Archive for April, 2011

Priceless Mother’s Day Gift

Friday, April 29th, 2011


 

By Para Mehta, RD/ www.healthfulfilling.com

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This weekend a lot of you might be shopping for that perfect gift for Mom.  Last year, we discussed how nice it would be to give Mom the gift of time–time for herself that she hardly gets, by finding ways for Mom to get a few extra minutes a day to devote toward her health and well being. We want to continue to encourage that thought process this year. For anyone who did succeed with finding ways to help Mom out so she can get more time to herself, have you noticed any positive changes? Moms do so much for everyone else, so they need to take time out for themselves to nurture their health.

One of the best gifts you can include for Mother’s Day is the ability to encourage and motivate your Mom to take time for herself and focus more on her health. Here are a few ideas to consider:

  • Instead of buying Mom a health club membership to get more exercise, offer to join her to exercise at the club a few times a week, or find a good friend of Mom’s to join with her.
  • Offer to go for a walk or bicycle ride with Mom a few times a week.
  • Together with Mom, take up a sport or class that involves physical activity like martial arts, or dance, that you both enjoy.
  • Instead of buying one very expensive item for Mom, buy a package of  massage or spa treatments to last the year, for Mom to get rejuvenated every couple of months. Or, you can pitch in to buy it with the other kids in the family.
  • Get into the habit of helping Mom cook a few healthy meals for the family every week to keep up healthy eating habits.
  • Kids can help Mom with making lunches for school.
  • Just check in on Mom if she needs a hand with anything  a few times a week. It can help Mom feel less overwhelmed, and make Mom feel so love and appreciated!

Wishing all Moms a happy Mother’s Day; remember to take time for yourselves to enhance your health and wellbeing.

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Healthy greens for Earth Day

Friday, April 22nd, 2011


 

By Para Mehta, RD/ www.healthfulfilling.com

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Practicing green habits is a healthy habit, not just for the Earth but for personal health, too. The more people who practice green, energy saving lifestyles, the healthier we get individually and as a planet. For example, doing your part to help reduce pollution, means cleaner air to breathe, and cleaner water to drink.

 
Celebrate Earth Day today by finding more ways to conserve as much as possible for years to come. Here are some healthy greens to consider:

Carpool

Combine errands to minimize driving

Walk to pick up kids from school if it is walking distance

Walk or bicycle to short distance places

Recycle (even cell phones, computers, electronics)

Use compost such as vegetable/fruit peels in plants

Turn off water while brushing teeth or shaving

Turn off lights, computers and appliances when not in use

Save paper, don’t use the printer unneccessarily

Don’t waste food, and teach kids importance of not wasting food

Limit or avoid idling your car at drive thrus, carpool lines, parking lots, or anywhere

Use reusuable grocery bags

Do full loads of laundry, and dishwasher loads

For many other ways to go green, visit:

www.earthday.org

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Now “brown bagging” is getting the boot?

Thursday, April 14th, 2011


 

By Para Mehta, RD/ www.healthfulfilling.com


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Last week, we were just discussing how some types of ice cream have been eliminated as an extra purchase item in our school cafeteria, and now a Chicago public school is no longer allowing students to bring home made lunches, insisting that students must purchase cafeteria lunches since they are healthier. Wow!

Making children eat food that they may not like is not the best choice. It can lead to more waste, eating less of it means less nutrition. Many parents take pride in providing healthy home made lunches mainly to avoid some unhealthier cafeteria choices like tator tots, burgers,  hot dogs, or flavored milk with high sugar content.

What’s the point of making a child eat a school lunch that has carrot sticks if the child doesn’t eat the carrot sticks? Why not educate or encourage children about adopting healthier eating habits, to result in healthier choices made by children? Teachers can involve themes in art or science around healthy eating by government programs already available.

If the school is worried about unhealthy choices coming into the bag lunch, maybe they can work with parents on a list of foods to limit in home made lunches. Hopefully the parents will be able to work out something with the school, because some kids like the peanut butter and jelly on whole wheat more than what is served on the tray. Parents and administrators from the Chicago school, we’d love to hear how this is being handled.

What would you do as a parent if your school banned home made lunch for your child?

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Should ice cream “get the boot?”

Friday, April 8th, 2011


 

By Para Mehta, RD/ www.healthfulfilling.com

 
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Who doesn’t love ice cream? How would you feel if someone told you that you can’t have ice cream anymore because they decided to take it off the menu at one of your favorite eating places? For those of you who have kids in school, some school cafeterias sell ice cream as “extras,” meaning it’s not included on the lunch tray but as an extra item. In our school, kids are only allowed to purchase ice cream after all or most of their lunch is eaten, and parents are allowed to put a limit to how many “extras” a child can buy per day or week, etc.

Recently, some of the novelty ice creams like the bars, cones, have been given the “boot,” since they have come under scrutiny for being high in fat and so state guidelines recommended removing them. Some kids certainly miss those treats. Some parents across the nation think that school lunch in general are not acceptable. A new school lunch bill has also been passed by the federal government to serve healthier choices.

Do you think kids should be allowed to have ice cream at school? My thoughts are that if a child has been taught healthy eating habits at home, and knows the concept of moderation, an occasional ice cream bar after eating a nutrient packed lunch is fine. I show my kids the nutrition label of the ice cream and point out what type of fat it has and the amount so they understand why it not the best choice on a regular basis, and encourage them to exercise regularly.

Making use of the limit of “extras” by parents is also a good idea for kids who might tend to have more than recommended. With the problem of childhood overweight and obesity, some health experts and parents might think it’s necessary to ban higher fat, high sugar items in school cafeterias. Telling an overweight child or adult to completely stop eating a favorite food doesn’t always fix the problem as it can lead to resentful feelings and unhealthy or over eating at another time.

What are your thoughts about this? Send in your comments!

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