As a lot of you know, at this stage in a toddler's life, a lot of food tends to be ejected off their plate. Claire will pick up a fist full of food, look me dead in the eye while she hangs her little hand over the floor, and as soon as I say "no Claire, that's not nice, we don't..." food is thrown onto the floor. And then she does this exaggerated lean over the side of her high chair like, how did that get there? Stinker. I swear if she wasn't so cute...
This picture is hilarious! Those ARE NOT HER TEETH! It was one of those round puffs & it ended up in her mouth like that so perfectly. She had no teeth at this time - as you can see she was still being fed via NG tube.
We do the best we can do, but no, it's not perfect each day. I try to get each meal & snack balanced so there is no spike in her blood sugar that will cause hunger sooner than a few hours from that particular meal. Getting Claire in the right habits at a young age is going be essential in her ability to make the proper food choices for herself in the future. I don't expect her at age 10 to be able to whip up a cauliflower crust pizza with 3 oz of part-skim mozzarella cheese & 2 tablespoons of sauce. It is my job as her mother to make sure the ratios are what they are. When she goes to get ice cream with her friends is when I need to be comfortable in knowing that she'll get one scoop of frozen yogurt. Plain. And wash it down with a bunch of water. :)
I cannot predict the future, but I want to be able to take away any anxiety there is about food. Food is for energy. Yes, we can & should enjoy our meals, but that's it. Our family has decided that in the next few years, when Claire is able to take part in more physical activities, that we are going to start creating different traditions on those holidays that surround food. Thanksgiving for example, we have decided to volunteer at a soup kitchen or retirement home. This is good for all of us on many different levels. Maybe we'll go paddle boarding in the morning (if I can peel AJ away from football - thank the good Lord for DVR) or go for a long bike ride. Holidays are about family, not gorging yourself to the brink of sickness on an annual meal. (Average Thanksgiving Meal for One Person: 3,000 calories)
Protein: A molecule composed of polymers of amino acids joined together by peptide bongs. A protein has several functions. It may serve as a structural material (keratin/hair), as enzymes , as transporters (hemoglobin), as antibodies, or as regulators of gene expression.
A protein may be classified based on its form and main functions: it can be a globular protein like most enzymes, fibrous protein which are for structural role; and membrane proteins that serve as receptors or channels for a molecule to pass through the cell membrane.
- Each gram of protein equals 4 calories
- There are complete & incomplete proteins (complete proteins contain all the essential amino acids)
- Complete proteins include meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, and soy
- Incomplete proteins include nuts, grains, fruits, and vegetables
- Too much protein in the diet can be harmful to your kidneys & liver
- Proteins are used mostly for energy, metabolism & muscle mass
Protein is essential for your body in regards to building and maintaining lean muscle mass, strengthening your immune system, repairing damaged cells and tissues, manufacturing hormones & functions as an energy source.
Research proves that protein is by far the most filling, having a large thermic effect. When your body is digesting food it is naturally burning calories in the process. This is called the Thermic Effect Of Food. Different foods have different thermic effects & protein happens to require the most amount of calories to digest.
By no means do I suggest going over the recommended daily amount that is right for you of your child, but this proves that protein is pretty darn good for you.
More Info on Thermogenesis
As you can see from my example below, Ryan Gosling clearly eats his protein. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment