This post is part of the Global Mom Relay originally published on Huffington Post. Every time you share this blog on the Global Mom Relay website, $5 will go to women and girls around the world. Scroll to the bottom to find out more.
I didn’t spend much time in my formative years with my mother, so I learned a great deal of my life lessons through my Dad, Ted Turner: He always gave sage advice and led by example. His actions have profoundly impacted the world, and he has helped to alleviate poverty and improve health outcomes for millions.
“It takes a village” has always been our family’s philosophy, and so I had the good fortune of being raised with many surrogates — equally strong and caring women — who mentored me and filled in the missing pieces of my life puzzle.
I learned early on that lessons must be placed in context. If we want children to respect the environment, we must teach them by giving them memorable experiences in nature. If we want our children to eat healthier meals, we must provide them with nutritious, chemical-free food. If we want to advance women’s rights around the world, we must first empower them.
In my travels in the U.S. and around the world, I’m often asked how I personally foster a healthy lifestyle in my own home. My answer is always the same: I work hard to learn as much as possible about the best choices I can make that will ultimately promote wellness. In other words, I support companies and their products that won’t make my family and I sick. What we eat, drink, breathe and put on our bodies really does matter.
At our home in Atlanta, we have installed six raised beds where we grow our own vegetables. The best part about it is that it brings us all together and becomes a wonderful, family-oriented affair.
Digging, planting, watering and harvesting plants is a fascinating and fun activity for kids who love to eat the fruits and vegetables they grow.
Read the entire article on the Huffington Post and share with friends!
About Global Mom Relay: Each time you share this Global Mom Relay piece on Facebook, Twitter, or Email, or donate $5 or more on the Global Mom Relay website, a $5 donation (up to $8,000 per day) will be donated by Johnson & Johnson and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Girl Up. Join us by sharing it forward and unlock the potential for women and children around the globe. For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org/globalmomrelay. The United Nations Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, BabyCenter, The Huffington Post, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation created the Global Mom Relay, a first-of-its-kind virtual relay with a goal of improving the lives of women and children around the globe.