5 WAYS YOU CAN TURN PICKY EATERS INTO FOODIES

 Feeding our kids seems to be such a controversial topic lately. Diet fads and lifestyle choices seem to creep up even in our kids' cuisine. Parents get offended,if you share experience or give them advice. Moms are ashamed of what they pack in their kids' lunch boxes and mumble excuses , or  leave their kids' food education to someone else completely. But it doesn't have to be hard, and it doesn't have to turn you, and your kids, into kitchen enemies.

 My boy, who is now six years old, was a picky eater, and a slow eater, and refusing to eat at all. I've been through it all - cooking separate meals for him, and separating food, so it doesn't touch, begging and threatening. Nothing seemed to be working. But now, I look back, and I find that the little things we did , which didn't seem to be connected with dinner time, had greater impact. 

 I want to share my top 5 ways we turned our 6 year old into a "foodie", but before I do this I want to make something clear. Kids are different. They learn in different ways and they follow in different ways. Family dynamics are different and food culture and choices vary.

Here is what MY 6 year old thought ME:

IT IS JUST A PHASE 

Most of the time it's as simple as that. Kids go through phases and will focus on one food at a time or will, all of a sudden, hate something that was a favorite for months. This is all normal. Some kids do have food texture issues or allergies, but this goes beyond the everyday refusal of foods. Most of the time,growing toddlers and pre-schoolers, are trying to assert their independence and to show us that they can make their own choices. Keep offering healthy choices at home and be a little more relaxed outside the house. Do not get tricked into becoming a short-order cook. Even in his picky eating stage, Max could only choose from the food I had already prepared. For example, if I made a salad and stir fry for dinner, I would simply chop the same veggies for him (raw) and give him a few pieces of meat or plain rice. He wasn't big on sauces and spices and that was ok. And remember, not all of us like all foods ,even as adults. We have our favotites and our no-no list. It is the same for our kids. Offer, but do not force them to eat what you think is delicious.

SHOP AND COOK WITH YOUR KIDS 

 Max loves helping me in the kitchen and checking off the shopping list when we are in the store. Bring your kids with you and shop the outside parameter of the store. Show them the different fruits and veggies and let them pick something for dinner. Sometimes they will go by shape,color and size when choosing, and that is part of the fun. This is how we fell in love with romanesco, purple cabbage, fingerling potatoes, and heirloom tomatoes ( so many colors,so much fun). Always tell your children what they are eating. Hiding veggies is something I don't do. This creates the mindset that veggies are not delicious and have to be masked by other flavors.
A lot of moms tell me that they don't have the time to let their kids cook with them when they have just minutes to throw something together after work. I know it's hard. I also juggle a full time job with being a mom and a wife. But I always make time to have fun in the kitchen. Food culture is created at home. Comfort food is created at home. I still remember ,when I was little , back in Bulgaria,  we used to have scheduled  power blackouts and my dad will cut up a huge plate of apples, and tell us stories of his childhood in the candlelight, while we munched on the delicious fruit. So, apples are a comfort food. So is watermelon with feta ,and peppers, roasted on the fire. It's all about the memories you create in your kids. The comfort is in the nostalgia. So,even if you cook one meal with them a week - making pancakes on the weekend,  stirring muffins for a bake sale at school, sprinkling salt over the salad, peeling carrots for the soup - it will be the best teaching experience you can give your children.

LEAD BY EXAMPLE 

This seems to be common sense to me. You can't have pizza and chocolate cake for dinner and expect your kids to love grass fed beef and quinoa salad. We don't separate food in our house,or designate it to adults and kids. Max tries everything we buy and then he has the choice to eat it or not. As I said before, don't expect your kids to like everything you like. Teach your kids about food,what goes into it and how you can make it healthier at home. You can make  pretty much everything you can buy in a jar. Dressings, hummus and various sauces are the things I make at home. I don't appreciate the added ingredients in most of those store bought products, so I prefer to spend my time and not my money on them. Children are much more fascinated by food and ingredients than we think. What is a chore to us ,to them is like a whole new world of discovery.

REWARD GOOD CHOICES 

 Even though good food should be a reward on its own,kids can often see meal time as a chore,something that takes them away from the fun they were having a minute ago. This is still a struggle for us sometimes. "Just five more minutes" can turn into half an hour and the whole evening routine you've been working on so hard is gone out the window. We decided to establish the rule that eating only happens at the dining table. No couch snacking, no mommy running after a toddler with a spoon, no snacking anytime of day or night. We have established a meal schedule, which does not consist of times, but routines. We try to always have dinner together, it is our family time. Breakfast and lunch are more flexible, since one of us , the adults, is at work during the week.
          After we established a healthy eating routine and got Max more involved in the preparation of food it was time to figure out how to reward good behavior. Kids thrive on motivation. Little things can be a big motivation for a six year old, just don't make promises you can't keep. Max gets to choose his rewards for making good food and behavior choices. He often chooses activities like technology time, or board games, verses eating treats and unhealthy foods. But there are times that he sees a kid at school eating something we don't normally buy, and requests it as his treat. If it is an item that contains a lot of artificial colors and sweeteners, we discuss it before we buy and try to find a healthier version if we can. Our neighborhood store carries a brand called "Yummy Earth Organics" and they have a variety of items like lollipops,  gummy bears, and jelly beans, made with organic ingredients. It is not healthy foods but a great substitute for a treat. 

KITCHEN CONVERSATIONS 

 This is the one thing that ties it all together. Talk to your children about food. Teach them to respect food and see it not only as calories and sustenance , but to cherish and appreciate it. Food is community. Food is culture. Food is health. Food is medicine. Food heals the body and the soul. It connects us to other living beings, It connects us to the planet and can take us places we can never go. Food is peace. Food is kindness. Food is fun. It is so basic and yet so much of what we are revolves around food. We are what we eat in a more literal way that we ever imagined.


Bon Appetite!

Backyard Medicine : NETTLES

Botanical Name : Urtica Dioica

Family: Urticaceae

Parts used: young leaves, seeds, root

Energetics : cooling, drying

The nettle plant has been an ally of mine since I was a little girl. My mom and my grandmother did not use it much in tea, or in any herbal preparation, but they made sure we got enough of it in the form of delicious food. Spring was a time for foraging in our family and I still get exited by the patches of green that grow by the road or between the trees in the woods. Young nettles and docks, fragrant young thyme , young sorrel and dandelion leaves - the Earth is generous , if we only look around.
 Nettles have been used for food and medicine for thousand of years. The Ancient Greeks and Romans used to cultivate it and grow it for food and for its fiber. The nettle plant has many fine hairs on its stem and leaves, which can release some irritating chemicals in the body when it touches bear skin. This brings blood to the affected area and can relieve pain and inflammation. The Romans new about this property of nettles and used to carry seeds with them when they conquered new lands, in order to be able to cultivate it. Mrs. Grieve cites the antiquary Camden in her book " A modern Herbal: Vol II" : " The soldiers (Roman) brought some of the Nettle seed with them, and sowed it there for their use to rub, and chafe , their limbs, when through extreme cold they should be stiff or benumbed, having been told that the climate of Britain was so cold that it was not to be endured."
This practice is known as urtication, and is very useful for pain due to arthritis. I have personal experience with this practice thanks to my grandmother. When I was a girl , I went through a very painful growth spurt. My feet and legs were affected the worst, to the point where it was very painful to walk. My grandmother used urtication to help me ,and the relieve was very welcome. Fortunately, my body does not react strongly to the sting of nettles and I did not endure severe blistering or pain. To this day. I still pick nettles bear handed. I welcome the sting, hoping to avoid arthritic pain later in life.
 The nettle plant can be a delicious food, but it is also a potent medicine. I think its power hides in the fact that it is highly nutritious. If you look into any herbal book , you will find multiple uses for nettles. It is good for almost any part of the body. People often mistrust this, but we have to remember that our body is an uniquely connected system , and not one organ functions alone, independently from the rest. When you nourish your body, the whole is affected, hence the whole is improved. We just have to look beyond what western medicine has thought us, look beyond symptoms and single constituents.
 The nettle plant is rich in many minerals and is one of the perfect way to get much needed iron and calcium during pregnancy. I like to combine it with red raspberry leaf and peppermint for a delicious and refreshing beverage. Due to its high content of minerals, nettles can also be useful in addressing osteoporosis, menstrual cramps and leg cramps. It can also be useful for "growing pains" in children, or for aching joints in older people.
 One of the easiest ways to get more nettles in your body year round is to prepare a nourishing infusion. A nourishing infusion is a strong tea made by taking an ounce of dried herb and pouring a quart of hot water over it. Steep for at least four hours and drink throughout the day as a refreshing beverage.
 Nettle is a mild diuretic and can be used to relieve edema and other congested fluids in the body. Some people can be affected more by this property of nettles and should use the plant in moderation.

 Other popular uses for nettles include:

• Nettle Seed Tincture - very nourishing to the kidneys. It has a very specific action on this organ and can be used in small doses to strengthen and improve function.
• Nettle Root Tincture or Decoction - used for prostate issues. 
• Freeze Dried Nettle Leaves - used for the treatment of seasonal allergies.

The nettle plant is a powerful antioxidant and studies have shown that, taken internally, it can lower inflammatory markers in the blood. Herbalist Johnathan Treasure often uses it in a protective protocol for patients undergoing chemotherapy, in order to reduce organ damage done by the drugs.

Now you can see why nettle is a great plant ally to have . Still, my favorite way to enjoy this plant is in a delicious recipe in spring time, when my body is craving the green vitality and renewed energy of the earth. After all, Food Is Medicine, and a powerful one at that.

Eat your way to healthy this cold and flu season

It is that time of year again. Temperatures are in single digits and and noses are sniffling everywhere around us. Most of us are out of the house earning our living and our kids spend their days at school. Germs are abundant for us to bring home and share. Not a pleasant picture,is it?
Well,put the sanitizing wipes and the can of Lysol spray down, and read on as I share some true and tested tips on how we keep our family healthy and happy without a flu shot and over the counter medication.
You have heard me say it many times before: food is your best medicine. It is the only medicine that prevents you from getting sick and can help you heal faster. It is even more true for little growing bodies. We all know how sugar affects our children and we avoid giving them candy before bed or a meal. So, why then, are we blind to the fact that every food affects our kids,some in a harmful and some in a beneficial way? Food can build up our immune system, it can keep our bodies strong and healthy, it can nourish our minds, and control our behavior. The effects of food are very noticeable in children and small changes reflect tremendously on their health.

• Rethink milk - Are you drinking raw milk, or maybe low temperature pasteurized grass-fed milk? Good for you! Keep doing what you are doing. If those two are not an option for you, then you might have to rethink milk. Ultra-pasteurized, homogenized milk, often from cows treated with antibiotics and growth hormone,is less than ideal food for you and your kids. If your little one is suffering from chronic ear infections, milk should be the first thing to go. Store bought milk ,of the kind mentioned above, is very mucus forming,which means that you are looking at constipation, ear infections, sinus infections, chronic coughs, eczema, and behavior issues in the long run. Your best option is raw milk, but it can be hard to find, depending on where you live. That is why, in our house, we opt out for nut milks , like almond, cashew , or coconut. Make sure it is unsweetened and not flavored, so it can work in any recipe. Our son has been drinking primarily plant milk since age 2. We mix it up every once in a while by purchasing high quality whole milk from grass-fed cows that has been pasteurized at low temperature and has not been homogenized.

• Add Healthy Fats - Our kids need fats to develop. They need good sources of saturated fat in order to feed their constantly developing brains and nervous systems. The best choices are coconut oil, cod liver oil, flax seed oil, avocados, grass- fed butter. Cook with butter and coconut oil; put flax oil in smoothies; spread avocado on toast; and give cod liver oil by the spoonfuls. These are easy ways to get good fats into your kids. Fats have an important role in helping the body to absorb nutrients and vitamins. Calcium, vitamins A, D, and E , can not be absorbed without the help of fats. Fats keep us full longer. and help us regulate blood sugar better. Fats like coconut oil have added anti-bacterial properties. Flax seed oil contains beneficial omega 3 and 6.  And, believe me, just when you think that your five year old will spit out that spoonful of cod liver oil, they surprise you by asking for seconds.

• Add fermented veggies  - This is my favorite way to get probiotics into our bodies. Probiotics are very important for the health of our immune system. Good gut health is the surest way to good overall health. And fermented foods are the best way to supplement your gut flora and eat delicious creations in the process. The most popular fermented food in our family are saurkraut, fermented veggies ( carrots and cauliflower) , fermented garlic, fermented pickles, and kombucha. When I say fermented , I mean the process of lacto-fermentation. The Weston A Price website describes the benefits of this process: "... the fermentation of dairy products, preservation of vegetables and fruits by the process of lacto-fermentation has numerous advantages beyond those of simple preservation. The proliferation of lactobacilli in fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels. These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances. Their main by-product, lactic acid, not only keeps vegetables and fruits in a state of perfect preservation but also promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the intestine. "

• Use meat on the side  - Buy high quality grass-fed and pasture raised meat and eggs, and use them as a side dish. That's right. I said a side dish. Good quality meat is expensive and that is often an excuse for people to buy factory raised meat full of antibiotics, hormones, and other chemicals used in the processing of the animals. Well, it is no excuse at all. We solve the money issue by purchasing and consuming less meat and eggs. Build your main dishes around plants and add meat as a flavor, to enhance the dish. Even better, eat completely meat free a few times a week. It is good for the budget and your health. I personally had some issues with meat and animal fats , which I was able to cure with a few months of plant- based diet after which I slowly added pasture meats in small quantities. I stick to vegan and vegetarian food outside our home.

• Use herbs daily - Drink hot tea once a day and take a spoonful of Elderberry syrup to keep your immune system strong. We drink tea in the morning and at night before bed. We often enjoy black and green teas in the morning , but our night routine includes a blend similar to this Get-Well-Soon Herbal Infusion. Our five year old boy loves this with a spoonful of local raw honey. In the winter months, I make a big batch of Elderberry Syrup, and we each get a spoonful every day. I also make sure that we stock up on Echinacea tincture and Elderflower tincture or tea. Echinacea is great for preventing a cold , when you take it with the first symptoms . Elderflower works magic when you have a fever. It will lower a fever by one degree or more in a matter of minutes. It is a very safe herb for kids and it makes a delicious infusion. 

• Cook at home - This is maybe the best tip anyone can give you about staying healthy. Make things from scratch. Muffins, pancakes, waffles, bread, cream soups, broth, sandwich spreads, salad dressing, etc. It is a lot less complicated than it sounds and a lot more satisfying than someone who hates cooking wants you to believe it is. If you have time to put make up and do your hair in the morning, you have time to make breakfast and bag lunches. Or maybe you just need to think about your priorities. Making everything from scratch takes time , but it doesn't require "slaving in the kitchen all day". Whoever came up with that expression just needed an excuse. I work outside the home five days a week, take my little boy to sports after school four days a week, and I still have a home cooked meal on the table every night. I am not exhausted. I am simply prepared with a meal plan and a list of real food ingredients. 

Food is the best medicine. It is the best prevention and the best treatment. We are what we put in our bodies. If we put neglect and disease , we will be sick, tired and depressed. Good, real, healthy food takes away the meaning of cold and flu season. Follow these few tips and you will have a season of memories and cheer.
 Wishing you lots of health and happiness, from my family to yours!