Avoid Over Eating

I am reading David Kessler's book "The End of Overeating". He has totally reinforced my motivation to convince parents to stop feeding their children an abundance of processed foods. Kessler's book focuses on why we over eat. He takes the reader through the way the brain can react to food cues, smells, and stimulus which then create memories and habits. He then discusses how most of our foods, all those that are processed, are scientifically manufactured to increase our desire and addiction for the food. Lastly he talks about how to break the habits of over eating.

Kessler's premise is that we are all fighting a battle against "Big Food" where food is manipulated to give us the most pleasure with the least effort. Many of the doctors and scientists that he interviews for this book, and the studies that he uses to support their findings are based not only on people who are over weight or obese, but on drug abusers, alcoholics, gamblers and smokers. Addictive behaviors all produce similar reactions in the brain. Foods are structured to melt away in our mouths with almost no chewing. The tastes of salt, sugar and fat are balanced in a way to produce the biggest WOW, and to last even after the food is out of our mouths, leaving us wanting more. As these foods melt away so quickly, we eat more and more, way before our brains tell us we are full. We become accustomed to eating large portions of foods. Habits are formed along with extra weight.

So the most important action you can take to teach your child how to eat is to avoid processed foods. This includes almost all chain restaurant foods (and many others), salty and sweet snacks foods, candy, soda, breakfast cereals and many ready to eat canned and frozen meals. Provide your children with real food: fruit, vegetables, whole grains (oatmeal, brown rice, corn, whole wheat noodles and breads), lean meats, eggs, cheese, nuts, seeds, beans, sea food, and baked goods with real food ingredients only (flour, sugar, butter).

Insist that your children sit down and eat, chew their food, and let their bodies, mouths and minds realize that they have eaten and are satisfied. Serve portions that are small so children see what an appropriate portion looks like, and then allow for seconds if your child still senses hunger. Read Kessler's book- it will really show you how to create a healthy eater in yourself and your child.

Make Summer Food Fun for Kids

Make Summer Food Fun for Kids:
20 Ideas for Older Kids and Teens

By Beverly Pressey, MS, RD

www.creatinghealthyeaters.com


¬Kids are sometimes fearful about new foods, but they are also motivated by fun and colorful presentations. Summer foods offer many opportunities for your child to fill up on foods that are healthy and fun to eat. To interest your child or teen in seasonal vegetables and fruits, consider planting something of your own.

Tomatoes and lettuce grow well in patio pots. You don’t need a designated garden to grow a few vegetables, just plant the veggies amongst your other flowers and trees. If you can’t plant your own, take advantage of Farmers Markets and roadside stands. Produce from these vendors is usually local and therefore fresher than that in your local grocery. Look for U-Pick farms in your area where you and your kids can see how food grows and pick it yourself. If you pick berries, keep in mind that they freeze very well and can then be enjoyed in winter.

Here are 20 refreshing ideas for meals, snacks, picnics or parties.
1. Fruit bowl: introduce seasonal soft skin fruits, leave a bowl of washed fruit in the refrigerator with pears, plums, cherries, peaches, seedless grapes, apricots, and nectarines.
2. Buy some fresh berries and make a cobbler with (or without) your kids.
3. Summer is great for melon. It’s sweet, cold and thirst quenching. Make a bowl of cut up melon each evening or morning.
4. Make fruit kebobs, use melon chunks, grapes and pineapple squares. Offer vanilla yogurt or blended soft tofu (with a dash of vanilla and a teaspoon of honey) as a dip.
5. Freeze individual grapes, on the stem or in ice cube trays. These are like mini-popsicles.
6. Cut bananas in half, place popsicles sticks in each. Let the kids roll them in their favorite topping: crushed nuts, chocolate sprinkles, or colored sprinkles. Freeze on wax paper and enjoy a great frozen treat. Many children that don’t eat bananas will eat these.
7. Make fresh fruit smoothies by blending berries, melon, bananas, pineapple and other skinned fruits with a little water, juice or yogurt.
8. Make your own popsicles. Buy reusable popsicle molds at a kitchen supply store. Fill them with home-made smoothies, fresh juice or your favorite yogurt.
9. Make parfaits with the kids or have some ready in the refrigerator. For a fruit parfait layer yogurt, any cut up seeded fruit and granola or ground nuts, repeat. For best presentation prepare in a clear plastic cup or wine glass. Serve with graham crackers or vanilla wafers.
10. Keep a bowl of cut up carrot and celery sticks plus snap peas, and cherry tomatoes and a variety of dips. Kids like ranch and French dressings. For a meal, give them the veggies with hummus or bean dip and chips.
11. Wraps: pre-make some wrapped sandwiches such as refried beans and cheese, chicken salad, cream cheese and finely chopped veggies, or peanut butter and banana.
12. Have sandwich fixings available. Deli slices, bread, lettuce, mayo, mustard and ketchup. Offer avocado or tomato slices for variety.
13. The right snack mix can make a very kid friendly meal. Combine raisins, nuts or seeds, wheat chex and a small amount of mini chocolate chips. Serve with a glass of milk or over yogurt.
14. Most kids love cheese. Have string cheese, sliced cheese or cheese squares ready to go. Serve with Trisquit or Ry-Krisp crackers for a whole grain addition.
15. Let the kids help make lunch kabobs. Have them place any of the following on a kebob stick: cut up cooked chicken, deli meats, cheese squares, olives, cherry tomatoes or cucumbers. Use Italian dressing as a dip.
16. Corn on the cob, grilled, boiled, or (cooked) cold is always a hit with children. Serve outside with watermelon for a great (and messy), hands on meal or snack.
17. Make a pasta salad with any one of the many shapes available, stir in cheese, cherry tomatoes, peas, olives or Italian salad dressing to the cooked and rinsed pasta. For extra nutrition use whole wheat pasta or a combination of white and whole wheat.
18. More kebabs: cook ravioli and put on skewers with olives, cucumber or zucchini slices. Dip in tomato sauce.
19. Peanut butter and berry sandwiches, with fresh berries and whole wheat bread.
20. Put a scoop of egg salad or tuna salad in an ice cream cone. Top with a cherry.

Consumer Gram Scam

Do you know what a gram is? Is it a measure of size, weight or volume? As the United States has yet to adopt the metric system of measure, I wonder why the nutrition label on food packages, supposedly a source of consumer nutrition information, uses grams as a unit of measure as know one knows what it means.

A gram is a unit of weight. This means that a gram of fiber may have more or less volume than a gram of sugar. Can you picture a gram of sugar? When a 6 ounce cup of yogurt says that there are 31 grams of sugar does this mean anything to you? What if I told you that there are 4 grams of sugar in a teaspoon (which there are). This would mean that there are 7.5 teaspoons of sugar in that 6 ounce cup of yogurt. Now think about this, would you put 7.5 teaspoons of sugar in your tea or coffee cup? Probably not. Granted, some of these sugars are naturally occurring from the milk (lactose) and fruit (fructose), but much of it is added sugar.

Look at some other foods you eat. How much sugar is in a bowl of cereal, 8 ounces of juice, a can of soda? Did you know that you were drinking 7-8 teaspoons of sugar for every 8 ounces of a soft drink you drink(keep in mind the can holds more than 8 ounces)? Is it OK with you that your child is getting 16 grams (4 teaspoons) of sugar in a 1 cup serving of General Mills Oatmeal Crisp:Triple Berry, or 19 grams (almost 5 teaspoons) in 1 cup of General Mill Oatmeal Crisp:Apple Cinnamon, or in 1 1/4 cup of Kellogg's Crunch:Cran-Vanilla or Toasted Honey? Quaker 100% Natural Granola:Low Fat has 4.5 teaspoons of sugar (18 grams) in only 2/3 cup, even though its name implies health.

So beware. As our children are more likely to become overweight than ever before, know what you are buying. Look at the nutrition label and learn what it is really telling you. Don't be fooled by the use of grams or the manufacturers assurances that their product is good for you.

Avoiding Food Addictions in Our Children

There is a new book available, called The End of Overeating. It's author is Dr. David Kessler, former commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration under presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He was curious why people felt compelled to over eat. As a recovered (recovering) over eater and dietitician, I bleive there are many reasons why people over eat. Kessler focuses on the addictive properties of fat, sugar, and salt. I don't disagree with his premiss. Neal Barnard, MD, has published a book also addressing these addictions in his book Breaking the Food Seduction: The Hidden Reasons Behind Food Cravings---And 7 Steps to End Them Naturally. Barnard helps you identify your addictions and how to stop the cravings and start eating healthier foods.

Both books are warning for parents. Our time to help our children become healthy adults is now. They need to be given fresh, unprocessed, basics foods on a regular basis. Chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes type II, high blood pressure, athlerosclerosis, high cholersterol and osteoporosis occur over a life time. A consistenly healthy diet over a life time can is your best insurance for avoiding all of these conditions. As our eating habits develop from childhood, now is the time to keep your children healthy for a life time.


The occasional high fat, high sugar or high salt food will not have immediate healthy effects on a child. But when you offer food to a child you are establishing taste patterns. Children who are regularly fed highly sweet foods sugh as desserts, candy, juice, soft drinks and cereals will start to expect and demand these tastes to feel satisfied. A child who is regularly given high fat foods such as chocolate, fried foods, and creamy sauces will start to develop a need for these foods. Salt is also addicting, so too much soy sauce, canned soups, processed foods and restaurant foods should be kept to occasional foods to allow children to be satisfied with food not overly salted.

Healthy, nonaddictive foods are simple to serve, many require no cooking-- such as fresh raw fruits and vegetables. Whole wheat breads, brown rice, oatmeal, millet and quinoa are all whole grain foods that children enjoy. Beans, nuts and seeds are also loaded with nutrients and their fats are healthy for growing children. Seafood, especially salmon is full of important nutritients for children and adults. Low fat dairy products such as low fat milk, low fat cottage cheese, mozerrella and parmesan cheese are healthy dairy choices. If you are a meat lover, enjoy low fat meats in resonable portions (a portion is the size of a deck of cards) one or two times a day. An occasional egg is good for you as well. Eat you foods prepared simply, without sauce or salt. Really taste the food. Enjoy it. Don't let your child become an addict

Seven Steps to Creating a Healthy Eater

We nourish our children, hoping that our children are receiving the nutrients that will allow their bodies to grow to their healthiest potential. Our intentions are admirable, but at times we become too concerned with the details and lose sight of the goal. We suddenly become desperate for our child to eat one more bite of broccoli, as if this bite determines health or illness. Other times we make sweeping rules for ourselves and families, such as "we are never going to eat chocolate again." Most likely this doesn't last and we feel like we are failing as a parent.

Creating a healthy eater is about the big picture. Over the past month did I or my family eat a variety of healthy foods (whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy, eggs, beans, low fat meats, fish, nuts and seeds)? Was more that half of what we ate real, whole foods? Did I allow my family to:

1.Eat when they are hungry

2.Stop eating when they are sated (full)

3.Eat mostly healthy foods

4.Eat some fun foods

Did I not encourage my family to eat to

5.Please others

6.Avoid something

7.Receive something

These are the 7 tenants to creating a healthy eater. We should only eat when we are hungry, not to get something, avoid something, or please someone else. Are you forcing your child to eat for the wrong reasons? The promise of dessert if a child eats one more bite is the wrong reason to eat. The threat of a punishment for not trying a new food is not a healthy incentive to eating.

Did you allow for the enjoyment of some fun foods? Fun foods are also part of the diet of a healthy eater. I person constantly deprived of fun foods, or offered fun foods only are a reward (bribe) will likely become overly concerned with having these foods. The perceived deprivation many times leads to over-indulgence in these foods when the eater is allowed to make their own food choices. As many fun foods are high in sugar and fat, this over-indulgence can lead to over weight. Moderation and mindful eating are the goals for eating all foods, including those that are just for fun.

Are You Feeding Your Child Too Much?

I recently read a study discovering that by age 5 children tend to eat what is on their plate, regardless of how they feel. Perhaps by this age children have heard "clean your plate" so many times that they just do. Or perhaps because when they are given a portion of food they assume this is how much they should eat. Ideally, a child should never be made to feel that they must eat, especially to please others. To create a healthy eater we must let children eat how much they need to eat to become sated ( a feeling of having enough). We can do this by either allowing children to serve themselves or by giving them very small servings (1-2 tablespoons) of foods. Let the child know that if they are hungry they can ask for more.

Sometimes a child allowed to self serve will serve too much. This may be because it is fun to move food from the serving bowl. If this is the case, feel free to step in and remind the child that we serve ourselves what we plan on eating. Let them know that they can practice serving after dinner, perhaps with a scoop in sand or dirt. Other children serve themselves too much food because they are very hungry and believe they will eat all the food on their plate. This happens often at my home. When we see extra food on a child's plate we remind them to take less next time, and that there will be more available if they need seconds. This is a trial and error process, so be patient.

Restaruants are notorious for serving us too much. "Single" servings are becoming so large, 20 years ago they would have been called extra large or jumbo. A hamburger with cheese plus fries may contain as many as 1600 calories; the total amount of calories needed per day for many women. As both children and adults regularly see these inflated portion sizes, we assume they are normal and eat them. Many studies have shown that the larger the portion the more we eat. We don't stop when we feel sated. People eat more chips from a warehouse store bag of snacks than from a grocery store bag. We even eat larger portions when we have large quantities of the food in the house.

I bring all of this to your attention as large portions make for large children and adults- not tall, but overweight or obese. One of the major changes you can make to help avoid obesity is to serve small portions at home or allow family style serving. When dining out, share entrees. Order 3 entrees and an extra plate for four people. Don't let the restaurant decide how much you need to eat. If you buy at warehouse stores, repackage the foods into smaller containers and put these smaller containers in your kitchen. Store the remainder out of sight. You'll save calories and money too.

"Fiber" the Newest Label Scam

You can find calcium in orange juice, vitamin B-12 in cereal and now you can find fiber in cookies, yogurt and ice cream. Fiber???? Well, sort of. Polydextrose is being added to foods that don't naturally contain fiber just like oranges don't naturally have calcium and grains don't have B-12. It is still unclear if single nutrients added to foods acts in the human body like nutrients present in the real food. But we do know that polydextrose does not decrease cholesterol or decrease incidence of heart disease as the naturally occurring fiber found in oats and many other whole foods. It may do nothing more than add bulk to the product--cheap filler. Slate.com has a great article on this topic, http://www.slate.com/id/2213354/pagenum/all/#p2.

So I am again telling you, EAT THE FOOD. The real whole food knows what it is doing. It has nutrients to keep our bodies functioning properly and hundreds of other properties that we haven't even discovered yet. These properties work in conjunction with each other within the food itself and lose their efficacy when separated out and added to some other food product. Stop looking for the Perfect food, it's already out there and it's called unprocessed whole food--fruits, vegetables, eggs, whole grains, vegetable oils, wild fish and grass fed beef.

When you start to see advertising for fiber in foods that are not primarily plant foods, realize that because of the lax labeling laws in the U.S., food companies are using the word "fiber" to entice you into buying their food product. You see fiber and think healthy. Never mind that the fiber in this product is likely not going to do you any good.