Inactivity and poor food choices are a big concern when it comes to our and our children’s health. Childhood obesity in Australia is on the rise with 65% of children predicted to be obese by 2020. The two key contributors to these shocking figures include;
- Poor food choices – children and families as a whole consuming high fat, high sugar foods rather than a following a nutritionally balanced diet
- Inactivity – the changing Australian lifestyle is a lot more sedentary, with TV, computers and electronic hand held games replacing many active pastimes.
We here at NuYu, believe that with a few lifestyle changes these shocking figures can be decreased substantially! With the right education, awareness raising and implementation we hope that in years to come high levels of obesity are a thing of the past.
Here are our top 5 tips to help educate and encourage our children and our families to eat healthy, live actively and enjoy life;
- Be active as a family – family bike trips, going to the local park, flying a kite together, even taking the dog to the dog park can be a great way to introduce exercise into your everyday. This will help develop a love for being active and help form good habits for later life
- Make whole foods a part of your diet – avoid too many processed foods as they has lost much of their nutritional value. Good health is formed by good nutrition, let’s have kids eating well from an early age and maintain it throughout life. A simple rule of thumb is – if it came from a plant eat it, if it was made in a plant don’t!
- Get the kids involved with the cooking – kids love to help, getting them involved with cooking and developing an understanding healthy foods at a young age is great. Why not try some healthy pita bread pizzas and see who can make the craziest pizza face.
- Try some team sports – team sports can be a great way to develop social skills as well as find a passion for sport.
- Be a role model for your children – the most important tip! You are your children’s hero, they want to be just like you. If you are setting a good example they can’t go wrong 🙂
