2020 Blog Posts

Should Youth Athletes be Taking Dietary Supplements? Are They Necessary?

By: Maria Parra on December 16, 2020

The prevalence of supplement use among the young athletic populations is relatively high. The percentage of youth athletes, ages 11-18, using dietary supplements has been reported to vary from 22.3 percent to 71 percent.
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Recovery Nutrition in Children and Teen Athletes

By: Maria Parra on November 10, 2020

Proper nutrition is key to ensure optimal recovery of young athletes after a long training, practice, or game day. Most athletes train for several hours a day, at least five days a week.
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Pediatric Telehealth – Know the Facts

By: Vanessa Guerra, MD on November 06, 2020

The reality of COVID-19 has turned our world upside down in many ways. One positive outcome has been the consumer adoption of virtual doctor’s visits, also known as telehealth.
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Transitioning Back Into Sports After a Long Break

By: Isabella Ancheta, ATC, LAT on October 02, 2020

The start of the new school year typically also marks the start of the school sports season. Young athletes who have been sedentary for the last several months should slowly increase physical activity daily until their bodies adjust to prevent injury.
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So Your Kids Are Heading Back to School… Now What?

By: Rose Alvarez-Salvat, PhD on October 02, 2020

For months, we have learned new ways to protect ourselves and our children from COVID-19. We have learned guidelines for novel ways of socializing, we have worn our masks, compulsively cleaned our hands (and some of us – our groceries), stayed home, and learned how to complete our work virtually – all while taking on a new role as teachers to our children.
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Jewish Holiday Celebrations During COVID-19

By: Shifra Koyfman, MD on September 08, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has definitely changed the world that we know it in all aspects. Our worlds have been turned upside down in so many ways.
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Five Ways to Minimize Sibling Arguments When Virtual Schooling

By: Vanessa Molina Santamaria on September 02, 2020

When this pandemic started, few of us could have imagined that this would last into the following school year. But here we are, settling into the 2020/21 academic year, with many of us in the midst of managing virtual school again. Although it’s not the most ideal situation, there are things we can do to make the process go a bit smoother.
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Back to School & Back to a Sleep Routine

By: Jenise Subervi on August 25, 2020

For a lot of us, summertime means relaxed schedules and routines. In our house, this means being less strict with bedtimes for both kids and parents! With school starting up soon, I know many of us are thinking about those early morning routines yet again, and wondering how we can get our kids back on track. For a lot of us, summertime means relaxed schedules and routines. In our house, this means being less strict with bedtimes for both kids and parents!
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Milestones in the Pandemic - Starting High School

By: Michelle Nunez-Mendoza on August 24, 2020

I remember almost every detail of my first day of high school. What I wore (no uniforms in public school back then), my first period French class and most of the kids in my class. I came from a relatively small private Catholic school, so entering a big public high school was a huge deal. My high school memories were (mostly) amazing, and I look back on those years fondly.
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Managing COVID-19: Children with Cancer

By: Reshma Babra Naidoo, PhD on July 27, 2020

The global spread of COVID-19 has led to an increase in health and hygiene practices to reduce the risk of transmission. Children with cancer who have actively or recently received treatment have weakened immune systems that can increase the likelihood of contracting infections and developing associated health complications.
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Coping with COVID-19 for Children with Intellectual Disabilities

By: Reshma Babra Naidoo, PhD on July 21, 2020

As a parent or caregiver of a child with an intellectual disability during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, your family may be experiencing significant changes. You can help your child navigate these difficult times by taking into consideration
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Buying Fresh, Locally Grown Fruits and Vegetables is Trending Right Now

By: Leyanee Perez, RDN/LDN on July 09, 2020

Not only does buying fruits and vegetables that are in season offer you the best value for your money as well as more nutritious for you, but it also supports our local farmers, the environment, and will help boost our local economy.
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Why are Walnuts Good for Me?

By: Leyanee Perez, RDN/LDN on June 11, 2020

Walnuts are tasty nuts that deserve a place at your table, with 13 grams of polyunsaturated fats, 4 grams of protein, 4 grams of total carbohydrate, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 130 mg of potassium and 30 mg of calcium per ounce.
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Tech-Free Entertainment

By: Vanessa Molina Santamaria on June 08, 2020

These days, most children are hooked on technology. With social distancing recommendations and shelter-in-place orders becoming our new normal, it’s a challenge to keep kids off electronics. They’re on Zoom video conferencing for virtual school, completing assignments on the web, playing with apps on their tablets, and TV has become a way to pass #quarantinelife.
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Keeping Our Children’s Eyes Healthy During Prolonged Use of Electronic Devices

By: Luxme Hariharan, MD, MPH on June 02, 2020

We all have had to make several adjustments during this new era of COVID-19 restrictions and social distancing. One of the most significant and unique impacts on our children in particular has been the transition to virtual schooling and an increased use of computers and electronic devices. Children in South Florida, across the country and around the world have been attending school virtually for the past two months with no clear end in sight.
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All Snacks are Not Created Equally

By: Leyanee Perez, RDN/LDN on May 19, 2020

Understanding why you are snacking is as important as knowing what to snack on. So, let’s take a closer look at the science behind snacking. Research says – We snack to satisfy cravings, relieve hunger, increase nutrient intake, boredom, to deal with emotions and sometimes to replace meals. The go-to-snacks are usually something like chocolate, chips and/or cheese. Mindful Snacking – Is about paying attention to what you eat, why you eat it, and how you eat it. Understanding the purpose and intention of the snack.
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Foods to Help Manage Stress

By: Leyanee Perez, RDN/LDN on May 05, 2020

Good stress or short-term stress is a healthy natural response that enhances the immune system. It is the long-term chronic stress that affects our ability to make healthy choices and to fight infections. To maximize the effects of "good stress," we need to find ways to cope with it fast. Fortunately, there are many things that we can do. Staying active and getting the right amount of sun is essential in managing stress. Check out the following tips that can help next time you find yourself in a stressful situation.
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Supporting Children with ADHD While Social Distancing

By: Reshma Babra Naidoo, PhD on May 01, 2020

Children who have transitioned to the home-school or virtual-school setting may experience difficulties focusing. This can be especially true for a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Through structure, tailored behavior management plans, and reinforcement strategies, children with ADHD can thrive in this “new normal.”
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Tips for Ordering Restaurant Meals

By: Leyanee Perez, RDN/LDN on April 28, 2020

Making healthful choices from restaurant menus can be challenging, and online menus can be more difficult since nutrition facts are usually hidden within the site, if available at all. Understanding the menu language will help you make smart food choices.
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Five Tips on Meal Planning and Healthy Eating on a Budget

By: Leyanee Perez, RDN/LDN on April 24, 2020

Sometimes deciding what to cook is just a matter of asking your tummy, “What do you want to eat?” and sometimes it takes a short trip to the pantry or fridge to get inspired.
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CEO, mom and… TEACHER?

By: Vanessa Molina Santamaria on April 23, 2020

Prior to this global pandemic, I would have never imagined home schooling my two daughters, ages 6 and 8. I am an entrepreneur who is used to multitasking, but now I find myself in the unique situation of managing a business, a household and virtual school all while trying to keep my sanity — I’m sure many of you are in the same boat!
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Make Mealtimes a Fun and Educational Activity

By: Leyanee Perez, RDN/LDN on April 10, 2020

Cooking meals together as a family is a great way to bond in a fun and educational way. Children of all ages can join their parents in creating meals by choosing side dishes, helping with mixing and preparation. Parents can use this opportunity to demonstrate how fruits and veggies can be incorporated to make a meal healthier and tastier.
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Guidelines for Coping with Autistic Children During the Pandemic

By: Reshma Babra Naidoo, PhD on April 10, 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has impacted all of our lives in varying ways, and families of children with autism spectrum disorder may have unique challenges in handling information about the virus and all the changes that come with it.
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Keeping Your Food Safe

By: Leyanee Perez, RDN/LDN on April 07, 2020

We all know the importance of washing our hands to stay healthy. But did you know that all fresh fruits and vegetables need to be washed just as thoroughly? Check out these steps that you can follow to ensure your fruits and veggies are fresh and ready to enjoy!
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Keeping Kids Safe During Social Distancing

By: Malvina Duncan on April 03, 2020

As the need for social distancing continues in our communities, many parents, myself included, want to keep our children happy, healthy and safe. To most kids, the current situation feels like freedom; they are physically out of school making it challenging to focus on schoolwork with all the distractions of being at home.

The Importance of Maintaining Routines

By: Diane Morales on April 02, 2020

Routines are an important part of everyday life, for children and adults alike. Routines make us feel safe, secure, and confident. During times like these when many children are unexpectedly home, it is especially important to keep a routine going to promote physical health and structure.
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How to Boost your Immune System with Nutrition

By: Leyanee Perez, RDN/LDN on March 27, 2020

A healthy immune system is your family’s best weapon to fight the common cold or the flu season, and our job is to keep you ready. Below is a list of six immune-boosting nutrients and the different foods they can be found in, recommended by Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s #GiveMe5 program.
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Navigating a New Virtual Learning World

By: Michelle Nunez-Mendoza on March 20, 2020

Like many parents around the U.S., this week we embarked on the brave new task of virtual learning with our kids. For many parents who homeschool their children, this may be just another day, but combined with social distancing recommendations, “parenting and living virtually” as I like to call it can present some unexpected challenges. It’s also an opportunity to show our children what’s possible through educational technology and how to reconnect as a family.
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Adjusting to Home Learning

By: Jenise Subervi on March 20, 2020

We have all be thrust into a totally unexpected new normal, and for many of us, that now involves school-aged children at home with us 24/7. While many of our schools are sending out work and assignments, some of us are looking for things to do with kids who have not yet received assignments or who are on spring break already. In addition, some of us have to be able to work remotely while our children are hanging off of our arms or we need to be able to entertain them while we get said work done.
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