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!
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Author: Eric Choong
Please visit my website at: http://www.health-beauty-care.com
(You are granted the right to reprint this article but the
title
and content must remain unchanged and the authors name
and contact information must be included.)
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