Organic Does Not Necessarily Mean Healthy

It all happened one afternoon at the end of a long, distracted shopping trip with three kids.  Normally, I check nutrition labels but we were late, we were all tired and I was done with being the 'baddy' and putting everything back on the shelves.  When we returned home, I realized I was victim to clever packaging and good marketing, and that this Organic Rice Crispy cereal was really a dessert.

This is an organic food that has 220 calories/bowl because most kid's bowls are 1.5-2 cups not 3/4 cup like the label reads. In that 220-calorie bowl, my kids also got 22 grams of sugar!!!  That is the same as serving them a can of Red Bull for breakfast (which contains 29 grams of sugar).  The body doesn't differentiate between sugar and organic sugar. Despite a lot of the press, the data only show that High Fructose Corn Syrup is only a little more quickly converted to fat; and that organic cane sugar is processed exactly like regular sugar.

This is a recurring problem. Friends, doctors, my husband, teachers have all fallen prey to this excellent marketing that is pushed on us in the stores.  But organic doesn't necessarily mean healthy, in fact, in the case of processed foods (i.e. cereals, snack foods, etc.) organic versions are not that different health-wise than the non-organic food.

So spend your organic dollars wisely....

What should you buy organic, if you can? (environmental issues-aside)

-Milk - Organic milk and meat are unique because their label not only describes the organic feed they receive but also tells us that they are not injected with hormones or antibiotics.  There is enough suggestive data correlating the hormones and antibiotics in milk with problems both in our children and even in adults' responsiveness to antibiotics.

-Meat - Not that their feed is any better for us; but organic meat does not receive the pesticides in their feed and therefore, we in turn don't eat animal products that are enriched in pesticides.  As I mentioned, we also don't get a dose of hormones or antibiotics with our meal, either.

-Fruit and Veg - This is really critical for the dirty dozen.
 (see Organic - quick and ez guide from 6/2010)
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7184786931027780998#editor/target=post;postID=8407259560410239260

Organic produce is grown with less harmful products that won't deposit into the growing bones and fat stores of children.


What should you not buy organic?

-Noodles
-Crackers
-Foods in boxes
Organic items might have fewer hydrogenated ingredients but you can find a short, healthy ingredient lists on non-organic processed foods for less money.

-Candy
-Soda
-Sweet Cereals
-Cake Mixes
Not to say don't indulge; but if you are going to indulge know that it is an indulgence whether it is organic or no.

Vogue Diets for 7 Year Olds

Vogue's April issue features an article by Dara-Lynn Weiss about her experience putting her 7 year old on a strict diet.  Her daughter was in the 99th percentile for BMI for her age, clearly indicating that her weight was too high and increasing her risk for high blood pressure, Type II diabetes and adult obesity.  Ms. Weiss is being taken over the coals for her article because of her compulsive control of her daughter's intake. By her own admission, she threw away her daughter's Starbucks drinks when the Barista couldn't tell her the exact calorie count or accounted for the calories her daughter consumed in a single miniature Hershey's kiss.

While, her daughter's weight needed to be lowered for numerous reasons, Ms. Weiss's and Weight Watchers (the model for the program she used) are not the appropriate method for 7 year olds.  The system she used teaches kids to categorize foods according to nutrient content into green light groups and red lights (Green being the most acceptable and the reds being rare treats).  While this method is great for teaching kids, that some foods are super for growth and health, and others are more for pleasure and should be eaten less often.  It does, like the adult Weight Watchers program, also create eaters that spend each meal algorithmically engaged deciding what they can and can't eat. At 7, really???  This may be great for math skills but it will not produce a healthful adult with normal relationship to food or with strong self-esteem.  There are several problems with this approach for under 10's.  It focuses on diet not activity level, it teaches children to obsess about food, it can involve public shame when kids are singled out publicly and differentiated from their peers (as it did with Ms. Weiss's daughter).

The most effective treatment for obesity in kids under 10 is simply increasing their activity level.  This increases their caloric output, improves their cardiovascular health, increases their blood flow to their brain and other growing organs, it improves self-esteem and children's confidence in their ability to accomplish activities.  Of course, this could mean adding Karate several days a week; but even more valuable is to decrease their sitting/indoor time and thereby increase their light activity.  We used to be a nation of walkers. Children of the 1950's walked more, biked more, etc, b/c it was their only means of transport and independence. Some estimate, that kids of that era were 20 hours/wk more active then kids of today. Even in the 1970's children moved more, in the UK data shows that 80% of 7-8 yr olds walked to school, compared to 9% nowadays. These kids were not taking step aerobics but just walking more and playing more.  Both of these low-intensity activities add-up calorically.  

Increasing kids 'transport-activity' level along with mild changes in what is available to eat is the best way to help kids lose weight while preserving their normal relationship to food.  Doing this and telling the kids you are improving the health of the whole family is critical.  Kids do not need to associate any shame with food.  While Ms. Weiss attempts to get her daughter active are laughable (Karate 2x/wk with swimming 1x/wk), she did do some things right.  She put the whole family on a healthier diet and they all ate better food choices.  However, she publicly scolded her daughter about food, had her daughter lying about what she ate and argued about the importance of the diet in front of her daughter.  Kids are born with a very good sense of hunger and satiety and this needs to be preserved as long as a parent can.  The best approach is not interfering, no Scarlett letters needed.

BOTTOM LINE........
The best way to improve your heavy child's health is
1. Make the food in your home healthy
2. Model healthy food choices as much as you can,
3. Keep them active with walking and playing outside, exhaust them
4. Limit screen time to limit sitting time
http://www.mamamianutrition.com/search?q=sitting
(my blog from 11/11: "Sitting is bad for your health and their's")

A Spoonful of Sugar is 'Toxic': Palate Training take II

A lot of recent research papers on obesity and chronic disease are pointing their collective fingers at one food ingredient, Sugar.  The most recent is a Nature publication, which states that Sugar is toxic and should be regulated as alcohol is in this country.  The authors point to the fact that adults in the US are consuming 500-600 calories each day from sugar, which is 25% or more of their caloric intake.  Estimates for how many sugar calories kids' eat vary more but some are as high as 500 calories/day.  Why is this a worry?

-Sugar = just calories- sugar unlike fiber or vitamins doesn't offer anything beyond caloric energy.  The energy is unpacked and ready for use.  If it is not needed it is readily converted to fat.

-Sugar is addictive - several studies in rats have shown a similar addictive response to sugar as rats have to cocaine.  One study showed that after prolonged sugar exposure, rats preferred the sugary drink to the point of shunning their food. Another study suggested that sugar was more addictive than cocaine in rat pups.

Sugar creates dependency -More disconcerting is the finding that sugar intake increases one desire for ....Sugar.  Sugar has a 'dependence-producing' quality that research is bringing to light.  Sugar interferes with certain hormones that tell our brain whether we are hungry or sated.  Eating sugar results in more signals suggesting we are hungry and less signals telling the brain we are satisfied.

-Sugar is abused in the US - this is certainly true for kids but may also be true for adults.  Sugar (sweets) are no longer special treats for our kids but are everyday occurrences.  Sugary foods are used as classroom rewards, athletic rewards (see http://www.realmomnutrition.com/ for a disturbing view of what constitutes soccer snacks these days), obedience rewards, achievement rewards, etc.  Ultimately this means:
      They are getting a lot of sugar (and processed foods). The average intake in added sugar has tripled in the past 30 years among children.
      We are also teaching a very strange model to kids and perhaps setting them up for obesity.  We are teaching them to eat as a reward for their accomplishments rather than developing an inner pride and satisfaction with their achievements.

Many scientists and food policy advocates suggest a cold-turkey approach to our sugar addiction; and many suggest that this sets up a feeling of depravity and leaves us with a risk to binge.  It is not clear what the ideal is for us biologically but realistically, sugar is hard to avoid.  Sugar is in most store bought foods outside of the produce area. The amount being added to our foods is increasing/gram each year.

For now moderation is the best policy for both adults and children.  I would advocate thoughtfulness about your children's sugar intakes, remember we are training a palate.  Clearly sugar can significantly change a palate to only appreciate sugar. We need to not only limit sweets but also teach children the place sweets have in our diets.  They need to be in balance with the rest of the foods we eat; and should not be used as a reward.

Yummy Kale Recipe for Adults - Take 2 (an antidote to Valentine Treat Overload)

I played around with the Kale salad recipe to accomodate the cold outside and the beautiful greens in my fridge (thanks to Green Edge Organics). Here is what resulted and warmed us up deliciously....

Mama Mia's Warm Greens braised with pine nuts and raisins


1 cup finely minced onion
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
2-3 Tbspn olive oil
salt
6-8 cups greens - spinach, collards, bok choy, kale, chard, turnip greens, etc.  (I used spinach, bok choy and chard), chopped.
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup pine nuts (toast for 30s in microwave)

Heat oil in large pan, cook onions and garlic till soft and fragrant. Add greens to pan and cook only until all are a little wilted, if there is a lot of stem, and it is fresh, chop stems up and add first. Cook stems for 1-2 min and then add the leaves. Salt, to taste, and add raisins (raisins will take up the greens' extracted juice and become really delicious).  Once all is cooked through but not overly cooked (about 5 min), remove from heat, add nuts and serve.

Yum!

Ugly Duckling Stage

This is just a note that my blog is going through some reconstructive work and is going to have an ugly duckling stage for a wee bit. This just the looks though, the content will continue to be fantastic.

The Games We Play

I made the most scrumptious soup ever last week, the main ingredient of which was TURNIPS.  The obvious name would have been 'Turnip Soup'.  When the kids returned from school and smelled the aroma filling the house they all asked what was in the pot. I didn't bat an eye, I said 'Cheese Soup'.

Playing games with food names, shaping foods, decorating food containers, manipulating a food's color or texture, have always seemed an exhausting exercise in parenting.  It can also create an eater that has very high expectations for their meals. Generally, it is not something dietitians or pediatricians recommend because it can make for a picky eater later down the road.

Now here is the admission, I do resort to some of these tactics.  I create delicious sounding soups, I add beans and beets to make desserts more healthful, I routinely substitute in higher protein flours when I am baking, I puree soups that would otherwise get rejected because of the floating herb bits and more.  I am not sure that this is all bad.  I hope I am expanding their palates with few complaints and I am increasing their servings of fruits and vegetables.  However, as my kids get older I am trying to avoid the games and work towards an adult that would enjoy 'Turnip Soup' without pause, which by the way is below....

Mama Mia's Turnip 'Cheese' Soup

3 large leeks, chopped, white parts only
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp butter
3 large turnips, peeled and chopped
3 medium to small potatoes
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
5-6 cups stock (the amount depends on the thickness you want)
salt and pepper to taste
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup grated gruyere

Heat butter in soup pot on medium, add leeks and garlic.  Cook till tender and caramelized, add potatoes and turnips.  Sautee till tender and add parsley (if there is sticking, add a very small amt of water), cook an additional 2 minutes.  Add stock and simmer for 30-40 minutes. I puree at this point b/c it does taste delicious to blend the potatoes and the turnips into one uniform flavor.  Add remaining ingredients and serve.

"Polite Bites"

This the story of a soup and a girl....our girl dazzles our lunchtime table every few weeks and is typically a hungry lunchtime eater (unlike my wee man).  She has become accustomed to our mealtime rituals/ground rules since she is a very regular guest.  One of these rituals is to take "polite bites"... meaning that when something new is put in front of you then you take one bite to taste the new food, one bite to feel what that new food feels like in your mouth and one bite as a thank you to the chef (or "cooker" as they like to say).

This has never been a problem for our little friend but often she will stop after three bites.  A wonderful thing happened when I put my orange squash soup before our orange-haired friend.... she made a face, took her "polite bites", kept on eating and asked for seconds!

"Polite Bites" have been a great tool for our family.  They stem from my feeling under appreciated as the sole family chef, toiling each day to try to make something yummy and healthful.  I got very tired of our kiddos looking at the meal, making snide remarks and not even tasting the food.  So we began "Polite Bites".  They don't have to love the new food ("it is not my favorite") but they have to try it.  I won't say that they are eating Kale chips and Beet Chili at every meal, now; but it has increased the number of foods they eat. It has also given them a way to cope if they are at friends' houses and they are presented with new foods they are intimidated by.

By the way the soup that our ginger girl loves, and so do my kids is as follows:


Roasted Butternut Squash Soup 
(modification of Jessica Shimberg's recipe)

1 large Butternut Squash (or two small) or another winter squash that has a nutty flavor (Hubbard, Pumpkin, Kabouchi, etc.)
3 Tbspn olive oil
2 Onions
1 Potato (can use sweet potato), large
2-3 cloves garlic
2 carrots
2 bay leaves
3 tsp regular paprika (can use smoked paprika but that is more for adults)
3-4 cups chicken or veggie stock
salt to flavor

Halve squash, remove seeds, salt, and place facedown on oil pan, roast for 30-40 minutes at 425 till soft and skin darkens.  Remove and let cool.

While squash is roasting, heat olive oil.  Chop onions coarsely and saute till translucent, in oil.  Peel and chop potatoes and carrots.  Add veg to soup pot. Can coarsely chop everything since soup is pureed at the end.  Salt veg in soup pot and keep stirring till aromatic.  Mash garlic and add to soup, along with bay leaves, and paprika. Once veggies are soft, add three cups of broth.  Remove peel from squash and add to soup. Let the soup come to a gentle boil, turn down and simmer for twenty-thirty minutes.  Then puree soup with a soup stick, taste and add salt as needed. The soup should be thick but still a soup consistency not mash potato consistency, so add broth till you are at the right thickness.

Can serve with a dollop of full-fat plain yogurt...this is often popular especially in the form of a smiley face.