"The Year of the Vegetable"

Happy New Year! After a couple of weeks off for some family time, I am back in school and ready to spend the next 3 ½ months learning about Clinical Nutrition and Reproductive Health & Nutrition – two of my last classes!

Right now we are learning a lot about stress. It’s one of my favorite topics, because it is so strongly linked to many different diseases and symptoms. I know I talk about stress often, but it’s good to revisit because we all experience it and are constantly trying to manage our stress. Next week I will go into more detail on stress, the science behind it, and the nutrition to help you cope with it.

Today, I want to leave you with an article that I really liked from Monday’s Opinion section of the Wall Street Journal, called “2011: The Year of the Vegetable.” It wasn’t anything groundbreaking, but I appreciated the writer’s approach of holding parents accountable for what their kids eat. Click HERE to read the full article. To summarize: Childhood obesity is clearly a rising problem (and not only that, but all of the diseases and symptoms that accompany it – from ADHD to anxiety to diabetes in children). Basically, George Ball is saying that parents cannot expect their children to make healthy choices on their own. They live in a world that hands them bad food: school lunches, birthday parties, vending machines. It’s up to their parents to model healthy choices because – as we all know – kids imitate their parents. This goes beyond just serving a vegetable with dinner each night. Parents must work to get their kids excited about trying new foods. Growing vegetables in the home and including kids in cooking are some ways to do this. Parents must also recognize and appreciate the fact that liking vegetables is an acquired taste. Don’t give up – be patient with your kids and continue to model healthy choices and behavior. If it takes 2 years before your child tries a piece of celery, that's okay! At least you persisted and he's now eating celery.

George Ball is chairmen of Burpee Co., which sells vegetable seeds and plants that can be easily grown inside the home (for those who don’t have a garden or are too overwhelmed to create one). Check them out HERE. Start small: Maybe just grow 1-2 vegetables this year. But include your kids and see how they react to the process.

Have a great weekend!

Feeding Children

One of my recent assignments was to come up with a 1-page client handout on issues that come up with children and eating. Let me begin by saying that there is absolutely NO WAY to fit all of the potential issues onto one page only! Feeding issues with kids can start the moment you introduce solid foods, and can last their entire lives if not handled carefully. There will always be the normal problems like picky eating, refusing to try something new, or only wanting sugar. But these things can be managed if the parents are educated on how to approach the issues. The goal should be to raise a child that has healthy eating habits – not only in regards to what they choose to eat, but also why they eat and how food fits into their life.

So, I did the best I could to make a 1-page handout that at least presents the idea of healthy feeding habits for parents and kids. I’ll provide the highlights here. Each family will do things slightly differently, and that is great! And when issues arise, each child may need a slightly different approach to dealing with that issue. A nutritionist or feeding specialist can help you figure out the best way to create a healthy meal environment in your home.

• At all costs, avoid power struggles during mealtime or snacktime. A child who associates eating with stress will have a difficult time ever having a healthy relationship with food.

• Parents are in charge ALWAYS! They decide WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE their kids will eat. The kids can then decide IF they will eat, and if so, HOW MUCH they will eat.

• It’s okay to serve desserts on some nights. Don’t be afraid to serve it with the rest of the meal, and let your child choose what he eats off of his plate. If dessert is always saved for last and withheld until the child eats the other foods on their plate, they will begin to associate sugar with “yummy” and vegetables and meats with “yucky”. Bottom line: kids always want what they can’t have!

The following symptoms could indicate a nutritional deficiency, allergy or intolerance in your child:

• Dry or rough skin, hair, or nails

• White spots on fingernails

• Constipation or diarrhea

• Constant cravings for sweets

• Hyperactivity

• Irritability

• Difficulty sleeping

• Diaper rash

• Eczema or other skin rashes

• Chronic ear infections

• Stomachaches

• Recurrent respiratory tract infections

Some common nutrient deficiencies in children include essential fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin C, B-vitamins, zinc, iron, calcium, magnesium, and fiber. A nutritionist can help you determine if your child has a deficiency.

Here are some tips for making mealtimes more pleasant:

• Place toddlers in a high chair that allows them to sit right up at the table with the rest of the family. This helps them feel included in the meal time, and also allows them to view how mom and dad and older siblings are modeling good eating habits.

• Mom and Dad absolutely MUST lead by example. Choose a variety of healthy foods and don’t be a picky eater! Most of the time, kids grow up with similar eating habits as their parents.

• Refrain from commenting on how much or how little your child is eating. Do not reward them for cleaning their plate, and do not scold them for eating nothing.

• Include your kids in discussions at the meal table.

• Involve kids in meal planning and preparation to keep them interested and excited. Grow a garden and let them help harvest, or let them choose their favorite vegetables at the grocery store.

Many of these things are pretty basic, but it’s always a good reminder for parents. Another helpful tip I heard was to evaluate your child’s eating based on one week’s worth of meals. One day they may eat only raspberries, and another day they may hate raspberries and eat 3 well-rounded meals. That’s okay! Just as long as they are getting the nutrients they need over the course of a week.

Denver Ladies: Pregnant, or Hoping to Become Pregnant Sometime Soon?

One of the requirements as a second-year student at the Nutrition Therapy Institute is to complete 50 hours of internship work. Since I love to work with anything related to fertility, pregnancy, and kids, I decided to reach out to Belly Bliss to see if they needed an intern. Belly Bliss is a resource for moms and moms-to-be in the Denver area, providing education and services for fertility, pregnancy, and beyond. They hold workshops and classes on important subjects that many women don’t know enough about, such as cloth diapering vs. disposable, vaccines for your kids, childbirth methods, and breastfeeding. Anyway, it’s a really great resource and even though they’ve only been around for a couple of years, they are doing really well.

The nutritionist at Belly Bliss happened to go to NTI as well, so she and I share similar views on how nutrition should be approached. Her name is Sara Peternell, and you can read more about her here.

Sara is holding a workshop one week from today, on Monday, October 25^th at Belly Bliss in Cherry Creek (300 Josephine Street, Denver, 80206), from 7:00 – 8:00 pm. The workshop is called Pregnancy Nutrition: A Trimester-by-Trimester Roadmap to Healthy Baby and Mom. She will talk about the importance of good nutrition for conception and then throughout pregnancy, for both baby and mom. She will also address the changing nutritional needs during each trimester of pregnancy. The class is only $15 and I promise you will learn some very valuable information, whether you are currently pregnant or would like to be pregnant sometime soon. I think many women do not realize that good nutrition is just as important for conceiving a baby as it is for carrying a baby, so starting early is the best route to take.

If you are interested in signing up for Sara’s class, go here to register. Scroll down to where it says "Newly Added Workshops..." and then "Click Here to Read More". Click and find the nutrition class (they are organized by date). Pre-registration is required, and it can all be done very easily online. Also, please forward this to anyone else who may be interested! Thanks, and see you there!

Recognizing a Food Allergy or Intolerance in Your Child

Food allergies and intolerances are often discussed at my school, as they can be the starting point for more major health issues later in life. Many unpleasant symptoms can be eliminated once food allergies or intolerances are addressed and dealt with. However, many parents are unaware of how to recognize a food issue in their child, and therefore they often go undetected and the kids grow up eating foods that are harming their bodies and their health.

There is a big difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance. Food allergies occur when your immune system reacts to foreign substances in the body. The resulting symptoms are caused by the chemicals made by the immune system as it tries extra hard to fight these foreign substances. This immune reaction is then triggered every single time these same foreign substances enter the body. Food allergies start in the first year of life in about 80% of cases. A food intolerance, on the other hand, is a reaction to food that does not involve the immune system at all. When someone has an intolerance, they can often tolerate small amounts of the food, but larger amounts can prompt symptoms. Intolerances are often caused by a lack of a particular enzyme needed to metabolize a specific nutrient or substance in a food. The best example is lactose (milk sugar). It is estimated that about 70% - 80% of all adults are lactose intolerant.

Some of the most common symptoms of a food allergy or intolerance include vomiting, excessive spitting up in infants, diarrhea or constipation, colic, sneezing, nasal congestion, wheezing, coughing, asthma, and any type of skin rash such as hives or eczema. Other less common symptoms can include puffiness in the face, sleeping issues, headaches, ear infections and ADD or ADHD.

The difficult part of diagnosing food allergies or intolerances based on symptoms alone is that they can show up within minutes of when the child consumes the food, or within days or even weeks. It may be hard to link a skin rash in your child to the grilled cheese sandwich they ate the weekend before at a birthday party.

Some of the most common foods that people are allergic to include cow’s milk and other dairy products, eggs, gluten (wheat), peanuts and tree nuts (walnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios, hazelnuts and almonds), beans, soybeans and other soy products, fish and shellfish. Other slightly less common causes of food allergies or intolerances include citrus fruits, food additives, pesticides, and mushrooms.

If you suspect your child may have a food allergy or intolerance, try eliminating that particular food from their diet for 1 month to see if symptoms go away. It is very important that allergies and intolerances are detected early on to prevent more permanent damage to the child. A specialized doctor or nutritionist can help you figure out how to eliminate certain foods and what to watch for.

It May Seem Obvious But...

Note: I forgot to post this yesterday! I got it all queued up last week because I knew I had an early morning flight on Monday morning, but then I never actually posted. Late night pizza with my awesome cousins Jack and Katie, plus a 5:30 am alarm are to blame... but anyway here's yesterday's info:

I am traveling today, so this will be brief but still important!

As I mentioned on Friday, I am reading two new books for school about kids and feeding and nutrition. In the book Feeding Your Child for Lifelong Health, one section provides "Smart Strategies for Feeding Babies Four to Twelve Months Old." I won't share all 12, but there are two that really stand out. They seem obvious, yet so many of us fail to follow them.

The first is to avoid giving your infant foods that you don't want him to love when he's older. Seems pretty straightforward right? Logical - something every parent would think of. Yet over and over again, you see parents feeding their kids things like fast food, fruit snacks, candy, or soda. And although there are some crazy parents out there, I am confident that NO parent wishes poor eating habits upon their children when they get older. So, this is something to keep in mind - use it as your guide if you're ever at a loss over whether or not you should be feeding something to your child.

The second that stood out and seemed so obvious yet so difficult to live by is to be a food role model. If you stash candy in the top drawer and grab a piece every few hours, your child will start picking up on this habit at a very early age. If you obsess about your weight and what you eat, or are a really picky, finicky eater, your child may also start to become conscious of his or her weight at a young age or become very picky about what they eat. So, something else to keep in mind!

Kids & Adults: Different Diets

I am starting two new books for school – Feeding Your Child for Lifelong Health, by Susan B. Roberts and Melvin B. Heyman, and Superimmunity for Kids, by Leo Galland. So, over the next week or so I may be sharing some of the information I learn. I know a lot of PWN readers have kids or plan on having kids, so hopefully you will find the information valuable.

I am just getting started, but one of the things I read this morning is something that I think is important to share. While it may seem obvious, many parents may forget that children have very different nutritional needs than adults. Many adults try to eat a diet that is very high in fiber, low in fats, and doesn’t include things like oils, butter or red meat. While this may be the proper diet for mom or dad, it is not the proper diet for a child. If your toddler or child is not getting enough fats, calories and other nutrients, they can develop developmental problems and even start to crave the foods their body needs. Kids should be eating full fat dairy products (if you decide to give them dairy and they do not have an allergy), and they have no business using things like fat-free salad dressings or avoiding butter.

Many times I have mentioned the importance of feeding your family ONE meal at night. Kids and parents can enjoy the same foods, with some adjustments as necessary (certain spices, for example, can be too strong for young kids). However, if the parents are on a restricted diet, they need to make sure their children are obtaining enough fats and calories from their meals.

According to Feeding Your Child for Lifelong Health, there are 8 key nutrients that parents should focus on when it comes to giving their children the best start in life. These nutrients have the biggest impact on metabolic programming, which includes brain development, motor development and even personality. The 8 key nutrients are as follows:

1. Fat
2. Fiber
3. Calories
4. Iron
5. Calcium
6. Zinc
7. Folate and other B-vitamins
8. Antioxidants: Vitamins A, C and E

I would add water to this list as well. Kids drink so much sugary juice and not enough water, in my opinion. All of the above nutrients are abundant in fresh, whole foods. Therefore, a whole foods diet is just as important for your kids as it is for you! Don’t waste their appetites on junky prepackaged foods that may fill them up, but will only provide them with trace amounts of the above key nutrients. Start them out on the right track, and that way they will develop a palate for healthy, fresh foods. This will benefit them throughout their entire life! And if you’re trying to change some bad habits at a young age, that’s okay too – better to start now than just avoid it altogether. Make adjustments slowly and include them in the process to make it more fun.

Have a great weekend!

Balancing Food Within A Family

I’m really excited about my 2 classes that start September 1^st: Digestion & Detox, and Lifecycles & Healthy Aging. For the Lifecycles class, we go through each stage of life starting with pregnancy and ending in old age, and learn about how nutrition can benefit health every step of the way.

One of the books we will be reading is called Feeding Your Child for Lifelong Health, by S. Roberts, Ph.D. & M. Heyman, M.D. I’ve been browsing through each of my books (I have about 10 books per class, literally) as they arrive from Amazon.com shipping, and this one seemed particularly interesting.

I think something many families struggle with is how to balance “adult” meals and nutrition with the wants and needs of the kids. Most of you know where I stand on this – kids should eat what the adults eat to whatever extent possible, especially as they get old enough to chew and digest most things. (Note: I realize I have no right to even have a stance on this because I don’t have kids, but I am putting it out there anyway).

This book provides some tips for balancing food within the whole family. The authors claim that if you follow their guidelines on most days, you can rest assured that your family is getting the proper nutrients from their diet. The guidelines are as follows:

• Vary the balance of different foods for different family members. For example, kids and adults need about the same levels of calcium, but kids only need about half the fruits and veggies and less than half of the grains that adults do.

• Shop for everyone’s fat and fiber needs. Since kids need more fat, whole milk or 2% is appropriate for them. If you are watching your fat intake, you may prefer skim milk. Some adults need more fiber in their diet to assist with proper health, so they may eat cereals and breads that are extremely high in fiber. Kids, however, generally have lower fiber needs than adults.

• If recipes you like have ingredients that are not suitable for your child, simply leave them out and put them on the table as condiments. The two biggies here are added salt and alcohol, which are found in many recipes. Strong spices would also fall into this category.

• Focus on cooking methods that enhance nutrition for everyone. Maximize the family’s vitamin intake by eating raw salads and/or steaming veggies to retain water-soluble vitamins. Try to use fresh veggies, rather than canned or frozen, whenever possible.

• Unless you have a family medical history that dictates a special diet, you don’t need to avoid red meat entirely. Red meat is high in iron and zinc, which are crucial for growth and development of the child. Eggs are also a great source of iron and zinc.

• Give your child a multivitamin/mineral supplement. This is something your doctor can advise you on.

I thought these were some great tips, and a good reminder of how important it is to focus on nutrition and healthy meals containing REAL food (vs “kid” foods) from an early age. If you start your kid off eating convenience foods, and show them that it’s okay for them to eat a separate meal from mom and dad, they may never want to graduate to the adult table.

Pesticides Linked to ADD

I am sure many of you read the article released this week about research linking exposure to pesticides found in fruits and vegetables to ADD and ADHD in children.

Experts say the research is “persuasive” that pesticides are contributing to common learning problems in children. Was anyone surprised to hear this? I certainly wasn’t! I don't think it's the only thing that can lead to ADD, but I definitely believe it's one part of the picture. I am happy that this information is being released all over the internet and newspapers, because I think more people will finally start to believe what many have been suspecting for so many years.

One reason children are more affected by the chemicals is because they consume more food relative to their body weight than adults do, so they tend to have higher concentrations. The pesticide compounds showed up in urine of 94% of the children involved in the study. A separate study done in 2008 actually showed that when children switched to organic produce, pesticide compound levels in their urine was undetectable or nearly undetectable.

Some of the foods that tested highest in pesticides included celery, strawberries and frozen blueberries. This is a good reminder that we should keep the lists of the most heavily sprayed fruits and vegetables available when we are grocery shopping. The Environmental Working Group is a great resource for this (print the list out HERE).

The convincing research from this article is also a reminder that pesticides and other chemicals used in and on our food does affect our health, and it is not something to be taken lightly. Organic food is expensive, of course, but I truly think that it’s worth it to splurge on organic produce if it’s something that tends to be heavily sprayed. This is especially important for healthy, growing children. Remember that frozen organic fruit has many nutrients – you don’t have to spend extra on the fresh just to get the health benefits. The key is that it’s organic.

MSG

This past weekend, a friend asked me if I would do a blog about MSG. The request came in the form of a text message:

“Any chance you could do a blog on msg? I didn’t know Doritos and ranch dressing have msg!”

Oh yes, they do. And yes, I will do a blog on it.

MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a food additive used in things such as salad dressings, condiments, soups, frozen meals, salty snacks, bouillon cubes, meats, cafeteria food, and many restaurant foods (including fast food). Basically, it is a flavor enhancer. Until the 1960s, MSG was prepared using wheat gluten. Now, however, it is produced by fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses (Wikipedia.org).

And just for the record, the FDA says that MSG is safe for people when “eaten at customary levels.” Do you guys know anyone who eats more than “customary levels” of processed foods? Most of America does! Processed foods are found at every fast food chain, grocery store and gas station, and at many restaurants. They have become a staple in our diet.

Some infant foods and formulas even contain a form of MSG, which is just awful. MSG is toxic to the nervous system and a since a baby’s brain is not fully developed yet, these toxins have easy access. Some formulas sold in the US that contain aspartic acid or MSG include Nestlé Carnation Good Start and Enfamil Nutramigen Hypoallergenic Formula (westonaprice.org).

MSG is an excitotoxin. Excitotoxins overstimulate brain cells, eventually killing them. MSG can also damage the appetite regulation part of the brain, which leads to overeating and eventually weight gain and obesity. This is why when we have a bag of chips in front of us, we sometimes feel like we could eat the entire bag! Another negative side effect of MSG is inflammation inside the body. Inflammation is a precursor to many diseases, including diabetes, cancer, arthritis and heart disease.

Many people are extremely sensitive to this food additive without even knowing it. Some people who eat MSG just feel an overall sense of bloating, stomach pain, headaches, or discomfort. It can cause allergies or asthma to flare up, and make people feel extremely uncomfortable after eating. Have you ever eaten a big meal at a Chinese restaurant and felt sort of sick when leaving? Although you may have chalked it up to eating too much, it could be a result of the MSG you just loaded into your system.

So, what’s the best way to avoid MSG? As usual, avoid processed foods! Tomorrow I will provide a list of alternative names for MSG. I recommend you take this list and go through your kitchen and just get an idea of what foods you consume contain MSG. My goal is for everyone to become more aware of MSG, not to totally eliminate it from their diet. By increasing your awareness, you can determine whether or not you experience any type of reaction when eating foods containing MSG. And if you do, you may want to consider reducing or eliminating it slowly. And of course I recommend extra caution when feeding your kids foods that contain MSG. Remember, their little brains and bodies are still developing, and it’s extremely important to put the best foods possible inside of them.

Check back tomorrow for a list of alternative names for MSG!

Guest Blogger: Andrea on In-Patient Nutrition

I am very excited about PWN's guest blogger today! Meet Andrea Otteson. Andrea is a nursing student and we met last year at the wedding of our mutual friends, Andrea and David Mitchell. She is a great person and an amazing nurse, and she happens to be very passionate about nutrition for pediatric patients. I don't know much about this, but I do know that nutrition in hospitals is not the best. I have classmates who have been hospitalized for things like cancer or surgery, and during recovery are fed things like jello cups and soda. These are NOT foods that support or promote healing, and if anything they are likely to make the patient feel even worse! Anyway, I asked Andrea to just give some of her thoughts on this issue because I think it's so important and people like her experience it firsthand every day. Thanks, Andrea!

In-Patient Nutrition for Hospitalized Children: Reflections from a Nursing Student

With so much press devoted to America’s obesity epidemic among children, it seems fundamentally counterintuitive that hospitalized children are allowed to order nutritionally bankrupt food throughout their hospital stay. From my perspective as a student-nurse in clinical rotations, ‘nutritionally bankrupt’ describes the cheeseburgers, tater tots and personal pizzas gracing the pediatric hospital menus with which I have become well acquainted.

Hospitalized children have so many freedoms intrinsically taken away to begin with. The last thing I want to do as a nurse is tell these kids they can’t choose what they want to eat for lunch. Or, as it would more likely play out, tell them what they can’t eat “riiight after this quick shot…!” As a nurse-to-be, I realize that patient education and guidance are part of my job description, but in the showdown between cold turkey sandwiches with carrots v. grilled cheese with fries, I am left somewhat powerless.

Ideally, I would like to work in a hospital where Alice Waters-inspired homemade chicken noodle soup and slow roasted organic vegetables were menu options. However, given today’s healthcare climate, I am unsure how to effectively lobby for these changes. Perhaps as a starting point, hospitals could begin stacking the deck in favor of healthy food choices by designing menus allowing for only one ‘nutritionally bankrupt’ item per meal (or better yet, per day). Thus, returning to the aforementioned showdown, our patient could order 1) a turkey sandwich with fries or 2) a grilled cheese with carrots, but would not be allowed the combination of fries AND grilled cheese. Still a long ways away from organic, herb-crusted vegetables, but it’s a start!

Ultimately, good nutrition, like good health, is about the day-to-day. Though far from impossible, institutional change takes time and costs money. So in the meantime, this future nurse will do her best to help steer obligate junk-foodies down healthier pathways.

If my future children ever get sick, I hope their doctors and nurses are thinking like you, Andrea! Oh, and for those of you who are not familiar with Alice Waters, you can read more about her here. I happen to be giving a presentation on the Slow Food Movement tomorrow in class, so I've been learning a lot about Ms. Waters and I love her thoughts on food and nutrition, and I'm dying to visit her restaurant in California someday!

Thanks again, Andrea!

Please Watch Jamie Oliver

There’s a new television show starting one week from today: “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.” I think you guys should watch.

Jamie Oliver is a chef from England who has written many cookbooks. He spends a lot of his time and efforts campaigning for better meals in schools and educating both Europeans and Americans on nutrition and the importance of learning how to cook your own food.

“Food Revolution” will take place in Huntington, West Virginia. Huntington was recently named the unhealthiest city in the country. This is the first generation of children not expected to live as long as their parents, purely because their diets will lead them to diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other serious health problems. Jamie’s goal is to get Huntington off that list by transforming the way its inhabitants eat in the home, schools and workplace, and then to inspire other cities in America to alter the way they think about food and nutrition as well.

Here is a preview of the show:

This show is important for so many reasons. We can all learn something from Jamie, and he will increase awareness as to exactly what America’s poor diet decisions are doing to our health. If the show is a success, maybe other schools and families ad cities will be inspired to change the way they eat as well. So please watch, because the issue concerns all of us! There is also a petition you can sign. Jamie is trying to get as many signatures as possible on a petition for more nutritious meals in schools and funding to keep cooking skills alive. After the show airs, he will take the petition to the White House to show the President and First Lady how strongly the Americans feel about this issue.

So, set your DVR or Ti-Vo and plan on watching Jamie work his magic in the unhealthiest city in America!

Picky Kids: There IS a Solution

First of all, I need to let you guys know there was a typo in my blog post yesterday. When I said that one 20-ounce Coke contains 67 grams of sugar, which is the equivalent of 32 little sugar packets, I meant to type 22. This is a pretty significant difference and I had to let you know about it. I’m sorry if I shocked anyone, but I mean seriously, 22 sugar packets is still a LOT of sugar! When I re-read the blog post from my iphone yesterday and realized my mistake, I was a little annoyed with myself but sort of forgot about it. But then I got a phone call from my friend Therese saying that she enjoys 1 Coke every week or two and that now I have RUINED it for her, I felt the need to let you guys know of my error! Seriously, though, 22 packets is still a ton of sugar and I’m sorry if I have ruined soda for you but I think it’s time you know the truth! You should just be glad I didn’t provide the sugar packet comparison with other popular drinks, like Gatorade, Vitamin Water, Powerade, Nantucket Nectar juices, and flavored teas! You’d be shocked and again, I would ruin these drinks for you! Just go for plain old water…

Anyway… let’s move on.

This morning I read an article from yesterday’s Denver Post titled “What can parents do to get their kids to taste new foods? Nothing.”

Naturally, this caught my attention. My initial reaction was “I disagree!” and I sat down to read the article.

The author, Anne Brockhoff, basically says that kids go through many different phases with food and eating, and the best way parents can deal with this is by not catering to their needs. This is something I’ve talked about at PWN before, but I think it’s so important that I am going to write about it again. Since I do not have kids nor any experience working with picky eaters, I realize some credibility is at stake. But I have read many books and articles on this subject, attended a conference that focused on this, and since then become more interested, aware, and observant of this phenomenon.

Ellyn Satter, who is cited in the article, is an expert on this topic and has even written books for families who struggle with kids and eating. She states: “The trend in recent years is that almost everybody has become more anxious about it.” This appears to be very true. And the natural response when your child rejects the dinner you’ve made or decided to serve? I’m guessing it’s to rush to the kitchen and find something they will eat, because you want them to go to bed with a full tummy (and let’s be honest, there are probably selfish motives too – you don’t want them up at your bedside at 2:00 am whining about how hungry they are!).

But despite the title of the article, Brockhoff’s conclusion was not “nothing” (thank god!). She talked about the need to continue introducing new foods into a child’s diet, and reminded us that sometimes you have to introduce it 100 times before the kid is ready to try or accept the food. Her best point? In my opinion, it was this: “…serve children the same meal you make for yourself. They don’t need separate ‘kid-friendly’ foods or snacks, many of which are inferior to the grown-up versions in both taste and nutrition. Parents are often surprised by… the foods their kids will take to.” I don’t have kids, but when I do, this is going to be my rule. It’s so much healthier and so much easier, so therefore seems so logical. Making 1 dinner each night is enough work… I cannot imagine having to make 2 separate dinners! Not to mention I feel I’d just be encouraging this bratty, selfish behavior if I catered to them by only fixing foods they prefer. Okay, I’m obviously opinionated about this and have no right to be until I’ve experienced it with my own kids, but I really do think it’s unfair to a child to only feed them kid food. They deserve better!

Brockhoff provides some tips for helping kids overcome picky eating and developing a sophisticated palate:

• Schedule a kid’s meals and snacks, and stick to the schedule. Remember the division of responsibility: Parents decide what, when and where; kids decide how much and whether or not to eat.

• Skip the kiddie foods, as they often rely on sweeteners, salt and fat for their appeal. If you know it’s bad for your body, why would it be good for your kid’s body??

• Don’t label your child. Calling them a “picky eater” gives them license to refuse food. Just don’t make a big deal out of it at all. If they choose not to eat, so be it. Maybe tomorrow they’ll be hungrier and try something.

• Don’t give up. Take a long-term approach, and you’ll see the results as they become older and more open to new foods.

The content was actually strong and I ended up agreeing with almost everything the article stated. My conclusion? The title was misleading! There ARE things you can do to get kids to taste new foods. Check out some of Ellyn Satter’s books (listed here) if you struggle with this at home and want more information. She’s a great resource and is considered an expert in this area.

A Few Quick Things...

Just a few quick things today at PWN, because I’m taking a mid-week break from school and work to head up to Copper Mountain and ski with my cousins. Weekday skiing is a rare occurrence for me, so I cannot wait! No lift lines, no traffic, and lots of fresh snow – it should be a pretty great day.

So here are a few things I’ll leave you with:

• Yesterday a couple of my classmates presented on soda and sports drinks. We all know they are loaded with sugar, but their information was still shocking. One 20-oz. Coke contains 67 grams of sugar. That is the equivalent of 32 little sugar packs, like the ones you put into your coffee or tea!!! Can you believe it? People usually put one or two into a big cup of coffee, but Coke has 32! Wow. I do not drink soda at all – I don’t enjoy it enough to make it worth it, so I just made the decision to give it up completely about a year ago. But this was still so eye-opening.

• I had a question from a PWN reader yesterday about where to find the gluten-free grains I talk about every once in a while: teff, amaranth, quinoa, brown rice, steel-cut oats and millet. I get all of these at one of Denver’s health food stores – either Whole Foods or Vitamin Cottage. I find that buying in bulk saves a lot of money and is easier for storage because I can just fill up my glass canisters. Teff is the only grain I am unable to find anywhere in bulk, so I buy Bob’s Red Mill prepackaged teff. You can probably get the oats and quinoa at a regular grocery store in the organic section, but for the rest you’ll have to go to a health food store.

• Another question from a PWN reader: Should kids be taking vitamin D? This depends on the kid and on the city you live in. If your kids are getting real sunlight every day (without sunscreen on – even a thin layer of low-spf sunscreen is enough to block vitamin D) then they are probably getting enough vitamin D. But if you live in a state that has long winters or lots of rain, your kids may need to supplement vitamin D. The doctor I work for only gives her two daughters vitamin D when we’ve had a snowy streak in Denver, or when they are feeling a cold or flu coming on. It’s probably good to just keep some on hand for times like this. Dr. Mercola sells a vitamin D spray, which would be really easy to give to kids – you just spray it under your tongue and let it sit for 20 seconds, then swallow it.

That’s all for today! I’m attempting a new nut butter this week and hope to share it with you on Friday… so check back!

Feeding Your Kids: Focusing on the “How” (Part 2)

Yesterday I introduced you to some of the feeding methods and theories that Katja Rowell, MD, uses in her work with parents and others involved in feeding children. Today I will briefly explain how parents can support positive feeding experiences with their own kids.

Parents have the following responsibilities when it comes to feeding:

• Choose and prepare the food

• Provide regular meals and snacks

• Make eating times pleasant

• Teach children about certain foods and appropriate mealtime behavior

• Do not let children graze for food or beverages (except water) between meal and snack times

• Let children grow into their own bodies – do not put them on diets or try to overfeed them

And I’ll add one more item I think parents are responsible for – to choose foods that are healthy and support a child’s health, and to avoid giving children too many processed foods.

Atmosphere is very important. Eat with your kids, and carry on pleasant, easy-going conversations. Avoid watching television or reading the newspaper. Including kids in meal preparation can get them interested and increases likelihood that they'll want to try the foods. Eating out with kids gives them variety. Review the menu with them and let them think about what they want to order. Do not restrict them to the kid's menu. If they are eating "adult" foods at home, they should be able to eat "adult" foods at restaurants too.

Katja also emphasizes the importance of neutral presentation. With her own daughter, she will put everything on the table at once, including dessert if they are having it on a particular night. That way, her daughter is less likely to view sweets as “rewards” for eating healthier things, and more likely to just enjoy it as one of many foods she is being given that night. And, it works! I think in general it is a good idea to avoid using sweets as rewards for things like good behavior or potty training.

Katja emphasizes that parents should OFFER, not FORCE. And if a kid acts totally grossed out by a particular food, let them avoid it and include it in a meal a week or two later. Doctors tell parents it may take 5-10 tries before a kid decides to eat something, but according to Katja that number can be more like 100 tries. So continue to place a variety of foods on the table and maybe eventually your child will try something new.

Items to include at each meal include protein (meat, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, or nuts); two starches (rice, corn, potatoes, noodles, bread, etc.); fruit or veggie (or both); milk or substitute; fats (butter, peanut butter, nuts, etc.).

Katja’s website is a great resource for more information on family feeding:

www.familyfeedingdynamics.com

Some other great resources include some of Ellyn Satter’s books. Ellyn is another expert on this subject.

Secrets to Feeding a Healthy Family

Child of Mine

Your Child’s Weight: Helping Without Harming

I own all three of these books and have read bits and pieces of each of them. They provide very useful information for parents.

Feeding Your Kids: Focusing on the “How”

Yesterday I gave a brief review of the conference I attended in St. Paul this past weekend called A New Paradigm for Weight: An Effective Model for Promoting Healthy Body Image, Eating, Fitness and Weight in Children, Teens and Adults. There were some great presenters, and I think Katja Rowell’s information is particularly important and relevant for PWN readers.

Katja was a family physician prior to founding Family Feeding Dynamics. While working as a physician, she was shocked at the number of feeding problems and children with disordered eating, and wanted to find an effective way to address this. FFD’s goal is to teach the importance of a healthy feeding relationship to health care providers, family therapists, parents and other childcare providers.

The foundation of Katja’s work lies in the Division of Responsibility:

When it comes to feeding, the child can decide IF, and HOW MUCH. The parent decides WHEN, WHAT, and WHERE. (Obviously infants decide “when,” but as they get older this responsibility transfers to the parents).

I like this because it’s simple and easy for parents to remember. Think about the “scenes” this type of division of responsibility can help families avoid: frustrated parents negotiating and bribing their kids at meals; tired kids left at an empty dinner table because they haven’t eaten all their veggies; parents using food as an afternoon “crutch,” only to result in a kid that is not hungry come dinnertime and therefore does not sit down for the family meal; kids consistently dictating what they want for meals and insisting on one of only a few foods, none of which are very nutritious; parents feeling defeated, tired and fed up with picky eaters; an overall association of stress and anxiety with mealtimes for kids.

On the flip side, think about what things COULD be like if the division of responsibility was adhered to: consistent family meals; relaxed meals during which families can talk about their days; kids are not eating too much (because their parents are restricting their food) or too little (because their parents are trying to force food) but rather just the right amount to keep them full; a consistent schedule so the child knows when he/she will eat again; eventual end of kids begging for unhealthy snacks, because they know they will not receive it; parents only have to prepare one meal, because the kids eat the same things as the adults; kids who associate food and eating with thinks like family, happiness, relaxation, and togetherness.

Doesn’t this sound great? Everything Katja said made so much sense, yet I have never heard it presented this way. Katja, as a former doctor and now an eating consultant, stated that conflict over food is “the norm.” It is very typical for children to be picky eaters and for battles to ensue at the dinner table. However, she believes this can be changed with a little work.

Katja also believes that BMI is a false clinical marker as it does not take into account body composition, and therefore is not a reliable predictor of health. Parents may go to the doctor and be told their child is “overweight” or “underweight” based on the BMI charts, and this sets off a cycle of eating battles at home and increased stress at mealtimes. The real things to look for, according to Katja, are weight accelerations or decelerations on the BMI charts. But if your child has a healthy, steady increase as they age and grow, parents need not worry if they are not exactly in line with what doctors label as “healthy” or "ideal."

Tomorrow I will talk about some ways to enforce the Division of Responsibility in your home.

You can visit Katja's website here. Check out her blog too - she provides real examples of the Division of Responsibility used in her own home and that of others.

The NDD Book, Part 2

A continuation from yesterday’s review of Dr. Sears’ book about nutrition for children, The NDD Book…

In his book, Dr. Sears really emphasizes certain foods that he calls “grow foods”. He talks a lot about teaching your children about these grow foods, showing them how to pick them out in the grocery store, and involving them in the entire meal process. This way, the kids will get excited about trying the healthy foods that they have helped buy and prepare.

The foods Dr. Sears recommends staying away from as much as possible:

• Anything with artificial colorings (blue #1, green #2, etc.) or artificial flavor enhancers (MSG, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, etc.) on the labels

• Artificial preservatives (sulfites, nitrites, nitrates, benzoic acid, etc.)

• Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose, saccharin (these are ESPECIALLY bad for kids, and adults too!)

• “Bakery Bads” (cupcakes, Hostess products, packaged muffins, etc.)

• Candy, except 70% dark chocolate treats

• Cereals with fewer than 3 grams protein, 3 grams fiber, and

more than 6 grams sugar per serving

• Cottonseed oil, which is found in shortening, margarine (use real butter!!), potato chips, corn chips, and frozen desserts

• Any type of gelatin or gelatin dessert

• High fructose corn syrup

• Hydrogenated oils

• Marshmallows

• “Shortcut Foods” (anything with “lite”, “fit”, “quick”, etc.)

• Sweetened beverages

• White bread

The foods Dr. Sears encourages parents to feed their children include:

• Avocados

• Beef and turkey (lean, organic)

• Any type of fruits or vegetables

• Eggs

• Nuts and nut butter (learn how to make your own here)

• Oils (fish, flaxseed, olive)

• Wild salmon and other fish

• Spices

• Whole grains

• Organic yogurt

While this second list may seem limiting at first, it really is pretty easy to create snacks and meals that kids will enjoy from the “grow foods” list. Dr. Sears provides some great recipes at the end of his book that he has not only tested out on his grandchildren, but on the kids he sees as patients. I was extremely impressed last week when I saw how well my cousin’s 1 ½ year old son ate when we were all on vacation together. His mom makes all his baby food at home, and he eats the same things adults eat, just in smaller portions. Throughout the week I saw him eat all types of fish, fresh fruit, vegetables, hamburger, cheese, milk, yogurt, and pancakes. He never once fussed or was picky about his selection. He was a dream baby! But I really do attribute it to his parents feeding him all types of “grow foods” and developing his palette at a young age.

The last point Dr. Sears makes: it’s never too late to switch your family over to a diet of healthy, fresh foods and eliminate the snacks and meals that are harming your kids health and affecting their learning, mood and behavior. It may take a bit more time to make the switch if your kids are older and more resistant, but it can be done. He tells you how in the book.

Overall, I loved The NDD Book and I plan on recommending it to my future clients who have children. I think the points Dr. Sears makes, and the research he has done, are very important. However, part of me wonders if he places too much of an emphasis on involving kids in the food and eating processes at home. I definitely think it’s important to involve them to some degree, but at what point does it become too much a part of their little kid worlds? I think there is some merit to just not making a big fuss about it one way or another, and putting the healthy foods on their plates. To all the moms out there, what do you think? I guess when I have kids I will have to experiment with this and decide what is appropriate!

The NDD Book, Part 1

My older sister Alice sent me this book a few months ago, and I finally found time to read it over my school break. Neither one of us has kids yet, but I am very interested in what kids eat, how they eat, and how a parent’s approach to feeding can affect a child’s eating habits for life.

The NDD Book was written by Dr. William Sears (www.askdrsears.com; follow on Twitter @AskDoctorSears), and talks about the relationship between a child’s diet and their behavior, learning and overall health. “NDD”, or Nutrition Deficit Disorder, is Dr. Sears’ diagnosis for children who are not eating properly and therefore suffering from things like ADD, ADHD, depression, anxiety and other behavioral or health problems. He believes many of these disorders are simply a problem with the child’s diet, and that drugs can be avoided if diet is changed (sometimes, not always). I enjoyed the book because not only does Dr. Sears’ explain how to identify if your child is one of these misdiagnosed kids, but he provides a solution. He gives great advice for what and how to feed kids. And as a father of eight and grandfather of another eight, I am inclined to take his advice!

Some of the signs of a child with NDD include:

• Frequent mood swings or temper tantrums

• Restless sleep

• Poor attention span

• Labeled with a D by their teacher or doctor: ADD, ADHD, BPD, OCD, etc.

• Behavioral problems at home, school or day care

• Learning difficulties

• Hyperactivity

• Dry, flaky or bumpy skin

• Intestinal problems (reflux, constipation, diarrhea, etc.)

• Frequent allergies

• Brittle hair or nails

• Pale skin, especially on the earlobes

Any of these things could indicate your child either is not receiving all the nutrients he or she needs, or has a food allergy that has not been identified yet. Dr. Sears recommends experimenting with diet change before putting a child on drugs. This is always his first prescription in his practice, and he has experienced great success.

Tomorrow I will list the foods to avoid and the foods to try, according to Dr. Sears. If a child is overly sensitive to certain foods or food chemical additives, even a small amount can cause severe imbalances inside their tiny little bodies.

As I stated, I am not a parent so I can only go by the books for now, but everything Dr. Sears is presenting seems to make sense. I have done plenty of babysitting to know the difference between the kids who ate boxed mac & cheese in front of the television for dinner, and those who ate “real” foods, like chicken and brown rice and veggies, at the dinner table with their families. Food and eating environment are undoubtedly key to a child’s behavior, learning and health.