CEREAL KILLER

The family gathered to the hearing.........after Mum had announced that cereals bought in the shop would be killed off. Gasps and screams were heard in the kitchen as all gathered around to hear the case being presented:

Mum : I bring before you today, a list of reasons why I am no longer prepared to buy cereals in boxes from the shop and why I want to introduce a different breakfast variety called chompers muesli. ( faces look glum......)

Cereals in boxes have a high salt content and sugar content plus a whole host of other added ingredients. The making of these cereals and bringing it to the table, involves a lot of processes and food miles, although this is not the only criteria.

Exhibit 1 is the article by the Green Parent about advertising, foodmiles, additives etc.

Exhibit 2 offers details of the ingredients in a cereal against the recommended daily intake of sugar, fat, salt etc.

Sugar addiction is common in children and adults and when you become addicted to sugar, you want more and cannot help yourself. What is the link between sugar addiction, behaviour and weight? Kathleen Desmaisons offers information of how being sugar sensitive can change your brain chemistry.

When you are addicted to sugar, you are likely to eat more of it, lining not only the producers profits but also adding a sizeable chunk of weight to your body. As your body continues to transform sugar into fat and is continuously adjusting to the high sugar content you are giving it to work with, the body's own sugar production regulator , the pancreas( the organ that produces and regulates insulin), starts to malfunction. ( If you were the pancreas and your job is to produce insulin and the person just keeps adding sugar, would you bother making insulin?)Although sugar consumption is not directly linked to diabetes, obesity is.

DS2 - But I like sugary foods and how am I going to change?
Mum: If you change gradually you are not likely to feel deprived. I am not currently asking you to give up sugary cereals all together, I am bringing it to your attention and asking you to think about what other alternatives there are.
DS2: What is in that bowl?
Mum: I have made a muesli recipe, which I am going to call chompers muesli for you to try. Its sweet and it has other ingredients in it. I want you to test it and see what happens to your sugar rushes, your energy during the day and you come back and tell me what is happening.
DS3 : I am going to try some now. Whats in it?
Mum : Good question...what is in it. You ask me what is in it because it looks different and has things in that you do not know about, do you ask the same question when you open the packet of sugary cereal?
DS2 : Well no, we trust that its OK because we know it, have been eating it for a long time.
Mum: I understand you reasoning, why you trust what it says on the cereal packet, but should you?
DS3 : Do they lie then?
Mum : Well no, they are giving a lot of information on food labels but I am not sure that many people pay attention to it. Why eat 14% of your sugar requirement in a small bowl of cereal, look at the weight, lets weigh the amount they talk about.
DS2: Wow, thats a small amount, I eat more than that.
DS3: What is the green stuff in the cereal?
Mum : Pumpkin seeds
DS3: What do they do?
Mum : Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of minerals.
DS3: Its OK Mum, but it takes ages to chew this cereal.
Mum : Let me tell you about the digestive system.
DS2 : I think I will have more toast in the future.
Mum : I am not asking you to change overnight but I am asking you to think about what you eat, why you eat it and whether you can make choices about that.

The jury is out........and the cereal killer is awaiting a fair trial.

Ingredients for chompers muesli:
Oats
Bran
pumpkin seeds
almonds
papaya
apricots
maple syrup