Month: October 2016

Tricks or Treats can become tantrums and tooth decay

 

 

By Niki Cleary, Tulalip News 

Halloween is a magical time filled with fun, make-believe and, of course, candy, candy, candy. Unfortunately, the delicious caramels, chocolates, gummy treats and hard candies are not necessarily good for you. Here’s how to avoid some of the worst offenders and minimize the candy crash after Halloween.

 

What is sugar?

                Sugar is a simple carbohydrate. The white sugar that you buy at the store is usually taken from sugar cane or sugar beets and processed to remove the plant material and other substances, leaving only the sugar crystals. I want to make clear, sugar occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables. Any time a food tastes sweet (think bananas, sweet potatoes or pumpkin), it’s because the food contains a lot of naturally occurring sugar. However, with natural sugars, the fiber and other nutrients in the plant help your body process the sugar more slowly, which reduces its negative effects. Added sugars, which are simple or processed sugars, are the more dangerous sugars. 

 

Diabetes, tooth decay and the sugar hangover

                In Native America, one of the most common specters of sugar consumption is diabetes. Only slightly less publicity is given to tooth decay. For parents, probably the most common and least talked about aspect of sugar is the dreaded “sugar hangover”. Bodycology.com explains that the sugar affects the body in a way similar to alcohol. It’s processed by the liver, kidneys, stomach and small intestines, so dehydration, electrolyte imbalances and tummy troubles can result in ‘hangover’ like symptoms. Over eating sugar can cause fuzzy thinking, lethargy, headaches, joint pain, constipation or diarrhea, skin problems or allergy symptoms and mood swings. If you’ve ever given a toddler chocolate near bedtime, you can attest to the mood altering properties of sugar. 

The best defense against the perils of sugar is moderation. Limit the amount of sugar that you consume, and if you do provide candy, stay away from sticky candies and hard candies. Sticky candies stay glued to your teeth longer, especially in the hard to reach areas between teeth, increasing the possibility of tooth decay. Hard candies can literally break teeth when chewed. Candies that dissolve quickly, soft candies and chocolates are a better dental choice than taffy, caramels and jawbreakers.

Don’t underestimate the power of brushing teeth, or just following candy with a glass of water to remove sugar residue from teeth. Halloween is also a great time to schedule your next dental check-up and talk to your dentist about strategies to keep teeth healthy and clean. 

                

How to avoid the candy trap

                One great strategy is to host a Halloween party instead of going trick or treating. Halloween parties allow you to maximizes the creepy décor and enjoy tasty and healthy treats that have all the fun of Halloween without the sugar. 

Instead of bowls of candy, try scary appetizers and snacks. Spidery deviled eggs are an easy, high protein snack. Top your favorite deviled egg recipe with black olives. Use a half-olive for the body of the spider and slivers of olive for the legs. A name change and some food coloring can quickly revamped dinner into something scary. Spaghetti and meatballs can become worms and eyeballs. Add some green or blue food coloring to tomato soup and cut your bread and cheese with a “hand” cookie cutter for hand sandwiches and black sludge. Maybe try your hand at carving jack-o-lantern stuffed peppers.

Want to involve your kids in the food prep? Start a Halloween tradition of baking and decorating cookies. Roll out either store bought or homemade sugar cookie dough, cut with Halloween cookie cutters, bake then decorate with colorful icing. Again, you can make your own icing, or buy it for quicker, easier decorating. 

Instead of sugar cookies, you might enjoy witches’ fingers. This works with any shortbread cookie recipe or even canned biscuits or breadsticks, add green food coloring or roll in ground almonds for a witchy skin tone. Roll the dough into cylinders, pinch the dough in two places to create skinny ‘fingers’ with arthritic knuckles, and slice the top of the ‘knuckles’ to add wrinkles, insert a slivered almond for the finger nail, and voila, enjoy a crunchy, creepy sweet. 

If you do end up with tons of candy, consider relying on the Switch Witch. Legend has it that the Switch Witch will trade your candy for prizes and money if you leave it out for her (she must be related to the Tooth Fairy). Many dentists will also trade candy for toothbrushes, stickers and other fun dental health items. Another option is to donate your candy to service men and women who may not have access to their candy favorites while they serve oversees in the military.

Whatever you do this Halloween, don’t forget the costumes and lots and lots of fun!

 

Web resources

www.Allrecipes.com/recipes/holidays-and-events/Halloween

http://www.halloweencandybuyback.com/

http://www.switch-witch.com/

http://bodyecology.com/articles/sugar_hangover_physical_emotional_symptoms.php#.VEAOTLd0zcs

http://www.diabetes.org/

 

 

How to help your picky eater learn to enjoy a variety of foods 

ChildStrive

 

Source: ChildStrive; www.ChildStrive.org

 

Does your child refuse foods or insist on eating the same few foods?  Picky eating often starts around one year of age when children start feeding themselves and are learning to talk and walk. With all of this developmental change going on, your child may feel comforted by familiar foods.

How can you help? 

  • Create a mealtime routine. Serve snacks and meals at about the same times, in the same place, and with the same plate and utensils.
  • Offer 3 meals with 2-3 snacks in between, every day.
  • Keep mealtime short: 10-20 minutes
  • In one meal, offer 3-4 preferred foods, alongside 1 new food.
  • Provide small portions of “finger foods” that your child can feed himself.
  • Encourage your child to put foods that he chooses NOT to eat in a “no thank you” or
    “maybe next time” bowl.
  • Include your child in preparing or serving foods.  Let her wash the vegetable or fruit in a bowl of water or the sink; scoop the drained pasta or peas from pot or colander into serving bowl; place one pancake on each plate.
  • Talk about the color, shape, texture, and size of the food.
  • Encourage your child to smell, touch, serve (and maybe taste) the new food.
  • Picky eaters may need 15-20 exposures to new foods before the food becomes something they will eat consistently.
  • Teach your child to help clean up, by throwing napkin or paper plate in trash, carrying dish to sink, or wiping table.

Be careful! 

  • Try not to bribe your child with sweets.  This makes the sweet reward more desirable than the healthy food.
  • Don’t force your child to eat. This can result in a power struggle and cause stress for both of you.
  • Remember, your job is to offer healthy foods.  Your child’s job is to decide what and how much she will eat.  Appetites change from meal to meal and day to day.  This is normal.

To read more about picky eaters and nutrition, search: 

  • How to Handle Picky Eaters Zero to Three
  • Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children

 

ChildStrive has been partnering with Tulalip families for more than 30 years. For information about your child’s development contact Carol Good at ChildStrive at (425) 353-5656 x7223 or Carol.Good@ChildStrive.org. More information about ChildStrive can be found on our website at www.ChildStrive.org

Interested in Vocational Trainning?

Microsoft Word - Interested%20in%20Vocational%20Training%2009211

 

 

By Jeanne Steffener, Tulalip Tribes Higher ED

Today’s economy is demanding a better educated workforce and jobs now a days require more complex knowledge and skills than jobs in the past. The opportunities are available to acquire the knowledge and skills needed in today’s workplace. The training can range from the hand trades and crafts to retails, health care training, energy options and information technology. Vocational training, in the past has referred to such fields as automotive services technicians, carpenters, chefs, cosmetology, electricians, pipefitting, CDL truck drivers, welding, divers etc. However today, you can pretty much find training in any specialty area you want to pursue. Craft vocations are usually based on manual or practical activities and are traditionally non-academic but are related to specific trades or occupation.

Vocational training can give applicants an edge in job searches since they already have the certifiable knowledge they need to enter the field. A student can receive vocational training either in high school, at a community college or at trade schools for adults. Other alternatives are two (2) year career training schools, sometimes called technical schools, vocational schools or trade schools can allow students earn associates degrees, certification, certificates or diplomas.

Vocational training motivates students to get involved in their learning by engaging them in problem-solving activities that build knowledge; provide hands-on activities that enable them to apply knowledge; brings students and teachers together in a collaborative learning setting who share similar career/vocational interests.

Today, it is all about skills ….the practical application of knowledge. A lot of employers want to know what you can do, not just want you think. Therefore, trade and technical skills are among some of the world’s most marketable talents. And in reality, for many occupations, the only way to acquire the skills and qualifications is to complete a career-driven program. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (http:www.bls.gov), 14 of the 20 fastest growing occupations only require an associate’s degree or less. Also, 18 of the 20 occupations projected to have the most new jobs by 2020 will have the same minimal qualifications. By 2020, around 55 million job openings may be created of which only 3 out of 10 will require a two-year or some college.

If you want to make preparations for the new jobs being created in the near future, check out some of the training availabilities. The job possibilities for someone with additional training and skills are limitless. Please call Higher ED staff at 360-716-4888 or email us at highered@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov to find out more information.