How to Make Halloween Less Scary for Food Allergies

Two-year-old Lee Beal gets ready to celebrate a food allergy free Halloween.

Courtesy of Tyffani Tucker

 For two-year-old Lee Beal, the scariest part of Halloween isn’t a ghost or a goblin. It’s the candy.

According to Tyffani Tucker, little “L.B.’s” mom, the Arkansas toddler is allergic to milk, eggs, soy, peanuts and tree nuts.

“One small bite of a candy bar could send him into anaphylactic shock,” Tucker said.

Now thanks to the new Teal Pumpkin campaign sponsored by the allergy awareness group Food Allergy Research & Education, L.B. and other kids who live with allergies will be able to trick-or-treat with less worry about life-threatening allergic reactions.Pumpkins painted the color teal — the color of food allergy awareness — alert parents that a house will give out small toys instead of candy to children with allergies. It’s a simple gesture that can have a big impact, said FARE spokeswoman Veronica LaFemina.

“That moment when you see a child get to have a treat that they don’t have to trade out or give away is really something special,” she said.

The idea started with a Tennessee allergy group last year, LaFemina said. It was such a hit, the organization decided to roll out a national campaign starting this year for the one in 13 American children diagnosed with food allergies.

Some non-food items still contain allergens, so FARE cautions participants to choose candy-free alternatives carefully. Play-Doh, for example, contains wheat. And some toys are made of latex which can also cause allergic reactions.

Acceptable allergy-free tricks and treats include glow sticks, pencils, stickers and plastic vampire fangs. Houses and apartments that don’t have a pumpkin can download teal pumpkin posters from the FARE website.

This year L.B. is dressing up as Brobee, his favorite character from the kid’s TV show, “Yo Gabba Gabba.” Tucker said he is beyond excited at being able to join his four older siblings on their trick-or-treat rounds through the neighborhood.

“We just want people to know that we’re not asking people to stop giving out candy,” she said. “We are asking them to give kids with food allergies another option so they have something they can look forward to on Halloween too.”

 By LIZ NEPORENT

Summer-Haters Get Happy as Days Get Shorter

A Variation on Seasonal Affective Disorder for Those Who Like It Cold

 Many people get the blues as winter sets in. They experience rolling back the clock to end daylight-saving time and commuting home in the dark as a downer.

Not so for Travis Hare. “I prefer colder temps and shorter days,” says Mr. Hare, co-principal of a Washington, D.C., marketing and public-relations firm. The 34-year-old hikes in the snow, vacations in Iceland and regards a day at the beach as a hot, sweaty bore. “The only time I like things hot is when I’m having coffee—preferably when it’s cold outside,” he says. “People complain about snow, while I hope every potential flake turns into a blizzard.”

A small, quiet minority of people actually cheer up and draw energy from the long, dark days of winter. These summer-haters, as one study calls them, are miserable and restless from May through September, when others are overjoyed to be getting outside. “It’s a lonely world for people like us,” Mr. Hare says. Recent research is shedding light on the possible causes of the summer blues and ways to cope.

Jim Dailakis shoveled snow in February 2011. Recently the New York City resident said after temperatures dropped below 60 degrees, ‘I am so happy.’ Aracelli Lopez-Lavalle

More than 9 in 10 people notice seasonal changes of mood and behavior to some degree, according to the most often-cited U.S. survey on the topic, a 1989 study of 416 Maryland residents. A minority have disruptive seasonal mood swings that go beyond feeling uncomfortable on hot summer days, or having a general preference for inactivity. Psychiatrists and psychologists distinguish people with seasonal mood syndrome from others based on whether they become depressed and experience specific changes in their mood, energy, sleep patterns, appetite, food preferences and socializing during the same months year after year.

People whose seasonal mood swings are at the extreme end of the spectrum are regarded as having seasonal affective disorder. About 5% of the population is afflicted between November and March by the winter version of SAD, marked by recurrent depression, says Norman Rosenthal, a clinical professor of psychiatry at Georgetown University Medical School and co-author of the Maryland study. Another 15% of the population has a milder version of winter SAD.

Those with summer SAD, about 0.7% of the population, become depressed between May and September and experience agitation, insomnia, decreased appetite and weight loss, says Dr. Rosenthal, author of “Winter Blues,” now in its fourth edition.

Dr. Rosenthal says he has seen people with winter depression become afflicted later on with the summer blues too, leaving them depressed in both seasons. But winter depression rarely goes away completely unless a person moves to a much sunnier climate. Little research has been done on summer SAD sufferers, and reliable data on the number with the milder version of summer SAD aren’t available.

Researchers believe the winter version is caused by disruption of melatonin, the hormone that regulates circadian rhythms, or serotonin, a brain chemical that mediates mood. Summer depression, however, is “a much less well-understood and more enigmatic condition,” Dr. Rosenthal says.

Travis Hare, a Washington, D.C., marketing executive who prefers cold months to warmer months, made a vacation visit to Thingvellir National Park in Iceland. Kendra Rubinfeld

Summer-haters may be averse to heat and humidity. The incidence of depression in India is higher in summer than winter, says a 2012 study of 508 Indians and 862 Italians. That may be because the last part of summer in India is very humid and uncomfortable, says the study, published in Comprehensive Psychiatry. Italians displayed more symptoms of the winter blues, likely because Italy sees colder temperatures and earlier sunsets than in much of India.

Allergies to pollen are another possible culprit. Those allergic to pollen tend to have higher rates of summer depression, according studies in 2007 and 2012 led by researchers at the University of Maryland at Baltimore.

Some people may have physiological triggers, such as hating to sweat, says Jaap Denissen, a professor of developmental psychology at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. He was lead author of a large 2008 study showing people’s moods react sharply to changes in the length of the day.

Seasonal mood swings may be most pronounced in teens. A surprising 1 in 4 adolescents was classified as “summer haters” who often feel anxious or angry on warm sunny days, according to a 2011 study of 497 teens and their mothers led by Theo Klimstra, an assistant professor of developmental psychology at Tilburg University.

Dr. Klimstra says adolescents’ moods tend to be more volatile. Also, some of the teens were surveyed during June, when school was in session. They may have been frustrated by having to sit in classrooms on pleasant summer days.

Jim Dailakis cites several factors in his summer blues. The New York City actor and comedian dislikes heat and humidity, pollen makes him sneezy and miserable and he hates “sweat-drenched clothes sticking to you.” Descending into the New York City subway in summer triggers a primal response: “It’s like Satan’s basement.”

 Forget the “winter blues:” A significant minority of people actually cheer up and gain energy as the days get shorter. Sue Shellenbarger discusses with Tanya Rivero. Photo: Video Blocks.

Mr. Dailakis drops 4 or 5 pounds every summer. To get a meal down, he says he sometimes showers and eats dripping wet in front of his open refrigerator. He breaks his summer lethargy by forcing himself to go to the gym. He also plans twice-a-year visits to his family in Perth, Australia, during fall and winter there. “People think I’m crazy and often ask why I don’t do it the other way around, so I can have summer all the time,” he says.

Therapists often treat winter depression with light therapy to compensate for the delayed sunrise, bringing circadian rhythms back in sync and helping to improve mood, says Michael Terman, president of the Center for Environmental Therapeutics in New York. There’s little evidence that the summer blues reflect a shift in circadian rhythms, he says.

People with the summer blues often show “instantaneous ups and downs” in mood, Dr. Terman says. They may feel fine in air-conditioned space, only to turn gloomy again when they go outdoors. This may reflect an inability to regulate the body’s response to temperature changes, says Dr. Terman, co-author of “Reset Your Inner Clock.”

Such symptoms make it hard socialize outside in the summer, leaving summer-haters feeling like outcasts. Mr. Hare, the Washington marketing executive, attends an occasional barbecue, but he’s usually too uncomfortable to enjoy himself.

“The weather people drive me crazy because they have the idea that the whole population on the planet likes the same weather,” Mr. Hare says. “ ‘It’s going to be a beautiful 90-degree day and sunny!’ they say. To me that sounds like the worst thing in the world.”

Dr. Rosenthal says some people shake the summer blues by taking long swims in a cool lake. Jephtha Tausig-Edwards, a clinical psychologist in New York, urges patients to avoid becoming isolated and to plan activities with family or friends to cool off, such as a movie or ice-skating. For sustained depression, antidepressants can help, and Dr. Terman advises therapy for any related emotional and social problems.

Christina Rosas Anastasiou of Los Angeles says she felt depressed every summer for years without knowing why. The 36-year-old sales consultant says she felt bad turning down friends’ invitations to go to the beach because it was too hot and uncomfortable for her. In the winter she felt good, though, and took up ski trips with friends. She says she realized last year that her summer blues “had nothing to do with my mind. It was my body.”

Last summer, a client invited her to Juneau, Alaska, to do sales and public-relations work for his business. “I had the best summer of my life,” she says. “I basically found where I’ll go every summer until I die.”

By

Sue Shellenbarger

How You Make Decisions Says a Lot About How Happy You Are

‘Maximizers’ Check All Options, ‘Satisficers’ Make the Best Decision Quickly: Guess Who’s Happier

I was witness to a tricky marital exchange last week, when my sister and her husband were trying to name their new red Labrador puppy.

Rachel had spent hours trolling for ideas on the Internet and polling friends and family. Days later, she had dozens of monikers in the running—Valentino, Fonzie, Holden, Simba, Brandy Junior (named for our beloved childhood spaniel) and Olivia Newton John (don’t ask).

Finally, Rachel’s husband, J.J., interrupted: “Let’s just call him Jimmy.”

Psychology researchers have studied how people make decisions and concluded there are two basic styles. “Maximizers” like to take their time and weigh a wide range of options—sometimes every possible one—before choosing. “Satisficers” would rather be fast than thorough; they prefer to quickly choose the option that fills the minimum criteria (the word “satisfice” blends “satisfy” and “suffice”).

“Maximizers are people who want the very best. Satisficers are people who want good enough,” says Barry Schwartz, a professor of psychology at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and author of “The Paradox of Choice.”

Dr. Schwartz has developed a 13-level test to assess a person’s decision-making orientation. Each statement is scored on a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The higher your score, the more of a maximizer you are.

Decisions, Decisions …Most people fall somewhere in the middle. A person can maximize when it comes to some decisions and satisfice on others.

In a study published in 2006 in the journal Psychological Science, Dr. Schwartz and colleagues followed 548 job-seeking college seniors at 11 schools from October through their graduation in June.

Across the board, they found that the maximizers landed better jobs. Their starting salaries were, on average, 20% higher than those of the satisficers, but they felt worse about their jobs.

“The maximizer is kicking himself because he can’t examine every option and at some point had to just pick something,” Dr. Schwartz says. “Maximizers make good decisions and end up feeling bad about them. Satisficers make good decisions and end up feeling good.”

Dr. Schwartz says he found nothing to suggest that either maximizers or satisficers make bad decisions more often.

Satisficers also have high standards, but they are happier than maximizers, he says. Maximizers tend to be more depressed and to report a lower satisfaction with life, his research found.

The older you are, the less likely you are to be a maximizer—which helps explain why studies show people get happier as they get older.

“One of the things that life teaches you is that ‘good enough’ is almost always good enough,” Dr. Schwartz says. “You learn that you can get satisfaction out of perfectly wonderful but not perfect outcomes.”

Dr. Schwartz says he found men are no more or less likely than women to be either satisficers or maximizers. He hasn’t researched whether people tend to pair up with mates who have similar, or opposite, decision-making styles—or how they make decisions with a partner.

People with opposite styles might be better off together because they balance each other out, he theorizes. Standards will be high, but decisions will get made. “If you are both maximizers, neither of you will be able to relinquish your standards,” Dr. Schwartz says.

David Gerzof Richard makes quick, decisive choices. His wife, Brooke, likes to research every option. The spouses, who live in Brookline, Mass., say they didn’t learn to make decisions together until after an event early in their marriage that they refer to as “the car.”

Mr. Richard, 39, a marketing professor and public relations executive, decided the couple needed a new car to replace their old one. He spent a few days researching SUVs, found a good deal on an Audi Q5 and signed the lease—without telling his wife.

“I knew that bringing her into the conversation about it up front was going to take way too long, and we would miss the deal,” he says. “So I pushed the button.”

Ms. Richard wasn’t happy when he told her. At her insistence, the spouses spent the weekend test-driving five more cars.

“I was irritated because even though it was a very nice car, it was still a big decision, and a shared car that we were going to use together in the future when we have kids,” says Ms. Richard, a 36-year-old furniture designer.

The couple stuck with the Q5—Ms. Richard agreed that it remained the best deal—but they both learned something about how their decision-making styles could complement each other’s. “I will say, ‘Let’s get moving on this,’ ” Mr. Richard says, “and she will say, ‘Slow your roll.’ ”

“His decision-making makes it so we can get it done faster and don’t lose opportunities,” Ms. Richard says. “And my decision-making makes sure we are truly not forgetting to consider what is important.”

In most cases, whoever cares most about the result should choose, Dr. Schwartz says. This isn’t the same as always letting the maximizer decide.

If the maximizer is paralyzed with indecision, it can work best if the satisficer chooses, Dr. Schwartz says. Many mismatched couples find it helps to let the person with the higher standards decide—lest the satisficer pick something that isn’t up to the maximizer’s standards.

Either way, couples should talk about the decision and narrow down the possibilities together. “Once you have narrowed the list from your point of view, what does it matter if your ridiculously perfectionist spouse chooses?” Dr. Schwartz says.

Rob Ynes creates spreadsheets when he makes major decisions. His wife, Mary Ellen, prides herself on being able to decide on a new car, children’s names—“Even shoes!” she says—with little or no deliberation.

“I see it, I consider a few options and bam!—within minutes, a decision and most likely a purchase is made,” says Ms. Ynes, a 50-year-old public relations representative in Redwood City, Calif.

During a recent kitchen renovation, they worked through design decisions together, but then disaster struck. Just before the backsplash was going to be installed, they learned the Italian stone they had selected was out of stock. “Panic set in,” Ms. Ynes says. “Rob began to furiously call around to the different tile stores and search online for an exact replica of the stone that we could no longer have.”

Mr. Ynes, 54, a certified public accountant and chief financial officer at a consumer-goods company, says, “I have learned in my profession that I need to make decisions that will stand up to scrutiny and the test of time. It is hard to separate that from my personal life.”

After 48 hours, Ms. Ynes looked at several samples and quickly picked one. “Decision made. Move on,” she says. “I think that in situations like this, compromise truly is the best and cheapest lawyer,” she says.

A day later, though, her husband found the tile the couple had chosen originally—and that is what is being installed. “I am willing to put in a little extra time and make sure it’s something I really want to live with,” Mr. Ynes says.

As for the puppy, my 6-year-old nephew came up with a possible tie breaker: “Let’s call him Lightning McQueen!”

By

Elizabeth Bernstein

Tip for Tuesday….Children and Technology

Children and Technology

Technology’s influence can be felt in every aspect of our lives, but it is especially apparent in the way we communicate with one another. On a basic level, typewriters have become laptops, landlines have become cell phones, and letters have become emails. A quick question can be answered with an even faster text. If a long-distance phone call won’t suffice, then FaceTime is always an option. But how do all these changes in the way we communicate affect our children?

In an ideal world, the impact of technology on children would be completely positive. However, a recent UCLA psychology study found that children’s social skills may be declining as they spend more time in front of a screen and less time interacting with their peers. “The displacement of in-person social interaction by screen interaction seems to be reducing social skills,” said Patricia Greenfield, senior author of the study.

For most parents, the combination of technology and young children has been an absolute blessing. An argument between siblings is resolved by a favorite TV show. A fussy child in a restaurant is quieted by a familiar iPad. But could these simple, life-saving solutions be causing more harm than good? According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, excessive media use can lead to attention problems, struggles in school, sleep and eating disorders, and obesity. For these reasons, the AAP recommends that parents limit the amount of technology affecting children. Young children and teenagers should be limited to one or two hours of media per day, while infants and children under the age of two should avoid media entirely.

Unfortunately, most parents probably don’t realize how much time technology and young children spend together. They may remember the short TV shows or educational iPad apps, but there is often a bit of a cognitive disconnect when it comes to the overall daily total. In a case study conducted by The Learning Habit, most parents reported that their child used between one and two hours of media per day. However, when all devices, including TV’s, iPads, game consoles, cell phones, and computers, were taken into account, the total was much closer to six hours per day. That’s 42 hours per week!

With proper parental supervision, technology can be used for entertainment, communication, and education. It can allow children to master their ABC’s, learn a new language, and expand their horizons. Just remember that the impact of technology on children is very real and shouldn’t be ignored.

Ebola: What Does It Do Inside the Body?

Ebola attacks a type of cell in blood vessels. Can early treatment help improve chances of survival?

http://www.wsj.com/video/ebola-what-does-it-do-inside-the-body/B4D647BA-2383-4C85-8250-21F89C899559.html

How to Stay Fit When You’re Recovering From a Workout Injury

What’s Your Workout

There are a Variety of Exercises That Can Protect the Injury During the Rehabilitation Process

Jon Beason, a linebacker for the New York Giants, used a Thera-Band to exercise his injured foot.

An injury can instantly throw off a workout routine and cause fitness levels to spiral downward. But an injury doesn’t have to mean no exercise at all.

“Modified exercise is important,” says Jon Schriner, the medical director for the Michigan Center for Athletic Medicine in Flushing, Mich. Typically, sports doctors and physical therapists will evaluate how an injury occurred, identify weaknesses and technique errors, and then almost immediately come up with a structured exercise plan, he says. “Without structure, most people will repeat the pattern of injury, or return to activity before the injury is resolved, therefore risking reinjury.”

Dr. Schriner says there are a variety of therapies that can protect the injury during the rehabilitation process, including water exercises, Thera-Bands, stretches, and resistance exercises. “A structured program is key for the patient to learn, progress, and see the light at the end of the tunnel,” he says.

Lewis Maharam, who has a sports medicine private practice in New York, says cross training such as abdominal work and upper-body strengthening is important to continue while working through an injury He suggests people getting over lower body injuries keep up their cardio with pool workouts. “Buy an AquaJogger, a belt that helps keep you buoyant, and join a pool workout or just run in the pool,” he says. “Start with water at a higher level, which puts more resistance on the body as you move forward through the water, and then graduated to running in lower water depths.”

—Jen Murphy

CDC: life expectancy in the US reaches record high

Where you live can play a large role in how long — and how well — you live. See this state-by-state ranking of healthy life expectancy, and find  out how your state might affect your health.

Hawaii is not only a tropical paradise known for surf, sand and stunning vistas, but also it’s the state where Americans live the longest, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Other states also famous for their outdoor lifestyles, such as mountainous Colorado, also boast long-living residents, the data reveal. (Above, all the states, ranked by healthy life expectancy.)

There’s good news for everyone, though. Americans in every state are living longer, according to the latest life expectancy report from the CDC, released this week.

In 2012, the most recent year for which data are available, life expectancy reached an all-time high of 78.8 years, across all states and genders. For women, life expectancy was 81.2 years; for men, 76.4, the same gender gap present in the 2011 data, the CDC said in a release.

Overall, this figure is astonishing, Elizabeth Arias, a statistician with the National Center for Health Statistics, told NPR. In just 112 years, “we have seen an increase in life expectancy for females of 32.9 years and for males of 30.1 [years],” she said.

In 2012, the largest decrease in mortality was found in non-Hispanic black females, 2.3 percent. Non-Hispanic whites and blacks of either gender fared well overall.

The top 10 causes of death in the country remain the same as in 2011, with age-adjusted death rates decreasing significantly for eight of the 10 leading causes. Rates of suicide, an issue with a seasonal variance — suicide rates are known to spike in the late spring and early summer — increased significantly, the report said. Heart disease remained the top killer of Americans and also the most lethal disease in the world.

In a previous CDC report, statisticians found that healthy life expectancy — a measure of not just life, but quality of life — was generally lower in the South than the rest of the United States. This trend is on par with similar rankings from Gallup Healthways and other organizations fingering the Southern United States as the unhealthiest.

 

 

50 Uses for Coconut Oil

Do you have a bottle of coconut oil laying around? No? Go get some! This oil is extremely versatile. It is helpful around the home, has tons a natural health properties and more! If you don’t believe us, then just check out the list of all the amazing uses for coconut oil! You won’t be able to resist a quick trip to the store for this necessary addition to your house!

Cooking: Coconut oil has a high smoking point so it’s great for baking, stir-fries or as a replacement for butter. It’s subtle flavor is sure to compliment all your favorite recipes!

Supplement: Studies have shown that coconut oil supplements give our bodies an energy boost, which can actually spike our metabolism! Adding these supplements to our diet could actually contribute to weight loss.

Lotion: If you are looking for a pure, gentle way to nourish your skin, then coconut oil is a perfect option! The delicious flavor and light, non-greasy texture of coconut oil makes for a great basic lotion.

Deodorant: Hesitant to slather on the harsh chemicals found in most deodorants? Why not give coconut oil a try? It is gentle, pure, and just as effective!

Eye-Makeup Remover: It’s so important to be careful of what we apply to our sensitive faces! Coconut oil is a great substitute for make up removers. You can mix some in with your existing remover, or just use it on its own for a more natural option!

Anti-Aging: Smoothing those wrinkles can be such a challenge, but by adding some coconut oil to your anti-aging lotion, or even using a little oil on its own, you can create a mixture that is great for your skin!

Stretch Marks: If those stretch marks are putting a damper on your new-found pregnancy glow, then try rubbing them down with coconut oil for an all-natural solution.

Sunscreen: On its own, coconut oil has an SPF of 4, so try mixing it with your favorite sunscreen for some added benefits! The fresh smell alone should make it worth your while!

Yeast Infections: The acids found in coconut oil are natural anti-fungal, antiviral, and antimicrobial agents, so slather on some oil instead of that messy cream to treat those uncomfortable infections!

Massage Oil: No one is going to turn down a massage, and a coconut oil massage is a fantastic way to rub out the stress of a long week! The only stressful part will be talking your hubby into giving you a relaxing foot rub!

Ask The Expert: Are Kettle Cooked Potato Chips Healthier Than Regular Chips?

The Answer: The difference between kettle chips and standard potato chips is the cooking process. Whereas your basic bagged chip is fried in a conveyer-belt-like continuous process, kettle chips have a pre-industrial pedigree. They’re made in batches — dunk a bunch, take them out, dunk a bunch more. When a new batch of potatoes is added, it lowers the temperature of the oil, which means the chips take longer to cook, which results in their irregular shape, darkened parts and thicker texture.

But that’s about where the differences end.

If you compare a bag of kettle chips to a bag of regular potato chips, they’ll probably have nearly identical ingredient lists, and the same amount of fat, calories and carbohydrates. Once in your body, they’ll be broken down into sugar, set off a surge of insulin and cause excess sugar to be stored as fat. (Tasty browned edges or not.)

You could argue that kettle chips have a slight edge on account of the lower temperature of the oil, as the high temperature of conventional methods oxidizes the cooking oil, creating damaging free radicals. But that’s a pretty insignificant bonus. At the end of the day, a potato chip — fried, kettle cooked or even baked — is still a potato chip.

The Expert: JJ Virgin, a nutritionist and author of The Virgin Diet and The Virgin Diet Cookbook