Back to School Nutrition and Fitness

Did you know:

North American children obtain 50% of their calories from added fat and sugar?

Fewer than 15% of school children eat the recommended servings of fruit, less than 20% eat the recommended servings of vegetables and soda consumption has almost doubled in the last 20 years?

These poor nutritional habits combined with a decreased physical activity have led to a doubling of obesity rates among children and a tripling among adolescents in the past 20 years.

Poor nutrition and a lack of physical activity are not only the root of obesity, but they also play a role in lower academic achievement. Poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle can cause problems with concentration, mood, energy and focus, which all can impact a child's ability to learn.

The good news is many studies have shown that when a child's basic nutrition and fitness needs are met they do much better in school, attaining higher academic achievement.

So start this school year off right. Help your child develop healthy eating and physical activity habits to not only optimize their nutritional status and fitness level but also their school performance.

• Start the day off right by making sure your child eats a healthy breakfast. Skipping breakfast has been shown to have a negative effect on cognitive performance, even among healthy well nourished children.

• Help keep your child's energy up with healthy snacks in their lunch box. Avoid snacks that are high in refined sugar and artificially coloured or flavoured foods. They may boost energy levels in the short term but can cause energy levels to crash leaving your child feeling sluggish later on in the day. Pack some trail mix, fresh fruit, carrot sticks, or other veggies.

• Become familiar with school lunch menus. Keep a copy of the current lunch menu in your kitchen. Ask the school food service director for nutrition information and be sure to go over the menu with your child and talk to them about making healthy choices. When school menus offer burgers, pizza or tacos, encourage your child to have a salad, yogurt, fruit or milk with them.

• Get your child involved in planning and preparing their lunches. When children are included in planning and preparing their own meals, they're more likely to eat their carrot sticks instead of trading them with someone for cookies.

• Encourage your kids to be active at school or after school. Participating in school physical activity programs and team sports, or other extracurricular activities are excellent ways to keep your child active and engaged in academics. Studies show that schools that offer intense physical activity programs see positive effects on academic achievement including increased concentration, improved mathematics, reading and writing test scores, as well as reduced disruptive behaviour even when time for P.E. classes reduces time for academics.

• Make physical activity a family affair. Be a good role model and engage the entire family in an active lifestyle. Walk the kids to school, teach kids to ride bicycles and ride together as a family, teach your children the skills they need to jump rope, throw or kick a ball, run and skate and even get involved in your community to increase access to parks, playgrounds, and organized sports.

Want to learn more about helping your kids have their best year ever?

What if our children could have perfect attendance in school this year?

What if they could get straight As?

What if learning could come more easily for them?

What if there was something we could do to help our kids have their best year

ever?

Healthy Weight Dancing Feet is hosting workshops on Children’s nutrition at

various locations throughout August and September. For detailed locations and

times, contact Nadia at 647-405-4471.

To your health,

Nadia

Your weight loss partner

1-877-405-4471

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

http://healthyweightdancingfeet.com

Take Fitness to a New Level!

Have you plateaued in your weight loss?

Are you feeling frustrated with your weight loss?

Well, did you know that some post-exercise protein can go a long way to improving your weight loss?

In fact a study published in the May 2008 issue of Fitness Management Magazine reinforced the importance of consuming protein meal replacement shakes immediately after weight training to maximize muscle mass gains and body fat loss.

This study examined the effects of a 23 week moderate exercise training program, with and without a supplemental protein meal replacement shake, on body composition in a group of adults.

Under close supervision, study participants exercised 2-3 days a week following an exercise protocol adapted from the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines which included standard use of 11 weight training machines with appropriate increases in exercise resistance and post-exercise stretches. Participants also performed 20 minutes of aerobic exercise as part of their workout.

Forty-six participants completed the 23-week program of which 24 participants consumed a protein meal replacement drink following their training session and 22 did not consume a shake, nor did they receive a placebo control. The protein meal replacement shakes were prepared by mixing 1.5 servings in water and provided approximately 270 calories, 4.5g fat, 35g carbohydrate, and 24g protein.

After 23 weeks, all 46 subjects showed significant improvements in body composition. However, the participants who ingested the post-exercise protein meal replacement shake increased their lean weight and decreased fat weight more than those who did not consume post-exercise protein meal replacement shakes. In fact, participants consuming the post-exercise protein meal replacement shake gained 25% more lean weight and lost 50% more fat, than participants who did not consume protein meal replacement shakes.

So take advantage of these study results to make the most of your fitness routine. Use a protein meal replacement shake as your post-exercise drink to improve your body composition and get more out of your workout!

Of course, there are many protein meal replacement shake options on the market today but our preferred brand is Shaklee and their CINCH protein shakes. They contain a proprietary/patented formulation of 8 essential amino acids, including Leucine.

Leucine has been shown to increase one’s long-term metabolism such that when you get to your ideal weight, you don’t need to be concerned about regaining all your released weight unless you completely abandon your lifestyle changes!

If you’re interested in trying this out, Shaklee also happens to be the only natural nutrition company in North America that offers an empty bottle money back guarantee. Just another reason I like recommending Shaklee.

To access the study publication visit www.fitnessmanagement.com and search archived articles for "protein and body composition".

To your health,

Nadia

Your weight loss partner

1-877-405-4471

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

http://healthyweightdancingfeet.com

Summer's Here! Time to Pack your Bags, Not the Pounds!

Summer is in full force and it’s a time of year many people take off with the family on vacation, including myself!

We all deserve some rest and relaxation but don’t let your vacation excuse you from maintaining your healthy exercise habits you’ve worked so hard to create! Staying active while on vacation is a great way to maintain the weight-and inch-loss you've worked so hard to achieve.

It's also a great opportunity to find new activities that you can enjoy—even when you're back at home. So take a fun and active vacation this summer by engaging in some of these activities:

Take a walk on the beach: Any walk is great exercise, but walking in soft sand burns more calories than walking on flat ground, and it's an excellent workout. If it's hot outside, be sure to wear shoes or sandals (to avoid scorched feet!) and start slow; try going for shorter walks first until you get used to soft terrain.

Carry your clubs: If you enjoy golf as my husband does, take them with you to your sunny destination and carry the clubs! If you carry your clubs and walk the entire course, you can burn 200–300 calories per hour, which is much more than the calories you burn from just playing and driving a cart around the course.

Tennis, anyone?: Like golf, tennis can be as easy or as hard as you want it to be. Make the most out of your tennis match by chasing the ball and hitting like a pro. A hard game of singles or doubles tennis will give you a great workout and can burn 500–600 calories per hour.

Sight-seeing by bike: A long, leisurely bike ride is a great way to see the local sights—and it's something your entire family can do together. In fact, bikes suitable for all ages are available for rent at many resorts. If you can, try to make it a day-long adventure to burn the most calories. Be sure to wear a helmet on your ride, and bring some water to keep you hydrated.

Surf's up! Ever wondered how a surfer got their muscular physique from? Well surfing is actually a rigourous exercise that will challenge every muscle in your body. Even if you only paddle out to the waves and fall off your board, you'll get a great workout! But surfing is not for everyone; some may wish to consider snorkelling or swimming as alternatives. They are a bit more leisurely, but still an excellent way to burn calories.

Move up a mountain: If you enjoy walking but want to try something a little more intense, go for a hike. When you climb a hill or mountain, the added elevation helps you burn more calories. And if you carry a backpack, you'll challenge yourself even more! When you arrive at your hotel, check with the concierge to see about nearby hiking adventures. If you are really feeling adventurous, visit Machu Picchu and hike the Inca trail. I promise you will have a vacation you will never forget, and an active one too!

Row, row, row your boat: Grab a paddle and try kayaking for a great cardio workout. It burns about the same amount of calories as moderate swimming or jogging (about 500 calories per hour), and it can be a full-body workout—with special emphasis on the upper body (upper back, biceps, triceps, shoulders, and forearms).

Wherever your vacation may take you, some advanced planning can help you stay on track with your weight-management efforts and exercise routine. If none of these ideas sparks your interest, don't forget about water skiing, sailing, rock climbing, bungee jumping, and sky diving! So pack your bags and get moving!

If you have any vacation ideas and/or exercising ideas while on vacation that you’ll like to share, please comment on this blog. I’d love to hear all about it.

To your health,

Nadia

Your weight loss partner

1-877-405-4471

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

http://healthyweightdancingfeet.com