Saturday, July 30, 2011

Helping Children Eat Healthy Through Involvement

Toddlers and children alike can be one of the most fussiest eaters there are in the world! Getting them to eat healthy may be a huge mountain to scale especially if they already started off on the wrong foot. Most parents and guardians make a common mistake of introducing junk and not so nutritious foods and beverages in the first few years of the child's life. The problem with this is that those are the kinds of foods that they become accustomed to and want to have all the time. And one of the many problems with this kind of diet is the fact that it may lead to childhood obesity, which in itself has several adverse health and emotional effects such as type 2 diabetes (which by the way some 20 years ago was only heard of in adults) and low self esteem amongst many others.
The thing is, it's important to set the right example for our kids if we want them to lead healthy lifestyles long after they "leave the nest" and have their own families. As I'm sure you already know, children learn mostly from what they see and not from what they hear. In other words, they do what they see you doing and not necessarily what you say. So if you eat a lot of fast food and soda pops, it's most likely that they will too and fancy it over any other type of diet.
One of the ways you can help your children to eat healthy is to cook homemade healthy meals. It can be pretty hectic if you lead a busy life, but you can at least try and prepare a meal from home twice or three times a week. To add to the excitement, ask your kids to come help you to prepare the meal, they will most definitely have an interest in eating what they have prepared (messy job it will be, but greater benefits at the end). If you are to eat out, choose healthier options, with less fat, cholesterol, sodium and saturated fat. If these are consumed over and above one's recommended daily allowance, they may lead to health problems.
Another way would be to take a trip with them to the farmers' market and have them see all the various kinds of fruits and vegetables. They can even engage the farmers, asking them how the fruit or vegetable comes to be and the benefits it has for their growing bodies. In fact, you can even go to a farm sometime and have the kids see for themselves how the vegetables and fruits come to be. And if you have space in your backyard, you can grow your own fruits and vegetables and have the children take part. As has been said, knowledge is power, so giving your children information about the benefits of fruits and vegetables and all the other food groups will help a great deal. They will know why vegetables are good for them and it will cease from being just a command. They'll eat them all up without a fight.
Don't give up when after you've tried this and your children don't seem interested in eating healthy, give them time. If you stick to your guns, they'll have no choice but to comply and before you know it, they would have acquired the taste and enjoying their meals. Instead of giving them chocolates and crisps to snack on, give them vegetable strips (like carrots and cucumber, etc),fruits, raisins, dried fruit, etc. They may put up a fight at first and suffer some withdrawal symptoms if they were used to junk food, but they'll eventually go with the flow. And in the long run you'll all reap the great benefits.
Not that they can never have pizza or ice-cream or any of the junk food ever again. You may give them as treats here and there but remember that moderation is key here. Don't let them over-indulge. Also, variety is important. Give them a variety of the fruits and vegetables so they can enjoy the different tastes as well as get full nutrition.
Learn more on how to eat healthy and fruit nutrition by following the links.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6444363

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Two Ways to Avoid the Negative Effects of TV on Your Health

At the end of a long day are you excited to sit down on the couch, unwind, and watch your favorite show? Next time you sit down be careful, you could be doing more harm to yourself than good!
How could this be possible? There are some days when lounging on the couch is my FAVORITE thing to do...especially after a long day and a good sweaty workout! Oh...bliss!
I recently saw a study from the American College of Sports Medicine that watching too much television can have a negative impact on your overall well-being. Well, of course - if you sit all the time - you aren't moving - so you aren't burning any calories and you are increasing your risk of disease. Got that much.
However, the study went on to say that even IF you are active, and you watch two hours of television a day you can see a negative impact on your overall fitness levels. YIKES!
After reading this I felt doomed - sometimes I do overreact a bit but its natural - especially when you find out that even though you are spending all this time in the gym you are still doing harm to your body!
So I took a deep breath and realized that yes, I probably was slightly overreacting -- so I decided to do a bit more research and found some interesting facts that helped to lessen the stress and will allow us to watch TV without affecting our overall well being.
Problem #1 -- Making Poor Food Choices While You Watch TV
This is probably one of the biggest mistakes we make while watching TV that can have a negative impact on our overall health, even if we went to the gym. In some cases its completely understandable -- when was the last time you saw a commercial for broccoli or vegetables that made you want to go running into your kitchen for a big salad or bag of carrots? NEVER!
We are more likely to make poor food choices and justify those poor food choices while watching TV because we are bombarded with commercials that encourage us to eat poorly. Every few minutes you see commercials for potato chips, sodas, burgers or another type of deliciously, unhealthy food. These commercials, plus the fact that we have been to the gym and have 'burned' calories, make it easier for us to justify eating unhealthy, therefore increasing our risk of harmful diseases.
Next time you see a commercial for chips, change the channel, so you won't be tempted by the messages to eat unhealthy.
Problem #2 -- Not Moving For Hours While You Watch TV
As I mentioned above, I look forward to sitting down on the couch at the end of a long day. Just sitting down and NOT MOVING. It's sometimes the BEST feeling.
However, this lack of moving is actually doing more harm that good, especially while watching TV. Researchers have found that when you watch TV you move less than you think, as you fall into an almost trance-like state of mind. This trance-like state of mind actually prevents you from making any type of movements that will do your body any good. Its fine to sit down and relax, but its important to keep the blood flowing, to ensure we stay healthy.
So, next time there is a commercial - get moving. Find a song you like in the commercial and start dancing to it. Or do a set of pushups or situps before your show comes back on - turn it into a challenge - can you do more situps this commercial than you did the commercial before? Adding these movements to your TV watching regimen will help you see more results to your physique while helping you decrease the risk of any diseases.
Melissa Wall is a Womens Ab Expert. With over 7 years of training and nutrition experience she has guided countless women to transforming themselves from flabby to sexy. For a free video that reveals how to get abs visit http://www.womensabsecrets.com


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6397229
Related Posts with Thumbnails