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A recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics links common pesticides found in food to increased incidence of ADHD.  The study surveyed children with high levels of pesticides in their urine.  Results indicate that kids with higher levels of pesticides also had higher diagnoses rates of ADHD.  This is yet another study pointing toward …

Research has shown that sharing regular meals with family while having beneficial conversation is essential to developing social skills and leads to less behavioral problems for adolescents.  Meal time wrought with heavy discussion and negativity can have negative effects, not only emotionally, but physiologically as well (digestion problems). Robin Fox, an anthropologist who teaches at …

Wellness class in Malama this week focused on the 5 pillars of health how they have evolved for each individual during their journey at PQ.  The lesson emphasized nutrition and the reasoning behind the PQ diet in terms of whole, unprocessed food.  The group discussed the role different nutrients play in the body as well …

Photo from the Hawaii Tribune Herald PQ field staff Billy Barnett made headlines in Hawaii recently for winning the 13th annual Big Island International Marathon.  Check out the article for details- it captures Billy’s humble nature and good spirit. Billy dedicates every other week of his life to the students at PQ.  As a field …

Blogging live from the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium in Washington DC… Currently attending a workshop called Buddha’s Brain: Neuroscience by Rick Hanson. The message of the workshop highlights the relationship between mindfulness and brain structure.  Essentially, the neural networks in our brains are quite plastic and can be manipulated by specific mental activities.  By using ones …

The poem below was written by a PQ student.  Inspiration may have come from the weekly wellness lessons that the students receive from our naturopathic doctor, Dr. Zimmer.  Here it is: Wellness Poem In your brain is where it starts then 30 ft to where you fart Chewing and saliva breaks down food what you …

This week we discussed the pillars of health and how they contribute to strong immune systems. The pillars of health are: 1.The Mind/Body Connection 2. Digestion / Nutrition / Water 3. Sleep 4. Breathing 5. Exercise / Movement At Pacific Quest all five of these pillars are reinforced daily leading to healthier and happier students. …

In Dr. Zimmer’s weekly wellness lesson, the group discussed digestion, nutrition- how food is digested, vitamins absorbed, what creates digestive problems such as diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain. The group shared their assignments from the previous week.  They made a menu plan including healthy food with well balanced protein, fat and carbs in each meal. They …

Spanish scientists revealed research findings today that suggest a healthy diet lowers risk of suffering from depression.  The research results are aligned with a trend in recent years, associating nutrition with improved mental health. New York Times article “Nutrition: Lower Depression Risk Linked to Mediterranean Diet” highlights aspects of the Mediterranean diet that are play …

As impervious surface area continues to expand, the tentacles of urbanization reach further into the wilds.  Green spaces are becoming more rare.  When asked about green spaces and their childhood, many adults acknowledge that they had a special forest or pond that they remembered playing in.  Whether it be significant acerage adjacent to ones house …