Months ago, when I said “I just want him to slow down and be a kid while his brother does school,” it didn’t sit right with me.
I didn’t want to stifle his interests, but school was a chore for us growing up and homeschool started to feel like a chore also. I mean, learning isn’t fun right?
WRONG. Compulsory education isn’t fun. Spontaneous learning is a blast! Why should we “force” our children to learn in a way that our culture is pressuring when it fails time and again? Is it really valuable information if the individual does not value it?
We know that public school fails us, but why? Newsflash (if you haven’t been around small children lately)!! Children aren’t designed to sit still in a chair for 5+ hours each day, stay quiet, write what we say, and absorb what they are told. That’s not how it works. We can cater to most of their needs… So, why not the most valuable asset a human holds?! The capacity to learn should be cherished, grown, and modeled.
In the United States, we put children in classrooms and pressure them to regurgitate information that a group of people say is valuable. What about living life? Isn’t that valuable, too? Shouldn’t we promote the curiosities of our children and help them explore this world and create a love for life and learning instead of a hatred of school?
In school, we give clear expectations and require children to meet those expectations. In life, there are no expectations… it requires of us to be creative and problem-solve without being told what to do and when to do it. If we want to grow a generation of “innovators” then it is time to ALLOW them to be innovative by nurturing their curiosities, growing their love for learning, and valuing their capacity to do so. Learning should be modeled as a lifelong process, for that is where innovation is found.
It didn’t sit right with me when I said I wanted my second-born to “still be a kid.” because I was stripping that right away from my 5-year-old… who is still a kid.
Research has shown that when groups of people experience the same trauma, it brings them closer together.
This is witnessed in what happened on September 11th, 2001. Following that event was a week full of patriotism. Stores were sold out of flags for months. The country came together and UNITED. This is not what we see today.
What we should not forget is not the trauma of that day, but the aftermath of a country united as one. We should remember September 12th.
The media would like to report the hatred, division, and negativity in the world… but that is a distraction from what we witness in our communities if we just took a moment to look around. We see people working to create this society, we see people helping each other, and we see the beauty of humanity more than we see what the media would like to be our reality.
Because, you see, living in fear keeps you distracted and keeps us divided. Living in the present, being mindful of our surroundings, brings to focus what is most important to us. How do you choose to live today?
Let me tell you, being united does not fit the agenda. People coming together is the media and our gov’t worst fear. This is exactly why high-tension topics and events are highlighted in the news during election season. This gives us the illusion of division. We, Americans, would have total control of our country and our future if we would turn off the noise and live purposefully.
Instead of bickering over how we can control each other, we would support the purpose of those around us… thus, enabling each other to live to our full potentials with many little acts of kindness. September 11th, 2001 is a good reminder of the brevity of life, as are many traumatic events. We hold our families closer and thank those that risk their lives for others.
Hate cannot drive out fear, only understanding and love can do that. This is a country where that is possible, if you seek to remember September 12th, 2001. Will you add to the beauty or be the noise?
It is the time of year for gathering with friends and family with some full meals, heavy soups, and high sugar treats. These things can be detrimental to your health when they are not supported by useful sources of nutrition. Good news! You get to be creative in the kitchen. As I say: Most things in moderation, some restricted.
While you’re preparing those leftovers from Thanksgiving, throw in some fresh vegetables! It is the season for broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, garlic, onions, spinach, kale, cabbage, and lettuce! All these things work well as garnishes, on sandwiches, in casseroles, and soups. Well, I wouldn’t put lettuce in soup, but cabbage soup is pretty tasty!
As it cools down, think soup! Soup is nice and warming, has the potential to provide you with several nutrients (it is all about what you toss in), and supplies your body with HYDRATION. We tend to remember to drink water in the summer while we are hot; yet, forget in the winter while we are hermits. You need hydration all year long. Soup to the rescue!
Which brings us to the stars of the show… these winter vegetables.
Garlic and Onions: Antimicrobial (bacteria, fungi, and viruses); High in sulfur which replenishes glutathione essential for detoxification; High in Manganese, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C
Broccoli and Cauliflower: High in Vitamin C; good source of fiber and potassium; contains isothiocyanates that reduce oxidative stress
Carrots: Excellent source of beta-carotene; good source of threonine which is an amino acid used to treat neurological disorders and helps thymus growth and immune cell functions
Spinach: High in vitamin K; high in beta-carotene; high in Vitamin C; good source of Manganese
Kale: Same as spinach with additional anti-cancer, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. I add kale to all my recipes!
Cabbage: Great source of vitamin C
These vegetables (plus, many more and fruits) are sources of metabolites and biologically active components that are found to be beneficial to overall health and several immune functions.
Phytochemicals: aid in detoxification, stimulate the immune system, prevent DNA damage, repair DNA damage, regulates hormones, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-carcinogenic
While cooking some vegetables, be careful not to boil your soup. Why?
Vitamin C.
– Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant. It cleans up waste within your body by capturing free radicals. Free radicals are unstable, highly-reactive particles that cause cell damage. You want to limit these!
– Because Vitamin C is water-soluble, it is excreted in your urine. This means that you must constantly replenish this vitamin for use. It also means that Vitamin C escapes foods when exposed to heat and water. Boiling as preparation for vegetables high in vitamin C breaks down this vitamin, and it can get lost in the liquid. That is obviously okay in soups! If you are worried about the heat, just add your vitamin C rich vegetables LAST and be careful when reheating leftovers. Or, you can do what I do and just save some vegetables and add them in each time you reheat your soup.
Vitamin C is also tolerable in high doses with no upper limit toxicity. The only documented side effect is abdominal discomfort and bowel flushing in frequent mega-doses.
Yet, some vegetables love the heat!
A gentle sauté before tossing them in soup can bring out the flavors and do wonders for carotenoids found in carrots and deeply colored root vegetables! These are excellent vegetables in soups.
Beta-carotene: This is a mineral that is converted to Vitamin A. Beta-carotene has anti-cancer properties specific to the gut, lungs, and leukemia. Dietary beta-carotene is safe in high doses as the body will not convert more beta-carotene than needed. Retinol (another form of vitamin A) is already converted and can be absorbed in toxic amounts as it is readily stored in fats. Vitamin A protects your skin and mucous membranes (your first line of defense!). Vitamin A fortifies the immune system and is essential for eye health and vision.
Most of all, have fun combining flavors and find what works for you and your family. Some vegetables are a pain to prep; some are easier. Some people cannot tolerate certain flavors; some put garlic in EVERYTHING (guilty!). I capitalize on naptime for veggie prep. Hours in the kitchen may save you hundreds in the stores seeking out illness remedies. A fortified immune system is well-equipped to fight off those “seasonal” invaders!
When we think about our bodies, we usually don’t realize what powerful machines they are. How often do you listen to its needs? We recharge with sleep and fuel with food. Like a car’s performance depends on how you fuel and maintain it, so does your body. Sure, some people are presented with some bad genetics, but for the most part, the body is a healing machine!
This is why I bring attention to what you put into your body and that of your littles. Let’s start with your littles. Children’s bodies are in a rapid growth spurt. What you feed that growth spurt matters. If they don’t receive food of substance, that is when illness presents itself. Illness is merely an imbalance. The body will take everything it can from what it is given, but if nutrients are lacking what can you expect? With a lack of nutrition, the body becomes fragile and other organisms (e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungi) are able to take over in that weakened state. Coupled with environmental toxins, you have a storm brewing and what you see is respiratory illness, stomach issues, and chronic conditions.
Yep. I said it. Nutrition impacts health that much. Do you feed yourself to fortify your body, aid in its growth, and provide for optimal functioning? If not, ask yourself why? How much longer are you going to allow your energy to be nonexistent, mood to be negative, and body to reap the consequences of a bad diet? If not now, then when?
No, I’m not here to sell you some gimmick diet. I’m here to alert you to any concerns you may have about your health before it becomes the concern of multiple parties. This is lifelong. Do your research. There are plenty of health food companies on the market, choose one to help supplement your diet. Make the changes now before you are changed by a crisis. Do. Your. Research.
I don’t need to know what is going on because you know. You are the only one who can command your health and the health of your littles. You can get all the advice you can handle, but you are the person who controls your body. If not you, then who?
informedconsenter.com 