Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 25 August 2011 — Page 5

The Muncie Times • August 25, 2011 • Page 5

Help Kids Make the Most of Their Free Time

Longer days, warmer weather, time off from school - there’s a lot for a kid to enjoy about summer. But for many young people across the country, summer is a time of struggle. The National Summer Learning Association (NSLA) states that most students lose approximately two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months. But for lower-income students, the loss is often greater. This achievement gap between higher- and lowerincome youth can be attributed largely to access to summer learning opportunities and critical needs like healthy meals. What You Can Do Award-winning fashion designer Tina Knowles, mother of superstars Beyonce and Solange Knowles, is working with Walmart to inspire others to help U.S. kids have a better summer. “I am very passionate about supporting our youth. They are the

future,” said Knowles. “It’s truly a blessing for me to work with Walmart on this wonderful project that contributes to nourishing young people’s bodies and minds.” Knowles is partnering with Walmart through its Summer Giving campaign, which will provide $25 million in grants to organizations like the National Recreation and Park Association, YMCA of the USA and NSLA. The funds will give young people healthy meals through summer feeding programs, as well as access to summer learning programs and job opportunities. Knowles, whose “Miss Tina” line of clothing is sold at select Walmart stores and on Walmart.com, has also shared tips for parents, grandparents and other caregivers, so they can help the kids in their care make the most of summertime and get a head start on their futures: Help your family eat healthy. Cook with all the delicious fruits and vegetables that are in season. If

you’re having a hard time keeping up with summer demands, find a local summer feeding program in your neighborhood. Summer feeding sites feed children nutritious lunches while promoting fun outdoor activities. Keep your kids learning throughout the summer. It is important to make reading, writing and math a part of their everyday activities. •Have kids keep a journal of their summer activities or write regular letters to friends and family. •Cooking together is a great way to incorporate math into the everyday routine. Talking to kids about units of measurement, asking them to help halve or double a recipe, even letting younger kids keep track of time are easy ways to develop math skills. If you have older kids, help them get their first job. Summer jobs are a productive way to prepare our teens for their future, while keeping them busy and out of trouble.

•Help them put together a resume, tial employers about the job for They may not have much work which they are applying, experience, but they can describe You can learn more about their accomplishments and skills. Walmart’s Summer Giving •Encourage them to dress appropri- Campaign and other Walmart ately and to apply for jobs in Foundation initiatives, and find a person. Let them practice local volunteering opportunity at interviewing with you and help www.walmart.com/fightinghunger. them develop questions for poten-

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8 Home Remedies That Really Work

By Sylvia Booth Hubbard Mom always had her favorite home remedies — didn’t everyone’s mom believe in the power of chicken soup over a cold? — and scientists have actually proved that some of her favorite home remedies are as helpful as she believed. These traditional remedies, passed down for generations, have held up to scientific scrutiny: Honey for coughs. Not only has honey been proved to be a good cough suppressant, a 2007 study printed in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that a teaspoon of honey calmed the coughs of children with upper respiratory infections and helped them sleep better than over-the-counter cough medicines. In addition, honey is less expensive than cough medicines and has none of the side effects like dizziness and sleepiness. Darker honeys, like buckwheat, have more antioxidants than lighter honeys, say experts. Children under the age of 1 shouldn’t be given honey because of the risk of botulism. Aloe vera for bums. Gel frotn

the aloe vera plant has been used for centuries to treat bums, and modem research is backing up the plant's ability to heal bums and soothe scrapes. A 2009 study found that aloe cream healed second-degree bums in less than 16 days while a common antibacterial cream (silver sulfadiazine) took 19 days. “There are factors in aloe that help the cells regenerate and heal faster,” Dr. Lawrence D. Rosen, a pediatrician at the Whole Child Center in Oradell, N.J., told the New York Times. Cranberries for urinary problems. American Indians used cranberries to fight infections long before Europeans came ashore. Modem scientists have found that cranberries are unique in their ability to keep bacteria from sticking to bladder walls. A daily glass of cranberry juice or cranberry capsules reduces bladder infections, especially in women who have them often. A new study from the Worchester Polytechnic Institute found that the beneficial substances in cranberry could begin protecting against urinary tract infections within eight hours.

Saltwater for a stuffy nose. Nasal saline irrigation, in which salt water is used to rinse the nasal passages, has long been a remedy to relieve the misery of a stuffy nose. Twenty-first century medicine has scientifically proved it to be a cheap, safe, and effective remedy for clogged noses caused by sinusitis, allergies, and other maladies. You can buy a sinus irrigation kit at your local pharmacy. Staying warm to ward off colds. Mom always insisted that we bundle up when temperatures plummeted, but scientists always snickered. The laugh's been on them since a 2005 British study indicated that being cold might actually lead to developing a cold. Researchers at the Common Cold Center in Cardiff believe that when a person’s extremities are chilled, the blood vessels in the nose narrow, limiting the amount of disease-fighting white blood cells in the nose, the body’s first defense against vimses. Chicken soup for colds. Mom was right on target; chicken soup really does fight the common cold. Studies show

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Total wellness for a better life

that mom’s favorite home remedy may be an antiinflammatory, helping fight cold symptoms. Steam from the hot soup also helps decongest stuffy sinuses by helping them drain. Soup also helps prevent dehydration, and it eases sore throats better than just plain hot water, according to Mount Sinai researchers in Miami Peppermint for headaches. A placebo-controlled study published in February found that migraine patients who used oil of peppermint and menthol applied topically had less pain or were pain-free more often than those who were given a placebo. And a German study found that after 15 minutes, a preparation of 10 percent peppermint oil reduced pain as well as acetaminophen. An additional study found that peppermint 011 applied to the temples, jaw, and back of the neck relieves headaches. In addition, breathing in the soothing aroma of peppermint tea can ease symptoms, especially if your headache is caused by sinus pressure.

Ginger for motion sickness. Ginger has been used for many years to soothe queasy stomachs. One trial of 80 novice sailors who were prone to motion sickness found that ginger significantly reduced their symptoms, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. As a bonus, ginger didn't cause any of the side effects, including drowsiness, associated with prescription and nonprescription meds that fight motion sickness.

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