Fill Up With Health First!

Parents have asked me for years how we get our children to eat healthy foods, take their fish oil, avoid junk foods, etc. Well it's easy - our children are perfect... they only have cravings for healthy foods (NEVER sweets)... and they beg me to feed them more and more vegetables!!! HA! You've gotta' be kidding... they DO live in North America, remember?!

I will say that we do take the 'feeding' of our children a little more seriously than the average bear. If food is known as "Nature's best medicine", then we need to recognize the power it has to create health, and also the potential it has to create sickness. One of the simplest things we do is that we don't have "junk" in our house. Out of sight, out of mind. The kids' special treats are organic real fruit popsicles, organic frozen yogurt tubes or hemp granola with kefir or organic yogurt and some fresh fruit. It's all delicious, and very, very sweet.

We also continue to work on teaching our kids how to make the best choices - the choices that will give them the best possible outcome or consequences. Although I've been nicknamed "The Food Police" by the other parents at school (and proud of it!), we do not teach our kids "never" or "can't" when it comes to food... unless it's flat out going to kill them within seconds of ingesting it, of course! Before the kids are presented with a tempting scenario, we discuss what it takes to create health, how great health feels, how fun it is to be fast and strong and energetic and not have all the colds, ear infections, sore throats, etc. that others do... we paint a very pretty picture of the desired outcome. We also talk about how sickness is created, and how that limits what we can do today and for the rest of our lives.

I won't lie to you and tell you they always make the right choice... my daughter has one mean sweet tooth! BUT, they understand that health comes from purity and sufficiency (eg. organic veggies and fruit), while sickness comes toxicity and deficiency (eg. processed/fake foods, lacking in nutrients). I never say never. That's a recipe for disaster... and an eating disorder! Just today, at a birthday celebration for a classmate, my daughter had a few bites of the cupcake and tossed the rest. I've consistently taught that they can go ahead and taste the not-so-healthy food, as long as they understand the 'ground rules' of healthy, responsible choices:

• recognize, up front, that this is NOT a healthy choice... but it's an intentional choice nonetheless. No guilt!
• I will not seriously jeopardize my health by having sweets/junk, etc. so long as:
• I FILL UP WITH HEALTH FIRST!!!
• I don't make this kind of toxic/deficient choice on a regular basis,
• I don't need to eat the entire thing, nor do I need to have seconds!

The "fill up with health first" is a big deal in our house. I'm a firm believer in supplying the body with it's required nutrients, from REAL FOOD as much as possible, on a daily basis. So when the kids ask for a a popsicle or more toast/pasta. etc., I say "Sure! Right after you finish filling up with health first!" They know that I don't mean it in a bribery way (I'd ask them to finish filling up with health even without them requesting something else to eat), I simply mean it in a requirements-of-health sort of way!

We were out for a family boat ride the other night, right around the kids' usual dinner time. I had prepared a nice, fun, healthy dinner for them - organic pizza rolls, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, chick peas, grapes - all stuff they love. For my husband and I, I had prepared an 'appetizer' plate of some nice cheeses and fruit to accompany a bottle of wine! Hey - it was one of the first evening boat rides of the summer... it seemed like a nice, decadent way to spend the evening! Well my daughter decided to make an issue about how it isn't fair that grown-ups get to eat whatever they want, even when it's toxic... blah, blah, blah!!! (She's the up & coming Food Police!) To further reinforce this entire lesson for her, I reminded her that so far in that particular day, I had chosen to eat approximately 6 or 7 different servings of fruit, a protein smoothie with 10 servings of greens, a salad with chicken breast, asparagus, sprouts, broccoli and carrots for lunch, I had gone for a 5 mile run and I had spent my private time praying and doing my life-enhancing 'disciplines and rituals' earlier in the day... "so if I choose to have some cheese and a glass of wine I WILL and I'll even feel good about it, thank you very much!!!" I had filled up with ample health FIRST! I think I made my point - it's all good!

... until next time! Dr. C

So many moms ask, "how do I avoid 'burping up' the taste of fish if I'm taking fish oil?"

First and most important, the greater the quality of the fish oil you're taking, the less you'll burp it up. The refinement process helps immensely with this. A lot of moms I work with 'disguise' fish oil in a daily, healthy smoothie for their kids (combined with fresh fruit, greens and protein), or just in a glass of juice. My kids will slurp it right off the spoon then have a big drink of water as a 'chaser', or a bite of fruit. (For my best recommendations on greens and protein, check out http://www.FirstShake.com/4251 and request your FREE samples of Greens First and Dream Protein.)

I've never, ever enjoyed the taste of fish, although I keep trying! Even so, I've found that the top notch fish oils really don't taste very fishy at all! They just taste like oil with lemon.... and a slight trace of the deep sea! If it tasted like fish, I'd be doing much more than burping it up!!!

Another tip to prevent the after taste is to take your oil at night. Lots of pregnant mommies have shared this successful tip!

The bottom line is that no matter what your thoughts might be about the taste, the health benefits so overwhelmingly outweigh any "negatives"... it's really a non-issue when you look at the exceptional benefits of omega-3's. Your brain will thank you!

The number one requirement for a Healthy Pregnancy & Postpartum...

OK, are you ready for the simple answer??? It's FISH OIL! That's right! Ultra pure, non-toxic, refined fish oil is loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids - an absolute requirement throughout pregnancy to insure the healthy brain and neurological development of your baby. The added bonus is that Omega-3's are also what keep mom healthy and balanced, during pregnancy AND postpartum. If you've ever experienced the "baby blues"... postpartum depression... then you know what a horrible time this is for new moms. The right quality and quantity of Omega-3's (along with some other key nutritional elements we'll discuss soon), can keep the blues at bay. Omega-3 allows your brain's chemistry to function at its highest, most balanced levels. The result? You feel like a real human being! Omega-3 is even more critical for moms who choose to breastfeed their babies - highly recommended, by the way! A word of warning: don't waste your money on cheap, toxic, unsafe "drugstore" quality fish oil. If you'd like recommendations, just ask!

Healthy Pregnancy

Any idea what THE most important nutrient is during your pregnancy (and postpartum)???