​A Simple Life: The Wilder Way

As a New York Times bestselling author, mother of 6 and farm owner, I don’t have much time for anything that isn’t super important. My mothering motto is, “if no one is broken or bleeding, we are okay.” Nutrition often fell to the end of the priority list because—let’s just be honest, here—who has time to make sure that each meal is nutritious when you’re just trying to get the kids to eat in the first place?

Dinner was almost always a struggle for us; I think my two toddler boys were eating peanut butter and jelly at least every other night. Then, last year while pregnant I started feeling sick after eating. Several of our family members were showing signs of blood sugar issues, and now during mid pregnancy I was as well. My OB said my levels were fine, but I couldn’t ignore the symptoms I was feeling every time I ate. Even my morning yogurt made me light-headed and sleepy. In an effort to try and figure out what was going on I dug into countless health and nutrition books, and the same thing kept jumping out at me as I read. SUGAR! My mommy brain started connecting all of the health issues my large family was dealing with: allergies, constipation, lack of focus, inflammation, headaches, lethargy, insomnia…you name it and my family of 8 had someone who was dealing with it.

We sat our kids down and broke the news that sugar was OUT; within a matter of weeks we started to see dramatic changes in all 6 of our children. Even my husband found his shakiness and blood sugar issues quickly disappearing. It was nearly a medical miracle—all because of the sugar! We all had increased energy and sharper focus too. Then when the holidays rolled around I decided I needed to try and convert and/or modify all of the family favorite holiday recipes so everyone could enjoy the foods we loved in a more nutritious way.

I got on Amazon and started checking out all of the sugar-free products and stumbled upon Simple Girl. My kids were looking to find a good substitute for hot sauce, and the first time we mixed the Simple Girl Hot Sauce with ranch my kids literally squealed with delight. Even the little ones loved it! As a mom it’s great to see our kids enjoying these healthier and more nutritious foods. Simple Girl is now always on our table, as a staple for nearly every meal.

The amazing thing to me is that now all of my six kids eat dinner every night. Once we removed the sugar, chemicals, and fillers, my kids actually started to eat regularly. There’s no crying or begging kids to eat something, they just eat and enjoy the food, and then feel great afterward.

I’m so grateful to the companies upping the nutritional game with their products. I believe this is so important for all of us. In some cases, it can even be a matter of life and death. I believe the heath crisis in this country will be healed in our homes, one mom at a time. I encourage you to try and make changes to the way your family eats, even small ones, to make sure your nutrition is a priority. A better quality of life starts at the dinner table.