An intro to this subject of HEALTHY EATING habits for children.

 

I figured for a week like this…why not start with an intro to the subject that will help you to appropriately place the rest of the info coming soon. There is SO much information about these things it can be extremely frustrating to sift through. Each side says something different, and it really makes you question what is real. Believe me, I know; I’ve been there! Even just this morning while trying to find the resources to share with you I found myself frustrated once again! So…if it will help, let me share with you my rationale when it comes to deciphering this propaganda and fluff.

1. Who will benefit from what is being read (specifically meaning what does a company or entity have to gain or lose by what I am reading).

2. Does what I am reading make sense when using my other senses to SEE if what they are saying is true.

I will use those 2 criteria and apply them to each of the things that I suggest to you and then let you decide.

There has been much deliberation on this subject of “health” over the last half century since the entire “processed foods” industry was born. It has become our way of life in America; the only way some know. It’s all about speed and instant gratification, and it comes at a steep cost. People are sicker than ever. It is considered the “norm” for adults in their later years to be dependent on some lifesaving drug or another. Most adults are overweight, and an increasing number of them are even morbidly obese. (Please don’t think that I am being offensive, I am just stating facts.) Children even have “guts” and an alarming number of them are becoming diabetic. **RANT ALERT**  I can’t apologize for getting so worked up about the things that I just said, because WHAT THE CRAP! HOW in the world do we not step back and question…Is this normal? Why do we accept that something “out of our control” is happening and that we just have to adjust and adapt to it? IE: frequent doctor visits and dare I add a COMPLETE dependence on doctors for EVERYTHING, insulin shots, gastric bypass surgery, diets, weight loss “miracle” pills, lifelong dependence on cholesterol medications and the like? Those all sound like “quick fixes” to me; like putting a band-aid on a gaping wound. HOW is this acceptable? Sorry, not in my house…and we may end up being some of the only 75 year olds not dependent on drugs. With regard to my comment about children having “guts”, I have taken notice over the past 5 years that there is an alarming trend occurring; one that did not occur when I was young (not very long ago). A few years ago, I was enjoying a day at the water park with my family. In looking around, I was shocked to see that nearly every single child had a gut. Some bigger than others, but nonetheless still there. Even the skinny kids (arms, legs, face) had a protruding belly. As a kid I remember that there were a couple of heavy kids here and there, but the majority of the kids were lean and had flat stomachs. I don’t mean this to be mean to these children. I wouldn’t ever want them to feel bad about themselves, but it really opened my eyes. Now I know that little bity kids have bellies because that is where all of their organs are housed, but these were big kids, 6-18. So of course, I go on a search for what the trends are in our country and how they fit together with what we are seeing on the inside.

First, nearly EVERYTHING that kids eat is processed. Chips, juice-boxes, cheetos, crackers, candy, macaroni and cheese, lunchables (I used to beg for these as a kid), go-gurts, cereal, fruit snacks, cheese, milk, sugar, (yup…all by itself!), cookies, pastries, bread, etc. (Did I miss anything? Sounds like the diet of MOST kids to me) At the same time there are stupid commercials like the “Hidden Valley Ranch” commercial talking about their product being the only way to get kids to ENJOY vegetables. Seriously? Their sugar filled, artificially flavored and preservative ridden product? Give me a break. And then there’s the hilarious (I’ll admit) commercial about the “full serving of vegetables” in the can that mom doesn’t want dad to inform the kids about. I know you’ve seen it. Here’s the ridiculous part about that; the industry is preying on our “dysfunction” toward healthy vegetables that THEY created, by then giving us yet another UNHEALTHY solution.

Stick with me friends. If I described your family’s habits above, don’t give up. We’ll cover it ALL! Using the 2 criteria from the beginning of this post, we come to some awesome conclusions!

…and exhale….Now I can take a breath! Hold on to your seats!

del.icio.us Tags: Children's Health,Healthy Eating,Natural Health,Nutrition and Health,Nutrition,Diet and Nutrition