Health is Wealth - Back to Basics

Health is wealth. As a mother, I try to live by that adage, which is why I always see to it that my family is healthy and happy.To cite a specific example, let us examine the ingredients contained in a chewing gum. An ordinary pack of a chewing gum includes chemicals that have been clinically proven to cause cancer to some laboratory animals. The effects to human may not have been totally established yet, but the fact remains, chewing gums contain harmful chemicals.In my 18 years of being a homemaker, I have already faced various challenges in line with this responsibility. It may sound simple, but in reality making sure that my family is able to eat the right kinds of food is quite difficult.

Nowadays, our lifestyle requires us to keep up with a fast-paced society because of this; processed foods and ready-to-eat products are the most practical to prepare. Because of the nature of these products, we can not discount the fact that chemicals are added to them to preserve their taste and freshness. And as we all know, excessive intake of chemicals is dangerous to our health.

Try looking at the back label of any processed products and you are sure to see ingredients that are not only hard to pronounce but are way too complex. Just the mere thought of ingesting such ingredients makes it explainable why people, especially kids acquire equally complex and hard to explain diseases and allergies. I may not have the power to control what components or elements are mixed into such products but as a mother, I can definitely control what products to purchase.

Since I am concerned with my family's wellbeing, I see to it that food and products that I pick are chemical free. I take time to read the ingredients and the nutritional value of the food that I buy. This task may be demanding and time-consuming but the rewards of being able to choose and prepare a balanced and nutritious meal for my family is certainly worth it.

The key is to opt for those that are less in preservatives, organic, fresh and nutritious; back to basic as others may say. I may not be considered an expert yet when it comes to choosing chemical free foods but I have gradually learned that products that have undergone simpler processes contain less chemicals.

To cite a specific example, let us examine the ingredients contained in a chewing gum. An ordinary pack of a chewing gum includes chemicals that have been clinically proven to cause cancer to some laboratory animals. The effects to human may not have been totally established yet, but the fact remains, chewing gums contain harmful chemicals.

When we speak of getting back to basic, it does not mean that we have to live the way people in the Greatest Generation (1901- 1924) or the Silent Generation (1925- 1942) has lived. We may just have to research how people during the Baby Boomer (1943- 1960), the Generation X (1961- 1981) and earlier generations were able to live without eating overly processed foods and products.Health is wealth.

As a mother, I try to live by that adage, which is why I always see to it that my family is healthy and happy. In my 18 years of being a homemaker, I have already faced various challenges in line with this responsibility. Because of the nature of these products, we can not discount the fact that chemicals are added to them to preserve their taste and freshness. And as we all know, excessive intake of chemicals is dangerous to our health. Try looking at the back label of any processed products and you are sure to see ingredients that are not only hard to pronounce but are way too complex.

This task may be demanding and time-consuming but the rewards of being able to choose and prepare a balanced and nutritious meal for my family is certainly worth it. The key is to opt for those that are less in preservatives, organic, fresh and nutritious; back to basic as others may say. I may not be considered an expert yet when it comes to choosing chemical free foods but I have gradually learned that products that have undergone simpler processes contain less chemicals.

Just the mere thought of ingesting such ingredients makes it explainable why people, especially kids acquire equally complex and hard to explain diseases and allergies.  It may sound simple, but in reality making sure that my family is able to eat the right kinds of food is quite difficult. The secret perhaps is that they only ingest foods that are fresh and organic, think basic food groups. Add to that is the fact that during their time, processed products are not yet produced or excessively advertised.

The Millennial Generation (1982- 1998) and the Generation Z (1999- 2019) can still enjoy great tasting foods and snacks without compromising their health. Because my kids belong to these two generations, I will make it a point that they are able to have not only delicious meals but those that are also healthy and balanced.