Tips on Raising Healthy Kids

Tips on Raising Healthy Kids

 

Why Raise Healthy Kids?

Every generation thinks that their childhood was better than that of future generations. While smaller communities still provide parents with the peace of mind of letting their children play outside unsupervised, those residing in large metropolitan cities and other areas wouldn’t think of letting their children walk out of the house alone. Kids today have much less freedom, more fears and less playtime than their parents and grandparents did.

Why Raise Healthy Kids?

 

Headstand Pose Meddy Teddy at the Beach

Today’s youth is also fighting kids health and other issues that were not common decades ago, such as high obesity rates, anxiety, isolation, drug and alcohol abuse, violence, etc. The statistics are frightening; one in three children and teenagers are obese, a problem that leads to “high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels... low self-esteem, negative body image and depression,” according to the American Heart AssociationOne in eight children are anxious; in fact, NBC News reported that teenagers are more stressed out than adults, with reported stress levels being 5.8 on a scale of 1-10, while adults reported a score of 5.1.”

 

 

Twenty-one percent of high school seniors say they get high, and 41 percent of the same group report drinking alcohol.” Many of these problems cause children to become angry and violent; according to the School Associated Violent Death Study, between 14 and 34 school-age children are victims of homicide on school grounds on their way to and from school—each and every year,” cites the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Many parents want to raise carefree and healthy kids, but simply don’t know how. Below, we will provide tips to improve kids health, both mental and physical.


Headstand Pose in Los Angeles Meddy Teddy
Healthy Diet for Kids Meddy Teddy

Healthy Diet for Kids

To fight obesity rates, parents, caretakers and school administrators need to learn to prepare healthy kids meals. Although it is easy and affordable to stop by a fast food drive through or purchase a Lunchables kit for school, those choices are part of the reason that kids are obese and unhealthy. These meals contain pesticides, GMOs, high fat and cholesterol levels, and very little actual nutrition for kids.

To make sure you are providing healthy kids meals, your children must be getting a balanced diet of fruits and vegetables; dairy products; healthy proteins, such as meats and nuts; oils and whole-grains. Click here to look up daily serving sizes depending on the age of the child.

 

 

 

 

Kid Learning how to Juice with Meddy Teddy
Meddy Teddy Juicing a Carrot

To avoid toxins and pesticides in many conventional foods, try to purchase organic, raw, GMO-free and fresh staples whenever possible. Although these items are usually more expensive than regular produce, there are tips on buying organic on a budget.

Grow your own fruits and vegetables; planting a fruit tree, such as an apple tree, is a one time expense that will provide fruit for years to come. Planting seasonal varieties of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and kale is an expensive way to have access to fresh and organic produce without having to drive to the store.

 

Check the Dirty Dozen list to see which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticides, and buy those organic, while purchasing non-organic varieties of the items on the Clean 15 list to save money. Check store advertisements and join reward programs to save on food at the grocery store. Sign up for alerts on websites such as Organic Deals and All Natural Savings to find printable coupons and deals on natural products for healthy kids meals.

Kids Yoga and Mindfulness

Exercises for Kids

Exercise for kids is essential to promote their health and wellbeing. “In combination with healthy eating, it can help prevent a range of chronic diseases, including heart disease, cancer, and stroke, which are the three leading causes of death,” writes Letsmove.gov. A daily kids workout must include about an hour of physical activity.
Parents who worry about their kids health or weight often make them attend unmotivating workout sessions, join a gym or jog outside. These exercises for kids are not very fun, and kids don’t want to do them. To promote physical fitness, parents should consider coming up with or finding fun exercises for kids instead.
For example, yoga is a great kids workout that promotes strength training, flexibility, mobility and weight loss. Kids yoga can be done anywhere, and doesn’t need any special yoga accessories. A child can practice yoga in the backyard, on a beach, in their room or in school.

Peaceful Kid in the Rain Meddy Teddy

Stress Reducers for Kids

Kids today are more stressed out than ever before, that is a fact. “Young children are increasingly experiencing stress, anxiety and depression when dealing with a complicated world,” states Psychology Today. Parents and caregivers should aim to raise healthy kids that are both physically and mentally fit. Research shows that parents often underestimate their kids’ stress levels, so communicating with your little one is essential to know what is going on in their lives. This requires parents to have difficult conversations with children about triggers that cause them to stress, such as school, peers, expectations, body image issues, etc.  There are ways that children can be taught from early on how to manage stress levels and promote calmness and a positive outlook on life. Yoga, meditation and mindfulness all have physical and mental benefits for kids. Yoga breathing exercises teaches children how to have control over their bodies and minds by practicing breathing, which lowers stress levels.

Yoga Poses for Children

 

They require them to use different muscles in ways they never have before, which increases strength and flexibility. Many kids yoga routines promote children’s balance, dexterity, fine and gross motor coordination.

Kids yoga offers benefits on many emotional levels; “because children encounter emotional, social, and physical challenges or conflicts, a dedicated and intentional yoga practice that includes breathing techniques, behavioral guidelines, and physical postures can be incredibly valuable for them, says Alexandra De Collibus, founder of Sweet Pea Yoga in an article in Parents magazine.

 

 

 

Guided meditation for children and mindfulness also have a variety of benefits for kids health. “By practicing mindfulness or meditation, we develop and strengthen our ability to calm and quiet our thoughts and actions, and eventually we are able to quiet our mind without struggling,” explains Psychology Today. “Just by sitting and “doing nothing,” we are actually doing a lot.”

Teach Kids Meditation with Meddy Teddy

 

If your children have never practiced yoga or meditation before, it may be difficult for them to understand what to do at first. This is where a special yoga teddy bear, a small bear with a big message, can help! Meddy Teddy was specifically created to teach children about the benefits of yoga, meditation and mindfulness! This bendable bear can be shaped into many yoga positions, such as downward dog or a headstand to teach kids yoga poses in a fun and non-threatening way.