5 A Day is a slogan put out by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It suggests that eating five portions of fruits & vegetables every day will lead to a healthier life.This sounds great in theory, but turns out to be hard in practice, especially when we try to implement it for our children.
We start by recognizing what's at stake. Children face more and more health issues each year. The reports of childhood allergies, diabetes, or even immune deficiencies continue to grow. Then there are the kids who are just generally sick or overweight.
So what do we do about the increase in childhood obesity and all the health issues that children face these days? Autism, allergies, skin issues, weak immune systems - the list goes on and on. In the beginning, there was "the pregnant mom". It is fully understood that healthy eating for children begins in the womb. Whatever foods mom is attracted to consistently throughout the pregnancy, the child is more likely to gravitate to after birth.
Everyone has a great understanding about fruit and vegetable nutrition and their benefits for children; however, many don't place importance on developing good eating habits throughout pregnancy. We talk about supplements and specific foods that are important to eat for a healthy child's development, but we never educate pregnant moms on healthy, balanced and nutritious meals. If we did so, then the milk produced by the mother would be so much more balanced and rich in disease-preventing, immune-building essentials.
Keep your children away from all the junk food ads that can hit them on television or the computer. Instead, encourage them to have fun staying active and give them healthy snack options.
Children learn from their parents and their environment. If you incorporate more healthy eating habits into your life, then it is going to be easy for a child to follow suit and develop those same eating habits. We are bombarded with junk food advertisements everywhere. Itseems that after we have children, we simply forget or alter our eating habits to match our lives with children.
For example, fast food and eating on the go are more convenient. We ignore the fact that they cause damage to our own bodies and to the welfare of our children. Instead of us instilling good eating habits in our children, we take shortcuts, dropping by for a sausage and egg biscuit on the way to work or picking up pizza for dinner. I understand that most of us are always on the go and it is difficult to cook meals regularly. But there are tons and tons of activities we choose over spending time in the kitchen.
So what solutions are available to us? First, although it is often hard to cook meals regularly, we need to recognize the importance of doing it anyway. Fixing a good healthy meal at home puts the control in our hands and enables us to give our kids the 5 A Day they need. Take an inventory of all the things you choose to do rather than eat at home. You may be able to find a way to make some time - for the good of your family.
Healthy eating is not a fad. It is not to be a once in a while treat. 5 A Day and eating healthy must become a habitual part of our lifestyle. Ultimately, our health and our quality of life depend on it. When we choose healthy eating and healthy living, we extend our quality of life and extend our ability to live a normal life. All of this starts with a simple change in our eating habits.
If we can't incorporate healthy eating into our daily lives, we are going to have a very difficult time repairing all the damage caused by our actions. Fruits and veggies play a big role in keeping our bodies' cells healthy and in neutralizing the free radicals in our bodies. 5 A Day should not just be a slogan, it is a fact. Making five servings of fruits and vegetable a regular part of our lives leads to healthier parents, children, and families. - 30241
We start by recognizing what's at stake. Children face more and more health issues each year. The reports of childhood allergies, diabetes, or even immune deficiencies continue to grow. Then there are the kids who are just generally sick or overweight.
So what do we do about the increase in childhood obesity and all the health issues that children face these days? Autism, allergies, skin issues, weak immune systems - the list goes on and on. In the beginning, there was "the pregnant mom". It is fully understood that healthy eating for children begins in the womb. Whatever foods mom is attracted to consistently throughout the pregnancy, the child is more likely to gravitate to after birth.
Everyone has a great understanding about fruit and vegetable nutrition and their benefits for children; however, many don't place importance on developing good eating habits throughout pregnancy. We talk about supplements and specific foods that are important to eat for a healthy child's development, but we never educate pregnant moms on healthy, balanced and nutritious meals. If we did so, then the milk produced by the mother would be so much more balanced and rich in disease-preventing, immune-building essentials.
Keep your children away from all the junk food ads that can hit them on television or the computer. Instead, encourage them to have fun staying active and give them healthy snack options.
Children learn from their parents and their environment. If you incorporate more healthy eating habits into your life, then it is going to be easy for a child to follow suit and develop those same eating habits. We are bombarded with junk food advertisements everywhere. Itseems that after we have children, we simply forget or alter our eating habits to match our lives with children.
For example, fast food and eating on the go are more convenient. We ignore the fact that they cause damage to our own bodies and to the welfare of our children. Instead of us instilling good eating habits in our children, we take shortcuts, dropping by for a sausage and egg biscuit on the way to work or picking up pizza for dinner. I understand that most of us are always on the go and it is difficult to cook meals regularly. But there are tons and tons of activities we choose over spending time in the kitchen.
So what solutions are available to us? First, although it is often hard to cook meals regularly, we need to recognize the importance of doing it anyway. Fixing a good healthy meal at home puts the control in our hands and enables us to give our kids the 5 A Day they need. Take an inventory of all the things you choose to do rather than eat at home. You may be able to find a way to make some time - for the good of your family.
Healthy eating is not a fad. It is not to be a once in a while treat. 5 A Day and eating healthy must become a habitual part of our lifestyle. Ultimately, our health and our quality of life depend on it. When we choose healthy eating and healthy living, we extend our quality of life and extend our ability to live a normal life. All of this starts with a simple change in our eating habits.
If we can't incorporate healthy eating into our daily lives, we are going to have a very difficult time repairing all the damage caused by our actions. Fruits and veggies play a big role in keeping our bodies' cells healthy and in neutralizing the free radicals in our bodies. 5 A Day should not just be a slogan, it is a fact. Making five servings of fruits and vegetable a regular part of our lives leads to healthier parents, children, and families. - 30241
About the Author:
Tony Khatemi is a Vegetarian with over 25 years in the field of exercise, nutrition and healthy living focused on digestive health. Living by example is his motto. Pickup a free reports on fruits and vegetable capsules . for the most natural and effective supplements in the world. Please type IBD, IBS, Crohn's or any GIIBD, IBS, Crohn's or any GI related disease in the search box for results.
