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APRIL/MAY 2025
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Get Your Game Face On THE POWER OF PLAY FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
Have you ever watched your little ones playing with blocks and wished you could join? Playtime isn’t just for kids — it’s a beneficial exercise for growth and learning that every family member can enjoy. Whether it is a weekend board game marathon, an epic backyard soccer match, or a laughter-filled round of hide-and-seek, playtime brings people together and creates lasting memories. Not only is it fun, but play supports essential social, cognitive, and physical development in children and can make us adults feel young again. So, let’s press pause on the daily grind and hit play on some quality family fun! Benefits of Play for Kids Play is crucial to a child’s development, from their budding social skills to physical fitness. When young minds experience games, they learn to make sense of the complicated world around them and develop skills they will need in relationships, work, school, and every interaction they will face in adulthood. Physical play — like riding a bike, playing a sport, or jumping rope — can help kids stay in shape. These can also build balance, improve motor skills, and teach them the value of resilience. Play is a safe way for children to explore their feelings, hone their decision-making abilities, and begin expressing themselves. We can learn all kinds of human lessons from
games, and they give young people a real-life example of the power of trying again when they make mistakes. We don’t have to win every time; making mistakes is a way to learn. Benefits of Play for Adults Just because we’re “grown-ups” doesn’t mean we can’t also dive into the joy, laughter, and growth playtime offers. With busy jobs and hectic schedules, most of us stopped playing at some point between childhood and adulthood, but it’s never too late to return to our playful side. Playing allows us to unwind, get creative, socialize, and challenge our minds. When we have fun, it triggers the release of feel-good hormones, helping us sleep better, lower cortisol levels, and even temporarily reduce physical pain. “Gamification” is a popular productivity trend today that helps adults make their to-do lists more entertaining and rewarding. The idea is to take complex or monotonous tasks and transform them into quests, adventures, or mini-challenges. So, whether you’re turning a work deadline into Task Tetris or just throwing a frisbee with some friends, games can be an incredible tool to improve our lives. Making Play a Family Tradition Playing together as a family is an excellent way to bond and share some
silliness while everybody learns. You can build play into your family routines by setting up regular times where you will all do an activity as a group. It could be 20 minutes of card games after dinner or an hour on Saturdays where you enjoy recreation at a local park. During playtime, focus on being present, turning off distractions like smartphones and TVs. Let your children choose the activity to give them a sense of ownership and foster self-confidence. Playtime isn’t just a fleeting moment of fun; it’s a way to grow, learn, and connect with the people you love most. So, dust off that board game or start building an epic tower of blocks with your children because the most valuable family memories are the ones we create together.
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KNOW THE FACTS ABOUT ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS Are Sugar Substitutes Worth the Tradeoff?
The U.S. market for soda is worth over $200 billion, fueled by the average American’s annual consumption of nearly 40 gallons of soft drinks — including diet soda. While staying hydrated is good, sending lots of chemical sweeteners into our digestive tracts may not be. Concern for serious health issues started in the early 1970s when scientists linked cyclamate and saccharine, popular synthetic sweeteners, to cancer. Congress banned cyclamate but wouldn’t ban saccharine. More recent studies determined that obesity is related to many types of cancer, and obese people are more likely to consume lots of diet soda. Similarly, high blood pressure, diabetes, and strokes are more likely due to underlying health issues like excessive weight than consuming artificial sweeteners. In the last decade, more natural sugar alternatives have become available, like stevia, agave, monk fruit, and allulose. Diet soda manufacturers have yet to incorporate these into their soft drinks, but they are experimenting. The Coca-Cola Company uses stevia along with erythritol (another new sugar substitute) in its Vitamin Water Zero.
Artificial sweeteners do provide some benefits, including fewer cavities, lower blood sugar, and less weight gain. However, some people still suffer side effects from drinking diet soda. The sugar alcohols in diet sodas are linked to intestinal distress, and one scientist points to a potential link between laboratory- created sweeteners and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The importance of our stomach’s microbiome is new to science, and all impacts are under intense scrutiny.
Sugar-free beverages may be a better choice than sugar-infused drinks because they don’t cause insulin spikes, but the Mayo Clinic warns that frequent
consumption of any type of sweetened drink can become habit-forming, making it hard to return to drinking plain water, which is the optimal choice for health. As with most food trends, we should be
informed, listen to our bodies, and make wise choices about what we drink and eat. Crash and Burn: Why Fad Diets Fail
Disrupting Your Metabolism Crash diets clash with your body’s
Perpetuating the Yo-Yo Cycle Restrictive diets also fail to change a person’s basic relationship with food. Many dieters slash their intake to ease their guilt or to punish themselves for binging. This can result in a repeated diet-and-binge cycle, reinforcing the dieter’s despair. Over time, the muscle loss and metabolic slowdown caused by diet-and-binge cycles make it even harder to slim down. So, What Does Work? Consider working with a dietitian or a therapist to examine your relationship with food. Rather than cutting out entire food groups, balance your plate with a mix of vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, and healthy fat. Read food labels and monitor your daily calories, protein, carbs, fats, fiber, and sugar. Finally, focus on small changes you can stick with rather than a drastic diet overhaul. As you work with your body instead of against it, remember: Our bodies crave consistency!
As summer draws near, many people are embracing detox diets, intermittent fasting, low-carb programs, or other buzzy regimens to slim down. Before you fall for the latest dieting fad, consider this: About 95% of all these diets fail to produce lasting weight loss! Why are so many popular dieting regimens self- defeating? Here are the primary reasons and better strategies to try.
basic needs, setting you up for intense cravings and rebound eating. Low-carb and ultra-low-calorie regimens may seem to work quickly because they reduce water weight and deplete the body’s stored glycogen. Depriving your body of essential nutrients, however, can trigger cravings and binge eating and can slow your resting metabolic rate so much that you gain more weight in the future. Intermittent fasting is also hard to sustain because it clashes with a dieter’s natural hunger patterns and daily routines. Sidestepping Underlying Issues Many people try to diet without addressing the underlying reasons they overeat. Perhaps eating is a coping mechanism for dealing with low self- esteem or past trauma. Without exploring those reasons and finding alternative comforts, a crash diet is unlikely to work in the long run.
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A NEW WAY TO PLAY OUTSIDE DITCH THE SCREENS AND GRAB A TRASH BAG
Looking for a fun, wholesome way to bring the family together? “Trash-bagging” is a quirky, budget-friendly activity for adults and kids alike. Combining trash bags, rain, soap, and grassy hills, this outdoor pursuit, which became popular on social media, is a great way to embrace simple fun while creating lasting memories. How It Works Don’t let a little rain keep you from having a good time. Getting set up for trash-bagging takes only a few steps: • Gear Up: Grab large plastic trash bags — at least one for each participant — and poke holes for your arms and head. These “sliding suits” keep you slick and ready to glide. • Add the Soap: Using a squirt bottle, spray some soapy water onto the outside of the trash bag to create a slippery surface. Always use biodegradable soap safe for the grass and wildlife to protect the environment. • Pick Your Hill: Choose a grassy hill free of rocks, sticks, and other debris. A gentle incline works best for safe and smooth sliding.
• Let the Rain Do the Work: Trash-bagging is the perfect rainy day activity, as the rain naturally lubricates the hill and adds to the fun. If there is no rain, you can use a hose to create the same effect. • Slide and Repeat: Take turns sliding down the hill. To keep the fun going, reapply soapy water and replace sliding suits (i.e., trash bags). Why It’s Worth Trying Trash-bagging is a unique way to enjoy quality family time. It’s incredibly budget-friendly — requiring only a few everyday items — and offers a creative alternative to expensive outings. This activity appeals to all ages, so you can get everyone involved and moving outdoors. Plus, trash-bagging is an excellent way to unplug from screens and reconnect. It reminds us that the best memories don’t require a Wi-Fi connection — just a little creativity and willingness to try something new.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE How Fun Activities Help Kids and Adults Thrive How Much Do You Know About Diet Soda? Work With Your Body to Unlock Lasting Weight Loss Trash-Bagging Makes Rainy Days Fun Take a Break Testimonial Turn Teen Disagreements Into Growth PAGE 1 PAGE 2 PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 3 PAGE 3 PAGE 4
Tips for Handling Conflict With Care PARENTING TEENS As kids grow into teens and young adults, family dynamics often change. Gaining more independence naturally becomes their priority, which can lead to more conflicts at home. Whether disagreeing over curfews, arguing about responsibilities, or struggling with differing communication styles, these challenges can feel new to many parents. on their feelings to show you’re paying attention (e.g., “It sounds like you’re upset because you feel misunderstood.”). This approach helps teens feel heard and makes it less likely they’ll get defensive. Collaborate on solutions. Instead of imposing rules or decisions on your teen, involve them in finding
the reasoning behind rules and allowing room for compromise. You can also demonstrate the behavior you expect from your teen by setting and maintaining your boundaries. Modeling appropriate boundary-setting in your interactions shows them how to establish and respect limits in their relationships, which can benefit them long after they leave home.
resolutions. Collaboration and negotiation show their input matters. Open discussions foster mutual respect and help build a foundation for long-term trust and understanding. When collaborating, ask open-ended questions like, “What do you think would be fair?” or “How can we make this better for everyone?” Set clear, respectful boundaries. Teens still need structure, but how you enforce boundaries matters. Respect their growing independence by explaining
Conflicts don’t have to create division, though. They can even strengthen your relationship if you handle them with care.
Building Stronger Bonds Through Conflict
Key Strategies for Conflict Resolution Engage in active listening.
The teenage years bring rapid changes in how teens relate to their world and families. Conflict is common during this formative period, but it doesn’t have to be a battle — it can be a bridge. With patience, empathy, and the right strategies, you can foster a bond that not only survives the teen years but thrives because of them.
Sometimes, the best way to avoid or defuse conflict is just to listen. Active listening helps strengthen relationships by showing your teen you care and understand their perspective. Reflect
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