Central Carolina HEALTH - Winter 2014 - (Page 4)

Health Beat Got Healthy Drinks? Separating kids from the sweet stuff can be challenging, but a recent study in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine suggests that replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water can be an easy way to keep kids at a healthy weight. Milk is another good beverage choice for kids. They need calcium and vitamins, so the calories they get are healthy ones. Adding a touch of chocolate or strawberry ﬂavoring can make milk tastier with few extra calories. PHOTO BY CATHERINE YEULET PHOTO BY GETTY/JASPER WHITE To tempt your kids' taste buds for healthier drinks, try adding a squeeze of lemon, lime, orange or grapefruit, or even a bit of mashed berries, to water or sparkling water. You can also make fruitjuice ice cubes. DEAR DIARY: Did I Eat That?! Have you ever kept a food diary? It can be an eye-opener and a surprising motivational tool. Here are a few tips on the best ways to keep one-and how to use the information you gather. LOG IT IN. Plenty of free websites and apps make keeping up with your eating habits easier. For example, use MyFitnessPal to log your meals and snacks. It provides calorie counts, comprehensive nutrition breakdowns and more. JOT IT DOWN. If you're not near a computer during the day, or you prefer a pen and paper record, carry a notepad to help you keep track. PUT YOUR KNOWLEDGE TO WORK. Are you getting enough produce? Consuming too many calories? Snacking on sugar in the afternoon? Once you see patterns, you can start to make changes. Remember: Over time, small steps add up to big changes in your health! 4| WINTER 2014 Time to Turn Off the TV! In this country, kids watch almost four hours of TV a day. Sure, we all love American Idol, but that's a lot of TV! Too much TV or video games is not good for kids. It means less time that kids can be active. According to studies, kids who watch too much TV tend to have lower grades in school. They read fewer books. They exercise less and are overweight. Don't let your child overdose on TV. Turn it off and help them choose activities that are good for them. BRING YOUR CHILD TO THE PARK. Jump rope or play basketball. TAKE A WALK AFTER DINNER. Ask about your child's day at school while you exercise. EXTEND CURFEW WITH A BOOK. Allow your child to stay up a half-hour later if he or she reads a book. Let your child choose which one.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Central Carolina HEALTH - Winter 2014

Central Carolina HEALTH - Winter 2014
Contents
Direct from Doug
Health Beat
Full-Circle Care
Round-the-Clock and Close to Home
Special Delivery
Heart Smart

Central Carolina HEALTH - Winter 2014