Hitting your 50s is the “age of the grandmother” with all the most beautiful connotations of the grandmother archetype.
Grandmothers are freer of responsibilities but can see the bigger picture. Their hearts are in protecting the next generations and they have a fire in their bellies to do something about what’s not right in the world.
Regardless of whether you are an actual grandmother, you are a “grandmother” of the Earth. It’s an amazing time for a woman.
Food and grand mothering
Food is one of the many ways you can show love for your (or others) grandchildren. Sharing special meals and treats is a wonderful way to spend time together and create memories. But whether you help or hurt your grandchildren’s health depends on the food you choose.
Children are Sick
Many children today are very sick. Allergies, eczema, asthma, behaviour issues are almost considered normal! Diabetes is afflicting children at a younger age. Cancer is the leading cause of death in children.
Cancer is the leading cause of death in children.
WAPF Foundation
How Nutritional Deficiencies Present in Children
Often nutritional deficiencies appear as emotional and behavioural issues, due to a poorly nourished brain. Stress and mental illness, anxiety, depression, addictions are plaguing children at ever increasing levels. Many children suffer from clinical depression, and suicide among teenagers is at an all-time high.
You can help your grandchildren avoid these problems, giving them the gift of vibrant good health by working with their parents to ensure that they get the most nutrient dense diet possible and avoiding all toxic, devitalised processed food.
What caused little harm to your children can cause serious problems for your grandchildren.
The world has changed and what was ok for you when you were a child or for your kids when you were raising them is not working for children anymore. Your grandchildren are exposed to toxic chemicals every day in their air, water and even household items. Children today are supposed to be injected with twenty times as many vaccines as your children were. And did you know, research shows that nutritional issues grow with each generation?
You can show your love for both your children and your grandchildren by supporting optimal health for the next generation with delicious, nutrient-dense meals and treats.
What are the Harmful Things in Modern Diets?
The Sugar Monster
Sugar is associated with reward and yet sugar disrupts digestion, impairs the immune system, worsens heart health, impedes normal growth and leads to obesity, diabetes, cancer, inflammation, tooth decay and food allergies. Sugar disrupts hormones and speeds up aging. So, it’s anything but a reward!
Sources of hidden sugar include fruit juices, softdrinks and breakfast cereals. White flour in bread, pasta and pastries are quickly digested into glucose and tend to have the same affects as sugar.
Vegetable Oils
Despite their healthy sounding name, modern processed vegetable oils (corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, canola, etc) are anything but. Nearly all processed snack foods contain these cheap oils and yet they are highly carcinogenic, impair normal growth and promote obesity. Children need animal fats like butter.
Pasteurised and ultra-pasteurised milk products are highly allergenic, cause digestive disorders and are associated with asthma and allergies.
Food additives
Our food supply contains more than 3000 additives, many of which have never been tested. In addition, pesticides like RoundUp contaminate nearly all processed food.
Artificial Colours and Dyes
These fake substances cause attention deficit disorders in children.
Artificial Flavours
MSG (AKA natural flavouring) gives a meat-like flavour to processed food yet it affects the hypothalamus, the seat of impulse control. MSG can also cause weight gain.
Breakfast Cereals
Modern extruded breakfast cereals like corn flakes and rice bubbles cause neurotoxic proteins that can result in behavioural problems in children. Also, many cereals also contain sugar, dyes and artificial flavours.
What Foods Help Grow Healthy Children?
There are plenty of delicious, nutritious foods that you can give to your grandchildren as special treats.
- Cheese, especially artisan cheese made with raw milk
- Old fashioned ham, sausage and salami
- Eggs and bacon
- Steak and homemade burgers. Beef is a very nutritious food!
- Homemade stews and soups.
- Unflavoured pork rinds
- Teach your grandchildren about the foods of their ancestors for example pate, shepherds pie, softshell crab, tacos or sushi. They will love receiving these comfort foods from their grandparents and remember it for life!
- Naturally sweetened homemade desserts for special occasions. Make them with plenty of butter and use natural sweeteners. You can make homemade ice cream with heavy cream and a natural sweetener.
- Delicious kombucha makes a healthy soft drink for children.
We can all work together to reverse the epidemic of health problems in our children by keeping them away from foods that make them unhealth – lollies, biscuits, chips and other harmful foods.
And be the good grandmother!
Sources and further information:
www.westonaprice.org/childrens-health/
Book: Super Nutrition for Kids
Book: The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Child Care
Brenda Rogers is the creator and founder of the Passage to Power Program – a program designed to help women transform themselves at menopause.
She’s also the local chapter leader for the global charity organisation, the Weston A Price Foundation (WAPF). The WAPF promotes the Wise Traditions diet and aims to educate individuals on how to take charge of their health and using nutrient dense and properly prepared food.
