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High Cost of Health Food Means Kids Eat More Junk
If I were a parent reading this article, it would raise many more questions than answers:
- How can I buy healthier choices for my kids and save money?
- How does increased prices on raw materials (milk, corn, etc.) affect food prices in supermarkets?
- How can I introduce healthier alternatives to snacks, etc. into my children’s lives without “force” feeding them?
- What is the easiest thing I can do to start this healthy process…in myself and in my children?
There are numerous blogs, websites, experts, and companies that gives you a plethora of information that can overload our brains. Many times, a solution provided by one of these methods often result in spending more money, which may help in the short run but leaves for more issues in the long run. The better question is: How can I make simple lifestyle changes that will affect my future decisions in maintaining health and wellness?
Of course, I have a blog (two, even!) and I am a Holistic Health Coach/Yoga Instructor. I am one of those people who can provide a system to help you become healthier and guide you in maintaining that health, even when you “fall to the wayside.” Unlike most (to my detriment, I’m told), I don’t end my blogs with some sort of sales pitch to buy this or get this other thing. I will start to do that on my other blog, Fight Dis-ease! through Holistic Health, but for this blog I have chosen to keep that out because I want to find out the answers – just like you do – and share the findings with you.
Everything begins with awareness. Be aware of what you’re aware of and what you’re not aware of. Yes, you’re aware that you need to be healthier and happier and so do your family and friends. Yes, you’re aware that you need to change your diet and exercise in order to be healthier. And while this blog, Healthy Junk, seeks to satisfy and resolve these “physical” issues, understand that many of the physical issues you face are a lot of times, emotionally based. There is a huge chance that many of the ailments you face (physical, mental, spiritual, financial, etc.) stem from an event that has traumatized you (the mental patterns that result from an event are called samskaras in Sanskrit). The release of the causes for these many effects are key to overall wellness. But how can you even figure out the causes of your ailments if you’re not even aware of them?
Awareness takes practice. You have to keep a witnessing eye on your thoughts and actions. Healthy Junk aims to help you practice your discerning and witnessing eye on your thoughts and actions based on food. Fight Dis-ease! Through Holistic Health aims to help you practice awareness of the various methods of healing for a particular ailment. Practice is steady, consistent, and with the utmost faith and willpower. When you fall from your practice, we need to be aware of our reactions and keep to maintain and steady and consistent mind so that you can get back on your path, without guilt and pain or regret.
What does that have to do with kids eating better? Tons. Kids need discipline. Children need to practice eating healthy and understand that certain disciplines in diet and exercise can yield long-term results. Sometimes, you have to discipline your children into eating certain foods (yes, my mom forced me to eat cauliflower many times until I would just throw it up…it tastes great now!) so that when they make their own choices, they can remember the caring you put into their welfare, especially when they had no awareness.
Parents need to have awareness for themselves and their children. It’s a huge responsibility for parents to bear. Where does the government step in? How would they step in? How can we raise our voices so that government will pay attention? I have no problems with finding the answers together.
In the meantime, think of the things you’re aware of when it comes to your: food choices, budget, how many children you have, their ages, their nutritional needs, and how all of this will affect your children (and yourself) in the long run. Then write a list of things that you weren’t aware of (in regards to these items). Write down a list of things you and your family will need to practice more (exercising, eating more fruits and vegetables, increasing your water intake, etc.) and try to practice of these goals for one week.
Let me know what happens and I’ll share my plans with you as well. As of today, I started drinking nothing but water for one day out of the week. I’m going to do this for four weeks in an effort to re-hydrate myself (I realized I’ve been dehydrated lately, even though my water weight is at an optimal level – I talk about water weight in my Fight Dis-ease! blog). I hope that this helps me with my sugar cravings and its effects on my pockets. 
Always remember…if you’re gonna consume junk, it might as well be Healthy Junk!
Related articles
- Healthy Foods vs. Junk: Affordability (friendseat.com)
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