Healthy Memories
Ahhhh, vacation. I look forward to it every year. My imagined ideal vacation has changed over the years. In fact, most of our vacations were imagined. With two kids early on in life, vacation turned in to a luxury we couldn't afford.
In the early 1970's we made a trip out to Colorado. Our kids were 2 and 3 at the time, and we stayed with a friend from grade school once we got there. We slept in our Vega hatchback on the road. Yes, all four of us. We made it back home with 79 cents in our pocket.
In the late 1970's we made a trip out Arizona to visit a friend that had retired from the Navy at age 40. He sold his home and bought a motor home. He traveled and towed his 1963 Corvette, but most of the time stayed in a small park in Arizona. We left the country for the first time in our lives when we crossed the border into Mexico to do some shopping, and enjoyed visiting Tombstone and four-wheeling.
In the 1980's we took a trip up into Canada and over to see Niagara Falls, into NJ and PA and headed home. In each case we went to see friends. The funny thing is I don't have many memories of food from these trips. The one exception was funnel cakes. I'd never seen them before and found it fascinating to watch the batter pour through a funnel. Wonder who came up with that idea and why.
Vivid pictures of cactus in bloom, crossing the border into Mexico where a little boy tried desperately to shine my shoes, four wheeling in the mountains, witnessing a rainbow in the rising mist at Niagara Falls, getting stopped at the border in Canada, snow-capped mountains, "flash flood" and "falling rocks" warning signs, seeing the Liberty Bell and walking the decks of a historic battle ship are etched in my mind. I see my children as toddlers, pre-teens and teenagers. I cherish each memory of them.
Food is such a fleeting pleasure or pastime, yet our society in America tends to dwell on and look forward to it with an obsession. Nearly 2/3 of the adults in the United States are overweight and nearly 1/3 of adults are obese! And, what about our children? What are we doing for them? Obesity and being overweight is increasing for children and adolescents in the United States. Approximately 15.3 percent of children (ages 6-11) and 15.5 percent of adolescents (ages 12-19) were overweight in 2000. An additional 15 percent of children and 14.9 percent of adolescents were at risk for overweight.
Why do I bring this up? Think about the memories you're making. Are we headed for heath problems or early death due to poor health-related choices? I'd rather remember marveling at the Badlands than looking at my watch to see how much longer until lunch. Let's make healthy memories.
In the early 1970's we made a trip out to Colorado. Our kids were 2 and 3 at the time, and we stayed with a friend from grade school once we got there. We slept in our Vega hatchback on the road. Yes, all four of us. We made it back home with 79 cents in our pocket.
In the late 1970's we made a trip out Arizona to visit a friend that had retired from the Navy at age 40. He sold his home and bought a motor home. He traveled and towed his 1963 Corvette, but most of the time stayed in a small park in Arizona. We left the country for the first time in our lives when we crossed the border into Mexico to do some shopping, and enjoyed visiting Tombstone and four-wheeling.
In the 1980's we took a trip up into Canada and over to see Niagara Falls, into NJ and PA and headed home. In each case we went to see friends. The funny thing is I don't have many memories of food from these trips. The one exception was funnel cakes. I'd never seen them before and found it fascinating to watch the batter pour through a funnel. Wonder who came up with that idea and why.
Vivid pictures of cactus in bloom, crossing the border into Mexico where a little boy tried desperately to shine my shoes, four wheeling in the mountains, witnessing a rainbow in the rising mist at Niagara Falls, getting stopped at the border in Canada, snow-capped mountains, "flash flood" and "falling rocks" warning signs, seeing the Liberty Bell and walking the decks of a historic battle ship are etched in my mind. I see my children as toddlers, pre-teens and teenagers. I cherish each memory of them.
Food is such a fleeting pleasure or pastime, yet our society in America tends to dwell on and look forward to it with an obsession. Nearly 2/3 of the adults in the United States are overweight and nearly 1/3 of adults are obese! And, what about our children? What are we doing for them? Obesity and being overweight is increasing for children and adolescents in the United States. Approximately 15.3 percent of children (ages 6-11) and 15.5 percent of adolescents (ages 12-19) were overweight in 2000. An additional 15 percent of children and 14.9 percent of adolescents were at risk for overweight.
Why do I bring this up? Think about the memories you're making. Are we headed for heath problems or early death due to poor health-related choices? I'd rather remember marveling at the Badlands than looking at my watch to see how much longer until lunch. Let's make healthy memories.
posted by Donna Sundblad at 4:17 AM
2 Comments:
Such pleasant memories traveling North America. I can see myself in your shoes.
Then a more serious note. If you aren't aware of the book 'Natural Cures They Don't Want You To Know About' then you might want to check it out. It talks about how American food has changed in the last 50 or so years. How chemicals are added to make it addicting, make you hungrier and fatter all at the same time. It tells you what healthy food choices are. I've lost over 20 pounds just by altering my eating habits. By altering I mean I even eat the 'bad' foods on occasion. Just not as much anymore.
Thanks for the heads up. I've learned to make healthier food choices over the years. I'm always interested in new books that shed light on the truth regarding foods today. I've learned a lot. It's been a process. I started with Fit for Life, and moved on to Halleluiah Acres and others. The key for me is still to learn the consequences of HOW MUCH food I put into my mouth. I guess that might have something to do with the additives, but I also know it's a battle on another level.
Thanks for the info. I appreciate it.
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