Rain has come early this year and with the change of seasons, that can often mean cold and flu season. I have found that rather than getting sick all at one time, my kids prefer to stagger it so that we spend the month with each person having the flu. With the swine flu continuing to affect people across the country, it is more important than ever to have your child checked by their pediatrician when they get sick.

It is that time of year to make some health decisions...

• Do you get a seasonal flu shot for yourself?
  
• Do your children get a flu shot or would that require bribery beyond what you can afford?
  
• Do you brave the elements and give coughing passerby the fish-eye, or do you lock your family indoors with bottles of hand sanitizer?
• This year we are facing a new question: do you get the new H1N1 vaccine? Do your research and decide what is best for your family?
• Here is a link with more information from our County Health Department >>

What is the best remedy when your child is sick? There are many opinions when it comes to treatment. Do you stick to good old fashioned TLC and hot chicken soup or do you do antibiotics? We are not here to give our opinions. This is between your family and your pediatrician. Scroll down and read the articles below with 3 different perspectives on the cold and flu season... a local pediatrician, a nutritionist, and a proponent of homeopathic remedies.

• Click here for a list of local pediatricians >>
  
• You can also find tips and a checklist on choosing a pediatrician >>

This month is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women in the United States. (Skin cancer is #1.) According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 192,370 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed among women in the United States this year. Ladies, this is a friendly reminder to those of you who need mammograms to be sure to you schedule your screenings as indicated by your physician.

Local favorite Kathy Hayden of Kindermusik with Kathy is now in India helping orphaned children through her new organization, Global Arts Outreach.  Learn more >>

Fire Prevention Week is in October.  The SB County Fire Department provided us with some excellent fire safety tips that address preventing burns, scalds, safety while cooking, heaters, electrical safety, and more.  Read tips >>

Make sure to scroll down for great events and 2 fun walk/runs this weekend.

Below is only a partial list of upcoming events and activities so be sure to click on our EVENT CALENDAR so you do not miss anything >>

Use the PARENT PLANNER to click on events and resources you are interested in and click PRINT MY PLANNER to print or email your list. >>

This year you can enjoy the activities starting on Friday night!  The Lemon Festival has always been known as a fun, informative and exciting event for kids of all ages. Rides and games such as the Ferris wheel, mini golf, the pony rode and lots of bounce houses make for a fun time. Be sure to stop by Safety Street to meet the people who help keep us safe and get an up-close look at their state-of-the-art vehicles and technologies. Discounted activity tickets will be pre-sold at Albertsons stores in Goleta, Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Ventura and Buellton through October 15th. Click here for the Lemon Festival entertainment schedule.

~Submitted by Dr. Dan Brennan

Pediatrics in Paradise

The flu has arrived early this year. Have no fear, your top ten health tips are here.

• 1. Cover your mouth and nose If you've got it, keep it to yourself. Thousands of hungry viruses come flying out of your nose and mouth every time you cough or sneeze. If you cover, you can stop the spread.
  
• 2. Wash your hands After you cover your mouth with your hands, don't forget to wash them. Viruses are spread by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes. Regular hand washing and alcohol based hand sanitizers are effective in killing harmful germs.
  
• 3. Rest, exercise and eat well If you take good care of your body, your body will take good care of you.
  
• 4. Update your vaccines Almost 100% of the flu strains currently in our community are the H1N1 variety. The good news is that H1N1 vaccines are arriving and studies show that they are safe and effective in reducing H1N1 infection. Seasonal flu vaccine along with pneumonia vaccines can prevent serious complications of the flu. Ask your white-coated crusader about what would be best for you and your family.   Read entire article >>
  

~ Submitted by Christina Schmidt, M.S., N.E. author of the Baby Bistro and Toddler Bistro books and boxes

Though we may not want to admit it yet, it is getting chilly outside, the days are shorter, and cold and flu bugs are encroaching if not already visitors in your home! When my siblings and I were children, mom made us homemade chicken soup and fresh orange juice to fight off infections.

This childhood experience led to a career in nutrition where I could help others learn that foods we eat are directly related to how we feel and how our bodies defend themselves against disease. Healthy foods and nutrients can arm you and your families to prevent or at least hasten a speedy recovery from those nasty bugs that circulate schools and work places, on their mission to turn your home life upside down!

Several nutrients and food components are vital to keep the immune system strong and functioning properly. They act as vigilante antioxidants against scavengers that increase risk for various diseases, reduce inflammatory processes, compete with infectious bacteria, or function to activate our complex immune defense army of white blood cells.

Here is my checklist for Immune Boosting, Cold & Flu-Buster Nutrients and Foods: Read entire article >>

~Submitted by Kathy Gruver, MS, LMT, RM of Healing Circle Massage

It's back to school time and parents know what that means....cold and flu season. Antibiotics, flu shots and over the counter medications are certainly options, but what about an alternative solution that's been around for 200 years? Homeopathics have been used for centuries to treat ailments and illnesses with great success...and no side effects. They are easy to give to children and can be very effective for illness such as ear aches, colds and sore throats. But the first question...what the heck is homeopathy?

Homeopathy works on the principal of "like cures like" that giving someone a minute dose of a substance will cause the body to eliminate symptoms that in a large dose would cause those same symptoms. (So if a big dose would cause a fever, a homeopathic dose would eliminate the fever.) Basically, you're giving a teeny-weeny amount of a substance to jump start the body's own defenses to act on the problem. Let's look at the principles of Classical Homeopathy.

Classical Homeopathy involves comprehensive questioning and analysis of a patient's symptoms and physical, emotional, and spiritual responses to each disorder. For example, a headache would be examined in regards to what brought it on, what makes it better or worse, is there a time of day that aggravates it? Is it limited to a certain part of the head, what were the circumstances that caused it, etc? After looking at that information a remedy would be chosen. And for two people with different answers to those questions, they'd get two different remedies. In Western medicine, it's the same headache. Classical homeopathy is used most often to treat a specific disease or symptom like headache or sore throat.   Read entire article >>