All parents want the best for their children. Sure, opinions are obviously divided about what “best” means. But as long as children are healthy and doing well, parents should respect each other’s choices—at least that’s what a mother from Brisbane, Australia wants to convey.
Health enthusiast Shannon Cooper made a decision to raise her child differently from the day she was born. Babies do not come with a manual, but Shannon chose to never ever feed her daughter, Grace, any sugar or carbohydrates as part of her strict eating plan.
As expected, this story was met with both positive and negative comments after the media discovered it. Shannon is proud of making that decision because it has had interesting results on Grace, read on to see how her daughter turned out.
The Paleo diet prohibits grains, dairy products, and sugar, and instead focuses on non-artificial foods like fish, eggs, fruits, and vegetables. For Shanon, who has a passion for fitness and food, the Paleo diet has been a central part of her life for a long time, and it’s been a major part of how she’s raised, Grace. Her two-year-old daughter has only had one cold in her life.
“She spends a lot of time around other kids who are sick all the time — who have snotty noses, coughs, colds — but she just doesn’t pick it up,” she told Daily Mail. “It’s certainly not because I’m shielding her from any of that stuff. I absolutely think a nutrient-dense diet is giving her a strong immune system.”
When people question Shanon’s decision about her daughter’s diet, she responds that her daughter only eats natural things that keep her healthy, and says that she won’t forbid her daughter from eating cake or other treats at parties in the future
“(What she eats now) is not weird, not anything strange that normal people wouldn’t eat. She loves it. I don’t feed her toast or cereal or anything like that. Again I think, ‘Sure that stuff is not going to kill her.’ If she eats a piece of bread I’m not going to have a conniption,” she said.
“I don’t want there to be any disordered eating around food,” she added. “Females particularly have enough problems with eating disorders … I want Grace to eat what makes her feel good. That’s the reason I eat this way. I don’t think eating a piece of bread is going to kill me. When I go out to dinner with friends… I’m just going to eat what’s on the menu. I’m not going to be a jerk about it. She’ll also learn what makes her feel good and what doesn’t.”
However, Dr. Rosemary Stanton, a respected dietitian warned parents who would like to follow Shan’s path.
“It’s really not usually a good idea to put a child on such a restricted diet, particularly when there’s no valid grounds for it,” she said, adding that she hopes Shan “knows an awful lot about nutrition.”
“Depriving her child of grains and legumes will make it much more difficult to achieve a balanced diet,” Stanton added, and advised parents to see an accredited dietitian.
Here’s Shannon’s reply to the criticism she’s received about her daughter’s diet.
“(Why) eating real food is such a scandalous topic is just bizarre. If you want to feed your kid one of the most nutrient-void pieces of crap ever, knock your socks off. I’m not going to internet troll you. You do the right thing you think for (your) kid. Why people think it’s offensive to eat a plate of vegetables (over) a piece of bread — that’s bizarre,” she said.
Sources: Daily Mail, OpposingViews
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