MOM!....My pants don't fit!!

Hi everyone! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and were able to get up off the Couch that day! There is no better couch day all year than Thanksgiving Day! Did you manage to have the active Thanksgiving, which I proposed in my last blog? I know I did, but hey, I live this stuff!
So perhaps you and your kids over ate this weekend. If you did, it’s not the end of the World. Consider it your “last hurrah” before you begin your healthy lifestyle.
But beware, the Holiday parties start now and last through to the New Year! Don’t let your kids use the excuse that they are going to eat what they want through the Holidays and “big clothes” season. Don’t you use that excuse either!
If you feel your family gained a few pounds over Thanksgiving and want them off as soon as possible, have a low-calorie, high-protein exercise-filled week. Start by buying some supplies: Quart of egg whites, green peppers, onions, fresh fruits, plain shelled almonds, whole grain breads, chicken breasts, salmon fillets, Whole grains, fresh root vegetables, greens, all-natural peanut butter, sugar-free Jello, 1% milk and olive oil.
Wake up an hour early each day this week. (Monday-Friday). Eat a light snack like a handful of nuts or a banana. Drink water. Go for a 45-minute brisk walk, drinking water as you go. When you get home, have a 2-egg white omelet with peppers & onions that were sautéed in olive oil. For lunch have some toasted whole grain bread with the all-natural peanut butter on it, milk and some fruit. For dinner, have some protein such as baked chicken or fish, root veggies and a leafy green vegetable. After dinner, take a 20-minute walk. If you want a snack, have some fruit or air-popped popcorn or sugar-free Jello and have it before 7PM. Stop eating for the day after this.
Do this every day for a week, substituting different fruits, veggies and proteins to eliminate being bored. During the following week, eat the same way, but you can cut back to three morning walks per week. If you stick with this routine through the Holidays, you will come through the Holidays healthy and happy! If you or your kids do have little slip-ups along the way, add back in an extra walk the following week. As a Family, you could do this together.
Walking and talking with your kids is a great way to stay in shape and keep the lines of communication open. And if you want to ensure that communication during your walk, leave the cell phones at home!

Until next time –
Diana

Healthy & Happy Thanksgiving

OK – We got through Halloween! Hopefully you and your kids took my advice and have been indulging in the candy just a little bit once in a while. So now we have what is probably the biggest gastro-challenge of the year…Thanksgiving!

So how do we help our kids to combat the temptation to over indulge? By remembering the following rules:

1. Start Thanksgiving morning with a family walk or touch football game or some type of 30-minute aerobic exercise to compensate for the extra calories later.

2. At dinner, don’t be as concerned about calorie watching as overeating. Put small amounts on your plate and eat slowly." Drinking a big glass of water will help fill you up, and remember, you should drink at least 32 oz of water every day.

3. Starving yourself all day until the big feast makes your body less efficient at burning calories. It thinks “Oh no, I'm starving” and switches into survival mode, slowing down your metabolism and storing fat.

4. To keep your metabolism humming, you should eat a healthy breakfast within 90 minutes of waking and wait no more than 4 hours between meals or healthy snacks.

5. Be sure to load up on fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables such as squash, carrots, turnips, and pumpkins. And bake them with a little olive oil. Candied yams are not healthy!!

6. Get moving! After dinner, get the family active with fun indoor or outdoor activities.

And finally, don’t beat yourself up! If you feel like your family forgot their healthy habits, then just get the family back on the healthy track when you sit down to Black Friday’s leftovers!

So this Thanksgiving, remember to be thankful for the gift that is your life and the gift that is your children. The best way to show your appreciation for this gift of life is to treat it with respect. Respect for your body, your mind and your Family is best served with a healthy lifestyle.

I am thankful for you, my readers, and wish you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!
-Diana

Your Immune System

Winter is approaching and flu season is upon us. The winter is already hard enough on us. “Cabin Fever”, stress, Holiday eating and a lack of exercise are all factors, which can lead to poor health and a weak immune system. So how do we boost our immune system?

Workout every day for at least 20 minutes.

This moderate exercise (coupled with healthy eating habits) will reduce stress, offset calories taken in, increase your energy level and boost your metabolism.

In the video below, I demonstrate the basics of jumping rope. This exercise is not on our website, so check it out here! For more exercise ideas and how to order my DVD and Guidebook to A Healthy Lifestyle, please visit my website; www.mykidsbfit.com.

Here Come The Holidays

Hello everyone!

I hope you had a safe and happy Halloween! I know I had a great time handing out treats to all the kids in my neighborhood! But you know I couldn’t help myself and was telling them all to not eat everything tonight!

One of the best things about Halloween is that it signals the beginning of the Holiday Season. I love getting bundled up and taking walks through my neighborhood and seeing how everyone decorates their homes. The crunching of the leaves under my feet and the cup of hot chocolate waiting for me at the end of it all! Taking these winter walks is a great way to combat all the food that we are exposed to over the Holidays.
I want to again stress moderation. Distribute your kids’ Halloween candy over several months. Don’t let them stay inside and snack just because it’s cold. Reward them with a treat after an hour or so of daily exercise. I just saw a commercial for the NFL’s “Play 60” campaign. It is encouraging kids to get outside and play every day for 60 minutes. This is an awesome idea.

If your kids hate the cold, but love to play, there are indoor facilities popping up all over the place that offer indoor soccer, baseball, basketball and deck hockey. And of course, there is my exercise DVD and guidebook to a Healthy Lifestyle available on my website: www.mykidsbfit.com. This DVD would make a great Holiday gift for your kids or your friends who have kids! You can see some of the exercises on the website as well.

So as Winter approaches, remember to indulge in moderation, exercise regularly and get off that couch and into the fresh air!
Take care - Diana