Can kids become addicted to certain foods?
Dr. Joel Fuhrman (Author of New York Times Bestseller Eat to Live) said in his book Disease-Proof Your Child:
"The minute children taste low-nutrient processed foods--which are typically high in fat, salt, and sugar-- their desire and their taste for wholesome foods diminishes. To the extent that the parents gave in to the attraction of rich, calorically dense foods such as macaroni and cheese, sweets, or pizza, by that same extent, the child will no longer have an interest in consuming fruits and vegetables." (123)
When I read that, something clicked inside me and I knew it was true. I had seen it in my own son. The more he ate Goldfish crackers and cookies, the more he craved them and the less he wanted real/whole fruits and vegetables.
SUGAR
Then I started experimenting with myself, in an effort to test this out. I started with sugar. I used to have these favorite chocolate chip cookies that I would buy every so often (from Trader Joe's, so they had the appearance of being healthy, but of course they were loaded with sugar). I realized that I would eat them usually when I was stressed or had a long day, as a little "treat" to keep me going. I liked the feeling I got when I ate them. But I couldn't eat just one, so I would keep going back to them all day. The more often I ate them, the more I would crave them. I didn't like feeling like I wasn't in control of my body, feeling a strong pull towards those cookies. It was as if I was letting my body, instead of my mind, dictate the amount of cookies I ate.
The hard part was that when I stopped buying these cookies (and other foods with added sugar), I still craved them. There were times when I almost felt anxious because there were no cookies in the house. I can see that my body was addicted and was going through withdrawals.
Can we just call it like it is? Sugar is a drug.
It doesn't lead us to do crazy things like other illegal drugs, but the addictive nature and the effect it has on our bodies is a very real problem. Sugar creates an environment where diseases can thrive in our bodies. Sugar feeds cancer cells, instead of fighting them, and causes a million other things to go wrong with our bodies.
Julieanna Hever M.S., R.D., C.P.T, wrote in her book The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition:
"Sugar promotes cancer growth, poor cholesterol profiles, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity or excess weight, gastrointestinal diseases, premature aging, depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, tooth and gum decay, gout, and acne. And if that weren't enough, it's physiologically addicting!" (61)
So not only does it put our bodies on the road to miserable diseases, it's addicting. But somehow we overlook that and continue to feed our addictions, justifying it for a multitude of reasons. And worse, we are feeding it to our children. Would you give your children an illegal drug? I hope not. What about an addictive food? Maybe it's because we can't see with our eyes the actual damage that sugar is doing to our bodies, so we rationalize and don't think it's that bad...?
One of the main reasons I justified eating foods with refined sugar was that it's in everything at the grocery store (AND health stores), and surely the food companies wouldn't be producing foods that could be so harmful to my health, right?
Lol. Since when are food companies concerned with MY health?
Or, "Everyone else eats it. It's in all the vending machines. It's in the refreshments at church functions that my spiritual leaders oversee. It's in the 'healthy' granola and organic kids snacks. How could it be so bad?"
If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you jump off too?
"In the HBO documentary The Weight of the Nation, it was noted that if you “go with the flow” in the US, you will eventually become obese." (I found this quote from the intro to this ground breaking article "Nutritional Update for Physicians: Plant based Diets" that I would recommend reading: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/)
JUST SAY NO!
Hever said it best:
"One of the best things you can do for your health (after giving up dairy and animal products...) is to eliminate sugar. You'll find plenty of ways to indulge on a plant-based diet that will make you realize you're not missing anything" (61).
I can vouch for that last line. There ARE plenty of ways to indulge in delicious food on a plant-based diet, and they are all addiction-free and guilt-free. Here are some things I do in my family:
- We start our day with a delicious fresh fruit and vegetable juice, which is packed full of nutrition and sets the tone for the rest of the day (and my taste buds crave fresh fruits and vegetables after drinking this too!)
- We make really yummy food and eat lots of it to fill our stomachs so we don't have room for junk.
- We don't even BUY it anymore- if it's not staring me in the face when I open the cupboard, then there's no way I can eat it even if I wanted to.
- We eat lots of fruits & sweet vegetables such as sweet potatoes, peas (high protein!), carrots, beets... these all contain natural sugar, so they help satisfy my sweet tooth, but don't lead to a dramatic rise and then crash of my blood sugar levels like refined sugar does.
- We make healthy treats that taste amazing, such as coconut oil candies, homemade bars & bar cake.
(sweetened with pure maple syrup, raw honey, or dates)
- We snack on nutrient-dense foods such as hummus and veggies, smoothies, apples & nut/seed butter, trail mix, etc.
- We use dates and bananas to sweeten our food (such as in oatmeal, muffins, smoothies, in warm brown rice with almond milk & cinnamon, etc) and use raw honey and pure maple syrup for special treats (and extra special treats, I have used coconut sugar and agave, but we don't use those very often, since they are very close to having the same effect of refined sugar).
SALT
Did you know salt can be addictive as well?
"Your palate adjusts to how much sodium you consume. The more salt you eat, the more you crave. The good news is, the less salt you eat, the less you need." (Hever 61)
We do need a small amount of sodium in our diets (1,500 mg or less per day; 1 teaspoon of salt contains 2,300 mg). But we don't use commercial, processed, and chemical-treated salt anymore. Instead we use Himalayan Pink Salt or Sea Salt, and try to season our cooked dishes with salt-free spice blends such as Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute.
DAIRY
Is cheese really addicting?
I knew it was hard to give up at the beginning, but I never really thought of cheese as addicting. But I just learned this from Hever's book.
"This protein (Casien) causes the production of the same feel-good effects as optiate drugs. When consumed, casein converts into casomorphins--nature's way to ensure an infant will return to the breast for milk. In cheese, the protein (mostly casein) is much more concentrated along with the fat and sodium content than in milk. Together, you have a powerfully addictive mixture. Cut out dairy, and your cravings will go away in about 3 weeks." (p. 93)
It's true! I have stopped craving cheese and ice cream, however it was extremely hard at first. So if you are at the beginning stages, don't worry, it does get easier!
Some may ask:
"But how can you deprive yourself of all the amazing treats this world has to offer?"
"But how can you deprive yourself of all the amazing treats this world has to offer?"
Here's my answer:
We don't restrict ourselves, and we never feel deprived.
My husband and I don't have hard rules that we can't EVER have meat or dairy or processed food or other treats. However, at this point in our lives, we don't really crave cow's milk, cheese, or meat as much. I know how I feel after consuming large amounts of sugar and artificial ingredients, so I don't have too much trouble staying away from them. Sometimes I will see a treat that looks good at the store, and instead of buying it, I will say to myself "I bet I can make a healthier version of that" and I do and it tastes great and is not addicting or destructive to my immune system! On holidays, we will have a small amount of meat, since it is such a tradition (such as Thanksgiving). However, my stomach doesn't feel very good afterwards, so the next holiday I usually decide to make all raw or vegan dishes that taste great and make me feel good too.
Emotional eating:
Getting to the root cause instead of numbing the pain
How do you get your kids to eat healthy foods?
Here is what our rule is: they need to find something to eat in the house. Simple as that. And my job is to stock our kitchen with healthy options. If I don't buy it, it's not even an option, so there is really no need to argue over food. I make sure to buy a huge variety of fruits & veggies and make different meals all the time for my kids to try. (Note: We still have our challenges, because my son has texture issues and what he is willing to eat changes from day to day. But at least he can choose from healthy foods, instead of getting hooked on unhealthy and disease promoting foods.)
How could I feel good about giving my children drugs, that will not only wreak havoc on their immune systems opening the door to disease down the road, but will be addicting? Sure packaged food, cheesy food, store-bought cookies & candy tastes good, but do I want them craving that taste and begging me for more, refusing the nutritious food options I give them? Of course not. I have already been down that road and don't want to experience that again for fear of where it may lead.
FINAL WORDS
There will be many different reactions to reading this post. I just want to say that, I strongly feel that we cannot judge each other for the choices we make as parents, because we can't see into each other's hearts and everyone is coming from a different background, has learned different things, and is trying to be a good parent in different ways. My way is this: do everything possible to not "go with the flow" of the world, since from what I can see, that road will only leading to obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease. But instead, try to gain as much knowledge (with the Holy Spirit as my guide) and real life experience as I can to provide a good start for my kids, hoping that when they grow up they will choose to live a healthy and balanced life, taking care of their bodies and treating them as gifts from God Himself.
In short, we are trying our best, just as I'm sure all of you do. :)
Thanks for reading!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I recommend the following books referenced in this post:
Disease Proof Your Child by Dr. Joel Fuhrman
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant Based Nutrition by Julieanna Hever
Note: I don't agree with absolutely everything in these books, but they are a great beginning guide to feeding yourself or family without animal products and making sure you know what foods to focus on for a balanced diet. It's so hard to know what to believe. Studies can be interpreted in many different ways, and people (even doctors and nutritionists) have all sorts of opinions on health. That is why I don't believe doctors (they all say something different), or any specific health guru. I seek to know what is true as I pray to God for guidance and understanding, and as I study the scriptures. I figure, since He created my body, and this world, He knows better than anyone what I should put in it. Thankfully, He has been pretty specific by revealing a "Law of Health" or "Word of Wisdom" that can be found here. Hopefully I will finish my post on that subject soon and link it here for you to read. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment