Health and Learning
How every-day foods can adversely effect your child’s health by Dr. John Sherman

Do you know how the everyday foods you are feeding your children are affecting them? Are they really providing the nourishment you hope will enable them to reach their full potential? There are so many hidden ingredients in our foods that can lead to dysfunction in a child’s body which can result in behavioral problems, learning disabilities, growth and development issues, skin problems, and even physical challenges. Before feeding your children their next meal or snack, learn what the most common ingredients are that can have an adverse affect on them.

The first, and most common ingredient, is sugar. This can be the white refined type, the evaporated type or even the fruit type. Corn syrups, in any variation also fall into this category. The average person living in the United States today consumes 165 pounds of sugar per year. Think of it this way: this is the weight of an average male who is 5’9” tall. Now, there are those who eat less than that, and there are those who eat even more than that. The types of products that contain sugar are countless: fruit drinks, breakfast cereals, condiments like ketchup and barbeque sauce, salad dressings, sodas, cookies, cakes, candy, gum, breads, pastas, and even frozen foods.

Children who eat sugar can show signs of behavioral problems. They may not be able to focus (ADD and ADHD), they may be short tempered or have temper tantrums, or even lash out at someone physically. The body can become addicted to sugar just like a drug so imagine what that person will experience if they do not get it.

Furthermore, as a child’s sugar consumption increases obesity may result. The rate of diabetes is on the rise in the US where approximately 800,000 cases are diagnosed each year. As children are eating more and more sugar and exercising less and less the risk for developing obesity, diabetes, and other related health problems increases too.

Partially hydrogenated oils (also known as trans fats) are next on the list. This is a man made fat and is toxic for the body. Eating it can cause liver problems, skin problems, inflammation, joint pain, headaches, fatigue, inability to sleep, mood swings, and even cancer. This fat was developed to increase shelf life so products can stay fresh longer. In traditional supermarkets, these oils are in practically everything including breakfast cereals, margarine and shortening, breads, cakes and cake mixes, pastries, donuts, crackers, chips, candy, sauce mixes, dried fruit and the list goes on and on. When choosing foods at the supermarket, read the labels closely because you will be surprised at the number of foods that actually contain partially hydrogenated oils. We need to be cautious of deep fried foods as well because restaurants, most likely use partially hydrogenated oils to fry. Even the restaurants that do not use partially hydrogenated oils to fry, will end up with them because when oil is reheated and used over and over again, it will become rancid and convert to a trans fat.

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame (NutraSweet), Splenda, saccharin, and sugar twin are poisons to the body. NutraSweet, for instance, turns to formaldehyde when it reaches a temperature of 89.6°F (normal body temperature is 98.6°F). The result: you are preserving your body similar to a cadaver. Stevia, honey and molasses can be used in small quantities as a natural alternative sweetener, but they too fall into the sugar category so be careful.

All dairy foods made from cow’s milk, with the exception of butter, cause allergies, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, digestive disturbances, and overall body dysfunction. This is not just a lactose intolerance problem; it is a dairy intolerance problem. The milk protein, casein, causes problems for us as well. Despite what other authorities say about milk and dairy foods in general, dairy is not a good source of calcium for the human body because studies show that humans do not absorb it well. Other foods, such as dark green leafy vegetables, oranges, broccoli, almonds, and calcium enriched foods all contain enough calcium to prevent the onset of osteoporosis. It seems that humans are the only animals that drink milk past the age of three.
Food preservatives, additives and dyes can cause allergies, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, ADD and ADHD, bed wetting, sleeping problems including nightmares, skin rashes and skin irritations. Do you really thing that red dye #40 is good for you or your child? Foods that contain these ingredients may have lost so much of their nutritional value that they are sometimes worthless.

So what can you do to change what you and your child eat? Choose only natural foods in their natural state that you have to clean, prepare, cook, and serve yourself. These cannot come from Stouffer’s, Swanson, Tyson, KFC, Mc D’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, etc. Second, cut out (or at least cut down) the hidden ingredients reviewed above. The lunch box favorites such as jello, pudding, yogurt, cookies, fried chips, and luncheon meats must also be eliminated. One of the best ways you can help your child grow up into a healthy adult is by providing them with only healthy foods. Go to your local health food store and look for the natural foods.
For more information, contact John G. Sherman, D.C., D.I.B.A.K. at www.drjohnsherman.com or email him at akdoc@msn.com. Remember, change takes place one small step at a time. It is not how fast we get to the finish line, but how consistent our pace is so we do not run out of gas before we get there.

About the author:
Dr. John G. Sherman has been a practicing Doctor of Chiropractic medicine since 1996. He holds a Diplomate (the highest level of certification) from the International Board of Applied Kinesiology, as well as a Diplomate from the International Academy of Behavioral Medicine, Counseling, and Psychotherapy, Inc. Dr. Sherman is a member of the International College of Applied Kinesiology, and is a nationally recognized instructor. In 1999, Dr. Sherman founded the Applied Kinesiology and Chiropractic Center of Beverly Hills, where he currently practices. The Center takes a holistic approach to health: treating the whole person, not just one isolated symptom or part. Dr. Sherman works with patients to find the root cause of their imbalance, understanding that physical injuries are a product not of a one-time incident, but of lifestyle, emotional health, relationships, diet, and exercise.
http://www.drjohnsherman.com/