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Archive for September, 2009
Dear Reader – November 2009
In times of economic uncertainty, it is hard to remain focused on matters of personal health and well-being. If you experience troubling levels of stress and anxiety these days, you are not alone. The approaching Holiday Season may not uplift your moods but even add to your worries. Should you spend as much money on gift shopping as last year or would it be more prudent to cut back on expenditures and save for a rainy day?
It is an unfortunate fact that personal health concerns are among of the first casualties of any economic downturn. That should not be the case since being healthy matters ever more when we encounter periods of crisis.
Pro-active health measures, such as healthy eating and regular exercise are of fundamental importance to get us through challenging times. Therefore, my emphatic advice is this: Don’t cut corners where you can least afford them! Invest in your good health as much as possible. Eat your fruits and vegetables, get your vitamins and strengthen your immune system, keep your weight down and stay physically as fit as you can – and also keep your sense of humor and pay attention to the things that matter to you the most. It will prepare you for whatever challenges may lie ahead. Go to Newsletter of November 2009 …
Health News and Reviews
Health News and Reviews are listed from top to bottom in the order of their publication. You may also search by topic, by key word(s) or by date. At the end of each article, you are invited to leave your comments or questions which may be addressed in future issues.
Moderate Drinking May Help Women Control Their Weight
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A Different Kind of Food Fight
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The Drive-Thru Diet, Fact Or Fiction?
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Gastric Surgery For Overweight Kids – Last Best Chance Or a Bridge Too Far?
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Reshaping the Nutritional Environment for Our Children
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Counting Calories at the Coffee Shop, But Not the Fast Food Places
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Too Much Salt in Our Food Creates Serious Health Hazards
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New Year’s Resolutions – Count on Failure
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Staying Healthy in Tough Economic Times
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The Message of Good Health – Keep Paying it Forward
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Where Does Your Food Come From – Should You Care?
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Scary Statistics of the Diabetes Epidemic
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What the Health Care Reform Bill Can Learn From the “Cash-For-Clunkers” Program
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Growing Up With Healthy Eating Habits
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Young Bodies Need to Exercise
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More Supermarkets in Poor Neighborhoods
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Why We Should Be Worried About Sodas
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“Smart Choices” – Why It Is So Hard to Make Sense of Food Labels
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A Balanced Diet May be Your Best Anti-Depressant
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For Weight Loss, Lifestyle Changes Matter More Than Dieting
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Is There a Connection Between Healthy Eating and Mental Health?
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Weight Loss is a Health Issue, Not a Sport
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Retirement and Second Chances
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What You Should Know About Seafood
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The Benefits of Lifetime Learning
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Sustainable Longevity
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Spring Cleaning for Body, Mind and Soul
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The Meaning of Good Health
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Modern Day Travel
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May We Stay Forever Young
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Making the “Bucket List”
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Your Health – A Larger Picture
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In Pursuit of Happiness
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Living Life to the Fullest – But How?
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Expect Miracles This Year
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New Year’s Resolutions Revisited
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A Season to Slow Down
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Long Live the Curious Mind
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Mind Matters
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Enjoying the Gifts of Winter
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Eating With All Our Senses
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Getting Re-acquainted With Nature
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Healthy Eating Requires Education
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Fitness Exercise for the Aging Mind
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Health Literacy
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Good Health – A Matter of Choice
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Achieving Our Best
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Writing Our Stories
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In Praise of Play
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How to Travel
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An Experience of a Lifetime – Make It a Good One
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Everything in Moderation
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Knowledge is Power
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Testimonials & Press Accolades
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Dear Reader – October 2009
If you, like me, have followed the recent debate over Health Care Reform, you may feel a bit discouraged. Regardless of your political position, it is clear that health care is becoming too expensive to remain affordable for most of us in the foreseeable future. Our system is mainly set up to provide treatment when sickness strikes, but gives little incentives for preventive care.
Thousands of years ago, ancient societies, mainly in what is now known as China, had a very different system that strikes me as a really good idea, even today. According to historical documents, people back then paid their physicians as long as they were healthy and stopped making payments the moment they fell ill. Consequently, it would be in their health care providers’ best interest to restore them to good health as soon as possible, so payments would be resumed. In other words, both health care providers and health care recipients benefited from practicing preventive health care.
By contrast, in our system, we pay for the services we need while we are sick. Our doctors in private practice charge on a service basis and so do most hospitals. Salary arrangements are rare. Preventive care giving, such as nutrition- or lifestyle counseling, is usually not covered by insurance companies, notwithstanding the fact that it would save them enormous amounts of money.
All this suggests that a great deal of preventive health care starts with the individual – that is each of us. Many if not most common illnesses are in one way or another connected with lifestyle choices. Maintaining one’s ideal weight, eating a healthy diet, not smoking, no alcohol and drug abuse, regular exercise, etc. – are all steps we can take right now and without further delay to promote our health. We can all be like ancient Chinese doctors. Go to Newsletter of October 2009 …
What the Health Care Reform Bill Can Learn From the “Cash-For-Clunkers” Program
“Cash-for-clunkers” was extremely successful by any measure. Even those who can’t fathom government doing anything right were soon silenced by the program’s popularity. But the overwhelmingly positive outcome should be of no surprise. Give people the right incentives and they will modify their behavior accordingly. In this case, newer, more efficient and less polluting cars were made affordable through government-sponsored subsidies and they sold like hot cakes. The other government initiative of this year, the infinitely larger and by far more controversial Health Care Reform Bill, could learn a thing or two from “cash-for-clunkers.”
In the unlikely event that some readers are not completely up to date on the most recently debated version of the bill, please allow me to reiterate a brief summary of the main issues as they stand at the moment.
As you probably heard, the Senate Finance Committee is getting ready to vote on its own version this coming week. Although, we all just lived through a tsunami of controversy over health care, it seems that only two major issues have kept the legislation from going forward: Coverage and costs.
The goal of universal health care coverage in America is nothing new, of course. After all, we are an anomaly among industrialized nations in our inability (or unwillingness) to provide access to health insurance for all our citizens. The reform bill, as it stands right now, would probably still not achieve that goal, however, most of the currently uninsured would be required by law to purchase insurance or face financial penalties. In return, insurance companies would no longer be allowed to deny coverage to applicants, e.g. on the basis of “pre-existing conditions.” Those who still could not afford the mandatory insurance coverage would be eligible for government assistance through tax incentives and other subsidies as well as additional expansions of certain Medicaid programs. There is still much debate over the potential costs of these subsidies and the best ways to pay for them, especially since President Obama has repeatedly vowed that health care reform must be “deficit neutral” – in other words, pay for itself.
As a matter of disclosure, I want to identify myself as a strong supporter of a “single payer” universal health care system as it exists in different varieties in Europe and Canada. As a second-best choice, I would like to see the so-called “public option” included in the final bill as a viable alternative to private insurance plans.
Having said that, I am also a strong believer in individual responsibility as an essential part of public health policies. But our current system is too single-mindedly focused on the treatment of illnesses and not enough on pro-active preventive health care. In other words, we are better at making sick people healthy than keeping healthy people from getting sick.
The health care system itself, in its current form, is not designed to change that. Insurance companies pay physicians and hospitals readily for ever more expensive procedures and services, but next to nothing for preventive measures, such as nutrition- and lifestyle counseling. For instance, if you see a doctor because you have difficulty breathing, he or she will be reimbursed for having your lungs x-rayed but doesn’t get a dime for explaining the dangers of smoking. Likewise, it is relatively easy to get coverage for leg amputations in cases of severe diabetes or bariatric surgery to treat morbid obesity, but not for instructions on dieting and weight loss – and this despite the well-known fact that treating preventable lifestyle-related diseases form the heaviest financial burden on health care.
Rethinking the priorities in our health care delivery system is a matter of urgency. The aging of large parts of our population combined with an epidemic growth of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and cancer are already pushing the system precariously close to the breaking point and will render it unsustainable in the foreseeable future.
Coming back to the “cash-for-clunkers” approach, it is easy to see how large scale behavior modification can be directed by providing the right incentives. This, of course, can be a tricky undertaking, as the most recent controversy over the so-called “soda tax” has demonstrated. Nobody wants to feel manipulated, and Americans in particular pride themselves in their independence and self-determination. The “clunkers” program was at least in part so successful because it did not pressure people (to buy new cars) but offered options they could take advantage of, if they chose to do so at their own volition.
All parties to the Health Care Reform Bill could learn a valuable lesson from this event. Health care costs will go nowhere but up if we don’t succeed at improving public health. Universal coverage and affordable access to medical services can only be part of the equation. Serious investments in pro-active, preventive health care programs are imperative. Educating the public about health and health-promoting lifestyle choices must be at the core of these efforts. Employers should be encouraged (e.g. through tax credits) to enroll their employees in gym memberships or sponsor regular nutrition-, health- and fitness seminars and the like. Schools at every level should be required to include health education in their curriculum – and, of course, PE must be brought back and made an indispensable priority.
Nobody should expect that significant progress on a large scale will happen over night, nor will we become a health-conscious nation anytime soon. Just consider how long it took to alter the public’s view on tobacco. Promoting lifestyle changes requires time and patience. It may even take as long as one or two generations. But eventually these changes will have to happen. The question for us today is what we are able and willing to do to at least move the process in the right direction.
Nutrition for Athletically Active Children
A healthy, balanced diet is essential for your children’s physical fitness – and even more so for their athletic performance. Getting a plentiful supply of nutrients assures the muscles to be sufficiently fueled with glycogen at times of strenuous activity. Foods high in complex carbohydrates, moderate in protein and low in fat and sugar are best suited for pre- and post-exercise meals. Sufficient intake of fluids should be encouraged before, during and after exercise.
Foods to “fuel up”
Highly nutritious meals should be consumed by athletically active children two to three hours prior to a sports event or a training session to allow enough time for the stomach to empty out. Enhanced physical activity on a full stomach can have adverse effects on both the muscles and the digestive tract, which may result in poor performance as well as an upset stomach.
Carbohydrates are the most important source of fuel in a young athlete’s diet. Carbohydrates come mainly from plant foods. Good sources of complex carbohydrates are found in pasta, brown rice, whole grain cereals (not too high in fiber), tortillas, whole-wheat breads and rolls, potatoes, corn, peas, bananas, apples and oranges. All of these foods are easily digested, so your child’s stomach is empty and blood sugar levels are stabilized before the sport event begins. A quick snack closer to the time of performance can give your young athlete an extra boost, but it may also make him feel sluggish.
Lean sources of protein are roasted and skinless chicken or turkey, lean roast beef, grilled fish (not fried), yogurt, low-fat cheese, low-fat milk and hard boiled or scrambled eggs.
Foods for quick “re-fuel”
Immediately after a sports event, training session or any strenuous activity, you must give your children sufficient amounts of water to prevent dehydration. Instead of plain water, you can offer diluted fruit juices to quickly increase the glycogen levels in the muscles. Snacks that provide carbohydrate are useful too. Bananas, orange segments, pretzels, mini bagels and fruit yogurts are excellent choices.
Foods for “complete recovery”
Two to three hours after a sports event or training session, you should follow the same dietary guidelines given for pre-performance meals to restore spent glycogen in the muscles. More protein and fat can be included in the post-event meal.
Advise your children to choose wisely if the team stops at a pizza parlor or a fast-food place to debrief or celebrate. The young athletes may be ravenous and eat too quickly. Filling up on empty calories without nutritional value is never a good idea and even less so for bodies that need to recover.
Staying hydrated
Avoiding dehydration at all times is vital whenever your children are physically active. Sufficient hydration is also a key element for optimal athletic performance. Frequent water breaks, especially in warm weather, are a must. Encourage your kids to drink before, during and after practice or events. Water should be the beverage of choice to replace the body fluids lost during exercise. If your child finds plain water unappetizing, try adding small amounts of juice or lemon slices.
The type, amount, timing and even the temperature of the fluids you offer your kids can affect how well their bodies are able to re-hydrate. Cold fluids are absorbed faster than warm ones. Sports drinks with relatively low sugar content (no more than 15 to 18 grams of carbohydrate per cup) are suitable for fluid replacement as well. Dilute fruit juices and other high sugar beverages (at least one cup of water to one cup high sugar beverage) because of their high carbohydrate content, which can slow down the absorption process of water into the body and possibly lead to stomach cramps, nausea and diarrhea. Avoid caffeinated beverages, such as cola drinks, tea and coffee, that act as diuretics and dehydrate the body even more.
It’s all a matter of timing
One to two hours before an athletic event, have your child drink 8 to 16 ounces of water and another 8 to 10 ounces of water approximately 10 to15 minutes before the event begins.
During the event, your child must have enough water breaks. Many children do not feel the need to drink lots of fluids during exercise because they are not able yet to discern subtle signals from their bodies. It’s your job as a coach or parent to ensure that the young athletes drink 3 to 4 ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes while they’re on the court or the field. If events last longer than 90 minutes, offer kids 8 to10 ounces of diluted sports drinks or diluted fruit drinks every 15 to 30 minutes.
After an athletic event, kids must re-hydrate by drinking at least 16 ounces of water or a diluted sports- or fruit drinks for every pound they lost in body weight due to their activities.
Be advised that these are only guidelines. A child’s age, body size, fitness level, the intensity and duration of physical activity, temperature, humidity, altitude and many other factors can all affect the dehydration process.
Portion Sizes Both Parents and Kids Can Understand
Understanding serving sizes can be challenging, especially when you try to determine appropriate portions for growing kids at different ages. Here are some handy guidelines that are easy to remember. The measurements here are right for children 6 years and older. Offer smaller servings to preschoolers (2-5 year old).
(1) One cup of cooked pasta or rice equals roughly the size of a tennis ball.
(2) A cup of fruit is about as big as a baseball.
(3) 1.5 ounces of hard cheese are as large as three dominos.
(4) One pancake, waffle or tortilla should be no bigger than a compact disc.
(5) Two tablespoons of salad dressing fill a ping pong ball.
(6) Three ounces of meat, poultry or fish are about the size of a deck of cards.
(7) A medium-sized potato is as big (or small) as a computer mouse.
These, of course, are only a few samples. Similarly, you can use the size of a baseball to measure serving sizes for cereal, popcorn and most vegetable dishes. The size of a deck of cards is also appropriate for poultry, fish and meat servings. Hockey pucks are good for measuring biscuits and other pastries. For nuts, limit serving sizes to golf or ping pong balls. Tennis balls are right for beans and legumes. Compact disc sizes are about right for pancakes, waffles and tortillas. Cookies and sweets should be limited to something smaller than what we have among our samples shown above.
Young Bodies Need to Move
Regular physical exercise is a lifetime necessity, but it is especially important for kids during their growing phases. Unfortunately, many youngsters are not sufficiently active, both by choice and lack of opportunity. Physical education (PE) is no longer a part of every school’s curriculum and organized sports can be expensive or are simply unavailable. Many parents are on their own trying to support their kids’ athletic ambitions.
Especially kids who live in less than safe neighborhoods are often forced to stay at home after school hours and have little else to do with their free time than listening to music or playing video games. With their parents working long hours, there is little chance for them to exercise as a family. And yet, besides healthy eating, getting enough physical exercise is the most important ingredient of every child’s upbringing.
Parents need to make their children’s physical fitness a priority, no matter the circumstances. Throughout childhood, but especially during rapid growth phases, all kids need to move their bodies to build strong bones and muscles, develop a healthy heart and lungs, burn calories and, last but not least, build self-esteem and confidence. They won’t be able to make up for in later years what they miss out on at a young age.
So, here are a few simple ideas for parents to incorporate in their busy schedules to make sure that their children’s basic physical needs are met.
Most kids enjoy sports and games more when they have others to join them. Don’t expect your child to entertain himself by playing alone. Try to get the whole family involved, including the dog. Your child is more likely to engage in physical activity if you partake as well. Parents who work out regularly and stay fit are much more likely to pass their habits on to their kids.
Look for activities you can enjoy together as a family. Many adult sports are too challenging for young children. So, find something everyone can be good at. You don’t have to get your offspring ready for the Olympics ever time you go for a run or a swim. Bicycling in the park, walking the dog, even raking leaves or working in the garden together will be beneficial for family members of all ages.
Make sure that all activities are safe and the right protective gear is being used at all times, e.g. helmets, gloves, protective devices for knees, shins and elbows, etc. Don’t challenge your children to do things they are not ready for, such as skate boarding, skiing or jumping off diving boards. All sports should be fun and not anxiety provoking. Especially younger siblings may need extra care in this regard. All physical activities should be fun and conducive to everyone’s health. When children learn new skills and have fun at the same time, they will more likely to stick with their new pastime, sometimes for the rest of their lives. Don’t put pressure on your child in terms of competitiveness unless he or she thrives on it. Don’t try to satisfy your own ambitions vicariously through your child’s efforts.
Teach your kids to use moderation, including in their athletic activities. Unnecessary sport injuries must be avoided at all times. There is no point in pushing your child to the point where she suffers serious and perhaps lasting damages.
Communicate the value of lifelong physical health and fitness to your children whenever possible. There are few things in life you can pass on to them that are as important and as meaningful.
Young Bodies Need to Exercise
America has long been a nation of athletes. Americans win the most medals at the Olympics, rank among the top players in many disciplines and hold a great number of world records. Many new sports, including the X-games, have been invented here. The vast majority of our children play sports at an early age. For many parents, supporting their kids’ athletic activities becomes often a full-time job. Soccer moms, hockey moms and coaching dads rush back and forth between events to provide their offspring with everything they may need to excel on the fields and courts of their choice.
By contrast, physical education (PE) has long fallen victim to financial cut-backs in most public schools all over the country. When it comes to physical exercise, especially poor children are regularly “left behind,” and the consequences for their health are often devastating. Why and when it was decided that PE should be considered as an expendable part of their schooling, I don’t know. But the thought of our kids growing up without ever having been taught about the important health benefits of regular physical activity gives me the creeps.
Physical exercise is a necessary part of life for all children. Especially during their growth spurts, their bones and muscle tissues must be put to work in order to develop to their full size and strength. The health of hearts and lungs, the ability to digest food and burn calories all depend on their physical fitness. Even self-esteem and confidence are built in large parts on their athletic competitiveness and success.
I’m by no means opposed to computers, video games and the Internet. Spending time with modern day gadgets from early on is necessary to prepare our kids for the challenges of a technology-driven world. But I am against young lives being thrown off balance by a sedentary lifestyle, often combined with poor eating habits, which can cause severe health problems at a critical stage. Childhood obesity and diabetes are part of an unacceptable epidemic that we must not allow to spread any further. Make no mistake, children who lose their health lose their future – and that will eventually affect us all.
Parents, of course, are the best line of defense we can hope for. Young children learn mostly by imitating the adults and the older siblings in their families. So, for them having good role models matters greatly. As always, actions speak louder than words. Kids who grow up in surroundings where physical activities are valued and practiced will find it easier to maintain a lifelong fitness regimen. On the other hand, kids who adhere to a sedentary lifestyle early on are much more at risk of developing weight problems later in life.
Every child must be given opportunities to be physically active in some ways. That doesn’t mean that parents have to go out and buy the latest, most expensive sports equipment. All sorts of games and leisurely activities can be useful. What matters is that they take place with regularity.
For instance, there are many informal ways of exercising that can be part of a family’s daily routine, such as walking or bicycling to the shopping center or a nearby park, instead of driving. Taking stairs instead of elevators whenever possible is a good idea. Weekends can be filled with hiking, swimming, roller skating, shooting hoops, even gardening or raking leaves.
Whatever you decide to do as a family, it is important that everybody is having fun. If your kids are forced to participate in some silly family event, they will soon resist. It is better to respect their choices if they don’t feel like kicking a ball around but rather play video games or listen to their music – as long as there is a healthy balance. If they don’t enjoy their physical activities at a young age, they won’t continue them on their own in later years, no matter how beneficial it would be for their health.
More Supermarkets in Poor Neighborhoods
New Yorkers know a good thing when they see it. As reported in the New York Times, the Big Apple wants to make healthy nutrition available for everybody. Because fresh groceries are harder to come by in poor neighborhoods than in affluent communities, city officials plan to offer supermarkets a number of incentives to set up shop in places where they are “underrepresented.”
Of course, there are good reasons why underprivileged areas have long suffered from a chronic scarcity of grocery outlets. Fresh produce, meat, dairy products and other perishables have all become increasingly expensive in recent years. Some foods with the highest nutritional value are outright unaffordable for people on a limited budget.
Critics of the proposed program point out that it is unclear whether easier access to healthier foods would automatically improve people’s health. This is not a simple “supply and demand” issue, they say. Although the underprivileged are disproportionately hard hit by diet-related illnesses, such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension, it is by no means guaranteed that the availability of better quality foods will make them change their existing eating habits. Poor diets are common among poor people, but so are alcohol and drug abuse.
What needs to be taken into account as well is a widespread lack of knowledge and education about issues of health and nutrition. Without accompanying educational efforts to raise nutritional awareness, we can’t expect behavioral changes to take place by themselves.
Yet despite of all these obstacles, accepting the dismal existing situation is no longer an option. Health care for the poor on an emergency basis is unsustainable. Instead of treating people only when they are sick, we all would be better off if we did more to keep them healthy, starting with good nutrition. Improving access to fresh food supplies for everyone is one of the best preventive health care measures we could come up with.
Government can play an important role in facilitating preventive health care, especially for those in society who are the most vulnerable. But whatever course of action government officials will eventually decide to take, it must be practical and it must be reality-based.
This should be quite feasible! For instance, I read recently with great satisfaction about the increasing acceptance of food stamps at farmers markets. As a friend of mine once said, local farmers markets are candy stores for health nuts. So are the “urban farms” that are springing up in inner cities all over the country. For inexperienced food shoppers, these small, individually owned outlets are far less overwhelming and intimidating than the upscale supermarkets – and, of course, much more affordable.
The great success of Alice Water’s “Edible School Yard” project, which she started to help improve the quality of school lunches for inner city kids, did not come from the food that she grew on a deserted lot in downtown Oakland. It came from the spirit she awakened in everyone she engaged and challenged to spread the idea of healthy nutrition in their homes and their communities until it took hold and changed people’s lives.
What’s Wrong With Carbonated Sodas?
Dear Timi,
The controversy over a new “soda tax” – an extra tax on soft drinks – has me thinking about my own kids’ soda consumption. I’ve never paid much attention to the issue before, but now I wonder if I do them a disfavor by letting them have as many soft drinks as they want. Am I worrying too much?
Dear Reader,
No, in fact you should be worried about giving your kids sodas. The whole tax issue aside, I believe that sodas, especially when consumed in large quantities, are indeed harmful for our kids’ health – and not just because they contain lots of empty calories from sugar. Unfortunately, it is only the issue of weight gain in connection with sodas that drives the current discussion. What bothers me as much, however, is the fact that almost all diet and regular sodas are carbonated.
Carbonated drinks have high levels of phosphoric acid (phosphate) and carbonic acid. Elevated acidic levels can cause an imbalance of calcium (an alkaline mineral) in our blood stream. Under normal circumstances, our body’s natural mechanism maintains a steady ratio of calcium to phosphate in the blood (also known as “acid base balance” or “blood pH”) with the help of a healthy diet.
However, if we overindulge in foods and beverages that throw off the delicate acid-alkaline balance, the body has to struggle hard get it back by adding calcium. The more phosphate from carbonated drinks is ingested, the more calcium is needed. If that calcium is not supplied in sufficient quantities from food products, such as milk, cheese, salmon and sardines (with bones), dark green leafy vegetables and the like, calcium that is already stored in the body will be “pulled” from bone mass and teeth, thereby damaging their density. Severe osteoporosis and premature loss of teeth may result in later years.
For growing kids, an acid-alkaline imbalance is especially harmful, because potentially serious damage to their bone structure is being done at a critical time when they build up their bone mass that has to last for a lifetime. The consumption of large amounts of carbonated drinks can jeopardize this process. And once the damage is done, it is very hard to reverse.
For me, as a dietitian and health counselor who has worked with children for many years, carbonated drinks rank almost as high as tobacco products and alcohol in their potential to cause great harm, especially at a young age.
In absence of any government regulations to speak of, we consumers have to educate ourselves about the facts of carbonated drinks, so we can make better informed choices for ourselves and on behalf of our children.
Healthy Eating Habits Can Be Learned – Mostly By Example
Many parents have a hard time making their kids eat “healthy” foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Apples and pears – no way! Brussels sprouts and spinach – forget it! Broccoli – that will be the day!
You may know the scenario. It’s war! Little jaws lock, small mouths refuse to open. You try every trick in the book and still don’t get any cooperation. Neither your parental authority, nor bribery, nor bargaining make a difference. Eventually, you give up, accept defeat and go along with whatever your little darlings demand.
Needless to say that everybody loses when parents forego their responsibilities – especially when it comes to healthy eating habits. It doesn’t have to be like this.
Kids learn mostly by example. They model their own behavior after their parents and their older siblings. If your kids have bad eating habits, ask yourself how that happened in the first place. If you eat a poor diet yourself, neglect your health and physical fitness or smoke and drink in front of them, you shouldn’t be surprised if your children go down the same road. So, be a good role model and set the stage for healthy eating at home and when you eat out as a family. Let your actions speak louder than your words.
Do not expect your kids to know for themselves what is good for them. They don’t have “natural” instincts they can trust. At times, they need your guidance and, if necessary, your willingness to draw the line. Don’t be an enabler. If your kids nag you to buy them snacks or candy and you give in despite of better knowledge, you can only blame yourself for the consequences.
It’s never too early to start teaching your kids the art of healthy eating. Take your children with you to the grocery store or, even better, to your local farmers market. Explain to them the benefits of the foods you’re buying. You may want to visit a working farm where they can see first hand how produce is grown and harvested. Among other things, it will help them appreciate the value of their food.
Kids are more likely to try foods they can help to prepare. Sharp knives and hot boiler plates notwithstanding, there is plenty to do around the kitchen table for kids of all ages. So encourage them to lend a helping hand once in a while. Who knows, you may lay the foundation for your child’s career as a culinary rock star or at least a skilled hobby chef.
Eat together as a family whenever possible. Sit down for dinner and don’t allow your children to eat mindlessly while their attention is focused on other things, such as watching TV, playing video games or doing homework. Mealtimes are great opportunities for them to learn social skills, table manners and healthy eating habits.
Offer your kids portion sizes that are appropriate for their age. Let them know that they can have seconds if they are still hungry, but encourage them to eat slowly. It takes the stomach about twenty minutes to send a signal to the brain that it is full.
Keep in mind that children don’t have the same tastes as adults. For instance, many kids don’t like spicy food, certain textures or even colors. As a parent, you should never nag or force them to clean their plates. Don’t bargain with them or bribe them either. Dessert should be treated as what it is, a part of a meal, not a reward for good behavior. Generally speaking, it is never a good idea to use any kind of food as a bargaining chip.
Why We Should Be Worried About Sodas
We are having a brand new food fight on our hands. This time, it is about beverages – soft drinks and sodas, to be more precise. A new tax has been proposed for sodas based on the rationale that they may significantly contribute to our national obesity crisis. Advocates for the tax argue that additional revenues are needed to pay for health care costs and that it would be justified to hold the soft drink industry responsible for the damage caused by its hazardous products. They also predict that resulting price increases would cause consumers to cut back on consumption, which would have positive effects on their health.
Opponents say that people should be free to make their own choices and that it would be unfair to single out individual items, such as sodas, as culprits for widespread health problems. Weight issues, they argue, are caused by overindulgence in all food products, not just soft drinks.
The “war on sodas” is actually not all that new. Schools across the country have long made efforts to remove soda vending machines from their premises, often against their own financial interests. State legislators and school boards have endured immense struggles against the soda industry.
The whole tax issue aside, as a dietitian and health counselor who has worked with children for many years, I believe indeed that sodas are harmful to our health and should not be consumed in large quantities, especially at a young age. And not just because their high sugar content can make us fat. What bothers me as much is the fact that almost all diet and regular sodas are carbonated.
Carbonated drinks have high levels of phosphoric acid (phosphate) and carbonic acid. Elevated acidic levels can cause an imbalance of calcium (an alkaline mineral) in our blood stream. Under normal circumstances, our body’s natural mechanism maintains a steady ratio of calcium to phosphate in the blood (also known as “acid base balance” or “blood pH”) with the help of a healthy diet.
However, if we overindulge in foods and beverages that throw off the delicate acid-alkaline balance, the body has to struggle hard get it back by adding calcium. The more phosphate from carbonated drinks is ingested, the more calcium is needed. If that calcium is not supplied in sufficient quantities from food products, such as milk, cheese, salmon and sardines (with bones), dark green leafy vegetables and the like, calcium that is already stored in the body will be “pulled” from bone mass and teeth, thereby damaging their density. Severe osteoporosis and premature loss of teeth may result in later years.
To growing kids, an acid-alkaline imbalance is especially harmful. Potentially serious damage to their bone structure is being done at a critical time when they build up their bone mass that has to last for a lifetime. The consumption of large amounts of carbonated drinks can jeopardize this process. Once the damage is done, it is hard to reverse.
Supporters of the soda tax are right to compare the consumption of carbonated drinks to tobacco products and alcohol as equally harmful to minors. In the absence of any meaningful government regulation efforts of the soft drink industry, we consumers have to educate ourselves about the facts of carbonated sodas, so we can make better informed choices to protect ourselves and our children.
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The Healthy Diner book by
Timi Gustafson R.D. is the
perfect companion on your
journey to a healthy lifestyle.- Understand the connection between your personality
and your eating habits. - Assess your current health status.
- Determine your nutritional needs.
- Keep track of your daily
calorie intake. - Overcome weight problems once and for all.
- Learn to shop for the most nutritious foods.
- Prepare healthy meals
without losing the taste.
- Understand the connection between your personality
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