A Nutty Mom

a lot of discussion here today about the kids fit. People who care (parents, doctors, teachers, and others) want to know how to help children become more fit.

Being fit is a way to tell someone to eat well, get lots of physical activity (exercise), and have a healthy weight. If you’re fit, your body works well, feels good, and can do all the things you want to do, like run around with your friends.

Some steps only parents can take – such as serving healthy meals or deciding to take his family on natural increase. But the children could take over as well, when it comes to health.

Here are five rules for living, if you are a kid who wants to become fit. The trick is to follow these rules most of the time, knowing that some days (like your birthday) might call for cake and ice cream.

Eat Variety Foods, Fruits and Vegetables in particular
You probably have a favorite food, but the best option is to eat varieties. If you eat different foods, you will be easier to get your body’s nutritional needs. Taste new foods and old ones you do not try for a while. Some foods, like green vegetables, more fun the older you get. Shoot at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day – two fruits and three vegetables.

Here’s one combination that might work for you:

at breakfast: ½ cup (about 4 large) strawberries on your cereal
with lunch: 6 baby carrots
for snack: apple
with dinner: ½ cup broccoli (about 2 big spears) and 1 cup salad
Milk drinking water and Most Often
If you’re really thirsty, cold water is the No. 1 thirst-quencher. And there is a reason your school cafeteria offers cartons of milk. Kids need calcium to build strong bones, and milk is the source of this mineral. How many children need? If you are younger than 9 years old, drink two cups of milk a day, or equivalent. Aim for 3 cups of milk per day, or equivalent. You can mix it up by having milk and some other calcium-rich

dairy foods. Here’s one combination:

2 cups (about half a liter) of low-fat milk or nonfat
1 slice cheddar cheese
½ cup (small container) of yogurt
You probably will want something other than milk or water once in a while, so OK to have 100% juice as well. But try to limit sweet drinks, like sodas, juice cocktails, and fruit punch. They contain a lot of added sugar. Sugar just adds calories, not important nutrients.

Listen to Your Body
What did it feel to be full? When you eat, notice how your body feels, and when your stomach feels comfortably full. Sometimes, people eat too much because they do not see when they have to stop eating. Eating too much can make you feel uncomfortable and, over a period of time, can cause unhealthy weight gain.

Limit Screen Time
What’s screen time? This is the amount of time you spend watching TV or DVDs, playing video games (console or handheld game systems), and using the computer. The more time you spend on the activities of sit-down, the less time available for active stuff, like basketball, bike riding, and swimming. Try to spend no more than two hours a day on screen time, not counting computer use related to school.