Just because you Can eat it, does not mean it's FOOD.

Just because you can eat it does not mean it is food. I am trying to teach my family that we have to make good choices everyday. There are so many things on the shelves of store and shops that you know taste good, but are they good for you. We call those items Non-foods. The have no nutritional value. You can always read a label that says NUTRIENTS....but it is mostly, sugar, salt, white flour, chemicals, and food coloring. Even if it says Vitamin A and Calcium. They most likely are the synthetic form that is added back in after processing, which the body will not absorb and use.
When a food is ALIVE. That means it was from a life giving force, for example, a plant or animal. You know that these things will bring you life. They still contain the nutrients to feed your body and keep it running. I joke with people all the time that you want to shop on the outside of the store for produce, dairy, meat, seafood, and breads. These areas are always on the outside, because they spoil quickly and need coolers. When things can sit on shelves for months or even YEARS, those are non foods. You can still find some that are still nutritious, such as your dried beans, legumes, rice, pastas. You have to finish cooking them and they still hold their nutritious value. You want to use the dried beans, not can beans, because they have no digestive enzymes left and will not completely be digested. (see last post for more information) I love when my daughter will look at her daddy, who just put a piece of candy in his mouth, and says "Do you know what that is doing to your body?" She may not entirely know but she knows its not good. We still have times when we will allow them to have "treats" but we try to teach moderation.
This last weekend we had a BBQ at the house and we had all types of food and drinks that were out. I let the kids have soda and at the end dessert. Later that night they all had night tremors and a few nightmares. You may say that could be a coincident, but when you know what foods do to the body you are able to recognize the difference. When there are non-foods eaten, they cause children to be more emotional, concentration in less, and possibly create anger. My son is more affected than the other three. He is much more emotional and was the one with nightmares all night long. His brain was running on a bad source of sucrose and dextrose, and maltose, all the things the body needs, but makes naturally on its own. Man's form of synthetic maltose is toxic in ways to the body. I know these possible results, and allowed these in his diet because like all moms it is hard to say no sometimes. The next morning we did talk about it and I asked him, "was it forth it to eat the sweats?" He said "no it makes my body feel funny." If you have behavior issues with your children, it may not be them, but what he or she is eating. I know I would never have thought it could make such a difference. You can help them to feel better. They do not know that some foods can be toxic to the body, because "how can something that tastes so good be so bad for you?"My seven years old asked that exact question. That is when I told him not all food is food you should eat. These lessons are daily. You want to teach them to eat right for a life time, not just while there are kids. Good eating habits that go with them in to those teenage years and adulthood.

Make your own soda!!!!

Combine in a blender
2/3 cup of unsweetened juice (grape, pineapple, lemon and lime)
1/3 cup plain seltzer
ice cubes

If not sweet enough you can add some pure maple syrup or honey. Very little because this is not ideal, you want to work towards not adding that in time, but its still less sugar than a regular Soda. Have fun with it. In time they will crave these more than the other.

Have a Blessed and Healthy day