"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:
- 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).
- Make family dinner time a priority at least 4 nights a week (depending on the kids’ sports and other commitments)
- 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.
- Take a walk after dinner, whenever the weather permits.
- 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.
- Learn to make a simple vinaigrette for your salads (see my recipe below).
- 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.
