Going green is no longer just about recycling your newspapers and swapping out plastic water bottles for reusable aluminum ones. Today, being green extends to all facets of our lives, including how we raise our children.

Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking with author and wellness expert Terra Wellington. Terra has just written the book “The Mom’s Guide to Growing Your Family Green,” and it is chock-full of practical and engaging information and tips on how to keep your family healthy and happy while also being environmentally-conscious.

Included in her book are tips on hydration at school and how to stay hydrated the “green” way, quick how-tos on nutritious and better-for-the-planet lunch options and how you can keep your children free from germs in a safer, less-toxic way.

As a pretty green mom myself, we recycle everything, harvest rain water for watering our lawn, and make our own holiday presents; what I learned from Terra is that starting a garden project in your child’s school is a lot less cumbersome that I had initially feared. In fact, school garden projects are popping up all over the country with the enthusiasm and support from parents to the school board and and community business. School garden projects teach children the value of respecting nature as well as how gratifying and delicious it is to get their hands and knees digging in the dirt pulling out sweet carrots and baby lettuce for their school lunch.

In addition to her own website, Terra has her own blog.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

A Mom’s Guide to Growing Your Family Green

Guest blogger Jill Knapp from “Get up and Get Moving” has some wonderful tips to get your kids eating right and exercising to prevent obesity and other health risks. Jill is from Idaho, where she lost 100 pounds after being diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Today, she manages her diabetes with diet and exercise and without medication.

Childhood obesity is one of our nation’s leading health threats. Today about 25 million kids (ages 2-19) in the United States are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. That’s nearly one of every three kids. Overweight kids are more likely to become overweight adults.

You can’t lose by using this rule in your family life: Get in one hour or more of physical activity each day!  The wonderful news is that your kids’ 60 minutes of exercise does not need to happen at once. You just need to help them get active 10 or 15 minutes at a time, a few times a day.

Naturally, the best way to get your kids moving is to get up and go with them. You too can gain the health benefits from being active.

Here are a few ideas to help get your kids moving.

Chores and More:
Get your house in shape: Not only will they score points with you, but vacuuming, doing dishes or cleaning their bedrooms can also get your kids’ hearts pumping.

Get Out There
Go green! (Thumb, that is.) When it’s warm outside, gardening or mowing the lawn are wonderful forms of activity.

Get them Eating Right
What you keep healthy food in your pantry and refrigerator they will eat it. So fill them with healthy foods.  Cut up vegetables, fruit, and keep yogurt and string cheese on hand for other healthy snack choices.

It’s important to take the time to teach your kids about how important it is to eat right. Sending them to school with a healthy lunch is the way to go. If you choose to let them eat them at school, encourage them to grab from the veggie bar and to choose healthy drinks. Schools are getting better at serving healthier foods. It’s up to us as parents to teach our children to be active and eat right.

To really get your kids participating in their own health, have them make a pledge to become more active.   It just takes a few minutes, but the commitment they make to you and themselves will go a long way.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Healthier Snacks and More Activity Make for Healthier Children

Good dads put family first, even at dad’s expense, right? Maybe not. Fatherhood responsibility continues to mount as more dads become increasingly involved in roles traditionally assigned to mom. Full-time and part-time stay-at-home dads are not uncommon these days. While dads accept this new role, they are also expected to keep up with their other responsibilities. Good fathers are committed with a smile and a sense of pride. Unfortunately, many give lovingly at the expense of their personal health.

Fathers who give unconditionally can find it difficult to find motivation for personal good health.  Nevertheless, for the whole family to be happy, the whole family must be healthy. Among all the hats dads wear, they must also be the example for healthy eating and lifestyle. Here’s how to find that motivation and follow through:

First, if you want to be a good dad, good health is a MUST. Your children and your wife are influenced by your actions, and your dedication to your health will be reflected in them as you set an example.

Second, recognize that humans are driven by the desire to gain pleasure and avoid pain. Putting off your health is a result of these associations. Time away from family or career are classic examples of pain associated with good health.

Third, learn to use pain/pleasure to your advantage. Reflect on the following points: If I continue to make poor health choices, how will this affect my family? How will they reflect my example? Will I be around to watch my children marry or to meet my grandkids? How will my example affect their health? How can I prevent this future reality by changing today?

Finally, take action and make it FUN. Include your kids and your wife. Go swimming or for walks. Instead of exercise, choose movement that excites you and brings you together as a family. Learn to cook together.  Make it fun so your family links pleasure to good health. Above all, remember that being a great dad and great husband requires you to be around for a long time.

Guest Blog Series: Look for the following badge on your favorite health sites to see if they have been a featured guest blogger on DietsInReview.com. See other posts in the Guest Blog series.

If you would like to apply to be featured as a guest blogger, please contact us.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Four Reasons Why Dad’s Good Health is a Must