I am starting with you because I believe we share a common goal - create a great learning experience in our district. I read your profile and I found an interesting quote by Winston Churchill "Never give in – never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense." This inspires me.
I am one of your families. I have lived in the NMUSD school district for 10 years. I have two juniors at Corona del Mar High School and one seventh grader at Corona del Mar Middle School - all on the same campus. My son buys his lunch every day, and my twin daughters come home for lunch or eat out.
These were my son's choices for lunch September 5, 2008:
2 Mini Cheese Burgers, Superstar Fruit Yogurt, Lunch Pac,
PB Jamwich, Lettuce & Pickles, Catsup, Diced Pears,
Nonfat Chocolate Milk or 1% Nonfat Milk
or
Pizza Hut Mini, Domino's by the Slice, or A Breaded Chicken Burger*
PB Jamwich, Lettuce & Pickles, Catsup, Diced Pears,
Nonfat Chocolate Milk or 1% Nonfat Milk
or
Pizza Hut Mini, Domino's by the Slice, or A Breaded Chicken Burger*
* This is what is available at school, but not listed on the website
This meal is heavy on dairy and animal products, and lacks fresh fruit and vegetables. Lettuce is the only fresh item and that's only if he chose a burger of some sort. Why? You claim to be a part of a Newport for a Healthy California and compliant to the USDA guidelines.
I don't blame you. But I do blame USDA's Visit Team Nutrition for misleading you. I can read from your Nutrition Services website that the NMUSD does care about the obesity epidemic and disease prevention through diet and exercise. We can fix this.
I propose you look at other evidence, such as the a PCRM’s 2008 School Lunch Report Card, specifically the Santa Ana school district and take it one step further - Go Organic and Provide Fresh Fruits, Vegetables and Dairy Alternatives!
We can lead the way with innovative ideas and healthier children. I suggest you start with one book I learned about at my Total Health Mastery class - Diet for a New America by John Robbins. I also suggest you look at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine website. This is a great start.
I plan on visiting the Hollandia Dairy (the one we use at CDMHS) and getting a first hand look at the practices they implore. Will they be practices you, our students, teachers, parents and peers would approve?
Subscribe to my blog www.notsomilkymom.blogspot.com and see my case unfold. I promise this is all for the right reasons - the health of our children and future.
I leave you with my favorite quote as I ask you to have the courage to lead NMUSD into a new era of education, that includes a healthy body.
- "If adapt to change, you survive. If you resist change, you die. If you cause change, you lead."
With Best Regards,
Not So Milky Mom
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1 comment:
Another great resource for health and nutrition information and how it not only impacts the health of our kids but their behavior, detentions, suspensions, ability to focus and test scores is a movie called "Super Size Me."
Found at any video store or certainly through an online service you'll be amazed at the real footage of an alternative school in America that switches not to necessarily healthy foods, but just to freshly made foods rather than frozen and then microwaved food, and the incredible results that occur with the students.
Better attention span and focus.
FAR better behavior.
Better results.
This is an alternative school!
It is scientifically proven that nutrition impacts our brain chemistry and therefore our mood, behavior, emotions, ability to focus, concentrate and think.
For some research on that read Yale Graduate and MD, Dr. Gabriel Cousens' breakthrough book "Depression Free for Life". He claims to be 90%+ effective at curing depression with only nutrition.
I'm looking forward to seeing some measurable results in the reduced number of detentions, suspensions and other disciplinary actions as well as improved test scores and clearly vocalized excitement from teachers with the new and exciting experience they will have at school with the improved diet program.
To your amazing health!
Arnoux Goran
Founder, Total Health Mastery
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