In the 70’s Rachel Carson, a noted scientist, began warning that pesticides used on food crops and landscaping, could have a damaging effect on our health and that of the planet. At the time, few people took her seriously. Now it’s clear that she was on top of her game.
There are tens of thousands of chemicals that are used to grow, process and store foods and for use in household products. Many of these chemicals have never been studied for their effects on humans. We know now that many everyday chemicals are “hormone disruptors” and affect the functioning of sex hormones in our children’s bodies along with affecting their brains.
Effects on their brains result in changes in their moods, intelligence and perception. Hormone disruption may affect their reproductive systems, gender identity and vulnerability to disease, (i.e. cancer).
The website, www.whfoods.org (World’s healthiest foods) provides an excellent and thorough description of foods, their nutrients and ways to spice up your diet and ensure your health. Another website, www.FoodMatters.com has great information, available in video format for viewing and book format. This site will keep you up to date on what you need to know about the food you eat. Protect your health and that of your children.
Do your kids eat chicken nuggets? This first week in April, 2014, Tyson Foods has issued a recall of 5 pound bags of chicken nuggets sold at Sam’s Clubs. They reportedly received calls from customers reporting plastic particles mixed into some of their packaged nuggets. And while we’re looking at chicken nuggets, there have been a number of reports about how other manufacturers make chicken nuggets and the sources and types of meat used to make them. While Tyson, in the current press release notes that their chicken nuggets are made from white meat, reports of questionable nugget content associated some brands with a form of chicken “pink slime”.
Some clinicians have noted that children presenting with ADHD and other neurological problems reported daily or weekly consumption of chicken nuggets and some higher sugar-content breakfast cereals.
Many pure food advocates feel that ALL cereals are poor nutrition for children and expose them to a number of additives & chemicals used in the processing of grains into cereal. In addition, many children may be missing important minerals and vitamins because they consume these processed foods instead.
High quality protein to start the day is associated with better behavior, longer attention spans and better memory. Sources of protein are lean meats, eggs, fish and various beans. Morning smoothies made with frozen organic fruit, a few kale leaves, nut milks, hemp protein powder and no added sugars, juices or syrups provide a quick, healthy start.
What?! No waffles, pancakes, pop tarts, granola bars, biscuits, donuts and other forms of the same stuff the cereals are made of on the recommended list? Certainly not.
Black students with learning disabilities were suspended much more often than white students with the same problems.
A study released today by the US Department of Education shows that racism is alive and well in public schools across the country. This study included data from every school district in the country which showed:
Black students were expelled or suspended at triple the rate of whites
Black girls were expelled more often than most other students and at more than double the rate of white students
Black students had less access to qualified and trained teachers than white students
25% of school districts pay teachers in less diverse schools up to $5000 more than teachers in predominantly black or Latino schools
This disparity in treatment begins early with black preschool students representing 43 percent of preschoolers suspended more than once when they are only 18 percent of the preschool population.
This early pattern of school mistreatment shapes black children to fit into the school to prison pipeline, with 16 percent (black students’ population) comprising 27 per cent of students referred to law enforcement and making up 31 per cent of students arrested in school. Recall the case of the five year old Florida girl who was handcuffed with her ankles bound for throwing a temper tantrum in 2005 or the six year old Georgia kindergartner who was handcuffed and taken to the police station for having a meltdown over candy.
Fish oil from arctic fish might be your & your child’s “bestest” friend. Odorless capsules now make it much easier to take. Seems like the old folks with their cod liver oil were truly wise.
Are children lacking the essential elements for a well nourished brain more susceptible to bad behavior?
A number of studies show a link between violent behavior in some individuals and their levels of DHA, an essential fatty acid. EFAs, or essential fatty acids are required by the brain in order for it to function well.
The body does not manufacture its own EFAs and so we have to obtain them from the outside, from what we eat. One type, ALA, alpha linolenic acid, comes from vegetable sources like flax seed and walnuts and some vegetable oils. The body only partially converts ALA into DHA and EPA. Fatty cold water fish provide a direct source of EPA and DHA, allowing more DHA to get into the body.
According to Dr. Frank Sacks, Professor of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Harvard University School of Public Health, Omega 3 fatty acids protect from heart attack and stroke as well as against autoimmune disorders and in building the membranes of brain cells.
The ratio of EFA choices is important
The EFA that most Americans get a lot of is Omega – 6. It comes from animal (meat) sources. Compared to our ancestors, we are getting between 16 times more Omega -6 for each serving of Omega-3 than we did before the last 50 years or before we began eating so much processed food. We are getting far less DHA or Omega- 3 that comes from fish oil or krill( non-fish plankton) oil sources. It is the ratio of Omega- 3 to Omega – 6 levels that are important as well as the need to eat a moderate amount of each. A diet of 4 servings of Omega 3s to one serving of Omega 6 is considered ideal. So one would have 3 servings of cold water fish, and 2 or 3 servings of walnuts, flax seeds (1 or 2 tablespoons) or cold pressed organic vegetable oil each week. (See the Food section in the coming months for some super good ways to meet these brain needs.)
Low DHA levels were found in boys with impulsive behavior and later alcohol dependency
In observational studies done by Hibbeln et al. 1998a, 1998b it was suggested that low plasma DHA levels may increase the predisposition of some people to impulsive or violent behavior. This was seen especially in boys who become alcohol dependent before the age of 20. This suggest that they are probably attempting to self medicate with alcohol.
Raising DHA reduced stress levels
In another study done by Hamazaki et al. 1996, students taking DHA during periods of academic stress did not show the same rise in aggressive behavior exhibited by their peers who did not take DHA. This indicates that supplementing what the brain is missing to function normally and activate self control allows the body to calm itself naturally. Supplementation with omega-3 EFAs, vitamins and minerals were found to reduce violent behavior in prison populations by an average of 35% (Gesch et al. 2002). The results of this study and others which achieved similar results implies readily available solutions for communities where nutritional needs are not met and child behavior and learning are below potential.
High meat intake associated with violent behavior
A diet high in meat may cause an imbalance of essential fatty acids which are essential to brain health. Low levels of essential fatty acids (EFAs) are associated with a number of brain health problems such as depression, anxiety, dementia, multiple sclerosis (MS) and ADHD. In children low DHA levels are associated with ADD, ADHD, behavior problems, sleep problems and distractibility. We can improve behavior and learning by supplementing our children’s diets with a high quality fish oil (wild arctic salmon or cod) supplement.
In supplementing with fish oils, care should be taken to obtain the highest quality fish oil supplement by looking for those that are free of toxins and made from wild caught Arctic fish. (See VitalChoice.org for more info or see our FooD section in the coming weeks.)
This generation of the “squished”, that is, those folks who are caught between aging parents and young adult children is having a hard time. Their retirement savings were dealt a tough blow by the recession, their homes lost value, and many of their successful adult children’s mortgages went “belly up”. Just when they thought things were sailing along, they found themselves in deep water and struggling to keep their children afloat. Over 14 million adult children are living at home with their parents and 85% of college graduates are returning to their homes after graduation. How can you get them on their way to independence in this market without damaging your own financial and emotional health?
Tough times call for, hmmmm, ….. what? Patience? Do you have a choice? Creativity? Absolutely! Creativity, that is, seeing things from lots of new or different perspectives, is essential. Stepping “outside the box” by trying a different career field, expanding a former hobby into a service or product you can sell, that’s creativity. It’s not all bad. Many folks discovered talents they disregarded while going after the “real” or “practical” job. Many turned their weekend or evening pursuits into a full-time business and while they don’t have the same “benefits”, they enjoy freedom. But for most people who find themselves displaced from the job or financial standing that they were used to, it’s a time of reevaluation and reorganization. Yep, we know. It’s when your adult son cuts off the cable that you really have to worry.
What also works:
Clear rules
A written chore plan – those who work, pay; those who don’t, help
Agreements on food, utilities, parking space, storage, visitors, etc.
A clear plan for discussing and working out grievances
A time limit – Just how much time or what events (like getting a job) will signal the end of the roommate arrangement
A clear hierarchy in your home – You’re in charge & it is your house!
A rule about drugs, alcohol, mood problems & other issues that signal a need for other services.
What doesn’t work: you worrying, too or prodding about your adult child’s interview plans or nudging. Maybe you’ll pass along info about jobs when you hear about them, but not with suggestions. You’ll practice the fine art of building their self-esteem by reminding them of the successes they’ve had – yes- even if you have to go all the way back to 8th grade. You’ll maybe speak of the phases in your life when things changed for the worse – and muse over how you found your way back to better circumstances.
Of course, while you’re being supportive and empathic, you also have to be strategic, and not let your adult child get too comfortable or go completely without responsibility – after all, they are adults now.
Changes in financial, and even emotional status are not necessarily disasters. They are turning points that, just like when you’re driving a long road, you don’t notice until you’ve gotten beyond them.
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