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Get Fit... Feel Great ~ Teach a kid to fish.

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By Diane Moy, Dynamic Fitness June 23, 2016
Life is busy, time is short, and junk food is easy.  You know it and you probably do it: grab the quick bag of chips, nachos, chocolate, pizza.  Top it off with a soda with 56 grams of sugar and call it good.  Unhealthy?  Yes. Unavoidable?  No.

Now add in your little children.  See Bobby.  See Bobby play the video game.  See Bobby watch his mother hand over a bag of candy and call it a snack.  See Bobby grow up with bad eating habits, a weight problem and health issues.

When you feed your kids, you are actually building their body.  What you put in has a direct correlation to how they grow, learn, act and feel.  Are they having meltdowns?  Trouble focusing at school?  Feeling lazy with a desire only to look into an electronic device?  

Think about what their last meal was?  If it was full of chemicals and carbs that can explain the behavior.  Every body needs to be fueled with good nutrition but it is especially important for little bodies.

Change isn’t easy for anyone, but a few small changes in the area of nutrition will make a huge difference in the future of the little body you are responsible for building.  A little bit of time on the front end will reap huge rewards on the backend.  Here are a few tips to get you going:

  • Do ahead prep saves time all week.  Take an hour on Sunday to cut up fresh veggies and put in baggies. Use bags to place a day’s worth of snacks: veggies, low fat cheese, fruit, non-nitrate jerky, whole grain crackers and cold water.  Each day drop a pre-made bag into your insulated cooler and you’ll be ready to go with healthy snacks for you and your kids.
  • Teach your kids about healthy eating.  Avoid foods that have words you can’t pronounce or artificial dye.  A question my 4 year old asked me, “will dye make you die?”  Probably not, but we know that dye is unhealthy and can cause adverse reactions in the body.
  • We began reading nutritional labels with our son early on. Now that he is older, if he asks for a processed snack I make him read the label.  If he can’t tell me what an ingredient is we will look it up online.  I will admit this may backfire from time to time when he informs me how much fat or sugar is in a particular item I may want to eat!
  • Lastly, don’t forget the importance of water!  It’s difficult to get kids to drink enough of this “liquid of life.”  If you see a glazed over look it may be due to dehydration.  Special water bottles and careful negotiation can help.  If my boy wants a candy treat, he knows not to ask unless he has drank at least 16 ounces of water that day.
 
We all have fond memories of special goodies that made us feel happy when we were kids. Treats are an important part of life for kids and adults. As parents, I encourage you to be willing to accept the challenge of “teaching our kids to fish” for healthy foods first.

Dynamic Fitness - A gym like no other!
Sam Moy, CPT and Diane Moy, LMT have over 40 years combined experience helping people feel better. Dynamic Fitness is the result of our longtime vision to provide a place you want to be for your workout. It's your "GO TO" GYM. The welcoming, modern, clean facility houses a variety of functional equipment to provide limitless workout potential. Our commitment to personal support and knowledgeable guidance promises to encourage people to feel better and strive to be the best they can be. Contact Diane Moy at 303-670-1000 or workout@dynafit24.com


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