Kids and Nutrition

Time and time again, I remind people that it is never too early to start a child (once they are able to start eating the foods we eat) on nutritious foods.  Unfortunately, I did not grow up learning about proper nutrition and it was not highly emphasized in my household either, just like I emphasize it in my household now, as a parent.  As soon as my daughter (who is now almost 4-years-old) was able to eat many of the foods my husband and I eat, we started her on vegetables, fruits, all-natural smoothies, grains, Greek yogurt, lean poultry and meats.  As I have said in one of my previous posts that we are our child's first teacher and showing them proper nutrition based on what we consume is what they will pick-up first.  I thought about it after giving birth how I can properly emphasize nutrition with my daughter knowing that I still want her to have fun at birthday parties, camps and friends' houses, etc, where she might not be given the same foods I give her at home.  I began to realize how important it was for me to keep the most nutritious foods at home because of the fact that it is where she will be spending a majority of her time.  Now that she is almost 4-years old and can open cupboards and the refrigerator by herself to pick out something to eat, I have to truly make the best decisions of what I stock it all with. 

I understand it now why many (including their children) have an aversion to vegetables, fruits, plant-based foods and truly-natural foods...it is because it was not something they grew up eating or at least was not emphasized in their household!  It is sad to see these days what households fill their cupboards and refrigerators with.  I understand how harsh this can seem, but it is really what we are used to and what our society is used to.  There are many documentaries out there that talk about the dangers of processed foods and the positive effects of plant foods and all-natural foods!  I am not saying that we have to completely give up having a good burger, pizza or delectable desserts...I am merely saying "make nutrition consistent"; therefore, it will remain consistent in our child's life, too and they will learn the difference and will make better choices with what they eat.  It is so wonderful to see my daughter open up the fridge and opt to eat vegetables, fruit, grains, nuts, etc. because it is all I stock it with!  Of course, if I stocked it with foods with little or no nutritional value and still had the nutritious foods, she will choose the junk...hands down!!  I post this to help spread awareness that it is never too early to educate our children on proper nutrition.

As parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. we always make a conscious effort of keeping potentially harmful substances and poisonous items out of reach from children.  The sad part is there are poisonous ingredients in processed foods that many consume, but do not cause harm until so much of it has been consumed...slow, silent killers is what they are called.  They are just disguised with attractive packaging, amazing aromas and a presented so beautifully on a plate.  Who wants to eat fresh plant-based foods that does not have any added salt or sugar?  We do all we can to take care of and protect our children, so why is it we cannot make a conscious effort to lead them to be more nutrition-conscious?  Of course there is that falsehood that children are young and they should be able to eat junk food and why should we deprive them.  Not all humans are designed equally, some who eat junk food all their lives will not ever show up in their appearance because of how they are built genetically, but there are some that are not so lucky and it starts to alter their appearance at a young age.  As many of us know appearance means a lot to young ones (even though it should not), but given how cruel many of them can be nowadays, having an appearance issue can be detrimental to their social status...sad, but true!

Please educate yourself,

Quest To Ultimate Wellness...

Here is mine...what is yours?

Many of us have been or are always on the quest to lose weight, but here is the number one question?  Are we truly taking the proper steps to losing weight?  My quest to ultimate wellness has been a 
work-in-progress for as long as I can remember.  It has not been until recently that I finally realized what I need to do to achieve my ultimate wellness goals the pure and natural way!  It is not the low-carb diet/high protein diet, the starving yourself diet, the 30-day stay away from junk diet, Weight Watchers, the skipping meals diet nor is it the low calorie diet...in fact, it is none of these!  I will touch on these diets throughout my blog because I have tried them all, so stay tuned! The truth of the matter is that, it is a lifestyle change and keeping that change in tact. 

About me - I have never been super slim.  I do not have that body type, where I can pig out all the time and still not gain weight.  In fact, I am short (4'11 in height and slightly under a 100lbs), so I really have to watch it because the weight can creep back quickly!  There was a time in my life when I was about 90lbs and was still not happy with that weight.  We are our own worst critics, so even though we may have achieved our fitness goals, some of us still want to lose more weight.  Ultimate wellness is not based on how skinny one can get, how physically fit one can get nor how much stress one can eliminate, but merely how great one feels once proper nutrition, exercise and stress management become contributing factors to that.

How can one achieve ultimate wellness with proper nutrition?

Of course, sacrifice, consistency and dedication play a part in achieving ultimate wellness.  The quest to ultimate wellness is a dedicated lifestyle change...not a short-term change!  I have tried many of the crazy diets out there and yes, they work, but for the short-term, after I was happy with the change, I went back to my bad habits again!  Just recently, I went through an intervention with my "unwell self".  This is what I did: I threw out all heavily processed foods from my refrigerator and cupboards...replaced with truly all-natural, truly nutritious, truly high-fiber foods: fruits (frozen & fresh), dark green leafy vegetables, nutrition-packed vegetables (fresh & frozen), gluten-free grains, nuts, spring water, seeds (flax seed, psyllium husk, chia seeds, etc), algae powders, chicken breast, lean meat, salmon, steel cut oats, low-sodium or salt-free seasoning packs & marinades (with all-natural ingredients), green tea, black coffee (in moderation), etc. These are power-packed foods high in nutrition that will send all those wonderful messages to your brain that it is truly satisfied.  For more nutrition and wellness help and advice, visit livestrong.com.

Obesity and dieting are huge epidemics in the United States.  With the continuous modernization of technology, many things have become easier for us, so we are able to pack our schedules even more, but the sad thing is that we do not pack our lives with nutrition to achieve wellness.  Instead, we pack it with garbage...yes, you are reading that right...garbage!!  The more time we commit to having a busy schedule the less we have to commit to true nutrition and wellness!  I do not remember the last time I had a conversation with someone that said they do not lead a busy lifestyle.  There is nothing wrong with keeping busy, but this is how I see it...the human body is like a well-oiled machine...without the proper amount of "oil" our body can break down!  Our "oil" is proper nutrition, exercise, good night's sleep, avoiding drugs & alcohol, etc.  Once attention is given to these factors, weight will naturally shed and more positive changes will occur. 

Do yourself a favor, do not wait until it is too late to go on your quest to ultimate wellness. 

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Have a blessed day,