One of the common questions we get here at Great Taste No
Pain is, "I'm all for eating right, but how do I get my
kids to do it? All they want are Mickey D's, Taco Bell and
KFC."
My answer is to put good food in front of them and don't
offer alternatives.
Plain and simple.
Now I'm not saying that doing this won't be met with some
resistance...at least in the beginning.
Fast food creators are very skilled at making their food
addicting and taste unbelievably good (thanks to the tons
of chemicals they use). They want repeat customers for
their bottom lines, after all.
And while your kids are "Lovin' it" when you order at the
drive through, their brains are literally cringing.
Vitamins and minerals are absolutely vital for brain
function in both younger children and teens.
For example, a low magnesium level is linked to attention
deficit, autism, depression, fatigue and learning
disabilities.
Magnesium is in foods like nuts and seeds, whole grains
and dark green leafy vegetables--foods that typical kids
find revolting.
And what makes it worse is when kids that are low on
magnesium drink a ton of milk.
Calcium needs magnesium to be absorbed by the body, so a
huge intake of milk zaps up an already low magnesium
level...now the magnesium is completely obliterated and
there's none left for the brain.
Low iron levels cause poor brain functioning and erratic
behavior.
Iron is in seafood, beans, broccoli, asparagus and
brussels sprouts...again, foods that most kids avoid like
the plague.
Zinc helps balance blood sugar, so kids that are low on it
crave sweets. It can also lead to anorexia nervosa,
bulimia, frequent headaches, depression serious enough to
consider suicide, and angry, aggressive behavior.
Zinc is in oysters, clams, turkey and chick peas (garbanzo
beans)...not on a typical kid's list of favorites.
And these are only a few examples...there are many, many
more.
So is it any wonder why our kids can't concentrate in
school, get in trouble and end of up drugs for ADD or
depression?
Is it any surprise that we have to have metal detectors at
schools and tragic school shootings have occurred?
We're not feeding their minds!
Please, if you love your kids, do what's right. Put real
food into them.
And put your foot down.
We had a staff member whose 9 year-old son refused to eat
anything green....so she let him call the shots.
She even picked the specks of basil out of spaghetti sauce
for him! I'm not joking.
Over and over she would say how worried she was that her
son wasn't getting good nutrition...until I told her she
was the problem.
Take the time to cook real food--aren't your kids' brains
(and lives) worth it?
You've got the time. If you have time to watch your
"favorite shows" each week, then you have the time to cook.
I know the kids will moan and beg for Mickey D's or Taco
Bell, but say no.
They might refuse to eat the "good stuff," but what's the
worst thing that will happen? They'll go hungry for a
night. Big deal. They're better off going hungry than
eating fast food.
And when they see you're serious, they won't continue
their hunger strike for too long.
Help their brains grow and work right. Give them a chance
at a successful life.
And be an example with your own eating habits too.
It's easier and tastier than you think.
The Great Taste No Pain system
- http://www.greattastenopain.com
tells you exactly what to do and is loaded with easy,
yummy recipes that even the most addicted fast food junkie
will love.
To your health,
Sherry
PS: It's never too late. Even if your teen has been a
fast food junkie for most of their years, it's not too
late. The human body is amazing and can bounce back from a
lot of abuse.
