In the midst of all the heated rhetoric coming out of the Presidential campaigns, it’s nice to get some news that brings us together – and lowers our blood pressure in the process. In a recent study, drawing on results from 20 other research projects, Australian scientists have found that eating some dark chocolate daily leads to a small drop in blood pressure. Cocoa products are rich in flavanols, plant compounds that help the body produce a substance to relax blood vessels. And researchers in Italy have found that eating … Continue reading
Helping Kids Feel Secure
The summer got away from us – one morning our grandsons were pitching sand balls into the lake, the next afternoon they were preparing their backpacks for school. Whereas Monday’s blog post focused on kids’ stress that comes from media coverage of trauma, there are lots of other situations that can make kids feel anxious – like the first day of school. Kids respond differently and the impact of any stressor depends on their personality, maturity, and coping mechanisms. Some have trouble explaining how they feel so it’s not always … Continue reading
How Kids Respond to Violence
I am just back from a three generation family vacation, five grandsons ages 6-11, and I had a front row seat watching the boys sing rap songs, climb mountains, tease each other. No little guys anymore. With the older ones almost as tall as I am, and knowing the vulnerability that comes with adolescence, I have concerns. How do we keep growing kids emotionally safe as they become interested in the world around them, especially when the news reports regularly cover mass murders, war casualties, and terror alerts? Studies show … Continue reading
Female Athletes of the London Olympics
With the Olympics being held in London this summer, we are reminded of how far we’ve come since the Duke of Wellington was said to have determined, “The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton,” referring to the discipline and strength men acquired playing sports as youths. Today young female athletes in the United States make use of the Title IX provisions to create a winning future for themselves as well. Women competing in the Games this year illustrate many of the character strengths identified in … Continue reading
