Cool experience a few weeks ago that I wanna share!
This cute girl, you know who you are, walked into my class and she was so stoked! I'd never seen her before and she ran up to me saying, "Andrea!? Is that you?"
"yes... haha! Are you new to Zumba?"
Come to find out, she was not. She had been to a million Zumba classes looking for ME! Needless to say, this conversation made me feel kind of famous. She had told me she found my blog by accident and read all of my competition entries and stuff and had been traveling all around Utah County to find my classes! How awesome is that!?
Therefore, knowing I have at least ONE person that reads this for sure, I figured I'd better start writing; which leads me to todays topic.
I bought a new book.
The Skinny Rules The Simple, Nonnegotiable Principles for Getting to THIN which I love for 3 reasons.
1) It's written by the hunky, Bob Harper. (Trainer from NBC's The Biggest Loser)
2) It's written by the hunky... just kidding. Reason 2 is, It's SO BLUNT!
3) He makes all his rules so clear and direct and spells out the reasoning as well as consequeses to breaking every rule.
Along with those, Bob dispells all sorts of myths about health and he has research to help prove his point. For those of you who know me I LOVE BOB. Haha
Anyways, starting this book has gotten me thinking and noticing all sorts of eating habits. As you read his descriptions, "Bad foods" are so vivid and straight up disgusting that you can't even stand the thought of eating/drinking those foods again.
So here's an experience for all you Moms and parents out there.
Today I went to my little sisters school to help out with lunch duties. As I watched these kids I started to notice what they were eating. I was trying to snap a picture of one child's lunch box, but he got scared and ran to another table, but here's what I saw.
Cup O Noodles. Cheetos. Capri Sun.
For you parents that think this is a "normal kid's lunch", prepare to be offended. This, here and now is your wakeup call.
In one day a child at the age of 9 can, and should have no more than 1500 mg of Sodium. One day.
Cup O Noodles has 290 Calories. 1200 mg of Soduim. 12 grams of Fat.
Cheetos (small child's snack pack) has 160 calories. 290 mg of Sodium. 10 grams of Fat.
Capri Sun has 60 calories. 15 mg Soduim. 0 Fat.
In this one meal that was not even for a 9 year old, but made for a 6 year old child gives us a grand total of 1,375 mg of soduim. So the question is, how much sodium should a 6 year old have in one day? The FDA says 1200 mg.
This 6 year old ate 175mg over his daily alotment, in about 20 minutes of his day.
How can we as a society, as a country even wonder why Childhood obiesity is the highest growing epidemic today? Look what we're feeding our children? Look what WE as adults snack on because "it's cheap" and "easy". Do you know what ISN'T cheap? Medical bills for when these children have to deal with onset diebetes. Do you know what ISN'T easy? Lugging around an oxygen tank because one can't sleep or breathe because of their obiesity.
This is probably the harshest blog post I've ever written. But after reading this book and seeing all the food our CHILDREN are consuming for the sake of "time" or "expense", then wondering why our children that WE fed are obese, I honestly feel this all just has need to be said.
If there's no time to prepare lunches in the morning before school, make time the night before.
If being healthy is expensive, change that mindset. Good food is the BEST investment you could make for your, and your children's future. Don't go the cheap route. Teach your kids to make food, and find FRESH food delicious by avoiding the high sodium, highly processed fast food or salty/sugary snacks.
If you're not nodding your head in agreement, you're probably thinking, "Andrea you don't even know blah blah, you don't even have kids blah blah." No I don't. You're right. I don't know what it's like trying to magage children and food and a household and work. But my mom does. She's a prime example of being a crazy busy mom, yet she still makes time and has my little sisters assemble their multigrain sandwiches, water and fruit with her every night. She makes time to make sure my little sisters get out and do something active every day. If she can do it, so can you.
Make the change in your lifestyle. This weeks challenge. Avoid fast food. Toss out at least 2 unhealthy snacks and buy fruit. Toss out the Cup O Noodles and make a sandwhich or something else. MAKE your food. You can do it.
