Q: My family is just starting to increase our fruit and vegetable intake. What books do you recommend?
A: In general, I recommend everyone with kids to start with "Disease Proof Your Child" by Joel Fuhrman. I don't care how horrible your kids eat or if they have XYZ problems with their health, this is the book to start with. Then read "Eat for Health". Go to my Amazon Store for these and other recommended books.
Q: My son/daughter is so picky. He or she will only eat white rice and cheese (or insert any foods here). What should I do?
A: What do you offer your child? Do you offer a wide variety of foods and do you and your spouse/partner also eat those foods? I'm going to be brutally honest here...your child is picky because you have allowed him/her to be. It is your job as a parent to make sure your child eats healthy because the food you feed your child now is what their growing cells will be based on. Childhood is their foundation of health for life. Do you want those growing cells made of low nutrient, non fiberous foods like white bread, cheese, meat, butter and sugar...or high nutrient, high fiber foods that prevent and reverse cancer and other degenerative diseases- like kale and blueberries?? It's a no brainer, right?
You and your spouse/partner must work as a team and create a home where healthy eating habits are consistently modeled. This doesn't mean you can't indulge at birthday parties and other life events, but set rules and limits on what is allowed when eating outside the home.
My biggest tip in this department is to clear your house of processed foods- chips, granola bars, cereals, white flour breads, bagels, cookies, etc. When you only have healthy foods available in the home, your children will be forced to make healthy food choices.
Q: I'm concerned my child won't get enough calories, fat, and protein from eating a plant based diet. How can I make sure their nutritional needs are being met?
A: As long as your child eats a wide variety of plant foods and is allowed to snack on fruits and vegetables between meals, they will easily get enough calories. When they get enough calories, protein needs are met. I repeat, as long as you get enough calories from a variety of plant foods, children and adults will easily meet protein needs! This country doesn't have a protein deficiency problem, we have a nutrient deficiency problem. (more info on this is in Dr. Fuhrman's books)
Great sources of fats and nutrient dense/calorie dense foods are avocado, nuts, nut butters, seeds, grains, and coconut milk. Try different recipes using these foods.
Q: Why are dairy products harmful? Don’t kids need milk for bone health?
A: Cow’s milk is meant for the rapidly growing baby calf, not humans. Kids need exercise and sunlight for bone health, not dairy products. What we know about dairy being “healthy” has been circulated by the dairy industry in the media and in schools. Dairy causes calcium drain on our bones when consumed daily at the USDA recommended 3 servings per day. The best sources of calcium comes from dark leafy greens, whole soy products, beans, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. These sources are also more absorbable compared to cow’s milk- it is only 32% absorbable in the body.
Calcium in 100 Calories of *:
| Bok Choy | 1,055 | ||||||||||||||
| Turnip Greens | 921 | ||||||||||||||
| Collard Greens | 559 | ||||||||||||||
| Kale | 455 | ||||||||||||||
| Romaine lettuce | 257 | ||||||||||||||
| Tofu | 236 | ||||||||||||||
| Milk | 194 | ||||||||||||||
| Broccoli | 182 | ||||||||||||||
| Soybeans | 134 | ||||||||||||||
| Cucumber | 108 | ||||||||||||||
| Cauliflower | 88 | ||||||||||||||
| Carrots | 63 | ||||||||||||||
| Fish | 38 | ||||||||||||||
| Eggs | 32 | ||||||||||||||
| T-bone steak | 5 | ||||||||||||||
| Pork Chop | 2 | ||||||||||||||
| *Chart taken from “Eat to Live" by Joel Fuhrman | |||||||||||||||
Q: What can I substitute for refined sugar, Splenda or Nutra-Sweet when baking or sweetening beverages?
A: GOOD: Date Sugar, Succanat
BETTER: Raw Agave Nectar, Stevia (both work best for sweetening beverages)
BEST: Raw Dates, Applesauce, Bananas, Pineapple or any other sweet raw fruit
Remember that sweeteners should be used sparingly as should salt and oils in the diet.
Q: Splenda is okay right? Isn’t it made from sugar?
A: It's really not okay and it is not made from sugar! It is a highly addictive chemically derived substance that should be avoided. The use of artificial sweeteners has been linked to brain tumors and seizures in animals. In the past 25 years, brain tumor rates have risen in the US and other industrialized countries. If you want to sweeten something, see the answer above this one!
