This tip is all about becoming regular. No, not that kind of regular. It’s time to take our routine to some kind of regular events, so we can plan a healthy tomorrow.
There are often times in our lives, vacations, back to school, trips, that we take off our normal clothes. This tip is all about getting back into the rhythm of a routine. One of the big issues we want to address is nutritional changes throughout our day. After trips, or vacations, we break the habit of eating normal healthy meals.
One of the biggest complaints I hear from our patients is their inability to pay attention. Many people are frustrated by lack of concentration during the day, and I have a solution for many of the problems of lack of concentration that both adults and children face.
One of the best ways to help eliminate poor concentration is to reduce and, if possible, eliminate the 3 “targets” from your or your children’s diet.
The three targets are “white sugar, white flour, white salt”
By removing some of the sugar and salt, many people are able to focus better and are far less scattered. The best way to do this is to watch what you or your children eat. This is especially true for breakfast. A fair amount of the cereals we feed ourselves or our kids are LOADED with sugar (more than a can of coke per serving!!!) and then you get high on sugar and crash around 10: 30/11:00. Then you crawl for the next hour or skip to early bird lunch and have pizza or burgers and go back to having the white flour/salt rush that rings until 3:00 when you crash again and then we have to deal with our kids or grandchildren going through the same routine!
Then, as parents, we have to wrestle with the kids to get them to do their homework, and the kids seem exhausted and cranky and we wonder why.
Good nutrition can solve many of these problems and help us and our children live happier, less stressed lives. So here are some simple tips to help nutrition into our diets.
Breakfast Tips: Avoid cereals that are high in sugar. If available, try adding high-density carbohydrates (they break down more slowly and last longer in the system) like bagels or less processed breads (rye, wheat, whole grain rye bread, etc.).
Proteins are also recommended in small amounts (eggs, nuts, etc).
Lunch is a bit more difficult – learn what is available and then choose wisely. If it’s a high-sugar, white-flour meal (eg, pizza, hamburger, etc.), you may want to choose something else, or at least add a fruit or vegetable to go with it. If you get used to eating the same thing, change it up to keep it exciting and nutritious. fruits can be a great snack (grapes, strawberries, bananas, etc.) and they have a good amount of natural sugars so we can get rid of any sugar cravings without ingesting too much processed white sugar.
Dinner – Everything in moderation. Foods that are good for you are often good for everyone involved, including your children or grandchildren. If they’re not good for you, they’re even worse for the kids. So pay attention to dinner. Also, dinner should be a smaller meal as many of us don’t exercise after the last meal of the day and often fall asleep after eating.
As always, fruits and vegetables are highly recommended for any time of the day, and should be constantly on hand for snacks and cravings.
If you want more information about the benefits of fruits and vegetables, you can call our office and we can provide you with the information you may need. Call the office and we can get you covered (336) 887-9460.
We also offer a nutritional support program that is available at no cost to children participating in a National Nutrition Research study. If you are interested, call us and we will give you more information.
Until next time,
