Our featured guest, Dr. Pam Middleton (@MyDrPam), is the founder and medical director of the Pediatric Wellness Center in Newport Beach, Calif., which specializes in integrative pediatrics. “Dr. Pam,” as she is known by her patients, received her medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich. and completed her pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. She holds a diploma in clinical homeopathy from the Center for the Education and Development of Clinical Homeopathy (CEDH) and is a member of the Holistic Pediatric Association. She also served on the Institutional Review Board at Children’s Hospital of Orange County. For more information, visit Dr. Pam’s website or find her on Facebook.

Winter Wellness Tips Twitter Party

Date: Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Time: 10 p.m. EST

Hashtag: #holisticmoms

Hosts: @HolisticMomsNet, @HMNMama, @MyDrPam, @BoironUSA, @DeborahBoironPR & moderator @Organic_PR

Written by two registered dieticians, Julie Upton and Katherine Brooking, “Appetite For Health” is one of the leading online sources for reliable nutrition information. At AppforHealth.com, Julie and Katherine show that “healthy eating is delicious, satisfying and always possible—no matter the circumstances.” For more information, visit AppforHealth.com, or check out their Twitter and Facebook pages.

When should you wash your hands?

- Before, during and after preparing food

- Before eating food

- Before and after caring for someone who is sick

- Before and after treating a cut or wound

- After using the toilet

- After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet

- After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing

- After touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste

- After touching garbage

What is the right way to wash your hands?

- Wet your hands with clean running water (warm or cold) and apply soap.

- Rub your hands together to make a lather and scrub them well; scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

- Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. (Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.)

- Rinse your hands well under running water.

- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry.

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them. If soap and water  are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs.

Regular handwashing, and covering your mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or coughing or sneezing into the crook of your elbow are simple measures to slow the spread of germs, and therefore, the flu. But if you still get sick, look for Boiron’s cough, cold and flu products for children and adults – Oscillococcinum for flu-like symptoms, Chestal cough syrup, and Coldcalm for cold symptoms—sold at most drug stores and local health food stores. For more information, visit Oscillo.com or check us out on Facebook or Twitter.

“Essentials of Healthy Living” airs every Sunday from 10-11 a.m. on 1500 AM, Federal News Radio (WFED).  Not from the D.C. area? Listen to EHL live on the web. Might miss Christophe’s interview? Check EHL’s archives to listen to the show. You’ll also have a second chance to hear Christophe on EHL on Sunday, December 11. He’ll review how Arnicare Gel can help with sore muscles after shoveling snow, falling on ice, decorating the house or just playing with the kids.

EHL is brought to you by Village Green Apothecary in Bethesda, Maryland. An integrative pharmacy, Village Green offers vitamins, nutritional supplements, kosher vitamins and healthy living products at discount prices, as well as prescription drugs and custom compounding. The store’s 45 specialists (pharmacists, nutritionists and herbalists) work with its customers to create personalized health plans. Visit Village Green Apothecary at www.myvillagegreen.com.

Swords, knives and similar costume accessories should be short, soft and flexible.

Avoid trick-or-treating alone. Walk in groups or with a trusted adult.

Fasten reflective tape to costumes and bags to help drivers see you.

Examine all treats for choking hazards and tampering before eating them. Limit the amount of treats you eat.

Hold a flashlight while trick-or-treating to help you see and others see you. Always WALK and don’t run from house to house.

Always test make-up in a small area first. Remove it before bedtime to prevent possible skin and eye irritation.

Look both ways before crossing the street. Use established crosswalks wherever possible.

Lower your risk for serious eye injury by not wearing decorative contact lenses.

Only walk on sidewalks whenever possible, or on the far edge of the road facing traffic to stay safe.

Wear well-fitting masks, costumes, and shoes to avoid blocked vision, trips and falls.

Eat only factory-wrapped treats. Avoid eating homemade treats made by strangers.

Enter homes only if you’re with a trusted adult.

Never walk near lit candles or luminaries. Be sure to wear flame-resistant costumes.

And remember, nothing ruins a night of trick-or-treating more than the sniffles or a bad cough. So if your child starts showing symptoms of a cold or cough, be prepared with Children’s Coldcalm Pellets and Children’s Chestal cough syrup, and nip those symptoms in the bud!

Happy Halloween from all of us here at Boiron!

And the winners are…The following 25 lucky attendees were chosen in a random drawing to win a free membership to the National Center for Homeopathy (NCH), compliments of the HMN and Boiron. We’ll be e-mailing all of the winners instructions on how to access their memberships online. Congratulations to:

Erika B.

Julie H.

Arleta B.

Barbara S.

Rebecca B.

Kimberly O.

Grace J.

Roxana T.

Karen P.

Donna A.

Maggie K.

Nandish P.

Carmen K.

Dee B.

Jamin B.

Lester M.

Aleksandra J.

Amy E.

Jennifer G.

Julie W.

Emily W.

Doris C.

Sarah N.

Christine K.

Deirdre H.

What: Take Care of Your Family with Homeopathy Webinar

When: Thursday, October 20, 1-2 p.m.

Where: Your computer

Register: www.boironusa.com/webinar/social.php

Our featured guest, Dr. Pamela Middleton (@MyDrPam), is the founder and medical director of the Pediatric Wellness Center in Newport Beach, Calif., which specializes in integrative pediatrics. “Dr. Pam,” as she is known by her patients, received her medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich. and completed her pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of Michigan. She holds a diploma in clinical homeopathy from the Center for the Education and Development of Clinical Homeopathy (CEDH) and is a member of the Holistic Pediatric Association. She also served on the Institutional Review Board at Children’s Hospital of Orange County. For more information, visit Dr. Pam’s website at mypediatricwellness.com or find her on Facebook at facebook.com/holisticmd.

Back to School Wellness for Moms & Kids

Date: Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Time: 10 p.m. EST

Location/Hashtag: #holisticmoms

Hosts: @HolisticMomsNet, @HMNMama, @MyDrPam, @BoironUSA, @DeborahBoironPR, @OscilloUSA, along with moderator @Organic_PR

You can be prepared to tackle cold and flu germs this year with these helpful tips from the Mayo Clinic and our safe and natural homeopathic medicines.

- Wash your hands. Frequent hand washing is the simplest and most effective way to prevent illness. Remind your child to wash his hands before eating and after using the toilet, blowing his nose, or playing outside. Soap up for as long as it takes to sing the “Happy Birthday” song.

- Use hand sanitizer. Give your child alcohol-based sanitizer to keep at his desk and use before eating snacks or lunch or after using shared classroom objects. You can also donate disinfecting wipes to the classroom for general use.

- Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. Give your child a pack of tissues to keep in his desk, and encourage him to sneeze or cough into a tissue or the crook of his elbow, and then wash his hands or use hand sanitizer.

- Don’t share water bottles, food or other personal items. Here’s a simple rule for your children to remember: If you put the item in your mouth, keep it to yourself!

And don’t forget—eat a healthy diet, get plenty of sleep, and be prepared by keeping homeopathic cough, cold and flu medicines on-hand at all times. Children’s Oscillo (flu-like symptoms), Children’s Chestal (coughs), and Children’s Coldcalm Pellets (cold symptoms) are safe, natural medicines that work best at the first sign of symptoms. Available at select major retailers and local natural product stores nationwide, you can use our store locator to find the nearest store that carries our products. Visit our new Children’s Oscillo and Children’s Chestal websites for product information, healthy living tips, coupons, and social media links, and have a great first day of school!

Space is limited, and HMN’s early registration special ends TODAY, so register now and save $15 with promo code 15OFF. For more information, visit HMN on Facebook, or click here to register.

About HMN: The Holistic Moms Network is a national, membership-based and managed, non-profit organization with more than 100 chapters across the U.S. and Canada. The organization is headquartered in Caldwell, N.J. and launched its first chapter in 2003 in Essex County, N.J. The purpose of HMN is to provide awareness, education, and support for holistic parenting and to offer a nurturing, open-minded and respectful community for parents to share these ideals.