. . . plus, simple alternative non-toxic sweet treats to win kids over every time Halloween can be a special holiday for families. Carving pumpkins…making costumes…going to parties…trick-or-treating—even playing an occasional prank. But like most holidays, it’s an unwelcome opportunity to turn healthy eating on its head. Whether it’s tempting your sugar cravings…eating more than your body needs…or caving in to unreasonable expectations of the season and an undisciplined American mainstream, Halloween will test your resolve for making wise food choices for both you and your kids. But if you want to stay the course on living disease-free, it’s important to take a proactive approach to nutrition during these—or any other—holiday festivities. By failing to plan, you’re planning to fail The old adage applies quite well in this case. To help you increase your family’s chances of thriving—instead of just surviving—through the Halloween treat temptations, we’d like to offer some…

. . . new research explains how man’s best friend protects kids from allergies and asthma Dogs have the unique ability to enhance our well-being by providing companionship and security. While the emotional benefits of owning a pet—particularly dogs—is well-established, previous research shows early exposure to dogs reduces a child’s risk of developing asthma and allergies later on. Now, a new study reveals just why that may be. A team of scientists—led by Susan Lynch, PhD, associate professor at the University of California San Francisco—has demonstrated that living with a dog can improve the diversity of bacteria in house dust—and thus a stronger immune response to these allergens. In the study, researchers collected dust from homes that had a dog, and fed it to pre-adult mice. Then, they infected the mice with a common childhood infection called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Compared to mice not exposed to any dust, as well as those exposed to dust from homes with…

How do you get your family to adopt better health habits?  At Beyond Health we get this question a lot, especially from people who’ve read one of Raymond Francis’s books and have become convinced they want to make some major changes in their lifestyle.  Here are some ideas. First, make time to talk with your spouse or other adult members of the family about your family’s health and what you’ve been learning. They may be “ripe for the picking” and enthusiastic about your ideas. Or they may be ready to make some changes, and not others. You may be excited about going raw and vegan; they may want hot, cooked meals for dinner. You may want to refuse vaccinations for your children; they may want to do more research first before taking such an unpopular stance. Encourage them to empower themselves by reading Raymond Francis’s book The Great American Health Hoax, so it’s not just you who’s supplying information. The Maintenance List chapter alone is worth the price of the boo…

The school year is back and we have some tips on how to cold and flu-proof your child.Children need special nutritional support as they head back to school each fall. Any gathering of kids creates a perfect opportunity for germs to spread, and no sooner has the school year gotten underway then flu season beginning.How can you strengthen your child’s immune system and avoid winter colds and flus?Number one, banish sugar from your child’s diet. Even a small amount of refined sugar can suppress your child’s immune system for hours. Immune cells need a lot of vitamin C to function normally, but sugar, which has a chemical structure similar to vitamin C, competes with the vitamin to enter the cells, creating an artificial vitamin C shortage. Avoid fruit juices (including orange juice), which are also too high in sugar. Whole fruits, however, are fine in moderation.Feed your child the right fats. Trans fats and excess omega 6 fats (found in supermarket vegetable oils) depress immunity,…

In germ-filled classrooms, it takes just one sick child to infect classmates whose immune system is even slightly compromised. Almost 22 million school days are missed because of colds each year. And 38 million days are missed due to the flu virus. What can parents do to help kids stay healthy while in school? Encourage healthy eating of the right kinds of foods that boost immunity. While school breakfasts and lunches are far from perfect, this study suggests school foods are getting healthier, maybe even healthier than what some kids are getting at home. So heads-up parents! We’ve said for years that disease cannot survive in healthy cells. As long as you are insisting your kids eat nutritious foods that boost their immune system—and skip those loaded with toxins—they’ll stay healthy and strong throughout the school year. So here are our top six foods your child can eat while at school: Walnuts Just seven walnuts a day can have amazing health benefits. In fact…