From Your Health Journal…..”A very interesting article in the Daily Herald written by By Kimberly Pohl entitled Finding Ways To Keep Kids Healthy. The article discusses how parents are getting creative with keeping their children healthy. Simple changes like adding pureed vegetables to sauces, trading unsweetened applesauce in place of oil, and using avocado spreads instead of mayonnaise. Most parents also remember finding time to get physical activity as children, but many in today’s era find it very difficult to get their kids outside to play. So many kids are absorbed in sedentary technology habits, or parents do not feel safe sending their kids outside to play on their own to play. Please take the time to support the Daily Herald web site (link provided below) to read the complete article. It was well written and informative.”
From the article…..
More and more parents are getting savvy when it comes to sneaking more nutritious food into their child’s diet.
Adding pureed veggies to sauces, swapping out oil with unsweetened applesauce in baked goods, using an avocado spread instead of mayo — cookbooks are filled with so-called hide-and-eat recipes.
But an improved diet will do only so much if a child remains largely sedentary.
“Parents used to tell kids to go out and play and come home when the streetlights come on, but we’re not comfortable doing that anymore,” said Dr. John Beckerman, a pediatrician in Barrington and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “There are fewer opportunities for exercise, and we’re seeing the downside of those lifestyle changes.”
Since few kids are bound to like — or stick to — a regimented fitness program, parents are turning to more creative ways to get their heart rates’ up.
Trampolines, for one, have become an increasingly popular trend. Just check out Xtreme Trampolines in Buffalo Grove, which caters to dozens of birthday parties each weekend.
Located at 950 Busch Parkway, the facility features commercial grade trampolines with five separate courts and a giant foam pit. Play dodgeball or basketball, just jump around or even check out “Airobics,” a low-impact workout that mimics different types of sports movements at an estimated 1,000 calories per class, owner Eric Beck said.
“We get some pretty sweaty people in here,” said Beck, who also owns Xtreme Trampolines in Carol Stream. “It’s just fun, especially in the winter when kids find it’s a way to get their energy out.”
Although Dr. Beckerman recommends caution, Beck cites an American Academy of Pediatrics journal article showing Xtreme Trampolines’ injury rate to be 2 in 1,000 jumpers, compared to 15 per 1,000 football players or 21 per 1,000 soccer players.
Dr. Beckerman says our need for a more active lifestyle is crucial given the startling statistics. According to the Centers for Disease Control, obesity prevalence among children and adolescents in the U.S. has nearly tripled since 1980. He also said two-thirds of adults are overweight.
To read the full article…..Click here