by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Sep 1, 2025 | Food Allergies and Special Diets
This was a previously published article from 2018 with information on artificial additives that have been shown to have adverse effects on the nervous systems of sensitive individuals.
MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)
- is an amino acid used as a flavor enhancer in soups, salad dressings, chips, frozen entrees, and many restaurant foods, especially Asian cuisine. MSG has been shown to cause neurological symptoms such as nervousness, headaches, depression, and fatigue, in sensitive individuals.
- How can I know if there is MSG in my food?
FDA requires that foods containing added MSG list it in the ingredient panel on the packaging as monosodium glutamate. However, MSG occurs naturally in ingredients such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed yeast, yeast extract, soy extracts, and protein isolate, as well as in tomatoes and cheeses. While FDA requires that these products be listed on the ingredient panel, the agency does not require the label to also specify that they naturally contain MSG. However, foods with any ingredient that naturally contains MSG cannot claim “No MSG” or “No added MSG” on their packaging. MSG also cannot be listed as “spices and flavoring.”
Aspartame (Brand Name NutraSweet and Equal)
- Can also cause neurological symptoms, including migraines
- Click the following link for more specific information on Aspartame:
Common Food Dyes associated with hyperactivity, especially in children with ADHD and Autism, include
Blue No. 2
- is also called “indigo blue” or “indigotine,” a synthetic petroleum product, that is made from the natural indigo, a dye that comes from plants. It is used in baked goods, cereals, ice cream, snacks, candies and cherries.
- In September 2007, a study reported by D. McCann and colleagues in the journal “The Lancet” linked artificial colorings, including Blue No. 2, to hyperactivity. Nearly 300 children in the study were given a beverage with artificial colors and a preservative. Drinking the beverage resulted in increased hyperactivity in the children, which the researchers attributed to the artificial coloring or the preservative or both. As a result, one candy company, Nestlé-Rowntree, stopped selling one of its candies with a blue shell until it replaced the artificial color with a new blue color made from spirulina, a blue-green algae. https://www.livestrong.com/article/402118-the-health-dangers-of-food-coloring-blue-no-2/
Yellow No. 5
Red Dye No. 3
Red No. 40
For a complete list of potentially harmful food dyes, see the following link: https://cspinet.org/resource/food-dyes-rainbow-risks
BHA/BHT
- (Butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene) are preservatives found in cereals, chewing gum, potato chips, and vegetable oils. BHA/BHT are artificial preservatives used to increase the shelf life of foods on grocery shelf.
Sodium Nitrites/Nitrates
- Used as a preservative, coloring, and flavoring in bacon, ham, hot dogs, lunch meats, corned beef, smoked fish and other processed meats. This is what gives ham its reddish color, for example.
Visit my new blog here: https://rd-mom.com for other awesome articles and to stay updated on my latest ventures including my new book, to be released soon!
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Aug 25, 2025 | Nutrition and Health
How to Give Your Kids a Summer That Balances Learning and Fun
When school lets out and long, sunny days take over, the pressure to make summer both enriching and enjoyable can feel like an unsolvable riddle. But it’s not about cramming worksheets between playdates. It’s about creating rhythms—small, meaningful ones—that mix curiosity with freedom. A well-balanced summer doesn’t need to be packed; it just needs to be intentional. With a few simple shifts, you can turn this season into a foundation for confidence, discovery, and delight. Here’s how.
Let Nature Be the Classroom
Let dirt, trails, and open spaces do the teaching. Outdoor play isn’t just for burning off energy—it actively helps kids develop advanced motor skills outdoors, improves balance, and sharpens coordination. Whether they’re climbing a tree or chasing fireflies, they’re practicing spatial awareness and physical control without even noticing. Unstructured outside time often ignites storytelling, negotiation, and problem-solving. So, the next time you’re weighing another indoor camp, consider a nature-heavy option instead. You’ll be amazed at what sticks when shoes get muddy.
Make the Town Your Summer Campus
Your community is more than a backdrop—it’s a resource. Museums, nature centers, and cultural spaces offer kids the chance to see, hear, and touch new ideas. These community-based learning adventures expose children to different perspectives and environments, making abstract concepts more tangible. A single trip to a science center can spark weeks of questions; a local art exhibit might inspire sketchbooks full of ideas. Mix in public library events or neighborhood history walks, and you’ve got a living curriculum. Keep it flexible, but don’t underestimate the richness hiding in your own zip code.
Don’t Schedule Every Minute—Leave Room for Nothing
Overscheduling can turn summer into just another stress cycle. Kids need downtime to wander, invent, and get gloriously bored. That’s when magic happens. Free play builds creative muscles in ways adult-led activities rarely match. Let them dig in the dirt, build cardboard forts, or narrate epic backyard adventures. The point isn’t productivity—it’s exploration. Let boredom stretch a little before stepping in; it’s often the prelude to their best ideas.
Help Them Capture What They Learn with Flashcards
Making flashcards might sound old-school, but done right, it’s one of the best DIY learning tools around. Ask your child to pick a topic they’re curious about, then help them create a flashcard set with drawings, key facts, or questions. Once done, save the set using one of the top PDF converter tools so they can access it across devices—great for road trips, idle mornings, or even casual review in the backyard. Let them name the sets and treat them like little personal cheat codes. This isn’t about test prep. It’s about giving them ownership over their learning.
Embrace Creative Tools
Blank paper. Open-ended toys. Loose bits of fabric or recycled junk. That’s the recipe. Creative tools that don’t come with instructions push kids to experiment and adapt. Look for building sets, art supplies, or play environments that ask kids to shape the rules themselves. Building toys improve problem‑solving as they sculpt towers, tweak designs, or narrate whole worlds out of clay. It’s not about the finished product—it’s about growing a brain that loves puzzles and possibilities.
Build a Light Routine Without Killing the Vibe
You don’t need a color-coded calendar, but kids still benefit from anchors. Think: wake-up rituals, mealtimes, and some kind of end-of-day wind down. A rhythm—not a regime. Just setting regular snack times can stabilize moods and reduce decision fatigue. Include simple cues like morning “book time” or post-lunch clean-up music. These touchpoints create safety nets for kids, especially those who thrive on predictability, without stripping summer of its ease.
Make Books Feel Like Adventures, Not Assignments
Forget incentives or logging pages. Let them choose. Curate a quiet corner, grab a beanbag, and create a summer reading nook that feels like a portal, not a homework station. Mix formats—graphic novels, audiobooks, series fiction, field guides—and let mood and weather shape the picks. Read aloud while they build or create a “book club breakfast” where everyone shares something from a story over waffles. Reading doesn’t need to be sacred to stick.
This isn’t about squeezing school into vacation. It’s about setting up small, repeatable patterns that help kids feel engaged and confident. Mix in some sunlight, creativity, and a dash of structure, and you’ve got a summer that feels light but lasts long in impact. The right kind of summer sticks—not because of how much you scheduled, but because of what you sparked. Let the season teach in its own way.
Charlene Roth is a stay-at-home mom of four. Her children’s health and happiness are her top priority — which both come down to safety! She started Safety Kid as a way to support other concerned moms and dads and is currently working on her first book, The A – Z Guide for Worried Parents: How to Keep Your Child Safe at Home, School, and Online
Visit my new blog here: https://rd-mom.com for other awesome articles and to stay updated on my latest ventures including my new book, to be released soon!
by Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC | Aug 2, 2025 | Nutrition and Health
Living well isn’t about chasing some flawless version of life. It's about stacking the small, intentional choices that give each day a little more clarity, balance, and ease. There’s no universal prescription, no one-size-fits-all morning ritual or miracle routine. But there are strategies—practical, flexible ones—that can help rewire your days for more energy, more steadiness, and a sense of actually showing up for your life.
Start by Honoring Your Thresholds
You know the feeling when your energy dips, but you keep pushing anyway? That’s the moment to pay attention. Rather than brute-forcing through exhaustion or mental fog, better well-being starts by identifying your own personal limits and designing around them. For some people, that might mean getting honest about needing more sleep; for others, it's about building buffer time between back-to-back obligations. When you begin to see those limits not as weaknesses but as signposts, it becomes easier to preserve your energy instead of running it into the ground.
Make Your Mornings Less About Hustle, More About Steady Grounding
Too many mornings start with scrambling and screen time. A smarter approach is about pace, not productivity. This could mean drinking your coffee without a device, stretching while the sun comes in, or simply choosing to listen to something that makes you feel connected instead of overwhelmed. The tone you set early in the day carries more weight than you think—it’s not about what you accomplish before 9 a.m., but how you feel stepping into whatever comes next.
Redefine the Work That Defines You
Staying in a job that leaves you drained can chip away at your sense of possibility. If your current field doesn’t align with your values or interests, a career change isn’t reckless—it’s a reset. Online degree programs make it easier than ever to earn your degree while still working full-time or managing family responsibilities. By pursuing an accredited healthcare degree, you position yourself to directly improve the well-being of individuals and families in a field that truly needs compassionate and driven professionals.
Use Movement as a Reset, not a Punishment
Forget the pressure to “get fit” or hit some arbitrary target. Instead, think of movement as the reset button it truly is. A short walk after meals, dancing while folding laundry, or even doing some light stretches during a meeting break can shift your mood and recalibrate your focus. You don’t need a gym membership or fancy gear—what matters is consistency, and a willingness to let your body unwind from the sitting and staring that defines most modern days.
Eat for Energy, Not Control
It’s easy to fall into the trap of treating food as something to master or manipulate. But your meals can be a source of fuel and comfort without turning into a math equation. The goal isn’t perfect eating, but intentional nourishment—choosing foods that support your focus, digestion, and mood. That could look like adding more color to your plate, keeping snacks on hand that actually satisfy, or simply slowing down enough to taste what you’re eating.
Say No More Thoughtfully
Not every invitation is worth your energy, and not every task deserves a “yes.” Part of feeling better every day is learning how to create more room around your time and decisions. That doesn't mean becoming rigid or unavailable; it means checking in with your priorities before giving your time away. A thoughtful “no” can often lead to better sleep, less resentment, and more room to say “yes” to what actually fills you up.
Check In with How You Speak to Yourself
Most people carry an inner monologue that’s harsher than they'd ever speak to someone else. Over time, that voice becomes the lens through which you filter your days—and your value. Shifting it starts with noticing the tone: is it demanding, dismissive, or gently encouraging? Try catching yourself in the act of internal criticism and redirecting that energy toward curiosity instead. How would your day feel if you were more of an ally to yourself than a critic?
Well-being isn’t a checklist or an endpoint. It’s a rhythm, one that changes depending on your season of life, your stress levels, even the weather outside. These strategies aren't meant to be mastered—they're meant to be returned to, adjusted, and customized. When you build a routine around your actual needs, instead of someone else’s ideal, you begin to feel better not in dramatic peaks, but in steady, sustained ways that actually last.
Visit my new blog here: https://rd-mom.com for other awesome articles and to stay updated on my latest ventures including my new book, to be released soon!
