February is Heart Month and while talked about heart health for women on February 6th, it’s also important for us as parents to remember that we have to teach our children how to live heart healthy lives as well. Currently 23% of children between the ages of 2 and 5 are classified as “obese” in the United States. This is not a heart-healthy way of life. Children are also consuming incredibly high rates of sodium on a daily basis. Sometimes it’s even coming from the snacks parents thought were the healthy choice.
Why does the extra sugar and sodium matter? Higher sodium levels than the recommended daily amount increases the risks for high blood pressure. High blood pressure increase the risk factor for hypertension, heart attack, and stroke later in life. The over consumption also leads to increased risk of obesity. Obesity leads to potential heart problems.
Research shows that healthy and active parents raise healthy and active children. If it makes your blood pressure rise just to think about yet another thing to your already busy schedule, we’re here to help.
Here are 4 simple ways to integrate a heart healthy lifestyle into your busy schedule.
1. Hide the exercise.
It may not seem appealing to think about “working out” for an hour. However, you can find creative ways to “hide” the exercise in your daily activities.
The American Heart Association recommends an hour of vigorous exercise each day for healthy children ages 2 and older. That may seem intimidating, but there are many ways to “hide” exercise in your daily routine.
A few simple ways are to play active games, like tag, catch, or even jump roping. Instead of watching television, have them conduct a scavenger hunt or have a dance party. Go to the local playground or take a family walk. The kids can also exercise by helping with chores around the house. Gardening and yard activities are also a great way to keep the kids active and help them learn.
2. Reduce salt and sugar by swapping out prepackaged snacks with easy homemade snacks.
This may mean ditching even the pre-made toddler meals and snacks, unfortunately.
According to findings published in February 2015 issue of Pediatrics published from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study, there is too much salt or sugar in most of the prepackaged meals and snacks for toddlers.
The study revealed that 72% of the toddler meals, which include macaroni and cheese, hot dogs, vegetables, juices, and so forth, were 1.5 times higher than the 210mg per serving maximum amount. Many of the dried fruit snacks contain about double the amount of recommended sugar intake per serving. Some of the snacks and cereals included added sugar, like glucose, high fructose corn syrup, and dextrose.
The recommended serving of sugar is no more than 3-4 teaspoons each day, yet the American Heart Association conducted a study which concluded the average toddler consumes about 12 teaspoons of sugar each day.
Limit juices and candy whenever possible. Healthy snacks include fruits, vegetables, nuts, cheeses, yogurt, and so forth. Try making home made trail mixes in large quantities and storing in individual bags. Air popped popcorn, carrots and celery or other veggies with hummus, egg slices, and fruit smoothies are also great snacks.
3. Make sure to eat heart healthy foods.
Deeply colored, non-starchy fruits and vegetables are a great way to keep your blood pressure in check and your weight down.
If you opt for desserts after dinner, make it fruit. Some fun desserts for kids that are primarily fruit include bananas dipped in yogurt and frozen, bananas and almond butter, baked apples with cinnamon, berries and cream, fruit salad, and so forth. Fruits and vegetables have the added bonus of fiber, which helps to lower blood cholesterol.
Try to eat fish twice a week. The omega-3 fatty acids in fish may help lower your risk of coronary artery disease. If your children balk at the idea of fish, try making Mahi mahi. It is a very mild flavored, non fishy tasting fish.
4. Reduce the stress by eliminating unnecessary activities.
Stress is a key factor in heart health and has even been shown to negatively effect your entire system.
If your family is on the go non-stop, consider re-evaluating your activities and only keeping the priorities. One way to determine if something can be scratched from the schedule: if the thought of doing this activity or going to the event fills you with dread, maybe you don’t really need to do it. Eliminating the excess will free up time for less stressful and healthier activities – like exercise and family time.
Of course there are many, many ways to incorporate heart healthy activities in your life. Children follow the example set by their parents, so the most important action parents can take to have a heart-healthy child is to model the behavior for them.
What are your favorite family activities or healthy recipes?
