Learning by playing

In France obesity has become an astonishing problem, the cases doubled over the last 12 years. The problem is bigger in the Northern part of the county, the region around Paris and one area in the south. There is a link between social class and obesity. There was an article about the issue published in a daily French newspaper for yougsters, L'actu, a fabulous source for children, adapted to their age and to the time they want to spend to reading 'their' newspaper. Active and passive learning: two ways of passing your leisure time. Reading feeds the intellectual appetite as sports does for the physical needs, a natural balance if we could divide the world in these two blocks. In our zap world there are millions of possibilities in spending time. Going outdoor and jumping around to keep fit needs energy from both kids and parents. Staying indoor with fancy electronics is easy, no need to move around, no physical energy flow. Time seems to be the bottleneck. hanging in front of the screens is one of the main reasons kids get fatter in all countries. Cheap unhealthy food is another cause. Not easy. Schools and state ruled institutions should worry about these issues. Bad nutrition and young people's health is a complex subject and it is difficult to say who is to blame. One could think of more healthy food in school cafetaria's or to work out together with your kids or not using the car for short distances or gardening like Michele Obama. Information is not enough. Action is the keyword. taking your own responsability is an urgent need. Learning by playing an old philosophy, interaction between math and sport, choir and gymnastics, art and outside drawing. Creative species is what we should try to be, like all those amazing and spectacular technology architects. Body and spirit a balance to search for. Mens sana in corpore sano.

Take time to eat

Obese children, a sad issue of modern times. Time is precious and shared meals are less frequent. The table needs to become again a place for reunion. A family dinner, a moment of sharing a conversation and a meal. How to eat and what to feed to our children and ourselves seems to have become less evident. Activities and full schedules have taken over the natural rythm of sitting down peacefully: respect for our saint biological-rhythm often neglected. Rules for regularity, happen to be as important as rules for food. Occasionally, reserve space in your head and time in your agenda to prepare a recipe together and enjoy the result sitting down. Eating slower has been researched recently and contributes positively in controlling your hunger feelings. Here in Rabat I see so many obese children. There is a shocking contrast between the children in the shanty town next door and some of the
classmates of our girls. The first ones are running around, eat less and are slim, the second ones enjoy wealthy life, non stop consuming and are simply too fat. The picture seems quite universal. Like Michelle Obama's plans to get involved as first lady in the weight problems of young American citizens, obesity is also on the record in a growing number of European countries. And this is a good thing! Obesity is mostly about education. The context for a balanced nutrition program could be the planet: local food and sustainability actions to promote. Children will pick it up, adults too.

CAPITAL CULTURE: White House garden ex-'seeds' expectations - Milford, MA - The Milford Daily News

CAPITAL CULTURE: White House garden ex-'seeds' expectations - Milford, MA - The Milford Daily News

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Simply the best!

I am what I eat. There is more I know today than I knew some time ago. Rules about food need to be respected. By following blogs and other social networks I can't ignore the long list of really interesting thoughts about food and allergies. These two components were the reason I started the blog.  My startup was directly linked to the allergies of my eldest daughter. She is a food lover, already a great cook, a socializer.

There is so much wrong with food today and so much so terribly fantastic about food at the same time.
What's safe for us is probably safer for the planet.
Local food by local producers seems simply the best.
To be allergic means a lot of disadvantages but also a profound personal awareness. Conscious about your own body and how to feed it best are just two challenges. My daughter, chef in the kitchen? She may act as an authority: ''Did you all wash your hands?'' Responsible attitude. A better and healthier world.