Hidden Dangers in Kids’ Meals

Summer finally arrived for us this year, much later than usual. So the garden got a very late start, but it’s bursting forth now as it soaks up all of that sunshine.

I’m not complaining though about the late start of summer. I loved the rain and cool weather and so did the 2,000 Ponderosa Pine trees we planted on our property this spring as we reclaimed our little part of the forest from the overgrowth of brush that feeds the fuel ladder if a fire ever erupts. Those little trees grew more in 3 months than the few that I planted previously grew in 3 or 4 years of drought.

But we have already enjoyed spring crops from the garden and now the raspberries are ripening, a delicious summer treat.

Wouldn’t it be great if all children loved gardens and fresh fruit and vegetables?

In the college nutrition course I taught this spring we watched a DVD that revealed some of the Hidden Dangers in Kids Meals. That DVD presented one school that took the initiative to feed their students healthy food at school.

Here’s what three students learned from Hidden Dangers in Kids Meals:

First, I’d like to say that it was amazing to learn that changing the type of food that was served at the school affected the kids’ behavior, attention, and performance in school drastically! If I recall correctly, they mentioned replacing soda machines with water dispensers and serving foods that were not processed, without artificial coloring, high sugar content, or high fructose corn syrup.

Before the school switched their dietary program they were having issues with delinquency (vandalism, violence, weapons, etc.). The delinquency rate not only decreased when the school changed the diet program, but it was brought almost completely to a halt.

By Ryan Kwiatkowski

Some of the hidden dangers are: human problems that may be hidden for years, food supplements that cause sickness and death, the Scientist are pressured and they use the public as their guinea pigs, children are more susceptible to: toxins, nutritional problems, allergies, potential problems with milk, antibiotic super diseases, there is an influence of the mood and behavior, but we can have an impact on children by providing healthy food at their schools.

By Abigail Brink

The food children consume at home and at school is usually fast food type with hamburgers, hotdogs, candy, soda pop, cookies, candy bars, processed cheese, potato chips, etc.  Already, there are plenty of genetically modified ingredients tripled in the menu. As a result, children have excessive energy, always hungry, becoming more irritable and more difficult to discipline.

On the opposite side, a diet of grass fed meat, grains, fruits, vegetables, and a proper balance of oils will work in the system freeing the pancreas from being overworked resulting in balanced blood sugar.

On the healthy eating plan children are calm, able to concentrate in school, communicate easily, and are not hungry as often.

By Jennifer Schipper

Jeffrey Smith, bestselling author of the book Seeds of Deception, narrated this DVD. He felt that the elimination of genetically modified food was one of the major reasons the children’s academic work and behavior improved so drastically.

Of course, I would have to add that removing the sugary food and drinks also made a huge difference in improving their mental and behavioral functioning.

Is there a way we can influence more schools to offer only health- building food and drinks at their school?

Can we come up with some healthy ways of rewarding children for academic accomplishments and good behavior instead of giving them candy or some other sugary sweet?

Would you be willing to help a school grow a garden on campus? Kids love to work in the garden. They enjoy the awe of watching new life spring forth from the ground. And amazingly, they will actually eat vegetables that they grew themselves when they wouldn’t touch store bought food.

My grand children thought it was a real treasure hunt to dig up the potatoes grown in my garden last fall.

Let’s get kids back in touch with nature and help them grow up healthy. It’s all about making disease optional.

Blessings,

Dr. Jo

Bessie Jo Tillman, MD teaches about making Disease Optional.