Obesity in America
Posts tagged Fresh Fruits And Vegetables
Malnutrition and Obesity
Aug 29th
Obesity is caused by several different factors such as overeating, diseases as well as malnutrition. It may come as a surprise to you that someone who is obese is malnourished, but it is very possible.
The reason behind that is that when your body does not have enough nutrients it craves for food. Usually this is junk food as that will give your body the quickest fix. However, this does not provide your body with proper nutrients, and thus you crave for more, and the cycle continues.
What Causes Malnutrition
Malnutrition occurs when your body does not get enough nutrients so that it can function properly. This could be due to reasons such as poverty, or not choosing a proper diet. It could also be the result of a sickness or disease where the body rejects the food or is unable to absorb the nutrients.
There is little that you can do if you are living in poverty and just cannot afford to buy food, or if you are sick, then you may need to take care of your condition first. However, there is a lot that you can do to choosing a proper diet in order to prevent malnutrition.
Choosing a Proper Diet
The foods you should eat are fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts and seeds. And you should eat these foods raw as much as possible, as cooking destroys many essential nutrients.
They say ‘an apple a day, keeps the doctor away’, but you need much more than just an apple a day. Your body was designed to live off of raw and living foods. Studies have shown that plants can provide you with more usable proteins and other nutrients than any other foods such as meat, dairy and eggs. But most people do not even eat as many fresh fruits and vegetables as recommended by the FDA. As a result the majority of people are malnourished.
Hunger
Your body sends a signal that it is hungry when it needs more nutrients, not when it has eliminated all the foods from the last meal. This means that you can still have food in your stomach from your last meal when it sends the signal. Some of the so-called healthiest foods such as animal proteins can leave you in this state where you just keep craving for more and more before your previous meal has been digested.
Raw and living foods will not leave you in this state, as they are digested quickly and eliminated from the body in less than 24 hours. Therefore in order to prevent yourself from overeating you should stick to a raw food diet as much as possible so that your body will not cause you to overeat on junk foods.
Ways To Help Your Child With Weight Management
Aug 9th
Good eating and exercise habits are essential for good development of your child. There are times that you might think your child might be overweight, and you might not be sure about what you should do. The first thing you need to do before you decide on helping them with their weight management is to take them to their doctor.
All children develop at different rates and go through stages at different times, and this why it is important that you find out from their doctor if they need help with their weight. The reason for this is the fact that if a child does not get enough food, this can hamper their growth and learning abilities.
If it is decided that your child needs help it is vitally important that as a parent you are as supportive as you can be for your child. Remind them that they are loved, wanted, and very special to you. It is important that you always let your child know that you accept them for who they are, no matter what their weight problem might be. It is also important that you are there for them when it comes to their personal concerns.
A good way to help your child with weight is to make sure you start teaching them good, healthy eating habits. As parents you need to not only make sure that they eat properly but that you do as well. It is up to you to make sure that they are provided with more fresh fruits and vegetables than snack foods. Serve less soda in your home as well as drinks that are high in fat and calories. It is also important that your child start the day off with a healthy breakfast every day.
Do your best to keep your child away from fast foods. Although that can be tough at times, try your best to keep visits to fast food restaurants to a minimum. You need to also encourage your child and teach them how to make healthy choices when you do go out and eat.
Kids do not usually like to drink lots of water but it is important that you teach them to drink a lot of it and let them know the reason for it. As good as fruit juice may be, there are many that add far too many sugars to them than are needed.
Make sure to cut down on the saturated and trans fats that you serve to your family. The fats that are needed for the health of your body can always be found in vegetables, fish, as well as nuts and seeds.
When you are trying to plan healthy meals, it is important that you allow your child to feel like they are part of it, and let them help you make decisions on what meals they would like to have. This might make it easier for your child to want to join you in eating healthier meals. If they are hesitant in trying new foods, always allow them start off with smaller portions, and then let them decide if they want more.
You should always encourage your child to go out and be active. You can help encourage them if they see you being a little bit more active and showing them that you are enjoying it. If they see you enjoy being active, they are going to be more willing to do the same.
One way to get them active is to encourage them to join school sports activities or things like soccer, basketball, and dance. See if they want to join a community center where there will be a variety of activities they can choose from.
