Sugar and agression

Research was published this week reminding us again of why we may want to think more about the ramifications not just of what we feed our children but how we feed them.

This research published in the British Journal of Psychiatry suggests that by allowing kids to have candy frequently (in this study daily), kids " do not learn to delay gratification, which some think is a feature of violent individuals generally"

The researchers, from Wales noted that 69% of the study participants who were violent by the age of 34 reported that they ate confectionery nearly every day during childhood, whereas only 42% of those who were nonviolent did. The authors further stated that "persistently using confectionery to control childhood behavior might prevent children from learning to defer gratification, which can lead to more impulsive behaviors. These are both biases that are strongly associated with delinquency."

The overall conclusion is that early food experiences DO matter and food rewards to control behavior may not control behavior in the way imagined.

So, please, go ahead and say "no" to candy. Remember that candy is not a "TREAT" (please see our newsletter for this month for my rant about how candy is as much as a "Treat" as letting your child eat a stick of lard or a cup of salt). Rather than create a neighborhood of hooligans this Halloween, hand out some low sugar snacks or toys (little plastic animals, bubbles) or art supplies (pencils, crayons, chalk).

For more information see the British Journal of Psychiatry October 2009

-Patricia

Let them eat cake

This is my absolute favorite cake. Basically the only cake I ever make. Yes, it has sugar and of course it has chocolate (why else would I make it) but it also has sweet potato (or yam or pumpkin). You can even add more nutrition by tossing in some ground or chopped nuts. In case you need further justification for eating this cake, add cinnamon as cinnamon helps regulate blood sugar and also has anti-inflammatory properties. Add a little ginger for digestion.

These make great black and orange cupcakes for Halloween!

The recipe was adapted from the Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Morash, a wonderful cookbook and great reference for growing and cooking vegetables.

Black and Orange Marble Cake

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a bundt or angelfood cake pan.

Combine dry ingredients and set aside:

3 cups flour (how about 1 of these being whole wheat)

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

Combine wet ingredients in a mixer:

1 1/2 cup canola oil

4 eggs (add one at a time, beating well after each)

1 1/2 cup sugar (can do a mixture of brown and white)

To the wet ingredients add dry ingredients ALTERNATING with 2 cups of pureed sweet potato, yam, pumpkin or butternut squash. Both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods carry pureed, organic pumpkin, sweet potato and butternut squash in cans during the fall months.

Separate out 1/2 of the batter. Melt 4 ounces chocolate chips. Mix into 1/2 of the batter. Spoon both batters into pan, alternating scoops of batter then take a knife and swirl (your kids will love to help with this part). Bake for about an 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Check for doneness by putting a toothpick into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean, the cake is ready. Batter sticking to the toothpick, cook longer. If it is not cooked yet but starts to brown on top, cover with a piece of foil while the center cooks.

Variations: Add 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts.

Add the rest of the chocolate chip bag, do not melt these first.

Omit the chocolate part and add raisins or nuts and raisins.

Enjoy.

Patricia

Folic Acid: THE pre prenatal prevention vitamin

Folic acid is a B vitamin that is found in green veggies, orange juice and whole grains.

Foods that are often in short supply in the American diet. Folic acid also is a very fragile vitamin and easily destroyed. In the past, folic acid rarely got any press because it was one of the few vitamins regulated because high doses could mask a deficiency of another B vitamin, B12. BUT, in the last 20 years we have realized that folic acid has critical roles in cell division. Research in the 1980s indicated that low folic acid prior to and in the first few weeks of pregnancy could contribute to birth defects involving the spinal cord and brain, primarily spina bifida which can cause paralysis, learning disorders, kidney defects and a variety of other life long chronic concerns.

Folic acid is now added to many of our staple foods such as breads and grains. Since fortification, the incidence of spina bifida HAS decreased over 50% (in Canada) and there has been a parallel decrease in heart defects and anencephaly. The important point to remember is that supplementation should start prior to pregnancy and continue throughout the first trimester. Many public health organizations recommend supplementing the diets of all women of child bearing age.

So drink your orange juice and if pregnancy is in your near future, take a supplement (about 400 mg prior to pregnancy) and talk to your OB-GYN about supplementation!

A spoonful of sugar.....

Health care reform is in the air. While many people argue over how to improve our health care insurance coverage, we can't forget the issue of increasing costs due to increasing care.
A recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicated that the medical costs associated with treating obesity-related conditions may have reached $147 billion last year, up from $74 billion a decade ago. $147 billion dollars spent on preventable conditions.

In light of the enormous health catastrophe of obesity, the American Heart Association has announced a remarkably specific and forceful recommendation: limit added sugar to just 6 teaspoons a day (100 calories) for women and just 9 for men (130 calories). Currently, Americans have about 22 spoonfuls or 350 calories per day of added sugar. These are calories that provide no nutritional benefits and include calories from sugar or corn syrup in sweets, candies, soda and sweetened beverages.

How can you follow this recommendation? No more soda- 8 teaspoons of added sugar in a can of soda. If you substitute soda with a sports drink, you will still be getting 4 teaspoons in 12 ounces. Since soda contributes 33% of the added sugar in our diet, eliminating soda is a great first start. One study addressing pediatric obesity found that just taking soda and sweetened drinks (lemonade, Capri Sun, fruit punch, sports drinks) out of child's diet led to significant weight loss. A glass of sparkling water is a great alternative with 0 spoons of sugar.

But why is the American Heart Association talking about sugar? While obesity develops as a combination of food intake, activity and genetics; increased caloric intake is often associated with a high intake of sweets. A lot of sweetened foods also come packed with "bad" saturated fats (think pastries, store bought cookies). Excessive sugar as well as excessive weight gain can lead to the "metabolic syndrome" which leads to heart disease.

So toss the soda, the lemonade. Stock up on bubbly water (mix with a little bit of 100 % juice or a slice of lime). Throw away the candy, gummy snacks and chip's ahoy. Try some trail mix instead. You still have a few teaspoons to use, so go ahead and have a snack that although it has some added sugar contains vitamins and minerals as well such as frozen yogurt, sorbet or some really good homemade peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip (dark chocolate of course for the heart benefits) cookies (see the recipe in this month's newsletter).

Patricia

Fiber Glorious Fiber

In our last NutritionWise newsletter we gave you the scoop on fiber... why its good for you, where to get it and a great cookie recipe. (To sign up for this newsletter go to www.nicolemeadow.com).

If you are wondering how your favorite foods stack up in terms of their fiber content, here are some of the leaders of the pack...

½ cup of cooked navy beans (9.5 grams of fiber)
½ cup of cooked lima beans (6.6 grams)
1 medium baked sweet potato with peel (4.8 grams)
1 whole-wheat English muffin (4.4 grams)
½ cup of cooked green peas (4.4 grams)
1 medium raw pear with skin (4 grams)
½ cup of raw raspberries (4 grams)
1 medium baked potato with skin (3.8 grams)
¼ cup of oat bran cereal (3.6 grams)
1 ounce of almonds (3.3 grams)
1 medium raw apple with skin (3.3 grams)
½ cup of raisins (3 grams)
1/4 cup quinoa (3 grams)
¼ cup of baked beans (3 grams)
1 medium orange (3 grams)
1 medium banana (3 grams)


Remember that if you are increasing your intake of fiber, always ncrease your intake of fluids or you might get a little "backed up". Fruits and veggies are naturally high in both fiber and fluids so get your daily 5-9 servings today! ~Nicole

Beyond Olive Oil and Mayo

Sometimes it is hard to find ways to add calories AND add nutrition. There is only so much olive oil or mayonnaise to add. This is a great dip or spread (could call it a pate' but a bit too elegant for a kid's meal). It is full of B vitamins, zinc and protein and tastes just like the chopped liver that my Poppie used to make. Surprisingly so!

It is vegetarian not vegan and pretty easy to make. Like most recipes posted here, variations are included so you can make one that works best for your family and your child. This recipe is adapted from the Oakwood School cookbook submitted by a lovely vegetarian family. Personally, I prefer this with peas, try each variation and let me know how it works. -Patricia

1 onion finely chopped
1/2 cup lentils OR 1 1/2 cups cooked peas OR 1 1/2 cups cooked green beans
many recipes like this recommend using canned veggies for ease
1/4 cup cashews or 1/3 cup walnuts
3 hard boiled eggs

Saute the onions in olive oil until translucent, for a richer flavor, saute until golden ( carmelize them). Cook up the lentils, peas or green beans. They should be well cooked, not crispy.
Toss all of the cooked ingredients in a food processor with the nuts and eggs. Add some seasoning ( a little pepper, a little salt) and puree up. If it is too thick, you can add a bit more olive oil (more calories!)or water or soup stock.

Let sit for an hour or two to let the flavors combine and dip or spread.

Pennywise, pound foolish

Our newsletter this month (go to www.nicolemeadow.com to view or subscribe) focused on the importance of nutrition in early intervention. Reminding that early intervention services such as occupational therapy, speech therapy, child development services and physical therapy just will not be as effective if a child is malnourished.

We can mention the importance of nutrition in a child's development and the need to provide nutrition intervention, but the reality is that these services are becoming very scarce in light of the financial situation in the state of California. We all know that when the budget passes in California this fiscal year, ALL health and related services will be cut. It is hard to argue one health need over the other. Mental health, HIV, immunizations, home health care, the list goes on and on, are all vitally important and so is early intervention. Unfortunately, early intervention often is cut first and cut hard. We all know the benefits of early intervention and now is the time to publicize these. The problem is, the recipients of early intervention are too young, the parents too tired and the interventionists are too busy providing services to research and publish.

We all need to realize the extreme risks to our state if early intervention services are cut too deeply. Already there has been a 3% cut in reimbursement to interventionists. In addition to the dollar cut, treating hours are being reduced as well. This does not mean that interventionists just get paid less, many agencies that specialize in working in early intervention have closed. Many professionals can no longer afford to practice in this area. That leaves fewer experienced professionals in this field and reduces access to services. Often there are other programs that can pick up the slack, such as MediCal, but these services are being cut back as well. Private insurance may fund some intervention but usually the services are limited and children need to use insurance specific providers. An occupational therapist or dietitian working with adults may not have the specialized skills for working with a young child, especially one at developmental risk.

Why should we worry? What are the risks? The risk to the child and family are great. Early intervention can reduce or even PREVENT some disability. Without it, the child, family and our state will be paying the cost of greater and longer lasting disability. What does that mean? Special education perhaps instead of a regular classroom. Lifelong social services instead of independence. Living to a child's potential, or not.

Please consider what is at risk. Services will be cut therefore it is important to make the most of what you receive. Be a responsible and receptive user of early intervention services. Partner with your therapists to make the most from your services. Let your physicians, service coordinators, friends and legislators know how it has helped your child and your family. Legislator information can be found at http://www.idaofcal.org/doc.asp?id=82&parentid=28.

-Patricia