Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children

February 5, 2015

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children: Healthy Lifestyle begins with you

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children at that tender age will go along way in breaking the circle of overweight and obesity in generations to come.

We are at it again and so long as we are not adequately addressing the root cause the vicious circle will continue. It is our desire that by giving you this useful health information we will be making progress to breaking the vicious circle of gaining from one generation to another. The wise says teach a child the way they should go and when they grow up they will not depart from it. I totally agree with this because I vividly remember all those things I was taught while I was still a little child and for sure I am reaping the benefits of following them. In my childhood, my parents were very keen on our health and they made all the effort towards influencing positive eating behaviors in us their children. Because of that today we are healthy and impacting the same on our children their grandchildren. I am trying to address the vicious circle of weight gain that is passed on from one generation to another. You and I have a duty to make that little contribution in stopping this by teaching our children positive eating behaviors during childhood. When successfully done, this will set them growing up in total practice of healthy eating habits for life. Remember that increasing a positive relationship with food as well as a balanced approach to eating can lead to better health outcomes in the long run not just for you but for the many generations to come.

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children: Indicators to childhood obesity

It is very disturbing that these days the statistics of obese children is increasing everyday across the globe. Doctor Dalal Akoury is today a testimony of what influencing positive eating behaviors in our children can do. Why must we allow our children to be part of that statistics? What joy is there in your children being classified as overweight or obese? This doesn’t just happen but it is the direct result of a number of behaviors including the following:

Rigorous consumption of foods that are rich in added fat, sugar and salt, especially fried potatoes, sugar-sweetened soft drinks, ice cream, cordials, meat pies and margarine.
Dislike or low consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Consumption of junk foods being purchased away from the home (e.g. take away).
Evening meals being eaten in front of the television.
Too much of screen time (iPads, TV, computers).
A decrease in the amount of incidental activity such as walking to and from school.
A drop in outdoor playtime.

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children: What can parents do?

The biggest mistake parents often do is to underestimate their role in the development of healthy eating habits says doctor Akoury. Take this seriously that speaking confidently and positively to your children about healthy foods and role modeling balanced eating is the first step in helping kids develop a healthy relationship with food. It goes without saying that actions speak louder than words. Children watch, they listen and learn through what they see, and then follow what they have observed. What does that communicate to you? It is simple set your children up for life by being a positive role model and creates healthy habits from the start and it all begins with you. They need to see you as their parent practicing that privately and publicly. Doctor Akoury having been in the weight loss discipline for over two decades, is vastly experienced and will be of great help to all parents struggling with their obese children. If this article is addressing your child’s situation or of that of a loved one, then you need to schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today so that you can be part of changing the statistics for the better live of your children and the next generation.

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children: How do you achieve this?

Doctor Akoury says that you will be surprised to note that very little common things you often ignore are the very things that will make a difference. Take a look at the following ways of influencing positive eating behaviors in our children:

Enjoy all foods in moderation.
Don’t binge on ’occasional’ or ‘extra’ foods.
Prepare homemade meals and try to encourage your children to help you in the process. In other words involve your kids in the menu planning and shopping where possible.
Talk about healthy foods from the five food groups and what they do for your body. For instance, you could make this statement “this apple is so crunchy and delicious its flesh is helping to keep me stay regular and it’s filling me up with its nutritious sweetness.” Or “these carrot sticks contain a super nutrient called beta carotene that helps my eyes stay sharp and focused. Or “this delicious glass of milk contains calcium and it helps my bones and teeth stay strong.” You can imagine the impact that will have on your children.
Ensure your child’s diet is balanced and contains a variety of foods from all the five food groups.
Encourage your children to eat a nutritious breakfast every day using foods from the five food groups.
Encourage drinking of water instead of soft drink or other drinks containing added sugars. Toss in lemon or lime wedges to flavor water.
Avoid negative language around less healthy foods such as ‘bad’ or ‘fattening’. It’s not the type of food that’s bad, it’s the amount and how often the food is eaten that can be problematic. Instead, refer to these foods as “occasional” or “extra” foods and keep portion sizes small.
Place a limit on the number of “occasional” or ‘extra’ foods eaten each week. These foods shouldn’t be eaten daily. Make sure the whole family sticks to this rule and have other, more nutritious snacks available.
Fill your fridge and pantry with a variety of healthy foods that are easily accessible such as whole fruit, whole grain crackers with slices of reduced-fat cheese, reduced-fat yoghurt or pre-sliced veggie sticks with hummus or reduced fat cream cheese.
Discourage eating in front of the TV or computer as this is often done mindlessly without paying attention to hunger cues and can result in the consumption of unnecessary kilojoules (energy).
As often as possible, eat together at the dinner table and turn off the TV, even if the whole family isn’t present.
Be mindful and listen to hunger cues. Most children are great at eating to their hunger so let your child stop eating when they don’t want anymore. Kids will eat when they’re hungry regardless of the food on offer, so always have healthy options available.
Children start to form food likes and dislikes from an early age, so always offer variety. It may take many attempts for your child to like a new food, so don’t give up. Offer small amounts and try presenting it in a fun engaging way.
Avoid using food as a reward or bribe, or holding back on foods as punishment. Use activities or trips to the park as alternatives.

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children: Don’t forget about physical activity

Being physically active is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and must never he forgotten. The following are some of the elements you can choose to do for help:

Limit all screen time to two hours or less a day.
Make time for your kids to play outside or be active for at least an hour every day.
Be a role model and make physical activity a family event by going for a bush walk, playing family cricket, playing in the park or kicking a ball around.
Start increasing incidental exercise such as walking to school or the shops, taking the stairs (not the lift), sweeping the path or doing some gardening.

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children: Healthy Lifestyle begins with you

Overweight and Obesity Prevention for good health

January 23, 2015

Overweight and Obesity Prevention for good health – Healthy steps applicable

Overweight and Obesity Prevention for good health. Losing weight is very possible and very important

If there is anything that humanity can be proud of as the best and most valuable fixed asset is having a good health. Being healthy is everybody’s desire and people will do all it take to be healthy. One of the things that is causing many people sleepless night is being overweight and obesity. For sure this is serious as it comes with so many health complications that are very chronic and fatal. Therefore if you want to have this valuable asset in your life, then overweight and obesity prevention for good health should be a priority to you and your entire family. Achieving this may not be very easy and we are going to relay of the professional help of the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care. Doctor Dalal Akoury is a weight loss professional of several decades having made a decision to create this medical center whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. At this facility the practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. For you and I to be of good health, we must deviate from short cut practices of patching up symptoms and deal with the problem before it happens through employing effective preventive measures. This is what doctor Akoury does best and you can schedule for an appointment with her today for more professional care and treatment.

Overweight and Obesity Prevention for good health – Understanding Obesity and Overweight

Obesity is a multifaceted disorder concerning an accumulation of excessive amount of body fat. It is important to note that obesity is not just a cosmetic concern but it also increases your risk of diseases and health problems such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Therefore being extremely obese means that you are especially likely to have health problems related to your weight. This should not scare you because losing weight is realistically possible with the involvement of experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. This is so because up on visiting this facility, your condition will be professionally evaluated if you’re already overweight or obese and the corrective measures taken to help you have your active life back. However if you’re not then you will still be taken through weight loss prevention education that will help you keep off all the weight related complications.

Doctor Akoury says that if you’re already suffering from this problem, there is still hope for you because even with a modest weight loss you can improve or prevent the health problems associated with obesity. We are going to discuss this further but in the meantime practices like dietary changes, increased physical activity and behavior changes can help you lose weight. Prescription medications or weight-loss surgery also may be options for treating obesity though we advocate for losing weight the natural way. We will take you through a natural weight loss program which will leave your much lighter, healthier and confidence if only you can schedule an appointment with us today

Overweight and Obesity Prevention for good health – Weight loss preventive measures

Irrespective of whether you are at risk of becoming obese, currently overweight or at a healthy weight, you can take steps to prevent unhealthy weight gain and related health problems. Amazingly, the steps to overweight and obesity prevention for good health are the same as the steps to lose weight and they may include: daily exercise, a healthy diet, and a long-term commitment to watch what you eat and drink. Let us now consider them in details briefly:

Exercise regularly – like I had indicated before that even with a moderate-intensive activity on a weekly basis will be very helpful not just in controlling the weight gain but also in preventing it from occurring. For a start you can do between 150 and 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week to prevent weight gain. Just to help you in selecting the activity you can do, swimming and taking a walk on the park are some of the moderate intense physical activities you can do.
Eat healthy meals and snacks – Focus on low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Avoid saturated fat and limit sweets and alcohol. Remember that you can still enjoy small amounts of high-fat, high-calorie foods as an infrequent treat. All you need to do is to be sure to choose foods that promote a healthy weight and good health most of the time.
Understand and avoid the food snares that cause you to eat – Identify situations that may trigger out heavy and big appetite necessitating influence into overeating. You can achieve this by keeping a journal where you write down what you eat, how much you eat, when you eat, how you are feeling and how hungry you are. With time when you study the behaviors you will be able to see certain patterns emerging. With the emerging trends, you can plan ahead and develop strategies for handling these types of situations and stay in control of your eating behaviors.
Monitor your weight regularly – People who weigh themselves at least once a week are more successful in keeping off excess pounds. Monitoring your weight can tell you whether your efforts are working and can help you detect small weight gains before they become big problems.
Be consistent – Sticking to your healthy-weight plans during the week, on the weekends, and amidst vacation and holidays as much as possible increases your chances of long-term success.

Finally it is always said that prevention is better than cure, probably this may have not made any sense to you. But let me jog up your mind a bit, heart attack kills and being overweight and obese are directly associated with this dangerous health condition. If this means anything to you then we must pull up and prevent obesity and overweight by all means. The most valuable asset in human life is under threat and this must be reverted. The solution is available at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center the home of solution. All you need to do is to schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today and you will get all the professional help you need to defeat this problem permanently.

Overweight and Obesity Prevention for good health – Healthy steps applicable

Fighting food addiction to lose weight during Holiday

December 11, 2014

Fighting food addiction to lose weight during Holiday – What separates between normal and binge eating

Fighting food addiction to lose weight during Holiday should be the priority of every person planning for a holiday. Wrong foods are the reason for holiday weight gain.

Food is a basic need which we cannot do without. No one can and so we need to put food on the table for our families and make them grow strong and healthy. Therefore if we need food that much, then why does it become addictive? And how is it contributing to weight gain and obesity? How can we correct all these if indeed food has some role? This article is going to be exploring how fighting food addiction can be helpful in reducing weight gain during the holiday. It is believed that in one way or another, we are all addicted to food to some length try to picture how it feels when there is no food. You will become hungry physically and emotionally uncomfortable. If you don’t get something to eat cravings sets in, the longer the craving the more likely that you will see eating as the most important thing to do. Nonetheless food is necessary for survival, and unlike other addictive behaviors, it is normal to eat continually every day, and still look forward to eating for pleasure. However several characteristics separate normal or occasional binge eating from food addiction as is explained by the experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care.

Food addiction is maladaptive, so although people overeat to feel better, it often ends up making them feel worse, and gives those more to feel back about. Food addiction can threaten health, causing obesity, malnutrition, and other problems.
The overeating that people with food addiction do is persistent, so a person addicted to food eats too much food and most of the time it’s the wrong kinds of food taken repeatedly. Everybody overeat from time to time, but people with food addiction often overeat daily, and they eat not because they are hungry, but as their main way of coping with stress.

Fighting food addiction to lose weight during Holiday – The Controversy of Food Addiction

As behavioral addictions, the concept of food addiction is a controversial one. Experts differs in opinions differs between those who think that overeating can be a type of addiction, and those who think that true addictions are limited to psychoactive substances which produces symptoms such as physical and withdrawal. Although this has been demonstrated in research with sugar and fat which are the most common overweight and obesity causing food constituents, other studies show that food produces opiates in the body and many think that this does not necessarily constitute to an addiction.

However, the growing epidemic of obesity over the past years has raised public health concern. This has necessitated the authorities globally to channel more resources towards fighting the vice. In a bid to supplement what the authorities are doing, doctor Dalal Akoury realizing the need established AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center primarily to make a difference in people’s lives. To effectively do this, fighting food addiction became a key factor in managing weight loss before, during and even after the holidays. Therefore if you are planning for a time out during the holiday and you’re wondering how well you will manage your weight under those tempting circumstances, scheduling for an appointment with doctor Akoury would be the starting point.

Dr. Akoury is one of the rear medical professional who made a decision to create a medical center whose main objective is to transform every individual’s life through natural treatment and increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Her practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. This makes her the best choice for your concern on how fighting food addiction would help in losing weight during the holiday.

Fighting food addiction to lose weight during Holiday – Food Addiction like Other Addictions

There are several similarities between food addiction and drug addiction, including effects on mood, external cues to eat or use drugs, expectancies, restraint, ambivalence, and attribution.

Neurotransmitters and the brain’s reward system have been implicated in food and other addictions. In animal studies, for example, dopamine has been found to play an important role in overall reward systems, and binging on sugar has been shown to influence dopamine activity.

Food, drugs and other addictive substances and behaviors are all associated with pleasure, hedonism, and social, cultural or sub-cultural desirability. When advertising or the people around us tell us that a food, drug or activity will feel good, it sets up a self-fulfilling prophecy. We are more likely to seek it out, and we are more likely to experience pleasure when we indulge. It is because of these characteristic that it becomes very important for marry makers to consider consulting the professionals on the best ways to implore when out there for holidays. Because most of the food served in these functions are never healthy and can be addictive as well, fighting food addiction to lose weight during holiday becomes very necessary.

Fighting food addiction to lose weight during Holiday – What to feed on

During the holidays, it’s okay to allow for some jiggle room in your diet. After all, what’s the fun in calorie counting on a day dedicated to feasting? We often decline to accept that your holiday dinner can’t be both tasty and healthy the following are simple food swaps to cut out excess fat, sugar, salt and calories from common holiday foods

Fighting food addiction to lose weight during Holiday – Turkey Stuffing

Stuffing is one of the most filling and fattening of holiday dishes. A side from being mainly carbs, because stuffing is traditionally cooked inside the turkey cavity, it absorbs the turkey juice, and therefore all the grease (oil and fat), making this an extremely caloric food. With a few minor adjustments, however, stuffing can be transformed into a lighter holiday side. Try making your stuffing from a mixture of bread and fresh veggies to reduce the carb content. Also, bake your stuffing in a separate Pyrex container rather than bathing it in turkey fat–this will dial down on excess fat.

Fighting food addiction to lose weight during Holiday – Dark Meat Turkey

Turkey is a dynamite protein source, but be sure to steer clear of calorie-dense dark meat in your holiday menu. Remember that just four ounces of dark meat turkey with skin contains 250 calories and 13 grams of fat, compared to only 150 calories and 1 gram of fat in white meat breast. For a leaner protein consider white meat turkey without skin it will fill you up without increasing.

Fighting food addiction to lose weight during Holiday – Mashed Potatoes

Although a holiday favorite, most mashed potato dishes are heavily laden with butter, cream, and other calorically dense and nutritionally lacking ingredients. In fact, a small portion of only a half-cup of mashed potatoes can contain a massive 180 calories and just about 14 grams of fat. To whip up a healthier batch of mashed potatoes replace;

Whole milk with skim
Butter for low fat sour cream and
Swap half the potatoes for steamed cauliflower

By doing this, you can bring the calorie count down to under 100 calories and the fat content down to less than two grams. Remember to always consult with doctor Dalal Akoury for any concern about weight loss and any form of addiction including food addiction.

Fighting food addiction to lose weight during Holiday – What separates between normal and binge eating

Healthy Holiday Food and Diet to check on Weight gain

December 10, 2014

Healthy Holiday Food and Diet to check on Weight gain – It can be done with proper planning

Healthy Holiday Food and Diet to check on Weight gain. What you do while marry making during holidays will impact either positively or negatively on your weight.

It is that time of the year when everyone is looking towards celebrating the Christmas and year end. It is a time when you receive so many parties’ invitations and often get confused on which one to honor and which to decline. Even as you juggle with the decision, one very important point is that there will be plenty of unhealthy foods. It is therefore a time when if not managed well then all the gains made may be lost due to too much calories intake from the various food stuff. It then goes without mentioned in our preparation towards holiday parties and dinners, many people are very concern and are even afraid of enjoying their holiday for fear of gaining more weight. It is because of this fear that doctor Dalal Akoury founded AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center. At this facility focus is on ensuring healthy holiday food and diet to put into check gaining more weight.

Available statistics indicate that majority of Americans on average consume up to 4,500 calories from the various parties during the holidays. Can you imagine that that amount of calories does not include other meals like breakfast, lunch and night snacking. These statistics also indicate that the weight gain in an average American is 1 to 2 pounds just in the holiday season alone. With this accumulation year in year out the extra pounds becomes permanent and may result in overweight or obesity in the future.

Healthy Holiday Food and Diet to check on Weight gain – Holiday’s dilemmas

It is true that not everybody gains weight during the holidays; however there is no doubt that we tend to have a big appetite for food and drink even more at the expense of less exercise. Realistically no one wants to be on a strict diet during the holidays. We want to enjoy the bounty of traditional favorite foods and that is why doctor Akoury is championing for healthy holiday food and diet to check on weight gain. Let’s us consider answering this question. How then can you enjoy the holidays without gaining weight? When you visit AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, you will be taken through natural weight loss procedure by the experts and you will realize that with a little planning it is achievable.

If for instance you’ve been trying to lose weight just before the holidays like in November, it would be best is you re-arrange that program and shift your focus from weight loss to weight maintenance.
The holiday season is tough enough to just maintain your weight let alone try to lose weight. So do yourself a favor. Allow yourself a few treats and set your goal on weight maintenance so you can enjoy the holiday foods and wait until the New Year to get back on your weight loss plan.
If you are the one hosting the dinners and parties, trim calories wherever you can without compromising tradition or flavor. You’ll help everyone enjoy the bountiful food without packing on the pounds. Remember why healthy holiday food and diet to check on your weight is important. It is because it is much harder to lose weight than gaining it in the first place.

The following are some of the tips you can use to lighten up your holiday meals.

Healthy Holiday Food and Diet to check on Weight gain – Shop well for Healthy Holiday food

Plan your menu to include plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean meats, seafood, whole grains, and low-fat dairy. Consult with your nutritionist to choose foods rich in nutrients but lower in fat, calories, and sugar. To shave calories, go easy when adding nuts, cheese, cream sauces, gravy, butter, and whipped cream.

Healthy Holiday Food and Diet to check on Weight gain – Start the Party Light

Most appetizers tend to be loaded with calories. And it is so easy to over eat them before the meal. Make it easier on your guests by offering light and satisfying appetizers. For tempting yet healthy appetizers, offer shrimp cocktails, whole-grain crackers with reduced-fat cheese, vegetables with a low-fat yogurt dip, or fresh fruit skewers.

Healthy Holiday Food and Diet to check on Weight gain – Harness the Diet Power of Produce

Add more simple vegetable and fruit dishes to your menu instead of heavy dishes with sauces. Your guests will fill up on healthy fiber without lots of extra calories. For example, green bean almandine with a squeeze of lemon is healthier than traditional green bean casserole. Simple peas or corn are healthier than creamed peas or corn

Healthy Holiday Food and Diet to check on Weight gain – Go Frozen in winter

Fresh is usually the best when fruits and vegetables are in season. But when prices are high in winter, head to the frozen food aisle. Frozen fruits and vegetables are usually less expensive and can be more nutritious because they are picked at their peak ripeness and frozen immediately. Buy frozen produce in bags, use only what you need, and save more by not wasting spoiled produce.

Healthy Holiday Food and Diet to check on Weight gain – Respect Special Requests

As you plan your holiday menu, ask if guests have any food preferences or intolerances. For example, a dear friend may be lactose intolerant. A favorite cousin may have cut red meat from his diet. Remember that you can’t please everyone. But you can include a wide variety of healthy foods. Then, your guests can pick and choose, filling their plate with a satisfying meal no matter their food issue.

Shave Calories with Simple Swaps

Create healthier versions of your holiday favorites by shaving calories wherever you can. Simple swaps of lower-fat ingredients are easy ways to save calories and no one will even notice the difference.

Serve Healthier Desserts

For dessert, try chocolate-dipped strawberries for a colorful and delicious finale.

If you want to offer pie, choose the healthier pumpkin pie. Make it with non-fat evaporated milk. Top it with fat-free whipped topping.

Healthy Holiday Food and Diet to check on Weight gain – Spritz Your Drinks

Eggnog and other holiday beverages can add a huge number of calories. Offer your guests plenty of low-calorie beverages such as diet soda, sparkling water, or a low-calorie punch.

Finally you must not forget that the holidays are marked with many traditions, yet the real meaning is about spending time with family and friends. Therefore for a successful holiday you must never forget the principal of healthy holiday food and diet to check on weight gain. When you are not able to cope consult with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care and you will get all you need to get back on track.

Healthy Holiday Food and Diet to check on Weight gain – It can be done with proper planning

Tag Archives: Food and Diet