As parents and educators, when we discuss children’s safety, health, and well-being in the context of ”self-defense,” we spend a lot of time emphasizing how children can use skills like environmental awareness, conscious body language and posture, and a strong voice. We teach kids how to be assertive, how to ask for help, and how to respond with appropriate action when their intuition alerts them to something that seems unusual, uncomfortable, or just plain out of place. Ultimately, we teach and empower children to take control by using physical resistance techniques whenever they are in immediate, physical danger.
We tend to worry about the stranger in the dark alley, the bully on the playground, and everything in between. The threats to children’s safety are real, and our fears for their well being are justified. But one of the most dangerous things a child may face every day is what shows up on their plate at every meal.
We’ve all heard that obesity among children is at an all-time high in our country, and we know that a lifetime of poor eating habits can have significant negative consequences in terms of a child’s long-term health. Increased risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and other maladies can all be linked to poor eating habits, and recent statistics from the Department of Health and Human Services indicate that one out of three children who are born today will develop Type 2 diabetes in their lifetime. Because of these immediate threats, and our ability to intervene before damage is done, I believe that it’s time for children’s safety and self-defense educators to add “dietary self-defense” to their safety and wellness curriculum.
But what is dietary self-defense? Like physical self-defense, dietary self-defense is all about awareness and choice. Most people — children and adults — do not eat in a way that promotes optimal health and well being, and many people may think their diet is healthy while they consume foods that are devoid of nutrition.
I suggest that we self-defense instructors take the necessary steps to educate ourselves so that we, in turn, can provide children with information about what they are eating and how it affects them. A logical step in this process, of course, is to model the behaviors that we would like children to adopt by becoming healthy eaters ourselves. We can provide better, more nutritious options at the breakfast/lunch/dinner table, and we can teach children how to make better decisions about their food choices when they are out on their own.
Ultimately self defense instructors could become nutrition education resources who are capable of answering “self defense” questions such as: What are proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and antioxidants, and what role to they play in the body? How much sugar is too much? What are whole grain foods and why should I eat them? How do I read a food label? What is Type 2 diabetes? How do you get it? What are the risk factors and warning signs, and how can I prevent it?
Avoiding Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is a complex metabolic disorder that impacts how the body uses insulin, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar. People with diabetes may suffer a number of maladies, including blindness, hearing loss, and kidney disease, and they are at an increased risk for heart attacks and strokes. There is no cure for Type 2 diabetes, but it is in many ways a “lifestyle disease” that is preventable in almost all cases. The best defenses against Type 2 diabetes are an active lifestyle and a healthy diet.
Simple Ways to Develop a Healthy-Eating Lifestyle:
- Encourage children to create a “rainbow on their plate” by selecting foods of various colors.
- Avoid fast food restaurants when dining out.
- Avoid heavily processed foods at the grocery store. They’re usually found in the middle of the store, so so stick to the outside isles when shopping!
- Teach kids to read labels: Avoid foods loaded with unsaturated fat, sugar, or high fructose corn syrup.
- Reduce consumption of soda and sugary drinks. Drink more plain water and natural fruit juices.
- Control the size of meal portions. Don’t eat more than you can hold in your cupped hands.
- Slow down: Take the time to chew, taste, and ENJOY your food!
- Don’t eat meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) anywhere but at a table. Don’t eat in the car, in front of T.V., etc.
- Cook your own meals or help cook with your family
- Reach for herbs and spices before reaching for salt and butter
