May Newsletter:
Kick Start Your Kids’ Exercise Routine
Getting kids to eat right and exercise can be difficult, but more health agencies are raising the alarm about the growing number of kids with childhood diabetes, obesity and increased risk for adult coronary heart disease due to poor diet and lack of activity. Finding fitness activities that are fun will have kids wanting to exercise, not feeling as if they are forced to exercise.
Sports
Any vigorous activity burns calories and builds cardiovascular health. If you play a sport, teach your child. If your child plays a sport, have your child teach you. Enrolling your child in group lessons may add to the enjoyment of learning a sport as she makes new friends and develops new playmates. If you are coaching your child in a sport, you may not know that you may be making your sessions more work than fun--consider hiring a coach. Put your child on a baseball or softball or soccer team without emphasizing the exercise aspect.
Solo Activities
Some children may prefer noncompetitive or nonsocial activities. If your child shows an interest in jogging, cycling or other activity done alone, make sure he has the right equipment, time to do the activity and coaching. Solo activities can include jogging, inline skating, swimming, cycling, gymnastics, track and field activities and weight lifting.
Have a Heart
A hear monitor will allow your child to track how many calories he burns during his activities. He'll also be able to see which exercise zone he's in by his heart rate and will be able to better meet fitness goals by staying in the fat-burning, aerobic or another zone in which he's trying to work.
Mix It Up
Have your child try to do aerobic, resistance and flexibility activities every week. Aerobic exercises can include the solo activities listed above, as well as calisthenics such as skipping rope, jumping jacks, high-knee skips, butt kicks, giant steps and running in place. Create a calisthenics circuit so your child has a starting and stopping point each session, with a chart to measure improved performance.
Resistance training can be done with dumbbells, free weights, resistance bands and weight machines. Teach your child about the different muscle groups and how they are used in her favorite activity to encourage a desire to work those muscles. Have your child do at least one strength exercise every day, even if it's for only five minutes. If you have a treadmill, elliptical machine or exercise bike, experiment with increased resistance levels to change workouts on those machines from aerobic to resistance exercises.Teach your child to stretch correctly, and have your child stretch for five to 10 minutes every morning or evening or after each workout, to improve overall sport fitness.
Eat Educated
Have your child begin to plan his own menus, pack his own lunches and help make dinner. Have him read the ingredients and nutrition labels on all of the prepared foods he and the family eat so he begins to understand exactly what he is putting into his body. Eating smarter will contribute to his fitness as he reduces his intake of saturated fats, sodium, sugar and excess calorie, which contribute less to his body's energy systems and make exercise more difficult.
| Recipe of the month: |
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Grilled Fish Tacos
INGREDIENTS
ADOBO-RUBBED FISH
4 teaspoons chili powder, preferably made with New Mexico or ancho chiles (see Note)
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 pounds mahi-mahi or Pacific halibut (see Note), 1/2-3/4 inch thick, skinned and cut into 4 portions
COLESLAW
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon lime zest
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
3 cups finely shredded red or green cabbage
12 corn tortillas, warmed (see Tip)
PREPARATION
To prepare fish: Combine chili powder, lime juice, oil, cumin, onion powder, garlic power, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub adobo rub all over fish. Let stand 20 to 30 minutes for the fish to absorb the flavor.
To prepare coleslaw: Combine sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro, lime zest, lime juice, sugar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl; mix until smooth and creamy. Add cabbage and toss to combine. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat grill to medium-high. Oil the grill rack (see Tip) or use a grilling basket. Grill the fish until it is cooked through and easily flakes with a fork, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a platter and separate into large chunks.
Serve the tacos family-style by passing the fish, tortillas, coleslaw and taco garnishes separately.
NUTRITION
Per serving: 318 calories; 9 g fat ( 2 g sat , 5 g mono ); 110 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 1 g added sugars; 31 g protein; 5 g fiber; 714 mg sodium; 829 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (30% daily value), Potassium (24% dv), Magnesium (22% dv), Vitamin A (17% dv), Iron (16% dv)
Carbohydrate Servings: 1 1/2