Q&A: Is SANE Eating the Same for Children and Adults?
SANE Eating the Same for Children and Adults?
Yes and no. Yes, in that the same foods are SANE and inSANE for children and adults. No, in that SANE eating is more important for children because:
- Children require more nutrition than adults.
- Children are more susceptible to food-related behavior problems.
- Fat cells never go away.
- The habits children form affect them for the rest of their lives.
Children require more nutrition than adults
Most expectant mothers are especially careful about what they put into their bodies while they are pregnant. Why? Because they know optimal nutrition is critical for a developing fetus. Similarly, optimal nutrition is critical for a developing child.
SANE foods contain more nutrition per calorie than any other foods (The “N” in SANE stands for “Nutrition.”) When a child eats a SANE diet, that child is eating the most nutritious diet possible.
Children are more susceptible to food-related behavior problems
InSANE foods such as starches and sweets are dramatically more Aggressive (the “A” in SANE) than SANE foods. They release a significant and short burst of energy into the body. This causes a short energy high followed by longer-lasting lethargy. Still developing mentally and emotionally, children are doubly impacted by these “highs” and “lows,” which is why children start “bouncing off of the walls” and have a hard time concentrating after eating inSANE starches and sweets. It is also why children then become sluggish and have a hard time concentrating. SANE eating has long been “prescribed” to aid children said to be suffering from ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
A SANE diet ensures a slow and steady supply of energy to the body and enables optimal mood and behavior.
Fat cells never go away
A SANE diet has been proven to enable the body to burn rather than to store fat. Once fat cells are made, we cannot get rid of them; we can only shrink them. This is why helping our children avoid excess body fat is so important and why childhood obesity is so heartbreaking. Once a child develops new fat cells, that youngster will have a harder time staying slim for the rest of his or her life because those fat cells will never go away. At best, they will shrink, but still predispose that child to storing excess body fat.
The habits children form affect them for the rest of their lives
The habits we learn as children stick with us. When we teach our children SANE habits, we make it dramatically easier for them to keep themselves fit and healthy for the rest of their lives.
In summary, if it’s SANE or inSANE for an adult, it’s even more SANE or inSANE for a child. Everything that makes SANE eating important for adults makes it even more important for children.
- Ailhaud G, Hauner H. Development of White Adipose Tissue In: Bray GA, Couchard d, James WP, eds. Handbook of Obesity. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1997: 359-378.
- Faust IM, Johnson PR, Hirsch J. Surgical removal of adipose tissue alters feeding behavior and the development of obesity in rats. Science. 1977 Jul 22;197(4301):393-6. PubMed PMID: 877564.
- Krotkiewski M, Sjöström L, Björntorp P, Carlgren G, Garellick G, Smith U. Adipose tissue cellularity in relation to prognosis for weight reduction. Int J Obes. 1977;1(4):395-416. PubMed PMID: 617116.
- Obesity and leanness. Basic aspects. Stock, M., Rothwell, N., Author Affiliation: Dep. Physiology, St. George’s Hospital Medical School, London Univ., London, UK.
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