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Autistic children who have difficulty interacting with peers have been finding comfort in a radical new therapy: hippotherapy, also referred to as equine (horse) therapy.

Children who have been diagnosed with autism, including Asperger’s Syndrome, are developmentally delayed in many areas, including communication and social interaction.

Support for Parents of Autistic Children

Symptoms of autism include:

• difficulty communicating, both verbally and nonverbally
• low attention span
• obsessive compulsive behavior, such as fixations on certain objects, repeating words or phrases, body rocking and hand flapping
• difficulty being in a group or social gathering
• avoidance of eye contact
• difficulty bathing, grooming, feeding and dressing oneself

What is horse therapy?

Equine therapy and therapeutic riding involve many different types of interactions with a horse or pony under supervision.

• patients are taught to observe the rhythmic motion of the horse’s gait, which is similar to our own
• students are taught various sitting positions for horse riding, including sitting upright, laying forward or backward, leaning sideways, riding while standing up in stirrups and riding without holding onto the reins.
• horse therapy is used by speech-language therapists, occupation therapists and physical therapists to work with autistic children and with teenagers who also have developmental or psychological difficulties

Autism, B12 and Your Child

The philosophy behind horse therapy

Most horse riding camps and equestrian areas offer equine therapy for children who are autistic or otherwise developmentally disabled. Therapists have found that interaction with horses releases a hormone called oxytocin; quite literally, there’s something about the smooth rocking motion of riding on a horse that relieves anxiety.

Autistic children who refuse to look a peer or social worker in the eyes have no qualms about staring a horse in the face while gently petting its bristly mane. For some, communication with horses becomes their first attempt at forming words or phrases.

What are the benefits of horse therapy?

Riding a horse is a multi-sensory experience which has many positive impacts on an autistic child’s physical and emotional development. Some benefits of horse therapy include:

• relaxing the muscles
• improved balance
• increased muscle strength
• improved hand/eye coordination
• increased sense of body awareness
• gives self confidence and control
• builds communication and socialization skills
• improves attention span
• teaches patience
• increased fine motor skills coordination
• builds sensory integration

Want to help an autistic child get horse therapy? The Horse Boy Foundation raises funds to send low income families with autistic children to therapeutic riding centers.

Also read:

Celebrities for Autism Awareness Month

10 Great iPad Apps for Autistic Children

Sources:

The Telegraph, Daily Mail, Healing Thresholds

Gastric bypass surgery, along with other forms of weight loss surgery (WSL), can be a life saving option for the morbidly obese, but it does have its drawbacks. Teens and adults alike risk losing bone mass and getting severe vitamin B12 deficiency or pernicious anemia, to name just a few potentially harmful side effects.

Teens and Weight Loss Surgery: Worth the Risk?

To the yo-yo dieter, the decision to undergo gastric bypass surgery might seem like that “golden ticket” she’s been searching for all her life, but the post-op reality is often far from the Cinderella-like fantasy she’s been indulging in.

Here are 10 mistakes often made by gastric bypass patients which you should know about before electing for bariatric surgery:

Mistake #1: Not taking your vitamins!

Gastric bypass patients are given a medication to inhibit the production of stomach acids which are essential for digesting vitamins such as vitamin B12. Often in the case that a doctor releases his weight loss surgery patient with the ill advise to take a daily chewable multivitamin, such as the type given to children. The reality is, if you decide to go under the knife for weight loss surgery, expect to make a lifelong commitment to taking a heap of WLS-approved chewable vitamins every day in order to prevent vitamin deficiency, anemia, neurological damage and, in extreme cases, death.

Mistake #2: Thinking your struggles with food are over!

Nothing could be further from the truth; the body may have gotten slimmer, but your brain still longs for the good old days of binge eating. Behavior modification and counseling is crucial for successful weight loss, whether you’ve lost the weight naturally or on the surgeon’s table.

Mistake #3: Thinking you will be slim and trim!

Weight loss surgery patients do lose an immense amount of weight, as promised, but don’t expect to look like Pamela Anderson anytime soon; the reality is, many gastric bypass patients don’t reach their intended goal, nor do they necessarily keep all of the weight off. And remember, all that excess skin doesn’t just shrink back into your body; weight loss surgery patients often resort to plastic surgery, either for cosmetic or health reasons, to have a tummy tuck, arm skin flaps (batwings) removed or facial skin tightened.

Mistake #4: Eating unhealthy foods

Just because you can no longer fit a triple-decker cheeseburger and fries into your now petite stomach doesn’t mean you should try. Weight loss surgery patients are often faced with the difficult challenge of choosing food wisely at parties, evenings out and other situations where the sky is the limit.

Mistake #5: Not staying hydrated!

Bariatric surgery patients run a serious risk of dehydration if they don’t drink 8 servings of water per day. Additionally, water is crucial for avoiding kidney stones or gall stones, an excruciatingly painful and common side effect of many weight loss surgeries.

Mistake #6: Snacking!

Gastric bypass surgery is effective because it prevents you from fitting a large amount of food in you tummy at one time; resist the impulse to consume small mini-snacks throughout the day, lest you find yourself back in your pre-surgery body.

Mistake #7: Not exercising!

Alas, it amounts to this: aerobic exercise and weight training are that unavoidable truth lurking behind every weight loss goal, and bariatric surgery patients are not exempt.  Physical exercise increases muscle, improves circulation, burns calories, provides energy and fights depression.

Mistake #8: Eating bad carbs!

Even small amounts of refined sugars and flours can put on the pounds.  Avoid white rice, starchy bread rolls and sticky sweets in favor of brown rice or barley, whole-grain breads or crackers and fresh fruits of the season.

 

Mistake #9: Drinking carbonated beverages!

Weight loss surgery patients are advised to avoid diet sodas and other bubbly drinks; many believe that they can inflate stomach pouch, reversing the effects of the surgery.

Mistake #10: Drinking alcoholic beverages!

Recent reports suggest that post-surgery, many gastric bypass patients develop a sensitivity to alcohol. Doctors recommend holding off on alcohol for at least one year after having any type of weight loss surgery.

 

Also read:

Should Kelly Osbourne Consider Gastric Bypass Surgery?

Gastric Bypass Surgery: Good for the Heart

Sources:

Gastric Bypass Truth

Kelly Osbourne has shed a lot of weight recently, and though she lost the pounds naturally, through diet and exercise, she’s considering gastric bypass surgery to keep the weight off.

Former star of The Osbournes, Kelly has risen to superstar status after appearing on Dancing with the Stars and securing for herself a role on the hit Broadway musical Chicago.

And no, she didn’t land the part of hefty Mama Morton, portrayed by Queen Latifah in the Oscar award-winning movie version of Chicago. The newly svelte Kelly, daughter of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, plays the sultry Velma character played previously by Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Gastric Bypass Surgery: Good for the Heart

Rumors that she underwent gastric bypass surgery in order to get the starring role are false and angrily disputed by Kelly, who gradually lost the weight under the public’s eye by following a healthy, low-fat diet and rigorous training for Dancing with the Stars.

But losing weight is one thing; any yo-yo dieter can tell you that the real challenge is keeping it off…for good; Kelly Osbourne is no stranger to yo-yo dieting, and her worst fears were confirmed when she returned home from a vacation recently to find that her new clothes were too tight on her and she’d gained 1 stone (14 pounds).

As the new face of Madonna’s Material Girl Collection fashion line, the pressure is on for Kelly to keep her new slim figure. Her mother Sharon underwent gastric bypass surgery and is reportedly satisfied with her results; she has said that, should her daughter opt for bariatric surgery, she would fully support her decision.

Physicians warn that gastric bypass surgery should only be considered as a last resort. Patients of weight loss surgery require a strict regimen of dietary supplements, including vitamin B12, in order to avoid symptoms such as vitamin B12 deficiency– a common side effect of bariatric surgery.

Also read:

Teens and Weight Loss Surgery: Worth the Risk?

Natalie Portman Chooses B12 over Veganism

Sources:

The Daily Mail, Road Runner, Jezebel, Show Stalker

As reported by Us Magazine, Pregnant Natalie Portman, Oscar winner for The Black Swan, has reportedly taken a leave of absence from her vegan ways; whether this change is permanent or just an extra precaution to deliver more vitamin B12 to her unborn baby remains to be seen.

The 29-year-old actress, who is expecting a child with boyfriend Benjamin Millepied, has always been an outspoken advocate for the vegan lifestyle, which excludes such vitamin B12 sources such as eggs, meat, milk products and fish. Ms. Portman made the decision to become Vegan after reading Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals in 2009, according to the Daily Mail.

Recent news, such as the death of an infant in France who was exclusively breast-fed by her vegan mother, has brought to light the health risks involved with vitamin B12 deficiency and anemia,  which are common risk factors of veganism.

Are Vegans in France Responsible for Breast-fed Baby’s Death?

Natalie, who called in on the Q100 Bert Show, admitted, “I know there are people who do stay vegan, but I think you have to just be careful; watch your iron levels and your B12 levels, and supplement those if there are things you might be low in in your diet.”

Oprah Pledges 7 Days to Vegan Challenge

Don’t expect to see Natalie heading for the steak house just yet, though; the Star Wars actress is following more of a traditional vegetarian diet, including eggs and dairy products which are rich sources of vitamin B12.

The symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include:

• Chronic fatigue;
• Depression;
• Feebleness;
• Short term memory loss;
• Aggression;
• Irritability;
• Numbness or tinging in hands and feet;
• Change in taste perception;
• Sleep disturbances;
• “Brain fog”

Left untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency could result in pernicious anemia, neurological damage or in severe cases, death.

Also read:

Benefits and Sources of Vitamin B12, and How to Avoid Deficiency

B12: Celebs Say it’s the New C

Sources:

Us Magazine, Babble, New!, OMG! Yahoo, Daily Mail, Herald Sun

April is National Autism Awareness Month.  Most of us know somebody who has been “touched” by autism, either a mom mainstreaming her child, diagnosed with Autism-Spectrum Disorder, into the public school system, a neighbor who teaches special ed classes for kids with autism, or perhaps a nephew with Asperger’s Syndrome.

Celebrities for Autism Awareness Month

Below is a list of various organizations which provide services, support and advice to parents of autistic children.

Autism Society

The Autism Society has been celebrating April as National Autism Awareness Month since the 1970s; their goal is to better educate the public about autism and the people it affects. The Autism Society site has many links to help you get actively involved in the community and support the rights of children with autism.

Autism-PDD

Find state-specific resources to help you find the appropriate educational services and community support available to you and your autistic child.  The Autism PDD site also includes disability resources, legal resources and financial resources.

Autism Research Institute

The Autism Research Institute offers information to families, educators and health providers about all the most recent scientific advancements regarding autism and innovative treatments and learning programs.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

The CDC site provides complete data about all the various types of autism, treatments and diagnoses;free literature, articles and kits can be accessed from their site.

Kids Health

Kids Health is a kids’ landing base for all things related to children with autism, and it’s organized in a straight-forward yet bright format with lots of kid appeal. Tweens and young adults can easily navigate this site to find out everything they might have been wondering about autism.

Daily Strength

The Daily Strength is an online forum for parents or educators of kids with autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder; their site also has links to related health blogs, expert advice and ongoing discussions.

Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks is a non-profit organization which funds autism research and raises public awareness about autism, in the interest of finding better treatments and a cure.

Also read:

This Autism Awareness Month, Embrace a Special Person

10 Great iPad Apps for Autistic Children

Autism, B12 and Your Child

In the dark about vitamin B12?  There are so many food sources and types of vitamin B that it can get confusing. What exactly is vitamin B12, what are its benefits, and what are the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency?

What is Vitamin B12?

• Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin which was first discovered when it was linked with pernicious anemia, an autoimmune disease.
• Vitamin B12 is also called cobalamin because it contains rare cobalt.
• Vitamin B12 is digested when hydrochloric acids in your stomach extract vitamin B12 from a variety of protein sources.
• Vitamin B12 then combines with intrinsic factor before being absorbed into the intestines.
• supplements; cyanocobalamin is also valued for its stability and low cost, and for that reason is often used as a food additive.

B12: Celebs Say it’s the New C

What are the benefits of vitamin B12?

Some of the main benefits of vitamin B12 have to do with maintaining a healthy nervous system, producing plenty of red blood cells, and decreasing our risk for developing cardiovascular disease:

• We need vitamin B12 for healthy nerve cells; vitamin B12 aids in conducting neurotransmitter activity between the brain and our many sensors. Also, vitamin B12 is beneficial in metabolizing fatty acids such as omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for building the myelin sheath, a set of proteins which protects our nerve cells.
• Vitamin B12 functions in production of red blood cells, which are essential for carrying oxygen throughout our bodies.
• Our bodies utilize vitamin B12 for cell metabolism, particularly in relation to (DNA) genetic material.
• Vitamin B12 regulates production of homocysteine; strong correlations exist between vitamin B12 deficiency, high homocysteine levels and increased risk of heart attack or other cardiovascular disease.

Getting Enough Vitamin B12? Three Reasons Why You Might Not Be

What are the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency?

There are many conditions which are associated with vitamin B12 deficiency. Some common symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are:

• Chronic fatigue;
• Depression;
• Tingling or numbness in hands or feet;
• Short term memory loss;
• Increased aggressiveness;
• Change in taste perception;
• Irritability;
• heart palpitations;
• Sleep difficulties;
• Imbalance, dizziness

Eating Your Way Out of Depression with B-12

Left untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency could lead to pernicious anemia or severe damage to the nervous system.

Where do you get vitamin B12?

• Vitamin B12 can be found in many protein sources; some good food sources for getting a healthy dose of vitamin B12 include lean chuck beef, oysters, clams and many other shellfish, dairy products like swiss cheese and yogurt, eggs, and fish, such as salmon and halibut.

Nine Healthiest Canned Foods: Many Contain Vitamin B12

• Vegetarians and vegans are particularly at risk for developing a vitamin B12 deficiency, as their diets strictly exclude the riches food sources of B12. Vegans are strongly advised to supplement their diet with homocysteine vitamin B12, in order to prevent B12 deficiency which could result in pernicious anemia or severe neurological damage.

On Becoming Vegan: Avoiding Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Others

• Some people lack the intrinsic factor needed to properly digest vitamin B12; individuals who suffer gastrointestinal diseases like Crohn’s or have had gastric bypass surgery cannot utilize vitamin B12 naturally and are  advised to supplement with B12.

Also read:

Pregnant Moms and Low B-12 Levels: Let ‘em Eat Steak!

Source:

Wikipedia

This Autism Awareness Month, celebrities all over Hollywood are doing their part to help fund research for autism; for many celebrities, autism is a personal battle, as some of their own children have been diagnosed with symptoms of autism.

Here is a list of celebrities who have been touched by autism:

Celebrities reaching out to spread autism awareness

Kate Winslet authored a collection of celebrity self-portrait photos by Ben Stiller, Jude Law, Christina Aguilera, Meryl Streep and many others.  Proceeds from The Golden Hat will go to Winslet’s charity for autism research organization, The Golden Hat Foundation.

The Lindt Gold Bunny Celebrity Auction on eBay gave people a chance to bid on a signature porcelain gold bunny signed by one of many celebrities. 100% of proceedings went to Autism Speaks, a non-profit organization which funds research, prevention and awareness efforts for children with autism. Celebrities who contributed include Jennifer Garner, Orlando Bloom, Celine Dion, Gwyneth Paltrow, Reese Witherspoon and many others.

Celebrities who have autistic children

Actress and Playboy model Jenny McCarthy‘s son Evan was diagnosed with autism; McCarthy is an outspoken activist against vaccines, believing that vaccines are responsible for giving her son autism.

R&B singer Toni Braxton‘s son Diesel was diagnosed with autism; Ms. Braxton is now an advocate for parents of children with autism.

Sylvester Stallone’s son Seargeoh was diagnosed with autism after his father noticed that he was having speech delays. Stallone organised the National Society for Children and Adults with Autism, a foundation for research on autism.

actress Holly Robinson Peete’s son RJ (Rodney Jackson) was diagnosed with autism; she and husband NFL quarterback Rodney Peete have set up HollyRod, a non-profit organization which helps parents of autistic children.

Celebrities who have been diagnosed with autism

Millionaire Bill Gates was diagnosed with Asperger’s as a child; many sufferers of Asperger’s experience social awkwardness but find comfort in focused hobbies such as math and computer science.

Actor Dan Aykroyd, famous for Ghostbusters and his Saturday Night Live skits was diagnosed with Tourette and Asperger’s syndrome. He has spoken openly about the struggles he faced as a child because of his neurological impairments.

Actress Darryl Hannah, best known for her shy, yet demure demeanor in films such as Splash and Blade Runner, was diagnosed as borderline autistic as a small child.

Albert Einstein, renowned genius and world-famous winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, would undoubtedly been diagnosed as a sufferer of Asperger’s had he been born today.

Also read:

This Autism Awareness Month, Embrace a Special Person

10 Great iPad Apps for Autistic Children

Sources:

Bright Hub, Celebrities with Diseases, Associated Content, Autism Speaks, The Golden Hat Foundation, The Lindt Gold Bunny Celebrity Auction

If you’re a woman who gets bad PMS (premenstrual syndrome), consider yourself in good company; about 3 out of every 4 women experience some of the symptoms of PMS, but only a third of all women ever receive treatment for PMS in the form of B vitamin therapy, food triggers or medical help.

What are the most common symptoms of PMS?

Some of the most common symptoms of PMS are bloating, depression, moodiness, food cravings and breast sensitivity. Symptoms of PMS occur about two weeks before the period even begins, making it that much harder to identify PMS as the instigator- for both you and your loved ones.

What triggers PMS?

That’s a good question! Many believe that PMS is influenced by a combination of hormones, neurotransmitters, stress and unhealthy diet. So many chemical reactions take place during PMS that it makes it difficult for scientists to pinpoint any one trigger for PMS.

Chronic Depression, Chronic Pain- It’s All the Same, say Experts

According to a study which was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, following a steady diet of foods high in vitamin B will lower your risk for suffering PMS.

Here’s what B vitamins can do to ease your PMS and have you smiling again- all month long:

• In the study, women were monitored for their intake of two B vitamins- vitamin B1 (thiamin) and vitamin B2 (riboflavin).
• Women who consumed high doses of both thiamin and riboflavin were found to have a significantly lower likeliness to suffer from PMS.
• Women who ate the most thiamin were 25% less likely to ever suffer from any symptoms of PMS.
• The test subjects who included more riboflavin than others were 35% less likely to suffer PMS than other women.
• Scientists believe that B vitamins help to prevent the onset of PMS by utilizing neurotransmitters in the brain.
• Riboflavin activates vitamin B6, which produced serotonin, a deficiency of which is known to cause depression, nervousness, binge eating and headaches.
• Thiamin regulates the neurotransmitter gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), a deficiency of which is known to influence anxiety.
• Thiamin-rich foods include fortified cereals, legumes and nuts.
• Good sources of riboflavin include eggs, dairy products like milk and yogurt (also good sources of vitamin B12), spinach and almonds.

Poor Diet Leads to Anemia for Postmenopausal Women, Research Confirms

What else can you do to prevent PMS?

Some more good diet tips for preventing the symptoms of PMS are reducing your salt intake and increasing your consumption of calcium, magnesium and vitamin B6.

Source:

The Globe and Mail, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

Teens who undergo weight loss surgery such as a gastric bypass may suffer loss of bone mass, say researchers.

As recently published in Pediatrics, a study which followed 61 obese teens who were subjected to gastric bypass surgery found that two years later, teens’ bone mineral content had decreased by over 7%.

Gastric bypass surgery involves reducing the stomach from the approximate size of a football to that of a golf ball by essentially pinching the stomach to size. Some common side effects of gastric bypass surgery include low bone mineral density, as well as vitamin B12 deficiency.

Gastric Bypass Surgery and Vitamin B12 Deficiency

The study was led by Dr.  Anne-Marie Kaulfers, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of South Alabama.  Dr. Kaulfers and her team were concerned about the future bone health of obese teens who undergo bariatric surgery; the adolescents included in this study had better than average bone mineral density before the surgery, but Kaulfers hopes  to track their bone health into adulthood.

Loss of bone mass is typical for patients of weight loss surgery, in adults as well as teens.

The study was conducted at the Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, and was part of their Teen-Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery Consortium program.

• The teenage study participants included 51 girls and 10 boys who underwent gastric bypass surgery.
• In most cases, bone mass density was measured before each surgery and every 3-6 months thereafter for 2 years.
• Bone mineral density “z scores” resulted in a decrease from 1.5 to 0.1, a normal z score being 0.  Low bone density would result in a negative score, explains Dr. Kaulfers.
• Scientists theorize that the bone loss could be a result of the actual weight loss itself, or could signal some hormonal changes taking place.

While the possibility of suffering low bone mineral density is a troubling one, researchers believe that the benefits of weight loss surgery, such as diabetes prevention, outweigh any negative side effects.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is another common side effect of gastric bypass surgery, as patients who undergo bariatric surgery have insufficient stomach acids to digest vitamin B12 properly.  Physicians strongly recommend that anyone who subjects himself to weight loss surgery and is diagnosed with low B12 supplement with vitamin B12.

Also read Gastric Bypass Surgery: Good for the Heart

Sources:

Los Angeles Times, USA Today,  MSNBC, ABC News, Bloomberg Businessweek, MedicinePlus, Press TV

The debate rages on regarding the possible link between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in kids and food dyes. The FDA recently announced a decision regarding the safety of artificial food colorings which are used for products such as Jell-O, children’s cereals, mac and cheese, and a host of other popular kids foods.

The FDA has concluded that there is no proven correlation between food colorings and side effects such as ADHD hyperactivity in children, claiming that insufficient evidence has been provided to back up such a claim.

The FDA has been receiving arguments from experts such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest, who would like to see certain artificial food colorings removed from children’s’ diets, saying that artificial food additives have a direct correlation with hyperactivity in children, pointing to Europe’s decision to cease using artificial food coloring ingredients and substitute with natural food dyes.

Even Frito-Lay has announced its decision to market a new line of snack foods made with natural food dyes and more natural ingredients, according to this ABC News report. However, Frito-Lay has also admitted that they do not plan to remove the characteristic florescent orange coloring from their Cheetos cheese snack.

Currently, the US approves the use of Citrus Red 2, Red 3, Red 40, Blue 1 and 2, Green 3 and Yellow 5 and 6. Numerous studies have proven that food coloring strongly enhances one’s enjoyment of foods.  A consumer taste test proved that the addition of flavorless artificial yellow food coloring to pudding gave it more of a banana flavor.

Michael Jacobson, who is the director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says they will continue to push for the banning of all artificial food colorings.

Explains Jason August, FDA’s Office of Food Additive Safety representative, “There were other factors in most of these studies that could have been the reason or could have gone hand in hand with the dyes to create these problems in these particular children, including preservatives.”

The FDA requests further research proving a link between artificial food dyes and hyperactivity in children before it will consider a ban on artificial food colorings.

Also read: It’s National Nutrition Month: Are You Eating Your 5 Colors a Day?

and Adult ADHD Could Lead to Dementia

Sources:

WFAA, New York Times, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Opposing Views, ABC News, Washington Post