Sniffle season has begun, and with the added spread of swine flu, it’s even more important to be vigilant about frequent handwashing. Fortunately, the challenge of getting kids to suds up just got a little easier.

While the FDA states that washing hands with hot, soapy water is the only way to ensure bacteria are killed, recent evidence suggests otherwise. A 2005 study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that when it comes to handwashing, the water temperature makes no difference—as long as participants washed long enough (about 25 seconds), they were able to rid their hands of germs.

The takeaway? Your kid can wash her hands at whatever water temperature is comfortable for her.

-Marygrace, KIWI staffer

It’s not just the younger set that need healthier school lunches–many college students are also victim to unhealthy offerings at university dining halls. Fortunately, administrators have heard the cry for healthy, sustainable food options, and some schools are responding.

Recognizing that the typical fare of pizza and burgers in most college cafeterias isn’t cutting it anymore, big-name schools are bringing new options to the table. The Sustainable Food Project at Yale University manages an organic garden that provides food for the school’s dining program, while Duke University encourages students to compost or choose recyclable or biodegradable food packaging. Even more impressive, the University of California-Berkeley is home to the nation’s first certified-organic salad bar.

These three schools aren’t the only ones making changes, though. With others like the College of the Atlantic, Evergreen State College, and Berea College promoting healthy, sustainable food, it won’t be long before eating for the planet becomes the norm at schools for kids of all ages. To learn about other ways colleges and universities across the country are doing their part to help the planet, check out KIWI’s Green College Report.

-Marygrace, KIWI Staffer

Whole Foods Market has teamed up with renegade lunch lady Ann Cooper to create The Lunch Box, an online resource that seeks to help schools serve healthier food to students.

Knowing that schools need more than healthy menus to overhaul a bad lunch program, The Lunch Box covers all the bases (though it’s got plenty of recipes that come complete with nutritional information, too!). Featuring technical tools, financial modeling, educational manuals, and marketing materials, the website has everything schools need to lay the foundation for healthier student meals. Additionally, The Lunch Box will house a blog and discussion forum to encourage teachers, administrators, and school communities to support each other and and exchange ideas. “We hope this website is the go-to place [when it comes to improving school food,” says Chef Ann.

While there’s already plenty of information available on the website, Chef Ann says plenty more is on the way. “We have some other partners that we’re beginning to work with. We’ve really just begun on this site–we’ll be building extensively over the next 18 months,” she says.

Want to learn more about ways to make your school healthier and greener? Check out MyHealthySchool.com.

-Marygrace, KIWI Staffer

Are you (or do you know) a mom who’s made an exceptional effort to create a healthier environment for children and families? Healthy Child Healthy World, a non-profit seeking to inspire parents to protect young children from harmful chemicals, will hold their annual benefit gala this October, where the organization will recognize one enthusiastic, health-minded mom for her work.

To nominate yourself or someone you know, share the extraordinary story! Submissions will be accepted until August 15th.

-Marygrace, KIWI Staffer

Yesterday, the Senate approved The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which, if passed, would reduce youth smoking by 11% over the next decade. President Obama has already said he will sign the bill when it reaches his desk, resulting in a victory for anti-smoking advocates everywhere, including Washington group the Campaign Tobacco Free Kids .

With the new law in place, the FDA would have the ability to set standards forcing manufacturers to reduce nicotene content in cigarettes. It would also call for more restriction in cigarette advertisements, making outdoor advertisingof tobacco within 1,000 feet of schools illegal. Further, cigarette packages will no longer be allowed to use terms like “light” or “low tar,” and will be required to display large health-hazard graphics.

If passed, the law would be the first federal smoking regulation since 1988, when cigarettes were banned on commercial airplane flights.

-Marygrace, KIWI Staff writer

Toxic Free NC, a North Carolina-based organization seeking to fight pesticide pollution, recently released a report detailing their study of pest control usage in 89 local child care centers.  The results are less than encouraging: Over half of the child care providers who participated in Toxic Free NC’s survey said they regularly use broadcast pesticide sprays.

The dangers that pesticides pose to all people are well-known, and these risks are only magnified in children due to their smaller size and still-developing organs.  Additionally, children are more likely to be in close contact with the chemicals due to their tendency to play close to the ground or floor and put objects in their mouths.

While this information is discouraging, there are some signs of progress.  Roughly 25% of survey respondents reported using Integrated Pest Management, a form of pest control that’s gentler on the environment and people’s health that relies largely on the use of information regarding the life cycle and environment of pests and a minimal amount of pesticides.  Currently IPM is the pest control method of choice for most North Carolina public schools–hopefully North Carolina’s child care centers will begin to follow suit.

To learn more about Toxic Free NC as well as to download their full survey report, visit http://www.toxicfreenc.org/informed/bigrisksforsmallkids.html.

-Marygrace Stergakos, KIWI Staff Writer

The U.S. News blog Washington Whispers recently reported that Wyntergrace Williams, the 14-year-old daughter of Montel Williams, wrote a letter to Malia and Sasha Obama asking them to support her vegetarian lunch campaign.

Wyntergrace, a vegetarian of four years, attended two hearings on Capitol Hill last week in an effort to amend the Child Nutrition Act to include more healthy vegetarian options in public school cafeterias.  While neither Malia or Sasha are vegetarians, Wyntergrace points out that Sidwell Friends, the private school that the First Daughters attend, offers well-balanced meat-free meals, and that other schools across the country should do the same.

The White House has not commented on Wyntergrace’s effort, however, she continutes to seek improvement within the National School Lunch Program.  Wyntergrace argues that more students will choose vegetarian options if they’re made available, resulting in lower levels of childhood obesity.  Look for a TV commercial in the near future featuring Wyntergrace along with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine touting their veggie lunch campaign.

As parents and kids prepare for the beginning of another school year, it is a time of excitement and anxiety. For the more than 3 million kids with food allergies — and their parents — the back-to-school anxiety is particularly palpable. Understandable, considering that 1 in 5 children will have an allergic reaction while in school (Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2001: 155: 790-795). What is a regular day for most kids is fraught with danger for children with food allergies. If the peanut-allergic child sits next to a child eating PB&J or the egg-allergic child eats the birthday cupcake brought in by a classmate, the results could be fatal.

Parents worry: Will the teachers remember my child’s specific food allergy? Will the Epi-Pen® be accessible on the playground or on a field trip? What if substitute teachers cover lunch time and will they be prepared to manage an allergic reaction? The reality is they just don’t know…and that’s not good enough.

I know these fears all too well. My son is severely allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. A couple years ago, before his first day at preschool, I met with the teachers and school director, discussed his allergies, signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction and how a reaction should be managed. Two weeks into school, I walked him into class only to overhear the teacher tell another parent that the children would be making trail mix that day. I was astounded, as were the parents of the other two nut-allergic children in the class. At best, the children would have experienced hives and vomiting… at worst, anaphylaxis and death. And the questions followed: How can I make sure the people around my son are constantly alerted to his allergies? And, if there is an emergency, how can I ensure that they will know what to do?

The anxiety is shared by teachers, coaches, babysitters and others who care for allergic kids. They worry too: How will I remember each child’s specific allergies? How will I know if a child is having an allergic reaction? Will I be able to respond appropriately?

To keep your child safer this school year:

1. Clearly identify your child by his/her specific food allergies

2. Clearly label his belongings—lunch bag, backpack—with allergy alerts to prevent exposure

3. Make safe foods available for your child

4. Keep emergency medication available and accessible at all times; make sure that whoever is with your child is prepared to manage a life-threatening emergency

Communication is key… your child’s life could depend on it! Label your child’s lunch bag with his allergies to alert teachers and cafeteria staff. Get a kid-friendly allergy alert wristband that your child will actually wear. Provide the school with safe snacks for your child. Make sure that emergency medication and information is accessible at all times while your child is in school. By alerting others to your child’s allergies, making safe food available and having emergency measures in place, you can minimize the risk of an allergic reaction and maximize the chances of an effective response if one does occur.

Best wishes for a safe and successful school year!

–Robin Davison, MPH, JD, Founder of STAT kids, LLC (www.statkids.com)

KIWI parents know what an important job it is to keep our children healthy and protected when they are young. Unfortunately, part of that protection is giving them the tools they need to begin to address the harsh realities that life can bring, including the “Bully Factor”. Our kiddos may find it helpful if we can define a bully and help them to identify bullying behavior when and if they should encounter one. As raised in Stop Bullying me…and my Planet part one, teaching children action steps to address what to do if they are being bullied will help to empower them when faced with a frightening situation.

Defining a bully for your child may be the first useful step. Bullying amongst kids usually takes the form of repeated intimidating behaviors, usually using domineering physical or psychological tactics. Here are a few indicators to look for to help your child understand if they are being bullied. For younger kids, bullying may take the form of:

• Grabbing, pushing, shoving
• Teasing, name calling, taunting
• Taking things without permission
• Starting rumors
• Being excluded or left out
• Other blatant mean and hurtful intimidating behaviors

When discussing actions steps for handling a bully with your child, stress that generally, bullying is behavior that is repeated over and over again (not just a “one time incident”). Here are some empowering options for you and your child to discuss as you begin to “take on the bullies”:

• Don’t “take the bait”- bullies seek out sensitive children.
• Stay near friends and adults
• Be assertive and tell the bully to stop.
• Embrace differences. Bullies attack anything “different.” Celebrate who you are!
• Work on expressing your emotions without fear.
• Tell your parents and teachers about the bully!

If your child is being bullied I would like to hear your concerns and strategies for facing “the Bully Factor.”

-June Grushka-Rosen M.Ed. is a mommy of two, psychotherapist, and the owner of ExtraordinarYou, a life coaching and educational services business. To contact: June@URextraordinary.com

Countless people see bullies as a mere inconvenience rather than a truth to be reckoned with. But bullying behavior, like the assault we have committed on the planet, is abusive, and when repeated over and over again it can be detrimental.

Over the last several weeks I have been approached by parents having concerns about their children being bullied, ranging in age from kindergarten through high school. One child even suggested that he thought his parents should move out of the state! Childhood is filled with children learning to “play nice together” and for that matter, most adults are still learning that lesson too. But bullying is a serious matter and unfortunately, some parents overlook early signs of having a bully of their own, or their child’s experience of being bullied. They dismiss the evidence, as “kids will be kids”.

Conversely, other parents feel an initial rage when they hear or see a child being targeted. I have even heard my sweet, even-tempered husband refer to a little girl that was bossy and taunting my daughter Sasha to tears, as a terrorist! Ok, so maybe she wasn’t a true bully or a terrorist, but she managed to make my husband’s salt and pepper curls…. go straight! Fortunately, like my husband, a parent’s frenzy typically dissipates, but they are left with confusion as to how to help their child navigate the situation. Clearly, interventions will vary and depend upon the children’s ages, severity and frequency of bullying.

Our children really do need a kinder, gentler, and greener planet to grow up on. It’s up to all of us to stand up to the truth about bullying in our homes, playgrounds, play groups, classrooms, school hallways, and on the internet, while we empower our children with strategies for taking action on their own when they or their precious planet is being bullied!

Please submit comments or strategies on issues related to the Bully Factor!

Check back for Positive Parenting Tips for taking on bullies.

-June Grushka-Rosen M.Ed. is a mommy of two, psychotherapist, and the owner of ExtraordinarYou, a life coaching and educational services business. To contact: June@URextraordinary.com

My name is Keri Marshall and I am a licensed Naturopathic Doctor in private practice in Dover, NH, and mother of two. I have a general family practice that encompasses all aspects of natural medicine including clinical nutrition, herbal medicine, homeopathy and lifestyle counseling. I enjoy organic gardening, cooking, snowboarding, camping, biking and surfing. Currently one of the big projects I am working on in my community is an effort to improve the public school hot lunch program. Recently, our school board unanimously approved removal of all trans fats from foods being served, no artificial sweeteners, and at least 50% of grains served will be whole grains.

With the information I provide, I hope to help you understand a few simple concepts, one of which is that childhood nutrition begins as early as conception. How we eat throughout pregnancy as well as how we introduce food to an infant will greatly impact lifelong nutrition and eating habits. I also hope to provide beneficial information with regard to decoding nutrition labels and de-mystifying contradictory information that we hear about in the media and what it means in our day-to-day life.

In general, children who consume Standard American Diet (SAD) meet the RDA basic guidelines for nutrition. Unfortunately, it appears that we have set the bar too low and the guidelines set by the government are fostering an epidemic of obesity and poor health. I look forward to creating a forum to discuss ways to raise the bar with regards to our children’s nutrition and explore ways to improve our own personal nutrition and lifestyle habits as parents.

–Dr. Keri Marshall MS, ND is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in holistic pediatrics and women’s medicine.

green school /grEn skül / n. a school building or facility that creates a healthy environment that is conducive to learning while saving energy, resources and money.

I personally love growing trend of green schools. I wish they were this environmentally friendly when I was in school! Public and private schools are finding that going green isn’t just great for the children and the environment, it’s great for their budgets. On average, green schools save $100,000 per year – enough to hire two new teachers, buy 500 new computers or purchase 5,000 new textbooks (!!!).

How do I know this? Thanks to this great new site from the US Green Building Council, Green Schools, the information on why and how to build a green schools is only a click away. Their vision is to have all green schools within a generation (yay!).

We are cheering super, super loud over here at KIWI. We love that there is a movement for schools to go green. We are even doing our own part with the KIWI Crusaders Award (you can still apply until December 31st!). The Green Schools site even has a “Take Action” part of their site, where you can join your local green school campaign, learn how communities are taking action, and connect with other green school supporters.

So, click on over and start joining, learning and connecting with green schools!

October is the beginning of fall and the time of ghouls, ghosts, and goblins. It is also “International I Walk to School Month.” In this month, 42 countries will participate in the month dedicated to walking to school– wow!

Why? The meaning of this month varies in each community. Some communities focus on the development of healthy habits, like the exercise walking to school allows. Other communities choose to focus on the environmental friendliness of walking to school.

Below is a list from www.iwalktoschool.org of activities to celebrate the wonderful act of walking to school.

Examples of Walk to School activities:

• Designate “Walking Wednesdays” to encourage walking one day a week and potentially extend the event to a month or a year-long activity
• Develop walking themes for each day of the week: bright, highly visible colors day, “walking hat” day, bring a healthy lunch day, etc.
• Set up a competition with awards for the classes with the most walkers
• Offer an option to students who ride the bus or carpool to walk once they arrive at school.
• Organize a walking school bus from nearby neighborhoods. For information on how, visit www.walkingschoolbus.org
• Plan a school-wide event to recognize the day such as a picnic, an assembly, an awards ceremony or a pizza party for the class with the most walkers
• Fill the month with activities throughout the day that pertain to staying physically fit, eating healthy and caring for the environment.

Check out their website for more information and how to get involved.

As a college graduate, I understand the stress of finding THE SCHOOL. It is tough to choose among hundreds of schools which one will suit your academic, housing and extracurricular needs. Now add in environmentally friendly to your already growing lists of “must-haves.”

It is a growing trend among high school seniors to make their school decisions based on their environmental leanings. But how do you know which school is green? How will you be able to tell if the campus is LEED certified? And which school recycles and which school has clean-up days? Does the campus hold regular eco lectures?

Now KIWI has the perfect resource for parents and students looking to broaden their academic, as well as their eco horizons. The KIWI Green College Report is a list of the 50 greenest colleges and universities in the United States. Also, there is no hierarchy (meaning there is no number 1 green school) to KIWI’s list, so each school is as eco-friendly as the next.

Also KIWI has featured each of the schools that signed American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment. 300 Presidents of various colleges and universities signed this pledge stating their move toward to achieving carbon neutrality.

Interested? (Well, who wouldn’t be?) To download your free copy, please click here.

For kids with food allergies — and their parents — the back-to-school anxiety is palpable. How can we alert others to our children’s specific food allergies? What can we do to prevent an emergency situation? And, if there is an emergency, how can we ensure that those caring for our children will know what to do?

Food allergies affect teachers, coaches, babysitters and anyone else who cares for allergic kids. They have told me that they worry, too. Their heads are filled with questions. How they I remember each child’s specific allergies? How will I know if a child is having an allergic reaction? Will I be able to respond appropriately?

For the millions of children with food allergies and those around them, this time of year is particularly stressful. With new teachers, new classmates and new schools, the risk of exposure is high. Here are some tips for a safer school year:

1. Before the first day of school, meet with your child’s teacher, school nurse and principal to discuss your child’s food allergies and how the day-to-day school environment will be managed.
2. Create an emergency action plan that clearly explains the required response to an allergic reaction. Review it with your child’s teachers, the school nurse, gym teacher, specialists and anyone else who will be spending time with your child.
3. Clearly identify your child by his/her specific food allergies to keep others aware.
4. Clearly label his belongings—lunch bag, backpack—with allergy alerts to prevent exposure.
5. Keep emergency medication available and accessible at all times.
6. Make sure that whomever is with your child is prepared to manage a life-threatening emergency.

COMMUNICATON IS KEY—before you leave your child with a teacher or coach, friend or babysitter, or even a grandparent, it is crucial to have a discussion about your child’s food allergies. And don’t forget to be detailed. The information that we as parents have internalized and which now seems intuitive may not be as obvious to others.

So get back to the basics. Talk about your child’s food allergies and what foods are off limits. Explain anaphylaxis, a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and can cause death (definition from the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network). Make sure to fully explain the symptoms of anaphylaxis, which can begin with a tingling oral sensation and progress to other symptoms, including swelling of the lips, tongue, mouth and throat, wheezing, coughing, vomiting, difficulty breathing, drop in blood pressure and loss of consciousness. These symptoms can start from within minutes of the first contact up to 2 hours, which is why constant vigilance, not just in the lunch room, is so important.

Provide details about foods that are unsafe and those which might contain hidden ingredients. Discuss cross contamination and the importance of hand washing at the beginning of each day, after snack and lunch time. And make sure that whomever will be spending time with your child knows how to use the Epi-Pen. His life could depend on it.

-Robin Davison, MPH, JD
Founder of STAT KIDS (www.statkids.com)

Radio, in fact, is doing the opposite of dying. It’s thriving! This media has a new home– the internet. The internet radio craze has even struck home here at KIWI’s headquarters. Our own Maxine Wolf, CEO and Publisher of KIWI Magazine, was interviewed by Holistic Moms Talk Radio.

During her interview, Maxine discussed almost everything about our lovely publication. She covered topics from why we choose the name KIWI to our KIWI Crusaders Award (see Blog). Holistic Moms and Maxine even talked about Maxine’s daughter Maylee– the star of KIWI’s Maylee’s Moment.

Maxine said, “As I went through my experiences as a new parent, I realized there really wasn’t any place to get good information about parenting our way… and I formed KIWI.”

All in all, the interview turned out to be a great discussion on living naturally and organically. To listen to the interview, visit Holistic Moms Talk Radio. Congrats Maxine!

Announcing the Kiwi Crusaders Award for Excellence in School Meals. We’re celebrating the schools and school systems that have made a commitment to serving students healthy foods (yes, believe it or not, there are lots of schools who do care about good nutrition for our kids). If this sounds like your school, we invite you to nominate it for our prestigious annual award. We’ll be recognizing healthy school food programs in three categories:

• Preschool
• Public School/School System K-12
• Private School/School System K-12

The three Grand Prize winners will receive $3,500 each and a feature story in KIWI Magazine about the school and its meal program.

To enter and for official rules, click here and fill out an online application or download a printable PDF to mail to us. Entries must be received by September 30, 2007.

Don’t miss the chance to earn some money for your school and get them the recognition they deserve for helping to keep our kids healthy!