Generation RX

The landscape of childhood has changed.  No longer are our children guaranteed a childhood free from diabetes, obesity or food allergies.

From the escalating rates of childhood cancers, to the increasing diagnoses for conditions like autism and ADHD/ADD, the landscape of childhood has changed, earning our children the title "Generation RX".  They are the first generation of kids expected to have a shorter life span than their parents.

According to the CDC, cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15.  The journal Pediatrics has reported that 15% of American girls are expected to begin puberty by the age of 7( with the number closer to 25% for African American girls) and a growing number of American children struggle with obesity.  On top of that, the rate for having food allergies is 59% higher for obese children, with the CDC reporting a 265% increase in hospitalizations related to food allergic reactions.  And while not all of those hospitalizations are for our children, what is becoming increasingly obvious is that the health of our children is under siege.

U.S. born children have a 34.5 percent chance of developing asthma, hay fever, eczema and food allergies, compared with just 20.3 percent of foreign-born children.  In addition, children born outside the U.S. but then moved here were more likely to develop allergies the longer they lived in the country.

After I read the above I was appalled!  We are the greatest country in the world.....REALLY?  Because we want to make everything so convenient we don't care about the effects of eating terribly has on us or our kids.  I understand it's easier to rip open a bag of crap to eat or microwave something.  But, literally we are slowly killing ourselves and most of us are suffering everyday from the effects of eating poorly.  You wouldn't DARE put diesel fuel in your car that runs on gasoline but have no problem feeding ourselves and our loved ones chemically altered/treated....sugar laden foods.  As a parent, I  made the decision in my house to not buy food that doesn't fuel my body properly.  I had to deal with the "We have no food" for a few months.  Every time I heard that I would offer up healthy alternatives to fuel their body with.  We had food just not what they were used to.  It took a while for everyone's sugar tooth to calm down but, we all noticed weight loss, more energy and less issues(headaches, tummy troubles, brain fog).  If they balked....they weren't that hungry. I still eat sugar just in moderation and make sure that when I am stopping to fuel my body it's with something that is good for me. 

My advice....make changes slow!  Have a game plan.....cut things out slowly and be ready to find new things that satisfy you and your family.  If you "fall off the wagon"....who cares, hop back on.  Don't make things difficult....acknowledge that you slipped up and make a better choice the next time.  We need to make lifelong changes!