Commentary
Doctor's story of family eating habits
By Linda Tagawa
Special to The Advertiser
Once a year, I go in for my annual eye checkup.
A few weeks ago, my visit began the same as usual: "How are the kids?" Doc and I yapped on and on about the kids and school as though those were the main reasons for my visit. When the topic of food came up, I chattered away about my vegetarian eating habits and then Doc interjected, "You know, speaking about food, I gotta tell you about something that caused my whole family to make a lifestyle change." Clearly, he had a story to tell and he wanted me to hear it.
"It began almost a year ago when I took my 7-year-old daughter in for a routine checkup. Her pediatrician called us after the test results were in.
" 'Suzie's cholesterol level is over 200,' she reported, 'somewhat high, nothing to worry about, just something to be aware of. It's easier to make changes in the eating habits of children instead of when they're older.'
"I was shocked! How could this be? I'd always been very careful of the things I fed my children. I made sure they ate veggies and fruits as a regular part of their meals. Of course, we were like all families and snacked on gummy bears, li hing arare and stuff like that, but otherwise, I fed my kids well-balanced meals.
"That night we had a family discussion.
" 'It's not like you have a disease or anything like that,' we told Suzie. 'It's sort of a signal for all of us to pay attention to what we eat. Many people have to take medication for high cholesterol when they get older. If we begin to make small changes beginning today, we'll avoid health problems later on, so Daddy and I have decided to pay attention to what we all eat. What's not good for Suzie is not good for our whole family.'
"Day after day, we talked about processed foods, sodium, and whatever else we were learning, at dinner time. Our children, in turn, participated with questions and concerns.
"Eventually health, exercise and well-being became a natural part of our daily dinner conversations. Food shopping became a fun, educational family affair. We cut down on the mayo, got rid of most of the junk. Our two children pulled boxes of snacks and cereals from supermarket shelves and checked on the ingredients. Anything with more than 5 percent fat was left on the shelf. We didn't only talk about health, we did something about it. We were on our way to making a lifestyle change!
"Today, my children are more conscious of the food they eat. Just last week, my 3-year-old son spent the day with his auntie.
" 'Let's go have pizza for lunch,' his auntie told him.
"Kenny turned and asked, 'Auntie, did you know that pizza is high in cholesterol?'
"Today, we all have a healthier diet. We've become accustomed to less junk food, snacking on sliced apples and dried fruits instead. We limit ourselves to one or two cookies rather than the whole box. And if the kids go to a birthday party, they'll eat the pizza or cake and ice cream like their friends, but in moderation. More importantly, my children are learning the difference between nutritious food and non-food items, have become wise shoppers and are making better choices.
"We have chosen to make nourishing foods part of our regular everyday diet. You know, in a recent retest, my daughter's cholesterol level dropped down over 50 points!
"The shocking news about my daughter's high cholesterol level was really a blessing that led us down a healthier path. It took time, effort and a commitment to make a lifestyle change, but the results have been astounding! Preparing good food takes more time than unwrapping a Ding Dong, but each and every day we feel better, more energized and healthier!"
Linda Tagawa is a school teacher and mother of four grown children. Her column appears in the Island Life section the first Thursday of each month.
