Page 53 - Summer 2019 Journal

and then I cheer inside and think, “Perfect!” Bored kids will inevitably go find something to do outside!
KEEP JUNK FOOD OUT OF THE HOUSE Don’t stock junk food in the house. There will be fewer battles—they can’t hound you for what isn’t there. I can’t stress this one enough! You may still hear complaints sometimes about how “there’s nothing good here to eat,” but they’ll get over it. Eventually, they’ll find a snack and if they don’t, even better, because then they’ll be nice and hungry for their next
nutrient-dense meal. This really works.
PACK A LUNCH
Always send your children to school with
lunch packed at home.3 This is very important because what passes for “food” in most school hot lunches is downright disgusting. It’s no won- der kids are struggling not just with their weight but also with being able to sit still and learn.
LIMIT BUT DON’T BANISH SWEETS Limit sweets at home, but don’t make a big deal if you go out for ice cream or have another treat now and then. The best option is to make your own dessert because you’ll know what’s in it—and what’s not. You can even play with recipes a bit to lower the amount of sugar and use better grains. These days, there are many “keto dessert” recipes online—make it a chal- lenge to find more of those recipes that you and
your children can whip up together. Just make sure there are plenty of “better” options at home that taste good, so that your children can more easily avoid all of the junky temptations out in the world.
READ LABELS
Read labels like crazy and teach your kids to do so as well. Avoid
trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils—usually soybean, corn or canola), MSG and high-fructose corn syrup like the plague. These have been strongly linked with obesity, diabetes and other health issues. Most Weston Price followers have known to avoid those scary ingredients for a while now, but even the mainstream media are starting to mention stud- ies showing that “ultra-processed” diets cause weight gain.4 Remember also to beware of chemical preservatives and fake colors and flavors. Thankfully, none of these is difficult to avoid if you buy organic; however, while buying organic may help you avoid a lot of bad ingredients, it does not guarantee nutrient-density. Mostly we should be eating and cooking with whole foods, but buying organic for an occasional “junk food” is sometimes a necessary compromise with kids and especially teenagers.
DON’T FORGET THE COD LIVER OIL
Taking cod liver oil helps to balance out our fatty-acid ratios, which
has been shown to reduce heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Cod liver oil provides vitamins A and D, which will help your child be more active.
AVOID ENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS
Watch out for the endocrine disrupters in your kids’ environment,
which can wreak havoc on their growing bodies. These chemicals are in most plastics (never put warm food in plastic containers), in non-stick pans, in soy foods and in almost all skincare and makeup products as well. My website describes the skincare products that my daughter and I use.5
SUPPORT GUT HEALTH
Be sure to address your children’s gut health as this plays a huge role
KID-PLEASING LOWER-CARB FOODS
• If you can find healthy luncheon meat with no weird ingredients or—even better—get some from your farmer, spread on some cream cheese (cheddar is good, too) and roll it up around some crunchy veggies. We love these meat-and-cheese roll-ups around green onions or pickles for a delicious burst of flavor.
• Make homemade ice cream—yes, you read that right. If my kids want a little of this for breakfast, I let them because there’s less sugar in homemade ice cream than in a pancake smothered in syrup. Plus, homemade ice cream is loaded with healthy fats.
• Smoothies are delicious. You can easily use unrefined sugars and control the amounts of sweetener used.
• Hard-boiled eggs are great for quick snacks. Many kids love them with a little sea salt and pepper.
• Make bacon! No more words are necessary, right?
• Dip veggies in a homemade ranch dressing.
• For a crunchy snack, you can find parmesan cheese “crackers” at the store with only one ingredient!
• There are many more keto and low-carb snacks and recipes on my blog.9
SUMMER 2019
Wise Traditions 51