Healthy Living
See below for some tips on healthier eating!
Hi! Welcome to the new healthy living section of our web page! In the coming weeks, you will find some suggestions and tips for helping your family live a healthier lifestyle! Our first topic will be "Television, video games and your children," but in the coming weeks look for healthy eating tips as well as links to some of our favorite food websites. We will also share tips for keeping your kids active and fit!
Television, Computers, Videogames and your child
Television has been shown to have many negative effects on your child's health. Obesity, sleep problems and aggressive behavior have all been linked to increased television viewing.
How can TV, videogames and computers harm my child's health?
Children who watch only 2 hours of TV per day are exposed to 10,000 acts of violence per year! When you consider that the average school-age child watches 4 hours of TV per day AND plays videogames or is on the computer for another 2 hours each day, that can add up to more than 30.000 violent acts witnessed by your child EACH YEAR! Younger children are especially vulnerable to the effects of television violence. Numerous studies have shown that children who watch more TV are more likely to show aggressive behaviors. Remember that the next time you have to stop your child from "pile-driving" his sister!
TV advertising encourages children to eat "junk foods" by bombarding them with ads for sugary snacks, sodas and fast food. Children will snack more and get less exercise the more TV or videogames they watch/play. Studies also show that children who watch more than 2 hours of TV per day eat fewer vegetables at meal times.
How much is too much?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that toddlers under 2 should not watch any TV. Even "developmental" videos have not been shown to have any value for encouraging brain development in infants and toddlers
The AAP recommends children from 2yrs to 5yrs should be limited to NO more than 1 hour of TV per day and children over 5 and teens should be limited to NO more than 2 hours of TV + computer/video game time per day.
How can I help protect my child from the harmful effects of TV, etc?
1) Watch TV with your child so you know what they are seeing and discuss what you see in those programs. Check out the content of websites and videogames BEFORE your children are allowed to use them.
2) Keep the TV off during mealtimes.
3) Keep the TV and computer out of your child's bedroom. You can monitor what and how much they are watching and who they are "chatting" with if you keep the TV and computer in the living room. And a TV in your child's bedroom disrupts sleep patterns if they are using it as a "lullaby"
4) Start a "Family Game Night" tradition on Friday or Saturday nights.
Healthy Eating Tips
Has your family resolved to eat healthier in 2008? Then good for you! Not only will you live longer, but you will live your extra years BETTER! Read on for some tips to help your family keep your resolution:
1) Use Sunday afternoon to plan your family meals for the week and make one trip to the store. Dr Bliss and her family have a notebook with their favorite "Cooking Light" recipes in it to choose meals from -- you can say hello to them at the grocery store every Sunday after church!
2) Read food labels! Avoid foods (and drinks) with "high fructose corn syrup." HFCS is a very UNhealthy food additive that is found in many "low-fat" foods and ALL soft drinks! It is a leading cause of expanding waist lines in the US.
3) Snack on nuts when hungry between meals. Nuts have healthy fats and fiber which will help you feel full longer and help you eat less at your next meal.
4) Have dinner at home...as a family...WITHOUT the TV on! Use dinnertime to catch up with each other about work, school and life. If you are at a loss for conversation or your child or teen answers every question with "fine," ask a general question such as "where would you like to vacation this summer if we won the lottery and what would you do there?" or "What does your dream home look like?"
5) Eat dinner off a smaller dinner plate. Plate sizes, like our waistlines, have increased over the last 30 years. Use an 8 or 9 inch dinner plate instead of a 10 or 12 inch plate and your regular portion size will look HUGE!
6) If you do give in to temptation and eat corn chips or potato chips, take a handful and put it in a small bowl or on a small plate. NEVER eat straight from the bag. If you eat straight from the bag, you won't have any idea how much you have eaten, and before you know it, 1/2 the bag is gone!
7) Visit www.cookinglight.com for meal ideas when stuck in a rut. It is also a great site for tips on how to make your favorite meals healthier!