Non-Food School Rewards and Birthday Treats!

A couple of months ago I started volunteering at my daughter's Elementary School. There was a new wellness team building and after I raised concerns about all the sugary treats circulating in the school they suggested that I could help by jumping on the wellness team wagon. So I did. And wow, first up, those teachers are amazing! Great group of very motivated ladies with great ideas and while they often tell me how happy they are to have me on their team, I am equally as grateful and honored to have the opportunity to make positive changes.

The background

According to the new Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (a 'new' policy signed into law and supported by first lady Michele Obama) every school has the opportunity and responsibility to teach children wellness that will last a lifetime. Nutrition and Sports education have to be implemented, not just in PE and the regular curriculum, but as a way of life at the school.

(from the Jamie Oliver Foundation homepage, an explanation from the law:)

The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act requires that schools update their local wellness policies and include goals for nutrition promotion. Wellness committees should include many stakeholders, including physical education teachers, school health professionals, students, parents and other interested community members, school board members and school administrators.

Our Wellness Team decided to challenge teachers and parents to go 'treat' free and encourage whole foods or non-food items for birthday treats and in school rewards are slowly being changed into non-food items.

To implement this, I found all these great resources online:

- Non-Food celebrations and reward ideas for elementary schools

- 100daysofrealfood, Student Rewards

- 100daysofrealfood Non-Food rewards

And also from the Holistic Family Nutrition pinterest board:
http://www.pinterest.com/holisticfamilyn/

If you have been thinking about helping out in your kids' school, don't be shy, they are so grateful for everyone who comes and helps out. If there is anything I can help you with or if you have any questions on how to approach the school about this food/treat reward issue, please feel free to contact me. I can hook you up with information I have gathered and handouts I have written.

Another really good source is the Jamie Oliver Foundation. He has it all on the website; packages for parents on how to approach the school, info on the law and how to find out what can be changed and what can not.

With the food politics how it is and the creative ways food manufacturers come up with new man-made ingredients we can no longer ignore the sweet 'treats' that are handed out on a daily basis. They do matter, even in small amounts. Next time you pick up a candy, please read the ingredients. Recognize the words? Can you pronounce them? I bet you probably do not.

Other reasons that speak for Non-Food rewards in schools:

- The number of children with severe, life threatening allergies is increasing. These children have to sit out, possibly at another table, while the rest of the class gets to eat a 'treat'. That just makes me sad.

- Food colorings: Yellow 5, Red 40, etc..... while approved by the FDA, they are linked to hyperactivity in children. In Europe, artificial food dyes are banned, or labeled with 'may cause hyperactivity in children'. No kidding. In the U.S. this stuff is in soups, candy, drinks, smoothies, crackers, etc....

- Sugar. Yes sugar. Sugar is no longer just sugar. The cheap candy is made with high fructose corn syrup (but HFCS is also found in various other processed food), a sugar from genetically modified corn that is processed to have a very high amount of fructose. Its introduction into our food supply directly links to obesity.

- The psychological aspect. In my opinion a good behaviour should not be rewarded with food. Such association will stick with the kid forever. Later, as an adult they will reward themselves for good or bad days with a pint of ice cream. (Sounds familiar?) (-;

To keeping the kids healthy, 

love, n.

What our family does... to not get sick

It is flu/cold/virus season. Whatever you want to call it. Fact is, many people are sick.

Lately I found myself giving  ideas and advice to fellow mamma's and friends all around me on how they can prevent getting sick, or recover faster if they already have gotten sick. 

So, I figured I will just write a post about what I do to keep my family healthy.

1. We do not eat processed foods. 

Our diet consists of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, grass-fed animal products such as beef, lamb, bison, organic chicken and whole grains such as brown rice, whole grain rice pasta and spelt flour bread. 

We do not include sugar and white flour products in our diet. 

Why? 

Sugar depletes the body of many important vitamins and minerals and weakens the Immune System. Sugar and white flour products provide only empty calories meaning that if you eat a lot of processed sugary and white flour products, you are not leaving enough room in the diet for real whole foods containing minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals.

We also do not consume any milk and dairy products. 

Besides the fact that most members of my family react sensible to dairy, dairy also produces mucus in the body, creating a great environment for bacterias and viruses to grow. At the first onset of a cold, cough, runny nose...leave the dairy out of your diet so the Immune System can do its job.

Good morning...

...happy sunday morning!

I am waking my metabolism with a cup of hoter water, lemon juice and a dash of cayenne pepper.

Love, n.

School Starts - Support Your Kid's Immune System with these 6 simple tips

Last week we went to 'back to school night' at our daughters new school. 

As all the Kindergartner's sat around the table drawing something with the teacher my hubby says; 'look, first that kid took the marker in her mouth thinking about what to draw, after making a few marks on the paper the pen was put back into the basket, the next kid (our daughter) took it out and same scene different child; Marker in mouth, drawing, marker back in mouth and then back into basket ready for the next kid put his germs on it. 

I couldn't help but laugh! I wonder when they ever stop chewing on stuff. (-;

So, our kiddos will be exposed to a lot of more new germs and viruses now that school started and here are a few ideas on how we as parents can help strengthen their immune system:

1. A diet low in processed sugar: Sugar has a lot of negative effects on the immune system. 

2. Lot's of fresh fruits and vegetables, preferably organic. Conventionally grown produce lacks up to 60% of nutrients due to poor soil quality and pesticides sprayed on them. Offer a variety to have a lot of different nutrients. 

3. Zinc. Supplementation of Zinc for kids up to 30mg per day.  No longer than 3 months at a time and never on an empty stomach. Do not ever exceed 60mg from all vitamins containing zinc combined.

4. Vitamin C. Supplementation up to 1000mg per day. Vitamin C is water soluble and can not be overdosed. When the kid gets diarrhea it was too much.

5. Limit dairy. At the first sign of a cold or flu, limit or cut out dairy completely. Dairy is mucus producing and does not help with fighting viruses. 

6. Warm liquids: Herbal teas with raw honey.

love, n.

Smoke was/is In The Air

I am always one step behind... I started writing this when we had all those crazy fires going on but never got a chance to edit it and publish. Well, according to some people in the fire business, it will burn again. So here it is... a few weeks late but you will be ready when you need it.

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Air quality in Colorado's front range is really bad right now due to all the fires around us.

Little people, older folks and individuals with existing lung conditions such as asthma may be having a really hard time right now.

Here is how you can support your respiratory system through nutrition:

Eat clean foods.

Know what is in your food.

Sugar should be avoided.

Avoid processed white flour products.

Choose whole grains.

Read the ingredients in your packaged items.

Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins such as chicken, tuna, eggs and lower your carbohydrate intake.

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Specific nutrients:

Omega-3 fatty acids, to protect cells and for their proper function and reduce tissue inflammation

Vitamin C, supports respiratory health with shortening the length of upper respiratory viral infections, promotes phagocyte cell functions, supports healthy T-cell function, antioxidant support at inflammation sites

beta-cryptoxanthin, a carotenoid, acts as an antioxidant

Zinc, helps Immune System keep viruses away, may help with stopping or reducing the length of an asthma attack

B-Complex, anti-stress vitamin and reduces homocysteine which can narrow blood vessels and therefore the oxygen supply to the cells

Dimethylglycine (DMG), improves oxygenation in lung tissue

L-cysteine, an amino acid, repairs lung tissue and also reduces inflammation

Calcium, has a dilating effect on bronchial muscles. (take with Vit. D for better absorption)

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          Menu Plan for an asthmatic person.

Notes: Asthma in an individual may be caused due to a food allergy, environmental toxins, vaccinations, pesticides, chemicals and others. Some asthmatics may suffer from yeast/fungus overgrowth (candida albicans) due their diet and medications. (steroids given to asthmatic patients feeds the fungus). Sometimes individuals do not just have asthma but are sick frequently and bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics which further mess with the immune system and kill the beneficial bacteria in their GI tract.

Eliminating a possible food allergens will help the individual. 

Also eliminating foods that promote mucus production such as dairy and gluten is recommended.

Taking actions to reduce the mucus with warm drinks such as water with lemon juice can be very beneficial.

Individuals with asthma should stay away from food additives often found in processed foods or restaurants, food dyes, white flour products and sugar.

The diet in general should consist of whole foods, be low on carbohydrates, high on protein and no sugar.

Breakfast:
Day 1 and Day 2
Warm water with lemon juice.   (mucus reducing)

Day 1
Gluten Free Oats with Almond Milk (unsweetened) and organic blueberries
(oats are a whole grain, almond milk can not have any sugar and blueberries for their antioxidant properties)
Day 2
different seasonal fruits, chopped and dipped in almond butter
(fruits for their vitamin contents and fiber, almond butter for essential fats and protein)

Lunch:
Day 1
leafy green salad with grilled or baked salmon, walnuts and garbanzo beans
(leafy greens reduce tissue inflammation, salmon contains Omega-3’s to reduce tissue inflammation and the garbanzo beans as additional protein)
Day 2
Vegetable soup (vegan broth with carrots, broccoli, leeks, onions, garlic, tofu)
(tofu is the protein, carrots have beta-carotene, onions and garlic to reduce inflammation, Broccoli is a particularly rich source of a flavonoid called kaempferol which may lessen the impact of allergy-related substances on the body)

Dinner:
Day 1
Brown rice with steamed vegetables such as carrots, green beans, Brussels sprouts and a baked chicken breast
(brown rice because its a complex carbohydrate, the vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals and the chicken is a low fat protein)
Day 2
Tomato/Avocado/Onion/Tuna/Cucumber salad tossed with veganaise and enjoyed with organic sprouted corn tortillas.
(vegetables for all their vitamins and minerals, avocado for their healthy fats, tuna for their essential fatty acids and protein, cucumbers are blood cleansing, corn tortilla instead of wheat if gluten is a problem and corn is a whole grain)

Snacks:
Oranges
(high in Vitamin C which protects lung tissues)
Raw nuts
(essential fatty acids)
Hummus with raw carrots, bell peppers
(hummus is healthy, lean protein, vegetables for their vitamins and minerals to fight inflammation)

If you would like this as a pdf, let me know, I will email it to you. I am still trying to figure out a new platform form my pdf's as apple discontinued mobile me. 

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P.S.: this is an essay I had to write for an assignment for school. The sources for this information are NTI, study books, trustworthy online resources and personal experience. Test sources may be given upon request.

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Disclaimer: Nutrition Therapy is a form of alternative medicine and is not intended to treat, cure or diagnose a disease. Nutritional counseling does not replace regular check ups with a primary physician. Nutritional counseling may be sought as a support for better well being, better immune function and for educational purposes.

love, n.

The Flu

Please note that everything I write in this blog is my personal opinion.

With that said, here we go: 

I believe that getting the flu shot does not make any sense and wrecks your Immune System rather than helps it. 

The flu shot commercials on tv drive me up the wall and I think it is ruthless of King Soopers for giving flu shot customers 10% of their grocery purchase the day they get vaccinated in their pharmacies. You know that behind all this are the pharma companies who are NOT looking out for our best interests at all but for profit only!

(they belong to the 1%)

Also, who are we to think that it is not allowed anymore to get sick? It is good for your Immune System to fight something every now and then, and it is ok to let your body rest if you have a cold. 

Specially in the fall/winter months Vitamin C and green vegetables go a long way!

So, before you run and get a shot consider reading this article. Make an informed decision and don't believe everything only because they show it on tv or because your family physician is talking you into it.

Dr. Christine Anderson, Chiropractor in Los Angeles, wrote this article about the
7 Pillars of Natural Health Strategies for Cold-Flu Season

http://www.expertclick.com/Newsreleasewire/37935

                          

quote from the article:

'There are 4 issues in particular to the influenza vaccine. 1) The flu vaccine does not protect us from every flu; in order for the vaccine to be manufactured, they have to take an educated guess as to which strains will go into it well in advance. 2) One of the major downfalls of the flu vaccine is that the immune system become compromised right after the vaccine, leaving you susceptible to – you guessed it – getting the flu! 3) The flu vaccine is still manufactured using mercury based thimerosol; there is a mercury free version, but you have to ask for it and it may not be readily available. 4) The flu vaccine is cultivated in chick embryos; if you have an egg allergy or sensitivity you will want to avoid this vaccine and those who are concerned with animal welfare may object to this practice as well.'

stay healthy, n.

Hello Spring

The beginning of spring is the perfect time for renewing yourself

in nutrition language this means to detoxify your body!

Is this a big unknown for you? Scared? You should be (-; not from the phrase ‘to detoxify’ but more from all the accumulated toxins in your body... so keep reading and you will be fine!

WE live in a very toxic world. 

Pollution in the air and water, the daily stress, our surroundings are as unhealthy as ever.

To make matters worse, the typical American diet contributes to very poor health. 

Because only if we nourish our body with the proper organic food and supplements we stand a chance to fight all the other ingested toxins.

But if the body is malnourished and does not meet the basic nutritional needs, then diseases and obesity are inevitable.

This problem is called Autointoxication.

Autointoxication is self-poisoning caused by microorganisms, metabolic wastes and other poisons produced within the body.

Where does all this bad stuff end up?

In all our excreting organs and cells most definitely and the biggest part of it in an unhealthy large Colon. (Colon = large intestine: the end portion of the human digestive tract)

You might think now: if it is in the colon, why aren’t we just eliminate it out by going to the bathroom?

That is exactly where the problem hides: average American diets do not contain nearly enough fiber to eliminate toxins from the body on a daily basis.

The average American diet consists of high-fat, low fiber, refined – processed junk food, sugar, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and white flour products...

All these unhealthy foods cannot pass through the colon without fiber. White flour products as an example are stripped of all the fiber, nutrients, vitamins and minerals. It cannot be passed through the colon and accumulates on the colon walls building up waste and toxins to the extent of Colon toxicity.

You must also understand that if the colon doesn’t work right, is full of toxins and waste, the Immune System gets impaired. A lot of diseases and illnesses have been found to have a toxic Colon as an underlying/primary cause.

FACTS:

recommended daily fiber intake: 20-30grams/day

other authorities recommend 40 grams, those with diabetes should consume about 50grams/day

 a pear has 5 grams of fiber

a healthy Colon contains nearly 60 varieties of micro flora and bacteria to help w/ digestion, maintain pH and prevent overgrowth of harmful bacteria

in a healthy colon the good bacteria outnumber the bad

the average American may be carrying as much as 10-25 lbs of impacted fecal matter in their colon measured on an average sized NOT overweight person

How to detoxify?

While it might be a good idea to target all organs in your body, 

(there are is a variety of different herbs that help detoxify certain organs, if you know of an organ in your body that needs special detox care talk to someone at you local health food store, they can educate you about the special herbs or supplements for the specific organ. For example milk thistle for a liver detox)

I want to emphasize on the nutritional aspect and the detoxification of the Colon as it plays a major role in the overall health of a human being.

Detoxify your body means to not ingest any more toxins. So, for at least 10 days, your diet should not contain any processed food, meat, eggs, dairy, wheat, white flour, sugar, preservatives, food coloring, coffee and alcohol.

What it should contain is:

WATER 2 quarts per day (more if you are overweight, work out or in hot weather)

Fresh fruits and vegetables: any berries, pears, apples, watermelon, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, beets, Brussels sprouts (just to give you a few)

NO corn,  NO potatoes

Whole grains like brown rice, oat bran, quinoa.

Fish (without coloring)

As for supplements I recommend a multivitamin,

a fiber supplement containing both soluble and insoluble fiber 

(a good fiber supplement should always contain psyllium husk – one of the best sources of fiber)

and an antioxidant 

(antioxidants are found in fruits, specially berries. There purpose is to eliminate free radicals from your body)

Last but not least, there are also commercially prepared pills on the market, which contain all the right supplements to help with detoxification. One I can recommend is found here. 

Just always keep in mind: only swallowing a pill does not detoxify your body, your diet needs to be adjusted, eliminate the intake of toxins as much as possible!

Just a few symptoms that could be a sign that a spring detox might be in order;

Overweight, tired, apathy, 

headaches, constipation, skin rashes, 

insomnia, bloating, dark eye circles, mood swings

Ideal a detox with the whole package of nutrition changes and appropriate supplementation would last about 3 weeks. If you feel overwhelmed just by the thought of changing everything for 3 weeks, start with 10 days...

 After the 10 days try to add another 10 and go from there. Some of you might not even feel like it is so bad. 

Key to success: plan ahead. Get the family involved. Yes, also kids can eat like this! Put together a meal plan, write down all the good foods you can eat and you enjoy and then add some new ones to try. Observe changes to your body, challenge yourself and have fun with it!

If you need help, please let me know. I would love to be of assistance.

HAPPY SPRING!

love, n.

The Most Forgotten Nutrient

H2O

 WATER - AQUA -WASSER - L'EAU - ACQUA - MIZU - NAM - AIR- VODA

 Here comes a post about water - the most important nutrient there is and unfortunately still not  accessible enough for all people on this planet!!!

(Tip for kids: have them choose their  BPA free water bottle and have it accessible for them at ANY TIME and ANY PLACE)

Do I drink enough water? a question we should ask ourselves from time to time.

Water is essential for survival, if humans do not intake water for 4 days or more we die!

How much water;

recommended are 1.5 -2 quarts of fresh, filtered water daily.

2 quarts equal about 2 liters, 8 cups or 0.5 gallon

Two thirds of our body is H2O: which makes it the most important nutrient.

Natural water (meaning typical spring water - which has the source deep underground) can provide significant quantities of minerals such as Calcium. In natural spring water 100mg Calcium can be found per quart. Which could make water a significant source of Calcium. Since tap water is not safe to drink in all cases and regions, bottled store bought water is the alternative to it. But while it does not contain any harmful bacteria or pollution the purification process also washed out all the good minerals and nutrients. A compromise I guess that has to be made.

Symptoms of not getting enough water;

constipation,

headaches,

lethargy,

mental confusion,

higher risk of urinary tract infections and kidney stones.

Other problems:

Diabetics or borderline Diabetics are often thirstier than healthy people, because the body tries to dilute the glucose level in the blood, but through drinking excess of water it can actually be more toxic for body cells.

Kids who are unusually thirsty may be deficient in essential fats.

Drinking sugary drinks makes you drink even more as well.

Can we drink too much?

Actually YES: the intake of too much water can lead to kidney failure.

(people on drugs such as Ecstasy may drink too much in fear of dehydrating and there are other drugs that disturb the normal thirst reflex)

But while only a handful of people actually die from drinking too much water, way more loose their live to not drinking enough.

So, my recommendation is:

Drink 8-10 glasses (8oz) of pure, filtered water daily. 
add more if you are working out, in hot weather or for weight loss

Add freshly squeezed lemon juice or herbal teas for some flavor if desired.

and make your body and yourself happy!

love, n.

Viruses and Nutrition

Did you know you can help your Immune System fight cold and flu viruses with eating the right foods and avoiding the bad?

If you or one of your family members is sick or feels like getting sick, the whole family should start right away:

eliminate sugar and dairy from your diet

(sugar and dairy are known to weaken the Immune System and if we have a weak Immune System, our bodies won't be able to fight any diseases)

eat a lot of greens!

spinach, kale, all that good stuff. or juice it with fruits in the morning.

add vitamin C

(up to 1000mg per day for an adult, 200-400mg for children)

elderberry juice or tea

use oils:

eucalyptus and thyme are known to fight cold's and flu's, mix a couple drops with some olive oil and rub it onto your chest, neck or feet. (also very effective for children)

get enough sleep (haha) and drink a lot of warm (SUGAR FREE) beverages

(-:

love, n.