HEALTHY KIDS

Some of you may have read some links I have put on here by Jon Gordon, The Energy Addict. Another one is below. This one is about healthy kids.

Last week, I noticed Harry’s stomach seemed upset. He may have had a stomach bug, as I seem to have also picked it up, but at the time I was wondering if it was from all of the bagels and such he was getting at daycare. I have my own love/hate relationship with bread. I love it when it comes attached to my pizza, but I hate what it does to my body, my mind, and my sinuses! I have had my share of health problems over the years, from interstitial cystitis to non-allergic rhinitis. All of my problems are corrected when I follow a very strict diet of only whole organic foods and lots of distilled water. Easier said than done!
While my DOCTOR, a very well studied woman who is an international expert in pelvic floor issues, agrees with me and treats my condition mostly with water and help from a nutritionist (this treatment is not to placate me. It is supported by medical journals and The Interstitial Cystitis Association recently spoke on Capital Hill about the condition and its treatment), other people accuse me of hypochondria (one of these 30 year old, taco-bell eating accusers is having a medically necessary colonoscopy as we speak). Perhaps I am more sensitive than others. Or perhaps others just have not experienced the difference a change in diet can make.

I am back on this topic after a half hour lecture from my new personal trainer (one month to go before Harry turns one to lose my last 8 pounds! Pulling out all the stops!). hDelvin was so passionate about fruit as vitamins, no sugar, clean water, etc., that he did not realize he was preaching to the choir. I have experienced first hand what good nutrition can do for you. Food is fuel. And medicine. A good diet and some exercise can pull a person out of depression. It worked for my own patients when I was a residential counselor. I started them walking three times a week. Within less than a month I had my own following that I would pick up and drive to the lake. They started eating better and cooking good foods for themselves. They lost weight, smiled, and were proud of themselves. I have also RUN pediatric ADHD trials. I have spoken at length to families with ADHD kids. I have seen, as I am sure you all have, what happens at family dinners once the kids get desert! And I think some kids may be more prone to the effects of sugar and preservatives. If you are not, great! But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Not everyone becomes addicted to alchohol, either. Doesn’t mean alcoholism doesn’t exist. Not everyone has been to Mt. Everest. Doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

My dad is becoming diabetic. He is not overweight. What did his diet consist of this time last year? Donuts! And Peeps! He used his lifetime supply of sugar half way through his life! Now he cannot have any.

So, with the information below as a reminder, I will be printing this information for Harry’s daycare provider, to remind her that he only is to eat Organic foods, only have bottle water (with fluoride for his teeth), and no overdoses on dairy and bread. I understand he may be tempted by what teh other kids eat, and a little bit is okay, butteh bulk of his diet shoudl be healthy.
Kevin has actually been better at sticking to this than I have. It is hard to follow. You only have a few minutes to prepare meals for the boy. It is hard to meet the criteria of being quick, nutricious, hand held, not a choking hazard…It is difficult, but it is worth it! I do cheat, though. I, myself, have been known to drink diet coke (among other things, but this is the worst). I feel awful after! I have also given Harry cake. And, as if in some strange parallel universe, I was doing this while getting evil looks from Kevin and listening to my friend Lisa tell her own child that she hoped he enjoyed his first birthday cake, because he would be back to eating greens for quite some times. Now, for people like my dad who assume brown rice is what you get from the Chinese Take-out guy, she meant veggies.

Raising Healthy & Positive Kids
by Jon Gordon


When did hot dogs, French fries, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese and soda become the staples of our children's diets? When did it become normal for children to play hours of video games instead of playing outside? And when did it become ok to have cookies, donuts and candy as a daily classroom snack in our schools? As child obesity, diabetes, depression and ADD rates climb faster that you can say super size me I have become passionate and determined to help reverse these alarming trends. Consider the following:

· 30% of the nation's kids are overweight or on their way to being too heavy.
· Type 2 diabetes, previously considered an adult disease, has increased dramatically in children and adolescents. Overweight and obesity are closely linked to Type 2 diabetes.
· A number of epidemiological studies have reported that up to 2.5 percent of children and up to 8.3 percent of adolescents in the U.S. suffer from depression. (NIMH)

Whether it's a lack of knowledge about nutrition and exercise, a lack of energy, a lack of time or all of the above many parents are causing their children undue harm and setting them up for a life of unhealthy habits without even realizing it. The foods we are feeding our children and the habits we are allowing have lead to a dramatic decrease in their health and wellness.

I get very frustrated when I see my child's elementary school cafeteria serving fried chicken patties, fried tater tots, French fries, hot dogs and other fast food quality meals. I get motivated to educate when I see adults with poor habits transfer these habits to their kids. And I become angry when I see well educated informed parents, many of them I know personally, exercise, drink water and eat fresh salads while their kids play video games, drink soda and eat processed foods filled with chemicals, preservatives and other multiple multi-syllabic ingredients we can't even pronounce. Instead of a homemade brown bag lunch many of these parents are sending their children to school with a prepackaged Lunchable. Have you ever read the ingredients in a Lunchable? They even have a waffles, pancakes and cinnamon roll lunch combination. For Lunch!!! Lunchables are so popular Oscar Meyer has produced billions of them and parents are buying them by the shopping cart. These parents are either taking the easy way out or they are not making the connection between their children's diets and their health, brain function and happiness.

Even more than adults our children's growing and developing bodies and brains need nutrients, vitamins, water, minerals, healthy fats and protein from whole food sources to function optimally. Their bodies are made of 70% water and we're fueling them up with soda. Their body knows how to utilize water yet it has no idea how to process the chemicals in soda. Their bodies know what to do with fruit but it has no recognition of a fruit rollup. Just as a natural flowing river becomes polluted by toxins and chemicals our children's natural bodies are being contaminated by the hundreds and thousands of chemicals they consume each year. In fact there are over 6,000 synthetic chemicals used in the processed-food industry. The FDA says most of them are safe but they also said that Vioxx was safe. Shouldn't common sense prevail? We were meant to eat foods that come from nature. We weren't meant to eat chemicals made in factories.

There's also research that demonstrates a link between consuming too much soda and sugar and weight gain. Fifty-six percent of 8-year-olds drink soft drinks daily and a third of teenage boys drink at least three cans of soda per day. Research shows that for every additional serving per day of soda consumed the risk of becoming obese increases by about 50%. (Lancelot. February 2001) In a Harvard University Study 12-year-olds who drank soft drinks regularly were more likely to be overweight than those who didn't. (Lancelot)

In addition, the more added sugar in a child's diet, the less likely the diet contained grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy. Children with the highest level of added sugar intake had the lowest consumption of most nutrients and servings of grains, vegetables, fruits, and dairy(The Journal of Pediatrics). It's no wonder only one in five children consumes the recommended minimum of five fruits and vegetables a day, while the top 10 sources of carbohydrates in children's diets include sugary soft drinks, cakes, cookies, jam and fruit drinks. (National Cancer Institute)

We pump our kids full of sugar, toxic chemicals, food colorings and then wonder why so many are overweight with diabetes and being diagnosed with ADD. But instead of changing their diet we put them on Ritalin-and the vicious cycle begins. Consider that for many children there is another way. In a study published in the June 2004 Archives of Diseases in Childhood involving 1800 three year old children, some with ADD and some without, the children's behavior measurably improved after a one week diet without preservatives and artificial colors and dramatically worsened on the weeks they were given preservatives and artificial colors.

And let's not forget the other key component to this health crisis-Lack of exercise. Nearly half of American youths aged 12-21 years are not vigorously active on a regular basis. For many, television and video games have replaced good old fashion kickball and hide and seek in the neighborhood. On average kids, ages 8 to 18 devote six hours and 21 minutes a day or 44 hours a week to recreational media use including; watching television, using the internet, instant messaging, playing video games, or downloading music. (Kaiser Family Foundation)

The problems are clear cut. Kids are moving too little and eating too much of the wrong foods and too little of the right foods. While I often hear from many parents that they just don't have the time to feed their children properly or it's just too hard, I just can't accept these excuses. Is there anything more important than the health of our children? Who ever said doing the right thing was easy? But here's the great news. It's easier than many people think. It's all about habits. Raising healthy positive children is not easy because old habits are still in place. But once a healthy lifestyle becomes a habit it becomes easy. The key is that we have to change our habits. Then the habits become a part of our children's lives and they benefit physically, mentally and emotionally. Then we all benefit. So what are these habits that will help our children grow strong, healthy and positive?

http://www.jongordon.com/positiveandhealthykids.htm

http://www.jongordon.com/documents/7DayHealthyandPositivekidsplan.pdf

May your day be filled with boundless energy!
- Jon