Whole Eggs Better Than Egg Whites for Building Muscle

A new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that whole eggs, not just egg whites, are better at building muscle! In the study, 10 men were told to participate in a resistance-training workout and then were given a choice of what to eat: egg whites or whole eggs post workout, consisting of 18 grams of protein. The researchers found that the men who ate the whole eggs immediately after resistance training had a greater stimulation of myofibrillar protein synthesis compared to just eating egg whites.

Many people believe that discarding the yolk helps to avoid high cholesterol and fat— but that is the furthest thing from the truth. To measure the progress of the study, researchers gave participants infusions of isotope-labeled leucine and phenylalanine, which are amino acids. This enabled researchers to measure the amino acids in the participants’ blood count after ingesting the eggs. They developed eggs for this study that were isotopically labeled with leucine. Then researchers drew blood and also performed muscle biopsies to see how the amino acids from eggs performed in the bloodstream and protein synthesis in muscles after resistance exercise. Muscle building response after working out was 40 percent greater with whole eggs compared to just egg whites.

           

When researchers directly measured protein synthesis in the muscle, they found that eating foods that consisted of nutrient and protein-dense food stimulates muscle anabolism, compared to foods that only consist of protein. The reason why this discovery is important is because when eating whole eggs, you’re not only getting just straight protein, but also other nutrients that may be synergistic with the egg protein for increasing protein synthesis. The study is significant because something in the yolk is boosting the body’s ability to enhance protein synthesis in muscles.

           

The next time you eat eggs, keep the yolk— it’ll give you the extra protein boost compared to just egg whites to enhance recovery, protein synthesis and muscle growth.

What is abnormal gait?

Abnormal gait or a walking abnormality is when a person is unable to walk in the usual way. This may be due to injuries, underlying conditions, or problems with the legs and feet.

Walking may seems to be an uncomplicated activity. However, there are many systems of the body, such as strength, coordination, and sensation, that work together to allow a person to walk with what is considered a normal gait.

When one or more of these interacting systems is not working smoothly, it can result in abnormal gait or walking abnormality.

What is abnormal gait?

A person's gait describes the way they walk. An abnormal gait may have a range of potential causes.

"Gait" means the way a person walks. Abnormal gait or gait abnormality occurs when the body systems that control the way a person walks do not function in the usual way.

This may happen due to any of the following reasons:

• illness
• genetic factors
• injury
• abnormalities in the legs or feet

In some cases, gait abnormalities may clear up on their own. In other cases, an abnormal gait may be permanent. In either case, physical therapy can help improve a person's gait and reduce any uncomfortable symptoms.

Types

Abnormal gait is categorized as one of five types based on the symptoms or appearance of an individual's walk. They are:

1. spastic gait
2. scissors gait
3. steppage gait
4. waddling gait
5. propulsive gait

Spastic gait

Spastic gait occurs when a person drags his or her feet while walking. This type can also make someone appear to be very stiff when walking.

Scissors gait

A person whose legs bend inward will often have a scissors gait. With this type, a person's legs cross and may hit each other while walking. The crisscross motion may resemble scissors opening and closing.

Steppage gait

Steppage gait occurs when a person's toes point towards the ground while walking. Often, the toes will scrape against the ground as the person steps forward.

Waddling gait

As the name suggests, a person with a waddling gait moves from side to side when walking. Waddling involves taking short steps as well as swinging the body.

Propulsive gait

Propulsive gait is when a person walks with his or her head and neck pushed forward. It can appear as though the person is rigidly holding a slouched position.

In addition to these five types, a person with a limp is also considered to have an abnormal gait. Similarly to other abnormalities, a limp may be either temporary or permanent. A limp may also clear up without medical intervention.

Causes

Injuries to the legs or feet may cause an abnormal gait in the short term, and in some cases in the long term.

At times, a person may find it difficult to walk due to an acute problem, such as a bruise, cut, or fracture. These may cause them to limp or walk differently but are not considered causes of abnormal gait.

But there are several diseases that can attack the nervous system and legs, resulting in abnormal gait. Some of the most common causes of abnormal gait include:

• injuries to the legs or feet
• arthritis
• infections in the soft tissue of the legs
• broken bones in feet and legs
• birth defects
• infections in the inner ear
• cerebral palsy
• stroke
• tendonitis
• conversion disorder or other psychological disorders
• shin splints

Diagnosis

Abnormal gait can only officially be diagnosed by a medical professional. A doctor will likely ask a person about their medical history and symptoms and observe how they walk.

Also, a doctor may want to order additional testing, such as for neurological conditions and nerve damage.

Typically, imaging tests are used when a recent injury has occurred, to see the extent of the damage.

Treatment and management

If an underlying condition is the cause of an abnormal gait, a person's walk should correct itself when the condition is treated. This is often true for broken bones, as they can be treated with a cast.

Other injuries may require surgery or physical therapy to help return the gait to normal.

For long-term cases of abnormal gait, it is likely a person will use assistive devices for treatment. These can include:

• leg braces
• crutches
• canes
• walker

While treatment cannot always correct an abnormal gait completely, it can at least reduce the severity of symptoms in most cases.

Prevention

Leg braces may be recommended to prevent or treat an abnormal gait.

In some cases, there is nothing a person can do to prevent an abnormal gait caused by genetics or a medical condition. People can take steps to prevent injuries that cause an abnormal gait, however.

Preventative steps include:

• avoiding the participation in contact sports
• wearing protective gear during sports
• wearing well-fitting footwear during physical activity
• wearing leg braces if needed

Outlook

A person with an abnormal gait may develop additional aches and pains associated with their walking pattern. Some causes of an abnormal gait are short-term and easy to treat, while others can last a lifetime.

Physical therapy and other treatments can help alleviate or cure an abnormal gait. People should seek medical advice and treatment if needed to help deal with their condition.

Foods to eat and avoid for a hiatal hernia

A hiatal hernia occurs when part of the stomach enters the chest cavity through a hole in the diaphragm. Usually, a hiatal hernia does not cause noticeable symptoms.

Researchers are not sure why they develop, but hiatal hernias are very common, estimated to impact up to 60 percent of people by the age of 60.

The primary symptom of a hiatal hernia is indigestion; certain foods and lifestyle habits can increase a person's chances of experiencing uncomfortable symptoms.

Unless a person has an unusually severe and problematic hiatal hernia, the best way for them to reduce or prevent symptoms is to make dietary and lifestyle adjustments.

Foods to eat

Leafy green vegetables should be included in a hiatal hernia diet.

Non- or low-acidic foods will reduce the likelihood and severity of hiatal hernia symptoms. The best food choices for people with hiatal hernias are non-acidic, minimally processed, and contain dietary fiber.

There are some exceptions for those who have food intolerances. Elimination diets may be helpful for optimal improvement in symptoms.

Safe foods to eat may include:

• leafy greens
• beans and peas
• whole grains
• lean proteins, including tofu and fish
• whole nuts and seeds
• non-citrus fruits and juices
• artichoke and asparagus
• cinnamon
• ginger
• low-fat, non-sweetened dairy products
• cardamom
• coriander
• apple cider vinegar
• non-caffeinated teas, especially green teas

Fermented or cultured foods that are rich in probiotics (acid-neutralizing stomach bacteria) may also help reduce hiatal hernia symptoms.

Popular fermented foods include:

• unsweetened yogurt
• pickles
• kimchi
• kefir
• quark
• sauerkraut
• kombucha
• cheese
• miso
• tofu
• tempeh
• buttermilk
• natto

It is important to note that consuming processed sugar alongside probiotics may be counterproductive. Sugar supports the growth of stomach microbes that destroy and consume probiotics.

This means that probiotic ice creams, juices, yogurts, sweetened protein powders, and gummies are typically not a good source of probiotics.

Foods to avoid

Tomatoes and onions should be avoided as they will aggravate a hiatal hernia.

Avoiding certain foods might help reduce and prevent symptoms of indigestion, including heartburn, bloating, gas, and regurgitation.

It is best for people with a hiatal hernia to stay away from foods that are acidic, rich, oily, or contain preservatives.

Foods to avoid may include:

• fried or oily foods
• fatty foods
• red meat
• caffeine
• alcohol
• cocoa and chocolate
• tomatoes and tomato sauces
• soft drinks and carbonated drinks
• most types of mint, such as peppermint and spearmint
• candies
• sweetened juices or teas
• high amounts of cooking oils
• garlic, onions, green onions, shallots, scallions, leeks, and chives
• cucumbers
• high-fat dairy products
• salty foods
• deli meats
• pre-prepared or fast foods
• bread and cereals

Aside from diet, a person could try making some lifestyle adjustments to help manage their hiatal hernia symptoms.Lifestyle tips

Lifestyle tips for treating hiatal hernia symptoms include:

• staying hydrated
• keeping a log of trigger foods and avoiding them
• eating frequent, smaller snacks and meals spread throughout the day
• eating slowly and drinking plenty of fluids with meals
• getting enough dietary fiber
• avoiding non-clear liquids within 3 hours before bed
• avoiding eating before exercise
• avoiding bending over or laying down within 3 hours of eating
• wearing loose-fitting clothing
• maintaining a healthy body weight
• using a wedge pillow to elevate the head 8 to 10 inches while sleeping, making it harder for stomach acid to travel up the esophagus (food pipe)
• quitting smoking
• taking probiotics
• eating whole foods instead of processed or refined foods
• exercising moderately for at least 20 minutes daily
• avoiding fried foods
• using small amounts of healthful cooking oils, such as coconut, rice, and olive oil
• avoiding being too hungry or too full

Drinking a small amount of diluted apple cider vinegar at the beginning of meals may also help reduce symptoms.

Managing stress and practicing stress-reducing strategies, such as walking, being in nature, mindfulness, meditation, or yoga, may help a person feel better.

A person can also take over-the-counter antacids, though long-term use does carry risks.

Try exercise to improve memory and thinking, new guideline urges

For patients with mild cognitive impairment, don't be surprised if your health care provider prescribes exercise rather than medication. A new guideline for medical practitioners says they should recommend twice-weekly exercise to people with mild cognitive impairment to improve memory and thinking.

The recommendation is part of an updated guideline for mild cognitive impairment published in the Dec. 27 online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

"Regular physical exercise has long been shown to have heart health benefits, and now we can say exercise also may help improve memory for people with mild cognitive impairment," says Ronald Petersen, M.D., Ph.D., lead author, director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Mayo Clinic, and the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. "What's good for your heart can be good for your brain." Dr. Petersen is the Cora Kanow Professor of Alzheimer's Disease Research.

Mild cognitive impairment is an intermediate stage between the expected cognitive decline of normal aging and the more serious decline of dementia. Symptoms can involve problems with memory, language, thinking and judgment that are greater than normal age-related changes.

Generally, these changes aren't severe enough to significantly interfere with day-to-day life and usual activities. However, mild cognitive impairment may increase the risk of later progressing to dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease or other neurological conditions. But some people with mild cognitive impairment never get worse, and a few eventually get better.

The academy's guideline authors developed the updated recommendations on mild cognitive impairment after reviewing all available studies. Six-month studies showed twice-weekly workouts may help people with mild cognitive impairment as part of an overall approach to managing their symptoms.

Dr. Petersen encourages people to do aerobic exercise: Walk briskly, jog, whatever you like to do, for 150 minutes a week -- 30 minutes, five times or 50 minutes, three times. The level of exertion should be enough to work up a bit of a sweat but doesn't need to be so rigorous that you can't hold a conversation. "Exercising might slow down the rate at which you would progress from mild cognitive impairment to dementia," he says.

Another guideline update says clinicians may recommend cognitive training for people with mild cognitive impairment. Cognitive training uses repetitive memory and reasoning exercises that may be computer-assisted or done in person individually or in small groups. There is weak evidence that cognitive training may improve measures of cognitive function, the guideline notes.

The guideline did not recommend dietary changes or medications. There are no drugs for mild cognitive impairment approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

More than 6 percent of people in their 60s have mild cognitive impairment across the globe, and the condition becomes more common with age, according to the American Academy of Neurology. More than 37 percent of people 85 and older have it.

With such prevalence, finding lifestyle factors that may slow down the rate of cognitive impairment can make a big difference to individuals and society, Dr. Petersen notes.

"We need not look at aging as a passive process; we can do something about the course of our aging," he says. "So if I'm destined to become cognitively impaired at age 72, I can exercise and push that back to 75 or 78. That's a big deal."

The guideline, endorsed by the Alzheimer's Association, updates a 2001 academy recommendation on mild cognitive impairment. Dr. Petersen was involved in the development of the first clinical trial for mild cognitive impairment and continues as a worldwide leader researching this stage of disease when symptoms possibly could be stopped or reversed.

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Story Source:

Materials provided by Mayo Clinic. Original written by Susan Barber Lindquist. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Ronald C. Petersen, Oscar Lopez, Melissa J. Armstrong, Thomas S.D. Getchius, Mary Ganguli, David Gloss, Gary S. Gronseth, Daniel Marson, Tamara Pringsheim, Gregory S. Day, Mark Sager, James Stevens, Alexander Rae-Grant. Practice guideline update summary: Mild cognitive impairment. Neurology, 2017; DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000004826

Weekly fish consumption linked to better sleep, higher IQ

Children who eat fish at least once a week sleep better and have IQ scores that are 4 points higher, on average, than those who consume fish less frequently or not at all, according to new findings from the University of Pennsylvania published this week in Scientific Reports, a Nature journal.

Previous studies showed a relationship between omega-3s, the fatty acids in many types of fish, and improved intelligence, as well as omega-3s and better sleep. But they've never all been connected before. This work, conducted by Jianghong Liu, Jennifer Pinto-Martin and Alexandra Hanlon of the School of Nursing and Penn Integrates Knowledge Professor Adrian Raine, reveals sleep as a possible mediating pathway, the potential missing link between fish and intelligence.

"This area of research is not well-developed. It's emerging," said Liu, lead author on the paper and an associate professor of nursing and public health. "Here we look at omega-3s coming from our food instead of from supplements."

For the work, a cohort of 541 9- to 11-year-olds in China, 54 percent boys and 46 percent girls, completed a questionnaire about how often they consumed fish in the past month, with options ranging from "never" to "at least once per week." They also took the Chinese version of an IQ test called the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised, which examines verbal and non-verbal skills such as vocabulary and coding.

Their parents then answered questions about sleep quality using the standardized Children Sleep Habits Questionnaire, which included topics such as sleep duration and frequency of night waking or daytime sleepiness. Finally, the researchers controlled for demographic information, including parental education, occupation and marital status and number of children in the home.

Analyzing these data points, the Penn team found that children who reported eating fish weekly scored 4.8 points higher on the IQ exams than those who said they "seldom" or "never" consumed fish. Those whose meals sometimes included fish scored 3.3 points higher. In addition, increased fish consumption was associated with fewer disturbances of sleep, which the researchers say indicates better overall sleep quality.

"Lack of sleep is associated with antisocial behavior; poor cognition is associated with antisocial behavior," said Raine, who has appointments in the School of Arts and Sciences and Penn's Perelman School of Medicine. "We have found that omega-3 supplements reduce antisocial behavior, so it's not too surprising that fish is behind this."

Pinto-Martin, who is executive director of Penn's Center for Public Health Initiatives, as well as the Viola MacInnes/Independence Professor of Nursing and a professor of epidemiology in Penn Medicine, sees strong potential for the implications of this research.

"It adds to the growing body of evidence showing that fish consumption has really positive health benefits and should be something more heavily advertised and promoted," she said. "Children should be introduced to it early on." That could be as young as 10 months, as long as the fish has no bones and has been finely chopped, but should start by around age 2.

"Introducing the taste early makes it more palatable," Pinto-Martin said. "It really has to be a concerted effort, especially in a culture where fish is not as commonly served or smelled. Children are sensitive to smell. If they're not used to it, they may shy away from it."

Given the young age of this study group, Liu and colleagues chose not to analyze the details participants reported about the types of fish consumed, though they plan to do so for work on an older cohort in the future. The researchers also want to add to this current observational study to establish, through randomized controlled trials, that eating fish can lead to better sleep, better school performance and other real-life, practical outcomes.

For the moment, the researchers recommend incrementally incorporating additional fish into a diet; consumption even once a week moves a family into the "high" fish-eating group as defined in the study.

"Doing that could be a lot easier than nudging children about going to bed," Raine said. "If the fish improves sleep, great. If it also improves cognitive performance -- like we've seen here -- even better. It's a double hit."

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Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Pennsylvania. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Jianghong Liu, Ying Cui, Linda Li, Lezhou Wu, Alexandra Hanlon, Jennifer Pinto-Martin, Adrian Raine, Joseph R. Hibbeln. The mediating role of sleep in the fish consumption – cognitive functioning relationship: a cohort study. Scientific Reports, 2017; 7 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-17520-w

The body's own bathroom scales: New understanding of obesity

Researchers at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have found evidence for the existence of an internal body weight sensing system. This system operates like bathroom scales, registering body weight and thereby fat mass. More knowledge about the sensing mechanism could lead to a better understanding of the causes of obesity as well as new anti-obesity drugs.

"We have discovered a completely new system that regulates fat mass. We hope this discovery will lead to a new direction in obesity research. The findings may also provide new knowledge about the cause of obesity and, in the long run, new treatments of obesity," says John-Olov Jansson, Professor at Sahlgrenska Academy. He explains:

"Quite simply, we have found support for the existence of internal bathroom scales. The weight of the body is registered in the lower extremities. If the body weight tends to increase, a signal is sent to the brain to decrease food intake and keep the body weight constant."

The study was performed on obese rodents that were made artificially heavier by loading with extra weights. The animals lost almost as much weight as the artificial load. The extra weights caused body fat to decrease and blood glucose levels to improve.

The body fat regulatory system discovered by the scientists in Gothenburg is the first new one since the discovery of the hormone, leptin, 23 years ago by American scientists. However, today it seems unlikely that leptin alone will become a treatment for obesity.

"The mechanism that we have now identified regulates body fat mass independently of leptin, and it possible that leptin combined with activation of the internal body scales can become an effective treatment for obesity," says Professor Claes Ohlsson at Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University.

Lately, several studies of human populations have coupled sitting with obesity and bad health. The present results could explain why.

"We believe that the internal body scales give an inaccurately low measure when you sit down. As a result you eat more and gain weight," says Claes Ohlsson.

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Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Gothenburg. Original written by Elin Lindström Claessen. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. John-Olov Jansson, Vilborg Palsdottir, Daniel A. Hägg, Erik Schéle, Suzanne L. Dickson, Fredrik Anesten, Tina Bake, Mikael Montelius, Jakob Bellman, Maria E. Johansson, Roger D. Cone, Daniel J. Drucker, Jianyao Wu, Biljana Aleksic, Anna E. Törnqvist, Klara Sjögren, Jan-Åke Gustafsson, Sara H. Windahl, Claes Ohlsson. Body weight homeostat that regulates fat mass independently of leptin in rats and mice. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017; 201715687 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1715687114

Why exercise slows progression of Parkinson's disease

While vigorous exercise on a treadmill has been shown to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease in patients, the molecular reasons behind it have remained a mystery.

But now scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus may have an answer.

For the first time in a progressive, age-related mouse model of Parkinson's, researchers have shown that exercise on a running wheel can stop the accumulation of the neuronal protein alpha-synuclein in brain cells.

The work, published Friday in the journal PLOS ONE, was done by Wenbo Zhou, PhD, research associate professor of medicine and Curt Freed, MD, professor of medicine and division head of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at the CU School of Medicine.

The researchers said clumps of alpha-synuclein are believed to play a central role in the brain cell death associated with Parkinson's disease. The mice in the study, like humans, started to get Parkinson's symptoms in mid-life. At 12 months of age, running wheels were put in their cages.

"After three months," Zhou said, "the running animals showed much better movement and cognitive function compared to control transgenic animals which had locked running wheels."

Zhou and Freed found that in the running mice, exercise increased brain and muscle expression of a key protective gene called DJ-1. Those rare humans born with a mutation in their DJ-1 gene are guaranteed to get severe Parkinson's at a relatively young age.

The researchers tested mice that were missing the DJ-1 gene and discovered that their ability to run had severely declined, suggesting that the DJ-1 protein is required for normal movement.

"Our results indicate that exercise may slow the progression of Parkinson's disease by turning on the protective gene DJ-1 and thereby preventing abnormal protein accumulation in brain," Freed said.

He explained that his animal experiments had very real implications for humans.

"Our experiments show that exercise can get to the heart of the problem in Parkinson's disease," Freed said. "People with Parkinson's who exercise are likely able to keep their brain cells from dying."

Parkinson's is a disease caused by the death of brain cells that make a critical chemical called dopamine. Without dopamine, voluntary movement is impossible. Most people with Parkinson's disease take a drug called L-DOPA to treat their symptoms. The oral drug is converted into dopamine in the brain allowing patients to get up and move.

In 1988, Freed and his colleague Robert Breeze, MD, performed the first transplant of human fetal dopamine cells into a Parkinson's patient in the United States. His lab is currently working to convert human embryonic stem cells to dopamine neurons. These techniques should make it possible to produce unlimited quantities of dopamine cells for transplant.

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Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Original written by David Kelly. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

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Journal Reference:

1. Wenbo Zhou, Jessica Cummiskey Barkow, Curt R. Freed. Running wheel exercise reduces α-synuclein aggregation and improves motor and cognitive function in a transgenic mouse model of Parkinson's disease. PLOS ONE, 2017; 12 (12): e0190160 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190160

Asperger's shouldn't keep kids from playing sports

Best-selling author Shonda Schilling says that if you've met a child with Asperger's Syndrome and other autism spectrum disorders, you've only met one, because each is unique. Her 11-year-old son, Grant, is one of those children.

Shonda is the author of "The Best Kind of Different: Our Family's Journey with Asperger's Syndrome." If the last name rings a bell, it's because she's the wife of retired Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling. That's right, the guy with the bloody sock. Ironically, Shonda says the first time Grant played baseball it "was a disaster" and now he has no interest in it.

Her son was diagnosed with Asperger's when he was 7 years old, and according to an excerpt from her book it sent the family household into "chaos."

She says the challenges of raising a child with Asperger's or any autism spectrum disorder are many, and those same challenges exist when it comes to youth sports.

Grant, who Shonda says is a "phenomenal" athlete, has found success in the sports of indoor soccer and swimming. She says outdoor soccer is too big and he can't get his arms wrapped around it, and basketball is the one sport where you can really see the drastic difference in ability. Her advice for any parent of a child with Asperger's who wants to play a particular sport is simple: "If they love it, let them play it."

The mother of four suggests parents talk to the coach before the season and find out initially if the coach even wants to have a child with Asperger's on the team. If so, give the coach some techniques he can use to deal with some of the common behavioral issues that are bound to occur. Shonda says the most important thing is to make sure the child participates in all of the practices and plays the entire season.

"Too often, when you have a child with Asperger's who might not be able to find his shin guards one night it's easier to just say, 'Forget practice tonight.' But you can't let that happen. It gets them out of their routine."

Shonda says that coaches and parents who don't understand Asperger's often think a child's behavior is a result of poor manners or being disrespectful, when, in fact, the child is just overly focused on something else.

"When you are coaching Grant, he might talk too close to you or touch you because he has sensory issues, and that can be awkward," Shonda says. "But nothing they (children with Asperger's) are doing is out of disrespect. If they don't look you in the eye and are locked in on a thought and can't answer you, it's because they can't break free from that thought. It's just the way their minds work."

Shonda suggests to coaches that being firm and avoiding choices will help prevent situations from spiraling out of control. But, despite the use of all types of techniques and interventions, there still will be times when a child with Asperger's will lapse into atypical behavior, as Grant did earlier this season in the middle of a soccer game.

"His shoe was untied and he became completely disconnected from what was going on around him," Shonda recalled. "He sat down in the middle of the action and just focused on trying to get his shoe tied up again, which he doesn't know how to do. The coach learned from this and the next game as soon as he saw Grant's shoe come untied, he immediately took him out, tied his shoe in a double knot and sent him back in."

Like a lot of parents, Shonda coaches her daughter in softball, but says that it's best for her and Curt to not coach Grant in any sport.

"I am his comfort zone. I need to make that break and teach him that other people are in charge. He knows I'm in charge, but he needs to learn that others can be, too."

Shonda, who says the experience of raising Grant has made her a better person, hopes that her book and any attention that comes from it or any other article written on the subject will only enhance the experience for other children with Asperger's, including those who participate in youth sports.

"I think parents need to take their own selfish goals out of (youth sports) and we have to get back to the basics of raising happy, respectable children. Somehow we are taking the fun out sports. We are teaching achievement, being the best, winning. Somehow, the fun is not there anymore. And it should be."

Her husband agrees completely -- and not just when it comes to dealing with a child with Asperger's, but any child: "Being a 'star' when you are talking about Asperger's has to be about the child. But I'd argue that's the case with any child. What you want for your child will likely never have anything to do with what your child truly wants. Your children will rise to the occasion, excel at things they love and want, not what you want them to love and want.

"Grant loves to swim, but something happened in a practice that made it a nightmare. ... So now, when he goes to practice or a meet, yes, he's disappointed when he finishes last but you can sense the pride in him that he actually did it. And our reinforcement and pride comes in knowing our 10-year-old faced a real physical fear, overcame it, and 'went for it.'

"That works for us. There's no need for Olympic gold, just win a daily struggle one time, then build on it."

For more information on Shonda Schilling's book, go to www.TheBestKindofDifferent.com.