BodyMedia.

From their website:

Have you ever wondered how many calories you burn while playing with your kids? Or how active you really are over the course of a week? Now you’ll know – with BodyMedia^® FIT, the clinically proven system that turns your body’s everyday information into a tool to help you manage a healthy lifestyle.

Simply wear the BodyMedia Armband during the course of your day, then log onto your personalized BodyMedia FIT Activity Manager. You’ll get accurate, easy-to-digest information about the calories you’ve burned, plus a calorie consumption calculator and tips for how to best reach your fitness and lifestyle goals.

The BodyMedia FIT System also measures sleep duration and efficiency – so that you can begin to understand the influence your bedtime has on your overall health.

Camp is the best demonstration of moral and spiritual order—democracy is the core purpose. Children learn life skills that become habits of the heart. It is tough to be a kid these days. It is tough to be a parent. In a society where the nature of the family, the work place, and the community have changed dramatically, we can no longer assume that the natural process of growing up will provide children the experiences and the resources they need to become successful, contributing adults.

The American Camp Association, New England is dedicated to enriching the lives of children and families through quality camp experiences.

The American Camp Association, New England is a community of camp professionals who, for more than one hundred years, have joined together to share knowledge and experience and to ensure the quality of camp programs. ACA New England accredits nearly 350 day and overnight summer camps in the six New England states.

ACA conducts camps for all ages and offers various types of camps.

Day camp can begin as early as age three and is geared to children who get to experience camp and still return home each evening! They have the best of both worlds—the camp community which is built exclusively for kids and their own home which provides the security they need at a tender age. Day camp focuses on “what is right” than “what is wrong.” Day Camps typically serve children ages 3-15 during daytime only. For more information, click here.

Camp provides one of the very few links with a world larger than the consumer culture we inhabit—and day camp is one important choice in a quiver of options. The camp experience helps children and youth develop an appreciation of their place and their responsibility in a much larger universe. A preschooler—or even an older child who might be reluctant to go to overnight camp—can join a community that is created especially for her to practice growing up.

Specialty Camps offer a program for every interest. It can be found at day or resident camps and offer opportunities to concentrate on certain program areas such as horseback riding, the arts, travel, sports or computers, among others. Imagine a place where you get to be totally immersed in the thing you love to do (or want to try) the most . . . from being wrist-deep in cake batter or filming a movie to jamming all day with rock stars or learning to drive a race car. Specialty camps offer just that type of fantasy-come-true experience – from fine arts, performing arts, and chef camp, to learning a foreign language, science, engineering, motor sports . . . and much, much more. These camps have very focused programs, they typically have more intensive and professional-level instruction, and often include guest speakers, such as artists, musicians, and those who’ve made a career of that particular activity.

Many specialty camps have informal, hands-on, or immersion approaches to various academic subjects, such as math, science, or language, which may help children who struggle in a traditional classroom to learn material and develop confidence for the upcoming school year. For example, at Camp Motorsport, a race car driving specialty camp for kids ages ten to sixteen, campers participate in racing-related activities that convert abstract math and science concepts into hands-on applications—such as figuring out how resistance and drag impact making the car go faster.

Overnight / Resident / Sleepaway Camps usually serve children ages 6-17 for one to eight weeks at a time; children sleep at camp.

General Camps offer a range of activities. Many provide opportunities to focus on one or two activities while allowing campers to try a variety of others. General camps sometimes offer the opportunity to specialize in an activity.

Trip & Travel programs are often camp-based. Most involve adventure and wilderness. Campers spend most of their time traveling away from base camp.

Camps for Special Populations serve specific clientele such as children with particular medical conditions or diseases or individuals with special needs.

Space Car Camp deal more with real experience of space shuttle and its working.

Going Green and preserving environment:

ACA also encourages Children to go green. Camps across the country are encouraging children to put on their plates only what they will eat, then camps teach children about recycling by converting the leftovers into compost. The compost is then used to fertilize the fields that create food for the campers!

Many camps implement an environmental awareness program entitled, “Leave No Trace.” This program teaches and encourages children to clean up after themselves in nature, so as to not pollute the environment.

Camps create educational programs with local wildlife agencies or even the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

A Camp for Every Budget

While it’s hard to put a price tag on your child’s learning and growth, you certainly have your family’s budget to think about when you consider camp. The good news is that there is a camp program to fit nearly every budget.

For more information about fee, click here

Here are some benefits of ACA Camps:

• Every child deserves a camp experience.

The unique power of a camp experience complements and reinforces what children are taught at school, at home and at extracurricular activities — rounding out children’s development in optimal ways. Camps specialize in providing physical activity, time spent in the out-of-doors and experiences in teambuilding, athletics and the arts — activities that have been eliminated or are at risk of elimination for more and more school systems.

• Childhood is compromised without a camp experience.

Camp is vital! Camps have the capacity to change children’s lives — influencing, even transforming, their choices and chances and their characters and capabilities.

• Campers learn life lessons.

Camp memories often stay alive in people’s hearts and minds well into adulthood. Lessons include: becoming a responsible member of a group and community, personal and group decision-making, the art of compromise, resilience, how to bust out of one’s own comfort zone to try something new and many more. Campers are often attracted by a specific activity or two; they usually get an added bonus and learn something new and important about themselves at camp.

• Camp gives kids a world of good.

Expect camper growth in independence, self-esteem, leadership ability, peer relationship skills, spirituality, environmental awareness and decision-making when children attend day or resident camp. The largest study of camper outcomes in the U.S., conducted by Philiber Research Associates and ACA, confirmed these benefits of the camp experience — that camp gives kids a world of good!

ACA also offers volunteering and employment opportunities for adults.

Bette S. Bussel
Executive Director
American Camp Association, New England

Bette S. Bussel – A biography

“I had no idea when I went to summer camp at age 4 that one day I’d be in charge of thousands of campers who are looking for a positive summer camp experience, just like I was. Life is truly one big circle.”

Bette has been involved with camps since age 4, where she began as a day camper. She evolved to an overnight camper, Counselor-in-Training (CIT), Counselor, Program Director, Camp Director and is now the Executive Director of ACA New England. Bette brings a rare blend of organizational and interpersonal skills to this position, which she has held for more than 17 years. She has established herself as a person with professional competence, strong commitment and the ability to build on the established strengths and esteemed history of the regional nonprofit organization she leads.

Bette received a Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management from Ithaca College and a Master of Science in Recreation Management from the University of Maryland.

Prior to coming to ACA New England, she served as the Program Director, Teen Director, Group Services Director and Day Camp Director for the Jewish Community Center of Greater New Haven. In those roles she received a special citation from the Kovod Society of the JCC, and a Women in Leadership award from the YWCA.

Since taking over as ACA New England’s Executive Director in 1990, Bette has been honored with the New England AIC Award (1994), National AIC Award (1996), ACA National Service Award (1999), and ACA Special Recognition Award (2004).

Bette is a well-informed resource on legislative issues that impact camps throughout New England. She has been effective establishing positive relationships with legislative and regulatory bodies that monitor camps and has worked to strengthen respect of and input by camp professionals in legislative matters.

Bette serves as a member of the national ACA’s Technology Task Force, which advises all 24 regional offices of the association on the use of technology. Currently, Bette plays a leadership role on a committee which is reinventing ACA’s online camp search tool—the Find A Camp Tool.

Counting calories doesn’t have to be difficult; there are simple choices you can make to improve your health. For example, trading a stick of Wrigley’s Extra at five calories for a high-calorie snack containing 140 calories can save 135 calories a day.

Plus, it keeps your mouth busy, creating a diversion to help avoid those unwanted calories associated with “mindless munching.”

Research also shows chewing gum can be an effective way to manage calorie intake. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have discovered that chewing gum can burn about 11 calories per hour. Another study published in Appetite found that chewing gum before an afternoon snack can help reduce hunger, diminish cravings for sweets, and decrease snack intake by 36 calories.

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“At an average of just five to 10 calories a piece, gum can reduce overall calorie intake when substituted for a high-calorie snack as part of an active, healthy lifestyle …”

The act of chewing gum also requires some input of energy and, in fact, an extra twelve kilocalories (50kJ) per hour is burned in the process. Thus someone who chewed gum all day, everyday would burn off about 5kg of weight in a year This has actually been studied by Mayo Clinic researchers. It does require some energy to chew–an hour of chewing burns 11 calories. You would have to chew gum–sugarless gum–12 hours every day for a year to lose approximately 10 pounds. That’s doing it the hard way. But maybe chewing a piece of gum would keep you from eating a candy bar.

Most everybody loves to chew gum, whether for the flavor or just for the simple pleasure of chewing. But did you know that chewing gum also:

Provides a Low-calorie Snack
Chewing gum often satisfies the desire for a between-meals snack, yet each stick averages less than 10 calories.

Improves Concentration
One theory behind this is that the action of chewing stimulates a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which releases hormones which serve to keep us alert. At work, chewing gum helps us concentrate on the task at hand. Many truck drivers find that chewing gum helps them stay alert at the wheel.

Eases Tension
As early as 1939, scientific studies showed how chewing reduces muscular tension and helps people feel more at ease. Because it is so well-recognized for helping stay alert at the same time it eases tension, the U.S. Armed Forces have supplied chewing gum to its soldiers ever since World War I. It is still included in field and combat rations today.

Freshens Breath
Chewing gum, especially a mint-flavored gum like Wrigley’s Spearmint or Doublemint, moistens and refreshes the mouth and throat and sweetens the breath.

Helps Fight Tooth Decay
After meals, it isn’t always convenient to use a toothbrush. Chewing gum stimulates the production of saliva, which helps neutralize acids from foods that may cause tooth decay.

The popular perception is that chewing gum is bad for the teeth. However, many dentists (one source says 90%!) believe that chewing sugarless gum after meals actually has health benefits! Indeed, Wrigley’s Orbit sugar-free gum was the first sugar-free chewing gum to be awarded accreditation by the British Dental Association (BDA) in recognition of its contribution to good oral health. The benefits arise from the fact that tooth decay occurs when essential minerals are dissolved from the tooth enamel by acids produced by the bacteria in plaque. Teeth are at their most vulnerable directly after meals and snacks, when plaque acid levels can rise dramatically.

Normally, it can take up to two hours for these acids to be either flushed away or neutralised, during which time the teeth are under attack. This is why people are extolled to eat something crispy like an apple immediately after meals.

However, chewing gum removes these acids within minutes, thus slowing down the process of tooth decay. One reason for this is that chewing can stimulate saliva production by up to ten-fold, thus flushing out oral bacteria. Furthermore, saliva contains hydrogen carbonate ions, a mild alkali, which serves to neutralise plaque acids. For this reason, hydrogen carbonate is used in some toothpastes. Saliva also contains minerals such as calcium, phosphate and fluoride – all components of tooth enamel – which can be assimilated and thus help to repair early decay and also strengthen tooth enamel.

Another theory is that amylase, an enzyme present in saliva, speeds up the digestion of carbohydrates in food.

Chewing gum when travelling on an aircraft can counteract the irritation caused by changes in air pressure.

Molly Gee, M.Ed., R.D.
Ms. Gee is the project leader for Baylor College’s LOOK AHEAD, a multi-center clinical trial that examines the cardiovascular benefits of weight loss in Type 2 diabetes patients. A former health reporter, and American Dietetic Association spokesperson, Ms. Gee is a consultant with more than 25 years experience in health and nutrition communications.

Wrigley’s Benefits of Chewing
Wrigley, the world’s leading manufacturer of chewing gum (including well-loved brands like Orbit, Extra, and Eclipse), is committed to sharing emerging science on the potential health and wellness benefits of chewing gum. We are currently pursuing four key scientific areas: how gum can help reduce situational stress; manage weight; increase focus, alertness and concentration; and improve oral health.

About Wrigley:

Since its founding in 1891, the Wrigley Company has been led by four generations of the Wrigley family, each of which has made their mark on the organization. Across these generations there has been a continuous commitment to providing the world’s highest-quality chewing gum and confectionery products that are both great tasting, and make life a little more fun.

Wrigley’s brands of chewing gum have been a refreshing part of everyday life for more than 100 years. The spirit of innovation that has made Wrigley one of the world’s best known and best loved companies continues today, with exciting new products, new markets and new ideas.

Chewing gum assumed its modern formulation when, during the 1860s, chicle was brought to the United States and tried as a chewing gum ingredient by a dental technician, Dr Thomas Adams – who was actually trying to invent a new form of rubber! Chicle comes from the milky juice (latex) of the sapodilla tree, which grows in the tropical rain forests of Central America. Dr Adams owned a sweet shop, and also had the habit of chewing on his pencil, which helped him to concentrate. This gave him the idea of trying the gum to perfect the existing forms of chewing gum. Although this gum apparently tasted vile, he sold it in his shop, thus being the first person to sell chewing gum in its modern form.

At this stage, William Wrigley, a flour factory owner, bought the rights to the gum and also found a way to flavour it with mint. In 1892 he decided to give away two packs of his chewing gum with each can of baking powder he sold, and the offer was a huge success! People were buying the baking powder just to get the gum, and it was not long before chicle gum succeeded spruce gum and paraffin wax as the base for chewing gum. This was due to its smooth, springy, chewy texture and its capacity to retain flavours.

Nowadays 90% of chewing gum is manufactured by Wrigley, and the basic process has changed little since manufacture began in 1892.

Wrigley associates are proud to be a part of the Wrigley Company, and are dedicated to its long-term success. Every associate is expected to operate under the Company’s shared values and rely on these values to guide their behavior with each other, and the customers and communities of the Wrigley Company. These values form the foundation for the way we conduct our business – the Wrigley Way.

Designed for real people living in the real world, THE REALITY DIET allows people to enjoy the foods they love (carbs!), including pasta, waffles, rice, potatoes, bananas—even chocolate and wine. According to Dr. Schnur, “The Reality Diet’s one key fat-fighting ingredient, FIBER, is the single best predictor of success when it comes to weight loss. Fiber curbs hunger and significantly reduces the risk of heart disease and diabetes.” The Reality Diet outlines Dr. Schnur’s 2:90 rule, which states that for every 90 calories of food there should be at least two grams of fiber.

He will discuss why is fiber so important in weight loss and health and why low carb diets do not work. He will discuss why any quick fix solutions do not work and why even though there are thousands of diets our obesity rates continue to increase.

He will also address the role of exercise in weight loss and the role of diet pills in weight loss and which ways we can help our children avoid becoming overweight.

“Since our book was released last year, thousands of people got a dose of reality,” said Dr. Schnur. “Following our menu plans, they lost weight by eating healthy, tasty food that filled them up, but more importantly, cut down their chances of a heart attack or stroke.” Schnur went on to say, “If dieting were easy, we would be a nation of supermodels, but in reality, we’re a nation that’s 60 percent obese.”

About the Author:
Steven A. Schnur, M.D. is a board-certified internist and cardiologist and the founder of South Florida Cardiology Associates (www.heartprevention.com), the largest cardiology practice in South Florida, with 12 locations and 18 physicians. He received a fellowship in cardiology at Mount Sinai Medical Center, where he was chief medical resident. Dr. Schnur is President of HPS Consulting and counsels medical practices about patient management. His research has appeared in such publications as The American Heart Journal and he is a frequent speaker at professional conferences. He lives in Miami with his wife and two children.

She suggests making healthy “xchanges” to create positive life benefits. Technology has provided us with online tools that help you record your caloric and food intake (just to keep you honest) and as well as online support groups that can help you through the tough times. There are fancy digital pedometers and heart rate monitors that enable you to track your steps and your level of cardiac fitness.

What is the down side to technology — the internet’s massive amount information much of which is erronous and leads to poor health/diet decision making.

Ashley’s website:

Welcome to the healthXchange

From Personalized Nutrition Plans to Grocery Store Tours, we provide the services you need to stay healthy… for both children and adults!

We have the background and experience to make us the best choice for your nutritional needs.

Ashley’s Bio:

Ashley Koff is a registered dietitian in private practice and on staff at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. The daughter of a surgeon, Koff saw early on the pros and cons of today’s medical world. Her interest in preventive healthcare grew from learning to develop and personalize her own health regime as well as with her involvement in the media. Koff worked in advertising for a global food company for whom the research led her to travel and meet with consumers all over the country and abroad. Koff learned what people needed and wanted nutritionally and how food products available in the U.S., at that time, were not meeting those needs. She realized her efforts would be best utilized helping people to understand and make food choices that would optimize their health as well as satisfy their personal preferences.
She was educated at Duke and New York Universities and trained at LA+USC and Columbus Children’s hospitals. Passionate about the beneficial role of nutrients, herbs, and healing therapies utilized around the world, Koff supplemented her traditional dietetic education with training in these areas. Always one to be on top of current trends in medicine, health and wellness, Koff has completed integrative medicine coursework for certification as a certified clinical nutritionist (CCN). Her continuing education also includes on-line courses such as the Program in Integrative Medicine (Univ. of Arizona) and the Institute for Functional Medicine.

It is Koff’s unique blending of nutrition and integrative medicine as well as her in-depth knowledge of supplements, herbs, and health modalities such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Macrobiotics, and Ayurveda, that make her sought after as a consultant and speaker. In fact, so impressive is her expertise that integrative medicine gurus like Dr. Andrew Weil’s Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona (PIM), Dr. Soram Singh Khalsa, and the doctors at the world renown Tao of Wellness in Santa Monica, all utilize her services with their patients. As the dietician consultant for PIM (Dr. Andrew Weil’s Program), Koff sees referrals, and teaches their medical fellows “All you need to know about nutrition but didn’t learn in medical school.” She’s also written an online education module for healthcare practitioners as part of their Nutrition Approaches to Optimal Health series.

In 2002, Koff founded the healthXchange (www.thehealthxchange.com), nutrition counseling and consulting company. She is the author of Recipes for IBS (Fair Winds Press), a cookbook and treatment plan for digestive wellness was released in February 2007. Recipes for IBS was purchased by several pharmaceutical companies to provide to their gastroenterologists additional instruction to improve the effectiveness of drug therapy.

In addition, Koff has shared her nutritional expertise on CNN, Entertainment Tonight, The Tyra Banks Show, MY13, FitTV’s The Ultimate Goal, and in magazines such as Allure, Cooking Light, Healing Lifestyles & Spas, In Style, In Touch Weekly, Shape, Teen Vogue, Yogi Times, and Weight Watchers. She is a regular contributor to modernmom.com and thecradle.com and was ranked by City Search (www.citysearch.com) as the Best of LA’s nutritionists/dietitians two years in a row (2005, 2006).

Koff loves to travel and connect with people in different places. She is fervent about health being attainable and sustainable for all demographics. Her clients love her for her joy of life, her sense of humor, and her deep caring for their well-being. It is no surprise that this charismatic woman has an A-List Hollywood clientele and is currently in development discussion for her own television show.