| 食べられる校庭？Part 2 / Can A Schoolyard Be Edible? Part 2 Jump to English ~ 食物アレルギーがある子供たちにも、美味しく安心できるおやつを ~
Mina さん 栄養士（食物アレルギー）／雑穀アドバイザー／食生活アドバイザー
「食物アレルギーの子を持つ親の会」料理スタッフ
 『心とからだにやさしいおやつ』づくり 「素材の個性を尊重し、素材の言い分をきちんと聞こうと心がけています。 『卵などが入っていなくて、つなぎは何ですか？』と聞かれたことがあります。いつも役目を素材たちに託していて、つなぎだけのことは考えたことがなかったことに気づきました。お菓子ができるのは材料のおかげ。私は手伝っているだけです。」 お菓子を通じて想いやメッセージを伝えるMinaさんに、お話を伺いました。 ～ ～ ～
アレルギーがある子供もない子供も、みんなが一緒に安心して食べられるおやつを お肉、卵や乳製品、大豆、小麦などとの、近年更に増えてきている子供の食物アレルギー。 栄養が偏った食品、添加物などをお母さんたちが多く摂取していた場合、 生まれて来た子供達にその影響が出て来てしまっている可能性が高いと言われる。現代の食生活の良くない点を、身体の小さい子供達は特に影響を受けてしまう。食生活には気をつけていたつもりが、Minaさんの生まれて来たお子さんがアトピーに。「息子の通院や治療を通して今の子供達の取り巻く食環境、アレルギーを持った子供達が沢山いることを知りました。」そんな現状を知って自分にできることは何か、と栄養士の資格を取得。保育園の栄養士になる。 その後全国規模の、 「食物アレルギーの子を持つ親の会」の料理スタッフを担った。「アレルギーがある子供も、ない子供も、みんなが一緒に笑顔で食べられるおやつを作りたいと思いました。」 「これ、私も食べていいの？」と聞かれて、「大丈夫よ。」と言える喜び 「何をおいしいと思うかは、１００人の子供がいたら１００人違うもの。小麦をおいしいと思う子供もいれば、ほかの子供にとっては小麦は食べたら命にかかわる危険な素材かもしれない。アレルギーの点から言えば、全ての子供に安全な食べ物というのはないんです。でも自分にとっての安心が生み出すおいしさを、お母さんやお子さんたちに味わって欲しくて。例えば小麦アレルギーのある子供達にとって、パンは憧れ。そんな子供達に小麦が入っていないパンを渡すと『このフワフワのパン、食べていいの？』と嬉しそうにかぶりつく。そんな姿を見るたびに、子供達にはなるべく制限を感じずに食べてほしいと思いました。そしてそのお手伝いができたら、と。」  素材、そして固さも大切。（今は柔らかいおやつが多い ので、噛むことで顎を鍛えながら素材の甘さを知る。） 「以前はベジタリアン・フェスティバルや野外でのイベントに出店していました。すると、買って下さったかたから、『やさしいお菓子がおいしいことに気がつきました。』というコメントや、『バターや卵が入ってなくても、こんなにおいしいんですね。』という感想を頂きました。そのたびに、『身体にやさしい素材のおいしさが伝わっているのかな。』という希望が見えて。」 昔と比べて現代は物質的には恵まれているかもしれない。しかし食の現状においては、普通に求めるもの -- 例えばおやつ -- も安心できるものとは限らないのが今の時代。「一人でも多くの人が安心して食べられる『心とからだにやさしいおやつ』を作ってゆきたいです。」 身体は高性能に出来ている 「たとえば卵アレルギーの人は、少量だけ食べても身体が危険信号を出しますよね。同様に、たとえアレルギーではなくても、何か栄養が不足している場合は自分で感じ取れるように身体はできているんです。頭を使い過ぎてエネルギー不足になったり、汗をかいてミネラルが欠乏していたり、身体が求めている声を素直に聞くようにすると不思議なもので体内の機能が研ぎすまされてゆく。その声に従うことにより健康でいる事が出来れば、それが理想ですね。人間も自然の一部ですし、本来身体は高性能に出来ているものですから。」 お肉、卵、乳製品などにアレルギー反応を起こす子供も多い時代。そのために、必然的にベジタリアンやヴィーガンの食生活になっているご家庭が増えているかもしれない。栄養士でもある Minaさんは、食物アレルギーなどで動物性たんぱく質を豊富に摂取できなくても、きちんと栄養のバランスを考えた食生活を営めば子供達も健康に育つ、という見解だ。 「身体の形成のされ方は、日々何を摂取し、１週間や１ケ月のトータルで、どの様な食事のバランスになるかによっても大きく違います。 睡眠や運動、ストレスや生活環境も健康を作る大きな要素。何を食べているかだけでは健康は語れません。食物アレルギーがあっても、その子供に合ったものを親御さんがきちんと考えて作ってあげる。そうした食生活をする子供達は、ファーストフードや加工食品を多く食べたり、外食が多い（アレルギーのない）子供達よりも、内臓も血液も健康かもしれません。子供達の心と身体の健康のために何をどう食べさせてあげたら良いのか、ご家族がしっかり考えられて毎日の食生活を営まれるとよいと思います。身体の健康は心の健康でもありますし。それは大人も一緒ですね。」  「子供にイマジネーションを膨らませて欲しい。
ksksdd食べることを楽しむのが基本です。」 「まずはみんなで食べることの楽しさ、日本の旬の素材のおいしさ、自分の身体と食べ物のつながりを子供達に感じてもらいたいです。子供の食生活の未来を真剣に考え動くことは、私たち大人の責任だと思います。」 いのちの重みをコミュニケーションで 「栄養士になるための授業で動物を使った生体実験があり、とてもショックで心身に影響をきたしました。命を救うために何故命を奪うのか今も納得できなくて。」それ以来、動物の命を粗末にしたくない、と自分で命を絶てない材料は必要最小限にと意識し、皮革製品の使用も止めた。「現代社会においての動物の扱われ方を義務教育で学ぶ機会があればいいのに、と思います。知るべきことと知らなくてもいいことを、大人は責任を持って判断していかないといけませんよね。私自身も反省することがよくあります。そういう（命の扱われ方の）実態を小さい頃から知った上で、本人が選択していけたらいいと思います。」ｍinaさんも高校生になる息子さんとのコミュニケーションの中で、命の大切さを話し合うよう心がけている。「この間も息子が絹素材に興味を示していたので、『絹は蚕の繭から紡ぐよね。学校で蚕を育てたこともあったわね。たくさんの蛾の命を人間が終わらせて絹はできているのねえ。』などと、話し合いを試みたりします。」 愛情をもって素材と対話する Minaさん。最後に、食材から感動することは？と伺ってみる。「以前お米の粉と天然酵母でパンを作っていた時、何度試作してもうまくいかず、夜中になって。これでだめだったらもうやめようと、最後のつもりでオーブンに入れたんです。そうしたら『今度はうまくいくからね』という天然酵母の声が聞こえたんです（笑！）本当にふっくらときれいに膨らんでくれていて。『素材たち、ありがとうね。』という気持ちでした。素材の全ては生命。米も小麦も砂糖も。その生命をもらっているという気持ちは忘れずにいたいですね。」 インタビュー by 渡邊こずえ / 水口政美（CFT)
テキスト by 渡邊こずえ (CFT)
ピーナッツを含むナッツ類にアレルギーな子供たちも沢山います。また野菜や果物にアレルギーな子供たちも。この映像は子供がいる親御さんだけではなく、社会的にも食物アレルギーに関する意識を高めるために制作されたビデオです。実際にアレルギーを抱える子供たちが気持ちを語ってくれています。 Courtesy of Food Allergy Initiative - Delicious and Safe Sweets for Children with Food Allergies -
Ms. Mina Nutritionist (Nutrition Education/ Food Allergies) / Millet Advisor / Dietary Life Advisor
Cooking staff of PAFA (Parents Association for Food Allergy Patients)
Making “fine sweets for mind and health” “I always try to respect characteristics of ingredients and to listen to their voice. Someone once asked me how I could put all the ingredients together without using eggs. I realized then that I always left the ingredients to play their roles in making good dough and never really worried about how I could place everything together. Sweets are created thanks to its ingredients. My function is just to help them synchronize”, said Ms. Mina who kindly shared with us her love of sweets and the messages she wanted to convey through the sweets she makes. ～ ～ ～
Making sweets that any children with or without food allergies can enjoy The number of children with allergies to certain foods, such as meats, eggs, milk, soy and wheat, has been increasing rapidly in recent years. It is said that the more the mothers consume unbalanced diet or many food additives during her pregnancy, the higher chance that their children may be born with food allergies. Especially, the physically immature children are the most vulnerable to modern unhealthy diet. For instance, although Ms. Mina had been very careful about her diet during her pregnancy, her baby was still born with atopic dermatitis. “As I was taking my son to his doctor for medical treatment, I came to realize that just how many of children suffered from food allergies because of dietary environment nowadays.” The realizing mother gave her thoughts on what she could do to improve the situation, and soon after, Ms Mina received a Nutritionist certificate. She later has become a nursery school nutritionist. Through her works at PAFA (Parents Association for Food Allergy Patients) as one of the cooking staff, Ms. Mina said “I want to make sweets that every child, with or without food allergies, can enjoy.” It is such a joy when you can say “yes” to a child who asks, “is it ok to eat this?” “If there are 100 children, there are 100 different feelings about how the food tastes like. While there are kids who relish foods made from wheat, such may actually become life-threatening to some children. Speaking of food allergies, perhaps there is no food that we could say is perfectly safe for every single child. However I would like both children and parents to enjoy eating while having no worries to the food safety. For instance, for children with wheat allergy, bread can only be eaten in a dream. When I handed those children non-wheat bread that I made, they immediately would ask “can I really eat this bread!?” with full of surprise and then were so excited being able to take a big bite on the soft bread like they had never tried it before. Every time I saw their happy faces, it convinced me even more that I have to help these children. I want these children with allergies to be able to enjoy sweets and bread – food most of us take it for granted – without feeling any restrictions.” “I hope children can grow their imagination creatively.
It is fundamental to be able to enjoy food."
“When I participated in some events like vegetarian festival or an outdoor food catering, I often received comments from visitors: “I have realized that these healthy sweets are actually so delicious!” or “These foods are so tasteful even though they are made without eggs or butter.” Those feedbacks made me happy and gave me hopes that quality of these healthy foods are gradually recognized and accepted by people. Contrary to the past, we are now living in an age of material abundance, but all the foods we eat are not necessarily safe for us. I would like to keep making healthy sweets that everyone can enjoy eating and that is also good for both our bodies and minds.” Body is created with high functions “For example, people with egg allergy would receive immediate alert from ones’ own bodies. Similarly, body is designed to be able to detect lack of nutrition by itself. If a body starts to accumulate more and more those alerts inside, which would lead to over stimulating the brain, lacking energy or losing minerals by sweating, the body function somehow becomes more sharpened. It would be ideal if one can stay healthy simply by conforming to all the body alarms. Essentially, our body is working quite efficient as we, people, are part of the nature.” There are many children who are allergic to meat, eggs and dairy food. Consequently, the number of families might be growing to choose vegetarian or vegan diet. Ms. Mina, as a nutritionist, believes that even though consumption on animal-based protein is prevented because of food allergies, children can still grow up healthy if they have balanced diet nutritionally. “The way a body and the health are formed depending on what you eat and how that is nutritionally balanced in total – by weekly or even monthly basis. Amount of sleep, exercise and stress, or a home environment are also important factors contributing to a healthy body as well, and therefore your health cannot be determined just by your dietary life. Although a child may have certain food allergies, if his or her parents are more aware of the importance in balanced nutritious and the concept of healthy food, the child could actually have healthier body and blood conditions than the child without food allergy who always eats fast food, processed food, or dining out. For healthy body and mind, we as parents should continue learning in everyday life on how and what to eat that is the best for our children and carrying on such dietary behavior. Physical health impacts mental wellbeing – and that is always the same for adults, too.” Ingredients and food hardness are the essences.
(It’s important to have some hard texture so that children can
strengthen their jaws and taste natural sweetness of the food by
masticating, since there are many sweets that are too soft to chew.)
“I hope the food I prepare can give our children an opportunity to experience together the joyful eating, quality of seasonal foods as well as the connection of foods and body. As adults, we are responsible to fully prepare our next generations to come for having healthy diet.”Teaching the importance of life through communications “When I was studying to become a nutritionist, I had to take on classes in which living animals are experimented. I was in such a state of shock and became really sick physically and mentally. I still could not comprehend why a life had to be taken away in order to save another life.” Since then I have minimized the use of ingredients of living animal that I wouldn't be ble to kill on my own hands, and have stopped using leather goods. “I wish there were an opportunity for students at schools to learn how animals were treated in modern society. Adults should be accountable to determine what should or should not be learned by the children. On my part there are also a lot to self-reflect. It would be ideal for children to learn these facts and realities as they grow up and make choices – the best way to act.” Mina says communication is important - she endeavors to have dialogues with her son about the importance of lives. Recently, her son became interested in silk materials. Mina had said to him, “Silk is taken from silkworm’s cocoon, isn’t it? You had experience raising a silkworm at your school, haven’t you? Many moths have to die just because we humans like the silk.” Mina communicates via cooking ingredients that come from her heart. Before we concluded our interview, we asked Mina if she has ever been impressed by any ingredients. “When I was trying to make bread from rice flour and natural yeast, the process did not go well at all after many attempts. Then midnight came. As I was putting the dough into the oven, I said to myself - if this does not turn out well, I would just quit. Later I heard a voice of the natural yeast saying “it’s going to be alright this time” (laugh). Believe it or not, the bread turned out really great, and the dough rose perfectly! I could not thank enough to the ingredients. Ingredients are all lives themselves - rice, flour, sugars - all of them. I would never forget the lively feelings.” Translation by Yuko Nagashima Inglis
English proof-reading by Pauline Chu
Interview by Kozue Watanabe
& Masami Mizuguchi
Text by Kozue Watanabe
This is a video of food allertic children produced for general awareness. The children are expressing their feelings.
Courtesy of Food Allergy Initiative
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