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The London Centre of Hope Family Health Team is accepting new patients. Anyone without a family doctor is welcome to apply. Please bring a valid Ontario health card with you. The London Centre of Hope Family Health Team is located at 281 Wellington St., London, Ontario (Corner of Wellington and Horton). For more information please call 519-645-2348 or drop in to register.
Stress affects everyone! Our bodies and minds both respond when we get excited, fearful, challenged or anxious. Our brain tells our bodies to get ready to deal with these feelings and gets our body ready to “flee from danger” or to stand up and “fight it”. This helps us deal with things that threaten us. Special hormones are released in our body that prepares us to be alert and respond with lots of energy. This is a good thing once in awhile, but not when adults and children are constantly dealing with stress. These raised levels of hormones can make us feel very tired, create sore muscles and make it hard to fight off illness. One group of researchers found that parents with more worries also had children who were sick more often.
Some signs of stress in children:
| Behaviours | Body | Mind | Feelings |
| Whining Crying Nail Biting Fighting Low appetite or eating more Day dreaming |
Headaches Stomach-aches Fast heartbeat Being cold Poor sleeping Tired Illness |
Forgetful Easily distracted Confused Can’t concentrate Unreasonable Can’t problem solve |
Fear Anxiety Sad or Angry Panic Overly sensitive Helpless Frustrated |
What can we do?
Eat healthy food, get lots of exercise, get enough sleep, learn to reduce or manage stress, spend time with your children, laugh a lot, ask your children if they are worried about anything and really listen to them, minimize competitive activities, provide regular routines, make a stress management list (like deep breathing) and post it where all family members can use it.
Mary Ann Avey, Parent Educator
For 7 days in April 2009, students and families in Middlesex London will be encouraged to push the pause button on their screens and get up and get moving! Track your physical activity time using the log sheet.
Daily physical activity is important for good health. Build more physical activity into each day and reduce the time you spend in front of screens (TV, computer, video games, cell phones, etc.)
There are many FREE activities offered to families during the week and participants can WIN great prizes!
Health Care Connect services are available to anyone in Ontario without a regular family physician. Click here to find out how it works.
Please share with your family and friends.
Marg Glendon, Parent Educator
Washing up can be more fun for wee ones when you use a puppet made from a bright red washcloth. As a “doctor” puppet, it serves as a great distraction when nursing cuts and scrapes, and the advantage of the red material is that blood won’t show!
Allergy Watch
If your child has constant earaches, a cold that won’t go away, hyperactivity, rashes, or any other health problem that recurs, you should suspect food allergies. Some of the most common allergens are wheat, dairy products, nuts, soy, eggs, and cow’s milk. The best way to detect an allergy is to keep a diary for a month (or as long as necessary) of exactly what your child eats and his behavioural and physical symptoms. Try to vary the diet during this time (e.g. if your child has a strawberry jam sandwich every day, you won’t be able to tell the difference day to day in their symptoms).
If you think you have discovered something, take it out of your child’s diet, and if the symptoms go way, you have found your culprit! You are the best detective for this problem, and the reward of a healthier and better behaved child is well worth the effort.
Make it Colourful
One of the ways to know you are feeding your child a nutritious, balanced meal is to make it colourful! For example, a serving of spaghetti with tomato sauce, meat, carrots and celery chunks and some parmesan cheese has lots of different colours (red, yellow, white, orange, brown, and green) and also contains many of the food groups (dairy, protein, vegetables, fruits, and grains).
Keep it Simple
The less processed a food is, the better it is for you and your children. Fortunately, it is usually the least expensive as well. As an example, whole wheat is better than white, a whole apple better than juice, and a homemade burger better than a fast food burger.
Have Fun
If you have a picky eater, you might try to create interest in vegetables and fruits by cutting them up in interesting shapes and giving them some fun names. How about some avocado boats, broccoli trees, banana wheels, carrot swords, and cheese building blocks?
Variety is Key
Appetites and tastes vary in children day to day and week to week according to growth and activity patterns. Remember that it is acceptable to get a balanced diet over a week rather than each day. If your child insists that Monday is carrot day, and Tuesday is macaroni and cheese day, relax and let them have it – just as long as overall they are getting all they need, and they don’t eat sweets and junk food for days on end. It is also acceptable if they just don’t feel like eating much some days – their bodies are smart at knowing what they need and don’t need. Just make sure they get enough fluids.
Contact your doctor if you have any concerns or questions as these are only general guidelines and may not apply to all children.
For more great information, see Eat Right Ontario.
· Make a list of some of the many things you do well. Read them to yourself – often.
· Do something for yourself every day (read a book, take a bath, etc.).
· Take time to be alone when you need it (lock the bathroom door if the kids are safe).
· Spend time with a friend (on the phone if that’s what is possible now).
· Do something different – find a new interest.
· Get some exercise (take the kids for a walk).
· Love yourself – accept your mistakes – and appreciate your accomplishments!!
Anne McKay, Program Manager
