21st Century Parenting
Let’s taLk Breaky By Olivia Sinco A few years ago, after a nasty flu season, I set out to make changes to my family’s wellbeing. I’ve discovered that what, when, and how they eat is everything when it comes to kids’ immunity, emotional health, and behaviour. I also began to recognise breakfast time as pivotal in maximising our family’s emotional health. I recently found myself in a hot debate about food with a 12-year-old in front of 50 other students and two teachers. Grade 5/6 were learning about persuasive language and were in a class discussion, learning how to speak convincingly about why “People should stop eating meat.”
“…while meat might taste nice and fill them up, the real fuel for their bodies and brains are carbohydrates…” One of the classroom teachers, a friend, knowing that I’m mainly plant-based, had asked me to talk a little bit about what I know. So, I appealed to the class based on them wanting ample energy for their chosen sport. I pointed out that while meat might
50
Supernal Magazine
taste nice and fill them up, the real fuel for their bodies and brains are carbohydrates, the premium source being fruit and vegetables. However, Mr ‘always eloquent and first to raise his hand’ shot back at the concept, stating that meat was good for us as it contained iron and some other vitamins and minerals. I had about 13 seconds of class attention to plant a seed that I hoped may raise awareness for these students later on. “Maybe”, I replied, “but it’s questionable as to whether any of this goodness actually reaches us. You see, meat has a lot of natural fat. It is often cooked in oil and, as with any kind of food high in fat, creates a barrier to absorbing and utilising the goodness in our digestive systems.”
I admit I was interested to see how this age group would consider this information. There was quiet, and I could see that I was up against some very well worn in habits; a cheese and ham sandwich for lunch or tuna and salami sticks for morning tea. I was also a part of this ‘high protein club’ ten years ago. Some of the most valuable information I’ve taken on board in elevating our diets has come from Author Anthony William – also known as The Medical Medium. In his blog, ‘Critical Clean Carbohydrates’, Anthony writes… “Raw honey, fruit, potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash and coconut water… provide our organs, tissues, muscles and cells with the glucose they need to help us stay alive and thrive”.
