So. California Institute of Clinical Nutrition

Smart Food, Smart Kids

“What we teach our children now, they will know forever. “

By Dr. Laura Thompson

Creating Smart children requires a recipe for success. As with every great meal, each ingredient must be carefully selected. Our first ingredient is Vitamin “L” or Love. It’s what’s missing in the food we eat today. We love our children and demonstrate it in so many ways. However, life in the fast lane leaves little love in its fast food. Our loving, nurturing hands may never touch the food our children eat.

Ingredient number two in the recipe for Smart children should be “getting back to basics” and using SMART FOOD. Our parents and grandparents remember picking fruits and vegetables from their gardens or trees, or getting them from the local farm. They marvel at how aromatic and tasty food used to be. Oh boy, how times have changed, and so have we. When families suffer from time crunch, meals unfortunately suffer. Nutrition heads downhill and children’s health as well as ours, follow close behind. With no time to cook, we resort to what’s fast and easy, and often nutrient-depleted. The foods we choose and meals we create, shape the knowledge and habits of our children that last a lifetime.

An important point to realize is that the body is an incredible self-regeneration organism and it needs a wide array of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals and enzymes to be healthy. Feeding our children meals with these needed items will help them to:

Run faster, have better skills and focus.
Grow taller and stronger
Increase concentration and memory for excelling in schoolwork
Improve behavior, moods, and sleep
Have better skin (yeah, no acne)

Children, who eat a balanced and nutrient-rich SMART FOOD diet, strengthen their immune systems and fight bacteria and viruses. They have fewer illnesses and quicker recoveries than children who don’t eat healthy food. With childhood obesity, asthma, allergies, ADHD, cancer, and diabetes increasing at alarming rates, we must pay attention to the fact that the food our children eat contributes to their physical, mental, and emotional health. Study after study has proven this.
Here are some Smart Food Tips:

Smart vegetables and fruits are organic, grown without chemicals.
Smart animal foods are dairy, meat, poultry and fish, raised without hormones.
Super Foods containing phytonutrients, such as flax seed oil, cod liver oil, blue green algae (can put in a smoothie), seaweeds, berries, avocado, salmon, yogurt.
Smart Food is fresh, alive and rich with enzymes, not packaged, processed, and dead. Enzyme-depleted food offers no life. Isn’t life what we want from our food?
Smart Food has a short ingredient list (or none). Look for BHT, BHA, TBHQ, sodium benzoate, nitrates, sulfites, food colorings, artificial sweeteners and flavors on your soup, cereal, and cookie labels. Avoid them.

Most importantly, Smart Food is not fast; it is slow. It takes time to grow – prepare – cook. The time spent in preparation of slow food is well worth the pay off in energy and vitality after it is digested. Time is the investment; life is the return.

Dr. Laura Thompson, Family Nutritionist and Naturopathic Endocrinologist has a nationwide practice by phone, and locally in Carlsbad, California. Call for in-home testing info, 800-608-5602.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products suggested, are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please check with your health care practitioner for your best health options.

Back to Articles