Kate and the Kids

Were you one of those kids who could stay in the pool all day? I’m guessing you slept pretty well the night following. Well, there’s a scientific reason behind it, and it works to reduce anxiety quickly.

What is dive reflex?

For a moment I want you to picture a baby seal. Really, it’s any semi-aquatic animal, but what the heck is cuter than a baby seal?

Like all babies, seals get tired. There are times where they need to conserve energy. This is when they take in a large breath of air, then dive as deep as they can. As they descend to the bottom, the water gets colder and darker. The cold water slows blood flow, allowing them to use minimal energy and rest their eyes in darker water. This reflex also increases the ability to withstand pressure by prioritizing blood flow to the vital organs like the heart, brain and lungs, while decreasing flow to the limbs.

When can dive reflex be used?

Much like a seal who needs to decrease energy to sleep, anxiety sufferers are able to use dive reflex to immediately slow their heart rate and relax. Shocking cold temperatures reduce the excess blood pressure that comes with being “wound up” in anxiety attacks, rerouting energy to the primal functions of vital organs. What results is an immediate reduction in over stimulation or excess energy. This is when anxiety can be reduced from a 10/10 to a 5 or 6/10- meaning this technique is most helpful in “crisis” situations where grounding and mindfulness are just not enough. Typically dive reflex should be used first, then followed immediately with standard anxiety coping tools.

Examples of 10/10 anxiety could be a large verbal argument, hearing of a loved one’s passing, during times of suicidal ideations, moments of intense anticipatory anxiety, or any time you feel standard coping tools are just not enough.

Okay, great- but I don’t have a pool

Literal deep diving is not necessary. Similar results can be achieved by covering the face with a bag of frozen peas, a frozen washcloth, very cold water to the face, or a cold shower. Be like the baby seal and take a very deep breath, then go “all in” withstanding the coldest temperature in the most surface area you can handle. My personal preference is to keep a wet washcloth in the freezer. When it freezes it maintains malleability, meaning I can use two flat hands ‘facial style’ to hold the cloth to my face, covering nose, sinuses, forehead, chin, eyes, mouth and cheeks at the same time. Hold it as long as you can take it. 

Vasoconstriction (or the constriction of red blood cells) can prevent fainting, the feeling of nausea, and many other panic attack symptoms. This tool probably sounds unappealing, but that’s what makes it useful. It’s the shock factor your body physiologically needs to snap you out of a panic attack. Try it next time you ‘just can’t deal with this right now.’

Stay calm. Stay healthy. Stay cool.

-Kate, the kids, and the baby seals. 

Chia pets have been around since 1977, selling about 500,000 plants per year. Going even further back to circa 3500 BC chia seeds have been consumed as a nutrient-packed superfood. Chia seeds started to regain popularity as a dietary supplement in 2012, and now it seems that all of our nutrition leaders have come down with chia fever. 

Chia seeds come from the salvia plant. They are gluten and grain free, fitting into most nutrition plans (keto, paleo, vegan/vegetarian, gluten free, diabetic and more!) Just two tablespoons of these little guys have more potassium than a banana, two times the antioxidants than blueberries, almost half of your recommended daily fiber, double the omega 3 than salmon, ⅓ of the daily recommended magnesium, five times more calcium than milk, zinc, protein and B-vitamins! They are said to aid in burning fat, increasing energy, maintaining heart health, stabilizing blood sugar, cleansing the colon, reducing inflammation and for containing dental benefits. No wonder they are gaining popularity like crazy!

Chia seeds absorb water and grow dramatically in size. For that reason, they are enjoyed in smoothies because they tend to expand in the stomach, making you feel fuller. They are also often mixed with water and left overnight to absorb. In the morning they are a gel texture that can be used in many recipes. 

To make the gel, just mix 1 part chia seeds to 3 parts water. This ratio can be used as an egg substitute in baking, can be mixed into oatmeal or yogurt, or can be used to thicken soups and beverages. 

Chia seeds are little powerhouses of nutrition, and can be a great addition to your diet. I always prefer to get my nutrients from natural food sources instead of a vitamin supplement, and chia seeds are a great resource for meeting those goals without a large volume of food. 

I’ll be adding my chia seed to the top of a protein smoothie bowl for lunch. How do you enjoy your chia? Let me know in the comments!

Stay healthy. Stay Kind.

(And sing me a little ‘chi-chi-chi-chia’ before you go!)

-Kate

3-Ingredient Chia Pudding

Prep Time 5 mins

Servings: 1 serving 

Calories: 155

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon chia seeds

1/2 cup almond milk or milk of choice

1 teaspoon honey or other sweetener, optional

Strawberries or other fruits for topping

Instructions:

Pour ingredients into a jar and mix well. Let settle for 2-3 minutes then mix again very well until you see no clumping.

Cover the jar and store in the fridge overnight or for at least 2 hours.

Top with your favorite fruit, nut butters, granola or your favorite mix-ins and enjoy cold!

source:https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/3-ingredient-chia-pudding/

About a week ago I started to come out of a deep depression. As I felt it lift, I started to put some serious thought into the things that weigh on my mind. What brings me down? What contributes to my depression? What can I change? I soon realized I needed to refer to my locus of control.

Your locus of control is a representation of problems that are internal or external. Internally, I have put off working out and gained five pounds. This is something that I control and make active decisions about daily. Externally, there have been really cold days and ice on the ground. I can’t do outside cardio with the kids in the stroller on days like this. The weather is outside of my control.

Seems easy enough, right? Well, depression is a crazy thing. It can be like a carnival funhouse mirror for your thoughts, distorting them and blurring the entire locus. On my bad days, I see a five pound gain and no longer logically think about internal initiative or external weather. Instead, I change the entire dialogue to blame the external sources. I find myself using statements like “Why do these things happen to me?” or “What’s the point of trying?” I can blame bad genes for my metabolism, my family for keeping me super busy or just plain old bad luck.

Today I took off my depression sunglasses and put on my clarity spectacles. Looking at my locus I see that when I am low I frequently view things as happening TO me.  Now that I’m feeling good, I’m trying to sort out my locus.

Looking at the week ahead, I see that I have plans four out of the next five days. I’m a little overwhelmed and wondering where I’m going to make time to get active and kick those five pounds back to the curb. I can not change that my daughter needs vaccines. I need to get her to that appointment. I can not change that my husband needs to work outside of the home, and most day time tasks fall on me. I can manage my time differently- especially my beloved afternoon nap. (Trust me, it’s no longer self care. It’s an awful addiction that ruins my daytime productivity and my night time sleep schedule.) I can make choices about the food I put into my body.

I spend a ton of time thinking about accountability- and the locus of control is closely related to it. Ultimately there are things that I can not control, but success is finding ways around them. This week I am going to focus on what I am making happen, instead of what is happening to me.

How can you reframe your problems this week? Let me know in the comments! 

Stay positive. Stay focused. Stay accountable.

-Kate

Enjoy your holiday!

Stay Safe. Stay Festive. Stay a sober driver!

Nursemaid’s elbow, also known as a pulled elbow or radial head subluxation, is an injury my family is all too familiar with. Before Jacen got his diagnosis of Ehler’s Danlos Syndrome, he had dislocated his elbow over 80 times between age 2 and 4. Yes, over 80 times. 

What is a nursemaid’s elbow?

Nursemaid’s elbow means the elbow has slipped out of its normal place at the joint, also called dislocation or subluxation. This happens in toddlers because the ligaments that hold the elbow in place are still very flexible and weak. Ligaments are much stronger by the time a child turns 5, which is usually when a child will stop dislocating their elbow.

What causes a nursemaid’s elbow?

For most patients, a nursemaid’s elbow is considered a mild and common injury. It typically occurs in toddlers before the bones in the elbow are completely formed. The most common cause of a pulled elbow is playing the “swinging game” where adults hold a child’s hand and swing the child in circles. Basically any twist or pull can cause the injury, so even children who avoid swinging by the arms may pull their elbow out while being caught during a fall, throwing themselves to the ground during a tantrum, playing on the monkey bars or while being encouraged to walk quickly by holding their hand and lightly pulling them along. In Jacen’s case, his elbow was so loose that it would come out when he tried to pull a drawer open, pull himself out of a bucket-style car seat, climbing a ladder to use a slide, or trying to pull his arm through a jacket sleeve.

How is pulled elbow treated?

Most providers can diagnose a pulled elbow simply from observing a child. A child with a true dislocation will not use or move their arm. It’s possible that the child does not feel any pain at all, but only has mobility symptoms. The provider will then palpate the elbow (feel the elbow with their hands) to confirm the joint is out of place.

An X-ray is typically not necessary to diagnose a pulled elbow, but is sometimes ordered to rule out minor fractures in addition to the pull. For frequent offenders, like Jacen, doctors may avoid an x-ray at each dislocation to avoid excessive exposure to radiation. Typically imaging is only used AFTER the provider has attempted to reduce the subluxation, but the child still shows signs of injury.

The provider will reduce the injury by cradling the elbow in one hand, then using their other hand to move the child’s forearm up into a flex, then back down to an extended straight arm. The best analogy I can give is when a drawer comes “off the track” in your dresser, and you have to open and close the drawer multiple times, slightly twisting and readjusting with each new open motion.

The actual reduction may be temporarily painful as the joint scrapes back into place, sometimes touching painful nerves or ligaments on its way back in. When the elbow is back in place, the relief is basically immediate. The pain eases, and the child will immediately be able to use it again.

Your child will be observed to make sure using their arm does not continue to cause problems or pain. Most cases do not require any ice, medication, wraps, brace or cast.

What does a pulled elbow feel like for my child?

Some children do not feel pain while the joint is “out,” but only show signs of injury by not using the arm. 

The procedure of reduction is temporarily painful and distressing, but it only lasts a short moment and is over when the radial bone pops back into place. As stated above, relief is almost instant.

How do I prevent a pulled elbow?

For most children, avoiding swinging a child by their arms is enough to prevent pulling an elbow. In other kids, it might not be possible to prevent. Sometimes it is just genetics; the shape of the elbow, and the rate of growth/strength of the ligaments in the arm. For kids like Jacen who have chronic dislocations, braces or casts may be used as a preventative measure. By keeping the arm immobilized, the ligaments have a chance to grow bigger and stronger without constantly being beat down by the bones in the joint rubbing against them.

A few of Jacen’s doctors showed me how to reduce his elbow myself, but it just wasn’t something I was ever comfortable with. Sometimes the joint went back on its own. The loose ligaments let the joint move both ways, both out of place and back into place. If it did not go back on its own we sought medical treatment. It is not typically necessary to head into the Emergency Room. Pediatricians, orthopedic doctors and most urgent care providers are able to help in the office. We ended up in the ER when the dislocation happened during hours the pediatrician was closed, and the times he did not get relief and required a follow up x-ray.

After two years of almost constant dislocations, Tufts Medical Center suggested we cast his elbow for 4 weeks to let the ligament rest and grow. In November of 2013 Jacen picked out an awesome red cast, which he got to show off at our wedding. (Note the adorable picture of Jacen in a suit, cast, and captain hat!) He had no pain or issues while wearing the cast, but we were hesitant to accept this as a miracle cure. We didn’t want to get our hopes up.

Luckily the immobilizer worked. After having the cast removed he never had a dislocation again. I truly believe this was just a lot of luck on our part. He happened to have a growth spurt while wearing the cast, and I truly believe they happened to create the perfect conditions for healing.

I bet it isn’t surprising to hear, but I was over-the-moon thrilled to put this chapter behind us. I hadn’t even thought about his elbows for years! Well, a few weeks ago I got a call from my sister- my niece wasn’t using her arm. She had pulled her elbow while being taken out of her high chair. Luckily for my beautiful Nora, her elbow went back into place on its own before her parents could even get her to the doctor. It just goes to show you that this condition is not specific to Ehlers-Danlos patients, but to any child.

Swinging your kid is a timeless activity, especially popular with older generations. I beg you to stop, and make sure your friends and family know to stop. Instead, hold children under their armpits or hug them to your body. If you suspect your child your child has pulled their elbow out of place, monitor their activity for 10-15 minutes paying attention to how they use their arm. If the arm is hanging, limp by their side, it’s time to seek medical intervention. If they begin using their arm again the joint has likely fixed itself on its own. When in doubt, ask the child to put the good arm behind their back and catch a light ball or small toy. If the arm in question instinctively moves to catch or shield the toy their elbow is likely fine. If the toy is not deflected, or they take the arm from behind their back, it’s time to head into the doctor. 

Stay educated. Stay healthy. Stay safe.

Kate and the Kids