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Food and Your Kids |
February 2010 |
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Getting our kids to eat a healthy diet can be a tricky task. Read on to gain some tips on making healthy changes that can improve their happiness and ours!
Be sure to check out our special announcements below.
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Kids' Eating Habits
and Behavior
Some of us are blessed with great eaters and others are plagued by picky ones. Some of us have both. Your child's eating habits can play a major role in their behavior. If you have a picky eater, chances are good he or she can also be an emotional roller coaster who demands high-carbohydrate or high-sugar junk food when they start to crash. You may even see that their crashes are the result of these types of meals or snacks.
What can you do to make changes in their diet and help them be happier, more balanced and healthier for life?
Kids' blood sugar levels tend to be lower than that of adults. To even out their levels throughout the day, focus on these three things: protein, fiber and good fats. If the usual morning means no breakfast/no time, a poptart or a bowl of cereal (especially ones with high sugar content), make that the first change in your house.
Here are some best bet breakfasts: Eggs (hard-boiled, scrambled, poached) and a piece of whole grain toast; greek yogurt sweetened with stevia and sprinkled with flaxseeds or chopped almonds; sprouted grain toast with almond butter and topped with Hempseed Hearts or ground flaxseed; oatmeal sweetened with stevia and topped with nuts and berries; scrambled eggs rolled inside whole grain or rice tortilla; or a protein shake made with almond milk, protein powder (whey, pea, or egg white - low carb) and frozen berries. Another tasty protein shake that fills the belly is made with milk (almond, hemp or whatever you prefer), half of a banana, 1 Tbsp Hempseed Hearts and chocolate protein powder.
Insist your kids get a healthy snack, if needed, between meals (see article below) and make dinner well-rounded, and hopefully, a family affair. Kids who eat dinner with their families have been found in studies to have a healthier weight (and better familial relationships). Limit sweets, juices and desserts as much as possible. As always, baby steps will help keep you on track to the ultimate goal of making lifetime changes.
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Healthy Snacks for You and Your Kids
"I'm hungry!" Sometimes it seems we hear that call too many times throughout the day. Young kids really need to eat about as often in wakeful hours as their age, though...three year-olds every three hours, four year-olds every four hours... They usually have a pretty good innate alarm clock going that reminds them, and they us, but sometimes we are running around or they are too busy playing to stop and ask us. When we have a busy day ahead where we will be out of the house, we would do well to pack up a couple snacks the night before or that morning to throw in a bag for the road. If you are often having days out of the house, pack up snacks into baggies for a few days at one time. Keeping a level blood sugar level for them and you will make the day much less taxing.
I find it is always nice to get some fresh ideas for snacks. Here is a list of a few suggestions that all include the all-important protein factor:
Carrots and peanut (or other nut) butter (surprisingly good together!)
Mashed avocado on a brown rice cake
Mini whole grain bagels and cream cheese/nut butter
Organic cheese sticks or cubes or string cheese (white
cheeses are healthier)
Hummus and veggies (carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet peppers) or whole grain crackers
Organic apple slices and nut butter
Hard boiled eggs or devilled eggs
Greek yogurt sweetened with stevia and topped with chopped nuts or berries
Cottage cheese and fruit or chopped cucumbers and tomatoes
Teach them to love water. Explain that our bodies are 70% water and it is the most important substance we put in our bodies. Older kids can be told that our bodies can survive ten to thirty days without food, but only three without water. If it fits in your budget, get a water cooler that has replaceable tanks so they can refill their special cup throughout the day. Otherwise, a special (non-plastic, non-aluminum) water bottle of their own can be used to take everywhere they go. Drink up!
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New Remote Office in Katy
Beginning March 1, 2010, we will also be seeing clients for allergy treatments in Katy at The Living Center to better accomodate those who live on that side of town. Appointments will still be made at the home office in The Heights. Please call to make an appointment. | |
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Mission Statement
The mission of Heights of Health is to empower others by providing quality education, compassionate and effective services, and superior products in a comfortable environment to persons desiring optimal health and wellbeing.
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Message
He that eats till he is sick must fast till he is well.
~English Proverb
"The spirit cannot endure the body when overfed, but, if underfed, the body cannot endure the spirit."
~St Francis de Sales
"Life goes faster on protein."
~Martin H. Fischer
"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest her or his patients in the care of the human frame, in a proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease. "
~Thomas A. Edison
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| Fee Change Coming in March |
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March 1st, 2010, we will be increasing our fees slightly to catch up with inflation. Please take note of the new changes.
30-minute appointment: $75
45-minute appointment: $110 1-hour appointment: $145
As always, we so appreciate your support. We look forward to helping you become the healthiest ever in 2010!
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Heights of Health
Tracy Wakefield Southwick, DNM, CH, CNHP, Traditional Naturopath
540 Frasier Street
Houston, Texas, 77007
713-861-6777
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| Nothing in this newsletter is meant in any way to diagnose, treat, cure or prescribe. It is purely intended for educational purposes. | |
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