Article: How to Be a Healthy Role Model for Your
Children
by Roslyn Franken
 As a
mom, you are a primary role model for your children with every word you speak and every
action you take. As your little ones watch and listen for your direction, support and
approval, they learn what is to become the beliefs and habits they will live by for a
lifetime. When it comes to healthy eating and positive living habits, it is no different
than anything else. You're probably great at ensuring your kids learn to read and
write and do their homework properly. But what about healthy eating habits and
positive living? Equally important, these all start within the home. Here
are 5 ways to be a healthier role model for your children through your own healthy
food and lifestyle habits, attitudes and behaviours.
- Stop dieting - if you're on a different
diet every few weeks with one week cutting out all carbs and the next only eating cabbage
soup, then what message are you giving your children in terms of what healthy eating
actually looks like? Instead, youneed to look at your own relationship with food and
your inner self and start making healthy changes gradually starting today. When
you eat better you will feel better and as you feel better you will live better.
- Stop using unhealthy foods as a reward system
This typically includes chips, chocolate, cookies, cake, ice cream and
other sweets, fatty and salty snack foods. Find other ways to reward yourself
that don't involve these types of food.
- Stop filling your cupboards and counters with high
calorie snack foods - Out of sight out of mind. By
having your favourite high calorie snack foods in plain view you are more vulnerable
to reaching for them on automatic pilot. It is also too easy for your kids to grab
handfuls of snacks without you even knowing. Keep them out of your sight.
Instead leave a bowl of fresh fruits on the counter and limit the amounts of snack foods
in your cupboards.
- Avoid overindulging in fast food, take-out,
unhealthy snack foods and too much highly processed choices on a regular basis
- With all the fast food restaurants, microwaveable meals, highly processed and
convenience foods available, it is becoming easier and easier to fall into unhealthy
eating and lifestyle traps. Although McDonalds and pizza nights are considered a
treat by some, they are too often becoming the norm for many parents and young
children.
- Avoid skipping meals - When you're
overtired, overstressed and overwhelmed by the demands of daily life, it is all too easy
to get so caught up that you end up skipping meals during the day. This will lower
your energy levels and leave you vulnerable to binging, overeating and over-indulging in
less healthy choices later in the day and into the evening when you do finally sit down to
eat.
Don't set your children up for developing the same bad
habits that you now struggle with. Spare them the same pain and heartache.
Follow these 5 tips and your children will notice the difference in you because you will
have rediscovered your inner smile and be happier with yourself and have more positive
energy to share. When you look at what is truly important and meaningful and
what you can start doing differently to simplify your life, you will then find the time
and energy to plan and prepare healthy meals, eat regularly and incorporate more activity
into your daily routine. Your children will thank you for it.
If trying to follow these guidelines is scary, that’s
okay. Perhaps you’re afraid to try for fear of failure. I ask that you
not let the fear stop you from going after what you want for yourself and your
family. Believe in yourself. If you have trouble doing it alone, reach out
for the guidance and support you need. You don’t have to do it alone!
Start taking better care of yourself. The positive lessons your children will learn from
you will last a lifetime so get started on healthy changes today and keep it going.
Roslyn Franken is
a proud cancer survivor and acclaimed author of The A List: 9
Guiding Principles for Healthy Eating and Positive Living and Death Can Wait: Stories from Cancer Survivors. She is a motivational speaker and host of the How to Thrive after 35 internet radio
show. Roslyn also offers one-on-one coaching by telephone and
email conveniently accessible world-wide. For more information, send email to info@roslynfranken.com or visit www.roslynfranken.com.
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complete statement with it:
Roslyn
Franken is author of The A List: 9 Guiding
Principles for Healthy Eating and Positive Living. She is a Weight Loss Coach and
Motivational Speaker on positive living solutions for positive results for greater health,
success and quality of life. She hosts How to
Thrive After 35 Internet Talk Radio and is co-author of Death Can Wait: Stories from Cancer Survivors.
Diagnosed
with cancer at age 29, Franken fought back to become a long-term cancer survivor. Then at
age 39, at her heaviest weight ever, and concerned for her health, she decided to fight
back once again, only this time to overcome her battles with food and weight once and for
all.
Roslyn
owns Roslyn Franken Group, committed to helping people lighten up their lives one bite at
a time by reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, balanced lifestyle, and positive
outlook.
For
more information, visit www.roslynfranken.com
or view her video at http://www.roslynfranken.com/highlights.wmv
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