The Dragonspit Apothecary blog is pleased to welcome our guest writer Lena Brown to today’s post. Lena offers a wonderful perspective and example for teaching and supporting our children’s journey to natural health and living. Please be sure to check out her bio at the end of the post.
What Would Your Baby Choose?
I grew up in the Ukraine. This beautiful country is historically known as the country with richest soils and in 2016 was the #3 exporter of agricultural products. Today, you can find unrefined sunflower oil at Walmart – try it with salad, the aroma and health benefits are just incomparable. Well, my parents always had a garden that fed us all year long. It was organic (which I didn’t even realize there could be something non organic), fertilized with chicken poop (those were our chicken that laid eggs). During June – September we ate fresh fruits, veggies, and berries. Late September – October we had a “canning factory” in our house preserving food for winter. We usually fermented cabbage, pickles, tomatoes, and apples. We also picked herbs to use it as pure tea all winter.
Unfortunately, nutrition-wise my children’s childhood is so different and I do not like it. Fast paced life, cheap non organic produce, hormones in milk, antibiotics in meat, chemicals, food coloring, artificial flavors, powders, school lunches…… all this is conveniently offered to us and children and we are left with no healthy choices.
We are what we eat. Food becomes our body. If we eat Dorito chip, it gets digested, goes in our blood, blood carries it to organs, organs consist of cells that constantly multiply and to multiply they use food that we eat. So that Dorito was used by our body to multiply, to grow. Knowing how fast kids’ bodies grow, just imagine that whatever we feed them becomes them! Do you think if kids knew it they would choose junk food?
If your baby had the choice what would they choose? Something processed in a cute pouch or a real food?
Once I set with my 3.5 years old, drew him a person on a piece of paper and explained what happens to food when we eat. He was so impressed with how it works. And I swear it changed his entire food pickiness into healthy choices. He is 10 now. And still makes healthy choices.
Where to start?
If you are a new mom definitely start with breastfeeding!! It works! It works for every mom. The theory that a baby can’t latch is absolutely nonsense and should not even exist. Babies are born to latch. Period. A lot of moms quit because it hurts. It does. But it goes away. Breastfeeding is the best you can give to your child as his body grows and cells multiply not using formula with palm oils and all kinds of other things but using breast milk. Breastfeeding will guarantee healthy gut, strong immune system, brain development, higher IQ and most important strong health for years!!
When breastfeeding is over and time to introduce real food – think about what would you like baby’s body to be built off – natural food made from scratch or processed food with additives. What would your baby choose of he or she was aware of consequences?
Always remember it is absolutely not necessary to introduce commercial crackers, candies, chocolate milk, Cheese-Its and other junk to your toddler. They will not ask for it if they don’t know what it is. I know one mom in Ukraine who first introduced chocolate candy to her son when he was 6. Crazy? Not really. But she surely built healthy foundation for her son’s health.
Can We Change What They Will Eat?
What if our children are already in love with junk food and are not open to try any veggies or any kind of healthy food? Use my method of drawing a person who grows. Talk about how food is a building block. Tell child how junk food makes people sick. Yes, that’s right – they deserve to know it and to be aware of it to be able to make choices.
Definitely start a garden – this is the most exciting experience that will be in kids’ memories forever! Grow a carrot and when they eat the carrot that they raised – never ever will kids say “yuck, I hate it”. If garden is not an option, when at the grocery store – buy whole carrots with greens still on it so they can see how it look when it grows.
I remember being a kid when growing up in Ukraine – we would play outside and when got hungry just ran to an apple tree and got an apple; or ran to the cucumber patch and ate 3-4 cucumbers at a time; or sitting on a roof of friend’s house eating apricots from the tree – those were our snacks all summer. In the winter we snacked on pumpkin and sunflower seeds, walnuts, and apples. And that’s what always is on my kitchen table. It is so easy for them to grab and eat when it’s available.
Educate your little ones about healthy and unhealthy food from the time they are born. Make them aware so they can make choice. Do not be afraid to say that certain foods make children sick and weak – It is the truth!
Our children are growing up in times when they are basically set up for infertility, allergies, eczema, and tons of other issues that chemicals in food cause. We must to teach them to make sure the generation after them is healthier and stronger.
Interested in more?
Every day I wake up wondering if today will be better than the last. Andthen I ask myself how do I ensure that happens? Our lives can be complicated and frantic. But is there another way? Can we make a change?
I was born and grew up in Ukraine. 12 years ago I was blessed with an amazing husband who brought me here to the US. We have three beautiful children. Our lives are full of herbs, essential oils, and cooking from scratch.
My passion is to educate next generation about natural and healthy living to bring down infertility, cancer, ADHD, anxiety, sleeplessness and other health issues that children face these days.
I once heard at church “ If you want to know what is God’s purpose for you – think about something that bothers you and start working on changing it”.
So I am on a mission.
Lena Brown
Mom, Accountant, DōTERRA Wellness Advocate
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