You are taking your daughter to a birthday party. It’s a pool party.You brought a cute princess swimsuit, which she has been asking for a while. As soon as you reach there, all the girls started looking at your daughter, she was extremely excited to wear her new dress. Suddenly, a skinny and petite little girl came and said ,“you look so fat in that dress”. Kids are just kids, you ignore. But, what about your daughter? She is mentally scarred by her physical appearance. This is a true story….
Kids are called names and parents are constantly judged.
March is known national nutrition month. National Nutrition Month® is a nutrition education and information campaign created annually in March by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
What exactly is nutrition?
Nutrition is the act or process of nourishing or being nourished; In simple words the process of eating the right kind of food so you can grow properly and be healthy,
Then what is diet and dieting?
Diet is food / nourishment.
Dieting is to restrict oneself to small amounts or special kinds of food in order to lose weight.
As an adult at some point in your life, you must have heard these words or even tried to be either for or against nutrition and diet.
But, what effect does this have on our kids? Do they know about nutrition and dieting? When it comes to kids, we moms want to feed them the best, healthy, nutritious food and sometimes more than what they need.
Is this love harming our kids? Absolutely not.. We have innate human instincts to do the best for our children then why are these national statistics of childhood obesity escalating? Clearly, something is missing?
According to new study by US National and Healthy Library of Medicine, “Children and teens who become or stay obese may quickly face up to three times the risk of developing high blood pressure compared to their slimmer peers.”
Studies have proven children who are obese are more likely to remain obese as an adult, putting them at higher risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and asthma. However, the effects go beyond the health risks and can lead to social discrimination and low self-esteem.
These 5 simple steps will help you keep your kids achieve good health and keep them motivated.
1. First and foremost, Stop bringing processed food at home. Always keep the refrigerator stocked up with lots fresh fruits and vegetables. When kids don’t see the store brought goodies, they will be open to the options of having to snack on fresh items. You can definitely make an exception. Once in a while treats are ok but you have to follow the next step.
2.Reading nutritional labels and ‘sticking to serving size”. This I cannot stress enough, because I was doing it wrong, till I read about it. Best way is bring small packs or pack snacks in100 calorie bags. This way a treat remains a treat.
3.Replace fruit juices, with fresh cut fruits. If kids insist on wanting juice then add water to dilute those juices. Refrain from store brought smoothies which are loaded with sugars. Just because something is named “Smoothie” doesn’t mean it’s healthy.
4.Involve kids in making choices for grocery shopping. For Ex. Would you like “Orange sweet carrots” or “Fresh crunchy celery”? Give them a opportunity to choose. Let the kids make their own snacks. Encourage them to suggest lunch ideas with lots of fresh produce. Motivate and complement them. Share about your kids making these great choices with your mom, your friends and family.
5.Be a good role model. “ Actions speak louder than words”. Lead by example. Don’t advice “Just do it”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnYzGlmEpmU