How to Raise a Healthy Child

“The percentage of overweight children in the United States is growing at an alarming rate, with 1 out of 3 kids now considered overweight or obese.”

Are your children hooked on electronics?

Hours and hours of video games, on the phone with friends, on the computer chatting with friends and too much junk food can lead to overweight children and later overweight adults. You already knew this and it’s no wonder with all the “excess” in this world today.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average child is watching about 3 hours of television a day. And the average kid spends 5½ hours on all screen media combined (TV, videos and DVDs, computer time outside of schoolwork, and video games). (1)

The combination of to much excess and not enough of the healthy components can leave your child lethargic, depressed and unhappy. What follows is craving more of the bad stuff like TV, candy, fast food, and more junk.

How can I get my kids to exercise?

Don’t refer to exercise as exercise. Just ask them if they want to go play outside or ride their bike. Children love to play and run. They don’t know that playing tag and soccer is exercise. Well, not consciously anyway.

Adults usually think of exercise as something negative, a chore, something like a never ending treadmill session. For children, exercise is fun. Remember your school recess? Running after others, being chased by your friends, ( hopefully they were playing a game of tag!), skipping rope and so forth. Remember how much fun you had climbing trees and spending hours outside with classmates monkeying around on play structures?

How important is outside play to children?

You as a parent can provide the happy childhood you had to your children, by replacing the negative habits with positive ones.

Let them play almost everyday outside, even if there is a chill in the air or it’s rainy. I understand how that might not seem like fun to you, but hear me out. Children love to play in wet leaves, in puddles and on forest trails. Why not, how much harm can they get into if it’s a little wet outside. Put them in warm clothing, a pair of rain boots and a hat. Fresh air detoxifies the lungs and body and can clear your mind.

Exercise doesn’t only control obesity, exercise helps them:

• develop stronger muscles and bones (1)
• have a leaner body because exercise helps control body fat (1)
• decrease the risk of developing type 2 diabetes dramatically (1)
• possibly lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels (1)
• fell positive about themselves (1)
• fit in better with their peers (1)

How to spot dehydration symptoms in my child?

The human body is about 60% water. It is necessary for our health and well-being. Water is part of our cells, blood, digestion, and waste elimination. Water also controls cravings. We can’t live more than a few days without water – water is life.

Too little water can lead to dehydration and the following symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Headache
• Dry mouth
• Dry and itchy eyes
• Muscle weakness
• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness
• Lack of concentration
• Overeating

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The 101 on caring for kids if they get the Flu

Quite frankly, it is a scary thought but if my family can get through it so can you. Sunday a week ago my 5 year old told me his throat hurt, which scared the poop out of me. Since it was just two days after helloween I wasn’t alarmed, because they sometimes scream so much while trick or treating that they do develop a soar throat. Well, we were not so lucky. Sunday evening he got a fever and I knew we had a flu case on our hands. Monday came and with the morning came also the cough and higher fever. His fever lasted about three days with some normal temperature in between. The highest temperature we measured was 101.3. My 5 year old complained about aches and pains, head ache, lungs hurting when he coughs, runny nose, fever, stuffy nose, night sweats, shivers, chills, fatigue, watery eyes, sleepiness and so on…

On Friday it seamed like he reached a plateau and just to be sure I took him to the doctor to check out his lungs. The doctor gave us an ok and sent us home to rest. He told us to keep him hydrated and resting. It wasn’t until the 7th day until his cough subsided a bit and he started acting like a five year old again.

My 9 year old had similar symptoms but closer to what I experienced. He also started with a soar throat and cough but he complained about severe leg pains and muscle weakness. Runny nose from almost the onset of symptoms and high level of fatigue. We all had clear runny nose, fever, chills, cough and muscle pain with severe head aches for about two days.

What you should have at home to get through the flu with your children:

• Echinacea Elder Tea, Herbal Tea, Traditionally used to fight off colds, flus, and infections, especially of the respiratory tract
• Ginger Lemon Tea, Herbal Tea, Great with honey for little upset tummies or big tummies, ginger is also a great anti viral, anti bacterial
• Olbas Oil, Olbas Oil is a traditional Swiss herbal medicinal remedy containing a unique mixture of essential oils, all carefully selected and 100% pure, put on chest and back
• Nasa Mist, Saline Spray, Specially Designed for Babies and Children, Allergy and Sinus Relief
• Organic Lemon, for hot lemon and honey tea, reliefs cough and sore throat

Keep them hydrated and warm, even if they have a fever. A lot of children in the hospital are there because of dehydration, keep them drinking tea and water all day! It’s important not to give them fever reducing medicine, fever is needed to produce anti bodies. A fever above 103 and 104 is dangerous and should be seen by a doctor. Also help the children breath easier with some vapor bath made with eucalyptus and menthol with lavender.

Game: Can you taste the ingredients?

My nine year old son asked me, mommy, what’s in this? This question started a brand new game we play at times. The kids try to taste the ingredients of their lunch or dinner. It gives them some kind of control and assures them, that it’s not some kind of mystery food.

The boys help me all the time preparing food in the kitchen, they can chop and wash the ingredients. Even the 5 year old can help with things, I usually give him plastic knife for cutting mushrooms or tomatoes. Children are more likely to eat what they make themselves. I know dinner will obviously take a little more time preparing, but it’s really worth your time. Children will remember times like these for ever, I usually take pictures of the kids cooking with me and we remember what we cooked that day!

Sometimes the children tell me what they would like to put in the dish. Salads are always fun for kids, the colors are great and children love the crunchy stuff!

So, just have fun in the kitchen and your kids will too.

Monika

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