A reader asks: "I'm preparing to weaning my 14-month old in the coming months. My initial thoughts are being influenced by mainstream, conventional directives to move to cow's milk as the drink of choice. But it just seems really odd to me now to think of giving my child the food that is created for baby cows. What is a healthy staple drink for my child once he's weaned?"
You're absolutely right, pasteurized cow's milk is right up there with soda and lead paint in the top 10 harmful foods for kids (of all ages). So that's not really an option once you have the information. For more information about the dangers of milk, check out www.notmilk.com and Colin Campbell's The China Study.
The question of what beverage to replace it with is easy, as long as you feed your child a health-promoting diet full of vegetables and fruits, grains, and raw nuts and seeds. The only beverage human beings had access to for tens of thousands of years: water.
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More articles like this one in: Q & A
Q: How do you convey to a child that you are not serving the food he wants right now because it is not healthy (ideally without becoming the meany he would think I was)? In this example, he wanted waffles (with lots of syrup) or pancakes or doughnuts. The child is already extremely obese. He is sensitive to his weight, so I sure wouldn't want to point out the connection about eating this and becoming even fatter, also to not make him feel bad about himself. I know when I want some dessert (that's what I call waffles and doughnuts), I wouldn't stop or even care now because of some consequences later. How do I get him to eat healthy without ruining our relationship or his self-esteem?
A: You're not going to like me for this answer. Keep Reading…
Q: I'm trying to get my girls to develop healthy eating habits, but one of them has a very strong sweet tooth and, I suspect, a genetic tendency toward a calorie-storing body type).
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Q: My daughter gets very worried and stressed about all sorts of things. I try telling her to calm down, but it doesn't help. How can I help her get more centered and calm when things aren't going her way?
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Q: What are your thoughts on wheatgrass juice? The stuff I have read is pretty powerful, but it's hard to know who to believe, as you know.
A: Two things about wheatgrass:
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Q: How exactly do I make a breakfast smoothie that includes green leafy veggies. Do I put them straight into the blender with the other ingredients or juice them first?
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(This edition of the newsletter is the second part of the answer to the question below. The first part can be found here.)
Q: I want to get my family into much better health in 2007, but I'm overwhelmed at how unhealthy our lifestyle is. I don't know where to begin. How do I start?
A: Last week I talked about mindsets. Today we'll cover three specific strategies for improvement, each inspired by a movie about the New Year's holiday.
Q: I want to get my family into much better health in 2007, but I'm overwhelmed at how unhealthy our lifestyle is. I don't know where to begin. How do I start?
A: When my son was learning to write, he loved composing letters to friends and family. I knew what he was up to because he always began the same way, by asking me, "How do you spell 'dear'?"
When I was distracted, I'd reply, "D-E-A-R."
He'd love up at my in frustration, not having begun to print the letters, awash in confusion. "Yeah, only what comes FIRST?"
When parents come to me looking to improve their own fitness and health, as well as that of their children, my urge is to go on and on about plant-based nutrition, about joyful movement, about deep awareness and relaxation. I want to load them up with recipes, with workouts, with meditation CDS, with coaching - oh my gosh, my professional life is all about self-restraint. I have to relax myself and remember my son's dictum: "Yeah, only what comes FIRST?"
So, as we approach the season of reflection and resolution, I'd like to provide three mindsets for getting started on a path of personal and family fitness for 2007. Next week, I'll talk about specific strategies, and how to create an action plan to create your own Fit Family.
Andrea Beaman is one of the most sensible and kind voices out there on the topic of feeding and treating yourself right. What other health and nutrition guru would admit to smoking the occasional cigarette (but only after a couple of drinks!), and explain it in a way that shows us how to quit all our unhealthy addictions?
Andrea was FitFam's guest on the December Member Call. Listen online (60 min) or download the mp3 below to discover:
- several healthy holiday treats
- whether short fasts during the holiday season will make things better or worse
- the mindset shift that allows anyone to "find the time" to prepare healthy food every day
- three convenience foods that can turn anyone into a healthy short-order cook on a moment's notice
- how to quit smoking by not quitting smoking
- the secret to breaking food addictions without struggling or feeling deprived
More articles like this one in: Yummm!, Radio, Q & A, Sticking with It, Weight Loss, Meals, Recipes, Food Shopping, Eating Out, Harmful Foods, Disease
Q: My kids visit me (the dad) pretty much every weekend, and I'm committed to feeding them nutritious food and teaching them about being healthy. But their mom, who's responsible for them during the week, lets them eat whatever they want. I don't want their visits with me to turn into "food fights" - any advice on how to handle this situation? Keep Reading…
