Would you like to look better, feel better and have more energy ?
be committed to EARN....
E - regular Exercise
A - positive Attitude
R - adequate Rest
N - wholesome Nutrition
......optimal health for yourself and share it with others.
Prevent Childhood Obesity
Think about how you plan and save to afford a new car or even a house. Think about how you balance your checkbook, never spending money that is not there.
Think about how you organize a filing system at work, so that when you need something you know exactly where it is. So many of the personal and work habits we prize involve planning and organizational skills. We use those skills in order to achieve success and in order to maintain a semblance of control in our busy and challenging lives. So why would we, as parents,wing it when it comes to feeding our kids? Isn't their health and well-being of paramount importance? Wouldn't we put our own lives on the line to save our kids? So how is it that we give less thought and effort to the feeding of our kids, when compared to our work habits?
Think about how you organize a filing system at work, so that when you need something you know exactly where it is. So many of the personal and work habits we prize involve planning and organizational skills. We use those skills in order to achieve success and in order to maintain a semblance of control in our busy and challenging lives. So why would we, as parents,wing it when it comes to feeding our kids? Isn't their health and well-being of paramount importance? Wouldn't we put our own lives on the line to save our kids? So how is it that we give less thought and effort to the feeding of our kids, when compared to our work habits?
Maybe that's what we, as parents, need to focus on, so that we raise healthy kids who avoid the obesity trap. Because if you ask the average dietitian or nutritionist to describe the household of overweight kids, very often they will say, "it's a disorganized, messy household; there's chaos in the kitchen." What can parents do? The answer is actually easier than you think - because the neatness habit is a habit you may actually be using in other sectors of your life. Maybe you just dropped the ball at home and especially in your kitchen. Here are some tips that can help you to "get control" of the kitchen and in turn, and what you feed your kids.
- Clean out the refrigerator and pantry - that means emptying every last inch of both places and really examining the food. Toss expired foods, foods with mold, junk foods, foods with trans fats. Take the time to read labels and decide which foods have too much salt or sugar or which foods are just "taste good foods with no nutritional value." Involve your kids so that they can begin to have a sense of what is going into their bodies. If you are a young couple then remember, that this exercise is setting up a healthier household for the kids you may decide to have some day.
- Spend time at the supermarket and begin to develop a list of better choices and treats. Only one or two treat options need to come home with you on a weekly basis - too many treat choices can lead to over-eating the wrong foods too often.
- Explore the fruit and vegetable aisle and take advantage of taste testing and recipe cards which many supermarkets are now offering. Kids should be part of this weekly experience so that they learn and participate in choices.
- Don't bring home multiple choices of any healthy processed foods. You do not need 6 cereal boxes or 9 different kinds of breads. The only "many selections" you should have on hand are fruits and vegetables.
- Remember that snacks are "bridges to meals." Your kid should not be eating meal-size snacks nor should they expect a snack every hour.
- Begin to cook your own simple meals and involve the kids. If you cook, then you control the ingredients. That typically means you eat less fat, less salt, less sugar if you use simple, healthy recipes. Involve the kids and they typically will eat what they had a hand in preparing.
- Go on the internet to find healthy recipes or invest in a magazine subscription likeCooking Light that can help you learn how to substitute healthier ingredients in recipes and how to cook delicious, healthy meals
How to overcome Low Self-Esteem
Low self-esteem leaves us with the uncomfortable feeling that we're not capable or deserving enough, no matter what the evidence to the contrary.We may excel as mothers, managers, pro-highly acclaimed magazine and still lack self-worth.
A Strong Sense of Self
Treat yourself right-now
Don't feel selfish-treating yourself well reinforces the idea that you are worthwhile. Do what makes you feel good, and you'll feel better about yourself. Begin doing small things for yourself this very minute. Make an appointment to get your nails done.
If you don't exercise, start
Exercise is a good option-it has so many physiological and psychological benefits.
Plan to improve
If there's something about yourself that you don't like, take steps to change it.
Congratulate yourself
Breaking your goals into manageable steps and rewarding successes along the way builds confidence and self-esteem. Unreasonable goals, on the other hand, set you up for failure and erode self-worth.
Work toward self-sufficiency
Knowing that you can defend for yourself-that you don't have to depend on another person for everything-is a great source of self-esteem.
