I just finished reading Michael Pollan’s book Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual. Pollan discusses how the Western diet is linked to soaring rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.  Pollan makes the point that eating well has become complicated because of widespread marketing of “edible foodlike substances” created primarily from refined corn, soy, wheat, as well as added sugar, fat, and numerous chemicals.  He attempts to help readers sift through all the complicated advice about eating healthfully through one piece of advice: 

“Eat food.  Mostly plants.  Not to much.” 

The rest of the book goes on to tell you how to implement that strategy.   Here are a few of his 64 food rules that jumped out at me:

Eat Food.
#11  Avoid foods you see advertised on television.
#13 Eat only foods that will eventually rot.
#19  If it came from a plant, eat it.  If it was made in a plant, don’t.
#20 It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car.
#21 It’s not food if it’s called by the same name in every language. (Think Big Mac, Cheetos, or Pringles)

Mostly plants.
#22 Eat plants, mostly leaves.
#27 Eat animals that have themselves eaten well.
#34 Sweeten and salt your food yourself.
#36 Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk.
#37 “The whiter the bread, the sooner you’ll be dead.”
#39 Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.

Not too much.
#46 Stop eating before you’re full.
#50 “The banquet is in the first bite.”
#57 Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does.

Here’s the first of Democracy Now!’s  three-part interview of Michael Pollan:

A friend told me a story this morning that is still bothering me as I write this post.  She told me of a couple with a young baby that had been crying and screaming loudly in the middle of the night.  Apparently the parents, who are proponents of the “cry it out” method of sleep training, chose to ignore the baby’s cries from the other room, hoping their child would just go back to sleep.  Eventually the baby did stop crying.  The next morning, much to the parents’ surprise, they discovered their child had been lying all night in the crib…in a pool of vomit.

Having recently cared for my own sick child, this story really got to me at a personal level.   I get tears in my eyes thinking of that frightened baby needing help and not being able to get it.  From what I could piece together, I doubt the parents intended for any of this to happen.  Nonethless, this situation got me thinking about the American obsession with independence–even that of a small child! 

Ironically, as we become more dependent on experts and technology to help with parenting, neuroscience is helping us understand the importance of human connection in the proper development of a baby’s nervous system.  Consider these interesting facts about brain development:

• Immature brains at birth.  At birth, human beings are the least mature (and most vulnerable) of any mammal.  75% of our brain development happens after birth.
• Neuroplasticity.  The brain is more malleable in the first few years than at any other time in life.  This is called neuroplasticity.
• Environment affects wiring.  The infant brain is designed to be molded by the environment it encounters.  Early experiences directly affect the way the brain is wired.
• Rapid growth of connections in early childhood.  During the first two years of life, connections among brain cells are undergoing their fastest growth.  In the first decade of life, a child’s brain literally forms trillions of connections.  By age three, the brain has developed to 75% of its adult size.
• We are hardwired to connect.  Because our brains develop through interaction with the environment, social interactions have a tremendous impact on our development. Active and engaged care is essential for children’s brain maturation and for social, emotional, and intellectual development. Loving, attuned interactions and human touch help the neurons grow and connect with other neurons properly. Aversive experiences have the opposite effect.
• Excessive stress is toxic to developing brain.  Brain research indicates that levels of cortisol, norepinephrine, and adrenaline increase when a person experiences trauma or stress.  Cortisol is actually toxic to the developing brain and reduces the number of connections in certain parts of the brain.
• Life-long patterns.  Around ages 5 and 12, the brain begins to prune extra connections at a rapid rate. Connections that are used repeatedly in the early years become permanent; those that are not are eliminated

According to research, the average American parent takes longer to respond to a crying child than parents in other parts of the world.  Sadly, letting babies “cry it out” is now linked to higher risk of developing an anxiety disorder as an adult.  Babies have a very immature nervous system and cannot soothe or calm themselves.  They actually need a caregiver to perform that function for them.  Responding in a sensitive manner to their cries lets them know the world is a safe, secure place where their needs will be met.  It is through this experience that  a child eventually grows toward true independence.

This is the Year of the Tiger.  Ten years ago, I would have only been aware of such a fact while looking at my placemat at a Chinese restaurant.  With the adoption of my two daughters from China, celebrating the Spring Festival (aka Chinese New Year) has become an annual tradition I embrace with enthusiasm.  We decorate the house, watch the lion dancers, and distribute lucky red envelopes.  The goal is to educate my kids about their heritage, hoping to instill pride in their cultural roots. 

Because they do not live with Chinese parents, my girls’ life experiences will differ significantly from most Chinese in China, Chinese immigrants to the U.S., and even Chinese Americans.  Others may look at their faces, assume they belong to one of these groups, and expect them to have some basic understanding of their heritage.  They need to have some way to navigate that experience without feeling culturally incompetent.  Celebrating one of the most important holidays in China, even if it is not a completely authentic celebration,  is one step toward that goal. 

Xin Nian Kuai Le!

You may have noticed lately that there is more mention of “sugar-sweetened beverages” (e.g., soda, sports drinks, fruit drinks) and their link to health problems.  Some interesting tidbits I’ve learned lately about sugary drinks:

1.  People who drink just one soda a day (yes, even diet soda) are 27% more likely to be overweight.  For kids, this number goes up to 60%!

2.  Soda intake among kids has doubled in the last decade.  The average school-age child consumes about a 1000 calories of sugary drinks a day!  Almost half of kids 2-11, drink at least one soda a day, as do 60% of those from ages 12-17.

3.  It is recommended we have no more than 5-9 added teaspoons of sugar per day.  A 20 oz soda has 17 teaspoons!

4.  Liquid calories promote overeating.  The body apparently does not register calories from liquids in the same way as it does those from food.  That is, if you drink an additional 500 calories of soda a day, your body won’t necessarily compensate by needing fewer overall calories because beverages are not as filling.

5.  The CDC has a very interesting animated map showing obesity trends (watch the colors change): http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html#State

If these facts don’t make you think about reducing your soda intake, check out this ad from New York City’s public health officials:

Posted in the waiting room of my office this week is a quote by Aldous Huxley:

It is a bit embarrassing to have been concerned with the human problem all one’s life and find at the end that one has no more to offer by way of advice than “try to be a little kinder.”

In my work as a psychologist, I do find that so much of what I’m helping to heal is the result of unkind actions.  Cutting criticisms from a parent, unkind words from loved ones, or perhaps even actual physical abuse by a spouse, all have the affect of damaging people deeply. 

I am the proud owner of a Toyota RAV4, a vehicle that has served me well in the two years since I bought it.  Fortunately, my vehicle is NOT one included in the recent Toyota recall, but I have still been watching the stories with some interest.  The other day my husband asked me, “What would you do if the accelerator got stuck?”  I pondered for a minute and replied, “Probably put the car in neutral and put on the brakes.” 

Having passed this “test,” the psychologist in me began wondering whether someone could actually carry out such a plan in an emergency situation.  Lo and behold, this morning, I saw this headline in the Houston Chronicle : “Panic Impairs Driver’s Ability to Respond.” 

Yes, it would certainly be difficult for someone to respond when a primitive part of their brain has taken over and made it impossible to reason.  During times when our lives our threatened, this is essentially what happens.  The fight or flight response gets triggered.  Basically, an instinctive part of your brain overrides the rest of your brain to save your life.  You literally cannot think because there’s no time to!

So what do you do if you find yourself in danger?  Unfortunately, the time to figure that out is well before the event even happens.  Remember all those fire drills in school?  They were preparing you for something that does not normally happen, but when it does, requires quick action.  You literally have to rehearse what you will do so many times that it becomes automatic…then you can do it in an emergency. 

So all you affected Toyota owners out there.  Spend lots of time practicing what you would do if the accelerator pedal got stuck.  Or better yet, just take your car in and get it fixed.

Ever wonder why it’s gotten harder to make ends meet?  Check out this fascinating lecture by distinguished law scholar Elizabeth Warren to find out why.  Yes, it’s a little long (about an hour), but very, very interesting.

The media has been convering a story about a group of Americans from a church group who attempted to “rescue” 33 Haitian children from an orphanage. The ten Americans are now under arrest for illegally attempting to take the children across the border of Haiti.

It looks as if this group of people was well-intentioned and only trying to help.  However, this situation does bring to light the vulnerability of children in Haiti as the country attempts to slowly rebuild itself. There is a huge concern that some children are already being trafficked and sold.

As much as many people would like to help these children, it is imperative that they be “processed” through proper channels. Both Haiti and the U.S. have very clear guidelines that must be followed before a child can be legally adopted. Let’s hope the world understands why a church group taking children across the border really is a big deal.

Well I’ve decided to jump into the world of Blogging. I’m already discovering that like everything else new, there is a learning curve. WordPress is supposedly simple, but how come I have already spent hours just trying to set things up? Anyway, I’m game. Let’s see how this goes!