Make Food Your Medicine by Brenda Nixon

Hello all ~ we appreciate you following our A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts blog. If you think our blog is insightful, inspirational, and fun, you should read A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts (besides the six of us authors would really appreciate your support).

This week we're revealing a healthy eating habit we've learned this year. Unlike a tot munching on anything convenient, I've learned to eat natural, organic foods free of chemicals, sugars, and fillers. Yes, I still like the crunchy, junky food but my body feels cleaner and more energetic when I consume fresh, nutritious food.

In a way, food is like medicine. Have you noticed how certain foods affect you, leaving you - satisfied, tense, energetic, sluggish, irritable, bloated? Food can harm or heal.

As a mom I want to be a good food model. As a speaker to parent audiences around the country, I encourage moms and dads to remember to feed their kids right. For example, the child's brain has about two to three times the energy needs of an adult's brain. So, that means parents must supply vitamins, minerals, and amino acids found in healthy, whole foods to support their child's cognitive development. The brain won't function optimally if it is nutrition-starved.

During this crazy holiday season when it's all too easy to grab fast - or pre-packaged food - full of preservatives, chemicals, or colors, I encourage you to give your - and your child's - body and brain the good "medicine" it deserves!