Personal Trainer and Zumba instructor Tracy Mitchell shares her personal testimony of a growing up with balanced nutrition and an example of healthy living through her parents. Read carefully and discover how to include some of these methods in your home.
Growing up in a big family was lots of fun, at times challenging yet always entertaining. One of my fondest memories growing up was watching my parents creatively provide food and entertainment for me and my six sisters. As the oldest of seven girls, I paid careful attention to the details because I was always the one left in charge in their absence.
Although fitness was a way of life in our household, we were not deprived of things such as chips, birthday cake, ice cream, going to the candy lady's house or even walking to the store to buy our favorite snacks. As a matter of fact, my dad had the biggest sweet tooth in the house. He craved Hostess chocolate cupcakes and ice-cream. Portion control was practiced in our house as if there were no other way. My mother fed us hors d' oeuvres for snacks and sometimes for lunch during summers. For example we ate shrimp cocktail, alfalfa sprout sandwiches on pita bread, pop-corn, peanuts, deviled eggs and beet salad! What child looks forward to beet salad? We did! It was delicious because that's what we were introduced to. My mom would also cut up bread and make lots of tiny bite sized pimento cheese sandwiches that I absolutely loved!
Portion control is one of the biggest challenges people have today concerning their nutrition.
The sooner one is introduced to proper portions; the more realistic it will be making it a way of life. Overall, we ate healthy, played healthy and had healthy mindsets. A friend of mine that was overweight spent the night at our house. We woke up the next morning and immediately started playing. Around 11:00am my friend couldn't take it anymore. She raised her voice and said, "What time are we going to eat!" My sisters and I laughed and realized she was hungry! Looking back, I realize how you can condition your body to do what you tell it to do, not allow it to dictate to you. Although we normally ate breakfast, we were excited to have company and wanted to play.
There was an excellent balance displayed which in turn created natural boundaries that are now second nature to myself and all of my sisters. As children we were taught to be physically active. We participated in recess on a regular basis at school and watched our parents lead by example without them even being aware that we were observing. They led by example by simply being who they were created to be. I remember how they would get up early in the morning on weekends and walk around the neighborhood high school track. Before they would leave, they would warm up a little by engaging in mild cardio and stretches. They would return vibrant, joyful and energized for the rest of the day. My sisters and I watched cartoons and ate cereal until they returned. Once they returned, we were up and ready to go outside and play! We played until the sun went down. Kickball, hide and go seek, 1 2 3 red light, hop scotch and jump rope, just to name a few. Oh yeah, we also caught lightning bugs! My mother would play with us and was known as the fun mom.
Although many of our friends struggled with weight issues, that was never our struggle. We were more concerned about being able to spend the summer with our out of town relatives, so would could play and have unlimited fun! By the grace of God, we never got sick either. If one of us said something hurt or was wrong, my mother would quickly reply, "Drink some water and go sit down." Water and rest was the cure all remedy! Water is my favorite beverage, I love fruits and veggies, I'm learning to rest and fitness is definitely a way of life. Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it."
About the Author: Tracy Mitchell is the founder & CEO of Fitness By Force. With the call and passion to make fitness a way of life she has done just that. The primary focus of Fitness By Force is to help others present their bodies as living sacrifices holy and acceptable unto God. Tracy is a Zumba Instructor, Personal Trainer & TV Host www.tracy902.zumba.com
