Why I do weird things like make homemade cheese crackers

Are podcast reviews a thing? I’m not sure if it is, but I’d like to do one on a recent episode I listened to on Quiet the Diet with Michelle Shapiro, RD and Dr. Alexis Cowan, PhD. This duo discuss their weight loss journeys, the connection between gut health and chronic illness, healthy fats and so much more. It was such a good episode, and it had a lot of “mic drop” moments that left me with my chin down and eyebrows up.

There was even one moment that I think changed me forever. Is that dramatic? Maybe, but I have been struggling to find balance with Finn’s, my one-year-old son, nutrition so it felt amazing to have some clarity. I mean… where do you draw the line? I don’t want to be THAT weird mom who makes their kid eat homemade cheese crackers, but I think I am that mom.

There is so much data coming out on children’s health that the signs are clear that we have an opportunity for positive change. For example, in 2023 the CDC reported 1 in 4 children will be diagnosed with a chronic illness.

Another article I came across stated, “Type 2 Diabetes, which 15 years ago accounted for less than 3% of all cases of new-onset diabetes in children and adolescents, today accounts for up to 45% of new-onset cases among adolescents.”

Reading these numbers and then hearing the mic drop line from Dr. Alexis Cowan sealed my confidence in how I see nutrition. Dr. Cowan said, “if you live the normal [American] life, you will get the normal chronic illnesses”

 Let me be clear. I don’t think it’s about eliminating all “bad” foods or even declaring what is “bad” to prevent chronic illness. I think it’s about creating a foundation that allows whole foods to be the primary source of nutrition.

And I knowwwww how overwhelming it can be to get nutrition advice from a social media post. That’s why I recommend seeing a professional if a chronic illness, or symptoms, already exist (Hi, it’s me!)  note: sometimes chronic illnesses are genetic.

I think the big takeaway is this: good nutrition matters. We use nutrition on every cell of our body. Every system needs specific nutrients. We need nutrients to make hormones. We need nutrients to detox. We need nutrients to be able to think. We need nutrients to grow.

And some foods have more nutrients than others.

Which is great news! That means we have something within our control (most of the time) to help everyone in the family feel good and succeed.

And with that mindset, I think the approach is to keep it simple.

Simple steps for nutrition:

Protein, healthy carbs and veggies for every meal.

Sugar on occasions.

Attempt to get organic when you can.

Cook at home more often that you go out.

Fruit over fruit juice

Water with minerals

Include animal foods

Go outside. Another mic drop comment on the podcast was to consider sunshine an essential nutrient

It doesn’t have to be normal to have reoccurring ear infections, cold after cold, food allergies and sensitives, poor sleep, constipation, eczema, diabetes, Hashimoto’s or even acne. It can happen, of course, but it doesn’t have to be chronic.

And I know we can go into a whole conversation about food security and access to healthy food, but again if the strategy is simple, I think most incomes can achieve these nutrition goals. That’s honestly a separate conversation so let’s not get off topic. Our main topic today is why a whole food diet is important for children.

It’s important because the numbers and our children’s symptoms are telling us that we have an opportunity to make a positive change! Instead of letting these stats give you fear or stress about what to eat…

Let this data empower you to try new foods, explore new recipes and expand everyone’s dining experience. Yes, I said expand dining experience. Why not make it fun? Also, I should admit I am historically a picky eater so if I’m going to get Finn to have a diverse diet, I better be checking myself as well :)

It’s exciting to see how impactful food can be. Depending on how you see the world, the ability to make a change is all around us. Life is FULL of opportunity to find a healthy balance with nutrition.

And if you need more ideas, pop around my website or message me because I would love to help!