If youre like me, youre tired of hearing how bad our huge waistlines are and that our kids are too fat. The fact that its true makes it even more annoying. Its time to lose the negative and find some positives. Here are some of my ideas:
1) Go Play: Seriously. Go play, with your kids. Get out the bat and ball, pick up the roller blades and get moving as a family. Most aspects of play are also exercise, running bases in a softball field, skating down the sidewalk with the kids and going for long family bike rides can bring you closer as a family, lift your spirits and... help you get in shape.
2) Good Food: Good tasting food doesnt have to be bad for you. You may need to experiment to find the right mix, but its possible. Weve developed a couple of habits that make healthy eating fun and natural. One is sort of odd, but works really well. We lightly steam broccoli (just enough that it doesnt feel like youre chewing on a twig) then eat it as is like popcorn.
Another is an appetizer platter. Fruit in season, favorite vegetables, whole grain pretzels and other tasty foods are served before dinner or during the evening movie time. This does a couple of things quite painlessly. The first is that it helps your family get the fruits, veggies and whole grains they need to be healthy and second it dulls the appetite a little so that heavier foods arent as desirable. Ive found that if you switch around the various components so the tray doesnt get old, it can be a very useful way of having good food safely.
3) Fun Shopping: The average kid in the grocery store is passively riding in the cart or wandering behind a parent text messaging. Even when they are toddlers, kids can have fun helping you pick what you put into the cart for them to eat. As long as you stay away from the aisles with candy, cookies and junk food, this is very useful.
That, in itself, doesnt make it fun. We parents have to make it fun by explaining tastes, being willing to try new foods and otherwise encouraging kids from a young age to be nutritionally smart. An example of how this might work comes from an exchange between one of our daughters and a classmate.
They were sitting down at the table, and the young boy held up his reduce fat white milk and informed our daughter that he had made the better choice because it was reduced fat. She held up her carton of chocolate milk and pointed out that hers was fat free. Guess who changed his milk choices?
4) No Lectures: Ive found it very easy to start pontificating to others, including my family, about healthy eating. All I accomplish is annoying a bunch of bored nonlisteners. Its not easy to step out of teacher mode, but avoiding even the sounds of a lecture is really better. Showing is better than telling.
5) Snack Smart: You and your family dont have to give up favorite foods that are high in fat, sugar and so on. You just have to learn how to time it and how much makes a serving. In fact, eating something "bad" for you a couple of times a week can actually help you lose weight. Just remember the serving size part. Eating a whole tray of chocolate chip cookies is not a smart snack...
If we can manage to keep the words "diet" and "exercise" out of the equation...but still do them, were ahead in the game. Lets keep it positive and we can all become healthier.
See my website: http://www.alternative-herbal-remedies.com
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