Most people know the early adage that goes “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” It’s a proverb that’s been passed down from generation to generation, and it’s one that continues to ring true. That is not to say that the daily consumption of a single apple will guarantee a life spent in perfect health. However, at the very least, this antique proverb does remind us that taking the time to eat healthy and fresh everyday can in fact go a long way in helping achieve a happier and healthier life.
Quotes like these are wonderful “cheat sheets,” if you will, for keeping our bodies on the healthy-eating track. But they can also be placed into our proverbial parental toolboxes, to be utilized whenever we undertake the sometimes arduous and seemingly futile task of passing on the importance of a healthy diet to our children.
With this in mind, here some quotes from throughout the ages that might help remind us (and in turn, our children) that a well-lived life hinges greatly on what we put into our bodies.
As illustrated in the open sentence of this article, the importance of a healthy diet has been obvious even to those in pre-history. And for another example, take this ancient Chinese proverb: “He who takes medicine and neglects to diet wastes the skill of his doctors.” This handy little saying points out the pointlessness of trying to stay healthy without eating healthfully.
According to some person called Hippocrates , “a wise man should consider that health is the greatest of human blessings.” He also said “let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” Sure, he had a weird name, but there’s nothing weird about warning future generations about the healing benefits of healthy eating.
And another guy, who apparently went by the odd name of Buddha, said “to keep the body in good health is a duty… otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” This guy (he’s a guy, right?) also said that “water surrounds the lotus flower, but does not wet its petals,” which speaks to the importance of moderation in our diets.
Fast forward a few hundred years and you get this forward-thinking quote from a new Age Health guru and author Deepak Chopra (yet another strangely named fellow), stressing the importance of healthy living early in life: “the way you think, the way you behave, the way you eat, can influence your life by 30 to 50 years.” Makes sense.
Modern author and health expert Farnoosh Brock expressed his adoration of fresh produce when he said “juices of fruits and vegetables are pure gifts from Mother Nature and the most natural way to heal your body and make yourself whole again.”
Continuing the “food as medicine” theme (this time with quotes attributed to people with more pronounceable monikers), health expert John H. Tobe said “any food that requires enhancing by the use of chemical substances should in no way be considered a food.”
And here’s a clever quote from early twentieth century nutritionist and author Ann Wigmore: “The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” Love this one!
Don’t think your kids are smart enough to “get” this whole “we are what we eat” notion? Think again. Victoria Moran, a popular author and nutritionist, tells us how wrong you are here: “We do children an enormous disservice when we assume that they cannot appreciate anything beyond drive through fare and nutritionally marginal, kid-targeted convenience foods. Our children are capable of consuming something that grew in a garden or on a tree and never saw a deep fryer. They are capable of making it through diner at a sit-down restaurant with tablecloths and no climbing equipment. Children deserve quality nourishment.” So, I guess she told you, huh?
“Teaching kids how to feed themselves and how to live in a community responsibly is the center of an education,” according to well-known and oft-quoted American chef, restaurateur, activist and author Alice Waters.
Perhaps the guru-iest of modern health gurus (i.e. Michael Pollan) explained it simply and perfectly when he implored, “don’t eat anything your great-great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food. There are a great many food-like items in the supermarket your ancestors wouldn’t recognize as food… stay away from these.”
Still not simple enough? How about this: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Now, everyone can understand this.