. . .  it’s probably been made even more toxic with aspartame Our poor children are faced with unhealthy food choices everywhere they look. One place parents should be able to count on to provide healthy food for their kids is their school. But no such luck! Milk is already a toxic soup (see my article on Milk) that no one should be drinking, but would you believe that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows the $1 billion a year school lunch program to purchase milk flavored with chemical sweeteners, especially aspartame? Aspartame (NutraSweet® and Equal are two trade names for this toxic sweetener) is the last thing you want to give a child. It’s an excitotoxin that can damage and even destroy nerve and brain cells. Yet 40% of our children regularly ingest aspartame. Can you say Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? Aspartame, which has also been linked with cancer, impairs absorption of the amino acid tryptophan. Tryptophan in turn is used to make serotonin,…

. . . there are problems with antibacterials, and regular soap protects you just as well Frequent hand washing is one good way for you and your kids to prevent winter colds and flu, but antibacterial soaps do nothing more than regular soaps to protect you, while antibacterial chemicals can raise havoc both in the human body and in our environment. According to a 2008 Environmental Working Group (EWG) report, both the American Medical Association and a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee, along with “dozens of academic researchers” concluded that antimicrobial soaps don’t work any better than plain soap and water at preventing the spread of infections. But while antibacterials, the most common and most studied being triclosan, don’t offer any additional protection, they do provide additional risk. Triclosan is known to be toxic to bacteria, algae and fish. I think you can be virtually certain it is also toxic to humans. Animal studies suggest that triclosan is…

…forget milk and cookies, crackers and juice boxes…there are much healthier choices. Most parents consider convenience a smart tool for running the household. And it’s never been truer than when serving snacks to kids...especially during the school day. Snacks play a big role in providing proper nutrition…building life-long healthy eating habits…and helping prevent costly, often disabling diseases. Yet, most convenience foods are processed foods that lack adequate nutrition, and worse, contain harmful chemical additives. What about food items other kids bring in? Consider this… You can’t control what other parents feed their kids. Or what treats they send to school to share. But you can and should make sure you provide your child healthy snacks. Whether morning or afternoon snack time…birthday celebrations…or field trips, school time is your opportunity to set the example on what a healthy snack food is…and isn’t. Healthy Snacks to Send Choosing healthy snacks to send…

…helping kids handle stress may be your biggest challenge this school year A 2009 APA Stress in America survey showed nearly half of all students stress about doing well in school. And it’s only gotten worse. In fact, we see mounting evidence that school-aged kids today are drowning under the stress of peer relationships…academic overload…and pressure to perform. While it may be impossible to keep your kids worry-free, use the following proven tips to ease kids through the stress of another school year. Keep a consistent day-to-day routine—Routine helps kids feel safe and relaxed. Thus, they’ll be better equipped to focus on one task at a time…steer clear of overwhelm…and perform to expectations. Researchers say kids eventually hard-wire this into their behavior. So it’s important parents start routines early, and keep kids consistent with them. Get plenty of sleep—Experts insist kids 5-12 years old should get up to 10 hours of restful sleep for proper physical and…

. . . most Americans are deficient in this essential fatty acid Omega-3 fatty acids, found primarily in fish and flax oils, are notoriously deficient in the modern diet. These deficiencies have been linked to mood disorders, addictions, and even schizophrenia that typically occur from adolescence to early adulthood. A recent University of Pittsburgh study used rats to look at how two generations of omega-3 deficiency affected cognition and mood. Both generations suffered impairments, but the second generation, now in its adolescence, fared worse. Although the rats appeared to be in good physical health, when tests were administered to measure learning, memory, decision-making, anxiety and hyperactivity, impairments were noted, and these were worse in the second generation of deficient rats, now in their adolescence. The teenage rats were “more anxious and hyperactive, learned at a slower rate, and had impaired problem-solving abilities,” according to a University of Pittsburgh…

All parents want their children to be healthy. The question is: what’s the most important thing can we do to boost the immunity of our little ones so they stay disease-free? Hands down, our best recommendation is to provide the maximum amount of vitamin C in their daily diet. What makes Vitamin C so special? For starters, vitamin C is a powerful reducing agent, meaning it readily donates electrons to recipient molecules, making it a powerful antioxidant that works to keep disease out of cells in the first place. That’s critically important to the most fragile of us, our children. That’s why we recommend kids get plenty of vitamin C in their diet so seasonal viruses like colds and flus don’t put a damper on school and play. In fact, vitamin C ranks as one of the best defenders against cellular malfunction—the only “real” disease—caused by nutritional deficiencies or toxicity. Studies show that vitamin C can reduce the duration of colds up to 14%. In other words, it can boos…

Children’s energy and zest for living make us adults feel alive and joyful. They seem to epitomize good health. But appearances can be deceiving. Like most Americans today, our children are suffering from poor nutrition and toxicity, the two causes of disease. And while children may appear invulnerable, nutrient deficiencies and toxic exposures are taking a silent and sometimes not-so-silent toll. The truth is that even though the knowledge exists to raise strong, healthy children, it is difficult to find a truly healthy child. Child poverty is a significant problem in the US, but even the children of affluent and highly-educated parents have multiple nutrient deficiencies based on government standards, which are already too low. Meanwhile, chemical use in America has gone up 2,000% over the past half century. More than 85,000 synthetic chemicals (only a tiny fraction of which have been tested for safety in humans) are now found in our air, water, soil, food, household furnish…

Malnutrition is the leading cause of disease in America, and children’s diets are usually worse than even our malnourished adults.  As a result, sub-clinical nutrient deficiencies are common, and show up as behavior problems, learning difficulties, obesity, anxiety, and depression. More and more children are developing cardiovascular risk factors as early as age three and are suffering from diseases that used to be reserved for older folk, like type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and cancer. No sane parent would deliberately give their child heart disease or cancer. Yet this is exactly what we do by feeding our children disease-causing “foods” like sugar, white flour, milk, ice cream, cookies, candy, cakes, fruit juice, sodas, pizza, breakfast cereals, French fries and various processed foods.  Unfortunately, the same kinds of so-called “foods” are served in school cafeterias, contributing to poor school performance and impaired social skills. Optimal development and fun…

Here’s another important challenge to all of us who care about protecting health freedom in America.California legislators have proposed to eliminate parental involvement and consent in their adolescent children’s “choice” to accept dangerous vaccines.  If this measure passes in California, other states will be sure to follow.While some teens and tweens may be informed enough and strong enough to take a stand against peer pressure and school authorities pushing the vaccine of the moment, most minor children are not. That’s why this age group is under the legal age of consent and why parents are charged with the right and the responsibility of making certain decisions for them.This legislation seems to be a thinly veiled attempt to simply get more children vaccinated, overriding the wishes of many parents. As the Natural Solutions Foundation observes, if parents are deprived of the right to make health decisions for their minor children, “how long will it be before they – and you –…

The school year is back and we have some tips on how to cold and flu-proof your child.Children need special nutritional support as they head back to school each fall. Any gathering of kids creates a perfect opportunity for germs to spread, and no sooner has the school year gotten underway then flu season beginning.How can you strengthen your child’s immune system and avoid winter colds and flus?Number one, banish sugar from your child’s diet. Even a small amount of refined sugar can suppress your child’s immune system for hours. Immune cells need a lot of vitamin C to function normally, but sugar, which has a chemical structure similar to vitamin C, competes with the vitamin to enter the cells, creating an artificial vitamin C shortage. Avoid fruit juices (including orange juice), which are also too high in sugar. Whole fruits, however, are fine in moderation.Feed your child the right fats. Trans fats and excess omega 6 fats (found in supermarket vegetable oils) depress immunity,…

Question: What supplementation would you suggest for an athletic 11 year boy with asthma? — Internet Answer:You should pride yourself in recognizing that supplementation is needed for young athletes.I would recommend Beyond Health Multi-Vitamin, Cod Liver Oil, CoQ10, and vitamin C, D, and E. An active child should take additional Vitamin C to keep their immune system strong.I would recommend at least one tablet twice a day.To reverse inflammatory conditions (like asthma) we often recommend Vitamin C “to bowel tolerance.”Athletes also require extra antioxidants.CoQ10 is an antioxidant and would be beneficial to your son’s program.With his asthma, Beyond Health Vitamin E Formula and Cell Repair would also be excellent additions as they would bolster his immune system.As for Vitamin D, one multivitamin will give him 200 IU of Vitamin D and each teaspoon of Cod Liver Oil will give him additional 400 IU.A tablespoon plus the multivitamin would give him a substantial total of 1,400…

Halloween can be a special holiday for families. Carving pumpkins…making costumes…going to parties…trick-or-treating—even playing an occasional prank.But like most holidays, it’s an unwelcome opportunity to turn healthy eating on its head. Whether it’s tempting your sugar cravings…eating more than your body needs…or caving in to unreasonable expectations of the season and an undisciplined American mainstream, Halloween will test your resolve for making wise food choices for both you and your kids.But if you want to stay the course on living disease-free, it’s important to take a proactive approach to nutrition during these—or any other—holiday festivities.By failing to plan, you’re planning to failThe old adage applies quite well in this case. To help you increase your family’s chances of thriving—instead of just surviving—through the Halloween treat temptations, we’d like to offer some simple healthy Halloween tips to help you and your kids stay on-track with your healthy-eating goals…

. . . new research explains how man’s best friend protects kids from allergies and asthmaDogs have the unique ability to enhance our well-being by providing companionship and security.While the emotional benefits of owning a pet—particularly dogs—is well-established, previous research shows early exposure to dogs reduces a child’s risk of developing asthma and allergies later on. Now, a new study reveals just why that may be.A team of scientists—led by Susan Lynch, PhD, associate professor at the University of California San Francisco—has demonstrated that living with a dog can improve the diversity of bacteria in house dust—and thus a stronger immune response to these allergens.In the study, researchers collected dust from homes that had a dog, and fed it to pre-adult mice. Then, they infected the mice with a common childhood infection called respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).Compared to mice not exposed to any dust, as well as those exposed to dust from homes without dogs, the mice w…

In germ-filled classrooms, it takes just one sick child to infect classmates whose immune system is even slightly compromised. Almost 22 million school days are missed because of colds each year. And 38 million days are missed due to the flu virus. What can parents do to help kids stay healthy while in school? Encourage healthy eating of the right kinds of foods that boost immunity. While school breakfasts and lunches are far from perfect, this study suggests school foods are getting healthier, maybe even healthier than what some kids are getting at home. So heads-up parents! We’ve said for years that disease cannot survive in healthy cells. As long as you are insisting your kids eat nutritious foods that boost their immune system—and skip those loaded with toxins—they’ll stay healthy and strong throughout the school year. So here are our top six foods your child can eat while at school: Walnuts Just seven walnuts a day can have amazing health benefits. In fact…

How do you get your family to adopt better health habits?  At Beyond Health we get this question a lot, especially from people who’ve read one of Raymond Francis’s books and have become convinced they want to make some major changes in their lifestyle.  Here are some ideas. First, make time to talk with your spouse or other adult members of the family about your family’s health and what you’ve been learning. They may be “ripe for the picking” and enthusiastic about your ideas. Or they may be ready to make some changes, and not others. You may be excited about going raw and vegan; they may want hot, cooked meals for dinner. You may want to refuse vaccinations for your children; they may want to do more research first before taking such an unpopular stance. Encourage them to empower themselves by reading Raymond Francis’s book The Great American Health Hoax, so it’s not just you who’s supplying information. The Maintenance List chapter alone is worth the price of the boo…

? What Research Says About Green Tea & Immune Health Interest in “natural immune support for kids” and “foods that help prevent flu” has surged online. One reason: studies exploring plant compounds that support immune function. A large observational study of schoolchildren in Japan found: Children who drank ≥1 cup of green tea at least 6 days per week had lower reported rates of influenza infection Those drinking 3–5 cups daily showed the greatest reduction Researchers believe this effect may be linked to green tea’s natural compounds, including: Catechins Polyphenols Flavonoids These plant molecules are widely studied for their roles in supporting normal immune response and cellular protection. ? Why Green Tea May Support Immunity Green tea contains bioactive compounds studied for their ability to: Support antioxidant defenses Promote healthy inflammatory balance Help maintain normal immune signaling These actions don&r…