Avoid Sugary Breakfast Foods for Kids

Morning health tip with Liz MacFarland of NBC 25, Michelle Mersy of Great Lakes Bay Moms and Dr. Dan Kehres of DrKehres.com. 

Do you know how much sugar you are feeding your kids for breakfast? Whether it be in their cereal, in their juice or in a snack you give them as they run out the door. 

Dr. Dan Kehres, a wellness physician in Saginaw says most kids are taking in too much sugar in the morning at breakfast time and it is causing them to crash in the middle of their day. Dr. Kehres suggests whipping up a healthy shake in the morning for your kids. It may be difficult for kids to eat their veggies, but if they are whipped up together with some fruit, most kids are more likely to indulge.

 

Great Lakes Bay Moms featured our veggie shake recipe and some other tips in this article, Shake it Up For Breakfast. 

Look for a breakfast that includes healthy protein, healthy fats and fruits and veggies if possible. Eggs, veggie shakes and whey protein shakes are all healthy options for kids and adults, without the sugar of Pop Tarts and breakfast cereals. 

7 Major Health Benefits of Vitamin D

Vitamin D3, also known as the sunshine vitamin, is crucial to your health. Hundreds of studies have show that it is essential in preventing a variety of diseases, including depression, bone fractures and multiple sclerosis.

Unfortunately, as humans spend more time indoors, we get less Vitamin D. Add sunscreen and protective clothing, and chances are that you are getting very little sunshine during the day. It is estimated that 85% of the American public and 95% of senior citizens are Vitamin D deficient.

Here are a variety of the benefits of Vitamin D and how it affects your body:

While the best source of Vitamin D is free (from the sun!), it is also available as a supplement. 

A blood test to measure your Vitamin D levels is the best way to determine how much you need. 

Read more about improving your health at drkehres.com. 

sources:

Uceyler N et al. Reduced levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines in patients with chronic widespread pain. Arth Rheum 2006; 54:2656-64

American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: December 2006 - Volume 14 - Issue 12 - pp 1032-1040

Grassrootshealth.org

Local Health: Great Lakes Bay Moms

Whether you are looking for swim classes for your kids or necessary items for your newborn, Great Lakes Bay Moms has what you need. 

A new website made by moms, for moms, GreatLakesBayMoms.com has great information for local moms and families.  

Recently, Great Lakes Bay Moms featured my article, Blueberries: Nature's Super Food, on their website encouraging families to eat more blueberries for their many health benefits. 

Their directory has listings of local resources and ratings, including Kehres Health & Chiropractic in the physicians category.

Be sure to check them out of Facebook too!

"You can not out train a bad diet"

 

While both are crucial to your success, focus on food first, then fitness. Creating healthy eating habits before starting a workout routine can be the key to success. 

Health Classes & Running Clinics

This weekend, Dr. Kehres taught a proper running form class at CrossFit Macomb. There was a great turnout as he taught tips such as proper arm swing and how to run with a mid-foot stride instead of heel striking. 

Learning proper running form now, will help prevent injuries down the road and it is the same for other aspects of your health. If you learn how to eat healthier now, you will help prevent illness. 

Click here for an upcoming schedule of free health classes at Kehres Health & Chiropractic in Saginaw throughout August and September. Dr. Kehres is also available to come to your business or upcoming event.

Classes include

• Eat More, Exercise Less
• Grains: The Real Truth
• Make Your Health a Priority (basic nutrition)
• Nature's Nutrients (a new class about the most important nutrients you probably aren't getting enough of and the best ways to get them)

21 Suggestions for Success

New Month's Health Resolution: August

Soak up the sun

Food, water, air, sunlight -- the basic items every living thing needs to survive.

Our stomach growls when we need more food, we become thirsty when we need more water, we know very quickly when we need more air... but what alerts us when we need more sunlight?

The Environmental Protection Agency found that the average North American spends 90% of their time indoors.  

That leaves very little time to get one of the most crucial nutrients - Vitamin D3 from the sun.

It is estimated that 85% of the American public and 95% of senior citizens are Vitamin D deficient. This deficiency has been linked to almost every health condition known -- from heart disease to cancer to multiple sclerosis.  

Optimizing your Vitamin D levels is one of the most powerful things you can do naturally to protect your health and boost your immune system.

For this month's health resolution, focus on getting Vitamin D from the sun, a natural and free source, as much as possible.

As different parts of the country get varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year and everyone's skin pigment is different, the best rule of thumb is to go outside and get some sun (without suntan lotion, as it prevents 95% of Vitamin D production) until your skin turns light pink -- not red. In sunny Florida, this may be only ten minutes, but in Michigan in the winter, it could be 45 minutes. And if you don't get a chance to get outside, you can supplement with Vitamin D.

Most people need between 2,000 IU to 10,000 IU of Vitamin D a day to achieve beneficial levels. However, the average American only gets approximately 300 IU a day from their diet -- which is why deficiency and disease linked to low Vitamin D levels is so prevalent.

When a plant is sick, the first thing we do is water it and move it into the sun. These should be the first steps humans take as well to prevent sickness and promote wellness.   

Kehres Health & Chiropractic in Saginaw, MI carries a GMP-certified Vitamin D3 supplement

available in 2,000 IU and 5,000 IU. Contact us at 989-607-4322 or drkehres@kehreshealth.com to order. 

Note: most tanning beds have minimal UVB rays which is what produces Vitamin D. Getting a sun burn is not healthy. 

Veggie Shake Contest Winners!

Congratulations Jeff and Shauna, of Phoenix, Ariz., you won the Cuisinart Smoothie Blender for the July Veggie Shake contest!

Jeff and Shauna submitted six recipes!

• Spiced Kale Veggie Shake
• Veggie Shake with Peppermint
• Vanilla Veggie Shake
• Berry Veggie Shake
• The Oatmeal Monster
• Spinach Nectarine Shake

(Our personal favorites of theirs were the shakes in Michigan State glasses!)

Thank you to everyone who shared their recipe, we had many kids who shared their veggie shake recipe too!

Visit our Veggie Shakers album for more great recipes! 

See Dr. Kehres' original veggie shake recipe here. 


The winner was chosen randomly through random.org.