We are rapidly approaching the end of an era (several of them actually, but that's another story). The days when I was Lucy's sole source of food are coming to a close and with that comes a whole new set of parental decisions that need to be made. It's a big thing being responsible for the health of your child...making sure they eat right...trying to develop healthy tastes and habits...knowing that although your parents tried to feed you a nutritious diet you still struggle with an addiction to processed food and sugar...and chocolate...hoping your child won't have quite the battle you do....
In trying to decide how we are going to feed Lucy my first decision was to do some research.
To that end we purchased
Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right by Dr. Fuhrman. It is a fascinating book and I recommend it to all parents (especially if you have a child who suffers from chronic illnesses such as ear infections and colds). There is a lot of research and scientific information but it isn't too difficult of a read, and I confess I sort of skimmed over some of the technical-sounding stuff. Still, It made a big difference in how I view children's diets so I'd like to share a few of the high points and surprising statistics with you here:
- In the typical American diet children get about 2% of their calories from fruits and veggies.
- About 25% of American toddlers eat 0 fruits & veggies.
- By 15 months of age, french fries are the most common vegetable consumed in America.
- Kids don't have to be sick all the time (we only think they do because most are). If they are getting enough nutrients their bodies can resist most illnesses.
- Poor nutrition is linked to practically all health problems, from allergies to ADHD to eczema.
- Consumption of saturated fat (found in milk, cheese, & animal products etc) has a shockingly high correlation with heart disease, cancer, and high cholesterol
-antibiotics kill good bacteria along with bad bacteria making it more likely for children to get sick repeatedly once they've been prescribed...especially evident in the treatment and recurrence of ear infections
- Cow's milk is both deficient in iron and it bonds with iron so it is the most common cause of anemia in infants and young children
- One 60 year study of about 5,000 people found that those who consumed more fruit in their childhood (highest quartile) were 38% less likely to develop cancer as adults
- Dietary influence on Breast and Prostate Cancer Risk is vastly higher under age 10 (as in over 500% higher) than it is at age 25 and beyond
I can't come close to doing it justice - there is a lot more information in the book which is often accentuated with charts that show relationships far more effectively than my single-sentence blurbs. Suffice it to say that thanks to this book I am questioning the marketing "information" that says we should feed our young children cow's milk, cheese, fruit snacks, fruit drinks, and other processed foods. Now I just have to figure out a good balance so my child(ren) can eat primarily high-nutrient diets and be healthy without feeling completely left out, weird, or awkward around others.
We have to figure it out for ourselves too because parenthood is all about setting examples! Coming up next:
Eat for Health....learning how to modify your diet without going crazy or giving up all your favorite foods =)
