Teaching your children that fueling their bodies can be fun is one of the most important things you can do for them. We are at risk of losing an entire generation of people to health related issues due to their food intake. As a parent you need to take responsibility for changing that! One of the most dramatic things you can do to help your children is to eat at home. Take the time to learn with your children how to identify, shop for, clean, prepare, and cook healthy foods. Not only will this change be better for your family’s health, but your wallet too! Parents need to look at empty calorie foods like they view cigarettes. You wouldn’t put a pack of cigarettes in your child’s lunchbox, so don’t pack them foods that risk their long term health either! These silent killers work at about the same speed. Take control—plan for your child’s future through establishing healthy eating habits just like you’re planning for college, it’s a worthwhile investment. Making these changes is all about becoming aware and learning to be prepared! Get organized and stock the fridge one day a week. Portion out fruits and veggies in baggies for school lunches, buy a case of bottled water, serve foods that will sustain your child throughout the day, and never skip breakfast! Incorporate healthy foods wherever you can—dessert for example, who says it needs to be cake? Make it creamy yogurt over fresh fruit. Yummm! The changes you’re making are lifestyle changes. You will need to teach yourself and your family what your body needs to work—it’s a really neat science project! At KCA we offer an Eat Your Own Biosphere class where students learn about what their bodies need, and how to get it through sustainable living and organic foods. If your family is packing on a few extra pounds this is even more important, and chances are if one or more of your children is overweight you are too! So what if you’re not though, start making changes now to prevent your family from becoming overweight and suffering the associated long term health effects. Just take on a healthier attitude and lifestyle. Never say “diet” again! Make sure if you are trying to help one of your children reach a healthy weight that you never use food as a system of punishment / reward, only as the nutritional sustenance it is! Once you begin to have more control over your food and activities you will begin to find a feeling of freedom! Then you will feel good enough to want to continue. They say it takes 28 days to break a habit, so start today and by this time next month you’ll be enjoying your new lifestyle! I did it—I know you can too!
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