by Jill Urwick November 19, 2018
Healthy Living , Jill's Journey with Autism , Uncategorized

The Benefits of Mom Creating a Sanctuary for Rest, Relaxation and Healing

By Jill Urwick with Maureen McDonnell Stress…the word alone triggers a myriad of reactions, both emotional and physical. As a very busy mom of 3 kids (one with autism), I have experienced countless “Calgon take me away” moments! Just the thought of the day-to-day grind of the kids’ activities, homework, doctor appointments, meal preparation, laundry, household chores, work, etc. is enough to give me anxiety. Can you relate? I used to get ...

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by Maureen H. McDonnell, RN May 2, 2018
ADD/ADHD , Adult Health , Allergies/Asthma , Autism , Healthy Kids , Healthy Living , Pregnancy , Prevention

One of the Greatest Gifts You Can Give Your Child (& Yourself)

Get Healthy BEFORE You Get Pregnant...  by Maureen McDonnell, RN   We all know there are many factors at play in the days and weeks following conception that are crucial for the survival and healthy development of a fetus such as diet, stress, infection, tobacco use, environmental toxins, alcohol, drugs etc. But what we don’t often consider (and yet it may be of equal, if not greater significance) is the health status ...

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by Maureen H. McDonnell, RN May 2, 2018
Healthy Eating , Healthy Kids , Healthy Living , Prevention

Saving Money, Eating Healthy

I know what you are thinking: “aren’t those two ideas mutually exclusive?”  Actually, after 35 years of advocating healthy eating (and at the same time having to watch our family’s food budget), I can honestly say, “they are not!” Here’s why: When you take a portion of your hard earned money & invest it wisely in foods that provide superior nutrition, you are sick less often which translates into spending less ...

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by Maureen H. McDonnell, RN May 2, 2018
ADD/ADHD , Allergies/Asthma , Autism , Healthy Kids , Healthy Living , Pregnancy , Prevention

Are There Safer Ways to Vaccinate Our Children?

Are There Safer Ways to Vaccinate Our Children? Maureen McDonnell, RN “There are unanswered questions about vaccine safety. We need studies on vaccinated populations based on various schedules and doses as well as individual patient susceptibilities that we are continuing to learn about. No one should be threatened by the pursuit of this knowledge. Vaccine policy should be the subject of frank and open debate, with no tolerance for bullying. There ...

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by Maureen H. McDonnell, RN May 2, 2018
ADD/ADHD , Allergies/Asthma , Autism , Healthy Eating , Healthy Kids , Healthy Living , Pregnancy , Prevention

What Can Be Done to Prevent Autism Now?

Although the mystery of the autism epidemic has not yet been solved, emerging science and reports from parents about specific treatments that have improved (or in some cases recovered) their ASD children have given us strong clues regarding ways to prevent and treat Autism Spectrum Disorders. Causation theories range from: it must be due to better diagnosis, (rather than a real increase); to maternal age at the time of conception; to ...

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by Maureen H. McDonnell, RN May 1, 2018
ADD/ADHD , Adult Health , Allergies/Asthma , Autism , Healthy Kids , Healthy Living , Prevention

What Do Cigarettes, Sugar and Vaccines Have in Common?

In 1958 the Center for Disease Control (undoubtedly influenced by Big Tobacco) announced: “Smoking does not cause lung cancer.” In the 1970’s, the Sugar Industry began its well-funded PR campaign to shift public opinion away from the health destroying effects of sugar. Documents have recently been unearthed from the archives at Colorado University’s library (1) revealing the strategy the industry took to make this happen. By financially supporting (pre-determined outcome) studies, manipulating ...

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by Maureen H. McDonnell, RN May 1, 2018
Adult Health , Healthy Eating , Healthy Kids , Healthy Living , Prevention

Why Juice?

To Juice or Not to Juice?  To juice or not to juice is definitely “not” the question!  I don’t think there is much of a debate regarding the health benefits of consuming such a rich source of nutrients & cleansing elements, or how these organic, fresh-made drinks boost your energy and improve immune function.  But just in case you are not yet convinced of the advantages, here’s a quick review of ...

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by Maureen H. McDonnell, RN May 1, 2018
Adult Health , Allergies/Asthma , Healthy Eating , Healthy Living , Prevention

Flushing out the Toxins

We have all come a long way in our awareness of the role the 87,000 chemicals that have been created in the last hundred years (which are mostly untested and unregulated) play in conditions ranging from Infertility,  Autism, Cancer to Obesity.   As a result of our understanding of just how detrimental these substances can be to our health, most of us are now using “green” cleaning products, natural deodorants (without ...

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by Maureen H. McDonnell, RN February 13, 2015
Adult Health , Allergies/Asthma , Healthy Eating , Healthy Living

The Pearls and Perils of the Paleo Diet

I know how emotionally-charged discussions about diet can get. So, with that in mind, (as well as the fact that for over a decade I was a vegetarian), I’ll be treading cautiously on this topic of the Paleo diet. Not only do I not want to add to the polarization that already exists in the “which is the perfect diet” debate, but because I’ve been around the health and nutrition ...

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