#FF Friday's Fab Finds: ADHD, Paying It Forward for Kids' Sports, Infants, Junk Food & Children's Mental Health, & Blind Judo on Blind Matters Radio

Thought for the Day: As we start Labor Day Weekend, I found some great finds this week. I wish I had discovered the first find before the summer, but it will give parents of kids with ADHD time to investigate and search for programs for next summer for their children. The second find is a children's book which is paying it forward for children's sports programs, like mine does for helping people accomplish their dreams. Speaking of which, the 3rd find is a radio program tomorrow with Willy Cahill, Olympic Judo Coach. The show will highlight the benefits of the sport of Judo for blind and visually impaired children and adults. If you have time, I hope you will listen in tomorrow. Finally, a study that all pregnant and new mothers should be aware of, although we know that junk food is bad for our health, this study found that unborn infants and newborns exposed to junk food have a higher tendency to suffer from depression, anxiety and other mental health issues. Have a wonderful weekend & I hope you enjoy these finds.


Like Summer Camp With Brain Benefits: ADHD Summer Intensive Programs By Madeline Vann, MPH Medically reviewed by Pat F. Bass III, MD, MPH Here's something for parents of children with ADHD to think about for next summer for their children, an intensive summer program that focuses on whole brain development and features diet strategies, exercise options, and classes geared to bolster both strengths and weaknesses - all while remaining fun.

A sports story worth celebrating -- Bob Salomon and a Glove of Their Own By Rick Young, August 22, 2012, from FoxNews Here's a book doing for sports programs for children, what I am doing for the Dream Non-profits featured in my book. Bob Salomon is donating a portion from the sale of each book, A Glove of Their Own,  is donated to: Good Sports, Sports Gift, & Pitch In For Baseball. In addition, Bob sees to it that $3 of every book sold will be given to any school or non-profit organization that joins his effort.

Coach Willy Cahill, Legendary Judo Coach And Co-Founder Of The Blind Judo Foundation To Speak With 400,000 Listeners Of Blind Matters Radio Show Audience August 31, 2013 If you know someone who is blind or visually impaired, you may want to let them know about this broadcast tomorrow about how the sport of judo can build self esteem and independence for the blind. The Blind Judo Foundation is one of the Dream Nonprofit organizations featured in my book. They are doing phenomenal work. If you get a chance, listen in

In Young Kids, Junk Food Linked to Mental Illness  By Traci Pedersen Associate News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D., August 22, 2013 This is an important story for any pregnant mother or parent of a young child to read. Prenatal & early childhood nutrition has found a link to depression and anxiety in children exposed to junk food during these formative stages of life.

Thanksgiving & 6 Mental Health First Aid Tips

As We Celebrate Thanksgiving, many people are still struggling with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy

Thought for the Day: The day before Thanksgiving I was interviewed on a radio show, "Pay It Forward" with Josephine Geraci on how to cope with the trauma of Hurricane Sandy. Josephine lives on Long Island & grew up in Staten Island. She contacted me on Monday to ask that I come on the show & offer some advice to help all the people on the east coast who have been impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Although my schedule was filled with pre-holiday minutia, I agreed to do the broadcast. To me it felt like the perfect way to give to others just before the Thanksgiving weekend which is very hard following such devastation. Because of the short notice, many people did not get to listen in live, however the broadcast can be downloaded here: bit.ly/Y4dMCrbit.ly/Y4dMCr

As part of the show, I offered some tips to help people deal with the aftermath this & any trauma. I thought I'd share some of the tips here. On the 1 hour radio show, you can hear more about how you can help yourself, your family, friends,  children, neighbors & co-workers deal with the stresses that arise due to trauma. 

Picture of the home of another facebook friend

The picture on the right was from a facebook "friend" whom I've never met. It is heartbreaking to imagine having to sort through a lifetime of belongings, photos & mementos & to tear down homes they have built & cared for for years. Often we don't know what to say or do to support them. On the show, we discuss what you can do to help yourself & your loved ones.  

One of the psychologists/authors that I have "met" via linkedIn & facebook wrote to apologize that she could not listen in because she is too busy packing, packing, packing. I wrote back & found out that her house needs to be gutted. I was able to extend some words of support to her. We are all able to do something, little things can mean a lot to those who have been impacted. Here are a summary of some of the Mental Health tips I gave on the show.

 

Post Trauma Mental Health First Aid Tips
      1) Talk to people about the traumatic events. It is therapeutic even if it feels repetitious. It also allows others to support you. Know that holidays will be hard & try to be with people especially during the holidays. If you don't know what to say, give a hug & just be there with them. Watch kids for a few hours. Bring food just as you might to help a friend who is moving or after an operation.
      2) Take care of yourself: make time to relax, exercise, eat well, meditate. When we are under stress we often push ourselves to the limit & forget to take time for ourselves. Ignoring our need for rest can be counter-productive & leave us even more exhausted, overwhelmed & less able to do the tasks at hand.
      3) Help others who are less fortunate, it will help you as well. Take a look at how one woman, Vanessa McHugh of Queens, made a difference following the hurricane: The Pizza Patrol. Even a phone call to a friend to speak with them & see how they are doing can be helpful.
      4) Look for what you have to be grateful for instead of focusing on what you do not have. Take a look at some of my older posts: Whether the Glass is 1/2 full or 1/2 Empty Make the Most of What You Have Left or this one How A Motorcycle Accident and a Fire Rekindled a Dream.
      5) Be patient with yourself, it takes time to recover from losses. Although we all would like to put a loss behind us & move on quickly, our psyche takes time to recover from any loss or trauma. The average time needed to recover from major losses is a year. Grieve when you feel sad, don't ignore it. It will pass & lessen as time goes by.
      6) If you are having trouble sleeping, have headaches or other physical issues, or frequent flashbacks that do not seem to be lessening over time, speak with a professional. Even if you feel that you or your family are coping with the trauma, it may be helpful to get a mental health check up with a therapist to talk about how everyone is coping with the stress of living through a traumatic event.

I hope you continue to enjoy the rest of this Thanksgiving weekend! As always, I'd love to hear your reactions, comments & feedback. If you have questions, feel free to ask me as well. 

Flashback Tuesday: Part III: Paying It Forward Deep in the Heart of Texas

      Today I decided to repost a blog that I wrote in 2012, since it highlight the story of a Veteran, Higher Ground's recreational therapy program & paying it forward. All week you can purchase a copy of the Wake Up and Dream Challenge with a discount (today it is 40% off tomorrow it will be more expensive, so the sooner you download the book the bigger discount you will get). Every time someone buys the buys the book on Amazon 1/2 of the profits will go to Higher Ground, so you will be helping honor our veterans & wounded warriors. (You do not need to own a kindle to download the book. Using Kindle's free cloud reader you can download it to your computer, ipad or smartphone.) You can also send it as a gift to friends.

Pay it Forward The Movie 2000 with Helen Hunt & Kevin Spacey

Thought for the Day: Yesterday was Pay it Forward Day. On Wednesday, I took part in a special 2 hour live radio program Paying It Forward with Josephine Geraci to celebrate Pay It Forward Day. I was one of multiple entrepreneurs included in the show who are paying it forward in their businesses, including Catherine Ryan Hyde, author & founder of the Pay It Forward movement. The book became a movie in 2000 starring Helen Hunt & Kevin Spacey. You can download & listen to the radio program & be inspired. How have you payed it forward? Has someone payed it forward for you? I would love to hear your stories.

After I left Camp Young Judaea TX last Sunday, I stopped to buy water at the 1st gas station before I got onto the highway. When I went to pay, a man in line told me I could go first. I was not in a hurry & at 1st did not understand why he let me check out before him. He was leaning against the counter, with his shirt unbuttoned & his hand against his chest. It was 90 degrees outside & the man, who already had what used to be called a healthy tan, appeared to have the start of a sunburn. I asked if he was all right. He told me he was having an angina attack, but he would be OK. He said, "I've had them before, but I left my medicine at home. I walked too much today." I asked if he needed a ride. He said he would appreciate it & offered to pay me gas money. I told him there was no need to pay me anything & offered to take him to a hospital if he felt it was necessary. Since he lived close by, I asked the cashier who had been listening to our conversation, if he knew him & whether he could vouch for him. The cashier assured me he knew Joe & it was fine for me to drive him home. (If I disappeared, the cashier would know where to look for me!)

Joe also had an orange tree (more like a potted plant) that he had been carrying with him in the scorching Texas sun. He put the plant in the back seat & we began our journey. As he reached into his pocket, I told him again that there was no need for him to pay me. Instead, he pulled out his Veteran's ID card to let me know he had served our nation. He also apologized for having the smell of alcohol on his breath since he had taken a drink to help ease the pain. As he directed me to his home, a shack with a "roof that needs fixing,"  he told me he felt lucky to be able to rent it for only $415 a month.

When we got to his place, he asked if I would mind praying with him. When I agreed, he asked if he could hold my hand. He thanked Jesus for getting him home safely & then he prayed for my safe return home. When I was a child, I would mouth the words of Christmas carols thinking it was against my religion to sing words that were not my religion's beliefs, but I felt honored to be included in Joe's prayer. When he got out of the car & took his orange tree, he stumbled a bit & told me that he has neuropathy in both feet.

I felt I had done the right thing & may have saved Joe from having a heart attack, but was most touched by his prayer for me. When he showed me his Veteran's ID, I started to tell him about Higher Ground & the great work they do to help veterans, but stopped myself. Instead, I am sharing this story with you & I hope that it will inspire you to pay it forward & help a veteran.

In War there are no unwounded soldiers

There are too many veterans, like Joe, living with multiple physical & invisible wounds on below poverty level incomes. As the T-shirt in the above picture says, "In war, there are no unwounded soldiers." I don't know if Joe has an alcohol addiction, but he does have a heart condition & appears to have diabetes. He can't afford a car in a place where there is virtually no public transportation. He is a proud man who is getting by with very little & thankful for what he has. Joe & all our veterans deserve more. Programs like Higher Ground use recreational followed by three years of vocational therapies to rehabilitate our war heroes.

Recreational Therapies provided by Higher Ground

You can Pay it Forward by buying a book which supports Higher Ground. When you finish reading the book, donate it to a library, encourage your friends or book club to do the same. Happy Pay It Forward Day. Let's make it 365 days a year!