Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman

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Refined carbohydrates like sugar and processed grains will sabotage your health, leading to a myriad of afflictions. Dr. Fuhrman explains:

Medical investigations clearly show the dangers of consuming the quantity of processed foods that we do. And because these refined grains lack fiber and nutrient density to turn down our appetite, they also cause obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and significantly increased cancer risk.1

Maybe that’s why Sarah Kamrath’s son, five-year-old Lucas, has never had any refined sugar. This exclusive from Mothering:

I will be the first to admit that completely avoiding all refined sugar is not the easiest thing to do. I also understand that it might not be desirable for every parent—a little sugar here and there isn't going to do any real harm, however, I have also found that most parents would like to avoid sugar as much as possible in their children's diet.

So for anyone who is interested in trying to limit empty, sugar-filled calories and get their children to eat more nutritious foods, the following are some practices I have found useful…

…We have a rule in our house that you have to try something before you say no. When Lukas says he doesn't want a certain food and I make him try one bite, many times he'll look at me and say "Mmmm, I like that." If he doesn't, I won't force him to eat it, but I will continue to re-introduce it to him one bite at a time. By repeatedly offering healthy foods to children, the foods eventually become more familiar and your child is likely to develop a taste for them. In fact, research shows that it can take up to 10 times of tasting the same food before this happens, so be patient.

Also, if your child complains about a certain food and refuses to eat it, try not to quickly substitute it with one of his favorites. If he knows that when he complains and makes a fuss that you will simply prepare him something else to eat, then be prepared to do just that. If you explain to him that this is dinner and if he doesn't eat it then he will be hungry (and you are consistent with this message), then he is much more likely to give it a real try. Don't worry—he won't starve!

Kudos to Sarah! That’s one determined mom. Any of you have similar stories?
1. Jacobs, D.R., L. Marquart , J. Slavin, and L.H. Kushi. 1998. Whole-grain intake and cancer: and expanded review and cancer: an expanded review and meta-analysis. Nutrition and Cancer 30 (2): 85-96; Chatenoud, L., A. Tavani, C. La Vecchia, et al. 1998. Whole-grain food intake and cancer risk. Int. J. Cancer 77 (1): 24-28.