 Let's face it, America runs on Junkin.' Our job as parents is to protect our kids, yet many people are unknowingly poisoning their children. Chips, soda, candy, cookies, fast food and even coffee are becoming the normal daily diet for children in America. Eating a steady diet of processed foods not only ruins our children's physical health, it eats away at their mental health. I spoke with a woman from Georgia yesterday and she said the problem is rampant in her area. It's become such an issue that they've posted billboards with an obese child on it saying, "don't make fun of me because I'm fat." A child's self-esteem is fragile when they're in their formative years. They look to us to guide them through the maze of growing up. It's our job to set an example of what it looks like to live a normal, healthy and happy life. Junk food erodes that opportunity. It causes mood swings, lack of focus, low energy from eating foods with no nutrients, addiction and behavioral problems at home and in school. If your kids are sliding down this slippery slope and you want to correct your course, try these simple tips. Choose one or two to start and stay with it for at least 21 days before trying something new. - Create a unified front. Talk to other parents and get them on board too. Children compare what they have with what their friends have. They don't want to stand out, it's all about blending in. Make it easier for them by having everyone doing the same thing.
- Transition rather than take away. If your kids love Doritos, switch to a corn chip that has three ingredients: corn, oil and sea salt. You'll be eliminating toxic preservatives. And give them the recommended serving size rather than a bottom of the bag approach.
- Sweets should be a treat, not a staple. Once a week not every night. Read labels. It should have five ingredients or less and you should know what they are.
- If your child craves sweets, increase fruits and sweet vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, corn). If they crave salt, they may be mineral deficient (check with your pediatrician). Make sure they're getting enough protein (nuts, beans, eggs, greek style yogurt, chicken, meat and fish) in their diet. Too little protein can trigger cravings because the body is looking for quick energy.
- Make it fun. Find a couple of healthier choices in any given food group and let them pick which one they want.
- Limit "gaming" time. Get them out in the fresh air playing. This will stimulate a healthy appetite.
- Start with a good breakfast. Throw out sugary cereals. Companies like Kashi offer a cinnamon cereal that tastes great, includes whole grains and has much less sugar.
Small steps create big results. There may be pushback, but remember you're the parent.
 Let food be thy medicine, thy medicine shall be thy food. ~ HippocratesHippocrates lived from 460 BC - 370 BC. He was considered the founder of Western medicine and established medicine as a legitimate profession. Prior to that, it was lumped in with philosophy and theurgy (evoking the presence of the gods). I'm intrigued by how long Hippocrates lived and wonder if it's because he practiced what he preached. And I'm even more curious about how we've gotten so far off track. Is it our "I want it now" mentality where a pill seems like a better option than an apple? In the past, at the first sign of a sniffle I would have reached for ibuprofen or a capful of atomic green, nasty tasting cold medicine. But as Maya Angelou says, "when I know better, I do better." For the past two years I've been experimenting with food and vitamins to cure my common ailments - from a sore throat to a sinus infection. What's surprising is not that it works, but how simple it is. And at this time of year, we're more susceptible to colds and flus as we transition from Winter to Spring. In case you were wondering, here's what I keep in my first aid kit: - Ginger Root: Wrapped in tinfoil to keep it fresh, ginger is a modern day healing elixir. Cut a few slices off the root and steep in hot water with a squeeze of lemon. Ginger settles the stomach and boosts our immune system. Sometimes I add a little local honey if I have a sore throat or just want something a little sweeter.
- Vitamin C: 1,000 milligrams once or twice a day and Zinc lozenges (on a full stomach to avoid nausea) as directed. This will knock what ails you right out of you. I use buffered Vitamin C crystals to avoid stomach upset.
- Greens: Fresh greens like spinach, kale, chard and romaine lettuce detoxify and cleanse the liver. Greens pack a powerful, immune boosting punch. Try them fresh, steamed, juiced with other anti-oxidant rich vegetables or added to smoothies and soups.
- Eliminate processed foods: none, nada, zip. I don't touch so much as an organic blue corn chip. Just fresh fruits and vegetables. I usually skip meat too for at least 24 hours.
If our body doesn't have to expend extra energy digesting food, it can focus on healing. There's a great blog by the Beet Reporter where she talks about using food as her own personal health insurance plan. That's an insurance program I can relate to! Stay healthy my friends.
Did you know there are a lot of foods that naturally burn fat? How great is that? All we have to do to start losing weight is to eat these foods that have natural fat burning properties. Here are a few to incorporate into your diet to help you on your way to losing weight naturally.
Apples, berries, broccoli, cabbage and citrus fruits: Foods high in Vitamin C liquefy fat and help the body flush out toxins.
Apples and berries: Contain pectin, an insoluble dietary fiber shown to reduce blood cholesterol leves and restrict the amount of fat that our cells can absorb. So if the cells can’t absorb the fat, they’re forced to expel the fatty deposits which results in weight loss.
Broccoli, cabbage, milk, cheese and yogurt: Are calcium rich foods that help with natural weight loss because they speed up the process of breaking down the fat content of fat cells.
Eggs, lean meat, fish (tuna, salmon and sardines) and unprocessed, unsalted nuts: High quality protein helps lose weight because it’s a natural fat burner. It also helps reduce cravings and binge
eating which aids in weight loss.
Garlic: Reduces fatty deposits and has many health promoting qualities.
Green tea: Burns fat and boosts metabolism which helps your body operate more efficiently. It’s also high in natural anti-oxidants, has cancer fighting properties and reduces heart disease.
Hot peppers: Turn up the heat! Hot peppers speed up metabolism and helps burn more calories.
Olive oil: Helps to keep your cholesterol levels down and is a major fat burning food.
Water: Cleanses the body, hydrates the skin and flushes toxins out the system. For a diet of fat burning foods to work efficiently and aid natural weight loss, it’s important to stay properly hydrated. Our bodies are made up of 70% water and needs to be replenished every day. The general rule of thumb is ½ your weight in ounces per day.
Whole grains and oatmeal: contain fat-absorbing fiber, which not only keeps you feeling full and energized but also increases metabolism by burning fat and calories.
Incorporate these fat burning foods into your diet and natural weight loss will come easily to you!
|
RSS Feed