Today's generation of children are what I call the "Processed Foods Generation". They eat fast food, processed foods, chips, sodas, candy, sugar-loaded coffee and much more. For whatever reason, whether parents are gone working long hours or just don't care, they are feeding their children pre-made foods that are unnatural or harmful for children. Some people say children are resilient and overcome anything. This is not true concerning diet and nutrition. What we feed our children now, what we teach them about nutrition, is creating a foundation for their lives. When we give our children non stop processed foods, we are setting them up for an unhealthy lifestyle. We are the adults and we are responsible for our children's health until they are of age to make wise decisions. If you don't think that the processed foods diet is affecting children, look at the statistics:
- The percentage of overweight children in the United States is growing at an alarming rate, with 1 out of 3 kids now considered overweight or obese.
- Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years
- Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease
- Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. One study showed that children who became obese as early as age 2 were more likely to be obese as adults.
It's not just obesity. More and more children are being diagnosed with disorders that could easily be prevented through better nutrition. Children are being diagnosed with high, low blood pressure, pre diabetes, hypothyroidism, ADHD, etc. These conditions can be managed through better health and nutrition. One way to tell if your child could benefit from a lifestyle change is if they are getting infections frequently. Feeding your child too much sugar feeds the "bad bacteria" in their gut, causing frequent infections. Giving them antibiotics often creates havoc in the body, killing "good bacteria" that help keep us healthy. What we feed our children will manifest in some way, whether it be disease or a healthy lifestyle.
How can we raise healthier children?
- Limit processed foods
- Cook from home and I don't mean microwaveable meals
- Cook fresh foods like chicken and vegetables
- Limit breaded and fried items
- Prepare fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, veggies with hummus as snacks
- Only eat fast food when absolutely necessary and chose healthy options
- Avoid candy and daily deserts
- Avoid sodas, artificial sweeteners, fake fruit snacks
- Try to make your child's lunches instead of getting them cafeteria food
- Avoid packaged juices, unless there is no added sugar
- Absolutely NO CAFFEINE or coffee. Caffeine creates hormonal imbalances and adrenal issues. Kids have enough energy on their own. Caffeine can also cause them to have poor sleep cycles. Caffeine is highly addictive. Most people suffer withdrawal symptoms when they stop drinking caffeine.
- A good rule of thumb is to feed your children the colors of the rainbow everyday. This will ensure they are getting a wide variety of vitamins and antioxidants. For example, Apples, Tomatoes, Oranges, Sweet potatoes, bananas, squash, spinach, kale, peas, blueberries, dried grapes, etc. There are many ways to make healthy nutritious food delicious.
What happens when we feed our children eat too much processed food?
Processed food is called anti-nutritious. It robs the body of nutrition. It doesn't give the body what it needs to function at it's optimal level. Think of processed foods as thieves who steal nutrition from the body. This is where chronic disease creeps in.
Instead of ice cream for desert why not try making a homemade smoothie with dark chocolate almond milk and some fruit blended together. Children need real food for breakfast like eggs and oatmeal with fruit, not sugar loaded cereals, pop tarts, donuts or pastries. Reserve these foods for special occasions. If we feed our children crap, that's how they are going to feel.
We are shaping the next generation. Take the time to cook for your children and invest in their health. It will make a huge difference in the long run. What we are teaching our children now is going to shape the rest of their lives. Our children's health is in OUR hands.
For more Nutritional Therapy or guidance making meal plans, contact me @ i.am.davison69@gmail.com
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