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in maintaining a healthy weight.6 Overweight kids definitely need to be on a good spore-based probiotic, as well as eating as many fermented foods such as sauerkraut or homemade fer- mented pickles as possible. Consider making kefir soda or kombucha with them for a healthier soda pop.7
GOOD FATS, NOT LOWFAT
Get plenty of good fats and make sure your
child does not consume lowfat dairy! Healthy fats like butter, other animal fats and full-fat dairy fill us up so we’re less likely to need a snack later or crave empty carbs. Nina Planck explains in her book, Real Food: What to Eat and Why, that calcium absorption may be the key to why studies show that people who consume more milk, yogurt and cheese lose fat (especially belly fat) and gain lean muscle.8 Planck quotes a nutrition professor, Michael Zemel, who found that calcium from dairy foods is “strikingly more effective than calcium from fortified foods or supplements” for stimulating weight loss. When our body is well nourished, it doesn’t store extra fat in “fear” that it won’t have what it needs. As a bonus, foods with good fats taste great, too.
DEVELOP SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE It’s inevitable that kids with weight issues are going to struggle with low self-esteem, at least to some degree, so building confidence in some area of their life will be crucial. Find whatever it is that your children are good at and help them further develop these skills or hobbies. This will also keep them more active.
ROLE-PLAY CHALLENGING SITUATIONS
Lastly, other kids (or even adults) can be cruel, as we all know, and
your child is bound to hear about how they look from some little snot. Praise them often for all their many wonderful qualities (without being phoney or giving empty praise, because kids see through that) and tell them how great you think they are and how much you love them, no matter what. Be that safe person in their life who they can always come to when they’re sad. Let them know you understand how they feel, and share whatever it was that you were teased about as a kid. Role-play with them and try out ideas for how to handle a similar situation in the future. This also may be a good way to get them giggling a little and lighten up the issue for them a bit.
If you have an overweight child, my heart goes out to you—and the child! Hopefully these suggestions will help you help your child live a full, healthy life, knowing how to nourish themselves well.
Kelly is a wife and homeschooling mom of four kids, and the author of Real Food for Rookies. You can find her at KellytheKitchenKop.com where she's been writing for ten years. If you want to learn more about any of the above, look around on the blog or search online for “Kitchen Kop healthy snack ideas” or “Kitchen Kop school lunch ideas.” If you subscribe to the newsletter at KellytheKitchenKop.com/free, you'll get a grocery store cheat sheet as well as many free printables and access to the Real Food for Rookies online class.
REFERENCES
1. https://www.westonaprice.org/about-us/shopping-guide/.
2. “Know your fats introduction.” https://www.westonaprice.org/health-topics/know-your-fats/know-
your-fats-introduction/.
3. Allbritton J. Packing the perfect lunch box. Wise Traditions, Summer 2007;8(2):59-62.
4. Hall KD, Ayuketah A, Brychta R, et al. Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight
gain: an inpatient randomized controlled trial of ad libitum food intake. Cell Metab 2019 May 10. 5. “My girly girl inspired this big move to safer skincare.” https://kellythekitchenkop.com/my-girly-
girl-safer-skincare/.
6. “New link between gut bacteria and obesity.” https://www.sciencedaily.com/
releases/2018/02/180223092441.htm.
7. Allbritton J. Who needs soda pop with these bodacious beverages. Wise Traditions, Spring
2008;9(1):64-69.
8. Planck N. Real Food: What to Eat and Why. Bloomsbury USA; 2016.
9. “Healthy low carb / keto meals and snack ideas.” https://kellythekitchenkop.com/keto-meals-and-
snack-ideas/.
10. Allbritton J. Zapping sugar cravings. Wise Traditions, Winter 2010;11(4):53-59.
ALTERNATIVES TO CANDY
In her 2010 Wise Traditions article on “zapping sugar cravings,” Jen Allbritton shared the following strategies for rewards that are not candy-based.10
When it comes to food, I am quite the negotiator. Brainstorm on what your child enjoys most. Maybe you limit your child’s time with the TV. A piece of candy received at school can be traded for an extra half-hour show, staying up fifteen minutes past normal bedtime, or an extra trip to the pool over the weekend. A ticket system could be devised to work up to something bigger, such as a doll or a pair of in-line skates. Use your imagination to make active family fun more tempting than sugar. Also, you can offer your child’s teacher or Girl Scout group leader ideas for rewards or gifts instead of candy. Depending on the age, consider nickels or dimes, balloons, pencils, bookmarks, crayons, ribbons, glow bracelets, stickers, and other little trinkets from the dollar store. It may even be worth purchasing these alternatives to make the switch happen.
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Wise Traditions SUMMER2019