Cold VS Flu SymptomsFall and winter is typically when the cold and flu season is, but these are not the same illnesses. They are often confused because they sometimes start in the same way, but even down to the symptoms, they can be quite different.Take a look at these similarities and differences between cold and flu symptoms.Cold SymptomsMany times, you know you feel ill but are not sure if you have the cold or the flu. The reason this is an important distinction is because they are treated somewhat differently and while the cold is something you can handle at home, many cases of the flu require seeing a doctor. With a cold, the symptoms tend to be less severe, and often include congestion, a runny nose, cough, and sore throat. You might have a slight fever, but it is often not too severe. You may notice these symptoms for a few days or up to a week.The cold usually lasts fewer days than the flu.Flu SymptomsWith the flu, expect to experience your symptoms for a longer period of time, and often more severely. It may start similar to a cold, with a sore throat, cough, and congestion.However, the flu often leads to bad headaches, a high fever, worse cough, and muscle aches and pains. You may also notice that as the flu progresses, you start experiencing severe fatigue, to where you can barely get out of bed and move around. Some people with the flu may also experience diarrhea and vomiting. Since you are at risk for dehydration with the flu, you should see a doctor for proper treatment.Treating the Cold VS the Flu

If you think you have the cold or flu, you might want to see a doctor in either case. With a common head cold that doesn’t get better in a few days, it is good to see a doctor and find out if it might be a sinus infection, flu, or other illness. Treating a head cold often includes getting plenty of fluids, rest, and treating your various symptoms. With the flu, your doctor might prescribe antibiotics or other medications, and hospitalization may be required in more severe cases.If you have either the cold or flu wit vomiting and/or diarrhea, see a doctor. This can increase your risk of dehydration, so if you can’t even keep fluids down, you might need medical treatment.

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If you want to avoid getting the cold and/or flu, it all comes down to your lifestyle. There are a variety of things you can do or avoid doing each day that will reduce your risk as much as possible.

Wash Your Hands Regularly
This continues to be one of the best ways to prevent the cold, flu, and other viruses you get from human contact. If you wash your hands often enough, even minor contact with others who have the cold or flu won’t affect you. It is typically when you shake hands with someone who has the flu virus, then touch your nose or mouth, when you get the virus yourself. Wash your hands whenever you get the opportunity to do so, and use antibacterial soap each time if it is available to you.

Eat a Healthy Diet
You also want to keep getting enough nutrients and vitamins into your system to help build a barrier against bacteria and viruses that lead to the cold and flu. You can do this by eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. Try to go for fresh, whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, meat and poultry, seafood, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. With this making up the bulk of your diet, you will be getting plenty of nutrients to help prevent the cold and flu.

Get Moderate Exercise
Don’t forget about exercise! This isn’t just good for weight loss and improving your heart health, but can actually boost your immune system. When you have a stronger immune system, you have a better resistance to colds and other similar illnesses. Try to walk a few days a week or get other forms of moderate exercise on a regular basis.

Have a Clean Workspace
Not only will washing your hands help to prevent the cold and flu, but having a clean workspace also helps tremendously. In the workplace, no matter where you work, there is a risk of germs and bacteria spreading between co-workers. Try to keep antibacterial wipes at your desk, wiping down surfaces as often as needed, from the edge of your desk, to your phone and keyboard.
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Take Your Vitamins
Lastly, if you struggle with your diet, you might not be getting enough nutrients to help prevent the cold and flu viruses from affecting your body. Taking extra vitamins and supplements can ensure you have the proper vitamin E, echinacea, and other nutrients that help you to boost your immune system.
 

 ​Addressing learning issues on the academic level is like repairing a roof when the walls and foundations are cracked and crumbling.  The following diagram, The Learning Ladder,  illustrates what systems need to be in place, and in what order, so that they are able to appropriately support academic learning, located at the top of the ladder, as seen in a previous post. 

               The Learning Ladder – how we developmentally learn  (de Garcia 2014).
 
When we look at babies, we see that they do not yet have the neural connections into the frontal lobes of their brain to control their impulses.  It is normal, at this age, for babies to be hyperactive because certain parts of the brain, the basal ganglia in particular, have not yet been developed and are not connected to other levels of the brain (Blomberg & Dempsey, 2011).   Children who hop, spin and crash into walls while walking are still learning to control their balance. They are demonstrating that they too have underdeveloped brains and are developmentally similar in some ways to the active infant. 
 
What these children are silently telling us is that somewhere along the line, they have missed some critical developmental stages, because the brain does not develop normally if a stage of development is missed (Gold, 2008).  When analyzing the behaviors of poor readers, the problems that had been identified all boiled down to an unorganized nervous system (Gold, 2008).  Eye dominance is one result of this organization. Studies have showed that as much as 81% of students who have learning difficulties are left-eyed and right handed.  “Since the eye naturally wants to track from the right to left, it will also guide the hand from the right to left, which may cause writing difficulties or letter reversals” (Hannaford, 1995, p. 211).  

--From my book:  Movement Makes Math Meaningful: Away from the Desk Math Lessons Aligned with the Common Core, pages 12-13

​When lunchtime rolls around, you want to be able to put together a simple meal that is nutritious, filling, and doesn’t take a lot of time. The following lunch ideas will fit all of these requirements.

Pita, Hummus, and Veggies
This Meditteranean inspired lunch is such a fun and easy to put together that, and you can even gather ingredients the morning before work and not spend too much time on it. Get a bag of whole wheat pita bread and a container of hummus. Since you are reducing your processed foods, making your hummus is preferred, and it is easy to make with a food processor. If you don't have one, at least choose your container hummus wisely and look at the ingredients. Open up the pita, add some hummus, and layer the veggies. That's all you need to do.

Sandwich or Wrap
You can still eat sandwiches for lunch while clean eating, but re-think the ingredients you are using.  To start with, stop using pre-sliced or processed meat and cheese for your sandwiches. Go to your grocery store’s deli section and get meat sliced right there. It will be fresh, much better for you, not processed and fewer preservatives, and you will be amazed by how much better it tastes. You can also get your cheese sliced in the deli, or you can buy a block of cheese and slice it up yourself. Remember that dairy is a borderline approved food with clean eating, so try to find cheese from grass-fed cows if you can.

If you don’t want to have cheese with your sandwich, homemade hummus is another great addition. Pile on the veggies onto your sandwich and use whole grain bread when you can. Wraps will be lower in carbs and only require a big lettuce leaf.
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No-Mayo Chicken or Tuna Salad
With clean eating, mayonnaise isn't necessarily a big no-no, but dairy in general needs to be ‘from the farm' as much as possible. Many people make their own, or you can try to look at the ingredients of organic mayonnaise. Another option is to make tuna or chicken salad with no mayonnaise at all.  Another option is to use mashed-up avocado. This healthy fat is approved on a clean eating diet. Chicken is better than tuna since it doesn't come in a can and you can even prep it ahead of time to use for lunches. Cut your chicken into small pieces, add your avocado and any other veggies or seasonings. You can have it in a wrap, on its own, or alongside some fruits or veggies.
 

I hold as a fundamental belief that all Children want to learn and succeed in school, although they may eventually compensate for their learning struggles by appearing not to care. To a child to whom learning does not come naturally, he has to use so much mental effort to concentrate and learn during the school day that he cannot fathom the idea of having to continue at home in the form of homework.   If you have ever taken an academic class in a foreign language, you might recollect the effort it takes to concentrate.  One can spend only so much time in such a focused state before all attention is lost. I can remember such a time when I took a linguistics course at a university in Mexico where I was an exchange student learning Spanish.  The class was so cognitively demanding that I could only concentrate for about 15-20 minutes, after which I was really not capturing the information.   My brain was simply too tired.
 
Children who struggle are not able to keep up with their classmates in one or more areas, which can be as frustrating to the teacher as the student.   Why do so many students struggle?  Many experts who have carefully observed children with learning difficulties have noticed that most, if not all, of these children also have issues with motor and balance.  They have come to realize that motor development and learning go hand in hand.   I have found this to be true in my own practice.   A couple of years ago, when I didn’t know what else to do, I simply put jump ropes in the hands of my 4th -6th grade students and not a one of them initially could jump rope.  Now, I not only test my students for their developmental level in mathematics (see Appendix D for my developmental math assessment), but I check for a variety of markers of their motor development as well.  I have been noticing that students with more severe learning problems also have more severe motor issues than others.   

Learning difficulties are often neurologically based, and can also lead to behavior and emotional problems.  Studies have indicated that more than 80% of prisoners had a serious learning problem as a child (Ratey, 2008).  Allan Bermann found that visual perception was the disability that occurred most often in a group of delinquent children, followed by auditory memory and language deficit (Phelong, 1997).   If we rather than just an academic or behavioral one, especially at a young age, how many of them could we save from a lifetime of struggle?
 
 ---From my book: Movement Makes Math Meaningful: Away from the Desk Math Lessons Aligned with the Common Core, Page 11

“A healthy body is a platform for flourishing a healthy mind.”
― Pawan Mishra
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Clean Eating as a Vegetarian
If you are a vegetarian, you might be looking for a way to eat healthier, but also avoid meat and possibly dairy products as well. Luckily, a clean eating diet is one of the easiest to follow and still maintain a meatless lifestyle. Here are some tips for eating clean as a vegetarian.

Add Plenty of Healthy Fats
As you know from your current vegetarian lifestyle, you need to make sure you get protein and fat from food sources not related to meat and seafood. Luckily, there are still lots of healthy fats that provide good nutrients without anything that isn't allowed on the clean eating diet. Keep eating plenty of healthy fats like nuts and seeds, flaxseed, avocados, olive oil, and canola oil. These oils are better to use instead of butter. Even if you allow yourself dairy on your vegetarian diet, you should avoid dairy on a clean eating diet unless it is from grass-fed cows.

Eat Lots of Fruits and Veggies
Naturally, the majority of what you are going to eat on a clean eating diet is fruits and veggies. Try to pile them on, not skimping at all. You don't need to worry as much about your macros with clean eating, as long as you know to recognize your body's hunger signals and stop eating when you are full. Most of your meals should consist of lots of fresh produce, preferably not frozen and never canned. Start picking up your produce at health food stores or farmer's markets for more variety and to save money.

Go For the Complex Carbs
Carbohydrates are okay to include while practicing a clean eating vegetarian diet, but you want to avoid your refined carbs. These tend to be overly processed and include foods like white pasta, white rice, and white bread. If you're going to have rice, grains, or pasta, at least go for the complex carb version, including whole grain or sprouted versions. There is also brown rice pasta, which is even better for you than traditional whole wheat pasta. These also happen to be good sources of fiber and some protein as well, which is always essential to have included in a vegetarian diet. Add in plenty of quinoa and oats as well.

Avoid Processed ‘Veggie’ Foods
The clean eating diet is about eating as many clean, fresh, and whole foods as you can. An easy way to know what to eat or not eat is to look at the food's packaging. If the food is in plastic or a box, it probably is processed in some way. For example, if you wanted to eat hummus, making it yourself is a better choice than buying a tub of it that's been processed and distributed to your local health food store. However, if the tub is sold behind the deli counter, they might make it right in the store and package it themselves, which doesn't require processing.

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Incorporating movement in the curriculum is beneficial because:

 
 

• It engages the whole brain in the learning
• It helps to develop social skills and increases bonding in the classroom
• It increases motivation
• It provides necessary novelty and change for the brain
• It focuses the brain to help improve concentration
• It wakes up the body when it is getting tired and keeps the brain awake and alert
• It prevents students from being overwhelmed by content
• It provides students a new perspective to the room
• It can help prevent negative effects from too much sitting
• It “awakens and activates many of our mental capacities.  Movement integrates and anchors new information and experiences into our neural networks” (Hannaford 1995, p. 96)
• It has an interdependence with the body’s learning systems
• It promotes an increase in test scores (Sallis, et al 1999)
• It prepares the brain for learning by getting the hemispheres to work together and increasing blood flow to the brain
• It improves cerebrospinal fluid flow
• It allows the brain to take a break and allows it time to process and consolidate information
• It allows more information to be absorbed
• It increases retention and allows students to recall the information more efficiently
• It provides a rich, multi-sensory experience for learning, which alters brain structure
• It promotes implicit learning
• It can target the root issues of disabilities such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia and ADHD, and increase reading, writing fluency, eye movement, cognitive skills, dexterity, and balance (Blythe 2009;  Ratey 2008)
• It promotes optimal learning since the student is actively involved in exploring physical sites and materials (Gardner 1999, p. 82 cited in Jensen)
• It, when provided through distinct patterns, can supply targeted integration to weak areas of the brain
• It stimulates developing brain growth and prevents deterioration of older brains 
• It creates neuropathways that connect the cerebellum to the pre-frontal cortex, which coordinates thought, attention, emotions, and social skills
• It increases communication of the neurons by myelinating brain cells causing impulses to fire faster
• It can increase the production of neurotrophins (natural nerve growth factors)
• It increases the density of the neurons in the frontal lobes, which is linked to good academic performance and executive functioning
• It balances the neurotransmitters in the brain and can stimulate the release of noradrenaline and dopamine, responsible for good feelings, therefore can act as a mood regulator and a good way to treat depression (Babyak et al 2000; Jensen 2000)
• It produces proteins that travel through the bloodstream to our brain which are responsible for making new brain cells and growing dendrites on neurons (rats that were taught complex motor skills increased their production of BDNF 35%) (Ratey 2008)
• It not only affects the motor-sensory areas of the brain, but also in the hippocampus, a structure involved in learning, which organizes, sorts, and processes the incoming information before sending it to the cortex for long-term storage  (Brink, 1995)
• It creates circuits, which can be used by the thinking areas of the brain (such as the neurons grown by learning to play the piano are used for leaning math) (Ratey 2008)
• It adds an emotional context to what is being learned because all sensory stimuli passes through the limbic system, the emotional center of the brain, before proceeding to the cortex (Blomberg & Dempsey 2008)
• It releases acetylcholine across synapses of activated neurons which stimulates and attracts dendritic growth (Hannaford 1995) 
• It is fun!

---This if from my book:  Movement Makes Math Meaningful:  Away from the Desk Math Lessons Aligned with the Common Core, pages 8-10. 

​“Rest and your energy will be restored.”
― Lailah Gifty Akita, Think Great: Be Great!
 
Tonics That Help With a Cold or Flu
Do you wonder what to do when you catch yourself feeling rundown?
When you get the common cold or come down with the flu, the last thing you feel like doing is eat or drink anything. However, hydration is essential, and you need to try to get those vitamins in any way you can. An easy way to get your nutrients is with a tonic, which is a drink that not only provides hydration but essential nutrients that help soothe your sore throat and heal your body as well. 

Honey and Lemon Tea
Our first tonic is extremely easy to make and uses just a few ingredients. I make it for myself often (because I love the boost it gives me) and it is entirely natural. You aren't putting any preservatives or chemicals into your body when you are ill or feeling depleted. When you have a cold or flu, one of the most prominent side effects is having a sore throat, often with congestion and a cough. This honey and lemon tea is an excellent tonic to help with that. All you need for the simple tonic tea is hot water with a little lemon, honey, and some ginger. Letting it steep overnight is best because the nutrients from these ingredients blend perfectly into the water, so all you have to do is heat it up the next morning.
 
How to make your tonic:
1 cup lemon or lemon balm tea
1 tablespoon honey
1 inch fresh grated ginger
 
Apple Cider Tonic
Apple cider vinegar is so good for you with and comes with a long list of health benefits. Apple cider vinegar is excellent for boosting your immune system and reducing inflammation in the body. You can drink this tonic when you have a cold or flu and to also prevent illnesses as well. In addition to the apple cider vinegar, you want to add other ingredients that will help with a cold or flu, such as spices like ginger and garlic, some turmeric, and a little honey to improve the taste and make it a little sweeter.

How to make your tonic:
1 cup water
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
1 tablespoon raw honey
 
Orange Honey Tonic
Our final tonic that is helpful when you are experiencing a cold or have come down with the flu is the orange honey tonic. This tonic has a beautiful golden orange color thanks to the turmeric powder in the tonic. You will also use some water, raw honey, apple cider vinegar, and a little bit of lemon zest in the drink. You can serve this cold or hot, though serving it with hot water similar to a tea often makes it a little easier to drink when you are ill and have a sore throat.

How to make your tonic:
1 cup warm water
Juice from 1 orange
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon raw honey
¼ teaspoon turmeric
¼ inch fresh grated ginger  

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It is the tradition of our education system to believe that individuals will learn best if they are presented with lots of information, in the form of a lecture or 2-dimensional written form, and seated still with eyes forward and taking notes.  However, for real learning to occur, throughout our lives, hands-on learning in an environment with rich sensory experiences is optimal (Hannaford, 1995).
 
Even if instinctively teachers know that children need to do so, often times the classrooms are packed and teachers simply do not feel that they have the room.  Others might fear chaos or a rise in discipline problems if they allow students more freedom in the classroom to move around, or simply feel that there is not enough time in the school day.  However, there is plenty of evidence to support that having the children sit for long periods of time is actually doing more harm than good.  In fact, it can be the very reason that discipline problems arise in the classroom in the first place. 
 
Some movements are better than others in specifically supporting brain development.  Slow, efficient, and specific movements that are designed to make sure the brain is built correctly is better than fast, disorganized movement, which is why children who are hyperactive, although always moving, still find learning difficult (Kokot, 2010).  But even if teachers do know how to do this, incorporating any kind of movement in a lesson is beneficial, especially for these hyperactive learners, because they do not possess enough balance and control to sit still.  Sitting still is truly uncomfortable, and their reticular activating system (RAS) of their brain needs extra stimulation of any kind to move the information on to the higher part of the cerebral cortex.  Therefore, involving the senses through movement helps children pay attention and helps them recall the information by engaging the whole brain.
 
The research is flooding with reasons why teachers should get their students up and moving while learning new concepts.  

--From my book:  Movement Makes Math Meaningful:  Away from the Desk Math Lessons Aligned with the Common Core, Page 8

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“Expressing your human need for ongoing spiritual, mental, physical, and emotional nourishment starts in your home.”
― Linda L. Eubanks
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Herbs to Boost Your Immune System
As you begin to take better care of your self, natural remedies for your immune system range from using essential oils to changing your daily habits. Another great way to give your immunities a nice boost is with certain herbs. Here are some of the top healing herbs that can help you fight off the cold and flu.

Take Echinacea
You will not find this recommendation surprising, as Echinacea has long been associated with boosting your immune system and helping to prevent the cold and flu. Echinacea is an herb that contains natural antibacterial and antiviral properties. These properties help you to fight viruses and illnesses, as they can boost white blood cell production in your body. White blood cells are needed to help fight infections as you come into contact with them.

Elderberry
Another herb, I find to be really healing for your body and help to boost your immune system at the same time is elderberry. Elderberry is a unique herb that is very healing, helping to fight off different types of infections, including influenza (flu) virus, bacterial infections, and viral infections. There have been numerous studies looking at its effectiveness for your immune system. You can use different parts of this herb, from the flowers to the leaves and even the bark.

Calendula
The next herb to be mindful of is called calendula. Calendula is one of those herbs where the name sounds familiar, but people aren't fully aware of what it is or how it can benefit them. Calendula is a plant with healing flower petals that look similar to marigold flowers. These have been used for many medicinal purposes, as they naturally reduce inflammation, fight bacteria, and contain natural antioxidants. Calendula when appropriately used can help prevent your body from free radical damage, which can also in turn help to improve your immune system. 

Green Tea
While not technically an herb, the leaves used in green tea are also fantastic for your immunities and helping to avoid the cold and flu. Green tea is also a good source of antioxidants, as well as boosting your immune system to keep away infections and viruses. Try to drink 2-3 cups of green tea a day. The good news here is that green tea has a lot of other health benefits as a bonus, from aiding in your weight loss efforts to improving your skin. 


Interested in a Free Immune Boosting Workshop Bundle?  Click here for your free access! https://ldegarci.builderall.net/Natural-Remedies ​