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Copyright © 2008 - Monterey County Herald
Barbara Quinn
09/24/2008
My eldest daughter, an animal nutritionist, gave me a lecture about feeding my dog. "What you feed him," she explained, "is not that bad, but ..." Then she went on to justify the brand she recommends because it is backed by qualified animal nutrition experts.
"I know how much you love that dog," she said. "And if feeding him right extends his life even six months, it's worth the extra cost."
I promised to make the switch.
And it got me thinking about how we sometimes feed our children. It's not that bad, but ... how we feed and care for them has a profound influence on how they learn and develop.
"Food is like a pharmaceutical compound that affects the brain," according to UCLA neurophysiology professor Fernando Gomez-Pinilia in a recent article by the Center for Health and Nutrition Research at the University of California-Davis. Pinilia explains that a balanced diet, regular exercise and adequate sleep actually protect the brain and ward off mental disorders such as depression.
Here are some recommendations:
· Rethink food — literally. Unhealthy diets — especially those high in trans fats and saturated fats — adversely affect learning, according to Gomez-Pinilia. Other fats, such as the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, walnuts and flaxseed, are essential for normal brain function and have been shown to enhance cognitive abilities. Studies show that children with increased intakes of omega-3 fatty acids have better reading and spelling performance and fewer behavioral problems.
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