How to Raise a Healthy Family
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How to Raise a Healthy Family
Fast-paced careers and activity filled schedules are now the norm for most middle-class families. It is getting harder and harder to fit regular exercise into your life without sacrificing time with your spouse, children and friends. So, why not enlist the entire family to get fit and healthy together. Remember, habits start from childhood and with your help, you children can get the right idea about having a healthy life right from the beginning.
This is especially important if you, your spouse, or your children are overweight as it can create a sense of togetherness and bonding that is unsurpassed by other dieting methods. By setting a good example now, you will lead your children into a better life where being healthy is paramount.
That being said, it is important to let other people who are in your children's lives, such as their caregivers or teachers, be aware of your efforts and to help lend support to you and your family. Knowing that you are setting an example may be the driving point that you need to change your own eating and exercise habits.
Remember to focus on the health aspect as opposed to "losing weight". Children are much more perceptive than you may know and may not take to your approach. If you emphasize that being healthy and strong are more important than the way you look, you will be sending one of the best messages about self-confidence that will go with your children for the rest of their lives. Children, whose parents put the proper emphasis on the importance of eating properly and exercising regularly, usually go on to lead lives where being overweight is not a problem.
And while eating properly is half of the equation, remember to incorporate regular exercise into your life and your children's lives. Regular park outings offer not only a chance for your children to run around, but you can get some exercise in to. Bring a soccer ball for a family game that will have you burning calories and bonding with your family. Or, have a family bike ride to the local park where you can end the afternoon feeding ducks and enjoying all that nature has to give. It's important to remember not to force anything onto your children, but to allow them to see the wisdom in your words and actions.
Jamie likes to write on an assortment of subjects and has been doing so for numerous years. His newest web page is http://sonicaretoothbrushes.org which supplies folks with information on the Sonicare Advance toothbrush.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Hayden
This is especially important if you, your spouse, or your children are overweight as it can create a sense of togetherness and bonding that is unsurpassed by other dieting methods. By setting a good example now, you will lead your children into a better life where being healthy is paramount.
That being said, it is important to let other people who are in your children's lives, such as their caregivers or teachers, be aware of your efforts and to help lend support to you and your family. Knowing that you are setting an example may be the driving point that you need to change your own eating and exercise habits.
Remember to focus on the health aspect as opposed to "losing weight". Children are much more perceptive than you may know and may not take to your approach. If you emphasize that being healthy and strong are more important than the way you look, you will be sending one of the best messages about self-confidence that will go with your children for the rest of their lives. Children, whose parents put the proper emphasis on the importance of eating properly and exercising regularly, usually go on to lead lives where being overweight is not a problem.
And while eating properly is half of the equation, remember to incorporate regular exercise into your life and your children's lives. Regular park outings offer not only a chance for your children to run around, but you can get some exercise in to. Bring a soccer ball for a family game that will have you burning calories and bonding with your family. Or, have a family bike ride to the local park where you can end the afternoon feeding ducks and enjoying all that nature has to give. It's important to remember not to force anything onto your children, but to allow them to see the wisdom in your words and actions.
Jamie likes to write on an assortment of subjects and has been doing so for numerous years. His newest web page is http://sonicaretoothbrushes.org which supplies folks with information on the Sonicare Advance toothbrush.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Hayden
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Tips for a Healthy Family Makeover
Did your family have a long day at work and school? No doubt you are exhausted and can't wait for dinner to get on the table so you've picked something up on the way home or open a pre-packaged meal to heat up in the microwave. Maybe after dinner everyone will sit down to relax in front of the TV. Or maybe you still have some work to catch up on and need to battle your kids for time with the computer.
Does this sound like a typical weeknight in your home? It is for many families. Like them you may feel that your family could improve in overall health and fitness, but with each day flying by it's easy to get distracted and simply keep following the same routine over and over.
IS YOUR FAMILY HEALTHY?
It is never going to get easier, so why not take a moment to determine just how healthy your family is. Start by using a BMI calculator (just look for one online) to determine if anyone in your family is overweight.
Is anyone overweight? Examine your eating habits. Does your family eat out or buy fast foods more than once a week? How many sugar filled soft drinks does your family drink in a day? How many meals have fruits or vegetables included and what kind of snacks are they eating on a regular basis?
Since many people who are overweight are not eating too much it is often an indication that they are not ACTIVE enough. How active is your family? Do you drive everywhere? Watch more than 2-4 hours of TV per day? Does anyone engage in fitness or sports programs?
Even if no one is overweight you may correctly feel your family is not FIT. So what can you do?
SMALL CHANGES - BIG DIFFERENCE
You don't need a major makeover to start increasing your family's health and well being. Some steps to a healthier lifestyle simply require a bit of forethought and planning.
- Sit down for meals as a family. Eating together without the TV or radio on not only helps you develop an awareness of what and how much everyone is eating, but also builds family bonds with conversation during the meal. Start with at least one meal per week and build to at least one meal per day together.
- Replace soft drinks and other high sugar drinks with milk and water. The amount of sugar (up to 13 teaspoons) in a soft drink is not only calorie filled but sap energy as well. Not having soft drinks or sugar laden fruit punches in the home at all will help everyone develop new habits. Switching to a lower fat milk will also help and is hardly noticeable.
- Reduce TV time AND computer, video games and other sedentary activities. Having other activities such as board games, outdoor play, household chores and organized sports or programs helps children to develop better self-esteem and create bonds with peers and family members.
- Offer healthy alternatives. Setting out a bowl of baby carrots and low fat ranch dressing is as easy as a bowl of chips and dip. Buying a jump rope or bike as a gift is as easy as choosing a new computer game or video. Joining friends for a game of soccer or learning a new dance is as fun as instant messaging or hanging at the mall.
- Start small. It's better to make a few gradual changes than to expect everyone to stick to a new routine. Making diet and activity changes means you and your children need to plan alternatives or else you will become frustrated and slip back into old habits. Your efforts to set a good example can set your children up for a lifetime of better health!
Does this sound like a typical weeknight in your home? It is for many families. Like them you may feel that your family could improve in overall health and fitness, but with each day flying by it's easy to get distracted and simply keep following the same routine over and over.
IS YOUR FAMILY HEALTHY?
It is never going to get easier, so why not take a moment to determine just how healthy your family is. Start by using a BMI calculator (just look for one online) to determine if anyone in your family is overweight.
Is anyone overweight? Examine your eating habits. Does your family eat out or buy fast foods more than once a week? How many sugar filled soft drinks does your family drink in a day? How many meals have fruits or vegetables included and what kind of snacks are they eating on a regular basis?
Since many people who are overweight are not eating too much it is often an indication that they are not ACTIVE enough. How active is your family? Do you drive everywhere? Watch more than 2-4 hours of TV per day? Does anyone engage in fitness or sports programs?
Even if no one is overweight you may correctly feel your family is not FIT. So what can you do?
SMALL CHANGES - BIG DIFFERENCE
You don't need a major makeover to start increasing your family's health and well being. Some steps to a healthier lifestyle simply require a bit of forethought and planning.
- Sit down for meals as a family. Eating together without the TV or radio on not only helps you develop an awareness of what and how much everyone is eating, but also builds family bonds with conversation during the meal. Start with at least one meal per week and build to at least one meal per day together.
- Replace soft drinks and other high sugar drinks with milk and water. The amount of sugar (up to 13 teaspoons) in a soft drink is not only calorie filled but sap energy as well. Not having soft drinks or sugar laden fruit punches in the home at all will help everyone develop new habits. Switching to a lower fat milk will also help and is hardly noticeable.
- Reduce TV time AND computer, video games and other sedentary activities. Having other activities such as board games, outdoor play, household chores and organized sports or programs helps children to develop better self-esteem and create bonds with peers and family members.
- Offer healthy alternatives. Setting out a bowl of baby carrots and low fat ranch dressing is as easy as a bowl of chips and dip. Buying a jump rope or bike as a gift is as easy as choosing a new computer game or video. Joining friends for a game of soccer or learning a new dance is as fun as instant messaging or hanging at the mall.
- Start small. It's better to make a few gradual changes than to expect everyone to stick to a new routine. Making diet and activity changes means you and your children need to plan alternatives or else you will become frustrated and slip back into old habits. Your efforts to set a good example can set your children up for a lifetime of better health!
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