Wednesday, March 30, 2016

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: Obesity in Adults: 7 Tips You Can Use

"Pasta does not make you fat.  How much pasta you
eat makes you fat." 
                                                 --Giada De Laurentiis



Obesity rates continue to climb.  Adults who are obese are 4.7 times more likely to develop diabetes.  For the wealthiest nation in the world that spends more than $245 billion on diagnosed diabetes (as estimated in 2012), a whopping 41% increase over the previous 5 years, we are spending a lot of money on a preventable disease that could be used many other ways.

Growing Healthy Kids is committed to preventing diabetes in children and educating parents how to prevent, control, and reverse diabetes.  Are you are parent?  Start with a simple plan to make one change a week.  Record your plan in a notebook and measure your changes. 

Make health goals that are SMART:  Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-Specific.  Review this list of 7 tips and pick out several to implement for you and your family.  Use them to create SMART goals:
  1. Start every day with a breakfast that includes some high quality protein (like eggs or yogurt), a little fat, and some healthy carbs (fresh fruit or veggies). 
  2. Make family dinner time a priority at least 4 nights a week (depending on the kids’ sports and other commitments)
  3. Ban cell phones from the dinner table.  This small change encourages conversation about the day and dining at a slower, relaxed pace, allowing everyone to taste and enjoy their food.
  4. Take a walk after dinner, whenever the weather permits. 
  5. Eat a salad featuring local greens (when available) at least once a day.  Ask your kids to create a family salad bar with 5 or 6 ingredients. 
  6. Learn to make a simple vinaigrette for your salads (see my recipe below).
  7. Replace fruit juice with fresh fruit. 


GROWING HEALTHY KIDS:  Our Recipe Collection
HEALTHY VINAIGRETTE

MIX together in a bowl (or in a jar and then you can just shake it well):
  • ·        1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ·        1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • ·        ¼ cup Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar
  • ·        1 teaspoon honey (use locally produced honey where available)
  • ·        sea salt
  • ·        fresh ground pepper

BEAT with a whisk or a fork until the mixture emulsifies.

This is a great dressing for a simple chopped salad using fresh, locally grown greens.  We love salads made with fresh picked organic greens, arugula, tomatoes, cucumbers, pears, avocados, garbanzo beans, and apples.

Make a plan.  Keep it simple.  Think of what YOU would do with $245 billion!

In gratitude,
Nancy Heinrich

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.