Preventing Childhood Obesity - A Family Affair

To maintain a healthy weight throughout life, it’s important to learn healthful habits early on. It is during our childhood years when we develop the routines that follow us into our adult years. In other words, the inactive, overweight child of today is likely to become the inactive, overweight adult of tomorrow. That is, unless parents take action now and make their children's health a family affair.

Remember, children can't necessarily change their exercise and eating habits alone. They need the help of supportive parents and caregivers. So try creating new family habits around healthy eating and increased physical activity. Start small-you don't have to make many changes at once. No matter how young or old we are, small gradual changes are easiest to follow and incorporate into our lives. It definitely takes time to unlearn unhealthy behaviours and develop new, healthier ones. Here are some suggestions on ways to create a healthy weight environment for the entire family:

Creating a Healthy Environment for Eating

• Make the creation of meals a family affair. Even young children can participate in simple meal preparation (i.e., washing fresh vegetables, stirring the soup, and setting the table).
• Sit down and eat as a family together at least one meal a day. Share your day so that the meal lasts 30 minutes or more.
• Don't be too restrictive. Studies show that preschoolers with parents who are most restrictive with treats are the ones that ate the most sweets and snacks when given the opportunity. Teach moderation and balance.
• Limit the frequency of fast-food meals to no more than once a week. (Not at all would be ideal).
• Have healthy foods available for children to select from. Fresh fruit, vegetables like carrots, and low-fat yogurt are great examples.
• Don't use food or a lack of food for rewards and or punishments. For example, don't make threats like "no dessert unless you clean up your room".
• Don't force your child to eat if he or she is not hungry. However, if your child shows consistent signs of not eating, or obsession with their body image, consult a healthcare professional.

Creating an Active Environment

• Limit TV time. Research indicates a direct relationship between the hours of TV watched and childhood obesity. Not only is it a low-calorie-burning activity, but what children see on TV (ads for fast food, sugar coated cereal and other unhealthy food choices) influences what they eat and drink-even children as young as 2 years old. Encourage other activities besides TV, computers, and video games.
• Make time each week for a family outing that involves physical activity, such as a walk to the library or playing at the park.
• Encourage your children to play outside, ride a bike, play basketball with friends.
• Include children in active chores, such as washing the car or walking the dog.
• Enroll your child in a structured activity like gymnastics, tennis, dance, martial arts, soccer, etc.
• Making changes can have it’s challenges, especially today when families are juggling busy schedules, time, finances, and other daily stressors. But if you work together and support one another, your chance of success will be much greater. Eventually, new healthy choices or activities will become established healthy habits, and you will be well on your way to helping you and your children maintain a healthy weight and better health for the entire family.

For additional personalized coaching, contact us at 1-877-405-4471 or healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com.

To your health,

Nadia

Your weight loss partner

1-877-405-4471

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

www.healthyweightdancingfeet.blogspot.com

Am I the only one struggling?

Ever wondered why some people are able to maintain amazing bodies while YOU struggle with your weight?

Why do other people make it look so easy to achieve and then maintain their ideal weight?

Do they know something that you don’t?

It’s actually quite simple. It comes down to motivation!

If you have the motivation to reach your ideal weight coupled with the determination to get there, it is very possible. In fact, everything is possible in life with motivation and determination.

So, how do you know if you have enough motivation?

• Motivation will tell you to get out of bed for an early workout
• Motivation will nag you to put down that piece of cake
• Motivation makes passing up on fries a natural reflex
• Motivation makes a sweat drenched workout exciting
• Motivation constantly reminds you why you do what you do

So, what do you do if you desire the motivation but are not quite there?

Here are 5 steps to turn on your motivation!

1. Recognize your motivator: You need to determine your WHY. What is your goal? Why do you want to get into shape? Once you uncover your personal motivator you’ll find that motivation flows quickly your way. Take some time to dig deep to uncover the reason that you want to lose the weight. Be specific about it, don’t simply say you want to be thin. Your motivation must be specific and if there is a measurable timeline, you are more invested in the outcome. For instance, I want to be my ideal weight (X pounds) by my vacation (specific date).
2. Make it official: Write your goal and put it somewhere you will see it and read it everyday, like on your desk or your fridge! Each time you read your goal, visualize yourself having already accomplished the goal. This will help you maintain your focus.
3. Be practical: So you know what you want and have an idea of how to get there. Now you need a practical plan, one that will be easy to maintain and fit into your life. Keep in mind that it’s important to 1) maintain a healthy low-calorie diet and 2) participate in a consistent and challenging exercise program. But be sure it’s a program you enjoy so it’s not considered “work” but more of an enjoyment; a “fun” workout.
4. Call for backup: Get your friends, family, co-workers and spouses on board! Share your goal with the key people in your life and they will support you. In fact, you will probably inspire them to live a healthier lifestyle too!
5. Get invested with risk: Make a promise of some kind that you would not want to follow through with if you didn’t keep your end of the deal. A risk high enough to give you the motivation to follow through with your commitment. Then put it in writing with someone and sign it. For example, “If I’m not my ideal weight (X pounds) by Christmas then I will walk 5 km to work everyday for 6 months (or something else you really don’t want to do).

If you need a kick start with an easy to follow program, assistance finding your motivation and a daily support system, give us a call and we will tell you all about our program.

Remember it all comes down to YOUR motivation!

To your health,

Nadia

Your weight loss partner

1-877-405-4471

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

www.healthyweightdancingfeet.blogspot.com

Spring into Summer with these healthy recipes!

Spring is upon us so why not spring into a healthy summer by cooking healthy meals at home!

Spice up your spring with a Chipotle Chicken Soup and sweeten your palate with Chocolate Berry Decadence for Dessert.

Chipotle Chicken Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce

1 t olive oil

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped green onion

3 cloves minced garlic

1 t ground cumin

1 lb cooked chicken breast, cut up in strips, without the skin

28 ounces low sodium chicken broth

15 ounces canned, low sodium, diced tomatoes, undrained

10 ounces canned or frozen no salt added corn kernels

DIRECTIONS:

Remove chipotle chilies from can and mince. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium to high heat. Add bell

pepper, onions, garlic and cumin. Sauté until vegetables are soft (4-5 minutes). Add chilies, cooked chicken,

chicken broth, tomatoes and corn. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

Calories: 338/serving

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:

43g protein

25g carbohydrates

7g fat

501mg sodium

96mg cholesterol

5g fiber

Estimated Food Group Serving Equivalents: 6 lean meat, 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat

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Chocolate Berry Decadence

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cinch Chocolate Decadence Bar

2 T Chocolate or vanilla non-fat frozen yogurt

2 T Fresh berries (raspberries or sliced strawberries)

DIRECTIONS:

Place Cinch bar on a cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 5 minutes at a low temperature. Remove and top

with non fat frozen yogurt and berries. Enjoy!

Makes 1 serving.

Calories: 150 calories per serving

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:

11g protein

21g carbohydrates

3g fat

165mg sodium

0mg cholesterol

4g fiber

Happy Cooking!

To your health,

Nadia

Your weight loss partner

1-877-405-4471

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

www.healthyweightdancingfeet.blogspot.com

Celebrate Earth Month by planting some Trees!

Celebrate Earth Month by joining me, my family and friends plant 2000 trees in Downsview Park this Sunday April 25th.

Admission is FREE! Lots of activities for the kids!

Tree planting begins at 11 a.m., all other activities and exhibits begin at 9 a.m.

Let's all teach the next generations by setting this example.

Join in the effort to plant 2000 trees this Earth Day.

For more information: call or email Downsview Park:

416-952-2222 or info@downsviewpark.ca

Date: Sunday, April 25, 2010

Time: 9:00am - 4:00pm

Location: Downsview Park

Address: 35 Carl Hall Road Toronto, ON

There will also be recycling collection so if you have old tires, batteries or other items you'd like to save from a landfill, bring it with you to Downsview Park!

RAIN or SHINE, look forward to seeing everyone there,

Nadia

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

www.healthyweightdancingfeet.blogspot.com

Let’s celebrate Earth Month!

Did you know that in a typical city of 100,000 people, approximately 170 TONS of household cleaners go down the drain each year, contaminating our soil and lakes, not to mention our household environment?

Do you want to save:

• Billions of bottles from the landfills?
• Thousands of dollars from your pocket?
• Help regenerate our lakes?
• Help nourish the soil our food is grown in?

Do you want to learn:

• How to make small changes to your day to day life which will help our planet?
• How to make a difference in the world while cleaning up your own environment?
• Contribute to tree planting activities around the GTA and the world?

Attend Earth Day Extravaganza at the International Centre, Lyra Room in Mississauga, Ontario (6900 Airport Road) on THURSDAY APRIL 15, 7:30 P.M. and you will have the answers to all these questions.

There will be green product giveaways, prizes and a raffle draw for a trip for 2!

FREE Admission FREE Parking

We are expecting a full room so arrive early!

Look forward to seeing everyone there,

Nadia

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

www.healthyweightdancingfeet.blogspot.com

Eating Green - not the colour! It’s good for YOU and the Environment

Personal accountability is essential to achieving a healthy weight. The same goes for protecting and sustaining a healthy environment. You may not realize it, but your food choices and the way you shop for, prepare, and serve food can negatively impact the environment. So in honour of Earth Day this year, make small, meaningful and "greener" changes to your eating habits. Here are some great "eating green" tips to help you get started.

Make a Shopping List– Take inventory of everything you need for preparing healthy meals at home before you head out the door. This will prevent the need to make multiple trips back and forth to the store. You’ll not only save on fuel, but reduce the wear and tear on your car and your nervous system.

Got Canvas?– Neither paper nor plastic bags are a very good choice for the environment. It takes gallons of crude oil to make plastic bags, and many trees are sacrificed to make paper bags. Instead of using paper or plastic bags, invest in reusable canvas shopping bags. Most stores make them available for purchase near the checkout stand.

Say Goodbye to Plastic Water Bottles – North Americans buy billions of plastic water bottles every year, and every year those same billions of empty bottles get thrown in the garbage. Break the habit and use a neoprene bottle instead. If you think your tap water tastes "yucky" use a water-filtering system.

Buy Local and Organic– Buying locally grown food at a farmer’s market cuts down on the environmental costs associated with transporting produce to your community from great distances. Eating organically grown fruit and vegetables is also a good way to not only reduce your exposure to pesticides but help reduce the runoff and pollutants from "toxic" farming that can contaminate our water, soil, and air.

Eat Less Meat– The resources needed to raise livestock (e.g. feed, water, land, and fossil fuels) is significantly greater than those required for growing vegetables and grains. Try swapping out at least one meat dish a week for a vegetarian plate. If you do eat meat, buy free range, organically raised meat and poultry. It’s also the healthier choice!

Start a Veggie Garden–It doesn’t take much to start your own vegetable garden. If space is limited, start small with a planter box, nutrient rich soil, and a few seeds of your favourite veggies. Another benefit to gardening is that it will also make you appreciate the hard day to day work of farmers.

Cook and Clean Up Efficiently– Save energy and speed up cooking times by covering pots. The lid will keep the heat in and bring what you’re cooking to the right temperature faster. When it’s time to clean up, make sure the dishwasher is "full" before you run it. If you have a small number of dirty dishes, think about doing them the old-fashioned way: by hand, using a full basin of water (no running water) and a biodegradable dish detergent.

So make the small changes to be personally accountable to yourself and to your environment this Earth Month and every month going forward!

My colleagues, friends and family are involved in many events this month to celebrate Earth Day.

Two of these events are open to anyone and admission if FREE!

Earth Day Extravaganza at the International Centre in Mississauga, Ontario on April 15th, 7:30 p.m. Join us in the Lyra room at the International Centre, 6900 Airport Road and learn about the problem and the pollution solution. Admission is FREE but you have an opportunity to make a $2 donation toward the planting of trees through “LEAF” - an incorporated non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and improvement of urban forests in the Toronto area. For each LEAF donation ticket purchased, your name will be entered in a DRAW for door prizes including an EXCITING GETAWAY!

Tree Planting Earth Day Weekend in Downsview Park on April 25th, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The goal is to plant 2000 trees from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Downsview Park, 35 Carl Hall Road, Toronto, Ontario. Lots of other activities available for the kids, starting at 9 a.m. For more information, call 416-952-2222 or email info@downsviewpark.ca

Hope to see you there!

To your health,
Nadia
Your weight loss partner
1-877-405-4471
healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com
www.healthyweightdancingfeet.blogspot.com

What's baking?

This week’s blog post we wanted to pass on a few recipes which we hope you’ll enjoy.

Baked Salmon

Ingredients:

1 lb salmon fillet (cut into 4 pieces)

2 T chopped shallots

¼ C white wine or vermouth

2 T light mayonnaise

2 T light sour cream

2 t fresh lemon juice

2 t horseradish, freshly chopped or prepared, drained

2 t drained capers (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare a shallow roasting pan or baking dish with non-stick pan spray. Place salmon fillets, skin side down in the pan. Sprinkle the shallots over the fish, pour wine evenly over all. Bake 6-8

minutes or just until the fish is opaque.

While fish is cooking, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, horseradish and capers, if desire, into a small bowl and mix well. Transfer the salmon and shallots to warm serving plates. Top each with a heaping tablespoon of horseradish mayonnaise. Garnish with capers, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Calories: 269/serving

Nutritional information per serving:

23.67g protein

4.42g carbohydrates

14g fat

195 mg sodium

72 mg cholesterol

0g fiber

Fudge Brownies - This recipe makes about thirty-five 2x2 inch brownies

Ingredients:

1 C whole-wheat flour

1/2 C wheat germ

2 t baking soda

1 1/2 C apple juice concentrate

1/2 C butter

6 T unsweetened cocoa

1/2 C low fat buttermilk

1 whole egg

2 egg whites

2 t vanilla extract

1/2 C coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, wheat germ, and baking soda in a large bowl.

Combine the juice concentrate, butter, and cocoa in a small saucepan. Bring to a bowl, stirring frequently. Add to the dry ingredients and beat until smooth. Add the buttermilk, egg, egg whites, and vanilla extract and beat just until mixed. Gently fold in walnuts.

Pour the batter into a floured and greased 15x10 inch jelly roll pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes our clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Cool before cutting.

3 brownies = 1 whole grain serving!

Carob Brownies - For those who want the brownie without the chocolate!

Makes about thirty-two 1x2 inch brownies

Ingredients:

3 T butter

1/2 C plus 1 T apple juice concentrate

2/3 C raisins

1 t vanilla extract

2/3 C whole wheat flour

1 1/2 t baking powder

1/4 C unsweetened carob powder

1/2 C chopped walnuts

vegetable cooking spray

Directions:

Combine the butter, juice concentrate and raisins in a small saucepan and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract.

Mix together the flour, baking powder, carob powder and walnuts in a medium sized bowl. Add the juice mixture and blend quickly but thoroughly.

Pour the batter into an 8-inch square pan that has been coated with vegetable cooking spray. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, about minutes. Let cool in the pan, then cut into squares.

Happy baking and ENJOY!

To your health,

Nadia

Your weight loss partner

1-877-405-4471

healthyweightdancingfeet@gmail.com

www.healthyweightdancingfeet.blogspot.com