Eating Habits That Help Kids Do Better in School

Get ready for school!

Have you started your back to school shopping yet? It’s almost that time of year again!  But before you prep your kids with new notebooks and pencil cases, how about getting them ready for school success with better eating habits?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, good eating habits can help children perform better at school.  The University of Alabama provides sound advice for simple ways that you can feed your children to help them perform better academically.

What’s for Breakfast?

Cereal is easy, but it’s not always the best choice, says Krista Casazza, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition Sciences. In a news release, she explains that many breakfast cereals contain too much sugar which can cause a quick high and then a crash .  Instead, she recommends starting the day with fruits, proteins and whole grains.

“A balanced breakfast will fuel the body for a long period and help sustain their attention level through lunch, when they need to eat well again,” Casazza said. “This will hold them until dinner, and they won’t snack ravenously after school.”

Better Snack Choices

If your kids are normal, they’ll still want to snack.  With so many unhealthy choices in vending machines, on store shelves and at fast food restaurants, it’s hard to steer them in the right direction.  Casazza offers these tips

• Offer healthy choices like yogurt, fruits and veggies.
• If they want “kid stuff,” baked chips can be an option, in moderation.
• Drink water. Soda lacks nutritional value.

If you start to modify your eating habits during the lazier summer months, then the habits will already be in place when fall hits and your schedule becomes more hectic.  Do it now for best results.

Have you checked out the North Memorial Healthy Weight Loss website?  It’s a great source of easy tips for healthy eating, exercise and diet support.  You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Set a SMART Goal to Lose Weight

One of the best ways to reach your goals is to invest some time into setting them.  What’s the best strategy?  Experts believe that the best goals are SMART goals.

How to Set a SMART Goal
Make your goals specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.

• Specific. Define the exact change you want to make. For example, instead of setting a goal to eat a healthier diet, set a goal to eat veggies at two meals each day.
• Measurable.  Decide how you will know if you have reached your goal. For example, instead of saying that you are going to exercise more often, commit to walking for 20 minutes after dinner each night.
• Attainable.  If you’ve never been 50 pounds thinner, that may not be an attainable goal.  Start with a 5 pound weight loss goal and go from there.
• Realistic. You probably aren’t going to lose 30 pounds in a month, but you can set a reasonable goal to lose 1-2 pounds per week.
• Timely.  Set a limit for the completion of your goal.  For example, commit to walking during your lunch break every day for one month.

SMART goals are more likely to be successful goals. Take 10 minutes to set yours up today.

Have you checked out the North Memorial Healthy Weight Loss website?  It’s a great source of easy tips for healthy eating, exercise and diet support.  You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Television Viewing Hours May Determine Weight Loss Success

What’s your number?

Do you know how many hours of television you watch each week?  Many of us underestimate the number of hours we spend sitting on the couch in front of the tv.  And who really keeps track of the number anyway?   Weight loss researchers do, that’s who.  And those scientists have found that people who lose weight and keep it off share certain patterns when it comes to television.

How Does Your Number Measure Up?

Most successful losers watch 10 hours of television per week or less.  That’s according to the National Weight Control Registry, a collection of information about people who have lost a significant amount of weight and have kept the weight off.  Researchers are interested in the habits of successful losers so that they can conduct research to help other dieters lose weight and keep it off.

The average American watches nearly 39 hours of television each week.  Older adults watch the most television averaging 47.5 hours per week and teenagers (12-17 years old) watch the least amount of television, averaging about 24 hours each week. Of course, other forms of sedentary screen behavior was not measured in the Nielson Survey that provided these numbers.

Take The Test, Improve Your Outlook

You might think you know how much television you watch, but chances are good that the number in your head is too low.  Take a week-long test and see how many hours you really watch.  Keep a log and record the amount of time spent in front of your television (or computer).  Then compare your number to the 10-hour number that is shared by successful weight losers.  Is your number too high?

If it is, that doesn’t mean you have to give up television completely.  That plan is unrealistic and likely to backfire.  Instead, commit to taking one television viewing hour each day and doing something active instead.  This is a perfect time of year to get outside and go for a walk.  Visit a farmers market to get fresh food for dinner. Take the kids to the park.  Just enjoy the fresh air away from the couch.

Have you checked out the North Memorial Healthy Weight Loss website?  It’s a great source of easy tips for healthy eating, exercise and diet support.  You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.