According to Dr. Tim Lobstein of the International Obesity Task Force, the scope of these numbers and their implication for mankind is unprecedented.

From smiling clowns at drive-up windows to a beckoning Chihuahua, and a kid whose bologna has a first name; the competition is fierce for market share of your child’s stomach. Drive-up counters have replaced the dinner bell and fast food is no longer fast enough. Not surprisingly, diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes has surged 90 percent, in the last decade alone.

Sugar races into your child’s bloodstream, signaling their pancreas to produce insulin. Trans fatty acids accelerate their risk for heart disease. Preservatives, artificial additives, man-made sugars, white carbohydrates and processed foods add fuel to this internal fire—the building blocks for cellular aberration, degeneration and stored body fat.

If we care about prevention… we need to translate that belief to our children. It starts by recapturing the family dinner and wholesome cooking. Prioritize purchasing locally grown foods and the value of what “live food” can do for the body, mind and spirit. It’s time for us to become nourishers as well as nurturers.

10 Ways to Get There:

1)  Healthy snacks: Seeds are far more nutritionally dense than other foods, particularly those from pumpkin and squash. Add them to a mix with the healthiest nuts like almonds, pistachios, macadamia and pine. They break down slowly and feed you gradually, helping your child avoid hunger and low blood sugar; while bathing their cells with “healthy” fat.

2)  Fruits and vegetables: Seven fruits or vegetables a day “is” doable.  Invest in a great blender, like the Vita Mix 5200, and throw in all things good. You’ll be amazed at how a banana can mask the taste of the most onerous veggie (even fish oil). Consider mixing in some organic” freeze dried” berry powder. Make healthy smoothies or serve fresh vegetable juice.

3)  White Carbohydrates: Eliminate bleached and artificially fortified miracle bread. If you must, opt for sourdough and top it off with healthy Extra Virgin Olive Oil or real organic butter. It’s naturally high acidity, coupled with a topping of healthy fat, slows its entry in the bloodstream, giving your child’s pancreas a break. For pasta dishes, make the switch from white noodles to 100 percent whole wheat.

4)  Organic locally-grown vegetables: Grow your own or purchase them from a local farmers market. Another alternative is Community Supported Agriculture. Go to www.localharvest.org/csa/. Sign up and pick up a beautiful basket of fresh locally grown produce for a small fee at a local community college. Take control of what your child eats in school as well. Farm to School (www.farmtoschool.org) delivers healthy foods from local farms, to schools nationwide.

5)  Less is best: Serve less food by using smaller plates or share an entrée when dining out. We’ve grown accustomed to eating outlandish portions because they’re there. Serve moderate amounts of animal protein too. As a rule of thumb, never eat a serving of protein larger than a deck of playing cards. Kids need even less.

6)  Make healthier choices: Healthy fats in reasonable amounts help balance blood sugar and reduce internal inflammation. Extra Virgin Coconut Oil for higher-heat cooking. Extra Virgin Olive Oil for low to medium heat cooking. Dredge that chicken in coconut flour, not bleached flour. Eat the healthiest sources of protein, by choosing grass-fed beef, free-range pastured poultry, and fish from unpolluted waters.

7)  Sugar: Reduce it. While no sugar is healthy, studies show that Xylitol significantly reduces the bacteria and plaque on teeth when used moderately. Even better, use Stevia, an all natural herbal sweetener with none of sugar’s downside. Fill that “sippy cup” with water, not fruit juice; fructose cravings and tooth decay begin at a young age, from sugary foods.

8)  Family Time: A study by Harvard researchers Taveris et al. (Obesity Research, 2005) of more than 14,000 children ages 9-14, concluded that the benefits of eating dinner as a family appear to include improved diet quality, reduced high-risk adolescent behaviors such as tobacco, alcohol and marijuana use, and improved performance in school.

9)  Water: Drink ample amounts of natural spring water without fluoride; approximately half your child’s body weight, expressed in ounces daily. Example: an 80-pound child should drink 40 ounces of water throughout the day.

10) Walk: Studies show countless benefits from brisk walking for as little as 15 minutes a day, from reduced body fat to increased bone density.

Randy Karp has been featured on radio, television and in magazines highlighting his book new book, Misinformed About Food, an October release.

Advanced author signed copies are available at  www.rkinformedliving.com.

Brush your teeth- Food just doesn’t taste good after a fresh spearmint brushing. You may not want to mess up your fresh breath.

Eat foods with fiber- Fiber will cause you to feel full. The majority of your fiber should come from fruits and vegetables, not grains, which are inflammatory. (Tip: I love asian pears. They’re one of the most fiber filled fruits in the world with a high water and fiber content.)

De-Stress- Many people will instinctively reach for ‘comfort foods’ when they are stressed. Take the time to identify and have in your arsenal a few instant de-stressors that work for you; a 3 minute iPod break, a minute of deep diaphragmatic breathing or a mini-meditation session perhaps.

Snack – Nuts and seeds can be a main staple of your snacking. Walnuts are a great snack with good fats and have a good n-3 to n-6 ratio. Grab 10-12 organic walnut halves, 6-8 organic almonds, or a handful of pumpkin or sunflower seeds. Here are some healthy snack recipes.

Eat mindfully- Smell, taste and chew your food as if it was your last meal. Savor it. It’s much harder to do this with unhealthy food.

Eat protein- Try making it a rule to have one out of every four bites be protein (and the other 75% veggies). It’s filling, nutrient dense, energy promoting and life giving.

Stop, think and thank- Before your car is magnetically lured through the drive thru-stop. Think about how that will serve you (or not). Be thankful and respectful of how miraculous your body is and what it needs to perform. Should you tax and poison it or give it some fuel for rejuvenation and repair?

Walk it off- We’ve all eaten too much at one sitting before. Instead of lying on the couch, go for a quick brisk walk. You will most likely feel more like lying on the couch, so use the walk not only as a way to get your metabolism up but also as a self discipline mechanism.

Create a checks and balances system- If you really have a hard time controlling cravings, take the time to set some boundaries. If you adhere to them, reward yourself (but not with cake and ice cream). Create a “Victory Journal.” Every time you have a victory-write it down, no matter how small you think it is. If you choose fresh berries as dessert instead of that cake and ice cream-write it down. Watch, you’ll begin to get addicted to doing things that take you toward your goals. This is a great way to gain momentum, self confidence and finally conquer yo-yo dieting. On the other hand, if you do slip, as we all do, have a system set up where you do something like pay a dollar into a jar. When the jar is filled don’t reward yourself with that money. Make a commitment to put the money into your savings.

Look to hormones- Many cravings aren’t just a lack of will power but hormonal signals. Leptin is a hormone produced by fat cells. One of it’s most powerful effects on the body is to regulate food intake by signalling the brain to stop eating. If you have what seem to be uncontrollable cravings, your body may not be responding properly. It’s known as leptin resistance. LepToThin ™  is a supplement that can help your body become more responsive to leptin’s satiety signaling.

When you know which categories of foods are healthy you can start getting creative with your healthy snack ideas. Contrary to popular belief, snacking is very beneficial. It helps to refuel your body, maintain blood sugar and energy levels and control your appetite.

Healthy snacking will help your body get the nutrients it needs and help you avoid overeating at meal times.

There are a huge variety of flavorful, healthy low-calorie snack options to help you achieve optimum weight loss and overall wellness. Indulge in these guilt-free snacks. Remember we encourage an anti-inflammatory, low-glycemic, paleo-style diet for weight loss and wellness. A body must get healthy before it can lose weight.
1. Romaine Lettuce Wrap With Organic Turkey and a Slice of Raw-Milk or Skim Mozzarella Cheese

Romaine lettuce contains the highest nutritional and fiber content of all lettuce. Turkey is 94% protein and protein helps you to lose weight by boosting your metabolism and decreasing hunger. Adding raw milk grass-fed cheese not only adds flavor but also adds calcium without any harmful hormones or preservatives. A great source for grass-fed wild meat, game and poultry is at U.S. Wellness Meats.

2. Veggie Sticks With Cottage Cheese Dip

Non-starchy vegetables contain almost eight times the amount of fiber found in whole grains.     Fiber is essential for a healthy digestive system. Fat-free organic cottage cheese makes an excellent low calorie snack.
3.  Fruit and Yogurt Parfait
Organic plain yogurt is best. Store bought flavored yogurts have a higher sugar content. Instead flavor your yogurt with fruit. Wild blueberries are an excellent choice as they have a lower glycemic content which will help balance  blood glucose and insulin levels as well as provide phenomenal nourishment.
4. Deviled Eggs
Eggs are an excellent source of protein and make a great snack any time of the day. My  Guacamole Deviled Eggs are a great high-protein healthy snack with good fats.

5. Shrimp Cocktail
Amazingly, shrimp is 90% protein. Try dipping it in some cocktail sauce for a low calorie, high protein snack.
6.  A Handful of Nuts
A handful, not a bowl full! Walnuts are the best choice as they’re rich in protein and fiber but they also contain a high dose of omega 3 fatty acids (good fats) as compared to other nuts. Healthy fats help lower your risk of disease. Omega-3s are anti-inflammatory, meaning they help prevent inflammatory diseases such as stroke or heart disease. Being overweight is an inflammatory condition.
7. Celery Sticks and Almond Butter
This winning combo of protein and good fat (great for the heart) should also also give you more energy. Almond butter is a healthier alternative to peanut butter as it contains no added ingredients or preservatives and better fats. (peanuts are a legume not a nut)
8. Herring Wraps
Buy a few tinned containers in a few different flavored sauces such as tomato or tangy mustard, herring fillets are high in omega 3 fish oils. Don’t but if they are in soybean oil. Try wrapping them in a few leaves of  romaine  lettuce.
9. Lemon Tuna Avocado Snack
Halve an avocado, scoop out some of the flesh and mix with some lemon juice and tuna. Serve in the shells. Good protein, good fat.
Avocado is one of the best sources of monounsaturated fat (the good fat) and they are also high in potassium. Tuna is a nutrient-dense food, high in omega-3 and a great source of protein.  Protein builds muscle which in turn burns more calories to help you lose weight.
10. Banana Nut Pop
Dip a banana in plain organic yogurt and roll in walnuts or coconut. Freeze. Yummy!
Bananas are a great source of fiber and potassium. Coconuts have anti-microbial, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties and are one of the best sources in the world for MCFA (medium-chain triglyceride fatty acids)

And here’s your BONUS snack idea….We always try to give more than you ask for:)

***Smoked salmon.

Be careful reading the package. Don’t get salmon that’s been smothered in brown sugar. Salmon is one of the best sources of protein and healthy fats on earth. Always try to buy wild-caught and not farmed raised (fed grains)

Enjoy!! Give me somefeedback after you try them.

Ingredients

* 5 organic Omega3 enhanced eggs
* 2 avocados (mashed)
* a few cilantro leaves
* 1 finely minced scallion
* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

* dash of olive oil
* A 1/2 fresh lime (squeezed)
* 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
* 1 dash of Tabasco^TM
* Pinch paprika

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut the hard-boiled eggs in half and take the yolks out and put in a bowl.

2. Then mix in the avocado, cilantro, scallion, and Tabasco^TM.  Squeeze half the lime in and add salt and mustard. Mix well, then add mixture to empty egg halves. Chill and add a sprinkle of paprika to top.

To make it even healthier, try a sprinkle of turmeric or some minced garlic, depending on your tastes.