Chris Herren

Next week students will get an opportunity to hear the story of Chris Herren; basketball player, father, son, brother, husband and junkie. My connection with Chris is a little different since I had the opportunity to play basketball against him in high school. Even then I remember the hype about him and his older brother Mike. He was indeed a star back then as well. Because of the connection I followed his story closer than most through his days at BC and Fresno State and also into the NBA. I was always saddened to hear about his struggles because he was somehow a connection for the not tall enough white kids from Mass (like myself) who would "never make it to big time basketball". Chris was our great white hope. It's easy to say "what an idiot, how could he throw it all away like that"...which helps me to understand just how strong and all consuming the drugs were to him. I often hear kids say how the message won't be received or that his presentation will actually encourage kids to experiment with drugs. Total nonsense! As I always explain to people, there are ALWAYS three types of audience members in any presentation in any part of the world. First you have your convinced, the people that you are preaching to the choir about. These kids on Feb 1 understand the impact of drugs and will not make the same mistakes. The second group in the audience are the people who aren't interested in the message, are skeptical or aren't mature enough yet to hear the message. He's not really speaking to them either. The third and most important group are the fence people. There will be people in the audience who have either dabbled with drugs or have been tempted to do so. His message may reach one of these students and may help even just one person. Even though the percentage is low, I still like knowing that maybe 1 person can be affected through the presentation. I look forward to the presentation and wish Chris and his family the best in his sobriety.

The Holidays

The Holidays are upon us and it's that time of year where people have a tendency to overindulge and pack on a few pounds. It also signifies the time of year when people decide their resolution will be to get back in shape or join a gym. Unfortunately what those people don't realize is that fitness can't be a short term endeavor every January 1st. Healthy living takes sticktoitiveness and effort. If you plan to "get healthier" this new year that is AWESOME. Just remember, it may be a lifestyle change that you need to make. Staying healthy needs to become a habit, you are what you habitually do. Best of luck to anyone out there this year that has the goal of becoming a healthier person.

MRSA Awareness

Staph infections that go unnoticed and untreated can lead to dire results...including death. As a result of increased antibiotic use, MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) a super germ has evolved. MRSA can be easily spread with close contact including sports and daycares. It's important to make sure cuts, scratches or any open wounds are treated and dressed. It is also important to keep sweaty and dirty clothes clean. A recent influx in cases has brought awareness AGAIN to many schools and daycares. Watch this video from Boston.com for more insight.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/health/video/Be_Well_videos/

Bullying Video

Sad story, unfortunately these types of incidents are far too common. Have you reached out to somebody lately?

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2011/09/20/ac-kth-bullying-in-america.cnn?&hpt=hp_c2

Healthier School Food Choices?

I have heard a lot of scuttlebutt lately about schools changing over to "healthier" school food choices. The federal government unfortunately has a lot to say as it relates to school systems and who they choose to feed their students. This article is just, dare I say..."food" for thought. Enjoy!

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/09/27/cooking-up-change-in-school-lunches/?hpt=C2

Energy Drinks Warning

Here is an article that certainly pertains to many of our young students in the Norton School system...buyer beware!

They claim to give you that extra boost, but recent studies have shown that energy drinks containing large amounts of caffeine and other stimulants, can actually cause major health problems in children, teens and young adults. In fact, according to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, of the 5,448 U.S. caffeine overdoses reported in 2007, 46% occurred in those younger than 19 years. Now a new report in the journal of Pediatrics warns parents, and doctors that these drinks could be especially dangerous to children with ADHD, diabetes, sleep issues and eating disorders.

Tips for managing diabetes

Doctors from the University of Miami School of Medicine say that although caffeine can improve attention spans, it also increases blood pressure and disrupts sleep patterns in young people. And scientists have found the attention span of kids who consumed these drinks on a daily basis eventually decreased. So did their heart rates over the long run, while their blood pressure numbers increased, which could put unnecessary pressure on the heart. Researchers note that could be dangerous for children who are on other medications

"Mixing other drugs with these drinks, could lead to a host of other complications." says Dr. Steven Lipshultz, a pediatric cardiologist and chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. "The problem is, a lot of young people don't realize what's in these drinks and the combinations could be serious, even deadly."

These drinks should not be consumed after long periods of exercise, or mixed with alcohol, study authors added.

"A lot of young people, especially teens and young adults think they are drinking sports drinks," warned Lipshultz. "So they drink them after practice. But instead of replacing electrolytes in their bodies, they are adding large amounts of caffeine and other stimulants, which can rev up the body and the heart even more. "

But the American Beverage Association, which represents the manufacturers of these drinks, says there's plenty of caffeine in lots of drinks that are available to a younger age group. "Young adults getting coffee from popular coffeehouses are getting about twice as much caffeine as they would from a similar size energy drink," the ABA said in a reaction statement to the Pediatrics paper.

But doctors warn that many people need to be made aware that these are not just cans of "quick energy," but beverages that contain not only caffeine, but stimulants such as guarana and taurine, that could affect different people in different ways.

What's inside energy drinks?

"Some kids can handle these substances, but others cannot," says Lipshultz. "Kids need to be careful of how much they drink."

Lipshultz and his co-authors stressed that pediatricians need to recognize symptoms and health problems associated with these drinks and should advise parents and young people of their dangers.

"The problem is, when kids come into a doctor's office with nausea, dizziness, racing hearts and even worse, seizures, pediatricians immediately think some form of drug abuse," says Lipshultz. "But in many cases, it could be energy drinks that are causing these problems. And doctors need to be on the lookout for that"

Deliberate Acts of Kindness

Here is a story about a "deliberate act of kindness". Random acts of kindness are also great...but there is nothing wrong with making a concious effort to do something thoughtful. This is a great story about kindness, thoughtfuness, and friendship. Enjoy!

http://www.boston.com/community/stories_to_inspire/articles/2010/12/23/a_teenagers_simple_act_elevates_all/