Advancement in food technology can be a good thing but it seems the majority of companies care more about their turnover than your waistline or health.
The primary staple diet for South Africans is bread and pap. Both are loaded with sugar to improve the taste.
Parents are often uneducated about the amount of sugar that is hidden in our food, and they are lied to on a daily basis. They are told yoghurt is good for their children because of the probiotics and cultures but 99% of the brands neglect to advise you that it is also laced with a lot of sugar. As long as the packaging states “low fat” the consumer will believe that it is healthier for them and their children. That could not be further from the truth. Consumers are so confused and how can one blame them for making the wrong choices?
I came across a book called Raising Superheroes and I almost fell off my chair when I briefly flipped
through the pages. Upon further perusal, I soon realized that this could quite frankly be the Holy Grail manuscript for raising your children with good and proper nutrition. The book is divided into two parts, the facts and science, and then the recipes.
This book is from the makers of “The Real Meal Revolution”.
The philosophy of the book is all about bringing nutrition back to its roots and in the first segment of
the book I related to one of the author’s Jonno Proudfoot stories. During his wife’s pregnancy, she
went for a scan and to the surprise of the parents and doctor; it revealed the little one fast asleep in
the womb. He then prescribed drinking a can of cola or a milkshake (which is laced with about 9 to
14 teaspoons of sugar). Without fail their little girl, just like my little guy did, was bouncing off the
walls in the womb-like a bunny gone mad. You might remember that I wrote on a study of lab rats
where it was discovered that sugar is more addictive than cocaine. One should then not be surprised
about the effect that sugar has on babies, kids and adults.
The book has many guidelines, but here are 3 take-home messages that can help you get back on track, help prevent diabetes, and keep your kids and family healthy.
Rule1: NO ADDED SUGAR.
It’s time to start learning to read the labels and all you need to do to calculate how much sugar is in a product is divide the total grams by 4. So if a can of coke has 36grams of sugar that equates to 9 teaspoons of sugar.
Rule2: NO REFINED CARBS.
This means that carbohydrates are broken down into the food preparation process to make it easily digestible. The whiter the carb, the more refined it will be. Look closely to cereals, they are a haven for refined carbs.
Rule 3: KEEP IT REAL:
Whole foods are the basis of good living. Raw, natural and organic is the way to go. Stop bemoaning how expensive eating “clean” is. If you prepare in bulk, store and freeze, then you will save on your food bill and besides, paying for your child’s insulin injections is far more expensive than eating healthy. Stay away from fast and convenient types of food, and I know it is asking a lot but this is the key to a healthier life for your family.
If you want to know how to raise Superheroes the right way, get help and invest in one of the most significant books you will ever buy in your life.
Sean Van Staden is the proud husband of an amazing woman and mom and the ‘Daddy Pig’ – (thank you Pepper Pig for brainwashing my children, in a good way) – of two little Gremlins, Jordan and Haylee, who are fast approaching three and four years of age. In his quest to give his children the tools to succeed, Sean’s blog tackles topics of nutrition, physical development, exercise, mental toughness, building confidence, self-esteem, sport, wellness, and just about anything that will help his children, and hopefully yours, grow in the right direction.
You can find Sean at ASP – Sports Science
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