Everything I needed to know about eating I learned from my son

Before my son was born, I imagined all of the wonderful foods to which I would introduce him. First, I imagined him
drinking from my breast and getting all of his initial nourishment from my body. Then I imagined his first spoonful of solid
food and his reaction to it. I even imagined teaching him about how to use a fork and spoon. However, not once in my
imaginings did I picture him teaching me about food and eating—but he has, and in doing so, has taught me about life and
how to live.

A little less than a year after my son was born, I went to the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City to learn about nutrition, dietary theory, how to feed my son a healthy diet and how to teach him lifelong healthy eating habits. During my studies, I also learned about pesticides, genetically modified foods, dangerous food additives, labeling laws that side with the food manufacturers, the perils of processed foods, mercury and PCBs in farmed fished, factory farming and on and on. For the first time in my life, I was truly frightened by the current state of our food. I was also really confused as to what I should feed my son to protect him for all of the aforementioned dangers and how to give him the nutrients required for his growing body.

I begin to eat rigidly, avoiding all processed foods, all fish that wasn’t wild Alaskan, all beef that wasn’t grass-fed, all chicken that wasn’t free range and antibiotic free. I obsessed about food and how to protect my family from its many insidious dangers. I no longer enjoyed food because I was afraid of it. I no longer savored the smells from the kitchen because I would think about unlabeled additives that might be in it causing the food to smell that way or the coloring added to the meat to make it look the way it does. How could I teach my son to love all aspects of eating—food shopping, preparing, cooking and then sharing an amazing meal with family and friends—when I couldn’t do that myself?

Little by little, he taught me how to teach him. By paying attention to how he explores the world, I was able to recognize the things he needs from me to make good choices and feel safe about those choices. Here are some of the things I learned from my son:

Forget the scary, food should be fun
It's fun to smell food, to let it run down your chin, to throw it at the dog. It's fun to experiment with different tastes, textures, smells and combinations. It's fun to put a blanket on the floor and have a picnic. It's fun to throw caution to the wind with recipes and see what happens. How do you have fun with your food?

Exploring your food adds to your enjoyment of it
My son loves to put things in his mouth, especially food. He loves to experience what things taste like and how things feel on his tongue. He explores the shape of things, the texture of it, the soft or hardness of it. He looks at it and plays with it. My son reminds me that food can be a joy for all the senses.

He also loves to expand his abilities and create new things. He helps me in the kitchen by stirring the meal, adding in vegetables and spices and even by naming a new dish. And he is much more willing to eat something he has helped prepare.

Be consistent
Most of us know that our children thrive on routine and that applies to eating as well. I have found that that my son feels most safe and free to try new foods when I stick with the routine of cooking with him close by, allowing him to help with food preparation and then eating with him at the dining room table, rather than in front of the TV or in the car. When his routine is consistent, he is able to explore his boundaries, learn what behavior is permitted and what is not and feel comfortable asking questions and trying new things.

Be a good role model
At this stage of my son’s young life, my husband and I are his primary role models. It is important that we live up to that responsibility. Rather than disparage the state of food in this country, I need to talk about all of the amazing options we have for food in our area, including community farms, breeders of organic meat and food cooperatives. I need to show him how food is grown and let him grow his own food in our garden. I need to use positive words when I talk about food and all that it encompasses. I need to be able to put aside my food fears and show him that food can be nourishing and fun.

Lighten Up
If I continue to feel negative about food, my actions and thoughts may teach my son to be scared of food, to abuse it or to use it for more than the nutrients and calories it provides. I need to trust that the experiences my son has with food will teach him to enjoy it and to explore it without fear or baggage. I need to be his guide, to teach him what I know, and to allow him to choose the direction he takes. No matter what his age, it is important that I provide him with respect for his decisions and his intelligence rather than force my opinions on him (outside of sticking that fork in the outlet, that is).

Have Patience and Fortitude
My son’s attitude about food and his willingness to experiment with it is variable depending on his mood. I have learned that it is important frequently present those good-for-him foods that he refuses to eat, since he will actually eat them every now and again. Yes, I get frustrated when my son throws his food or spits it out or smacks it away, but that’s where patience comes into play. As parents, we need to be willing to keep trying and not assume the worst (he’s not going to eat it no matter what). I only give up after 10 exposures, which is the time is takes for the palate to change. If he still refuses it then, I can feel more confident that he really does not like it and that it is not just his willfulness.

No matter what, though, I do not reward my son’s food behavior with more food, like dessert. If a child learns that he can only get dessert after he eats his veggies, then he will know that dessert is a treat and veggies are not and that can be counterproductive to his eating healthy. Heck, why not make vegetables dessert?

Be Prepared
My son cannot choose to eat well unless I have healthy choices on hand when he gets hungry. Toddlers have smaller stomachs than adults and need to eat less at each sitting, but more frequently than adults. Because of that, I always carry healthy snacks with me wherever we go. My son loves raisins and dried cherries, trans fat free wheat crackers, chopped carrots and peppers, mixed fresh fruit (apples, oranges, applesauce cups), veggie chips and, of course, sippy cups filled with filtered water to keep him hydrated.

I also make sure that I have healthy food on hand at home that it is easily and quickly prepared once we arrive home from our day. I like to cook with my slow cooker, so a fresh meal is prepared every day and the time preparing the food is easily accomplished in the morning. I also like to cook a big batch of the staples I use all week in my cooking, such as quinoa and chicken, as well as cut and wash all the vegetables at once, so the preparation of the foods that do not go in the slow cooker is done ahead of time. That stops my son’s hunger tantrums and allows us time to have a nice meal as a family before his bedtime.

Most of all, my son has taught me to trust my instincts. Deep down, each one of us knows that we are good parents. Why would you be reading this article if you weren’t? We love our children and instintively we know what is good and bad for them. Just as they know the same about themselves, though we need to guide them to that knowing. We know what foods will nourish us and them and commit ourselves to learning everything we can in order to make this world a place that is satisfying, sane and healthy for our children.

Just Veggin' Kids

HOLISTIC HEALTH COUNSELOR KELLY SCOTTI TELLS US IF A VEGETARIAN DIET IS ENOUGH
FOR A GROWING CHILD

Lately my son has been on a vegetarian diet. Not that you
should call it vegetarian, since it is primarily a fruit and
yogurt diet, based on his youthful impulse to eat the same foods at
every meal for weeks on end. His choices,however, have
caused me to ponder the benefits of a vegetarian diet for him
and wonder if he could get all of hisnutritional requirements fulfilled with such a diet.

When I think of vegetarians, I think of people that eat no meat.
There are actually four types of vegetarian diets. A lacto-ovo vegetarian eats dairy products and eggs, but no meat,poultry, or fish. Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs, but no other animal products. Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products, but no
other animal products and vegans eat food only from plant sources.

Research has shown that the benefits to following a vegetarian diet are many: decreased incidence of type II diabetes, hypertension, and obesity, decreased cholesterol levels, decreased cancer incidence and decreased exposure to pesticides and antibiotics, especially if the diet is organic. Additionally, some families have found that following the more restrictive vegan diet has decreased their child’s incidence of ear infections, digestive issues, and respiratory issues such as chest congestion and asthma. But are these restrictive diets appropriate for a rapidly growing infant or toddler?

Most dietary experts agree that a balanced, whole-foods based, well-planned vegetarian or vegan diet is a great choice for people of all ages, including infants and toddlers. Though certain vitamins and minerals are only found in meat and dairy products naturally, supplementation can be used to provide those nutrients just as well as animal products.

For children, well balanced means it has to include foods or supplementation that contain the following nutrients, which are essential:



Calcium
Sea vegetables, such as hijiki, kelp, wakame, nori, and kombu
Green leafy vegetables, such as kale, turnip and mustard greens and Watercress
Nuts and seeds, including sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, pistachios
Beans, including chick peas and pinto beans
Grains, including amaranth and quinoa
Tofu processed with calcium sulfate and tempeh.
Cheese, milk, yogurt and eggs
Dried figs
Blackstrap molasses
Calcium fortified beverages, including soy milk, orange juice, etc.

Please note that the following things decrease the calcium stores in your body:
Soft drinks
Refined sugar
Excess salt

Nightshade vegetables including tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants, all contain the calcium inhibitor solanine.


Essential Fatty Acids
The key members of the omega 3 family of EFAs are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and DHA are only found naturally in oily fish, while ALA, which can be converted to DHA in the body, can be found in:

Seeds, such as mustard, flax, and pumpkin and oils from those seeds
Soybeans/soybean oil (always choose brands labeled non-GMO)
Walnut oil
Green leafy vegetables
Whole grains
Spirulina and other vegetarian marine algae
Canola (rapeseed) oil
Fortified eggs and grains


Iron
Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, watercress, and swiss chard, beans (soybeans, lentils, lima, kidney, navy)seeds, eggs, dried fruits, whole grains (including wholemeal bread), iron-fortified cereals and bread, blackstrap molasses and edible seaweeds

Using iron cookware when cooking acidic foods can also contribute to dietary intake of iron.

As well, vitamin C helps the body absorb iron, so offering citrus fruits with iron-rich foods can also contribute to amount of iron in the body.


Protein
Legumes, tofu, tempeh, grains (wheat, oats, rice, barley, buckwheat, millet, pasta, bread), nuts (brazils, hazels, almonds, cashews) and seeds (quinoa, sunflower, pumpkin, sesame), dairy products, soy yogurt


Vitamin B12
Dairy products, eggs, and vitamin-fortified products, such as cereals, breads, and soy and rice drinks. In supplements, look for the words “cyanocobalamin” or “cobalamin” in the ingredient list, as these are the most absorbable forms of vitamin B-12.

Please note, breast-fed infants of vegetarian/vegan mothers need B-12 supplementation, as B-12 deficiency can result in permanent neurological damage in infants.


Vitamin D
Sunlight (exposure without sunblock) and in fortified products such as soy milk, margarine, eggs and breakfast cereals.


Zinc
Nuts and nut butters, wheat germ, brown rice, fortified breakfast cereals, dairy products, spinach, tofu, tempeh, miso, and legumes (beans, peas, and lentils).

In addition to nutrient requirements, there is also the issue of caloric intake. While most vegetarian children eating a balanced diet do not have an issue meeting their calorie requirements, it is a concern for vegan children. Fruits and vegetables tend to be very fibrous, and can fill up your little one’s tiny stomach quickly, thus leaving little room for higher calorie foods. As such, if your child follows a vegan diet, it may be necessary to give him peeled fruits and vegetables, which are less fibrous. To increase caloric intake, you can add some refined grain products, pure fruit juices, or healthy fats such as avocados, nuts, nut butters, seeds, and seed butters into your child’s diet.

It is also important to ensure that the produce you buy is organic. Not only is organically grown produce more sustainable and environmentally friendly, it is safer for your children. When you choose non-organic produce, your child may be exposed to pesticides and genetic modification without your knowledge. Non-organic produce that is genetically modified is not required to be blatantly labeled to indicate such. The only way you know that a product has been genetically modified is if it has a five-digit number that starts with an 8 on its label (conventional produce is four numbers starting with a 4 and organic is 5 numbers beginning with a 9). Pesticides from non-organic produce are visually non-detectable and can be absorbed right into the root systems of the plant, where the pesticides cannot be washed off. Because children are more susceptible to pesticides and toxins in their bodies due to their decreased fat stores, it is essential to choose organic for their health.

Please make sure to discuss your child’s diet with your pediatrician if making a switch to vegetarianism or veganism. Your doctor can provide you with information on supplementation and things to look for in the case of malnutrition, as well as information regarding foods listed in the table above that have allergen potential or could cause choking.

A well-balanced, well-planned, vegetarian or vegan diet can meet the needs of your children as they grow and are healthy options in this day of super-sized, fatty, sugary fast food, factory farmed, antibiotic-ridden meat and dairy products, and mercury and PCB polluted farmed fish.


Some menu ideas for the vegetarian child:
Pizza crust topped with tomato sauce, vegetables, and rice cheese
Veggie stir fry with brown rice
Quinoa salad with greens and garlic
Pasta with marinara sauce
Veggie meatloaf
Banana and strawberry smoothies with organic soy yogurt
Celery with peanut butter
Cashew butter sandwiches
Fresh or dried fruit
Noodles with peanut butter sauce
Raw vegetables with hummus
Mashed potatoes with garlic and olive oil
Flaxseed muffins with carrots and raisins
Veggie burgers with salsa on whole grain bread
Tofu hotdogs
Guacamole on pita bread

For more veggy good ideas and information, go to:
www.vegetarianbaby.com/nutrition.shtml (Articles galore for vegetarian children and parents)
www.healthybelly.com/articles/pickyvegetariankids.htm (Vegetarian school lunch recipes)
www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/veg_diets_for_children.html (Vegetarian diets for children with recipes, sample diets and more)
www.pcrm.org/health/Info_on_Veg_Diets/vegetarian_kids.html (Rationale for going vegetarian, with recipes and sample lunches)
www.vegansociety.com (Great general information site)
www.vegfamily.com (Great general information site)
www.vegsoc.org/youth/youngveggies.html (Great general information site for kids)
www.vegforlife.org/kid_parents.htm (Great general information site)
www.kidshealth.org (Great general information site)

Or check out these books:

Simply Vegan by Debra Wasserman and Reed Mangels Ph.D., R.D
Leprechaun Cake and Other Tales: A Vegetarian Story-Cookbook by Vonnie Winslow Crist and Debra Wasserman
Raising Vegetarian Children : A Guide to Good Health and Family Harmony by Joanne Stepaniak,Vesanto Melina

Drink diet soda, gain weight?

From Mercola.com

Artificial Sweeteners Ruin Your Body's Ability to Count Calories


A study revealed that eating artificially sweetened foods and drinking sweetened beverages might hinder your body's ability to estimate calorie intake, thus boosting your inclination to overindulge.

First Study on Artificial Sweeteners
The first group of rats were given two liquids, both of which contained natural high-calorie sweeteners. The second group of rats were given two liquids, one that was sweetened with saccharin. Both groups were given a sweet, high-calorie chocolate-flavored snack after 10 days into the study.

Findings From the Study
Rats that were given the artificially flavored liquids had a more difficult time differentiating their calorie intake and displayed the tendency to overeat.

The rats given artificially sweetened drinks were found to consume three times more calories than rats that didn't receive any sweeteners in their drinks.

Second Study on Artificial Sweeteners
For the duration of 30 days, two groups of rats were fed their regular food along with a high-calorie supplement. One group was given a supplement similar the heavy consistency of chocolate pudding. The other group was given a supplement that had the consistency of chocolate milk.

Findings From the Study
The rats that were given the chocolate milk-like supplement experienced a notable weight gain over the rats who received the pudding-like supplement. Researchers concluded that the rats who were given the milk-like supplement had a harder time estimating calories than the rats that were given the pudding-like supplement. Researchers compared the results of this study to the Pavlovian theory where dogs were conditioned to associate the ringing of a bell to food. Researchers also stated that the rats in the study showed a similar relationship between the taste or texture of a food and the number of calories it contained.

More....

THINKING THIN WORKS!

For Immediate Release
February 9, 2007

THINKING THIN WORKS!
Kelly Scotti, CHHC, helps clients manifest their perfect weight using the Law of Attraction.


Clients of Flying Dragon Wellness have found success in attaining and maintaining their perfect weight using the Law of Attraction and support from a Holistic Health Counselor.

Kelly Scotti, the Founder and Director of Flying Dragon Wellness (http://www.flyingdragonwellness.com/ ), is a board certified Holistic Health Counselor that helps her clients transform their lives and their weight through individual and group programs based on a whole-foods, organic diet. She teaches her clients about nutrition and the premise of bio-individuality, leads them in cooking classes and health food store tours, and guides them to manifest their perfect weight using the Law of Attraction.

The law of attraction is the premise that the Universe provides what you think about and focus on. If weight loss or weight gain is desired, Kelly explains, it is important to focus on an ideal weight, that which is believable and makes the person feel healthy and happy, rather than focusing on the loss or gain that is desired. In this way, you are always focusing and attracting to you that ideal weight. If instead you focus on needing to lose weight, for example, you will always be attracting to you a situation in which you will need to lose weight.

Kelly has found that this novel approach to weight loss has been successful for her clients, if they fully believe and expect to receive results. It is only when her clients doubt the possibility of its occurrence that the desired results are not achieved. She supports them in this process by seeing them for twice-monthly sessions for three to six months.

The premise behind the Law of Attraction is fully explained in the film The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. The Secret has been featured on the Larry King Live, Oprah, and Ellen shows.

Flying Dragon Wellness is a nutrition and wellness counseling practice in the heart of Bucks County, Pa. Their truly holistic approach to nutrition counseling encompasses all types of nourishment: food, relationships, spirituality, a fulfilling career, physical activity, and mental health. Sessions take place in person or over the phone, depending on the location and desires of the client. For a limited time, they are offering a free initial health consultation by phone. To take advantage of this offer, please visit the contact page of http://www.flyingdragonwellness.com and reference LOA. Kelly Scotti, CHHC, is also available for lectures, workshops, and corporate wellness programs.

The Satisfaction of Enough

I found the satisfaction of enough when I had everything I ever thought I wanted, and realized that I was left wanting. I had a job that was rewarding and paid well, a wonderful family, good health, plenty of friends, the 4 bedroom house with an in-ground pool, a sunroom and 1.5 acres of land, and still I felt empty. Only through recognizing and focusing on my internal abundance was I able to stop, simplify, and feel satisfied.

For me, the satisfaction of enough comes through self-love, about learning to love myself, and recognizing that everything I need is in me, and reflected in my life. I have an amazing husband and two year old son, who support, awe, and restore me, a holistic nutrition counseling practice where I assist others on their path to wellness, and the tools to recognize and decrease the impact my footprint has on future generations.

In my life, enough is educating the public about the dangers of pesticides, genetically modified foods, artificial sweeteners, PCBs and Mercury in farmed fish, and the perils of factory farming. Its about choosing organic and local foods, growing my own garden, teaching my son about conscious eating and the joy of cooking. Enough is about making a difference in peoples' lives.

Enough is paring down my closet to include only those clothes that I have worn in the past year, that fit correctly, that make me feel beautiful. Enough is recognizing I do not need any more clothes. Enough is taking those excess clothes and giving them to people that need them.

Enough is about feeling abundant no matter the size of my bank account, about practicing gratitude as a catalyst for abundant thought. Enough is consciousness, a focus on the breath, each breathe we take. A focus on eating, on each bite of food we take, our mouths chewing, tasting, nourishing our bodies and spirits. Enough is living, truly living through total awareness. Enough is serene, and peaceful, and beautiful, and satisfying. I am enough.

Picky Picky Picky Part 2

PICKY, PICKY, PICKY -PART TWO
LAST MONTH HOLISTIC HEALTH COUNSELOR KELLY SCOTTI TOLD US WHY OUR TODDLERS ARE SUCH LIMITED EATERS. (CLICK HERE TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY.) THIS MONTH SHE DISHES ON WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT.

The first rule of life with a picky eater is don't prepare special foods just for him. Make one meal for the whole family. If you do prepare something special for your child, you are leading him to believe that he controls what is served at meal times. Instead, you can modify slightly by altering the presentation of the main course or leaving off the sauce. If your child is hungry, he will eat something no matter what is in front of him—provided he knows he will receive nothing else for the rest of the evening if he does not eat at that time. It's important to set boundaries around family meals now in order to avoid future struggles.

Meal time should be eaten at the table. According to Erin Patterson at Small Bites (www.smallbitesonline.com), this is a great way to get your little ones to try new foods. Kids like to mimic their parents’ behavior, so you can use this to your advantage. When they see what you are eating at the dinner table, they might become intrigued and want to try some. A few nights ago, I made a delicious veggie and bean soup with various spices, a little hempseed and kelp flakes and I wanted Connor to try it. So I offered him a bowl at the dinner table. He saw the green things floating in the broth and refused, pushing the bowl dramatically away from him. When my husband and I continued to eat the soup, however, Connor decided he wanted his bowl back—along with mommy’s spoon. He then ate 10 whole spoonfuls, greens, spices and all.

Patterson emphasizes that the transition to the table may be difficult, especially as your little one may not want to sit in one place too long, but it is something you can and should work on. She creates routine by giving a five minute warning before mealtime and then blessing the meal when everyone sits down. She only offers the family meal, watching portion size for her daughter. If her daughter doesn’t eat the meal, she doesn’t eat for rest of the night. “By having a ritual and setting boundaries, it helps kids feel like they are a part of something and makes being at the table a positive experience for them,”Patterson adds. She goes on to say that kids are constantly trying to assert their independence and push their limits, so it's important not to force foods on them too much, yell at them for not cleaning their plate or pressure them to eat. That could lead to the development of negative food issues in your child.

Make food more fun for your toddler. If he’s not eating try presenting the foods in a unique way, use novel utensils like chopsticks or play games like counting the number of colors on his plate. I put frozen bananas and strawberries in the blender to make what I call “ice cream” and my son eats every bite. Making funny faces with food, like homemade wheat pancakes with raisins for eyes, berries for the nose and half a banana for a mouth, can also work. Or perhaps assign a silly name to a dish. The Gourmet Dinner Service Kids in Sydney, Australia includes in their options “Chook on Wiggly Worms,” a.k.a. organic honey soy chicken on a bed of noodles with zucchini and corn, as well as “Bird in Creamy Maze,” a creamy organic chicken pasta with pumpkin and cauliflower, and “Piggy in the Middle” made with bacon, corn and pumpkin frittata. Not only do these dishes have fun names, but they are mostly foods that let your child explore the meal with their fingers. Finger eating might make a bigger mess, but it's definitely more fun.

Give your child limited choices so he can feel like he is making a decision. It's much easier to have your child pick from two vegetables than you trying to prepare five or six or forcing him to eat the one on his plate. In fact, studies show that your child is much more likely to eat something he picks. Or perhaps include all the ingredients in one easy meal, like the one pot pasta or chicken and winter vegetables listed in the recipe section.

You could also start offering a variety of foods and spices to your child early on, before the pickiness sets in. Evie Failla, of Edie’s Organic Edibles (www.ediesorganicedibles.com), believes early introductions to exotic ingredients made her son a venturesome eater. Some of her best sellers, all tested on her son first, include Portabella Mushroom and Vegetable Risotto, Shepard’s Pie, Sesame Ginger Stir Fry, and Broccoli Casserole.

No matter what, always praise your child for trying new foods and never use food as a reward or punishment.

If children are allowed to turn down foods, are not forced to eat and are given good choices, instinctively, they will come to choose foods that are healthy and recognize their body’s signals for hunger and satiety. Fostering these healthy habits now will help them to not abuse food later on in life.

Getting your toddler to eat a healthy, varied diet can be frustrating, but the ideas listed above can help ensure meal time will not be a battlefield. It will instead be a time your child can feel safe, loved, supported and free to make his own choices—something all of us want in our lives.


One-Pot Pasta
Adapted from One Bite Won't Kill You by Ann Hodgman
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
1/2 onion, diced into small pieces (minced)
1/2 lb ground turkey
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 red pepper, minced
1 green pepper, minced
¼ cup chopped mushrooms (pieces as tiny as you can make them)
1 (14 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 lb/1 cup pasta
2 cups water

Directions:
1. In a large pot, heat the oil and sauté the onions.
2. After three minutes, add the turkey and herbs and cook slowly. Break up the lumps of meat and cook until the meat is brown and cooked through.
3. Add the spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce and veggies. Cook for three to five minutes, stirring often.
4. Add the pasta and water and bring to a boil, stirring often. Then lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer for half an hour. Stir every few minutes to avoid scorching.
5. Add up to ½ cup of water, if too dry. Sauce will thicken and pasta will be ready to serve.

Kids try this: Add a little Parmesan cheese to mommy and daddy’s bowl—and yours too.

Chicken and Winter Vegetables
Recipe provided by Edie Failla of Edie’s Organic Edibles
Serves 6

Ingredients:
Chicken legs on the bone, family pack
FlourExtra virgin olive oil
1 leek, white part only, washed and sliced
1 sweet potato
3 diced carrots
3 diced celery sticks
Chicken or vegetable stock

Directions:
1. Lightly coat the chicken with flour and brown them in a little oil for three to four minutes.
2. In another frying pan that can be place in the oven, sauté the leek and onion in a little oil for five minutes until soft and golden.
3. Put the chicken into the pan with all the vegetables. Add enough stock to cover the vegetables.
4. Cover lightly and cook in oven at 350 for one hour, turning the chicken and stirring the vegetables half way through.
5. Before serving, take the chicken off the bone, chop it into small pieces and add it back to the dish.

Kids try this: Count how many pieces of chicken are in your bowl. Can you identify the vegetables?

Mediterranean Quinoa
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
1 cup uncooked quinoa
4 cups vegetable broth or stock
1 tablespoon tomato puree
2 onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
½ teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onions and peppers. Cook and stir for about five minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook for about two more minutes.
4. Stir in the quinoa, vegetable stock and tomato puree.
5. Return to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes or until quinoa becomes soft.
6. Stir in the diced tomatoes and add seasoning. Cook until heated through, then serve.

Kids try this: Count the number of colors you see on your plate. And then count the number of colors you can eat.

Published Feb 2006 in The Family Groove Magazine (www.thefamilygroove.com)

The Urban Nutrition Initiative

It is so wonderful to find such important health initiatives in our local area!:

Mission
The Urban Nutrition Initiative (UNI) is a university-community partnership that engages K-16+ learners in an active, real-world problem-solving curriculum that strives to improve community nutrition and wellness. It is located in the Philadelphia, Pa area.

Programs
• School Gardens
School gardens offer opportunities for children to become engaged in positive ways to beautify their school and improve the quality of life in the community. School gardens form the base of UNI's peer-education program. Students of all levels can benefit from their experiences in the garden. There's always something new to learn!

• Fruit Stands
School-based produce stands serve as the cornerstone of UNI's approach to nutrition education. These markets, operated by students, combine entrepreneurial education and problem-solving.

• Farmer's Markets
Farmers' markets are an important solution to the problems of America's food systems. From connecting low-income communities with fresh local produce to providing farmers with important avenues to sell their products, farmers' markets encourage a healthy attitude towards eating well.

• Community Fitness
Exercise is a vital component of good nutrition and overall health. UNI's community fitness evenings at University City High School help children and their families to establish regular healthy exercise habits.

• Food Education
Food is a sensory, fun and nourishing experience and at UNI, we create programs that focus on these ideas. Food Education at UNI is a dynamic and holistic program that incorporates the school garden, farmerþs markets, community youth and adults, and communities of faith into the experience.

Goals
• Create and sustain an interdisciplinary K through 16+ curriculum that engages students as agents of school and community health improvement and simultaneously results in increased educational skills and abilities.
• Work with university faculty, students, public school teachers and community residents to realize schools as centers of community health promotion; places where active, healthy lifestyles are an integral part of education.
• Advance an ecological approach to nutrition education that emphasizes the interdependence of food, environment and human health through growing, cooking, eating and selling healthy foods. UNI programs fall into three general categories:
• Increasing food and nutrition knowledge.
• Increasing the supply of healthy foods.
• Encouraging and supporting active lifestyles.

UNI strives to serve as a model for effective school-based health promotion programs that can be adopted and adapted to meet the needs of schools and communities around the world.

Visit http://www.urbannutrition.org to find out more or to get involved!

Young Living Oils

I am so pleased to announce that Flying Dragon Wellness will be featuring Young Living Oils, Nutritionals, and Skin Care in our practice. Aromatherapy is something that I have been interested in for a long time, and I am excited that I can offer such exceptional products to my clients and the general public.

For details about the oils, the Young Living Product line, or how you can add these items to your practice, or even start your own YL business, please email me using the link to Young Living Oils to the right side of the page.

Namaste-I honor the light within you.

Paper or Plastic? Neither!

Check out this information from reusablebags.com:

Paper Bags Are Better Than Plastic, Right?

The answer to the "paper or plastic"? dilemma is: Neither. They're roughly equal in pros and cons. While convenient addictions, they both gobble up natural resources and cause significant pollution.

Issue 1: Energy and natural resources
It takes more than four times as much energy to manufacture a paper bag as it does to manufacture a plastic bag. ENERGY TO PRODUCE BAG ORIGINALLY (BTUs) Safeway Plastic Bags: 594 BTUs Safeway Paper Bags: 2511 BTUs (Source: 1989 Plastic Recycling Directory, Society of Plastics Industry.)

Of course, most paper comes from tree pulp, so the impact of paper bag production on forests is enormous. In 1999, 14 million trees were cut to produce the 10 billion paper grocery bags used by Americans that year alone. Paper bag production delivers a global warming double-whammy forests (major absorbers of greenhouse gases) have to be cut down, and then the subsequent manufacturing of bags produces greenhouse gases.

Issue 2: Pollution
The majority of kraft paper is made by heating wood chips under pressure at high temperatures in a chemical solution. As evidenced by the unmistakable stench commonly associated with paper mills, the use of these toxic chemicals contributes to both air pollution, such as acid rain, and water pollution. Millions of gallons of these chemicals pour into our waterways each year; the toxicity of the chemicals is long-term and settles into the sediments, working its way through the food chain. Further toxicity is generated as both plastic and paper bags degrade.

POLLUTANTS PAPER V.S. PLASTIC Paper sacks generate 70% more air and 50 times more water pollutants than plastic bags. Source: "Comparison of the Effects on the Environment of Polyethylene and Paper Carrier Bags," Federal Office of the Environment, August 1988

Issue 3: Recycling
It takes 91% less energy to recycle a pound of plastic than it takes to recycle a pound of paper. But recycling rates of either type of disposable bag are extremely low, with only 10 to 15% of paper bags and 1 to 3% of plastic bags being recycled, according to the Wall Street Journal.

ENERGY TO RECYCLE PACKAGE ONCE (BTUs) Safeway Plastic Bags: 17 BTUs Safeway Paper Bags: 1444 BTUs Source: 1989 Plastic Recycling Directory, Society of Plastics Industry. Although paper bags have a higher recycling rate than plastic, each new paper grocery bag you use is made from mostly virgin pulp for better strength and elasticity.

Issue 4: Degradability
Current research demonstrates that paper in today's landfills does not degrade or break down at a substantially faster rate than plastic does. In fact, nothing completely degrades in modern landfills because of the lack of water, light, oxygen and other important elements that are necessary for the degradation process to be completed. A paper bags takes up more space than a plastic bag in a landfill, but because paper is recycled at a higher rate, saving space in landfills is less of an issue. At the end of the day using reusable bags and containers are the real answer!

PICKY, PICKY, PICKY

PICKY, PICKY, PICKY

ARE CHEERIOS AND YOGURT THE MAIN STAPLES OF YOUR TODDLER'S DIET?

HOLISTIC HEALTH COUNSELOR KELLY SCOTTI EXPLAINS WHY:

Broiled Coho red salmon with millet and black bean stuffed green peppers. Free-range roasted chicken breast with butternut squash risotto. These dishes sound as good as they taste. And yet, my son wants nothing to do with them. It doesn’t matter that the salmon is straight from Alaska and that I spent all day cooking. My son, two this November, wants only yogurt. The same kind he has had for the last 25 meals he has eaten.

When my son requests to eat something, he will systematically reject every choice I offer him. Even though I know that picky eating is a hallmark of the toddler stage, I still wonder in frustration about why only two or three months ago my son was willing to try everything I put on his plate. What can I do to get my adventurous eater back, so that I can make us both those yummy and healthy gourmet meals?

First, let’s explore why a toddler might be picky. Between the ages of two and five, children begin to recognize what they like or dislike, are able to make choices based on those preferences and are able to tell you those choices. So rather than trying new foods or eating a food that touches another food or eating something that mommy and daddy want them to eat, they say no and/or they ask for something else. This nay-saying is a big part of their need to assert their independence and will.

Rebellion aside, children’s taste buds are much more sensitive than our adult taste buds. So, for example, something that is mildly bitter to us could be hugely so to them. In addition to that, extra sensitivity can be caused by a chemical known as phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), which is found in foods such as such as strawberries, oranges, apples, turnips, broccoli and green beans. PTC causes foods to taste extremely bitter or virtually tasteless, depending on your child’s genetic makeup. A child’s food preference, then, might be out of their control regardless of their assertion of will. That could explain why my little guy spit out the bok choy/apple/date juice I gave him the other day.

In general, people have a genetic preference for sweet and salty foods. This is a survival mechanism leftover from way back when we needed to be protected from eating poisonous foods. In the case of your toddler, however, it is a frustrating fact when you want more green vegetables in his diet. Beyond the tastes of food, things such as texture and appearance also make a difference in food preferences. Children like smooth creamy things, such as yogurt and ice cream because they feel good on the tongue, in addition to their sweetness. Something really spicy, ...more