We watched a great new show on TV last night (Sunday).  It is Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.  He is in West Virginia attempting to change the eating habits of an elementary school and hopefully even the whole town – a town voted the fattest in America.  I have been following Jamie’s illustrious career since he started out as the Naked Chef back in the 90’s.  He has always been one of my favourite chefs and my husband approves.

We need Jamie in Canada too! 

Today, I have asked my high school teacher-friend to check out her school cafeteria during her “trough” duty to see what is on the menu. I guarantee that it is no healthier than what the kids in West Virginia were eating on Jamie’s program.  I will report back with her findings.

In the meantime, I also found an article about Pepsi announcing plans to pull all of their soft drinks from vending machines in both elementary and secondary schools across Canada by 2012.  Coca-Cola also made a similar announcement earlier this month.  Unfortunately, they aren’t doing it soon enough to suit me!  Another downside is that they are still going to sell diet drinks, loaded with aspartame, to high school students.  I guess that no one has told them that it is linked to obesity and diabetes!

I once asked a good friend of mine whether she was diabetic before she started drinking Diet Coke or after.  Every morning, like clockwork, she would crack open a pop rather than having a coffee like most other people do.  She replied that she had been drinking the pop longer.  It certainly gave her enough food for thought that she has since cut out the habit.

Jamie’s show is being re-broadcasted this coming Friday, March 26.  I suggest that you check it out but first make sure that you are not hungry because you will find parts of it disgusting and will certainly lose your appetite!  Hopefully, you too will make some changes in your own home that will rub off on your kids.

 Janet Woods is a Doctor of Natural Medicine practising in Peterborough and the Kawarthas.