AlwAys eAt breAkfAst — And mAke it heAlthy
• Eatingahealthybreakfastcanimproveyourmemory,boost yourcreativity,raiseyourtestscores—andhelpyoureach andkeepahealthyweight.
• Aimforbreakfaststhatinclude 3 of the 5 main food groups.Trycombossuchas:(cereal+milk+juice)or(eggs+toast+milk)or(fruit+yogurt+bagel).
eAt more fruits And vegetAbles
• Fruitsandvegetablesarefullofnutrientsthathelpyou learnandgrow,preventdisease,andkeepupyourenergy andmood.Studiesshowthatthey’reimportantfora healthybodyweight,too.
• Everyday,aimtoget1 to 2 cups of fruit,and1½ to 3 cups of vegetables.
limit — or eliminAte — sweetened drinks
• StudiessuggestthatAmerica’sweightproblemislinkedto America’s“drinkingproblem”—thatis,toourincreasingintake ofsweeteneddrinkslikesodasandsportsdrinks.Sweetened drinksarealsolinkedtoweakbonesandtoothdecay.
• Aimforless than 12 ounces per weekofsoda,sports drinks,lemonade,andothersweeteneddrinks.Limitjuice tolessthank6ouncesperday.Drinkwaterinstead,and aimfor3glassesofmilkeachday.
limit screen time (tv, video gAmes, internet)
• ResearchlinksTVtoawiderangeofnegativehealtheffects inchildrenandteens—includingobesity.
• Makearuleofno more than 1 to 2 hours a dayinfrontof aTVorcomputerscreen.(Childrenage2andundershouldn’t bewatchingatall.)
increAse your physicAl Activity
• Everyoneneedsregularphysicalactivity—regardless oftheirshape,size,health,orage.Physicalactivitygives youbetterenergy,strongermuscles,lessstress,and easierweightmanagement.
• Aimfor at least 60 minutes of physical activityevery day.Youcangetmostofthisfromdailyplaytime,walking orbikingtoschool,orfamilyactivities.Therestcancome fromsportsorotherexercise.
eAt meAls together As A fAmily — sitting down
• Manystudieshaveshownthatchildrenandteenswho eatregularmealswiththeirparentsaremorelikelyto eatinabalancedway,dowellinschool,andmaintain ahealthyweight.
• Aimtoeat dinner togethermostnightsoftheweek. Sitdownatthetable,turntheTVoff,andenjoy!
be positive About food
• Expertsagreethathowyouthinkandtalkaboutfood andbodiescanhaveabigimpactonyourhealthnow— andinthefuture.
• Forget“forbiddenfoods”—allfoodscanfitinabalanced diet.Don’tgivefoodasarewardorwithholditasa punishment.Be food-friendly,notfood-phobic.
don’t criticize About weight
• Ifyou,yourfriends,oryourfamilyobsessaboutfoodor weight,you’remorelikelytohaveunhealthybehaviors— andanunhealthybodyweight.
• Watchwhatyousay.Don’t criticize yourownbody— evenasajoke.Don’t compare yourownweight,size,or shapetoanyoneelse’s.Beinghealthymeansbeingpositive.
Toreachandkeepahealthyweight,buildbetterhabitstogether.The8habitsprescribedbelowarethebestplacetostart.Scientificstudiesshowthatthesehavethebiggestimpactonyourweight,yourhealth,andyouroutlook.
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8 to Live ByhAbit builder for kids, teens, And fAmilies
tracK it!8 to Live Byfood
activity
support
ceLeBrate things i did well this week: NeW GoaLs i will work on:
suN
suN
suN
WeeK:
Breakfast
Minutes of tv, video games, internet
i ate dinner with my family this week on these days:
Minutes of activity: outside play, chores, family activities, walking to school, sports, and more...
things my family and friends did that were helpful:
things my family and friends did that were hurtful:
every Day!
eat more!
eat more
aim for none!
Drink up!
Drink up!
go
ea
sy!
rev
it u
p!
fruits
veggies
sweetened drinks
Low-fat milk
Water
MoN
MoN
MoN
tue
tue
tue
Wed
Wed
Wed
tHur
tHur
tHur
fri
fri
fri
sat
sat
sat
2 2 2 2 2 2 21 1 1 1 1 1 1
3 3 3 3 3 3 3none
# minutes # minutes # minutes # minutes # minutes # minutes # minutes
# minutes # minutes # minutes # minutes # minutes # minutes # minutes
none none none none none nonemore more more more more more more
Formoretrackerpages,goto:RideoutHealth.org/RideoutHealthyKidsDownloads©Allrightsreserved.Thecontentpresentedhereisforyourinformationonly.Itisnotasubstituteforprofessionalmedicaladvice,anditshouldnotbeusedtodiagnoseortreatahealthproblemordisease.Pleaseconsultyourhealthcareproviderifyouhaveanyquestionsorconcerns.MoreinformationisavailableatRideoutHealth.org/RideoutHealthy.
every dAy, Aim for:
• less than 2 hours of screen time
(tv, video games, internet)
• 60 minutes or more of physical activity!
stretcH & streNGtHeN
rev it upBuiLd a HeaLtHy
fouNdatioN
stretch your body every dAy
Be gentle, patient, and persistent. Work stretching into everyday activities — or at least take time to stretch 2 to 3 times a week:
•Stretchbeforeyougetoutofbed.
•Stretchbeforeandafteraerobicexerciseorsports.
•LearnyogaorPilates.
•Trymartialartsorgymnastics.
•Danceorstretchtomusic(fortoddlers,try“head,shoulders,kneesandtoes”).
build strength
add strength training 2 to 3 times a week.
•Useyourownbodyweight—dopush-ups,pull-ups,sit-ups,andkneebends.
•Signupforpersonaltrainingorworkwithacoachtolearngoodtechnique.
•Trylightweights(orevensoupcans)anddolotsofrepetitions.Teensandkidsshouldn’tuseheavyweightsunlessacoachorothertrainedprofessionalcanhelpthemliftsafely.
get Aerobic
try to make 20-30 minutes of your daily activity vigorous and aerobic. get your heart beating faster, and work up a sweat.
•outdoors: bike,walk,run,hike,climb,skate,sled,cross-countryski,orjumprope.
•indoors: rowingmachine,stationarybike,treadmill,ellipticaltrainer,activearcadeorvideogames(dance,boxing).
eAse into it
if you have joint pain with walking or sports activities — or you’re just starting from scratch — consider these low-impact activities first:
•Swimmingorwaterplay
•Stationarycycling
•Ellipticaltrainers
Needhelp?Findapersonaltrainer.
plAy A sport or join A club
you don’t need to be a sports star. pick up a game with friends and family.
•Checkoutoptionsatyourlocalparksandrecreationcenteroratahealthcluborschool.
•Try:basketball,tennis,soccer,flagfootball,hockey,lacrosse,softball,UltimateFrisbee,swimming,dancing,cheerleading,volleyball,wrestling,ortrack.
turn off the tv
aim for less than 2 hours a day.
•RemoveTV,computers,andgameconsolesfromallbedrooms.
•Befirmaboutlimits.
•Don’teatinfrontoftheTV.
•Don’tsurf:scheduletimeinadvancetowatchyourfavoriteshows.
•Exercisewhileyouwatch(treadmill,bike,commercial-calisthenics).
trAnsport yourself
try to spend less time in the car. get some fresh air. rely on your own 2 feet.
•Walkorrideyourbiketoschool.Makeitadailyroutine.
•Walkorrideyourbiketofriends’houses,tothestore,tomovies,tolessons,tochurch,ortowork.
•Ditchthestroller.Lettoddlerswalkalongwithyouwhenpossible.
•Takethestairsinsteadoftheelevator—always—upanddown.
plAy, plAy, plAy
Do more good old-fashioned, active play. no rules, no structure. Just have fun!
•Playtag,hopscotch,red-rover,orkickball.
•Throwaball.
•Chasethedog.
•Lookforbugsorplaywithdolls.
•Buildthings—towersofblocks,snowmen,orfortresses.
•Spendtimeataplayground,skatepark,orreccenter.
•Jumprope.
mAke it A fAmily AffAir
Don’t go it alone. get the whole family involved. make family activities part of your weekly routine.
•Doregular,activechores:vacuuming,rakingleaves,mowingthelawn,sweepingthefloor,washingwindows.
•Takewalkstogetherafterdinner.
•PlayPing-Pong,Frisbee,badminton,orcroquet.
•FindactiveindoorgameslikeTwisterorballoonvolleyball.
•Gobowlingorminigolfing.
start
step up to
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