Save Our Kids…And Save Ourselves

Although nearly two-thirds of Americans are overweight, 83 percent of us say our eating habits are very healthy or somewhat healthy, according to a Thomson Medstat survey. Only 3 percent of Americans characterized their eating habits as “not at all healthy.”n n OH REALLY? Then why are we and our children so fat and unhealthy? Could it be that few parents really understand how the so called “Standard American Diet” is so detrimental to our children’s health. Let’s face the facts: We have a national health crisis on our hands. Since we love our children and would do everything in our power to keep their lives healthy and safe, there’s only one possible reason we continue to fill their bodies (and our own) with unhealthy, unsafe food - we don’t really understand what a healthy diet looks like. We have a problem and the good news is…we can resolve this problem.

Did you know that our children’s generation is the first generation in history that is predicted to fail to outlive their parents? I don’t know about you, but that scared the heck out of me! All you have to do is drive down the streets and count how many fast food restaurants there are in one block. Look at the kids. Kids – all the way from toddlers to teenagers are pudgy. We have a childhood obesity epidemic plaguing our country. That’s the bad news. And the good news is that we have the power to change our fate. n n What can we do? One thing is to investigate what a healthy, balanced meal really looks like. Believe me…contrary to what you hear on TV commercials, chicken nuggets, macaroni and cheese from a box, and soggy microwave pizza are not healthy, bone-fortifying foods. I know what you’re going to say, “My kids will throw a hissy fit and won’t even consider eating some broccoli.” It’s not their fault they have a taste for fattening food because they’ve been eating this way for a while. It’s not the fault of parents either because we haven’t been properly educated on nutrition. So now is our chance to change that horrific scenario. Remember the saying “We ARE what we eat.” Also remember, we’re the parents and our children will eat what we put in front of them so decide to change your eating habits for the sake of yourself and your children. They will thank you in the long run.

The first way we can accomplish our goal is to REMEMBER. Remember how we ate as children? When I was growing up, I use to work on my grandparents farm every summer. I remember the meals my grandmother served us. Breakfasts consisted of fresh fruits, oatmeal or other whole-grain cereal, eggs, whole-grain toast – a huge breakfast by today’s standards. It made sense to fuel the body’s fire so it could work hard all day long.

Lunches were not a small, dry peanut butter and jelly sandwich and chips. They consisted of main dishes, fresh vegetables, soups and apple pie for dessert. Dinners were full, balanced meals made from local fruits and vegetables that were tree and vine ripened - not a package meal that you throw into the microwave. There were so many nutrients in the meals my grandmother made but I didn’t realize how skillful she was until now when I see how far the American diet has declined from those days.

Use What you Have: One of the greatest things we parents can do is educate ourselves on nutrition. Use the internet to learn about the necessity of organic food and how the body can be revitalized by healthy food. There is so much information out on the web that you could read from morning til night and still have an abundance of articles left for later. The information is readily available…USE IT. This is an important cause and I would be honored to share information with you to help get your started.

Imagine how fulfilled and empowered you will feel to provide your family with nutrition that will help their bodies grow and their minds sharpen. There is no doubt that Nutrition, along with loving care, will determine their longevity. This is our chance to save ourselves AND our children. Don’t wait another minute. Learn about the fuel you’re putting into the bodies of the people you love the most and you won’t regret one moment that you spent.

As President of Dolkar Wellness, I have had the honor to travel to many exotic parts of the world and study healing techniques in cultures that fully expect their life spans to extend to 100 years of age. But here in the United States, few people will see 100 unless we change now. It’s time to take our health back into our own hands and ensure that our children grow up to be healthy and happy. We can do it. We just have to invest a little time, effort and wisdom. If Popeye could enjoy a good bit of spinach, so can we!