The Time Is Now!
If you are thinking about having kids or your kids are under the age of 4 you are at an opportune time to make your life and your kids life significantly better.
I have had quite a few pregnant patients lately. They are coming in for a variety of reasons but on their first visit I always give them a gift for the future.
The gift I give them is a book called Super Nutrition for Babies: The Best Way to Nourish Your Baby from Birth to 24 Months by Dr. Katherine Erlich and Kelly Genzlinger.
It is so important to use food as fuel to nourish and enjoy. We live in a time with a vast variety of delicious whole foods at our fingertips. They delight the senses of smell, taste and sight with a rainbow of colors.
Take advantage of these amazing flavors and colors without adding in sugar, artificial colors, artificial flavors and chemicals to your kids diet.
It is so much easier to not start, than it is to stop. Especially for them.
Sugar is addictive and when you are used to having it consistently in the form of breakfast cereals, drinks and treats, pulling it away can be a nightmare. Try it for yourself. As an adult you know sugar and artificial colors and flavors are not good for you. See what if feels like to go off of them yourselves for 30 days. You might feel anxious, fluish, irritable but at least you can rationalize why you are doing it and understand that you may be detoxing. It’s not so easy to explain to a child what they are feeling when it’s time to remove it.
Why would you want to remove the “normal” foods?
They are certainly common, but not normal. Just because we are a society with a common addiction does not make it normal.
Sugar consumption at an early age makes trying and eating foods that are less sweet, less appealing. That turns into a diet void of nutrients, protein and fiber.
Without an adequate and consistent intake of nutrients, protein and fiber you will end up with malnutrition and ultimately disease.
Sugar consumption contributes to fatty liver disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Never in our history have we seen these diseases in children, but we are seeing them now.
Artificial colors contribute to ADD and ADHD. So does a lack of iron, which can happen if you are only eating simple carbohydrates.
Inflammatory vegetable oils found in chips, packaged and processed foods sets the stage for disease.
Sugar feeds bacteria in the gut that can cause GI issues.
Life is hard enough growing up. Obesity makes it harder.
Truly, life is hard enough growing up. Diabetes, fatty liver disease and heart disease makes it so much harder.
How to transition to a whole foods diet?
Start by cleaning house. Have only whole foods in the house, and a lot of them with a lot of variety. Plenty of proteins (chicken, fish, beef, eggs, tofu, tempeh) to cook, in the freezer and for convenience (such as turkey jerky and beef sticks). Fresh, frozen and dried fruit and vegetables. A variety of nuts and seeds, nut butter and seed butter. Whole grains such as rice, quinoa, beans, peas and lentils. Sweet potatoes and squash. Healthy fats: butter, ghee, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, olives, avocados and coconut. Condiments and sauces from the brand Primal Kitchen.
For a sweet transition use stevia, monk fruit, allulose and erythritol.
For a sweet transition and convenience use Lily’s chocolate, The Good Chocolate or Choc Zero.
For a sweet transition batch cook dessert recipes from https://mariamindbodyhealth.com or a Whole 30 recipe. Try spreading peanut butter on dates with some sugar free chocolate chips for a healthy Snickers-like treat.
It may not be easy but it doesn’t have to be hard. Make an appointment with me. I will give you the support you need and we can troubleshoot for a successful outcome.
Dr. Stacey
