6 Health Habits to Teach Your Children

Francesca Saracino — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 13:00:24 +0000

Did you know that one in three kids are overweight or obese? Obesity is an epidemic that is now affecting children as young as 3 years old. September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and it’s never too early to start to teach your kids about how to live a healthy lifestyle. If they learn these things from a young age they will be less likely to become overweight and, therefore, lower their risk of developing type II diabetes, sleep apnea or bone and joint disorders. Today, we’re sharing 6 health habits to teach your children.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day

Kids need to eat breakfast in order to keep them full and focused while at school. Aim for something high in protein to hold them over. Studies have also shown that children who eat breakfast have a lesser occurrence of obesity than those who don’t. Plus it prevents bingeing when it comes to lunch or after school snacks.

Eat the rainbow
An easy way to teach kids about eating a wide variety of healthy foods is to tell them to eat the rainbow. Having a plate that’s full of many different fruits and vegetables in vibrant colors provides a lot of different vitamins and minerals.

Exercise is fun

A big mistake some parents make with kids is forcing them to play sports. I understand the idea behind it, but this philosophy may backfire. Let them try a sport; if they don’t like it, don’t force it. They need to learn that exercise is fun, not a punishment. If your child isn’t athletic encourage them to stay active in other ways. Activities such as playing tag or jumping rope are great ways to get the heart pumping.

Look at labels

Kids are never too young to know what’s in their food. Teach them about ingredients they should avoid eating such as high fructose corn syrup. If you give them the tools they need to eat healthy, they will make good food choices when you’re not around to help them.

Sleep is super important

Stress the importance of sleep. Make sure they know that electronics or TV are not allowed right before bed.

Self-love

One of the most important healthy habits to teach your children is the idea of self-love. Kids can be so hard on themselves and have no sense of self-worth. Teaching them to have love and respect for themselves is a huge key to success.

To learn more about nutrition for children, as well as how to get them set up for a healthy school year, pick up the Women’s Mind Body Wellness Summit. Dr. Jennifer Shell discusses how dangerous sugar is for kids and Alyssa Sullivan discusses nutrition programs in daycare. This summit also includes four other interviews from top female health professionals as well as two bonus workout videos, plus three inspirational videos from myself, MyHealthSpin Founder Lori-Ann Rickard.

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6 Health Habits to Teach Your Children