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Food for Thought

8/21/2012

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Since this is the season for our children to go back to school, the brain and its functioning are foremost in our thoughts.  How do we get our children back in school-mode after the long summer break?  Is there anything that we can do to help them be better learners?

In fact, we can make some choices that will enable them to be more focused students.  It all starts with food.  Food is our fuel.  It provides us with vital nutrients that nourish every cell in the body resulting in more energy, better focus, and more mental clarity.  Without these nutrients, our bodies and brains are simply not at their best.  For learning, our brains require protein, complex carbs, good healthy fats, vitamins, and water.

Even though the brain is about 2% of the total body weight, it uses 20-30% of calories that are consumed to feed over 100 billion nerve cells.  We can see why we need to choose our foods wisely.  Our bodies need a constant supply of nutrients.  Thus skipping meals is never a good idea. 

Breakfast is critical for all of us but especially for our young learners.  Research has shown that breakfast eaters perform better in school and have fewer behavioral problems that those skipping breakfast.  The ideal breakfast will be a mix of good quality protein, complex carbohydrates and good fats to keep energy and blood sugar levels stable until lunchtime.  In addition, research has found this combination of protein and complex carb may also improve motor skills and coordination.  For further info on the benefits of breakfast, click here.  

Lunch and dinner (and of course the afternoon snack) are equally important.  As most children will either eat a home-packed lunch or a school-sourced lunch, we need to ensure that they are getting adequate proteins, complex carbs and good fat that will sustain them throughout the rest of their academic day.  Lunch should be roughly a third of their calories, vitamins and minerals.  Dinners are the time that as parents we have the most influence.  Set good examples of balanced, healthy meals and your child will take note.  If they are fussy eaters, they may not change their eating right away but you are influencing them for later.

One area that often gets overlooked is hydration.  Water is extremely important for the body but also the brain.  The brain is about 80% water.  It bathes all of our cells and provides the cell membranes with structural integrity.  Without adequate water, the cells shrivel and our fuel sources can’t get into our cells.  Water also acts as a temperature regulator preventing the body and especially the brain from overheating.  When the brain overheats, it damages the delicate nerve connections that are so important for brain function.  Dehydration causes irritability, lethargy, and listlessness.  By the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated and have a 10% cognitive loss until adequate water is restored.   

So what foods/nutrients should be part of a brain-healthy diet?

·      Omega 3 fatty acids:  These components of fat are essential to the body and need to be obtained from food, as our bodies can’t produce them.  They are especially brain-healthy.  They help with learning and make you feel better.  Good sources are fatty fish like salmon and tuna, walnuts, flax seed, and grass fed beef.

·      Proteins:  They break down into amino acids, which are the building blocks for all the hormones, neurotransmitters, enzymes, and structural components of the body.  Brain supporting proteins include wild fish, hormone-free and antibiotic-free chicken and turkey, pastured eggs, grass fed beef, and vegetarian sources such as lentils, beans, nuts, and seeds.  Even some vegetables contain a fair amount of protein.  Did you know that spinach is 30% protein?

·      Complex carbohydrates:  These sources of sugar release slowly providing the brain with a steady stream of glucose and energy.  Sugar is required for healthy brain function.  Complex carbs to include are whole grains, vegetables and fruits.  Problems arise when we feed ourselves and our children processed, refined sugars that break down too quickly.  Our bodies use up these simple sugars and then we crash.  Avoid foods like cookies, muffins, cakes, etc.   Grains, vegetables and fruits provide many important nutrients that are needed for our brain synapses and the integrity of the blood brain barrier.  These nutrients include the B vitamins for neurotransmitter production, vitamin E for mental clarity, calcium for nerve impulse transmission and magnesium for improved memory, mood, and energy as well as better sleep.

·      Spices:  These flavorful additions to many dishes enhance the taste of our food but also aid our memories, reduce depression and increase attention.  Try adding oregano, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, thyme, basil, and turmeric to your kids’ food and get a two for one bonus.  For more info about how spices or other foods specifically aid our brains, click here to contact me.  

Here’s to a productive and healthy start to the new school year.  May our children thrive!
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Melon Mania

8/8/2012

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This is my favorite time of the year.  Not only do we get to enjoy the warm days of summer but also one of my favorite foods—melon—is in season.  Now is the height of melon season.  I have fond memories of summers past biting into juicy melons and having the juices dripping down my chin.  Messy, yes but delicious!

These naturally sweet fruits are part of the same family as cucumbers, squashes and pumpkins and are thought to originate in the Middle East where the climate of hot and humid summers is ideal.  When you go into a typical large supermarket, you will see the usual cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon.  But have you ever tried some of the unusual types of melon found in more specialty stores or farmers’ markets?  I love getting different varieties and making a melon salad, with each bite having a nuance of varied sweetness that perfectly melds together. 

Cantaloupes are one of the five most purchased fruits in the US.  They are also known as muskmelons.  Being nutrient dense, they are a great choice for those that are dieting because they are 95% water and low in calories.  These juicy fruits along with the other varieties of melon and watermelon are the perfect food for summer as their high water content allows us to stay more hydrated.  In addition, they have high levels of vitamins A and C and potassium.  They provide us with dietary fiber, many of the B vitamins, folate, iron, and calcium. 

In Chinese medicine, sweet melons are used to cool fevers, moisten the lungs and cleanse the urine.  Because of the high water content, melons behave as diuretics.  Melons may help those with heart disease because they have compounds that keep the blood thinner and may be associated with decreased angina attacks.  High potassium levels may help to control high blood pressure.  The beautiful colored flesh indicates that there are higher levels of antioxidants that are associated with being anti-carcinogenic.  All positives for us to consume more melons!

The typical melons that you find at the larger supermarkets are normally grown from hybrid seeds.  These hybrids have typically crossed two varieties with the end result being a very consistent product.  However, as these seeds have been engineered to increase the yield of the plant, flavor and nutrition have not been the selected qualities.  These seeds have been bred to select for fruit that has high yields and can withstand long transit times (click here to read about seasonality) but offer less flavor.  The fruit must be able to withstand the mechanical harvesting (ie. conveyor belts), commercial shipping, and be tolerant of drought, frost and pesticides.  These melons are typically harvested before fully ripened to accommodate for transit time.  Hybrid versions of fruits and vegetables came into vogue beginning in the 1950s and really took off in the 1970s as more people went to work and food become much more of a commercial venture.  

Fortunately, there has been a resurgence of late of “heirloom” produce.  Heirlooms are old-time varieties that were cultivated during earlier periods of human history and were selected for their exceptional taste and higher nutrient value.  These seeds have survived because they are the best performers in both the local area and the home garden.  The heirloom seeds are considered “open pollinators” meaning that insects, birds, wind or any other natural means must do the pollination. 

So why should you care if your melon (or any other produce for that matter) is an heirloom?

·      They have exceptional taste and are sweeter than the hybrid versions. 

·      More nutrients allow for better overall wellness.

·      There is more variety.

·      They are more naturally resistant to pests so that an entire crop is unlikely to be wiped out leaving us with little of a particular food.

·      No genetically modified seeds are used so you are protecting yourself and your family from possible unknown effects.

·      There is a linkage to our past.  Seeds were one of the items that all immigrants brought with them to new places so that they could ensure themselves of food.

·      If you plant your own, they typically cost less than at the store.  The seeds can be stored and used in subsequent years keeping the heirloom line continuing.  For those that want to find heirloom seeds, check out seed savers exchange or Baker Creek heirloom seeds.

·      No need to worry about pesticides.  Unlike the hybrid varieties, these are not sprayed with pesticides.

So what are you waiting for?  Go try a variety of heirloom melons that you have never experienced and let the juices flow!
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