Thoughts While Running

I'm reading Born to Run, by McDougall. It's about an indigenous Mexican tribe who are called the "Running People." They race for days at a time, without stopping!
It's brought so many things to mind about the power of the human body - it is a miracle that God created. Also about the fuel we put into our body. When I consider the diet of the Tarahumara (Mexican Tribe) in contrast to the overabundance of toxic waste we Americans call, "food," the correlation between our ills, disease, emotionality/mental illness, and inability to run up a flight of stairs is OBVIOUS!

Today I thought about my kids and how I had been a person who said, "We eat healthy." Which is now a phrase I chuckle at when I hear. The American definition of "healthy," and the body's own definition of "fuel," are not in the same category. Several months ago I did an in-house experiment; I just stopped buying packaged snacks. Just stopped. Crackers, mainly, were the culprit. The fast, throw-at-them-in-the-car-easy-to-vacuum-up-later kind of snacks. When I realized, thanks to Nutritionist Jim Rhoades, that high fructose syrups are a slow death, I began to see that they are in a majority of what I feed my kids in between meals. Then guess what? Getting lots of fruits and veggies in them was a challenge at meal time. Cold cereal - also went out the window -NO MORE. I had thought that just because I never did the cheapy bags and did Quaker or Post "healthy" cereals, that we were doing alright - WRONG! Behind the "nutritious" advertising - is high fructose syrup. This kills the immune system and is equal to putting sugar into your car's gas tank. Ever heard what that does to an engine? Well, do you value your car or your body more?
So guess what the result of the experiment was? After the first day of, "Mom, I want cheese crackers!"
"Sorry, we don't have any."
"What do we have?"
"You can choose between craisins, prunes, or apple slices."
And guess what? They ate it. Now, when we head out the door, the snack bag looks like this: celery sticks, baby carrots, apple slices and water bottles. Guess who gets sick less? Guess who has more energy? They are walking about 2 miles a day with me around town now - plus running and playing at the park. Guess who has digestive systems that are working well?

STOP THE INSANITY! My thoughts this morning while running - to inspire other moms to free their kids from the addictive addititives in packaged foods. Bless their bodies, minds and spirits by setting them free!