Are You Heart Healthy?
Children with a healthy lifestyle grow up to be adults with a healthy lifestyle. Help your children learn heart healthy habits now!!! Heart healthy habits now will prevent problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol later in life. Include the whole family! Everyone can benefit!
Here are some suggestions on how to get started…
- Make healthy food choices! Set a goal for the entire family for everyone to eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. Parents encourage your children to pick a new fruit or vegetable from the supermarket and try it! Choose low fat or skinless meats, and for children over 2 years choose low fat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese. Eliminate the ‘itos’ food group… doritos, Cheetos, and fritos.
- Limit “screen” time to less than 2 hours daily! Yes that does include the Nintendo, Gameboy, and other video games.
- Make the time for daily activity, and make it an important part of your life! Aim for 60 minutes of activity every day. If the weather allows, get outside to play, walk, ride bikes or scooters, or even jump rope! Don’t forget to wear your HELMET! Join a class or team at the local YMCA, you can dance, swim, play on sport teams, take karate lessons, do yoga… Use your imagination and have fun!
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Contributed by Drs. Blackington, Mckenna, and Alli