It’s summer junk food DETOX time!

by

ahh the lazy, treat-filled days of summer.

Ive touched upon this a little in my blogs.

If we hang out in real life (& by “real life” I may or may not mean facebook, twitter, or texting) Ive yammered at you about it a lot.

It was an awesome summer here.  I ADORED all the TornadoTime.  I’ve LOVED our STAYcation and general frolicking.

Over the past few days Ive noticed how, uh, off-track we’ve gotten.

Sugar has sneaked her wily way in the Tornado’s (fingerquote) diet (unFQ) and more than anything the accompanying *moodswings* need to be shed STAT.

Planned family meals have slid down the slippery slope of ‘summer lets eat on the GO GO GO because outdoors fun CALLS CALLS CALLS!”

There are a mere seven days left until school starts.

7 days to DETOX, get us all back on track, a weetad less moody, get the fiber back in and the poop flowing, and ready to start the school year on the right foot.**

Seven days. 

Six tips. 

Lets get started!

Six Tips for Detoxing (you or) Your Child From Junk Food

  • Ply the pie-hole with water. Whether your little one has root-beer flowing through her veins or not, the first step to getting back on track is hydration.  Talk with them (at their age-level) about the importance of water for our bodies to function.  At age 6 the Tornado is fascinated water makes up more than half our body weight and that water can be found in foods, too.  Harness this intrigue, as I have, and ply the pie-whole with WATER LADEN veggies! (Also, I have no shame. I started her off with bubble water. No flavors–but bubbles allthesame)
  • Get on a schedule/back on schedule. Traveling (if your child/spouse/partner/YOU are riding the sugar-pony due to vacation) can throw meals out of whack.  The day after I returned from my last trip (where I thought I was in-whack) I saw flashes of light around one of my eyes (!).  I panicked.  I called my doctor.  He instructed me to eat and, if the flashes remained, come in immediately.  As soon as I ate the flashes disappeared. Because I never allow my bloodsugar to get low—I’d never experienced that before.  I needed to get back on an eating schedule *then* and the Tornado does *now.*  Not only will it make her food intake balanced/spread through her day—she will be less blood-sugar dropping CRANKY (and we all look forward to that).
  • Plan healthy meals and snacks….and let your child(ren)/partner help. Not only will they learn the importance of planning/consuming healthy foods through this experience—-they (young and old) will feel empowered as they they choose/make the meals.  Nothing ensures children of all ages will *eat something* more than having a hand in the creation process.
  • Create meals/snacks with an abundance of FIBER.  Bottom line (pun intended):  our bodies were created to detox quite naturally when given enough water & fiber. Nothing clogs us (the royal) up like fiberFREE processed, junk food.  Design meals and snacks around fibrous foods your child/partner enjoys. Here’s a list if you need some ideas—I know I did.
  • Practice what you preach—-and RESIST urge to preach.  For the past few days Ive longed to preach.  This has been a first for me. I r-e-a-l-l-y wanted to preach at Ren Man.  I composed veritable sermons in my head for the Tornado.  I came thisclose to shouting, “REALLY? YOURE ASKING ME FOR XXX?! DO YOU NOT GET THAT’S VACATION FOOD AND VACAY IS OVER?!”  I bit my tongue.  Quite literally.  I may or may not, however, have announced repeatedly how fantastic!I!felt! from all the clean food I was eating which brings me to…
  • Remind your child, when detoxed, how she felt before versus how she feels now. Of course the Tornado adored her sno-cones.  Hell to the YES she preferred juice (!)  to plain, bubble-filled tap water.  That said, she grasped on her kinder-level how outta whack she felt & how much she did NOT enjoy spending time in her room trying to calm herself down.  I focused on not talking about this in an negative fashion but in an “it’s all information and arent our bodies interesting!” way.  I truly believe these talks are a gift to her and a first step toward learning to be an intuitive ADULT eater   (Poor sentence construction.  I dont want her to eat adults).
  • Remember & remind your child that diet (food intake) is cumulative. Around here the motto is All things are fine in moderation. From television to turkey slices.  Around here a detox means a cleanse of sugar-sorts but not forever-banishment.  I worked to remind the Tornado wordlessly that our “diet” is the sum total of our day—not any one particular meal or snack.  And that more than anything it’s about how we FEEL after we eat—not what we’re eating.

And that’s where we are right now.

Taking & talking about the six steps.  Frolicking and fiber’ing through our last few days of summer.

And you?

  • Care to normalize for me how OUT OF WHACK we got this summer and share your sugartales o’woe?
  • Have any additional junk food detox tips (for the young & young-at-heart) to send my tripod’s way?

 

 

 

 

 

**No, not all of us are returning to school.  Yes, all of us can be kids at heart and in the belly.  Whether youre heading into the school year, general fall kickoff, vacation cessation or something else.  It’s all a good reason for us grown-up types to detox/clean up our eating, too.

POSTS BY EMAIL

Never miss a post. Enter your email to get my latest posts delivered to your inbox.

Comments

  1. No detox tips Miz, but I love yours. Of course here in Oz we are in the last days of winter, so I need to shed my winter layers… thanks to some comfort food which has ‘thrown itself’ into my path (naughty comfort food!).

    Deb

  4. No children here, but we are ice cream monsters.
    All homemade but still 🙂
    I can use these tips.

  5. I can not shout FIBER enough to all my boys (sons and husband).
    It makes all the diferent in how we feel.

  7. I tend to rely on the fall and a routine for knocking us back into whack.
    We are out of it too, Miz.

  8. I have zero extra tips, but love how normal you are and how you will admit to having failings.

    So many fitness people preach.

  10. Been doing the same thing this past week. Our new school district has us packing our child a snack in addition to lunch this year and they require the snack be…..healthy. Love that the school wants to see kiddos with carrot sticks, nut packs, raisins, etc. instead of junk. Bet it helps the teachers too!

  11. Super scary about the eyes, Miz.
    I never wait too long to eat (my problem is the opposite :-)) so I can use your sugar detoxing ideas.

    A lot.

  12. I am ridiculously sensitive to sugar, so this really resonates with me. I notice that the cravings, once my body gets a dose of it for a few days in a row, are almost irresistable. It is truly crazymaking. It takes sheer white-knucklung sometimes to get through it when I’m detoxing. I think your plan is right on. The one thing i would add is just a tad of sweet to keep the palate satisfied through the rough transition. A little piece of dark chocolate (really dark like 80-90%), sweet fruits like mango/strawberry, naturally flavored water (lke Hint brand) really help me get through some days. Today will be one of those days, actually. I will send good vibes to you and Tornado when I’m craving KiwiYogurt!

  13. Great family tips! We’re still detoxing from our vacation in Florida. Me? From salty snacks. The rest of my family? Sweets. Slowly getting back to our regular routine of the occasional sweets and salty.

    I also wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your thoughtful comments on my blog 🙂

  15. Two words my friend: frozen yogurt. Ughhhh I am going to miss it. It’s not that I won’t go back for more, it’s just that the nearest fro yo place is not that close to me and I am jam packed with school and training and working and homework. Poo. 🙁 But my philosophy for detoxing is just to devour tons of veggies & fruits!

  17. My husband’s detox is coming because I will no longer be buying the junk I bought for my son. (More on that from me later this week!). But, I do see more long walks to the new fro-yo place in our future. It’s all about balance!

  19. Seems that the detox is needed several times a year – out of summer, out of the holidays, out of winter, etc. LOLOL! Oh well, as long as you keep detoxing, right?

    P.S. She looks so adorable and happy with her icy creation, how can you not just love that little face?

  20. LOVE all your tips. After vacations I need a little detox too 😉

    I’d say “arm yourself wisely”. Buy the good stuff from the store and make it easily accessible for you and your little one. Maybe clear out an area in the fridge just for her snacks at her eye level 🙂

  21. I like how you said detoxed but not banished. Focus on hydrating and a schedule, but don’t regret a summer filled of fun!

    I see some mama chia in part of this, yes?

  22. While I’ve been much better this summer than last on the treats front (your cute picture made me realize I’ve only had ONE snowcone this summer – ONE!!!)(the stand is practically at the entrance of my subdivision)(am I sick??), and I have cut back on my froyo visits, I’ve also been neglecting veggies. Yep, it’s time to get back on track, and I know I’ll feel much better for doing it, too. Thanks for the reminder, and good luck with your week of detox!

  23. Yep! SO going thru this here too. In addition to drawing back from junky food, we’re still working to get off of ‘Olympic’ time (staying up waaay too late. School start Wednesday. Won’t be too pretty.

  25. Great tips Carla!!!! Step by step & ya can even do a bit at a time but it will take at least a week for the bod & moods to normalize as you well know! 🙂

    Tip – just never try to get that off no matter if it is summer or family time or whatever. We can still enjoy without getting to far off track. 🙂

  26. I have gotten totally off tack with my kids the past 2 weeks. And I am very cautious of their sugar intake most of the time. Thank you for these great tips. They are needed right now!

  27. Excellent tips! I’m detoxing ‘road trip’ foods this week. No turkey sandwiches or grilled chicken salads, if I can help it. (The dark chocolate Hershey’s kisses will remain in the rotation.)

  30. I love these tips! I think I do most of them. E is always carrying around a water bottle (filled with ice water). He loves things like cucumbers and apples.

    I think the most important one on here is Practice what you preach! S and I both firmly believe in this! How can you expect them to eat right if you don’t?!

  34. I need to give this to my daughter in law. We stayed with the grandsons and I was shocked at the crap they keep in the house (which at 7 years old, both boys just grab when they want to).

  36. Great tips! I do not have kids but I admittedly have nightmares about my kids nutrition.. I want them to eat well, but I don’t want to be so strict on them that they go and binge eat at other people’s houses or sneak it behind my back.. AHHHH. I think this list is great.. I like how you remind your daughter of how she feels now vs. how she felt before. Good stuff!

  37. Your post is very timely! I’m focusing on detoxing this week after eating too many sweets over the last 2 weeks.

  38. I noticed in the past week that I too have slipped into some bad habits. The diet soda has made a few appearances and my body is telling me it doesn’t like it. I’m already trying to buckle down with more water and more cardio. I love being on my yoga mat, but I’m missing my elliptical workouts and long pup walks.

  40. We seriously need this too. Four more days till we head home and back to “normal”. Normal sleep, normal eating, just plain normal.

    ‘Cause I need to get off the ice cream pony…

  41. 6 fabulous tips. We are de-toxing around here too (after our last few days of getaway time this week…).

    Relegating wine/beer (I know you don’t drink, so this is one for me and others…) to just a single glass once in a while (not every night on the front porch, just because it’s such a beautiful evening).

    My kids are detoxing junk TV and it’s not a pretty sight…

  42. My sister fed her kids healthily and only gave them non-sugar snacks. As adults they drink alcohol like fish and eat badly and are overweight. Connection? Possibly.

  45. These tips are AWESOME. We’ve definitely gotten ourselves in a little bit of a slump over here with our hectic schedule lately and I’m so ready to just get back on track. You are one wise lady. We’re jumping on your detox train.

  46. I think its impressive that the Tornado can link what she eats with the way she feels – and choose not to eat foods that make her feel that way – sugar for example. I struggle with this now! Some great tips to get back into good habits.

  47. It’s funny, I always look forward to this time of year. To getting back to ‘normal’ in all areas of our lives. I love summer for it’s summer-ness, but I always look forward to the structure and routine that fall brings for us.

  48. As somebody else mentioned I like to do a one day emotional and diet detox after visiting the relatives. I find that I race out of the family home after a weekend there and just sit in the car at a nearby mall for an hour planning my detox vacation. It helps me to come down from all the noise and anxiety in particular from the weekend. After that we can deal will the cheese doodles that I ate.

  50. Awww…I know I’ve said this before, but I’ll say it again. Your little Tornado is lucky to have such a great, healthy role model for a mom. Treats are fine, but are just that “treats”. I can’t believe that the summer is almost over. I also can’t believe I’ve NEVER had a snow cone in my life. Seriously…never…. Unless you count the very icy margarita I had yesterday. 🙂 Some could consider that an adult sno cone. 🙂 Have a good Monday Miz.

  52. This has actually been an okay summer for me so far! I don’t feel like my summer splurges have been detrimental or massive in volume. But I ALWAYS need a little sugar detox….

  53. What a perfect day to read your post. Started off the week with the intention to detox myself. Like you said summer fun eating has crept up. Coupled from being home after recouping from surgery. My schedule is out of whack!

    Drinking water and smiling at all the helpful reminders. Thanks for the heads up on the mood swings…not just for kids I see. Explains a lot. 🙂

  54. Husbands need it as much as the kids — my Sweetie + No fiber = back pain, believe it or not. When his innards work well, his back feels better.

    We never outgrow this stuff!

  57. Great advice for all of us. Im still trying to get on track after a two week vacation, that was a month ago! Haha oh well. Water and fibre are wonderful things!

  60. I am so so so so so grateful the Tornado got up early all summer.
    In a way.
    While it didnt feel like summer per se—I was up working anyway AND she wont struggle with getting up for school!

    DRAGGING HER OFF THE SUGAR PONY (and the husband. wait not off the husband…off the bigger sugar pony :-)) is enough.

  61. Nice tips!! Who can ignore the importance of water for human body. Luckily my 11 year daughter obeys whatever I say. I have instructed her to limit junk foods as much as possible and drink lots of water. As she loves food cooked by me, I give her healthy and tasty food items every alternate day.

  64. Oh dear. I have not started the junk food detox yet. We still have 2 weeks till school starts – that’s totally enough time… Maybe.

  66. Love the photo of the Tornado!

    We ate out a lot more over the summer, and that’s where the sugar snug into our diets. Now that we are back to our regular schedule, I buy the kid’s favorite fruits (mainly watermelon and grapes at the moment) and make soft serve “ice cream” to take care of the sweet tooth.

  69. Small children don’t know the importance of food and nutrition. It’s up to parents to teach good habits at an early age. If parents let kids eat anything they want to, the kids will never learn to control the kinds of foods that they eat and will carry that unhealthy habit with them for life.

  71. I’m a new reader (I found you through Lindsay at the Lean Green Bean!) and wow!! I LOVE how you kept me laughing until the end and I learned so much throughout the whole post!!
    As a new-ish mother of two young ones (3 and 1), I often worry about how to make healthy eating a part of their normal routine for when they get older. (Cue the “boy, she’s stupid” music here) it never occurred to me to teach them the before and after sugar / junk food effects on our bodies and moods. Thank you for the eye-opener. I’m so excited to start teaching them at lunch time!! (and always!!)
    You have a new fan right here 🙂

Trackbacks

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This