Leader0809b

Saturday, August 9, 2014 • Page 1B

Eat, Sleep, Play

A Parent’s Guide to Back to School In today’s fast-paced environment, finding a good balance in your child’s diet, sleep schedule and playtime requires more effort than ever. But there’s good news from the health and nutrition experts at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital. “The old, confusing USDA food pyramid has been replaced with a new online tool for parents who want to know more about healthy eating for kids of all ages,” said Karen Manners, RD, LD, a clinical dietitian at Memorial Hermann Northwest. “On choosemyplate.gov you’ll find a visual explanation of a good diet — half fruits and vegetables and half grains and protein. Parents can type in their child’s age, gender and activity level to create an individualized food plan. The site also has a link for kids with interactive games, activity sheets, videos and songs that teach them about nutrition.” Manners stressed the importance of a healthy breakfast. “Next to sleep and exercise, breakfast is the best way for kids to recharge their batteries,” she said. “Eating breakfast within an hour after they get up gives kids the staying power they need to get a good start on the day. Studies have shown that eating a good breakfast leads to higher school attendance, less tardiness, fewer hunger-induced stomachaches and higher test scores. Kids concentrate better and have better muscle coordination. Breakfast is like filling up the gas tank.” She also encouraged parents to stay involved in their children’s food choices. “It’s important for parents to go over school lunch menus with their kids and steer them toward healthy choices,” she said. “Take your kids grocery shopping and help them choose nutrient-rich foods for their lunches or afterschool snacks. When children are involved in planning meals and snacks, they’re more

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�� Good health habits will help get children oﬀ to a good start for the school year and teach good habits for down the road.

likely to eat what we provide. It’s also important to have regular family meals. Research has shown that families that eat together are healthier, maintain a healthier weight and have a closer bond that comes from sharing the events of the day. Eating meals together allows us to be role models for our children in a supportive and encouraging way that promotes healthy eating.” The same thing goes for sleep hygiene. “Good sleep hygiene starts at an early age with a regular bedtime,” said Naureen Ameduddin Brink, D.O., a family practitioner with Memorial Hermann Medical Group in The Heights. “Kids ages 3 to 6 need 10 to 12 hours of sleep a day. Typically, that means a bedtime of between 7 and 9 p.m. Younger children take naps at school, but naptime generally ends in the ﬁrst grade, so

�� Karen Manners, RD, LD

it’s especially important that kids in this age group get enough sleep at home. This is a time when they’re learning the fundamentals — math, reading and writing — that will lead to later success.”

YogaOne Heights celebrated their grand opening in collaboration with White Linen Night on Aug. 2. Co-owner and Director, Dana Sweet, pauses to snap a photo with friends. (Photo by Christina Martinez)

sphere. Among the Saturday ambiance was an opening event for a yoga studio on 19th street, YogaOne Heights. The YogaOne studio is one of ﬁve in the Houston area and is co-owned and directed by Dana Sweet — along side with Albina and Roger Rippy, the founders and owners of YogaOne Studios.

Naureen Ameduddin Brink, D.O.

In the preteen years between ages 7 and 12, Dr. Brink recommends the same sleep schedule — 10 to 12 hours a night. “By the time kids are See School, P. 2B

So what does the fourth largest city in the U.S, White Linen Night, and a new yoga studio in the heights have to do with each other? The connection here is simple — achieving personal health, wellness and balance and, also, within a community. We take several hours of our day to take part in the infamous Houston phrase to “be someone.” But some

get so caught up in the business and professional aspect of this phrase that we forget the health aspect that these words tell. This is something Dana Sweet knows a thing or two about and has studied for over 10 years. She is your neighbor. And she has a few words I’d like to share with you to consider. The following is a portion of my interview with Co-Owner and Director of YogaOne Heights, Dana Sweet, at her opening event for YogaOne Saturday evening at White Linen Night. Question: What would you want Leader readers to know about your studio and your goals here at YogaOne? What do you have to offer for a healthy environment? Answer: “I think everyone is interested in creating a healthy, balanced and happy lifestyle for themselves and those are the kind of experiences and types of questions we are most interested in at YogaOne. So we are committed to creating an environSee YogaOne, P. 2B

Ofﬁcials ask community for help to deter mosquitos There has been recent talk about the West Nile Virus in the area. Not too long before that, a new virus, the Chikungunya, was introduced that most aren’t exactly welcoming with open arms. The WNV has been reported in the area, but most recently the virus has been linked in The Woodlands with an aggressive mosquito, The Asian Tiger. Unlike the everyday mosquito that prefers biting birds, The Asian Tiger will bite just about anything. The Asian Tiger is known to carry WNV and about four other viruses. This aggressive mosquito has distinct fea-

tures of white stripes across a black body. Another report is the virus Chikungunya — this name is derived from a Tanzanian language that means “to become contorted.” The virus is mosquito borne that initiates with fever and then progresses to detrimental joint pain. Patients usually recover fully, but is common for joint pain to linger for a few months or, in some cases, years. With these new mosquitos and new viruses popping up — what does this mean for our area with the peak of the mosquito season here? The Mosquito Control Division of Harris County Public Health and

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By Christina Martinez

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Christina@theleadernews.com

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YogaOne celebrates grand opening on 19th Street If you do a quick Google search for “largest cities in the U.S.” you’ll ﬁnd Houston ranked at number four — with a ball-park population estimate of about 2 million. That’s a lot of people. Houston is ranked under New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. When most of us hear the names of those listed cities, we may not immediately make a connection with these sizeable cities and Houston. But Houston is actually a big competitor and this city, our area, has a lot going on. This past weekend, a good portion of those 2 million Houstonians ﬂocked to our area of the Heights to celebrate a night of culture, possibility, and to revel with fellow Houstonians and friends — in being a Houstonian. The event was a sight to see. With live music playing in the middle of streets, art on every block and a general census of a laid back atmo-

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Environmental Services is under new leadership with Dr. Mustapha Debboun serving as Director of the mosquito division. Dr. Debboun referenced about 692 mosquitos with the conﬁrmed West Nile Virus out of over roughly 500,000 pulls from mosquito traps. “The mosquito division has found the West Nile Virus in recent trap pulls and collected birds,” Dr. Debboun continues, “There is nothing to be alarmed about with these numbers. We are out there working from Sunday evening to Saturday morning to keep things safe and these numbers are only conﬁrmed in mosquitos and birds, not people.” Dr. Debboun encourages an active

lifestyle and being outside and urges the appropriate precautions with mosquito repellent. Along with appropriate precautions, Dr. Debboun also has another message for the community. “We need help from the community,” Debboun said. “The community can help by emptying buckets, tires, anything that holds water. Empty containers so mosquitos don’t have a place to breed. If you take care of your backyard, but your neighbors don’t, mosquitos will still ﬂy over. So we need everyone to get involved.” For information on how to protect yourself, visit http://www.hcphes. org/hcmosquitoctrl/factsheets.htm.

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