“Woman is the light of God.”
--Rumi
It happened again.
While on the way to give a talk called "Good Foods for Growing Healthy Kids," I stopped at a convenience mart across from where I was speaking. I asked the clerk one question: “What is your most popular drink that kids buy?”
There was no hesitation from the clerk: “Far right cooler door,
top shelf. Short bottles.” I walked to where he was pointing and opened
the cooler door. There were three different
colored drinks: blue, red, and pink. Something called Tum-E Yummies. Never heard of them
before. I settled on a blue drink, walked back to the front of the store and paid for it. The clerk said, “One dollar even.”
I handed over my dollar, then walked out to the car and drove to the Fellsmere City Hall in Fellsmere, Florida. At the “Women and Girls Summit,” I looked
over my prepared notes and looked at the people in attendance. Faces of all
colors and ethnicities, mostly women and girls with some high school age boys as well. I waited as the police
detective, the speaker before me on the agenda, finished talking about domestic
violence.
When I was introduced as the
next speaker, I held up the blue bottle of Tum-E Yummies and announced that I
had decided to change my presentation to “Why Kids Fidget.”
I handed the bottle of Tum-E Yummies to a girl sitting near the front. She counted 14 ingredients,
including:
- High fructose corn syrup
- Food dyes
- Preservatives
- 2 different sugars
- Zero fruit juice
What kids drink and eat can have a big effect on their
physical and mental health, including their ability to learn and focus. To improve our children’s results in
school, it is my hope that parents become aware of the food and drink choices kids
make. All the sugar, food dyes and
preservatives found in Tum-E Yummies and thousands of other processed foods and
drinks contribute to poor health outcomes.
Tum-E Yummies and other drinks like it are just sugar water and food dyes, which are known to contribute to obesity, certain cancers and attention deficit hyperactivity.
Thank you to all the mothers and grandmothers who
attended the “Women and Girls Summit.” Kids need food that makes them healthy and strong, not sick and unfocused. Together, we can guide children to make healthier choices.
Off for a glass of water!
In gratitude,
Nancy Heinrich
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.
