Angela

Hi,
I'm looking for some guidance with my son and food restriction. I am
troubled because I see that he has gained a lot of weight over the
past seven months. I have never restricted food, and I don't want to
begin, but I really see my son's body changing, and he does not seem
as healthy and energetic as he was before he gained the weight. He no
longer seems to want to ride his bike, he gets tired easily when we
run and play tag, and I don't like what's happening. I want him to
feel good and strong and healthy.
Because I want to help him, I have started shopping a little
differently. I don't buy all the things I used to buy, because I want
to offer him healthy foods, and not so many treats. I have trusted
him in the past to choose a little of both, but he has always chosen
cookies, ice cream, and sweets over everything else. He also had a
very painful cavity in one of his back teeth very recently and had to
have the truth extracted. The dentist asked about his diet and I told
him my son eats a lot of sweets. He suggested we try to cut down and
eat more vegetables and fresh, raw foods.
I need help with this. I am fairly new to this lifestyle and feel
like I am sitting on the fence on some issues, and is one is by far
the toughest I have dealt with so far. I don't restrict bedtime, and
that has never been a problem, nor have I had any trouble with my
children being home, aside from the occasional sibling argument and
some minor violence from my son. I've been able to feel confident in
my choices and my children's choices on all other issues, so this is
very frustrating to me. Do I continue to shop alone, slowly
eliminating as many sweets as possible? Do I just let him deal with
the consequences of eating too much sugar and fat? I want to help him
be a healthy boy, but I don't want to shame him in any way because he
is getting...what do I say here without sounding judgmental...heavy.
This may sound like a silly problem, but it's really begun to bother
me, and I truly need some help.
Thank you,
Angela

[email protected]

-----Original Message-----
From: Angela <ansperry@...>

He also had a very painful cavity in one of his back teeth very
recently and had to
have the truth extracted.

-=-==-=-

I apologize for not taking the time to formulate a response. I'm busy
with other things right now (scheduling speakers and funshops), so I'm
a little tired and punchy. But this got me giggling.

I LOVE typos and Freudian slips and other accidental funnies, and I
thought that was great: "he had to have the TRUTH extracted."

Thanks. I needed that. <G>


~Kelly, still giggling

Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org

BRIAN POLIKOWSKY

Oh My ! I have so much to say about that.
Where do I start....
First:
You said you have never really restricited foods but that you are new to unschooling.
Can you be more detailed. My sister says she does not restrict foods too but I see her tell the kids:
"Just one candy now"
" You got to eat your food before the ice-dream"
" I am not going to by candy this time"
" I will not give you cake if you don't behave"
And she hides the candy so they don;t eat all at once.
So that makes candy scarse and kids feel that and if they have the chance they will eat as much as they can becasue they don';t have all they want at any time.
In my house my kids go thru fases. A while ago my son wanted Laffy-Taffy. I just bought him 3 huge bags of it.
That was like a month ago.
The first bag went fast. The second they ate slowly all but left the banana flavor and the last still here. I alwasy have at leat one bag of peanut butter cups and my dd just likes to open them and sometimes take one tiny little bite. She never eats them. They are in the cabinet if they want whenever they want.
Second;
How old is your son. Pre-adolescence( pre-teens) tend to put on weight to get ready for a growth spur. I had so many chunky friends until they where 13-15 that shot up and became skinny all by themnselves including my step-son who lost all his weight and was never bothered by his mon or my ex.
Third;
Unschooling is not just letting them eat  without guidance. Guidance does not mean any type of control
There has been a lot written about food in this board.This is what I wrote a while ago:
I think what a lot of new to unschooling parents don't get about letting kids
choose what they eat is that you just don't just leave those kids alone to
figure things out.
Especially little ones need to have parents that are present and attuned to
them.
You, the parent, is still responsible to having AND OFFERING a variety of
healthy choices to your child every so often.
Things that a parent can do is:
* Have the Monkey Platter available ( we call it "Goodies Plate)What I do is I
prepare a big plate with little portions of snacks and foods that can be eaten
by hand like raisins, carrots, celery, chocolate chips, deli meat or other,
tofu, cheeses, breads( cut up cute and small), baby spinach, potato chips,
broccoli, you get the point... ( all those are examples of what my son likes and
I buy them all organic and whole grains etc) I will also ad whatever else they
want maybe M& Ms, chocolate chip cookies or Gummy Bears, etc
* I bring then something every 2 hours the most ( my kids are 4 and a half and
almost one- the baby nurses a lot still). I found out that if they go longer
without eating they get real hungry and head for the less healthy , more sugary
and handy stuff. If I anticipate the hunger they prefer to eat the cut up pear,
the organic yogurt ect.
*'If my son is playing games and does not want to stop but I know he is hungry (
getting moody and frustrated at the game) I will hand feed him. No problem and
he really appreciates plus it is a moment that he feels special since I spend so
many times taking care of the baby.
*If we are shopping and he wants something I just buy it for him. Whatever it
is. "Junk" or not. He can have it. Most times he will try it and not like it. If
he does we just always buy for him or ask if he wants it when we are shopping. I
like to buy what he likes to have at home at all times if possible.
We talk about healthy foods and I read labels and try to simply explain why some
things are good and some are not.
Lately he heard about trans fats and found out that the cookies Daddy likes have
lots of it. So he now asks me to make some healthy cookies for him. Of course if
he still wants those because we don't have ready healthy cookies he will just
grab the other so it is up to me to make sure he has healthy ones.
He has eaten maybe one or two of the "trans fat" cookies...since that discovery.
I need to make more healthy one ASAP
He also asked for orange juice about a month ago when he had a little head cold
and needed his vitamin C.
If he is eating a little too much sugar I offer some protein to help his body
not have a sugar crash. He does take my advice because I have pointed out when
he was having a sugar crash and he does not like to feel that way.
Kids want to feel good. Give them a chance, Respect their choices, be proactive,
be there, do not be judgmental of their choices.
If my ds asks for ice cream for breakfast he gets ice cream. I don't tell him
ice cream is bad and he should choose something else. I have a healthier ice
cream that I buy and he loves. I just give to him.
A little later I offer him other things to eat.
So what I am trying to say is that when you unschool food you don't just start
offering candy and pop and let your kids figure it out by themselves when they
are hungry when they are only 3.
Offer them choices, let them eat what they want or not. let them ask for
something else. Let them have the cake once, three times, ten times, but offer
in a plate other choices. More likely than not they will also eat other things
and not only the cake.
Sometimes I ask my ds if he wants like say pasta and chicken for lunch and he
will tell me he wants ice cream first. He will eat his ice cream and his other
food.
Hope it helps
Alex

-=-=-=-=-=-
Fourth:
Here about cavities ans xylitol ( to help prevent)
I have done  a lot of research on cavities and sugar alone will not cause it.
There are many factors involved. SOme people eat almost no sugar and are still plagued by it.
Some eat lost of candy and never get one. I also read an articvle online ( don;t have it anymore) about a Rae Food guru and he said he got
lots of cavities from eating too many fruits. It made his salive acidic and that was that.
http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/xylitol_natural_sweetener.html
Fifth:
Please don't make your child feel she is fat. He is perfect just like he is now
Here is what I wrote about my strugles with weight:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics/message/20876


 
Alex Polikowsky
http://polykow.blogspot.com/
 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingmn/
 






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Jeanette Crichton

One thing that I do is if my kids ask for any snack, I always say, "do you want me to fix you a plate with chips (or whatever snack) on it?" They almost always say yes. That way they eat a variety of food and don't just eat a bag of chips. Although they have done that occasionally : )
Jeanette



----- Original Message ----
From: BRIAN POLIKOWSKY <polykowholsteins@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, August 4, 2008 5:54:23 PM
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] food restriction


Oh My ! I have so much to say about that.
Where do I start....
First:
You said you have never really restricited foods but that you are new to unschooling.
Can you be more detailed. My sister says she does not restrict foods too but I see her tell the kids:
"Just one candy now"
" You got to eat your food before the ice-dream"
" I am not going to by candy this time"
" I will not give you cake if you don't behave"
And she hides the candy so they don;t eat all at once.
So that makes candy scarse and kids feel that and if they have the chance they will eat as much as they can becasue they don';t have all they want at any time.
In my house my kids go thru fases. A while ago my son wanted Laffy-Taffy. I just bought him 3 huge bags of it.
That was like a month ago.
The first bag went fast. The second they ate slowly all but left the banana flavor and the last still here. I alwasy have at leat one bag of peanut butter cups and my dd just likes to open them and sometimes take one tiny little bite. She never eats them. They are in the cabinet if they want whenever they want.
Second;
How old is your son. Pre-adolescence( pre-teens) tend to put on weight to get ready for a growth spur. I had so many chunky friends until they where 13-15 that shot up and became skinny all by themnselves including my step-son who lost all his weight and was never bothered by his mon or my ex.
Third;
Unschooling is not just letting them eat without guidance. Guidance does not mean any type of control
There has been a lot written about food in this board.This is what I wrote a while ago:
I think what a lot of new to unschooling parents don't get about letting kids
choose what they eat is that you just don't just leave those kids alone to
figure things out.
Especially little ones need to have parents that are present and attuned to
them.
You, the parent, is still responsible to having AND OFFERING a variety of
healthy choices to your child every so often.
Things that a parent can do is:
* Have the Monkey Platter available ( we call it "Goodies Plate)What I do is I
prepare a big plate with little portions of snacks and foods that can be eaten
by hand like raisins, carrots, celery, chocolate chips, deli meat or other,
tofu, cheeses, breads( cut up cute and small), baby spinach, potato chips,
broccoli, you get the point... ( all those are examples of what my son likes and
I buy them all organic and whole grains etc) I will also ad whatever else they
want maybe M& Ms, chocolate chip cookies or Gummy Bears, etc
* I bring then something every 2 hours the most ( my kids are 4 and a half and
almost one- the baby nurses a lot still). I found out that if they go longer
without eating they get real hungry and head for the less healthy , more sugary
and handy stuff. If I anticipate the hunger they prefer to eat the cut up pear,
the organic yogurt ect.
*'If my son is playing games and does not want to stop but I know he is hungry (
getting moody and frustrated at the game) I will hand feed him. No problem and
he really appreciates plus it is a moment that he feels special since I spend so
many times taking care of the baby.
*If we are shopping and he wants something I just buy it for him. Whatever it
is. "Junk" or not. He can have it. Most times he will try it and not like it. If
he does we just always buy for him or ask if he wants it when we are shopping. I
like to buy what he likes to have at home at all times if possible.
We talk about healthy foods and I read labels and try to simply explain why some
things are good and some are not.
Lately he heard about trans fats and found out that the cookies Daddy likes have
lots of it. So he now asks me to make some healthy cookies for him. Of course if
he still wants those because we don't have ready healthy cookies he will just
grab the other so it is up to me to make sure he has healthy ones.
He has eaten maybe one or two of the "trans fat" cookies...since that discovery.
I need to make more healthy one ASAP
He also asked for orange juice about a month ago when he had a little head cold
and needed his vitamin C.
If he is eating a little too much sugar I offer some protein to help his body
not have a sugar crash. He does take my advice because I have pointed out when
he was having a sugar crash and he does not like to feel that way.
Kids want to feel good. Give them a chance, Respect their choices, be proactive,
be there, do not be judgmental of their choices.
If my ds asks for ice cream for breakfast he gets ice cream. I don't tell him
ice cream is bad and he should choose something else. I have a healthier ice
cream that I buy and he loves. I just give to him.
A little later I offer him other things to eat.
So what I am trying to say is that when you unschool food you don't just start
offering candy and pop and let your kids figure it out by themselves when they
are hungry when they are only 3.
Offer them choices, let them eat what they want or not. let them ask for
something else. Let them have the cake once, three times, ten times, but offer
in a plate other choices. More likely than not they will also eat other things
and not only the cake.
Sometimes I ask my ds if he wants like say pasta and chicken for lunch and he
will tell me he wants ice cream first. He will eat his ice cream and his other
food.
Hope it helps
Alex

-=-=-=-=-=-
Fourth:
Here about cavities ans xylitol ( to help prevent)
I have done a lot of research on cavities and sugar alone will not cause it.
There are many factors involved. SOme people eat almost no sugar and are still plagued by it.
Some eat lost of candy and never get one. I also read an articvle online ( don;t have it anymore) about a Rae Food guru and he said he got
lots of cavities from eating too many fruits. It made his salive acidic and that was that.
http://www.angelfir e.com/az/ sthurston/ xylitol_natural_ sweetener. html
Fifth:
Please don't make your child feel she is fat. He is perfect just like he is now
Here is what I wrote about my strugles with weight:
http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/unschoolin gbasics/message/ 20876


Alex Polikowsky
http://polykow. blogspot. com/

http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/unschoolin gmn/


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

A Perry

More detail-

My son is 6. He has never been heavy until this past summer.
I do not restrict his choices. If he asks for ice cream for breakfast, I give him ice cream for breakfast. Or anything else. He chooses to have cereal often, and I keep his favorite here. We use organic dairy products and meats. My husband is often baffled because I bring home organic cheese and eggs but also Reese's peanut butter cups. To his mind I am "inconsistent", but the way I see it is, we like candy, and I like to buy foods that I know are healthful, too.
 
I have never, and will never, shame my son or make him feel fat. My son is a beautiful boy, with a heart of gold. I am just concerned about his health because of the obvious weight gain and apparent lack of motivation that I have observed since he started to eat so much sugar and fattening food. I want him to feel good, emotionally and physically. And it seems to me that he is not feeling very good physically. He is choosing sugar over everything, every time, even with little buffet style meals that include healthier selections. He seems to have lost all interest and/or desire for wholesome food, and it is taking a toll. When I offer things, he chooses the sweet, every time.
 
As for cavities, I have started looking into xylitol. This is a new thing for me. I am trying to find out what we can do about his teeth so he doesn't have to go throught that terrible experience again (toothache and extraction).


--- On Mon, 8/4/08, BRIAN POLIKOWSKY <polykowholsteins@...> wrote:
From:IAN POLIKOWSKY <polykowholsteins@...>
Subject: Re: [unschoolingbasics] food restriction
To: [email protected]
Date: Monday, August 4, 2008, 5:54 PM






Oh My ! I have so much to say about that.
Where do I start....
First:
You said you have never really restricited foods but that you are new to unschooling.
Can you be more detailed. My sister says she does not restrict foods too but I see her tell the kids:
"Just one candy now"
" You got to eat your food before the ice-dream"
" I am not going to by candy this time"
" I will not give you cake if you don't behave"
And she hides the candy so they don;t eat all at once.
So that makes candy scarse and kids feel that and if they have the chance they will eat as much as they can becasue they don';t have all they want at any time.
In my house my kids go thru fases. A while ago my son wanted Laffy-Taffy. I just bought him 3 huge bags of it.
That was like a month ago.
The first bag went fast. The second they ate slowly all but left the banana flavor and the last still here. I alwasy have at leat one bag of peanut butter cups and my dd just likes to open them and sometimes take one tiny little bite. She never eats them. They are in the cabinet if they want whenever they want.
Second;
How old is your son. Pre-adolescence( pre-teens) tend to put on weight to get ready for a growth spur. I had so many chunky friends until they where 13-15 that shot up and became skinny all by themnselves including my step-son who lost all his weight and was never bothered by his mon or my ex.
Third;
Unschooling is not just letting them eat  without guidance. Guidance does not mean any type of control
There has been a lot written about food in this board.This is what I wrote a while ago:
I think what a lot of new to unschooling parents don't get about letting kids
choose what they eat is that you just don't just leave those kids alone to
figure things out.
Especially little ones need to have parents that are present and attuned to
them.
You, the parent, is still responsible to having AND OFFERING a variety of
healthy choices to your child every so often.
Things that a parent can do is:
* Have the Monkey Platter available ( we call it "Goodies Plate)What I do is I
prepare a big plate with little portions of snacks and foods that can be eaten
by hand like raisins, carrots, celery, chocolate chips, deli meat or other,
tofu, cheeses, breads( cut up cute and small), baby spinach, potato chips,
broccoli, you get the point... ( all those are examples of what my son likes and
I buy them all organic and whole grains etc) I will also ad whatever else they
want maybe M& Ms, chocolate chip cookies or Gummy Bears, etc
* I bring then something every 2 hours the most ( my kids are 4 and a half and
almost one- the baby nurses a lot still). I found out that if they go longer
without eating they get real hungry and head for the less healthy , more sugary
and handy stuff. If I anticipate the hunger they prefer to eat the cut up pear,
the organic yogurt ect.
*'If my son is playing games and does not want to stop but I know he is hungry (
getting moody and frustrated at the game) I will hand feed him. No problem and
he really appreciates plus it is a moment that he feels special since I spend so
many times taking care of the baby.
*If we are shopping and he wants something I just buy it for him. Whatever it
is. "Junk" or not. He can have it. Most times he will try it and not like it. If
he does we just always buy for him or ask if he wants it when we are shopping. I
like to buy what he likes to have at home at all times if possible.
We talk about healthy foods and I read labels and try to simply explain why some
things are good and some are not.
Lately he heard about trans fats and found out that the cookies Daddy likes have
lots of it. So he now asks me to make some healthy cookies for him. Of course if
he still wants those because we don't have ready healthy cookies he will just
grab the other so it is up to me to make sure he has healthy ones.
He has eaten maybe one or two of the "trans fat" cookies...since that discovery.
I need to make more healthy one ASAP
He also asked for orange juice about a month ago when he had a little head cold
and needed his vitamin C.
If he is eating a little too much sugar I offer some protein to help his body
not have a sugar crash. He does take my advice because I have pointed out when
he was having a sugar crash and he does not like to feel that way.
Kids want to feel good. Give them a chance, Respect their choices, be proactive,
be there, do not be judgmental of their choices.
If my ds asks for ice cream for breakfast he gets ice cream. I don't tell him
ice cream is bad and he should choose something else. I have a healthier ice
cream that I buy and he loves. I just give to him.
A little later I offer him other things to eat.
So what I am trying to say is that when you unschool food you don't just start
offering candy and pop and let your kids figure it out by themselves when they
are hungry when they are only 3.
Offer them choices, let them eat what they want or not. let them ask for
something else. Let them have the cake once, three times, ten times, but offer
in a plate other choices. More likely than not they will also eat other things
and not only the cake.
Sometimes I ask my ds if he wants like say pasta and chicken for lunch and he
will tell me he wants ice cream first. He will eat his ice cream and his other
food.
Hope it helps
Alex

-=-=-=-=-=-
Fourth:
Here about cavities ans xylitol ( to help prevent)
I have done  a lot of research on cavities and sugar alone will not cause it.
There are many factors involved. SOme people eat almost no sugar and are still plagued by it.
Some eat lost of candy and never get one. I also read an articvle online ( don;t have it anymore) about a Rae Food guru and he said he got
lots of cavities from eating too many fruits. It made his salive acidic and that was that.
http://www.angelfir e.com/az/ sthurston/ xylitol_natural_ sweetener. html
Fifth:
Please don't make your child feel she is fat. He is perfect just like he is now
Here is what I wrote about my strugles with weight:
http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/unschoolin gbasics/message/ 20876

 
Alex Polikowsky
http://polykow. blogspot. com/
 
http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/unschoolin gmn/
 

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


















[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

A Perry

oh, that is a good one. i didn't even notice.

--- On Mon, 8/4/08, kbcdlovejo@... <kbcdlovejo@...> wrote:

From: kbcdlovejo@... <kbcdlovejo@...>
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] truth extraction WAS food restriction
To: [email protected]
Date: Monday, August 4, 2008, 5:05 PM






-----Original Message-----
From: Angela <ansperry@yahoo. com>

He also had a very painful cavity in one of his back teeth very
recently and had to
have the truth extracted.

-=-==-=-

I apologize for not taking the time to formulate a response. I'm busy
with other things right now (scheduling speakers and funshops), so I'm
a little tired and punchy. But this got me giggling.

I LOVE typos and Freudian slips and other accidental funnies, and I
thought that was great: "he had to have the TRUTH extracted."

Thanks. I needed that. <G>

~Kelly, still giggling

Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandL earnConference. org


















[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Joyce Fetteroll

On Aug 4, 2008, at 6:33 PM, A Perry wrote:

> He seems to have lost all interest and/or desire for wholesome
> food, and it is taking a toll. When I offer things, he chooses the
> sweet, every time.

How about making a "monkey platter" with a variety of things to
choose from so he doesn't have to choose sweets or not sweets.

If you go to the archives:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/unschoolingbasics/messages

and search for "monkey" (the search down below the bluish bar) that
should pull up a load of posts about them and ideas of what to put on
them.

It could be he's gearing up for a growth spurt. A craving for sugar
tends to suggest that. It's high calories in a small, quick package.

Or has there been changes in your life? He might be comforting himself.

Did he used to ride his bike with someone and that person isn't
around anymore? Did something happen?

What kind of activities can you do as a family so moving around is
associated with something fun?

Joyce

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Schuyler

One of the things that makes a big difference in diet in our house is how much I'm offering versus how much is being grazed upon without assistance. And that is simply because the food I offer is usually slightly more complicated than the food that Simon and Linnaea get on their own. It's carrots and celery and bell peppers and tortilla chips with dips or it's a chocolate fondue with apples and pears and bananas and strawberries to dip, or it's pbj's cut up and apples with cinammon and sugar and cheese puffs. Often if I see Linnaea grabbing her third bag of chips (single portion is about the only way that chips are packaged in the UK) I will offer to, or will just make a plate of food for her to have. Sometimes you want a bunch of chips, sometimes you want food and you aren't being specific, just going for ease of access. It isn't about what you are buying it is more about what you are making easily accesible. Or, at least, that is often the case in our
house.

Schuyler
www.waynforth.blogspot.com



----- Original Message ----
From: Angela <ansperry@...>
To: [email protected]
Sent: Monday, 4 August, 2008 7:56:29 PM
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] food restriction


Hi,
I'm looking for some guidance with my son and food restriction. I am
troubled because I see that he has gained a lot of weight over the
past seven months. I have never restricted food, and I don't want to
begin, but I really see my son's body changing, and he does not seem
as healthy and energetic as he was before he gained the weight. He no
longer seems to want to ride his bike, he gets tired easily when we
run and play tag, and I don't like what's happening. I want him to
feel good and strong and healthy.
Because I want to help him, I have started shopping a little
differently. I don't buy all the things I used to buy, because I want
to offer him healthy foods, and not so many treats. I have trusted
him in the past to choose a little of both, but he has always chosen
cookies, ice cream, and sweets over everything else. He also had a
very painful cavity in one of his back teeth very recently and had to
have the truth extracted. The dentist asked about his diet and I told
him my son eats a lot of sweets. He suggested we try to cut down and
eat more vegetables and fresh, raw foods.
I need help with this. I am fairly new to this lifestyle and feel
like I am sitting on the fence on some issues, and is one is by far
the toughest I have dealt with so far. I don't restrict bedtime, and
that has never been a problem, nor have I had any trouble with my
children being home, aside from the occasional sibling argument and
some minor violence from my son. I've been able to feel confident in
my choices and my children's choices on all other issues, so this is
very frustrating to me. Do I continue to shop alone, slowly
eliminating as many sweets as possible? Do I just let him deal with
the consequences of eating too much sugar and fat? I want to help him
be a healthy boy, but I don't want to shame him in any way because he
is getting...what do I say here without sounding judgmental.. .heavy.
This may sound like a silly problem, but it's really begun to bother
me, and I truly need some help.
Thank you,
Angela

_

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

carnationsgalore

> Sometimes you want a bunch of chips, sometimes you want food and
> you aren't being specific, just going for ease of access.

This is what I've been trying to help my husband understand. He has
been worried about our kids eating too much junky stuff, i.e. cereal,
canned ravioli, fruit rollups, cookies, etc. When the kids are
eating that way, it's stuff they are going into the kitchen and
getting on their own. My husband was rather proud of himself the
other day when he told me that he saw our son looking in the kitchen
for something to eat and he began offering things he could put
together for our son. Our son wanted grapes but didn't want to take
them off the stems and wash them. It took less than a minute for my
DH to do it for him and Jeffrey had a healthy snack that he actually
wanted.

My husband previously worried that if we do everything for the kids,
they won't learn to do it independently, but he's finally figured out
that isn't the case. My husband and I grab easy snacks too when we
aren't in the mood to take the time to get something more healthy.
We also get snacks for one another. He finally "gets" that treating
his children the same way is a good thing.

Beth M.

Julie WH

Hi Angela,

The mention of sugar cravings made me wonder if maybe your son has an underlying health concern that could be driving it. All my life I've dealt with yeast infections (and not just "down there" :). Yeast thrive on sugar, and the more yeast (candida) you have in your body (basically any mucus membrane, like your guts) the more sugar you crave. The yeast feast on it and multiply -- it's a nasty cycle. A severe yeast infection also has symptoms like fatigue and irritability.

My son struggles with yeast at times. He's still transitioning out of diapers (he just turned 3) and occasionally gets yeast infections around his bum. He clearly craves sugar when he's got yeast down there. I help him deal with it, not by restricting any foods, but by offering LOTS more low/no carb foods as well as fruit (which still has sugar, but less so than say a cookie) and also by temporarily buying artificially sweetened products of his sweet favorites like ice cream. (I put aloe and tea tree on his bum to kill the yeast topically, and encourage more naked time without a diaper. I also take lots of garlic so he'll get it in my milk when he nurses. And I put liquid acidophilus in his drinks to help the healthy bacteria grow so the yeast doesn't have "room" to thrive.)

We also talk a bit about how his bum hurts from the yeast, that the yeast need sugar to grow, and that cookies, etc., have lots of sugar. I try to make sure I say it in a way that's simply informational and not at a moment when he's having a strong craving and not particularly "rational". :) I don't want him to feel bad about eating sugar, only to understand how it can affect his body. Even at his young age, he often decides to eat non-sugary things because he knows it'll help his bum feel better. (Once while changing a poopy diaper I casually mentioned his bum looked red, uncomfortable and yeasty, and he replied, "Oh, I ate lots of cookies this morning." I had to catch myself not to LEAP on that "learning moment" and replied as laid-back as possible, "Hmm, yep, looks like the yeast ate that sugar right up," and left it at that. :)

Anyway, you might google "candida yeast infection" and see if the symptoms fit for your son. (Especially suspect yeast if your son has been on antibiotics recently or often in the last couple years.) I would imagine there might be other physical conditions that could cause sugar craving, so you could research that as well. Or better yet, consult your favorite alternative-minded doctor/naturopath/homeopath/herbalist.

As others have mentioned, it could very well just be a phase, such as preparing for a growth spurt. But since our family has struggled with sugar cravings due to yeast, I thought it was worth mentioning. :)

All the best,

Julie H.

A Perry

Thank you, Julie, for sharing that with me. He hasn't had any antibiotics in as long as I can remember, so I'm not concerned about that, but I will do some research and see if yeast might be connected to his cravings. I had a friend years ago who suffered with candida albicans, unknowingly. He had a lot of topical skin rashes, especially in the crook of his elbows and knees, and an allergist recommended a lot of dietary changes (no mushrooms, no fermented foods, no yeast products, etc) and gave him tube after tube of cortisone, to no avail. I was a "health food nut" back then and had read about candidiasis. I diagnosed him correctly after looking just once at his arms and legs and asking some questions about his "allergies". A few months and several bottles of lactobacillus acidophilus pills later, his rashes were fading, and within a year he was a different person entirely. No more mood swings, fatigue, or rashes at all.
 
I don't think this is the problem, but it is good for people to be aware of this condition. In my friend's case, it was truly debilitating at times, and his lack of a proper diagnosis resulted in years of pain and suffering.
 
I also have what my mom called a sweet tooth, so I can sympathize with my son. I love candy, but i don't feel great when I eat it, and neither does he. I just want him to feel good, and he hasn't seemed to lately, so I figured I'd ask for some advice.
 
Today he chose a small plate of grapes over a cup of pudding. I just walked into the room where he was playing and put both nearby. We had been swimming and I figured he was hungry. I wanted to just give him something quick and easy, and those we the two quickest available things. He didn't even touch the pudding and even exclaimed, "Yum! Grapes!"
 
That was pretty awesome.
 
Thanks again,
Angela

--- On Wed, 8/6/08, Julie WH <julie.wh68@...> wrote:

From: Julie WH <julie.wh68@...>
Subject: [unschoolingbasics] re: food restriction
To: [email protected]
Date: Wednesday, August 6, 2008, 12:37 PM






Hi Angela,

The mention of sugar cravings made me wonder if maybe your son has an underlying health concern that could be driving it. All my life I've dealt with yeast infections (and not just "down there" :). Yeast thrive on sugar, and the more yeast (candida) you have in your body (basically any mucus membrane, like your guts) the more sugar you crave. The yeast feast on it and multiply -- it's a nasty cycle. A severe yeast infection also has symptoms like fatigue and irritability.

My son struggles with yeast at times. He's still transitioning out of diapers (he just turned 3) and occasionally gets yeast infections around his bum. He clearly craves sugar when he's got yeast down there. I help him deal with it, not by restricting any foods, but by offering LOTS more low/no carb foods as well as fruit (which still has sugar, but less so than say a cookie) and also by temporarily buying artificially sweetened products of his sweet favorites like ice cream. (I put aloe and tea tree on his bum to kill the yeast topically, and encourage more naked time without a diaper. I also take lots of garlic so he'll get it in my milk when he nurses. And I put liquid acidophilus in his drinks to help the healthy bacteria grow so the yeast doesn't have "room" to thrive.)

We also talk a bit about how his bum hurts from the yeast, that the yeast need sugar to grow, and that cookies, etc., have lots of sugar. I try to make sure I say it in a way that's simply informational and not at a moment when he's having a strong craving and not particularly "rational". :) I don't want him to feel bad about eating sugar, only to understand how it can affect his body. Even at his young age, he often decides to eat non-sugary things because he knows it'll help his bum feel better. (Once while changing a poopy diaper I casually mentioned his bum looked red, uncomfortable and yeasty, and he replied, "Oh, I ate lots of cookies this morning." I had to catch myself not to LEAP on that "learning moment" and replied as laid-back as possible, "Hmm, yep, looks like the yeast ate that sugar right up," and left it at that. :)

Anyway, you might google "candida yeast infection" and see if the symptoms fit for your son. (Especially suspect yeast if your son has been on antibiotics recently or often in the last couple years.) I would imagine there might be other physical conditions that could cause sugar craving, so you could research that as well. Or better yet, consult your favorite alternative- minded doctor/naturopath/ homeopath/ herbalist.

As others have mentioned, it could very well just be a phase, such as preparing for a growth spurt. But since our family has struggled with sugar cravings due to yeast, I thought it was worth mentioning. :)

All the best,

Julie H.

















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