Part 2- Eye Openers

I've been sick with the flu. But here is the rest of the information that I promised from the PTA meeting with the nutritionist.

WHAT WE SHOULD BE EATING

Organic food!

A great arcticle in Parents magazine explains it all! If you read that mag, then look in the March 2006 issue on page56. If you don't, here's the quoted article:

Organic Benefits
Feeding your child organic food can significantly lower his exposure to pesticides, says a study funded by the Environmental Protection Agency. After kids ages 3 to 11 were switched from a conventional diet to one with organic frutis, vegetables, and other foods, there was an immediate, dramatic decrease in two pesticide by-products in thier urine. Although the exact health risk of these pesticides is still unknown, they may be especially harmful for children- because kids' bodies are smaller and their brains are still developing, says researcher Chensheng Lu, PhD., of Emory University, in Atlanta. Dr. Lu recommends choosing orgainc when possible but especially with produce that tends to have greader pesticide residue such as apples, spinach, peaches, pears, potatoes, and strawberries.
from Parents magazine, March 2006, p 56

What I can say about organic produce, it is much tastier than regular produce. Finally we will have a Trader Joe's and a Whole Foods opening in town, so it will be much easier for me to buy what I really like. Since both my children love fruit more than chips or candy (yeah, I know it doesn't seem real, but it's true!) it's nice to be able to buy them healthy snacks.

When I was at that PTA meeting with the nutritionist, the organics came up, but also the trend of using supplements. The owner of my local Curves had said that she wholly supports supplementing for this reason: we've depleted the essential vitamins and minerals from the soil, so even if we go organic, we won't be getting what we need. Therefore, taking supplements is essential. The other side to this is that supplements are not for everyone. It depends on what your body needs. But also, there are supplements out there that actually can do you more harm than good. I won't mention their names, but I can say that there is one place I found that the supplements are natural, with no synthetically derived ingredients. I've had much sucess with taking those vitamins, and I have found myself to feel better emotionally and physically when I remember to take them ;). The company is called Melaleuca, and they have an incredible 20 year track record. They also sell other products, such as cleaning, bath and body, and beauty products that are non-toxic and environmentally friendly. To see some of their products go to www.saferforyourhome.com. Contact me if you want to learn more about the company and how to purchase the products for yourself.