A Lesson In Heart Health From My 3 Girls
Last evening I took my 3 girls to the mall for dinner. What a trip, but that is another story! Anyway, as we wandered around looking at the 155 options for food, my middle daughter said, “I want a subway sandwich. That is good for me, right”?
I smiled and marveled in my superior parenting skills. That is, until my eldest followed it with, “Yes, that is what my teacher says. Be healthy so your body will be healthy. We are what we eat, right mommy”?
Oh, my moment was gone, but I still had a smile on my face. My kids are learning that healthy food choices affect our bodies. That is great! And to think that the schools are following up what we are teaching at home is wonderful.
Over dinner, the girls and I discussed my diabetes and why I can’t eat sugar. We talked about why Pop Pop shouldn’t smoke cigarettes and how foods that are fatty and high in salt can affect your hearts health.
Now, my kids have me for their mommy which means that they overhear stories about my patients. They have heard me vent about stubborn ones, and cry about the ones that have died after being under my care for weeks. But I think that has given them a sense of reality and has made them listen a bit more closely at my preaching about foods and health.
Hopefully their generation will make wiser decisions about their health, and ultimately their heart. After all, they have all the resources in the world!
Tags: diabetes, health, healthy_food_choices, hearts, Hearty Diet, nutrition, parenting_skills, smile_on_my_face, smoke_cigarettes, subway_sandwichRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Hearty Blogging, Hearty Diet, Hearty Tips
3 opinions for A Lesson In Heart Health From My 3 Girls
Kim
May 17, 2007 at 1:28 am
When you think of all we know now that we did not know growing up, our kids really do have the benefit of actually knowing what can help them stay healthy. Imagine what our grandkids will have at their disposal!
kendra
May 17, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Absolutely!!! I can only hope that my kids use all that is available to them, resources and knowledge. To be educated is powerful. :)
Shirley
Jun 19, 2007 at 9:16 pm
Kendra, I just read your blog and I found it interesting. I work at the American Heart Association, where I just helped launch a campaign featuring “The Bad Fats Brothers.” Did you check it out yet? We’d love to improve it with your help. Got any suggestions?
If you missed it, our campaign is about “bad fats” like trans fat, and was created to help consumers, adult and children, better understand the different fats found in foods and how to eat more sensibly. We’d like to hear your opinion.
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