JUNE/JULY 2018 JUNE/JULY magazine Health & Wellness Table of Contents 4 14 www.ggmg.org Letter from the Editor: From Womb to World: Surviving Finding a Health Mindset and Thriving on a Sugar-Free Experiences on the spectrum of wellness Pregnancy awareness Gestational diabetes is not the end of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS Sonya Abrams world you think it is Chair Sasha Fahimi Jennifer Butterfoss Vice Chair Karen Brein 5 Secretary Kristen Marsh Letter from the Board: 16 Treasurer Liz Nakamoto Singer Taking Care of Ourselves A Progression from Eczema to Community Support Corinna Lu Maintaining health as a mom External Communications Christine Chen Allergies to Asthma Sasha Fahimi Defining the Atopic March Internal Communications Virginia Green Christine Chen Kids Events Emily Jenks Member Engagement Krupa Antani 6 Volunteer Engagement Heather Beckstead Out and About 20 Parent Education Rebecca Andersen Secret Spots and Hidden Gems in Sugar, Sugar, Everywhere Partnerships Erin Cahill Golden Gate Park Why, exactly, is sugar bad for you? Technology Addie Bjornsen Shaheen Bilgrami Catherine Symon Li’l Kid on the Road: Sonoma Stephanie AuWerter 24 COMMITTEES Kid-Friendly Road Races Helping Children Cope Careers and Entrepreneurs Operations Stephanie AuWerter with Stress Community Outreach Parent Education How not to stress about stress Diversity & Inclusion Partnerships Veronica Reilly-Granich Just for Moms Playgroups 8 Kids Activities PR/Marketing Ask the Expert: Healthy Is As Magazine Recruiting Healthy Does 39 Membership Social Events Tips to keep us in tip-top shape I ♥ Mom: Me, Too? Member Support Web Team Olivia Gamboa, M.D. Reflections on a formative relationship Tara Robinson MAGAZINE 10 Dadlands: In ADHD’s Wake Editor-in-Chief Sonya Abrams Reflections on a common diagnosis and its GGMG at Work Managing Editor Megan Bushnell effects on loved ones Senior Editor Jenny Shaw Tony Hurd 4 Art Director Lani Schreibstein Housekeeping Writers Stephanie AuWerter, Shaheen Bilgrami, 11 Jennifer Butterfoss, Christine Chen, Gail Cornwall, Tara Hardesty, 9 Laure Latham, Veronica Reilly-Granich, Catherine Symon Member Profile: Mari Villaluna Community Outreach & Contest A look inside the life of a GGMG member Copy Editors Sarah Brandstetter, Emily deGrassi, Anna Gracia, Arwen Griffith, Neha Masson, Jessica Williams, Sandy Woo Tara Hardesty 15 Advertising Sarah Arestia New Arrivals & Volunteer of the Month Designers JoJo Rhee Chevalier, Jessica Franklin, 12 Lora Tomova, Yvonne Tsang Books for Kids: Health 32 Photographers Marie Hamonic, Katya Mizrahi, Books to teach kids bodily awareness GGMG Events Anna Psalmond, Aviva Roller and mindfulness Contest Editor Gabriella Judd Cirelli Laure Latham 34 GGMG Committees For information regarding how to advertise in this magazine, 13 contact [email protected]. 36 For questions or comments regarding magazine content, Books for Parents Your Kids Are Already Learning About Race contact [email protected]. Is Joyful Toddlers & Preschoolers worth Takeaways from Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith’s For questions or comments regarding all other aspects of GGMG, occupying a spot on your bookshelf? including how to advertise an event to our membership, recent GGMG talk please contact [email protected]. Gail Cornwall 2 | GGMG MAGAZINE | JUNE/JULY 2018 Letter from the Editor: Letter from the Board: Finding a Health Mindset Taking Care of Ourselves By Sonya Abrams By Sasha Fahimi efore kids, my In this issue, our writers take on just a few of the infinite areas n my 20s, “health and wellness” meant something very sessions of childcare while health was a vague of health and wellness. On page 24, Veronica Reilly-Granich sheds different to me than it does now, as I’m rounding out my 30s you work out. Stay on top of and usually remote light on the insidious effects of stress in children, exploring the and have an energetic toddler at home. It didn’t take much to all our amazing member Bnotion, something I sort of causes of stress and sharing ways to cope and heal. Christine Istay in shape and feel good back then (oh, the aches and pains I benefits by going to www. knew to be be mindful of, Chen does more than just scratch the surface in an examination of get now!), and the constraints on my time were nothing ggmg.org/member-perks/ but generally shelved in the connections between eczema, allergies, and asthma, on page compared to what they are now. partners. order to pursue the deeply 16. Learn what signs to watch for to identify problems early and As we all know, eating well, getting good rest, and exercising While I may struggle to meaningful experiences of begin treatment. And on page 20, Catherine Symon looks at the are the cornerstones to good health, but they can be difficult for come to terms with the fact my 20s, like beer pong science behind the anti-sugar craze and lays out exactly how us moms who are constantly on the go. Fortunately, living in the my “bikini body” days are Hewitt Photography Hewitt tourneys, Burning Man, and damaging that share-size bag of M&M’s may be to your body Bay Area means healthy meals, groceries, and/or meal prep gone, I try to remember that When she’s not breathlessly lumbering after her 4 a.m. fries-and-milkshakes (spoiler alert: you may want to downsize to fun size). boxes are just a call (or click) away on days when time is extra the most important thing is Sasha is a senior associate at the three kids, three cats, and a dog, Sonya can be outings to Sparky’s. Giving birth allowed me to focus on a new project—keeping a short. Exercise can be tough, too, but living in one of the most that I am eating well, getting family law firm of Sucherman Insalaco, found attempting healthful pursuits like pilates, Frequent strep throat and small secreting-and-excreting human alive—and redirect my beautiful cities in the world makes getting outside for a quick outside for some exercise, LLP, in San Francisco. She is mom and more questionable endeavors, like competitive to one rambunctious little girl, Mila, a deeply acrimonious worry away from my own vulnerable body. But remnants of this walk around the block with an infant or rambunctious toddler a and getting those elusive pastry eating (lifetime world champion). and to her rescue pup, Norman Joe relationship with my scale gestational anxiety reveal themselves, such as when I see an pleasant diversion instead of yet another chore that must be seven hours of sleep, which Biden Fahimi. In her free time, she is were signs I should focus more on healthy habits, but I wrapped article on Lyme disease and commence nightly, 30-minute tick done. If you can somehow squeeze in a little more time for are slowly but surely coming constantly reading and enjoys nights myself in the arrogance of youth and carried on my way. checks, or when I see a Prop. 65 warning in my local coffee shop yourself, make sure to take advantage of our partnership with back as my daughter gets in with bad TV and falling asleep to YouTube makeup tutorials that she can Pregnancy, then, was a shock. Suddenly, the state of my body the JCC, which provides GGMG members a generous discount older. Wishing you all good never hope to replicate. She has been was subject to detailed and frequent scrutiny, with constant Giving birth allowed me to focus on a new on registration for fitness memberships as well as three free health and a happy summer. volunteering for GGMG since May 2015. measurements, probes, and admonishments. My health wasn’t simply my own business; instead, I was reminded daily (thanks, project—keeping a small secreting-and- BabyCenter!) that everything I ate, slathered, and absorbed excreting human alive—and redirect my While I may struggle to come to terms with the fact my “bikini body” days are gone, would affect the tiny person inside me. The culture of fear worry away from my own vulnerable body. I try to remember that the most important thing is that I am eating well, (Listeria! Offgassing! TSA checkpoint radiation!) was at times overwhelming, and it was easy to fall into a spiral of anxiety. I and become convinced I have latte-induced leukemia. It’s easy to getting outside for some exercise, and getting those elusive seven hours of sleep, began diagnosing myself with obscure diseases; every symptom, get caught up in the media-stoked hysteria. When possible, I try which are slowly but surely coming back as my daughter gets older. no matter how benign, turned into a frantic web search that to take a deep breath and remind myself that so much is out of ended in a grave self-diagnosis. There were so many aspects of my control, and I just need to focus on healthiness and a balanced pregnancy that could go so terribly wrong, and I was determined perspective. I then tend to ask my husband if we have any more to google them all. Cadbury Mini Eggs. Housekeeping Cover Outtakes Opinions expressed in this issue are those of the contributors. Acceptance Home Depot trips; Spring break in Tahoe; Scratching head over ‘winning’ a of advertising does not constitute endorsement by GGMG of any products or school not even on lottery list! Lots of delicious Colombian food; Breaking Only one shot can services. The editors reserve the right to accept, edit, or reject any content ground on our house project after five years of bureaucracy! submitted to the magazine. make it to the cover. COMING NEXT: August/September: Space ADVERTISING: Advertisements are accepted on a first-come, first-served Here are some of basis. For submission information, email [email protected].