PitterPatterFeet

Can you imagine? Some one that conditions others to be stellar players collapses and dies. Wow that’s a lot right, but what does that have to do with my child you say. It relates to your child because a simple thing like dehydration was suspected as playing a major role in his death. And by the way dehydration is a very major thing that we do not think about too often.

Research indicates that the Read more »

Making sure that your child begins to drink water early is a great way to ensure that your child gets proper nutrition and creates a great habit to prevent obesity in their future. Even though water has no calories or nutritional value it is still very valuable to your toddler. A good amount to probably start with is 10-15 ozs.

According to pediatricians you should not give a baby younger than 6 months old water. First, there is enough water in their formula and breast milk( 94 percent water). Also, giving a baby younger than 6 months water can interefere with the body’s ability to absorb the nutrients that are in both formula and breast milk. And although small sips will not hurt the baby, it is much better to be safe than sorry, and to check with your pediatrician.

There is also a consideration of water intoxication. This happens when too much water dilutes the concentration of sodium that is in the body. This upsets the electrolyte balance and causes the tissues to swell. Water intoxication can also cause seizures and even coma.

It is a good idea to introduce the child to water before juices and other drinks with sugar in them, even 100 percent fruit juice. After milk make that a child’s second choice. So when they ask for something to drink give them water first. Another good idea is even with 100% fruit juice you can add water to dilute it slightly.

If your child absolutely does not like drinking water try giving them items that are made of predominately water like actual fruits, soup, milk, smoothies  etc. Also try making sure the water is cold as children don’t really care for room temperature water. Vegetables are also an excellent source of water, even though it’s not as direct.

You want to make sure that you don’t over do it. Giving a toddler too much water tends to make them feel full and could limit the amount of food intake that contributes to their growth. Remember toddlers have small tummies that can get full really fast. So you don’t want to diminish their appetite and jeopardize vital calories and nutrients that they need for growing.

This is the same reason why you do not want to give a toddler more than 4 ounces of 100 percent fruit juice. In addition to not wanting to spoil their appetite you also want your child to get the fiber from fruits and the additional nutrients in the actual fruit itself. 

Lastly, make sure you are a good example also by drinking water yourself. It is so  much more effective and impactful when you model the behavior you want your children to have.

Being a smart and savvy shopper when it comes to grocery shopping will carry you a long way in preventing childhood obesity. I know it seems so obvious, but when life is coming at you from 73 different directions and your head is spinning to try and keep up, planning and eating nutritous meals can fall by the way side. It is so easy and tempting to take the fast food route. With the rising costs of food today sometimes fast food isn’t even the culprit, it’s our neighborhood grocery store that can sometimes knock us for a loop.

I went to the grocery store today to get tuna fish. Read more »

Did you know that it can take a child trying a food at least 10 times or more before they actually start to like it. Actually I think it’s more than that but my notes from a seminar that I just took on Preventing Childhood Obesity are under a sea of papers. The main thing that I want you to focus on is not giving up. Listed below are 3 tips that you can use in getting your child to eat healthfully. They are make food fun and be playful, prepare meals with your kids and introduce them to fruits and vegetables in different ways like books or  the internet as well as in real life.

Since the title of this post has to do with adventurous eating let’s start with this first. As a adults we don’t really go on adventures any more so we probably need to brush up on how to do it. What will help us is to look at it from the perspective of a child. To children an adventure means fun and expoloration. They do things solely for the experience of it. So to should we take this approach to eating. Try food art by arranging your food on the plate in the shape of a happy face or shapes that children are familiar with in school.

Children as are most adults are really influenced by the smell and look of food before they will even explore it so be sensitive to this. Bright vibrant colors are best so maybe you can serve some items in raw form.  Blending them in a blender and creating delicious smoothies are a way to get several servings of fruits and vegetables in you can also keep it in the refrigerator for later.

Cook in the kitchen with your children. When children prepare their own food they are more likely to eat it. You can show them how to cut safely by using plastic forks and working with items that are not so hard to cut like a banana or strawberries. Let them get plenty of practice. 

Take children to a farmers market or to the supermarket with the specific purpose to decide what new fruit or vegetable your family will try that day. The internet is a wonderful resource for recipes and finding out the names and the nutritional values of foods. You can introduce them to the fruits and vegetables here before going to the market.  Books are another great resource.

Try these suggestions . Do a little at a time and make sure you plan for these experiences  into your schedule. I would love to hear your experience.

As a parent or caregiver you can help in preventing childhood obesity by helping children to deal with their emotions in positive and empowering ways. Helpimg children to deal with their emotions in this way helps in preventing emotional eating before it starts.

You can start helping your child even at a very young age. Children depend on parents and teachers to help them make sense of and understand the world and how to navigate in it. When children are very young they cannot Read more »

There are steps you can take in an effort to prevent obesity for yourself and your children and loved ones. In taking care of yourself you are providing a powerful role model for your children to follow and are also ensuring theirs and your success in life. One step that you can take to do this is through mindfulness.

As a society we have the tendency to multitask endlessly. To do one thing and only one thing at a time is unheard of today, this is especially true with eating. I have seen people Read more »

Do you really think that a tax on sugary drinks will really help in the prevention of obesity? I am sort of torn and not so sure.  I think the intention of the idea is great. It is done in an effort to raise money to offset the deficit and discourage people from consuming sugary drinks that have been linked to obesity. It has been found that these drinks more than food are a major contributor in obesity.

Since sugar is an addictive substance and is not good for the body in the first place, I think this move would encourage us to choose healthier choices when it comes to choosing our beverages and what we put into our bodies. It would cause us to be more conscious instead of being on automatic when ordering  out. This could be the start of a whole new lifestyle change.

It always feels a heck of a lot better when you decide to do things on your own rather than being forced  into doing something. So I think we should all start now in making wiser choices, especially with our children who really cannot make the choice on their own. Sure they can tell us what they want but they don’t have a job and are not paying. And even if they did or do have a job we are still the parent and still have to do what we think is right.

My only concern is this would really cause a burden for the poor who a lot of times only have these sugary drinks as options. But every one regardless of economic status deserves to be and eat healthy. So they get to start making wiser choices too, based on the best choice that is available to them and that they can afford.

What do you think? I would love to hear your opinion on this one. Feel free to leave a comment. Also pick up a free report on Helping Your Child Be Healthy and Fit from http://www.healthykidsweightloss.com .

Too much sugar is not good for our children, yes of course we know that. But did you know the effects that too much sugar has on the body? Sugar is an addictive substance which means the more you have of it the more you want it. It also has negative effects upon the body when consumed in large quantities. There are several things that you can do to prevent childhood obesity as it relates to sugar.

The first thing you can do is Read more »

It is important to have a variety of fitness activities for kids. Having variety keeps children’s interest and enagages them. When people think of fitness they think of rigorous movement or some form of movement. In addition to movement we need transitional activities also that help quiet the mind and body. This particular activity is one that quiets the body and  can be used in three ways. It can be used for developing listening skills and helping children to pay attention. It can also be used for learning self control and patience. The activity is called the MAGIC NUMBER .

This is an activity that involves you counting and the children listening. Have the children lie on the floor. Explain that they are taking a rest and that it will be time to get up after you say the magic number. Tell them the magic number. Ask them what is the magic number and have them tell it to you. Have them lie down and then begin to count.  In between your counting ask the children is it time to get up. They will love to scream back at you NO! Once you say the magic number it is time to stand up.

This activity is used to transition from rigorous activity such as playing in the gym, outside,  dancing or any where they have been exerting themselves and need to take a rest. Although children have a lot of energy, their energy is spurts and they need rest periods in between.  In can be used any time you want the children to settle down and be still. Don’t worry about whether or not the children can count up to a certain number because in this exercise they are listening for the magic number. In time they will learn the correct sequence of counting.

I use dance as a media for learning. In addition to learning dance moves from Classical Ballet, or Hip Hop we also do a lot of running, skipping, galloping, jumping and hopping so this exercise works very nicely as a way to give them a rest and still have learning and skill building take place. Focusing and listening are two essential skills that children will need for school and life.

Healthy eating is another component of health. You can get a free report on healthy eating for kids at http://www.healthykidsweightloss.com.