Health builders vs. Health takers

Old habits die hard. This is especially true with our food habits. These food habits start at infancy with what we feed our children after breast milk. I cringe often when we are out at a restaurant. It really makes my stomach turn when I see parents giving young children soda pop to drink. I have seen parents’ giving their 1 to 2 year olds sips from their soda and my mind immediately goes to the long-term damage soda pop sets these young children up for. Whether it be sugar imbalances, obesity, or other health issues, it is a health taker leading to a reliance on sugars and caffeine.

How do we build health? Drinking clean water is the simplest solution. Sometimes patients will tell me they do not like the taste of water. Is this because they are used to some type of flavored/sugary drink? Or are they drinking water that has not been filtered and so has some off taste to it? If either of these may be the reason, infusing water with fresh fruit, herbs or veggies is very beneficial. This may be fresh berries, peppermint, lemon, or cucumber. Kids love this too, and to have them help put the fruit into the infuser is a great way to get them involved.