New Year, New Start (even if it's a little late...)

So...I'm not very good at blogging. :-/ But I'm going to really, really, REALLY try to be better. :-)

There are so many changes going on in our lives right now. Some I'm making, some the Lord is making, and some are simply changes that happen over time.

One change that I am implementing is the way the kids and I eat. We've really fallen off the wagon, healthwise, and I think my kids crazy, moody behavior lately is a result. As much as I hate typical American fare, I have to admit that our cupboards are currently stocked with sugary breakfast cereals, poptarts, microwave popcorn, every type of cracker you can imagine, and dozens of jars of store-bought baby food. Why? Laziness. Plain and simple. It's so much easier to grab a poptart or pour a bowl of cold cereal when my kids are hungry than plan ahead and make everything from scratch. And the result? Whiny, crabby kids that have pale skin and dark circles. Your typical American child.

I highly recommend the book "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon. It's based on the research of Dr. Weston Price, who traveled the world and studied the health, longevity, reproduction rates, illness, etc. of many civilizations who were untouched by modern society, and consumed, almost excusively, local foods. The facts he discovered are unbelievable! Fourteen groups in particular were found to be entirely free from dental problems, disease, and mental illnesses. Theses fourteen groups were from all over the world, and each had different diets. But one thing they each had in common...they consumed whole-dairy, saturated fats, meats, fruits and veges, nuts, seeds, and whole-grains. Their food was completely untouched by processing, much of it was eaten raw. The adults were strong and healthy, the children sturdy and vibrant. Women had healthy, stable pregnancies.

We're supposed to be an advanced, intelligent society and yet we spend billions every year on finding the cure for cancers, diabetes, heart disease. On medical bills due to illness; some mild, some severe. We're always tired, always aching. We can't sleep, or we need to sleep too much. We're depressed. And yet these "primitive" cultures, far less advanced than us, have stronger, sturdier, healthier bodies. Their children are rosy cheeked and full of life. Women have many children, healthy children that are the result of a healthy pregnancy. If we would stop turning away from an uncomfortable truth, we could see how confused America is about food.

Ameicans want it easy. Pop-tarts are easy. Americans want to pretend that things just happen, and there is nothing they could have done to prevent it. Heart disease, obesity, and cancer don't "happen" as often as we suffer from it. These cultures don't even suffer from cavities!!! I hardly know an adult who is blessed with a mouth free of fillings.

I am going to be honest. Changing to traditional foods is hard work. I am taking on the responsiblity of making almost everything we eat from scratch, and having to plan all our meals in advance. I have four young children. I am TIRED. I'm certainly not relishing the thought of more to do. I'm also broke. Really, really broke (hello...single mother of four, thank you). But my children are worth it. They are everything to me, and if I can maybe (just maybe) prevent Andrew from developing the heart disease that claims every male member of his father's family, or Amerie from the diagnosis of breast cancer, Aimee from diabetes, or Lexi from depression and fatigue, I am going to give it everything I have. Which means making the food we eat a top priority in my life. And my children will slowly grow healthier and stronger, eventually becoming healthy, robust adults. When the day comes that I can look into the faces of my four adult children, I will smile and be proud, knowing that I made a decision in the start of their lives that had an impact on the way they live those lives to the very end.