In many previous posts I've mentioned my little ones! I've mentioned struggles I've had in getting them to eat healthy, in trying to balance my time and accomplish everything I'd like to do! There have been times where I am so stinkin' tired I stare at my overflowing sink that is full of stinky, dirty dishes and wonder to myself...
"why the heck do you spend so much time finding all these recipes and whipping them up (sometimes failing) when you can run to the store down the street, grab a box of hamburger helper for $2.00 and be done with dinner in 15 minutes and have a one dish clean up!"
It seems easy, right, to do that. As adults, we typically know what is good and bad for our bodies (even if we don't eat well). Many of us who strive for a healthy lifestyle grew up on a typical diet, with white rice, white bread, meat as the main dish, refined sugar, etc. Yet here we are learning about healthy eating! So I ask you all, why not let our kids do the same? Why not have the typically balanced diet, of food that isn't super awful, (I'm not saying that you feed your kids doughnuts and fries all day long), but the standard set up of a meal and just stop worrying so much about it! When they are adults they can figure it out for themselves!
It can be so difficult to convince a young child to eat something healthy!
BUT....I'll tell you that is is worth it! When I feel like complaining I look around at my two little sweeties and realize, that yes sometimes it is hard to introduce a new food to my children, but 95% of the time after giving them a chance they end up loving it!
I remember that I'm helping them get a taste for healthy foods now and I'm helping them learn what is healthy and what isn't. My hope is that by the time they have grown and left my home and they are on their own, they won't do what I did and buy fake foods, they will hit the produce section, and bulk sections of the stores and load up on fruits, veggies, nuts etc and know what to do with them! I hope they will have an influence on their peers, future spouses, children so they can pass down the information they've learned to their families!
I have no control over what they choose to do in their lives someday, these are my hopes for them! I am dedicated to helping them establish this lifestyle for themselves!
More than developing a lifestyle I'm trying to defend them! I am a believer that what we eat can seriously compromise our defenses in our bodies against certain diseases.
These are from my own experience with my children: My daughter is the oldest, I fed her whatever I could because I just knew she wouldn't eat "good stuff" she got a large intake of cow's milk, cheese, chicken nuggets, bread, etc. In her first 18 months of life she had a total of 8 ear infections and mild eczema!
With my Son, when our little man was old enough to eat solids we had already begun the change to our way of eating. My son never had an ear infection until he was 1 year old! And guess what. It was during our move. We were bouncing back and forth between relatives homes while we were waiting for ours to open up, I gave him cow's milk, yogurt and string cheese almost daily, and there you go a massive ear infection with fever to follow! He's never had one since! My daughter still has slight eczema on her cheeks, but hasn't had another ear infection since we began this process!
"...You can't gain excellent health by consuming medicinal substances or herbal remedies only. Superior health is the result of nutritional excellence and healthy habits; it does not result from taking remedies. This does not mean that natural substance with medicinal properties or even a drug should never be used, it means we pay a price...from the use of such substance and we are better off if we can live in a manner to avoid such things. "
"Children's diets today are notoriously low in beneficial omega-3 fats found in foods such as walnuts, flax seeds, soybeans, leafy greens, and certain fish. Omega-3, DHA is an essential nutrient for optimal brain and eye function."
Dr. Joel Fuhrman, MD Disease- Proof Your Child
I think we as parents need to give ourselves some credit. We all love our children more than the world, we all want what's best for them. There are days where it is hard to reason with them, especially when you know what you are giving them is going to benefit their lives! My advice as a fellow mommy,who has seen this way of eating bring more health to her own precious little ones, is keep trying!!!! Constantly remember you are shaping their life for the long haul! Who better to teach them about health and nutrition, but mom! Lead by example! Research all you can, I recommend the books, Eat to Live and Disease-Proof Your Child both by Joel Furhman, they are intense, but they have given me a good outline on how I want to feed my family. I may not follow them perfectly, but even following 85-90% has made such an impact on my family!!! Good luck! We're all in this together!
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