Practical Parenting Advice

Dr. M’s SPA Audiocast Newsletter Volume 14 Issue 30

September 2, 2024
Dr. M
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children, emotional health, gender, mental health, parenting, sleep

Sleep Part II

Let us pause here! So far we now know that humans at all ages will suffer from memory dysfunction and brain sewage cleanup problems leading to inflammation and damage long term. What ages are most at risk? They are likely mirrored by other physiologic events that are at risk based on age. Teenagers, infants and toddlers are rapidly growing creatures requiring more macro/micronutrients, water, and toxin avoidance for success. It is likely that sleep follows these same principles.

Going to a simple google scholar search for “sleep deprivation age risk” brings up countless articles on the effects of sleep deprivation in mothers and children on risk of obesity, diabetes, premature birth and much more.

….Plus more on gender and emotion as well as a recipe of the week.

Enjoy,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 14 Issue 25

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Reading Part II

Let us follow up on last weeks newsletter on reading as a cultural advantage and a human need in truth. What do we know about the neuroscience of reading dysfunction or weakened ability to achieve the goal of reading proficiency? What is the frequency of concern?

Depending on the study, 5-10% of children have reading issues like dyslexia. This has profound lifelong consequences if these issues are not dealt with in the early years of education.

Let us start again by looking at the neuroanatomy of the human reading interface. The first point of human involvement in reading is visual acceptance of the written word on page. In order to complete this task one must be able to see the word clearly in the order that it is displayed on the page and then send the neuroception to the brain via the optic nerve to the visual cortex. Then the angular gyrus interprets the words leaving the frontal lobes to engage in decoding and comprehending the information. This intricate interplay of neural networks not only facilitates the understanding of written language but also strengthens cognitive functions such as memory in the hippocampus, attention in the prefrontal cortex, and critical thinking in the neocortex…plus a piece on exercise.

Enjoy,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #6 – Dr. David Rakel, Stress and Optimal Woman’s Health

October 2, 2021
Dr. M
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behavior, children, david rakel, happiness, integrative medicine, podcast, stress, women

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Podcast #6

Dr. David Rakel, MD is a nationally recognized leader in integrative medicine. He is the Chair of the department of Family Medicine and Community health at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He is an expert in mind body stress and human health.

Dr. Rakel obtained his undergraduate degree from Colorado College and graduated from Baylor College of Medicine in 1991. During his time at the University of Wisconsin–Madison he founded the Integrative Medicine Program (now known as the Integrative Health Program) and received the Gold Foundation’s Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, the school’s highest honor for excellence and compassion in care. His team worked with more than 50 clinical systems within the Veterans Health Administration to implement changes to make care more personalized, proactive, and patient driven.

An author of both academic and popular writings, David Rakel says one of his missions is to communicate medical information in a way that is accessible to people of all backgrounds. He has published 11 books, including the Textbook of Family Medicine, Current Therapy, and Integrative Medicine, as well as peer-reviewed research on the impact of measures such as mindfulness meditation and the power of the therapeutic encounter. He serves as editor-in-chief of Practice Update, a website devoted to commentaries on primary medical care research. His 2018 book The Compassionate Connection focuses on how relationship-building can influence health outcomes.

Today we will take a deep look at maternal and child health as it relates to stress.

I hope that you enjoy my conversation with Dr. Rakel,

Dr. M