Nutrition and The Minds of Our Kids—Guest Post from Prescribe Nutrition
Today, the ladies from Prescribe Nutrition are talking nutrition andit's impact on kids' brains and learning.
Nutrition has something to do with the ability to learn? You betcha. We can’t believe Summer is right around the corner but before we all go run out and play – here is some information to cap the school year off right!
Cooking Up Paleo at Little Green Pouch
At Little Green Pouch, we’re big fans of Real Food, and we’ve made it our mission to keep bringing you the best Real Food Pouch Recipes we can find, so you can fill your reusable food pouches with a delicious, fun variety of healthy foods.
During our 100 Days of Real Food challenge we featured Real Foodies, health benefits, recipes, and some great Facebook giveaways (we love to share the Little Green love!). As we head into Spring, we’re excited to keep our Real Food theme rolling, but with a Paleo twist.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be featuring tasty Paleo Pouch Recipes from special guests, plus great info and resources from Paleo parents, nutritionists, health coaches and others in the Paleo Know.
New to Paleo? Here are the basics...
A Paleo diet is a Real Food diet that’s free of grains, refined sugars, legumes, dairy, potatoes, added salt, and refined oils--otherwise known as staples of the Standard American Diet. Here are a couple of handy Paleo-friendly food lists:
Aglaée the Paleo Dietician’s printable 1-page Paleo food list
A no-frills in-depth Paleo Food list from Desert Crossfit
And if you’re looking for incredibly well-researched info on the why’s and how’s of Paleo, The Paleo Mom’s blog is the place to go.
Now, you’re probably already onboard with Real Food. After all, you’re already whipping up your own healthy foods to put in your Little Green Pouches. But let’s say you have this friend, who starts the day Fruity Loopy and ends the day Pastry Puffed; for them, starting a Real Food or Paleo diet can be a big change. And they might ask, “What’s left to eat?”
We have good news for you. 1 Million Delicious Things.
To borrow a few from The Pouch, Spiced Up Yams & Broccoli, Avocado Smoothie, Sweet Peppers, Chicken & Basil, and Apple Parsnip Puree. (Have we confessed to you our love of parsnips?)
So if you’ve been wondering about Paleo but haven’t yet take in the plunge, now’s your chance to try it out. And if you’re already Paleo, stay tuned for a bunch of great new Paleo Pouch Recipes, give-aways, guest blog posts, and resources.
You’re going to love this food!
Maggie & Melissa
The Health Benefits of Eating Real Food
By Adrienne Santos-Longhurst from Healthline
If the old saying “you are what you eat” is true then a lot of us are in trouble because the typical American diet has become one that’s full of processed and fast foods that are high in fat, sugar, sodium, and chemicals. This explains much of the obesity epidemic and plays a major role in the alarming rise of cases of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. It also shows that we need to get back to eating real food now more than ever.
The benefits of eating real food are endless and especially apparent when you consider what goes into prepackaged foods. Here is a rundown of some of the benefits of eating real food along with some interesting (and scary!) facts about processed foods.
You know exactly what you’re putting into Your Body
Eating real food that you make yourself allows you to control the amount of additives like sugar and salt that goes into your food. In Get the Facts: Sodium’s Role in Processed Food put out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s reported that over 75 percent of the sodium Americans consume comes from processed and restaurant foods. Over 75 percent! Sodium is known to increase blood pressure which in turn can lead to heart disease and stroke making this statistic especially alarming.
Then there’s the hidden sugar in processed foods, including a lot of the foods that we think to be healthy like granola and fiber bars, yogurt, dried fruit, and more. Did you know that a 1.5 ounce box of dried raisons—yes, the same kind you threw into your kid’s lunch bag this morning or reach for when you want a “healthy snack”—can contain as many as 30 grams of sugar? We know that sugar makes us fat, but more and more information is coming out on the dangers of refined sugars and their link to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and inflammation which are linked to cancer, arthritis and more.
Along with sugar and salt there are the other dangerous additives that you get to avoid when you opt for real food. Chemicals that help to preserve packaged food and those used to add color are also shown to be bad for us. As a matter of the Center for Science in the Public Interest has referred to artificial food dyes as “a rainbow of risks” in their publication of the same name.
You Get to Keep All the Good Stuff
Even though you do lose a small amount of nutrients when you cook certain foods, for the most part eating real food lets you get the nutritional benefits from what you eat. The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, and all of the other good stuff that keeps your immune system healthy and helps you feel and look your best stays intact when you eat real food so you’re not just satisfied (unlike when you eat empty calories in junk food) but you’re also healthier overall.
Fiber really is Fiber When You Eat Real Food
You know the products that you see at the grocery store with a big bright label on the package practically singing out about all of the added fiber they contain? There’s a good chance that the fiber they speak of isn’t what you’re thinking. Getting more fiber is something that we want which is precisely why more and more companies are trying to reel us in with the promise of more fiber. What they don’t tell you is that these isolated fibers don’t come close to providing us with the amount that we need. And that even in packaged foods containing whole grains, a lot of the nutrients and most of the fiber has been removed during processing with some being artificially put back in! Don’t settle for some added isolated fiber when eating real food gives you the health benefits you’re after. Get your fiber from whole grains, beans, and nuts, as well as fruits and vegetables and enjoy benefits like lower cholesterol and better bowel health and blood sugar levels.
As you can see, the benefits of eating real food go way beyond just your physical health—they help your peace of mind too by giving you the comfort of knowing that you’re not filling your body or that of your family with an endless list of ingredients that are full of health risks.
For more information on nutrition and its effects on your health, click here.
Adrienne is a freelance writer and author who has written extensively on all things health and fitness for more than a decade. When she's not holed-up in her writing shed researching an article or off interviewing health professionals, she can be found frolicking about her beach town with husband and dogs in tow or splashing about the lake trying to master the stand up paddle board.
References
- Get the Facts: Sodium’s Role in Processed Food. (2012). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved on February 12, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/salt/pdfs/sodium_role_processed.pdf
- Lynn, Lisa. (2011). Hidden Sugar: Top Sources. Doctor Oz. Retrieved on February 12, 2014, from http://www.doctoroz.com/blog/lisa-lynn/hidden-sugar-top-sources
- Healthline Editorial Team, Krucik, George, MD, MBA. (2013). Foods to Avoid with Arthritis. Healthline.com. Retrieved on February 12, 2014, from http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/foods-to-avoid-with-arthritis#4
- Kobylewski, Sarah, Ph.D. Candidate, Jacobson, Michael, F, Ph.D. (2010). Food Dyes A Rainbow of Risks. Center for Science in the Public Interest. Retrieved on February 12, 2014, from http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/food-dyes-rainbow-of-risks.pdf
- Mayo Clinic Staff. (2012). Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved on February 2014, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/fiber/art-20043983
We Want to Hear Your Little Green Pouch Success Stories
Do you ever find yourself wondering, "What did I do before Little Green Pouch?"? If so, we want to hear about it.Little Green Pouch Hits Maggie & Melissa's Home Town (And Maybe Yours Too)!
Maggie and Melissa knew from the very beginning that Little Green Pouch would be a perfect fit for Nugget. So you can imagine their excitement when Nugget agreed! Earlier this month the first pouches made their way to the shelves of the nine Nugget Markets around northern California. You can find Little Green Pouch on the shelves of Nugget Markets in Woodland, Davis, Sacramento, West Sacramento, Roseville, Elk Grove, El Dorado Hills, and Vacaville. For address and contact information, click here or visit our find a store near you page.
If you live in the area, we hope you will stop in to Nugget to pick up some pouches and to support this wonderful company. Growing up, Maggie and Melissa never would have imagined that a product they invented would be found on Nugget's shelves. It has truly come full-circle, and they couldn't be more thrilled.
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