Health and Human Services Professional Development

Family Matters: How Family Meal Patterns Create LifeLong Habits by   Mikki Sherwood   on   September 15, 2014 ********************Melissa Crone, guest author As we grow out of adolescence many of the eating habits that were instilled in our childhood impact the choices we make as adults. These choices can define the quality of our lives.  For example, we have all heard of the health benefits of eating breakfast. Did you eat breakfast every day as a child? If you did, you are more likely to continue that trend even when you are responsible for waking yourself up, preparing the food, and cleaning up the mess. On the other hand, if most of your childhood meals were on the go, you are likely to repeat the pattern as an adult, grabbing food with little thought to the nutritional value. What does this mean? It means you are likely fall into patterns of eating behavior that match what you saw in your childhood home. If you did not eat meals as a family, sit and ...

Dump My Caffeine Habit…NOOOO (Really, I don’t have to?) by   Melissa Crone, Guest Author   on   September 21, 2014 It is well documented that caffeine is a stimulant, meaning that it can increase alertness. In fact, we all know that too much caffeine can disrupt sleep patterns, causing a myriad of health issues. But, do you need to cut out caffeine completely in order to get a good night’s sleep? Researchers have discovered that the amount of caffeine you drink does impact sleep, but that does not necessarily mean to cut out caffeine entirely.  Early ingestion of a caffeinated drink is fine, just taper off your caffeine use throughout the day. You can still have your coffee in the morning, but reducing caffeine throughout the day can help you fall asleep faster and for longer periods of time. References Burgess-Champoux, T. L., Larson, N., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Hannan, P. J., & Story, M. (2009). Are family meal patterns associated with overall diet q...