Better diets make for better students, say organizers of parent information night at Conestogo PS

Easier said than done, but kids need to be eating carrot sticks and drinking water instead of candy and soda, says Brenda Wollenberg, author and the keynote speaker for a parent-led event this week.

Healthy eating is the focus of a parent information night at Conestogo Public School tonight (Thursday) at 6:30 p.m. Organized by the school council, Deborah Jones says the topic is timely, and will answer questions and meet the needs of parents in the community.

“We have some parents that are really passionate about healthy eating, eating local and feeding our kids well, so our committee wanted to lead this event,” she said of the Thursday evening gathering at the school, called ‘Healthy Kids Make Good Learners.’ “We thought it would be a great opportunity to increase an awareness of the connection between healthy lifestyles, food choices, exercise and everything else, and actually being able to focus and learn.”

The event will highlight the correlation between processed foods, brain health and student success, something Wollenberg says parents need to educate themselves about.

“The first one is that parents don’t make a strong enough link between nutrition and brain health. It is not a blame game or anything, it is simply that we have this trifecta of industry attempts against us as parents,” she said ahead of the event. “We have to understand that there are major advertising dollars impacting our choices in food. There is a big manipulation of our food intake guidelines by industry experts. There was a study done last month where it showed that the Canada Food Guide hasn’t retracted from, and has even contributed to obesity in Canada, so we have that working against us.”

Wollenberg will be giving parents tips and tricks to make the change to healthy eating, but nothing too complicated. She also wants parents to come away from the talk with a newfound confidence that they will be doing the right thing by their child.

“First is education, so I am really hoping that parents learn some new things, or be reminded of some things that in the business of parenting, we forget sometimes. Secondly, I want to see them come out of there feeling hopeful. I don’t want them to see all these stats, and say that this is killing us, etc. I want them to realize that there is hope. There are so many good things going on around us that they can tap into,” she said. “Thirdly I want them to feel courageous and empowered to be able to swim upstream. It is a bit of an upstream battle still, really feeding our kids well. I want them to take their family on a journey that has the power to influence their child’s life for the rest of their lives.”

One of the things Wollenberg encourages is eating locally sourced foods, an effort Jones makes in her own home, and is particularly accessible in the agriculture-based economy of Woolwich Township.

“We have the intention of helping parents realize it is not about having to give up all of those really yummy emotionally satisfying food – it is about switching them out for really satisfying this with real whole ingredients that still taste fantastic, but offer some nutrition as well,” she said. “My family is particularly passionate about eating locally. We source probably close to the majority of our food from local farmers.”

Wollenberg says sourcing food locally has other benefits as well.

“You are supporting the community and our neighbours economically, but when it hasn’t travelled as far, it tends to be fresher,” she said. “If you can source produce that isn’t sprayed, and then track down a farmer who is raising beef or chicken or lamb that are hormone-free. Get it as local, as healthy and as community-minded as possible.”

She says this kind of educational event for parents is coming at a dire time in Canadian history.

“There is a stat going around now that says this generation is going to have a shorter lifespan than their parents, and that is the first time in history that has ever happened,” she said. “My goal would be for parents to have the ability to turn that around and create a future of health for their kids.”

For more information on Wollenberg, visit her website at www.inbalancelm.com.

Jones says that preregistration for the event isn’t required, but those who would like to reserve a seat can visit www.myhappyhealthyfamily.ca. Doors open at 6 p.m.