Monday Kicks
(Family activity) December 13th, 2010 (10:00 AM to 2:00 PM)
Playful learning activities for ages 2-6. Strong Museum, Rochester. $. 585-263-2700.
View all calendar events
(Family activity) December 13th, 2010 (10:00 AM to 2:00 PM)
Playful learning activities for ages 2-6. Strong Museum, Rochester. $. 585-263-2700.
View all calendar events
Seafood Sauté
1 pound fresh scallops (halved if very large) 1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined 1 pound crab blend 1 head of broccoli ½ pound fresh snow peas, cleaned 1 pound capellini pasta 4-5... More
1 pound fresh scallops (halved if very large) 1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined 1 pound crab blend 1 head of broccoli ½ pound fresh snow peas, cleaned 1 pound capellini pasta 4-5... More
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Tips for healthy Easter treats
Posted on Mon, February 22nd, 2010
Written by: ,
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Every Easter, millions of children fill up on the jelly beans, chocolate bunnies and hard candies in their Easter baskets and become hyper as they savor their candies all week. Most parents never suspect that petroleum-based food dyes and other artificial additives are the most likely culprits behind their kids’ overactivity.
“Even a tiny amount of food coloring can lead to hyperactivity and inattention in children,” said Jane Hersey, director of the nonprofit Feingold Association, which helps children with learning and behavior problems. “Feed a child the synthetically dyed and flavored candies in a typical Easter basket, and you have a recipe for disaster!”
Americans now consume almost three times the amount of synthetic food dyes as they did in the 1980s, and a 2009 study from the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine suggests that this increase may be partly responsible for the rise in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which now affects 8.6 percent of children in this country.
Dr. Sanford C. Newmark, the study’s author, recommended that all families of children with ADHD “eliminate artificial colors and preservatives from their children’s diet as much as possible.”
Numerous other studies have also linked artificial food additives with hyperactivity and inattention, including a highly acclaimed Lancet study, which concluded that synthetic food dyes can trigger these problems in all children, not just those with ADHD.
Natural solutions
Given these additives’ harmful side effects, what should parents put in their children’s Easter baskets? Parents have a wide range of natural Easter candies to choose from, including chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, lollipops, peanut butter kisses, chocolate mint patties, gummi bears, and hard candies.
Hersey recommends looking for these candies at health food stores, healthy markets, specialty stores, and the natural foods section of supermarkets. Natural candies and many other brand-name foods that are free of unwanted additives are listed in the Feingold Association’s “Foodlist & Shopping Guide” and “Mail Order Guide.” In addition to avoiding candy containing synthetic food dyes, she advises staying away from treats with artificial flavorings, the sweetener aspartame, and certain preservatives, all of which have been linked with behavior and learning problems.
Hersey suggests that anyone coloring Easter eggs wear gloves to protect their hands from dyes, and she advises parents to discourage children from eating the eggs if synthetic dyes have seeped through the shells. Other options include using brightly colored plastic Easter eggs and coloring boiled eggs with natural dyes.
“Be sure to top off the basket with a stuffed Easter bunny or chick, which not only adds charm, but also helps take the emphasis off of sweets,” she said.
Finally, Hersey recommends feeding children breakfast before letting them indulge in Easter treats and planning an event such as an Easter egg hunt to help them work off excess energy and calories.
The nonprofit Feingold Association (feingold.org) helps parents of children with learning/behavior problems implement the Feingold Diet. Jane Hersey is director of the association and author of “Why Can’t My Child Behave?”
Kaitlyn poses for her babysitter who took this image of her playing outside.
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Posted on Mon, February 22nd, 2010Written by: ,
email:
Every Easter, millions of children fill up on the jelly beans, chocolate bunnies and hard candies in their Easter baskets and become hyper as they savor their candies all week. Most parents never suspect that petroleum-based food dyes and other artificial additives are the most likely culprits behind their kids’ overactivity.
“Even a tiny amount of food coloring can lead to hyperactivity and inattention in children,” said Jane Hersey, director of the nonprofit Feingold Association, which helps children with learning and behavior problems. “Feed a child the synthetically dyed and flavored candies in a typical Easter basket, and you have a recipe for disaster!”
Americans now consume almost three times the amount of synthetic food dyes as they did in the 1980s, and a 2009 study from the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine suggests that this increase may be partly responsible for the rise in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which now affects 8.6 percent of children in this country.
Dr. Sanford C. Newmark, the study’s author, recommended that all families of children with ADHD “eliminate artificial colors and preservatives from their children’s diet as much as possible.”
Numerous other studies have also linked artificial food additives with hyperactivity and inattention, including a highly acclaimed Lancet study, which concluded that synthetic food dyes can trigger these problems in all children, not just those with ADHD.
Natural solutions
Given these additives’ harmful side effects, what should parents put in their children’s Easter baskets? Parents have a wide range of natural Easter candies to choose from, including chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, lollipops, peanut butter kisses, chocolate mint patties, gummi bears, and hard candies.
Hersey recommends looking for these candies at health food stores, healthy markets, specialty stores, and the natural foods section of supermarkets. Natural candies and many other brand-name foods that are free of unwanted additives are listed in the Feingold Association’s “Foodlist & Shopping Guide” and “Mail Order Guide.” In addition to avoiding candy containing synthetic food dyes, she advises staying away from treats with artificial flavorings, the sweetener aspartame, and certain preservatives, all of which have been linked with behavior and learning problems.
Hersey suggests that anyone coloring Easter eggs wear gloves to protect their hands from dyes, and she advises parents to discourage children from eating the eggs if synthetic dyes have seeped through the shells. Other options include using brightly colored plastic Easter eggs and coloring boiled eggs with natural dyes.
“Be sure to top off the basket with a stuffed Easter bunny or chick, which not only adds charm, but also helps take the emphasis off of sweets,” she said.
Finally, Hersey recommends feeding children breakfast before letting them indulge in Easter treats and planning an event such as an Easter egg hunt to help them work off excess energy and calories.
The nonprofit Feingold Association (feingold.org) helps parents of children with learning/behavior problems implement the Feingold Diet. Jane Hersey is director of the association and author of “Why Can’t My Child Behave?”
Kaitlyn poses for her babysitter who took this image of her playing outside.
Comments powered by Disqus