The best thing I can do for my kids...

One of the most controversial and hot topics of our time is easily health.... mainly fighting obesity and promoting physical activity. Now I'm not big on the government telling me what I can and cannot do (eh hemmm Mayor Bloomberg and his ban on Big Gulps) but I believe that through a little common sense and some education (even just good ol' Google) it's pretty easy to decipher what's good for you and your family and what's not so good.

My mom was on the anti-transfat duty LONG before it was popular. I remember as a kid going through the grocery store with my mom and my brother and I would ask her if we could have a snack or treat or something and she would always say "look at the ingredients," and we knew EXACTLY what that meant. If the words partially hydrogenated were on the ingredients list, we had to put it back and we knew that we'd never be able to convince mom to buy it and that has stuck with me to this day. We know that crap is not good for us, so we try not to eat it.


My parents never ever used the word diet (that I could remember) but we always had well-rounded meals. There's names for all these kinds of diets nowadays but the truth is our meals and snacks consisted of fruits, vegetables, protein and good carbs. My mom also cooked for us every meal, every day and we had family dinner pretty much every night. Sure we'd go out occasionally but it wasn't that often. And we were able to indulge in one piece of chocolate or one cookie, just not the whole box. We learned portions and the meal time is family time, something that we still do to this day and I plan to always do with my family.

Another thing my parents were good at promoting was physical activity. We were enrolled in sports or dance basically as young as we could have been. Plus my parents went to the gym almost everyday, it wasn't ever a chore it was just the lifestyle that my parents lived and encouraged us to as well. Now, at almost 27, I try to do at least some physical activity every single day. It's not only good for my physical health, it's great for my mental health too. I just feel better about myself if I get some exercise in and if you feel better, you'll do better and be better.

I haven't been to the gym since before mini was born but I've worked out almost every single day since about a week after she made her debut and she's been with me for almost every single one. Granted we live in sunny Southern California so I'm able to put her in the Moby wrap or stroller and take a walk or head to the beach for a hike, but somedays we don't make it outside and she becomes my 12 pound weight for chest presses, squats and overhead pulls. My point is that sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do and a little bit is better than nothing at all.

Mini with her great-grandma and great-poppy

What I learned from my parents is how to live a healthy lifestyle and that's exactly what I want to pass on to my daughter (and other future kiddos). Sure we all battle with those 10 pounds (more for me right now since I'm still working to lose the baby weight) but honestly it's about so much more than just looking good naked, it's about being healthy on the inside and out not for me but for my kids. If my husband and I are healthy now and we continue to do be, we'll be around a lot longer and be there for our grandkids and great-grandkids like my Poppy who's 78, still goes to the gym and walks a mile each way every single day to get the mail.

Mommy lesson learned: The best thing I can do for my kids is be healthy today so I'll be there for them tomorrow AND your kids will learn from your example so be the best example you can be.