How to Become a Positive Role Model by Practising Heart-Healthy Habits

Becoming a role model for your children by practicing good heart-healthy habits is essential not just for us as adults, but for your children as well.

Statistics show that not only has obesity become a pandemic among adults and children, but that children are now also showing early signs of cardiovascular problems.  Among these are high blood pressure, weight gain, high cholesterol, and inactivity.

In order to minimize these factors, parents need to take the lead and begin to demonstrate and effectuate a healthier lifestyle.  Let’s face it; children mimic parents – they learn what they are taught and engage in the same habits as their parents.

Thus, it is important to begin the process of a healthy lifestyle before, during, and after a child is born.  When a child comes home from school and wants a snack, what was once considered the traditional snack of cookies and milk may not be appropriate today.  A piece of fruit or raw vegetables served with low-fat yogurt is much healthier.

Perhaps you have seen the Super Bowl commercial in which parents and kids were shopping for snacks for the game.  The items that were included were certainly not healthy or appropriate for children.  When children see parents snacking on pretzels, potato chips, donuts, and other foods that are high in trans fats and sodium, they will assume it’s okay to eat and follow these habits.

Children need to be taught early about the merits of choosing foods that are healthier.  In addition, regardless of whether the family goes out to dinner or has a prepared meal at home, portion size needs to be a consideration.  One of the ways one family addresses this problem is to serve meals on smaller plates.

Find new recipes and/or create meals that provide a balance.  Include vegetables, fish, chicken, and fruits in the daily diet.

Family activities that involve exercise can go a long way in teaching children the importance of exercise.  If mom and dad are having fun exercising, the children will follow this healthy approach.  Restricting TV and/or computer time can also serve as an effective method to reduce a sedentary lifestyle.

Becoming a positive role model for children requires that we set an example every day.  Consuming foods that are healthy and nutritious, reducing the portions of foods served and engaging in exercise are all part and parcel of an effective and stimulative process by which children will learn the value of each component.  In turn, these components will become a routine part of their daily lives.

Kristy Lee Wilson

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How to Keep Our Children’s Hearts Healthy

Two major components to ensure that children maintain a healthy heart are diet and exercise.

With obesity now a pandemic in our society, the need to increase physical activity and develop healthy eating patterns is essential.

We all know the benefits of exercise.  It can help to control weight, increase the good cholesterol, and reduce blood pressure as well as the risk of diabetes and other illnesses.  It can also offer an inner balance and psychological well-being that instills confidence and self-esteem among children.

The American Heart Association offers a myriad of recommendations both for physical exercise and eating habits.

They recommend that children should engage in 30 minutes of exercise a day.  This can be attained by using the entire 30 minutes of playful activity, or dividing the time into two or three periods in which the total 30 minutes is achieved.

In this day and age of fast food restaurants and on-the-go snacks, it is also important to present a diet regimen that is healthy, targeted, and provides the nutritional value children need to grow into healthy adults.

A diet low in sodium and trans fats is recommended as well as balanced meals including fruit, vegetables, whole grains, fiber, and protein.  Low-fat and/or fat-free dairy products are also recommended.

The total recommended calories consumed depend largely on the age of the child.  For example, for very young children it is advised that 900 calories per day is sufficient.  For teens, it is estimated that 1800 calories for girls and 2200 calories for boys is quite sufficient.

But the main factor in keeping children’s heart healthy is to refrain from over-eating. This means time spent watching TV or playing video games can only contribute to a sedentary lifestyle later on.

Young children are nearly always on the go, and this is a good thing.  However, as children mature and grow into their pre-teen and teen years, their level of activity may slow down.

Thus, any activity that the entire family can engage in will not only keep the children active, but will act as a preventative measure in avoiding any future health problems for all concerned.

Kristy Lee Wilson

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