Learning Healthy Habits From Our Children
Michelle May M.D.

There are many important things that we need to teach children as they growbut they have many natural behaviors that we shouldnt try to change. In fact, we could learn a few things from kids! Here are some important lessons:

Eat when you are hungry. From the time they are born, babies know when and how much they need to eatand they cry to let us know too! As they grow, this important instinct can be un-learned. By the time they are adults, they may have learned to eat for many other reasons besides hungermealtimes, tempting food, stress, anger, boredom, and countless other triggers. By recognizing the difference between needing to eat and wanting to eat, adults can re-learn when and how much to eat too.

Stop eating when you are full. An infant will turn their head away when they have had enough to eat, and a toddler will throw a plate of food on the floor when they are done. But as adults, we clean our plates because there are starving children somewhereor just because something tastes good. I am not suggesting that we start throwing our plates on the floor again, but we need to remember that food is abundant in our society so there is no need to eat it all now.

Being hungry makes you grouchy. Being hungry, tired, or frustrated make childrenand adultscrabby! Starving yourself because you are too busy to eat or because you are trying to lose weight usually backfires.

Snacks are good. Kids naturally prefer to eat smaller meals with snacks in between whenever they get hungry. That pattern of eating keeps their energy level and metabolism stoked all day. Adults who need to fire up their metabolism should try this too.

Play with your food. Most kids love to examine, smell, and touch their food. Since eating is a total sensory experience, they get the most from every morsel. This childlike approach will help you eat less food while enjoying it more. Youll appreciate the aroma, appearance, and flavors more if you arent driving, watching T.V., or standing in the kitchen!

All foods fit. Children are born with a natural preference for sweet and higher fat flavors. Though parents sometimes worry, these fun foods can be part of a healthy diet. In fact, overly restrictive food rules usually lead to rebellious eating anywayjust think about the last time you werent allowed to eat something on a diet! Children and adults both eat healthier when they learn to enjoy these less nutritious foods in moderation.

Be a picky eater. Kids wont easily eat something they dont like. Think of how much less food you would eat if you didnt settle for food that tasted so-so.

You can learn to like new foods. Healthy eating is an acquired taste. Good nutrition is essential, so providing a variety of appealing, healthful foods will benefit the whole family. In our house, we have a two-bite rule. Everyone tastes two bites of everything; if they still dont like it, they dont have to eat itbut they have to try it again the next time we have it. Since that is The Rule, there are no battles at the table and the kids often surprise themselves by liking something they thought they wouldnt. (And we never say I told you so!)

Follow the leader. Face it, kids watch, and often imitate, everything we do. If they observe us eating a variety of healthful foods and exercising regularly, then they will learn to take good care of their bodies. Likewise, if they dont hear us making comments like I am so fat and she looks fat then they are less likely to suffer from poor self-esteem and a judgmental attitude.

There is more to a party than cake and ice cream! Invite a child to a party and theyll want to know what they are going to get to do. Invite an adult and theyll wonder what food will be served. You dont have to avoid parties to keep your weight down; just focus on the real purpose of social eventsto be social!

Eating with your family is fun. Since babies and toddlers must be fed by their parents, they naturally love eating with other people. Family mealtime is your opportunity to model good habits and connect with each other. Now that our kids are older, we sometimes play High-Low at dinner. Each member of the family takes a turn telling the others about the best and worst parts of their day. What a door opener!

Its boring to just sit around! Toddlers seem to be in perpetual motion as they explore their world. Young kids love to run in the grass, play on the playground, and challenge themselves and each other to increasingly more difficult activities. Of course, as they get older, television, computers, and electronic games compete for their attention. In our family, to encourage other activities, we use screen time which limits how much time our children are allowed to spend on anything with a screen. Sometimes adults would benefit by limiting their screen time and exploring their world a little more!

Sleep is good. After a full day, children need a good nights sleep to prepare for all of the adventures that tomorrow will hold. Wouldnt we all benefit from a consistent bedtime to make sure we get our rest too?

Live in the moment. Kids are masters at living in the present. They dont waste a lot of energy worrying about what has already happened or what might happen tomorrow. They are fully engaged in small pursuits like discovering where the ants are going, chasing the dog, or seeing how deep they can dig with a plastic shovel. We, on the other hand, continue to scurry around, chasing after our dreams, and all the while, digging ourselves deeper and deeper. We could learn a lot from children!

About the Author

Michelle May, M.D. is a practicing Board Certified Family Physician with expertise in the cognitive-behavioral aspects of weight management. She is the author of Am I Hungry? What To Do When Diets Dont Work in collaboration with a Registered Dietitian and Psychologist. Visit her website http://www.AmIHungry.com for more ideas on managing weight without dieting.

Tags: Adults, Anger, Appearance, Aroma, Author, Babies, Boredom, energy level;, energy worrying, Food Stress, food;, Healthy Habits, Important Things, Instinct, less food, Metabolism, Michelle May, Morsel, Natural Behaviors, practicing Board Certified Family Physician, Registered Dietitian and Psychologist, restrictive food rules, Sensory Experience, Snacks, Starving Children, Tempting Food, the author of Am I Hungry, US Federal Reserve —

Lean healthy recipes – Eat a variety of veggies for a healthier you
Fritz Blanc

The only way to keep up with the latest about lean healthy
recipes is to constantly stay on the lookout for new
information. If you read everything you find about lean healthy
recipes, it won’t take long for you to become an influential
authority.

The new food guidelines issued by the United States government
recommend that all Americans eat between five and nine servings
of fruits and vegetables each and every day. When you first hear
that number, it may seem like a lot, but it is actually much
easier than you think to fit that many servings of fruits and
vegetables into your daily diet. For one thing, the shelves of
the grocery stores are fairly bursting with fresh fruits and
vegetables. In addition, vegetables and fruits are some of the
least expensive, most nutrient rich, foods in the supermarket.
With all these fruits and vegetables to choose from, it is very
easy to make these nutritious, delicious foods part of your
daily meals and snacks.

When you take into account how much a serving really is, it is
actually quite easy to get five to nine servings of fruits and
vegetables per day. For instance, the recommended daily amount
actually equates to a quite reasonable two cups of fruit and two
and a half cups of vegetables every day. When you consider how
many fruits and vegetables are available, and how low the prices
usually are, it is easy to see how easy to reach this daily goal
really is.

One great way to get the nutrients you need from fruits and
vegetables every day is to take full advantage of the variety of
these foods available. Eating the same thing every day quickly
becomes boring, so why not pick a variety of fruits and
vegetables, in every color of the rainbow and in every
conceivable shape, size and texture, to give yourself a varied
diet every day.

When shopping for fruits and vegetables, it is important to
choose a variety of different colors. This is for more than
purely artistic reasons. Different color fruits and vegetables
have different types of nutrients, and choosing a variety of
colors will help ensure you get all the vitamins and minerals
you need each and every day.

The more authentic information about lean healthy recipes you
know, the more likely people are to consider you a lean healthy
recipes expert. Read on for even more lean healthy recipes facts
that you can share.

Finding new recipes is another great way to ensure you get those
five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
Everyone likes to try out new recipes, and these new recipes may
just provide the impetus you need to eat all those fruits and
veggies.

New recipes can also provide you the important opportunity to
try out some fruits and vegetables you have never tried before.
For instance, everyone has eaten oranges, but have you tried
kiwi fruit or mangoes? How about spinach or kale? Trying new
things is a great way to find new favorites while getting the
best nutrition available.

Many people mistakenly think that they do not need to eat five
to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day if they just
take a vitamin supplement. Actually, nothing could be further
from the truth. That is because fruits and vegetables contain
far more than the micronutrients identified by science and
synthesized in vitamin pills. While these micronutrients, such
as vitamin C, vitamin A and vitamin E are important to good
health, so too are the hundreds of other elements that are
contained in healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. These
elements are not available in any pill, they must be ingested
through a healthy, balanced diet that contains plenty of fruits
and vegetables.

In addition, fruits and vegetables are much less costly than
vitamin pills. Fruits and vegetables are very inexpensive,
especially when purchased in season and grown locally. In the
long run, getting the nutrition you need from the food you eat
is much less expensive, and much better for you, than popping
those vitamin pills every day.

So don’t forget to get your five to nine servings of fruits and
vegetables every day. It may seem like a lot, but you can meet
this quite reasonable goal simply by including fruits and
vegetables as snacks, as garnishes, as side dishes and as meals.

Is there really any information about lean healthy recipes that
is nonessential? We all see things from different angles, so
something relatively insignificant to one may be crucial to
another.

About the author:

Fritz Blanc is a part time internet marketer who has created
many web sites about various subjects. You can visit one of his
web sites food and recipes at:
http://www.iwork4self.com/summerrecipes/summerrecipes Other
websites by the same author: http://bp-visa-007.blogspot.com
http://quikutz-die-cutter.blogspot.com
http://chicago-dental-veneer.blogspot.com

Tags: Author, Color Of The Rainbow, Conceivable Shape, Daily Meals, Delicious Foods, Different Colors, Food Guidelines, food;, Fresh Fruits And Vegetables, Fritz, Fritz Blanc, Fruits And Vegetables, Fruits Vegetables, Grocery Stores, Healthy Recipes, Lookout, New Food Guidelines, Nutrient Rich Foods, Nutrients, part time internet marketer, same author, Shape Size, Shelves, Snacks, United States Government, Vegetables And Fruits, Vitamin A —

When you go into your doctors office and you hear the words, Diabetic Diet you may tend to freak out, but you don’t have to. There are no actual Diabetic Diets out there for you to take part in. However, a licensed nutritionist and your doctor can give you support and guidance in the right direction. This article will provide you with some tips and give you some ideas for to discuss with your doctor and the nutritionist.

After you have some time to adjust to the idea of having diabetes, call your doctor and get some information on how to eat properly to control your diabetes. Since there are no exact diets to use for diabetes you can create one that will specifically fit your needs. The first thing to take into consideration is that when you have diabetes you don’t have to quit eating everything you normally eat you just need to eat them differently.

A few things you can change in your eating habits are:

1. How much you eat

2. When you eat

3. How you prepare your food

4. Decrease sugar and sweets

5. Watch how and when you eat carbohydrates

6.Increase the following:
Fruits
Vegetables
Whole wheat grains

7.Reduce fat intake

8.Moderation in alcohol

When you are trying to adjust to a Diabetic Diet Plan keep track of how much you normally eat at each meal and if you have snacks throughout the day. If you don’t eat regular meals, then its important for you to create an eating schedule. You need to see to it that you are eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner along with small snacks in between meals. It is important to maintain at least a 1600 calorie diet on a daily basis.

If you are used to eating a large amount of food then you will need to cut back a little bit at each meal. Adding small snacks during the day will help fill the void in your stomach. This will do positive things for you. It will help keep your sugar level. Keep your appetite under control. And keep you from pigging out when you sit down to eat a regularly scheduled meal.

A really good positive thing about eating like this, along with exercise, it will help you to lose weight. Not only will it help in the short term, but once you get used to it, you will find you can keep the weight off. In addition you may well see an overall increase in your physical health.

Make sure you eat breakfast every morning and try to include some fruit. Fruit not only taste good, but it is good for giving you energy and it can be a great snack. Its also important that you eat lunch every day to help you maintain a steady amount of energy throughout your day no matter what you are doing. If you are a person that normally skips lunch try starting out by having some crackers or a salad for lunch so you will be eating something and it will be a light meal.

The next important meal you need to eat is dinner. When you eat dinner try to eat a well balanced meal so that your body won’t feel over full or bulky. It is also important to eat at regular set times every day so that your body can adjust and process the food before you go to bed. Be careful not to eat too early. If you eat too early in the evening then you may become hungry again and want to eat before you go to bed.

There is one last tip to pass on about your diabetic meals. And this is how you prepare your meals. You should broil or bake your meats. In addition if you have to cook on the top of the stove use Virgin Olive Oil in lieu of butter and other Trans fat laden foods.

As you can see a diabetic diet is not the end of the world. If fact if it is followed, you will delay the worsening of your diabetes, lose weight and improve your health overall.

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Proven Solutions To Winter Weight Gain And How To Lose It

Did you know winter weight gain may be the biggest enemy you have in your battle to keep your weight down? You may be one of those that really pack the pounds on during the winter. Have you ever asked yourself why it happens to you? Well actually there are several things that can cause this unsightly weight gain. However, you can take steps to help lessen the chance of putting the extra pounds on.

One of the biggest contributing factors can be winter boredom. Chances are you decrease your activities during the winter months; especially the outdoor ones. This can be due to the shorter daylight hours.

Recent studies have shown that when physical activities are reduced you tend to get bored. The same studies indicate boredom causes many people to eat more than they normally would. And if you are like so many others you will tend to snack on comfort food.

Unfortunately much of todays comfort food is not good for our overall health much less our waist line. If you must snack out of boredom you should be extremely careful to make sure your snacks or healthy. It would be a good idea to keep veggies, fruits and nuts around. The lower the calorie counts the less chances you will have winter weight gain.

Some scientist place the blame of cold season weight gain on our ancestral blood lines. These same folks think some of your pre-historic relatives may have had to pack on the fat just to stay alive during the cold months. In turn this same need created a desire for food that would add the extra fat quickly and easily. Today we call that loading up on the calories.

Furthermore these scientists also believe your relatives also piled on the extra calories because of the fear of the food spoiling. And of course the food spoilage would cause shortages before the coldest part of the winter was over. The need for survival was to add the fat, just like some animals do for survival.

But you dont have to let this needling of Need Meat, Need Meat control you. A chain around the refrigerator will do just fine; thank you very much. Seriously you can over come this inherited need (if that is what it is) by remembering you live in a warm friendly environment and the grocery store is just around the corner. Thus you dont have to eat everything in sight just to stay warm and survive.

But lets face it; you know darn good and well you tend not to exercise as much during the winter. Its much easier to come home in the evening and throw yourself down in the recliner and catch some TV time. Well, friend you just compounded your winter weight gain by a factor of 2 or more.

No matter what else you do you have to get some exercise. If the weather is to bad to go outside and walk, use the stairs in your office building. Go to the gym for lunch instead of to the cafeteria. Do what ever you to do to keep your metabolism up to burn those extra calories.

As you can see there are many things that can cause you to jump up to 2 pants size larger during the winter months. However, if you take some of the steps mentioned above it will help control your winter weight gain and make it easier to lose when the warmer months roll around.

Tags: Ancestral Blood, Blood Lines, Boredom, Calories, Cold Season, Comfort Food, Daylight Hours, Desire, Food Spoilage, food spoiling, food;, Fruits, Fruits And Vegetables, Losing Weight, Nuts, Place The Blame, Proven Solutions, Relatives, Scientist, Scientists, Snack, Snacks, Waist Line, Winter Weight Gain —