In our upcoming back to school kids' nutrition and performance workshops in our office, we'll be talking a lot about parenting "the wellness way". The first element to adopting a wellness lifestyle is mindset. It's how you think, what you know and your philosophy of health that will determine the actions you take with your health and your family's. You need to do your homework when it comes to health. We certainly can't believe what the savvy marketers 'teach' us on television. That's scary, and a surefire way to move away from wellness!
Next, as a parent, you've got to take back the reins! Your child's health is up to YOU! I understand perfectly well that you can't "control" them, or be with them 24/7 to monitor every morsel that goes into their mouth. BUT, you can lay down the law and help your child make better nutritional choices for life. Similar to teaching them morals, right from wrong, manners, etc. Teach them how to make the best choices... even when you're not around. But first, just like when teaching a toddler to say 'please' or risk not getting what they want, you'll need to establish clear expectations and then help your child stick to them... comfortable or not. Hey, it's about their HEALTH... as parents, we should see beyond any initial discomfort and anticipate a healthier lifestyle as a result.
In our practice, we teach that the easiest way to accomplish this is not by taking away the "bad", but rather by adding more "good". For example, instead of telling your child that he can no longer drink soda pop, you could start to provide more pure water for him to drink throughout the day. More on that in a bit.
Anyhow, if you're going to make improvements in your child's health this school year, some of this mindset shifting needs to begin now... before they're knee-deep in bad habits at school! I feel very strongly about your role as the protector/defender of your child's health. It's time to let your child know that it's your job to keep them healthy. We like to say it's time to "put on a different hat". Tell your child it's time for you to wear your "I love you and I'm going to help you stay healthy" hat! They may not always like it, but I'm OK with that! You wouldn't let them go out and use drugs or drink alcohol... right??!!! Sounds silly! Well, for me, it sounds silly, and equally dangerous, to let your child regularly consume toxic foods. It's OK - you didn't know! Once you know though, it's time to take action!
Let your child know that in order for them to be ready for school... to be stronger... to have more energy... to build their immune system, (whatever works for them!), that you need to help them build some health in the weeks remaining before school. Some examples we're using with parents in our practice are:
- add daily fish oil (omega 3 fatty acids) to build a strong, healthy brain and nervous systemadd - daily vegetables and fruit to strengthen the immune system and give energymake sure to eat - lean and clean protein to build strong, lean muscles - add more pure water to keep their bodies clean, energetic and hydrated
If you're feeling a little adventurous with this process, go ahead and work with your child to decrease (or eliminate) some of the most toxic nutritional habits they have, like pop, fast foods, junk food, processed/factory foods, excess sugar, high fructose corn syrup, conventional dairy products, etc. Yikes! Some change is not for the timid! We'll talk more about this in upcoming blogs. For now, work on re-establishing your authority (if you've lost a bit of it over the years!), and gain the respect of your children by demonstrating that you are knowledgable when it comes to nutrition. Also, let's not forget to state the obvious... your children 'hear' your actions much louder than your words. If you need to get back on track with your nutritional health, go for it! The September back to school season is the perfect time to make a fresh start and turn things around.
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