Inspire the Family

Pencil in 9pm on this Friday night's calendar for some family time to watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on ABC. It shouldn't be too hard to convince the kids to gather round the tube - if nothing else, schedule a rain check to view the DVR or online version.

Jamie, British celebrity chef aka "the naked chef," marches into Huntington, WV, to makeover Smalltown, USA, the unhealthiest city in America according to the Center for Disease Control. Jamie's zeal for health does little to motivate and more to anger the town of Huntington. He plans to start with the kids, bond with the families, and revolutionize the way this town, and America, thinks about food. He has his work cut out for him!

Although Jamie has some wonderful principals - eat fresh (not processed) foods, nourishing the body and soul through the cooking process, and educating the youth about the origins of food - Jamie's food revolution is missing an important piece, a dietitian with the biochemical knowledge of food and the body.

Jamie comments on the USDA's (United States Department of Agriculture) school lunch regulations - he does not agree that a child needs two servings of grains per meal. He is spot on! A child's lunch will include plenty of carbohydrates from other sources besides grains - fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose) will provide plenty of energy and a well-balanced meal. But Jamie's opinions fall short of his actions when he teaches a Huntington family to cook pasta (too heavy on the oil) and shares carb-heavy recipe secrets with a teenage boy. His recipes often include a little too much sugar and butter for my liking, but his overall approach is extremely motivating a eye-opening. One more word to the wise - if you were thinking of ordering a pizza or serving chicken nuggets this evening, make sure to watch episode 2 first!

Your homework for the evening is to pour over your child's school lunch menu and decide if sending him or her with lunch money is the best idea for their longterm health. Most likely, they will fare better if you pack a piece of fruit, a serving of veggies, one grain, a 2-3 ounce serving of protein, and 1 serving of a healthy fat. Need help with school lunch ideas? Contact Melissa or Elizabeth for a Nutrition Plan and Meal Ideas for the whole family.

Want your child to get good grades? Encourage physical activity!

By Melissa Majumdar, RD, LN, CPT

A study published January 25, 2010 online in The Journal of Pediatrics found that adolescents who were more physically fit performed better in the classroom. The study compared California’s standardized test scores in a variety of subject areas for fifth, seventh, and ninth graders. Physical and aerobic fitness was measured with a one-mile time trial. For every one minute the mile time increased, test scores decreased by over a point. On average, overweight and obese performed significantly lower on the tests.

Dr. William J. McCarthy of the University of California in Los Angeles, the study’s researcher, states that "it's good to be both aerobically fit and to have a healthy body shape." These parameters are best achieved by regular physical activity and a healthy diet. Teaching kids at a young age how to eat whole, nutritious foods is one of the best gifts a parent gives. This sets children up for lower risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and kidney problems not to mention a good immune system, healthy skin, and lots of energy. Children of all ages learn best by example. If Mom and Dad’s diet is high in processed, sugar- and fat-laden foods, junior’s diet will be too! If Mom and Dad are inactive, chances are the kids will pick up the same habits. Consider signing both you and your child up for Nutrition Counseling or Personal Training with EB Nutrition and start improving both of your health (and their test scores) now.


Hendry J. Physically fit students do better academically too: study. Reuters Health. February 25, 2010. Available at: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61P08T20100226?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a49:g43:r1:c1.000000:b31105346:z0. Accessed on March 10, 2010.