Without going into too much detail about my health, I need to have yearly blood work completed in order to be properly treated for a few health conditions..  Prior to my doctor ordering this year's test, I mentioned to him that I still felt like my body wasn't using food properly. To be honest, I'm not really sure if I could offer a more clear explanation as to why I feel/felt this way. I have always had an almost "other-wordly" ability to be in tune with my own body {another thing that drives my husband a little batty BUT after 21 years of marriage, he has learned to trust it now}. Thankfully, this has helped my physicians to diagnose issues that, over time, would have negatively impacted my quality of life and longevity. Like my husband, my doctors have learned to trust my observations and comments.  My mention of "not using food properly" led my doctor to add a magnesium level check to my long list of routine testing. {Seriously, 6 vials of blood this year!} When he mentioned it, I thought "magnesium? What is that going to do for me?" HA! Well, it turns out A LOT as some of you might already know. Here are just a few {you can learn more here} interesting facts that I learned about magnesium when I jumped in full force to learn about it:

• Responsible for the proper functioning of over 300 biochemical reactions in the body
• It is ESSENTIAL for our body to perform/function
• None of our cells can function without it
• 65-75% of adults are DEFICIENT
• Regulates metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins
• Maintains normal muscle and nerve function 
• Helps to regulate sleep

Well, I DID end up showing a magnesium deficiency, despite eating a diet rich in top sources. I am now taking supplements and have increased my food sources of magnesium. I am ALREADY feeling better. I am sleeping better, my  leg cramps are non existent and my heart "flutters", which were becoming far too frequent, have also lessened/subsided. I am fully aware that I could be experiencing the Placebo Effect but I'll take it because I can finally do my Yoga without having to adjust 50 times due to leg cramping. Seriously, I would get a leg cramp from barely pointing my toe to put it into my shoe! Did I mention that I was sleeping better too?! 

My point in writing this very honest post is that as I've been studying this mineral and the effects of a deficiency, I began to think about my picky eaters. So much of the foods we crave and choose are because of what we are lacking or needing. I was craving salt and chocolate and I'm not usually a salt lover. Interestingly, both of these can point to a magnesium deficiency. Unfortunately, the more sugar/carbohydrates you consume, the more magnesium you need to balance it. If you are deficient you can crave carbohydrates which then leads to an even bigger deficiency. Further, if your body is not absorbing nutrients as it should due to other causes {Celiac, Crohn's, Diabetes etc...} you will become deficient which, in turn, keeps you deficient because you can't absorb it from your food adequately.  See the connection now with picky eaters? Many picky eaters have diets that are very carb/sugar heavy and many have GI issues, both diagnosed and undiagnosed. 

Now, I'm certainly not suggesting that every picky or selective eater is deficient nor am I trying to impart guilt on parents who already feel a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety about their child's diet. READ ME LOUD AND CLEAR that I am not wanting anyone to feel that way. I, simply, want to raise awareness about two things that hit me as I was studying and learning about magnesium for my own health:

1. Many of our kiddos may be choosing foods based upon what their bodies are needing and parents and professionals need to be open to discussions/dialogue about this possibility. This is NOT new information BUT it is worth repeating. 
2. Time and time again {and obviously this personal issue was no exception} I am reminded that children {even Tweens and Teens} can not adequately describe what they are feeling when they eat. Nauseous? Itchy? Fatigued? Crampy? Not right? Reflux? etc... 

I was able to articulate what I was feeling when I ate which led my doctor to run the test. This ultimately led to me feeling better because we were able to take the steps necessary to solve the problem. Our kiddos don't have that option. They rely on us.  

Ironically, I ran across an article on Twitter this morning, written by a prominent GI physician, reminding us of this very thing. We MUST be excellent observers of our children when it comes to their bodies and the reaction to food within their bodies. Many of the answers we need/desire will be answered when we become careful observers both as parents and professionals-a GREAT reminder for each of us. 

How about you? Have you learned you or your child have a vitamin/mineral deficiency? I'd love to hear your story. 

Until next time...keep growing and blooming. 

Jen

Does your family have an annual tradition of driving around to look at the Christmas lights? Mine does. We pile into our car and head to a nearby town {that happens to be my hometown} and view the amazing and FREE light display. We have had this tradition for years and even with my kids being teens now {one going away to college in 8 short months!} they still enjoy this annual event. As we drive away from the display each year, we say our favorites aloud {always the same it seems} and talk about anything new that has been added. Because we are a food loving family, we often pack snacks to take or we stop for our favorite treat or hot chocolate on the way. As I contemplated what we would take this year, I had an idea..


Why not engage your kids to plan the snacks that you'll take? Give everyone a job that they are to complete from start to finish. Drinks, snacks, music. are just a few ideas for someone to take care of. Having to plan and complete the job is a great executive functioning task and planning snacks is a great way to create a fun, positive experience around food {remember that we want to redirect those negatives around food into positives: read more here}. Now, if you're following the Division of Responsibility {and I hope you are}you can still do this buffet style.  A great way to serve the snacks buffet style is to lay them all out on your family table and allow each person to fill a Bento style box or other segmented box with what they desire. Remember to have something on the table that you KNOW your picky eater will eat. Pack them up in the car and off you go! You can munch away while you view the lights or make a little stop in a park or parking lot and enjoy it there. A real food adventure! 

As I was researching for this post, I found a few other amazing ideas for you to try that are also fantastic lessons in language and executive functioning. Take a look at the Family Scavenger Hunt and the grading idea found in Holiday Light Display.  

Before you head out, you may want to Google the area light displays to see what is offered in your area. I had no idea that many towns even put our a "viewing map" to alert you to the best displays. So cool! 

Do you have an annual light viewing tradition? Be sure to let me know if you try the snacks!

Until next time...keep growing and blooming.

Jen

We have had such a great response to our two part series on how classic games can help with executive functioning skills that I thought I would provide another game related post for you. You can find the postshere and here. Today's post however, is geared more toward the picky eater in your house. Not surprisingly, many children who have difficulty with executive function skills are also picky eaters. Without getting too bogged down in "details" {perhaps another post on this topic},  research has shown that there is indeed a cognitive component to issues surrounding food no matter the original cause {oral, medical or typical developmental}. 

One of the things that I specialize in working with families on is bringing FUN back {or to, in some cases} TO the table, rebuilding/building trust and teaching Food Literacy for Picky Eaters {TM}. Over the years, I've found that my work with executive functioning and picky eating have married very well. Case in point: while having a weekly family game night might be first and foremost to help with executive functioning skills, a nice side benefit is that you can also work on improving picky eating. Here is an easy to use 3 step plan for making Family Game Night beneficial for your picky eater. 

Step One: Allow each kiddo a chance to select the games. You're saying "how does this help a kiddo be less of a picky eater Jen?" Right? Here's why. Allowing your picky eaters a chance to control something at the table brings them closer to changing their thought process about WHAT happens at the table where foods are served. See how we did that? We are rerouting the negative to make it a positive. Creating more positive memories {cognitive connections} around the family table, whether food related or not, is one of the keys to rebuilding/building trust at the table.

Step Two: Follow the Division of Responsibility by Ellyn Satter and serve snacks "buffet" style making sure to have at least ONE of your picky eater's favorite foods/safe foods on the table. This would not be a typical free for all, eat whatever snacks you want, game night. The focus is on the playing of games and not the food anyway-again a nice way to get in the "back door" with regard to rebuilding/building trust around the table. 

Step Three: Themed Game Nights. Playing Apples to Apples? Be sure to serve variations of "apple" themed foods for snacks. You can take it one step further and use the Food Chaining technique to increase the likelihood that your picky eater will try one of the new foods on the table. Here's how: say your child is a bread lover, be sure to serve their favorite "safe" bread on the table along side an apple bread. Have a cracker lover? Try serving apple chips, apple flavored crackers or make your own apple/cinnamon flavored tortilla chips. Need more ideas for Food Chaining from your picky eater's safe foods? Visit our picky eater Pinterest boards for ideas based upon their safe foods. 

Fun, right? 

Can you think of some other Family Game Night food themes that would work with games you and your family love? I'd love to hear, your ideas so please leave a comment. 

Until next time...keep growing and blooming. 

Jen

If you've been following me a while, you know that I'm a BIG...let's say HUGE...fan of games for developing Executive Function skills. I remember the giddiness that I felt when I read my first research article on how great game playing is for developing cognitive/EF skills {speech and language of course too!}. From that point on, my therapy and coaching took on an entirely new look/feel. 

As a parent, I know that trying to carve out more time for something is nearly impossible. In my practice, I have always tried to recommend activities and programs that are easy for families to implement, FUN for all and BIG on benefit for skill development. 

GAMES...GAMES...GAMES.

Without further ado, I give you Part One: Classic Games to Strengthen Executive Functioning Skills

Pretty AMAZING, huh?  Did you have any idea how beneficial games are for Executive Function skills? Isn't it great that you can help your child/student while also having FUN? 

Would you like more information on popular games and the executive functioning skills they strengthen/develop?  Download our Executive Function game Guides for ®UNO and ®Sorry! Our game guides are great for parents and professionals to use while playing the game. They not only help to teach the child HOW to play the game but also give the parent/professional "scripts" on what to say to strengthen a particular skill while playing. 

Until next time...keep growing and blooming....and what's your favorite game to play at home or with your students? I'd love to know. 


Jen

P.S Would you like even MORE ideas for how to work on executive functioning? You can find them here!