Behavior and Food –What you need to consider!

“Came from a plant, eat it; was made in a plant, don’t. ”

— Michael Pollan

I don’t know about you, but after almost 2 weeks of holiday eating, I am ready for some good clean food for a while. Like most people, I ate out more, ate more processed foods, ate more “colorful” foods and drank less water than usual. I feel mentally foggy, I am not sleeping well and I feel physically exhausted! Imagine eating this way all the time and not realizing you have a choice. After a while, you would act the way you feel all the time. Right?

When we bought our first dog, I fed her some dog food from the grocery store. Not the cheapest, but certainly nothing fancy. After about 8 months, we were having terrible problems with her that we hired a dog trainer to help.

The first question he asked was what we were feeding her. I thought, what does that have to do with it? She’s a dog. Well, she was chewing on everything, digging in the yard, running into the park and crazily around. The trainer told us we were feeding her the equivalent of Fruit Loops and asked how we would feel if that was all we ate. I felt so embarrassed. Of course, that would make me crazy. I would probably chew the wood chairs too.

I have always believed that what we put in our body is what our mind, body, and emotions become. I have learned so much and, I know, have so much more to learn. I will totally admit that I am way over the top in this regard. I will not try to convince you to feed yourself or your kids like I do (they may dis-own you and your husband will eat before coming home for dinner, which I am convinced mine does).

But I would like to encourage you to consider very seriously how you would feel and behave if you ate like your children.

How much processed food do they eat?
How many fresh plants do they eat?
How much synthetic material do they consume on a daily basis?
Artificial color, preservatives, sulfites, hydrogenated oils, imitation sugars…
How much refined sugar?

My general idea of a good diet is mostly plants, some grains, legumes and nuts, and meats if you are meat eater. All of these should be in as close to the form God gave them to us with as little processing as possible.

When I say meat, I do not mean processed meat like substances that are sold at fast food restaurants – sorry! I know how convenient they are, but they do a number on your child’s system, brain and hormones. Some would say it is nearly impossible to get healthy meat anymore because of the way we feed our animals and process them. But, let that be for you to decide over time. When possible, I buy wild caught, locally grown and processed meats from small farms.

And, sugars! I have no problem with my kids having some sugar. I like it to be raw and in its natural state, but we have plenty of desserts. We mostly have homemade treats, but we also get a lot of candy and fun stuff at our local Natural Grocer or online shopping. There are many brands of organic treats and candies with no artificial color or modified, hydrogenated or high fructose sugar syrups in them. There are suckers, gummy bears, jelly beans, licorice, candy corns, candy canes, chocolates…. They took a bit to get used to, but now they are what we crave.

I carry behavior-friendly treats everywhere so that I can trade any candy they are given for something we “approve” of. I don’t want my kids to feel punished or deprived because of our food choices.

Of all things in this and other categories, moderation is key. I heard a speaker on food say “everything in moderation, including moderation.” Meaning, allow yourself and your children to indulge sometimes without regrets. Give yourself and your children grace while working toward a healthier fuel for everyone’s body!

Needless to say, when we started feeding our puppy a more natural and nutrient rich diet (the Kirkland Brand natural dog food), she stopped chewing and doing many of the other annoying behaviors we were trying to avoid.

Start paying attention to the foods you provide for your children. Are they eating a “balanced” diet? How much of their food is processed? Start looking at labels to see how much of it is artificial? Try eating exactly like your child for a day or two and see how you feel. Make small changes as you see fit and reward the heck out of those kids for trying new foods!!

Look for upcoming blog posts regarding Eating and Feeding Strategies to learn how to get your child to eat different foods (or, like my child, to eat anything at all).

More:

IF you are interested in learning more about food and health, here are some links and resources that you can research on your own. Although this topic goes a bit beyond the purpose of this blog, I truly believe that it can make a huge difference in your child’s behavior and your ability to be patient! Good luck!