- Email: [email protected]
My Grandfather’s Apple Party
DIET AND NUTRITION
MY GRANDFATHER’S APPLE PARTY Debra Walhof, MD
can remember watching my grandfather peel the skin off an apple in one single motion. My sisters and I would wait patiently as he sliced off a piece, waiting for him to pass it to us. We were not allowed to eat our piece of apple until we announced to the whole table the name of someone that we loved. The name could be that of a friend, or family member, or even a pet, but we had to connect with our hearts during that moment When it was my turn, I could feel the energy in the air as the rest of the table waited to see which name I would say aloud. They were listening intently, and I was master of the moment. I can still recall the taste of the fresh, juicy piece of apple and feel the bright shining eyes of my grandpa light up watching his family enjoy each other. So was this just a tricky way for my grandpa to get us to eat our apples? Perhaps. .. but to this day, I do not recall an apple tasting as good as the apples we ate during our “apple parties.” Interestingly, my great-grandfather was the originator of the “apple party.” My grandfather came to this country alone when he was 15 years old. He married and started his family and was able to bring over his father and two brothers from Europe. His mother and other siblings stayed in Europe. My greatgrandfather invented the “apple party” as a game to teach my father the names of his relatives in Europe. Names of people whose faces he might never see. My dad now has regular “apple parties” with my son. As with every generation, we have altered the rules. Now you can say the name of “anyone” who you love or is important to you or who holds a special place in your heart. I am always amused when my son balks at eating an apple for a snack but regularly requests “apple parties” from his grandpa. Why am I telling you this? An apple is an apple whether it is eaten on the run or at an apple party, right? Medicine, recently, has been slowly moving toward the acknowledgment of
I
both its scientific and intuitive aspects. As the medical world moves toward integration, the nutrition world is also beginning to acknowledge that both the science of what we eat and the art of how we eat are relevant factors in our health. In the past few decades, the what of our diets has been big news! The nutritionist, doctors, and media remind us to eat more omega-3’s, to stay away from trans-fats, and to eat whole fresh seasonal foods. But we are now starting to discover that how we eat these foods/nutrients might also play a role in our health. Take, for instance, the Mediterranean diet. Is it solely the nutrient components of the Mediterranean diet that make it healthy, or are some of the health benefits directly related to the Mediterranean lifestyle around food? As an American who waited on tables during my college years, I was well schooled in making sure my customers received their food hot and in a timely manner. Good service was equated with quick service. Many people eat out as a prelude to their main event for the evening: the theatre, a movie, or a party. Quick table turnover is what the customer, the waitress, and the restaurant owner all expect and hope will happen. Years later, having married a Dutchman, I was frustrated when I went out to dinner in Holland. Dinners ended up being two to three hour events. It took “forever” to receive the ordered food. Luckily, I finally realized (with some cultural reprogramming from my husband) that, when we went out to eat in Holland, good food in the company of good friends or family was the event. People did not “chow down” their food quickly in order to catch a movie, and waiters were not being lazy— they were respectful of the fact that an evening in a restaurant was much more than just about the food. Having had the good fortune to experience a different culture’s attitude toward food, I began to wonder about the American attitude toward eating. How has the
way Americans eat changed in the past generation, and are we different compared with other areas of the world? According to a 2003 survey,1 40% of American families eat dinner together only two or three times a week, and 60% eat dinner as a family less than two times a week. This differs greatly from a generation ago when 80% of families ate dinner together almost every night. Some additional facts1: ● ● ● ●
A majority of Americans eat out five times a month. Twenty-eight percent always watch TV while eating. Sixteen percent frequently watch TV while eating. The southern and western regions of the United States watch the most TV while eating meals.
Two studies highlight how we differ from Europe and Japan.2 ● ●
Eighty percent of Japanese families have a nightly dinner together. More than 60% of Europeans eat at least one meal together daily as a family (midday meal or dinner).
What does the data say about how the environment in which we eat can affect our health and well-being? ●
●
The Widowson study3 highlighted the role of environmental factors in weight gain. Children in orphanages during WWII who received similar nutrients gained weight differently depending on the emotional atmosphere they were in during their meals. Those who ate in positive, nurturing, tranquil environments gained more weight. The Journal of Adolescent Health4 (May 2003) and the Journal of the American Dietetic Association5 (March 2003) surveyed the meal patterns and dietary intake of teens. They concluded that one in five adolescents ate less than the recom-
EXPLORE May 2006, Vol. 2, No. 3 249
Table 1. Family Nutrition Food and Family Teaching Moments
Fun Family Activities
Resources
CONNECTION—Connect with your family TOLERANCE—Avoid judging yourself and others around food CREATIVITY—Create family food rituals BALANCE—Enjoy what you eat and practice moderation DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL SKILLS— Converse with family and friends at mealtimes
Eat meals together as often as possible Cook with your children Upside down day— eat dinner foods as breakfast, etc. Family Garden Farmer’s Market Apple Party Create community potlucks with friends and family Attend multicultural celebrations together
The Healing Secret of Food by Deborah Keston Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family by Ellen Satter American Heart Association—Kids cookbook Kids in the Kitchen by Micah Pulleyn & Sarah Bracken Nutrition Newsletter (feeding kids newsletter)—nutritionforkids.com [email protected] (what is it)
Table is designed as a handout for family meal planning.
●
mended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. However, they also noted that, when parents were present at the evening meal, the teens ate fruit, vegetables, and dairy and drank less soda. September 2003: the National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA)6 released a report entitled “The Importance of Family Dinners.” They surveyed approximately 2,000 12 to 17 year olds and concluded the following:
— As family dinners declined, teen substance abuse rose. — Teens who ate dinner with their families five or more times a week were two times as likely to receive A’s in school and had half the average risk for substance abuse for their age groups. — According to this survey, teens who ate more than five dinners a week with their families were (1) 32% less likely to try cigarettes, (2) 45% less likely than their peers to try alcohol, and (3) 24% less likely to try marijuana. The Federal government was so impressed with the CASA data that they declared one day each September as “a day to eat dinner with your kids” as part of “national effort to promote parental engagement as a simple effective way to reduce substance abuse and raise healthier kids.” So what are some of the possible present-day obstacles to the family mealtime? Does eating dinner with your children leave you fearful that you will not be able to engage them? Find time to cook? Sit down together? Each family has to find a way that works for them. Maybe it is family breakfast in-
250 EXPLORE May 2006, Vol. 2, No. 3
stead of dinner or a family picnic before soccer practice— exploring and involving your children in the process will help make that plan work for your family. A few general rules and ideas to consider when structuring your unique family mealtime: 1. The meal is the main event and connecting with your family is the goal: ● No TV; ● no phone calls; ● no reading materials at the table (sorry Mom and Dad, put down your newspaper) 2. Try to eat fresh, whole seasonal foods and involve the kids in choosing the meal plan and preparing the foods. 3. Connect with your family through sharing your family’s food traditions. Cook with your children and share your childhood stories involving food, cooking, and others. 4. Teach your child not to be scared of trying new things. Tasting a new food is important before deciding that you do not like it—a life skill that transfers to other areas of their lives. Of course, if you do not start this at a young age, but wait till the teen years, this can be more challenging. 5. Mealtimes are great times to discuss concepts like tolerance. Teach your children not to judge themselves or others around food issues. For example, teaching your child why your family chooses to be vegetarians is very important. But it is just as important to teach them to respect others for making different choices. 6. Teach them that balance is the key to living a healthy life and that no food is
inherently bad but that moderation is the key. Ask them to start noticing how their bodies feel when they eat too much sugar and other additives. 7. Take the time at meals to teach your children social skills. Recent studies show that conversation during family meals can strengthen intellect, teach listening skills, broaden vocabulary, and teach manners. 8. Take the time during dinner to learn about each other’s day, plan future family activities like the next family meal, or just share your childhood memories. The point of the meal is to connect with each other. Unpleasant issues or discipline should be saved for a different time outside of mealtime (eg, chores, grades). If your child is of the age that “eating becomes a battle,” have them stay at the dinner table to participate in the family event whether they choose to eat or not. “Avoid power struggles at the table.” And allow your child to enjoy emotionally connected time with the family. And most importantly, model the eating habits that you hope to instill in your children. They may not admit it to you, but your behavior, habits, and beliefs are the foundation for their ever-growing belief systems. Therefore, slowing down our lives and taking time to eat together with our families and friends might just make us healthier and happier. And last, I truly believe that it takes a village to raise a child. I believe it is the responsibility of all adults to help create an environment to promote healthy eating and healthy lifestyles for the next generation.
Keep in mind that the average child sees approximately 10,000 food commercials per year, with 95% of those for candy, soda, fast food, or sugared cereal. Parents alone cannot compete with the targeted advertising to our youth that focuses on poor food choices. The single voices of parents are not strong enough to overcome the pull of the mass media, which directly targets our children, or the soda and fast food industries that permeate our schools. The people have uniformly agreed that marketing cigarettes and alcohol to children is not ethical. Is alcoholism or lung cancer any different than the devastating health complications of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac disease? Childhood obesity is a national epidemic that begs for a “village response” similar to that
of childhood exposure to cigarettes and alcohol. Communities need to set healthy food and activity policies for our society. As families and individuals, we need to reclaim the art of nutrition. Integrate the what and how of eating and start down the path toward a healthier, balanced approach to wellness. This apple certainly did not fall far from its tree!
3. Keston D. The Healing Secrets of Food. Novato, CA: New World Library; 2001. 4. Influences on adolescent eating patterns: the importance of family meals. J Adolesc Health. 2003;32:365-373. 5. Family meal patterns: associations with sociodemographic characteristics and improved dietary intake among adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003;103:317-322. 6. National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. National survey of American attitudes on substance abuse VIII: Teens and parents. Available at http://www.casacolumbia.org/ pdshopprov/files/2003_Teen_Survey_8_ 19_03.pdf. Accessed April 13, 2006.
REFERENCES 1. Parent Soup. Dinnertime Still Rings the Bell for Most Families. Available at http:// parenting.ivillage.com/mom/kitchen/ 0,,690c,00.html. Accessed April 13, 2006. 2. Japan Information Network. Japanese eating habits. April 3, 2002.
Debra Walhof, MD, is Director of Pediatrics at Marin Community Clinic, Associate Fellow of Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, and Associate Clinical Professor in Pediatrics at UCSF Medical School.
EXPLORE May 2006, Vol. 2, No. 3 251
MY GRANDFATHER’S APPLE PARTY Debra Walhof, MD
can remember watching my grandfather peel the skin off an apple in one single motion. My sisters and I would wait patiently as he sliced off a piece, waiting for him to pass it to us. We were not allowed to eat our piece of apple until we announced to the whole table the name of someone that we loved. The name could be that of a friend, or family member, or even a pet, but we had to connect with our hearts during that moment When it was my turn, I could feel the energy in the air as the rest of the table waited to see which name I would say aloud. They were listening intently, and I was master of the moment. I can still recall the taste of the fresh, juicy piece of apple and feel the bright shining eyes of my grandpa light up watching his family enjoy each other. So was this just a tricky way for my grandpa to get us to eat our apples? Perhaps. .. but to this day, I do not recall an apple tasting as good as the apples we ate during our “apple parties.” Interestingly, my great-grandfather was the originator of the “apple party.” My grandfather came to this country alone when he was 15 years old. He married and started his family and was able to bring over his father and two brothers from Europe. His mother and other siblings stayed in Europe. My greatgrandfather invented the “apple party” as a game to teach my father the names of his relatives in Europe. Names of people whose faces he might never see. My dad now has regular “apple parties” with my son. As with every generation, we have altered the rules. Now you can say the name of “anyone” who you love or is important to you or who holds a special place in your heart. I am always amused when my son balks at eating an apple for a snack but regularly requests “apple parties” from his grandpa. Why am I telling you this? An apple is an apple whether it is eaten on the run or at an apple party, right? Medicine, recently, has been slowly moving toward the acknowledgment of
I
both its scientific and intuitive aspects. As the medical world moves toward integration, the nutrition world is also beginning to acknowledge that both the science of what we eat and the art of how we eat are relevant factors in our health. In the past few decades, the what of our diets has been big news! The nutritionist, doctors, and media remind us to eat more omega-3’s, to stay away from trans-fats, and to eat whole fresh seasonal foods. But we are now starting to discover that how we eat these foods/nutrients might also play a role in our health. Take, for instance, the Mediterranean diet. Is it solely the nutrient components of the Mediterranean diet that make it healthy, or are some of the health benefits directly related to the Mediterranean lifestyle around food? As an American who waited on tables during my college years, I was well schooled in making sure my customers received their food hot and in a timely manner. Good service was equated with quick service. Many people eat out as a prelude to their main event for the evening: the theatre, a movie, or a party. Quick table turnover is what the customer, the waitress, and the restaurant owner all expect and hope will happen. Years later, having married a Dutchman, I was frustrated when I went out to dinner in Holland. Dinners ended up being two to three hour events. It took “forever” to receive the ordered food. Luckily, I finally realized (with some cultural reprogramming from my husband) that, when we went out to eat in Holland, good food in the company of good friends or family was the event. People did not “chow down” their food quickly in order to catch a movie, and waiters were not being lazy— they were respectful of the fact that an evening in a restaurant was much more than just about the food. Having had the good fortune to experience a different culture’s attitude toward food, I began to wonder about the American attitude toward eating. How has the
way Americans eat changed in the past generation, and are we different compared with other areas of the world? According to a 2003 survey,1 40% of American families eat dinner together only two or three times a week, and 60% eat dinner as a family less than two times a week. This differs greatly from a generation ago when 80% of families ate dinner together almost every night. Some additional facts1: ● ● ● ●
A majority of Americans eat out five times a month. Twenty-eight percent always watch TV while eating. Sixteen percent frequently watch TV while eating. The southern and western regions of the United States watch the most TV while eating meals.
Two studies highlight how we differ from Europe and Japan.2 ● ●
Eighty percent of Japanese families have a nightly dinner together. More than 60% of Europeans eat at least one meal together daily as a family (midday meal or dinner).
What does the data say about how the environment in which we eat can affect our health and well-being? ●
●
The Widowson study3 highlighted the role of environmental factors in weight gain. Children in orphanages during WWII who received similar nutrients gained weight differently depending on the emotional atmosphere they were in during their meals. Those who ate in positive, nurturing, tranquil environments gained more weight. The Journal of Adolescent Health4 (May 2003) and the Journal of the American Dietetic Association5 (March 2003) surveyed the meal patterns and dietary intake of teens. They concluded that one in five adolescents ate less than the recom-
EXPLORE May 2006, Vol. 2, No. 3 249
Table 1. Family Nutrition Food and Family Teaching Moments
Fun Family Activities
Resources
CONNECTION—Connect with your family TOLERANCE—Avoid judging yourself and others around food CREATIVITY—Create family food rituals BALANCE—Enjoy what you eat and practice moderation DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL SKILLS— Converse with family and friends at mealtimes
Eat meals together as often as possible Cook with your children Upside down day— eat dinner foods as breakfast, etc. Family Garden Farmer’s Market Apple Party Create community potlucks with friends and family Attend multicultural celebrations together
The Healing Secret of Food by Deborah Keston Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family by Ellen Satter American Heart Association—Kids cookbook Kids in the Kitchen by Micah Pulleyn & Sarah Bracken Nutrition Newsletter (feeding kids newsletter)—nutritionforkids.com [email protected] (what is it)
Table is designed as a handout for family meal planning.
●
mended daily amount of fruits and vegetables. However, they also noted that, when parents were present at the evening meal, the teens ate fruit, vegetables, and dairy and drank less soda. September 2003: the National Center for Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University (CASA)6 released a report entitled “The Importance of Family Dinners.” They surveyed approximately 2,000 12 to 17 year olds and concluded the following:
— As family dinners declined, teen substance abuse rose. — Teens who ate dinner with their families five or more times a week were two times as likely to receive A’s in school and had half the average risk for substance abuse for their age groups. — According to this survey, teens who ate more than five dinners a week with their families were (1) 32% less likely to try cigarettes, (2) 45% less likely than their peers to try alcohol, and (3) 24% less likely to try marijuana. The Federal government was so impressed with the CASA data that they declared one day each September as “a day to eat dinner with your kids” as part of “national effort to promote parental engagement as a simple effective way to reduce substance abuse and raise healthier kids.” So what are some of the possible present-day obstacles to the family mealtime? Does eating dinner with your children leave you fearful that you will not be able to engage them? Find time to cook? Sit down together? Each family has to find a way that works for them. Maybe it is family breakfast in-
250 EXPLORE May 2006, Vol. 2, No. 3
stead of dinner or a family picnic before soccer practice— exploring and involving your children in the process will help make that plan work for your family. A few general rules and ideas to consider when structuring your unique family mealtime: 1. The meal is the main event and connecting with your family is the goal: ● No TV; ● no phone calls; ● no reading materials at the table (sorry Mom and Dad, put down your newspaper) 2. Try to eat fresh, whole seasonal foods and involve the kids in choosing the meal plan and preparing the foods. 3. Connect with your family through sharing your family’s food traditions. Cook with your children and share your childhood stories involving food, cooking, and others. 4. Teach your child not to be scared of trying new things. Tasting a new food is important before deciding that you do not like it—a life skill that transfers to other areas of their lives. Of course, if you do not start this at a young age, but wait till the teen years, this can be more challenging. 5. Mealtimes are great times to discuss concepts like tolerance. Teach your children not to judge themselves or others around food issues. For example, teaching your child why your family chooses to be vegetarians is very important. But it is just as important to teach them to respect others for making different choices. 6. Teach them that balance is the key to living a healthy life and that no food is
inherently bad but that moderation is the key. Ask them to start noticing how their bodies feel when they eat too much sugar and other additives. 7. Take the time at meals to teach your children social skills. Recent studies show that conversation during family meals can strengthen intellect, teach listening skills, broaden vocabulary, and teach manners. 8. Take the time during dinner to learn about each other’s day, plan future family activities like the next family meal, or just share your childhood memories. The point of the meal is to connect with each other. Unpleasant issues or discipline should be saved for a different time outside of mealtime (eg, chores, grades). If your child is of the age that “eating becomes a battle,” have them stay at the dinner table to participate in the family event whether they choose to eat or not. “Avoid power struggles at the table.” And allow your child to enjoy emotionally connected time with the family. And most importantly, model the eating habits that you hope to instill in your children. They may not admit it to you, but your behavior, habits, and beliefs are the foundation for their ever-growing belief systems. Therefore, slowing down our lives and taking time to eat together with our families and friends might just make us healthier and happier. And last, I truly believe that it takes a village to raise a child. I believe it is the responsibility of all adults to help create an environment to promote healthy eating and healthy lifestyles for the next generation.
Keep in mind that the average child sees approximately 10,000 food commercials per year, with 95% of those for candy, soda, fast food, or sugared cereal. Parents alone cannot compete with the targeted advertising to our youth that focuses on poor food choices. The single voices of parents are not strong enough to overcome the pull of the mass media, which directly targets our children, or the soda and fast food industries that permeate our schools. The people have uniformly agreed that marketing cigarettes and alcohol to children is not ethical. Is alcoholism or lung cancer any different than the devastating health complications of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiac disease? Childhood obesity is a national epidemic that begs for a “village response” similar to that
of childhood exposure to cigarettes and alcohol. Communities need to set healthy food and activity policies for our society. As families and individuals, we need to reclaim the art of nutrition. Integrate the what and how of eating and start down the path toward a healthier, balanced approach to wellness. This apple certainly did not fall far from its tree!
3. Keston D. The Healing Secrets of Food. Novato, CA: New World Library; 2001. 4. Influences on adolescent eating patterns: the importance of family meals. J Adolesc Health. 2003;32:365-373. 5. Family meal patterns: associations with sociodemographic characteristics and improved dietary intake among adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003;103:317-322. 6. National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. National survey of American attitudes on substance abuse VIII: Teens and parents. Available at http://www.casacolumbia.org/ pdshopprov/files/2003_Teen_Survey_8_ 19_03.pdf. Accessed April 13, 2006.
REFERENCES 1. Parent Soup. Dinnertime Still Rings the Bell for Most Families. Available at http:// parenting.ivillage.com/mom/kitchen/ 0,,690c,00.html. Accessed April 13, 2006. 2. Japan Information Network. Japanese eating habits. April 3, 2002.
Debra Walhof, MD, is Director of Pediatrics at Marin Community Clinic, Associate Fellow of Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, and Associate Clinical Professor in Pediatrics at UCSF Medical School.
EXPLORE May 2006, Vol. 2, No. 3 251