Spinach: A Superfood! -Healthy Bites June 2013

Many children balk at eating spinach as well as other dark green leafy vegetables. Spinach can be tough for kids to enjoy and parents get frustrated finding ways to incorporate it into the diet.

The best advice is, Hide it! I hide spinach in turkey meatballs, in soups, smoothies, eggs (my famous green eggs and ham) even pasta! You can also take advice from Ruth Yaron’s book, Super Baby Food, which gives tips on how to incorporate vegetables for picky palates. Your efforts will be well worth it as spinach has some amazing health benefits, such as:

Helps with Bowel Function

One cup of spinach has nearly 20% of the RDA of dietary fiber, which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar, and curbs overeating.

Anti-Inflammatory

Neoxanthin and violaxanthin are two anti-inflammatory epoxyxanthophylls that play an important role in regulation of inflammation and these are present in unusual amounts in spinach.

Antioxidants

The vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, manganese, zinc and selenium present in spinach all serve as powerful antioxidants that combat the onset of osteoporosis, atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.

Immunity

One cup of spinach contains over 337% of the RDA of vitamin A that not only protects and strengthens “entry points” into the human body, such as mucous membranes, respiratory, urinary and intestinal tracts, but is also a key component of lymphocytes (or white blood cells) that fight infection.

Skin

The high amount of vitamin A in spinach also promotes healthy skin by allowing for proper moisture retention in the epidermis, thus fighting psoriasis, keratinization, acne and even wrinkles.

Brain and Nervous Function

The abundance of vitamin K in spinach contributes greatly to a healthy nervous system and brain function by providing an essential part for the synthesis of sphingolipids, the crucial fat that makes up the Myelin sheath around our nerves.

To help get you started, here’s a great kid-friendly smoothie recipe from Sure Foods Living:

Yummy Smoothie with Spinach

• 1-2 ripe bananas (or ones that you have frozen)
• A handful of pre-washed organic baby spinach
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• Any other fruit you if you want to add, fresh or frozen (note that raspberries will make little seeds in the smoothie — many kids don’t like the texture)
• Half of a small yogurt (we recommend dairy-free soy-free coconut milk yogurt)
• A splash of liquid, either almond milk or any kind of juice

Blend all ingredients. If the smoothie is too runny, add more banana and/or ice. If you are having trouble getting it to blend, you need to add more liquid — just a little at a time.

Study: Gut Bacteria Affects Brain Function

Study: Gut Bacteria Affects Brain Function

A recent study from researchers at UCLA links gut bacteria to brain function, underscoring Brain Balance’s assertion that diet has a direct and significant impact on behavior. The small study found that women who regularly consumed probiotics found in yogurt showed altered brain function while in a state of rest and in response to emotion recognition tasks. Read an excerpt below from the UCLA Health online magazine (1), or click here to read the original article in its entirety.

“…The small study involved 36 women between the ages of 18 and 55. Researchers divided the women into three groups: one group ate a specific yogurt containing a mix of several probiotics — bacteria thought to have a positive effect on the intestines — twice a day for four weeks; another group consumed a dairy product that looked and tasted like the yogurt but contained no probiotics; and a third group ate no product at all….

During the resting brain scan, the women consuming probiotics showed greater connectivity between a key brainstem region known as the periaqueductal grey and cognition-associated areas of the prefrontal cortex. The women who ate no product at all, on the other hand, showed greater connectivity of the periaqueductal grey to emotion- and sensation-related regions, while the group consuming the non-probiotic dairy product showed results in between.

The researchers were surprised to find that the brain effects could be seen in many areas, including those involved in sensory processing and not merely those associated with emotion, Tillisch said.

The UCLA researchers are seeking to pinpoint particular chemicals produced by gut bacteria that may be triggering the signals to the brain. They also plan to study whether people with gastrointestinal symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain and altered bowel movements have improvements in their digestive symptoms which correlate with changes in brain response.

Meanwhile, Mayer notes that other researchers are studying the potential benefits of certain probiotics in yogurts on mood symptoms such as anxiety. He said that other nutritional strategies may also be found to be beneficial…”

At Brain Balance, we’ve long contended that proper diet and gut health play integral roles in improving health and behavior, particularly for kids with ADHD, autism, and learning disorders. Read more about the nutritional aspect of our integrated approach to reducing or eliminating symptoms of neuro-developmental disorders. 

Source: (1) UCLA, Health Sciences (2013, May 29). Changing gut bacteria through diet affects brain function.

 

Watermelon Detox Popsicle: Recipe of the Month from Our Nutritionist, Kara Kroger

Watermelon Detox Popsicle

Ingredients:

Makes 8 popsicles

Pink Section of Popsicle:

4 cups seedless watermelon, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tablespoons raw local honey (optional)

1/4 cup fresh spearmint leaves

2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated

Green Section of Popsicle:

3/4 cup unrefined apple juice

1 cup fresh spinach

1/4 cup fresh spearmint leaves

8 popsicle molds or paper cups and sticks

Instructions:

In separate batches, blend the ingredients in a high powered blender for 1 minute each, for both the pink and green portion of the popsicle. Pour the pink mixture evenly amongst 8 molds, leaving about 1 inch of room so that you can later pour in the green mixture.

Place the filled molds into the freezer and allow to freeze for about 45 minutes; or until they are set enough you can top them off with the green mixture without the colors blending. At this point you should be able to insert your popsicle stick down through the green mixture, into the pink mixture, and it will stand up straight. Place your popsicle sticks into all eight of the molds and put them back into the freezer for another 3-4 hours. The longer you let them freeze the less trouble you will have with removing them from the molds without separating the sticks from the popsicle. 

If you have extra juice now if the time to drink it up!

After freezing for another 4 hours, remove the molds from the freezer and run each mold under warm water for a few seconds. This helps the popsicle to come out of the mold smoothly.

Then go outside and find a shady tree to sit under and enjoy your cooling detox popsicle. You can be sure you are supporting your heath with this recipe while enjoying the sweetness of summer!

See this article on Epicurious for additional tips on popsicle making from pro paleta (the Spanish word for popsicles) maker Fany Gerson.

Study: Environmental Enrichment Reduces Autism Symptoms

Results from an autism study in the May 2013 issue of Behavioral Neuroscience show environmental enrichment strategies reduce autism symptoms in boys ages 3 to 12. After six months of an environmental enrichment program that included olfactory and tactile stimulation, the enriched group showed clinically significant improvement of symptoms at a rate of 42% compared with 7% of the control group. Additionally, 69% of parents of kids in the enriched group reported improvement, compared with only 31% of the control group. 

Researchers are now conducting a larger study that includes girls with autism. Click here to read more about this important and promising study.

 

At Brain Balance, sensory-motor stimulation and environmental enrichment are an integral part of each student’s individualized program! What’s the Brain Balance difference? The difference is that each child is assessed in more than 900 functions, then a program is custom designed for his or her specific needs. The results of this recent autism study underscore the effectiveness of the Brain Balance method. By combining sensory-motor, cognitive, and academic activities with nutritional guidelines meant to ease any behavioral symptoms caused by food sensitivities and/or allergies, we’ve established a multi-faceted, holistic approach that helps your child achieve optimum body and brain function without medication. We work with children who exhibit symptoms of ADHD, Dyslexia, Tourette’s, Asperger’s, and Autism Spectrum Disorders. Contact us today to learn more!  512-328-7771