Healthy Eating Important as Kids Go Back to School

Aug. 21, 2012 - PRLog -- George Mateljan, Founder of Health Valley Foods, recently wrote an article discussing the importance to keep our kids eating healthy as we head into the new school year.  In a recent article, titled “How a Healthier Way of Eating Affects Success in School,” George writes, “Studies have found that almost twice as many high school graduates report that they are healthy and in good health compared to non-graduates. As a parent and great supporter of our educational system, you may find the correlation between healthy eating and students' success in school of particular interest.”

Here is an excerpt from the article:

"While many people might question the importance of diet as a key factor in school success, the research here is clear. Studies have correlated academic success and high-level performance with a healthy diet; without such a diet, it is unreasonable to expect high-level school outcomes. This is of utmost importance because, currently, half of all high school students drop out before graduation. And, with respect to the rest of the world, we come in 24th in science and 25th in mathematical competency.

Our children's doing well in school is a top priority not only for the students themselves, but their parents and the teachers who teach them. It has also become a top priority for many communities and countries as a whole since excellence in education is so important for solving global problems that face today's generation, as well as generations to come. The list of key factors that influence school success is a long one that includes not only a child's economic status, school and home environment, self-esteem, and access to good teachers and role models who can inspire a love of learning, but also their nutritional status, which is dependent upon what foods the child is given!

No area of diet and school performance is better studied than breakfast. Studies have repeatedly shown that a good breakfast improves academic performance. For example, in a study of students in the Boston Public School System, participants who rarely ate breakfast (and that was over 60% of all participants!) had a 40% greater risk of doing poorly in math and reading. Their math and reading scores were about 25% lower than the scores of students who regularly ate breakfast, and their Grade Point Averages were also about 25% lower. Students who skip breakfast have also been shown to have more days absent from school and more days being tardy.

Research in the area of breakfast goes a step further. It shows that it's not just breakfast that counts, but the nutritional adequacy of breakfast. Calories are important, but so are slowly digesting foods rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The worst cost of sugary, refined cereals or breakfast bars, is that these products will spike the child's blood sugar leaving him or her restless and hungry within little more than an hour.
Students are required to perform a wide variety of mental tasks in school, and there's good evidence to show that high-level performance of these tasks takes a nourishing diet."

To read the full article, please visit http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=327

Mateljan has authored six books, his most recent best seller being, The World’s Healthiest Foods.  The over eight-hundred page book has become a reference staple for nutrition conscious individuals world-wide as well as being a book recommended and used by professors at multiple universities.  

According to Mateljan, “Thousands who have purchased the book and followed the eating and cooking recommendations have reported significant health improvements including lower cholesterol, resolved blood sugar issues, and weight loss.”

Mateljan invites the world to take advantage of all the free information contained on the George Mateljan Foundation website (www.whfoods.org) and to download for free the first chapter of his best-selling book, The World’s Healthiest Foods.  The book can also be purchased through the website.   Mateljan's other books include, Weight Loss Success – Without Dieting, Cooking Without Fat; Baking Without Fat; Healthy Living Cuisine; Healthier Eating Guide; Natural Foods Cookbook; and The Healthiest Way of Cooking with George DVD.

Learn more about George Mateljan at http://www.whfoods.org