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by Sam
Gracis
Some
of the most important decisions that parents have to make in caring for their
children concern their health. Because of your unique and intimate
relationship with your child, you play an invaluable role in your child’s
present and future well-being.
Food provides the energy your child needs to
grow, learn, think, talk, run, jump and play. It is the driving fuel necessary
for building a strong and healthy body. Every single breakfast you
feed your child, the lunches eaten at school, the snacks made to munch on, and
dinners prepared are another opportunity to provide the essential building
blocks for your child’s body and brain to develop properly.
Each one of a child’s 100
trillion cells is a little molecular motor designed to run at peak efficiency
if fuelled properly. Cells need water, vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates
and protein to produce vital energy to sustain the body’s many and varied
functions. The nutrients in natural, unrefined, whole foods such as fruits and
vegetables – called high-octane fuel – keep cells operating at peak
performance and giving them a reserve for healing.
If the deliveries of
necessary nutrients don’t arrive, the cells slow their work down – and so
does your child.There also exists a
food-mood relationship in which food provides immediate "feedback"
information to the body. Food can make your child feel full, satisfied, happy
and re-energized, or tired, drowsy, irritable, hyperactive or impulsive.
The cause-and-effect
relationship between the wrong food choices and negative moods or impaired
learning abilities can become a vicious cycle. If poor eating habits are the
initial problem, mood swings, poor concentration, irritability, depression and
fatigue may follow due to dietary deficiencies or excesses. These unpleasant
side effects will only send your child searching for another sugary delight to
feel better. Have you ever noticed your child suffering from "head on the
desk syndrome" after eating the wrong food for lunch? Poor food choices
will send a child searching for the next packaged goody, creating further
nutritional debts.
Every minute, 200 million
new cells are renewed, revitalized or reformed in your child’s body. This is
a total of 300 billion new cells a day! The quality of the food they eat
daily, directly influences the high-quality or low-quality development and
functioning of each and every cell. Skin, hair, eyes, brain, immune system and
memory can all be affected.Remember, the addition or
omission of a single nutrient in a child’s diet can make or break their
attention span, learning capability, vibrant energy and mood. If your child
eats too many synthetic foods, their body will "fall out of its natural
rhythm" to self-diagnose and self-heal spontaneously.
Children need to beware of
the burger as "King" and the dairy as "Queen." The typical
North American child’s diet is in definite need of an overhaul. The quality
and quantity of food children are eating today is extremely disconcerting. If
they get great satisfaction and become accustomed to the tantalizing taste of
unhealthy, processed, fast "foods" – these habits tent to persist
throughout their lives. This phenomenon is called "programming" and
is cleverly achieved through seductive, compelling, billion-dollar
advertising. How can we as parents compete against these clever advertising
campaigns luring our children towards the latest sugared, dyed, hydrogenated
product?
Remember, children behave in
a "monkey see, monkey do" manner. Setting a healthful example for
your children’s sake is one of the best methods to lay down a future
foundation of healthy eating patterns. Getting the entire family to work as a
team towards health is the best "health policy" you can purchase –
it is that simple.
Children will learn to eat
what a parent eats and serves. You can start today toward a better diet for
your family by focusing on six dietary goals. Increase the intake of complex
carbohydrates such as colourful fruits, salads, vegetables, whole grains,
seeds, legumes and unsalted nuts. Decrease the intake of refined and processed
sugars or artificial sweeteners (the average person consumes 150 lbs of sugar
per year). Decrease fat consumption from fried foods, as well as hydrogenated
or partially hydrogenated oils such as those found in chips, baked goods,
salad dressings, and margarine. Limit salt intake by minimizing processed,
packaged foods. Be sure to have a lean protein source (e.g. non-medicated
chicken, water packed tuna, legumes, tofu, etc.) at each of your three meals.
If you cannot pronounce the ingredients, chances are it is laden with unwanted
food additives and chemicals.
Many plant foods do not
contain the full spectrum of eight amino acids that make up a complete
protein. We now know that a diet based on a variety of vegetables, legumes,
seeds, nuts, beans and grains will provide adequate protein for a vegetarian
child. The best drink for your children is clean water. Here are some healthy
menu ideas:Breakfasts
Oatmeal with almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds and yogurt, or poached eggs
with a non-salt seasoning, or a power protein shake with whey protein powder,
blueberries and non-fat yogurt.
Lunches
Tuna sandwiches with yogurt, tomatoes, lettuce and sprouts,
Or tempeh, tofu, (non-medicated) turkey or chicken breast sandwiches, with carrot and celery sticks, an apple, orange, banana, 1 cup of berries or
fresh melon.
Suppers
A large salad,
Two colourful vegetables,
Baked yam, sweet potato or baked potato,
Baked (wild) salmon, omelettes, legumes, beans, wrap-ups, seafood, chicken,
turkey, lean (organic) beef, soups, or stews.
Snacks
Fresh fruit, baked apple, fruit leathers, fruit smoothies, air popped popcorn
with olive oil (or flax seed oil) instead of butter, unsalted nuts, seeds,
hard boiled eggs, soups, oven baked potato chips
almond butter sandwiches, hummus and crackers, fruit-sweetened yogurt (full of
"friendly" bacteria).
There is a new sugar-free
food available for kids in powder form that is delicious and easily mixes with
water, unsweetened juice, fat-free milk, rice milk or almond milk.
This is a
child-specific version of the award-winning greens+ that provides children
with strong antioxidant protection, foods from every colour of the rainbow, as
well as organic vitamins, minerals and protective plant nutrients.
Here is a
recipe that includes greens+ kids in a delicious shake:
1 banana
1 cup of soymilk or rice milk
2 cups of orange juice
5-10 cut of strawberries
4 tsp. Of natural peanut butter
2 servings of greens+ kids
Blend on high for 30 seconds
in blender. This delicious, creamy and sweet shake is loaded with protein,
minerals and vitamins that can fill up any child.
The more you understand
about food and nutrition, the more committed you will be to providing a
healthy, wholesome diet for your child.
Sam Graci is an
internationally renowned lecturer, consultant, researcher, and formulator in
optimal human health and nutrition. He is the author of The
Power of Superfoods and The Food Connection.
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