Public Health Groups Applaud School Nutrition Guidelines

March 31st, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

Numerous public health groups are praising the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry for unanimously approving a bipartisan bill that establishes federal nutrition standards for foods sold on school campuses.

“Nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes, and an additional 57 million—or 1 in 5 Americans—have pre-diabetes,” says Christine T. Tobin, RN, MBA, president of health care and education for the American Diabetes Association. “If current trends continue, one in three children will face a future with diabetes. Sensible nutrition policies like this one, which will provide our students with healthy food choices in their schools, will help us reverse these trends. Starting with strong nutrition standards in our nation’s schools will put us on the path to stop diabetes.”

“Obesity, which results from poor diet and physical inactivity, is a significant and growing American problem that begins in childhood,” says Molly Daniels, interim president of the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network.

“American Cancer Society research clearly shows that obesity correlates with and causes cancer,” she adds. “Adoption of national school nutrition standards will be an important tool for obesity prevention for children.”

“Each school day, parents entrust schools to care for their children all across our nation,” says National PTA President Charles J. Saylors. “Ensuring that salty, fatty junk foods and sugary drinks are no longer an option in our schools truly honors that trust and opens students up to healthier options.”

For Your Organic Bookshelf: Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children

Tags: cancer, childhood obesity, diabetes, legislation, nutrition, Political Action, school lunch
Posted in Health, Political Action | 18 Comments »

Jamie Oliver is Making British Kids Smarter

March 29th, 2010 - Scott Shaffer

Just a few days after being ridiculed by David Letterman on national TV, British Chef Jamie Oliver’s nutritional efforts are being vindicated back home, according to the Guardian newspaper.

Jamie partnered with Parliament to institute his “Feed me Better” campaign in 2004, and Oliver, along with other healthy food enthusiasts, have been waiting with bated breath to see if the efforts are paying off. New results show that UK students in Math and Science are performing better — now that they are being fed Mexican bean wraps and creamy coconut fish, rather than the fatty, salty, deep-fried “turkey twizzlers” and “chicken dinosaurs.”

Absenteeism is down, too. The number of kids who stayed home sick from school dropped 15% from before Oliver’s campaign. Imagine how much more productive adults would be if companies replaced candy bar and soda vending machines with healthier food!

Really, this shouldn’t be surprising at all. Our minds are connected with our bodies, and if you nourish your body, you’ll make your mind sharper, too. To all the college kids: remember that next time you think of ordering greasy pizza when you’re pulling an all-nighter.

This is fantastic news for Britain. Now if only America would try out Jamie’s common-sense approach to nutrition in schools, we’d have something to celebrate on this side of the pond.

Tags: childhood obesity, food, Health
Posted in Health, Parenting, Political Action | 3 Comments »

High-Fructose Corn Syrup is Worse than Sugar

March 26th, 2010 - Scott Shaffer

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We all know that too much sugar is bad for us, but it turns out that not all sugars are created equal. A new Princeton study gave three groups of rats three different diets: normal rat food, water with table sugar (sucrose), and water with high-fructose corn syrup. They found out that calorie-for-calorie, high fructose corn syrup made the rats gain more weight even than table sugar.

High-fructose corn syrup, if you didn’t know, is a major ingredient in most soft drinks, low-quality “maple” syrup, and many popular cereals.

Psychology Professor Bart Hoebel, take it away:

When rats are drinking high-fructose corn syrup at levels well below those in soda pop, they’re becoming obese — every single one, across the board. Even when rats are fed a high-fat diet, you don’t see this; they don’t all gain extra weight.

This study should be the nail in the coffin for the unhealthy school lunch programs that fill our kids with high-fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and worse — worries about this unhealthy diet, and the effects that the diet has on students’ learning abilities, have fueled an organic school lunch movement.

If you have a sweet tooth but don’t want to end up like those poor, plump lab rats, check out recipes for superfood chocolate candy, organic tarte tatin, or the amazing organic fig almond frangipani tart — they’re all HFCS-free!

Tags: childhood obesity, Health, Organic Food, organic ingredients
Posted in Health, Organic Food | 18 Comments »

School Nutrition Guidelines Pass Senate Committee

March 26th, 2010 - Barbara Feiner

The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry has unanimously approved the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which reauthorizes the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs, while also establishing federal nutrition standards for foods sold on campuses.

In an attempt to address epidemic levels of childhood obesity, the bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture to designate school standards consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

“As a mother of two boys, it’s important to know that healthy, more nutritious foods will be more widely available throughout school campuses,” said Committee Chair Blanche Lincoln (D-AR).

“When it comes to what our kids eat at school, we need to make the healthy choice the easy choice,” added Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA). “That means ensuring that kids have the ability to choose from foods that meet science-based nutrition standards. This agreement provides a commonsense approach to healthy eating, and it starts in a place where our kids spend the majority of their day: their schools. With childhood obesity and diabetes on the rise, it couldn’t have come at a better time.”

“Current nutrition standards haven’t been updated since my children were in school in the 1970s,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA). “Today, my grandchildren are in school and are faced with the same junk food choices that should have been replaced years ago. It’s long past time to bring these school food standards into the 21st century, and I am pleased that, with this agreement, we are one step closer to passing these changes into law.”

For Your Organic Bookshelf: Free for All: Fixing School Food in America

Tags: childhood obesity, legislation, nutrition, Parenting, Political Action, school lunch
Posted in Political Action | 12 Comments »

Back-to-School Lunch Options

August 24th, 2009 - Barbara Feiner

As your child returns to school, you face the usual dilemma: Brown-bag it or rely on the cafeteria menu?

“Lunches served in school cafeterias are not always the best choice, and I recommend that sometimes lunches need to be packed,” says Mary Pat Alfaro, a registered dietitian at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

A homemade lunch puts you in control of what your child eats, as well as portion size, she notes.

Here are some of Alfaro’s tips for a healthy lunch:

Use the Food Guide Pyramid for preschoolers and elementary-school children to plan lunches. Include at least two servings from the bread group and one serving from each of the other food groups for a balanced meal. Go easy on fats and sweets.
Aim for variety to provide different nutrients and beat boredom. Try whole-grain bagels, English muffins, crackers, pita bread or tortillas paired with your child’s favorite spread or sandwich filling.
Find healthy alternatives to snack chips: trail mix, flavored rice cakes, pita chips and baked tortilla chips.
Pack fruit that’s easy to eat: grapes, strawberries, melon chunks, apple wedges, berries and orange sections. Include a dipping sauce made with yogurt or peanut butter.
Make raw vegetables like baby carrots, celery and bell pepper strips more appealing. Pack them with a container of hummus, salsa or ranch dressing.
Pay close attention to beverages. Remember that even 100% fruit juice is loaded with sugar. Opt for plain or sugar-free flavored water.
Experiment with different sandwich fillings. Top peanut butter with fruits like raisins, apples, bananas or pineapple instead of jelly. Make a burrito with refried beans, salsa, grated cheese, and chopped lettuce and tomatoes.

Editor’s note: We encourage you to choose organic foods, whenever possible, to avoid exposure to pesticides, preservatives and other chemicals.

Suggested Reading

Eat Your Obesity-Enhancing Herbicides, Kids!

June 8th, 2009 - Laura Klein

obese_child Last week, I blogged about the superior nutritional value of pesticide- and herbicide-free plant-based organic foods vs. their conventional counterparts, something I’m deeply passionate about.

This week, I’ve got more fuel for the fire.

A recent study about chronic exposure to low-levels of atrazine, the most heavily-used herbicide in the U.S., links it to myriad health issues in lab rats including:

insulin resistance
obesity
a heightened risk of diabetes, especially when exposure to atrazine is coupled with high-fat diets.

We’ve all heard about our nation’s unfortunate obesity problem; is it any wonder when obesity-enhancing herbicides are ‘baked in’ to our food? Check out the opening comments of the study…

“ATZ (atrazine)-usage and obesity maps [in the U.S.] show striking overlaps, suggesting that heavy usage of ATZ may be associated with risk of obesity.”

When you opt for organic food, your choosing high doses of nutritionally rich flavors and cancer fighting antioxidants, which adds up to a healthy dose of preventative medicine. When you choose and consume conventionally grown foods you are consuming the toxic traces left behind from herbicides like atrazine…all the more reason to spend a bit more for them at the market – or you can get my free report: The Definitive Guide To Shopping For Organic Foods on a Budget” when you sign up for our free newsletter). Or better yet, grow your own organic favorites or visit your local farmers’ market where you’ll find many pesticide- and herbicide-free fruits and veggies at great prices.

I always advise budget-minded readers that if they have to choose only a few organic foods to invest in, they opt for the ones they consume the most.

What are your experiences with shopping for organic foods on a budget? Leave us a comment – we love hearing from you!

Source: THE SCOOP – May 2009 Organic Center Newsletter Study: Soo Lim et al., “Chronic Exposure to the Herbicide, Atrazine, Causes Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Insulin Resistance,” Plos One, Vol. 4, Issue 4:e5186, April 2009.

Tags: atrazine, childhood obesity, children, eating habits, healthy food, obesity, weight
Posted in Green Living, Health, Organic, Organic Food, Organic Living, Parenting | 5 Comments »

How Children Snack

February 19th, 2007 - Barbara Feiner

Some interesting news for parents dedicated to healthy eating and organic living: Children who snack when they’re with a large group of friends eat almost one-third more than those who snack with only a few peers, according to researchers at the Center for Human Growth and Development at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Julie Lumeng, MD, and Katherine H. Hillman, MPH, analyzed how 54 children between the ages of 2½ and 6½ ate when they were in groups of nine and three kids. Their study was published in the January issue of Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Children ate slightly more in the larger groups when snack time lasted less than 11 minutes. But when snack time increased, children in the larger groups ate 30% more than those in the smaller groups, irrespective of the time they spent snacking.

The researchers believe kids in large groups start snacking sooner and eat more quickly, with less time spent socializing. They call this phenomenon “social facilitation,” which occurs when the brain’s normal signals of satiety are overridden by the sights and sounds of others eating.

If your children tend to eat too little, they’ll fare better having meals with family and/or friends at home, the researchers note. And “for the child who overeats, overconsumption may be driven by having meals in overstimulating busy or chaotic environments, as is often the case when eating out, particularly at fast-food restaurants,” they write. “Thus, the results also support recommendations to have mealtimes at home with the family, but for the purpose of providing a calm and peaceful eating environment.”

Book Pick of the Day: American Academy of Pediatrics Guide to Your Child’s Nutrition

Kids on the Move (Part 2)

January 4th, 2007 - Barbara Feiner

Yesterday, I posted ideas for keeping kids active and confident in 2007. Here are some additional tips from Randy McCoy, curriculum director for The Little Gym International.

Lead by example. Some kids aren’t eager to try new physical activities. To encourage them, don’t demand; demonstrate the skill yourself and provide positive motivation. Your child will likely want to give it a try.
Repetition, repetition, repetition. Repetition of a skill is necessary for kids to internalize and eventually master it. It also gives them more opportunities to experience success, build confidence, and develop strength and endurance.
Safety matters. If your children are participating in organized physical activities, make sure they’re led by trained instructors. Sports equipment should be appropriately sized for children.
Don’t mistake kids’ physical development for Olympic training. Your child may be the fastest runner in the class, but this isn’t a reason to shun other activities in pursuit of a gold medal. Focus on fun and health—not fame and world records.

Suggested Reading from OrganicAuthority.com:

Kids on the Move

January 3rd, 2007 - Barbara Feiner

As a parent dedicated to organic living, you play a crucial role in shaping your children’s exercise habits and attitudes.

Here are some tips on keeping kids active and confident in 2007 from Randy McCoy, curriculum director for The Little Gym International. The company’s gymnastics-based classes help kids ages 4 months to 12 years develop motor skills and self-confidence.

Kids should try their best—but they don’t have to be the best. For most kids, success is about more than winning or losing; it’s about benefiting from the learning that occurs when taking on a challenge, trying their best and having fun.
Positive reinforcement is a must. Kids thrive in environments where they feel supported and safe. Even more important, children who play and work out in these environments are more likely to continue physical activities later in life.
Challenge your child. It’s healthy to present new challenges and risks, but do so without expectations. Let kids take challenges at their own pace.

Tune in tomorrow for Part 2 of this story.

Working Out with Superman

August 24th, 2006 - Barbara Feiner

With a new Superman movie in theaters, Phil Black knew he could count on the Man of Steel to help him accomplish his mission: to get sedentary kids moving.

“Superman’s greatest enemy is no longer Lex Luthor. It’s childhood obesity,” says the former Navy SEAL officer and certified personal trainer.

As the founder of FitDeck, Inc., a company that produces exercise products for all ages, Black is committed to inspiring children to “get off the couch, away from the computer, and start exercising again,” he says. And who better than the world’s most famous superhero to help him achieve his objective?

The new Superman FitDeck is a colorfully packaged card deck that includes 50 exercise, four instructional and two stretching flashcards, accompanied by a games and activities workbook (pictured above). Each flashcard features illustrations and instructions describing a different exercise. It’s a novel product, targeted toward children ages 4 to 16. After all, what kid wouldn’t want to work out with the big guy sporting the “S” on his chest?

The FitDeck series also includes the original FitDeck for adults and the FitDeck Jr., designed for children ages 5 to 16.

As an Organic Authority reader, you’ll receive a 15% discount on the Superman FitDeck if you type the word “SUPERMAN” in the coupon discount box when ordering online.