Eat Right
1. Eat breakfast! It’s the most important meal of the day! Try to include protein (i.e. eggs), fruit, and a whole grain (i.e. whole grain waffles, cereals, or breads)…the “grainier”, the better!
2. Choose whole-grain foods, such as whole-wheat bread, oatmeal, brown rice, and even whole wheat pizza crust, more often.
3. Vary your veggies. Go dark green and orange with your vegetables—eat spinach, broccoli, green beans, carrots, and sweet potatoes.
4. Focus on fruits. Eat them at meals, and at snack time, too.
5. Get your calcium-rich foods. To build strong bones serve low-fat and fat-free milk, yogurt and other milk products several times a day.
6. Go lean with protein. Eat lean or low-fat meat, chicken, turkey, and fish. Also, add dry beans and peas when possible. Add chick peas, black beans, nuts, or seeds to a salad.
7. Veggies first. If you’re still hungry and want seconds, take more vegetables first.
8. Get your oil from fish, nuts, and liquids such as flax and olive oil.
9. Choose foods and beverages that do not have sugar and caloric sweeteners as one of the first ingredients. Added sugars contribute calories with few, if any, nutrients.
Exercise
1. Set a good example. Be active as a family and have fun together. Play with the kids or pets
outside and go for a walk, to the park or play catch.
2. Establish a routine. Set aside time each day as activity time— walk, jog, skate, cycle, or swim.
Adults need at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week; children 60
minutes everyday or most days.
3. Have an activity party. Make the next birthday party centered on physical activity. Try backyard Olympics, or relay races. Have a bowling or skating party.
4. Set up a home gym. Use household items, such as canned foods, as weights. Stairs can substitute for stair machines.
5. Move it! Instead of sitting through TV commercials, get up and move. When you talk on the phone, lift weights or walk around. Remember to limit TV watching and computer time.
6. Reward children with activities (i.e. take them to the park for a good report card). Give gifts that encourage physical exercise!
Heather Hackett
Heather is the Chief Fitness Officer of I Train Your Kids, a
company focused on improving the health of children and their families
through proper nutrition and exercise. Individualized fitness
training and group classes are offered at the I Train Your Kids Gym,
located inside the Bath & Racquet Fitness Club in Sarasota. Heather
also offers online training and nutrition counseling which allows her
to train any child or family, anywhere. To contact Heather or for more
information, please visit www.iTrainYourKids.com.
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