"Tell me what you eat and I will tell you
what you are." - Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
what you are." - Anthelme Brillat-Savarin
I have used the above quote with my middle school students. When they read this quote they laugh and pretend they are cheeseburgers or pieces of pizza. After we are done laughing about their antics, I go on to explain to them that while they may not turn into an actual cheeseburger or pizza, the parts of their bodies that fuel their thinking and energy for movement do become affected by the foods they eat. I talk to them about brain healthy foods, and foods that benefit athletes. The students always have many questions about how our bodies work, and how food plays a role in the way we function emotionally, physically, and mentally.
Diet has become synonymous with losing weight, however, diet is actually a word used to describe the types of foods that you ingest each day. As a middle school teacher, I am able to observe the types of foods that students eat on a regular basis. Last week one of my female students, who does struggle a bit with her weight, was downing a two serving bag of potato chips. As I do with all of my students who try to sneak eat during class, I instructed her to put the snack away. At the end of class, as the students were filing out of my classroom, I asked this girl to remain behind. I told her to look at the nutrition information on the back of the chip bag. I asked her to read how many calories there were in a single serving of chips. She informed me that there were 250 calories in a single serving of chips. I then asked her to tell me how many servings of chips there actually were in the bag. She looked at the back of the bag again and told me that there were a total of three servings in the bag that she had almost eaten in its entirety. I then asked her to do the math to calculate how many calories that she had ingested by eating this bag of chips at 9:00 in the morning. The grand total, of course, was 750 calories. This didn't really make much of an impression on her, as she had no idea what the daily recommended amount of calories for a girl her age was. To give her some perspective regarding caloric intake, we searched Google for the daily recommended amount of calories for a 13 year old, semi-active girl. She was shocked to find out that she had just consumed nearly half of the total amount of her daily allotment of calories. The next morning as I got out of my car, I noticed this girl waiting by the back of the school. Since it was chilly out, and she was there quite early, I invited her to wait in my classroom for the bell to ring. She agreed, and came upstairs. When we got into the room she asked me if she could show me something on my computer. She went to a web page that had pictures of extremely obese women, and told me that she had spent the evening looking up articles on healthy eating.
As a girl who struggled with the "battle of the bulge" for my entire life, it is my hope that through my modeling good eating habits in front of my students, and discussing good eating habits and exercise, that I can hopefully get these students to hear my message about an all around healthy life style. I often mention the effects of fatty foods, or unhealthy habits as we discuss the human body. In addition, I open class discussion to questions about good eating and exercising habits. Many of my students think there is only one food group ..... the junk food group. The amount of cookies, cakes, candies, sodas, and energy drinks that they consume are appalling to me. The most disturbing sight I have ever seen is students spreading mayonnaise on their already greasy and cheesy pizza. When I tell them what mayonnaise is made of, they argue that it tastes good, so it is good for you. I ask my students if they were going to drive from Massachusetts to Texas, what would they fill their car with? Obviously, gasoline is the resounding answer. I ask them would they fill the tank with sugar? They look at me as if I have lost my mind. "NO!", they reply. "So." I ask them, "Why is it before you start out on your daily voyage to school, you fill your "tank" with sugar?" "It will ruin your engine!" they reply. This sort of makes some sense to them, and they begin to get the message. Even though nutrition is a health class topic, I find that it is important to spread the nutritional good health message to all of my students.
So, parents, what can you do to ensure that your child has the good health advantage in life? When your children are small, and just beginning to eat solids, offer more fruits and vegetables that cookies and cakes. Sugar is addictive, and offering sugary foods as rewards or comforts only serves to set your child on the path of craving an unhealthy diet. Make sure that your child fuels each day with a healthy breakfast that doesn't contain tons of sugar. Just because it is cereal, that doesn't mean it is void of sugar. Anything that ends in ose, such as glucose, fructose, etc.. contains sugar. At meal time, think of the dining plate as a clock, from 12:00 to 3:00 is a good size for the protein portion of the meal. From 3:00 to 6:00 is a good carbohydrate size, and 6:00 to 12:00 should be filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. Cut up carrot sticks, celery, cucumbers, or any of your child's favorite veges, and have them on hand as quick snacks. Use small amounts of peanut butter as a dip, or fore go dips at all. Join a food co-op and take your children with you to select fresh, pesticide free, locally grown fruits and vegetables. Look for fun recipes for your children to make that are filled with healthy ingredients. These are just a few ideas that may have a positive affect on your child's diet.
In addition to watching what your child eats, be aware of what your child is drinking, as well. Sodas, fruit juices, and power drinks are filled with sugar, caffeine, and calories. These kinds of drinks can add extra empty calories to your child's daily diet. Drinking skim milk, or low in sugar fruit juices are better alternatives, however nothing beats the benefits of good old fashioned WATER! Yes, water is a key and essential ingredient to digestion at the cellular level. Food can not be properly digested without adequate water. All cells require adequate water to function properly. As your food is digested and Oxygen is absorbed, cells need water in order for your body to turn the food you eat and the Oxygen you breathe into a form of energy that your body cells can use. The recommended daily amount of water varies from person to person, but eight, eight ounce glasses a day is a good place to start.
In addition to watching what your child eats, be aware of what your child is drinking, as well. Sodas, fruit juices, and power drinks are filled with sugar, caffeine, and calories. These kinds of drinks can add extra empty calories to your child's daily diet. Drinking skim milk, or low in sugar fruit juices are better alternatives, however nothing beats the benefits of good old fashioned WATER! Yes, water is a key and essential ingredient to digestion at the cellular level. Food can not be properly digested without adequate water. All cells require adequate water to function properly. As your food is digested and Oxygen is absorbed, cells need water in order for your body to turn the food you eat and the Oxygen you breathe into a form of energy that your body cells can use. The recommended daily amount of water varies from person to person, but eight, eight ounce glasses a day is a good place to start.
Eating right is just one of the ways to ensure a healthy life style. Look for my next blog on getting your child to get up and go! Exercise is a healthy diet's best friend.
So, grab a healthy snack for you and your children and start talking about ways your family can enjoy healthy eating together.
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