Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 30, 2021
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A Blank Slate Media Special Section • July 30, 2021
Ask North Shore Guidance Center experts In this monthly column, therapists from North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center answer your questions on issues related to parenting, mental health and children’s well-being. To submit a question, email communications@northshorechildguidance.org. Question: Our grandson’s pediatrician recently suggested his parents get him screened for autism. We’re so worried and not sure where to turn. Help! Panicked Grandparents Dear Panicked Grandparents: There are a wide range of autism spectrum disorders, also known as ASD, and many people with the condition live very happy lives. Your first step: Get educated. Most babies start to show an interest in the world and the people around them at a very young age. By their first birthday, typical toddlers look people in the eye, copy words, play games like peek-a-boo and engage in clapping, waving hello and goodbye and other simple behaviors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with ASD— which is a complex developmental disability that manifests in many different ways and to many different degrees—may struggle
with social, emotional and communication skills. Children or adults with ASD might… show no interest in objects (for example, not point at an airplane flying over) avoid eye contactprefer not to be held or cuddledappear to be unaware when people talk to them, but respond to other soundsrepeat or echo words or phrases said to themhave trouble expressing their needs using typical words or motionshave trouble adapting to changes in routine. Other signs include a child not responding to his or her name when called; repeating actions over and over; and having highly restricted interests. Early intervention is important, but even with older children, treatment can result in real improvements. At North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center, we provide thorough testing and, depending on the results, will create a customized therapeutic treatment plan, which often includes social skills groups and play therapy. Support groups for caregivers are also very helpful. In addition to parent support groups, we have a program called GASAK, which stands for Grandparent Advocates Supporting Autistic Kids.
Also, our staff includes family advocates who often get involved in the cases, helping clients get appropriate services from their schools and other providers. The bottom line: It’s important to determine the child’s needs and come up with a good educational and therapeutic plan. Although people with ASD may face challenges, a diagnosis doesn’t mean your grandchild won’t experience feelings of love, bonding and joy. The child is still the same loving child they were before the diagnosis. It’s a condition they have, but it doesn’t have to define their life. Question: Now that it’s safe to be with their friends, how can I convince my kids to put their phones and tech devices down? Sick on the Screens Dear Sick of the Screens: During the height of the pandemic, many families made allowances for extra time on screens and now face resistance to reestablishing more strict limits. No parent wants technology to rule the roost, especially if it’s making your children isolated. Remember, you have the power! Set aside specific times at home when no one (parents included) uses technology. Cell phones, computers, iPads—all must be
off. Tech-free time can be spent reading, talking, playing games, cooking, making art anything creative or social will do.Establish a clear schedule. When it comes to gaming, many parents may allow 30 minutes a day during the school week and two hours a day on the weekends.When possible, keep all technology in a common space like the living room — not in a child’s bedroom. Avoid allowing your kid to disappear for hours behind a closed door.Utilize online services that filter out inappropriate or violent material. These services can also limit Internet access by scheduling times that the Internet is available and times when it is not. The way you use tech devices influences your ability to effectively guide your children. Although your example is not the sole factor, keep in mind that as distant as some kids become from adults as they are moving through their teen years, they continue to observe you—more closely than you know. During the pandemic, North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center is seeing clients remotely via telehealth platforms or, when deemed necessary, in person. To make an appointment, call (516) 626-1971 or emailintake@northshorechildguidance.org.
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Healthy habits that can become part of your daily routine
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person’s habits can have a strong impact on his or her overall health. Unhealthy habits like smoking and living a sedentary lifestyle can increase a person’s risk for various conditions and diseases. On the flip side, healthy habits like eating a nutritious diet and getting enough sleep can bolster a person’s immune system and reduce his or her risk for various ailments.
Some healthy habits, like daily exercise, can be time-consuming. Busy adults may not have time to exercise vigorously each day, though the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services urges men and women to find time for at least 150 minutes of moderateintensity aerobic activity each week. But not all healthy habits take up time. In fact, adults can incorporate various healthy practices into their daily routines without skipping a beat. • Take the stairs. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator can have a profound effect on overall health. According to Duke University, climbing just two flights of stairs combined per day can contribute to six pounds of weight loss over the course of a single year. In addition, a study from the North American Menopause Society found that stair climbing can help postmenopausal women reduce their risk for osteoporosis and help them lower their blood pressure. • Drink more water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that water helps the body maintain a normal temperature, lubricates and cushions joints, protects the spinal cord and other sensitive tissues, and helps to rid the body of waste through urination, perspiration and bowel movements.
Adults who are thirsty can choose water over soda or other sugary beverages. The CDC notes that sugary beverages like soda and sports drinks contain calories but little nutritional value, making water a healthier way for individuals to quench their thirst. • Go for daily walks. Walking benefits the body in myriad ways. For example, the Harvard School of Public Health notes that women who walk 30 minutes per day can reduce their risk of stroke by 20 percent and potentially by 40 percent if they walk briskly. In addition, researchers at the University of Virginia Health System found that men between the ages of 71 and 93 who walked more than a quarter mile per day had half the incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease as men who walked less. A 15-minute walk around the neighborhood each morning coupled with a 15-minute walk after dinner can help adults dramatically improve their overall health. • Eat more greens. Eating more greens is another healthy habit that doesn’t require a major overhaul of an individual’s lifestyle. The U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, are rich in vitamins A,C, E, and K. The Mayo Clinic notes that vitamin E alone can help people maintain their vision and promote a healthy reproductive system while also improving the health of the blood, brain and skin. The USDA also notes that green vegetables contain very little carbohydrates, sodium and cholesterol. Adults won’t have to reinvent the dietary wheel to incorporate more greens into their diets, and the results of doing so can have a significant, positive effect on their overall health. The right habits can help people live healthier lives, and such habits need not require any major life changes.
Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 30, 2021
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22 Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 30, 2021
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The risks of an overly sedentary lifestyle
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Sport Psychology Dr. Tom Ferraro
has specialized in sport psychology for 20 years and works in the fields of golf, tennis, soccer, baseball, football, wrestling, lacrosse, figure skating, gymnastics, softball, fencing and more. He has helped professional teams, Olympians and elite young athletes learn how to manage the intense pressure of competitive sports. He appears on both TV and radio and has sport psychology columns in 5 different newspapers and has been featured in The New York Times, Wall street Journal and the London Times. Golf Digest includes him in their list of top mental game gurus in America. For a consultation see below: Williston Park Professional Center 2 Hillside Ave, Suite E. Williston Park NY 11596 (building parallel to E. Williston railroad station)
drtomferraro.com drtferraro@aol.com
(516) 248-7189
ealth experts call it “sitting disease.” It refers to when people spend more of their time behind a desk or steering wheel of a car or planted in front of a television than they do engaging in physical activity. According to the American Heart Association, sedentary jobs have increased by 83 percent since 1950, and technology has reduced many people’s need to get up and move. Inactivity is taking a considerable toll on public health. A study from the University of Cambridge equated inactivity with being obese. The Mayo Clinic advises that research has linked sedentary behavior to a host of health concerns, and found those who sat for more than eight hours a day with no physical activity had a risk of dying similar to the risks of fatality linked to obesity and smoking. Increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol levels, and excess body fat all can be attributed to inactivity. Mental health can be adversely affected by a sedentary lifestyle as well. Australian researchers surveyed more than 3,300 government employees and found men who sat for more than six hours a day at work were 90 percent more likely to feel moderate psychological distress, such as restlessness, nervousness or hopelessness, than those who sat for less than three hours a day. In addition, a sedentary lifestyle can significantly increase a person’s risk for various types of cancer. A German meta-analysis of 43 studies involving four million people indicated those who sit the most have higher propensities to develop colon cancer, endometrial cancer and lung cancer.
Moving every 30 minutes is one way to reduce the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
Johns Hopkins Medical Center says research shows that high levels of exercise at some point in the day can lessen some risk, but it’s not entirely effective if most of the rest of the day a person is inactive. Risk for cardiovascular disease increases significantly for people who spend 10 hours or more sitting each day. Various medical organizations recommend individuals get up and move at any opportunity to help reduce risks of inactivity. Erin Michos, M.D., M.H.S., associate director of preventive cardiology at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, advises people who are very sedentary to aim for 4,000 steps per day. Such individuals can then build up to a target of 10,000 steps daily. The Mayo Clinic recommends these strategies to reduce the amount of time you spend sitting. • Stand while talking on the phone or watching television • Invest in a standing desk • Get up from sitting every 30 minutes • Walk at lunch or during meetings Sedentary lifestyles can affect health in many negative ways. But there are various ways to get up and go over the course of a typical day.
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Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, July 30, 2021
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COMMUNITY NEWS
Bob Nissen, prominent activist, dies at 93 Bob Nissen, a television engineering pioneer and prominent member of the Port performing arts community for 50 years, died July 14 of pulmonary fibrosis. Bob led a creative life that rode the technological and political waves of the 20th century. Blacklisted in the McCarthy era, he had an illustrious career spanning both coasts, from the golden age of broadcast television to the high-tech boardrooms of Madison Avenue. Born in Kansas in 1928, “Bobby Joe” spent countless hours tinkering with automobiles, and learning electricity and carpentry. He once won a bet that he could run a Model-T on butter. The family moved to Oregon, and Bob got his FCC Radio license at 14 and worked at KWIL announcing Big Band songs and war news. At Oregon State, he studied physics and philosophy, did theater, and became class president of 5,000 students. Moving to New York, Bob emceed at nightclubs and met an actress from Louisville, Henrietta Schlossberg. After one week of romance, he proposed and she accepted. One week later, Bob sailed to India. He emceed at nightclubs and wrote
newspaper articles as a stringer. He interviewed Prime Minister Nehru, who said India was willing to help negotiate peace in Korea. After a severe bout of malaria, Bob shipped home. Nine days after arriving, he and Henrietta married. She changed her name to Cinde, short for “Cinderella.” They settled in San Francisco, where Bob worked at KRON-TV and KQED-TV, achieving television “firsts” including the first coast-to-coast broadcast via microwave. At home, Bob and Cinde recorded albums by the Limeliters and Pete Seeger. They joined the peace movement and hosted singer/activist Paul Robeson. The House Un-American Activities Committee called him to testify. Referencing his Nehru interview, the Committee called him a traitor, who “offered his services to a foreign government” while a Marine. Asked to identify Communist friends, Bob pled the Fifth. In 1962, Bob and Cinde moved with their children to Saint Louis. When he became General Manager of KETC public television, the Globe-Democrat ran articles co-written by conservative politician Pat Buchanan, calling him “a communist
running our educational station.” Bob received threatening phone calls, and every morning checked his car for explosives. Silence from colleagues made it clear he was on a blacklist. After a brief move to Schenectady, the family settled in Port Washington in 1967. At the Hubert Wilke Organization, Bob designed over 200 TV studios and telecommunications facilities
in 50 countries. Port Washington provided ample performance opportunities for Bob’s family of actor/musicians. Port residents may remember them from the many Play Troupe cast parties at their Ridge Drive home. In 1990, Bob turned all his efforts to caring for Cinde, who had Alzheimer’s disease. She died in 2002, a year after their 50th anniversary. Bob then met and fell in love with Lilli Dzierzawski, a longtime theater friend of Cinde, and they registered as domestic partners. He spent his last years gardening, traveling, writing, and enjoying visits from his children Naomi, Gregory, Tim and Peter, and grandchildren Callum, Lucy, Henry, Irina, and Alison. He is remembered for his passionate sense of purpose as an iconoclast, activist, atheist, technologist, handyman, gardener, and devoted husband and father. His life will be commemorated through readings and performances at the Landmark on Main Street on Saturday, Aug. 28 at 1 p.m. The venue requires proof of vaccination for entrance. Please RSVP at tinyurl.com/bobnissencelebration.
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