Parenting when exhausted
Dr. Holly Carling | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 13 years, 11 months AGO
As parents, we all want our kids to have the best life has to offer. We enroll them in sports, dance, music, martial arts and the like. Keeping up with the financial costs and toting kids around from one activity to the other is enough to take a toll on the best of us. When you get ill, all your best intentions get put on the back burner. Parents come into my office, many times in tears because their health is interfering with what they want for their kids. They feel inadequate as parents.
When you are stressed or ill, or symptomatic in any way, you need super nutrition. You need a greater density of nutrients in your food because not only are you providing nutrients for that day's functions and cell building, but you need the extra to counteract the effects of stress.
When we sacrifice healthy foods, we also sacrifice our mental wellbeing. We no longer have the mental reserves to cope with our kids and our tolerance level plummets. We become grouchy and tempers fly more easily. Not just at the kids, but at our spouses too. The pressures of responsibility mount and we become more agitated at work as well.
Desperate to feel well, overwhelmed with the responsibilities, disappointed in what we aren't doing, that we "should" be doing as a parent (or as a spouse), fearful of the things kids could get into (drugs, weapons, pornography, etc.), and the emotions mount. Soon we call it "depression" and reach for a medication to placate this barrage of emotions. We reach for substances such as coffee, energy drinks and sugar to give us an energy boost so we feel we can cope with life.
What we really need is nutrients, in the form of quality foods and whole food supplements, to support normal function. We need exercise to provide an outlet for stress. We need balance in our lives. We need energy and good health.
We also need someone to help us feel well. I have found the synergistic combination of acupuncture and nutritional therapy to be extremely effective.
Re-evaluate the costs to your health of running around trying to do life, versus staying home and creating a quality life. Relax, eat a well-balanced diet of whole foods, cooked fresh and spend time with your family. You will find that your energy will get restored, your health will improve and the quality of your life will be what you envision it could be. And if that's not doing the trick, visit a natural health care provider that can assist you in achieving vital health!
Dr. Holly Carling is a Doctor of Oriental Medicine, Licensed Acupuncturist, Doctor of Naturopathy, Clinical Nutritionist and Master Herbologist. She has been in private practice for more than 30 years, bringing her much valued expertise to the Coeur d'Alene area. Visit Dr. Carling's website at www.vitalhealthandfitness.com to learn more about Dr. Carling, view a list of upcoming health classes or join her email list to receive her e-newsletter containing free articles and health tips. Dr. Carling can be reached at (208) 765-1994 and would be happy to answer any questions regarding this topic.
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