Raising Smarter Children

Well, according to a new Canadian study from the University of Calgary, researchers said that nearly three quarters of the “fun, so called, kid healthy” foods they examined, are not really as healthy as they claim.   In fact, the ingredients in some of these foods are precisely what lead to an obese, unhealthy child, who either has or is well on the way to type II diabetes.

Many ads that target your child and what he or she eats can easily lead to sickness and a shortened life span, and with all the medical research to back that up, it’s not even a stretch to believe it. 

According to an Associated Press report on MSNBC, The Federal Trade Commission said nearly $1.6 billion ad dollars target your child in every possible way to buy foods, snacks, and soads they see in movies, on T.V., in magazine ads, on cereal boxes, computers and even cell phones.

Given what the American Medical Association has said about the obesity and type II epidemic in children, it’s more important than ever to pay close attention to food labels and what you feed your child.  Fast food in general, the fries, burgers, and soda drinks will only lead to an overweight child who has the chance to get sicker faster. 

When you go to the store, be savvy.  Check the labels.  For example, the Center for Science in the Public Interest and The National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity, say to check for fat, sugar and sodium content on the labels. 

Sugar hides out as substances like corn syrup, which hits the bloodstream and causes a sharp increase in blood sugar.  Then, it is it’s harder for the body to lower that blood sugar spike.  Not to get to technical, but if your child eats too much sugar, type II diabetes and more damaging conditions are on their way.

Be sure to check the label for any fat that says hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated because these fats are long proven in every peer-reviewed major medical joural on this topic,  to be unhealthy for everyone.

Even foods that claim to be “lite”, hide artificial sweeteners in the ingredients. which can be just as unhealthy as the regular bleached white sugar you bake with or have on the table. The Food and Drug Administration has countless complaints about the effects of artifical sweetners.

Ad spending on so called “kid friendly” foods, definitely contributes to childhood obesity.  According to the research done at the University Of Calgary, 50% of the calories kids eat come from fat or added sugars.  32% of American children are overweight, which does nothing to help their health or learning abilities. 

According to the organizations above, food is deemed to be unhealthy if more than 35% of the calories come from fat, of if it contains more than 3% added sugar by weight. They go on to say that the sodium cut off for a full meal is “770 mg for main meals and 600 mg for individual servings”.

Given that you want your child to stay healthy and live and long and happy life, here are a few healthy kid tips to help your child stay brain and body smart:

1.  Check the foods your child can get at school.  Ask about the ingredients, whether are there candy and soda machines on campus, and does your school use sugary and hydrogenated goodies as fund raisers?

If the answers are not what you know is best for your child, get a group of health conscious parents together, armed with some facts from medical journals and nutritional organizations and put your concerns before the school board.

If the cafeteria food is brought in from fast food restaurants, petition for something more healthy.  Or, pack your child’s lunch with healthy foods.

2.  Take your child on a trip to fast food restaurants.  Get all the nutrition information from the manager, and take a “field trip” to the cooking area if possible.   Take a good hard look at what the food is made of, whether sugar is added to fries to brown them, what percentage of the “beef” is really pure beef, how much fat, sodium and sugar is in each item.  Look at the oil the food is cooked in.  How many grams of sugar are in a soda? 

I’ve found this to be one of the best ways to help kids understand why what they eat can really hurt them.

3.  Make a list with your child before you go to the store.  Put it in two columns.  The second column will show your child how much fat, what kind, how much sugar and what kind, how much sodium, etc. can be allowed on the label.  Also, put artificial colors, msg, and artificial sweeteners of all kinds in the second column.

Then, in the first column, put the list of foods together for the week. 

If that list includes fresh fruits, vegetables, hopefully organic meats, fish and chicken and some truly healthy snacks, let your child help you pick these things out, while paying very close attention to the information in column 2 on the list.  If it doesn’t measure up, don’t buy the food.  It’s that simple.

4.  Look at the total carbohydrate count on the label and divide it by 5 amd that will give you the metabolic equivalent of how much sugar your child is eating.  

When I wanted to show my kids how to see how much sugar was in something, we converted those grams on the label and I had them put that much white table sugar into a glass.  Then I said, how would you like to drink that?

Once I learned about how to keep my children happy, I did hundreds of hours of medical research and the result was my book called, What’s Food Got To Do With It? 101 Natural Remedies For Learning Disabilities.

If you think your child has ADD_ADHD, we put together a 3 book set, called ADD-ADHD.  It contains What’s Food Got To Do With It, Instant Learning For Amazing Grades and Success Strategies For Special Education.  Check these out too, because they contain the information you need on health, learning to get A’s, and strategies for any child diagnosed with a learning challenge.

We want to prevent and cure childhood obesity and prevent type II diabetes.  If you follow these few simple steps, you’re a parent who really cares about your child’s health, and you’ll make great strides in keeping your child as healthy as possible.

Remember, every child is smart - and you need to be smart about what you feed your child,

Warmly,

Pat Wyman and Erin Mavredakis, M.D.

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Tags: American Medical Association, artificial sweeteners, Associated Press, corn syrup, Erin Mavredakis, FTC, healthy kids, hydrogenated fat, M.D., MSNBC, obesity epidemic, Pat Wyman, saturated fat, school board, school cafeteria, sugar, T.V. ads target kids, type II diabetes, unhealthy foods for kids

Food and kids.  Have you ever wondered how to get them to eat their veggies and the other things that make them healthy?

Three quick tips:  1.  Take them on a field trip to their favorite fast food restaurant.  Make sure the manager brings out the menu of the ingredients in the foods they love. Check out the sugar, fat and calories.  If they happen to like fries, did you know a lot of places put sugar on them to make them brown better?

If you can, visit the kitchen.  Check out the stuff food is fried in?  How is the rest of the food prepared?  Nothing like a wake-up call to make the food and body connection real for your child.

2.  As a doctor who sees very sick children, see if you can make arrangements to have your child "volunteer" to cheer up some sick kids.  Make sure these kids are severely overweight (and it could have been controlled by better food choices) and check the side effects of the obesity epidemic.

Next stop - go and see some kids with type II diabetes.  Ask them about their day, taking their blood sugar and what effect it has on their lives.  Another great wake up call for your child.

Then have a chat about food and health.  Just a short one - but now you have some "reality" to add to the mix.

Finally, if your child is taking a test at school, or at home, eat more protein - things like fish, cheese, lean meats, eggs, etc. so their blood sugar stays more stable and they can concentrate longer.

Sugary snacks leave them hungry for more sugar in about twenty minutes, and brain fog can set in, making it tough to think. 

Think about what’s in the fridge and what things your kids snack on.  After they have taken their field trips, maybe they can make the grocery list for a few days.  See if anything changes - you may be very surprised and happy at what they choose.

Remember, every child is smart in their own way,

Pat Wyman, M.A. and Erin Mavredakis, M.D.

 

Tags: fast food, food, food and learning, learning, obesity, obesity epidemic, smarter children, smarter food, Smarter kids, type II diabetes

Raising Smarter Children is a blog site where the conversation about smarter children means much more than a brainy I.Q. score.

Children are smart in many ways and every parent wants a child with character, integrity and a strong sense of values.

Who we are: Two women, one blog - making a difference.

Erin Mavredakis, M.D., is a pediatrician who believes that every child is “smart” and given proper love and care will blossom into the child and adult fulfilling their full potential.  She nutures children to health and gives them the love and confidence they need to feel “smart” in everything.

Pat Wyman, M.A., is the best selling author of several books, including Learning vs. Testing, Strategies That Bridge The Gap, (http://www.howtolearn.com/learningvstesting4.html),  founder of HowToLearn.com and recipient of the James Patterson PageTurner Award for her work in vision, reading and learning.  If you want to find out how the printed page looks to your child and how to help your child raise reading scores, take the free Eye-Q Reading Inventory.

Pat is a university instructor of continuing education at California State University, East Bay, consultant and workshop presenter on reading improvement, and faster learning strategies to parents, teachers and corporations.  Pat regularly appears on T.V. and radio and is interviewed for publications like the Washington Post, Family Circle, Woman’s World and Nick Jr. Family Magazine.

Pat is passionate about children and their potential, and has spent a lifetime teaching and writing to enhance their success in school and in life.  She believes that, with the proper knowledge and understanding, parents can raise a child who is “smart with heart”, and contributes positively to our world. 

In her words, Learning is not about being smart.

Pat and Dr. Erin are unique as the only mother-daughter team sharing new discoveries and tips with parents on how to raise smarter children.

Tags: Erin Mavredakis, Family Circle, health, healthier children, higher grades in school, M.D., Nick Jr. Family Magazine, obesity, obesity epidemic, Pat Wyman, reading, reading improvement, smarter children, values, Washington Post, Woman-039s World