Childhood Obesity Prevention Should Begin At Home!
childhood obesity, parenting by example, nutrition, healthy habits
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A few of you know that I've started training to become a children's fitness specialist and nutritionist. There's definitely a need for it - just look around. As a teacher I see an appalling number of kids whose weight issues begin at a very early age. I also see what they're putting into their bodies, how weight impacts their performance in school (and I'm not just talking about sports and physical education classes), and sad as this sounds, it also effects interaction with their peers. To their credit, some parents are aware of these issues and are trying their best to address the problems - some, but not ALL. If more parents stepped up, took a look at their own eating and health habits, their kids would be better off. Here's my advice to them, to all of us really.
As parents, we spend a lot of time talking to our kids about the dangers of drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and Internet safety, but obesity rarely comes up. Yet it's clearly one of the biggest concerns in the United States today and poses dangerous consequences to our children's physical and emotional health. Let's reverse this epidemic by creating a healthy home environment and regularly talking with our kids -- starting as young as two years of age -- about the importance of eating right and engaging in regular physical activity.
Health Strategies for Parents:
Set a shining example. Kids, especially the youngest ones, mimic their parents. Be a healthy role model at home and on the road.
Put the entire house on a "health program." Never single out one child struggling with a weight issue. Even super thin siblings benefit from healthy eating and regular exercise.
Make healthy eating fun. Involve your kids in meal planning, shopping, and cooking. When kids help pick out and prepare veggies for the stir-fry, or season turkey meat for tacos, they'll be more likely to branch out from mainstays like chicken nu... read entire entry
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on 7/17/2008
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18.9
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Avoiding Energy Sappers
nutrition, organization, negative influences, healthy habits, limits
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Do you ever find yourself feeling run down and your day has barely even started yet? Or you make it through your morning okay enough only to hit a zero energy wall midway into the afternoon. It takes a lot of energy to do all of the things, such as work, school and family, we do in a day. We need to be wise about how we allocate our energy to things so we can conserve enough energy to get through the whole day. Certainly you can be bone tired and still get things done. However, how well they get done and how you feel about it as you go can be dampened when you lack energy.
Conserve and spend your energy wisely for the tasks you must complete and for activities you want to engage in. Get rid of as many energy sappers from your day and life as possible to help you do this better. Other people, gadgets, technology, and our own behavior can all be energy sappers. There are energy sappers that are common to most of us and others that are uniquely your own based upon your personality type.
An improper diet and a lack of proper exercise are serious energy sappers. They are also health sappers, robbing the body of what it needs to maintain optimum health and function. Getting an improper amount of sleep is another energy sapper that can also harm the health of your body. Diet, exercise, and sleep are important factors in your emotional and physical health.
Behavior such as thinking we are never good enough or that we cannot achieve our goals is a distressing energy sapper. Moreover, our thinking propels our motion in the world. We can either propel ourselves forward towards success, love, money, and a good job by thinking we can. Or we can stop ourselves from moving forward and trap ourselves in a muck of unhappiness and failure by thinking we cannot achieve all of these things.
Allowing other people that routinely think in a negative way into our liv... read entire entry
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on 4/27/2008
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23.5
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Fitness Do's Don'ts
healthy habits, moderation, variety, intensity, hydration
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Whether you're just beginning your quest toward becoming fit or have been exercising for as long as you can remember, these useful hints can help you develop and maintain healthy exercise habits and minimize your risk of injury.
DO Start Off Moderately
Work your way into a routine. Going overboard after a long respite from exercise may result in injury, or at least disappointment.
DON'T Over-Exercise
For maximum benefit at minimum injury risk, the body needs to rest and recover. At least a 24-hour rest after heavy muscle strain is advised. Stagger workouts between heavy and light strain. For example, you can alternate a weight training routine with biking.
DO Warm Up and Cool Down
A low-impact warm-up before any exercise is essential. It warms the muscles, makes them more limber and easier to stretch, which results in a better workout. It also helps to prevent injury. Cooling down after exercising is also important as it relaxes the muscles, lowers the heart rate, and helps the body to recover from the stress of a workout. It'll make you feel better immediately after the workout, and the next morning.
DO Stretch
Flexibility is one of the most important factors of fitness. Stretching before, during and after a workout will result in better performance, good posture, fewer injuries, and overall better fitness.
DON'T Push an Injury
Listen to your body. If you feel pain, stop. Muscle and joint pain can mean many things -- pushing a small hurt can lead to big problems later on. If pain persists more than a few days, see a doctor.
DO Consult a Trainer
If you belong to a gym, you may have the opportunity to consult a certified trainer. He or she can help you craft a reasonable workout plan, tailored for your goals. A trainer can also teach proper form with exercise equipment. Even if you are experienced, bad habits can be developed.
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on 3/24/2008
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5.7
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