Magic Martian Mixture

The post How To Have A Healthy Halloween appeared first on Organic Healthy Life - Nancy Addison - Nutrition.

I studies with Dr. Campbell at Cornell University in his 3 classes on Plant Based Nutrition.
So, this was such an honor to have my article in his newsletter.
hope you enjoy it!

How To Have A Healthy Halloween
By Nancy Addison, Guest Author, Healthy Kids & Food Education

Halloween is almost here and everyone is wondering what costume to wear and what treats to give. Careful planning can make this holiday more enjoyable than you imagined.

Sugar is usually the treat of choice, but it is harmful to our health. Since we want to set a good example for our children, I‘ve found some truly wonderful alternatives that are enjoyable and entertaining. While children may not always appear to be listening, they are always watching, so send a consistent message that healthy eating is important—even on holidays. This can be challenging when the rest of the country is trying to eat as many pieces of candy and sugary desserts as possible.

According to research, one teaspoon of sugar can shut down a person’s immune system for up to 5 hours.[1] Yale University says that children should get only 3 to 4 teaspoons of sugar per day and that an adult should limit intake to 5 teaspoons.[2] This is even possible on Halloween. We all benefit from avoiding going overboard on holiday occasions.

Try to find a healthy balance for your children’s food intake and create an atmosphere of wise choices. First, before going trick-or-treating with your children or sending them to a Halloween party, serve a filling and healthy meal so that tempting sugary desserts and candy aren’t eaten simply because of hunger.

You can also pass out non-edible treats as substitutes for candy. Try things like stickers, crayons, bubbles, kaleidoscopes, slinkies, yoyos, sidewalk chalk, small flashlights, glow sticks, hacky sacks, funny glasses, or other fun gifts. You can even pass out toothbrushes! You can find packs of these online or at the local party or craft stores. Make sure you pick age appropriate treats for children, and especially make sure that the gifts do not include small parts that a child could choke on. Some gifts may be better for smaller children, while others may be more fun or safer for older children.

If you would prefer to hand out edible treats, try some commercially-packaged alternatives to candy like trail mixes, raisins, popcorn packets, or nut butter crackers. People will trust packages from the grocery store more than homemade items, as they are sealed.

For a home party, you can make healthy pumpkin muffins, popcorn with nuts and raisins, or a Goblin Goulash. It is the perfect time to serve a green kale smoothie! (Which I suggest calling for a Halloween drink/treat, Goblin Goulash!) Guests will think they are having a special Halloween drink, when in reality you are introducing a healthy green drink.

With childhood obesity on the rise at an alarming rate, literally doubling over the last 30 years, it is good to be someone who isn’t contributing to the sugar disease epidemic. You’d be surprised how much all of us enjoy an alternative to the sugar laden candy that is so common.

If your child goes trick-or-treating, instruct your child to wait and allow you to inspect the food they collect before they eat it. Tell them that if any candy or food they received isn’t wrapped professionally (commercially), they should throw it away, especially if it looks like there is any kind of tampering (tears, holes, discoloration, etc.) with the package. I always threw out any kind of candy or treat that my children were given that looked suspicious in any way. Don’t take a chance, just throw it out if there is doubt.

If you allow your children to eat candy or treats, be aware that some have a shelf life. If you are allowing your child to have one or two pieces per day, check the candy for freshness or an expiration date before he or she can have it. Teach your children to do this as well. Children can be very responsible if given the chance.

Children’s teeth and gums are damaged by sugar. Dental decay can be painful and damaging to a child’s health. Conditions like this can challenge a person for their entire life. Help your children make the best decisions for their health now. Make certain they brush and floss after consuming sweets. Your children will always be grateful for the love you show them. They may not show it today, but they will recognize and appreciate it more as they grow older.

For Halloween, spend time together, play fun music, bob for apples, make jack-o-lanterns, and bake pumpkin bread or other items that benefit your family’s health. This shows your family how much you really care about them. May you have a fun, safe Halloween holiday.

Click here for the link to Center For Nutritional Studies site.

References

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Albert Sanchez, J. L. Reeser, H. S. Lau, P. Y. Yahiku, R. E. Willard, P. J. McMillan, S. Y. Cho, A. R. Magie, and U. D. Register. – Role of sugars in human neutrophilic phagocytosis. – The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc. 1973., Copyright © 1973, http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/26/11/1180.abstract
Yale Health Newsletter.Be a “Sugar” Detective. http://yalehealth.yale.edu/sugardetective

Nancy Addison

Nancy Addison is a graduate of the plant-based nutrition certificate program and the author of How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian and co author of Alive and Cooking; An Easy Guide To Health For You and Your Parents. Nancy is releasing her new book, next month: Raising Healthy Children.

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This Newsletter

How To Have A Healthy Halloween
By Guest Author–  Nancy Addison

By Center for Nutrition Studies

The post Dr. T. Colin Campbell’s Center For Nutritional Studies Features Nancy Addison’s article: How To Have A Healthy Halloween In Their October Newsletter appeared first on Organic Healthy Life - Nancy Addison - Nutrition.

The Journal of the American Dietetic Association, published in 1998, showed that children consumed an average of 29 teaspoons of sugar each day, and it is scary to think how much sugar they can ingest in a single day around Halloween and the holidays. Sugar breaks down the immune system and stresses the body severely – contributing to diabetes, obesity, tooth decay and a host of other health problems.

Halloween, however, allows a parent the opportunity to use the spooky goblin, monster theme to make new dishes seem fun and exciting. Did you ever think that green food is the perfect choice for a monster ghoulash, Martian moss drink or witch’s brew? This wonderful, raw, nutrient-dense food can help counteract all the sugar-dense foods they may be eating elsewhere.

Children’s organs are forming into their twenties, and the food they eat goes directly into the formation of these organs. Therefore, it is crucial that the foods they eat have a pure, nutrient-dense nature. This makes choosing organic food much more important for children than adults.

I highly recommend making this green smoothie, which is incredibly healthy. It can help adjust the bodies’ PH balance. It may sound spooky to you at first, but give it a try; you may be surprised by the taste.

We create and renew taste buds about every two weeks if we are healthy and eating well, which means we are creating new taste buds to adjust to what we are continually eating. So, if a healthier change of diet is desired, try eating the new healthful food for at least two weeks. This will give the body a chance to renew itself and add taste buds adjusted to the new healthier diet.

When adjusting a child’s diet to include better quality food, a helpful method of encouragement can be rewarding them for trying this new food (a few bites at least 10 times or for two weeks). There is a good chance that when those two weeks are over, they may actually like the new food. Gold stars, a special outing, playing a game with them or a morning of art can be wonderful rewards for children trying new and interesting dishes.

When your child comes down for breakfast on Halloween week, have this green smoothie – Goblin Ghoulash – ready in the fun spirit of the holiday and know that you’re giving them something nutritious.

It is best to make this drink in a good blender, because it can turn nuts, seeds, unskinned fruit and vegetables to a liquid more easily. This drink is rich in phytonutrients and vitamin C, so try to drink it within 20 minutes, because the nutrients begin to dissipate after that time.  Iron is more absorbable into the body when vitamin C is present, so if you use spinach, this drink will be rich with vitamin C and Iron. In addition, leafy greens, such as the ones in this recipe, are high in protein without the unhealthy effects of many types of meat. Spinach is actually 45% protein!

Goblin Goulash

 1 – 2 cups     Leafy greens (fresh baby spinach, romaine, watercress in any combination and torn into pieces).

2                  Whole fruits (mango, pear, apple or combination) chopped into chucks with seeds and stems removed.

3                  Dates (soaked in water to soften); seeds removed.

2 cups         Pure water (more water can be added to desired consistency).

1 Tablespoon   Flax seed oil (cold pressed)

1 Tablespoon   Lemon juice (freshly juiced and used immediately).

Directions:

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend.

Serve immediately.

Have a safe, healthy and ghoulishly fun Halloween!

The post Goblin Goulash Recipe for Halloween by Nutritionist & Chef, Nancy Addison appeared first on Organic Healthy Life - Nancy Addison - Nutrition.