The 2 main areas of concern with our
children that I picked up during the
class are fast food and sugar.
The bitter reality is that many kids
prefer junk food to fresh and healthy
food as they are exposed to so many
fast food joints. When I asked the
kids what their favorite food was,
80% of the class proudly responded;
burgers, pizzas and chips. Most of
these foods have a lot of bad fat and
salt that can harm the body.
A good rule of thumb when eating
out in restaurants, is to watch the
portions - you can split one meal
amongst two people. Incorporate
salad/greens to be part of the meal
(many outlets now offer healthy
options) and then have the kids take
milk or water as their beverage. You
may skip dessert or order fresh cut
fruit slices sprinkled with nuts.
It’s no secret that sugar is a drug.
Sugar contributes to weight gain and
is the number one cause of obesity in
the society today.
Here are some of the names used
on labels that refer to sugar. Corn
Sweetener, Corn Syrup, or corn
syrup solids, Dehydrated Cane Juice,
Dextrin, Dextrose, Fructose, Fruit Juice
Concentrate, Glucose, High Fructose
Corn Syrup, Lactose, Maltodextrin,
Malt syrup, Maltose, Raw sugar, Rice
Syrup, Saccharose, Sucrose, Syrup,
Treacle, Turbinado Sugar, Xylose. They
should all be avoided.
Sugar is also extremely addictive - It
brings about feelings of highs and
lows in the body similar to what
drugs do and the negative side
effects are just as bad as drugs, if not
worse. You will find sugar in juices,
sodas, cereals, bread, pastas, rice and
starches. These are the very foods we
are serving our kids every day.
Many children react badly to
consumption of sweet foods and
drinks especially if eaten alone
without other food. A typical reaction
is hyperactivity. This does not mean
to say your child suffers from a
condition such as ADHD, but just
that these foods need to be restricted.
Sweets are best eaten in small
quantities as treats after main meals.
Remember fruits are healthy sweets
and are a better option for your kids.
Once the child stops taking too much
sugar, the addiction disappears; if
a child is on sugar, they will always
crave it. Kids who are overweight or
obese drop the weight as soon as they
stop taking artificial sugar.
As parents and as a society, we need
to re-think our approach to feeding
our children. Let’s go back to raw
foods as opposed to processed foods
- what our grandparents fed us on.
We never ate from cans or boxes. We
picked food from the shamba.
Let us involve our kids more when
it comes to choosing healthy meals.
Let us eat on the table as a family
as opposed to eating on the couch
in front of the TV. Let us get rid of
artificial sugar and always take a keen
interest in what the labels proclaim.
When we do this, we shall help raise
a healthy generation.
Here is to a healthy generation!
Jennifer Mwangangi-Ayoti is a
Chartered Marketer (UK), and a
seasoned Wellness Coach at Licial
Wellness. You can commune with her on
this or related issues via mail at: Info@
licialwellness.com. You can also visit the
website at: www.licialwellness.com.