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Lifelong Heart Health – It begins with you!

Did you know arteries start to show early signs of heart disease in the 2^nd decade of life?

Your Kids

1. Healthy habits start young.  Children thrive with routine.  Create normal eating patterns including 3 meals and 2-3 snacks.  Include at least 3 food groups per meal and offer a fruit or vegetable every time they eat.
2. Saturated fats matter. Children have small stomachs so offering nutrient dense foods is important.  However, too much saturated fat is not a good idea, even for kids.  Focus on healthy fats from nuts, seeds, vegetable oils and fish.  Limit fatty meats and high fat dairy foods such as cheese, ice cream, whipping cream and whole milk.
3. Kids’ menu madness.  What’s the deal?  The restaurant will serve adults fish and veggies and gets away with offering children a plethora of fast food high fat artery clogging options like chicken strips, French fries, hot dogs and fish and chips.  Cheap for the restaurant but at what cost to the kids?  It’s a recipe for obesity, diabetes and heart disease.  When taking kids out for a meal choose your restaurant wisely.  Do they have healthy kid options that aren’t fried? Are they served with steamed veggies or fresh fruit?  Are there adult meals you could split between kids?  Be sure to avoid the pop and sugar beverages and stick to milk or water.  Remember, you ARE the boss here.
4. Salt overdose. A high salt diet in childhood leads to higher blood pressure and increased risk of stroke and heart attack when they are older.  Train their taste buds early to not like salty foods by using less in your cooking, not using it at the table, buying low sodium options at the grocery store and avoiding high salt processed foods.
5. Make snacks count.  This is an opportunity to fill in your nutritional gaps.  If they don’t drink much milk, give them a yogurt, if they aren’t getting enough vegetables and fruit at meals, add some to their snacks, if they need more protein, offer a hard-boiled egg or a few nuts.
6. Go Play outside.  Children should be getting 90 minutes of activity per day.  Encourage them to play outside after school, limit screen time to 30 minutes a day, do fun family activities that get everyone moving, enlist them in extracurricular sports.  Children who grow up active are more likely to live active lives when they are older.

Teens

1. Portion distortion: Supersizes may be good for the wallet but not for the waistline.  Teach teens about normal portion sizes. Serve dinner family style and let them learn to serve themselves.  Allow them to assess their hunger and fullness and decide if they would like more or not.
2. Empty calories: Thank goodness the vending machines have improved, but there are still endless ways for teens to fill up on chocolate, chips, pop, candy, doughnuts and fries.  Encourage your kids to bring lunch to school rather than buying from the cafeteria.  Get them involved in making lunch so that they are more inclined to eat it.  Teach them about including the 4 foods groups, the importance of choosing whole grains, lean protein, calcium sources and fruit and vegetables.  Remember, if you keep junk in the house you can’t expect them not to eat it.
3. Beverages: Research shows that you don’t compensate by eating less food when you drink beverages with calories.  Often teens drink juice, pop, large amounts of milk and flavoured coffee drinks as snacks or part of a meal and the calories add up leading to weight gain.  Keep a water jug in the fridge and get them a cool water bottle to take to school and sports.
4. Pocket money: Encourage you kids not to take money to school. Have them bring lunch from home or help create some guidelines around what they should be buying for lunch.  If your kids have their own money, encourage them to save it for something fun rather than spend it on food and consumables.  Remember that they likely will find a way to buy their own treats so you don’t need to feel the need to buy them some too.
5. Body image: Making healthy food choices and staying active can help boost self-esteem and body image.  Help your teen remember why their friends like them.  It isn’t because they have nice teeth or hair it is because they are nice people, they are trustworthy, funny or smart.  Our bodies are not infinitely malleable. Help your teens recognize their strengths.

“Appearance Creates Short Term Attention

Personality Creates Long Term Attraction”

Adults

1. Fats: Saturated and trans fats increase LDL cholesterol.  Cut back on red meat, full fat dairy and fried foods.  Increase fish and fish oil, cook with liquid oils and eat small amounts of nuts and seeds.
2. Antioxidants: Antioxidants in fruit and vegetables can help prevent free radical oxidation and prevent cholesterol from sticking to arteries.  Have a fruit or a vegetable every time you eat.
3. Soluble fibre:  Helps remove cholesterol.  Eat oatmeal for breakfast.
4. Phytosterols: 2 g per day can help lower cholesterol by up to 10%.  Drink 2 Danacol per day.
5. Vitamin D:  Take 600-1000 IU per day as a supplement in the winter.  Deficiency may be linked to increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.
6. Soy Protein: 25g soy protein per day may help lower LDL cholesterol.  Add a serving of tofu to a stir fry instead of beef.
7. Move it!  Regular cardiovascular activity will help keep your heart strong.

To book a nutrition seminar for your office or school contact Diana Steele, RD