10 Tips to Better Eating

I've always eaten a pretty good diet, but for the last 3 years, I've really focused on better, healthier eating on a consistent basis. As a result, my immune system is stronger, my cholesterol levels (LDL and HDL) are awesome, and I've lost over 20 lbs which I've kept off. Weight loss was not my main goal, but it was a nice benefit. Being healthy was and is my priority. Below are 10 tips I have to offer in helping you transition to a healthier eating and a healthier lifestyle.

1. Think Lifestyle Change not Diet. If you're thinking of "diet" in the sense of what foods you're eating, that's okay. But if, "diet" refers to something you're "going-on" more than likely you won't succeed, or if you do, eventually you'll return to your old eating habits. I'm not being pessimistic. Research shows, that most diets, in particular very restrictive diets, just don't work in the long run. When changing your eating habits, you need to think, "Is this something I'll be able to continue doing for a lifetime?"
2. Take Ownership of Your Eating and Lifestyle Change. I've had new prospective clients come to me and say, "I need you to get me to lose 20 lbs in a month." Red flags immediately go up when I hear this. When I hear, "I need you to get me..." I know right off the bat, this person isn't ready to take ownership of the changes ahead. I learned way back when I was 13 years old that someone can't change until they're ready to change. I was an overweight kid. My parents and friends often tried to get me to do various things to lose weight. But it wasn't until the summer before entering high school when I decided that I didn't want to go to high school heavy, that I was ready to make a change. At that young age, I took ownership of the situation and changed my eating habits and lost weight. 40 lbs to be exact, before my freshman year.
3. Expand Your Eating Horizons. Take a field trip to the grocery store. Shop the perimeter of the store. That's where you'll find all the fresh produce and meats. Most of the processed and packaged foods are in the center isles. Check out the fruits and vegetables. Pick them up. Feel them. Read the tags and labels. Pick something to try. I did that with Brussels sprouts and now they're my favorite veggie. I've learned to cook them in several different ways. Eat the rainbow. Fruits and veggies rich in color often contain the most nutrients. Incorporate a variety of dark green veggies. Kale is a super veggie full of nutrients and antioxidants. It can be added to salads, eaten cooked, and even added to smoothies! Sweet potatoes are another nutrient dense food. They can be baked whole or sliced and baked on a sheet brushed with a little olive oil. They're awesome!
4. Pay Attention to What You Are Eating. It's a given that you should pay attention to the types of foods you put in your body, but also, pay attention to the "act of eating." Think about it. How many times have you gone to the cupboard for a snack and then before you get back to the couch you've eaten it all? So what do you do? You go back and get more. How many times have you picked up fast food and eaten the fries out of the bag on your way home. Then all you have left is that burger or sandwich. Even though you've already eaten the fries and should be somewhat full, you don't feel satisfied, because all that's looking at you on the plate is the lonely burger. Another good trick is to portion your snack. Have you ever grabbed a box of crackers or chips and before you know it the bag/box is empty?  Instead of eating out of the bag or box, pour a single portion size in a bowl to eat. That way you're more aware of how much you've eaten. Learn to pay attention to the food you are eating.
5. Eat at Home or Prepare Your Meals for on the Go. Eating out is the easiest way to rack up the calories. Most fast food and even sit-down restaurant meals can contain an entire day's worth of fat and calories....in one meal! That doesn't mean you have to pack carrot sticks and celery for lunch. Remember, you're not on a diet. Preparing your own meal gives you control over what goes in it. You know exactly what you're eating. You'll also save money. Even if you eat a fairly healthy meal at an establishment such as Subway, you're going to pay $6-$9. That's $30-$45 for lunch in a 5-day work week.
6. Stop Drinking All Your Calories. Sweet Tea and regular sugary sodas are full of empty calories. Drink water or unsweetened tea with lemon. At first you'll miss the sweetness, but you'll eventually get past it and actually enjoy it.
7. Splurge Every Now and Again. There are times to celebrate and sometimes, that means enjoying foods that may not be so healthy. That's okay. There is a time for birthday cake. There is a time for pumpkin pie. There are times for those favorite family foods. When you save those special foods for special times, they actually taste better. Just be sure to eat a moderate portion. Earth Fare has a "Top of the Day" muffin that's pretty awesome. It's really pretty healthy for a muffin, but I know it's probably high in calories. Each Friday, if I've gotten in my weekly runs and workouts, I'll treat myself to that "Top of the Day" muffin for breakfast. That's my special treat. I look forward to it. Find your weekly special treat.
8. Eat Throughout the Day. Because I have workout groups that start at 6AM, I'm up every morning at 4:30am. And because I have evening classes that I lead, I'm usually not done until around 7:30 or sometimes 8pm. So, I've learned that 5 meals/snacks a day work best for me. I ,keep my calorie intake the same as if I ate 3 large traditional meals, but I spread it over five. So for example:

• Breakfast #1 (4:45am): Toasted English muffin with peanut butter and preserves, coffee
• Breakfast #2 (9:00am): Lowfat Greek yogurt with diced banana and walnuts added
• Lunch (1:30pm): Turkey sub with veggies, Sun Chips or fruit, unsweetened tea
• Mid Afternoon Snack (4:30pm): Banana with peanut butter smear
• Dinner: (8:30pm): Varies, but usually sautéed veggies and grilled tofu, chicken, or fish, unsweetened tea (Note: I don't like eating dinner this late, but it's the nature of the beast due to my profession. Because I eat dinner so late, it tends to be a light meal.)

This may not work for everyone, but what will work is having a regular routine beginning with breakfast and not skipping meals.
9. Watch the Red Meat. Nothing wrong with having a good burger from time to time. But more and more research suggests that limiting your intake of red meat helps reduce your risk of colorectal cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research suggests limiting red meat intake to 18 oz (cooked weight) weekly.
10. Begin with Small Changes. Evaluate what you're eating. Decide on one thing you can stop eating or replace with a healthier option. Small changes like this will lead to big changes over time. Do you really need that mid morning doughnut? Eliminate it or eat an apple instead. That could save 1300 cals and 80g of fat in a work week! One small change. One big effect. Once you see that changes the small change is making, then make another small change. My son lost over 100 lbs using this method. He mastered what I call the art of moderation and accountability. Have that pizza once in a while, but instead of 4 slices, have two.  Or maybe just one slice with a nice salad with lowfat dressing.

Fuel Your Engine With Quality Foods and Keep Fatigue at Bay

Yesterday, I posted somewhat of a check list to help you determine the possible source(s) of your running or training fatigue—overtraining, improper hydration, lack of sleep, low iron levels, lack of post-run refueling. Good nutrition for everyday running as well as during your training can also play an important part in keeping fatigue at bay.

USDA National guidelines specify that your daily caloric intake should consist of 45-65% carbs, 20-35% fat and 10-35% protein. The trick is making sure that those percentages consist of the right types of carbs, fats, and protein.

The fad diets of the late 90's and early 2000's had us all believing that carbs were our worst enemy. Fact is your body runs on carbs. Without carbs your brain couldn't function properly. As with most things, however, there's a good side and bad side to carbs. Unfortunately most Americans consume far too many of the bad or simple carbs (refined and processed grains and sugar). Cakes, doughnuts, pastries, white bread, candy, yada, yada, yada. More than likely if it's packaged and the first ingredient is sugar, it's not going to be good for you. There are several reasons these foods are bad. First simple carbs usually have a high GI (glycemic index) and can spike your blood sugar levels. You'll have that burst of energy and then soon after crash. Not only will it leave you feeling tired and fatigued, you'll soon feel hungry again and you'll be grabbing for something else to eat. Also, unless you're going to be active soon after eating those simple carbs, those calories will more than likely not be burned and will turn into fat. Foods consisting of simple carbs also often pack a double-whammy of being loaded with saturated fat or even trans fats both of which can lead to high cholesterol. Increased fat and a sedentary lifestyle can lead to obesity and for some to Type 2 diabetes. See a vicious cycle here?

The good or complex carbs that are found in whole grain foods take longer for your body to process. Because it takes longer, it leaves you more satisfied and it also allows your body to make use of those calories as energy. Foods high in complex carbs tend not to be loaded with extra sugar and/or fat. Being active is also important even if you're eating complex carbs. If you're sedentary, even those good carbs can turn to fat. But if you're active, those carbs will be the fuel to sustain that active lifestyle.

Simple carbs aren't all bad. If you need a little pick-me-up, the sugar fructose, found in fruits, vegetables, and honey can provide an immediate source of energy. This type of simple carb is much better for you than that candy bar, because the fruits and veggies also are nutrient dense. So along with that fructose, you're also getting a lot of vitamins and minerals as well as fiber. Speaking of fiber, eating a diet rich in fiber will help decrease your chance of colon cancer as well as help keep you "regular." A "clean" system will also help keep you from feeling sluggish. Who wants to run with an extra "load" anyway?

A diet high in fatty foods can also make you feel sluggish. That's why it's not recommended to eat much fat before a run...it can literally slow you down. Just like with carbs, there are "good guys" and "bad guys" for fats. Good fats are comprised of the liquid or soft monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and Omega 3 fatty acids. These types of fats play an important role in your overall good health. Monounsaturated fats include olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, avocados, nuts, seeds. Polyunsaturated fats include vegetable oils (i.e., safflower, corn, sunflower, soy and cottonseed oils), nuts, and a variety of seeds. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in foods such as salmon, mackerel, herring, flaxseeds, flax oil, and walnuts.

Saturated fats and trans fats are the bad guys. Both of these types of fats increase the amount of cholesterol in your blood and a high level of cholesterol in your blood is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease. Saturated fats are found in animal products (i.e., meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, lard, butter), and coconut, palm and other tropical oils. Trans fats need to be avoided altogether. Now your body actually does need some saturated fat. Choosing leaner cuts of meat, turkey, and chicken will help keep the amount of saturated fat to a minimum. As a rule of thumb, try to limit your daily intake of saturated fats to about 7% of your total daily calories.

Trans fats include partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, commercial baked goods (i.e., crackers, cakes, cookies), fried foods (i.e., doughnuts, French fries), shortening, many types of margarine. Your daily intake of trans fats should be less than 1% (preferably 0%!). The remaining fat in your diet should come from sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Protein is important because it provides the amino acids needed for building and maintaining your body tissue. There are 20 amino acids. Eleven of these amino acids (dispensable) can be made by the body. Nine of them however (indispensable amino acids), come from a variety of food sources. Foods that are high quality or complete protein sources have all nine of the indispensable amino acids. Animal food sources are complete proteins. Soy and quinoa (pronounced keen-wa)are the only plant food sources containing complete proteins. Other plant food sources are considered incomplete proteins because they are missing one or more of the indispensable amino acids. Combining plant food sources can create a complete protein such as combining beans and rice or peanut butter and bread.

Food really is the fuel on which our bodies run. If you're putting in premium food, then your engine will purr like a kitten. Put in the low-grade stuff and you're engine might just stall. Making sure you fuel your body throughout the day is key as well. Many people skip breakfast or eat very little for breakfast and then wonder why they poop out before lunch. Breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. It's your first fueling.

Eating 5 or 6 mini-meals is a great way to provide the energy you need throughout the day. Think about it. You skip breakfast and so you're starving by lunch. If you skimp on lunch, then you're more than likely going to stop by the convenient store on the way home and load up on simple carbs (which won't satisfy you). So by dinner time you're so ravenous that you lose all control and before you know it you've eaten dinner plus that half gallon of Rocky Road!

If you eat each meal (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and have a midmorning, midafternoon, and post dinner snack, you'll keep that engine (your metabolism) firing all day long which actually will have you burning more calories. Lowfat traditional or Greek yogurt, peanut butter on whole wheat bread, a handful of almonds, fruit, raw veggies, granola bars...all of these make great snacks. Now, keep in mind that eating more frequently doesn't mean eating more calories. You're still eating the same amount of calories, just spread out over smaller meals throughout the entire day.

RunnerDude's New Favorite Book: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth

If you haven't already picked up on it, I'm an avid reader of fitness, running, and nutrition material. My wife would say I have enough books sitting in our kitchen alone, to open a small book store. (She's probably right.)

I've learned through all the reading I've done, that you have to be really careful not to get swayed by some underlying product that's being sold. So often, the information presented while still (usually) factual is often slanted to support a particular diet or fitness trend. That's why I was so delighted when I came across The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden, Ph. D., C.N.S. (Fair Winds Press, 2007). It's not a new book, so many of you may already be familiar with it. I've seen it several times at the book store, but on a recent jaunt to the local Barnes & Noble for my daughter to select her next Vampire series book, I had a lot of time on my hands. So, I got a cup-a-joe and found a chair in which to chill. Beside me and my chair was a display of "diet and nutrition" books. So, I picked up The 150 book and began to read.

A tagline on the cover reads, "The Surprising, Unbiased Truth about What You Should Eat and Why." I'm thinking okay, "that may be an over promise." But, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that it pretty much was that—an unbiased presentation of information on 150 really healthy foods.

Of course Jonny Bowden is wanting to sell the book. It does come with a free CD and it pitches his website http://www.jonnybowden.com/ where he has all kinds of health-related goods and books for sale. But, as far as the book itself goes, it's a great resource on healthy foods you should be eating and why.

The book is organized into 14 chapters each on a different food area—Vegetables; Grains; Beans and Legumes; Fruits; Nuts, Seeds, and Nut Butters; Soy Foods; Dairy; Meat, Poultry, and Eggs; Fish and Seafood; Specialty Foods; Beverages; Herbs, Spices, and Condiments; Oils; and Sweeteners.

From the onset, Bowden makes it very clear that these are not the only foods good to eat. He just feels of all the foods out there, these are probably the healthiest for us. Among the 150 he's selected, some are given stars which denote foods that he feels are "superstars" in their area and deserve some special recognition.

For each food, Bowden presents in a very readable and informal manner the science behind the food, what's been reported/researched on its health benefits as well as some background about the food in various cultures. For example, did you know that broccoli is a member of the brassica family of cruciferous vegetables? You know, bok choy, cabbage, kale, and Swiss chard. Broccoli is "vegetable royalty" because it's an excellent source of a family of anti-cancer phytochemicals called isothiocyanates which fight cancer by neutralizing carcinogens (the "bad guys"). Bowden continues by listing the healthy benefits of broccoli specific to women (helps reduce risk of breast and cervical cancer). He continues with other nutritional benefits apart from it's cancer fighting accolades (good source of protein, fiber, potassium, calcium, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, beta-carotene, vitamin A, and lutein).

He also gives little "Worth Knowing" factoids that are pretty interesting to know. For example, did you know that carrots got a really bad and totally underserved rap by the low-carb folks because of their high glycemic index? Bowden continues the factoid by saying, " Actually, the glycemic index isn't very important—the glycemic load is. The glycemic index tests are done on a 50-g portion of carbohydrate, whereas the load tests are done on real-life portions. A carrot has only about 4g of carbohydrate, so its glycemic load—the only number that matters— is ridiculously low (about 3 on a scale of 0-40+). You'd have to eat a ton of carrots to get a significant rise in blood sugar."

Another thing that impressed me is that the majority of the 150 foods are ones that the average person is going to be purchasing. It's not loaded with a ton of exotic foods that you'd have to go to the Kingdom of Tonga to get. There were some that were new to me, and that's good. I like exploring new foods, but as for a resource, I want information on readily available foods—The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth does that.

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So we left Barnes & Noble with Vampire and foodie books in hand. (Blood wasn't on the list of 150 foods.) I'm thinking the cast of Twilight may want to pick up a copy. They're looking kind of pale.

Check out The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. Having this book may just change what goes on your next grocery shopping list.

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Note: I purchased a copy of The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth with personal funds. No payment or endorsement of any kind was involved with the review of the book. My review is strictly an independent review based on my opinion of the book.

So, How Many Calories Do I Need?

People are always surprised when I calculate out how many calories they need when they’re training. An average woman need about 1,200 calories just for her resting metabolic rate. That’s just what your body needs to run all it’s systems. She’ll need about another 600 calories for normal daily activity. So basically, not counting any exercise, the average female needs about 1,800 calories a day.

Now comes the shocker—the calories needed to support your training, stay healthy, and maintain your weight. On average you need about 100 calories per mile. This actually varies depending on how much you weigh. If you weight 120lbs you’ll need about 95cals per mile. It goes up about 15cals for every additional 20lbs of weight. So, a 180-pound individual will need about 140cals per mile.

For ease, lets say the female from earlier weighs 120lbs. The extra calories she’d need on a day she’s running a 6-miler would be 570cals. Her total calorie need for the day would be 2,370cals (1,200 + 600 + 570). This surprises many people, because they’re used to seeing diets that have you eating something crazy like 1,500cals a day. Now remember the 2,370cals is on a day you’re running a 6-miler. If you’re not running you won’t need those additional calories.

Why do you need those calories? Well, think of it as fuel. Let’s say you typically put $40 gas in your car each week. If one week you decide to drive across the country, that $40 of gas isn’t going to get you there. Same thing with calories. Not only do you need those calories for fuel, you need those calories for rebuilding and repairing muscle tissue after your run. In this case less is not more.

Now if you want to lose weight, you can decrease your calorie intake some in order to shed some pounds. Decreasing your calorie intake by 3500 calories in one week (500cals per day) should result in a 1lb weight-loss for that week. I can see the light-bulbs coming on….many of you are saying, “Cool, I’ll just not add those extra 570cals for running and I’ll be good to go.” Problem is, doing that doesn’t account for the calories you’re going to burn on your run. So you’ll end up with a huge calorie deficit and by not adding the extra fuel it’s going to take longer for you to recover from your run.

Nancy Clark (author of Nancy Clark’s Food Guide for Marathoners, Meyer & Meyer Sport, 2007) recommends that you should first calculate your calorie needs and then target 80% of that total calories in order to safely get the needed calories for daily living and your added exercise and still lose weight.

Here’s an example using the female runner from above.
1,200cals (to support metabolic rate) + 600cals (to support normal daily activity) + 570cals (to support 6-mile run) = 2,370cals (to support this day’s activity while maintaining the athlete’s weight).
80% x 2,370cals = 1,896cals (cals needed to support the daily activity and lose weight).

Many people (athletes or not) complain about feeling hungry throughout the day, especially if they’re trying to lose weight. One way to help avoid this hungry feeling is to try eating more frequently throughout the day. Instead of 3 traditional meals, try having 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. You’re not going to be eating more calories, but you’ll spread it out over the course of the day. Your body actually burns calories while it’s digesting, so if you feed the fire more frequently, it keeps that engine burning longer.

If it’s easier, to still think of your 3-meals a day, that’s fine. Just make those meals smaller and then add a healthy snack in between those traditional meal times. Also, be sure to eat foods that are going to provide you with energy and have lasting power. Whole grains, nuts, fruits and veggies are great choices. Quaker makes a great oatmeal (Quaker Weight Control Instant Oatmeal) that I eat every morning. The name is a little misleading. The reason it’s “weight control” is because it has more protein than regular instant oatmeal which helps keep you fuller longer. A handful of raw almonds make a great mid-morning snack. Drink a glass or water with them and it will cause the nut fiber to expand helping you to feel fuller. Almonds also help to build your immune system. Lowfat yogurt as a mid afternoon snack is a great choice. Greek yogurt is packed with protein and really does the trick in keeping hunger at bay for me. Just be sure to get the 2% or no-fat variety.

So, it’s a little work, but keep track of your caloric needs, especially if you’re training and doing a lot of running. Your body will thank you and the fruits of your labor will show up in your training and in your renewed energy!

The Twinkie Factor

Ever heard the urban legend about the Twinkie discovered from the 1950's and when they opened it, it was still as fresh as the day it was made? A legend is probably all it is, but it does make you think. Now I'm not dissin' Twinkies, because I've had my share over the years (although it's probably been about 5 years since I last had one). Getting your "Twinkie Fix" once in a while isn't going to do much harm, but have you ever looked at the ingredients? Monoglycerides, diglycerides, polysorbate 60, sorbic acid, cellulose gum...and the list goes on. Sounds like a science experiment. Most of these hard-to-pronounce-ingredients are used to ensure freshness and therefore a longer shelf-life. The "natural" ingredients it does contain have been highly refined and processed.

So, where am I going with all of this? It's no big epiphany that Twinkies aren't healthy. And, it's no big revelation that Twinkies are a highly processed food and is loaded with preservatives, but what else goes into it? Take a look at a Twinkie the next time you're in the Quick Mart buying your 48oz Diet Coke tanker, umm...I mean your bottled water. Can you tell what other ingredients are in a twinkie? Maybe some flour? Milk-type products? Sugar? Fat? ? Stumped? I was. You can't tell. There is no food in nature that looks like a Twinkie.

This brings me to my point (yep, finally got there). Something I like to call the "Twinkie Factor"—if you can't recognize it, don't eat it. Think about that legendary 50-year-old Twinkie. After 50 years, it's still that same. Now think about that plate of leftover broccoli you put in the fridge a few days ago? What's going to happen to it in just a few days? Does big fuzzy, moldy, stinky blob come to mind? I think there's a lesson to be learned here. If the bacteria are smart enough to leave the Twinkie alone, then maybe we should too. Just remember to beat the bacteria to the broccoli before the "fuzz factor" kicks in.

Try this for a week. If you can't tell what a food is made of, then don't eat it. Make this your first step toward better eating in 2010. If it goes well the first week, then up the ante a little. Now, in addition to only eating what you can recognize, make sure those recognizable foods are prepared in a healthy manner. Yep, even though you know those tasty McDonald fries are potatoes, they're not so friendly to your waistline. Think fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean meats, and good fats. In the spring, take a trip to your local farmer's market. Until then, hit the fresh foods section of your local grocery store.

Childhood Obesity On the Rise

In 2004, the National Center for Health Statistics showed that 66% of US adults between the ages of 20 and 74 were overweight or obese. According to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, most adults in the US will be overweight or obese by 2030.

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), since the 1980's obesity has been on the rise in the United States. Colorado was the only state in 2008 that had an obesity rate less than 20%. Thirty-two states had an obesity rate equal to or greater than 25%. Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia had obesity rates equal to or greater than 30%.

The bigger shocker is the increase in the percentage of obese children. National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES ) taken from 1976-1980 showed that 5% of children ages 2-5 were obese, 6.5% of children ages 6-11 were obese, and 5% of children 12-19 were obese. Compare that to similar NHANES surveys taken from 2003-2006 which showed 12.4% of children ages 2-5 were obese, 17% of children ages 6-11 were obese, and 17.6% of children 12-19 were obese.

Because of these dramatic increases, more and more children are at risk for health problems during their youth and as adults. Just like obese adults, obese children have a greater chance of having high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes. Also, obese children have a greater chance of becoming obese adults. According to the CDC, one study showed that 80% of children who were overweight at ages 10–15 were obese adults at age 25. Another study showed that children who are overweight before the age of 8 are more likely to be more severely obese.

There are a lot of possible culprits to blame for this epidemic of obesity in the United States. The dawn of video games (remember Pong in the 70s?! Man I'm old!), personal computers, the remote control, and 24/7 television programming have all contributed to more sedentary livestyles for children. The increased focus on testing has decreased or eliminated recess and even PE in many elementary schools across the country. Refined grains and the onslaught of packaged cakes, cookies, crackers, and other snacks have flooded the supermarkets. And...portion sizes are grossly out of proportion.

When I was a wee lad, a meal at McDonald's (the one in our town was a drive-up, it had no inside seating) consisted of a hamburger, fries and a soda. The portion size of that meal was comparable to the size of a regular-sized Happy Meal today! So even though it was a fried burger, fried potatoes, and a regular Coke (they didn't have Diet Coke back then), the number of calories was a fraction of a calories in an adult-sized value meal at McDonald's (or any fast food restaurant) today.

Another big culpret is our busy, non-stop lifestyles providing much less time for meal planing and preparing meals at home where you have better control over content and portion size.

So what can we do about this epidemic? Research shows that parents and family dynamics play a big part in the establishment of a child's eating habits—good or bad. Exposing kids to a variety of fresh foods and eating them with your kids will help. Kids watch what you do. If they see you eating healthy foods, they're more apt to eat healthy foods. Even better if they can help you prepare the healthier foods. If they see you exercising, they're more likely to be more physically active. It's recommended that adults be physically active at least 60 minutes most days. That's hard to do, but try. Break it up if you have to. Park at the far end of the parking lot at work. If it's close by, walk to the grocery store. Take the stairs not the elevator.

If you do these simple things, your kids will take notice and it will become ingrained into their daily habits. Take a walk with your kids each afternoon before dinner (even if it's only 15 or 20 minutes). This also provides you time to talk to your kids about their day. Plan one day a week where the entire family participates in a physical activity like flag football, tag, badminton, volleyball, or kickball. Let the kids pick the activity/sport so they feel like they have a say.

Go for a family run. Pick a local 5K as a family goal. Not everyone has to run. Many 5Ks have a walk or a kids fun run as a part of the race festivities. In a recent post "How Running changed My Life: Noah's Story," Noah shares about his healthy transformation. He also talks about his upcoming marathon which is going to be a family affair. His wife is running the 10K and his young son is running the 1-mile kids run. Just a little more than 2 years ago, Noah would have never pictured his family running, much less running a full marathon, a 10K and a kids 1-miler. Noah's son has great role-models and has a great chance of never having to deal with childhood obesity.

So, give it a try. Make healthier choices for meals and get your family active! Below are some websites to help you get started.

BAM! Body and Mind—wealth of ideas on nutrition and fitness for kids

MealsMatter—How to plan healthy meals

Family.go.com—20 Lighter Family Favorites

EatingWell.com—recipes & menus, nutrition & health

MayoClinic.com—20 Lighter Family Favorites
EatingWell.com—Fitness for kids: Getting your children off the couch

Kidnetic.com—Getting Kids Active–10 Minutes at a Time!

About.com—All Kinds of Active Play Ideas

KeepKidsHealthy.com—Fitness and Exercise Guide