Healthy Families

Healthy Families

Today I would like to introduce a guest writer. Carolyn is a 20-something year old with a passion for life, fitness and overall well-being. She is an avid cycler, golfer and has been known to bust some serious moves on the dance floor. 

Carolyn wrote to me (not too long ago) about her passion for getting healthy- starting at home. As a mother, I am constantly trying to better my own health- and that of my family. I honestly believe that mothers are the most influential factors in raising healthy children. After all, we do the majority of the grocery shopping and activity planning. So, I thought Carolyn would be a wonderful addition to Diapers & Daisies today and help to expand our knowledge on leading healthy lives.

Thanks Carolyn.

With no further ado...

  

When the calendar flips to the new year, people around the world get to work on their New Year’s resolutions. For my family, changes in habits had to be addressed in November of last year, which was when my young cousin was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I couldn’t believe that someone who is only 13 years old could develop this disease…but after talking with her doctors and doing my own research, I found that it has become quite common among young children to develop Type 2.

What was even scarier to me than the sheer number of kids affected by this disease, are all of the possible consequences that can come from it. Information provided by St. Joseph’s Hospital Cardiac Center describes how, if left untreated, Diabetes can lead to things such as eye problems and blindness, heart disease, and even neurological problems. Seeing as how this disease can frequently be treated and prevented with adjustments to diet and exercise, I took it upon myself to work with my family to make healthy adjustments to diet and exercise so that none of my other cousins will run the risk of developing this disease. Seeing that we are in the New Year, it’s a perfect time for other families to make this their resolution for 2013 as well!

Inactivity and obesity are two contributing factors to the rise in Type 2 Diabetes in youngsters under the age of 20. The best tools against it, of course, are exercise and a healthy diet. It is always a good idea to check with a doctor concerning best dietary options and exercise regimes, but here are a few tips to get you and your children started on the right track for the New Year.

Get Active to Get Healthy! 

First, take advantage of the weather to enjoy exercising outdoors with the kids. Those who live in cold climates will find winter sports a great way to stay fit. Take the kids tubing, sledding or skiing. Spend an afternoon building snow forts and having a snowball fight.

If snow doesn’t fall where you live, take the kids on a family bike ride or go rollerblading together. If weather is bad enough that going outside isn’t an option, turn on some music and have a family dance contest or pick up some exercise DVDs from the library and enjoy the workout together! The key is to get moving every day, and it makes it easier and way more fun if everyone does it together! 

Eat Right to Get Healthy! 

To improve your children’s diet, make some moderate changes to start (changing everything at once can be a major shock, and they are much more likely to resist each change). Replace sugary drinks with water. If the kids don’t like the taste, offer purified drinking water or add a squeeze of lemon, lime, or cucumber to the drink.

At snack time, offer fresh or dried fruit with no added sugar, almonds or crunchy vegetables. Hummus and guacamole are great, healthy sides that are both delicious, healthy, and great with veggies or whole grain pita chips!

At mealtime, use proper portion control and replace processed food and red meat with options such as fish, brown rice, poultry and legumes. For a balanced plate, ½ the plate should be filled with fruits and/or non-starchy vegetables, ¼ should be lean protein, and the last ¼ should be whole grains/healthy carbs. 

As with any disease, it is easier to prevent Type 2 Diabetes that to treat it following onset. A few lifestyle changes will ensure better health for the entire family, and will build healthy habits for years to come!

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