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Featured Healthy Eating Articles

Attention All Moms! Manage Your Stress with 8 Simple Yet Effective Stress Relief Tips
Moms are some of the busiest people on the planet. From working a 9-5 job to getting the kids off the school or from attending soccer games to chaperoning a slumber party, a mom's feet never seem to stay still. Some moms are responsible for taking care of ...

Do you eat a wide variety of foods for a healthy diet?
One of the most frequently cited reasons that diets and attempts at healthy eating fail is boredom. Many people simply do not know how to keep a healthy diet interesting day after day, and it can be quite a challenge. Given the huge variety of fruits, ...

Why Corporate Wellness Programs Don't Work – And What Does
We have been experiencing an intense focus on "wellness" for close to a decade now, but it seems little has been done to really improve health and well being in this country. Many corporations have gotten on the bandwagon as a way of adding value to the ...

Activity + Poor Food Choices = Non Healthy Lifestyle
 
Now, think about this, if you think this way as an adult, what are you teaching your children. Yep, that is it OK to eat junk food as long as you are active. Not only that, so many parents, say well my kids eat all this stuff but don't gain any weight, so it is OK. NO IT IS NOT! While on the surface, you think it is, it is doing major damage to both yours and your child's body. Think high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
Remember folks the old adage "you are what you eat" applies here. We all carry over what we learn in our childhood into our lives as adults. You are setting the foundation here for a lifetime of bad eating for your child. Do you really want to do that? No, I don't think so. So you need to set an example and start eating healthier and continue to be active. Right now the majority of children that are active are doing so through after school or organized sports activities that interest them. However, what happens when they get older, when these activities are no longer a part of his/her life. You got it, sedentary behavior because you didn't provide the role model they needed for a healthy lifestyle. You need to provide them with other choices besides just sporting activities: walking, jogging, riding, jumping rope, aerobics to name a few.
It is one of your responsibilities as a parent to teach your children about healthy eating and the importance of activity not only as a child but as they grow into adulthood. So you need to be a good role model. We have discussed in other articles, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and walking from the far end of the parking lot. Joining a gym or having exercise equipment (bikes, trampolines, DVDs) in your home. One of the cutest things is for a young child to watch their mom or dad watching a video or working out on a piece of exercise equipment and trying to emulate them. What a perfect opportunity for you to show them how to dance, jog, jump rope so they can do something right along with you.
Next be sure you let them be active in the planning and preparation of meals. Let them give their input. Take the time to talk to them about the foods you are making and they are eating. And please don't tell me you don't have the time, make the time or in all honesty why did you have children!
Yes, we want our children to be active and involved. However, one big caveat here is to limit the number of activities your children get involved with. Too many children today join everything to please their parents and they are exhausted! So be realistic with their time just as you would be with yours. Be sure to emphasize to your child that they don't have to be involved in everything. Emphasis that if they do too much they are going to make compromises in one or more activities and that isn't fair to that particular group. Talk to them about down time. Be sure they know it is OK to relax. We need balance in our life and the only way to be sure we do is to do everything in moderation and get that down time for ourselves. Relaxing restores our balance which is so very important for healthy living.
So let's start today to show our children that Healthy Eating + Activity = Healthy Lifestyle!
Copyright 2005, DeFiore Enterprises

About The Author

Sue DeFiore
Introducing Keep Kids Fit: A How To Guide For Setting Up And Running Your Own Business In One Year Or Less! Solutions for parents who want healthy children in body and mind! Our motto, "Eat Healthy, Live Healthy, Help Keep Kids Fit" Keep Kids Fit asks the question: Do You Want To Help Foster A Healthy Lifestyle For Your Child! If you answered yes, then visit our web blog at: http://hbsblogs.typepad.com/keepkidsfit/ and visit our website today at: http://www.keepkidsfit.com
suedefiore@sbcglobal.net


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Healthy Eating News

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Mass. wants calorie counts at fast-food outlets - AOL
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Home cooking keeps our eating healthy and cheap - Vancouver Sun
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Nell knows good food - Edinburgh News
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Getting healthy is presentation's goal - Houma Courier
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You Can Eat Healthy While on the Go - Momlogic.com
Guest blogger Cristin Dillon-Jones : I am a registered dietitian as well as a brand-new mom. I am learning firsthand how hard it can be to continue to eat healthily when you have no hands! In order to be a good mom you have to take care of yourself ...