Generation XL: Raising Healthy, Intelligent Kids in a High-Tech, Junk-Food World

by Joseph Mercola, Ben Lerner

Childhood is a pivotal time for good nutrition. Organs and blood streams nurtured with junk food cannot build a foundation for good health and longevity as an adult. Drs. Joseph Mercola and Ben Lerner believe profound inactivity, addiction to electronic media, and diets of super-sized fast food and sugar-laden beverages have created a national emergency. Generation XL is a clarion call and a detailed guide to giving your child a vibrant, successful future and a healthy, wholesome, invigorating youth. As children riddled with pain, illness, learning disorders, and even depression begin to show up everywhere, rather than looking at brain development, nutrition, and lack of movement as the culprits, concerned parents are turning to more and more medications. Think about that. Is that how we were designed? To make medication a way of life and to be drugged early on a consistent basis? What does the future hold for us when kids are overweight, out of shape, and taking medications for the effects? What kind of children are we creating? This is not a diet book-far, far from it. Dropping another diet book into the same culture will do nothing but take up more room on your shelf. Generation XL shows you how kids were created to eat, breathe, sleep, run, and live. At the same time, Drs. Mercola and Lerner help you change your family culture and recognize where the culture around you isn't working so you can avoid it or help to change it. Since prevention is always easier (and wiser) than cure, incorporating the lifestyle changes suggested in Generation XL gives your child a realistic way to reach and maintain a healthy weight; dramatically reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other health risks; and build a strong body and positive mental attitude, maximizing his or her IQ and giving the best chance for success.

Genres: Parenting, Nutrition, Medicine, Nonfiction, Health

274 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2007

About the author

Dr. Joseph Mercola is a natural health expert based in Illinois. He believes that people are capable of taking control of their health – they can harness their body’s ability to stay optimally healthy. He shares his recommendations through his website, Mercola.com. It is one of the leading natural health websites today, with over one million subscribers worldwide.

Dr. Mercola has authored three New York Times best sellers, "The Great Bird Flu Hoax", "The No Grain Diet", and his latest book, “Effortless Healing”, which he has written as an easy-to-read guide that can help you avoid the many pitfalls of the conventional approach to health through nine simple steps or healing principles.

Reviews

[Laura Pratt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a must have for all parents to use as a foundation in nutrition and to some degree healthy lifestyle for their kids ( no matter the age). While written with the parent whose children have excess weight in mind, the nutrition and exercise "blueprints" are for all children (and to some degree adults). Included are the newer understandings of how our food works in our bodies, metabolic types (everyone's body is different on their need for carbohydrates versus protein), to the truth about milk, grains and sugar--including fruit. This book summarizes and connects information that you would have to find in multiple books. Again, every parent-whether you or your children are overweight or not) need to read and keep this book.
The reason for my 4 star rating is because I am not entirely sure the recipes and suggested exercises will "fly" for all kids, but there is enough ideas to start making better meals, shop for food better, as well build in a focus for exercise. If a parent is looking for more recipe ideas, I can suggest two additional sources which are in line with Dr. Merola's book and the newer health understandings: Isabel del Los Rios' Beyond Diet" and Dr. William Davis' " Wheat Belly".

[Becky Glaze · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book for anyone with young kids or anyone just interested in healthy living.