Health for life

Heavy drinking is a health risk for many reasons, including the effects on bones.

Research shows that chronic heavy alcohol use, especially during adolescence and young adult years, can dramatically affect bone health and increase the risk of osteoporosis later in life.

What do doctors advise? Drink less for strong bones.
 

Calcium is an essential nutrient for healthy bones, and alcohol is its enemy. "Alcohol has multiple effects on calcium," says Primal Kaur, MD, an osteoporosis specialist at Temple University Health System in Philadelphia. "The bones deteriorate because not enough calcium is getting into bones -- and the body is leaching it away from bones."

How Does Alcohol Harm Your Bones?

When you imbibe too much -- 2 to 3 ounces of alcohol every day -- the stomach does not absorb calcium adequately, Kaur explains. "Alcohol interferes with the pancreas and its absorption of calcium and vitamin D. Alcohol also affects the liver, which is important for activating vitamin D -- which is also important for calcium absorption."

The hormones important to bone health also go awry. Some studies suggest that alcohol decreases estrogen and can lead to irregular periods. As estrogen declines, bone remodeling slows and leads to bone loss. If youre in the menopausal years, this adds to the bone loss thats naturally occurring, says Kaur.

Theres an increase in two potentially bone-damaging hormones, cortisol and parathyroid hormone. High levels of cortisol seen in people with alcoholism can decrease bone formation and increase bone breakdown. Chronic alcohol consumption also increases parathyroid hormone, which leaches calcium from the bone, she says.

Also, excess alcohol kills osteoblasts, the bone-making cells, Kaur adds. To compound the problem, nutritional deficiencies from heavy drinking can lead to peripheral neuropathy -- nerve damage to hands and feet. And chronic alcohol abuse can affect balance, which can lead to falls, she explains.
Drinking and Your Risk of Fracture

Heavy drinkers are more likely to suffer frequent fractures due to brittle bones and nerve damage, especially hip and spine fractures, Kaur says. Those fractures will likely heal slowly because of malnutrition.

When you quit drinking, your bones may recover fairly rapidly. Some studies have found that lost bone can be partially restored when alcohol abuse ends.

If youre a smoker, its important that you quit that habit, too. "If you are a heavy drinker who also smokes, it makes your bone problems even worse," Kaur tells . "You need to quit both habits, or osteoporosis treatment is not going to work." In fact, studies suggest that quitting smoking helps people recover from alcoholism.
Drink Less for Strong Bones

Summer barbecues, family get-togethers, after-work happy hours -- theyre full of temptations. Everyones drinking, having a good time. If youre used to imbibing, its hard to say no. But if youre goal is strong bones, these tips will help you drink less.

"Its difficult to deny yourself," says Murray Dabby, LCSW, director of the Atlanta Center for Social Therapy. "Theore, you have to find something to say yes to. ... Thats the more winning strategy."

Saying yes to healthy living is a good first step, "Take the focus off not drinking or not smoking."

As a coach and therapist, he asks people to understand their relationship to alcohol. "That relationship says a lot about how you see yourself -- Im socially awkward, Im shy, Im anxious, Im insecure, and alcohol makes me feel more comfortable."

To overcome shyness sans alcohol, heres his suggestion: "As Shakespeare would say, Life is a stage. Create a new performance for yourself. Act like the person you want to be," Dabby says.

If parties make you self-conscious, heres a positive approach: Act like youre the co-host. "Focus on making people comfortable rather than worrying about yourself," he explains. "Go around greeting everyone, asking how they know the host. Perform as if youre the friendliest person at the party. You wont need alcohol to cover up your nervousness."

Another tactic: Pretend that youre tipsy. If you love going to karaoke bars but cant enjoy it without alcohol, simply pretend, Dabby suggests. "Order ginger ale, but act like youre tipsy." Thats the approach that one person took,  "It was very successful for him. He found he could ham it up without alcohol."

If after-work happy hours are a problem, dont focus on drinking: "Focus on getting to know your co-workers. Be curious, ask questions. Focus on relationship-building, because thats a positive thing,” Dabby says. “Order ginger ale or another nonalcoholic drink. You dont have to tell anyone you have trouble with alcohol."

Hi,

Setting goals used to make me crazy but I think it is time to give this a try in the area of weight loss. I have been successful over the past year or more at taking off about thirty pounds but I am definitely stuck there. My weight hovers around the same numbers week after week. I go up a few and then down a few. I can hit a new low number but that does not mean I stay there. I am not clean with following my own programs.

There are two things that I have accomplished and I am very happy to remind myself that I have not gone back up to my original starting weight and Ive reversed my prediabetes. Those two things are pretty much miraculous in my book and I am very happy to have done them. It is that third goal, the one of losing weight that I believe I need to examine a little more closely.

I think that I have not accomplished the feat of "getting thin" because, inside my deepest heart, I dont really believe it is possible. I see other people losing weight and I wonder why I cannot. See that? I said "cannot." I did not say "have not" I said "cannot" which means "not able to." Yes, I have seen that inside me before and I think it is time to address it.

Ive shied away from setting weight loss goals because I have followed the diet du jour rules in the past, set the goal, and not reached it so many times that I began to believe that setting the goal was idiotic. It also became scary to face, so I simply left it behind. Right now I even feel like if I continue to examine the powerless "why Ive not done it" I will never get to the "accomplishment" so, for this moment, I am going to face the other direction and begin to be empowered.

For inspiration I am using John Barbans book the: "Anything Goes Diet," -- the separate additional PDF called: "Thinking Thin," which is about programming your mind for weight loss. I definitely need to reprogram my mind for weight loss. Since his is not a "hypnosis" session, it is simple for me to try out. (In case you would like to try it out here is a link to his blog: http://www.anythinggoesdiet.com/blog/ ) I am going to focus on the first two steps he shares. (As I am writing Ive tested the link and it leads to a blank page, so Ive contacted the author to let him know something is wrong. Hopefully it will be fixed, soon.)

The first tip is to ask yourself "What is this food going to do for me?" He suggests that asking yourself this question before you do an on-the-fly adjustment to your program, which usually means adding a snack, a meal, or doing something that is not on your agreed upon program, will allow you to admit to yourself exactly why you’re eating that extra meal or snack and decide if you really need it.

It gives you a moment in time to examine what you are doing to see where this action will eventually take you. If eating that food will satisfy a legitimate need that is one thing, but if it will only serve to screw up your weight loss, then maybe you need to set it aside and choose to do something else. It could go either way, so this is not a "moment to beat yourself up," it is simply a moment to step back and take a look to see if you want to end up where eating that item at this time will take you. Since weve previously established that "we are what we eat," will eating this food make you what you want to be?

While that is not actually "setting a goal" it seems like it would help you "keep headed towards your goal." This is about commitment. You will discover if you are really committed to your goal of getting to a particular size or if you are committed to satisfying your current food lust -- craving. Then you get to decide where you really want to end up.

His second tip incorporates your vision of your goal. He asks you to imagine that you have reached your exact goal. Imagine that you have been successful at your weight loss attempt and you fit into the size you always wanted to be. Assume that your weight loss is guaranteed and then imagine that your future successful self is standing next to your current self and having a discussion.

What would your future self say to your current self in any challenging situation? Would your future self allow your current self to over eat? Imagining that you have reached your goal will create feelings of success, accountability and responsibility right now to make that future a reality. Your future thin self will never exist if your current self does not do what it takes to get there.

So. Both of these supportive thinking exercises depend on having a specific goal in mind and not only having the goal, but believing that you can reach it. (Ha. I just got overwhelmed and headachy... Im going to go for a swim to give me a little "distance" and to have a little more time to think about me and my personal intention.)

Ok. I went and got myself ready to go for a swim (have not gone yet) and it has dawned on me that I do have goals. Ive had them in my mind all along. Ive talked about them before in this blog. I just did not blow a trumpet and make a list of what they are. Not keeping my current goals is what has been frustrating me. So Im going to use the two tips to support me in my current, already existing goals which are:

1. Daily: obey my eating program today
2. Ultimate: Wear a size 12 dress.
3. Intermediate: Reach the weight of 315 and use my success as a catalyst to set the next goal (current weight today is 329.25)

• Benefit: my blood pressure will normalize as I normalize my size
• Benefit: I will no longer have to be embarrassed from noticing others judging me (they may still judge me -- but it wont be about them looking down their noses at my body shape and size and making assumptions about me)
• Benefit: I will feel like I fit in when I want to and I dont have to "fit in."
• Benefit: I will be happy to go shopping at the "normal size" store
• Benefit: I will be happy to be able to purchase size 12 items on sale
• Benefit: I will be happy to boast about what the Lord has done for me!!

To reach my daily goal of obeying or following my current eating program I will use the question: "What will this food do for me?" -- as needed -- to remind me of what I can do for myself in this moment.

I will envision myself in a size 12 dress which would be an absolute dream come true for me. I can see what my body will look like in a size 12 dress. My tummy will be small. I will have a visible waist and my back will be smooth. I see myself wearing a cotton, flower print, knee-length, A-line, size 12 dress and looking in a mirror to admire how good I look. I can see my future self talking to my current self and being my "support group" of one who encourages me and reminds me to believe that I can do it. My future self knows that I can do it, because she is proof that it can happen. It is possible! She did it. So can I. I know because she is me.

My intermediate goal is reachable, too. As I go along I will set up new intermediate goals as needed to be markers of my successful journey.

• My eating program is currently the snack/meal/snack with a 24-hour fast on Monday/Tuesday. 
• I need to have fresh raw salad available for my meal and snacks every day. 
• I need high quality animal protein for all meals and snacks. 
• A snack is half the size of a meal. 
• On Monday, before the beginning of my evening fast, I can have two meals. 
• I can have shirataki noodles two times in one week. 
• I can have 1/2 of a potato or sweet potato if I go out to eat with friends once a week.

That about sums up my current program and goals. Praying that the Lord Jesus will give me the strength I need to remain committed to doing something good for me.

Remember: It is better to obey, than to make a sacrifice for sin

Be back soon,

Marcia

Written by the fabulous Leigh, Veggie Might is a weekly Thursday column about all things Vegetarian.

Happy last day of Hanukkah, friends! Hope you had a super week plus one.

Gentle Readers, though I live on Holiday Island, USA (not to be confused with Christmas Town, USA—just down the road from my folks’ place), and I was sick for most of Hanukkah, I’m just not feeling it—it being the holiday juju that’s supposed to filling my heart with magic.

Thanksgiving was so delicious and festive; and I want Christmas to be the same. But if I start getting into the holiday mood too soon, I’ll be over it by the time Christmas actually gets here. To avoid holiday burn out, I use to decorate, shop, or cook anything holiday related until December 12. Even that is pushing it, but I don’t want to be anywhere near a retail outlet on Christmas Eve either.

In the meantime, I’ve been on the lookout for recipes that use seasonal vegetables but don’t have cinnamon, clove, or pumpkin pie spice. A few clicks around the Internet machine and tada! Yellow Split Pea Soup with Sweet Potato and Kale at one of my favorite recipe blogs, Fat-free Vegan Kitchen.

This is the recipe I’ve been dreaming about—clearly, since I didn’t have to buy a single ingredient to make it. I swapped out the kale for a gorgeous, emerald bunch of Swiss chard chilling in my crisper and made the easy substitution of toor dal (split pigeon peas) for yellow split peas.

For a minute, I thought this recipe was going to be too easy and it would only take me the 30 minutes of prep and 60 minutes of relatively inactive cooking (occasional stirring) time to make. But I had to take it a step further.

The recipe calls for curry powder which, after a few introductory lessons in Indian cooking, gives me pause. I’ve stopped keeping it around, opting to use whole spices instead. However, my imaginary friend and mentor Madhur Jaffrey shares a recipe in World Vegetarian for her own every day curry powder (called My Curry Powder). So I whipped up a batch.

Within minutes, my apartment was filled with the aromas of cumin and coriander as I roasted the whole spices and then ground them fine in the coffee grinder. (I have one dedicated for that purpose.) Having freshly ground spice blends is worth the minimal amount of effort it takes to grind them yourself.

Otherwise following the recipe, the soup was everything I wanted it to be: hearty, flavorful but not overpowering, and fragrant. The Indian spices perfectly complemented the sweet potato and the hint of bitterness in the Swiss chard gaves it a nice balance. Toor dal added a creamy texture to the soup without being mushy.

Plus the recipe made enough for this army of one-singular-sensation to have lunch and dinner for a several days. If CB and the Roommate are sweet, maybe I’ll share.

So let’s fortify ourselves, Gentle Readers, for the coming holidays with this delicious, satisfying, Indian-inspired soup. Cinnamon and peppermint will be scenting our dreams soon enough.

~~~~

If you fancied this recipe, you may take delight in:

• Shipa’s Dal and Rice with Ginger and Green Chilies
• Pindi Chana
• Fast Easy Soups for Sick Vegetarians

~~~

Sweet Potato, Swiss Chard, and Toor Dal Soup
Serves 8


2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black mustard seeds
2 tsp canola oil
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 cups water
3 cups dried toor dal or yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
1 tbsp mild curry powder (to taste)*
Salt to taste (optional)
1 bunch Swiss chard, washed, trimmed, and chopped

Note: Swiss chard stems are edible. They have a crunchy texture, like Romaine lettuce, and add a nice color contrast to the dish, whether you choose red, yellow, or white. When trimming Swiss chard, snip off any ends that are tough or dried out, but it’s not necessary de-stem like you would with kale or collard greens.

1) In a large saucepan or stock pot, heat 1 teaspoon canola oil and cook onions 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent. Move onions aside in pot and add second teaspoon of oil and whole cumin and mustard seeds. Stir seeds with spatula for about 30 seconds.

2) When mustard seeds begin to pop, stir together spices with onions. Then add ginger and garlic and cook for about 1 minute.

3) Add water, sweet potato, toor dal, and curry powder and stir. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about an hour or until the dal is tender.

4) In the meantime, wash and chop Swiss chard and set aside. Stir dal occassionally to prevent sticking and burning.

5) When the dal is tender, turn off heat, remove lid, and stir in Swiss chard. Replace lid and allow chard to wilt for 5–10 minutes.

6) Serve piping hot with crusty bread or naan and put off shopping for another day.

*Bonus Recipe:
Madhur Jaffrey’s Curry Powder
from World Vegetarian
Makes 5–6 tablespoons


2 tbsp whole coriander seeds
1 tbsp whole cumin seeds
2 tsp whole peppercorns
1 1/2 tsp whole brown mustard
1 tsp whole fenugreek seeds
5 to 6 whole cloves
3 dried chilies, crushed
1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1) Heat a small cast iron skillet over medium heat. Combine all whole spices in skillet and roast for 1–2 minutes until aromas begin to emerge, stirring or shaking the pan intermittently. Some spices will brown and change color.

2) Add ground turmeric and heat for another 10 seconds. Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a plate or bowl to cool.

3) Grind in spice or coffee grinder until mixture is as fine as possible. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. Take a deep breath and smile.

Approximate Calories, Fat, Fiber, Protein, and Price per Serving
306 calories, 2.4g fat, 13g fiber, 18g protein, $.39

Calculations
2 medium onions: 80 calories, 0.4g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.88
1 1/2 tsp whole cumin: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 tsp black mustard seeds: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
2 tsp canola oil: 79 calories, 9g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.05
1 tbsp fresh ginger: 6 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.06
3 cloves garlic: 12 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber, 0g protein, $0.04
2 medium sweet potatoes: 112 calories, 0g fat, 4g fiber, 2g protein, $0.34
3 cups dried toor dal: 2109 calories, 9g fat, 92g fiber, 133.5g protein, $0.18
1 tbsp curry powder: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
Salt: negligible calories, fat, fiber, protein, $.02
1 bunch Swiss chard: 56 calories, 0g fat, 8g fiber, 8g protein, $1.50
TOTALS: 2454 calories, 19g fat, 104g fiber, 143.5g protein, $3.13
PER SERVING (TOTALS/8): 306 calories, 2.4g fat, 13g fiber, 18g protein, $.39

As many of you know, Ive been crossfitting for a good while now, and I love it.  Its given me a completely new outlook on fitness; I have a much more performance-based mentality than I used to.  Whereas I used to care mostly about having nice pecs and biceps (curls for the girls), I now concern myself with more worthwhile goals, like lifting heavy shit over my head, doing lots of pullups, and training my body to move the way its designed to move.  Sure, looking good naked is a nice side effect, but thats not why I do it.  For simplicity, heres a short summary of the differences between crossfit and what everyone else is doing...


And now that I have this new crossfit mentality, I have to admit... Im a little embarrassed.  Im embarrassed because for so long, my only motive for working out was to look good; I cant believe I was ever so vain.  And this is, in my now older and wiser mind, not the way to look at fitness.  It gives me and everyone else in the performance realm a bad name... including crossfitters, power lifters, track athletes, endurance athletes, and anyone else who has real, substantial goals that arent rooted in narcissism.  Unfortunately, most avid gym-goers are still stuck in this bodybuilding mentality, only working out for aesthetic purposes, to look good for others.  In other words, theyre not doing it for themselves... theyre doing it for other people.  And heres whats wrong with it.


Finding your motivation in impressing others is completely unsustainable. 
Ive experienced it first hand.  You see, before I found crossfit, I was stuck in this cycle...
1.)  Become obsessed with working on my body and make myself look good (approximately 3 months)
2.)  Grow completely bored with it, yet still go through the workouts since Id already come so far (another 3 months)
3.)  Realize I dont care about the gym as much as I did 6 months ago, stop going completely (1 month)
4.)  Get fatter and softer, lose both muscle and self confidence, revert to step 1.

Why did I become bored?  Because my motivation didnt come from within.  I was working out so other people would look at me and think one of two things… either “He looks great, I wish I looked like that,” or, “Wow, he looks hot, I’d love to bone him.”  Yes, seriously.  What I’ve learned is that girls don’t care if you have a six pack.  Or if you have big shoulders.  Guys don’t either.  Sure, a nice body can be sexy.  But you know what’s even sexier?  Confidence.  Confidence in yourself, confidence in your body, and a general I-don’t-give-a-shit-what-you-think-because-I’m-comfortable-in-my-own-skin attitude.  And real confidence, much like motivation, doesnt come from the opinions of others... it comes from within.

Crossfit builds real confidence.  Just try it.  The first time youre able to string together a series of double-unders, or when you do your first muscle-up, or when you hit a new PR (personal record)... when you accomplish something you never even thought was possible, youll feel it.  You simultaneously realize that a) youre awesome, and b) your opinion is the only one that matters.  And its real... because youre doing it for yourself, not for someone elses meaningless opinion of you. 

The bodybuilding approach doesnt make you faster, stronger, or a better athlete.  It just makes you fake.
In fact, theres a good chance itll make you less athletic.  I fell victim to this myth when I first began to lift weights.  I expected that with my new found muscle, I’d automatically be better at sports.  I expected to step on to the football field and have a leg up on everyone else; I thought I would dominate in pickup basketball.  I couldn’t have been more wrong.  It made me slower and less coordinated.  You see, being really strong on the leg press machine and being able to press 300 pounds on the chest press machine dont exactly translate to real world strength.  Neither does lifting a weight slowly to increase the muscles time under tension.  And neither does doing something retarded like the seated shoulder press... call me next time you need to push something overhead without using your legs or hips.  Just stand the fuck up.  These things may build you muscle, but that muscle has no practical use.  Its all for show.  Youre still slow, clunky, and you probably couldnt do anything that requires real life strength, like carrying someone out of a burning building.  Not unless they were strapped to a cable crossover machine at least.




Okay look, if bodybuilding is your thing, thats great.  Im not here to rain on your parade; this is all just my opinion.  But Ive been there.  I spent years working out with the sole intent of looking good, and I can tell you that its a dead end street.  It is indeed the cul-de-sac of fitness.  But if you really like taking pictures of yourself half-naked and putting them on Facebook so everyone can see how hot you look, then by all means do it.  Its too vain for me.  It makes me feel like a tool.  And its oddly feminine.  It makes me feel like a little, girly tool.

Im just happy I found crossfit.  And Im never looking back.

If childhood obesity expert Melinda Sothern could wave her magic wand and help kids live healthier lives, shed want parents and children to dine together every night. "Research is clear that family meals equal healthier weights, emotional stability and better school performance," she says.
She would have parents insist that their kids ditch cellphones and other media devices when they come home from school and go outside to play for an hour, or if its too dark when they get home, then they can put on some music and dance inside.
"This active time will burn four to five times more calories than sitting and help prevent obesity and type 2 diabetes," says Sothern, an exercise physiologist and a professor at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, who has treated more than 3,000 overweight children over the past 23 years. Shes the co-author of Trim Kids.
She also wishes parents would make sure that kids eat a healthy breakfast daily, get plenty of shut-eye and stop snacking mindlessly. "Parents have far more power than they realize to guarantee a healthy future for their children."
Sothern and other top national researchers in childhood obesity and nutrition are presenting their latest research at the annual Obesity Society meeting in Atlanta this week. In one session on Tuesday, several experts will offer parents practical tips on how to create healthy habits at home.
Currently, about a third of kids in this country are overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Extra pounds put kids at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, liver disease, sleep apnea and other health problems.
Some ideas from nutrition and exercise researchers on setting up a healthier home environment:
• Plan healthy, tasty breakfasts. Offer children a lean protein at breakfast such as eggs, string cheese, Canadian bacon, turkey bacon or hummus, Sothern says. Serve them fresh fruit such as berries. Or whole-grain cereal with nuts is another option. Top off the meal with a glass of fat-free or 1% low-fat milk or a carton of low-fat yogurt, she says.
• Discourage mindless munching. Dont let kids eat in front of the TV or computer and gradually restrict all eating and drinking, except for water, to the kitchen counter, table or dining room, Sothern says.
• Get them involved. Take kids to the grocery store. Skip the soda, cookie and candy aisles and have children select one fruit and vegetable to try each week. At home, include children in lunch and dinner preparation, Sothern says.
• Reinstate family traditions. Insist on family dinners, set the table with real cloth napkins, light candles and play soft music in the background to encourage discussion. Compliment the children on their healthy food selections, cooking and manners, she says.
• Get some shut-eye. Allow kids no more than one hour of media time before bedtime. Try to make sure they get the required 9 to 10 hours of sleep a night. Research shows that lack of sleep equals unwanted weight gain, behavioral problems and difficulty concentrating the next day, Sothern says.
• Offer a nutritious starter course. Pennsylvania State University research shows that adults who eat a broth-based bowl of vegetable soup; a large, low-calorie, lettuce-based salad; or an apple before a meal consume about 110 to 190 fewer calories at the meal, including the calories in that first course. The same idea could work with kids, says Barbara Rolls, a professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State. Theyll not only fill up on fewer calories, but theyll be eating a healthy first course.
• Trick their tummies. Add their favorite fiber-rich vegetables — such as spinach, zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, carrots, peppers and onions — to lasagna, casseroles, pasta dishes and pizza. The veggies lower the calories and increase the nutrients in each bite, Rolls says. Also increase the proportion of vegetables in stir-fry dishes, broth-based soups and stews and extra vegetables to sandwiches. Substitute vegetable or fruit purees for half or even two-thirds of the added fat in quick breads and muffins, she says.
• Use smaller plates. A study of first-graders showed that most kids served themselves more at lunch (about 90 calories more) when they used adult-sized dinner plates compared with using child-sized plates, which is about the size of an adult salad plate. "We know that adults over-serve themselves with larger plates, and this study says the same holds true for children. Using smaller plates at home may promote healthy child portion sizes," says Jennifer Orlet Fisher, an associate professor of public health at Temple University in Philadelphia.
• Teach kids to dance. Tell them youre playing Dancing with the Stars and let them waltz, do the cha-cha-cha or swing dance, Sothern says. This active time will burn four to five times more calories than sitting and improve their overall health.
• Swap sedentary time for active time. Kids only burn 30 to 50 calories when they are sitting for an hour, but they burn 400 to 500 calories in an hour if they are playing tag, dancing or doing field sports, she says. The governments physical activity guidelines say children and teens should do an hour or more of moderate-intensity to vigorous aerobic physical activity each day. Sothern recommends they do at least two hours of physical activity a day.
• Play outside with your children. Moms and dads should teach their kids to throw, pitch, catch, pass, jump and ride a bike because their kids may not be learning these important skills at school.
• Encourage physical-activity breaks. "There is a lot of evidence that kids should not sit still for more than 60 minutes at a time," says Penny Gordon-Larsen, a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. When kids are doing their homework or on the computer, they need to get up regularly and move around or consider standing while they are working, she says. Every little bit of activity counts. Have them do at least 20 to 30 minutes of physical activity after school, such as shooting hoops, biking, playing soccer, jumping rope, dancing, walking or playing a fitness-related video game, Gordon-Larsen says.
• Steer clear of sugary drinks. This includes regular sodas, sweet teas, high-calorie specialty coffees, energy drinks and juices, Gordon-Larsen says. "Its such an easy way to cut out excess sugar and calories," she says. Instead offer water and low-fat milk, even low-fat chocolate milk.
_http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/10/kids-eating-exercising-healthfully/3358229/

Disease Management Care Blog readers may recall this post on the benefits of exercise in combating depression among persons with chronic disease. Thanks to the GlassHospital, the DMCB became aware of this entertaining, informative, accurate and savvy video on the benefits of putting limits on sitting, eating and sleeping to 23 1/2 hours a day.

Its very interesting:



Contrast the video above (by the way, its Canadian) with this CDC website (and practically nothing from the Feds on YouTube) and ask yourself two questions:

1) which approach to health promotion more likely to have a greater impact, and

2) is Washington D.C. really giving the taxpayers their moneys worth when it comes to awareness of the benefits of prevention?