I am a member of the #Collective Bias(R) Social Fabric (R) Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and it’s advertiser.
A few short years ago when my children started pre-school I was amazed at how often they got got sick. Someone was always home with a runny nose or cough. Being a very vigilant mom, I would run them to the doctor constantly. That was when I found out kids are supposed to get sick. That all the bugs and germs they catch in pre-school are going to help them build up their immune systems for when they go to real school…kindergarten! The doctor recommended that I keep and eye on them and remember to take care of myself as well.
Although I found this little bit of information helpful, I wasn’t thrilled with it. I soon found myself catching all the same cootie bugs the kid’s were getting. I couldn’t understand how the teachers themselves never got sick. They were spending their days in their classrooms with our beloved germ producers!
That’s when I realized, maybe the problem wasn’t with the germs. Maybe, the problem was with my inability to ward off the germs. Maybe, I just needed to be healthier. I decided to take a long hard look at my own health. It is no surprise that I didn’t like what I saw.
Other than running around at the park with my kids, an exercise routine for me was non-existant. And when I would run around with them, I felt tired and winded long before they did. My favorite game to play with them was free-tag, that way I could get tagged and take a breather while they ran around. Terrible, I know.
I knew my complete lack of endurance was something I needed to change immediately. I was embarassed that I constantly needed to tell my kids to slow down. How could I ever expect them to remain active and healthy, if I didn’t?
That was when I decided to start running. My husband is a long time runner and I would always feel a bit jealous that he could just throw on sneaker and go…running. I talked to him about it and asked how I could get started and not hate it. He gave me valuable tips along the way and would encourage me to get back into it every time I quit. Believe me I “quit” more times than I care to admit. Over time I began to look forward to running!
However, this winter I have found it harder than usual to get out for a run with all of the snow Long Island has been experiencing. I know it is essential to get outside for a trudge through the snow. I make sure we bundle up as often as possible and take the kids for a walk to our local playground. On the cold winter days when the wind isn’t blowing, we take the kids for bike rides. My husband and I walk briskly alongside their bikes so that we can get a little extra cardio in.
Although I did feel a boost in my energy and my endurance started to build, something was still off. I was still feeling tired and cranky most days. I explained this to my Doctor at my yearly physical. She was very happy that I had a solid exercise regime, but she she came to the conclusion that my diet was abysmal.
And it was abysmal. The years of grabbing handfuls of the kid’s goldfish and calling it lunch had finally caught up with me. Each day, I was spending a lot of time making sure my children were eating healthy and consuming enough fruits and vegetables. And they were, but I certainly wasn’t. Again – how could I expect them to make healthy choices when I wasn’t?
I realized that I had to make my inner health a priority just as I had made exercise a priority. I wasn’t sure where to start when it came to my diet. I knew I needed more fruits ad veggies, but I needed a little help. I turned to my sister, who is the unofficial dietitian for our family and asked her for some advice.
She told me flat out, I eat like garbage. I needed to clean up my diet and start taking a women’s multivitamin. I also needed to start eating yogurt. She was tired of hearing me whine that I don’t like it. She talked my through all of the ways I could incorporate yogurt into my diet (smoothies, parfaits, yogurt muffins). She reminded me how she was able to heal her severe diverticulitis through her diet.
I knew she was right. She also suggested that I look into probiotics if I was having trouble eating yogurt on a daily basis. I decided to visit my local CVS to see what they had to offer. Immediately the bright sunny colored InSync Probiotic box jumped out at me. I turned the box around to find out how #NaturalProbiotics would benefit me. Little did I know, my body needs beneficial bateria for digestive system health. Insync Probiotic contains three billion live bacteria which can help support gastrointestinal health. I am happy that I was able to find a way to improve my internal health as well as my physical health.
I learned that change is hard, but in my case it was absolutely necessary. How could I ever expect to have healthy kids if I didn’t practice what I preached? I also knew my kids would notice my own healthy choices and learn through example. It isn’t enough to just have healthy kids, I need to have a healthy family.
Learn more about the importance of probiotics for your Digestive health by following Insync Natural Probiotics on Twitter and Facebook.
Thanks for Reading!
Daniele
#NaturalProbiotic #CollectiveBias
We Know Stuff says
Thanks Janet! It’s amazing how much our children observe us without our knowing!
We Know Stuff says
So true Holly! And believe me, I was not eating well..at all! My sister drinks a lot of kefir, I’m taking baby steps so my healthy changes stick!
We Know Stuff says
Thanks Michele! I have definitely noticed and improvement. Now if it would just stop snowing so I could get outside more!
JanetGoingCrazy says
What a great story of how you are getting healthy and setting such a great example for your children! #client
Holly H says
I am a strong believer of “Heal thyself through food.” You really are what you eat. If you eat like crap, then you will feel like crap. I’m also a firm believer in probiotics. I take a shelf stable one everyday and I also drink milk kefir. I know a lot of people that make kombucha, but I haven’t taken that plunge yet.
Michele @apaceofbalance says
Yeah, Daniele! Way to make a healthy change, and yes it’s very hard. Too many of us moms fall into the trap of forgetting about ourselves. I take Culturelle probiotics. As we get older (boooo…) our digestive needs a little help and I have noticed a difference with probiotics. I’ll leave it at that 🙂