Running around our close-knit neighborhood, riding my tricycle, playing in the red dirt sand pile under the willow tree are the pictures that float around in my memory bank from my childhood.  Popping tar bubbles in the middle of the street with no concern for cars running over you, going around asking the moms of the block, “What are ya’ll having for dinner?” in case they were having something better than at our house.  They all finally figured it out after being concerned I wasn’t being fed and called my Mom.  “Liver and Onions” became their answer.

 

 

95% of disease that plague Americans are Lifestyle related.  How can what was just described be a lifestyle issue?

There are many positive Lifestyle situations that went on in my childhood from growing up ‘Small Town’, but the negatives–most were intended for positive–are what I want to explore.  But first lets talk positive….

Chaos and Stress were not a part of my childhood.  The Peace was there.  I always felt loved and secure.  All of the families that I knew went to church, whether it was the one I attended or one of the other 5 in this Small Town. When spending the night with my Paternal Grandparents, the day ended with us all gathering around the coffee table, getting down on our knees and saying a prayer after a Bible reading. I remember crawling up in bed with my Mom at night to read a devotional page in a little booklet called The Upper Room.  People, to me, seemed happy and friendly overall.  And being the youngest of 4 girls, I knew I was sheltered from the stress and chaos of the ’60’s.

Movement was definitely part of my everyday life.  When you learned to walk, you went outside.  There were neighborhood football games, climbing trees, and going to the swimming pool for the whole day.  My older sisters were in a Volleyball program which had 10 State Championships in a row in the 60’s and 70’s, so I saw from example or was involved with Movement from an early age.

Now let’s explore some of the negatives….

Hydration was never talked about in my childhood.  We got a drink when we were thirsty and if you were outside it came through a hose.  But here is what was lurking in the water we were drinking.  Fluoride.  In 1945, Fluoride was introduced into public water supplies of much of the U.S. to help prevent cavities.  Many of the kids in my Small Town had stains on their teeth, especially those that were my older siblings age.  I will not go into detail about this. There is a great article on Dr. Axe’s website titled ‘Is Fluoride Bad for You? It’s Not Just in the Water’ if you would like further information.  I know this was one of the factors in the beginning of my Leaky Gut Syndrome, which came on later in life.  We now buy 100% Natural Spring Water.

Let’s look at what was going on in the early ’60’s in Nutrition. My day usually started with a bowl of Frosted Flakes and Bananas sitting in front of the TV watching Captain Kangaroo, oblivious of my Mom trying to corral the 3 older girls like a herd of kittens to get them to school on time.  Lunch was usually a Ham sandwich with Miracle Whip on a piece of Mrs. Baird’s White Bread and Lay’s Potato Chips. Occasionally for variety, I might have a Deviled Ham sandwich or Pimento Cheese.  Sundays consisted of a roast cooked in an electric skillet while we were in church, and it usually had the consistency of Beef Jerky.  Mom has many talents, but cooking …. hmmm just wasn’t one of them. I don’t know if it was just my house or something to do with the time I was being raised, but whatever was put in front of you, you ate or you went hungry.  The negatives going on here….Processed foods, Genetically Modified Organism foods, Iron fortified foods, the SAD (Standard American Diet) or MAD (Modern American Diet) had taken off like a rocket. A book that I was introduced to about 5 years ago, titled Wheat Belly by William Davis MD, is a resource if you want more information on the changes which helped bring about the Standard American Diet. It really is SAD! And it makes me MAD!

These are just a sprinkle of things going on during my early childhood. I share these memories in hope that it will spur you to look back at your own. Maybe it wasn’t a peaceful place you grew up in, or maybe you grew up in the city. Regardless, recall your daily diet habits, look at your activity level, what kind of water were you exposed to, and consider other forms of toxicity in your surroundings.

Next Post will be Growing Up Small Town USA – Adolescence

#wellnessadvocate #smalltownusa #consistencyovertime #wellnessjourney

#intentionalliving #qualityoflife #smallbeginnings #itsnevertoolate

#johnawellnessjourney #peace #nutrition #hydration #movement