That first bite can make a difference!

Smoked salmon, red onions, avocado, and tomatoes. This is my favorite breakfast to make and eat.

According to the website, All Breakfast, All the Time”A study of 5,000 kids (ages 9 to 11) by Cardiff University showed that children are twice as likely to score higher than average grades if they start the day with a healthy breakfast.” I know that as a busy working mother I don’t always have the time to make my kids a healthy breakfast. So, what I try to do  on Sunday is meal prep and make the breakfast wraps for them and put it in the fridge. My kids are 14 and 17 and are very health conscience because of the way I raised them. Thanks to Dr. Spock, a leading child specialist, I started feeding my kids healthy foods since they were babies. I remember Doctor Spock said if you want your kids to be healthy then start “training” them early by giving them nutritious food and that’s exactly what I did. Now that my kids are 14 and 17, I must say that was the best advice I have ever read on child nutrition because they always ask me, ” Mom, how much carb, sugar, sodium or fat is in this?’  I have to admit sometimes it’s  challenging to feed them healthy food on a tight budget when fast food are sometimes cheaper! And yes sometimes I get annoyed when they come home hungry because they refuse to eat the food at school because they say it’s too fat. I guess I can’t blame them for making wise choices. So I learned to meal prep and have food already made for them when they get home from school. Feeding your kids healthy does start with that first solid food you put in their mouths! That first year of their solid food eating is so important so feed them veggies and fruits right away before they learn to hate it!

My kids love veggie and cheese omelets with fresh guacamole and Pico de Gallo.

Egg White, Mushroom, Spinach, Tomatoes, cheddar,and Feta Cheese Omelet. This is another of their favorite omelet.

 

 

Drugs and Mental Illness: Teen Voice

 

As a senior, my daughter has to do a senior project which is a graduation  requirement. For the project, she has to write a research paper, have some kind of product and do a presentation.

 After careful consideration and much soul searching she decided to settle on mental illness and drug addiction because of her uncle, who is dealing with both issues.  I wanted to share her first paragraph with you. This description is based on what happened when we went to drop off some food to my brother in a 30 day drug clinic. That night she did not go in because she said it would break her heart to see her uncle in such a depressing state. She stayed in the car while I ran down and drop off some of his favorite things. I was not allowed to visit him for too long, just enough to give him a hug and the food.  I’m sharing a part of her writing in hopes that you will get a glimpse of what families go through when they have a loved one in crisis.

“The fluorescent lights shone out of the building touching the dark night sky, like a beacon to the lost. The parking lot was empty except for the beat up toyota that belonged to the family. A nurse from inside waved away the family as they left. The drive home was as quiet as their surroundings, as the previous moments were heavy with sadness. Having a family member with a drug addiction did not just affect the user. It was as toxic as the drugs used. Having a family member with a mental illness was inexplicably hard. Having a family member or friend with both is unimaginably difficult.”

Her water color that she did as part of her presentation, depicting a drug addict.