Cancer cases are on the rise, and many believe this is due to poor lifestyle choices. You can reduce your family’s risk of developing this dreaded disease by teaching healthy living habits and being a role model of good health that your children will look up to.
You are what you eat
The benefits of exercise aren’t just about staying in shape; You and your family will have more energy and stamina, be happier, deal better with stress, and see improvements in your hair and skin. Obesity also increases your family’s risk of developing cancer and other diseases such as diabetes. Choose an activity that you all enjoy and try to be active as a family whenever possible.
Add healthy carbohydrates
Carbohydrates play an important role in a balanced diet. The good ones contain fiber to keep your family’s digestive systems in tip-top condition and should be added to all meals. Some healthy carbohydrates your child should have with meals include:
- breakfast: Bran flakes, muesli, oats
- Having lunch: Whole wheat pasta, pastries, samp
- Dinner: brown rice, potatoes with skin on (sweet potatoes are even better)
The “five-day rule”
The “five a day rule” is emphasized over and over again in so many health food guides that you and your loved ones cannot afford to ignore it. The latest research shows that fresh strawberries are amazing cancer fighters, and cancer rates are the lowest in the world in communities that eat spinach every day. Fruit juice counts, but whole, fresh fruit eaten with the peel is the best way to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs.
Bananas are great breakfast companions for endurance for the day (tennis players and other athletes eat them during big games), and fruit salad is a nutritious breakfast when you have time to chop and peel.
Top Tip: If your kids have a blood sugar dip that afternoon, encourage them to eat an apple rather than chocolate.
Salads and soups
Serve plenty of salads in summer and vegetable soups and stews in winter. Make sure your children eat different types of vegetables of different colors.
A word on fish, red meat and eggs
Although red meat is high in protein, it’s also high in animal fat, and therefore high in cholesterol, so avoid serving it more than once or twice a week. Chicken and fish are healthier options and should be consumed in a low-fat form.
Top Tip: Fish is the ideal “brain food,” so encouraging your child to eat more fish is a good idea.
Most children love eggs, and they are an easy meal for parents on the go. Serve your child boiled, scrambled, or poached eggs.
Some tips for cooking chicken, meat, and fish:
- Remove the skin and grill instead of frying.
- Use lemon, herbs, chillies, garlic and ginger instead of salt (processed meat, sachet soups and sauces contain a lot of salt, so use sparingly).
A word about the vegetarian
If you and your family are vegetarian, don’t forget about protein. Protein is essential to building and repairing cells, and fruits and vegetables alone cannot do this job. Nuts, dried beans, peas and soy are a must for anyone on a vegetarian diet. Add them to your family’s meals as follows:
- Breakfast: Soy products are available in the form of yogurt, milk, and custard.
- Having lunch: Baked beans on toast provide fiber as well as protein.
- Dinner: Soy ground beef is a great alternative to spaghetti Bolognese and burgers, and three-bean salads are great for meeting your braai protein quota.
Top tip: Lentils and beans can be used in curries and stews.
Encourage your child to drink more water
Water flushes toxins out of your body, hydrates your brain to prevent headaches, helps maintain a healthy metabolism, helps your kidneys rid your body of acid, and even helps you lose weight.
Health at a glance
- Exercise every day, even if all you have to do is run.
- Maintain a healthy weight and try to stay within five kilograms of your ideal weight. Make sure you do the same for your children.
- Do not smoke (not even in moderation).
- Do not overdo it with the sun and always wear sun protection outdoors (even in winter).
- Make time to eat nutritious, whole meals as a family.
source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/the-importance-of-healthy-eating-for-the-whole-family/
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