Healthy Children - Introducing Nutrition to Kids |
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By: Jim Duffy Posted: 2010-12-01 05:27:45 |
| Raising healthy, happy children is the most important and challenging job in the world. Parents have a lot of things to think about when it comes to the health of their children. In the United States today, the sad fact is that our children are becoming less healthy, even though they have some of the best health and fitness resources available. Sedentary lifestyles and poor nutritional choices by parents have contributed to the fact that kids today just aren't as healthy as they could, or should be.Putting the Pieces TogetherTo have healthy children, you need to make sure that they have the right balance of diet and physical activity every day. Many parents work long hours and find it difficult to get their kids interested in physical exercise and eating right. But even if you have to work a lot and aren't able to spend as much time with your kids as you might like to, you can still take some simple steps to instill healthy habits into their routine. Kids look up to parents and emulate their actions. Taking steps to improve your own health can be a major step forward in the journey toward raising healthy children.Exercise for KidsIt's important for kids to get plenty of physical activity every day. Some parents get overzealous about exercise and try to introduce regular fitness routines for their kids to follow. This isn't always a bad thing, but parents need to remember that healthy children are happy kids and kids are the happiest when they are having fun. When fitness becomes a chore, kids will do whatever they can to avoid it. Parents should try to find fun, interesting ways for their kids to get exercise.For some kids, joining a sports team or taking a fitness-based class, like karate or ballet, is a great way to get exercise. If your child likes sports and social activities, signing him or her up for a team or class may be just the ticket to increased physical activity. Not all kids enjoy organized sports, though, so parents will need to work a little harder to find physical activities for kids with other interests. Taking family hikes, going for bicycle rides, or long walks can be great forms of exercise for kids who don't want to be involved with structured sports or exercise programs.The important thing is to get kids physically moving. Raising healthy children requires parents to be sure that their kids are getting some kind of physical activity on a regular basis. Parents need to work with their children to find activities that are fun and engaging for the long haul.Nutrition for KidsOne of the biggest challenges parents face is getting their kids to eat healthy foods. Kids are naturally attracted to junk food, so it's important for parents to take action to get their kids to eat healthier. Like the rest of us, kids need to have plenty of fruits, vegetables, fiber, essential fats, and lean protein to stay healthy and strong.Parents often lose the battle for a healthy diet with their kids by being too strict when it comes to eating plans. Don't be overly restrictive with your child's diet. Just like exercise, when kids perceive that they are being forced to behave a certain way, they are likely to rebel the first chance they get.Make Healthy Eating FunYou buy the groceries, so you probably have a good idea of what your kids like to eat. Take some time to make a list of the healthier foods they enjoy. For example, if your child eats a lot of junk food, but really likes a particular vegetable, try finding similar vegetables to introduce into their diet. Many kids will begin to enjoy a food after they have tried it a few times. Whatever you do, don't make healthy eating into a contest of the wills. If kids know that they are going to be in for an argument at every meal, they'll never enjoy eating healthy foods.Sneaking in the Good StuffWith some kids, you just can't win when it comes to food. Some simply will not eat vegetables, no matter how much mom and dad threaten, beg, plead or scream. This can be a big challenge for parents, but there are sneaky ways to add good, nutritious foods into the diets of die-hard junk food fans. For example, parents can use a food processor to liquefy fruits and vegetables and sneak them into a child's meals. This tactic won't work well with older kids, but for young children it can be a way to get some fruits and vegetables into their system.Educate Your Kids About Healthy FoodsIf you want to raise healthy children, it's important to educate them about the importance of eating right and exercising. Parents shouldn't have to spend all their time sneaking nutritious foods into their kids' meals. Educated kids understand how what they eat and how much they exercise affects the quality of life that they will have as adults.The most important fact of all in raising healthy children is to be a good example. Remember that your kids learn about life through what they see you do. If you've been getting by on takeout and junk food, start taking steps to clean up your diet. If your kids see you eating healthy and getting exercise, they'll be more likely to do it themselves.And just as kids take vitamins to make up for deficiencies in their everyday diet, parents need to add supplements to their own diets to give them what they need. Try adding a healthy protein supplement like Profect - a liquid shot from Protica - to your diet to make sure you are getting enough protein. Remember that healthy children usually have healthy parents, so take the time to take care of yourself. Your kids will thank you for it.About Protica ResearchFounded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of protein-rich, capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect protein beverage, IsoMetric, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility.You can learn more about Protica at http://www.protica.com |
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