The past 2 years have brought about a NEW perspective on health. Healthy living is no longer a few jumping jacks and some bean sprouts. Healthy living is about fortifying your health, and that of your family, from the inside out.
The toughest part of this equation is making sure that you, the parent, are on the right track and providing the right guidance for your children. As a health coach, I have seen too much. Many parents eat the right foods and then choose fast unhealthy options for their children. Just remember, what you feed your kids today, will either help or harm them when they are 50 years old.
I realize how far-fetched that sounds, but right now, you are creating your children’s health foundation. The same foundation that will help them with covid, cancer, obesity, diabetes, or the next health challenge of the world.
We could look at this in two ways:
1. ” This is HEAVY”, “Too much responsibility,” “I don’t have a lot of time in my day for all this,” “I can only think of today, when the kids leave the nest, they are on their own.”
2. Or… “I have the power of instilling healthy habits that will keep my kids healthy, even after I’m gone.” Now, granted, those healthy habits may not stick, your kids may rebel, but at least you gave it a full-force effort to offer them the right tools and role modeling for success.
Here’s what I want you to think about:
Are YOU constantly dieting?
Is “mac and cheese” your quick resolve when you don’t know what to feed them, don’t have time, or you’re not up to a food war?
Are you making different meals in one sitting to appease everyone?
2022 is here, front and center.
We are facing a world with an array of health challenges, the same challenges that will not go away whether you are vaccinated or not. True health flourishes from the INSIDE OUT, the key is to make the foundation of the entire family healthy and strong.
So, where do we start?
Well, there are 2 main things that can have a huge effect on the immune system:
Foods that metabolize as a SUGAR – Sugar, flour, dairy, and alcohol (of course alcohol is only for the adults)
Internal ACIDS – This comes from eating primarily processed foods, alcohol, too much caffeine, or too many medications.
Let’s begin with the SUGARS.
As I mentioned above, it’s not just table sugar. It’s crackers and cheese, mac and cheese, wine, ice cream, and so much more. What’s the problem here? Visualize with me and trust me this is not your average math problem… I have invited 10 of you to help me in my garden. We have to move big pots, bags of dirt, and garden things. The doorbell rings and they have delivered several big boxes. 5 of you leave the garden to help bring the boxes in. The five that are left in the garden, take a seat, too much to move, too few to move it.
This is exactly what happens with your immune system. The nutrients needed to support and fortify the immune system are some of the same that are needed to break down and digest SUGARS. When you eat the cookie and dip it in milk, nutrients have to leave the immune system to help the body metabolize and break down the cookie and milk, leaving your immune system short-handed for a period of time. Depending on how many sugars you consumed will dictate how much time the immune system staff has left their post. Are you with me?
The key is to choose zero to one sugar per meal and snack. In other words, you’re eating a sandwich, do you want bread or cheese–you need to choose. Stress, socialization, and life has made many of us gravitate to flour and dairy like never before. Your food is your FUEL, and that means every bite!
Next up, what are these ACIDS?
Well, they are not acidic foods like lemons or apple cider vinegar. It has to do with how your body breaks down and digests processed foods. These foods take a lot of effort, and in turn, create an acidic environment inside the body. Disease loves to live in an ACIDIC environment. You see, food in its natural, unaltered state, provides nutrients in the form of vitamins and minerals. It also provides enzymes that help the body utilize the vitamins and minerals to break down the food in the most efficient way possible. Processed foods have no enzymes and the nutrients have been added back in by a scientist. This leaves the body with a huge project in order to break down and digest that food.
For health to flourish, it’s important to use processed foods as a “side dish of sorts,” something small, never a main staple. A smaller percentage of your day’s food plan. To be frank, this is also the easiest way to stay lean and energized. Eating foods in their natural state, utilizing fruits and vegetables as your multi-vitamin of choice, and minimizing the sugars is the best way to maintain health from the inside out. Food has a direct relationship to your health, mood, focus, energy, and your body’s ability to fight off any disease or illness.
Become your child’s role model of health!
Our children are watching everything we do. Even when they are angry at us, they know we ate the cookie, started juicing to lose weight, or even if we skipped a meal. What they see, they will emulate at some point in their lives. Healthy living is a family affair. You are the role model, and you are their teacher of health.
From my experience, most parents make this more complicated than it needs to be. It’s actually cheaper to prepare a healthy organic meal than to go through the drive-thru. Take a moment and reevaluate what you have been offering in the family kitchen and what you have been showing your children through your own actions. Sometimes we need a coach to come in and help and sometimes we can sort this all out alone. Either way, make 2022 the year for healthy living in your home. It will make a difference.
Your Food is Your Fuel, Make Every Bite Count!!
Adita