FitSugar

Live Chat @ Noon PST

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 11:30:00 -0700

Hey Gang,

Live chat in about 30 minutes. There is so much to talk about - like the Cookie Diet.

Join me and other FitSugar readers in the chat room every Monday at noon PST - that's 3 pm for all you east coast folks.

Live Chat With Fit in 30 Minutes @ noon PST

FitSugar — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 11:30:00 -0700

There's so much we need to catch up on. So meet me in the chat room in 30 minutes.

We can talk about how you celebrated St. Patty's Day. Or how about the pet food recall - Can you believe that?

I'd love to hear what you think about the S-Factor (pole dancing) classes. You also had a lot to say about those Kashi frozen entrées.

Did you see the new yoga challenge called Standing 1/2 Bound Lotus? We can talk about how to send in your photos.

I loved all your comments about Carob too - I agree, it's NOTHING like chocolate.

Or we can talk about migraines, snoring, manorexia, or anything else you'd like.

So let's chat. Just so you know, we meet every Monday at 12:00 PM PST / 3:00 PM EST.

I'll see you in the chat room.

Source

Live Chat in 30 Minutes @ Noon PST

FitSugar — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 11:25:00 -0800

Since the Oscars are over, how about we chat about something else (even though I'll never stop talking about how amazing Pilobolus was).

I thought you might want to talk about models and how thin they are, since last week was National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

We could also talk about cleaning your cans, sweating, your favorite sneakers, what reasons you have for not working out, or anything else that's on your mind.

Join me and other FitSugar readers in the chat room every Monday at noon PST - that's 3 pm for all you east coast folks.

Live Chat @ Noon PST

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 11:54:03 -0800

Hey Gang,

Thanks everyone who came to the chat. We talked about the hidden joys of snowshoeing and the challenges of surfing. Drop by next week and let's see where the conversation takes us.

Join me and other FitSugar readers in the chat room every Monday at noon PST - that's 3:00 pm for all you east coast folks. We generally chat for about 30 minutes.

Live Chat in 30 Minutes!

FitSugar — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 10:00:00 -0800

Ahhh...Winter. You gotta love it. There's so much to do. Skiing, winter hiking, snowshoeing, snowboarding, ice skating, ice fishing - even sitting in front of a fire and watching the snow fall is fun.

I want to know - What's your favorite winter sport and why?

Maybe you're new to this whole winter sport thing and you need some pointers about getting started.

Then join me in the chat room in 30 minutes. We meet every Monday and Friday at 10:30 AM PST / 1:30 PM EST.

Let's talk Winter.

See you in a bit!

Live Chats on Mondays and Fridays 10:30 am PST

FitSugar — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 10:00:00 -0800

Hey Gang,

I was great to hear about your fitness goals (and more) in FitSugar's first LIVE Chat. It was definitely fun and informative.

Join me and other FitSugar readers in the chat room every Monday and Friday at 10:30 am PST - that's 1:30 pm for all you east coast folks.

Live Chat in 30 Minutes @ Noon PST

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 11:30:17 -0800

Hello all!!!!

Come join my live chat starting at 12:00 PST - that's 3PM for all you east coasters.

Join me for lunch or tea time to dish about fitness classes. We can start off by talking about our favorite group classes versus our least favorites, or classes you are interested in checking out.

Join me in the chat room in about 30 minutes. I can't wait to see where the conversation takes us.

DVD Review: Skinny B*tch Fitness - Boot Camp

FitSugar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:00:00 -0800

First came the book, Skinny B*itch - a saucy self-help book to help ladies change their relationship with food and take control of their lives. Then coauthors and BFFs Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin wrote a cookbook, Skinny B*itch in the Kitch. Now these ladies want to get you moving, so they created some fitness DVDs. The other night I tried their Boot Camp ($10) workout.

After defending the name and the graphics of the DVD to my husband, I worked it in my living room with Rory and Kim. The 45-minute basic workout alternates between dumbbell strength training segments and light to medium cardio. The workout is fun, and Rory and Kim chat, complain, and encourage you throughout the DVD, all the while offering variations for less fit and less flexible folks. These ladies are entertaining and I giggled through bicep curls and squat thrusts. I appreciated their humor and camaraderie, even if it made me roll my eyes occasionally. Eye rolling surely burns extra calories, right? The workout ends with ab work, including crunches and planks. The gals have also dreamed up five five-minute workouts for the severely time-crunched fitness enthusiast.

I enjoyed this boot camp workout. I love mixing strength training into my cardio. This workout will not get your heart pounding hard for long periods of time, but my heart rate stayed solidly in my fat burning zone for most of the workout with occasional upward spikes during squat thrusts.

This is a great DVD to work out with on a rainy day. It gets you moving and makes you smile. You can buy it directly from Warner Brothers.

Do you have any questions you are dying to ask these skinny b*itches? I am going to interview Rory and Kim soon, and if there is something you are dying to know about their advice, books, or DVDs, leave your question in the comments section below and I will try to work it into the conversation.

Nastia Liukin's Healthy Living and Diet Tips

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 03:30:00 -0800

The 2008 Olympic Games came and went as quickly as Michael Phelps won his 100 meter butterfly race, and for many of us, a small dose of Olympics withdrawal followed the closing ceremony. Shape seems to have known how much everyone was missing the inspirational athletes that graced our screens in August, and sat down to chat with the graceful Nastia Liukin about her life after winning the gold.

When asked how her life has changed since the Olympics, Nastia told Shape, "It's a dream come true. It's amazing to know that all the years of hard work paid off. It wasn't an easy journey, especially with injuries, but it was worth it. I'm traveling all over right now."

To see her tips for healthy living, read more.

Shape asked the 19-year-old gold medal winner for her best healthy living tips, and she answered, "Don't go crazy about dieting. Eat healthy, but if you want to splurge and have a cookie, then have a cookie. Depriving yourself is the worst! Exercise on a daily basis. Whether you take your dog for a walk, go for a run in the park or just do some ab moves in your living room, it's very important to do something every day!"

Visit Shape to see Nastia's diet on a typical day.

Source

Autism

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:47:15 -0700

HEALTH GUIDE REFERENCE FROM A.D.A.M

Definition

Autism is a developmental disorder that appears in the first 3 years of life, and affects the brain's normal development of social and communication skills.

Alternative Names

Pervasive developmental disorder - autism

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Autism is a physical condition linked to abnormal biology and chemistry in the brain. The exact causes of these abnormalities remain unknown, but this is a very active area of research. There are probably a combination of factors that lead to autism.

Genetic factors seem to be important. For example, identical twins are much more likely than fraternal twins or siblings to both have autism. Similarly, language abnormalities are more common in relatives of autistic children. Chromosomal abnormalities and other nervous system (neurological) problems are also more common in families with autism.

A number of other possible causes have been suspected, but not proven. They involve:

Diet
Digestive tract changes
Mercury poisoning
The body's inability to properly use vitamins and minerals
Vaccine sensitivity

The exact number of children with autism is not known. A report released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that autism and related disorders are more common than previously thought, although it is unclear if this is due to an increasing rate of the illness or an increased ability to diagnose the illness.

Autism affects boys 3 - 4 times more often than girls. Family income, education, and lifestyle do not seem to affect the risk of autism.

Some parents have heard that the MMR vaccine that children receive may cause autism. This theory was based, in part, on two facts. First, the incidence of autism has increased steadily since around the same time the MMR vaccine was introduced. Second, children with the regressive form of autism (a type of autism that develops after a period of normal development) tend to start to show symptoms around the time the MMR vaccine is given. This is likely a coincidence due to the age of children at the time they receive this vaccine.

Several major studies have found NO connection between the vaccine and autism. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention report that there is no proven link between autism and the MMR vaccine, or any other vaccine.

Some doctors believe the increased incidence in autism is due to newer definitions of autism. The term "autism" now includes a wider spectrum of children. For example, a child who is diagnosed with high-functioning autism today may have been thought to simply be odd or strange 30 years ago.

Other pervasive developmental disorders include:

Asperger syndrome (like autism, but with normal language development)
Rett syndrome (very different from autism, and only occurs in females)
Childhood disintegrative disorder (rare condition where a child learns skills, then loses them by age 10)
Pervasive developmental disorder - not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), also called atypical autism.

Symptoms

Most parents of autistic children suspect that something is wrong by the time the child is 18 months old and seek help by the time the child is 2. Children with autism typically have difficulties in:

Pretend play
Social interactions
Verbal and nonverbal communication

Some children with autism appear normal before age 1 or 2 and then suddenly "regress" and lose language or social skills they had previously gained. This is called the regressive type of autism.

People with autism may:

Be overly sensitive in sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste (for example, they may refuse to wear "itchy" clothes and become distressed if they are forced to wear the clothes)
Have unusual distress when routines are changed
Perform repeated body movements
Show unusual attachments to objects

The symptoms may vary from moderate to severe.

Communication:

Cannot start or maintain a social conversation
Communicates with gestures instead of words
Develops language slowly or not at all
Does not adjust gaze to look at objects that others are looking at
Does not refer to self correctly (for example, says "you want water" when the child means "I want water")
Does not point to direct others' attention to objects (occurs in the first 14 months of life)
Repeats words or memorized passages, such as commercials
Uses nonsense rhyming

Social interaction:

Does not make friends
Does not play interactive games
Is withdrawn
May not respond to eye contact or smiles, or may avoid eye contact
May treat others as if they are objects
Prefers to spend time alone, rather than with others
Shows a lack of empathy

Response to sensory information:

Does not startle at loud noises
Has heightened or low senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste
May find normal noises painful and hold hands over ears
May withdraw from physical contact because it is overstimulating or overwhelming
Rubs surfaces, mouths or licks objects
Seems to have a heightened or low response to pain

Play:

Doesn't imitate the actions of others
Prefers solitary or ritualistic play
Shows little pretend or imaginative play

Behaviors:

"Acts up" with intense tantrums
Gets stuck on a single topic or task (perseveration)
Has a short attention span
Has very narrow interests
Is overactive or very passive
Shows aggression to others or self
Shows a strong need for sameness
Uses repetitive body movements

Signs and tests

All children should have routine developmental exams by their pediatrician. Further testing may be needed if there is concern on the part of the doctor or parents. This is particularly true whenever a child fails to meet any of the following language milestones:

Babbling by 12 months
Gesturing (pointing, waving bye-bye) by 12 months
Single words by 16 months
Two-word spontaneous phrases by 24 months (not just echoing)
Loss of any language or social skills at any age.

These children might receive a hearing evaluation, a blood lead test, and a screening test for autism (such as the Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT) or the Autism Screening Questionnaire).

A health care provider experienced in the diagnosis and treatment of autism is usually necessary for the actual diagnosis. Because there is no biological test for autism, the diagnosis will often be based on very specific criteria laid out in a book called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV.

An evaluation of autism will often include a complete physical and nervous system (neurologic) examination. It may also include a specific screening tool, such as:

Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised (ADI-R)
Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)
Childhood Autism rating Scale (CARS)
Gilliam Autism Rating Scale
Pervasive Developmental Disorders Screening Test - Stage 3

Children with known or suspected autism will often have genetic testing (looking for chromosome abnormalities) and perhaps metabolic testing.

Autism encompasses a broad spectrum of symptoms. Therefore, a single, brief evaluation cannot predict a child's true abilities. Ideally, a team of different specialists will evaluate the child. They might evaluate:

Communication
Language
Motor skills
Speech
Success at school
Thinking abilities

Sometimes people are reluctant to have a child diagnosed because of concerns about labeling the child. However, failure to get a diagnosis can lead to failure to get the treatment and services the child needs.

Treatment

An early, intensive, appropriate treatment program will greatly improve the outlook for most young children with autism. Most programs will build on the interests of the child in a highly structured schedule of constructive activities. Visual aids are often helpful.

Treatment is most successful when geared toward the child's particular needs. An experienced specialist or team should design the program for the individual child. A variety of therapies are available, including:

Applied behavior analysis (ABA)
Medications
Occupational therapy
Physical therapy
Speech-language therapy

Sensory integration and vision therapy are also common, but there is little research supporting their effectiveness. The best treatment plan may use a combination of techniques.

APPLIED BEHAVIORAL ANALYSIS (ABA)

This program is for younger children with an autism spectrum disorder. It can be effective in some cases. ABA uses a one-on-one teaching approach that reinforces the practice of various skills. The goal is to get the child close to normal developmental functioning.

ABA programs are usually conducted within a child's home, under the supervision of a behavioral psychologist. Unfortunately, these programs can be very expensive and have not been widely adopted by school systems. Parents often must seek funding and staffing from other sources, which can be hard to find in many communities.

TEACCH

Another program is called the Treatment and Education of Autistic and Related Communication Handicapped Children (TEACCH). TEACCH, developed as a statewide program in North Carolina, uses picture schedules and other visual cues. These help the child work independently and organize and structure their environments.

Though TEACCH tries to improve a child's adaptation and skills, it also accepts the problems associated with autism spectrum disorders. Unlike ABA programs, TEACCH programs do not expect children to achieve typical development with treatment.

MEDICINE

Medicines are often used to treat behavior or emotional problems that people with autism may have, including:

Aggression
Anxiety
Attention problems
Extreme compulsions that the child find impossible to stop
Hyperactivity
Impulsiveness
Irritability
Mood swings
Outbursts
Sleep difficulty
Tantrums

Currently, only risperidone is approved for the treatment of children ages 5 - 16 with irritability and aggression associated with autism. There is no medicine that treats the underlying problem of autism.

DIET

Some children with autism appear to respond to a gluten-free or casein-free diet. Gluten is found in foods containing wheat, rye, and barley. Casein is found in milk, cheese, and other dairy products. Not all experts agree that dietary changes will make a difference, and not all reports studying this method have shown positive results.

If you are considering these or other dietary changes, talk to both a doctor who specializes in the digestive system (gastroenterologist) and a registered dietitian. You want to be sure that the child is still receiving enough calories, nutrients, and a balanced diet.

OTHER APPROACHES

Beware that there are widely publicized treatments for autism that do not have scientific support, and reports of "miracle cures" that do not live up to expectations. If your child has autism, it may be helpful to talk with other parents of children with autism and autism specialists, and follow the progress of research in this area, which is rapidly developing.

At one time, there was enormous excitement about using secretin infusions. Now, after many studies have been conducted in many laboratories, it's possible that secretin is not effective after all, but research is ongoing.

Support Groups

For organizations that can provide additional information and help on autism, see autism resources.

Expectations (prognosis)

Autism remains a challenging condition for children and their families, but the outlook today is much better than it was a generation ago. At that time, most people with autism were placed in institutions.

Today, with the right therapy, many of the symptoms of autism can be improved, though most people will have some symptoms throughout their lives. Most people with autism are able to live with their families or in the community.

The outlook depends on the severity of the autism and the level of therapy the person receives.

Complications

Autism can be associated with other disorders that affect the brain, such as:

Some people with autism will develop seizures.

The stresses of dealing with autism can lead to social and emotional complications for family and caregivers, as well as the person with autism.

Calling your health care provider

Parents usually suspect that there is a developmental problem long before a diagnosis is made. Call your health care provider with any concerns about autism or if you think that your child is not developing normally.

References

Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network Surveillance Year 2002 Principal Investigators; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders--autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, 14 sites, United States, 2002. MMWR Surveill Summ. 2007 Feb 9;56(1):12-28.

Muhle R, Trentacoste V, Rapin I. The Genetics of Autism. Pediatrics. 2004;113;472-486.

Johnson CP, Myers SM; American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Children with Disabilities. Identification and evaluation of children with autism spectrum disorders. Pediatrics. 2007;120:1183-1215.

Dover CJ, Le Couteur A. How to diagnose autism. Arch Dis Child. 2007;92:540-545.

Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF. Kliegman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007.

Review Date: 4/20/2008

Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

A.D.A.M. Copyright

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997-2009 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

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