Being Healthy is Easier than You Think

 

School is back in session, schedules are packed with various activities, and parents are scrambling to get everything accomplished. Ask any parent what their biggest challenge is for taking steps to be a good healthy role model for kids and they’ll tell you it’s not enough time. Even with today’s hectic lifestyles, being a good role model takes less time than you think.

     Healthful Eating Basics

• Give kids a healthful variety of foods. Allow them to choose what and how much to eat from the healthy foods you offer.
• Tune into hunger cues. Teach kids to eat when they’re hungry, not just because it’s a habit.
• Eat until you are satisfied, not overly full
• Make sure everyone eats breakfast. Offer quick options such as whole grain cereal, yogurt, fruit, low-fat milk and 100% juice.

• Keep healthy snacks upfront in the fridge or cabinet so they’re easy for kids to see and grab.

When it comes to treats, size matter

You don’t have to banish kids’ favorite treats such as chips, cookies and candy. Just offer them once in awhile and in sensible portions.

• Buy single-serving sizes of chips and cookies, or portion your own into re-sealable snack bags
• When you eat out, split the fries, onion rings or the dessert
• Serve beverages such as soft drinks in small glasses
• Let your kids see you enjoying small portions

      Be a Screen Time Monitor

     Try these tips to set some limits on screen time and get your kids moving.

• Set a Screen Time Budget – allot kids one to two hours per day to spend on TV, Video games or fun time on the computer

• Devise an After-School Action Plan. Brainstorm to create a list of activities to get them on their feet and away from the screen.
• Click it off at Meal Times. A ‘no’ TV’ policy during family meals channels your attention into what’s going on in each other’s lives.

Get Active with Your Kids

Being active with your children gives you more quality time with them, boosts your energy and helps you mange stress.

Help Your Kids Strike the Right Balance

One of the most important skills you can ‘model’ for your kids is how to maintain a healthy weight by balancing the calories in the foods you eat with the calories you burn through physical activity. Set an example by eating moderately-sized portions and be physically active yourself.

Being Healthy Takes Less Time Than You Think

If not having enough time is your biggest barrier to being healthy, you are not alone. With today’s hectic lifestyles, many parents feel the same way.

·         Map out a week of healthful meals and snacks so you can stock up on what you need in one trip to the store.

·         Use supermarket time-savers such as rotisserie chicken, pre-washed salad greens and canned or frozen fruits and vegetables.

·         Ask kids to help you plan their lunches and family dinners

·         Enlist their help with meal prep.

For more information about this topic go to: http://ific.org/kidnetic

Recession: What Impact It Can Have

Today, most people have heard  the word recession, but if you are like me, may be wondering just what does it really mean and how does it actually affect individuals and families. Based on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia available on-line, the definition is:  “Recession in the context of economics is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity.” “Production, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP), employment, investment spending, capacity utilization, household incomes, business profits, and inflation all fall, when bankruptcies and the unemployment rate rise.” They continue, “Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending, often following an adverse supply shock or the bursting of an economic bubble.” For a more in-depth dialog of Recession visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recession

Bottom line is that a recession entails how money is spent and saved in a global economy. From the political arena, in order to avoid a national recession, people and businesses need to spend money – which allows money to flow in and out or exchange throughout the economic system which in turns affects the overall economy.

For the last decade, Americans were very good at contributing to the flow of money. We spend at an average of nearly $50,000.00 per household on everything from entertainment to essentials like food, shelter, and taxes. (Information is based on a 2009 governmental study of 12 million households with a wide range of incomes and included various ethnic backgrounds.) Details can be found at http://www.bls.gov/cex/tables.htm.

The unemployed number is another aspect. Based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Report, “Nonfarm payroll employment was unchanged (0) in August, and the unemployment rate held at 9.1%.” The Pennsylvania rate is currently 8.2% and last year it was at 8.5%. Many states are much higher.

Another component is the rate of household and business filings for bankruptcies. The American Bankruptcy Institute reported in August that consumer bankruptcies decreased 11% nationwide from the previous year. Samuel J. Gerdano, Executive Director of the National Bankruptcy Research Center Executive Director stated, “Total consumer filings will be lower in 2011 than the 1.5 million consumer cases in 2010.”

So far, you have read a lot of statistics, but bottom line what does it all mean? In summary, as a nation we have a relative high unemployment rate, it appears people are cautiously spending, bankruptcies are high but leveling off, and recently the Federal Reserve reported that debt levels by consumers has dropped. Revolving debt fell $1 billion in April to $790.1 billion! This is the first drop in several years. It means people are paying down or off their debt.

As a result of the various media coverage about recession and all the other topics mentioned, each individual or family unit along with businesses have to determine what their level of income is, what their spending priorities are and carefully reflect on their financial decisions. Today, more families are talking about having a balanced household budget.  We are all impacted by a recession and everyone must review his or her own money management style to reduce any negative impact a national recession might have. The current often used phrase to summaries  "recession" is "You can't spend what you don't have."