Child Safety

A Parent’s Guide To Child Safety

Provided by

The Richard Hackworth Organization American Dragon Martial Arts Academies - America’s #1 Martial Arts Family Centers. Don’t Settle For Less!

The data on abducted children contained in this report is taken from The Second National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrown-away Children, known as NISMART-2, funded under a grant from the Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. We are grateful to Heather Hammer, Ph.D., Temple University Institute for Survey Research, Principal Investigator of NISMART-2, David Finkelhor, Ph.D., University of New Hampshire, Crimes Against Children Research Center, and Andrea J. Sedlak, Ph.D., and Dana J. Schultz, M.P.P., Westat, Inc., for performing this special analysis.

Dear Parents,

As a father my goal in providing this information is to help every parent ensure the safety of their children. Every home and school should teach children about safety and protection measures. As parents, you should take an active interest in your children and listen to them. Teach your children that they can be assertive in order to protect themselves against abduction and exploitation. And most importantly, make your home a place of trust and support that fulfills your child's needs. Together we can protect our Nation’s children by teaching them to be smart, strong, and safe.

As my gift to you I am including a FREE month of martial arts classes for your children and every member of your family. I hope that you will accept this gift and learn to live a longer, stronger, safer life. Martial arts are safe, fun and easy to learn and is a great family activity that can help bond parent-child relationships.

To your health, Richard Hackworth President, American Dragon Martial Arts Academies

How marital arts has helped me through my life

By Dominique Zaino

At age thirteen years old, I have accomplished many things in my life time with the Martial Arts. I am currently a first degree black belt in the style of Japanese/Okinawan GoJo- Ryu and Kubudo. I have been studying the Marital Arts since the age of three, along with my brothers Tony and Joey Zaino. Not only do the Martial Arts give me self discipline and respect but it also teaches me manners and patience. All these things are good values to have in life. Martial Art training has kept me in shape as well and has helped me with every other sport I participate in.

Besides staying busy with the Martial Arts I am the head captain of the cheer leading squad for Jupiter Middle School of Technology, I do gymnastics at Keeping Flippin Gymnastics studio, I am head anchor and assistant director of my Jupiter Middle Schools news crew, and I am trying out this year for Jupiter Middle Schools county track team.

Martial Art training has helped me with everything I do in life. When it comes to school the Marital Arts gives me confidence to study hard and do my work efficiently and to get good grades. It gives me great manners around others and respect around elders.

My whole family studies the martial arts as well. What I like most about the marital arts is it brings my family together. Unlike team sports or other youth activities Martial Art training is something that we can all do together giving us fun family time. We all work as one team and always get to spend time together. When we travel to an event or a performance show my family and I have a great time and make the trip fun and almost like a mini vacation. The Marital Arts has made me strong and as I practice more and more I get stronger and the better I become.

The martial Arts always keep me focused and ready when things come unexpectedly. My dad, Danny Zaino, who has been studying the martial arts for over 30 years, is the co founder of the national martial arts karate team "Team Pepsi" which has been running for 7 years. Team Pepsi is what I love most in the martial arts because we are a professional karate team that always puts on entertaining and exciting shows. When we perform we always leave the audience with smiles and a great show. My dad always encourages my brothers and me in the martial arts and that's why I think I have the skills and technique I have today.

My mom Theresa Zaino runs the Team Pepsi equipment and makes sure our shows run smoothly and the team has everything set and ready to go and do an awesome show. She is the karate mom and helps me in the marital arts by giving me confidence and is always keeping her head up high and her hopes up for the team. More than that, my mom is a role model to me and the other girls on the team.

I like being a part of Team Pepsi because we get to do it all, from performance shows, kick boxing, and competing and that is what makes me an all around great martial artist. What I also love to do in the martial arts is competing. I love the dragline feeling when I'm competing and when you win, it makes you feel like your training as really paid off and it is exciting to reach a new goal.

As you can see the martial arts has really helped me through out my life and keeps me on the right track. As my dad always says it keeps you busy and away from drugs and alcohol and keeps your mind focused to get good grades in school. No matter what happens, I will always stick to the martial arts because it makes me an all around better person and you never know what it might do for me in the future.

About the author: Dominique Zaino is a news anchor for a show on the Action Radio Network and a nationally ranked martial arts champion. She is a featured performer on the world famous "Team Pepsi" Karate Show Team. You can learn more about Dominique by visiting www.battleofthearts.com

Dangers of Fluoride

The American Dental Association, which has for many years been one of fluoride's biggest advocates, alerted its members late last year that parents of infants younger than a year old "should consider using water that has no or low levels of fluoride" when mixing baby formula.

However, while public health agencies in some states, such as Vermont and New Hampshire, immediately issued warnings in the media based on the ADA alert, other states took months to relay the message.

The ADA was concerned about fluorosis, a condition caused by too much fluoride that damages the enamel of teeth. Some scientists believe that even mild to moderate cases of fluorosis can lead to more significant problems. Studies have associated fluorosis with lower IQ, endocrine system problems, and skeletal damage.

If you are unable to breastfeed, please educate yourself on the dangers of fluoride (an industrial waste product from the phosphate fertilizer industry) as well as the health risks of using infant formulas.

Tony Lees, from Herefordshire, a dentist for 40 years, believes that fluoride should be banned from toothpastes and water. "The marginal benefit it displays for teeth does not outweigh its general dangers", he says.

"In the scale of toxicity, fluorides fall between arsenic and lead," he says. "Dental fluorosis is not just a cosmetic problem, but the visible sign of chronic fluoride poisoning, and children are more vulnerable than adults."

Fluoride In Toothpaste

There is enough fluoride in a typical tube of toothpaste to kill two small children if they consumed the entire tube at once. Toothpaste manufacturers are not taking into account the tendency of children under the age of two to swallow everything that goes into their mouths. But now there are "low-dose" toothpastes for children, and with better education, parents may be able to discern which brand to use. Better yet, throw out all toothpastes, mouthwashes that contain fluoride and buy fluoride-free toothpaste from a Health Food Store.

Start your children early with the right food

Of course they should be breast fed, but after they are off the breast milk, offering the correct foods will be important. After five years old you have lost your opportunity for major changes.

Many parents don't realize that you can withhold food for a short time and as long as you or anyone else does not offer them other foods, their appetite for the food will dramatically improve in 24-48 hours. Always implement the changes in love and NEVER force your child to eat anything. The most important change will be to stop all fluids but water.

This is the single greatest problem that kids have. Milk, juice, and soda are their biggest enemies. Sugar, which is related to the juice and soda, is next on the list.

If you can severely restrict sugar and limit nearly all fluids to pure water you have given an enormous health benefit for your child.

Teenagers in the US now drink twice as much soda as milk, a reverse of figures noted 20 years ago, according to a report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the nonprofit consumer advocacy group based in Washington, DC.

According to the new report -- called "Liquid Candy" -- the average soda consumption among teenage males between ages 13 and 18 who drink soda is three or more cans a day, and 10% drink seven or more cans a day. Of 13- to 18-year-old girls who drink the beverages, the average intake is more than two cans a day, and 10% of those teenagers drink more than five cans a day.

CSPI officials are calling for reforms to lower soda consumption, "including more water fountains, soda-free schools, and health-education campaigns funded by state taxes on soda, according to a statement.

Top 10 Ways to Sneak More Fruits & Veggies into Your Child's Diet

Ten Top Ways To Sneak More Fruits & Veggies into Your Child's Diet

By: Richard Hackworth

If your kids are like mine were, they are not a big fan of fruits or veggies. So I was always trying to find ways to sneak fruits and veggies into their diet.

"They don't need to eat veggies, I’ll just give them a good multivitamin," you think.

Not so fast!

In a stalk of broccoli, there are over 1000 phytochemicals (or plant chemicals).

Scientists have only determined what about 98 of them are (according to two year old research). Therefore, there are about 902 other "things" in a stalk of broccoli, that were probably put there for a specific purpose that can't be put into a pill. And if we ignore them, that could be the weak-link in the complicated biochemical chain of events that leads to health, focus, energy, etc. etc. etc.

The point? You gotta get fruits and veggies into your child’s diet and here are 10 great ways to "sneak" them in!

1. Add beans to salads, vegetable soup.
2. Use your food processor to chop vegetables up finely and add to soup, quesadillas.
3. Use cut up veggies to "beef up" meatloaf and soups.
4. Use tomato juice as broth for veggie soup.
5. Cut up veggies like carrots, and zucchini. Add them to your meatloaf or soup recipes.
6. Toss raisins into baked goods, yogurt or oatmeal.
7. Include onions, peppers and mushrooms in omelets.
8. Use veggies as snacks. Peanut butter on celery is a great snack for kids. Cup cakes, and cookies are desserts, do NOT feed them to your child as snacks. Please don’t send your child to an early grave by feeding them desserts all day. Save desserts for holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions. They will love you for many more years.
9. Serve a small garden salad before meals just like restaurants do. It will make eating at home seem more formal and special.
10. Use lettuce leaves instead of flatbread to make some chicken salad or turkey wraps. They are healthy and taste great too.

There you have it.

10 sneaky ways to get more fruits and veggies into your child's diet.

Start using these tips today and you will notice an improvement in your child’s health in just a few short weeks. Never underestimate the value of eating right when it comes to being fit and healthy.

Crisis In America: Overcoming Childhood Obesity

Childhood Obesity

In the past year, children’s diets and eating habits have rarely been out of the headlines. America’s #1 Personal Trainer and Weight Loss Guru Richard Hackworth looks at the size of the child obesity problem and gives parents some top tips for keeping their children healthy and in great shape.

The Shocking Facts

Childhood obesity is big news and unfortunately, like the waistbands of our nation's children and teenagers, its set to get even bigger.

Childhood Obesity Statistics

Statistics from the most recent large-scale survey in the US shockingly reveal that 25 percent of boys and 33 percent of girls aged between two and 19 years are overweight or obese – and there’s little sign the incidence is slowing.

Obesity currently costs the country around $12 billion annually and shortens lives by nine years, due to the associated health problems. Some health experts even believe we’ll soon see parents outliving their children. Because many of today’s parents have shirked their responsibility of properly raising their children and let them just eat whatever fattening foods they want as long as they will not argue with the parents. This child neglect on the part of the parents has created a national health epidemic.

Equally worrying is the fact that parents are getting so used to seeing overweight kids, they don’t recognize their own children are dangerously obese.

Last year, a study from the Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth, revealed that:

• Three quarters of parents failed to recognize their child was overweight.
• 33 percent of moms and 57 percent of dads considered their child’s weight to be "about right" when, in fact, they were obese.
• One in ten parents expressed some concern about their child being underweight when they were actually a normal, healthy weight.

Risks of Obesity in Children

Health experts are particularly worried about this in view of the health risks linked with obesity, which include heart disease, certain cancers, high blood pressure, joint problems, psychological difficulties and diabetes.

An American study in the 90's showed that overweight teenagers were eight and a half times more likely to develop high blood pressure and almost 2 and a half times as likely to have high blood cholesterol levels. Thirty three thousand high school age students suffered severe heart attacks while trying to perform a normal task such as playing a team sport, riding a bike for 2 miles or walking 1 mile.

Meanwhile, in recent years there;s been an alarming rise in the number of children being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, a condition that's typically seen in overweight middle aged adults.

The Childhood Diabetes Foundation believes there are currently around 100,000 children with Type 2 diabetes, although some experts believe the figure could be as high as 1,400,000 based on the number of overweight and obese school children there are in the USA. Experts relate this solely to the increase in childhood obesity and the fact that so many of these children go undiagnosed because of their sedentary lifestyle and many parents just write off their inactivity as just being lazy.

Healthy Children, Healthy Choices

Parents are in charge!

Yes, as a parent, it is YOUR responsibility is to buy healthy groceries and serve nutritious food to your growing children.

Start by establishing a routine, even if it is difficult at first. This means a set time for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Once you have a routine for meals and snacks, meal times are more relaxed. Most children are happier on a schedule and become hungry at regular times. You'll feel happier about your parenting job when the family has a routine.

So, be consistent! Children need a meal routine just like they need a bedtime routine. Plan for three meals and two snacks each day! Serve a vegetable or fruit at every meal. Fruits and vegetables are great for snacking too.

Instead of rewarding your child with food, reward them with attention (hugs, kisses, and smiles) and playful activities. After all, wouldn't you rather shower your child with love than poison them with sugary foods that lead to childhood obesity and an early grave? Child advocacy organizations consider not teaching your child healthy eating a form of child abuse because it leads to illness, disease, and early death. They argue that no one who loves their child would intentionally kill them slowly with unhealthy food and a lack of organized exercise or healthy activities.

Money-Saving Ideas For Better Health

Avoid arguments about high-fat, high-sugar foods by not bringing them into the house. Leave the candy, soft drinks, chips, and cookies at the store. Serve water when your child is thirsty. Water is cheap and healthy

TV Time

Tired of hearing your children beg for sugary, high-fat foods? They may be influenced by too many commercials. Limit the amount of time your children watch TV to less than 2 hours a day.Remove the TV from your child's room. Find fun activities to do inside and outside your home: play hopscotch, jump rope, walk the dog, play hide-and-seek, or build an obstacle course in the hall.

Eat at Home

Part of having a healthy family includes spending time together. The family meal is a great way for everyone to get together, have a conversation, and eat together.

Serving meals at home requires planning. Before you do your shopping, sit down and plan your meals for the week. Make a list of all the ingredients you'll need to prepare healthy, balanced meals. When fatigue kicks in and you want dinner on the table fast, your menu is already planned and the ingredients are right on hand.

Make sure to always include low-fat or nonfat dairy products, fruit, and vegetables.

Limit the amount of processed ready to-eat-snacks you buy (such as potato chips or cookies). Prepackaged and processed foods are usually higher in calories and fats and often more expensive. For the price of a large bag of chips and box of cookies you can buy the items below:

• 2 pounds of apples
• 1 pound of bananas
• 1 pound of carrots
• 3 pounds of potatoes
• 1 pound of peppers

Simplify your schedule for better quality of life. Say no to lessons, teams, and commitments that don't interest you or your child. If you or your child are feeling overwhelmed, consider limiting the number of organized activities your child participates in to one per season.

Children thrive on routine

Routine meals, naps, outdoor play, and bedtime can make for a happy child who comes to the table rested and hungry for the food you have prepared. To serve a healthy and balanced meal at home, choose a variety of foods from several food groups. Children need to eat a variety of different foods every day. Use the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid for Young Children to help guide your food choices.

Picky Eating Tips

Parents are role models! Set a good example by eating healthy foods yourself! Buy and try new fruits and vegetables. Drink water between meals. Set an eating routine at home for your meals and snacks. Your children will learn by your good example.

Don't expect your child to like something new the first time. Offer it again in a week. It usually takes several tries before children are willing to try new foods.

Place a small amount of each food on your children's plates. Let them ask for more. It's normal for children to explore foods. Young children often touch or smell the food on their plate.

Children thrive on routine. Just like you have a bedtime routine, stick to a feeding routine. Your child is less likely to be tired or fussy at mealtimes! Offer healthy foods. Your child soon learns these are the foods in your home and will eventually eat!