Healthy Enough: Building Wellness in Kids with Mental Health Challenges
Merrimack College Podcasts
Dr. April Bowling and Dr. James Slavet, leaders of THRIVE Lab, harness research and realism to help parents of children with diverse mental health challenges understand how small exercise, nutrition and sleep habits can lead to big improvements in mental and physical wellness.
Episodes
EPISODE 7: Nutrition Parenting for Autism Wellness
In this episode we sit down with Dr. Rachel Blaine, founder of Autism Wellness, which is dedicated to providing nutrition help and reducing nutrition hype for parents of kids with autism. As a registered dietician and professor of nutrition, Dr. Blaine walks us through practical approaches for improving kids' nutrition, while cutting through the misinformation around autism "diets."
EPISODE 6: Top Tips for Kids Who Struggle with Sleep
In this episode, we offer specific tips for changing kids' behaviors in ways that can help lead to better sleep. As always, we start small, stay short, and keep it real. Resources for Parents from the National Sleep Foundation: 1. What is sleep hygiene? 2. Overview of Common Sleep Disorders 3. Night Terrors 4. Sleep Apnea 5. Sleepwalking 6. Sleep and Kids Behavior 7. ADHD and Sleep 8. Mental Health, Specific Diagnoses and Sleep
EPISODE 5: The Skinny on Sleep
This episode starts our series on how sleep can improve mood and behavior in youth with mental health challenges, and realistic tips for improving sleep when kids struggle with insomnia and other sleep problems.
EPISODE 4: Autism, Exercise and Exergaming
In this episode we talk about the research into how exercise can help kids with autism spectrum disorder, while also exploring the world of exergames. Resources: 1. Challenging Autism with Exercise Article 2. Exergame Inventory
EPISODE 3: Exercise and ADHD: Separating Fact from Fiction
In this episode of Healthy Enough, we look at some of the common misperceptions around exercise and ADHD, and explain what we really know about exercise and its effectiveness to improve attention and behavior.
EPISODE 2: Exercise for Teen Depression
On this episode, we listen to one teen's story about mental health during the pandemic and discuss the science and practice of using exercise to prevent and reduce depressive symptoms in teens. Resources: 16 Strength-Training Exercises for Kids | Parents Weight Training for Teens | stanfordchildrens.org Kids get active! Family Couch to 5k Program! | TransFit Six ways to get teenagers more active – suggested by the teens themselves | theconversation.com
EPISODE 1: Welcome to Healthy Enough
Co-hosts Dr. April Bowling and Dr. James Slavet give listeners an introduction to the Healthy Enough podcast and a preview of future episodes.