Month: October 2009

Halloween is a fun holiday, especially for kids. My teenage son, Eric has been to several haunted houses with his friends and spent hours at a costume store, picking out just the right mask. My preteen son, Kevin, loves trick or treating and eagerly anticipates what's going to be in his goodie bag...the one I'll trade him for the candy he collects. Even though we don't eat candy, and we end up throwing away all the candy collected at Hal loween, the kids still have a blast! We have our own rituals and festivities after the trick or treating is over. Trick or treating is a social event. They used to just collect money for UNICEF, but after a while they got tired of telling the well-meaning adults "No thanks" on the candy and started coming home with bags full. At first they thought they could just give it to their friends. Then they realized that they liked their friends too much to add to the already too large a strain on their immune systems and decided it best to throw it away. Wasteful??? Not hardly. Every piece we throw away is one less that some one eats and that saves them hours of a depressed immune system. You see, sugar depresses the immune system. It's been measured to decrease the activity of the T-cells, the "protector cells" by as much as 50% for 4 hours after just 2 teaspoons of sugar. Your typical soft drink contains 8 teaspoons. With all the fear of the flu going around these days, isn't it nice to know that there is an easy way to support your immune system and protect yourself and your kids from the flu? Supporting their immune system naturally is far more effective than any flu vaccine....and much safer. I held a special "emergency" immune system support and flu prevention teleclass at the beginning of the month. The recordings are available at http://drritamarie.com/FluProtection-TeleClass-SignUp.php A Nobel prize winning researcher named Otto Warberger showed the connection between sugar and cancer back in the 1930's! Sugar's adverse effects can be seen throughout your body. Here's a passage abut sugar from my new book, Healthy Halloween Treats "Sugar can also impair the structure of DNA, cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children, weaken eyesight, contribute to eczema, interfere with the absorption of protein, decrease the activity of your T cells, which contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infection, contribute to Candida (yeast) infections and contribute to osteoporosis. " There are more little known facts about sugar in Healthy Halloween Treats, as well as healthier alternatives to the candy and cupcakes and other harmful foods that are usually associated with Halloween. Junk food doesn't just promote tooth decay and hyperactivity. It is life-threatening!! Here are some statistics from Dr. Joel Fuhrman, a "radical" medical doctor who treats his patients with broccoli and other fresh fruits and vegetables. "The CDC estimates that 1/3 of children born in 2000 will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime, and that children born in 2000 may not outlive their parents. Overweight/obesity rates have doubled among children and tripled among adolescents in the past 20 years. Obesity in children increases their risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, joint problems, sleep apnea, early puberty, and several cancers. Signs of atherosclerosis can be seen in early childhood. Most adult cancers are linked to poor childhood nutrition. Sugar contributes to violence. 69% of the 10 year olds who were violent at the age of 34 had eaten sweets and chocolate nearly every day during childhood, compared to 42% who were non-violent." As a parent or an adult responsible for the nutrition of a child, you have the responsibility to educate yourself. Allowing your children to indulge in junk food sets them up for childhood illnesses, cancers, and poor quality life. As parents, you must take control of your children's health! You must set a good example and protect them from the dangers of indulging in the Halloween sweets and treats that are harming them. For more information on the health risks the modern western diet imposes on kids, read Dr. Fuhrman's book Disease Proof Your Child It's sad how much misinformation abounds. The American Academy of Family Physicians is clueless about counseling parents about healthy diet for kids. They just announced a corporate sponsorship with Coca-Cola to develop their consumer education content on to beverages and sweeteners for their health and wellness web site, FamilyDoctor.org. Coca-Cola is certainly not going to include the information about how dangerous soft drinks are, will they? How can you trust your family physician if their association is getting its nutrition education from CocaCola? According to Dr. Fuhrman, on his blog , Disease Proof, the American Dietetic Association also accepts money from Coca-Cola, as well as from PepsiCo, Kellogg’s, General Mills, Mars and the National Dairy Council. I know it's hard to say no to your favorite holiday goodies. Yet you owe it to yourself and your family to learn the cold hard facts and act on them. In Healthy Halloween Treats I give you all you need to maintain the joy and playfulness of the holiday and keep it nutritious and safe at the same time. Try some banana ghosts, chocolate covered apples, chocolate spiders or swampsicles. Your kids will love it and they'll thank you when they realize later how much pain and suffering you saved them by making healthy choices for them. Happy Halloween. Love, Health and Joy, Dr. Ritamarie

Month: October 2009

Halloween Hazards and Healthy Halloween Treats

Protecting Yourself From the Flu: 5 Tips for a Strong and Healthy Immune System

Protect Yourself Using Daikon and Detox

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