As you change to healthy eating, begin exercising, take appropriate supplements and generally regain your health; are your children with you on this journey? Most people begin worrying about their health and making lifestyle changes in their forties as they begin to have symptoms. Ideally, these changes should begin in childhood.
In order to change the health of generations to come we need to focus on the health and well-being of children…while they are still children!
There is no reason for a child to eat processed junk food. If you start early, a baked sweet potato fry or other roasted vegetables will be at least as appealing as French fries or other junk snacks. With a little forethought, it isn’t much more difficult to prepare wholesome meals and snacks from natural, chemical free ingredients.
Get your children involved in the food preparation tasks because it will empower them to understand food and their ability to make healthy choices throughout life. Even a 2-year-old can stand on a step stool and stir something. This allows your children to develop ownership of the food and they will be much more likely to eat and enjoy something which they helped prepare. Get the garbage out of the house where it won’t tempt you OR your children.
There are also some supplements almost everyone should be taking. Your doctor can help you determine which are ideal for your children. Aceva has an advanced children’s multivitamin called Pedia Balance, a children’s probiotic called Pedia-Biotic, and a fish oil made of very small “pearls” that a child can swallow called Omega Kids.
When you exercise, do you go to a gym leaving the kids sitting in front of the television or computer? Get them started with home activities, taking a family walk or bike ride. Exercise to a DVD as a family. Chase the kids outside to play and strictly limit television and computer time.
Don’t let these changes overwhelm you.
Do it step by step if necessary, but involve the entire family. Make it fun and exciting. If you start healthy living in childhood, you can circumvent many of the disease plaguing both children and adults, especially obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Don’t get your life back on track and leave your children behind. A healthy adult begins as a healthy child!
