Life moves fast, and this is reflected in our health: we eat fast food and foods that cook fast, foods filled with preservatives and additives, and exercise gets ignored in favor of working late or doing homework.
Our children learn from our example, and we all know that we want better for our children than we’ve had for ourselves. Here are four healthy skills you should teach your children to ensure they grow up happy, healthy, and thriving.
Work, homework, household chores and errands are all important, but so is some daily physical activity. Teach your children that staying fit and healthy doesn’t require a gym membership or hours a day spent working out.
Riding bikes around the neighborhood, a nightly walk around the block after dinner, or swimming a few laps in the backyard pool can all count as physical activity and none of them take an inordinate amount of time.
Teach your children to carefully read ingredient labels. Explain that the ingredients in foods are listed from most to least, meaning there is a lot of whatever is listed first and very little of whatever is listed last. Teach them the various names that sugar, trans fats, and other unhealthy ingredients will be hidden as, and how to understand the nutritional values provided.
Ensure they understand that not all boxed or canned foods are bad for you, and how to choose a healthier alternative, such as a more nutritious cereal instead of the sugar laden one they’re used to.
Teach your kids about organic farming by growing your own garden. You don’t need a huge piece of property to grow your own food. Even if you only have a quarter of an acre, you can probably find room for a garden.
Use Nature Safe organic fertilizer to increase the soil health and crop yields and grow your own tomatoes, peppers, green beans, carrots, and other fresh, delicious produce.
Portion sizes are one of the biggest threats to our health, as people often eat far more than they should and this leads to weight gain. Teach your kids what a proper portion size looks like, how calories are calculated and what a daily calorie count should look like.
If you’re making changes from an unhealthy to a healthy lifestyle, your kids may resist initially. But there will come a time when they will thank you. More importantly, you can feel good knowing you did the right thing for their health and their future.
Anica is a professional content and copywriter from San Francisco, California. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she's used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty. You can connect with Anica here.