This article is all from personal experience. Growing up, my parents were very health minded. There were no sugar cereals, (we ate Wheat Germ on top of All-Bran,) no sodas (except Club Soda for the adults to mix with booze), dessert, if we were lucky, once a week (usually Oreos, for my brother because I did not like them) and skim milk at every meal. We exercised all the time whether it be tennis with my parents, a school activity or sport, or when we were home – after my homework I was sent outside to play for hours until dinner which was usually late.There was absolutely no television during the week days, and hardly any on the weekends either.
Some of my parents rules may have been a bit rigorous, but now, with my own family, I have kept up some of these healthful traditions. In order to be healthy, you don’t have to be on a diet. You don’t have to burn more calories than you are taking in, however, you do have to burn calories to stay healthy.
My kids are not allowed to watch television after school, just as I was not allowed, so that they are not sedentary. Even if it’s cold or snowy, they play the Wii Fit or Wii Sports, they ask to play games or do puzzles to keep their brains active, or we create something whether it be cooking, painting or building. On the weekends, when they can watch t.v., it is a little more exciting since they do not watch all the time. The same goes for us as adults. I do not turn the t.v. on during the day if I am home.
We have a vegetable or salad every night. Even if you add a little cheese, salad dressing or seasoning to make it taste better for them, it teaches them about eating healthy. We also do not have dessert every night, however, if they crave it, we keep sugar free Popsicles around which seems to satisfy them. As adults, our metabolism is not as fast as kids, so it is a good idea for us to limit sweets as well.
Both kids take dance lessons, and my seven year old is involved in a lot. Softball in the Spring. A week or two of summer camp in the summer. A sport or gymnastics in the fall. Girl scouts during the school year. Keeping kids busy with healthy activities, for their mind and body, is a great way to keep them active and interested. This is also important for adults as well.
There are so many ways to be healthy – ride a bike, work out, eat low-fat etc…
You have to what works for you, but as I mentioned above, the basics for my/our healthy lifestyle are:
-Limited Television and sitting around
-Exercise whether it be through a school, work or for recreation
-Limited Dessert
-Vegetables every day at whichever meal you choose
-Staying active — crossword puzzles or games for your mind, and the above mentioned exercise for your body
Maybe some of these will work for others too. It’s not hard to set the routine. You just have to follow it through!
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