I am fortunate to have parents who raised me in a very nurturing, displined, and wholesome home. My Mom was the queen of healthy food and instilled so many healthy habits in to us. I sometimes laugh because I read about "new" things medical experts are discovering about our diets, that my Mom already knew many many years ago. Here are a few healthy habits I learned from her....I'm sure there are many more I'm not remembering at the moment!
2. Open the Windows and Make the Bed - Did anyone else's Mom tell them to open the windows because the room was "stale"? We always had fresh air flowing through our house, particularly at night. Oh how I loved the night-blooming jasmine that grew outside my bedroom window! First thing in the morning my Mom would always open up the drapes/blinds and let in the light. We never sat around in a dark house with the windows closed. To this day, that feels very depressing to me. It is one of Adam's top pet peeves about me.....I'm known to throw open the windows first thing in the morning and "let the whole world see us", in Adam's words. Along the same lines, my parents' bed was always made first thing in the morning. I don't remember ever seeing it messy and unmade. And now as an adult, having an unmade bed would just feel wrong to me.
3. Whole Grains - No white bread in my childhood diet! No ma'am, I grew up on "tree-bark" bread. I'm not just talking about wheat bread. Because guess what.....all bread is made with wheat! (unless it's gluten free). The bread my Mom fed us was always 100% whole wheat, with nuts and seeds and often sprouted grains. I remember being teased about it as a child, but now that kind of bread is delicious to me. This also carried over in to breakfast cereal. Our cereals were made from grains like amaranth, millet, quinoa, and whole grain puffed rice. I'm so glad that I developed a taste for whole grains at a young age, because I still love the taste of them as an adult.
4. Minimal TV/Many Books - I don't remember watching a lot of TV as a child. Among the few shows I remember seeing were I Love Lucy, Mr. Rogers, and Leave It To Beaver. I do remember lots of books though! Whenever I was sick I would get in my Mom's bed with a giant stack of books to read. I credit my Mom with instilling a love of reading in me that has carried over to my adulthood. I hope I can do this with my kids!
5. No Hydrogenated Oils or Artificial Flavors - Those ingredients were absolutely banned in our house. This is one of those things where my Mom seemed wise beyond her time. She knew these things were terrible for our bodies, and I have many memories of watching her read ingredient labels in the grocery store.
6. "Turning Over a New Leaf!" - Hahaha I think only my brother and sister would understand this one. About every few months my Mom used to tell us we were "turning over a new leaf!" or "starting a new regime!". In today's culture I think it would be like setting new goals or resolutions or getting back to our healthy habits or disciplines. Any time we would get off track with our health or spending or other behaviors, she would reign the whole family in and get us back on track.
7. Cod Liver Oil - Ok this is one of those healthy habits that I never actually implemented for myself. But I remember seeing my Mom drink a spoonful of cod liver oil every single day. You know how everyone today talks about Omega-3's? Well my Mom knew the benefits of fish oil 40+ years ago! (She also loves sardines!)
8. Routines - My childhood was centered around routines, structure, and early bedtimes. And now I see so many benefits to this! Kids (and adults) thrive on routine and getting plenty of rest. To this day my Mom is extremely routine-oriented, and does certain errands and chores on certain days. I roughly follow this in my house.....I do certain cleaning on certain days and try to group my errands all into 1 or 2 days because I find when I'm running around without a plan, I don't get as much done. My Mom taught me the importance of the To-Do list and Early-to-Bed and Early-To-Rise!
9. Full Fat and Fermented Foods - Contrary to doctor's advice, we drank whole milk all through our childhood. I don't remember seeing lowfat products in our house. And guess what? Many doctors are now saying full-fat dairy and other full-fat foods are actually good for us! I give my kids whole milk and full-fat yogurt whenever possible, and love putting a splash of cream in my coffee and on my oatmeal or cereal. Fermented foods are also something I always saw my Mom eating. Foods like sauerkraut, kefir, and buttermilk are staples in her refrigerator. I recently discovered a love for Costco's sauerkraut, and I try to eat it most days.
10. Post-Lunch Sun/Rest - My Mom used to go sit outside after lunch for around 15 minutes to get some sun. She would say it just felt good for her body. Well we now know how essential Vitamin D is for our bodies. But what I also learned from this was the importance of a little mid-day rest. I rarely ever saw my Mom sitting down, and I still don't. She stays on her feet, busy all day. But every day after lunch she takes a little rest. And now I find myself doing this on some days, usually with my lunch and a good book. And some sunshine if it's available!
My Mom taught me so much about health, often through example more than through words. But one of the biggest lessons I take away from the way she raised us is this: The importance of doing what YOU know is right for you and your family. My Mom did a lot of things that other Moms didn't do. Sometimes I was teased for my school lunches. But she knew what she was doing was best for us, so she didn't let others' opinions cause her to waver in her beliefs. I think it's harder than ever to raise our families based on our own good intuition and knowledge, but my Mom showed me it is possible!
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