GOOD HEARTS

START YOUNG Boosting Kids’ Cardiovascular Health

Wedon’toftenthinkofchildren ashavingcardiovascularproblems,butevidenceismountingthatmanyyoungsterstoday—because ofscantexercise,pooreatinghabitsand excessivescreentime—areontrackto experiencingseriousheartandcirculatory problemslaterinlife. by Ronica A. O’Hara “Insteadoftakingawait-and-see approachbytreatingdiseaselaterinadulthood,weshouldhelpchildrenmaintain thestandardsofidealcardiovascular healththatmostchildrenarebornwith,” reportsJuliaSteinberger,M.D.,director ofpediatriccardiologyattheUniversity ofMinnesotaMedicalSchool,inMinne

SaturdayFebruary 1 st 5-7PM - Healing Mantra Kirtan withLee

Mirabai Harrington - see Newsbrief, page 7

Affiliated with Unity Worldwide Ministries and Daily Word

Sunday Services, 11am

1270 Surfside Industrial Park Drive Myrtle Beach, SC 29575

843-238-8516

Facebook Unity Myrtle Beach

WednesdayFebruary19 th Healing

Evening at Peace Chapel: 5-5:45PM - Meditation; 6PM - Prayer &Hands;

6:30-7:30- Reiki drop in

Cost: Love Offering

SaturdayApril 18 th Earth Day Festival Event: Calling all Vendors, Healing Practitioners & Artist. Contact Unity to complete application

apolis,andleadauthorofa2016scientific statementonchildren’scardiovascular healthfromtheAmericanHeartAssociation(AHA). InaMarch2019update,theAHA notedthatfewerthan1 percentofchildrenmeetallsevencriteria,ormetrics, foridealcardiovascularhealth;halfofall childrenmeetmerelyhalfthemeasures, whichincludephysicalactivity,healthy eating,notsmoking,attainingideal bodymassindex(BMI),totalcholesterol, bloodpressureandglucosereadings. Poormetricsinachildarelinkedtosuch adverseoutcomesasheartattacks,heart failureandstrokeinadulthood,advises ElaineUrbina,M.D.,directorofpreventivecardiologyatCincinnatiChildren’s HospitalMedicalCenter,addingthat poormetricsinteensarelinkedtofatty build-upintheneckarteriesandarterial stiffnesslaterinlife. Butstartingin utero,crucialstrategies canpromotestrongcardiovascularsystems inkids.Childrenborntomotherswithlow vitaminDlevelshaveabouta60percent higherriskofelevatedsystolicblood pressurebetweenages6and18,reportsa BostonMedicalCenterstudyinthejournal Hypertension; vitaminDsupplementation duringpregnancymayheadthatoff.Other importantstrategiesinclude:

Get them moving.Childrenshould bephysicallyactiveatleast60minutesa day,theAHArecommends,butamong kids6to11,onlyhalfoftheboysanda thirdofthegirlsmeetthatguideline;by ages16to19,merelyonein10boysand onein20girlsdo.Areviewof50fitness studiesin28countriesinvolving25millionchildrenconcludedthatAmerican kidstodayareaboutaminuteandahalf slowerrunningamilethantheirpeers30 yearsago. “Aerobicexerciseslikerunning, swimmingandcyclingusethebigmuscles ofthebodyandareexcellentwaysof stressingandstrengtheningtheheartand lungs,”saysstudyauthorGrantTomkinson,Ph.D.,professorofeducation,health andbehaviorstudiesattheUniversity ofNorthDakota.Evensimplywalking toschoolinthemorningfor10minutes

Feed them well. About91 percentof U.S.childrenhavewhatisclassifiedasa “poor”dietthat’sheavyinsimplecarbslike dessertsandsugarydrinks,theAHAreported.Itrecommendsfeedingkidsadiet heavyinfruits,vegetables,fishandwhole grainsandlowinsodiumandsugaryfoods anddrinks.A2016CentersforDisease ControlandPreventionstudyof2,142childrenfoundthatnineof10kidsexceeded recommendedsodiumlevels.ACleveland Clinicstudyfoundthatobesechildren eatingalow-fat,plant-basedvegandiet forfourweeksbeganloweringtheirriskof heartdiseasebyimprovingtheirweight, bloodpressure,BMI,cholesterollevelsand insulinsensitivity.

Don’t smoke or vape. Therisk ofachilddevelopingcarotidplaquein adulthoodwasfourtimeshigherifoneor bothparentssmokedwithouttakingcare tolimitthechild’sexposure;whenthey didtakecare,theriskwasstillalmosttwo timeshigher,accordingtoanAustralian studyinthejournalCirculation. Discouragingateenfromvapingisalsocritical tofuturehealth:Newresearchfromthe UniversityofKansasSchoolofMedicine showsthatadultsthatvapearesignificantlymorelikelytohaveaheartattack, coronaryarterydiseaseanddepression comparedwiththosethatdon’tvapeor useanytobaccoproducts.

Restrict screen time.Australian 6-year-oldsthatspentthemosttimein frontofTVs,computersandvideogames hadnarrowerarteriesinthebackoftheir eyes—amarkeroffuturecardiovascular risk—reportedastudyinArteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular.Astudyfrom Canada’sMcMasterUniversityfoundthat kidswithvideogameaddictionssleep less,whichinturnelevatesbloodpressure,lowershelpfulHDLcholesteroland raisestriglycerides.

. . .safe for those you love most !

Greencore Cleaning, LLC Your green cleaning service for the whole home or office. greencoreclean@gmail.com 910-352-5292 | 910-800-1951

Sustainable. Pet friendly. Fully insured. Affordable rates.