Children Category
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
Dr. Andrew Wakefield, who published a study in 1998 about the possible link between autism and vaccines which was subsequently questioned and discredited by the medical community, has defended his work in an interview on CNN.
Dr. Wakefield’s work has been discredited over the past several years, and ten of the eleven doctors who were involved in the study have removed their names from it. The Sunday Times reports that Dr. Wakefield “changed and misreported results” in his research, according to “confidential” medical documents and interviews with witnesses.
Dr. Wakefield’s study was published in February 1998 in The Lancet medical journal, causing widespread concern among parents that the MMR vaccine—for measles, mumps, and rubella—was linked to autism. According to The Sunday Times, the impact of the article was “extraordinary,” with vaccination rates decreasing from 92% to less than 80%, while “herd immunity” from measles occurs when 95% of the population has been vaccinated.
After a British journalist, Brian Deer, published the results of his investigation calling Wakefield’s study an “elaborate fraud,” Wakefield denied these allegations as false in an interview on CNN with Anderson Cooper. Wakefield continues to stand by his findings, saying that the results have been replicated in studies in five other countries and that Deer has received financial support from a pharmaceutical company. Check out the link below to see the interview yourself.
CNN Video Clip
Tina Turbin
www.DannyTheDragon.com
b.a.
Tags: Advice, celiac, celiac disease, Children, diet, Family, gluten, gluten allergies, Gluten-Free, gluten-free diet, Health, helpful tips, kids, moms, Motherhood, nutrition, parenting, Parents, quality of life, tina turbin, women, Women's Health
Posted in Being a Mom, Children, Family, Health, Natural Alternatives, Parents, Press and Media, References, Women's Health | No Comments »
Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
The easiest way to avoid or reduce your exposure to chemical coloring is simply to avoid a lot of processed food. Check your gluten-free labels always.
FD&C on a label means the FDA allows the dyes to be used in food, drugs and cosmetics. Sometimes you’ll see FDA Red 40 or FD&C Red 40, so these are just 2 ways the labeling is used.
The FDA allows nine synthetic color additives to this date despite consumer advocacy groups showing mass evidence of the 2 dyes; Red 40 and Yellow 6 linked to hyperactivity, hence attention disorders.
Also, the term artificial colors means “dyes from plants and minerals”, not a synthetic source. Two of these are caramel (used in cola) and annatto extract from a tropical seed and used in some cheeses to make the color desired.
Click here to read Part 1 on how chemical food dyes are linked to hyperactivity.
Tina Turbin
www.TinaTurbin.com
Tags: adhd, Chemical food dyes, Children, consumer safety, food dye, food dye link to hyperactivity, hyperactivity, hyperactivity in children, quality of life, red 40, tina turbin humanitarian, Tina Turbin researcher, yellow 6
Posted in Advice, Being a Mom, Children, Cooking, Health, High Quality of Life, Motherhood, Parents | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011
Chemical dyes are in all types of foods and despite evidence of some of them wreaking havoc; the FDA has allowed them to remain on the “safe list”.
Manufacturers like to use them due to their capabilities to enhance foods, gums etc. The results are vivid, consistent and very appealing.
The FDA monitors the production of nine synthetic color additives they consider safe. Consumer advocacy groups have linked two of these dyes, Red 40 and Yellow 6, to hyperactivity in many children.
It is said that sometime in late 2010 the European Union will require any product containing these dyes to be labeled as such “May have an adverse effect on activity or attention in children”. Some companies in Britain have already phased them out.
Tina Turbin
www.TinaTurbin.com
Tags: adhd, Chemical food dyes, Children, consumer safety, food dye, food dye link to hyperactivity, hyperactivity, hyperactivity in children, quality of life, red 40, tina turbin humanitarian, Tina Turbin researcher, yellow 6
Posted in Being a Mom, Children, Health, High Quality of Life, Parents, References | No Comments »
Sunday, February 13th, 2011
Below is a little teaser of a recipe from a soon to be released book, Gluten Free Cookies by Luane Kohnke. You will have an opportunity to read the review of many tested recipes we will be doing out of her book over the next two months. So check back soon!
Enjoy and Happy Valentines Day, Tina
Gluten Free Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs
Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch
2 1/2 tablespoons tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons almond flour
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
Makes 48 to 60 cookies
I developed this recipe for my friend Gail. She was diagnosed with celiac disease late in life, and really missed her sweets. She told me that these cookies reminded her of the sugar cookies her grandmother made.
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, sift together brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Whisk in almond flour. Set aside.
2. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and sugar. Set mixer speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla extract and egg. Beat until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Divide dough into quarters, and wrap each quarter in plastic wrap or wax paper. Chill for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment.
4. Roll dough, one quarter at a time, between sheets of wax paper, to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut with heart-shaped cookie cutter, dipping cookie cutter in brown rice flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour to aid cutting.
5. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. If dough becomes too soft to reroll easily, return it to the refrigerator or place it in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, until it is firm enough to reroll. Sprinkle cookies with granulated sugar, demerara sugar, or gluten-free sanding sugar.
6. Bake until edges are pale golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes.
7. Transfer cookies, still on parchment, to wire racks to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Recipe taken from Gluten-Free Cookies by Luane Kohnke
(978-1-4162-0623-1; $18.95; Pub date: March 2011; Sellers Publishing; 50+ full-color photos, Hardcover)
Author Bio:
Luane Kohnke has been an accomplished gourmet cookie baker for more than 20 years. Her love for cookie baking began when she was nine years old, living on her family’s farm in Wisconsin, and she developed an interest in gluten-free baking about 15 years ago. Luane lives in New York City. For more information, visit www.luanekohnke.com.
Tina Turbin
www.TinaTurbin.com
Tags: celiac disease, gluten, Gluten-Free, gluten-free baking, gluten-free cookies, gluten-free diet, Gluten-Free Recipes, gluten-free valentine's treats, glutenfreehelp.info, luane kohnke, tina turbin, valentine's day cookies, valentine's treats
Posted in Baking, Being a Mom, Children, Cooking, Family, Gluten-Free, Health, High Quality of Life, Recipes | 9 Comments »
Thursday, January 20th, 2011
Congratulations to Tina Turbin!
Some people accomplish extraordinary things. When they do, it’s nice to recognize them and applaud them for their accomplishments. Tina Turbin is one of those people. She’s well known by many of you because of her involvement in the celiac community.
Who is Tina Turbin?
Tina is an activist in two main fields: 1) She actively works to make improvements in children’s literacy and education, and 2) She works diligently to raise awareness about celiac disease. She speaks regularly on these topics on national radio shows and writes articles and columns for a wide variety of publications and websites. You can learn more about Tina at http://TinaTurbin.com.
Why the “Congratulations!”?
Tina wrote the award-winning children’s picture book Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy. iSTORYTIME (the iPhone App Developer for Dreamworks) has recently signed to turn the DVD of this book into a children’s book app. This production is unique because its the first of its kind to have sign-language interpretation added for the deaf to assist this under-served population.
Imagination Publishing Group President Alan Wayne said, “I’m pleased to say that this is the first of many apps to be created through iStorytime for the Danny the Dragon series.” Profits from the sales of the Danny the Dragon DVD are donated to the Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf. Learn more about her books, DVD, and what she does to help celiacs at her website.
Congratulations Tina!
Connie Sarros
www.gfbooks.homestead.com
Tags: celiac, celiac disease, Children, children's author, children's books, Connie Sarros, danny the dragon, danny the dragon meets jimmy, gluten allergies, Gluten-Free, gluten-free diet, Health, kids, moms, tina turbin, tina turbin author, Tina Turbin researcher
Posted in Author, Children, Family, Gluten-Free, Press and Media, Tina's Book | 15 Comments »
Wednesday, December 8th, 2010
In studying women’s health issues and meeting women in my work, it’s clear that loneliness is not only not fun, but it’s actually unhealthy. Researchers have recently asked if people who are alone are at greater risk of dying, and studies are showing that they are—if they feel lonely.
Recent studies are confirming the negative health indicators associated with loneliness. One study found that drug use among young people was higher among those who said they were lonely. Older lonely people tended to have higher blood pressure and poorer sleep quality and were found to be more tense and anxious. Another study found that college freshmen with small social networks and who claimed to be lonely had weaker immune responses to flu vaccinations and higher levels of stress hormones in their blood.
“People with social support have fewer cardiovascular problems and immune problems, and lower levels of cortisol—a stress hormone,” says Tasha R. Howe, PhD, associate professor of psychology at Humboldt State University. Why is this? “We have always needed others for our survival. It’s in our genes. Therefore, people with social connections feel more relaxed and at peace, which is related to better health.”
Loneliness can be painful, but you can take steps to begin to widen your social horizons and feel connected to others in no time. Not only will you feel better emotionally, but you’ll be able to enjoy the positive health advantages that good friendship brings.
Tina Turbin
Tags: Friendship, girlfriends, helath, tina turbin, Women's Health, women's issues
Posted in Advice, Author, Baby Boomers, Being a Mom, Children, Friendship, Health, High Quality of Life, Managing Life, Motherhood, Natural Alternatives, Women's Health, Women's Issues | 21 Comments »
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
Shopping online can be quite a time-saver. You don’t have to get the kids or yourself ready—just plop in front of your computer in your pajamas with a cup of coffee and this season’s shopping list.
Online shopping will also help you save on money. You can often find great deals, like-new or new items for nearly fifty-percent off at stores like amazon.com and auction sites such as ebay.com. If you don’t like the price at one site, check out another. Sometimes you can even e-mail individual vendors and let them know you saw an item cheaper somewhere else and do some haggling to cut down on the price tag. You’ll also benefit from the fact that, unlike shopping around at the mall or a real-life store, you won’t find yourself tempted to buy other items not on your list just because they’re on sale or because they caught your eye as you were walking by.
Another benefit of shopping online is that you’ll be able to find items which are not sold at your favorite retailers or which are sold at extraordinarily high prices due to the fact that they’re special-ordered. That’s why I shop online for special gluten-free foods. Similarly, you’ll be able to find special items or things that are sold out at your local retailer. Can’t find that rug in blue anymore? Order it online.
Of course, there’s nothing like a fun trip to the mall or your favorite retailers, especially around the holidays. However, like more and more baby boomers are doing these days, check out online shopping before hitting the malls the next time you go shopping!
Tina Turbin
Tags: Advice, Baby Boomers, Being a Mom, Children, helpful tips, internet, moms, online shopping, shopping, tina turbin
Posted in Advice, Author, Baby Boomers, Being a Mom, Children, High Quality of Life, Managing Life, Organize, Uncategorized, Women's Issues | 24 Comments »
Wednesday, October 27th, 2010
There are so many reasons to dramatically cut down on television or to cut it out altogether. You’ll find in the end that your children will be much more likely to become avid readers and, as a result, perform better in school and in life. Instead of acting out the drama and degradation on popular TV, your kids will demonstrate the values you seek to pass on to them. You’ll also find your own productivity will increase, and oftentimes, a marriage will be sparked back to life by eliminating television. It may be a challenge at first to get used to your new lifestyle, but soon the benefits will be so rewarding that you’ll be too busy enjoying your higher quality of life that you won’t even think about the absence of television in it.
Tina Turbin
Tags: Advice, Family, family time, parenting, Parents, television, tina turbin
Posted in Advice, Author, Being a Mom, Children, Family, High Quality of Life, Motherhood, Parents | 33 Comments »
Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
Children’s literacy is one of the most important issues facing us today. Fortunately, many groups, organizations, and individuals are dedicated to reversing the staggering statistics. However, as hard as people are working to get kids reading, there are some kids—such as the visually- impaired ones—who get left out. Thanks to Stevie Wonder, though, visually-impaired literacy is getting some of the attention it deserves.
Stevie Wonder recently appeared before the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) of the United Nations urging for global copyright laws to be changed to the benefit of the 300 million print-reading-disabled global citizens, to whom millions of books are inaccessible to them as audiobooks due to the current copyright system.
According to the Huffington Post, the way the system is currently set up requires that many audiobook versions of the same work be produced, which carries a higher cost, the burden of which falls on the visually-impaired public. What’s more, some poor countries can’t even afford to make their own versions of works, so that they’re not available at all to their blind citizens.
Here is part of Wonder’s address, courtesy of The New Yorker:
“While I know that it is critical not to act to the detriment of the authors who labor to create the great works that enlighten and nourish our minds, hearts and souls, we must develop a protocol that allows the easy import and export of copyright materials so that people with print disabilities can join the mainstream of the literate world.”
“According to the AFP,” reports The New Yorker, “aides to Wonder said that just ‘five percent of printed materials and books are available in a readable form for the blind or visually impaired in industrialized nations, and just one percent in developing countries.’” You may wonder, as I certainly did, how come such a small amount of books get translated into formats accessible to the visually-impaired, such as Braille and audiobooks. Ian Crouch of The New Yorker interviewed Paul Schroeder, the Vice President of Programs and Policy at the American Foundation for the Blind to find out more about this issue.
According to Shroeder, while several developed countries have different copyright laws allowing books to be reproduced in Braille, audio, and electronic or large print, the materials must fulfill two limitations, first that the books only go to those who are unable to read print books due to a disability, and secondly that the books are made by “specialized format producers who work with people with print-reading disabilities.”
In the U.S. the copyright provisions, also known as the Chafee provisions after former Senator Lincoln Chafee, allow these specialized producers to reproduce books in formats that are accessible to people with print-reading disabilities. A problem arises, however, with the fact that the provisions don’t allow for export outside the U.S., a law that other counties have in common with us.
According to Shroeder, “We definitely want to see a treaty or other mechanism that allows books to be shared across borders for use by people with print disabilities.” Stevie Wonder’s advocacy work is in alignment with this goal.
It’s an inspiration to see other artists working on behalf of children who aren’t typically represented in the children’s literacy issue. After visiting with the bright children of Blossom Montessori School for the Deaf on my East Coast book tour, I released Danny the Dragon Meets Jimmy, the first book of my children’s book series, on DVD with a sign interpretation, and the profits are going to the causes of literacy and education. Now the DVD has been released by iStorytime, of Dreamworks and Shrek Forever After, as an app for the iPhone, iTouch, and iPad. I hope to see other artists and individuals follow in Stevie Wonder’s example by championing causes that are special to them, and I look forward to seeing progress in developing a global system whereby the millions of visually-impaired are able to enjoy the books we ourselves are lucky to have access to.
Tina Turbin
www.TinaTurbin.com
Resources:
New Yorker: Stevie Wonder and Books for the Blind http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2010/09/stevie-wonder-and-books-for-the-blind.html#ixzz10K3xYhi1
Huffington Post: Stevie Wonder To UN: Ease Copyrights For The Blind http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/20/stevie-wonder-to-un-ease-_n_732281.html
Tags: american sign language, asl, asl books, asl literature, asl story, Authors, beginning readers, book, books, caregivers, child, Children, children books, children books publisher, children contests, children pages, children picture books, children sites, children stories, children websites, children's books, children's literature, childrens, childrens stories, danny the dragon, danny the dragon meets jimmy, deaf, deaf dvd, deaf literature, deaf story, deaf storybooks, deaf video, deaf videos, dragon, dragons, dvd, early childhood education, education, handicapped, home school, Home Schooling, homeschooling, Illustrated Books, illustrators, kid's asl, kids, kids books, kids contests, kids pages, kids sites, Kids Stories, kids websites, kindergarten, multimedia, parenting, parents choice, picture books, Pro-Visually Impaired Global Copyright Laws, read, Read to children, reading aloud, reading to children, sign, sign book, sign books, sign dvd, sign language, sign literature, sign video, steve wonder, Storybooks, tina turbin, tina turbin humanitarian, video, videos, Writers
Posted in Artists, Author, Children, Parents, Press and Media, Tina's Book | 28 Comments »
Monday, August 16th, 2010
How can you find out if YOUR child should be tested for celiac disease?
WebMD Health News recently published a questionnaire that you can use to find out if your child has celiac disease and needs to be put on a gluten-free diet. According to the article, at least half of children with celiac disease NEVER get diagnosed, leaving them suffering from the painful physical and mental symptoms of the disease.
Instead of indiscriminately administering a blood test to kids, now we can narrow down the children who need to be tested by asking them five questions:
1. Has your child ever suffered from abdominal pain more than twice during the last three months?
2. Has your child ever had diarrhea lasting more than two weeks?
3. Does your child have a tendency to firm and hard stools?
4. Does your child gain enough weight?
5. Does your child gain enough height?
Check out the link below!
http://tinyurl.com/yl5fgbc
Tina Turbin
www.GlutenFreeHelp.info
Tags: celiac, celiac and children, celiac and kids, celiac diagnosis, celiac disease, celiac in children, celiac in kids, easy celiac diagnosis, gluten, Gluten-Free, gluten-free diet, Tina Turbin researcher
Posted in Advice, Being a Mom, Children, Gluten-Free, Health, High Quality of Life, Managing Life, Motherhood, Parents, References | 8 Comments »
