8 Tips To Get Your Kids Eating Healthier

1. Introduce new items gradually: Offer your child one new food to try along side the familiar ones.  This way the change will have less of an impact.
   
   
2. Offer a choice: If you struggle to get your child to eat salad, try putting each of the ingredients into a separate bowl (like a salad bar) and let them choose which items they want in their salad.  This idea would also work with wraps or burritos - offering a variety of healthy options to fill it with. By offering you child a choice, they will be more likely to eat their creation.
   
   
3. Make your child a sous chef:  Give your child tasks in the kitchen that are age appropriate.  Simple tasks such as peeling, washing or mixing as well as chopping for older kids.  Getting your child involved in the meal preparation will make them more open to tasting the food they have prepared.
   
   
4. Avoid bribes: Using food such as sweets as a reward for your child can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food that often continues into adulthood.
   
   
5. Don't force it:  Forcing your child to finish their food teaches your child to override their body's signals and ability to recognize when they are hungry or full. 
   
   
6. Start early:  The older your child is, the harder it can be to introduce new, healthier foods.
   
   
7. Lead by example:  You cannot expect your child to eat healthy food if you don't, so be a model for healthy eating.
   
   
8. Don't give up: Continue offering healthy foods to your child, even if they initially resist.  Give that particular food a break and re-introduce it at a later time.  Just because your child hated broccoli at 9 months old, does not mean they will always hate it.

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Experts suggest that increasing daily vitamin D intake is the best way to raise your body's resistance to the flu this winter.  Vitamin D is naturally acquired through exposure of the skin to sunlight and, to a lesser extent, from food.

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Autumn is a great time to refresh, recharge and renew.  For many people it's when they, once again, try to lose weight.

FACT: Over 90% of all conventional attempts at weight loss fail.

In my experience, the more drastic the diet, the harder it is to stick to it. I believe in a gradual approach to making changes in the diet. Making changes too quickly can be hard on the body and very difficult to maintain. My strategy for weight loss focuses on improving overall health and quality of life.

Here are the key points:

* Set Realistic Goals - While some people will lose 5 lbs in the first week, most of which is water, an average of 1-2 lbs per week is a healthy  amount of weight to lose. If it took months or years to put the weight on, it is unreasonable to expect to lose it all within a few weeks!

* Dietary Changes - Completely cutting out important foods such as protein, carbohydrates or fats is a common mistake. It is important to find the right balance of these foods and choose those which are unprocessed and unrefined. Introducing new, healthful foods into the diet is just as important as reducing the unhealthy ones.

* Detoxification - making sure your body can properly eliminate toxins is very important when trying to lose weight. Using specific herbs to cleanse the body can improve your metabolism and allow your liver and other organs to function more efficiently.

* Improve Digestion - An impaired digestive system will affect how well your body breaks down food and absorbs nutrients as well as how quickly it can eliminate toxins.

* Movement - Some form of physical activity is an important aspect of reaching and maintaining your healthy body weight. Find an activity you enjoy- whether it's playing a sport, taking a yoga class or simply walking.

* Raise Energy Levels - A person struggling with excess weight may also suffer from low energy levels. Ensure your body is receiving the proper nutrients to help you feel energized!

If you look at your "diet" as a temporary measure and plan to return to your old eating habits once the desired weight is achieved, you will likely fail. Maintaining weight loss requires a permanent lifestyle change. It's a life-long commitment to taking care of your body.

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