Vim & Vigor - Summer 2012 - Parrish Medical Center - (Page 37)

›››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››››› ‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹‹ Make Changes Outside the Home You’re trying to set your kids up for the healthiest life possible, and you can’t control every decision they make. But you can help ensure they have healthy choices available. “People need to be the change agent,” says Hope Warshaw, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator and author of Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy and Real-Life Guide to Diabetes. “Now is the time. There is so much conversation about this.” Here are a few places to look deeper. School functions. School orientations and fundraisers can show kids that you’re walking the talk. Instead of bringing candy and cookies, opt for fresh fruit and a veggie tray. School vending machines. You might not be able to get rid of all the junk, but push for adding water or low-calorie snack options. Choose healthy restaurants. Where you spend your money is powerful. Try frequenting healthier restaurants and those that have made an effort to create low-calorie options for kids and adults alike. Have plenty of fruits and veggies on hand and make them easy for kids to reach, and if it helps kids, cut the fruits and veggies into bite-size pieces. Have water and low-fat milk available, and ditch sodas, sports drinks and high-calorie, sugary juices. “Don’t bring foods into the house that you don’t want your kids to be eating,” Warshaw says. Eating family meals at home, Warshaw says, goes beyond the food. It’s also about conversation and talking about your day. Plus, she says, it’s beneﬁcial to have your kids help with preparing the meal. It’s an opportunity for you to teach, and they’re more likely to enjoy something they had a hand in. And don’t assume kids just won’t eat certain foods. “We think all kids eat is pizza, chicken nuggets and hamburgers,” Warshaw says. “Don’t narrow your kids’ palates. Widen them.” Introduce them to more foods. You might be surprised by what they like. In addition to eating together, Warshaw suggests ﬁnding ways to be active together—exercising as a family, rather than watching TV together. It can be bowling, swimming at the community pool, taking a walk, riding bikes—whatever gets the family moving. “All those activities can bring the family together,” Andersen adds. “And everybody feels better.” EAT TOGETHER, BE ACTIVE TOGETHER. There’s a reason Warshaw doesn’t like the word “diet.” She wants people to think beyond the short term. “This is about healthy eating, healthy habits,” she says. “And you’ve got to start early, early, early.” Then make it a lifelong commitment. Andersen adds that once children become teenagers, they are likely to be set in their patterns, so instilling healthy habits early on and continuing to reinforce those patterns are essential. “Diabetes is not a disease you get overnight,” Andersen says. “We make choices day in and day out over time.” Nobody said being a parent was easy. It’s not. But it’s an important role, and by stepping up to the plate and taking action, parents have the power to prevent obesity and reverse the trend of diabetes in children. “I do feel optimistic,” Warsahw says, “but people have to be willing to dig in.” And when we do, it’s the next generation that wins. MAKE A LONG TERM COMMITMENT. ONLINE Modeling healthy behaviors is essential, so start with your own health. Take a quick online diabetes risk assessment at parrishmed.com/aware. Are You at Risk for Diabetes? Vim & Vigor · SUM MER 2012 37 http://www.parrishmed.com/aware

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2012 - Parrish Medical Center

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2012 - Parrish Medical Center
Contents
Opening Thoughts
Community Calendar
A Life Saved at the Fitness Center
Addressing Hidden Complications
The Breakfast Club
Arthritis Answers
A TV Guide to Radiology
Take Aim
It Might NOT Be Cancer
Colin Firth
Step Up to the Plate
Life After Cancer
Get Dad to the Doc
Virtual Health
Community Health
Third Lease on Life
Commissioned to Greatness
Foundation Focus
Ask the Expert

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2012 - Parrish Medical Center