Transforming Children's Health One Lunch Box At A Time

Universe Messages Today the universe sent me these two messages in my personal Facebook feed. It made me realise I need to stop hiding behind the fear of our big plans and actually start sharing what we (our family) are up for. So here goes:

As a wife and working mum of 2, I am very aware of just how busy our lives have become as parents. Not to mention all the pressures of juggling work, with school and activities and running a household. But I also know, because Health & Wellness is my passion and job, I am continually exposed to health issues (emotional and physical) that perhaps many busy parents don’t have time or the headspace for.

There is one particular issue that has been burning inside me all year. The Health Of Australian Children. Now it’s time to share it with you.

Did you know:

25.3% of our children (between 5 & 17) are now deemed to be overweight or obese (comprised of 17.7% overweight and 7.6% obese)

Australia now has one of the highest allergy rates in the world. Statistics now show up to 40% of Australian children now have some sensitivity or allergy

The rate of children being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders is increasing alarmingly, some estimates are that it is doubling every 5 years in Australia

Type 2 diabetes was once an old person’s illness, but today children are being diagnosed with it, and this form of diabetes can be life threatening

There are even reports indicating that 4 out of 5 children aged between 5 and 17 are not getting enough exercise compared to the Australian Physical Activity Guidelines.

These facts really concern me. Do they concern you?

If these facts weren’t enough to concern me as a parent, the reports coming out of the UK and USA certainly did. There are reports from these countries indicating the life expectancy of our children’s generation is likely to be shorter than ours. Some are even suggesting that if trends continue, some children will die before their parents because of ill-health.

How could this possibly be? We have better hygiene, better sanitisation, better hospital systems, better medical research and better technology than at any other time in the human race? Why? How? What?

Am I being a worry wart or over dramatic? Given the statistics, and Australia’s tendency to follow the trends of USA & UK, I don’t think so. Seriously, next time you out really take a notice of the children. You will start to see this.

My Promise to You!

Right here, right now, I promise that I am not going to sit back and let our these statistics of our children’s generation continue. There is NO WAY our children and their friends should have a shorter life expectancy than us. I am saying: NOT ON MY WATCH!

Don’t get me wrong, I am not talking about protesting on parliament, burning bra’s or jumping up and down on Oprah’s couch. I am talking about taking actions from a place of passion and love for my children, their friends, and for your children and their friends.

My Mission is this:
To Transform Children’s Health, One Lunch Box At A Time.

And, the kind of actions I have started taking include:

educating our children to better understand different foods and how they affect their mood, behaviour and learning. My aim is that this may stop them nagging you for foods which aren’t good for them.

to support parents by educating them in better alternatives for “convenience” or packaged products. The trouble is that marketers have been telling us, and our kids that we need these products.

to continue to research trends, foods, manufacturing practices, recipes and to start sharing this information with you. I do not intend to overload your inboxes with information, but instead share some information to help you, once a week.

How Serious Am I About This?

Really serious, actually. Today thanks to these two messages from the universe, I am shedding my fear and sharing the Big Game we are playing. Until now, we’ve only shared it with a close few – I think because it’s so big, so different and sometimes scary. Today, I share it with you all – click here to find out more.

TRC_20140514_0002A