As I stumbled through the foreign world of parenting after my daughter was born in August 2007, I gradually became exposed to issues and concerns that I wish I had known sooner. It began with my exposure to the alarming health trends that have emerged among children. For example, childhood cancer has increased 27% from 1975 to 2002; and diagnoses for autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder have jumped almost 400% in the last 20 years (this increase is too high to attribute simply to improved recognition and diagnosis). More health trends that concerned me can be found by clicking on Health Stats & Trends and Children: Alarming Health Trends.
Alarming trends are occurring among our children (and adults). Yet, no one knows why. I felt (and feel) compelled to try to understand which variables may be key contributors so that I can best position my daughter (and husband) for the highest quality of life possible. As I learn, I blog about lessons learned — what I wish I knew sooner. The challenge has not been accessing enough information but, rather, navigating the wealth of (and conflicting) information involving this arena.
I became immediately fascinated by what I was reading about environmental toxins in baby products and within our own homes; our food supply (such as meat and dairy); the power of nutrition; and vaccines. My daily choices are establishing my daughter’s longer term health vulnerabilities, safety, intellectual potential, emotional well-being, cancer risk, … her longer term quality of life.
From what I have read, nutrition significantly shapes one’s brain from mid-pregnancy to two years of age (nutritional deficiencies will permanently limit one’s intellectual potential); and 50% of one’s total cancer risk is determined by the age of two. Who knew?! I didn’t, until my daughter was almost two, at which point I couldn’t undo my choices. I wish I knew these things sooner!
A lot of what I have learned goes against the grain. Getting comfortable with abandoning much of my prior thinking took lots of research and common sense; figuring out the alternative choices (purchasing and feeding decisions) took a lot of research and trial-and-error; and all that I have learned so far has just raised even more questions. This is going to be a lengthy work in progress but I am drawn to figuring out the truth.
Choosing the road less traveled has equated to inconvenience and higher financial expense so my goal is to figure out the most user-friendly approach to pure, healthy and happy living. I believe that our bodies have impressive natural abilities to overcome many challenges, but it will best thrive when provided the purest and most natural environment. The hundreds of industrial chemicals found in the cord blood of 10 American infants (which means their brains and other organs are bathing in these toxins) is one set of evidence that suggests that our current way of living disables children from before they even enter our world.
I am not a scientist, M.D., or Ph.D but a mom who dearly loves her daughter and husband, and wants to nurture their highest, unadulterated potential. The goal of this blog is to get people to second guess what they put in and on their bodies and what environment they are creating for themselves and their families. We have more influence over our health and happiness than we realize.
