When a woman gets pregnant, she gets cravings for the weirdest things. She just can’t help it. She feels the urge and she has to have it. Some people may never understand just what goes on during those times but WE know that those cravings are hard to resist.

Lucky for those women whose cravings lean towards that thick, creamy, brown bar of goodness called chocolate! Dr. Elizabeth Triche from Yale University and her group of researches have recently concluded a study wherein it was found that chocolate is GOOD for pregnant women.

The rationale behind this conclusion is that dark chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical that works in the following ways:

-stimulates the heart
-relaxes smooth muscle
-dilates blood vessels.

So what do these effects have to do with pregnancy? There is a condition called pre-eclampsia, which is actually a major concern for pregnant women. Though only about 8% get pre-eclampsia, those who do experience the complication also experience cardiovascular problems.

This is where chocolate comes in! The study found out that the women who consumed the most amount of chocolate and had the highest amount of theobromine in their blood were least likely to develop the complication. The catch? None, really, unless you do not like dark chocolate. This is because not all chocolates are the same. The milk chocolates and the extremely sweetened kinds will not have the same theobromine content. As such, they may not bring about the same benefits. More so, because of the high sugar content, it might bring about other complications.

So load up on that dark chocolate!

I honestly did not want to write about this but the topic kept popping into my head and just wouldn’t disappear no matter what I did. People who do not have children and see other people running around like a headless chicken in order to keep up with their kids (especially those tots in their terrible twos) would probably think that being a parent would make staying fit an easier task. And why not? Expending all that energy running after one toddler (let alone 2 or more) should be enough exercise to burn away all those calories, shouldn’t it?

Unfortunately, there is more to losing weight than that. I can’t exactly explain why taking care of toddlers and losing weight do not always come together but I do know that a mom (or a dad, for that matter) may have to actually squeeze in an exercise regimen to keep fit.

This is hard, trust me. For stay home parents, it is already hard enough. For working parents, it is even harder. With work, parenting, homemaking, and other essential activities that we engage in, where do we find the time to exercise?

I suppose the answer would depend on many different factors – the children’s ages, your work schedule, your energy level, and more. I think that the bottom line is deciding that you want to exercise, that you want to make fitness one of your priorities. If this is firmly established, I am sure that you can find some time in your hectic life to exercise – even if it is only an hour a week. What do you think?

It is allergy season indeed and if your kids – or even you and your spouse – have seasonal allergies, then you know how difficult this time of the year can be. I ran across a really old article on ABCNews detailing some common misconceptions about allergies. I was surprised to read a couple myths that I thought were actually true!

Air purifiers help – I really thought they did! After all, if the air inside the house is clean, it would lessen allergy attacks, right? Based on that article, pollen is NOT removed by air purifiers. I honestly didn’t know that. So if anyone at home is allergic to pollen, having an air purifier will not do much good.

Another myth that I re-discovered is that cold medication helps. Deep in my mind I know that in a sense they really do help alleviate the symptoms but also that they do not really address the issue. No matter how many different types of cold medication you take, if you are allergic to something and you are not dealing with the source of allergy, then guess what, the cold will be there for quite some time!

Some people may take allergies lightly but as parents, this is one thing that we cannot afford to do. There have been studies highlighting the negative impact of allergic reactions on children. More than the physical aspect, chronic allergic reactions could have adverse psychological effects on children as well.

What do you do to deal with your child’s allergies?

It’s that time of the year again – allergies seem to come out in full bloom at this time of the year. I don’t know about you, but it seems that my family is quite prone to allergies – even if it is not allergy season. Sometimes I honestly think it’s because the house is not being kept tidy enough and dust does tend to accumulate but sometimes, no matter how much we try to clean up, we are simply not immune to allergies.

There are so many kinds of allergies – anyone who has had any problems in this regard would know what I mean. The difficult thing is that allergies do not choose age nor gender. In my family, it does not matter whether you are male or female, a child, a teenager, or an adult. When allergies strike, no one is immune.

How do you handle all the possibilities? Well, it is better to start early with the kids. If you notice signs of allergy, consult with your pediatrician at once. My husband used to have all sorts of allergic reactions when he was a kid and he had to spend considerable time at the doctor’s to figure out what he was allergic to. It does seem too much of a hassle but trust me, it is better to know what you are dealing with. This way, you can avoid those things that provoke a reaction.

A reader of ours, Brent Williams, also pointed out a very useful site – a podcast blog, in fact – which is focusing on allergies at the moment. Recognizing that it is allergy season, they are creating and presenting podcasts about different ways to deal with seasonal allergies. You might want to visit the blog for more information.

Being a parent is a tough job – I am sure most of you will agree with me on that. It does have its wonderful moments that cannot be replaced by anything else but the fact remains that there are days which are going to try the most patient person. There are days when the stress will seem to be too much too bear. I ran across a post from Dr. Robyn J.A. Silverman which presents the ABCs of parenting. Now I would be the last person to simplify things to match the alphabet, to be honest – parenting is so much more than ABC – but I really found this list helpful. Allow me to share some of the letters of the alphabet and how they can help parents take on the challenges of their lives.

A- Accept the things you can not change: Single parenting? Step parenting? ADHD parenting? Just dealing with time crunches, making lunches, bunches and bunches of bills? It’s important to recognize that there are some things you can not control, surrender, move on.

B- Breathe: When things get hairy, scary, and you feel like you can barely hold on, take a step back, breathe, and be calm.

C- Count your blessings. Even though you have the weight of the world on you right now and feel far from compassionate for others who have things much worse than you do, there is some value in taking a moment to look at the things that are going right today, such as your child’s tantrum-free morning or how your spouse took out the trash…

All these three things, I find difficult, especially when faced with seemingly insurmountable things. Yet, I realize that they can indeed help me become more efficient and loving at the same time. I hope you see things the same way as well.

Do research
When we were first told that Sam had SMA, we went straight to the Internet and the library to do our own research. In our hearts, we wanted to validate what the doctors said. More than that, we wanted to know everything that was possible to know about his condition. Later on, when we found out that he had Prader-Willi Syndrome instead, we did the same thing. Our research helped us in many ways. I think, more than the practical information that we gathered, it was also a way of dealing with the situation. We were scared and kind of lost, and doing something in the way of research empowered us somewhat.

Get support
This comes in two ways – from family and friends who are close to you and then from other people who are in the same boat. I never knew how important family and friends could be when it came to support. As I mentioned in the first post in this series, Sam’s condition has brought our whole family closer together as we have never been before. The same thing goes with friends. My sister and husband have never been closer to their friends.

As for support groups, they can relate to your situation in ways that friends and family might not be able to. They can offer advice and support since they have gone – or are going – through the same thing. More than this, you can actually feel better as you share and give your support to others as well.

Take action
This is a very important thing and will stem from your research and consultation with doctors. As you find out more about your child’s condition, you can plan ahead and think about what your child is going to need – both for the short term and in the long run. You can search for services and other resources that can help you and your child.

Now that you’ve gone through the diagnosis and the mourning period, you are ready to face the challenges that the future brings you. It is not going to be easy but it still is going to bring out the best in you.

I remember when my sister found out that her son had a special condition. Her case was a little bit more extraordinary because her son was diagnosed a month or so after birth with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and the doctors said that he probably won’t make it to his 2nd birthday. So when new tests revealed that he had another condition instead, we were quite relieved – and still a bit desperate at the same time. I think, though, that no matter what condition your child gets diagnosed with, the effect is rather the same – it can never be easy. So I’d like to share with you some thoughts to consider when you child gets diagnosed.

Get a second opinion
I think this is one of the most common things that parents do when they get feedback from their physicians. It is not that you do not have confidence in your doctor, it’s just that this is not a simple matter. Some tests are more definitive than others, while others also depend on the interpretation and judgment of the doctor. If you feel the need for a second opinion, then do not hesitate to do so. In the end, that will be your decision.

Give yourself time for the reality to sink in
This might take some time but do let yourself mourn. It is part of the process. Parents dream of nothing but a good life for their children and getting diagnosed with something special is definitely not part of that dream. Giving yourself time to mourn does not mean that you are giving up on your child or his chances of having a fulfilling life. It simply means that you need to accept the turn of events before you can move on and deal with the situation accordingly.

We hear about children having special needs a lot, but how do we really define what “specials needs” is? The truth is that this term covers a myriad of conditions, from allergies to learning disabilities to developmental delays. Within these categories, we also have a wide spectrum ranging from mild to severe. Though we may not want to box anyone into a certain category, it is quite important for the medical community to impart certain labels – this is in order to be able to provide the right kind of service and treatment, set goals for the child and the family, as well as to be able to provide the right kind of support for everyone involved.

I have a nephew with special needs, you may have a child in your family with special needs as well. However, the chances are that they would have very different situations even if they had some commonalities. Medical professionals have categorized special needs into general groups:

-medical
-behavioral
-developmental
-learning
-mental health.

Sometimes, the needs of a special child may fall under more than one of the categories mentioned above.

How is a child diagnosed with respect to being special? Normally, what is measured is what a child “cannot do.” For example, the food that he cannot eat, the milestones that he cannot achieve, and so on. It may seem to be a pessimistic way of handling things and it can even be more difficult for parents to deal with the situation. However, for some, it is something that makes their lives more challenging and each additional step that their child takes – no matter how small it may be – becomes a triumph that cannot be taken away from them.

In the next post, let’s look at how to deal with the situation after your child is diagnosed.

After the crocs scare, I got loads of emails from Moms all over the world, with similar stories of escalator dangers and tragedies - like a boy who lost part of his arm when his jacket got caught.

I also realized that apart from the little picture warnings some escalators (not all) have printed on them, many of us parents dont know the basics on escalator safety.

Heres what we all should know about escalator safety, which applies to moving walks as well:

The Way To Go

* Face forward on the center of the step with feet slightly apart and without touching the stationary sides.

* Hold the handrail.

* Watch your step when entering or leaving the escalator, and step off (don’t slide off) quickly.

* If your hands are full with packages or luggage, choose a nearby elevator instead. Balancing packages on the steps or on the handrail may cause injury to yourself or other passengers.

* Never ride an escalator barefoot.

* Keep hands, feet and clothing clear of moving parts.

* Be particularly careful with loose clothing such as scarves, coats and their belts, long skirts, wide pants, untied shoelaces, and when wearing soft rubber shoes or boots, open-toed shoes, sneakers or high heels.

* Passengers using bifocals should pay particular attention as they enter or exit the escalator.

* Recognize your limitations. If you feel uncomfortable riding, or experience difficulty boarding or exiting an escalator, use the elevator instead.

Rules of the Ride

* Don’t strike side panels with hands, feet or objects.
* Don’t place items on the handrails or steps.
* Don’t use an escalator for freight.
* Don’t walk up the “down” escalator or down the “up” escalator.
* Don’t use an inoperative escalator as a stairway.
* Don’t run up or down the steps.

If you’re using a stroller, wheelchair, crutches or any kind of car or wheeled vehicle, follow the signs to the nearest elevator. Escalators were never intended to accommodate these vehicles safely.

Recent studies say that today’s children suffer the problem of obesity. And this problem keeps on growing (no pun intended!) unless we curb our unhealthy eating and food preparation practices ourselves.

Kids today are highly influenced by the media–so what they see on TV, or hear in songs have a high likelihood of affecting their habits, and this includes eating. How many times do you see advertisements for fastfood restaurants, and even junk food on TV? And how many times have you seen those shows on TV where kids display a dislike of veggies and just about any food that’s healthy?

And then, of course, the more time that our kids spend in front of the TV watching shows or playing games would mean more time eating snacks that are likely to be oily and fatty.

Childhood obesity can lead to various diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. These usually stay on until a child grows up. There’s a saying that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. So therefore this means you should try to prevent obesity while your child is young, so that he or she will not have to experience health problems as he grows up.

Nutritionists suggest using the food pyramid as a guide to what you should be feeding your child–and it’s a good idea to adopt this as a guide to what the entire family should be eating, too!

• 3-5 servings a day of vegetables, especially green, leafy vegetables;
• 2-4 servings of fruits a day;
• 2-3 servings of meat, fish, eggs, nuts, or beans a day;
• 2-3 servings of dairy products including cheese and yogurt every other day;
• occasional use of fats, oils, and sweets.
• 6-11 servings of grain a day such as rice, bread, cereals, and pasta;

You will notice that even fats and sweets are part of the food pyramid. Of course. There’s no such thing as “junk food,” since everything we eat will have some nutritional value. However, there’s such a thing as a “junk diet.” This means it’s the combination of what we eat, and how much of each portion, that matters.

Happy eating!