FitSugar

Fit Tip: Do It For the Kids

FitSugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 09:00:00 -0700

I was reading the Daily Buzz from BikiniBootCamp, yes even I need additional inspiration for bikini season, and I came across a tip that I just had to share - especially being that Mother's Day just passed us by.

We often use kids as an excuse for being unhealthy - that they're the reason you gained the weight in the first place, and why you need to keep candy and junk food at home. Stop this unproductive way of thinking, and start using your kids as an excuse for being healthy. Think about it: You want to be there for your kids, have the energy and strength to keep up with them as they grow up, and lead a long, happy, and healthy life with all your loved ones.

How true is that? If you don't have kids, try substituting boyfriend or husband in place of kids. I love a little positive reinforcement every once in a while, don't you? You too can sign-up to get inspired for bikini season, which is basically here next weekend, at BikiniBootcamp.com.

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Speak Up: Do Mom's Body Image Comments Matter?

FitSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:30:00 -0700

Denise Richards recently told Shape Magazine that she'd never talk about weight around her two young daughters. Furthermore she said, "And they'll never hear me say, 'Mommy's feeling fat today.' That kind of attitude just makes young girls grow up to be dissatisfied with their bodies." And while I can't say I agree with Denise subjecting her daughters to be on her new reality show, it seems as if she's definitely got the body image thing right. I totally agree with her on keeping her, "Do I look fat?" comments to herself. Daughters will mimic their mother's actions right down to asking if they look fat in their pull-ups, which could lead to their own body image issues down the road.

As always I am curious about you guys. Did your mother talk about her own body image issues in front of you when you were growing up? Did it affect you at all? Further more, if you have kids, do you talk about your own body image issues in front of them and do you see it affecting them at all? So speak up and share your comments below.

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Hypertension Linked to Kids TV Time

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 02:00:00 -0700

A lot of us are concerned about having high blood pressure (aka Hypertension), but have you ever thought about your child having high blood pressure?

As it turns out, children who spent two to four hours a day watching TV were 2.5 times more likely to have hypertension than children who watched two or less hours of TV a day. Children who watched four or more hours of TV a day were 3.3 times more likely to have hypertension than those who watched less than two hours a day.

Furthermore, changing a child's TV time alone can lead to weight loss, without any changes in physical activity. I'm thinking if you don't have kids, or even if you do, the two hour rule is something that we can all apply to our own TV viewing schedules in an effort to be more active.

For those of you who are always looking for more information on parenting as much as I am and have been asking for our parenting site, your wait is almost over! LilSugar is launching very soon so get ready for baby news, trends, advice and stories - Sugar style!

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Back to School: Back to Eye Strain

FitSugar — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 13:30:00 -0700

As adults, most of us spend hours on end staring at a computer, which in turn can lead to eye strain. Most of us know how to cope, but children, who are spending more and more time in front of a computer, now (especially since they're back at school) too, may not know how to cope.

The American Optometric Association offers these tips on keeping your children's eyes healthy.

An adult computer workstation may not be suited for a child. Invest in a chair that can be adjusted for the child's height. The recommended distance between the monitor and the eye for children is between 18 and 28 inches.
Check for sources of glare by sitting in front of the computer. Windows or other light sources should not be directly visible when sitting in front of the monitor. Holding a small mirror flat against the screen can help pinpoint light sources that are reflecting from above or behind.
Children should take at least a 20-second break for every 20 minutes of computer time.
Take your children for an annual eye exam and discuss computer use with their eye doctor.
Keep your eyes open for signs of eye strain in children, including eye redness, rubbing their eyes, head turns, complaints of blurriness or eye fatigue, or limited attention to visual tasks.

As always, practice what you preach -- Adults should give their eyes a break from computer use at least ten minutes per hour.

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Get in Gear: InStep Quick N' Light Bike Trailer/Stroller

FitSugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 02:30:00 -0700

It is no secret that I am a huge fan of multi-tasking which is why I am loving this two in one bike trailer / stroller combo from InStep ( $149.99). What a great concept!

You can pack your little one into the trailer, bike to your destination - let's say your local farmer's market. Just lock up your bike, detach the trailer, add the stroller handle and walk around the market. Reverse the process to bike home.

InStep has been making both strollers and trailers for years, so they know how to make a lightweight, multi-functional product. The trailer attaches easily to most bikes and comes with a weather shield for rainy day rides. Plus it has a 5-point harness to keep the little one secure and nice cushy tires to help soften bumps in case you encounter some rough roads. This trailer is recommended for children over the age of one.

Don't forget helmets for the whole family and why not add an orange safety flag to the trailer while you are at it! Make your trailer as conspicuous as possible.

You can find one on sale for only $109 at Amazon.

Kids Think Food Tastes Better With McDonald's Name

FitSugar — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 15:45:00 -0700

I just found out about this fascinating study led by Dr. Thomas Robinson, the director of the Center for Healthy Weight at Packard Children's Hospital and associate professor of pediatrics and of medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. Talk about serious credentials.

He had 63 children, ages 3 and 5, sample five foods: chicken nuggets, a hamburger, French fries, baby carrots and milk. The chicken nuggets, hamburger and French fries were all from McDonald's; the carrots and milk were from a grocery store.

Each food was divided into two portions: one wrapped in a McDonald's wrapper or placed in a McDonald's bag and the other in a wrapper without the McDonald's logo.

Want to know what the kids had to say about the carrots? Then read more

The kids thought the food branded with the McDonald's name tasted "better," even though the foods were exactly the same! Apparently kids do judge a food by its cover. That seems like early brand recognition, too early in my book.

With further investigation, Dr. Robinson found that 1/3 of these children ate at Mickey D's more than once a week, and more than 3/4 of them had McDonald's toys at home. The children had about 2-3 TVs in their homes, and more than half the kids had TVs in their rooms.

It's no wonder kids are "lovin' it" - McDonald's spends a ton of moolah advertising to kids. It's really not fair since kids don't understand the persuasive nature of advertising, and they don't realize that eating foods high in sugar and fat can cause childhood obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and adolescent heart disease.

McDonald's responded by saying they are dealing with the problem. Hmm. Here's an idea. How about you stop advertising your unhealthy, far-from-nutritional food to kids?! Or better yet - why just advertise the healthy stuff you do sell? Oh, a mother can dream, can't she?

I do believe that parents should be monitoring what their kids eat, and teach them how to make healthy choices. If kids ages 3 and 5 years are learning to dine regularly at McDonald's, they are going to make the same choices once they are older. By then, health problems will have begun their course, and those unhealthy eating habits will be tough to break. Now is the time, when kids are young, to instill ways to eat and stay healthy.

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Motivation to Lose Weight: Kids With Cameras

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 14:30:00 -0700

I recently heard a great (and unique) tip for getting motivated to lose that extra weight: Give your kids a digital camera.

Kids love taking their own pictures, especially candids and especially of mom and dad. Even better than that? They also love sharing them with everyone you know (even people you don't know). They just keep on snapping shots until the camera runs out of memory. Kids don't give you a warning, they don't ask you to say cheese, they don't give you time to cock your head into your "I don't want to have double chin" pose, they just snap the picture. So if having hundreds of pictures of yourself taken from three feet high does not help to motivate you to start exercising, I don't know what will.

It's just an idea, but hey, it could work for you. Share your own ideas in the comments section below.

No Wonder Kids Are Fat

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 14:30:00 -0700

Have you watched TV lately? Prime time evening shows are overflowing with commercials advertising junk food. Pizza, ice cream, candy bars, soda, sodium-filled snacks, and fast food. Where are the ads with fresh salads, fruits and whole grain snacks? Can you blame kids for the unhealthy choices they make when all they're exposed to is crap?

For years, health officials have warned us that kids were flooded with too many commercials glorifying unhealthy foods. Finally researchers studied the effects of these commercials.

Researchers monitored thirteen TV networks from late May to early September of 2005. On average, children ages 8-12 saw about 21 food commercials a day - that's 7,600 a year.

Of the food ads, 34% were for candy and snacks, 29% for cereal, 10% for drinks, 10% for fast food, 4% for dairy, 4% for prepared meals, and the rest for breads, pastries, and restaurants.

In December 2005, The Institute of Medicine concluded that these food commercials contradicted dietary guidelines for children and were putting children's health at risk. The Institute recommended that these companies change their marketing strategies and gear them towards healthier choices for impressionable and budding consumers.

In November, 10 major food and beverage companies including Coco-Cola Co., McDonald's, and PepsiCo Inc., agreed to voluntarily devote at least half of their kid-directed ads towards advertising healthier diets and lifestyles.

Don't get too excited just yet. Nothing has really changed so far, but researchers believe that this study that was recently released will help jumpstart these companies into following through with their health kick.

Favorite Excuse for Not Working Out: I Have Little Kids

FitSugar — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 02:30:00 -0700

There are as many roadblocks to fitness as there are benefits to gain from fitness. So figuring out how to motivate yourself past your favorite excuse is beyond beneficial. So if your excuse is "I'm too busy with my kids to workout," it is time to change your tune. I used that excuse for a while, but I soon realized if I weren't "modeling" good health habits for my kids they would have no idea of the value of exercise. I didn't want to fall into the, "Do as I say not as I do" version of parenting.

Here are a few ideas to get you started thinking about how to fit in some exercise while hanging with your baby.

When you have a newborn

You can do tummy time with your baby. Get down on the floor and get active while your baby fusses over learning this new position.
Pack that baby up and go for a stroll since the fresh air is good for you and the baby.

Curious to what you can do once your baby starts crawling? Then read more

When the baby starts crawling

Get down on all fours and explore with your child. You will work your arms and your legs as well as learn the value of sweeping the floor from first hand experience.
I have already told you how carrying your child around like all the Hollywood mommas will definitely get your arms strong and toned. You know...babies can double as weights.

Toddler workout

Follow your new walker around and do what they do. Try to do it for 10 minutes. Granted his or her center of gravity is considerably lower so his or her up/down motions are easier. Toddlers also love, LOVE when you imitate them. It will be a nice bonding game as well as a strength training time for you.

The playground at any age even with tots can be quite a workout. Pushing the swing and the merry-go-round can work your arms and burn some calories. I like to add a squat between each push, as well as alternate arms.

So work out with your little ones and you will feel better when they start to work your patience.

Keep the Holidays Safe

FitSugar — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 04:45:00 -0800

Let's face it, even during the holidays, accidents happen!

Luckily for us, KidsHealth.org has created a checklist for ways to try and avoid accidents for safe holiday celebrations this year.

From tips on poisoning: "Bubble lights" containing methylene chloride can be poisonous if a child drinks the fluid from more than one light (even if labeled nontoxic).

To tips on accident prevention: Keep breakable ornaments out of your young children's reach - or keep them off the tree until your children are older. If one does break, clean up the broken glass quickly.

They've got you (and your loved ones) covered. Check out the full list on KidsHealth.org.