Interesting article about the food we eat.

[FloridaPat]

"Before the Appleton Wisconsin high school replaced their cafeteria's processed foods with wholesome, nutritious food, the school was described as out-of-control. There were weapons violations, student disruptions, and a cop on duty full-time. After the change in school meals, the students were calm, focused, and orderly. There were no more weapons violations, and no suicides, expulsions, dropouts, or drug violations. The new diet and improved behavior has lasted for seven years, and now other schools are changing their meal programs with similar results."
-- Jeffrey M. Smith, Author of Seeds of Deception"


http://www.wanttoknow.info/050520schooldietchange

[KurtNYC]

1. Okay, there is no such school

There is a school called "Appleton East High School" in Appleton WI but there is no "Appleton Wisconsin Highschool." Now let me see if Appleton East changed their food...

[arcane1]

2. seems like he's just referring to a high school in Appleton

[Dora]

3. The post refers to a high school, not THE high school.

The particulars are not in the post. Is there something in the post that you're trying to debunk?

[KurtNYC]

5. Here it is - Appleton Central Alternative Charter High School

Am I trying to debunk something? Yes - as a nutritionist I know that food can have an effect on behavior and I believe that junk food creates attention problems etc. but the change they cite in the paragraph is far greater than anything observed in controlled studies.

I found the high school -- Appleton Central Alternative Charter High School (ACA) opened its doors in February of 1996 to give individualized attention to students struggling in the conventional school settings...

When it opened it had no cafeteria/kitchen and relied solely on vending machines and sack lunches. It also had no physical education program. Here is part of the analysis on ACA:

It is entirely possible that other nearly simultaneous changes were equally as influential on the students’ behavior as the nutritional content of the food that was served. Such changes included integrating character development into the students' course work, the atmospheric changes of playing "relaxation music" softly throughout the school, the influence of the teachers eating with the students, the increase in students’ physical activity, or the fact that students went from often eating nothing in the morning to eating breakfast. Another possibility is that a sort of placebo effect took place. The administration and staff who implemented these changes also evaluated the success of the program and they undoubtedly wanted to see positive improvements. One could argue that the changes staff saw “overnight” were not in actuality as extreme.

Word doc: www.michaelfieldsaginst.org/Food%20Systems/ACACaseStudyFinalVersion.doc

My point is food DOES have an effect and there is good evidence and science behind selecting food which has a positive influence on behavior. But it hurts the credibility of nutritionists when people make exaggerated claims. What seems to have worked here is a combination of things, not just a switch in diet. Kudos to ACA staff for working so hard to find a solution and for sharing it with those who are interested in similar results.

[Dora]

9. Interesting document....

Didja catch this?

Moving from a Grant Funded to a For-Profit Managed Food Service

In September of 2003 the ARAMARK Corporation began managing ACA’s food service. This was a significant change in management, from a highly subsidized program where cost restrictions where minimal, to a for-profit management company. ARAMARK and ACA have met some challenges while trying to maintain the high taste, quality and nutrition standards set by Natural Ovens (which are above and beyond federal standards) and still run a cost effective program. Under Natural Ovens’ management, labor and food costs were increased as the chef frequented the local grocery store twice a week to shop for fresh produce, rather than receiving shipments of often prepared foods from large suppliers. An ARAMARK representative stated that ARAMARK made a “gentleman’s agreement to operate the program . . . for a year. This included no processed products, using Natural Ovens products and following the menu pattern as set (with an unlimited salad bar).” The two original cooks remained at ACA and became employees of the ARAMARK Corporation. With this switch in management, minor changes have been made to the menu. As noted in the “Impact of the Nutrition and Wellness Program on the Food and Dining Hall” section above, the ARAMARK Corporation added a few dairy items. ACA has also seen the addition of two new cereals, one of which lists sugar as its second ingredient. Under the Appleton Area School District’s Nutrition Standards, adopted June 9, 2003, “Candy is defined as any item that has sugar . . . listed as one of the first two ingredients.” Also, some staff members have voiced concerns about a perceived change in the quality and taste of the food, a decrease in student meal participation and an increase in student behavior problems. Together, ACA and ARAMARK are trying to work out the kinks.

[KurtNYC]

11. that is interesting -

To many people only "sugar" is sugar. They SHOULD be looking for HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) which is far more widely used. HFCS is a complex fructose which is hard for your body to break down. It stays in the bloodstream longer than sugar (which is simple sucrose) and is believed to play a role in the current epidemic of "dia-besity." I wonder how many people look at HFCS and think they are getting one more serving of vegetable in the deal? (corn) Actually high fructose corn (not the syrup form) is used to fatten beef cattle just before they are um... packaged for sale. It has the same effect on humans.

The main thing that the analysis confirmed for me was that they did not properly document behavior before and after the diet change. And they did not isolate diet change.

If they have space for it, it might be good for this school to have students grow some vegetables. That would give them some hands-on science knowledge and provide some absolutely fresh vegetables for their meal program.

Many schools have made changes in their school lunch programs. My favorite is Chef Bobo:
http://www.calhoun.org/page.cfm?p=448

[Dora]

14. I agree. I've kicked HFCS outta our house.

I'm not as knowledgeable as you, but all my instincts these days tell me that if a food product was created in a factory rather than cooked in a kitchen, then I'm better off not eating it. We moved a couple of years ago, and the closest grocery store is a Sun Harvest (part of the Wild Oats chain). It's so close that I won't shop anywhere else, and it's made a huge difference in our diet and I believe our well-being too.

My son had three episodes of unexplained, inconsolable crying as an infant. I was able to correlate each episode with the fountain or canned soda that I drank in the hour prior to breastfeeding. If we buy soda, it's usually Blue Sky, or any other brand that uses cane sugar. (Boylan's is yummy, but rare.)

[dragonlady]

21. Natural Ovens mentioned in this article

makes the bread we eat at our house. Here's something I'm copying from the newsletter that comes inserted in the bag:

Natural Ovens Bakery was founded in 1976 by biochemist Paul Stitt. Paul had been working for a major food company, and left because the company was stripping nutrients from its commercial breads and cereals to make them less filling and adding appetite stimulants to make people overeat. ...Paul's pioneering research into the health benefits of whole grains, flax, and vitamin D has been recognized around the world...Natural Ovens Bakery is a leader in whole-grain food products...No high fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives or artificial dough conditioners and 0 grams trans fat.

(I'm not connected to the company except as a satisfied customer who appreciates their stuff, especially the blueberry bagels.)

[izzybeans]

12. This is the same school featured in a segment of "Supersize Me"

I think.

On edit: though the point of that documentary had more to do with the sugar content of the food eaten at most public schools and not the GM aspect.

[FloridaPat]

20. Thank you for giving us the "rest of the story".

[ClayZ]

4. Farmers Markets (find one near you)

http://www.localharvest.org/

[Cha]

8. THat's the heart of the

matter..right there!

Good Food from nature makes all the difference in the world!

[RedOnce]

6. Thanks!

[SpiralHawk]

7. Clean Food

http://www.chiron-communications.com/blog.html

Clean Food
March 6th, 2006

A tidal wave of petrochemicals, industrial toxins, genetically engineered components, and peculiar processes continues to adulterate our grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, and fish. In response many more people are turning to CSA — Community Supported Agriculture — to ensure clean food for their families.

It’s fundamental. Clean food is essential to good physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health. If you eat crappy food all the time — knowingly or unknowingly — you will diminish yourself, and eventually become sick. Over the last 10 years it has become more and more difficult to know what is in food, or how clean it may or may not be. It could soon become exceedingly more difficult.

Just now Congress is advancing a bill that will keep individual states from adding warnings to food that go beyond federal rules. If this bill passes, consumers will have even less chance of knowing what strange things may have happened to, or have been added to, the food they eat.

(snip)

[ClayZ]

10. Listen to your mother.......Kick

:grouphug:

Mother Earth News

http://www.motherearthnews.com




:kick:

[Maru Kitteh]

17. That cover makes me hungry for my tomatoes

and my peppers, onions, corn, cukes, beans........

Think I'll start work on the garden tomorrow.

[warrens]

13. If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is

Healthy food is one part of a healthy life. As for convincing you not to bring a gun to school, pffft.

[Lorien]

15. I believe it

I was recently diagnosed with Limbic ADD. Years ago, I was also diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis (at age 16), and clinical depression. When I was a child my single mother could only afford to feed us very inexpensive and often highly processed food with lots of high fructose corn syrup and white flour. As a college student I lived mostly on Ramen noodles. As a professional working 60-80 hours a week at a film studio, I ended up eating fast food in the mornings and afternoon, and whatever the food service provided at night. Eventually I developed hypoglycemia on top of everything else.

A fellow DUer suggested that I cut sugar and honey (and, of course, corn syrup) out of my diet to help with the depression. I did, and it has helped (along with an Alpha-stim unit-but that's another post). The ADD diet that I'm on now is very low in carbs-no white flour, and some starchy veggies are off limits too-and very low it dairy. No caffeine either. After three weeks it has made a difference; I'm much more focused and much less sluggish. It's tough, because I had been a vegetarian and now I need to eat fish occasionally for protein (I'm allergic to soy) since dairy is largely out. It's a boring diet, but if I function much better day to day, then it's worth it. I think these kids are fortunate to learn this lesson early on; if I had, I'm certain that I would have been far more successful in life.

[Maru Kitteh]

18. Hi Lorien. Does seitan wheat protein agree with you?

Have you talked to any veg nutritionists?

As an alternative, consider dropping a line to Howard Lyman. He's actually a really nice guy who will take some time out and try to help you if he can. If you don't know how to get to his contact info I might be able to help with that if you PM me.

:pals:

[Lorien]

19. I'm not supposed to eat wheat, so I'm assuming wheat protein

is off limits too. I have no money for nutritionists; the number of supplements I take every month pretty much breaks the bank. My diet makes me nuts-I've never liked veggies and would live on pasta and cheese if I could (nuts too-but I can't have many of them because of my gallbladder, dammit), so having to cut out EVERYTHING that I enjoy eating has been tough. My doctor wants me to eat a high protein-mostly meat and veggie-diet, but I won't eat mammals and birds. Food is now just a chore, like housework. But it still beats feeling like garbage every day.

I'll Google Lyman and see what I can find out-thanks!

[TheModernTerrorist]

16. isn't that the school

they mention in "Super Size Me"?