It is this time of year when we are reminded to be thankful for all we have in our lives. We are more aware of the importance of expressing our warm gratitude to friends and loved ones. Now and especially throughout the year whenever life seems to feel more stressed take some time to think about all the things that make you feel happy and appreciative. Jot down a quick list and include both the small things like chocolate kisses and the big things like the people who love you.

"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." --Melody Beattie

What are some of things for which you are grateful? Please share by CLICKING HERE

With warmest wishes,
Keath

Basic good nutrition is essential for optimal development and learning in any child. Certainly, the foods that a child eats (or doesn't eat) can affect level of attention, energy, and overall behavior and mood. A child can also experience hunger pangs, not just from a low volume of food but also from poor nutrition. This "hunger" can lead to increased problems with concentration, irritability, and a lower tolerance for frustration.

Read Improving Your Child's Diet

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Good nutrition can play a complementary role in a child's treatment. When a child's diet is balanced and healthy, his (or her) ADHD symptoms may be a little better controlled.

What tips do you find most helpful related to nutrition for your child? Have you noticed improvements in behavior and focus with a better diet? If your child is a picky eater or tends to have a small appetite are there favorite recipes you'd like to share? What about a favorite healthy snack?

CLICK HERE to share your experiences, tips, and recipes.

A recent study - "Association of Tobacco and Lead Exposures with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder" - published in the December issue of Pediatrics finds that children in the United States who are exposed prenatally to tobacco smoke and during childhood to environmental lead face a particularly high risk for ADHD. While previous studies have shown a link between these exposures and ADHD, this was the first study to examine the combined effects of tobacco and lead exposures and it was the first study to reveal such a significant impact.

Prenatal tobacco exposure was measured by report of maternal cigarette use during pregnancy, and lead exposure was assessed by current blood lead levels. Children exposed to tobacco smoke prenatally were 2.4 times more likely to have ADHD, and those with blood lead levels in the top third of the population had a 2.3 increased likelihood of developing ADHD. The combined effect of these toxins, however, was found to be even greater as children with both exposures had an 8.1 times higher risk for ADHD, compared to children who had no exposure to the substances.

The study estimates that up to 35 percent of ADHD cases in children between the ages of 8 and 15 could be reduced by eliminating exposure to both tobacco and lead.

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