AN APPLE A DAY - 365 DAYS TO A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE - DAY 116

WHO IS GOING TO MONITOR GRANDMA?  (DAY 116)
(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

This article won’t tell you the usual truth about how sweet and wonderful grandmas are and how blessed you are to have them looking after your kids while you are away.  Nope!  Being a grandma myself, I must boldly proclaim the truth, because until recently I had not known how dangerous we can be to children! 

Go back and read it again.  I DID say that Grandmas can be very dangerous to their grandchildren! 

In their defense – it is totally out of ignorance and not a deliberate act, but; it is high time that a few grandmas became educated about the dangerous foods they are giving to those that they love to spoil. 

I will include myself among the guilty; but my ways are changing!  I have become a MORE AWARE GRANDMA; and I’m begging you to do the same.  Those wonderful treats you are giving those precious children are not good for their health!  Grandmas; you must educate yourself and change your ways!

What on earth am I talking about? 

Even a few Moms, Dads and Grandpas are going to be shocked at some of these facts! 

All I can do is break this down for you product by product. 

Are you ready? 

We all grew up with a dated food pyramid and our nutritional education amounted to “eat your vegetables” and “don’t’ eat too many desserts.”   We actually thought it was good for our kids to have a million snacks a day!  The times have changed right around us.  We must come into the world that we are living in NOW and open our eyes a bit wider.  We didn’t worry about chemicals, pesticides and prepackaged meals.  We never realized that bread, potatoes and rice turned to sugar later on inside our bodies.  We were used to a whole different way of approaching our meals; but fortunately our children have picked up on these things that we often thought “unimportant.”  Now WE are the ones needing to be re-educated and re-trained on proper nutrition and how to eat healthy.  Yes, we did all of these wrong things and lived through it; but let’s face it; our generation is facing more obesity and heart disease and diabetes than ever before; not to mention cancer and chronic diseases.  We have all become old enough and sick enough to understand that some major health changes need to happen.  Most of those come in the form of proper nutrition.

Maybe you better sit down because once you discover what you have been feeding the grandkids you may have a hard time forgiving yourself.  What has been done in the past can’t be changed; but there is hope for the future with a little education.  Here are the products you must be aware of right away:

OREO COOKIES:  I hate to spoil your good memories about Oreos, and I understand how you want to pass on those “feel good” moments you enjoyed as a child!   I know – you want to see the joy when they discover the fact that you need to open them and eat the middle first!  You want to see them realize how good they taste when you dip them in milk!  Then there is the fact that you can make a million and one CUTE crafty food treats out of Oreos! 

Sit down and listen carefully, because I’m going to ask you to quit buying Oreos for your grandkids.  Please don’t send me e-mails!  There are several good reasons for saying this!   I’m telling you:  Oreos contain polysorbate 80 and Titanium dioxide which are ingredients that are also found in paint and sunscreen.  If that isn’t enough to make you stop buying Oreos for those innocent little babies, then consider the fact that studies have shown that Oreos have the same addictive characteristics in our brains as cocaine and morphine.  The reason your grandchild wants to eat the WHOLE box is because these little cookies are extremely addictive.  The “pleasure center” of their brain is activated whenever they eat an Oreo cookie!  Now you wouldn’t give them cocaine or morphine (I hope) which would actually make them feel the same way; so why should you be feeding them boxes full of Oreos?  Stop and think about it.  This just isn’t a good practice! 

The next problem with the world’s most popular cookie that has been with us for over 100 years is the partially hydrogenated oils they contain.  As much as I hate to pass on the news, it seems that partially hydrogenated oils are found in about 40% of the food products we buy in most grocery stores.  That is a high percentage and you probably won’t hear a lot of people talking about the fact.  It would clearly cut into the profit margins of many food products if it became a more widely known fact.  You find partially hydrogenated oils in almost every cookie or cracker product on the shelves.  It is also in most microwavable popcorn products.  Many recent studies have shown that partially hydrogenated oils are linked to debilitating diseases.  The typical American consumer is not educated or aware of this fact.  We have been consuming tons of this stuff over the years.  These “trans-fats” seem to be a huge factor in heart diseases.  One researcher showed that eliminating the amount of trans-fats in our diets could prevent 7,600 to 17,000 cases of coronary heart disease and 2,500 to 5,600 deaths each year.  So all those Oreos you ate as a child didn’t kill you?  You were one of the lucky ones!  You won’t be hearing that on your local news channel though.  Most Grandmas are simply unaware!  The food labels are very deceptive about trans-fats.  They either don’t report them or they disguise them in some unobvious way.   These are simply the facts about the cute and adorable cookies that the schools love to promote that have fascinated us for a long time.  The truth is they are very dangerous to our health. 

 

If you aren’t worried about all of the above, then just look at the common sense fact that they contain too much fat and sugar with no real nutritional value.  This fact alone can lead to high cholesterol and heart disease later in life.  Ever dealt with that problem Grandma?  Then you know you don’t want that for your grandchild.  S-T-O-P the Oreo machine!

GRANOLA BARS:  I know, everyone thinks that granola is the healthiest thing around.  I have news for you – some of the brands of granola bars contain almost 20 grams of sugar per bar!  The Dark Chocolate Cherry Cashew + Antioxident bars that SOUND so healthy contain 14 grams of sugar and 2.5 grams of saturated fat (which is actually nutritionally worse than the above mentioned Oreo cookies!)  If you are going with granola make sure you do not serve the prepackaged ones that contain all of the wrong things.  There really isn’t much health value to them at all!

YOPLAIT GO-GURT:

Along with the genetically modified dairy you will find modified corn starch and WAY too much sugar.  The thickener is carragenan which is known to cause intestinal problems.  Another product used is potassium sorbate.  Potassium sorbate can cause allergic reactions, nausea, diarrhea and DNA damage.  A good alternative treat to substitute in place of Go-Gurt would be Stonyfield Greek Plain Yogurt.  It is pure and organic, high in protein and low in sugar.  You can blend it with some fresh fruit for more flavor or freeze it to create a healthy Greek yogurt popsicle.

YOPLAIT FLAVORED YOGURT:  The original flavors contain 18 grams of sugar per container (which is bad enough), but the FLAVORED brands contain 31 grams of sugar per container.  So why am I so against things that contain a high content of sugar? 

Since you asked: 

SUGAR IN GENERAL:  You really should check the sugar content of all of the snacks you provide.  It DOES matter.  Most of us know that too much sugar and fats with no real nutritional value leads to high cholesterol and heart disease.  We DO NOT want to be the cause of this for our grandchildren.  Health risks from sugar overloads include obesity, increased chance for heart disease and type-2 diabetes.  Also; more recent research by the Mayo Clinic has proclaimed that there is some evidence consuming large amounts of sugar is associated with increased risks for certain cancers.  Please don’t overdo the sugar; it just isn’t a healthy practice!

M&M’s:  In 1976 the red M&M’s were taken off the market for a good reason.  It was thought even back then that carcinogens could be found in FD&C RED #2 (the artificial dye used in red M&M’s) .  The red M&Ms stayed off the market for 10 years because of this theory; then in 1976 they were added back into the mix once more.  Everyone seemed to have forgotten the health concerns and we have all been consuming these candies since that time.  Now we are concerned with more than just one artificial dye.  It is now known that the RED #40 causes damage to DNA.  It can cause swelling around the mouth, give you hives and produce hyperactivity in children.  Cancer is also suspected from this dye.  (Ever notice how the red ones are the ones they like the best?)  The Yellow #6 artificial dye also causes cancer, hyperactivity, allergic reactions, diarrhea, vomiting, nettle rash, migraines and skin problems.   The Yellow #5 artificial dye used has some of the same problems.  Blue #2 is also used as a dye.  It is a petroleum based product with a chemical formula (C16H1ON202.)   It increases hyperactivity in children and has caused brain tumors and abnormal cell developments in rats.  The Gum Acacia found in M&M’s is a dietary fiber from the Acacia tree.  This fiber has glue-like binding qualities.  It is very bad for the digestive system.   It causes gas, bloating, nausea and loose stools.  It has been noted that these petrochemicals found in M&M’s worsen the behavior of some children.  The soy lecithin in M&M’s is genetically modified.  Soy lecithin can cause breast cancer, has negative effects on fertility and reproduction.  Soy lecithin also may lead to behavioral and cerebral abnormalities.  Most of the dye colors are labeled as “Lake” colors.  This means that salt has been added to the dye and that means the color would be insoluble in liquids.  The Blue #1 dye is said to produce malignant tumors in rats and has side effects such as asthma, hives, hay fever, low blood pressure and allergies.  These artificial dyes contain benzadine which is a well known carcinogen.  So you have eaten M&M’s all your life and you are still alive.  I hate to tell you this but chronic diseases and cancer have never been more prevalent in our society.  Why not consider what is causing some of them?  Looking the other way and ignoring the facts isn’t healthy for our children and grandchildren; or us either for that matter.

GRAHAM CRACKERS:  Maybe you consider Graham Crackers to be a fairly healthy snack.  I know I thought this in the past.  They are not!  Most of these “crackers” are made of refined flour and not the whole wheat flour that most people just assume they are made with.  Refined flour is very bad for your health.  So!  We have been eating refined flour for years; what could possibly be wrong with that?

Glad you asked:

REFINED FLOUR:  White or “refined” flour raises your risk for diabetes.  It is stripped of its original fiber lessening the nutritional value and it is processed heavily with chemicals that bleach.  Refined flour also contains gluten which is a problem for many people.  The main food to avoid when we are speaking of “refined” flour is white breads, cakes and cookies.  That would include biscuits and rolls!  These foods simply turn into sugar later and create circumstances that often lead to diabetes.  They are said to be the main factor that contributes to the American problem of obesity.    At our house we have started substituting whole wheat pita bread for white bread.  It tastes very good and we haven’t missed the unhealthy breads at all.

POP TARTS:  Speaking of refined flour; let’s discuss pop-trats.  They usually say they contain real fruit.  The filling is actually about 10% fruit and the other 90% is something else altogether!  It consists of enriched flour, soybean and palm oil, and GMO after GMO.  There are artificial colors and LOTS of sugar.  These processed treats contain dextrose, sugar, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup.  All are made with GMOs.  The sugar usually comes from genetically modified sugar beets instead of cane sugar.  The refined sugars spike insulin levels and feed cancer cells.  The “real fruit” listed is actually dried apples, strawberries and pears that have been sprayed with pesticides.  (Apples are now the most contaminated item on the EWG’s dirty dozen list because of pesticides. Please buy organically grown apples!)   These Pop-Tarts also contain artificial dyes such as Red 40, Yellow 6 and Blue 1.  These dyes create toxins and cause cancer and other symptoms that you do not want to see in your grandchildren.  The caramel coloring often used is noted for causing lung cancer in mice. 

A good alternative to these treats might be Nature’s Path Frosted Maple Brown Sugar Toaster Pastries.  They are certified organic non-GMO products that are trans-fat free.  An even better alternative – make your own sweet treats from scratch and limit the servings.

FRUIT LOOPS:  You have probably noticed that most cereals for children are loaded with sugar, in the case of Fruit Loops; they also contain all the dangerous artificial dyes mentioned above when speaking of M&M’s.  These dyes are very dangerous and should not be eaten, especially when you are a young child and your body is forming, growing and changing. 

CHERRIOS:  The GMO company that produces Cheerios claims that it is a healthy food made from oats which is low in sugar and full of fiber.  That is very misleading.    Cheerios are thought healthy because they are said to contain “natural” oats.  In the seven out of twelve varieties of Cheerios sold, oats are not even listed as the main ingredient.  They DO contain whole grains, but whole grains ground into flour do not have the same benefits as natural unprocessed whole grains.  Cheerio’s whole grains are PROCESSED.  Only three brands of Cheerios out of the twelve brands sold have less than nine grams of sugar in a serving.  The serving sizes also vary according to the type of Cheerios you are buying; so the sugar content you are getting for the nine other flavors, though they sound very healthy, is MUCH too high.  Back in 2009 the FDA sent a letter to the company that manufactures Cheerios because of “unauthorized health claims” and because said claims would mean that Cheerios would fall under the label of an “unapproved new drug.”  Cheerios has reworked their marketing programs because of this and have changed their message to read that Cheerios CAN be a part of a healthy diet that COULD reduce the risks of heart disease. 

The new words used in marketing and commercials are based on the cereal’s fiber and whole grain content.  The whole truth of the matter is that ONLY Regular Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios and Yogurt Burst Cheerios contain soluble fiber.  Cheerios have just 1 gram per serving, Honey Nut Cheerios have 0.75 gram per serving and Yogurt Burst Cheerios have “less than 1 gram of soluble fiber.”  That really isn’t much fiber at all, and as we said before, it isn’t whole grain fiber but processed whole grain fiber.  Only regular Cheerios would provide the adequate amount of fiber required to start a healthy day. 

Cheerios also contain BHT a possible carcinogen.  Other ingredients that are not healthy in Cheerios are Trisodium Phosphate, artificial colors (mentioned above under M&M’s, vanillin (which is synthetic Vanilla), corn syrup, soy lecithin (see details under M&M’s), maltodextrin and glycerides.  Each of these ingredients have been linked to negative health issues in various studies. 

A huge issue is that the corn comes from fields in the US that have been genetically modified.  The Vitamin E content of Cheerios comes from mixed Tocopherols which are commonly derived from soy, corn or cotton.  Soy corn and cotton are the most extensively genetically engineered crops out there.  You won’t find this information on the labels; you just have to know your cereals and foods!

CAP’N CRUNCH:  Aside from the small amount of added vitamins in this cereal, it is full of worthless empty calories, food-like particles and chemicals.  The bulk of this brand of cereal is made up of corn flour.  It is held together with sugar, brown sugar and coconut oil.  It is coated with loads of food colorings.  A good substitute would be Cascadian Farm Clifford Crunch. 

GOLDFISH:   These are thrown at kids everywhere they go!  I’ve seen them in the church nursery, kindergarten classes and diaper bags everywhere.   The popular ones are made by Pepperidge Farms.  They usually all contain “enriched” wheat flour.”  Here is how they have been “enriched”:   The added iron is the metallic form of iron which the human body cannot fully absorb.  They have added folic acid also.  At first the folic acid actually sounds good, but research now shows that the fortification of foods with folic acid is linked to cancer.  The cheddar cheese is not organic.  This means that the cows that produced the cheese used in the product ate genetically modified grains and then produced the milk for the cheese.  More than likely these same cows were injected with genetically engineered hormones that stimulate milk production.  Best plan; eliminate the constant consummation of goldfish! 

AUSTIN CHEESE CRACKERS WITH CHEDDAR JACK CHEESE:   These snacks have been labeled “the worst packaged snack” by many food experts.  Each package contains 2 days worth of transfats.   

APPLE JUICE:  Did you know that one glass of the typical apple juice marketed for children can contain as much sugar as a Krispy Kreme Donut?  Not only is this much sugar a risk for heart disease and diabetes; but it can also cause tooth decay and other dental problems down the road.  Most toddlers tend to walk around with a sippy-cup full of some type of juice all the time!  A good solution to this problem is to use filtered water for their drinks and flavor it occasionally with just a few spoonfuls of natural organic juice.  Diluting the juice if it must be served is a great idea.  They hardly notice when you do this!  I have bought the cute little animated drinks that come in containers of their favorite characters, poured them out and repackaged them with filtered water and a tiny bit of healthy juice.  The kids never know the difference and they are delighted because they are served in containers of their favorite characters.   Please don’t tell my secret!

SUNNY D ORANGE DRINK:  This is definitely not REAL orange juice!  There is only 5 percent of real juice in each bottle.  The other 95 percent is sugar water.  The sugar left is equivalent to a dozen Chips Ahoy cookies.   A good substitute might be Capri Sun’s Tropical Fruit Roarin’ Water.

NESTLE NESQUICK CHOCOLATE MILK:  Most schools are still serving this one.  It is loaded with sugar.  One bottle contains 48 grams of sugar!  Excess sugar consumption leads to heart disease, diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure, obesity, reduced brain power and liver problems.  The term “natural” is used a lot on their ingredients list and it is deceiving.  These drinks contain hundreds of chemicals with side affects ranging from allergies to behavioral issues in children.  It contains the thickening agent carrageenan which has been shown to cause animals to have gastrointestinal inflammation, intestinal lesions, ulcers and malignant tumors.  There is a high possibility that MSGs are in the carrageenan.  If you must allow your children to drink chocolate milk use Organic Valley Chocolate Milk.  There is still a high amount of sugar even in this pure product.  Best solution; encourage more water!

SOFT DRINKS:  Most Grandmas are already on to this one.  We pretty much know how harmful soft drinks can be to children.  For those who have not yet caught on, I’ll just say that sodas act as dehydrating diuretics and can inhibit proper digestion.  Drinking soda can upset the fragile, acid-alkaline balance in the stomach and create an acid environment.  A prolonged acid environment can lead to inflammation of the stomach and duodenal lining.  Diet soda is especially bad (for ALL people – not just children.)  Diet drinks usually contain aspartame which is a potent brain toxin and endocrine disrupter.  Drinking soft drinks every day can lead to blood sugar disorders and diabetes.  These drinks contain caffeine which is known to create physical dependence and upsets the normal balance of neurochemistry in the developing brains of children.  There are 35 to 38 milligrams of caffeine in most 12-ounce cans of cola.  A can of Pepsi One has 56 milligrams of caffeine!  If caffeine is the only issue you are concerned with a good alternative choice in drinks would be Sprit, 7-Up, Ginger Ale or some brands of Root Beer; which are all caffeine free.  Another thing to consider about soft drinks is the link to tooth decay.  The sugar causes cavities and the acid erodes the enamel of your teeth.    The citric acid found in soda may contain traces of MSG.  MSG is another potent brain toxin.  The artificial flavors found in sodas may also contain traces of MSG. 

If the above isn’t enough to convince you just realize that soft drinks contain zero nutrients, are high calorie and contain LOADS of sugar.  They are probably the heaviest contributor to childhood obesity.  Sodas tend to suppress the appetite so kids are less likely to crave nutritious foods at regular meal time.  Phosphorus is a common ingredient found in soft drinks.  Phosphorus can deplete bones and calcium.  Girls who drink more soft drinks are prone to broken bones.  More and more doctors are becoming very concerned about the health impact of carbonated beverage consumption on teen-aged girls.

I’m sure you are convinced.  Just remember that our children and grandchildren tend to imitate every move that we make.  If you are forbidding soft drinks to your toddlers and teens and not giving them up yourself; you are not only unhealthy; you might also be a hypocrite!  Just don’t buy soft drinks!

PROCESSED CHICKEN NUGGETS:  This is typically the first thing you will see on children’s menus when you eat out.  Who erroneously proclaimed that all children want to eat is chicken nuggets and mac and cheese?  They are bo so unhealthy!  I’m speaking here about the PROCESSED chicken nuggets; not the freshly cooked unprocessed ones.  Unfortunately most processed chicken nuggets are stripped off the bone and then ground up into a chicken “mush” then combined with a variety of stabilizers and preservatives.  These are usually pressed into shapes.  They are then breaded and deep fried, then freeze dried and shipped to somewhere.  The “mush” they call chicken is usually about 50% fat and contains about 360 mgs of sodium.  They contain a very low percentage of calcium, protein fiber, vitamins and antioxidants.  A steady diet of these would mean your child isn’t receiving anywhere near the nutritional value they need at meal time.  Most fast-food chicken nuggets contain a high content of chemicals and preservatives.  One thing that is especially bad is the TBHQ found in the hydrogenated soybean oil that they fry with (in the vegetable oil.)  This is a chemical preservative the FDA only allows processors to use SPARINGLY in food.  It can comprise no more than 0.02 percent of the oil in a nugget.  We now know that ingesting a single gram of TBHQ can cause nausea, vomiting, ringing of the ears, delirium and a sense of suffocation and collapse.  Ingesting five grams of TBHQ can kill. 

Citric acid is also added to preserve freshness.  Have you ever read how citric acid is processed?  It is highly educational reading.  Any time you see citric acid beware; it isn’t very healthy despite the deceptive labeling.  The antifoaming agent added into your usual fast food nugget mix is dimenthylpolysiloxane which is the same form of silicone that is also used many of your cosmetics.  It is a suspected carcinogen and an established mutagen, tumorigen and reproductive effector (it is also flammable.) 

I guess that is enough about fast-food chicken fingers.  I would highly recommend that you save this treat until you can cook it yourself inside your own kitchen using fresh whole ingredients and carefully selected chicken pieces.  Your grands are worth the effort. 

A good way to make your own chicken fingers is to marinate strips of chicken breast in 1 percent buttermilk for 20 to 30 minutes.  Cover the strips in whole-wheat bread crumbs and bake them at 350 degrees for six to seven minutes per side.  Kids will love how they taste and you will too!

MACARONI AND CHEESE:  Kraft was stopped by the FDA from using the artificial dyes they put into their mac and cheese.  They now use turmeric, which was a smart move. 

There are still things about constantly stuffing a kid with macaroni and cheese that are disturbing.  One author I know described mac and cheese as “a serpent in a beautifully disguised package.”  I tend to agree with her!  This even applies to that mac and cheese that you make yourself using the noodles from a box!  Why?  Your mac and cheese and the prepackaged mac and cheese actually probably contain many of the same ingredients.  In terms of nutrition; they are also probably even.   So is cooking the cheesy dish yourself approximately the same results as using the box?  No.  The big difference is saturated fats, sodium and preservatives which can condition kids to crave more salty, artificial foods.  If you look on the label you will see a long list of non-food ingredients on the boxed products.  When you grab that easy box, you really don’t know what you are feeding them.  When you put in the ingredients yourself; you can be sure to know.  Also you should be using whole wheat organic noodles when you make it yourself.  One helping of most packaged or fast food mac and cheese works out to around 418 grams of fat and 1760 milligrams of sodium.  This definitely offsets the benefit of the mac and cheese being low in sugar.  Eaten to excess sodium has been tied to many hazardous health conditions such as high blood pressure, stroke, cardiovascular disease and cardiac enlargement, edema, osteoporosis, heartburn and even death in the worst cases. 

Just be aware that mac and cheese is a very high calorie food.  If you eat it constantly, you are probably going to get fat. 

SALAD DRESSINGS:  They are loaded with untested Franken ingredients.  The bulk of oils in non-organic salad dressing come from genetically engineered soy or canola crops that have never been tested for their impact on humans.  They are crops that use massive amounts of pesticides and you know some of that may wind up inside the food that is produced from them.  Most of the popular brands of salad dressings are using high fructose.  Scientists have discovered that ingesting high-fructose for just six weeks could make you less smart.  The raspberry vinaigrettes sometimes harbor deceivingly high amounts of sweeteners.  Another thing that is happening with salad dressings is the use of titanium dioxide which is what people working in the paint industry use to make colors brighter.  This chemical is often contaminated with lead.  We all have used and loved the Hidden Valley Farmhouse Originals.  Some of the color in this company’s Pomegranate Vinaigrette comes not from real fruit, but Red #40.  I’ve already covered how harmful these artificial dyes can be to children, but I don’t think I’ve yet mentioned that this particular dye is also linked to ADHD in children.  Kraft’s creamy ranch dressing contains Yellow 5.  Many of the honey mustard dressing and the Ceasar of creamy balsamic dressings rely on caramel coloring to give them rich brown or golden hues.  Caramel colors have been linked to cancer.  Trans fats are those dangerous fats that your taste buds love but your body hates.  They are required to be labeled on food products but often they are not clearly labeled on salad dressings.  Monosodium glutamate is a food additive often found in salad dressings.  Animal studies link these food additives to nerve cell damage in the brain.  Humans ingesting MSG often complain of headaches. 

HONEY:  This one is tricky.  Local organic honey is usually good and healthy for adults.  Many do not know or understand that children under two should never be given honey.  This is because honey can contain a toxic bacteria causing botulism.  This bacteria won’t hurt adults; but young children do not have the immune systems yet to fight this off.  Honey, even local and organic, has recently been noted to contain pesticides that were brought in by bees feeding on heavily sprayed fields. 

KETCHUP:  Most ketchups are loaded with GMO-derived high fructose corn syrups.  They are bursting with sodium, yet no one ever thinks twice about using ketchup or the contents in its ingredients.  We put this stuff on everything!  Our children always imitate whatever we do.  The ketchup market is worth over $800 million strong, right behind mayonnaise and salsa.  I was once told this sauce was a good condiment to use because it is low in calories; so just how bad could it possibly be?  You might be surprised to learn (as I was) that about ¼ of the bottle is sugar!  It is also loaded with high fructose corn syrup and sodium.    

OTHER DIPPING SAUCES:  It is trendy these days for parents to use dipping sauces to convince their kids to eat more vegetables.  By adding the extra flavor of the sauce you entice them to get used to eating their vegetables, even if they have to dip them.  This is only a good idea if you want your kid to be hooked on that particular sauce for the rest of their lives.  If you must do this; try steering them toward healthy organic alternative sauces.  For instance substitute Greek yogurt mixed with organic seasonings for ranch dressing.  Make your own ketchup and honey mustard from natural ingredients. 

FRENCH FRIES:  The hard truth about French fries is that they are just TOO convenient, both at home and in restaurants.  We need to quit putting convenience ahead of health.  French frying at fast food establishments usually involves using saturated fats, or the bad fats that cause problems.  When our children consume these bad fats they make the platelets in their blood stickier.  These sticky little platelets then form clots that attach to the walls of arteries which supply vital areas of the body with oxygenated blood.  These sticky little clots create walls of plaque that can eventually lead to heart attack or stroke. 

French Fries, even when not fast food are made from white potatoes.  Once in the body white potatoes have been noted for converting to sugar.  When we continually consume quickly absorbing carbohydrates the high conversion of sugar causes a surge in insulin production.  When we continually spike our insulin we develop a resistance to insulin that has been linked to a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease. 

Not all fats are just “good fats” and “bad fats”  There are fats that are “damaged fats.”  Damaged fats act as carcinogens.  French fries have high levels of acrylamide, reported to be a possible cancer-causing substance.   This comes from the deep frying techniques used.   While there are not yet any conclusive studies in children that show a link has been established to consuming French fries and cancer, it has been reported that cancer in children is on the rise in children ages 2- 4 years old.  Why take chances?  Bake your fries from home sliced potatoes and use less salt (sea salt preferably) in order to eliminate a lot of the sodium.  Don’t serve them all the time with everything; but only on occasions when they are already properly filled to the brim with good nutrients to counteract any harmful activities.  If they are constantly filling up on fries; they will never want their vegetables.

CHIPS:   Kids seem to love spicy chips like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.  Doctors are now warning that many of the spicy chips have harmful effects.  They originally will cause stomach pain that can go on for weeks.  If your child is complaining of a burning in their left side it could be caused by eating spicy chips!  Doctors are reporting seeing five or six cases a day of kids with gastritis due to eating spicy chips.  Gastritis is an inflammation, erosion or irritation of the lining of the stomach.  It can come on gradually or suddenly.  Symptoms include bloating, burning, vomiting and hiccups.  Sometimes, if not treated, this can lead into ulcerations, erosions and peptic ulcer disease in children.  Several schools have already banned these snacks due to lack of nutritional value; but the stomach problems are an even more serious reason not to feed your child spicy chips.  The Frito-Lay company actually made a statement that they would no longer market these chips to children under twelve. 

What about chips in general though?  Kids love even the NOT spicy chips.   Scientific studies have been conducted on the foods that kids eat and what makes them lose or gain weight.  The kids who regularly ate potato chips tended to gain the most weight.  French fries, fried chicken and fish, processed meats and butter were in close to the same category.  Foods cooked in oil, whether fried, sautéed or roasted were linked to weight gain.     

We need to remember that chips are PROCESSED FOODS.  That means they are going to be made from things that are not all natural and nutritious. 

TWINKIES:  Most people already know that Twinkies are not very healthy.  The details though are that they include partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, shortening and beef fat.  All of these items contain trans-fats.  Twinkies are full of enriched bleached white four, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, MSG and artificial colors.  These are all toxic food additives that should be avoided at all costs.  Arrowhead Mills makes organic cake mixes.  This might be a good switch.  Make your own cake snacks using applesauce instead of eggs and oil to get a moist cake with fewer calories and fat.  Bake them in cupcake tins to make them smaller in shape and easy to carry.  It might also be a good idea to read up on the health and nutrition facts about Little Debbie Cakes.  I don’t have time to go into it here.

KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS:  A Krispy Kreme Original Glazed doughnut is made from at least 50 ingredients.  Most of these ingredients are artificial food additives that will increase your risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, allergies and digestive disorders.  It is well known that dyes, chemicals and synthetic hormones are causing serious health problems.  Since we have covered most of the problems with several of the following ingredients, I will just list the ingredients found in a Krispy Kreme doughnut and I think you will be able to analyze them for yourself:  Enriched bleached wheat flour-  (contains bleached wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine, mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), dextrose, vegetable shortening (partially hydrogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil), water, sugar, soy flour, egg yolks, vital wheat gluten, yeast, nonfat milk, yeast nutrients (calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate), dough conditioners (calcium dioxide, monocalcium and dicalcium phosphate, diammonium phosphate, sodium stearoyl-2-lacrylate, whey, starch, ascorbic acid, sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate), salt, mono-and-diglycerides, ethoxylated mono- and diglycerides, lecithin, calcium propionate (to retain freshness), cellulose gum, natural and artificial flavors, fungal alpha amylase, amylase, maltogenic amylase, pantosenase, protease, sodium caseinate, corn maltodextrin, corn syrup solids and BHT (to help protect flavor).  Glaze also may contain: Calcium carbonate, agar, locust bean gum, disodium phosphate, and sorbitan monostearate.

Convinced?  Me too!

GUMMY BEARS:  Gummy Bears are basically pure sugar!  Even the sugar-free Gummy Bears are harmful though.  Most brands of gummies contain high fructose corn syrup.  Over 78 different diseases and health problems are linked to fructose!  Consuming fructose is essentially consuming fat.  The metabolism of fructose causes toxins in the body.  It is now known that fructose and ethanol have immediate narcotic effects that lead to overconsumption and which eventually damages the internal organ systems.  Refined fructose has a worse effect on your metabolism than sugar.  Most food labels are misleading concerning fructose and the way it is mixed with other products that sound healthy, but are actually very unhealthy.  Most of these same facts can be applied to Fruit Roll-Ups and other “fruit” labeled snacks.  These days a lot of fruit snacks say “made with real fruit” or “made with real fruit juice” but these claims simply mean a lot of added sugar.  If you are looking for an easy snack with some actual nutrition just go with dried real fruit instead.

If you still want to give your grandchild gummy bears in spite of the above information – at least go visit a web site called Mommypotamus.  There you will be able to find a healthy gummy bear recipe that you can make at home containing all natural ingredients. 

SHREDDED CHEESE:  I hate to tell you this one.  You may already know.  Shredded cheese is usually manufactured with wood chips in the mix to keep the cheese looking fresh and not wilty.  Wood chips are not good for a child’s stomach.  They pick up enough stuff from the floor and put it into their mouths without you adding wood chips into the mix.  Solution:  buy blocks of natural organic cheese and shred it yourself.  It really doesn’t take that long and it taste better. 

PROCESSED FOODS:  (CAKE MIXES, COOKIE MIXES, PREPARED WAFFLES AND PANCAKES AND MIXES, CERTAIN SAUCES AND CONDIMENTS, ETC.)  Processed foods are usually all bad for nutrition because of the preservatives, GMOs, chemicals, etc.  Read your labels and do your homework and make everything you can from scratch.

KRAFT OSCAR MEYER LUNCHABLES:  The little prepackaged lunches have been very popular with the kids.  They are easy to fix and they save time.  I’ve often used them with my grandchildren in the past.  Then I had to stop and examine the ingredients.  The artificial coloring and flavors elicit behavioral reactions and a difficulty in staying focused!  These lunches are so processed that the cheese isn’t really cheese at all!  You’ll find GMOs, trans fat and even nitrites in these convenient little containers that are so easy to use.  There is an alternative to the Lunchables.  Just cut squares of organic lunch meat and cheese and pack them up in a food container along with an organic cracker.  You can pack these ahead and they will be just as quick and easy to use for fast lunches for on-the-go days.  My granddaughter loves the pre-packaged lunches that come in the Mickey Mouse shaped containers.  I have simply emptied a few of these pre-packaged containers into the garbage and filled them with natural treats and fruit and covered them with foil until she wants to eat them.  I wash the containers and re-use them over and over.  She is always delighted and hasn’t noticed one time that they are not the same ones you find in the store. 

This list, unfortunately, could go on forever.  I had to stop writing!  I’ll probably be bringing up more of these facts only one at a time in this column later.  For now; I think you are beginning to see how we grandmothers can go astray!

I’m so sorry to be having to tell all of the above to all the Grandmas out there!  I’m sure reading this has made your day; but did you know your daughters and sons are all noticing and discussing these issues when you aren’t around?  They worry that you might not know these things, and let’s face it….they are important facts to know.  Nothing is more important than the health of our grandbabies! 

Let’s just pitch in and do our part to help with this.  It has to start with the parents at home and the grandparents they visit.  Hopefully the baby sitter and the school lunch workers will follow suit.   Of course these things all take common sense and balance to work; just like everything else in life.  We don’t want to make a bunch of paranoid kids by preaching to them every time they put something unhealthy into their mouths.  This will only backfire on us and cause the kids to be anorexic or have food disorders.  Be silent about the negatives here; just try to reinforce the positives.  There will be times to smile politely and look the other way.  There will be times to remain silent and let some unhealthy things happen.  A LITTLE of all of these things will not harm anyone; it is when these things are ALL that a kid is consuming in their diet that it really makes a difference in their overall health.  Go ahead and have fun on the holidays and birthday parties!   Take them out occasionally for that special usually denied treat they are longing for (it will be even more special now); but for the most part find a way to present healthy snacks to them.  If you use your imagination they will never know the difference.  Simply saying “we don’t have any of that” is much easier than them looking at the unhealthy things in your pantry and being told they can’t have them.  Keep your kitchen stocked with healthy fruit and vegetables and alternative snacks.  Soon you will see strong and healthy grandkids.  You might be amazed at the changes in their behavior too.  They will grow up before you can blink and their parents will always trust that you are looking out for their best interest.  It is worth the effort. 

I intend to write more on this subject in the future and include some good menus and ideas for healthy snacks.  Keep reading!  Until then – enjoy those grandkids!