I think it’s safe to say that it is a universal desire for all moms, that we raise healthy kids.  We obsess about getting breastfeeding right or the perfect nutritionally balanced formula.  We fret over their weight gain.  We deliberate about when to start solids and the “perfect” order of those first foods.  The abundance of things to worry about only gets worse as they grow……did they get enough veggies, do they get enough sleep, what SPF sunscreen should I use, did I apply it often enough, have they had enough water today…..or ANY water for that matter.  Does that brand use GMO’s, is there high fructose corn syrup in that……..all the while we are eating scraps from their plates, reaching for another caffeinated, sugar laden pick me up, not resting when our body tells us it’s tired and basically cutting off our life giving oxygen supply.

I found myself at a desperate place physically about a year and a half ago, I was busy doing what all “good” mommies do – consuming myself with my children’s health, while ignoring my own.

I get it mamas……it is much easier to pour ourselves into our kids and not face changes that might be difficult to make in ourselves.  Here’s how I stopped gasping for air to keep the oxygen mask on my kids and started breathing again…..

• Tell yourself you are worth it.  This sounds simple but it was so incredibly difficult for me.  I love the idea that when we believe we are enough, then we can say enough is enough.  It is written on a notecard and taped to my bathroom mirror for me to read and practice believing everyday.
• Face the Hard Stuff.  Our health is like an intricate spiders web in connection with our emotions.  They are so intertwined and connected you can’t fix one without the fixing the other.  For me, I had a lot of unexpressed anger and resentment that was holding me back and seriously impacting my physical health.  I faced the lies I had been telling myself, gave myself permission to feel the hard emotions I was feeling, combatted them with God’s Truth and let them go.
• Eat Good Food.  This is another one that sounds so simple, but we make this so incredibly hard.  We know what foods are good and bad.  We don’t need to read another book, another blog post, the latest research on this or the study they found about that.  Yes…..I have a degree in nutrition and even I don’t “keep up with all the latest”.

◦     Eat food as close to it’s natural state as possible and as clean as possible.

◦     If you can’t afford all organic, stick to the “Clean 15” list.

◦     Avoid as much packaged stuff as possible.

◦     Shop the perimeter of the grocery story.  Stay away from the isles.

◦     Healthy food can become an idol, just like anything else.

• Move…..Every Day!  There is no perfect fitness routine.  Do what works for you and know that as a mama of little ones, every day might look different.  Have several different options for yourself in your exercise arsenal.  A brisk 20 min walk has amazing health benefits!  Don’t sacrifice the good for the perfect!!  Just because you can’t work out with a personal trainer 5 days a week or run a 10K, doesn’t mean you give up on working out all together.
• Connect.  This might be the most important one.  When we are isolated, The Enemy loves it.  He loves to have his way with us and keep us down.  Don’t just be around people, but find people that you can safely share your life with…..the good and the bad.

The airplane was going down for me and I watched my children watching me and it hit me right in the gut…….what in the world am I teaching them…..I cannot give my children something I do not have……because ultimately healthy is as healthy does.