Good Books
Karen Schacter, contributing editor (www.dishingwithyourdaughters.com)
Book Review: Chemical-Free Kids: How to Safeguard Your Child’s Diet and Environment
Book by Allan Magaziner, D.O, Linda Bonvie, and Anthony Zolezzi
If you’re reading this magazine, chances are that you are already heads and shoulders more knowledgeable about healthy eating and living than most of the other parents out there. And chances are, you’re also curious to learn and know more!
You may love the idea of natural foods and healthy cooking and make every effort to feed your kids nourishing meals. Yet, you may also wonder: Why does my child still have asthma? Why does he have these outbursts, or difficulty focusing, or seem so anxious sometimes? Does organic food REALLY make a difference? Why do so many kids have ADHD and autism these days? Is there anything I can be doing for my children’s health and well-being that I’m not yet aware of, or do I need to resort to medication to solve his problem?
If you’ve wondered any of these things, then you are certainly not alone. And lucky for you, me and our children, there is a book that seeks to provide understanding AND practical solutions.
Chemical-Free Kids, by Allan Magaziner, D.O., Linda Bonvie and Anthony Zolezzi, is that book. Chemical-Free Kids seeks to help you understand WHY our children are suffering with more physical and emotional concerns then generations past and more importantly, WHAT you can do to support your child so he/she does not have to suffer.
They believe that children today are exposed to harmful chemicals and toxins to a much greater degree than in the past, and that these toxins may be having a long-lasting and harmful effect on our children. Although they state that “...the stakes of toxic exposure in children can be enormous,” they also note that with a few small changes, so are the rewards!
Once you begin to learn HOW to turn your family’s environment into a toxin-free haven, you and your family can begin to enjoy the benefits of a healthy, chemical-free life.
Although the book can feel overwhelming, they suggest that you start with one thing at a time. Do the simplest ones first and take each action step-by step. Here are a few of my favorite suggestions that they offer that you can implement right away:
- Begin reading labels and looking at ingredient lists. Although the book mentions a number of ingredients you should avoid, they note that aspartame and MSG are particularly harmful, as they are “excite-toxins” which negatively affect the brain and are particularly damaging for children.
- Watch your colors! Yes, eat the rainbow on your plate, but only if that’s coming from natural foods, not artificial ingredients. Say no to things that have artificial color added which are common in a lot of those brightly colored kid foods.
- Stop spraying pesticides. If they are killing bugs, imagine what they might be doing to you or your children.
- Watch what you’re cleaning with. In trying to keep our homes squeaky clean, we may unwittingly be using toxic cleaning agents.
- Start cooking at home more — from scratch! Check out this delicious and EASY recipe from the book below which looks like a winner for summer!
Pineapple-Banana Breakfast Shake
½ cup pineapple juice
½ banana
½ cup plain yogurt or milk preferably organic
Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into two glasses and serve immediately!
