Sunshine

A little over a year ago we had a guest speaker attend our Wellness Workshop. His name was John Bagnuelo. (not sure I spelled it correctly.) He said (in a nutshell) don't drink milk or use other animal proteins in your diet, and get plenty or sunshine on your skin and eyes--don't use sunblock. The crowd gasped and he became my hero! I always hated milk and loved the sunshine and felt guilty about both. Not any more! I also just found this article today--here is a just a bit of it:

By MARILYNN MARCHIONE - AP Medical Writer

Breast cancer patients with low levels of vitamin D were much more likely to die of the disease or have it spread than patients getting enough of the nutrient, a study found _ adding to evidence the "sunshine vitamin" has anti-cancer benefits. The results are sure to renew arguments about whether a little more sunshine is a good thing.

What Should I Teach?

So sometimes in second grade the Food Pyramid comes up in stories or health discussions. I sometimes struggle with how to teach about healthy choices and what to say to students regarding milk and meat. I do not drink milk and I eat very few other dairy products. Schools push milk and really offer no other choices (especially in lower elementary.) I had a student ask me this year if meat is healthy for you. I paused for a moment and told him that some people believe it is a healthy choice. I went on to explain that you can also have a balanced diet without meat. You will never hear me tell a student to "drink up your milk for strong teeth and bones!"
I wish there was more out there for parents/students to read that would actually explain health benefits and risks of certain foods.

Veggie

I teach second grade and I'm a vegetarian. I haven't eaten meat for about a year and during the process of giving up meat, I read many, many books to educate myself. Two excellent books to read to get you started thinking about the health benefits of a vegetarian diet are: The Vegan Diet as Chronic Disease Prevention, by Kerrie K. Saunders, Ph.D. (sounds extreme with "vegan" in the title but it isn't)
The China Study, by T. Colin Campbell (this book changed my life!)
(More about being a vegetarian and a second grade teacher later.)

We slowly cut out the red meat and ate only chicken and fish. After that transition we cut out the chicken and only had fish/seafood. It became easier and easier to just leave out the traditional "meat" part of the meal. Now we use tofu, beans, nuts, peanut butter, and tempeh to add protein to our meals. I never liked cooking before becoming a vegetarian but now I have to be so much more original and creative that I actually really enjoy making dinner.

I was recently talking with a friend about her trip to the pediatricians office. She was discussing the diet of her ten-month old twins and asked the doctor when she should add meat to their meals. I was surprised to hear the answer. . . .The doctor told her she never had to introduce meat into their diets--they could have a well balanced diet using tofu, beans, lentils, and even soy milk for protein! I'm glad to hear that doctors are now at least making people aware of their choices. I think parents in the past have felt guilty or like they were "bad parents" if they didn't serve up a slap of meat each night at dinner.

Many people are still using the old Food Pyramid to plan healthy menus. That document was introduced to the public in 1956! Think about how many deaths each year occur because of diet related issues. America needs to make some major changes.