As a child who was chubby, had major food cravings, ADD, OCD
and PCOS, I know too well the connection between food, behavior and poor
health.
This was my season! As we prepared for the holiday, I dreamt of
being the child whose Mother had mastered fudge, cookies and pies. I would fantasize that as I entered the house
after school during the holiday season that my Mother would have fresh baked
goods cooling and ready for us to devour.
This was never the case because like myself, my Mother is
also a food addict. If she made it, we
all ate it and we ate it all. One
holiday season in particular, Mom decided to freeze the cookies that we made to
avoid temptation. We soon discovered
that cookies were just as good frozen as fresh baked. Well, maybe not just as good but for a food
addict, a close second!
I later realized when beginning to study nutrition that my
cravings were driven by beneficial bacteria, essential fatty acid and amino
acid deficiencies. Not only were my
cravings driven by these deficiencies but my behavior and subsequent health
ailments as well.
This is an important correlation to make and with the end of
the 1st quarter nearing, we don’t want our children on that downward
spiral of food associated behavior meltdowns and sliding grade point averages.
Whether you are the parent of babies, toddlers, in betweens
and teens, this information applies to all.
Without controlling to the point of creating a sneaky child, how do we
monitor and control food choices? School
parties, breaks and “loving grandparents” can throw a wrench into these
plans.
Start with nourishing meals that will prevent your child
from turning into that craving meltdown monster. A hearty breakfast for example of bacon or
sausage and eggs with plenty of butter will satiate and positively energize children. If your child is not hitting the autumn
celebrations at school and other events with low blood sugar, likely he/she
will not over eat the over processed sugar laden foods. You know it has worked for you so be sure to
honor your child with the same practice.
If special time together during the holiday season is
baking, look for the healthiest recipes possible. Our Low Carb/Paleo community is full of
blogging parents who are facing some of the same decisions that you are. There is no lack of healthful, moderately
sweetened recipes out there. Choosing
sweeteners that contain minerals like Grade B Maple Syrup are healthier than
the devitalized white sugar and there are plenty of sweetener combinations that
even the most advanced palate can’t tell the difference.
Children
have a greater need for carbohydrate than adults so you don’t have to be quite
as diligent as long as the child is not suffering metabolic disturbances.
Small children much prefer crafts over the sometimes long
process of baking. Sure, they’re excited
to begin, they might put on their miniature aprons, begin with the pouring of
ingredients only to melt down by the time the first batch of baked goods is in
the oven. This leaves you frustrated,
the child tired and a mess that you will be responsible for.
Are you hosting the Thanksgiving Dinner this year? It’s always fun to have a special “kids
table”. This allows children their
independence and frees the parent from worry of manners, spills and
distractions. Line your floor with a
sheet or disposable table cloth to prevent carpet or flooring damage, set up
your small table and chairs and put your child to work decorating.
Large pieces of construction paper or butcher paper can line
the table which can provide the children a place to express their thanks in
picture or words.
Your child can create name place cards and napkin rings for
both the adult and child table. Plain
index cards, construction paper, festive stickers and markers are all that is
needed for this easy, personal project. I
have childhood memories of “being in charge” of name place cards and I took my
job very seriously.
Put your child in charge of the table decorations. Send them out to the yard for maple leaves
and set your leaf standards high! This
will keep them busy for a few additional moments and teach them the importance
of standards and patience for your presentation.
Talk about the reason for your celebration with your
children. I’m a big fan of eating
seasonally and our Thanksgiving is a harvest celebration. This can be a great game during grocery
shopping and during the celebration. You
can discuss the seasonal foods with your child and others in attendance and
make it a game during dinner with your left over index cards.
While educating with the reason for the season, be sure to
discuss the nutrients in the foods as well.
This is important and lost with this generation. This
lesson can encompass your beliefs through the miraculous Vitamin/Season
connection. Is it a coincidence that our
squash family is high in Vitamin C during the onset of the fall/winter
season? Those of you home schooling have
a unique advantage as this can be incorporated into your day. You have more control so take advantage of
this time.
Perhaps you can put together a celebratory feast of seasonal
fare and invite others from your group or friends who also home school.
These ideas are also fun for those who are working in, or own
daycare and after school programs.
If we begin at a young age, we can instill solid dietary
habits in our children that can carry them through life free of obesity,
disordered eating patterns and degenerative disease.
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