Advice for parents: take care of your child’s health
Take care of your child’s health: –
“A hundred years from now it won’t matter what my bank account was, what kind of house I lived in, or what kind of car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in a child’s life” – Forest Witchcraft.
Most of us believe that we are healthy if we don’t get sick often. I am sorry to say that is not true. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. So, to live a “healthy lifestyle”, we need an ideal combination of:-
A. Physical well-being:- includes nutritious eating, physical exercise, adequate weight, adequate sleep and rest.
B. Mental well-being: – consists of having an optimistic sense of value, optimistic posture/thoughts and actions, self-control #can fulfill potential, live and work productively #can handle daily stress #can socialize, keep well interact with others and contribute to society.
C. Spiritual well-being: – promotes inner peace, ingenuity and provides a sense of satisfaction.
These few suggestions will help you and your child develop healthy eating habits:
# Make sure you eat breakfast every day, even if it’s just fruit and a glass of milk. Provides energy for the day.
# Eat slowly, take your time eating and chewing your food, as it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to tell your body that you are full.
# An ideal diet should aim for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.
# An ideal meal should include more whole grains such as Dalia, brown rice, barley, corn, quinoa, millet, popcorn, and rye.
# Reward him with praise, not sugary snacks, chocolates or ice cream.
# Childhood obesity is not always genetic or uncontrollable, a healthy weight can be maintained with proper diet and exercise.
# Processed foods are full of sugar, sodium, calories and unhealthy fats, as they hinder the healthy development of the child’s brain and immune system.
# Exercise regularly. Persuade outdoor sports to promote a healthy lifestyle. Sixty minutes of physical activity a day is recommended for children, including you. Plan more indoor and outdoor activities for your child.
# Turn off TV, iPad, Xbox, computer, mobile phone, online browsing, and encourage them to spend more time playing outdoor games. Play with your child, dance together, go for a walk together after dinner instead of watching TV.
# Instead of going to the mall or the theater, go hiking or rock climbing.
# Stay away from tobacco, alcohol and other drugs.
Substitute – Cookies/chips/cookies/cakes/cakes
With – Fresh fruits/nuts/salads/sprouts
Substitute- Soft drinks/ sugary drinks/ packaged juices/ instant soups
With – Fresh juices without sugar / fresh soups / whole fruit
Substitute- White pasta/ white bread
With – Wheat pasta/ wheat multigrain bread
Substitute: high-calorie fast food/junk food/frozen food/processed food
With -Healthy homemade food that includes more green leafy vegetables and whole grains.
Substitute- Cheese, canned vegetables, ready-to-cook meals
With – Healthy protein foods like lean meat, chicken, fish, egg, seeds, nuts, beans, legumes, soy products and dairy products like milk, yogurt, paneer.
Substitute – Butter
with – Olive oil / ghee.
# Don’t insist on ‘clean plate’, they will never learn when to stop and overeat just to finish the meal, even when they feel full.
# Instead of ‘don’t eat too many chocolates/cookies’ say eat healthy fruits/salad. This will not make them feel deprived.
# Drink plenty of water. At least 8-10 glasses a day.
Finally, positive role modeling is crucial. Practice what you preach.