The Wellness Connection, LLC has won "Best of Suburbs 2014" for Loudoun County!

The Wellness Connection, LLC has won "Best of Suburbs 2014" for Mental Health, Holistic/Wellness, Chiropractic and Nutrition. We are so excited and want to thank everyone who voted for us. To read the article on the Posh Seven website please go to http://www.poshseven.com/wellness-connection.html

Start The School Year On The Right Foot BY NEIL MCNERNEY, M.ED., LPC

Start The School Year On The Right Foot

BY NEIL MCNERNEY, M.ED., LPC

PARENTING WITH PURPOSE

Now that the new school year has started and you are frantically getting the second round of school supplies, I thought I would share some ideas that might actually reduce your stress when it comes to your kids and schoolwork.

There has been a pretty big shift in thinking about study skills, but most of us parents (and especially students) are unaware of it. In this column, I will debunk some myths and will hopefully increase the enjoyment, or at least decrease the dread, of homework.

Set up a homework space, but study in lots of places.

           

There are lots of articles that tell parents to have a dedicated study place for kids. Recent research is telling us that studying in the same place every time is actually not a good idea. It’s important that there be a place where all the books and supplies are located, but it is not so important that students use the area to study. In fact, most research is telling us that learning is better when homework is done in multiple locations. Some kids need to work around others, so having them isolated is a bad idea. Some kids like to do their math at one place and their social studies somewhere else. Fantastic, let them do that.

One of the most interesting ideas that has come out in recent years about learning is that some distractibility is actually a good thing. A bit of distraction puts the brain in better focus and, for most kids, will increase the ability to perform and remember better. This is why some kids do much better having some music on while they are studying. Again, research has supported the fact that having background music helps most kids stay focused. Background music does tend to get in the way of reading assignments, but for most other assignments it actually helps performance. Television is still a complete no-no during studying. It is so distracting that the ability to focus decreases dramatically when the TV is on.

Study at different times of the day.

Another myth that has been debunked is that students should study at the same time each day. For most families these days this is an impossible task. The good news is that learning actually increases if studying happens at different times. So don’t worry so much about the timing. Find what works for your child.

Remember that willpower is like a fuel tank. It will become empty.

We used to think that willpower was like a muscle: The more you exercised willpower, the more you would have. Actually, willpower is like a fuel tank: Once it’s empty it’s very hard to get anything done. This explains why some kids can’t come right home from school and start their homework. Their tank is empty. You might be able to get them to sit in front of their books, but they will just sit there and whine.

The good news about filling the willpower fuel tank is that it doesn’t take long to add some to the tank. Fifteen minutes of relaxation can fill the tank enough for a half hour of homework time, especially if the relax time is physical. Get your kids to run around for a while doing something physical and their ability to stay focused will increase dramatically.

Focus on hard work, not intelligence.

When adults compliment kids on their intelligence, performance decreases. When adults compliment kids on their hard work, performance increases. This is an important fact to keep in mind when it comes to giving feedback to your kids. For instance, if you are reviewing math facts and it’s going well, try saying something like “Great job! You worked really hard on this,” instead of: “Great job! You are so smart!”

Never forget that your kids don’t need your help. They need your leadership.

This is one of the most important ideas I focus on in my book: Homework – A Parent’s Guide To Helping Out Without Freaking Out It seems counter-intuitive. “Of course my kids need my help,” you might be thinking. The problem is that the more we think our kids need our help, the more dependent they will become on us. The origins of the word “help” implies that I cannot do something on my own. Kids know this, which is why they often react negatively when we help them. Leading them, on the other hand, is something they need. When we are a leader, we are not doing it for them. Leadership is more about inspiring, reminding, and at times rewarding and punishing. I will share more ideas about leadership in a future column.

Keep these ideas in mind as the school year begins and see if it helps with some of the beginning of the year struggles!

Neil McNerney is a licensed counselor and author of Homework – A Parent’s Guide To Helping Out Without Freaking Out! For more information go to www.neilmcnerney.com

School…Stress…Success: How Group Therapy Can Benefit Your Teen by Denisha Johnson LCSW

School supplies. School shopping. School orientation.

Yes...it is that time of year again: time for the children to go back to school and for parents to gear up for the almost daily struggles to get homework done on time.

Group therapy can be a very beneficial tool in helping your child be successful in school. Group therapy works for several reasons.

     •it takes away the stigma of the struggles your child is experiencing

     •it provides a sense of support and a feeling that "I'm not the only one"

     •it provides a safe and therapeutic atmosphere for your child to express their feelings and get                support

     •your child can receive support from others dealing with the same or similar issues, as well as improve their self-esteem by being a support to their peers.

I have been facilitating groups for middle and high school adolescents for 4 years. I can honestly say that facilitating groups for teenagers has been a highlight of my career. To watch a teenager go from sitting on the outskirts of a group, watching the group but not participating in the group, to sitting with the group, engaging with their peers, and being one of the first people to show up for group is a rewarding experience as a therapist, for the child, and for the family.

Group therapy is a beneficial tool in treating a variety of symptoms and behaviors, including but not limited to:

     •ADHD

     •Anxiety

     •Depression

     •Family issues such as divorce or separation

     •Self-esteem issues

  lBullying

     •Trauma

     •Developing and using coping skills

     •Strategies to be successful in school

If you feel that your child would benefit from a supportive environment that nurtures their social skills, provides mental health therapy, and improves self-esteem, or for more information on enrolling your child in group therapy, please contact the Wellness Connection at 703-327-0335. It is a decision I promise you won’t forget.

For the past 10 years, Denisha Johnson has worked with Loudoun County Mental Health in a variety of positions. Starting as a residential counselor, she is now working as an Outpatient Clinician specializing in adolescent treatment. 

Social Skills Support Group for Elementary School Children

Starting on Sept 15 the Social Skills Group at Wellness Connection will be starting for children in elementary school. This group was very popular last spring and is returning, as requested, open to former group members and new children. This group is ideal for children who have a difficult time making or keeping friends, struggle with attention, starting and maintaining conversation,  as well as children who need some support on responding appropriately to others. We will work to develop skills of communication, focus, recognizing how others are feeling, understanding, friendship and regularly grow skills working as a team. Children in the group have the opportunity to connect and grow with other children who are working on the same skills. The Social Skills Group will be six weeks long from 9/15 - 10/20 and costs $240. We will meet on Monday evenings from 5-6 pm, or 6-7pm. Group members need to be available to attend all 6 weeks for the benefit of all children in the group. This is a great opportunity to take advantage of right as the school year begins. Group members will develop skills directly related to helping them all year at school. To enroll please call 703-327-0335. Space is limited.

This support group will be run by Sarah Freeman, M.Ed., Resident in Counseling, Sarah received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Master’s degree in Counseling at George Mason University.

Sunshine: Your Vitamin D Supplier

Sunshine is indeed the best way to optimize your Vitamin D levels.

Despite its name, vitamin D is not a regular vitamin. It's actually a steroid hormone that you get primarily from either sun exposure or supplementation, and its ability to influence genetic expression that produces many of its wide-ranging health benefits.

Researchers have pointed out that increasing levels of vitamin D3 among the general population could prevent chronic diseases that claim nearly one million lives throughout the world each year. Incidence of several types of cancer could also be slashed in half.

Vitamin D also fights infections, including colds and the flu, as it regulates the expression of genes that influence your immune system to attack and destroy bacteria and viruses.

More health benefits of Vitamin D:

• Regulating absorption of calcium & phosphorous
• Important for normal growth & development of bones and teeth

Vitamin D-ficiency can be caused by:

• Pollution
• Sunblock
• Spending more time indoors
• Working longer hours in offices
• Living in big cities where tall buildings block sunlight

Because of these factors, it is sometimes necessary to get your Vitamin D from other sources, like supplements or fortified foods. 

The Raw Food Diet

What is the raw food diet?

A raw diet consists of foods (typically produce, grains, seeds, nuts, and beans) that haven't been heated above a certain temperature, usually somewhere between 104 and 118 degrees. Cooking destroys enzymes that raw foodists believe are essential to human health; without those enzymes, the thinking goes, we're not getting the full, life-supporting benefits of our food.




10 health benefits 

1. Live foods. It’s common sense right? A cooked seed won’t grow, but a raw seed will. Heating food over 118 degrees Fahrenheit destroys much of the nutrients in your food. Cooking food also diminishes the natural life energy. I’d rather put living food in my body.
2. Enzymes. Cooking food destroys much of the natural enzymes (your body can also create enzymes, but can only do so much) in your food that are needed to break down nutrients. Eating raw eliminates this problem.
3. Insane energy. You won’t know this unless you try it for yourself, but eating raw gives you an amazing boost in energy. I used to get tired around 2 or 3pm during the day. Now I simply don’t have that problem. When I do get tired, it doesn’t last nearly as long and an orange or apple will recharge me within a few minutes.
4. Better sleep and less sleep needed. I’ve slept better than ever while eating raw. But most importantly, I don’t wake up feeling tired or groggy anymore. On most days, I wake up feeling full of energy.
5. Increased mental clarity. Eating raw has helped me focus on the things that are important and made me more emotionally in tune with others. I feel like a wall of fog has been removed in my mind. It’s easier to think clearly and focus for long periods of time.
6. Eat as much as you want. This isn’t really a health benefit, but it is pretty awesome. I never get that uncomfortable full feeling eating raw. You know where you have to unbutton the top button on your pants and take a nap? I don’t get that. I can eat as much as I want, and while I will feel full, I don’t feel weighed down or tired.
7. Less cleanup. Simply put, there aren’t many dishes to wash when you eat fruit and vegetables. Although if you do compost (like I do), you’ll probably have to do it more often.
8. No packaging. Eating raw means less packaging all around (well, I guess you could argue that banana and orange peels are “packaging”). This means less trash in a landfill and more room in your cupboards. Win/win for everyone.
9. More regularity. You should naturally have around two to three bowel movements a day. If you’re going less than that, it probably means your intestines are unhealthily clogged. A raw diet gives you more than enough fiber to keep you regular.
10. Connection with the earth. Eating food that’s been freshly picked just feels different. You feel more connected to the earth and more grounded. Eating lots of processed foods — frozen or from a box — makes creates more of a gap and leaves you feeling disconnected from the earth that sustains you.

Are You a Mosquito Magnet?

Factors that affect who Mosquitoes like best

• Blood type

Not surprisingly—since, after all, mosquitoes bite us to harvest proteins from our blood—research shows that they find certain blood types more appetizing than others. One study found that in a controlled setting, mosquitoes landed on people with Type O blood nearly twice as often as those with Type A. People with Type B blood fell somewhere in the middle of this itchy spectrum. Additionally, based on other genes, about 85 percent of people secrete a chemical signal through their skin that indicates which blood type they have, while 15 percent do not, and mosquitoes are also more attracted to secretors than nonsecretors regardless of which type they are.

• Carbon dioxide

One of the key ways mosquitoes locate their targets is by smelling the carbon dioxide emitted in their breath—they use an organ called a maxillary palp to do this, and can detect carbon dioxide from as far as 164 feet away. As a result, people who simply exhale more of the gas over time—generally, larger people—have been shown to attract more mosquitoes than others. This is one of the reasons why children get bit less often than adults, on the whole.

• Exercise and Metabolism

In addition to carbon dioxide, mosquitoes find victims at closer range by smelling the lactic acid, uric acid, ammonia and other substances expelled via their sweat, and are also attracted to people with higher body temperatures. Because strenuous exercise increases the buildup of lactic acid and heat in your body, it likely makes you stand out to the insects. Meanwhile, genetic factors influence the amount of uric acid and other substances naturally emitted by each person, making some people more easily found by mosquitos than others.

• Skin Bacteria

Other research has suggested that the particular types and volume of bacteria that naturally live on human skin affect our attractiveness to mosquitoes. In a 2011 study, scientists found that having large amounts of a few types of bacteria made skin more appealing to mosquitoes. Surprisingly, though, having lots of bacteria but spread among a greater diversity of different species of bacteria seemed to make skin less attractive. This also might be why mosquitoes are especially prone to biting our ankles and feet—they naturally have more robust bacteria colonies.

• Beer 

Just a single 12-ounce bottle of beer can make you more attractive to the insects, one study found. But even though researchers had suspected this was because drinking increases the amount of ethanol excreted in sweat, or because it increases body temperature, neither of these factors were found to correlate with mosquito landings, making their affinity for drinkers something of a mystery.

• Pregnancy

In several different studies, pregnant women have been found to attract roughly twice as many mosquito bites as others, likely a result of the fact the unfortunate confluence of two factors: They exhale about 21 percent more carbon dioxide and are on average about 1.26 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than others.

• Clothing Color

This one might seem absurd, but mosquitoes use vision (along with scent) to locate humans, so wearing colors that stand out (black, dark blue or red) may make you easier to find, at least according to James Day, a medical entomologist at the University of Florida, in commentary he gave to NBC.

• Genetics

As a whole, underlying genetic factors are estimated to account for 85 percent of the variability between people in their attractiveness to mosquitoes—regardless of whether it’s expressed through blood type, metabolism, or other factors. Unfortunately, we don’t (yet) have a way of modifying these genes, but…

• Natural Repellents

Some researchers have started looking at the reasons why a minority of people seem to rarely attract mosquitoes in the hopes of creating the next generation of insect repellants. Using chromatography to isolate the particular  chemicals these people emit, scientists at the UK’s Rothamsted Research lab have found that these natural repellers tend to excrete a handful of substances that mosquitoes don’t seem to find appealing. Eventually, incorporating these molecules into advanced bug spray could make it possible for even a Type O, exercising, pregnant woman in a black shirt to ward off mosquitoes for good.

-Smithsonian

Now that you know, try your best to not let those mosquitoes munch on you!