Making healthy choices for your kids

Taking a look at the data over the past 50 years we can see that the percentage of overweight or obese children used to be less than 5 percent. Through the years, that percentage has continued to climb to the alarming rate of over 33 percent in 2010.

Health and wellness professionals have been warning us about this trend for decades. Yet we still see school districts limiting physical education and allowing children access to sugary, low/no nutrient foods at school.

Because water is a critical factor in our body’s overall health, I devoted an entire chapter to it in my book,From Overwhelmed to Inspired.

Below are a few excerpts from that chapter that I hope will motivate you drink plenty of water (or non-sugary, non-carbonated, non-caffeinated beverages) to stay healthy this summer and all year long.

How’s it going?

It’s been reported that as much as two-thirds of dieters regain the weight they lost - plus some - and that dieters are more likely to suffer from depression and poor self-esteem.

There are many reasons diets fail. 

This is NOT the time to start a diet, make a resolution or begin a drastic health regimen.  It IS a time to hunker down and hold on to our sanity, our composure, and our good judgment. We can think about a new routine in the new year.

What comes to mind when you think of dairy?  Maybe those cute milk mustache ads, or the delectable American cheese ads?  Most of us think of dairy as wholesome, nourishing and healthful.  Milk has become glorified as a nutritional staple and symbol for healthy eating and nutrition in the US – so much so that denouncing dairy is tantamount to condemning baseball and apple pie.

As you know, I am a health-news nerd.   I eagerly dive into any new science about food, exercise and healthful lifestyle. 

I love knowing what’s new in the research or even the scuttlebutt.  I keep an eye on trends to see what kind of information is being released to the public and what isn’t.

This is my idea of fun.  Really.

The downside of this is that sometimes information becomes old news to me, before it has even become new news to the general public.  The other downside is that I can be a little neurotic, I’ll admit it, about the foods I eat, how they are prepared and other lifestyle choices. 

Kicking a sugar habit can prove difficult when life throws us curveballs. Take your health back and just say no to indulgence.

I have noticed that more and more businesses keep a small bowl of candy in reception areas and on countertops. They are practically becoming part of the décor. The other day, while waiting for my hairstylist, a woman marched over to the obligatory bowl of candy, snatched up a fistful of candy and announced, "I need some sugar!" She was not a diabetic in distress; she was not faint from not eating. She had an emotional need for not just one piece of candy—but a fistful.

Controversy arose earlier this year when Stanford University published a study that suggested organic fruits and vegetables may not be as healthful as touted by the pro-organic community.  Unfortunately this received quite a bit of superficial publicity from mainstream press.  However, this is an extremely important topic and is worth taking a deeper look into the reasons we need to go organic; for our families, our communities and our global environment.

Read the rest of "6 Reasons to Go Organic"

Also published:

• DrLaura.com
• wellness.com

Controversy arose earlier this year when Stanford University published a study which suggested that organic fruits and vegetables may not be as healthful as touted by the pro-organic community.  Unfortunately, this received quite a bit of superficial publicity from the mainstream press.  However, this is an extremely important topic, and it's worth taking a deeper look into the reasons why we need to go organic: for our families, our communities, and our global environment.  Here are six BIG reasons to go organic:

Taking a look at the data over the past 50 years we can see that the percentage of overweight or obese children used to be less than 5 percent. Through the years, that percentage has continued to climb to the alarming rate of over 33 percent in 2010.

Publish in "She Knows Parenting"