I realized something today, something that my husband has been telling me for years. I have too many books. My house is like a library. I’m not kidding. I was reorganizing my books last week and I came across a book I bought ages ago (back in 2002). I had forgotten I even had it. It’s a great book, and I thought it would be great to share some food for thought with you. The book is called ‘Is Your Child’s Brain Starving?
My parents thought I was crazy. I remember one time , overhearing my parents talking about my problem. My mom wanted to put me in an institution, as she thought that I needed help and I would get it there, but good old Dad would have none of that. So I stayed safe at home with my family. There was times when I thought I was crazy, not knowing what I had and not knowing why I was different. At times I would wash my hands until they bled. I didn’t know why I was doing it, all I knew was that I had to, or I couldn’t function. The other children thought I was weird. It was not easy.
Okay, why am I telling you all this? Here’s the connection: my diet was not very good at all. Not even close. This was not my mom and dad’s fault. You have to understand that back then, no one really knew anything about nutrition. There was no nutritionist to go to. (Gee I feel ancient!) Anyway, as I got older, I learned about nutrition and also what I had. My husband was watching Oprah on TV (the talk show) back in 1987-88. He said, “Monique, come quick! You have to see this. I know what you have!” I ran in and there, and there they were, talking about OCD and they had some people on the show that had it.
Finally, I could put a name to what was wrong with me and I was not the only person with this problem. I was not alone anymore, I started crying, I was so happy. Only problem was, they said that apparently drugs were the only thing that would help. Not true, but back then I didn’t know any better, so I tried the drugs they gave me. This turned out to be a very bad idea. They made me suicidal. My husband and I threw them out and figured I’d just have to live with my condition. And I did.
Eventually, I started taking courses in health and nutrition. The health food industry started growing and more and more information was being shared with the public, which was great, but I didn’t find the answers I needed from these sources. In fact, I wasn’t even looking to fix my OCD, because I didn’t think I could. I started changing things in my diet because of my health, and what I discovered is that the more nutritious my diet became, the less compulsions I had. Can you guess what it was that made the biggest difference of all? Going vegan helped. Going mostly raw helped too, but it was the Greens (leafy greens) that made the biggest difference of all.
There are some very critical nutrients that the brain needs. In the weeks that follow I will be sharing some important information on feeding your children’s brain as well as your own. I will list the nutrients needed today, but each week I will go in depth on each one, so stay tuned!
Here’s the list: iron,calcium, magnesium,zinc, chromium, selenium, B1, B6, B12, antioxidants,phytochemicals, EFA’s, phosphatidylserine,protein, docosahexaenoic acid, micronutrients, etc.
I’m listing iron first as it is key to enzymes known as cytochromes. These enzymes are stored in what is known as mitochondria, which are like huge energy-generating stations. All the cells in our bodies contain mitochondria. The brain is no exception, as it requires enormous amounts of energy, and you guessed it, the brain is packed with these powerhouses. The parts of the brain that are responsible for attentiveness, higher judgment, and impulse control are the most complex. They also demand a large amount of energy. Therefore, these regions of the brain have the highest density of cytochromes. Science has found that children with even a minor deficiency of iron tend to have behavioral problems. Studies have also shown that when these children receive enough iron, their behavior improves.
Now before anyone goes running off and thinking that they have to pump their kids full of iron, consider this first: Does your child have an iron deficiency? If so, using an iron supplement is not always the best soluiton, as too much from a supplement can be toxic. Food is the best place to get a healthy source of iron, but no… not from liver. My father fed me plenty of that horrible stuff, but guess what? I had an iron deficiency until I became a vegan and started eating raw foods. That was when my iron levels became healthy, and it’s those wonderful Greens that did it! So if you want to do some good, load your kids and yourself with a variety of greens each day. There are some wonderful green smoothie recipes on The Raw Divas website, and ‘Green for Life’ by Victoria Boutenko is another great source of tasty ideas the whole family will love as well.
I’d like to share with you the Shrek Smoothie the kids at Meadowfields School love it. Your kids will love it to. They’ll get their iron and so much more.
Shrek Smoothie
2 large frozen banana’s
1 cup frozen mango
a large handful of Kale
water
Place the first three ingredients in your blender in the order given. Add enough water to just cover the fruit. Blend on high speed until smooth. You can add more water if needed.
To Your Health
Monique