How to Keep our Kids Healthy as Possible!

1. How to Keep our Kids Healthy as Possible! Brendan Conway Elementary School Parents

2. Nutrition!

3. Healthy Eating & the Brain • When you provide the brain with foods that are nutritious, it increases its health and performance. • Giving your child a healthy breakfast makes them more attentive in class. • Eating well helps maintain and improve brain functioning through out life. .

4. Brain Food! • The following foods have been proven to be the best for brain function • Blueberries • Wild Salmon • Nuts and Seeds • Avocados

5. Developing Healthy Eating Habits • Parents need to eat healthy too, you are role models! • Children will imitate the behavior of their parents. • Early establishment helps kids become healthy adults.

6. How can we do it? • Eat as a family regularly • Cook home made meals • Let your kids help you

7. Limiting Sugar • The American Heart Association recommends 3 teaspoons a day for children •  Don’t ban sweets entirely • Replace Soda with fruit juice and water • Create your own popsicles and frozen treats! .

8. Limiting Salts • Stay away from processed, packaged, restaurant, and fast food! • Choose low-salt or reduced-sodium products • Pick fresh veggies instead of canned

9. What if my Child is a Picky Eater? • Only serve one new food at a time. • Serve new foods with favorite foods to increase acceptance. • Eat the new food yourself! Children tend to imitate. • Limit snacks to two per day. • Cut healthy foods into fun shapes. .

10. More helpful tips! • Keep healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grain snacks, and healthy drinks around and easily accessible so kids begin to reach for healthy snacks instead of empty calorie snacks like french fries cookies, or Doritos. • Don’t insist your child finishes their entire plate, and avoid using food as a reward or bribe.

11. Delicious Replacements! • French fries • Ice cream • Fried chicken • Doughnuts • Cookies • Potato Chips Sliced baked potatoes! Low fat frozen yogurt! Grilled chicken! Whole grain bagels! Fig bars! Soy crisps!

12. Exercise!

13. How much should kids exercise? • At least 1 hour or more daily. • Break up into bouts of 15 minutes or more. • Should not be active every 2 hours unless they're sleeping. 

14. Exercising with our kids • One of the best ways to make sure our kids are physically active is by exercising with them! • Exercising with our children is a great bonding experience! • When kids see parents putting effort towards a healthy lifestyle, it motivates them as well!

15. Aerobic activities for kids & parents! • Basketball • Bicycling • Ice-skating • Inline skating • Soccer • Swimming • Tennis • Walking • Jogging • Running

16. What if our kids don’t like to exercise? • Exercising is not just lifting weights and doing crunches! • Try to ease them into physical activities. • In cooperate your child's interest into exercise. • Example : If your child likes music, dancing is great exercise!

17. Benefits of Exercising Regularly • Strong muscles and bones • Leaner bodies • Lesser chance of obesity • Lower blood pressure • Have a positive outlook on life!

18. Stretching • Stretching is just as important as aerobics • Allows muscles and joints to bend easily • Recommended to do before and after physical activity

19. Nutrition AND Exercise • Need each other to be effective • Both cause physical and mental gains

20. Thanks Parents! • Lets continue to push our children to live healthy lifestyles! • We are our children's biggest role models, lets continue to act like it! • Remember, healthy kids are happy kids!

21. References http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_children_teens.htm http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_center/staying_fit/exercise.html# http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/eat-smart-healthier-brain