Scary Stats And Facts
Now that Mom, Dad and kids (hopefully) are all eating together, let’s discuss what’s on our plates. I am going to share with you how important nutrition really is for the whole family. We all talk about “choosing our battles” with our children. If there is one battle you will want to pick and win with your children, it is what they put into their mouths. Kid’s taste buds will either mature or they will stay immature on salty, over-processed food. If their taste buds do not mature, they are doomed to make unhealthy choices as adults. The good news: it is never too late. The bad news: the longer you wait the more “addicted” they become. And your child does not have to be obese for this to be a problem. Your child might look okay from the outside, but if she is not eating enough fruits, vegetables and whole grains it is affecting her inside.
How is it that past generations didn’t have the obesity epidemic that we have today? Disease, obesity, learning disabilities and childhood/adult cancers are on the rise because of our environment and our food.
Educating yourself about what you’re putting in your body will start to open your eyes on the affects of processed food. What I found being used to grow our food and its effect on our bodies and our earth was eye-opening, to say the least. I could go on and on about why nutrition is so important and why the natural, organic way is the best way, but instead, let me share some facts with you
*“Food is our single biggest source of exposure to environmental toxins,” says Gaynor, M.D. (Gaynor Integrative Oncology).
*“During childhood, when the immune system is still developing, there’s a great opportunity to set the stage for improved health and resilience,” says Joel Fuhrman, MD author of Disease Proof Your Child. “A healthy diet and lifestyle can help kids avoid common childhood illnesses, like colds, ear infections, and allergies, as well as ensure greater resilience against disease later in life.”
Grandma may not have known about the bad effects of bacon, red meat and too many carbs, but she didn’t have to. They may not have had the healthiest diets back then, but at least their food was not laced with pesticides, chemicals and hormones. Grandma didn’t cook processed food from a box or drive through a restaurant to pick up her food. It was made from scratch.
“Let all who are simple come in here!”
She says to those who lack judgment.
“Stolen water is sweet;
Food eaten in secret is delicious!:
But little do they know that the dead are there,
That her guests are in the depths of the grave.
Proverbs 9:16-18
When we lack wisdom, and that includes wisdom about good food choices, we may be sent to an early grave. It’s that serious. Please educate yourself on GMO’s and what our government is allowed to do, add/take out of our food without even putting it on the ingredient list!
Eat honey, my son, for it is good;
Honey from the comb is sweet to your taste.
Proverbs 24:13-14
My son, pay attention to what I say;
Listen closely to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
Keep them within your heart;
For they are life to those who find them
And health to a man’s whole body.
Proverbs 4:20-22
When you start to understand food labels and what to look for, it will be easier to make healthier choices. If something has a lot of ingredients, that is your first warning sign. That means the food probably contains a lot of unhealthy additives and preservatives. Along with hydrogenated oil, look for high fructose syrup—two major culprits in the rising rates of childhood obesity. And I go by this motto, if you can’t pronounce it, it probably isn’t good for you. If God put it on this earth, you can probably eat it. If man has packaged it, be skeptical.
Water is the best thing we can drink. Allowing kids to have soda, iced-tea or anything with caffeine or fake sugar at the dinner table or any other time will actually build an addiction. Why start them on something that is not good? A sip of soda here and there will lead your children to want it more and more. However, if you do go out to eat, allowing a lemonade or juice is a great treat.
He who scorns instruction will pay for it,
But he who respects a command is rewarded.
Proverbs 13:13
