Alicia Silverstone's Blog, page 26

The Clock Is Ticking. It’s Time for Us to End Speciesism.

Older people can get away with saying what’s on their minds. So, having recently turned 72, I’d like to throw down the gauntlet and challenge everyone to examine their prejudices toward animals, of which, although we prefer to think of ourselves as demi-gods, we are but one.  

I have started to wonder what it would be like to have a watch that, instead of telling the time, would tell you how little time you had left. Like the White Rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, I believe there is no time to waste if we’re to get things done. So, I’ve decided to push the envelope before it’s time for me to push up daisies. 

The thing I want done is to stop human supremacism. If, as Thomas Henry Huxley said, we “[s]it down before fact as a little child,” we will have to recognize that speciesism is as offensive as any other discriminatory view, as unjustified as any other exploitation, and simply privilege manifested as domination. It’s a bias rooted in denying others their self-worth.

At People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the organization I founded nearly 40 years ago, our mission statement reads, “Animals are not ours to experiment on, eat, wear, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way.” It means that those “others” who happen not to have been born human are individuals, too, with their own desires, needs, and complex lives. It means that they have the right to live free from the idea that they exist simply to serve humankind for the most trivial of reasons, for us to do with as we please, even taking their lives for the sake of a sandwich filling or a pair of shoes.  

Most humans wouldn’t dream of treating their dog the way the food industry treats pigs, even though pigs can and do experience the same pain, joy, and fear as dogs. Many humans wear coats stuffed with feathers that were yanked out of the skin of a screaming goose, but they’d never consider ripping fistfuls of fur out of a wailing kitten. It’s speciesist to suggest that captive animals in laboratories don’t suffer to the same extent that we do, both psychologically and physically, to deny that they experience emotions, or that they tremble when the laboratory door opens—for they do. If we needed science to back up that fact, it already has, so why, then, are animal experimenters not charged with cruelty for ignoring their animal victims’ living conditions, for violating their rights? Why are monkey infants still torn away from their loving mothers to be experimented on, electrodes implanted in cats’ brains, and poisons force-fed down the throats of mice?   

It’s time to recognize the fact that there is no justification for chickens to be raised in severely crowded sheds that reek of ammonia, for sheep to be punched and stomped on while their wool is being stolen off their backs, and for dolphins in SeaWorld’s aquatic circus to be treated like surfboards, with “trainers” balancing and riding on their sensitive rostrums.  

To end speciesism, we are required to take a hard look at our personal choices and change those that harm animals. We can go vegan so as not to contribute to climate change or to clean out our clogged arteries, or we can do it because it is simply right not to exploit, hurt, and kill other living beings for food in the same way cannibals should not have eaten Captain Cook’s crew members.  

There is animal-free clothing everywhere, from high-end to bargain basement. We can choose personal care and household products that aren’t tested on animals, donate only to health charities that don’t bankroll or conduct animal experiments and avoid marine circuses and land-based ones that treat animals as living props. Making kind choices isn’t hard, although if it were, that extra effort would still be required. 

Animals aren’t like us—they are us. They deserve equal consideration, regardless of anyone’s opinion of them, for if speciesism is just shrugged off, then we show ourselves to be not superior but, rather, small-minded, self-centered, and mean-spirited. 

Are you ready to stand with animals?            

The clock is ticking.

Please join the call to #EndSpeciesism, to end animal slavery, and to make future human generations proud.

Ingrid Newkirk is president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510; www.PETA.org .

Photo by Johen Redman on Unsplash

Mississippi Vegan’s Apple Rose Tart

Here’s a fancy vegan spin on the classic apple pie. Of course, I would never pass up a homemade-looking pie, imperfections and all. But this variation is just too pretty to not try at least once. And I bet after you make it, you’ll make it again and again! Be forewarned: This is a weekend dessert that takes a lot of time. This is the kind of dessert you bring to your significant other’s parents the first time you meet them. Get my drift? This is the kind of dessert that will leave people talking, you feel me? As it turns out, this is the kind of dessert that is just as delicious as it is gorgeous, which, as most of you know, isn’t always the case.

Apple Rose Tart

Serves 8

Ingredients:
Double Buttery Crust (see recipe below) or one 9-inch store-bought vegan pie crust
½ cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts
1¼ pounds Granny Smith apples
1¼ pounds pink-fleshed apples
1 large lemon, halved
¹⁄³ cup vegan butter, melted, plus more for brushing
½ cup vanilla sugar (see note below)
½ cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon sea salt
Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425°F.Fit the pie dough into a regular pie dish. Poke holes in the dough with a fork and place a piece of parchment on top. Fill the pie shell with dried beans to prevent bubbles. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the beans, sprinkle in the toasted walnuts, and set aside. Leave the oven on.Using a mandoline, slice the apples into ⅛-inch-thick rounds. Then slice the rounds in half. Transfer the slices to a bowl and squeeze the lemon juice on top to prevent browning.Pour steaming-hot water over the apples. Let them soak for a few minutes, until they are soft enough to manipulate. Drain off the water and leave the apples in the bowl.In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, vanilla sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and sea salt. Pour the mixture over the sliced apples and gently toss.Delicately roll the slices into rose shapes, placing them into the pie crust as you go. Once tightly filled, transfer to the oven and bake until the apples are tender and the kitchen smells like apple pie, 25 to 35 minutes. Brush with melted butter and serve.

Note:
Vanilla Sugar is simply granulated sugar that has been infused with vanilla bean pods. Simply add your desired sugar (preferably organic and unbleached) to a jar and throw in one or two vanilla bean pods. You’ll be amazed when you open a jar after only a few days to find the sugar bursting with vanilla flavor. In my kitchen, I keep a small jar of granulated sugar for savory recipes and one very large jar of vanilla sugar for my desserts and sweets.

Double Buttery Crust
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
¼ cup cold vegan butter, cut into ½-tablespoon chunks
¼ cup cold vegan shortening
½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar

In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Mix in the sugar. Add half the butter and shortening, cutting them into the flour with your fingers or a pastry blender, until the flour appears pebbly. Cut in the remaining butter and shortening.In a measuring cup, mix together 2 tablespoons of ice water and the vinegar. Drizzle the mixture into the flour by the tablespoonful, gently mixing it after each addition. Knead the dough a few times, adding more water until it holds together. You may need only the 2 tablespoons, but add up to 1 more tablespoon, if needed.Roll the dough into a ball, then press it into a disk, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough until ready to use in the recipe.

Reprinted from Mississippi Vegan by arrangement with Avery, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2018, Timothy Pakron

Soothing Dairy-Free Golden Milk Latte

This dairy-free golden milk tea latte so soothing! It’s like a warm hug in the middle of the day. Slightly less decadent than a super creamy latte but still delicious. It’s both tasty and very good for supporting your immune system and reducing inflammation.
Serves: 1-2

Ingredients:1 cup hot water1 tablespoon  mykind Organics Golden Milk powder 1 teaspoon maple syrup (use to your taste/sweetness preference)!1 tablespoon unsweetened rice milk (use to taste!)

Directions:

Bring water to a boil.Place Mykind Organics Golden Milk powder into a mug and pour in hot water.Mix in maple syrup and top off with rice milk.Enjoy!

 

Vegan Pulled Pork Jackfruit Tacos

If you’re missing pulled pork tacos in your life, you’ll love these vegan, pulled jackfruit tacos that we’ve smothered in deliciously decadent BBQ sauce. It’s not always easy to track down canned unripe jackfruit in brine or water, but Asian markets usually have these in stock.

Makes: 8 tacos | Time: 30 min

Ingredients for pulled jackfruit
1 teaspoon olive oil
20 oz. (480g) canned unripe jackfruit in brine or water (drained weight: 10 oz. /280 g)
½ teaspoon salt
1⁄8 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon paprika powder
¼ cup (60 ml) water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1⁄3 cup (70 g) BBQ sauce

Additional ingredients
8 hard shell tacos*
2 cups (85 g) leafy salad
½ cup (30 g) shredded purple cabbage
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

Instructions
Add the olive oil to a pan. Drain and rinse the jackfruit, remove the core of the jackfruit (the harder triangular piece) for a better texture, and add the jackfruit to the pan. Pan-fry it for about 4 minutes, then add the salt, garlic power, paprika powder, water, and tomato paste and mix. Let the pulled jackfruit simmer with the lid off for 15 minutes until the water has been absorbed.
Use two forks to shred the jackfruit and to create the typical “pulled” look.
Pour in the BBQ sauce, give it a good mix, and add additional spices to taste. Let it cook for another minute.
To assemble
Add a leafy salad, shredded purple cabbage, and pulled jackfruit onto each hard-shell taco and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.
*A simple trick to make your own hard shell tacos if you only have soft tortillas at home is to fold the soft tortillas over your oven rack and let them bake for 5 to 8 minutes at 350°F/180°C. They should be nice and crispy!

Excerpted from Cravings Made Vegan by Bianca Haun and Sascha Naderer with permission from Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. Copyright 2019 by Bianca Haun and Sascha Naderer. Photography: Bianca Haun and Sascha Naderer

Top Photo: The Fresh Market

It’s Easy to Raise Kids on Plant-Based Foods. I’ve Done It.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created uncertainty and challenges for parents, and in many respects what to feed our children may be the least of our concerns at the present time. But supporting our children in their enthusiasm for eating nourishing, immune-boosting, plant-based foods is always a smart investment in their health and their future, and it’s simply a good thing to do. In fact, it’s more important now than ever!

One thing that every parent quickly learns is that the spread of germs and illness is rife wherever children come together — from daycare and pre-school through the college years. We need to do our best to ensure that their immune systems are as healthy as they can be. Eating a well-rounded plant-based diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been shown to promote immunity, and the vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants in plants are essential for our health — starting at a very young age.

Not long ago, Karla Dumas, a licensed dietician and a colleague of mine at the Humane Society of the United States, made me aware of the fact that most Americans are not getting enough potassium, fiber and vitamin E, all found abundantly in plant-based foods. This really suggests that the conventional American diet based on high percentages of meat and animal products puts our children on precisely the wrong path to proper nutrition and lifelong health.

We also should consider the unsustainable, inhumane and risky nature of intensive animal agriculture. This is not the easiest subject, and while many parents know how to talk about tough issues with their children, there are also many great organizations working in humane education that can help with some tips on age-appropriate strategies. In general, and through my own experience as a mother, I am confident that kids today are interested in their own health and the health of our planet, and that they are able to engage in these kinds of conversations.

A recent survey conducted by OnePoll suggests that over half of Americans are currently trying to incorporate more plant-based meals into their daily lives. In addition to the familiar fruits, veggies, beans and nuts, however, there are also a lot of protein-packed, plant-based meat alternatives on the market. These products, which can be found at virtually every grocery store, have the taste and texture of animal-based meat but without the downside implications of the traditional meat-based diet. Sales of these plant-based proteins have been skyrocketing, too! A Nielsen report found that during the first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic, plant-based meat sales rose by 264%.

Plant-based meats are perfect for lunch or dinner on busy days and nights because they’re so easy to prepare. And high school and college students — like my daughter — can easily whip these products up for their own meals without much help from their parents.
At the HSUS, we do our best to make family cooking at home easy by offering nutritious, kid-friendly recipes available for free.

The HSUS is also working hard to ensure that kids have more access to appetizing plant-based meals in their school cafeterias. In support of that goal, we provide plant-based culinary trainings to major foodservice companies and other parties involved in the planning and preparation of school cafeteria menus.

My daughter is away at her first year of college now, and so I no longer have the same degree of involvement in what she is eating as I did only a few months ago. But I still feel responsible for her well-being and always will. I empathize with other families trying to make the healthiest and environmentally friendly choices that they can, and I’m encouraged by the evidence that more Americans are doing so.

Kitty Block is the president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States

Photo by Elisabeth Wales on Unsplash

How to Simplify Meal Prep for Your Family

Healthy, homemade meals don’t just happen, especially when you’ve got a busy, dynamic household with several mouths to feed, but spending hours in the kitchen isn’t an option for many of us. Although meal prep can be helpful and productive, it can also feel challenging to find the time—and overwhelming to organize all the tasks to make it happen. Try one or more of the tips below to bring more ease to preparing your family’s meals.

1. Write it in your calendar

Pick a standing day and time to meal plan, another to grocery shop and one more to meal prep. Put it in your calendar and stick to it. Once it’s in your schedule, you’ve given yourself one less thing to think about or plan—and you’ve made meals simpler by setting up all the tasks to get them made.

2. Plan to eat

Review your schedule for the week and determine what to cook from scratch (those nights you have more time to cook) and what to fill in with your batch-cooked food (those nights when you have little or no time or energy to meal prep). Then, plot out meal solutions and options that you know you can prepare with the time you have available in your schedule. Synching what you eat to how much time you have to prepare meals makes you more efficient in the kitchen and helps you when you need it the most.

3. Make a grocery list when you create your meal plan

While you’re planning out your weekly menu and have all of your recipes and meal ideas in front of you, make your grocery list. By completing all of your shopping for the week at one time, you’ll not only save time and money, but you’ll also create more ease in your daily routine.

4. Wash and store your produce when you get home from the store

Cut vegetables and store them in water-filled mason jars, shred lettuce for salads and spiralize vegetables. Meal prep will be quicker and easier because all of your ingredients will be ready to go when you need them.

5. Focus on 4-6 recipes that will speed up dinner during the week

After you’ve created your weekly menu, identify parts of the meals or recipes that can be made in advance and stored until ready to use, such as sauces, soups and casseroles. Marinated proteins and roasted vegetables can also be prepped ahead of time and then transformed into meals quickly with just a couple other ingredients later in the week. Meal prep will be faster and simpler with a few things ready in advance.

6. Set up “stations” when you prep

During your batch cooking session for the week, organize your cooking so that your time in the kitchen is always active. Prep foods that need to marinate, bake or roast first. While those foods are in the oven, complete any stovetop cooking. While those foods roast and cook, blend and mix sauces and dressings. Set out the tools and ingredients for each recipe together.

Stephanie Dreyer is a plant-based meal planning expert, an award-winning children’s book author, and the founder of Batch Cooking Club, a weekly meal prep membership that makes meal time easier. 

​​The Benefits of Elderberry Plus How to Make Your Own Vegan Syrup

This time of year we can go to great lengths to stay healthy. Maybe you’re eating cleaner, upping your veggies and whole foods, or taking vitamins.  These are all great ways to help your body fight off illness. Another powerful tool to have in your wellness kit this time of year: the benefits of elderberry.

What Is elderberry

It’s likely you’ve seen elderberry added to a number of wellness products from tea and juice to supplements and even over-the-counter cold and flu products. 

There’s a good reason for that. 

Elderberry is known to strengthen your body’s natural immune response and support your overall well-being.  Elderberry has been used for thousands of years to boost immunity. Ancient Egyptians used it; even Hippocrates—the father of medicine—used it. We don’t know how people stumbled onto its benefits all those years ago, but today, we have science to back up what our ancestors knew: elderberry supports immunity.

The elderberry comes from the ancient Sambucus elder tree, which grows in North America, and around the world. The flowers as well as the berries have medicinal uses. The berries are small and dark purple—appearing almost black. They’re typically cooked down into syrups (don’t eat them raw).

Benefits of elderberry

For thousands of years people relied on elderberry for a number of benefits: from headache and pain relief, to bring down fevers, rheumatism, dental pain, and healing the skin. 

One double-blind placebo study conducted in 2016 found a significant difference in the number of colds between a group who took elderberry and a placebo group. Not only did those who took the elderberry get sick less often than the control group, but they also experienced shorter duration of symptoms.

A year after the immune study, in 2017, elderberry showed promise in balancing blood sugar by stimulating the secretion of insulin, making it a possible candidate in the fight against diabetes.

Other research has linked elderberries to a reduced risk of heart disease. In another 2017 study, a group taking elderberry saw improved heart health compared to the control group.

These benefits are likely due to their high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory content. When free radicals are left to do their thing in our bodies, they can cause oxidative stress, which is a key factor in the development of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. It also puts us more at risk for cold and flu. 

Like other rich-colored foods, elderberry is high in antioxidants—those powerful little scavengers that help to protect our healthy cells from viruses and infection. Because elderberry is one of the richest sources of antioxidants, it’s one of the most effective at keeping our bodies healthy enough to stave off a cold or flu, and reduce symptoms if we do get sick.

Elderberries are also packed with nutrients including vitamins A, B, and C, as well as minerals such as iron, potassium, phosphorous, and copper.

Like with any food-based medicine, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts; elderberry works best when it’s not isolates or extracts. Look for pure syrups, teas, or juices. Or, when taking in supplement form, be sure it contains pure elderberry.

I have personally experienced the benefits of elderberry. We use it in my house whenever we need immune support, especially this time of year! It’s one of the reasons Mykind Organics offers elderberry products. We combined our own unique combination of Black Elderberry and Echinacea with antioxidant-rich vitamin C derived from Amla berry, rosemary extract, and zinc for delicious, sugar-free syrup,  and our yummy gummies contain no gelatin and no added sugar.  Our Elderberry products, as with all of our Herbals, are special because we source ingredients from sustainable organic farms and we use an Organic, Non-GMO extraction method without the use of conventional corn alcohol or other harsh chemicals.  You can check out Mykind Organic Elderberry Immune Syrup here and the Immune Gummies here.

Make your own elderberry syrup

Fancy a fun family activity making your own elderberry syrup? If you’ve got an elderberry tree near you, don’t let those precious berries go to waste! Just don’t eat them raw. They contain lectin, which can make you sick.

Making elderberry syrup can be done with fresh, frozen, or dried berries. If using fresh or frozen, you’ll double up the amount versus dried. To make a simple syrup, you’ll cook elderberries in water for about an hour over medium heat until the water reduces by about half. If adding any spices, you’ll add them when you add the berries. Then strain, sweeten (use clean unrefined sugar for health benefits), and let cool.

There are lots of great recipes out there for elderberry syrup. Here are a few that sound absolutely delicious.

combines spicy ginger and cinnamon with maple for a splendid seasonal syrup.

You can make this lemony-clove elderberry syrup in an Instant Pot.

This one calls for homemade date syrup to sweeten it. How yummy. 

Enjoy and stay healthy!

 

Immune Supporting Vegan Carrot Coconut Soup

When my loved ones are sick, I always bust out the ginger and garlic. They are potent anti-bacterial wonders, and they taste great too. Bonus: this immune-supporting vegan carrot coconut soup makes great baby food. I also added a little red curry paste, since I can’t have enough of the stuff ever since I tried it in Heather’s amazing Butternut Squash Soup.

My son Franklin loved it. Baby Nicholas loved it. We all did. And, no one got sick, although I will also credit our trusted elderberry tincture for that!
Ingredients

1 tablespoon coconut oil1 onion, diced small1/2 inch ginger, grated4 large garlic cloves, minced2 lbs carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped1 large potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice1 t red curry paste1 can full fat coconut milk, (from a BPA-free can)Pinch of salt, to tasteBoiled water, to cover

Instructions

In a large saucepan, melt the coconut oil.Add the onion, and sauté until it starts to become golden. Add the ginger and garlic, and cook for another minute.Add all the vegetables and curry paste, and stir to coat.Add enough water to just cover the ingredients. Cover, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fully cooked.Blend the soup until smooth with a pinch of salt. Pour it back into the pan, add the coconut milk, and taste again for salt.

Joanna Steven is an Amazon best-selling author, an attachment parenting mom to 2 boys, and a lover of food. Her mission is to inspire mothers and make their life easier so they feel nurtured, nourished, and better able to raise children in a peaceful way. She regularly updates her blog with delicious, wholesome recipes, and lifestyle tips for moms seeking to live motherhood to the fullest.
Note from Alicia: To make this a superhero dish skip the coconut milk and curry paste.

Photo by Cayla1 on Unsplash

Top 5 Plant-Based Protein Hacks

It seems that everyone is interested in eating more plant-based meals these days, no matter what their eating style. That’s because eating a more plant-based diet can lower your carbon footprint, as well as reduce your risk of chronic disease. And the first step to moving towards a plant-based diet is to turn the plate from animal proteins to plant proteins at more meals. That means swapping standard menu options like steak, baked chicken, and bacon and eggs to dishes like red beans and rice, curried lentils, and veggie-burgers. But don’t worry, making those little swaps is so much easier (and delicious) than you think! There is a whole world of delicious, healthy plant-based eating just waiting to be discovered.

Plant-Based Protein Hacks

1. Go With What You Know. The easiest way to kick into a plant-based lifestyle is to make easy, straightforward switches for your favorite foods. For example, do you love burgers? Then head to the supermarket and try out a few veggie, or “meatless” burgers until you find one that you really love. I enjoy flavorful veggie burgers made with whole ingredients, such as beans, lentils, grains and vegetables. Keep your eye on the nutrition facts label, looking for at least 7 grams of protein per serving.

2. Get Beany With It. I suggest basing at least one of your plant-based meals each day on this humble, protein-rich plant food: beans (also including lentils and dried peas). After all, this nutrient powerhouse is the cornerstone of traditional diets around the world, from chickpeas in the Middle East to black beans in Mexico. So, take the meat off your plate, and substitute it for beans, lentils, or dried peas more often. Try these classic bean hacks for starters:

Pack a whole grain  burrito  with black beans and veggiesFill a  sandwich  with hummus and roasted vegetablesFeast on home-made or canned vegetarian  chili Toss  pasta  with white beans, garlic, olive oil, and spinachSimmer lentils with  curry  to serve with brown riceMake a hearty  split pea soup Top your salad with  kidney beans  for lunch

3. Power Up with Plant-Based Dairy Alternatives. One easy swap you can make is to trade animal-based dairy products—milk, yogurt, cheese, cream cheese—with plant-based varieties. Great tasting, easy-to-use options await you in the supermarket. Find a plant-based milk alternative that offers a clean, bright taste, and high-quality nutritional value. I suggest you look for those that provide at least 6 grams of protein per serving, and about 30% of your daily vitamin D and calcium needs.

4. Go a Little Nuts. Another easy plant-protein hack is to turn to nuts and seeds for a punch of protein. One easy classic is the good old-fashioned PB and J—peanut butter is very rich in protein and can easily take the place of deli meat in your sandwich. But you can also think beyond peanut butter to a range of nuts and seeds and their butter, including pistachios, almonds, walnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and pumpkin seeds. One ounce (or about ¼ cup) of nuts and seeds or 2 tablespoons of nut or seed butter is the equivalent of an ounce of meat. Enjoy nuts and seeds on top of salads, stirred into pasta dishes or grain pilafs, or ground into homemade veggie burgers. Use nut or seed butters as a topping on toast, bread, flatbread, crackers, and fruit slices.

5. Get to Know Tofu. Once you’ve mastered a few of these steps, it’s time to turn to tofu as a wonderful plant-based superstar for your dinner plate. This simple, soy food can take the place of meat in just about anything, from lasagna to scrambled eggs to chef’s salad. Start experimenting with tofu by dicing it into a flavorful dish, such as stir-fry or curried vegetables. Then you can gradually try a few other swaps, such as grated tofu with turmeric in your morning scramble or chunks of tofu in your ratatouille recipe. Remember, tofu is a blank canvas, it absorbs the flavors of the foods it is served with, so make sure to serve it with dishes that are heavy on flavor, such as Asian, Italian, or Indian marinades or sauces.

For other plant-based protein-rich recipes, check out the following:

Vegan Tamale Pie Turmeric Rice and Black Bean Bowl Mediterranean Edamame Quinoa Bowl

Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, is The Plant-Powered Dietitian, a registered dietitian nutritionist with more than 18 years of experience in the field of plant-based nutrition and sustainability. Sharon also holds a Master of Science in Sustainable Food Systems. She’s the author of 2 books, The Plant-Powered Diet: The Lifelong Eating Plan for Achieving Optimal Health, Beginning Today and Plant-Powered for Life: Eat Your Way to Lasting Health with 52 Simple Steps & 125 Delicious Recipes.

 

Photo by Jo Sonn on Unsplash

What About Technology and Young Children?

Excerpted from  Sharifa Oppenheimer’s book “With Stars In Their Eyes:  Brain Science and Your Child’s Journey Toward The Self” this post addresses the questions about technology and young children.

Part One

All the research about children’s use of technology that any parent could want is available, one click away. The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Huffington Post,  NPR, and other major news outlets are publishing the research. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Kaiser Foundation, The National Institute of Health are worried for children’s health. Parenting organizations, books, blogs are all available

What is my best advice for you? Let me tell you how I would strive to parent at this time ~ a very different century than the one in which I raised my sons!  

First, I would inform myself. Here is some of the current research about technology’s impact on children:

* screen time takes young children and especially babies and toddlers away from the very foundations of healthy brain development.  It deprives them of:

~ enough time in loving interactions with caring adults 

~time to explore the world through their senses, 

~time to move responsively in myriad ways, and, 

~time for conversations with parents about new discoveries. 

*It consumes precious time needed for art experiences.

*It interferes with foundations for literacy: the sounds and movements found in many children’s e-books have even been linked to lower levels of story understanding.

*It hampers crucial parent-child conversations about stories.  

*The loss of hands-on creative play is related to media consumption.  

*It is linked with sleep disturbances for children from infancy to the teen 

years.  

Even early Facebook and Google employees are concerned about the impact of the technology they developed on the minds of children!  They have created a union of concerned experts called the Center for Human Technology.  Along with the nonprofit media watchdog group Common Sense Media, it plans an anti-tech addiction lobbying effort and an ad campaign aimed at 55,000 public schools in the United States.

I would also be extremely cautious about my children’s exposure to commercialism.  The following are linked to screen-based advertising and marketing.

*  Erosion of creative play

  *  Childhood obesity

discontent about body-imageeating disorders sexualizationyouth violencefamily stressunderage drinking underage tobacco use 

Next, I would make my own plan. I would use as guidelines the following two principles given by my long-time mentor Joan Almon, whose work we have discussed in previous chapters. We will address these guidelines in the next blog post:

Part Two

Now, I would make my own plan. I would use as guidelines the following two principles given by my long-time mentor Joan Almon, whose work we have discussed in previous chapters. 

# 1) First Things First!  

 Tend to the foundations of brain development, which we know are necessary for the development of a capable, warm, and inspired Self. Remember, we do not need to buy these experiences; human beings have always been equipped to provide these for our children:

*Plenty of time for screen-free loving connection with family and friends

* Plenty of time for healthy sense experiences at home, in Nature and at school

* Many years of healthy, diverse movement opportunities,

*Make art a daily affair

*Remember stories are essential, as the child imagines their Self

*Hours, days, months, and years of healthy creative imaginative play

How can there possibly be time for media when we engage in these life-affirming, brain-nourishing ways of being? 

But perhaps you say “There are not simply dangers to technology, there are tremendous advantages as well. Technology brings us life-saving medical advances, connects us with humanitarian causes, and gives us a voice in environmental issues. My children are growing up in a digital age. Don’t I need to give them access to the world they will live in?”  Yes, we do need to prepare them for the world they will inherit, and we need to do this in a well-thought-out, developmentally appropriate way. Let’s look at ways we prepare our children for other activities that have both a positive and potentially negative side. Think about building a campfire for hot dogs. 

We would not give a young child a box of matches and dry sticks to play with; we would ask them to gather the sticks with us and help crumple the newspaper. We would strike the match and teach them the responsibility to watch for stray sparks,  how to put the fire all the way out, pouring water on the hot coals. In time, with instruction and oversight, we would be confident to let them strike the match as we watch. Eventually, as they become teens, we would know that with our help they have become well-prepared to safely go camping with friends.  

Driving a car, also, has both positive and negative effects. Our society has a lengthy process to prepare young people to drive responsibly. Our children’s abilities, both cognitive and hands-on, are thoroughly tested before a license is issued.  

We teach them how to avoid the dangers of fire and driving so they can enjoy the benefits these offer, and we do this at developmentally appropriate times in their lives. But long before we begin slowly instructing, our children are learning about these activities in their own child-wise ways: they are playing with these activities!

Our children spend many years “playing at” grown-up activities. They gather the dining chairs to build cars and layout the highway with pillows on the floor.  They gather stray sticks outdoors and pretend to fire the cookie-factory ovens.  Through play, they are already learning about these aspects of life. Playing at using technology is also a game I have seen among my class students

When is it a good time and how do we go about a gentle introduction? Now for the second principle.

 # 2: A Little Goes A Long Way! 

Perhaps your work schedules, your children’s school, or other factors require you to incorporate media earlier; how can you give the best introduction to a younger child?  “A little bit goes a long way” is helpful. Here are some ideas to consider:

 ~ The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for children under the age of two. I agree completely and would extend that age limit further.

~  A little face-time on the phone or skype with grandparents is a healthy start. Be sure you are on the call with them.  After the conversation is finished, you can ground the interaction and bring it more fully into their physical awareness by talking with them and perhaps drawing a picture to mail to the grandparents.  

~ You need to be present and involved in whatever media your child consumes. Research shows that parents need to make sure the screen time leads to social conversations and does not replace these interactions.

The most important ingredient is the consciousness you, the parent, bring to the experience.  The real danger lies in the adult’s mindlessness. Let’s be cautious and not use screens as a babysitter. If we choose to routinely pacify the child with media, we may be starting the process of habituating his brain to the screen. Dr. Peter Whybrow, director of UCLA’s Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior says “Our brains are wired for finding immediate reward. With technology, novelty is the reward. You essentially become addicted to novelty.”  The child learns that satisfaction comes from outside of oneself and therefore one must continually seek exterior satisfactions.  

To Lead By Inspiration

If, on the other hand, when our child is fussy and we distract him with a song, a nursery rhyme, or a funny little jig an entirely different brain state occurs. Remember that parents and other significant adults act as the young child’s “external  prefrontal cortex.” When we use our pre-frontal cortex ~ when we use our own understanding to draw his attention away from discomfort and offer a little bit of joyful fun ~ this brings him into our heart-resonance.  We show him that we all have internal resources with which to comfort and satisfy ourselves. A way to lead our children by inspiration is to be aware and in control of our own media use. A beautiful resource and guide for parents is Kim John Payne’s book The Soul of Discipline, in which just one of the treasures you will find is his “Ten Ways To Avoid Screen Distracted Parenting,”   This is a do-not-miss book!