The Importance Of Diet And Fitness For Your Child

1. The Importance of Diet andFitnessfor Your Child Fitness and healthy eating habits are crucial for building the body of your child. In 2020 alone, the time spent by children in front of the television during the day time has grown by 40.6%, often paired with unhealthy snacking. The fitness and eating habits of your children have a significant impact on their life. Children who have unhealthy eating habits and lack physical activity tend to develop lifelong diseases. Physical Activities for Your Children There are two primary ways your child gets their daily dose of exercise. •Organized sports: Sports organized by schools and local clubs fall under the category of organized sports. Enrolling your child into these activities is a great way to boost their daily physical activity. Do not be afraid of combat sports clubs such as boxing or wrestling. For children, boxing is mostly working on the bop bag. In the long run, working on a bop bag improves its overall coordination. Combat sports is also a great way to develop self-defence. •Activities at home: Activities at home could be letting your kid practice on an indoor bop bag, playing catch, tag, and other games that you organize at home. The most important aspect of activities at home is to make it fun and encourage the whole family to play along. The time spent with your children as they grow up will keep your family bond strong. An important aspect of activities at home is the equipment that you use. Be sure to use kid-friendly products. Kid-friendly products include toys and equipment that do not contain small pieces that fit in their mouth. Kid-friendly products are also those that are made using non-toxic materials. Many toys contain toxic chemicals and adhesives that peel off easily, and your child is in harm’s way if they digest those matters. Ensuring that the equipment is made solely using non-toxic materials will keep your child out of harm’s way.

2. Instilling Proper Eating Habits for Your Children Eating is an important aspect that is entirely in your control as a parent. Healthy eating habits promote: •Stabilize their energy. •Improve their minds. •Even their mood. •Help them maintain a healthy weight. •Help prevent mental health conditions. These include depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Mealtime bonding: •Provide your child with comfort: Children engage more in routinely based activities. Knowing that they will soon be able to eat their meals with the family will make them feel safe and prepared for the event. •Talk to your child about their day: While eating, be sure to enquire your child about their day, this will encourage them to speak to you in a friendly manner and strengthen their trust of your child. When your child knows that you are interested in knowing their day, they will try to do more activities that would make you feel proud of them. •Observe the eating habits of your child: Spending time with your child as they eat helps you monitor their eating habits. You learn about what they like to eat and the foods they avoid. You can also check up on how much food they consume daily.

3. •Be an example your child can follow: Last but not least, be sure to set an example for your child. If you consume a lot of sodas and skip out on greens, your child will be discouraged from eating them as well. Children look up to you as their parents, and the way you do things impacts them. Small Shifts To Healthier Foods Can Make A Huge Impact Certain foods that we consume daily are not healthy for our children. Here are a few easy replacements that you can implement into the diet of your children. – Replace – With – Whole milk Low-fat milk Butter Olive oil Soda Water/flavoured sparkling water Potato chips Baked chips/nuts White bread Whole wheat/multigrain bread Ice cream Homemade smoothies/shakes Sugars are the enemy In children, sugars are the leading cause of hyperactivity, mood disorders, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. When your child is part of a well-balanced diet, they receive all the sugar they need for the day in the form of fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy products. Additional sugars that come in the form of sodas, ice creams, candy, ketchup, and, in most cases, fast foods are what lead to overconsumption of sugars. Children love consuming high-sugar foods, and it is hard for them to stray away from them. Here are some workarounds that you could implement to help your child without hindering their interest.

4. •Learn the difference between sugars and sweets: Entirely removing cakes, donuts, and other desserts will create cravings; therefore, when they finally get to have some sweets, they tend to overindulge. Link these foods to special days, such as cakes during anniversaries or birthdays, will help maintain a healthy eating routine. •Modify your recipes: Baking a cake gives you the liberty to control how much sugar goes into the batter. Most foods taste just as good with less added sugar. You could also replace sugars with stevia or honey to make them healthier. •Avoid drinks that are high in sugar: Most sugar drinks contain anywhere from 40g – 100g of sugar, which far exceeds the recommended amount of sugar that the body of your children needs (12g per day). Cutting down on drinks is the best way to maintain the sugar intake of your child. •Consume more fruits: Naturally occurring fructose is better than the factory derived sugar. If your child seems to have cravings, let them indulge in fruits instead. Fruits are fulfilling and also contain other nutrients, which make them a suitable replacement for sugary drinks. Be mindful of fats Fats aid in improving your memory, lifting your mood, and benefits your brain greatly. The key to fats is eating the right, healthy fats. Healthy fats are unsaturated fats. Such as: •Monounsaturated fats: Olive oil, avocados, nuts (almonds or pecans), and seeds (pumpkin or sesame). •Polyunsaturated fats: Flaxseed, walnuts, omega-3 fatty acids found in fish such as salmon or sardines. Unhealthy fats are trans fats. Such as: •Vegetable shortening. •Margarine. •Fried foods. •Baked goods. •Foods made using “partially hydrogenated” vegetable oils. •Packaged foods – for example, crackers, cookies, and other snacks. The Take-Away Fitness accompanied by a proper eating regime is the best way to nurture the growth of your child. When it comes to fitness, ensure that the toys that they play with are made using non- toxic materials. And when it comes down to eating, be sure that they are not forcing themselves to eat but having fun. The best way to ensure their cooperation is to lead by example, have fun with your kids! Share and create memories and guide them into the future.