Have any of you heard or read anything on this? We have been having some weight issues with dd2 and we went to the doctor for a check up. Everything came back just fine except that her tryglycerides where way elevated. Their words were "through the roof." Her cholesterol is up as well, and no one seems to be able to give us a reason for this. They all are saying to cut out carbs. So I have been researching and found this carb addiction thing. This is the only thing we have found that she meets some of the criteria of. So if you all have some input I would greatly appreciate it. The main theme of this book is not cutting out carbs which growing kids need, but to balance them and the sugar the produce in the body with insulane balancing foods. So kind of a diabetic diet but not really. I know I am starting to ramble but I am just looking everywhere for information.:cry:
My only experiences with "cutting carbs" is when my DD13 was on both the ketogenic and the low glycemic diet for seizure control.<-------at different times ofcourse. My first thought w/ your DD is that being that she is only 2 that there could be some underlying issue causing the elevations. Could your DD be seen by an endocrinolgist? More blood work should be done, I think, to get more answers. Seems to me that would be the place to start rather just telling you to cut out carbs. I would think a dietician/nutritionist would also be in order to make sure that she is getting a balanced diet.
Sorry I meant my 2nd dd who is 7. We are working on getting in to see a specialist but the earliest they could see us for now is the end of july. Thanks for the input.
I am learning all about raw foods right now. The idea behind raw food diet is that when we cook our food, we kill nearly all of the helpful nutrients and enzymes it contains. AFter all, none of the animal kingdom cooks their foods <G>. That's the theory, anyway. The more I look into this style of eating, though, the more sense it makes. My husband is recently diagnosed diabetic. I'm overweight. Three of my adult children are depressed. I have some arthritus (I just turned 50) and my hair is starting to turn gray. Supposedly, all of these things can be "cured" on a raw diet. Also high blood pressure and high cholesteral. The raw diet does not require 100 percent raw eating! You need to move towards more raw foods, and aim for at least 50 percent raw, to see any benefits. And you do not need to eat any of the "carbs" in the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) as all the nutrients in them can be found in different raw food sources. I can't post any links, as I'm too new to this forum, but if you google Raw Foods, you'll be overwhelmed with answers. I'll let you know how raw helps me - if it does! I'm just getting started. I've increased raw foods for a couple weeks now, and my energy level is up, and my allergies are down - at the peak of allergy season. That's about all I noticed for now. Lorelei
I had a gf with a carb addicted kid. It sounds different than what you are saying. Her child NEEDED carbs, craved carbs and had temper tantrums if she didn't get carbs. Then after eating the carbs she went nuts. Her body craved it, but was not processing it well. Like people who crave chocolate but then are grumpy and have a headache after eating it. Once my gf cut out the carbs with this child she was NORMAL and a joy to be around. It was a true harmful addiction for this kid. I'm not aware that they had any medical testing done like you did. I would try a phone consultation with a nutritionist to get you through the hump until a true visit.
Raw foods - I am taking a course and as a result, have been endeavoring to improve my own diet, which has resulted in more raw foods (fruits and vegetables - mostly smoothies and salads). In spite of this NOT being low calorie, I have seen an improvement in my skin and weight. I for one can't imagine giving up cooked foods - First, I don't want to eat raw stuff when it's twenty degrees out LOL. Second, in the winter, we'd be eating a lot of food that would have to be shipped in - who knows how old it might be or what it would have to be treated with. Original post: If my child were in that situation, I'd cut out all processed foods. I'd only present whole foods - that is, foods as close to their original state as possible. So, I'd offer raisins (naturally sweet) but not Craisins (which are sweetened with sugar). Popcorn without all the artificial toppings, but not chips. Whole grain breads in moderation. Apples, bananas, peanut butter (natural), almond butter, smoothies, steamed vegetables, whole grain side dishes (quinoa, brown rice, whole grain pasta). As far as meals, I'd try to keep portions to 1/4 of the plate protein, 1/4 of the plate whole grain carbs, and 1/2 the plate vegetables (maybe a steamed veggie and a salad). And be careful of salad dressings - you'd be amazed at how many contain sugar, corn syrup, or HFCS. You're better off just mixing up your own. If she's not found of veggies, try new things. Things we usually skip in our American Cuisine: turnips, rutabagas, brussells sprouts, parsnips (sweet), beets (also sweet), salsify (love it, wish I could find it in a store!), kohlrabi. Sometimes you'll find better variety in a farmer's market, but I've seen many of these in Target. You jsut have to look around.
This is the thing that is confusing to everyone. She eats great, fruits and veggies, whole grains all the good stuff. We are a very active family doing lots of outdoor activities and she is right in the middle of everything. So even the doctors we have been to agree that there is no reasonable explanation at the point for her weight gain ( which has happened in the last year fairly fast) and the high cholesterol and tryglycerides. I was just looking for any further input and ideas.
well it might be just her age, and she stop growing a few months, wait till she goes through another growing mood, it all will change. Been there done that with both dd's got all worked up and put them both on diet until we moved went to another doctor said it was just there age it will change in a few months and sure enough it did. If you are worried go see another doctor, I would.
I have seen two docs so far and they both say she needs to quite gaining wait. they have both said cut out carbs but given me no pointers on how to go about it.
I third the raw foods. You don't need to go 100% raw, but try to get at least 50% raw. I have noticed with my kids that they seem to be able to focus better and get along better the less processed food and more whole foods they eat. I even make my own bread because I can't afford the "healthy" bread, and all other breads aren't really bread. If it's processed, it's not food, it's a food like substance. As for the cholesterol, try to limit meat and dairy products....that is where cholesterol is found. Maybe switch her to soy or rice products for awhile and see if that helps?? I would also be more direct with the dr.'s and ask them exactly how to cut out carbs if that is what the recommended. If they can't tell you how, then ask them why they recommend something they can't help you with. Then I would look into a nutritionist. Hope that helps. Good Luck!
DISCLAIMER: If it were me... This seems like a very strange thing to say. I would never completely cut out carbs from a 7yo's diet. I have know medical professionals who did the low carb/no carb diet who talked about how they needed supplements because they weren't getting enough nutrients like vitamins and minerals. I can't figure doing that to a growing child (weight gain or no). I mean, come on, milk has carbs in it. Do you think they mean eliminate all processed carbs and limit others? That would be a commitment, but it's do-able. It means things like steel-cut oats instead of rolled oats (forget regular cereal), whole grain bread with no added sugars, whole, fresh fruit, and big emphasis on protein sources and veggies (which you've already said she's into). Honestly, I'd give up on buying most pre-made or pre-baked things, at least for a while. HFCS is in nearly everything (I recently learned they are beginning to put it in meats as a preservative). Now, yes, HFCS does have the same calories as sugar. BUT - Not only does it condition us to expect sweet flavor, it also does not trigger the body to produce grellin, which is the substance that informs our brains we're full. Also, HFCS has to be processed by the liver - the liver can only process so much fructose at any given time, so any excess...is converted and stored as fat. HFCS is a double whammy carb as far as I'm concerned, and it's used so pervasively, it's impossible (IMO) to ingest it in moderation as recommended. If our doc stuck hard to the "no carbs at all" line, I'd keep looking for someone who was a little more proactive. One other thought - if you're seeing an MD, have you considered seeing another type of health care provider, like DO or a chiropractor? Because these doctors approach health care differently, they often have a much heavier emphasis on nutrition and often times are better informed. Just an idea.
I say get her out and get her exercise, take her walking, bike riding, swimming and get her moving.. take all the snacks away have fruit and popcorn and it will get better. Hang in there.
