The Dirty Dozen

Dr. Sears list of man-made items to avoid:

1. Hydrogenated / partially hydrogenated oil (trans-fats)
2. Aspartame
3. MSG (monosodium glutamate)
4. HVP (hydrolyzed vegetable protein)
5. BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole)
6. BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)
7. Acesulfame Potassium (acesulfame K)
8. Potassium Bromate
9. Sodium Nitrate/Nitrite
10. Propyl Gallate
11. Sodium Benzoate
12. Artificial Colors

What’s in Your Child’s Drink

For kids, meals are not complete without a delicious beverage. Today some of the most popular beverages are conveniently packaged and easy to throw into our kid’s lunch or to grab out of the refrigerator after school. But what is really in these popular drinks?

Let’s take a look at some of the most popular beverages and learn a little more about why the ingredients matter for our kids’ health.  Look for the list of drinks that are healthy alternatives and are just as convenient.

Isotonics (i.e. Gatorade) (8.5 tsp of sugar in a 20 oz bottle):  Ingredients: Water, high fructose corn syrup* (glucose-fructose syrup), sucrose syrup, citric acid, natural flavor, salt, sodium citrate, monopotassium phosphate, modified food starch, glycerol ester of rosin, yellow 5.

Interesting Fact: ONE banana provides the same amount of electrolytes (potassium is an electrolyte) as 10.8 bottles of Gatorade!

Banana = 6.75 tsp of natural sugar (fructose)

10.8 bottles of isotonic = 94.5 tsp of processed sugar (almost 2 cups!)

Sunny Delight (4 tsp of sugar in a 6.75 oz. bottle): Ingredients: Water, high fructose corn syrup* and 2% or less of each of the following: concentrated juices (orange, tangerine, apple, lime, grapefruit), citric acid, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), thiamin hydrochloride (vitamin B1), natural flavors, modified cornstarch, canola oil, sodium citrate, cellulose gum, acesulfame potassium, neotame, sodium hexametaphosphate, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate to protect flavor, yellow #5, yellow #6.

Interesting Facts:

• Sunny Delight is manufactured by the multinational chemical and detergent firm Procter & Gamble (P&G).
• The Children’s Foundation, doctors and nutritionists speak out against Sunny Delight:  “The fact that it’s kept in the refrigerated section of the grocery store right along side the other juices makes you think it’s the real thing, unless you read the small print,” says Kay Hollestelle, executive director of the Children’s Foundation.
• “There is nothing either sunny or delightful about a junk food dressed up as fruit juice,” said Michael Jacobson of CSPI, a scientists’ group. “Sunny Delight is basically exorbitantly priced sugar water, with a tiny bit of fruit juice and vitamins added. It’s like orange soda without the bubbles.”

* High fructose corn syrup is unlike natural sugars; because it does not trigger the release of the hormone leptin, part of the body’s natural system that creates the feeling of fullness and satisfaction.  Those who have HFCS regularly in their diet are more likely to crave sugar and overeat.

Minute Maid Apple Juice (8 tsp of sugar 10 oz bottle): Ingredients: Pure filtered water, concentrated apple juice, less than 0.5% of vitamin C (ascorbic acid), calcium citrate, potassium phosphate.

Interesting facts:

• Children who drink more than 12 ounces a day are more likely to be overweight than other children.
• Children under 6 years old should not drink more than 4-6 ounces of juice per day (American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation).
• Even 100% fruit juice is not as nutritious as the fruit itself, as it contains much needed fiber.

Glaceau Essential Vitamin Water (8 tsp of sugar in 20 oz bottle): Ingredients: Vapor distilled water, crystalline fructose, citric acid, natural flavor, calcium lactate, potassium, gum Arabic, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), electrolytes (calcium, magnesium, and potassium), gum ester, vitamin A, palmitate, vitamin E acetate, niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), iron, cyanocobalamin (B12), beta carotene (for color), pyridoxine hydrochloride (B6), selenium.

Interesting facts:

• The amount of sugar in vitamin water offsets the benefits of the vitamins.
• Glaceau vitamin water only contains 15 – 40 calories less than the same size bottle of Coca-Cola.
• It is healthier to drink plain water and eat fruits and vegetables.

Pure Water (0 tsp of sugar): Ingredients: water.

Interesting facts:

• Our bodies are made up of 60% water.
• Our bodies use water to regulate our temperature, transport oxygen and nutrients to our cells, and assist in the process of digestion, metabolism and elimination.
• Without water, our bodies can’t flush out waste and toxins.
• A sufficient water intake is needed to combat dehydration, which saps energy, causes fatigue and reduces concentration.
• Not getting enough leads to dehydration; and this leads to a number of health problems, one of which can be death.
• Absolutely any other fluids may be dehydrating and make your body need more water.

Traffic Light Eating

Do you have a picky eater, or a child who prefers sugary, high-fat junk food, to the point where she’s ignoring her body’s need for real nutrients? It’s not uncommon for parents to struggle to get their children to eat better. One of the best ways to help your child eat healthy is to teach them Traffic Light Eating. Just like when we are driving a car, a traffic light tells us what to do:

Green means “go”
Yellow tells us to “slow down”
Red means “stop” and think

Green light foods are “grow” foods. You want to help your child learn to eat as much as they want of these foods, which include all fruits and vegetables. Green light foods are: grown and not manufactured, low in calories, high in nutrients, colorful, and usually can be eaten raw.

Yellow light foods are “slow down” foods. These foods are okay to eat everyday, in moderation. Yellow light foods include: pasta, rice, bread, tortillas, noodles, eggs, lean meat, chicken, low fat yogurt, nuts and seeds, olive oil, soy foods, whole grains, fish, low fat cheese, and vegetable oil.

Red light foods are “stop” and think foods. When we come across a red light food, we should make a different choice or eat a smaller portion. Red light foods are low in nutrients; high in calories, fat or sugar; or contain artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, or tans-fats. They include: butter, cookies, candy, frozen yogurt, fatty meats, pastries, chips, and white bread.

Tips to Apply Traffic Light Eating (Even With a Picky Eater):

• Encourage your picky eater to eat more “green go foods” by making sliced fruits and vegetables readily available.
• Provide dips, such as yogurt or hummus, and allow your child to “play” with his food by dipping it as he goes.
• Don’t keep sweets in the house. When they’re not available, your child will be more willing to eat the nutritious foods you want to target.
• Use Traffic Light Eating to model healthy eating yourself!
• At dinner, talk about which foods are green light foods, which foods are yellow light foods, and which foods (if any) are red light foods.

Whether you’re dealing with a picky eater in particular, or you just want to encourage your children to choose more healthy foods, Traffic Light Eating makes eating healthy more fun. Remember, too, that our children are paying attention to what we eat, and setting a positive example is the key to turning healthy eating into a regular habit.

Getting Your Kids to Try New Vegetables

1. Use “The Bite Rule” to encourage a reluctant or picky eater. Ask your child to take at least three bites, or choose a number that is probably more than your child would choose on her own, but doesn’t go so far that you’re force-feeding her. The bite rule encourages your child to taste new foods, while still giving her some control over her own eating. This tool can be especially helpful when encouraging your children to eat vegetables that are new or unfamiliar.
2. Share it. If your child is going through a picky-eater stage, invite a friend over who is the same age as your child, or slightly older, and who “likes to eat.” Your child will catch on. Group feeding allows your child to learn from other children’s positive example.
3. Dip it. Children (and adults) think that immersing foods in a tasty dip is pure fun, and delightfully messy. This trick is especially helpful when you want your kids to eat vegetables more frequently. Some possibilities to dip into:
   1. Cottage cheese or tofu dip
   2. Cream cheese
   3. Fruit juice-sweetened preserves
   4. Guacamole
   5. Peanut butter, thinly spread
   6. Pureed fruits or vegetables
   7. Yogurt, plain or sweetened with juice concentrateThese dips serve equally well as spreads on apples or pear slices, bell-pepper strips, rice cakes, bagels, toast, and other nutritious platforms.
4. Package it. Appearance is important. For something new and different, why not use your child’s own toy plates for dishing out a snack? Our kids enjoy the unexpected and fanciful when it comes to serving dishes. Anything from plastic measuring cups to ice-cream cones can be used to make trying healthy new foods fun.
5. Creative cuts. Using a small cookie cutter to cut vegetables into interesting shapes. This is a fun way to eat vegetables!
6. Steam your greens. They are much more flavorful and usually sweeter than when raw.
7. Be persistent! Most children need to try a new food 10-15 times before they develop a taste for it, so make a point of introducing a new item multiples times. This is especially true you want your children to eat vegetables, fruits they’ve never tried, and other unfamiliar items.

Healthy Fast Food: How to Choose Healthy Foods in the Drive Through

In the world of fast food, there are plenty of less-than-healthy options, from French fries, to fried chicken, to burgers with bacon and high-fat sauces. Fortunately, though, many fast food restaurants are now listening to consumers, and are providing healthy options. The next time you need to stop at a drive through, try these healthy fast food items:

Instead of fried chicken strips or fried chicken nuggets, try…

• A grilled chicken sandwich
• A grilled chicken salad with low fat dressing
• A grilled chicken fajita pita, or
• A chicken burrito without the extra cheese or refried beans

Instead or potato chips or French fries, try…

• A green salad
• A Fruit cup
• Pretzels
• Baked chips
• A baked potato (with vegetables, salsa, cottage cheese, or fat free sour cream)

Instead of a large pizza with pepperoni and extra cheese, try…

• A small or medium whole wheat crust pizza
• A small or medium vegetarian pizza (mushrooms, green peppers, and tomatoes)
• A small or medium low fat cheese pizza (or just order _ the cheese), and
• Add a large salad to go along with it

Instead of soda, try…

• Water with a slice of lemon or lime for extra flavor
• Milk, or
• 100% juice

As you can see, healthy fast food items aren’t hard to find once you know what to look for. The next time you visit a fast food restaurant, choose one of these items and take the time to share your decision making process with your children.

8 Foods That Boost Your Immune System

Did you know that you can find natural immune system boosters in certain foods? Choose healthy foods that contain these eight immune system boosters, and cut down on the days you miss from work or school due to illness!

1. Vitamin C: Increases the amount of infection-fighting white blood cells and antibodies in your body, raises the body’s good cholesterol, and lowers the risk of certain types of cancer. Just 200 milligrams a day works well and can be obtained by eating at least six servings of fruits and vegetables each day. The fruits containing the highest amounts of Vitamin C are guava, papaya, strawberries, kiwi, cantaloupe, orange, and grapefruit. Vitamin C supplements are also an option.
2. Vitamin E: Stimulates the production of cells that destroy germ cells and enhances the immune cells that produce antibodies that destroy bacteria. A diet rich in seeds, vegetable oils, and grains can provide 30 to 60 milligrams of Vitamin E each day, but supplements may be necessary to get the recommended 100-400 milligrams per day, depending on your lifestyle. Generally, a more active lifestyle doesn’t require as much Vitamin E.
3. Carotenoids: Beta carotene is the most familiar carotenoid and increases the number of infection-fighting cells, and is a powerful antioxidant that helps slow the aging process. Carotenoids can also lower the risk of heart disease and cancer. Immune system boosters that are high in carotenoids are carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, collard greens, and tomatoes.
4. Bioflavonoids: This group of phytonutrients aids the immune system by protecting the cells of the body against environmental pollutants and reduces cholesterol’s ability to cause clots in the arteries. A diet that contains a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, at least six servings per day, is all you need. Foods with bioflavonoids include: berries, cherries, grapes, fruit skins, and true fruit juices, true teas (not herbal teas), grains, celery, parsley, grapefruit, oranges, apple skin, onions, endive, radishes, tomatoes, leeks, broccoli, and red wine.
5. Zinc: This valuable mineral increases the production of white blood cells, which fight infection. Zinc also helps the body’s white blood cells fight more aggressively and can help the body fight cancer, as well. However, since too much zinc in the form of supplements (more than 75 milligrams a day) can inhibit immune function, it is safest to stick with getting zinc from your diet and to aim for just 15 to 25 milligrams a day. Foods rich in zinc are oysters, crab, beef, turkey (dark meat), and beans.
6. Garlic: This flavorful member of the onion family stimulates the multiplication of infection-fighting white blood cells. Recipes with garlic can be easily found in most cookbooks.
7. Selenium: This mineral increases natural killer cells and mobilizes cancer-fighting cells. The best food sources of selenium are tuna, red snapper, lobster, shrimp, whole grains, brown rice, egg yolks, cottage cheese, chicken (white meat), sunflower seeds, garlic, Brazil nuts, and lamb chops.
8. Omega-3 fatty acids: These immune system boosters are found primarily in flax oil and fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, and sardines) increase the activity of the cells that eat up bacteria. Essential fatty acids also protect the body against damage from over-reactions to infection. When taking essential fatty acid supplements, such as flax or fish oils, take additional vitamin E, which acts together with essential fatty acids to boost the immune system. One way to get more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet is to add one to three teaspoons of flax oil or four tablespoons of flax seed to a fruit and yogurt smoothie.

As you can see, it’s not difficult to incorporate natural immune system boosters into your diet. Begin to experiment with eating more of these delicious foods, and pay attention to how much better you feel. Take note of how many fewer sick days you need to take, too!