Better+Nutrition+June+2019

(^44) • JUNE  ­€
asktheN UTRITIONIST/ANSWERS TO YOUR FOOD QUESTIONS
Freeing Your Family
When health crises prompt major diet changes,
focus on the positive and patiently and persistently
adopt new habits to move toward a therapeutic
way of eating /// BY MELISSA DIANE SMITH
Melissa Diane
Smith is an
internationally
known journalist and
holistic nutritionist who
has more than 20 years of
clinical nutrition experience
and specializes in using
food as medicine. She is
the cutting-edge author
of Going Against GMOs,
Going Against the Grain,
and Gluten Free
Throughout the Year, and
the coauthor of Syndrome
X. To learn about her
books, long-distance
consultations, nutrition
coaching programs, or
speaking, visit her
websites:
melissadianesmith.com
and againstthegrain-
nutrition.com.
:My son has just been diagnosed with the gluten-related autoimmune
skin condition dermatitis herpetiformis, and we recently found out
that my daughter is severely allergic to milk products and experiences
digestive distress from all grains. My husband has irritable bowel
syndrome, allergies, and asthma; I have digestive bloating;
and all of us are overweight and don’t eat enough
vegetables. Going on a grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free diet seems
like it would be best for us, but I’m overwhelmed about how to go
about that. Can you offer some pointers?
—Tanya W., Madison, Wis.
a:
It’s common for health crises to
compel transformation in diet,
and summer is the perfect time to make
the switch so your family can become
accustomed to this therapeutic way
of eating before your kids go back to
school. And, really, it’s a good idea for
everyone to adopt at least a few of these
healthier dietary practices.
“Changing your diet now can save
you time, heartache, and money in the
future,” says Leah Webb, MPH, author
of the new book, The
Grain-Free, Sugar-
Free, Dairy-Free Family
Cookbook (Chelsea Green
Publishing). Families who are
not in crisis mode might favor a more
moderate approach to their diet, but
getting grain- sugar-, and dairy-based
junk foods out of the diet can benefi t
everyone. “Don’t settle for mediocrity when
it comes to diet when the alternative
feels so much better,” says Webb.
Parents have a responsibility to help
their children learn and understand how
to fuel their bodies in a healthy way.
Feeding our kids the proper foods takes
eff ort, but the payoff is substantial.
Basics of Making Changes
as a Family
Start with yourself. Improve the way you
eat and the eff ects will likely gradually
cascade down to other family members.
Next, serve only one healthy meal
each at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Don’t cook to order or off er alternative
foods for individual kids. Try to pair new
foods with something familiar that they
like. But if your kids don’t want to
eat the new foods, don’t get
discouraged: Keep trying to
off er them. Studies show
that children won’t even
try a new food until it’s
been off ered many times,
according to Webb.
Also, encourage your
children to get involved in
the kitchen and participate
in small tasks during the food
preparation process. Kids are much more
interested in trying new foods if they
have a hand in fi xing those foods. Plus,
the more they learn to do in the kitchen
when they’re young, the more prepared
they will be to make their own nutritious
meals in the future.
Healthy
Tip!
Summer is the best time
to make healthier changes
to your family’s diet, so that
everyone has a chance to
get used to them before
they go back to
school.
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