How to keep Your Kids Healthy and Active

About 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 years are obese, reported the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2014. They are at an increased risk of health problems such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, which are usually reserved for older, overweight adults. Overweight children also are also more likely to be overweight in adulthood. But this doesn’t mean you have to put your child on a strict diet, as it may be unhealthy and may lead to nutritional deficiencies. Instead, help a child to understand the concept of clean eating by choosing healthy options of more vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy and lean protein. and saying no to unhealthy, high calories process foods. Also encourage physical activity every day to help them burn calories and achieve a healthier weight. These small changes can help a child feel healthier and more energetic quickly, but losing weight will take time.

Get Your Kid Moving The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recommend children, get at least an hour of physical exercise daily. More movement helps a kid use more calories and burn off body fat for energy. Cardio as well as activities that help some strengthening of muscles and bones should be incorporated into their daily schedule. Muscle strengthening can be achieved by playing a sport, performing gymnastics or climbing a tree. Fun activities such as jumping rope too help strengthen kids’ bones. Instead of joining them for a gym they can go for the fun and activity classes like martial arts, dancing, swimming and playing sports. Martial Arts is one of the best for the overall fitness of young children. They will also learn discipline and dedication. Get fitness and nutrition consulting for your child here

Limiting screen time Time for watching television, computer or video games should be limited to no longer than 2 hours per day. This also will help encourage kids to get moving. Include your kid in family activities, such as a weekend hike, cleaning of house and other household chores or after-dinner stroll. Give your child ideas of ways to be active outside of P.E. class or sports practice, such as dancing to music, skateboarding or riding a bike.
Make Healthy Food Choices for yourself and your kid Making wise food choices helps kids, and adults, reach healthy

weight. Lean proteins, such as grilled chicken, fish and low-fat cottage cheese, should be the preferred choices over fried foods or other fast foods. Opt for fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy and whole grains as side dishes. Avoid creamy sauces and dressings and go for salsa, olive oil, herbs and lemon juice to provide flavour instead. Choose healthy items, such as nuts and seeds, sprouts salads, roasted peanuts and chickpeas, fresh fruit or low-fat yogurt as snacks.To lose weight a little faster, limit intake of foods that lead to weight gain. Fast food, full-fat dairy, fried foods, packaged snacks, sugary treats, white bread and soda don’t contribute any nutrients, but they do provide numerous calories. When a child is hungry for a second helping or needs something between meals, offer fruit, more vegetables, such as salad greens or carrot sticks, or a second piece of lean protein. Shop for their favourite tasty healthy snacks here

Make Gradual Changes Instead of taking drastic measures to reduce weight make gradual changes. Introduce Most families have limited recipes in their meals. The method of preparation also depend on their family tradition and culture.Look for more interesting recipes on internet, books, tv and try them and introduce healthy recipes one by one.
Reduce Food Temptations Keep tempting sweets and processed snacks out of the house. When the family shops for
Delights

grocery, stick to the perimeter of the store to load up on fruits, veggies, lean proteins and low-fat dairy. Avoid the bakery and the aisles containing the processed, high-calorie snacks. Include your kid in the shopping process and make healthy choices according to his tastes. Encourage your child to pack his own lunch box and help him select healthy options. Go over the school lunch menu with him ahead of time and help them learn which items are more nutritious choices. When he attends a school party, contribute a kid-friendly snack, such as grapes or baby carrots with dip, so he has alternatives to the sugary treats and junk foods. Same way, when you plan for your kids parties discuss the menu and choose healthy snacks over pizzas and burgers or other deep fried items. Choose healthy fruit juices over aerated sugary beverages which have empty calories.The more often your kid can avoid high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, the faster he can achieve a healthy size.
Avoid Drastic Measures for Losing Weight Fad diets and skipping meals may seem like an easy way to lose weight. But, these strategies cause the kid to miss out on nutrients that are critical for growth and development, brain function and energy. Good nutrition is very crucial for growing children. They need energy for their lots of activities throughout the day. Proteins are the building blocks, thus they will need optimum amount of protein for their growth. Fats are crucial for transportation of vitamins and minerals and for formation of growth hormones. Making their food interesting is very important to attract them to eat healthy food. Help a child learn to eat all foods in moderation. It’s OK to have a slice of birthday cake once in a while, but make healthy choices most of the time. Set a good example by modelling these behaviours.
Give Psychological Support Try to become aware of the feelings your child attaches to food. Notice if your kid reaches for a snack when bored or stressed, and if so, help him seek out an alternative support strategy. Parents can help a child create healthful coping mechanisms that aren’t based on food. Such strategies include calling a friend, writing in a journal or going for a walk.