Teaching My Daughter A Healthy Lifestyle

“Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live.”- Jim Rohn

I’ve made a lot of big lifestyle changes over the past few years. My husband and I both have actually. Ever since we had Izzy come into our lives we have wanted to live healthier. We want to show her how to be create a healthy lifestyle. We also want to be around for her as long as we can. I know that may sound cliché but it’s the truth.

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“Remember when your body is hungry it wants nutrients not calories.”

My husband has always been a guy that can eat just about anything and still look good. But that doesn’t mean a big bag of chips is healthy for him. Listen I’m not saying we don’t eat chips… we do. I’m saying we don’t make this a regular thing to snack on.

If Izzy says she wants a cookie for a snack I remind her, “a snack can be some fruit, a scrambled egg or some graham crackers”. Cookies are dessert for after a meal like lunch or dinner.

“Most people have no idea how good their body is designed to feel.” -Kevin Trudeu

For me I have been on a journey to better understand my body and mind. I want to know what foods don’t work with my me as a whole. For example, I no longer eat gluten. Okay, I do on a very very rare occasion. However for the most part I cook and order gluten free foods. I have found they make my IBS act up and my anxiety to increase. Now, with a recent ADHD diagnosis we read gluten can also be bad for those with ADHD and make their symptoms worse. So another reason to stay away. This isn’t all. I don’t eat meat much anymore either. Maybe 2-3 times a month. Why? Taking it out has reduced the pain in my hands (my arthritis) and joints in my body. I was in so much pain, I had nights I’d cry to my husband. Now, I don’t deal with those aches and pains. I also don’t eat dairy because it helps with my IBS and I also breakout from it, which takes days to a week to clear up.

Izzy grocery shops with me and helps me cook so she sees all the healthy food choices we make. Getting her involved helped her to start eating veggies again after going through her picky stage. Yay for no longer having to sneak veggies into her diet. If I cooked a meal that she doesn’t love, she also gets a small amount of what I made for us on her plate. Plus I add preferred foods such as rice, chicken, or fruit to her plate.

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Beyond food, I like Izzy to be active and know the importance of working out. She knows daddy and mommy go to the gym. She even sees me workout at home and joins in with me. I take her on jogs in her stroller and we talked about doing some hikes with her this year. I want her to know the importance of keeping your body active, because that’s a way to show you love it.

I love my body, that’s why I’m mindful what I eat.

I love my body, that’s why I drink a lot of water.

I love my body, that’s why I do cardio.

I love my body, that’s why I lift weights.

I love my daughter, that’s why I teach her to love her body.

Loving your body doesn’t just mean you accept how you look on the outside, but that you care how your body functions overall. You only get one body to go through life with so why wouldn’t you want to take care of it? I’m happy my little girl is learning to love herself.

Guys it’s never too early or too late to work towards being the healthiest you, that you can be. 

Think of it this way, instead of saying, “I don’t have time”, say “it’s not a priority” and see if that’s enough to motivate you. Because this is what you have to remember:

“If you ever feel like giving up, remember there’s is a little girl watching who wants to be just like you.”

XO Eryka