Day One - A Healthy Generation

So, if you have know me for any length of time, you know that a few years ago (after Andrew was born), I got inspired to journey through finally taking care of ME and I lost a lot of weight. It was (and is) great - although I hate to tell you that keeping it off is even harder than losing it in the first place. It is a struggle for me and God and I chat about it often. But, while I was mainly concerned at that time with my looks, I was also on a quest to be healthy - to be here for my kids - to be the mom that could actually run after the bike, catch the ball and not be so tired all the time. You know that mom - we are all that mom at times - even when we are fit - the one who says, "no, honey, mommmy is going to sit in the sun and read this magazine while you play."

As my kids get older, I have witness an alarming trend in the American family - my own included - that starts slowly and spirals out of control. For us, it goes like this.
1) a resolution for healthy living
2) a crisis (sick kid, work stress, vacation - the crisis can be both good and bad) - and the resolution goes out the window. We affectionately call it "falling off the wagon."
3) the crisis passes, but a "mild" bad habit got aquired during the crisis.
For us, one time it might be a drive-thru for dinner. Next time it was pizza out of the freezer. Next time it was Ramen noodles.

And before we know it, we are driking juice boxes and eating cookies for breakfast.

If this has never been you, go read somewhere else. (kidding - kind of - I don't need judgement here - I need support).

So lately, thankfully,there has not been much of a crisis. And that is a good thing. But, my kids have allergies. They have asthma. They are addicted to sugary foods and carbs. My weight has started to ever so slowly started to creep up. My allergies have spiraled out of control - environmentally - and now I have food allergies. And enough is enough.

Being the research junkie that I am, I started to research allergies and asthma. God brought people in my life with experience and dropped some amazing books in my lap. As I have prayed over it, wrestled with it, and now, am finally submitting to it, we have made resolution to get healthy - not perfect - healthy.

I don't know what it looks like, but Jeff is a gem for this kind of thing and is grinding out the details with me. What will our kids' lunch-boxes look like without "fruit" roll-ups? (that incidentally turn their poop neon green (that can't be a good thing). What do our meals look like. And it spills over to our schedule. To eat healthy, it is easier to be at home. To be at home, means we aren't over-commited and over-tired - "driving thru" some heart-attack-in-a-sack just to be done with it. (please, don't hear judgement here - I would not know this if I have not lived it)

We called a "family meeting" on Saturday and talked to the kids about our bodies being temples - and God himself lives in our hearts - so shouldn't we take care of our bodies? They were on board as much as kids could be.

Today, however, after 24 hours of lean protein and veggies they have never seen, my children, I am sure, all think I am the spawn of Satan.

Lest you think I am making them gag down brussel sprouts in the first 24 hours, dinner last night was home-made Kung-Pao chicken with green bean. They ate the chicken and each gagged down a bean or two. Breakfast of bacon (wihtout all the junk in it) and eggs was met with mixed reviews. But lunch of grilled chicken, the option of a side soup or salad sent Brantley to my bed for full blown tears and cries of "why can't we just go to MacDonalds??" Andrew asked for a waffle at least 47 times today. By the time dinner time arrived, we were all exhausted and Jeffrey had starved himself all day. Great. We're off to a great start. But, as one of my favorites books, "The Courage to Start", says, at least we have started. And that is a large part of the battle.

But, they ate dinner - and the rise in everyone's blood sugar made for a happier crew for sure. Blake told me that I needed my own cooking show because I was a great cook (love that kid) and Brantley was pleased with a promise of a McDonald's treat on Friday after school if he stuck with us and ate healthy all week. Jeffrey did eat dinner and came back for more later in the evening. whew. We made it.

I don't want to be "that mom." you know, the crazy one. But if my kids can be healthy and my family can be healthy, I guess I will settle to be her. To become her. I might even decide to like her. As Jeff and I were making our salads for lunch, his came out bland (I got dibs on the leftover Kung Pao), and he made the statment that maybe a little sacrifice and self-denial is what God has for all of us -not in a punishing kind of way - but in a friendly kind of way. Like the girlfriend who is honest enough to tell you that your butt really doesn't look good in those jeans and that your child really is just being a brat. We need friends like that. I have friends like that (thank you, ladies). And God is my friend like that. He loves me, but is letting me know that the road may be difficult - and the journey long, but we are going to make it.

James 1:2 says,"when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow." We are certainly entering a growing season.

and here's a shot of how I truly feel about it all...LOL