Some Like it RAW!

This week on Cocoa Mode...

Everybody's doing it...

Your cousin
Your mama's mama
Your play-brothers mama's best friend


Somebody you know is going raw, that is, they've decided to transform their diet from meat based to organic raw vegan. Chef, author and restaurateur Nwenna Kai will join me on this week's Cocoa Mode to share easy, affordable and (dare I say) delicious ways to take advantage of the abundance of fresh summer fruits and vegetables while improving the way you look and feel. We'll also talk about the new food revolution that's brewing among young African American vegetarians.
Tune into Cocoa Mode this Thursday at 8:00am ET and again on Saturday at 4:00pm and Sunday at 9:00am on XM 169, THE POWER.

Mommy Memos

Mommy Memo #1

The little one and I boarded a plane and headed home to Detroit for Thanksgiving this year. Because my mother's side of the family is small (three generations of only children - make that four) Thanksgiving dinner is not unlike a regular dinner, only with all of my favorite foods. We landed on Thanksgiving afternoon as hungry as can be. I couldn't wait to sit down to a heaping plate of cheese grits, cranberry sauce, homemade rolls, stuffing and green beans. I was sure my little one would be just as excited to eat all of sweet and savory treats he rarely gets at home.

I was wrong.

My finicky son sat down at the Thanksgiving table and ate:

A dinner roll.

That's it.

A dinner roll.

I was so ashamed. So, now I'm on a mission to get my child back on the vegetable wagon (as if he was ever on it) or at least back on the food wagon. After doing some research my mother and I came up with seven tips to get your kids to eat vegetables. These tips were so good that her co-worker Carolyn Clifford decided to share them in her weekly health column in the Detroit News Newspaper (wink wink) and I'm sharing them with you.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081202/LIFESTYLE03/812020387

1. Be a good role model. They won't eat them if you won't.

2. Be persistent. Some experts say a child may have to be exposed to a new food four to five times before trying it. Others say it will have to be on the plate as many as 15 times before the toddler will take a bite. So don't give up.

3. Be creative. Make vegetables attractive to children. Serve them on the plate in fun ways.

4. Be stealthy if you must. Add vegetables to favorite dishes such as pizza, spaghetti, quesadillas or tacos. You can even add grated carrots or squash when making fresh-baked goods.

5. Be sensitive to the young palate . Kids' taste buds are more sensitive than adults, so bitter vegetables such as spinach and asparagus may elicit strong negative reactions. Children also prefer crunchy veggies to soft, mushy ones.

6. Be involved in food cultivation and prep, and let them be, too. In the spring urge them to grow their favorite vegetables. And throughout the year, let children select veggies during trips to the supermarket.

7. Be firm. Serve healthy meals to the entire family. Don't prepare special meals for the picky eater. If healthy food is all that is available, sooner or later that is what they'll have to eat.

How do you get your kids to eat healthy foods? Share with a sister...I need all the help I can get.

In Case You Missed It.

A very special thank you to Sharon Dumas Pugh, founder of Full and Fabulous for all of the work she's doing with full figured girls in Detroit and around the country. If you're interested in learning more about Full & Fabulous or better yet, starting a chapter in your town, please visit the website: www.fullnfabulous.com

Also, thank you to Dr. Monica L. Baskin of The University of Alabama at Birmingham for sharing her expertise. Like Sharon, she's dedicated a good portion of her professional career to helping African American and low income families break the cycle of obesity and disease. Remember, this is more than just a cosmetic issue, obesity is a serious health problem facing our entire society.

For more information on how you can help your family stay fit and health, check out these websites:

Mayo Clinic

Health Corps

Kids Health

Feel free to add other resources in the comments section.