your family on a good vitamin supplement to make up for the short-comings of their daily intake.  Juice Plus+®  is a great way to make sure everyone gets their recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables.  I have my family on both Juice Plus+ and a great Omega 3 Gummy called Brainiums DHA®  by Nutrilite that tastes great!  The key Omega-3 fatty acids you child’s growing brain needs to supoort focus, concentration, and learning.

Here are some quick and easy stress-buster ideas to teach your kids:

• Get regular exercise.  Stress raises the level of the hormone cortisol, which causes unpleasant symptoms like racing heart, sweaty palms, and shortness of breath. Exercises lowers cortisol and raises the level of other brain chemicals that produce the feelings of well-being. 
• Spend time everyday doing something fun.  Read a good book.  Listen to music.  Daydream.  Overscheduled kids are often overstressed kids.  A little downtime is not only ok, it’s crucial. 
• Get adequate sleep and nutrition.  Sleep-deprived, sugar-fueled kids can’t focus, moderate their moods, or think critically about ways to solve problems. 
• Play with a pet.  Medical studies have shown that petting a dog or a cat can significantly lower blood pressure and heart rate.  If your household doesn’t include a furry pet, a friend’s will do.
• Try some deep breathing.  Relaxation exercises are a proven way to reduce the physical and emotional effects of stress.  They don’t have to be complicated; the easiest techniques is to simply take slow, deep breaths to the count of 4, focusing on filling up the lower belly with air and exhaling completely each time.  Repeat for 5-10 minutes for maximum effect.  Kids and adults of any age can benefit from deep breathing in times of anxiety and stress.
• Have an evening relaxing bedtime ritual such as listening to quiet music, doing a relaxation exercise, or just talking together about the events of the day as a way to practice good coping skills on a daily basis.  It will be good for your kids as well as you.

 I have been an Amazon.com shopper since I first began using the Internet in 1997.  I love Amazon.com because I can find nearly ANYTHING I could possibly be shopping for in one store.  That in itself is simply amazing.  Then, in 2005 when Amazon.com sent me an email inviting me to try out their brand new program called Amazon Prime.  They gave me a free trial and then the rate was $79 to keep being an Amazon Prime member. 

 Since I had happily shopped at Amazon for years, I decided to give it a try.  As you know, many times, the cost of shipping can make you change your mind about purchasing certain items online. 

What I found was the Amazon Prime gave me virtually an All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet of items that could be shipped two-day for FREE.  According to Amazon there were more than a million items that qualified for this.  I could opt to upgrade to one-day (overnight) shipping for $3.99 per item.  There were no minimum purchases required.  I could also share my membership with up to 4 family members living in the same household.  I was thrilled!      

I really liked the members-only 1-Click buttons to make purchases quick and easy knowing if it was an Amazon Prime item it would ship 2-day for FREE.  Once you find an item and use your 1-Click button to purchase it, you have an additional 90 minutes to continue 1-Click shopping and it all be put into one order.  For those who prefer not to use the 1-Click button, you can always use the traditional shopping cart.  The eligible Amazon Prime items are still recognized for the free 2-day shipping or you have the option of the 1-day upgrade for $3.99 per item.

Membership is set up to automatically renew annually.  You can cancel at any time. 

It takes me no time at all to recoop my $79 investment.  I have purchased tons of different items from books, music, furniture, clothing, jewelery, toys, physical therapy equipment for my children, to very nice electronics.  My very favorite Amazon Prime purchase was our Sylvania 6842PE 42-Inch Flat Panel Plasma TV December of 2006.  I had read the reviews which were great except for the shipping.  Amazon was running a super special and the tv was over 50% off and it was an Amazon Prime item which meant free shipping.  I had read that shipping ran over $200.  Amazon was also giving a free wall mount with purchase up to $100 too.  How cool was that? I decided this would be our family Christmas present.  I was looking at flat panels but never dreamed I could afford a 42 inch.  The price of this was not much more than a 20″!

Now Amazon offers groceries.  They have tons of special deals and most items are Amazon Prime items.  I have bought quite a few groceries as well.  You cannot beat Amazon.com.  I am very happy with Amazon.com and their Amazon Prime.  I cannot say enough nice things about it.  What can I say….I love to shop and I love Amazon Prime! You should give it a try…it is well worth the money if you order several times.

Can’t eat healthy? Always eating and running out the door? Don’t have time to get in 5 servings of fruits and 5 servings of vegetables each and every day?  Most people do not.  While eating the raw fresh fruit or vegetable is best, Juice Plus+^®  is certainly the next best thing to eating whole fruits and vegetables. 

Juice Plus+^® is recommended by Dr. Sears known for his www.AskDrSears.com webpage…here is his story:

           Juice Plus+^® Complete

Each morning I put a scoopful of Juice Plus+® Complete into my fruit and yogurt smoothie. Every day I take my Fruit and Veggie Juice Plus+® Capsules, and dole out Juice Plus+® to our kids in the form of powder, pills, capsules and JP+ Gummies® according to their age and taste.  Then I go to my office and recommend the Juice Plus+® Children Health Study to the families in my pediatric practice, especially those who are sick a lot.

Do I feel passionate about this product? Yes! Here’s why.

In April of 1997 I underwent major surgery for colon cancer, followed by a long course of radiation and chemotherapy.  Realizing that colon cancer, and all major diseases for that matter, are influenced by diet, I was determined not to let my medical problem repeat itself.  So I began devouring medical literature on the connection between diet and health.  During the year following my surgery, I read volumes about nutrition, subscribed to every nutrition journal I could find, put together a collection of over 500 file folders about food and became what my friends tagged a “health nut.” About three months into my new style of eating, I noticed some amazing changes.  My energy level skyrocketed,prompting my wife, Martha to call me “Zip.” We stepped up our ballroom dancing and even beat some of the younger couples in the swing contest.  My mind was working better, too.  I no longer needed glasses.  I just plain felt good all over – mind and body – and finally learned what it is to experience real well-being.  Too bad I had to get sick in order to learn to eat right instead of eating right to keep from getting sick. 

Why was I feeling so good?  The answer seemed clear: I was putting the right fuel into my body that made it run better. As a father of eight, author of 28 books, a pediatrician at the peak of his career I was going to do everything to keep my health up and not let the cancer reoccur.  Talk about motivation!  During my quests for what constitutes good health I devoured books and articles about supplements and discovered that one of the secrets of good health is to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables that contain disease fighting chemicals called “phytonutrients.”  I call them “phytos” for short.  The same phytos that help keep the plants healthy help keep our bodies healthy. Even thousands of years ago Hippocrates said, “let food be thy medicine.”  As I studied the parade of supplements out there I’ve concluded that whatever supplement I take must have good science and make good sense. 

That’s how I came across Juice Plus+®.  It had good science behind it and made good sense. A whole food based supplement! Whole foods, a bunch of the healthiest fruits and vegetables, juiced and dried at low temperatures, removing the water, sugar, salt and bulk. These nutritious juice powders are then put into capsules, chewables and gummies! Intrigued by this concept of packaged phytos I realize my life depended upon eating the right foods and taking the right supplements.  So, I did my life saving detective work.  While visiting the company where Juice Plus+® is made I saw first hand the care and quality that went into this product.  In examining their independent research I discovered that they had measured the blood levels and found that disease-fighting “phytos” go way up after taking Juice Plus+®.  This was a vital discovery since it’s not what’s on the package label that’s important, it’s how much gets into the body.  Finally I grilled the company executives.  They were honorable people.  The combination of good science, good sense and a reputable company convinced me that this would be my supplement of choice. 

Since taking Juice Plus+® daily and following an overall healthy eating and exercise program I have not even had so much as a cold, even though my wonderful little patients share their germs with me everyday. The parents of children who are sick a lot often thank me: “Since my children have been taking Juice Plus+® they haven’t been sick as often.”  Juice Plus+® is now the only whole food supplement I take. I’m pleased to recommend the joy of taking Juice Plus+®. to everyone who takes their health seriously. ~Dr. William Sears~

Juice Plus+^® :

• delivers key phytonutrients that are absorbed by the body
• reduces oxidative stress
• helps support a healthy immune system
• helps protect DNA
• positively impacts several key indicators of cardiovascular wellness

Is Juice Plus+^®  as good as eating fruits and vegetables? There’s no complete substitute for eating the real thing. But how many people actually eat such a wide variety of raw fruits, vegetables and grains every single day? Juice Plus is a convenient way to ensure you and your family get all the benefits over time from adding more nutrition from fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. These benefits include prevention of cancer and chronic illness, stronger immune system to protect against disease, slower aging, healthier heart and lower cholesterol.

One very important factor about fruits and vegetables that is often neglected by Americans is that they need to be eaten raw. Heat destroys the enzymes, fiber, and other active nutrients present in raw foods. In order to receive all the benefits of fruits and vegetables we need to eat them fresh and uncooked.

How many of us actually eat five servings of raw fruits and vegetables every day? Most Americans may eat an orange with breakfast and maybe an apple with lunch. We are pretty good at making sure we finish our one or two cooked vegetables at dinnertime. However, virtually all of us fall far short of the quantity of raw fruits and vegetables required to protect us from cancer, chronic disease, infection, high cholesterol and heart disease. Very few of us are receiving the nutrition required to help our bodies run smoothly and efficiently and to maximize our potential for a healthy life.

It is difficult to get adults to consume their share of fruits and vegetables, but trying to coax children, from toddlerhood through the teenage years, to eat enough of them is near impossible. Many parents worry about their two-year-old who barely seems to eat anything at all or the busy teenager on-the-go who doesn’t sit down to eat. The active nutrients in fruits and vegetables can maximize the physical and intellectual development of our children as they grow through the school-age years.

What is Juice Plus+^® ?      Juice Plus+^®  is more than extra vitamins and minerals. It is actually a whole food supplement. The fruit capsules are made from apples, oranges, pineapples, cranberries, peaches, cherries, papayas, dates and prunes. The vegetable capsules are made from carrots, barley, parsley, beets, kale, broccoli, cabbage, oats, spinach, tomatoes.

How is Juice Plus+^®  made? The fresh fruits and vegetables are juiced, then dehydrated to a powder form. It’s carefully tested to ensure no pesticides or other contaminants are present in the product. It is never exposed to high temperatures that would destroy the nutritional value of the fruits and vegetables. Most of the vitamins, minerals, active plant enzymes, phytonutrients, antioxidants, and fiber are preserved in the final capsules. When re-hydrated with water, the nutrients are absorbed into our bodies as if we had eaten the fruits and vegetables whole.

This all may sound complicated, but the simple truth is that Juice Plus+^® is the best way to get your entire family to reap all the benefits of a diet rich in raw fruits and vegetables.

Do your children get sick all the time?

Do you frequently feel tired and run-down?

Is there a strong family history of cancer or heart disease in your family?

Is it nearly impossible to get your children to eat fruits and vegetables?

Are you lacking the recommended 7 servings of raw fruits and vegetables each day?

If the answer to any of these is yes, then Juice Plus+^® is extremely important for you and your family. 

Juice Plus+^® comes in three forms:

• capsules for adults
• chewable tablets for older children
• great tasting gummy bears for toddlers and younger children

Eat the fruit capsules at breakfast and the vegetable capsules at dinner with a glass of water to rehydrate them.

I am very excited about Juice Plus+^® and have seen the benefits in myself and my children. Our physician recommended for us to try it, and we are glad we did.  Start your family on Juice Plus+^® today and see the benefits over a lifetime!