Farmers’ Markets Offer Families with Food Allergies a Bounty of Options
by Elizabeth Kaplan

For kids with allergies, shopping with mom or dad at a traditional grocery store can be very disheartening.  The majority of prepared and processed foods available have gluten, soy, dairy, nuts or eggs in them making it difficult to shop.  Not only do children feel left out, their parents often feel frustrated too.  Weaning your children from processed and prepared foods is one of the 10 Steps to “Going Gluten-Free” and a great way to kick the habit is to concentrate on a diet centered on whole foods by shopping at farmers’ markets.

At a farmers’ market you are presented with nature’s seasonal bounty.  There are no flashy cereal boxes or sugary snacks tempting your children, no scary chemical ingredients lacing the foods, and there are limited offerings which makes choosing something easier.  You are tempted by the smells and tastes of fresh, local produce and artesian foods.  Shopping and eating are just part of the fun. With a little preparation, you can turn any trip to the farmers’ market into an educational experience for your children while exposing them to a world of whole food choices that are free from all the bad stuff.

Here are some ideas for making your trip to farmers’ market an exciting adventure for kids, and give you time to enjoy the surroundings yourself.

Farmers’ Market Kid’s Activities:

1. Develop a list of questions for farmers: Young children often do not understand that some fruits grow on trees, some on vines, and others on bushes. The other day my three year old said, “We should plant a peach bush.”  Obviously he’s never seen a peach tree.  Talk to your kids about where and how different fruits and vegetables grow.  Play a question and answer game as you walk through the market to help them identify how fruits and vegetables grow.

2. Create a menu: As you are strolling around the farmers’ market, pick up a variety of ingredients to make a special family meal.  Have your children look at all the possibilities and come up with ideas.  See our family’s Farm to Table Sunday Supper Menu. (hyperlink)

3.  Give your kids some money to spend:  Our kids love to spend money, so we give them each $5 to choose what they’d like to purchase for their snacks and lunches.  While enhancing their math skills, they are also gaining confidence in decision making and social interaction.  Make sure your child is able to ask if an item is “gluten-free” or free from any other allergies he/she has.

4.  Find and purchase an unusual fruit or veggie: Have your kids help you find some produce that you would not normally eat. Buy it, take it home, and have the kids help cook it for dinner. This is a great way to get your family to try a variety of different foods.

5. Get artistic: Place all your beautiful produce in a basket.  When you get home give your children paper, colored pencils, watercolors or other art supplies and have them draw a still life of your farmers’ market basket.

6. Engage your children in cooking: You’ve planned the menu, purchased the food, now have your children help make the meal.  Children as young as three can help by washing produce, stirring, measuring, fetching items from the pantry, and setting the table. Older kids (10 and up) can chop produce, stir the pot, and help clean up by cleaning the counter and doing the dishes.
Shopping together at the Farmer’s Market is an opportunity to reconnect both with the food you eat, and the people who grow it. The more you can engage your kids in selecting, buying, preparing and cooking real, sustainable, non-processed, allergen-free foods, the better equipped they’ll be to make wise food choices in the future. The fact that you’ll be teaching your children to cook is just icing on the organic gluten-free carrot cake!

Take the fast food free pledge with your family, check out this site developed by a 12 year old~http://www.fastfoodfree.org/

So many of us with celiac disease also have thyroid issues. I share this article by Valerie Breslow with you as it provides helpful guidelines for food choices – and most importantly, gluten-free foods are part of the equation for supporting your thyroid.

The Thyroid – Diet Connection
Given the fact that we live in a toxic world full of chemicals combined with our stress-ridden culture, it’s no wonder our thyroids are challenged to function normally. And it’s not uncommon as we age to become more susceptible to a low-functioning thyroid gland. Why does this matter? Because your thyroid is the master gland of your metabolism and it relies on the dietary intake of certain minerals to produce key thyroid hormones. The thyroid gland is actually a butterfly-shaped endocrine organ and is tucked in your neck just in front of the larynx. Since it’s so close to the surface of your body, and not usually covered by clothing, the thyroid gland is highly sensitive to environmental changes, oxygen levels in the air, and exposure to toxic chemicals. It is also dependent on elements in the foods you eat and controls all the key functions in your body, including your ability to gain or lose weight! Now that I have your attention…here are some key facts:
Because it’s difficult to avoid toxic chemical exposure in our world today, one of the best things you can do is (more…)

In my cookbook “Fresh from Elizabeth’s Kitchen” I often suggest using coconut oil as a butter substitute. Here is an article on the top 10 benefit of organic coconut oil – a wise choice for good health and wonderful baking results.

Top 10 Benefits of Organic Coconut Oil
(sourced from: http://www.healthiertalk.com/top-10-benefits-organic-coconut-oil-3892)

This might come as a surprise to you, but one of the smartest choices of good fat you can add to your diet is organic virgin coconut oil. Yes, coconut oil. Although it is a 90% saturated fat, organic coconut oil contains medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) that can improve your health in many ways. First of all, organic coconut oil is very stable to cook with because it withstands high temperatures without heat damage. If you switch your cooking oil to organic coconut oil, you can start improving your health right away.

What’s more, you can easily digest the MCFAs in coconut oil. So, it’s a lot easier on your system than other oils. Plus, these hard-working fatty acids are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored in your body as fat. Overall, MCFAs help to boost your metabolism, which is a great help to any weight loss program. Considered a functional food, organic coconut oil is now being recognized by the medical community as a powerful tool against immune system related diseases. Several studies have been done on its effectiveness in this area, and much research is currently underway concerning the incredible nutritional value of pure organic virgin coconut oil. Organic coconut oil is highly nutritious and contains a superior disease fighting fatty acid called lauric acid. It is also rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The best kind to get is organic raw unprocessed extra virgin coconut oil. This will assure you that your product is unrefined, certified organic by USDA standards, and contains no added chemicals or genetically modified additives. [My favorite brands are from Artisana and Garden of Life because they're sold in glass instead of plastic.]

You’ll also know your organic coconut oil is made only from fresh coconuts and is a solid at room temperature. The Philippines is the world’s largest exporter of organic coconut oil.

Used in tropical cultures as a nutritious diet staple for many centuries, organic coconut oil can help:

1. Keep You Healthy and Slim
You can help boost and regulate your metabolism to keep your weight under control with this wonder oil.

2. Support Your Immune System
Organic coconut oil is jam-packed with lauric acid, the immune supporting nutrient.

3. Promote Heart Health
Packed full of healthy fats that are good for your heart, organic coconut oil is a great addition to your daily diet.

4. Give You Instant Energy
Organic coconut oil can help you feel less fatigued and require less sleep by stimulating your metabolism. It can also enhance athletic performance.

5. Support Healthy Thyroid Function
Organic coconut oil helps to stimulate the activity and proper functioning of this important gland which provides energy, supports the health of your skin and metabolism, and keeps your moods in balance.

6. Help Keep Your Skin Youthful, Smooth & Healthy Looking
Using organic virgin coconut oil as a lotion will help improve your skin, hair, and nails due to its moisturizing and smoothing effects that also promote elasticity.

7. Increase Cell Regeneration
When your metabolic rate increases, your cell regeneration speeds up, too. This means that your body will more quickly replace old cells with newer, healthier cells.

8. Promote Anti-Viral, Anti-Fungal, and Anti-Bacterial Activity
Teeming with lauric acid, organic coconut oil possesses abundant natural agents that may reduce fungus, bacteria and the viruses that cause influenza, herpes, and other illnesses.

9. Improve Insulin Secretion
This helps to better utilize glucose to balance insulin output which can help relieve the symptoms and reduce the health risks associated with diabetes.

10. Protect Your Body from Disease
Organic coconut oil may help protect your body from cell damaging free radicals.

Key points to remember when choosing foods to feed our brains:

-good fats, in the form of omega-3 fatty acids, create and build healthy cells in our brain;

-amino acids from proteins create the neurotransmitters so our brain can receive valuable info from other parts of our body;

-carbohydrates, broken down into glucose, provide the fuel to feed our brain; and

-micronutrients, in the form of antioxidants, help to defend our brain from damage and potential dysfunction.

The following are several food suggestions to incorporate into your diet to keep your brain functioning at its best:

*Eggs:  Egg yolks contain some of the best quality fats as well as choline, one of the superstar brain nutrients. Choline is necessary to produce acetylcholine, which plays a critical role in memory. (Studies have linked acetylcholine deficiences to memory loss and Alzheimer’s.)  So go ahead and eat the whole egg!

*Quality Oils: Olive, Walnut, Avocado, Flax:  These oils are far superior to canola, corn and soy oils, which contain Omega-6 fats rather than the Omega-3 fatty acids.

*Tempeh:  Tempeh is a smart protein that helps stabilize your blood sugar. And because it’s derived from fermented soy, you get an extra health boost! You can also get a brain boost from grass-fed beef, which provides plenty of energizing and balancing B vitamins.

*Flax Seeds:  Flax seeds are a true super food. Flax seeds are literally made of nothing but fiber, vitamins, and Omega-3’s. (Flax seeds are a must for vegetarians!)

*Beans:  Beans contain B vitamins, “slow burning” carbohydrates, and plenty of fiber. Fiber has been shown to improve cognition.

*Greek Yogurt:  Yogurt contains an amino acid tyrosine. Tyrosine perks you up and improves mental alertness. Avoid flavored yogurts with added sugar – add in your own fruit and nuts and sweetener.

*Vegetable-Packed Salad:  A big, flavorful salad is full of fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. Your brain really loves antioxidants C and E, so pack your salads with nuts, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, bell peppers, broccoli and fruit, too.

*Strawberries and Blueberries:  These fruits contain antioxidants that help boost cognition, coordination, and memory. Eat some berries daily if you can! They go great with yogurt, on cereal, in salads, in smoothies, etc.

*Nuts and seeds:  Trail mix comprising a mix of your favorite nuts and seeds makes a great snack. Not only will the sensible mix of fiber, protein, and fat stabilize flagging blood sugar, but the vitamins and minerals in nuts (B, E, magnesium, and more) are excellent for your brain.  Remember:  soaking raw nuts increases their protein content by half and decreases their fat by two-thirds!

*Oily fish:  This is probably the single most important element required for optimal brain health. The brain is 60% fat, but it doesn’t like processed fats, trans fat, or Omega-6 fats. Your brain needs those Omega-3’s! Oily fish like wild Alaskan salmon, mackerel, and tuna contain DHA (docosahexanoic acid), the best form of Omega-3. Increased Omega-3 intake has been linked to alleviation of a spectrum of mental health concerns, from anxiety and irritability to depression and even schizophrenia. Enjoy those fatty, oily fishes!

Valerie Breslow
Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor
The Wellness Box
http://thewellnessbox.com
valerie@thewellnessbox.com
Facebook:  thewellnessbox
858.337.4217