| When I was in my early 20's, I read Adele Davis's | | | | your life. You can do so much to make your |
| book, "Let's Eat Right To Keep fit." I learned from | | | | parenting experience a joyful one by taking |
| her that "you are what you eat." I also learned | | | | responsibility for your own physical and emotional |
| that our babies are what we eat while we are | | | | health before getting pregnant. If you have not |
| pregnant, and then are what they eat once they | | | | been disciplined enough to eat well before getting |
| are born. If you nurse your babies, then they | | | | pregnant, perhaps the idea of eating well for your |
| continue to be what you eat as long as you are | | | | child will be enough to motivate you. |
| nursing them. My bible during my first pregnancy | | | | It's not as hard as you might think. It really |
| over 38 years ago was "Let's Have Healthy | | | | doesn't take much more time to eat well than to |
| Children," also by Adele Davis. I started to follow | | | | eat junk. And the payoff is huge. Not only were |
| her guidelines way before getting pregnant, | | | | my three babies healthy, they were calm. They |
| knowing that my health had a big effect on my | | | | slept well and were happy children, who learned |
| baby's health. | | | | easily and did well in school. The only time they |
| There is much more information about good | | | | were hyperactive - actually bouncing off walls! - |
| nutrition available today, and I want to encourage | | | | was after returning from birthday parties where |
| anyone who wants to have healthy children to | | | | they had ice cream, cake and sodas. |
| start early in learning about and implementing a | | | | In my many years of counseling, I've often |
| healthy way of eating. Educating yourself | | | | worked with parents who were struggling with |
| regarding good nutrition is a major part of good | | | | their children's behavior problems. Of course not all |
| parenting. However, a good rule of thumb is, if | | | | behavior problems are nutritional, but you might |
| they didn't eat it 200 years ago, don't eat it now! | | | | be surprised how many problems have their |
| This means no fast food, no packaged food - | | | | cause in poor nutrition. I've often wondered why |
| including sodas, cakes and candies - no | | | | so many people are careful to put the right |
| preservatives, no fruits and vegetables grown | | | | octane in their gas tank but put the wrong fuel |
| with pesticides or artificial fertilizers, or animals | | | | into their bodies - and then wonder why there is |
| grown with hormones and fed food grown with | | | | so much illness, learning disabilities, and so on. |
| pesticides. It also means no smoking or drinking. It | | | | I want to tell you a little story about the power |
| means no caffeine. If you want healthy children, | | | | of food. We had a 6 month old golden retriever |
| you need to put pure, clean organic food into | | | | puppy who was dying of irritable bowel syndrome. |
| your body before you get pregnant and continue | | | | He had constant diarrhea and was getting thinner |
| throughout your pregnancy. Of course, then you | | | | and thinner by the day. We had been giving him |
| want to continue to feed yourself and your family | | | | the very best quality kibble and it wasn't working. |
| clean food once your children are born. | | | | Fortunately we learned about raw food for dogs. |
| If you are pregnant or thinking about getting | | | | Within two meals of raw food, he was completely |
| pregnant, you have a wonderful opportunity to | | | | healthy! Here I had been studying nutrition for so |
| lay a strong foundation of health for your child. | | | | many years and it had never occurred to me |
| Why not start now feeding yourself well and | | | | that a dog's natural diet is raw food! Wow, what a |
| learning all you can about creating healthy children? | | | | lesson! |
| You are going to be a parent the whole rest of | | | | |