Food Network star Tyler Florence is crossing over from chef to author with his new children’s book ‘Tyler Makes Pancakes.’

Florence is a proud parent himself to three kids, ages 15, 5 and 3. Being a chef, it was a natural desire for the new author to teach his own children about food. After realizing there wasn’t anything else like it on the market, Florence and illustrator Craig Frazier jumped at the chance to write a book that teaches children from a very small level – around pre-school age -  where food comes from and how to prepare it with several kid-friendly recipes.

‘Tyler Makes Pancakes’ tells the story of a 6-year-old boy named Tyler and his chubby dog, Tofu. The pair goes on imaginary adventures throughout the book, including a trip to a chicken coup on a nearby farm where Tyler and Tofu learn that eggs come from chickens.
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According to a recent health survey conducted by the International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC), Americans are a lot of things, but trusting is not one of them.

In its seventh annual food and health survey, the IFIC – a non-profit association in Washington, D.C. – found some interesting trends and a few setbacks regarding the health of Americans.

A few of the biggest highlights were that taste still reigns supreme when considering food purchases, technology such as mobile weight apps may be the health coach of the future, and conflicting information regarding nutrition has led many Americans to trust themselves when it comes to discerning their health.

The web-based survey included 1,057 participants, and was designed to reflect the American population ages 18-80. The report sought to gain a deeper understanding of consumer behaviors concerning health and food from both from a year to year standpoint, and over a long length of time. Although there was much information presented in this year’s report, here are a few of the most relevant and revealing highlights.
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It’s a girl… and a boy! Jillian Michaels is a mom, a job title she’s been seeking for about two years. It was one of the main (or at least most public) reasons for her exit from Biggest Loser last year. And it’s no doubt her main focus from here on out.

Just announced today by People Magazine, Michaels’ adoption of a two-year-old girl from Haiti, Lukensia, has finalized. The adorable little girl is seen in a photo snuggled in her mom’s arms. And sitting in Jillian’s other arm is her newborn son Phoenix, born May 3 to she and partner Heidi Rhoades.

“We’re swimming in babies over here,” Michaels told People.

The fitness star and former Biggest Loser trainer hasn’t been shy about her adoption proceedings, letting everyone know she was in baby mode for quite some time. The latest update came back in January when her adoption referral came through. It was then that Jillian learned that Lukensia would soon be calling her home in Los Angeles home, too. It was previously thought that she would adopt from the Dominican Republic of Congo (DRC).
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Winning a national championship is not the only thing Eli Manning can put on his resume. The Superbowl-winning quarterback is also an ambassador for Building Our Kids’ Success (BOKS) – an organization that works with schools to get children moving more throughout the day for both physical and mental health.

The fact that today’s generation of youth has more interest in electronic devices than playing sports or running around outside is just one of the numerous factors contributing to childhood obesity. Poor diet and a lack of exercise are two more. Currently, 9 million children over the age of six are considered obese. And comparatively speaking, obesity in America has taken a turn for the as obesity rates have more than tripled in recent years.

Growing up, children cherish memories of recess and gym class in elementary school. Recess is that critical break that children need to get away from classroom studies and relish in the benefits of fresh air and physical activity. While national guidelines recommend 60 minutes of physical activity a day, schools have started to limit recess time and physical education classes in order to achieve more time in the classroom.
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For years, health experts have predicted that Type 2 diabetes would become a severe problem among today’s youth as obesity rates continue to rise. Unfortunately, those predictions are coming true. For the first time ever experts have conclusive evidence that Type 2 diabetes among youth has reached epidemic-status, and only seems to be worsening.

Researchers analyzed data from a study of more than 3,800 youth ages 12 to 19 who participated in a federal survey. According to the report published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers found that the number of teens with diabetes or ‘pre-diabetes’ (individuals showing early signs of diabetes), rose from 9 percent in 1999 to 23 percent in 2008.

Previously, health experts and physicians rarely saw diabetes in kids. But it’s becoming more and more common as more children in our country are being diagnosed as overweight or obese. This news is especially alarming as diabetes is also known to cause such related issues as blindness, nerve damage, heart attack and stroke.
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