8.21.2010

on the soapbox... {FOOD}

most of y'all know that i get pretty fanatical when it comes to what we eat around here.  it started when marz was born with a ton of food allergies and i had to learn to read labels and feed her with things that weren't packaged or processed just to keep her from getting a hives rash for 2 weeks.  she has since grown out of pretty much every allergy she was born with, except for one (that we know of).  DYES.  that's what will set off her rash.  just one artificial fruit roll or one bowl of fruit loops.  and since we've adjusted our family diet to accommodate her needs, i've noticed differences.  i used to think that it was just sugar that set the kids off.  but i know now that it is also the artificial dyes they put in just about everything.

i came across THIS article this morning.  and i was surprised to see it was written 2 years ago!  i'm not sure why i was surprised.  i guess because i can count on one hand the parents i've met that actually believe what it says is true.  now if you don't go read the article, the rest of my soapbox rant won't make a whole lot of sense...

wow.  other parents thought their children were reacting to just the sugar too!  wow. some guy named feingold figured it out way back in the 70s?!  and still everyone continues to be oblivious.  is it cheaper to make food with artificial dyes?  perhaps it's addicting and the FDA doesn't want to put people out of business?  i can't even go to the store and buy a regular non-organic jar of pickles without yellow 5 in it!!!  food does not need to be organic to be healthy!!  i'm also surprised to see that if 2 whole years ago there is a petition to the FDA, why are only 19 professionals in support of it?  are we that greedy as a society that we care more about profit from food and drug sales than we do about the diminished coping skills of our children?  a generation full of medicated members of society that can only function properly under adjusted environments and circumstances doesn't sound very efficient to me.

i would've never known to read labels or change our diet if i hadn't been forced to.  it's a shame that we aren't educated better about what damages our systems.  i believe our bodies are a gift from God and we should do our best to take care of them.  basic nutrition and fitness classes still teach the food pyramid for some reason.  why are we not teaching the next generation about artificial colors, preservatives, hormones, steroids, and chemical pesticides also?  isn't what we put in our bodies worthy of just as much attention and education as what we do not put in our bodies?

8.13.2010

catching up...

wow.  not having blogged for over 2 months, i thought i'd get online and see what my fellow bloggers had been up to.  turns out most of them haven't blogged for a while either.  i guess i'm not the only one that got stuck with nothing to say for june and july.

so let's see if i can catch everyone up quickly...

JUNE:  luigi wrapped up school, we took a short trip to utah to baptize dash along with his 2 cousins that are the same age, sent luigi off to catalina to scout camp upon returning home, dash and Z started jr guard (which you can read all about HERE).

JULY:  we spent the holiday weekend in vegas celebrating the 4th, marz's birthday, and my MIL's birthday.  we spent an entire day away w/o kids celebrating our 15th anniversary:  kayaking in la jolla, dinner on coronado, and a movie in the car overlooking torrey pines beach.  we had an awesome fellowship graduation dinner, and prepped Z for girl's camp and luigi for EFY.  then some peeps packed and loaded our stuff and we MOVED!!!

we are now in the south, officially moved in and enjoying the humidity.  we are also enjoying our 3740 sq ft. of living space, our dedicated ice maker, a master shower w/ 4 shower heads, a kitchen w/cabinet space for every last little thing, a clubhouse & pool within walking distance, a fenced yard, a garage w/enough space to park 2 cars and still walk around them, closets that actually fit all our clothing, dedicated space for school, a laundry room (after being w/o for 6 yrs!), 3 A/C units, shopping close to home, and new experiences!!

i could definitely do without the spiders and other creepy crawlies that are eating marz alive.  we thought concrete floors would be so fabulous, but now... not so much.  the house was built for tall folks.  so the toilets are too tall, and my arms lose circulation just hanging up my clothes.  lots of unpacking still to do, and still feel overwhelmed by what needs to be done in order to get my life back in order.  Z and luigi are a bit bummed that the youth at church is about 1/3 the size of what we just left behind in SD.  but all in all, we are ALL glad to be here because of what it represents in our lives.

we are so proud of doc M for all the hard work over the years to get us to where we are now.  we are excited for him to embark on his new chapter.  he is looking forward to building and staying busy!