Raising Fit ad Healthy Kids

First of all, I apoligize for going so long without a blog post.  We just returned from a week of vacation in beautiful New England and I definitely took a break from my computer.  It was a nice break and I am of course back and excited to share more information on healthy family living. 

As I was hiking up the side of a mountain in the Mount Washington area of New Hampshire with three generations of Taylors (yes, we had Grandma and Grandpa, the three Taylor boys and their wives and seven kids between the ages of 7 months and 8 years old), it made me think about what makes fit and healthy kids.  Aside from sweet Eden who is only 7 months old, the other children, including Grayson and Brett who are only two, all trekked some if not all of this 3 mile round trip adventure up and down a mountain.  At times, I was walking at a very quick pace to keep up with the older kiddos as they practically bound down the mountain.

So what is the key to fit and healthy kids?  While it is not out of reach for anyone, it definitely takes some effort given the current state of health.  Today's kids are the first in history who will live less time than their parents.  Not surprising, the primary reason for this is obesity which is linked to all sorts of health issues.  Childhood and teenage obesity rates have been rising at an unbelievable pace over that past three decades, and the fatter you are, the sicker you are more likely to become.  According to a study conducted by Weight Watchers International, Inc. and the American Health Foundation, 25 percent of American children are now officially overweight.  This is more than double what it was 30 years ago and the numbers have risen with each successive study.

While fast food is a big part of this problem,  according to Ken Reed, Director of the Center for the Advancement of Physical Education, lack of exercise is the main offender.  "Over the last 25 years, caloric intake in toddlers and young kids has gone up three to four percent, but the level of physical activity has dropped nearly 20 to 25 percent."  While we must stay focused on getting our families to eat healthier, we have to at the same time find ways to get more activity and exercise.

Kids need about 90 minutes of daily exercise to avoid most heart disease risk factors, according to a study published in The Lancet in 2006.  Since kids should sleep 10 hours, spend most of their day in school, and according to the Academy of Pediatrics, spend an average of five and one half hours a day in front of the tv, game, or computer, we probably don't need a study to tell us that we have an up hill battle fitting more activity into a day and beating obesity.

While this sounds like quite a gloomy outlook, instead of discouraging, it actually gets me excited.  To think that such a major health issue has a "cure" within our reach.  We don't need some scientist somewhere to find a cure for us, it is completely in our control.  Here are some important steps to building fit and healthy kids:

No bottles before bed.  A large number of recent studies show infant obesity rates as high as 44 percent in some demographics, which have been linked in part to sending infants to bed with a bottle.  Not only is the child getting more calories, it is creating a learned response to eat before bed.  A very difficult habit to reverse.  Infants of course should have some body fat, but an obese infant is more than twice as likely to grow into an obese adolescent, who is more than twice as likely to become an obese adult.

Make your toddler toddle.  The 90 minute guideline is for school-aged children, but it is recommended that younger children get even more.  Infants should be encouraged to move as much as possible because it develops motor skills that will help them throughout their life.  Toddlers should have at least 30 minutes of planned activity per day and 60 minutes of free play, where they are allowed to move and roam as they like.  Preschool-age kids should get at least 60 minutes of planned activity and 60 minutes of free play. 

Fight for recess.  As school budgets dwindle and because results are based on test scores, "optional" classes like recess are being cut.  I would argue that recess is one of the most important classes your child has.  According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), it's not just how much children exercise that counts but how long they exercise for that is important.  Kids should not exercise for prolonged periods of time.  They benefit far more from short bursts of exercise throughout the day.

Juice is not for breakfast anymore.  The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that many children get most of their calories from beverages, when they would be better off getting them from whole fruit and other healthful solid foods.  Most come from soda, but juice can fly under the radar, masquarading as a health food.  Take a look at an orange juice label.  A former icon of a nutritious breakfast, and still praised in some less-enlightened cultures, is mainly sugar.  The refining process has leeched most of its useful ingredients and all of the fiber, turning a wonderfully healthful food, an orange, into little more than a morning sugar rush.

Say NO to the Cafeteria, unless your cafeteria is run by Revolution Foods or another healthful in-school lunch program.  Having your children bring their lunch to school can ensure that they are eating well.  School cafeterias have been getting progressively worse.  Did you know that the average cost of the lunch that they are serving your child in school is about $1, aside from the fact that it is mostly processed food and meets the minimum requirements where the minimum requirements are far too minimal.  Parents have banded together in many communities to change their school's nutritional structure.  Let your school know that minimum standards are not ok when we are trying to build fit and healthy kids.

Enforce TV and game limits.  Do you remember reading earlier that the average kids spends 5 1/2 hours in front of TV, games and computer screens?  UGH!  We could probably surmise that this time increases in relation to body mass index.  That is a lot of hours not moving!  Even if you monitor your child's content so that it is 100% education (if that is even possible), it is important that you enforce time limits for sitting still.  Not only is sitting still for long periods of time bad for you, but it more importantly creates a habit. 

Make a habit of exercise.  While we are discussing habitual behavior, exercise is one habit you want to develop in your children.  While you are structuring their day, add an exercise period.  No, I don't mean that you need to write an exercise program for them, however you do need to make sure that the time to get moving is on the schedule.  We want them to get use to the feeling that this is something they should be doing daily.

Assign chores.  Children should learn to do the same work around the house that they see you doing for them.  Weeding, sweeping, raking leaves, and doing laundry are all calorie-burning activities that add up little by little.  In fact, by getting them involved at a young age when they love helping out and being a contributing member of the family, may just decrease or eliminate the complaining when they get older.

Stop drinking soda.  Perhaps you have not heard this enough, but soda accounts for more calories consumed than any other food.  Teenagers in America get an estimated 13% of their calories from soda, making it nearly impossible to eat a balanced diet.

Try some sports.  Not all kids are great at sports, but almost everyone has an aptitude at some physical activity.  Start your child young by allowing them to experiment with different sports.  The more sports that they try, the easier it will be for you to see which ones they excel at and which they don't.  They get exposed to different things and people, they get some exercise, and, in the end, you will probably find something they will be good at - or at least decent - which will help their self-esteem as they develop.  Keep in mind that sports don't just mean team or traditional sports.  Martial arts, snowboarding, swimming, dance, and rock climbing are all just as effective as football and soccer for building healthy bodies.

Get outside!  When we grow up some of us will be inside people and some of us will be outside people.  As kids, however, we should all get some exposure to the great outdoors.  There are endless number of outdoor activities you can choose from, but the simples, hiking, is one of the best activities you can do with your kids.  It is great exercise, especially if you live around hills or mountains, which will ensure that your intensity will be high.  It builds motor skills because you walk on rocks and trees, etc.  It is also a learning tool because you will encounter the natural world and, most likely, develop an interest in the way it works.  It does not take having Yosemite or Mount Washington in your backyard, just get out there and enjoy the physical activity as well as the time with your family.

Growing fit and healthy kids is a combination of eating healthy, getting plenty of sleep and get enough physical activity.  If you are having difficulty in achieving success in any or all of these areas, contact me or visit my website.  I specialize in building healthy families on any schedule.  Having an insane schedule does not have to keep your family from being healthy and fit anymore. 

Are you looking for a keynote speaker for a back-to-school event, PTO meeting, etc?  Anytime is the right time to make the transition to a healthier lifestyle, but back-to-school time is a common time for families to make the committment.  Please contact me for more information on speaking engagements.

Resources:  "12 Steps to Having Fit and Healthy Kids" by Steve Edwards

WHAT'S FOR DINNER
It's a friday night during the summer, we want fun, quick, and easy!!!  Tonight we are making a very healthy and delicious pizza.  Your options for crust, sauce, and toppings are endless.  You can get whole wheat crust from many local pizzerias or the market such as Whole Foods.  You can also get pre-cooked whole wheat crusts at the market, but any whole grain pita bread, tortilla or even English muffins will make a great crust.  A good bottled or fresh marinara or pesto are my favorite choices, but let your imagination run wild.  There are very few veggies out their that would not work great on a pizza, especially if they are grilled or sauteed.  Try to steer clear of all of the processed and high-fat, high-sodium meat toppings, but a little bit for flavor might be just what your crew needs.  Sweet Italian turkey or pork sausage, canadian bacon or even a little prociutto add tons of flavor.  To really up the nutritional punch of your pizza, start with a good low-sugar, low-fat marinara sauce, make a layer of baby spinach leaves, a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes before adding a little of your favorite meat or other toppings.  Top the pizza with a little part-skim mozzarella and maybe even a small amount of feta or other highly-flavored cheese for an extra boost of flavor.  If you add all these veggies to your pizza then you might not need to serve it with a salad, but certainly the salad tastes great with pizza and adds bulk so you won't need to eat quite so much pizza.