Natural Family Living: For the Sake of Our Children

The greatest motivation of my lifetime is my six-month-old daughter. She has been the purest joy of my heart since the day I found out she was inside my belly. The miracle of her conception, gestation and birth shed a new light on every aspect of my existence.

I realized when I was pregnant that every breath I took, every bite of food and every swallow of drink I took would directly affect her well-being. That was the moment I decided I had to make some changes. What more perfect inspiration could we have to live well and be healthy than for the sake of our children? I chose a drug-free birth for her sake; knowing full well that it would not be pain-free, but it seemed a small sacrifice to make for a healthy child. I have chosen to breastfeed until she self-weans; knowing that I will have to endure the ridicule and criticism of friends and family members, and sometimes strangers who believe that this practice is silly and unorthodox. I began purchasing whole foods and organically grown foods -- much to the disappointment of my soda-swilling husband. I have also switched from the "convenience" of disposable diapers to the earth-friendly and baby-skin-healthy cloth diapers. Sure, it's more work, sure it takes more thought and a little more effort -- but it really does make a difference in our lives.

If you think the time has come to make a change for your family -- just do it. Don't, however, overwhelm your spouse or older children by changing too much, too soon. Do a little bit at a time. A great way to start is to buy organic produce and dairy. Eventually, you can start replacing dairy with soy products for a healthier diet. Get rid of dangerous household cleaning products. Those toxic fumes affect the health, growth and development of your child! Get rid of anything with bleach, ammonia or anti-bacterial chemicals. Start cleaning with baking soda, vegetable based liquid soaps, washing powder (e.g. Borax), vinegar and water. Use essential oils to scent your cleaning concoctions and your house will sparkle and shine -- the healthy way! You can also replace your shampoos and soaps with natural, vegetable-based products -- stop poisoning yourself and your family.

It's amazing to me how all of these things came together to form the big picture of a whole, healthy family life. A few years ago I was the average American consumer -- buying the pre-packaged foods, white bread, processed meats and cheeses, soda and sugary drinks. It wasn't until I became pregnant that I started to question the effect these things have on our bodies. And I started to wonder why either sugar or high-fructose corn syrup is listed as an ingredient on almost every item we buy. And I wondered if clipping coupons was REALLY saving me money, or just causing me to make unecessary and unhealthy choices while food-shopping. I finally became a smart, healthy person -- instead of just a coupon-clipping, grocery shopper.

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