Help your children recognize that eating foods of different colors isn’t just for the aesthetics and fun – it has health benefits, too
As parents, we pass more than genes down to our kids.
Children pick our habits, as well – both good and bad. We can show our kids we care about them by sharing these nuggets of health advice, promoting healthy attitudes that will last long after they are under our immediate care.
- Help your children recognize that eating foods of different colors isn’t just for the aesthetics and fun – it has health benefits, too. They can be taught to understand the nutritional benefits of including a rainbow of colorful foods in their regular diet. That does not necessarily mean that every meal has to be multicolored. But they should be made aware of the need to incorporate a range of fruits and vegetables of different hues – from red, blue and orange to yellow, green and white – into their diet.
- There is an importance to instilling a routine of healthy breakfast in childhood. Establishing this habit in youth can help make it more likely that your child will continue this good habit as they get older. Teach them the importance of a low-fat, low-sugar breakfast in jump-kicking their brain and their energy. They need to understand that a healthy breakfast contributes to better weight maintenance and helps keep chronic diseases at bay. The medical community reports that going without breakfast correlates with four times the likelihood of obesity. The high fiber in many breakfast cereals can actually help reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
- Encourage your children not to be a couch potato. Support their participation in a range of outdoor activities, including swimming, gymnastics, soccer and other outdoor sports that can help them stay active. Getting them off the couch and out the door can help promote better performance in school, treat potential obesity issues, create a greater sense of self-esteem and help promote better sleep patterns at night.
- Drink water, not soda. The message is simple: water is healthy; soft drinks are unhealthy. While your kids may not understand all of the reasons why too much sugar is bad for them, you can help them understand the basis. For example, according to the American Heart Association (AHA) the sugar in soda provides no nutrients and adds calories that lead to weight problems. Water, on the other hand, is a vital resource that humans can’t live without.
- Family dinner is a time to bond. With hectic family schedules, it is hard to find time to sit down and enjoy a mean together. However, according to University of Florida research, sharing a family meal means that family bonds get stronger; kids are more well-adjusted; the family enjoys more nutritious meals; kids are less likely to be obese or overweight and kids are less likely to abuse drugs or alcohol.
Let’s give our kids a chance for a healthy body and mind by teaching and setting examples that provide better approaches to their world.
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Company Name: Phoenix Weight Loss
Contact Person: Debra
Email: doctor@phxweightloss.com
Phone: 602-274-3438
Address:202 E. Earll St, #160
City: Phoenix
State: AZ
Country: United States
Website: phxweightloss.com