My six year-old daughter, Emma, asked to conduct a food experiment.
Raised a vegetarian, with strong vegan leanings (she only consumes eggs and dairy products in certain company, present company excluded), Emma has always had superior health.
She, like most six year-olds, has endless energy, from dawn till dusk, she's perfectly even - HIGH. She spends most of her days in happy, cooperative moods, with little resistance and few melt-downs (less than weekly). She goes to bed without a struggle, sleeps through the night, wakes up sunny, and is amiable all day. She is in the fourth percentile for her weight, maintaining at just under 40 lbs (which is healthy for her age/height, but rare these days). She has clear, glowing skin and lustrous locks. She's in "like new" condition, and improving, as we ease away from cheese.
But recently, she asked if it would be all right to experiment with a full day of nothing but junk food to find out if it would actually affect the way she feels, physically and emotionally.
Initially, I was enthusiastic about this request, because I thought it would be a great way to learn a valuable and memorable lesson - a way to reinforce the crazy propaganda I've been filling her head (and belly) with for the past 6 years. But then I hesitated...
What if this one day of junk food opens the door to a lifetime of addiction? What if a Saturday full of fast food, processed food, ice cream, and sugary beverages acts as a "gateway drug" to soda and saturated fats and...MEAT!? I had to reconsider.
Having not yet fully committed to the experiment, I made gluten-free, vegan pancakes and hashbrowns for breakfast. I figured the day could go either way from here. While they are both just loaded with empty carbs, the pancakes actually had banana, oats, and flax meal in them.
After collecting ample insight from my Facebook friends and family, who were in full support of my facilitating this experience, I feel confident that Emma and I both have the knowledge and maturity to take full advantage of her curiosities, and teach/learn a lifelong lesson in eating healthy.
Stay tuned for a follow-up post later today and again tomorrow, with the side effects and results!
Off to Taco Bell and the Ice Cream parlor!
