Teenagers Need More Sleep

Double board certified Dr. Ginari G. Price has been practicing medicine for over 10 years. Currently serving as the medical director at Psycare, LLC, in Fayetteville, Georgia, Dr. Ginari G. Price has also completed a fellowship in sleep medicine. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, most 13-18-year olds do not sleep enough each night.

Recent studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control show that up to 69 percent of teenagers do not sleep the recommended 8-10 hours per night. The lack of sleep not only hinders a teen’s ability to learn, but can also increase mood problems and patterns of bad decision-making.

Sleep is an important ingredient in promoting a teenager’s overall good health. In order to help teenagers receive the recommended amount of sleep, parents can set good examples and work to optimize good sleep habits.

First, a regular and consistent routine helps establish a teenager’s natural sleep rhythms. Additionally, parents can help their teen wake up more fully by exposing them to sunlight first thing in the morning. Finally, ridding a bedroom of electronic devices such as televisions, phones, and computers can help a teen rest more fully by eliminating the temptation to stay up late communicating with peers.

Since most junior and senior high schools begin classes at a very early hour, many parents have petitioned their school boards to delay school start times in an effort to help teens get the rest they need. These efforts have met varying results across the country. Currently, only 14 percent of schools begin at 8:30 or later.

The Roots of Soul Food

Board certified in general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry, Dr. Ginari G. Price has over 10 years of experience practicing medicine. In addition to managing a demanding schedule at Psycare, LLC, in Fayetteville, Georgia, Dr. Ginari G. Price enjoys cooking, especially soul food recipes.

At the height of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, “soul food” became popular across the nation. Soul food consists of traditional recipes that have been prepared within the African-American community for hundreds of years. Although the name is relatively new, the food has stood the test of time.

Soul food traditionally consists of basic, inexpensive, locally sourced ingredients that were accessible to the newly freed African Americans after the abolition of slavery. Ingredients that are commonly used in soul food include lard (rendered pork fat), cornmeal, and a wide variety of cuts of pork. Some popular soul food dishes include black-eyed peas, stewed greens, friend chicken, hushpuppies, and cornbread.

More recently, soul food has taken a turn, reflecting the health-conscious trends of the day. “Down Home Healthy” soul food uses lighter ingredients such as margarine instead of lard, turkey instead of pork, and sugar substitutes. Down home recipes return to the vegetarian roots of traditional soul food recipes.