I find myself having a lot of conversations about food lately.  This isn’t entirely unusual, as it is one of my favorite subjects, but specifically I’ve been thinking about how confusing nutrition has become.  Between diets touting bullet-proof coffee, weight loss plans which sell processed foods, and confusing food packaging there are a lot of mixed messages when it comes to what’s best for our health.

Though I’ve always had an interest in nutrition I also have a a not so desirable habit of avoiding situations where I don’t know what to expect, so I’d never actually taken the time to visit a dietician.  Where does one find a dietician? How much does it cost? What can I expect at my visit? Curiosity got the best of me when I found out I could visit a nutritionist at MARTIN’S.

Here’s what I learned:

1. It’s not expensive. Turns out, you can see a registered dietician for almost free.  It may sound swanky to have a personal consultation with a nutritionist but really there’s no need for insurance, no need for tons of cash.  Visiting a nutritionist at MARTIN’S costs $20 for a one time consultation, but you receive a $20 gift card to MARTIN’S at your visit.  I don’t know many people who don’t need groceries, so this chalks up to a practically free visit in my book.

2. You can start with the basics. Labels confuse you? Serving sizes confusing? What’s good fat, bad fat and is there such a thing as in-between fat? You’re not alone if you’re confused by nutrition labels.  A MARTIN’S nutritionist has the advantage of being able to take you right out on the floor of the grocery store to talk labels and serving sizes of your favorite brands. No judgement coming from them, they’ll start wherever you are.

3. Good eaters can still learn something. Although I like to think I’ve got a better-than-average handle on nutrition, and I’m a pretty healthy eater, I still had holes in my diet (specifically calcium) that I didn’t think about until my nutritionist pointed them out to me.  I also learned that I should be incorporating a little more vitamin c to my morning breakfast as that helps me absorb the iron in the eggs.  I also realized I had slacked in reading nutrition labels, something I had done more diligently in the past. Even if you’re doing pretty well, a free(ish) visit with a professional might help you round out your diet a little better.

4. Good food is really pretty simple.  Somewhere down the line health seemed to get complicated. There are tons of fads out there and not just ones that raise eyebrows (like cricket flour for example).  It can feel very overwhelming.  A visit to a MARTIN’S Nutritionist won’t result in a new regimen of Cricket-Flour-Kale-Wheatgrass-Goji-Berry-Quinoa-Smoothies with a side of essential oils and gluten free, fermented sauerkraut… (sorry to disappoint). It’s not going to require you to spend a ton, or eat anything weird.  It’s good basic nutrition, small changes and healthier choices which can make a big impact on your health.

Here are a few tips for when you go:

1.  Come in with a goal.  Perhaps you hope to lose weight, have more energy, or just find out where you’re lacking and what you’re doing right. The personalized consultation is just that- personalized, a MARTIN’S nutritionist’s only agenda is to help you achieve your personal goals whatever those might be.

2. Track your eating the week before.  You don’t need to get too detailed, but keep an eye out for what you’ve been eating during the week, this will help your nutritionist get a better handle on where to start making better choices.  Same thing with any supplements you might be taking.

3. Write down a couple questions. Just like being at the doctor, you tend to forget your questions once you get there… then you find yourself during the week thinking “I should have asked about that” of course, you can schedule as many appointments as you’d like (and you’ll keep getting those gift cards) but you can make the most of your appointment if you don’t forget to ask about those specifics.

4. Don’t forget the children.  Sure, you might have a nice well rounded salad on the daily… But kids (and sometimes spouses) are notoriously picky eaters.  The MARTIN’S Nutritionists are armed with a few tricks of the trade to help you introduce new foods into their diet, they’ll help you find better alternatives to their pre-packaged favorites, tips on trying new things or meet with the kids for a kid-friendly lesson.

Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s some delicious lemon yogurt calling me…

Not ready to go it alone? Martin’s hosts classes for both kids and adults which you can learn about here.
Interested in making an appointment with a nutritionist at MARTIN’S?

Caroline Roessler, MS, RDN is in-store nutritionist for MARTIN’S in Midlothian VA call 804-794-7074 for an appointment.

Valerie Pulley, RDN is the in-store nutritionist at MARTIN’S in Short Pump on John Rolfe Parkway and Glen Allen. call 804-364-3644

Like this article? Check out these

Are Your Eating Habits a Mess? Here Are 14 Ways To Get On The Right Track

7 lessons I Learned from Going Gluten Free for One Month

Heart Health for the Whole Family

MARTIN’S is a sponsor of Richmondmom

Recently, my son was prescribed a medication that only comes in pill form.
Up until now, on the rare times we needed medicine, we could get it in liquid form, which was pretty easy to take even if you needed to chase it down with something else.
As it turns out, as many as 40% of American adults have trouble swallowing pills so for kids the process for learning how to swallow a pill can be daunting and frustrating.

My son started off in that nervous state. He didn’t want to take it because of the fear of gagging and  he was afraid that once the outer coating was gone that it would taste bad (and he was right).
Eventually though, we ended up with about a 1,000 high fives and a very, very proud kid who swallowed the medicine with little trouble at all.

So, with a little trial and error I decided to pass my experience along to you.

Practice Makes perfect

Practicing with the actual medicine can get frustrating.  The coating on the pill disappears after just a few failed attempts and the taste can start to make kids gag or get tense.

Candy is not only way more fun, and you don’t have to worry about the bitter taste.

We started with the ever so small Worlds Smallest Jawbreakers and moved up in size.  The meds we needed to take are ever so slightly larger than a Tic Tac so we figured if he could get an M&M down, we’d be able to get the meds down.

So, first things first, (and ignorant of how hard this was about to be) we tried the old fashioned way.

There are lots of methods for taking pills with water:

• Capsules float, so swallowing the pill with a glass of water and leaning forward may help getting the capsule to float closer to the back of your throat.
• Pills typically sink so tilting your head back when you swallow may help the water wash the pill down.
• Pop bottle method – using a water bottle to help take the pill (example here)
• Using a straw
• Continuously drinking water until the pill goes down
• Two sip method: taking a sip of water before putting the pill on your tongue and then a sip of water immediately after.

For those of us who have an easier time swallowing pills, it can be very difficult to explain the actual mechanics of it.  I found myself saying “you just swallow it”.
Helpful.  I know.

Needless to say, despite my wise words we had little success with water on day 1 and son retired to his bedroom with a slight stomach ache from too much water (then chocolate milk) and the adults took a break for a breather.

So, back to the drawing board.

Listen to Mary Poppins.

Day 2 we came a little more prepared.

Enter: Sugar.

Water we had found, wasn’t much help.  It was hard to gulp and didn’t do anything to hide the fact that there was a pill to be swallowed.

We decided our chasers had to be a little thicker and help mask the taste of the pill if we didn’t get it down on the first try.

What we used:

• Whip Cream
  I don’t know a kid out there who isn’t tempted to pour whip cream straight into their mouths, so we thought this would be a good place to start. It also requires kids to tilt their heads back.   He got down the jaw breaker but it was mostly by accident, they’re really small and he had his head back pretty far.  It wasn’t effective with an M&M for him but the whip cream is definitely worth a try.
• Pudding
  I suppose in the name of health, I’d be willing to give my son a nice big healthy dose of pudding on a daily basis.  He put the “pill” on his tongue with the pudding worked great with M&Ms.  We got three in a row.  He panicked when it came to the actual medicine but this method worked for the candy.
• Jello
  After the pudding came really close, I thought we might need something a little more slippery.  We bought cups of Jello and it worked Every. Single. Time.  It did take 3 tries when we moved on to the actual pill but the Jello masked the taste of the pill pretty well and the slippery quality made it easy to swallow whole unlike the pudding which he could divide in to smaller bites.

Tips to remember:

• Take a break. When things start getting negative, or emotional, it’s time to stop.  This is, of course, easier said than done.
• Start small, then move up.  Smallest candy first (Nerds even, if you want to) before moving to the bigger stuff.
• Visualization can help.  Before my son finally swallowed his medicine he looked at me and said “I’m pretending it’s just the tic-tac” and he did it.  Telling kids to imagine their throat is like a large cave might help too.
• Let them do their thing.  Seriously, it’s hard to do something new with someone staring you down going “did you do it?”.  I may or may not have made this mistake on day one.

Each morning we do a tic-tack first with jello, and then the pill after three successes. The whole process didn’t start smoothly but now it’s a lot less scary for him and less stressful for me.

Have any great tips that I missed?
Leave a comment below to share with our readers!

Did you find this post helpful? Share it with your friends!

Richmond city residents are encouraged to bring their kids along with shot records and insurance information to 400 East Cary Street to get all the necessary immunizations and physicals before the school year starts.

Services available at the Back 2 School Event:

• Vaccinations for daycare, and school-entry
• T-dap booster shots for rising 6th graders
• Physicals for Head Start and elementary school-entry

Walk-in: no appointment needed. Call 482-5500 for more information

If you can’t make the Back 2 School Event, visit the Weekday Immunization Clinic
400 E. Cary Street
Tuesday afternoons & Friday mornings
Walk-in or call for an appointment: 482-5500
School vaccination dates:
*Tuesday August 5, 12, 19, 26 & September 2
*Friday August 1, 8, 15, 22 & September 5

Back 2 School Event
Richmond City Health District
400 East Cary Street
FRIDAY, AUGUST 22nd 8 AM- 2 PM

The school year is coming up, and everyone wants to get off to the right start, but you may be overlooking an important exam in addition to your child’s back to school physical.

We contacted Dr. Inna Marcus, M.D. at the Virginia Eye Institute to tell us a little bit about the importance of getting an eye exam before starting school and a little bit of what to expect at your appointment.

Why are eye exams important before entering school?
It is important to identify vision problems before entering school for two reasons. The first is that poor vision can interfere with learning. Secondly, visual development occurs in early childhood and is completed in early adolescence. Visual development that is interrupted causes amblyopia, commonly called lazy eye. Amblyopia can be due to a need for glasses, the eyes are not aligned or something blocking vision like a cataract. Amblyopia responds best to treatment before age eight. Children with amblyopia who are diagnosed at an early age, preferably before starting school, have the best chance of improving their vision and having normal vision in both eyes throughout life.

How often and at what age should children get eye exams?
Screening for eye problems begins in the newborn nursery when children are screened by the the pediatrician for abnormalities caused by structural problems. This type of screening continues at well visits until age three when the visual acuity can be tested by having the child read an eye chart. Screenings should continue yearly throughout childhood. Any child who fails a screening, has suspected structural or eye movement problems, has medical problems associated with eye problems or has a family history of eye disease should be referred to an eye doctor for a complete exam.

What can parents and kids expect from a routine eye exam?
A complete eye exam, sometimes called a routine eye exam, has five components.
1. Comprehensive history about any eye problems, medical problems and family history of eye problems.
2. Testing the visual acuity with an age appropriate method (ie. matching for younger children and lines of letters for older children).
3. Evaluation of depth perception and muscle balance including tracking and the ability of the eyes to work together.
4. Structural exam of the pupils, eye surface and inner structures including the lens, optic nerve and retina. The pupil must be dilated with special eye drops to allow the doctor to see the inner eye structures. This part of the exam can identify important problems like cataracts, retinoblastoma, coats disease and optic nerve problems.
5. Refraction which is the measurement of the glasses prescription which reveals the ability of the eye to focus light and project a clear image on the retina. Nearsightedness, astigmatism and high farsightedness make the vision  blurry. Children should have the refraction done after dilation which relaxes the the eye. Before dilation the lens, which is very flexible in children, can flex to focus light and give a false refraction. This can result in a glasses prescription that can cause eye strain and headaches.

What are some signs of a vision problem that parents should look out for?
Most children show no signs of vision problems which is why screening is very important. Some signs of eye problems include eye drifting or crossing, squinting, and tilting or turning the face to look at things.

Virginia Eye Institute has 10 offices throughout Central Virginia and services areas including Richmond, Hanover, Henrico, Chesterfield, Colonial Heights, Prince George, Petersburg, and New Kent.
VEI provides treatment for an entire range of ophthalmic needs, including cataract surgery, retinal disorders, glaucoma care, corneal disorders, pediatric eye care and adult strabismus, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, LASIK and refractive surgery, neuro-ophthalmology, optometry, as well as optical shops for glasses or customized contact lenses

Get 30% discount off eyeglasses, sunglasses & accessories and 10% off contact lenses at VEI with the Richmondmom.com Savvy Saver app (or just print off the page and bring it in!)

Dr. Inna Marcus, M.D. specializes in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus, including amblyopia, ocular motility disorders, pediatric cataracts and glaucoma.  She received her Doctorate of Medicine from New York University following her undergraduate studies at Columbia University.  Dr. Marcus completed her ophthalmology residency at Yale University, and she completed her fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus at Duke University. She is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Ophtalmology, and the American Association for Pediatric Ophtalmology and Strabismus.

Virginia Eye Institute is a Sponsor of Richmondmom.com

To help combat childhood obesity MARTIN’S is arming parents and kids with the tools they need to live a healthier life in their new initiative Passport to Nutrition, a Kids Healthy Ideas Program.
Valerie Waters, RDN will be teaching a four-week summer program for children ages 6-10 years old and their parents to arm them with the tools they need to live a healthy lifestyle.

Each of the four 75-minute classes are designed to give kids and their parents the information and motivation to achieve a healthier weight by improving one’s lifestyle and eating habits. Among the topics to be covered include the food pyramid, understanding food labels, how to integrate enough fruits and vegetables into one’s diet and ideas for healthy snacks. Kids will also learn about nutrition through a store scavenger hunt and other games.

The four classes are scheduled to begin the week of July 12.
There is a $20 registration fee and space is limited.
John Rolfe MARTIN’S at 2250 John Rolfe Parkway, Richmond

Call 804-364-3644 to schedule an individual appointment or register for a class

Facebook / Tara Taylor

“Hey, I’m sure it’s nothing. It’s probably the lighting, but your daughter’s eye is glowing and you might want to have it checked out because it’s a sign there could be an issue with her eye.”

This comment on a photo shared on Facebook saved a 3 year old’s eye sight.

We became curious about Coats’ disease and so we got one of the experts on pediatric eye care, Dr. Inna Marcus, from Virginia Eye Institute to give us the scoop on Coats':

What is Coats’ disease?
Coats’ disease is caused by abnormal blood vessels inside the eye in the retina. These blood vessels are enlarged and leak. This interferes with normal nourishment of the retina; instead of bringing oxygen and nutrition throughout the retina the blood vessels leak fatty fluid into the areas that surround them. If a lot of fluid accumulates the retina can detach from the back of the eye, like peeling wallpaper, and cause vision loss.

Who is at risk for developing Coats’ disease and how does it develop?
Coats’ disease is a rare condition that begins in childhood. Boys are more likely than girls to develop this problem.

What are the treatment options for Coats’ disease?
Coats’ disease has 5 stages of severity. Treatment varies from laser treatment to surgery to repair retinal detachment.

What should parents look out for?
Coats’ disease can cause decreased vision but children often do not show any symptoms. It is often found due to an abnormal “red eye” reflex in photographs where the child is looking directly at the camera. The child’s pediatrician should check the pupils as part of the regular exam with an instrument that shows the red reflex in the pupil.

So don’t apologize for snapping those pictures! That flash could save your child’s sight!

Dr. Inna Marcus, M.D. specializes in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus, including amblyopia, ocular motility disorders, pediatric cataracts and glaucoma.  She received her Doctorate of Medicine from New York University following her undergraduate studies at Columbia University.  Dr. Marcus completed her ophthalmology residency at Yale University, and she completed her fellowship in pediatric ophthalmology and adult strabismus at Duke University. She is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Ophtalmology, and the American Association for Pediatric Ophtalmology and Strabismus.

About Virginia Eye Institute: VEI provides treatment for an entire range of ophthalmic needs, including cataract surgery, retinal disorders, glaucoma care, corneal disorders, pediatric eye care and adult strabismus, reconstructive and cosmetic surgery, LASIK and refractive surgery, neuro-ophthalmology, optometry, as well as optical shops for glasses or customized contact lenses.

 

Parents can find more information about Coats’ disease on the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus website www.aapos.org.

VEI is a sponsor of Richmondmom.com
Use your Savvy Saver discount to 30% discount off eyeglasses, sunglasses & accessories and 10% off contact lenses.
(Cannot be combined with other vision/ optical plans or other discounts/ promotions.)

Somewhere down the line, however, things got ugly.
Now it’s not uncommon that I see pictures like this:

… “dead child”

Now, I am all for well placed hyperbole, but, seriously?

Let’s take a leap of faith in humanity and make the general assumption that the vast majority of parents don’t “want their kids to die” -as this common meme suggests.

Parents are confused.  It’s hard to differentiate accurate from inaccurate information; when it comes to the topic of vaccinations, we have a problem.

Yes, the CDC says vaccinations are safe for children, but parents are still getting conflicting information.
(Remember, we are taking the leap of faith that parents like their kids and want the best)
And the conflicting information is not just from internet memes; there are hundreds of books on vaccines, both pro and con, and they are all telling parents different stuff.

You also hear the horror stories.
Then you read the articles that say the horror stories are all a lie.
Then a friend scares you with all the perfectly acceptable medical practices that are now known to be really bad for you.

Now, instead of trying to get out good information or have a conversation about the subject, we’ve turned to making vaccines another way in which we judge other parents.  It’s the dos vs. the do nots, and each side is calling the other side an idiot.

Is it too much to ask for adults to actually behave like adults?

There is a lot to think about when it comes to vaccines and kids; whether or not you decide to vaccinate, or not vaccinate, the name calling, exaggerations and nastiness (on both sides) isn’t helping anyone.

So, please, in the comments below, share your thoughts.  What are your instincts, which sources do you trust, and ultimately, what guides your decision?

But let’s try to be civil. My opinion has never, ever been changed by a meme, and certainly not by an insult.

Why is dental hygiene important for baby teeth?

This is the best question – and one I get all the time. Parents should baby their child’s baby teeth for many reasons. What many people don’t realize, is that the health of your child’s baby teeth are the gateway to the health of their adult teeth. Some of the adult teeth are growing and developing underneath your child’s baby teeth starting at birth and within their first year of life and continue to develop throughout childhood. So if your child doesn’t take care of their baby teeth, this could cause problems down the road with their permanent teeth. What’s also important to remember is that baby teeth are much smaller than adult teeth, so a cavity can become fairly large very quickly – and cause your child sensitivity, pain, and infection much faster than you would think.

Do pacifiers, bottles and thumb-sucking really cause a need for braces?

Prolonged use of pacifiers and finger habits can cause the change in bone growth and tooth alignment over time, therefore requiring the need for braces down the road. The important thing for parents to remember is that the earlier you can try to nip these habits in the bud, the easier it will be for you in the long run. The longer you wait, the harder it is for the child to get rid of the habit – and therefore, a bigger headache for the parents. I wrote a 3 part series of blog posts on pacifier use on our website.

If baby teeth are still emerging (for example they only have two teeth) do they need to be brushed? Do baby toothbrushes work?

Baby teeth should be brushed as soon as they emerge through the gums! We even recommend wiping your babies gums with a wet washcloth even before the teeth come in. This is especially important for babies who feed at night time. The biggest challenge we face are with babies who either take a bottle of milk to bed or breastfeed at will during the night once their front teeth have come in. We see a very large increase in risk of cavities in these children’s teeth due to the constant sugar exposure to the teeth either from the formula in the bottle, or breastmilk from the mother. For these children, it’s important to wipe or brush their teeth after every feeding so the teeth are not constantly exposed to sugars leading to cavities in their baby teeth.

Tooth brushing is always a struggle in our house, what are some tips to help encourage preschool kids to brush their teeth?

Parents know their child best.  Some children respond best to distraction techniques, others to incentives, and others respond best to positive reinforcement. My son does best with distractions, so when he was young, my husband would change his diaper and I would brush his teeth at the same time while he was laying down – and this distracted him from what we were doing.  One person could also read a book to the child while the other is brushing.  Some children like to brush in the bathtub too! When children get older, they can respond better to things like stickers on their toothpaste bottle when they brush well, or listening to a fun song while they are brushing. Listening to the song also helps them to brush for the appropriate amount of time – 2 minutes.

My toddler’s toothpaste is fluoride free, does it still work? Why and when should we switch for a fluoride toothpaste?

Fluoride free toothpaste is just what it says, it’s a “training toothpaste.” In other words, it gets the child used to using toothpaste but doesn’t provide the protection the child needs from the fluoride in regular children’s toothpaste. So it’s important for parents to use regular children’s toothpaste with fluoride at least once a day with their child (from the time the first tooth erupts), but only use a VERY small amount – a rice kernal size or smaller. This topical exposure of the teeth to fluoride will help strengthen the enamel – and help to prevent cavities in your child’s baby teeth. The very small amount of fluoride the child may ingest after the adult wipes the toothpaste off (if your child can’t spit it out yet) will be negligible and will not hurt your child.

Is there really a difference between an electric toothbrush and a regular tooth brush?

Every person is different when it comes to brushing their teeth. Brushing and flossing is not as easy as you may think, and especially for parents trying to get their adult sized hands in their tiny child’s mouth! An electric toothbrush is a great idea – but usually only for pre-k/kindergarden age children or older. I always tell parents it’s not necessarily the toothbrush you use, but HOW you use it. Parents should be helping to brush their children’s teeth until they are able to write in cursive – usually around 8-9 years old. And that is just a guideline. Some children are still having difficulties brushing their teeth past that age, so parents should always watch their children to make sure they are brushing sufficiently.

At what age should my child start flossing?

This is also a very important question. The most common place I see children get cavities are in-between their back baby molars where they are not flossing. You should start to floss your child’s teeth as soon as you see that two baby teeth are very close together without any space between them. Some children have lots of spacing between their teeth and some have none. Your pediatric dentist can help you identify areas where it is important to floss!

When should you make your child’s first dental appointment?

We recommend that children start seeing a pediatric dentist by their first birthday! The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends seeing a dentist this early for many reasons – but most importantly because of how important your child’s baby teeth are to their overall health.

Atkins, Maestrello, Miller and Associates Pediatric Dentistry, P.C.
is an advertiser with Richmondmom.com