Should the school be able to dictate your child's diet?

The newsmedia was buzzing earlier this year when a girl brought a cookie in her brown bag lunch and was told by the school she couldn't eat it. Watch this video clip from Fox2 News Detroit as three local experts debate who should have input into what kids are eating.  http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/health/school-lunch-menu:-who-decides%3F

Omega-3's can help calm ADD/ADHD symptoms

A growing body of scientific research has shown that Omega-3 fatty acids contribute to healthy brain formation, function and performance.  When comparing children with attentional disorders to children without, children with ADD/ADHD had much lower levels of DHA in their blood.  DHA is an essential omega-3 fatty acid.  This is great news for parents who prefer not to medicate their ADD/ADHD children with amphetamine-like drugs such as Ritalin.  The Standard American Diet is quite lacking in Omega-3's, but optimal amounts can be reached by using a high quality fish oil supplement and adding milled or ground flaxseed into foods like yogurt or cereal, according to Dr. Mark Stein of University of Chicago. The omega-3 supplement we prefer is Nordic Naturals, a high quality medical grade supplement that won't leave a fishy taste in your mouth and throat.  Have you used dietary supplements to manage your child's symptoms.  Leave a comment and let us know what worked and what didn't!

What's for lunch?

A recent study conducted by the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Food and Nutrition Database, Inc. in Okemos, MI found that students who consume food from school vending machines consumed an average of 253 more calories per day than students who brown bagged it. Vending machines full of snacks loaded with sugar, salt, fat and cholesterol can be found in about 88% of U.S. high schools, 52% of middle schools and 16% of elementary schools. Around 22% of students eat from these vending machines daily. It looks like we are on our way to a very large public health problem in about 40 years when many of these students start to experience the "payoff" of their unhealthy eating habits such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. We are wondering if parents know what their kids are spending lunch money on? Do your kids brown bag it every day? If they do buy lunch, are there certain items you expect them to purchase? Do they fill you in on what they ate if you let them buy lunch? We suspect a lot of parents DON'T know what their kids are eating for lunch or even if vending machines are available in their school cafeteria. As a parent would you be opposed to laws governing what can and can not be offered in the school cafeteria? Lots of questions for you all today. Fill us in!