Wholesome Food for Wholesome Children

Wholesome Food for Wholesome Children
is the title of my nutrition workshop
coming up soon!










Saturday 8th October - part one




Saturday 15th October - part two




The workshops will be held at 


Blossoming Together Cafe


http://blossomingtogether.com/


for bookings write to me


on susannah.andrews@gmail.com
 or contact the Cinzia at the cafe via her website
http://blossomingtogether.com/



Topics discusses: nutrtion for infants and young children, breastfeeding and weaning
simple recipes for young children, healthy meals.




More and more parents want to know how to raise their child naturally; we all want to achieve health and balance. Our children are our future as my Macrobiotic tutor, Montse Bradford use to tell us.
We need to have the power and the knowledge to be able to teach our children how to eat nutritious and delicious food that is healthy for them.
The best way is to lead by example. If we do it they will too.


Macrobiotics is a way of life and not a diet.
To be aware of the energetics of food and our body types and the source of different vitamins and proteins, etc...and to use these to our advantage and to maximise our health is the best thing we can do to fight the increase of the modern age tendencies to over eat and to eat the wrong foods: processed, fast foods, high in sugars and fats.


We need to somehow go back to the primary essence of nutrition, leaving diets, fashions, fusion of tastes and over stimulation of the senses behind: start from scrap, from the basis of what food really is for us. Let us explore the elements, let us understand the energetics and the meaning of balance, let us go back from the very beginning and respect our bodies. Let us detox our bodies and more than anything else our minds and gain knowledge through rediscovering what is really important. Mother Earth has created grains and vegetables, food from the land and from the sea for us to enjoy, with minimum effort and fuss. 

Let us go back to the source and learn about each food; The shape and the taste, the function of each and how to cook it to make it more digestible and to give us the wanted energy from our bodies.


Let us fight disease, let us prevent illnesses; let us become strong and healthy by harmonizing body and mind and spirit.


Yin and Yang and a strong immune system for ourselves and for our generations to come.

This is an extract from Steve Gagne's article on Macrobiotics and its benefits:




We humans have so many physical and emotional characteristics it sometimes makes it difficult to figure each other out but we are all aware that some basic traits are shared by us all and these are what make us human. Whether it is a long-term relationship, new friends, family…any acquaintance really; we are constantly discovering new characteristics of those around us.
The foods you eat have their unique characteristics too and observing their unique characteristics can give you insight into how a particular food can nourish you through its correlations to your body and mind. By observing how a plant grows and develops, you learn about its needs, what it requires to become a food you will ultimately consume. With animals, you can observe their growth and development as well but you can also observe their behavior and in the case of factory farmed animals the behavior modifications due to the disruption of their natural lifestyles. The obsessive-compulsive behavior, often accompanied by osteoporosis, of caged hens is not a characteristic of free-range chickens.

The grass fed cow maintains a healthy weight and disposition while the cow raised in confinement contains more fat and tends to suffer from depression and digestive disorders. It is not far fetched to surmise a psychological connection between factory farmed chicken and the increase of OCD among humans consuming excessive quantities of these animals, just as it is not far fetched to suspect a link to osteoporosis in humans and the same animal. Food psychology is not a new phenomenon. Ancient peoples understood it and it became an essential part of traditional healing modalities throughout the world. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic healing are just two examples that incorporate this natural science.
When observing leafy green vegetables you can see how they grow upward and thrive on sunshine. Exposed to the elements leafy greens withstand torrential rains and continue to grow and expand upward and outward as they inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen. This unique characteristic of green plants finds its correspondence reversed in your respiratory system where your lungs inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Green plants then are the respiratory system of the earth and have a direct correlation to your corresponding bodily function.
Root vegetables (carrots, burdock, parsnip etc.) are foods that prefer the dark recesses of the earth, private foods hidden away from the bright sunshine. These foods are highly efficient at absorbing and assimilating water and nutrients from the earth while they anchor and stabilized the whole plant. Your intestines absorb and assimilate your food and thus find support in the roots of the plant world. These simple observations of food characteristics can be applied to any foods and speak volumes about the energetic properties of foods.
The firm fleshed winter squash with its seeds contained in a central mesh of fibers, is planted in summer, and harvested in fall. As it develops, a long tubular tendril feeds the squash supplying it with water and inorganic materials the squash needs to develop into a dry, sweet-fleshed nourishing food. The process of growth and development for the squash is slow and consistent.
Planted in the summer and harvested in the summer, the juicy, sweet watermelon too is nourished by a long tubular tendril that pumps copious amounts of water and nourishment to the melon. Internally, unlike the squash, the watermelon's seeds are distributed throughout the flesh. The developmental process and growing season is of less duration than the squash and results in a sweet, watery flesh.

Both the squash and the melon are heavy and firm on the exterior but their water content and the speed in which they develop differ greatly. The way the squash and melon handle water from their environment has a direct correlation to your kidneys and bladder, two organs responsible for water balance in the human body. The obvious effect of the water heavy melon is an increase in urination while the dry flesh of the squash has the opposite effect but that is not all. Each food can have several energetic effects on the body.
Modern nutritional science has recently discovered that some food components, phyto-nutrients and anti-oxidants, choose specific pathways from a complex network existing in the human body in which to travel. The ability of foods to traverse the physiological network of the human body has long been part of the study of food energetics. Just as modern research has demonstrated nutritional pathways, ancient food energetics too goes way beyond the simple ingestion of food into the digestive tract and the excretion of waste from the large intestine.
Thousands of years ago, Traditional Chinese medicine, demonstrated how the flavors of foods choose specific pathways to organs and systems of the human body. For example, the sweet flavor traverses the spleen and pancreas meridian pathways. These pathways (commonly known as meridians) play important roles in the natural healing modalities of acupuncture, herbalism and massage therapy. Of the five flavors, each follows its own specific pathways to a pair of organs in the body.
Using our examples of the squash and melon, you can learn more about their energetic properties through their flavor pathways. Both are sweet tasting foods so they will naturally travel the pathways to the spleen and stomach carrying with them their unique energetics or characteristics.

The resulting effect on these organs will tend to be as follows. The juicy, sweet, soft and watery melon will tend to have a relaxing, cooling and dampening effect on the spleen and stomach whereas the winter squash (cooked) will tend to have a tonifying, warming and drying effect on the spleen and stomach. One is not better than the other they are simply different as is every other food. Each has its own unique energetic characteristics and all are there to support your particular needs.
Other methods of character observations include what happens to a food when combined with other foods through various methods of preparation. Adding fire to foods through cooking contributes to thermogenic (warming) properties depending on the foods density factor and how it is cooked.

Pickling foods, resulting in fermentation and enhancement of enzymes, can change the energetics of foods by opening pathways that would not be traversed were they prepared through steaming, boiling or sautéing yet these preparation methods too have their unique effects on food. Food textures, hard, crunchy, soft, chewy…influence the energetics of foods in their own ways as well.
First ask yourself and then ask your friends what their favorite green vegetable is, their favorite root vegetable, favorite grain, animal product (dairy products, meats etc.), favorite fruit… Then apply our third principle of Character Observations and learn about those foods.

Discover why you like them so much, why they have become such an intimate part of your life. Learn how they have nourished you in helping you to heal or even how they could be preventing you from healing and being nutritionally satisfied.

In the process of discovery you will learn through those foods many things about yourself simply because the foods you eat will become you and in subtle ways you will become them.
Steve Gagne is the author of "The Energetics of Food"

Cooking and eating should be done with respect and love and thoughtfulness

I Susannah Andrews, would love to share a few insights with you




come along to the workshops!

What is food for health and vitality?

What is a balanced diet?

Today more and more parents are realizing that the key to a

healthy child is a strong immune system. All children are constantly

exposed to disease producing organisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi

and parasites but this doesn't mean they will get sick. A strong immune

system provides a child with the natural defenses to fight off disease.

If a child has a weakened immune system they are more susceptible to

colds, flu and other problems. Germs are everywhere and being

exposed to them is a natural part of life. It is not natural, however, to

try and 'germ proof' your child. In fact exposure to different viruses

and bacteria can actually strengthen your child's immune system. Some

childhood diseases such as mumps, measles, chickenpox and rubella can

help to build immunity and protect against these diseases.

There are a number of things you can do to help boost your child

natural immunity:-

Breastfeed

Breastfed babies experience fewer infections than bottle fed babies.

Breast milk is vital in building your baby's immunity and protecting

against disease. It also provides a complete nutritional balance including

essential fatty acids. It is very important to try to breastfeed your

baby even if it is only for a few months. If you are unable to give your

baby breast milk, home made brown rice milk is a healthy alternative.

Use this as part of your baby's diet to help develop a strong

constitution and immune system.

Offer an Organic Wholesome Diet

It is essential to give your child excellent daily nutrition to keep their

immune system healthy and strong. Nutritional deficiencies make it

easier for your child to be susceptible to viruses and bacteria. Make

sure your child has a variety of organic whole-foods including fresh

fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains. It is vital to

offer a balanced macrobiotic diet with a variety of ingredients.

All children are attracted to eating snacks. Today many foods are

highly processed and loaded with sugar such as cookies, boxed cereals

and sodas. These additive rich foods will actually weaken the immune

system. Snacking can become problematic if children fill up on these

'nutritionally empty foods' and don't want to eat the lovely healthy

meals you have provided. Make sure to offer good quality snacks such

as fruit and vegetable sticks, steamed bread with spreads, sushi,

amasake, home made fruit smoothies or roasted nuts and seeds.

Include some fish, good quality olive and sesame oil and natural home

made desserts in your meals.

Cold foods, excessive amounts of raw fruits and juices have a

weakening effect on the immune system and should be eaten in

moderation. In some colder climates, it might be necessary to include

cold liver oil as a supplement for your children.

Kukicha tea - a type of Japanese tea also called bancha tea has a

strengthening effect on immunity. Offer it warm with rice syrup or

barley malt added. Hot apple juice is relaxing for the body and can be

diluted with kukicha as a healthy alternative to cold drinks.

Look at your own daily diet too. Remember children follow their

parents. Make sure you are preparing balanced meals with enough

variety. It is important not to be too strict or one sided with children.

Stay in contact with other families who eat whole foods/macrobiotics

and keep up to date with new trends in macrobiotic cooking and

nutrition.

Allergies

If your child has a history of ear infections, oral thrush, digestive

trouble, colic, food allergies or other on-going problems you need to

look at their present diet. Dairy food, sugar, cold foods, sodas, chicken,

baked foods and excessive fruits can make these problems worse.

Again a varied macrobiotic diet is recommended, although in some

cases, certain foods may need to be restricted such as baked foods,

oily foods, wheat products, raw fruits and salad, vinegars and some soy

products until their system is strengthened. Restricted foods can be

slowly re-introduced back into the diet at a later date.

Make sure your child is getting plenty of sweet tasting vegetables such

as squash, carrots, cabbage, parsnips and onions. Lightly cooked leafy

greens like watercress are also extremely beneficial.

Sea vegetables provide important minerals and help to strengthen the

immune system. Nori sea vegetable is very good for children and can be

used on a regular basis. Nori is the ‘sheet’ like seaweed used in sushi

rolls.

Kombu powder with crushed sesame seeds can be used sparingly as a

strengthening remedy. This condiment can be also be prepared with

small dried fish and is extremely beneficial for building strong teeth

and bones. Shiso powder and umeboshi are condiments that help to

create a healthy immune system. VERY SMALL amounts can be given to

your child to strengthen the system. Remember that these condiments

are salty and too much are harmful and can cause, among other things,

stunted growth, behavioral problems and fussy eating habits.

A Note on Herbs

Herbs have been used safely all around the world since ancient times

to prevent and treat disease. Although I don't give my children any

herbal supplements as a rule, they have been known to strengthen a

child's constitution and make them more resistant to illness. Certain

herbs, including Echinacea, have been found to have remarkable

immunological effects. These herbs support the body's own process to

stay at the peak of vitality and prevent development of disease.

Create a Non-toxic Environment

Exposure to chemicals can damage the immune system and make it

more difficult to fight off common infections and even more serious

diseases such as cancer. Our environments have become increasingly

toxic. Even though these toxins are everywhere you can take the steps

to create a healthy home environment and therefore reduce the

amount of chemicals your children are exposed to.

Today, there are affordable, nontoxic alternatives to all lawn and

garden pesticides and wonderful natural household cleaners and

personal care products. Use natural fibers in your bedding, furniture

and carpets to create a cleaner, fresher environment with less static

electricity. Buy organic foods. This will greatly decrease your child's

overall exposure to pesticides and help to create a healthier

environment for everyone.

Avoid Unnecessary Antibiotics and Vaccines

Today, children are prescribed excessive amounts of antibiotics.

Antibiotics can seriously weaken a child's immune system and also build

up a resistance to the medicine itself. Vaccines may provide immunity

for a specific disease but they do not increase overall immunity or

create healthier children.

Many young children are injected with nearly three-dozen doses of 10

different viral and bacterial vaccines before the age of five, and this is

while the immune system is still developing, Such a huge stress to the

system is a major cause of chronic immune dysfunction amongst

children today. On the other hand, the parents of unvaccinated children

have observed how strong the immune systems of their children appear

to be.

A Healthy Home Life

"All you need is Love!!" Love and attention are a wonderful way to

boost immunity. Children that grow up in a loving environment feel more

secure and happy.

Make sure you hold, hug, rock, massage, nurse, touch and kiss your

children regularly. Studies show that laughter and positive thinking help

to strengthen immunity too. The more children laugh and enjoy life, the

better their immune function.

Stressful situations and unhappiness deplete the immune system and

lower a child's resistance to disease. Breastfeeding, daily baths and

massage can help to reduce stress and promote positive feelings in your

baby.

Daily Routine

Create a stable home environment with daily routines. These include

regular meals, baths, naps and bed times. Eating meals together is

extremely important and will help your child to feel secure, safe and

part of the family. Rythym is so important for a child’s health ( and

ours too). The feeling of safety and being secure withing family life,

daily routines and just knowing what happens next- remembering -

simple gestures, the order of how we do things ( and our unique special

meaning); the way we set the table and put some flowers on the table

before we serve the meal, taking time to appreciate food, each other.

Reverence and appreciation for life, and all we have, each other, the

meals, the clothes, the  toys and our house, etc...

In the daily routine we can include time togehter, time working, time

playing, artistic time, etc...

Cooking and preparing a meal is not just fun and learning, or helping,

for a small child might be playing, of course, and more often more

clearing up and cleaning for mum or dad, that is part of the fun, as you

know kids love sweeping, brushing, wet play in general!

Exploring textures, tasting, measuring, is all part of learning process

but most important is the notion that work has consequences: making

means picking, taking, washing, chopping, mixing, stirring, cooking, and

seeing the final product. That makes the child believe that he is the

creator of what is in front of him at the table, he is part of that food.

The meal didn’t just appear like magic! It’s real!

Sleep

Make sure your child has enough sleep and goes to bed at a reasonable

hour. Your child's body regenerates, repairs and renews itself while

sleeping. In addition, it is important to include "quiet time" as part of

your child's day when they can unwind and learn the value of being

calm. Let your child listen to peaceful music, which is stress relieving

and further helps him to feel relaxed and happy.

Sleep and rest is a must for regenerating the body and keeping it

functioning smoothly. We are going back to the breathing in and

breathing out idea, periods of energetic activities and more quiet

activities for a healthy rhythm.

Enjoy Nature

Give your child plenty of fresh air. Go for walks in the woods, country

or parks. Let your child run, jump, dance and climb. Don't coddle your

child. If they want to run without a hat or gloves, let them do so. Allow

them to run barefoot on the grass and climb trees. Nature is an

excellent immune stimulator and being exposed in a happy, healthy way

does wonders to all aspects of your child's life.

At a Glance Ways to Strengthen your Child's Immunity

Breastfeed your baby

Offer a wide variety of organic, natural foods

Create a non-toxic home environment

Avoid unnecessary vaccines and antibiotics

Give your child lots of love and affection

Create routines in daily life

Eat together as a family

Make sure your child has enough sleep

Spend time outdoors in nature