| New research is appearing now that's showing the | | | | these refined sugars also cause behavioral disorders |
| link between the consumption of food additives by | | | | by depleting the body of nutrients that are critical for |
| children - especially food colorings - and attention | | | | neurological health. These nutrients include the B |
| deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Well-informed | | | | vitamins and several notable minerals, including |
| parents have long realized that the consumption of | | | | magnesium and zinc. When the human body is |
| food additives causes hyperactivity in their children, | | | | deficient in these vitamins and minerals, it will, of |
| but most conventional doctors have dismissed the | | | | course, exhibit both mental and physical disorders. |
| idea as pure bunk. Of course, far too many doctors | | | | The problem in all of this is that rather than |
| dismiss the idea that food choice has any relationship | | | | recognizing the true cause of these mental and |
| to health in the first place, so the view from | | | | physical disorders in our children and in our adult |
| conventional medicine doesn't carry much weight. | | | | population, conventional medicine labels it a disease. |
| The real story here, however, is not that food | | | | Therefore, the treatment becomes a drug rather |
| additives and artificial colorings cause ADHD, but that | | | | than changing your diet, and that's where things get |
| there are several other dietary substances that | | | | crazy, because now we're dosing up tens of millions |
| heavily influence a child's mental state and day-to-day | | | | of our children on Ritalin when the true answer to |
| behavior. | | | | their behavioral problems or lack of focus is to |
| Let's face it: the human brain is a flesh and blood | | | | immediately remove soft drinks, cookies, and sugary |
| organ, and it is strongly influenced by blood | | | | breakfast cereals from their diets. If you feed your |
| chemistry, which is, in turn, dictated almost entirely | | | | children foods that enhance their health - that is, |
| by diet. What you eat, in other words, determines | | | | unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, whole |
| what your blood composition looks like, and what | | | | grains and superfoods - then they won't exhibit these |
| your blood composition looks like determines the way | | | | behavioral problems. |
| your brain functions. Of course there are other | | | | In fact, the solution to all this is surprisingly simple: we |
| factors, such as physical exercise and environmental | | | | need to change the diets of our children. We need to |
| influences, but the largest factor of all is dietary. | | | | take vending machines out of our public school |
| So when you eat processed foods containing | | | | systems. We need to reformulate school lunch |
| additives and artificial colors, you are introducing toxic | | | | programs so that they are feeding our children foods |
| chemicals into your bloodstream. Those chemicals find | | | | that promote learning and mental health. We also |
| their way into the brain and alter brain function, and | | | | need to educate parents about how to feed their |
| in the case of children who have been diagnosed | | | | children right, so that they aren't so easily influenced |
| with ADHD, it alters their behavior to make them | | | | by foods that their children want to eat. |
| restless or to have a shortened attention span. It can | | | | And finally, we need to ban all advertising and |
| also cause children and adults alike to display other | | | | marketing of unhealthy products to children. It should |
| problems derived from their mental state. (We'll | | | | be illegal, in a civilized society, for companies that |
| discuss the impact of nutritional deficiency on adult | | | | manufacture products that cause obesity and ADHD |
| society next time.) | | | | to promote those products to children, because it |
| But it isn't just food additives causing detrimental | | | | only creates a cycle of disease and chronic illness |
| effects - it's also refined carbohydrates. People who | | | | that brings society down, and the long-term effect |
| eat large quantities of white bread (or food | | | | of all of this is, of course, skyrocketing health care |
| containing refined white flour) also suffer from mental | | | | costs. |
| disorders. These can include depression, aggression | | | | Once again, the answer to all of this is simply to |
| and violent behavior, and learning disabilities. | | | | change the foods and drinks that we feed our |
| Consuming refined carbohydrates also causes people | | | | nation's children. The answer is certainly not to be |
| to have brain fog - that is, they can't concentrate for | | | | dosing our children with powerful narcotics such as |
| very long, and they don't feel like they have clarity | | | | Ritalin, because right now in this country we are |
| of mind. | | | | raising a generation of brain-numbed children through |
| Drinking soft drinks also causes the same effect, | | | | our public school system and through the reckless, |
| because it is essentially the same macronutrient that's | | | | widespread pharmaceutical prescribing habits of many |
| poisoning your body: refined sugars. As it turns out, | | | | doctors and psychiatrists. |