Brain Balance of York

A compilation of information for parents on our program and information for AD/HD and other neurological disorders. Call us today for more information! 717.793.3684 Website Blogspot Google Plus Facebook Twitter eventbrite Pinterest

[otl1fe]

Area of the Brain That Processes Empathy Identified

Source: Science Daily]

An international team led by researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York has for the first time shown that one area of the brain, called the anterior insular cortex, is the activity center of human empathy, whereas other areas of the brain are not. The study is published in the September 2012 issue of the journal Brain.

Empathy, the ability to perceive and share another person’s emotional state, has been described by philosophers and psychologists for centuries. In the past decade, however, scientists have used powerful functional MRI imaging to identify several regions in the brain that are associated with empathy for pain. This most recent study, however, firmly establishes that the anterior insular cortex is where the feeling of empathy originates.

Read the Rest of this Article on Science Daily

[bbofyork-blog]

[bbofyork-blog]

[bbofyork-blog]

Three tips for dealing with bullies!

[bbofyork-blog]

[mykidsreallyeatthis]

From the NY Times article:

“Education matters. If I didn’t believe that, I would have long since abandoned my role as a public health educator. But history has clearly shown that teaching people what is good for them is not enough. It must be accompanied by restrictions that curb unhealthy habits and environmental changes that foster healthier ones.

Cigarette smoking is a classic example. Myriad well-publicized reports documenting its hazards — even warnings on cigarette packs — did relatively little to get people to quit smoking and keep others from taking it up. It was not until smoking was banned in workplaces, restaurants, public buildings and transportation that smokers became social pariahs and millions gave it up. Today only about one American man in five smokes, down from nearly one in two 40 years ago.

Just as the tobacco industry disputed the link between smoking and lung cancer for many years, claiming the evidence was circumstantial and did not prove cause and effect, the American Beverage Association says that there is no proof that sugary beverages are major players in obesity and diabetes.

But why wait decades for conclusive evidence, by which time millions will have been sickened or died from obesity? If there were an environmental threat with even a fraction of the health risk posed by sugary drinks, there would surely be a large public protest.”

As an alternative to giving your kids sodas and other sugary drinks (like Gatorade), try these suggestions:

real juice (with no added ingredients) mixed with seltzer or club soda

lemonade/limeade mixed with seltzer/club soda (this should be not overly sweetened with sugar, not HFCS)

flavored seltzers/sparkling waters (unsweetened)

water

water mixed with real fresh mint, lemon, fresh ginger and/or cucumber 

tea (my son loves Celestial Seasonings Thai Sweet Coconut Chai)

orange juice (real juice) While it has natural sugars, oj has nutritional benefits unlike soda, koolaid and gatorade.

milk Milk also has naturally occuring sugars, but can be nutritionally beneficial (but limit chocolate milk because of added sugar).

smoothies Make your own with frozen berries, bananas, juice, yogurt and/or honey (here’s one of my recipes and another green juice one)

[mykidsreallyeatthis]

From the NY Times article:

“Education matters. If I didn’t believe that, I would have long since abandoned my role as a public health educator. But history has clearly shown that teaching people what is good for them is not enough. It must be accompanied by restrictions that curb unhealthy habits and environmental changes that foster healthier ones.

Cigarette smoking is a classic example. Myriad well-publicized reports documenting its hazards — even warnings on cigarette packs — did relatively little to get people to quit smoking and keep others from taking it up. It was not until smoking was banned in workplaces, restaurants, public buildings and transportation that smokers became social pariahs and millions gave it up. Today only about one American man in five smokes, down from nearly one in two 40 years ago.

Just as the tobacco industry disputed the link between smoking and lung cancer for many years, claiming the evidence was circumstantial and did not prove cause and effect, the American Beverage Association says that there is no proof that sugary beverages are major players in obesity and diabetes.

But why wait decades for conclusive evidence, by which time millions will have been sickened or died from obesity? If there were an environmental threat with even a fraction of the health risk posed by sugary drinks, there would surely be a large public protest.”

As an alternative to giving your kids sodas and other sugary drinks (like Gatorade), try these suggestions:

real juice (with no added ingredients) mixed with seltzer or club soda

lemonade/limeade mixed with seltzer/club soda (this should be not overly sweetened with sugar, not HFCS)

flavored seltzers/sparkling waters (unsweetened)

water

water mixed with real fresh mint, lemon, fresh ginger and/or cucumber 

tea (my son loves Celestial Seasonings Thai Sweet Coconut Chai)

orange juice (real juice) While it has natural sugars, oj has nutritional benefits unlike soda, koolaid and gatorade.

milk Milk also has naturally occuring sugars, but can be nutritionally beneficial (but limit chocolate milk because of added sugar).

smoothies Make your own with frozen berries, bananas, juice, yogurt and/or honey (here’s one of my recipes and another green juice one)

[bbofyork-blog]

[commonsenseonaroll]

Just aimlessly flipped on Night of Too Many Stars. This segment and the performance were what was on, and I just have to say that it hit me right in the feels. These things are truly great, because no matter what condition the rest of the health and education system looks like, kids with developmental disabilities are always hit the hardest, and whatever could be done to help is a good thing. 

[darisgracefulhell]

I am legitimately confused on why society looks down on autistic people. I’m sorry that we’re not normal.

[bbofyork-blog]

This is it exactly.

[speakinginforkedtongues]

[bbofyork-blog]

Healthy Bites: Keeping Halloween Healthy

HEALTHY BITES: KEEPING HALLOWEEN HEALTHY In the October edition of Healthy Bites, the diet and nutrition newsletter for health-conscious families from Brain Balance Achievement Centers, you’ll find awesome ideas for keeping Halloween healthy. Enjoy an excerpt below, and stop by your nearest center for a copy of our full newsletter and for more information about The Brain Balance Program. Healthy Bites October 2012 Keeping Halloween Healthy By Christie Korth, CHC AADP Every year, usually between gooey mouthfuls of sweets, I find myself lamenting the fact that the concept of putting “Halloween” and “healthy” together doesn’t seem to garnish enough interest. The most popular focus of Halloween definitely seems to be the spooky factor, and yet sugar finds its way into everything. For example, take even a quick look at Halloween recipes available (online or in magazines/books), and you will find all manner of creepy looking creations; witch’s fingers, worm-ridden dirt cups, bleeding jelly hearts, kitty litter cakes, etc. Many of those “recipes” are nothing more than covering a prepackaged sweet with prepackaged frosting or melted chocolate. Americans typically spend $5.8 billion on Halloween celebrations. That’s $66 per average American, including $20.29 for candy. Approximately $1.78 billion worth of candy is given to children on Halloween. Laura Buxenbaum, a nutrition expert with the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association, shares tips on how to have a healthy Halloween season. Share Your Sweets No matter how hard you try, there’s sure to be an overload of candy for most Trick or Treaters. Talk to your children in advance about sharing extra edibles. Identify a couple of favorites and separate those from the rest of the candy. Agree to give away what’s left by adding it to your next food pantry donation. A little goes a long way. Separate packages of round, candy-coated pieces (M&Ms® or Reese Pieces®, for instance) and use them in a trail mix made of whole-grain oat cereal, pretzels, and raisins. Stash the rest of the candy to enjoy later. Not-So-Goulish Goodies A better bag of treats begins at home. Try offering healthier food and non-food alternatives when your doorbell rings: • Flavored soy or almond milk • String cheese and organic bagged pretzels • Hot cocoa mix • Organic Microwave popcorn • Trail mix • Teddy bear shaped graham cookies • Crispy rice treats • Silly bracelets • Flavored natural bubble gum • Crayons • Sidewalk chalk • Stickers • Bubbles • Glow-in-the-dark bracelets • Tattoos • Apples leftover from apple picking Creative Caramel Apples Homemade goodies like caramel apples are no-nos for many neighborhoods, so give away the goods for little goblins to make at home: small apples, craft sticks, and all-natural caramels. Allergen Free Halloween Candy For families dealing with food allergies or intolerances, eating traditional Halloween candy can be a challenge. Moms and Dads, you can relax, we have done the work for you. We’ve found treats made without gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, fake colors, dyes, and other scary stuff. Look for all kinds of yummy organic and “free of” treats at The Natural Candy Store including: • Organic Jack O Lantern, Ghost, Bat and Brain Lollipops • Allergy Friendly Halloween Candy Coffin • Natural Candy Trick or Treat Mix • Surf Sweets Sour Worms Singles • Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops in 7 flavors Recipe of the Month: Apple Cinnamon Fruit & Nut bars Yield- 16 bars, Prep Time: 5 minutes Ingredients: 18 dates, 1 cup organic dried apples, 1/2 cup organic almonds, 1/2 cup organic walnuts, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon organic vanilla Directions: 1. Add all ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until a dough forms. The dough should be sticky, but not too sticky so you cannot press it. If too sticky, add more nuts til desired consistency. 2. In a 9 x 13 baking dish, arrange a layer of wax paper, letting the wax paper drape about an inch over each side. 3. Place dough in pan and press down to spread. Spread evenly. Using a cookie cutter, cut into bars. 4. Refrigerate for at least two hours to set. With a little planning, you can keep Halloween healthy for your family. For more information on how the Brain Balance Program® helps kids with learning and behavioral disorders, contact us today! Source: http://www.brainbalancecenters.com/2012/10/healthy-bites-keeping-halloween-healthy/

[justas-sane-as-i-am-deactivated]

This is so beautiful! 

[bbofyork-blog]

I cried for like 10 minutes after watching. So stoked for tomorrow!

[comedycentral]

Who’s the little green guy that’s selling all sorts of cool stuff? It’s the GEICO Gecko, the auctioneer for the Night of Too Many Stars Celebrity Auction. Bid now on autographed items, tickets to Book of Mormon, personalized Oprah Winfrey ringtones(!) and more, to benefit New York Collaborates for Autism and help contribute to the development of autism schools, services and programs across the country.

[bbofyork-blog]

So excited for this tomorrow night guys!!!

[mightymur]

The final, brilliant word on passive voice.

“She was killed [by zombies.]” <—- passive

“Zombies killed [by zombies] her.” <—- active

[iterativeimprovement]

Welp.

[disease-danger-darkness-silence]

Oh my god, best passive voice identification tool ever.

[darkjez-blog]

This is on par with the moment that I learned “the alligator always eats the bigger number” when determining whether to use greater than or less than sign. 

Life changing shit, seriously.

[thinkbrit]

Brilliant.

[girlwithalessonplan]

HAHAHAHAHHAHA!

[bbofyork-blog]

Great way to teach any child passive voice.

[cranquis]

I once replied to a question about “Why do you say not to drink diet soda if you’re trying to lose weight”, with this reply: “It’s not that diet soda is EVIL, it’s just not the BEST.” But after reading this research-summary article on diet soda, I may have to amend that statement. Diet Soda is not the BEST thing for you to drink, and it just might be the WORST, too.

In summary, research is showing diet soda to be heavily linked to:

Decreased kidney function (from the diet sweeteners themselves, perhaps?!)

Increased risk for metabolic syndrome (which means increased risk for heart disease)

Obesity (by disrupting how your body regulates calorie intake)

Getting drunk faster (when mixed with alcohol, by allowing liquor to enter the bloodstream faster)

Damaged DNA/mitochondria (from the benzoate preservatives)

Rotting teeth (just like the regular sody-pops!)

Exposure to BPA (from the soda cans, which increases risk for many things including reproductive disorders)

[iamsamsamiam]

This is something very close to me, and important..

May 21st, in my hometown York, PA. They will be having a Autism Speaks walk. Brain Balance of York WILL be there. So if anyone reading this from York, please go and stop by the vendors and say hi to my family at the Brain Balance station!

Just found out September 24th they are doing one in Philadelphia as well. I’m defiantly doing this one. Anyone in the area should defiantly sign up and raise money for this wonderful event. It goes on all over the united states I’m sure you can find one around where you live.