OVERVIEW

Raising a New America, the first book of its kind, educates parents, caregivers, and educators about the vital health, environmental, social, and cultural issues affecting children’s health in today’s world. Obesity, Diabetes, ADHD, learning disabilities, and Autism have touched the lives of millions of American families and the numbers of those affected continue to rise. Parents and educators need accurate, un-biased knowledge to understand the accumulative causes of the rising epidemic of youth related diseases. In addition, they need inspiration, guidance, and the resources to make informed choices, choices within their control. Raising a New America delivers a powerful message by bringing together the latest in healing and prevention from experts in the fields of medical science, environmental health, holistic healing, and advanced social and educational programs.

In Raising a New America facts, case studies, and stories are woven together to illustrate how we cannot place blame on just one factor influencing the health of our children, but the accumulation of many. Some are toxic influences that we can scientifically identify while others are psychological impressions responsible for shaping values, morals, and self-esteem. For the first time, Raising a New America will connect the dots to the most relevant factors shaping children’s mental, physical, and emotional balance. Raising a New America will help parents identify and gage their children’s toxicity...what the authors refer to as the Toxic Barometer. The Preface below provides a brief narrative of the content presented. 

PREFACE

 American children are standing at a historical crossroads.  While this great nation’s children have never been brighter or had greater educational opportunities, they have also never been more physically, mentally, and emotionally challenged. While the threat of obesity alone is a huge issue in America, there are other health issues equally threatening our youth and their families. Scientists and health professionals are now identifying the link between the accumulation of toxic influences, both chemical (food, environment, and pharmaceuticals) and cultural (media, stereotyping, bonding), to the rising epidemic of youth diseases.

To illustrate we begin down the path of toxic influences with environmental toxins.

 Chemicals, called Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP’s), which do not break down either chemically or biologically, are among the most dangerous. POP’s are used in all types of industry including agriculture, building materials, household items, hospital supplies, and food packaging. These potent carcinogens, neurotoxins, and estrogenic compounds are everywhere and in everyone because they invade the source of our drinking water and air currents. They proceed to accumulate in our soil, food, and ultimately our bodies, and our children’s bodies.

 FDA data shows that children are often exposed to 70 POP’s daily in their food alone – levels found to cause public health concern, and concerned we should be. Further research shows an absolute connection between exposure to POP's and disturbing health trends, including increased incidence of breast cancer, learning disabilities, other neuron-developmental disorders, and reproductive (endocrine) problems.

 ·        Cancer, a disease once thought for adults only, is the leading dis-ease related death in children under 20.
·        Learning disabilities, behavior problems, and drug addiction are common terms in even the best of families.
·        Scientists have known for several years that girls and boys are reaching puberty earlier. The average starting age of puberty in Caucasian girls is 9, with African-American girls hitting puberty at an average age of 8.
·        Autism has increased over 600 percent in the past 8 years

When it comes to our food supply, POP’s are just one of the problems. To give further rise to the Toxic Barometer, food factories continue to pump out volumes of goodies that have been plumped up with carcinogenic fats, colored with dyes known to cause extreme allergic reactions, and filled with sugar proven to cause mood swings, anxiety, and hyperactivity. The foods are then packaged in plastic wrap and containers full of POP’s, and shipped off to our schools and homes. If heating is needed, the foods are warmed while fully wrapped, which furthers the toxic exposure. Corporate giants spend millions to direct market these so called foods to children thus making high-fat, sugar laden, highly processed foods available and affordable everywhere kids turn. No wonder the following statistics continue to grow:

 ·        Type II diabetes, heretofore unheard of in children, is up 45 percent in the last 10 years, now considered an epidemic of vast proportions. 
·        It is estimated that 22 million children America children under 5 are overweight. Obesity is reaching such epidemic proportions that world health officials have decided we must take a more aggressive approach to head off a global explosion of fat-related diseases.
·        Diagnoses of ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) have increased by 9 million new cases in the last 10 years. ADHD symptoms continue into adulthood for more than 60 percent of children.

 The potential to heat up the Toxic Barometer often continues when parents seek help to restore the emotional and behavioral balance in their children’s lives. Medical Doctors, many of whom are ignorant of the underlying causes of ADHD and other emotional problems, treat the symptoms of hyperactivity and the inability to focus with more chemicals. The chemicals, known as medicine, are mind altering drugs with often severe side effects, and unknown long-term effects. Although medicine is appropriate in many cases, and is helping millions of children find stability, we must ask; should our growing dependency on pharmaceuticals become the substitute for better parenting, a safe environment, and nourishing diets?
·        Approximately 20% of school children are currently taking the mind altering drug, Ritalin for ADHD. Many school district nurses have authority to administer the drug without any medical tests.
·        There are nearly 6 million children in the United States between the ages of 6 and 18 taking mind-altering drugs prescribed for alleged mental illnesses.
·        With over 2.5 million children taking anti-depressants, childhood depression is quickly becoming a real and growing problem.

The bad news is that it does not end here. Accompanying the invasion of toxins from our environment, homes, schools, and grocery stores is a lifestyle that supports proliferation of the goods that contain them. Children’s minds are assaulted daily with more toxicity from media messages that often encourage bullying, parental disrespect, violence, and stereotyping. Instead of safe outlets for creativity and expression, many kids are left alone and entertained in front of a TV, computer, or video game. While modeling poor behavior and communication skills, programming, and commercials leave lasting impressions which shape children’s morals and values. This lifestyle, which is void of intimate communication, bonding, and outlets for authentic expression leave most children disconnected from their family, their sense of self and their source; the Earth. It leaves them valuing quantity over quality; leaving them fed full but still starving.

·        Higher levels of television viewing correlate with lowered academic performance, especially reading scores.
·        One third of American high school students leave school without a diploma.
·        Teen suicide was the 3^rd leading cause of death among young adults and adolescents 15 to 24 years of age.

 We are not advocating that watching TV, a specific chemical, candy bar, or medicine is causing a specific disease, but we must ask ourselves; what is really going on here?  Why are these staggering statistics continuing to grow? What part of our lifestyle is contributing to the potential disaster these statistics hold? What does this mean for American parents in their quest to raise healthy, happy children? What does it mean for America’s future?

It means that it is no longer enough to provide a home, food on the table, nice furnishings, health care, and the latest in technological toys. Today’s parents have a bigger challenge. They must become acutely aware of a child’s inner needs and impressions. They must become aware of the quality of their food, the safety of their household furnishing, the influences from a toxic environment, the side effects from medicines, and the manipulative messages from the media.

It means parents must make the connection between their children’s environment, both seen and unseen, and the rising youth health statistics. It means they must know where toxic chemicals reside, and learn how to strengthen the human immune system by cleansing and nourishing it where they have control. It means including lifestyle practices that encourage family values along with bonding, self discovery, and enrichment learning practices. Today’s parents must take action by making informed and mindful choices in all areas of their lives. In turn those choices will help government agencies and corporate entities create healthier new models for industry, agriculture, medicine, and education. To fulfill their quest, parents need a book that can show them the whole picture in a language they can relate to, one that opens their awareness to the interconnectedness of the human experience and our responsibility toward shaping it. It is through this information that parents will find inspiration.

The good news is that there is a growing body of Americans who are pioneering healthy lifestyle practices. They are realizing healing, recovery, and harmony in all areas of their lives. Raising a New America shines a light on these pioneers, their methods, and their children.

BOOK SUMMARY

 Raising a New America fulfills an immediate need for American parents and their families by establishing the interrelated consequences of America’s lifestyle on today’s children. It is the first book of its kind to address the causes behind the mental, physical, and emotional breakdown of America’s youth by approaching the youth health crisis from a “whole child” perspective. With cutting-edge scientific research it examines the silent-inflammation resulting from the proliferation of toxins in our children’s world: from the foods and pseudo-foods they eat, to the cumulative effects of the “juveceuitcals” they take, to environmental toxins present in their air, water, and soil, and to the environmental threats where they live and study. Last but not least it connects the documented effects of over- stimulation from television, video games, and computers to packed schedules and broken families.