Good Evening!
I am off to my grams tomorrow so will be blogging twice today. I was asked this question earlier today and I had a very lengthy reply... and maybe not really what she had expected. Sorry Jen! :)
Let's take a look at it logically.... if you wanted to do something, but the side effect was a broken leg would you do it? It is difficult because we have been so trained to go to a doctor for every ailment to be fixed. Did you know that in other countries, doctors are paid to keep people HEALTHY... if the village doesn't remain healthy, the doctor doesn't get paid... shouldn't that be the way we look at our health system? Ok... off my soap box... :)
The specific question I was asked had to do with ADHD meds and a rash that she got when she took the meds. Now that you have heard my soapbox speech... you know how I reacted. :) When I was a child (70s) there was no such thing as ADD and ADHD. With the growth in fast food joints, sugary treats, and frozen dinners, we have had a huge influx of diagnosis for both. WHAT YOU EAT directly affects your well being. Take a frozen dinner - do you know where the vegetables come from? How old they are? Did the farmer use pesticides or herbicides? How often did they rotate the crops? do you know where the meat came from? Did they use steroids? How about antibiotics? and finally at the manufacturing plant. Did they use preservatives? Coloring agents? All of these things are negative influencers to your well being.
We are too busy to shop and cook dinner... kids are too picky.... it is too costly. I understand and had this same challenge as a single mom with two daughters. A couple things to note... when you feed your body better nutrients, you don't need as much. That is a smaller bill at the grocery store. Now add that food can help your body heal itself - if you feed it well - and you have fewer trips to the doctor and less chemicals going into your body. Getting the drift? Cook as a family. Cooking can be fun. And you don't have to do it all at once. Spagetti sauce / Lasagne sauce / Chilli... all these things taste better after a day - herbs meld together. Stirfry seems time consuming - why do it all at one time? During lunch chop a couple sets of vegetable and store in the fridge... then all you have to do is cook.
As for the kids... here is my secret. Give the kids a 30 minute menu recipe book, one with lots of pictures. Let them choose a meal once a month. Let them make the grocery list for that meal, help shop, and help prepare.... some will be a big hit, others will flop miserably... but they will get excited about cooking and help more often. Another secret, is an herb garden. Herbs are wonderful healers, and smell divine... grow a small one in the house and let the kids harvest the leaves for salads and meals.
Back to my friend with ADHD and a rash.... the first directive was to eat better, and exercise. Exercise is great for ADHD because it works the body and the mind. The endorphins released do a lot to help calm your body and mind. And she agreed that when she rode her bike and ran regularly she felt much better. Secondly, get off the medicine!!! There are a lot of natural alternatives. And lastly, to handle the rash until she is clear of the meds - go to the natural health food store and get some oatmeal soap. Use it at least once a day. Vitamins B & C are great skin healers as well...
Break out the wok and the herbs and create something wonderful ....
I am off to my grams tomorrow so will be blogging twice today. I was asked this question earlier today and I had a very lengthy reply... and maybe not really what she had expected. Sorry Jen! :)
Let's take a look at it logically.... if you wanted to do something, but the side effect was a broken leg would you do it? It is difficult because we have been so trained to go to a doctor for every ailment to be fixed. Did you know that in other countries, doctors are paid to keep people HEALTHY... if the village doesn't remain healthy, the doctor doesn't get paid... shouldn't that be the way we look at our health system? Ok... off my soap box... :)
The specific question I was asked had to do with ADHD meds and a rash that she got when she took the meds. Now that you have heard my soapbox speech... you know how I reacted. :) When I was a child (70s) there was no such thing as ADD and ADHD. With the growth in fast food joints, sugary treats, and frozen dinners, we have had a huge influx of diagnosis for both. WHAT YOU EAT directly affects your well being. Take a frozen dinner - do you know where the vegetables come from? How old they are? Did the farmer use pesticides or herbicides? How often did they rotate the crops? do you know where the meat came from? Did they use steroids? How about antibiotics? and finally at the manufacturing plant. Did they use preservatives? Coloring agents? All of these things are negative influencers to your well being.
We are too busy to shop and cook dinner... kids are too picky.... it is too costly. I understand and had this same challenge as a single mom with two daughters. A couple things to note... when you feed your body better nutrients, you don't need as much. That is a smaller bill at the grocery store. Now add that food can help your body heal itself - if you feed it well - and you have fewer trips to the doctor and less chemicals going into your body. Getting the drift? Cook as a family. Cooking can be fun. And you don't have to do it all at once. Spagetti sauce / Lasagne sauce / Chilli... all these things taste better after a day - herbs meld together. Stirfry seems time consuming - why do it all at one time? During lunch chop a couple sets of vegetable and store in the fridge... then all you have to do is cook.
As for the kids... here is my secret. Give the kids a 30 minute menu recipe book, one with lots of pictures. Let them choose a meal once a month. Let them make the grocery list for that meal, help shop, and help prepare.... some will be a big hit, others will flop miserably... but they will get excited about cooking and help more often. Another secret, is an herb garden. Herbs are wonderful healers, and smell divine... grow a small one in the house and let the kids harvest the leaves for salads and meals.
Back to my friend with ADHD and a rash.... the first directive was to eat better, and exercise. Exercise is great for ADHD because it works the body and the mind. The endorphins released do a lot to help calm your body and mind. And she agreed that when she rode her bike and ran regularly she felt much better. Secondly, get off the medicine!!! There are a lot of natural alternatives. And lastly, to handle the rash until she is clear of the meds - go to the natural health food store and get some oatmeal soap. Use it at least once a day. Vitamins B & C are great skin healers as well...
Break out the wok and the herbs and create something wonderful ....
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