Processed Kids

Sorry Whole Foods, We Don't Want Your Salad Bar...

2010-10-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

If you've been to your local Whole Foods lately, you've probably seen the signs for their initiative to get salad bars into the schools. I think it's a great idea!!

The Preston/Forest location in Dallas ranks 5th in donations throughout the country. That location of Whole Foods wants to give a salad bar to 5 schools in the area.

Unfortunately, DISD schools won't be getting any of these salad bars.

I personally asked Dora Rivas, Director of Food and Child Nutrition Services at DISD, if the district would support our school applying for one of these salad bars. Here was her response:

"We are not accepting salad bars. I have implemented salad bars in the past and had to remove due to issues with labor and food safety issues. We are currently providing pre-packaged salads on the line to assure food safety and cross contamination. In schools, our health department is very strict. Please feel free to give me a call if you have further questions on this."

While I understand the district's concerns, I think it is a shame that we won't be getting a salad bar. Our parents at school were all ready to step up and volunteer to make it happen. What do you think about this? Let your school district's nutrition department know!

I wonder what Whole Foods will do with the $1.3 million they raised for this program? I wonder if other districts will say no as well...

Back to School Lunches

2010-09-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

Now that the kids are back in school and in the swing of things, I thought I would go visit them at their lunchtime. I saw things that both encouraged me and bothered me at the same time.

There have been some positive changes in our district. They have added freshly made sandwiches on wheat bread several days a week, switched to brown rice, and had a couple of sides that were fresh fruit and vegetable. Overall, the lunch looked pretty good to me.

When I saw what was being served (Frito pie with rice), I knew immediately that my littlest one wouldn't eat it. Thank goodness for the sandwiches! He also got grapes, green beans, and a juice. Not bad. He even ate the lettuce on the sandwich. Now the only problem is to get him to eat instead of talk - there isn't much time for them to eat.

When my second son went through the line, however, it was a bit of a different story. He got the Frito pie and some cucumbers. He ate two Fritos for lunch. I asked him why didn't he get the sandwich and the little girl across from him informed me that they were out of sandwiches. When I went back and asked if they were out of sandwiches, the lady went to the fridge and pulled two more out. I wasn't sure how that was going to feed the 30 kids that were in line, plus several hundred still to come through.

Also on the menu was a hummus plate and veggies. This was nowhere to be found. I asked and found that it hadn't been available at all so far.

I felt so sorry for my son and had nothing to give him. You can imagine how hungry he was when he got home. Overall, it was a discouraging visit.

What I don't understand is why say healthier foods are going to be offered, then not make them available to the kids. I like the changes that are on paper, but who is enforcing them? I guess that's why parents like us need to get involved in our school. Don't just assume that what's on the menu is what your child is getting.

Over the coming weeks, I'll be documenting what I am doing at our school to make healthier changes. I hope you'll follow and do the same at your child's school. Please let me know what you are doing and what is working.

Summer Fun

2010-06-03T07:17:00.000-07:00

Well, school's out and the kids are home for the summer. I am so looking forward to sleeping late, not making lunches every morning, and the opportunity to spend more time with my two boys.

For the next few months, I am choosing the kids over the computer! I have decided to put this blog on hold until school starts back up so that I am not ignoring them several mornings each week.

I will be blogging once weekly at http://www.momsblog.dallasnews.com/, so find me there on Thursday's at 3:00.

I hope you have a wonderful summer too. I know we will.

Good news on the school lunch front

2010-05-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

Last night, our school lunch group had a meeting at Andrew Ormsby Catering to discuss how to improve school lunches. Dora Rivas, Director of Food and Child Nutrition Services in DISD, came to discuss the changes the district is making next year to their menus. She suggested parents join schoolnutrition.org to keep updated on changes and request additional funding from legislators, working with the PTA, and ensuring that your school is in compliance with the district's wellness policy. Let me know if you want to get involved!

Andrew Ormsby of Andrew Ormsby Catering hosted the event. He served a wonderful buffet of 'kid-friendly' foods made with fresh, natural ingredients, that would be great on a school lunch menu.

Pictured here (from left to right) are Dora Rivas, Andrew Ormsby, and myself.

Some of the positive changes slated for the menu next year are brown rice and whole grain breads, vegetarian options daily, and homemade sandwiches. It's a great start, but there is still a long way to go.

Mother's Day Brunch

2010-05-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

I had the most beautiful mother's day this year, thanks to my wonderful husband Michael. He absolutely pampered me all day long. I woke up and read a book in bed, one of my favorite things to do. Then, breakfast in bed was served. The boys had made chocolate covered strawberries for me, which they sat with me and ate. Then I took a long bath. (I definitely need to do that more often)

I am blessed to have all the kid's grandparents in town right now, so we had all 4 mothers to celebrate with. Michael set up a beautiful table on the patio. The weather was perfect, cool and crisp, to sit outside.

Then he cooked a wonderful lunch inspired by some of our friends. The roasted potatoes with feta cheese, recipe compliments of Joslyn Taylor, were divine. They really are the best potatoes I've had. Find the recipe here. The spinach salad is so simple and fresh, perfect for summer. That recipe was shared by my friend Eimilie Mitchell. Just combine baby spinach, feta, strawberries, and toss with Brianna's poppyseed dressing. I've never been a huge fan of poppyseed dressing, but this combination was absolutely perfect. Then melted ham and swiss finger sandwiches topped off the meal.

Of course, what mother's day meal would be complete without mimosas and a chocolate covered strawberry. It really was a beautiful day.

Grilled Salmon Recipe

2010-05-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

I have to say, my husband makes the best grilled salmon I have had anywhere. I have a hard time ordering salmon when I go out now because I know it won't be nearly as good. He grills it on a cedar plank for an extra smoky flavor. I usually pair with a nice green salad, brussels sprouts, and a bottle of white wine. Perfecto!

The recipe:

Soak cedar plank in water for an hour

Marinade the salmon in soy sauce and spicy schezuan sauce for an hour

Heat the grill to 400 degrees

Put the fish on the cedar plank skin side down and put on the grill

Baste the fish with soy and schezuan sauce every few minutes

Cook about 20 minutes or until fish is slightly flaky (do not flip fish while cooking)

Take off heat and let sit 5 minutes

Cut and serve - melts in your mouth!

It's so easy and so delicious. Salmon is so good for you, too. It's loaded with Omega-3's and is one of the healthiest foods you can eat (along with spinach and blueberries), according to Steven Pratt, M.D., author of SuperFoodsRX. A great read, by the way.

I'd love to hear how you like this salmon recipe. Bon appetit!

Changing School Lunches NOW!

2010-05-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about the real possibility that school lunches may actually change for the better. Not in several years, like I thought it would take, but now!

On the upside - decisions are being made in Dallas ISD this week on next year's menus. What you can do: email vbharucha@dallasisd.org (DISD menu planner) and let her know you want fresh foods served for lunches and less processed foods, no high fructose corn syrup, no trans fats, and no antibiotics and hormones in the meat and milk. Even if your child isn't in DISD, those kids deserve a healthy lunch and need your help.

More good news: they are adding freshly made sandwiches, a vegetarian option each day, and items like yogurt parfait and hummus and pita to the menu. A great start!

On the downside - even with these changes, there will still be processed foods. Why? Because our school district is worried about the health and hygeine of cooking with real meat. Can you believe that? They would rather pump our kids full of chemicals than take a class on food safety. I was floored when I heard that.

A huge hurdle to improving school lunches is the government. To participate in the school lunch program, and get reimbursed for lunches served, schools have to take food commodities (free leftover food) and use them in the schools. Take a look at these numbers of government food subsidies from an article on Mercola.com:

•Meat/Dairy -- 73.8 percent
•Grains -- 13.2 percent
•Sugar/Oil/Starch/Alcohol -- 10.7 percent
•Nuts/Legumes -- 1.9 percent
•Vegetables/Fruits -- 0.4 percent

"That’s right – just 1.9 percent for nuts and legumes and 0.4 percent for fruits and vegetables. As a result, a salad often costs you more than a Big Mac". See the full article here.

As long as schools get the leftover subsidies from the government, fresh and natural foods are out. Even worse, schools are on the bottom of the list of who gets all this meat - after restaurants, grocery stores, fast food, etc. The kids are getting the worst cuts and bits and leftovers that fast food chains won't serve. The rest is dog food. It's a pretty bleak scenario. It's why our kids are so unhealthy.

Me, I'm choosing to focus on the positive. I know this change will happen, and I'm doing everything I know to make it happen. I hope you'll join me. It's going to take parents everywhere making some noise before the districts will listen.

Let me hear from you if you want a change!

Organic on a Budget

2010-04-29T07:19:00.000-07:00

Can organic and budget really go in the same sentance? Sure, with a little planning.

I always plan my week's menu in advance, right down to the snacks my kids and I make after school. One sure fire way to blow your budget is shopping without a plan! I have gotten pretty good at only getting what is on my list and I can usually tell how high the bill will be by how long the list is. In other words, the more simply we eat, the less we spend. I'd rather eat fresh, natural simple meals than elaborate unhealthy ones anyway.

During the planning, I try to think of meals that use similar ingredients to save money. For example, I use a rotisserie chicken for two meals (like chicken and veggies, pot pie, tortilla soup, chicken salad, etc..) Also, we love build your own taco night. It's so quick and easy, everyone loves it, and it only costs a couple of dollars per person. Then we usually have a fend-for-yourself night, (a.k.a. lazy mommy night).

Build Your Own Tacos:

Ingredients:

1 tomato

1 avacado
1/2 red onion
1 can pinto beans
1 lb hamburger meat (optional)
grated cheese
chopped lettuce
flour tortillas
butter lettuce
chili powder, garlic powder, pepper

Instructions:
Dice vegetables
Heat beans
Brown hamburger meat, drain, add spices to taste
Build your own tacos!
****We use the butter lettuce to make 'taco wraps'
****Can also be made as fish tacos (shown) or simply vegetarian

With a few nights of simple, inexpensive meals, I can usually throw in a nicer meal (like grilled salmon) or a more elaborate one with more ingredients (like a lasagne). I also try to make enough to use for lunches the next day.

Making snacks instead of buying those expensive boxed, processed snacks can stretch your budget further, too. I've found that if the kids have a pretty heavy, filling snack after school, they aren't snacking throughout the afternoon. We'll make protein bars, peanut butter and banana, cheese sandwiches, or quesadillas.

Another way I love to save on produce is by going to the farmer's market. The produce is fresher and less expensive, and also it feels good supporting the local farmers. Check out the farmers market in your area. It's a great way to get back to nature and teach your kids where our food comes from.

How Bad Processed Foods Really Are

2010-04-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

I think there are two types of parents out there where nutrition is concerned. Those that know how bad processed and junk foods are for us and do something about it, and those that know processed and junk foods are bad for us, but don't know HOW bad. It's that second group that I am desperately trying to reach.

I really think that if parents really knew HOW bad these foods are (and what they are really doing to our kids), there would be a lot of changes being made in a lot of households.

Well, I can tell you HOW bad these foods are. And, I can tell you what to do to change it - even on a budget. In my book, Processsed Kids, The Real Mom's Guide to Raising Natural Kids in a Processed World, I begin by explaining the link between behavior issues in children and food additives. I would have never understood this if I hadn't seen it for myself with my own son. I am hoping you don't have to go through what I did to find this link.

I firmly believe that if we eliminated ALL food additives from our children's diets, MANY behavior problems, ADD and ADHD, learning issues, agressive behaviors, and (some) autisim symptoms would virtually disappear from the planet. It's not just me that believes this, either. Everything in my book is backed up by scientific evidence and research by well known and respected doctors.

I go on to discuss common myths about foods. Some foods we think are "healthy", such as dairy, soy, and beef, have a darker story. I also explain ingredients, what they mean, where they come from, and what they do to us. It's so important to learn the truth about our food: where it comes from and what happens to it before it gets to our table.

I couldn't give you all these problems without offering solutions. The last half of the book is dedicated to simple solutions and ways to make the switch to natural foods easy even with the busiest family on the tightest budget. There are dozens of healthy recipes that can be made in 30 minutes or less - that the kids will actually eat!

I urge you to find out the truth about your food! Our children's health and future depends on us, as parents, making some drastic changes in the way we feed them. They deserve to grow up healthy and without the thousands of chemicals that they are bombarded with every day.

You can purchase the book for $15.95 by clicking here.

More Food Allergies??

2010-04-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

I feel like I should have gone into detective work. Trying to figure out my oldest child's allergies several years ago was very 'Sherlock Holmes' of me. It was difficult to pinpoint because he is not allergic to any one food, but an ingredient in many foods.

High Fructose Corn Syrup has since become the bane of my existance and a blessing all at once. As difficult as that challenge has been (and continues to be as he gets older), it has forced me to get educated about what's in our food and, consequently, prompted our family to eat much healthier. We simply can't eat processed foods.

We can eat anything anyone else eats, however. Any food can be made without hfcs or other food additives. I just have to prepare it myself, or buy it's natural counterpart. You can find just about any kid's snack food in a natural version these days. I'm not sure if that's good news or bad....

Anyway, I thought we had it all figured out. Until this morning, that is. My little one got a stomach ache and broke out in a red rash all around his mouth right after breakfast. The weird thing is that everything he ate, he has had before many times. For crying out loud! I guess I better get my Sherlock Holmes hat and pipe back out.

Food as Art

2010-04-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

We have returned from beautiful Costa Rica and our friend's wedding. What an amazing country and beautiful place to commit your life to someone you love. We visited volcanos, hot springs, and of course the beach. It was such a great trip and I can't wait to go back.

In Costa Rica, food is like an art form. We had the most amazing local, fresh dishes that were so clever and beautiful. This is a picture of the wedding cake. Yes, it's a volcano. The volcano piece was pure sugar, but it was so pretty. It was definitely the most original wedding cake I've seen.

What a fun lunch for the kids! Imagine surprising them with this little guy staring back at them from their lunchbox.

I'm not even sure what this is, but it sure is pretty.

Food can, and should, be fun. We don't have to be stuck eating the same, boring meals week after week. Get creative and see what you can do at home.

What fun and interesting things have you created in the kitchen?

Stay Tuned

2010-03-30T08:59:00.000-07:00

I want to say thank you to all that keep coming back to hear my rants. Please don't forget to check back soon, because I will be out of town for the next two weeks. I'll come back with lots of great stories about food and friends. See you then!

School lunch reform

2010-03-25T07:13:00.000-07:00

So, do you want the good news or the bad news?

I always like the good news first. The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 passed the Senate Agriculture committee unanimously yesterday. It's a first step towards getting $4.5 billion in additional funds to child nutrition programs over the next 10 years. The goal is to end childhood hunger by 2015 by offering more children nutritious lunches and breakfasts in schools across the country. The program would provide an additional .06 cent reimbursment per child, increase the number of children that qualify for free or reduced cost lunch, and provide money for farm-to-school programs

The bad news? I'ts not enough. It's less than half of the $10 billion that President Obama asked for. It's just not good enough to feed more kids bad food. Let's put it into perspective: We spend $7 billion on the war each month and this bill calls for $4.5 billion over ten years. As Jamie Oliver said about budget constraints, "I don't think that's the kid's fault."

Don't get me wrong. I think it's fantastic that the government is working to do something about this important issue. It's a stepping stone, not a solution.

*If you are in Dallas, be sure to watch WFAA Channel 8 news on Friday at 5 for an appearance by yours truly!

The dirty dozen

2010-03-23T07:49:00.000-07:00

In a previous post, I mentioned that buying organic doesn't have to break the bank. There are a few ways you can introduce organic foods into your home and still be saving for that college fund.

First, start slowly. By adding a few organic things to your shopping cart at a time, you can enjoy the benefits of organic foods while sticking close to your budget.

Second, buy only the organic products that give you the most benefit. I would absolutely start with meat and dairy. Conventional meats are full of antibiotics and hormones that can be attributed to antibiotic resistance in humans, premature maturing of girls, and falling sperm counts in boys. At most grocery stores today, you can buy natural meats raised without antibiotics and hormones for only a dollar or so more a pound.

Next, know which commercially-grown fruits and vegetables have the highest concentration of pesticides and buy the organic versions of them. By staying away from these high pesticide foods, your family's pesticide exposure can be reduced by 80 percent, according to the Environmental Working Group. They are apples, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, strawberries, lettuce, bell peppers, kale, celery, and carrots, also called the "dirty dozen".

There is also a "clean fifteen" - foods that generally do not contain pesticide residue. These safer choices are onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, mango, asparagus, sweet peas, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomato, and grapefruit. Save the money and don't buy these organic.

Another way I try to save money and still buy organic is by making meals and snacks at home. I can buy organic ingredients and make a meal much cheaper than buying the meal already prepared. Instead of buying organic boxes of snacks for kids lunches, I will make protien bars, granola, and trail mix.

I also buy cleaning products and detergents that don't have chemicals in them. It's not a weekly expense, so the extra money is not too noticible. I feel better knowing my family is breathing air that's not laced with chemicals and perfumes.

What do you do at home to reduce your families exposure to pesticides and other chemicals?

Healthy meals start with healthy ingredients

2010-03-18T07:17:00.000-07:00

When you cook a meal, you can prepare it in a natural, healthy way, or it can be made in an unhealthy way, depending on the ingredients you choose. The following are some ideas on how to create the dishes you love in a healthier way. Get creative. I bet if you thought about the handful of meals you make most often, you could find a way to make a much healthier version that your family will love. They may not even notice the difference.

Unhealthy food Healthier alternative

Cow's milk Organic milk, soy, rice, almond milk

Margarine Organic butter, olive oil

Table salt Sea salt

Artificial sugar Organic sugar, maple syrup, honey

Cream soups Wheat flour + soy milk or broth

Cheese, Meat Organic cheese and meat

Pasta Wheat, rice, or quinoa pasta

White rice Brown or wild rice

Canned Fresh or frozen

Sauce packets Fresh or dried spices

Breakfast cereals Natural or organic cereal

Packaged oatmeal Rolled oats

Snack foods Organic brands

*This list is an excerpt from my book, Processed Kids. For more information, to find out why some of these foods made the unhealthy list, or recipes using these alternative ingredients, order the book at www.processedkids.com.

Just by choosing a few different ingredients, you can go a long way to improving the overall health of your family. These alternative ingredients have no hydrogenated oils (trans fats), MSG, antibiotics or hormones, and use natural sugars instead of chemically processed sugars.

I know the organic foods are more expensive, but they don't have to break the bank. Start with incorporating a few organic ingredients into your meals. I recommend always buying organic meats and dairy products (including eggs and butter) so that you don't get the antibiotics and hormones used in their conventional counterparts.

Then buy the organic fruits and veggies known to have the most pesticide residues, or better, buy from your local farmers market. Many times these may not be certified organic, but the farmers may use organic practices or at least gentler farming practices than conventional farms. Just ask them. These local foods you buy will be fresher, healthier, less expensive, and you'll be supporting a more sustainable planet.

Little by little you can make small changes that will make a big difference!

Kids and Vegetables

2010-03-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

I was watching the trailers for the upcoming show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, and was absolutely floored by one of them. In the clip, Oliver goes into a classroom of six year olds and asks them to identify different vegetables. I actually got tears in my eyes when none could name a tomato. Is it really that bad? Do some children actually never see, let alone eat, vegetables? (Yes, I know, tomato is a fruit)

It got me wondering about my kids. I opened the fridge and quizzed them separately. I am happy to report that both my children passed with flying colors (with the exception of my four year not recognizing an onion). They even knew the brussel sprouts! I was so proud.

So they can recognize the veggies, but eating them is the real issue. Yesterday I took the kids out to lunch and made them each get a vegetable. My oldest kept announcing that he was not going to eat the green beans, I just said he had to get them. He thought he was so clever until I explained to him that he would be eating them. He did.

So how do we get our kids to eat vegetables? Any way we can. It's so important that their growing bodies and brains get the proper nutrition. Start them early and build a lifetime of good eating habits.

Here are some ideas:

*Keep offering them. Kids tastebuds are always changing and it takes many attempts before developing a taste for a certain food.

*Always encourage them to take one bite of everything. How do they know if they like it if they don't even try it?

*Don't used canned vegetables. They have lost many nutrients, so they are not as healthy, they have added preservatives, and they are slimy. Fresh, local foods taste best.

*Hide them in sauces, muffins, meatloafs, etc.

*Allow the child to add a little sea salt from a bowl. You'd be surprised at how this works!

*Make them taste good. If you won't eat it, why would they want to?

*Offer a variety of different vegetables. Eventually something will stick.

*Add butter or seasoning. Soy sauce works great.

*Put a little cheese on top.

*Give them a whole food supplement. Be sure the ingredients are food, not letters (ex: Vitamin A, B, etc.). This will make up for anything they won't eat.

What are some of your tricks?

Food Revolution

2010-03-11T07:31:00.000-08:00

Thank you Jamie Oliver!!!

I am so excited about the new show Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. It airs on Friday, March 26th on ABC. Oliver is courageously taking on the unhealthiest city in America and trying to change the way they eat and think about food. He wants to change the quality of school lunches across the country. This is a six part series in which Oliver will collect names on a petition, then present the petition to the white house. Sign the petition here.

Oliver conducted a similar revolution in Britian in 2005. He delivered his petition to Tony Blair, who committed 280m pounds to improve school food over three years. When Oliver did a follow up show 18 months later, the government pledged even more money, totaling 650m pounds altogether.

I am so grateful Oliver is going to do for us what he did for Britian!

For more information about the show, go to http://abc.go.com/shows/jamie-olivers-food-revolution/about-the-show. Watch the videos (there are several), especially the second sneek peak. In this one, Jamie goes into an elementary school and asks 6 year olds to identify vegetables. I can see the kids not recognizing the eggplant or artichokes, but they couldn't identify tomatoes or potatoes for crying out loud. I don't understand how it happens that children don't know what a tomato is.

If you are in the Dallas area, please join us for a watching party on the 26th. For more information on times and place, email me at info@processedkids.com for event details. After the show, we'll have a discussion on what we can do to make this change in our districts here at home.

Our kids are in real trouble. The rates of obesity and diabetes are epidemically affecting our nation's youth. The amount of processed and junk foods we consume is largely to blame. We've got to get this junk out of our homes and schools. Our children need to know what real food is if they are to have a chance at beating these trends.

It's going to take all our voices to make a change. Luckily we have strong support like Michelle Obama and Jamie Oliver to get this ball rolling. It's up to us, as parents, to make sure the change happens in our own home schools. We can win this fight - our children's lives depend on it.

Farmer's Market Times

2010-03-09T07:02:00.000-08:00

I love this time of year. It's starting to get warmer, soon everything will be in bloom, and the farmer's markets are opening back up. For someone that loves that weekly trip to the farmers market, winter is tough!

There are several advantages to supporting your local farmers, but perhaps the one we hear about most is the impact on the environment. It is estimated that the produce in your local grocery store travels an average of 1500 miles to get there. Incredible amounts of fossil fuels are used to transport foods, increasing our dependence on foreign oil and contributing to the pollution of our environment.

Buying local supports local farmers and helps the local economy. By cutting out the middle man, almost all of the money goes to the farmer instead of to packaging, warehousing, and shipping. Spending locally helps to support your local economy by keeping the money in your town.

Best of all, local foods taste better and are better for you. After your food travels 1500 miles, how fresh can it be? How fresh are you after traveling 1500 miles? Produce quickly loses nutrients after being harvested. Foods that travel so many miles aren't nearly as fresh and nutrient rich as your local foods, which were probably picked the day before you buy them.

Buying local helps keep the farmers in business, ensuring fresh, wholesome foods for generations to come. When you support local farming, you are supporting a system of sustainability that can only benefit the planet on which we live.

For those of you local to Dallas, there are several great farmer's markets to choose from:

White Rock Market - 2nd and 4th Saturdays from 8:00-1:00 at The Green Spot

Coppell Community Gardens - Begins April 10th every Saturday from 8:00-12:00

Chestnut Square Farmers Market in McKinney - Begins this weekend every Saturday from 8:00-12:00

*This post is an excerpt from my book Processed Kids. Buy it at www.processedkids.com.

High Fructose Corn Syrup and Behavior...Part 2

2010-03-04T07:46:00.000-08:00

In my last post, I explained the truth about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Today I want to talk about what happens when some kids ingest HFCS.

I have personal experience with this one. In fact, this issue started me on my path of learning everything I can about nutrition. In my book, Processed Kids, I give you all the knowledge I have gained in the past 7 years about what is in our foods and how to keep your kids healthy in our processed world. The book is basically a synopsis of the wealth of nutrition information out there in an easy to read format for busy moms. There are dozens of healthy recipes that can be made in under 30 minutes too.

My son, now almost 7, exhibited extreme behavior and mood swings when he was little. Fortunately I knew a little about food allergies and knew he was showing symptoms of one - breakouts and scaly skin on the face - but didn't realize that his behavior was related. We went through a year of trial and error and still couldn't determine the cause.

One day I was looking on the internet and came across an article on HFCS and behavior problems in children. BINGO! I read as this article perfectly described my child. I took him totally off HFCS and within days, he changed from a mean, agressive, angry little boy to the sweet natured child I knew he was. I couldn't believe it.

Don't just believe me. Search the internet. I just did a search for "high fructose corn syrup and behavior problems in children" and netted almost 28,000 hits.

I hope this helps you. It was an article just like this that changed my life and my sons. I know it's hard to believe if you don't see it every day, but it's true, this stuff is bad - really bad.

I think of myself as lucky. Yes, I had to endure a year of horrible behavior, but now we eat so much more healthy because of it. We just can't eat processed foods and junk foods because high fructose corn syrup is in so many of these foods. What I worry about is those of you that can't see it and therefore do nothing about it. This ingredient has no business in our children's diets. Please, even if you don't see problems that I did, take HFCS out of your child's diet and see what happens. You'd be surprised.

If you have a story about this, please let me hear from you....

High Fructose Corn Syrup

2010-02-25T07:57:00.000-08:00

There is a lot of confusion today about high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). We've been hearing for years that this sweetener is bad for us, but now we are being told that it is fine, the same as eating sugar.

In a previous post, I suggested that HFCS is a major factor contributing to obesity because it is metabolized by the body differently than sugar. While sugar is stored as energy, HFCS is metabolized to fat in the liver. Is this true?

We always need to look at who we are getting our information from. Who is it that is telling us that HFCS is unhealthy? There are many well respected doctors across the country who agree that it's worse than sugar. Who is telling us it's OK? The corn industry. They have even launched an aggressive ad campaign to the tune of $20-30 million, according to the Wall Street Journal, to let us know we don't have to worry about consuming HFCS.

It's easy to find an argument for either side of any question, so let's look first at the Corn Refiners Association's argument. In their ad campaign, they point to 6 research studies that claim sugar and HFCS are metabolized the same by the body. However, in a CBS News report, "Three were sponsored by groups that stand to profit from research that promotes HFCS. Two were never published so their funding sources are unclear. And one was sponsored by a Dutch foundation that represents the interests of the sugar industry." On their website, sweetsurprise.com, they claim that HFCS contains equal amounts of fructose and glucose, and metabolizes the same as sugar.

If HFCS did contain equal amounts of fructose and glucose, perhaps that last statement would be true, but most of the HFCS consumed in America does not contain equal amounts. According to Dr. Meira Fields at the US Department of Agriculture, "HFCS can be manipulated to contain equal amounts of fructose and glucose, or up to 80 percent fructose and 20 percent glucose. Thus, with almost twice the fructose, HFCS delivers a double danger compared to sugar."

According to Nancy Appleton, PhD and clinical nutritionist, "Fructose is not metabolized the same as other sugars. Instead of being converted to glucose, which the body uses, it is removed by the liver. Because it is metabolized by the liver, fructose does not cause the pancreas to release insulin the way it normally does. Fructose converts to fat more than any other sugar. This may be one of the reasons Americans continue to get fatter."

Doctors and researchers all over the country are finding more and more reasons to stay away from HFCS. All sugar is not created equal. Still confused?

To be continued.......
If you have a child that is having behavior issues, you won't want to miss my next post.

What is causing the obesity crisis?

2010-02-23T07:54:00.000-08:00

I was listening to a radio show the other day and they were talking about what is causing the obesity crisis in America today. They had people calling in and giving their opinions as to what could be the culprit. They were all talking about exercising, playing sports, and the fact that when we were kids, we played outside an awful lot more than kids today. They blamed technology for keeping the kids indoors - it's not the technology, folks, its the parents who let them choose video games over playing outdoors. But I digress...

While I agree that all these things are contributing factors to the problem, I think they missed the mark. No one mentioned food. Doesn't that seem kind of obvious?

I think everyone knows that junk foods and fast foods are bad for us. I just think that most of the population really doesn't understand HOW bad these foods are for our health, and why. Consuming excess calories and filling up on junk foods to the exclusion of more wholesome foods is just the tip of the iceberg.

When talking about obesity, look at food additives as a cause. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is metabolized differently by the body than sugar. Sugar is stored as energy, where HFCS goes straight to fat. When you consume additives like HFCS and MSG (monosodium glutamate), chemicals in the brain are blocked that tell you when you are full. As a result, more calories are consumed with each meal containing these food additives.

To make it even worse, these two additives are in so many foods that its hard to stay away from them. HFCS is in just about every snack food out there, jelly, cookies and candy, sodas, bread, ketchup, applesauce, most processed foods, and even cough syrups. You can avoid it by reading ingredients, staying away from processed and fast food, and buying natural and organic foods. MSG, on the other hand, is more difficult to avoid. There are over 40 names on an ingredient list that can mean MSG, so reading ingredients doesn't work. It is in practically all fast food and most processed foods. The only way you can know for sure that your food doesn't contain MSG is to buy organic.

I think if more people really understood the harmful effects of all the additives in our food (the FDA allows over 3000 different chemicals), the health of our children would be very different. I know buying organic can get expensive, but when you look at the alternative - children with diabetes, heart disease, obesity - it's worth every penny.

Organic Junk Food?

2010-02-18T07:12:00.000-08:00

I'm on the fence on this one. These days you can get just about anything organic...pop tarts, cheetos, cereals. Up until now I've looked at these products as great ways to give my kids the foods they want, while not compromising my desire to keep food additives out of our home. Have I been rationalizing? Are these foods just a step above their junk food counterparts? Are these just better versions of the processed foods I so abhor?

On the one hand, I'm busy! I've got two small children and, like anyone else, don't have hours every day to spend in the kitchen preparing foods. Organic snack foods have been my savior. They don't have all the chemical additives and what sugar is in them is not bleached and processed. With them, I don't worry that my kids will sneak foods from their friends because they feel deprived.

On the other hand, what am I teaching the kids about healthy eating if they are (in their eyes) eating the junk they see on t.v.? There are no vegetables in these snacks. There is barely fruit on occasion. They are mostly sugars and carbs. They really are of minimal nutritional value. They are also pretty expensive.

I think these foods, in moderation, have their place. If it weren't for them, I think I would have a much bigger fight on my hands in keeping them away from processed junk food. What do you think???

Valentine's Dinner

2010-02-16T12:07:00.000-08:00

This Valentine's Day was a wonderful surprise for me considering my husband and I had decided to stay home. Our plan was to make Valentines with the kids and deliver them to the local grandparents (3 sets), then come home and have dinner together as a family. We did do all that. The surprise was Saturday night.

My husband dropped the kids off with his mom and took me out for a beautiful dinner at Truluck's in downtown Dallas. Truluck's is one of our favorite restaurants in Dallas and Austin. It is a small, high-end chain with a handful of restaurants in Florida and Texas. They are known for their stone crab and amazing seafood dishes.

One reason I love Truluck's is their commitment to the environment. They call themselves "champions in the sustainable seafood movement". Their stone crab, always fresh and in season, is harvested humanely by removing one claw so that the animal survives. The claws come off easily and will grow back within a year. They don't serve seafood that is endangered or out of season. My sea bass came from a sustainable farm in Georgia. Truluck's meats are antibiotic and hormone free, vegetarian fed, and raised humanely on sustainable U.S. family farms and ranches.

The other reason we love Truluck's is that the food and the service is fabulous! We found our favorite (hard to find) bottle of wine on the menu. Then we shared a stone crab appitizer and a wedge salad. My sea bass, served with crab fried rice and cucumber slaw, was out of this world. My husband had is favorite, the jalapeno bearnaise salmon with parmesian mashed potatoes. We decided to skip dessert and have one of their decadent coffee drinks, my favorite dessert.

It really was a first class night out. I can't remember a nicer Valentine's Day.

The Truth About Fats

2010-02-08T12:12:00.000-08:00

We hear a lot about 'good' fats and 'bad' fats in the media, but who can make sense of it all?

It's true, we should consume a diet that is low in saturated fats and trans fats. Think of saturated fats as coming from an animal. Try cutting back by eating some meatless meals each week and using leaner cuts when you do eat meat. Trans fats are the deadly trans fatty acids that have become popular in the media the last few years. According to the American Heart Association, consuming trans fats lowers your HDL (good) cholesterol while raising your LDL (bad) cholesterol, and increases your risk for heart disease. The FDA requires food manufacturers to label the number of grams of trans fat, but allows them to round down. So if your food item says 0 trans fats, read the ingredients to be sure. If you see the words 'partially hydrogenated', there are trans fats.

The good fats are the unsaturated fats. They can be further broken down into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Our bodies absolutely need these fats to function properly. Think about what would happen if you never changed the oil in your car. Eventually it would stop running. Just as your car needs that lubrication, so do our bodies and brains!

Fats are imperative to our brains, heart, lungs, nerves, and digestion. They are essential to our eyes, add luster to our skin and hair, encourage hormonal and emotional balance, and lubricate our joints. Our children's rapidly growing brains especially need these good fats.

Monounsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature, but can turn solid when refrigerated. Olive, sunflower, and sesame oil are examples of monounsaturated fats. Other sources include avocados, peanut butter, and nuts. Don't stay away from these because of their high fat content, they are so good for you.

Polyunsaturated fats stay liquid when refrigerated. These fats can further be broken down into omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Examples of omega-6 include vegetable, safflower, soybean, and corn oil, and some nuts and seeds. Omega-3 fats are found in flax seeds and fish.    Our bodies do not produce these essential fatty acids, so we must get them from our diets. We need a ratio of 1 to1 omega-6 and 3, but our modern processed diets typically contain 10 or 20 to 1. When this imbalance happens, many health problems can occur. Too much omega-6 without enough omega-3 to balance it can create inflammation in the body, causing problems with the immune system, cardiovascular system, and the brain.

Unfortunately, our western diet has practically eliminated omega-3s. A diet low in omega-3s can cause children to be more impulsive, less able to pay attention, and higher risk for depression. Teenagers may be more prone to anger and violence. In adults, memory problems, higher risk for stroke, and dementia can occur.   Creating a better balance by consuming more omega-3s could improve many health issues such as coronary artery disease, depression, bipolar disorder, and may ease the pain of Crohn's disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

The best way to add more omega-3s to your diet is with a high quality fish oil supplement. You can get them at your local health food store in liquid and capsule form. They are not cheap, but they are well worth it for the health benefits you and your children will receive.

Dinner in New York

2010-02-04T07:49:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, my husband and I went to New York for his company's holiday party. Yes, I know it was at the end of January, but that's what they do. We had a wonderful time, despite the 9 degree temperature we walked around in all day. The best parts, though, were the dinners.

The first night, we went to a place called Ajna in the meat packing district. It was exactly what I expected for a night out in New York. It was beautifully decorated and very trendy with loud music playing all through dinner. Our waiter suggested that we could order individually, have one person order for the table, or name a price per person and they would bring out chef's choice for us all to share. What a great way to try a lot of different things on the menu. The food was amazing. We had a great time.

The second night was the party. It was at a Russian restaurant called Rasputin in Brooklyn near Brighton beach. It was Russian-French fusion and quite an experience. When we arrived, appetizers such as a smoked salmon platter, Magret duck, Le Batton of eel, and Napolean of baby chicken were already set out along with tiny shot glasses for vodka. While the waiters kept exchanging the food for more food, the guests kept pouring shots of vodka for each other. Next came chicken Kiev, a classic Russian dish, Parisian pierogi and seared foie gras vol-au-vent, and risotto stuffed quail, and oh yeah, vodka. Next was rack of baby veal and a baked Alaskan salmon pastry. And did I mention vodka? I don't think anyone touched dessert after all that food, but it was a beautiful display of fruit and the chef's banquet du patisserie.

The band playing was incredible. It surprised me when they sang Spanish songs, but I loved every one. Then they announced that the show was about to begin (I thought they were the show). Then the night really got weird. It was nothing like what I expected. There were multiple costume changes, fiddle playing, dancing with bottles on tops of heads, and bouncing and spinning around in the air. It was amazing and wonderful and probably the most unique dining experience of my life.

After the show, the band played on until the wee hours. I am so glad we got to go and I can't wait to go back next year. Man, those Russians can drink some vodka!

Food Rules

2010-02-02T06:57:00.000-08:00

Last week on Oprah (yes, I'm a fan!), she did an interview with Michael Pollan, author of the new book Food Rules. He also wrote In Defense of Food, a great book, along with a few others. Pollan does a great job explaining in very simple terms why we need to change our eating habits.

In Food Rules, Pollan lays out a set of straightforward rules for eating wisely. With the vast amount of (sometimes conflicting) information we get about food, it's hard to decipher what's really good for us. One point that I loved was "if food is alive, then it should die". In other words, if your food won't eventually spoil, it's not really food. Think about the boxes of food on the grocery store shelves and how long they can stay in the same condition before eaten.

Another interesting point he made was the correlation between the money we spend on food and the money we spend on health care. In the U.S., we spend around 9% of our income on food, but 17% on health care. In other countries, that number is flip flopped. The less we spend on food, the more we will spend on trying to fix the problems that stem from poor eating habits, such as diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, etc. We are going to pay either way, who do you want to pay?

As consumers, we have tremendous power to change the way our food is made. Every time you go to the grocery store, you are casting your vote. Who are you voting for? Is it for the family farmer, using processes that are friendly not only to our bodies, but to the earth as well? Or is it for one of the few large corporations that control most of our food supply, using thousands of chemicals so that the food can sit on the shelf for years to come, and contributing to our health crisis one meal at a time? Whichever you buy, you are asking for more.

Pollan says very simply "Eat food, mostly plants, not too much". Words to live by.

Why so many processed foods?

2010-01-27T09:57:00.000-08:00

Have you noticed lately how much of our grocery store shelves are filled with non-food foods? Just look at some of the labels. There are so many ingredients you can't pronounce and would take a chemistry degree to decipher. How many of those ingredients are actually food?

There is a list on the FDA's website called "Everything Added to Food in the United States" (EAFUS). It is a food additive database with information on substances directly added to food. There are more than 3000 total substances on this list. These substances are not food. They are added to the food to preserve it, make it taste better, or make it more appealing to look at. The problem is, when they add all these things to what was once food, we're not eating food anymore, we are eating chemicals.

Many food additives are implicated in causing food allergies. One that I am very familiar with is high fructose corn syrup. It is in many processed foods and my son is allergic to it. Along with contributing to our obesity crisis, it also can cause behavior problems in children. MSG is another additive that many people have physical symptoms after eating. It also causes obesity and damages the brain. Many food colorings are suspected to cause hyperactivity. This list goes on and on.

A good rule to live by is: Eat only food that is food! I know that sounds a little over-simplified, but our bodies aren't designed to handle all these non-foods that we ingest. For optimal health, our bodies require whole foods from the earth. Start reading the ingredients before you buy. If you can't pronounce the words, put it back.

Don't try this at home

2010-01-26T14:35:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm always trying to think of new, fun snack ideas for the kids. Today I thought of one I just knew they would love. I took fresh pineapple and turkey breast and diced them very small. Then I softened a couple of tablespoons of cream cheese and mixed it all together. I thought it sounded like a pretty good combination.

I cut the crusts of a piece of whole wheat bread and smeared some of my mixture on. Then I rolled the bread up and sliced it into sections. I was so excited because I knew my kids would love this one. It's hard to find a snack that is healthy and filling at the same time.

I then presented my masterpiece to my children. My little one picked up a piece and licked the edge, just enough to taste the cream cheese, his favorite. Then I offered a piece to my older one by stuffing the entire (very large) bite into his mouth. He chewed and seemed fine for a minute, then things quickly went downhill.

His eyes got very large when he realized he had a huge amount of something he really hated in his mouth. I won't go into too much detail, but I told him to spit it out. I thought he would go in the bathroom, but I was wrong. He spit it back on the plate that I was trying to get his little brother to eat from. Needless to say, that put an end to him trying it as well.

Oh well, back to the drawing board. It was a good idea in theory, but I just couldn't pull it off. Kids really are the toughest critics!

Changing school lunches

2010-01-21T09:56:00.000-08:00

Working to change school lunches is going to be a process. It won't be easy, but with enough momentum, anything can be done. On our side is a huge movement of like-minded moms like Amy Kalafa, director of the movie Two Angry Moms, Chef Ann Cooper, the "renegade lunch lady", and even the first lady herself, Michelle Obama, who is working from the top to make these changes on a grand scale. Now is the perfect time to get involved. This is not just a wish or a hope. It is really starting to happen!

Last week I attended the school health advisory committee meeting for DISD. The committee discusses anything to do with health and nutrition and makes recommendations to the school board. They elect new members at the beginning of each school year. I want to get on the committe for next year. They seemed very excited to have a parent that wanted to be involved. I was also told of an initiative in DISD to create a wellness committee at each school in the next two years.

What can you do? Get involved. Get educated. Know what's in the foods your kids are eating at home and at school. If you need help, email me at info@processedkids.com. I'm available to give a talk to you and your friends about what's really in our foods, free of charge.

Don't just sit by and wait for this to happen. Every parent's voice needs to be heard. The schools will listen if enough parents want this. Talk to your school principle about getting on the school wellness committee or it's site based decision making committee. Get involved with your PTA. Volunteer in the lunch room. Find out what your school needs and help them get it.

Our kids deserve a nutritious, hot lunch at school. I want to make sure that, when my kids get sick of the pb&j that I send every day, they have another choice. Who's with me?

How to get the kids to eat healthy

2010-01-12T07:57:00.000-08:00

Trying to get kids to eat their vegetables doesn't have to be an uphill battle. I've tried bribery, trickery, just about everything you can imagine. There are lots of ways to do it.

It is so important to teach your children good nutrition habits by modeling them yourself. They may not be ready for spinach and beets, but when they see you eating healthy, it will come more naturally to them over time.

Most children will start their taste for vegetables by tolerating 1 or 2. Try corn, carrots, broccoli, or peas at first. Children's tastebuds are constantly changing, so keep introducing others and eventually they will eat more of a variety.

Get sneaky! Hide veggies in sauces and soups. Bake muffins with carrots and zucchini. There are lots of ways to get them in without the kids even knowing. Last week I cooked a spaghetti squash, mixed it with marinara sauce and called it spaghetti. My littlest one loved it! (I didn't fool the older one, though.)

Very importantly, don't force your child to eat everything on the plate. Doing this encourages negative feelings towards food and mealtimes and could create problems down the road. Encourage your children to try one bite of everything, but after that, let them choose how much they will eat.

When all else fails, turn to a whole food supplement. What kid, really, eats several servings of vegetables a day? With my kid's supplement, I know they are getting those extra servings that I just can't get them to eat. Now, I'm not talking about a multivitamin from the grocery store. When the ingredients to your child's vitamin are Vitamin A, C, D, etc., you really don't know where those ingredients come from. (I'll give you a hint, it's not from food.)

It's important to find a good quality whole food supplement. The ingredients are food - so you know your child is getting nutrition from actual vegetables. You can get these at any health food store. They are more expensive, but they are so worth it for my peace of mind. I know that even when my kids won't eat like I want them to, they are getting the nutrition they need to keep them healthy.

A New Kind of Tupperware Party

2010-01-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

I am looking for parents who are looking for a change.

Just thinking about packing 2 lunches every day for the next 12 years so that my kids can have a healthy lunch at school makes me crazy. I want my kids to be able to have a healthy, hot lunch every day at school. I'm not even asking for all organic, just healthy foods with no preservatives.

In our first "angry moms" meeting, we discussed what it would take to make this kind of a change. We decided that first, we would need to get parents to look in their own pantries. We need to create an army of concerned parents that truly understand the value of healthy eating habits and how they impact our children's learning. We can do that one family at a time. If enough of us demand it, changes will be made.

We are going to start, like I said, one family at a time. By getting small groups of friends together, I plan to help educate parents about what's really in our food, what it really does to us and our children, and what we can do about it. If you are interested in a "pantry makeover", please contact me and I will be happy to talk to you and your friends.

Also, for more information on these topics, order my book Processed Kids. There are lots of great ideas on how to make simple changes that go a long way toward making your family healthier. Also, there are over 40 recipes of healthy meals you can make in 30 minutes or less.

Let's get together and make a difference in our children's health.

Christmas Dinner

2010-01-05T12:43:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas dinner was a huge success! I wrote last that it was our 3rd annual "buck tradition and eat what we want" Christmas dinner. Our theme was the North Pole, actually North Pole, Alaska.

The menu:
Course 1    Beer Cheese Soup
A hearty favorite in Alaska, this soup was definitely not for the light eater. It was made with havarti, guyere, cheddar cheeses, and simmered in Guinness. Pureed onion and red bell pepper gave it a fabulous flavor. The soup was served with sourdough bread, a staple for Alaskans. Early settlers and miners used sourdough to leaven bread before yeast was readily available. Alaskans often carried their sourdough starters around with them and even slept with them to keep them from freezing.

Course 2    Spring Mix Salad with Crab Cake Croutons
The salad was delicious with mini crab cakes on top. The crab cakes were made with lump crab meat, bread crumbs, egg, basil, and seasonings. Just mix ingredients and roll into small balls. Pan sear for a couple of minutes on each side, drizzle with a creamy dressing, and put over greens.

Course 3    Grilled Halibut with Roasted Stuffed Tomatoes and Asparagus
Six ounce halibut steaks were grilled to perfection and served with a tomato basil sauce and a dollop of basil pesto. The tomatoes were stuffed with the crab cake mixture and baked in the oven. The asparagus was drizzled with olive oil and pepper and grilled with the halibut. Everything tasted great together and was so festive with the colors of Christmas.

Course 4    Eskimo Ice Cream
Ours was a different version than the Eskimos make. We decided to forgo the moose meat, fat, and snow, and made ours with good old Blue Bell. Roast pecans over a flame, then add dark rum and brown sugar. After the mixture cooks down a bit, add blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries. Pour this warm mixture over ice cream and viola, Eskimo Ice Cream.

This was such a fabulous dinner and one we won't forget soon. If you had an un-traditional holiday dinner, I'd love to hear about it.

Holiday Traditions

2009-12-23T08:33:00.000-08:00

Creating holiday traditions with your family is a great way to make memories that last a lifetime. Many of my fondest memories from childhood revolve around food and cooking. My grandfather made the best potato pancakes in the world. I remember getting up on the morning of his visits and watching him grate by hand the potatoes and onions until his fingers were sore. Those pancakes were made with love.

When my Auntie Em comes, I always look forward to her cole slaw and chicken and dumplings made with tortilla strips - I'll see if I can get her to give up her recipe and share it with you. At my in-laws, it's ravioli made by hand. It's funny how these memories bring back so many good times.

At our house, we started a tradition of baking cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve. It's so cute to watch how excited the kids get about Santa coming. Even after 'sampling' a few, they are ready to go to bed so they don't miss him.

Three years ago, we started a new tradition for Christmas dinner. We wanted something besides the usual turkey and dressing. My husband is a fantastic cook and thought of the idea of cooking a meal from a different region every year. The first year, we had an Italian feast which included antipasto, lasagne, manicoti, tiramisu and lots of red wine. It was fun and different and we all enjoyed it. Last year, we did Spanish Tapas. We had assorted cheeses, marinated olives and artichokes, roasted patatas, mushrooms in wine sauce, and garlic shrimp. It was one of the best meals I have had.

This year should be very interesting. We are doing a North Pole theme. North Pole, Alaska, that is. I can't wait for the Eskimo Ice Cream for dessert! I'll write more and include recipes after Christmas.

I hope your holiday is filled with laughter, love, and many new memories of your family's holiday traditions.

Eating Healthy Now

2009-12-21T06:43:00.000-08:00

This is a time of over-indulgence, of putting off the things that are good for you until the new year. It's easy to say, "I'll start eating healthy after the holidays".

It's all in the way you look at it. An attitude of starting later stems from a thought process that eating healthy is a punishment. With that kind of attitude, you'll never do it. You must get your mind right, and your body will follow. That said, this is a great time of year to make healthy, positive changes for your body. I can show you how.

Tony Robbins said "nothing tastes better than fit, vital, and healthy feel". It's true. Once you get yourself into that mindset, you'll be amazed at how easy it becomes to choose the right foods for your body.

Over the weeks to come, I'll be talking about little changes you can make that will make a big difference in your overall health. Please post comments with any questions you have and I will be happy to answer them.

Tip for today: Choose mid-day snacks that will keep you going rather than zap your energy (like sugary snacks will). Almonds are a great heart healthy snack and they give you a great energy boost! Drinking a glass of water will give you a quick pick-up as well. Other ideas are cheese and crackers, peanut butter with apple or banana, or yogurt with berries and granola.

Decide to be healthy and it will be easy. Say you "should" be healthy, and forget it...

Two Angry Moms Meeting

2009-12-11T15:01:00.000-08:00

We held our first angry moms (and dads) meeting last night and came up with the beginnings of a plan to help change the way people in our community think about nutrition. It was said that before we can change school nutrition, we have to get people to look in their own pantries. Education is the key and the more people that are interested in and educated about our food, the more power we will have to make real changes.

People all over the country are talking about how to improve school lunches. Even Michelle Obama is getting behind this important issue. With that kind of backing, just think of what can be done. I am so excited to see this happen.

If you are local and interested in getting involved, go to angrymoms.groupsite.com and sign up under the Dallas subgroup. We will have information about future meetings, as well as discussions about our progress. If you aren't local to Dallas, see if there is a subgroup in your city or start your own. Wherever you are, get together with other concerned parents and let's make a difference.

Two Angry Moms

2009-12-10T06:57:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard of the movie Two Angry Moms, you need to check it out. Do you really know what your kids are being fed at school? Watching this movie is a great way to find out and learn what you can do to change it.

Even if you are not the most "health conscious" shopper, I am sure you want better for your children than some of what is provided every day in their school cafeteria. Yesterday, there was an article in USA Today titled "Fast-food standards for meat top those for school lunches". The article states that "the limits Jack in the Box and other big retailers set for certain bacteria in their burgers are up to 10 times more stringent than what the USDA sets for school beef," and "For chicken, the USDA has supplied schools with thousands of tons of meat from old birds that might otherwise go to compost or pet food". Click here to read the entire article.

Next year, congress will review the Child Nutrition Act. Now is the time to let your voice be heard. Get educated about what is in your child's lunch. Join with other concerned parents in your area. Together, we can make a change!

Here in Dallas, I want to do something about it. If you are local, please join me. This has been done successfully in school districts across the country and it can be done in ours. We are having our first "angry moms" (and dads) meeting tonight at 7:00 at the Highland Park Cafeteria at 1200 N. Buckner in the Casa Linda shopping center. Please join us. All are welcome.

If you are an angry mom or dad, I want to hear from you.

Read any good books lately?

2009-12-08T07:02:00.000-08:00

I'ts been a while since I have written. I've been pretty busy finishing my book, and I am proud to say it is finally finished! It's called Processed Kids, The Real Mom's Guide to Raising Natural Kids in a Processed World.

I am a real mom that is just fed up with the crap in our kid's foods. Years ago I was faced with a child with food allergies and have had to learn, first hand, everything that goes into everything that he eats. I had no idea that there are so many chemicals allowed in our food and water supply. I have spent years learning about ingredients and food additives and am amazed and shocked at what I have learned. You will be too.

There are thousands of additives allowed in the foods that are marketed to our children. Most people don't realize the sheer volume of chemicals that they consume every day. Unfortunately, we are seeing the ramifications of our poor diets in today's children. Childhood obesity is on the rise. Heart disease and type II diabetes, formerly only affecting adults, are affecting children today with increasing frequency. The number of children with ADD, ADHD, behavior disorders, and depression has increased at an alarming rate in the past 2 decades. I firmly believe that all these issues can be traced back to the foods they eat.

I want to open your eyes to the truth about what goes into the foods we eat and then give you some practical solutions on what to do about it. Let me show you another way. Order here.

School Lunchroom

2009-10-20T06:46:00.000-07:00

Aside from the obvious food related issues I have with my son's school cafeteria, there is another problem I have noticed since school started. He gets in the car after school and is starving. He then eats the lunch that was meant for him to eat several hours before. The reason: recess! At his school, recess and lunch are a combined 30 minutes. The kids have figured out if they eat fast (or not at all), there is more time to play.

How does he get through the whole school day on a bowl of oatmeal and some fruit at 7:30 a.m? How can other parents not have noticed this (or more likely, noticed but not said anything)? What did I do? I threatened him. I told him I would go talk to his teacher and the principal if he didn't eat more lunch before going outside. So far, it has worked. He's a smart boy, though. Pretty soon he will figure it out that he just has to throw the lunch away and I'll never know.

You would think with all the problems with childhood obesity, the importance of recess would be understood. Unfortunately though, it is disappearing in school districts across the country. Schools seem to fit it in as an afterthought.

Last year, in kindergarten at a different school district, the recess time was at 2:30. They got out of school at 2:50. What amazes me is that someone thought that was a good idea. It seems very clear to me, that if you let the kids run around and expend some energy after a couple of hours, they are ready to sit still for another couple of hours.

Another thing that I never will understand is that it is a favorite punishment of teachers to withhold recess. Who does this hurt the most? The ones that need recess the most. The kids that can't sit still in class, the ones that act out impulsively, the hyperactive ones. Why on earth would you take recess away from those children? That is just asking for more of the same behavior after recess.

I know educators have a lot on their plates and a lot of people to try to make happy. This one just seems easy, though. It doesn't cost a penny to let the kids run.

Cannon's Snack

2009-10-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

My son, Cannon, was so cute last night. He wanted to make a snack for himself and his brother. So, after dinner, I let him have full run of the kitchen. He made a wonderful concoction of banana, peanut butter, chocolate chips, sprinkles, honey, and little toothpick Halloween decorations I had left over from last year. It was actually looking really good (until he put the sprinkles on)! It wasn't too terribly unhealthy, either.

Cannon's Chocolate Peanut Butter Boo-nana

Basically, you just peel the banana, spread the top with peanut butter, sprinkle with chocolate chips (and sprinkles?) and drizzle with honey! Viola!

I asked him if I could use his recipe for my book. He said yes and wrote the recipe down for me. This is it (I promise I didn't let him use 100 chocolate chips):

Cooking with the children can be so fun. They are much more likely to try things they wouldn't necessarily eat otherwise. For example, Cannon usually hates peanut butter. It was so rewarding to see how excited he was about his new recipe. These are memories that will last a lifetime.

Another snack he did a couple of years ago at school was painted toast. He still loves to make this snack:
Cut bread into cookie cutter shapes. Add one drop of food coloring to a bowl of milk. "Paint" milk on with a paintbrush. Then toast in the oven for a few minutes.

Breakfast on the Run

2009-10-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

I finally did it! I perfected my protein bar recipe. After many weeks of serving the children dry, tasteless, boring bars, I finally figured out a way to make a sugar free protein bar that everyone would like.

During the trial and error phase, I created a different version every week. My kids would eat them OK, because they are not used to sugary foods, but I tried them on some other kids and got some pretty yucky faces.

So here is my recipe for Cherry Oat Protein Bars. They are sugar free and gluten free.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 C Oats, separated
2 Tbs.    Butter, melted
1 C        Applesauce
2            Egg whites
1/2 C     Maple syrup
1/2 C     Protein powder
1 C        Frozen cherries, thawed, drained, and diced

*Put 1/2 C oats in food processer, pulse until a fine powder. Leave other 2 Cups oats intact.
*Put all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
*Add wet ingredients and stir until mixed. Mixture should be fairly thick.
*Spread mixture into greased 9x12 pan.
*Cook at 350 for 40 minutes. Bars will be soft and chewy.

These make a great breakfast on the run or a healthy after school snack. You can substitute any frozen fruit for the cherries, but you may need to add a little more maple syrup. You can also add a little less protein powder and add some ground flax seeds for those healthy Omega 3's.

You can find these and many other healthy, fast recipes in my book Processed Kids. Coming out this month, you can pre-order at www.processedkids.com.

Lunch At Grandma's

2009-09-28T08:22:00.000-07:00

I understand that Grandma's are supposed to give the kids all the junk that we won't give them. It seems that my kid's Grandma's take ultimate pleasure in giving my kids sugar. Maybe they do it because they know it bothers me, maybe because they feel sorry for my kids because they are SOOOO deprived, or maybe it's because they can give them back to me to deal with the aftermath. Whatever the reason, it is just something I have to deal with.

I remember my Grandma giving me a can of chocolate syrup and a spoon. These are the things Grandma's do. Now, I only saw her one week out of the year, and my kids see their Grandparents every weekend. That adds up to a lot more chocolate syrup!

I know I can't get them not to feed the kids junk, it's their right as Grandmas, but I have made a deal with my mom. I have promised not to say anything about it as long as she will feed them snacks from Whole Foods. That way, at least they are getting raw, organic sugars instead of bleached and processed sugars.

They can get any kinds of snack foods that 'all the other kids eat', but without all the harmful food additives that wreak havoc on our children's health. At Whole Foods, the kids can get cookies, ice cream, cake, and candy, baked with real ingredients and no chemicals. They even have baked puff cheese snacks, just without the Cheetah on the package.

It's a great compromise, because mom gets to be a Grandma, and I don't have to worry about what they are eating. The other Grandma's I'm still working on....

High Fructose Corn Syrup

2009-09-23T06:52:00.000-07:00

My last post was about how fun the tortilla making party was. This one is about the ride home. My son has an allergy to high fructose corn syrup. It has changed the way my family eats very much for the better. Here's a little background:

When he was 1, we discovered his dairy allergy. It was easy to spot, easy to take care of. We knew there was another allergy, though, because his face would get scaly, red patches and his behavior was totally aweful. I tried everything to find the culprit, but it still took a year to figure it out. During that time, living with him was like a roller coaster. Some days he was the sweetest little boy and some days he was aggressive, angry, and uncontrollable.

One day, I saw an article online about High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and behavior problems in children. As I read, the article perfectly described my child. Ah Ha!! I took it out of his diet and noticed a dramatic difference in a few short days. My sweet little boy was back. It was a year of hell, but I was so grateful to have finally found the problem.

HFCS is in EVERYTHING! It's in almost all processed foods, kids snack foods, bread, jelly, cereals, candy, cookies, sodas -- all the bad for you foods. So now instead of processed foods or junk foods, we eat natural, organic foods. We are a much healthier family because we could see this allergy. The problem is that most moms can't see it, so they feed their kids this junk every day. Ever wonder why there are so many kids with ADHD, depression, concentration problems, poor health, diabetes....? We are raising a generation of Processed Kids.

Ok, back to the ride home. At the party, the kids ate their tortillas and eggs, and were also served cookies with sprinkles. (Sometimes when we are out at a party, I will let him have a little of what the other kids are having so he doesn't feel left out) He must have had 4 or 5, then got one for the road. I didn't think too much of it because he doesn't get that stuff normally. Next time, I'll think twice. He was so upset and angry on the way home that I had to pull over the car to calm down (me, not him). His personality changes. He becomes hateful and mean. I can't do anything to calm him down but just wait it out. It's horrible.

If your child is having problems at home or school, take a look at what they are eating. It really does make a difference.

Making Tortillas

2009-09-21T18:29:00.000-07:00

This summer, I helped start a Spanish playgroup with some of the moms at my son's school. He goes to Spanish Schoolhouse, a Spanish immersion pre-school. We had so much fun all summer watching the kids play and learning Spanish together.

We had our first activity of the fall last week: making tortillas. There were about 15 children and their moms all around little tables and chairs. The kids each got to make their own dough out of corn flour and water. Then they got to press their dough into tortillas. Some of them stayed the tortilla shape, and the kids cut the rest into shapes with cookie cutters.

Our hostess cooked the tortillas and snack was served. I tell you, those were the best tortillas I have ever eaten. I think because they were made with love!

Here's a sample of a home made, heart shaped tortilla, with egg and chorizo topping.

Gluten Free Rotisserie Chicken Pot Pie

2009-09-18T06:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, my first attempt at making a gluten free meal was a huge success! It's not that hard, actually. I am used to cooking with ingredients instead of from a box, so I don't think it will be that hard to stay away from gluten at home. The trick will be eating out. I can see how frustrating it can be for those that can't tolerate it, because it really is in pretty much everything.

I made a rotisserie chicken pot pie and the family loved it. My kids thought we were having cherry pie for dinner. After they got over their disappointment, they really liked it. I even ate it. I do consider myself a vegetarian, but I occasionally will eat organic meat (and fish). My husband calls me a "flexitarian", which I have decided to take as a compliment.

Anyway, here is the recipe. Let me know if you try it.

2 C Rotisserie chicken (about 1/2)
1 C Coined carrots
1/2 C Frozen peas
1/4 C Onion
2 Gluten free pie crusts
2 gravy packets (I used turkey pkts from Whole Foods)
1/4 - 1/2 C Chicken broth

*Put chicken and vegetables in a pie crust.
*Fix gravy according to package and add to pie.
*Add chicken broth until you have the desired amount of liquid, almost to the top of the veggies.
*Take other pie crust, roll into a ball, and roll out flat.
*Cut into a circle and place on top of your pie. Mash edges so that no liquid comes through.
*Cook at 350 for about 30 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes to brown top.

You could also put potatoes in this. I thought the gluten free crusts were great. They seemed flakier than the ones I've had in the past. Also, save the other half of the chicken to make tortilla soup, white bean chili, quesadillas, etc.....Bon Appetit!

**This recipe and many more are in my new book, coming in October 09. Pre-order now!!

Gluten Free??

2009-09-16T06:20:00.000-07:00

What the heck are we supposed to eat? So far, I've taken just about everything out of my diet. There are no more processed foods, no meat, no corn, no soy, very little pasta, and now gluten?

(It's not that drastic, actually. I do eat organic soy or corn occasionally).

I'm down to fruits and vegetables and nuts, oh my....

Yesterday, I picked up the book Eat Right for your Blood Type. I'm type A, so I am supposed to be a vegetarian. I'm also supposed to do gentle excercises like yoga and Tai Chi. I was excited to hear that I am doing the right things. I don't have to cut gluten out totally, but there are other grains that I should be eating instead.

My husband, however, is a type O. He is supposed to be eating meat and can't have gluten. What am I supposed to do with that? I don't like cooking meat. I don't even like looking at it. And I have no idea where to start with the gluten free thing. HELP!!!!! If you've got some recipes or some gluten free ideas, please post. I need all the help I can get here.

One thing I found interesting is that the book said that when type O people stop eating gluten, excess weight just starts falling off, even if they have tried every other diet. I've also heard that getting off gluten and dairy can eliminate allergies. I'll let you know what happens.

It's amazing what happens when we start to feed our bodies right!

My First Raw Food Experience

2009-09-15T19:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to a raw food restaurant in Dallas, called Bliss Raw Cafe. I loved it!! Everything is raw, vegan, gluten free, sugar free, and almost all organic. It was quite an experience.

I'll admit, though, it was out there. Even for me. The descriptions of some of the dishes sounded just plain weird. But they tasted great. My drink was the chocolate bliss and tasted similar to chocolate rice milk. My husband's drink tasted just like an Orange Julius (for those that remember that). For dinner, we ordered the Rawsagna (tomato and zucchini lasagna) and the raw-ko tacos (tacos on a 'tortilla' made from dehydrated apples and flax).

Everything was really good and I would definitely go back. They are opening a new store near Preston and Northwest Highway in a month or so. I'm personally glad to hear they are doing so well. I think Dallas needs more unique, healthy restaurant choices. If you get a chance and want something different, check it out.

My new mission to change school lunches

2009-09-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

One thing that is so important for children to be able to do their best in school is to have a nutritious lunch. Unfortunately, that is not what is happening in school districts across the country. I have decided that I am going to do something about it. Thankfully, I am finding that I am not alone. The day after I made this decision, I met a woman that happens to be promoting a movie screening on this topic. Since then, I have had countless more coincidences like that. I guess I'm on the right track. It seems that this is a pretty hot topic right now.

The movie is called Two Angry Moms. It will be shown at the Lakewood Theater in Dallas, October 24th at 7:00pm. It is about two moms that were fed up with the school lunch program in their district and how they changed it, and how we can do the same. I can't wait to see this movie and see what happens as a result of it. I hope it creates a huge stir.

Please come see the movie if you are at all interested in this subject. Studies have shown that children given healthy foods perform better in school, concentrate better, sit still longer, have less behavior issues, and much more. If any of you want to join me in this crusade, I'd love the company!

Don't talk bad about vegetables

2009-09-09T13:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I am writing a book about nutrition. It's called Processed Kids (and you can order it at processedkids.com).

In the book, I talk about GMO's (genetically modified organisms). Here's some of what it says:
(If you want to read more, buy the book)

In the U.S. today, around 90% of soybean crops, and around 60% of corn crops are genetically modified. Grocery Manufacturers of America, a grocery manufacturer's group, estimates that about 75% of the processed foods contain a GM ingredient....

Most people don't realize that they may have been consuming GM foods for over a decade. There are no labeling requirements to identify GM foods, so it's difficult to tell if what you are buying contains GM ingredients....

Because genetically modifying foods is such a new technology, we don't know the long term ramifications of consuming them. We are essentially, and often unknowingly, the test subjects of a massive global experiment....

Here is the crazy part (I bet you thought that was the crazy part), there are laws to protect the veggies! They are called food libel laws, or sometimes, veggie hate laws. Now, I don't hate veggies. I love them. But I have to be careful what I say about them.

Veggie libel law states that a person is liable, and can be sued, if they "disseminate in any manner information relating to a perishable food product to the public". Can you believe that in this great country, where we have freedom of speech, we can say whatever we want about our president, but can be sued for giving our opinions on how we feel about GMO's.

So let it be known, I am giving no opinion about the safety of GMO's. You can draw your own conclusions. I am simply saying that they should allow us to draw our own opinions by telling us what we are eating.

The Farmer's Market

2009-09-08T06:08:00.000-07:00

I love going every Saturday morning to the farmer's market. There is a local, all organic market in McKinney at Chestnut Square that I wake up early every Saturday to visit. If I get there too late, the berries and cherry tomatoes are all gone. It always feels so good to be there. It's beautiful there, the people are so friendly, and it's great to meet and talk to the people that are growing your food.

This weekend I got a watermelon and if anyone says organic food doesn't taste better, they haven't tried organic watermelon! The kids loved it! The next day, we used the watermelon juice to make a new favorite drink for the kids. Just put the cut up watermelon into a large baggie to save the juice. You can squeeze the bag if you need more. Here's how to make it:

1 Cup sparkling mineral water
1/2 Cup watermelon juice
fresh lime juice

Just mix the water and juice, squeeze some fresh lime juice, and enjoy!

This makes a refreshing, fun summer drink that the kids will love.

I don't know what I'm going to do when the farmers market closes down for the winter. There's just something that feels good about buying local and organic. You know your food is clean, from what is (not) put on it, to the positive impact it has on the environment because it doesn't have to travel thousands of miles to get here.

I saw a show last night on the Green channel that said the average salad in New York City had to travel 2000 miles to get there. That is just sad. Scientists in NY are working on plans to create hydroponic skyscraper gardens so that they can grow food in limited space. What a cool idea.

I hope that local farming will catch on more and more. We've got to get away from these factory farms that produce our food with so many pesticides and genetically modified organisims. Speaking of GMO.....that's a story for another day.

Fun Lunch Box

2009-09-04T06:05:00.000-07:00

School lunch doesn't have to be so boring! I'm having so much fun getting creative with my kid's lunches so they will actually eat them. I got tired of getting the squished peanut butter and jelly sandwich back last year, so I decided to think outside the lunch box. I got my son a bowl thermos and it has opened up a world of possibilities. It's so cute, it even has a little spoon in the lid.

Now it's easy to send a hot lunch sometimes instead of a sandwich every day. So far, I've sent him warm lunches like pasta with edamame and vegetables, and baked chicken strips.

I can send my little one a sandwich he won't touch, but if I cut it into a fun shape with a cookie cutter, he eats it all. What's that all about?

This morning I made skewers for lunch. I got little stirrer straws for skewers; much safer than the real thing. Then I rolled up a slice of lunch meat, cut it in thirds, and alternated pieces of meat with cheese cubes. Then I cut up a pineapple and alternated pineapple cubes and grapes. Then I threw in some crackers, a salad, and a dark chocolate square. He loved it!

Here are some other easy and fun lunch ideas:

*Use a different kind of bread for a sandwich, such as a bagel, dinner or sub roll.
*Put last night's dinner in a thermos for a warm lunch.
*Make a sandwich wrap using a tortilla, lunch meat, cheese, lettuce, and tomato.
*Pasta salad with chicken and veggies.
*Tuna or chicken salad triangles.
*Deviled eggs or hard boiled eggs.
*Anything on a stick.
*Chicken noodle soup in a thermos.
*Mini cracker sandwiches.

I find that these lunches don't take much more time than I would spend making a sandwich every day. Use your imagination and you can create healthy, fun lunches your kids won't trade.

In my book, I have lots more easy lunch and snack ideas, as well as some quick and healthy dinner recipes your family will love. Go to www.processedkids.com to order.

Processed Kids

2009-09-03T06:42:00.000-07:00

We are raising a generation of processed kids. If we don't watch out and change our habits, our kids are going to be in big trouble. Some already are.

I am passionate about nutrition. Our children deserve our best, and right now, they're not getting it. We need to get educated about what's in our food and get the junk out of our kitchens. My purpose for this blog is to raise awareness about what's in our foods and how to make the changes necessary to have healthy, happy kids.

I'm even writing a book on these topics called:
Processed Kids
The Real Mom's Guide to Raising Natural Kids in a Processed World

The book will be out in October 09. With the book and this blog, along with seminars at doctor's offices, mom's groups, etc., I hope to help mom's everywhere help their children succeed through great nutrition.