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Childhood Obesity: 2nd in a Series

05/22/2019 by Julie RN DCES 1 Comment

Part 2: Develop healthy lifestyles in children

Parents know in their heart when their child has a weight problem. They rationalize it by saying ‘it’s our family genetics’ or ‘they are perfect for playing football’. The truth is: if parents wait until their child is diagnosed, it is too late to reverse many chronic health conditions.

Healthy lifestyles start in infancy. We teach children to wash their hands, brush their teeth, take a bath and so many other important skills. Parents need to teach good lifestyle skills through puberty.

Have you ever had a two-year-old who was so excited (or hurt) that they could not speak clearly? Did you tell them to calm down but not tell them how? By telling them to take a deep breath, you are teaching them at a young age an effective coping skill. Taking several deep breaths can help reduce anxiety at any age.

Coping skills are not taught in school. When children are diagnosed with anxiety, they are often given medications. They can easily become dependent on these medications for the rest of their life. Parents need to teach a variety of coping skills to their children.

Do you teach your child how to slow down before going to sleep? Do you remove the video games, phones and other blue lights from their bedroom? Getting a good night’s sleep is important for good health.

Parents have many responsibilities

Parents have the responsibility to teach their children many good lifestyle skills. What are you teaching your children? What are you teaching by the examples in your life?

Parents can influence the future of their children in many ways. Through encouraging good study habits and rewarding good grades, we teach children the value of education. Encouraging our children to participate in sports, we teach children good sportsmanship and leadership skills. By doing things together we teach the value of family relationships. Parents provide environmental factors for successful young adults.

But did you know that the success of young adults is often influenced by their overall health? Eighty percent of overweight children continue to gain weight and are classified as obese in adulthood. Employers know obesity affects the overall health of the individual. Employers want to protect their bottom line limiting the number of employees with health problems. This will limit the opportunities that are available to them.

Take care of small problems before they become big problems

As adults, you know it is easier to lose 10 pounds than to lose 100 pounds. Weight problems slowly build up through poor choices. You are not suddenly 100 pounds overweight. Most people gain a little weight every year. That weight gain is normal in children. We want to believe kids will grow into their weight as they gain height. But it becomes really difficult for parents to know what is normal. That is why it is important to use the CDC’s growth charts.  https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/index.htm

Your children will understand better when they see the changes in the graphs. Talk to them about changes you can make together. Their future may depend on it.

For more information about small changes you can make and how to impact your children’s future, see blog post Part 3, which will talk about creating your family’s environment.

 

Remember to check out my 30-day course for the whole family. And please join my email list on the form below so you’ll be notified of new posts and get all of my freebies!

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Filed Under: Children, Health Tagged With: childhood obesity, lifestyle changes

Children need activity every day!

11/21/2018 by Julie RN DCES 6 Comments

Children need to be active for 30 minutes every day! This differs from the 150 minutes per week recommendation for adults. Read more for tips!

Children need activity every day!

Being active for children means being active every day. Adult exercise goals are 150 minutes each week. But children need activity every day for at least 30 minutes.

Cut down on screen time!

Kids need to cut down on computer time and video games.  They need encouragement to disconnect. Put a timer on them and make a record of how much time they are spending. Be the parent, stand firm. Use screen time as a reward.

Every day children need to go for a walk, or play at their playground.

3-5 times a week they need a cardio workout that will develop a healthy heart and lungs. There are many different kinds of aerobic exercise. It is important to increase their heart rate into a cardiac range. That range should be determined by your doctor.

Aerobic exercise examples:
  • step exercises
  • cross country running
  • rowing
  • stair climbing
  • wind surfing
  • racquetball
  • tennis
  • squash, you get the idea.

There are many different kinds of aerobic exercise. It is important to increase their heart rate into a cardiac range. That range should be determined by your doctor. One of the easiest way to encourage this type of activity is to get them into an organized sport. Even golf can get them motivated.

In addition, children need muscle strengthening and stretching exercises at least 3 time a week.

Muscle strengthening exercise examples:
  • weights
  • resistance bands
  • calisthenics like push-ups, jumping jacks, or lunges.

It is easy to stretch before you do the muscle strengthening routine and afterwards as a
cool down.

Start slow with 30 minutes each day. Set a goal of 60 minutes per day. Keep a record of all your exercise.

Record your progress on a calendar and celebrate your success!

Remember, a little progress everyday will become a healthier lifestyle over time.

Find an activity that they enjoy doing!

Schedule a time and commit to doing it.

Make your family’s health a priority!

This really is a lifestyle change.  It is so important to help control your weight and exercise is a great way to improve your health. Get started, you’ll feel better.

PRECAUTION NOTE: Before beginning any exercise program consult your physician.

Complications from elevated blood sugars include hypertension, cholesterol problems, eye problems, heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, foot problems, kidney disease or gastroparesis. Adults may be requested to complete a graded exercise evaluation before starting any exercise program due to these complications.

Do you need encouragement to increase your daily activities?  That’s what a life coach does! Email me if you have questions, Julie@kidsatriskfordiabetes.com. Also check out my 30 day virtual course for your whole family! Or schedule a call with me to discuss your specific needs.

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Filed Under: Children, Health Tagged With: activity, Children, lifestyle

Syndrome X

11/10/2018 by Julie RN DCES Leave a Comment

Syndrome X, or the metabolic syndrome, is a a group of health conditions that puts an individual at risk for chronic health problems like heart disease, strokes, and diabetes, plus high blood pressure and obesity.
Syndrome X, aka Metabolic Syndrome or Obesity Syndrome

Syndrome X is a diagnosis you might here if you are at risk for a chronic disease, which is also known as Metabolic Syndrome. This is a group of health conditions that puts an individual at risk for chronic health problems like heart disease, strokes, and diabetes, plus high blood pressure and obesity.

Metabolic syndrome includes: (you must have at least 3 risk factors for this diagnosis)

  • A large waistline or apple shape body
  • High total cholesterol (LDL, HDL  & VLDL)
  • Low HDL cholesterol (HDL improves your blood vessels)
  • High triglycerides (caused by daily overeating)
  • High blood pressure or taking medication for high blood pressure
  • Fasting blood glucose over 126 (early signs include blood glucose 100-125)
  • Other risk factors are your genetics and your age.

Insulin resistance increase your risk for an apple shaped body. Not everyone who gains weight develops an apple shape. However, insulin resistances causes fat to be deposited within your abdominal cavity.

Another common problem in metabolic syndrome is unacceptable levels of triglycerides. Many times triglycerides go up when people eat more calories during the day than they are burning. If you have above range triglycerides or are taking medications to control your triglycerides, then you are at risk for chronic disease.

If your LDL (low-density cholesterol) levels are high, that is another risk factor for a Syndrome X diagnosis. Cholesterol is often a reflection of the food you eat. Typically this is a high fat diet. It amazes me how many adolescents today are on cholesterol lowering medications. If you don’t know your cholesterol numbers, then you need to consult your medical provider and seek a blood test. Total blood cholesterol should be less than 200. If you are taking a medication to lower your cholesterol, then technically you have this medical diagnosis.

Metabolic syndrome includes blood pressure higher than preferred. I will say, trying to get accurate blood pressure reading on teens is difficult at best. First, acceptable pediatric blood pressures are difficult to pin down. You need to be educated in pediatric medicine to know what is acceptable. (Don’t go to the drug store with your children and get a reading; adult blood pressures are different from children’s numbers. Even adult sized machines can give wrong information for children.) Teens blood pressure can swing with changing thoughts (ask them about their personal problems and it will jump quickly).

My point: if a teen is taking medication for blood pressure, then they have been diagnosed with a health problem. At that time, the blood pressure may be within normal ranges, but they still have the diagnoses. This places them at higher risk for chronic disease like heart disease and kidney disease.

Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors include:
  • insulin resistance
  • stress
  • diet (sugar-sweetened drinks)
  • genetics & age
  • low physical activity
  • disrupted sleep patterns
  • mood disorders
  • excess alcohol
  • smoking (tobacco and other substances)
  • chronic inflammation
  • other chemical imbalances in the blood.
Metabolic Syndrome Associated Health Conditions include:
  • Polycystic ovary disease
  • Erectile dysfunction
  • Hyperuricemia (uric acid in the blood)
  • Acanthosis nigricans
  • Fatty liver & Non-alcoholic fatty live disease

(More later on teens with fatty liver disease. I have been absolutely amazed at the number of preteens that I have seen diagnosed with fatty liver disease!)

 

Source:  National Heart Lung & Blood Institute  www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/ms

https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Metabolic-syndrome

 

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Filed Under: Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: Metabolic syndrome

Focus Forward!

07/11/2017 by Julie RN DCES Leave a Comment

Are you focusing forward, on your health, or living by default? It is so important to look ahead to your future! Read more here!

Focus Forward on your future versus living by default.

The world can be a very scary place. I have a fear of heights. If I were walking on that bridge I would be frozen if I started looking around. Focus forward and be determined to put one foot in front of the other.  Your health is like that too.

Most of us live by default, taking care of the business at hand, instead of planning for your future. But when it comes to your health, prevention is the best medicine.

We all do preventative health, like taking vitamins or brushing your teeth or vaccinating our kids. We know the value of prevention. But it is easier to live by default. For example, not making a plan to include exercise in your daily routine is so much easier than failing to do your exercises.

None of us want to face failure! When you make plans you run the risk of failing to complete it. So we just don’t plan for our future. I call this living by default.

We get busy! Or we fill our days with things to do. But what if you set a priority on your future health? How would that change what you do every day?

Sometimes we need a motivation and sometimes our body gives us a hint like high blood pressure. Your doctor puts you on a prescription for blood pressure and you start to think about what you are doing that contributes to it. Doctor says cut down on fatty foods and avoid salt and of course lose weight.  We might watch our diet, we might try to avoid adding salt. What if your doctor said, “High blood pressure is the first sign of heart failure.” Would you take it more seriously? Would you start to look at your genetics to identify who died of heart disease? What did they do wrong?

Many chronic conditions are a result of things we do in our everyday lives that contribute to our future health over years. For example: take weight gain.  Most of us gain a little more weight each year of our lives. When you live by default, you have the attitude of ‘I’ll get around to it later.’ When you focus on your future health, you don’t let it build up. You see what is happening and take action.

Sometimes you are motivated by your own body. Personally, I have arthritis in my knees and when I gain weight, my knees hurt and I start doing less due to chronic pain. I don’t want to live that way.  I make a conscious choice to change it. But many people need a support buddy.

A support buddy is key to avoid living by default. You can do this through a social media group or individual counseling. My point, “Focus Forward!” on your future for your family. Your family needs you at your best!

Genetics is not everything. You can overcome your genetics through healthy living. Make the decision to make your life a high priority.

Remember – Knowledge is Power

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Filed Under: Children, Health, Stress Tagged With: Children, emotional support, suport buddy

Munchies with Marijuana

03/22/2017 by Julie RN DCES Leave a Comment

Did you know that marijuana can affect your blood sugars? Read more about it here!

Munchies with Marijuana

Many states are passing laws to legalize marijuana for medical uses. Sometimes diabetics use this to treat diabetes related complications like pain from neuropathy. But beware – we all know marijuana increases your cravings (gives the munchies) and it usually is toward sweets…. This is because marijuana can temporarily lower your blood sugar.

Marijuana Effects Blood Sugar

Please check your blood sugar before you start eating. After all, pain can make your blood sugars too high. You don’t know if you have low or high blood sugar. Be careful of the snacks you consume. You will probably be craving sweets or salty snacks like popcorn or potato chips. Limited portions is important. Remember it takes 20 minutes for your stomach to communicate with your brain concerning feeling full. You should not be continuously eating for 20 minutes. If you are on insulin, you will need to take additional insulin to cover your snacks. This will enable your body to use the carbohydrates. If you don’t take extra insulin, you may continue to crave sweets.

If you want to contact me with more questions, email me at Julie@kidsatriskfordiabetes.com.

 

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Filed Under: Children, Health, Prediabetes, Stress

Children’s brains need 130 gms carbs daily

02/25/2017 by Julie RN DCES Leave a Comment

Children's brains need 130 grams of carbohydrates daily for proper development. Read more and learn what you can do!

Children need carbohydrates for proper brain development. We should not be placing our kids on a low carbohydrate diet for weight control. Children need a balanced diet for growth and proper brain development.

What Information Is Out There

Much information on the internet today states that if you have high blood sugars, you should switch to a low carbohydrate diet. There is a ton of information about low carb diets. You could get the impression that this is a good way to control blood sugars. But in children, low carbohydrate diets can be harmful to their brain development.

Blood Sugar Is So Confusing!

I once had a lady come for consulting, complaining of unknown sources of blood sugar. She stated she had checked her blood sugar before eating her dinner. Then she ate a steak dinner with NO carbs. (She was very careful, no dinner roll, no potato, etc.) Then after dinner she checked her blood sugar again and it was much higher. She was so confused.

Have you ever gone to bed at night with one meter reading and woke up the next morning with higher blood sugars? I have had parents believing their child was eating during the night causing this rise in blood sugar. Poor kids were begging for my help!

The fact is, when you don’t eat what your body needs, your body will produce it. Your liver is a large reservoir for energy. When you don’t eat carbs and your body needs quick energy, your liver will release it. This causes your glucometer to read higher than expected.

Our Brains NEED Carbohydrates!

Your brain needs carbohydrates to function properly. The adult brain needs about 100 grams of carbohydrates every day for proper brain functioning. Children need 130 grams of carbohydrates every day just for proper brain growth and development. Imagine your children having a hard time concentrating in school because they are not getting the quick energy they need.

We know it is easy for kids to get a sugar buzz. But there are other sources of carbohydrates they need like fresh fruit, yogurt, cereal, granola, whole wheat bread, starchy vegetables like corn and peas, plus many more.

Low carbohydrate diets are not the answer to prevent diabetes. In fact, many people turn to high protein diets which are usually high in fat (aka loaded with calories). They gain weigh causing insulin resistance. It really is about total calories. Living a balanced life is key, particularly in children.

What You Can Do

Are you motivated to make major diet changes like this? Are ready to teach your children to lead a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet and increased activities? If you’re ready to make changes but don’t know where to begin, I have a 30 day virtual program that is perfect for the whole family! Click here for more info.

Always be careful when accepting information from the internet as truth. Unfortunately, not everything on the internet is correct!

Please check with your medical provider before making significant changes in your diet.

Making and maintaining lifestyle changes is very difficult.  If you need a coach, find someone who will work with you. I’m happy to chat with you if you have questions. Schedule a discovery call with me.

 

www.kidsatriskfordiabetes.com                                                  Julie@kidsatriskfordiabetes.com

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Filed Under: Children, Diabetes, Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: blood sugar, brain development, carbohydrates, children nutrition, low carb, weight control

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