Thursday, February 20, 2014

Sundays and Caffeine......

I know, weird title huh?  Stay with me.
Here's a tidbit "73% of children consume caffeine on a daily basis" Read on.
 
I went on a retreat many years ago about keeping Sundays holy. It was an awesome retreat and I learned many things but one of the things I implemented immediately upon returning home to a house full of small to medium age children was making Sunday a very special day. A day different from the other six. This meant Sunday was not just a day off, not just the one day a week Daddy had off work, or a day with no school, but a day that was different in even the small things. Sunday meant it was the day we worshiped God at Church of course but I learned the whole day should be God's Day so it was a happy day, a day filled with good things and things we didn't have or do on the other days. It should be much like a holiday with friends, family, food and fun.

On Sundays we have always had picnics, gone on walks, played outside games, swam and had friends over. Daddy still BBQ's every Sunday and during the winter the kids handle dinner and Mom gets the night off!! Sometimes we're lazy and watch old MGM movies and play board games after church.
 
We have always lived pretty frugally because I stay home with the children and that was a decision we made before we ever had a large family. We knew what we were getting into. We knew it meant we weren't going to have "things" as much as we were going to provide time and ourselves to our children. What has this got to do with Sundays? In our home this means on Sundays we have things like chips, soda, cookies and other special treats. We don't have some of those foods and drinks during the week for several reasons, two of them being they don't fit into our budget as a daily staple and because for us they are not the healthiest foods for every day so once a week is enough for the kids to have some of them and really I think that's what "treat" means anyway.
 
So the retreat I attended combined with our lifestyle we had already been living makes Sundays our "treat day" as the kids always call it.
That oddly leads into the other half of the title....Caffeine.
 
I read something today that prompted this post. Okay I know I get all up in arms over stuff but this just blew my mind big time and I am all mad and well, you know....mad.  I had no idea about these stats and I am just shocked.....get the feeling I'm worked up?  I know...calm down Lisa.
 
Here's the link to a great article from a gal who is a physician, a mom and is very balanced so I am willing to listen to her. Her blog is called Seattle Mama Doc and I like it because her posts are short, relevant and down to earth. The post she wrote is about caffeine and kids. It's called  Caffeine Intake High for Children But Shifting. It was excellent and she did not flip out as I am.
 
Did you know that 73% of children consume caffeine ON A DAILY BASIS in beverages and food???  I mean I am just blown away by this.  This article is so good and not long at all.....please go read it whether or not you're a parent.  The really disturbing stat for me is that in the 2-5 year old group, the use is over 60% daily.....seriously???  No way my brain said....NO WAY. 
 
Yup.
 
No wonder some kids have so many problems in this country. No wonder. And folks I am not a health food nut in any shape or form. Ask my family or friends. Sheesh ask my Mother. I struggle to get my children...heck my HUSBAND to eat anything green all the time. But those stinkin' stats are scary.
 
I have to say though, that my not quantifying the stats is unfair until you read the article. It does not mean every kid is running around with Lattes and Red Bulls all day. However the energy drink craze is a real issue as is daily soda intake. Many times I have driven down my own road at 7:30 AM and seen kids waiting for the school bus with a Coke in their hand. Now I love Coke don't get me wrong but at 7 AM ? Waiting for a school bus?  Ummm, no.
 
Let's think about what that does to a student just before sitting in a classroom. How does caffeine affect me? I need it to speed up and get going. They need to sit quietly, listen, concentrate and behave. They have to cooperate and get along well. I cannot imagine caffeine (let alone sugar) is going to have a positive effect on any of those qualities in a child or adolescent and it is going to be a real mess if they have not eaten.

 Here is a quote from Roland Griffiths, PhD, a professor of behavioral biology at Johns Hopkins University: "The caffeine content of energy drinks varies over a tenfold range, with some containing the equivalent of 14 cans of Coca-Cola, yet the caffeine amounts are often unlabeled and few include warnings about the potential health risks of caffeine intoxication."

We have several children with cardiac problems and their cardiologist firmly told them to NEVER drink energy drinks. This cardiologist is not an old fuddy-duddy either, being a football player and accustomed to athletic habits, etc. but said the energy drinks have a combination of two chemicals that can be very dangerous to people with heart conditions. The other issue is for those who do not know they have a heart condition. Many cardiac problems have no symptoms until the problem is severe. Pretty scary.
 
How about this from our corporate world.....
 
*The Mars ™ corporation recently released a caffeinated version of the Snickers™ bar, called Snickers Charged™ (Mars, Mount Olive, NJ). 
*Caffeine-containing water (Water Joe™) can be purchased on the internet and in some retail stores.
 *The Jolt Gum website claims that having 144 pieces of Jolt Gum (equivalent to 72 cups of coffee) will “make you the most popular kid on the block” and that you “may even be able to get an A in art history” because of the “greenish speckles” ().

I realize we should all practice and I am a proponent myself of "Just say no" to things you do not want your children to have. I do not want anyone including the government regulating what I can and cannot eat or drink, but who knew where caffeine was....right? They market it in water, gum and now candy bars. Whew. Just weird to me.

So that's the soap box I am on today. You all probably knew this stuff but boy was it a shock for me. So the special treats for our "Every Sunday is Special" days are going to stay that way and not become daily. So my weird title comes together here with..... there are few things anymore that are "treats". I think many years ago there were a lot of things that were had once in awhile as treats that are now daily expected things. Treat expectations have risen and risen and risen. So has disease and behavior problems and obesity and medical bills and entitlement. 

I don't know why it is but when you don't do or have something very often it sure does make it wonderful and many times healthier.
 
~Blessings~
Lisa
 
 
Caffeine Use in Children: What we know, what we have left to learn, and why we should worry
Jennifer L. Temple

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