“Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.”
--Albert Einstein
Going outside to play with your kids? Good for you!
These are how healthy habits begin.
Our children need and deserve to have quality time with their parents
and there is nothing better than taking a family walk together in the woods or
on the beach.
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness
Month. Here are 5 tips for helping kids grow up healthy:
Tip 1: Make fitness
and physical fun a priority on your family calendar.
Schedule time together to go outside and play with your kids.
Tip 2: Drink water
not soda. With around 10 teaspoons of
sugar in a regular 12 ounce soda, there is more sugar in one soda than kids
should have in an entire day. Drinking sodas before bedtime can lead to poor sleep.
Tip 3: Plan your main
meals around the vegetables that are fresh and locally grown, whenever
possible. Fall is coming up and it is a great time to focus on delicious
veggies that are high in dietary fiber such as butternut and spaghetti
squashes.
Tip 4: Make sure breakfast includes some protein, a little
good fat like avocado or nuts, and good carbs like steel cut oats or whole
grain toast. Let your kids help plan, shop for, and prepare meals, including breakfast.
Tip 5: Establish
bedtime routines so that your kids have plenty of sleep at night in a bedroom
that is free of electronics. Do not let
kids have cell phones in their bedrooms because if cell phones are within 5
feet of their brains, they can interfere with their sleep.
Check out Let's Move, the First Lady's initiative to combat childhood obesity by clicking here. To read the President's proclamation on National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, then click here.
In gratitude,
Nancy Heinrich
Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.
