Ok everyone, it's time to fight for our kids health!!! At our first AdvoCare Success School, Bob Donnelly said something that I will never forget--he said that most people would die for their kids, but how many would change for them? Change is a touchy subject for most people--even if we have the ability to be objective and see our own faults, rarely do we have the courage or discipline to change them. It was an "aha" moment for us--we wanted to be better parents, spouses, friends...better people. Our unhealthy lifestyle was one of the first things we knew we needed to change. Several of you asked about our changes with Madi, and so I wanted to share a few of the "tricks" we used to get her excited about living healthier. Madison has lost some weight as a result of us eating healthier foods, I want to stress that we did not put her on a "diet". This has a been about a lifestyle change for all of us--even though she had not complained about her previous weight, I have noticed a less stressed, more confident little girl getting up in the mornings! She told me she feels great and has so much energy, and her grades have even improved this 6 weeks!!!
1. PACK A LUNCH AND GIVE THEM OPTIONS!!!
Ok, so I know that our schools are trying to go healthier by offering menu items such as "baked french fries", but let's get real--baked french fries are still french fries. Kevin and I knew that the french fries, chicken nuggets, corn dogs and hamburgers they were offering in the school cafeteria were just high-calorie, processed crap; and btw, fruit from a can is just not going to offer the benefits of antioxidants and vitamin nutrition that we want our daughter to have. Now, I'm not knocking the schools here--I know they offer salads and other healthier options as well...my daughter just never chooses those options. If you put a piece of cake versus an apple in front of her 100 times, I promise--she will choose the cake every single time!! She's 10! I'm not saying she should never have cake, but we were living in the mindset that we "deserved" cookies, cake, brownies, candy, etc. at least once per day, and we usually had two servings. And eating vegetables--an ancient form of specialized torture. SO...in order to get her mind away from our previous mindset, Madi and I got on Parents.com and browsed through the many creative & healthy lunch ideas for kids. It was fun seeing her get excited about being able to choose which healthy foods she wanted to take in her lunch, and which new ones she wanted to try. I think giving her some options allowed her to feel like she had a little control over these changes in her life, and she forgot that she was having to give up some of the junk foods she had learned to depend on.
2. MAKE CHANGE EXCITING
One way I did this was to buy a new lunchbox. You wouldn't believe how much excitement that created for a 10 year old. Really. I looked at the Bento Buddies online...I felt like $40 bucks was a little much for a lunch box, and found something similar and equally "exciting" at Target for $13. I also allowed her to choose new foods she had never tried before. This was also very exciting, and Pinterest offers loads of creative ideas for making food fun for kids. Plus I love to browse Pinterest, so it's a win-win for me too. :)
3. LEARN TO COOK
I hate to say it ladies, but eating out is your worst enemy. You have no control over ingredients or portion sizes, and no accurate idea of nutritional information. I actually found some amazing recipes on Pinterest, where there are endless options for 15 minute meals, and if I know there is going to be a day that is too crazy to try and cook dinner I just turn to my trusty crockpot. It basically comes down to habits, and once I got into the habit of cooking dinner, it just wasn't that big of a deal anymore.
4. BE AN EXAMPLE
You can't make your kids follow a healthy lifestyle that you yourself aren't willing to follow. No exceptions (ok, well, maybe if you are pregnant...). This goes for activity too--get outside and take your kids to the park, play games or take the dog for a walk. There are a million ways to get moving. We refer to it as limiting our "screen" time...less TV, iPod touch, computer, and Nintendo DS.
5. NOTICE CHANGE AND PRAISE THEM FOR IT
When I noticed the little Mad-ster reaching for fruit instead of fruit snacks, I praised her for it! Kids want to please their parents, so let them know when they make you proud!!
Some of you asked which AdvoCare products Madi is on--the only products she uses are the chewable vitamins for kids (adults can use them too!), Rehydrate and Probiotic Boost. CitriZinc is a chewable for increased immunity, and Purple Champs is a chewable Omega-3 for kids. According to LIVESTRONG.com
"Omega-3 fats are abundant in brain cells, nerve synapses, visual receptors, adrenal glands and sex glands and thus are vital to a child’s normal growth and development. Omega-3 fats are critical to keeping a child's brain and body in biochemical balance and providing children with the building blocks for a strong immune system. DHA is considered the most important omega-3 for the growing brain while EPA is considered vital for immune system health."
Since we are not a "fish-eating" family we choose to supplement our Omega-3 to make sure we are getting enough. You can find all of these products at:
I've included a great salad recipe below, since it can be tricky to get kids to eat them. I stole this idea from a friend! Enjoy!
Fruit and Feta Salad
Spring Greens & Baby Spinach (I used the bagged variety)
Feta Cheese
Strawberries
Blueberries
Walnuts
Tomato
Light Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
Tsp Low-Fat Plain Greek Yogurt
No comments:
Post a Comment