2017 DEC PASO Magazine

P aso Women
Lauded in Santa’s effort
to promote healthy Kids
By Per-Olof Nielsen
It’s no secret that a growing number of
American kids have an “eating disorder.”
The Standard American Diet (“SAD” diet)
of fast junk, which is now called “snack” and
processed “foods” stripped of nutritional
values and the fiber so important to good
digestion and loaded with chemicals, preservatives,
herbicides and pesticides and added
sugar is leading to a generation of American
children whose lifespan will be shorter
than their parents — a first in American
history, says Helen Nielsen. Nielsen, a food
activist and journalist, is now recruiting influential
women to help curb this shortened
life-span situation.
To address this explosion of diet driven
illnesses never seen in American children just
30 years ago she has spent the better part of
the year recruiting a “Corps of Lady Santas”
(CLaS) to join the members of a growing
group called The Real Santas United to end
Childhood Obesity — a group founded by
her husband, who is known as Sustainable
Santa®.
The goal of the group is to change both
the current message and the future image
of the 21th Century Santa away from the
overweight guy who promotes eating candy
canes, cookies and drinking sugary drinks
to one who promotes children’s health by
eating Real Food and living a sustainable
lifestyle.
This is not a simple task, says San Francisco
SWEA (Swedish Women’s Educational
Association) chapter President/Ordförande
Birgitta Hilleberg-Durrett. She was one of
the first recruited to the cause last spring.
The eating patterns imbedded in the “SAD”
diet are now part of American culture, where
in some neighborhoods, particularly in the
poorer sections of our communities, access
to healthy “Real Food” options are limited,
even if they wanted to change their diet.
Since 1984 the San Francisco SWEA
group has held a major Holiday Fair each
December where the healthful happiness in
Swedish Christmas culture, including their
choices of nutritious foods is on display.
“It is no mystery as to why the Scandinavian
countries all showed up at the top of
the 2017 World Happiness Report published
by the United Nations last February,” says
Hilleberg-Durrett.
Sure we Swedes enjoy our traditional special
holiday treats, but they are just that – special
treats. Traditional foods cooked in traditional
ways. Plus, adds Hilleberg-Durrett,
the process of cooking and baking for the
Swedish holiday takes time and preparation
fostering community and togetherness, two
important factors in achieving “happiness.”
That is quite different from ordering up a pizza,
or picking up some fast food passed to you
Rosemary Hawthorn and Helen Nielsen
deliver Bless Your Heart Bakery goodies
in a paper sack while you’re in your car. Healthy
eating is part of our Swedish culture, and in San
Francisco we put that on display each December,
notes the San Francisco SWEA President.
While the 2017 U.N. “happiness” ranking
factored in many factors; Norway’s taking top
position in spite of the fall in oil prices, the
revenues from which are distributed directly to
their citizens, suggests that “money is not the
key to happiness,” says Helen Nielsen.
Factors such as caring, freedom, generosity,
honesty, good governance and key to our
cause: good current health, and a healthy life
expectancy are the markers we are focusing
on. It is doubly significant that the USA has
dropped to 19th place, says Nielsen.The likelihood
of an unhealthy old age dominating
our future with declining social and wellness
supports are the key USA markers we want
to change.
To accomplish this Nielsen has been traveling
California much of the year recruiting
influential, dedicated women to join in full
partnership with the 21st century breed of
Real Santas United to achieve this end —
starting with the kids.
54 PASO Magazine, December 2017