Where does health start? It's a very chicken versus egg question... although from the title, I guess you can surmise where I am going to go with this. But let's start with some interesting information that we know of. I think most people I see can recall starting to notice their health concerns in their late teens early 20s, and that seems to be trending younger with high school. It makes sense, because our earliest memories are probably around elementary school and we probably aren't thinking about the long term repercussions of gorging on Halloween candy or all the sweet treats from Christmas each year. Children are super resilient, and so in childhood, we aren't responsible for our health, our parents are. That shift of responsibility from parent to child probably doesn't happen till around high school/college, and I am glad it's trending younger, because it's fantastic for kids to start learning what is healthy and what isn't at a young age.
But how early is early enough? Well, some new information says that the health of an infant to 2 years old will set the foundation for the next 18 years! That means that the foundation for the first 20 years of a person's health is dependent on the parent's care for them in the first 2 years of their life! It's good and bad, in that the good we do with babies to toddlers will last. But that is a lot of pressure for parents, and requires them to know what infants and babies need to give their health and immunity a boost that will last decades! At the same time, it isn't a "hall pass" for people to neglect their health from 2-20 because they had a pristine birth and childhood.
The foundation for the first 20 years of a person's health is dependent on the parent's care for them in the first 2 years of their life!
That leads me to also ask myself, what then do parents need to know in order to have healthy babies? And here's where the chicken and egg discussion goes a bit deeper. The health of the baby depends on the health of the mother and can go back to in utero. Stress on pregnant mom is directly felt on baby in mommy's belly. Also the nutrients that mom has is crucial for proper development of baby as well. Again, us moms carry the responsibility of health of the baby and ourselves. So when someone says "eating for two" they don't know how right they are! Mothers need to not only eat enough calories, but GOOD calories, and regardless of what other people say to you, quality of food matters!
The health of the baby depends on the health of the mother and can go back to in utero. Stress on pregnant mom is directly felt on baby in mommy's belly.
Moms rest assured, that it's not ALL on you though, because the health of the developing baby in utero is based on BOTH parents at point of conception. This is where the concept of PRE-conception comes into play. More and more information coming out is saying that the health of a baby depends of both egg and health and quality of sperm. So dads, you are not exempt of your responsibility of your children's health!
In terms of sperm quality, that is directly dependent on the health of the father (kind of duh?). For reference, it takes about 65-75 days for new sperm to be created, so if you are family planning, you would need to eat, exercise, sleep well, and optimize your nervous systems with chiropractic care consistently for at least 2-3 months in order to optimize your sperm quality.
For women family planning, to optimize your egg quality, you would need to eat, exercise, sleep well, and optimize your nervous systems with chiropractic care consistently for 3 months as well, since it takes approximately 90 days for an egg to mature from oocyte to one that's ready for ovulation.
There is also rising information about gut microbiome in relation to health, and the generational effects it has. It is now common knowledge that the gut flora is essential for balancing our body and has a huge influence on our overall health, which is why it gets christened with the term "second brain." Did you know that your gut health was inherited from your parents, who inherited their microbiome from their parents and so on? Of course there are steps you can take to balance what you were born with, but knowing that your children will inherit the gut flora that you have, it's even more important that you know the state of your gut, and maintain the balance of your microbiome for your health and the health of your family.
So after all that, we learn that: 1. Our health is inherited and 2. It is a cycle that starts with us! If you are thinking of having kids in the near or distant future, you should start taking steps to balance your gut, reduce stress and optimize your nervous system with chiropractic, and exercise and sleep well. If you are pregnant, just know that you are literally eating for two, and your food and lifestyle choices are making an impact on your baby right now! If you have kids, the food and lifestyle you are introducing to them now will impact them for decades!
the best time to start a good habit was in the past, but the second best time to start is NOW!
Life is a never-ending cycle, and of course the interventions for good health are always better sooner than later. But remember, the best time to start a good habit was in the past, but the second best time to start is NOW! So, get your spine and gut microbiome checked out! They are the two most essential and most overlooked aspects of health that can make a huge positive impact right now!
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