All I want for my birthday is..................................

a box of lucky charms cereal?.......................

This was my newly turned 12 year old's one birthday request............. and no, I don't totally deprive my kids, although, I don't keep this kind of cereal in my house either.  Oh, & this wasn't her only gift :)!

I am careful about what I feed all of my kids.  That doesn't mean I don't give them any treats.  They still  get junk food more often than I would like, however I try to keep most of their diet very healthy.  I am especially careful about K's diet because I figure that if her body is already having to work a little harder due to that sometimes pesky extra chromosome.  Why make it work even harder to digest junk or allow it to run on a less than adequete fuel? 

With rare exceptions we avoid processed foods, artificial flavorings, artificial colorings, and MSG. My kids do get treats & probaby  more sugar than I would like, but  we try to find healthier alternatives.  We buy a lot of organics.We make treats like home made icecream using whole ingrediants including raw sugar. They are allowed the occasional organic, cane sugar sweetened pop or candy.  If they are out with friends & want a treat or are offered something, they are allowed - nothing ( except aspartame) is completely forbidden, we just try to substitute healthier choices when possible. 

The other thing I try to do is use all  natural soaps,skin products, shampoo's etc.  Your skin is the largest organ of your body & absorbs whatever skin or hair products you are using. If it can't go into your body, I believe it shouldn't go onto your body.  Either way it all ends up in your body, so we try to avoid chemicals in this way also.