Water Safety Tips

Ben Komer, of Leahi Swim School offers these seven tips to keep your kids safe in the water:

1. There is no such thing as “drown proof.”

2. Have everyone in the family take swimming lessons.

3. Have a designated lifeguard at pool events: don’t assume someone else is watching.

4. Never leave your children unattended, even if they can swim.

5. Don’t rely on flotation devices.

6. Become certified in CPR and first aid.

7. Put a fence with a self-closing latch around your pool at home.

Eat the Rainbow
According to David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding of Eat This, Not That! For Kids! children need a colorful diet. Give them a mix of many different fruits and vegetables since colors represented in foods are indicators of nutritional value.

REDS
Benefits: Protect skin from sun damage, decrease the risk of heart disease and certain forms of cancer. Also, decrease wheezing and asthma.

Foods: Tomatoes (thumbs up for ketchup), watermelon, pink grapefruit, red bell peppers, guava.

ORANGES
Benefits: Beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant that contributes to immune health and helps fight off cell-damaging free radicals. Vitamin A is vital to creating the pigment in the retina responsible for vision in low-light situations.

Foods: Oranges, sweet potatoes, winter squash, cantaloupe, carrots.

YELLOWS
Benefits: Decrease the likelihood of such diseases as lung cancer and arthritis, help you jump higher and play harder. Decrease inflammation of the joints, improve the functioning of the respiratory system.

Foods: Bananas, pineapple, corn, yellow squash, yellow bell peppers.

GREENS
Benefits: Give you sharp vision and superhuman healing abilities. The green comes from chlorophyll, which studies show plays an important role in stimulating the growth of new tissue and hindering the growth of bacteria.

Foods: Avocado, zucchini, Brussels sprouts, romaine lettuce, broccoli, kale, spinach, green peas, asparagus.

BLUES/PURPLES
Benefits: Improve cardiovascular health and prevent short-term memory loss.

Foods: Eggplant, beets, radishes, purple grapes, plums, blueberries, blackberries.