The content of Healing America's Youth stems from my journey as a mother and an
activist, raising a son from the '70s through the '90s, through the boom in fast food
franchises, junk food sales, and the use of chemical additives and preservatives in foods.
I believed healthy food was essential, but I was among the minority. I could not speak
louder than the powerful marketing and advertising of foods that hindered my son's ability
to learn and be in harmony with himself and others. As he grew out of Twinkies and Coke,
he grew into alcohol and crystal-meth. Our problems were not unique. They existed in homes
across America. I decided to become involved.
I began eight years ago with EarthSave International, founded by John Robbins, author
of Diet For A New America. While working with John and some of the most respected
health and environmental professionals in their fields, I co-authored the Health School
Lunch Action Guide, and began an award-winning program empowering children to make
healthier food choices and inspiring healthier food in our nation's schools. I was an
environmentalist. I was an activist. I was speaking to and inspiring all nationalities and
ages but I was still a mother, to a 21 year old who could not beat drug and alcohol
addiction. He became the shadow and drive behind my work.
Through my experience I began to probe deeper into the facts on food, violence,
recovery and reconnection. I came to realize "just say no" and "tough
love" may not be the answer after all. What might be the answer is eliminating food
related chemicals from the diet, restoring the physiology of the body with nourishing
foods and supplements, and of course, love.
My experience with research in the areas of health, nutrition, agriculture, industrial
food production, drug and alcohol addiction, behavior problems, violence and conventional
medicine revealed that most studies were performed in isolation of other related issues.
Researchers are now connecting the dots. Since the Columbine School tragedy, members of
the mental health community are providing important insights about the connection between
the senseless acts of violence and psychotropic drugs such as Ritalin, Luvox and Prozac,
the most common prescriptions for the rising epidemic of behavior problems, ADD/ADHD and
depression.
Statistics reveal that American's often well intended, but misguided food choices may
be leading us down a path of destruction, causing epidemic proportions of physical and
psychological diseases. Rather than going to the original source of the problem treatments
prescribed for these diseases often compound the problem.
From soil to the soul, Healing America's Youth tells the story of how our
Earth and children are being fed and how their diets might be affecting the quality of
their lives and threatening their future.
