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Adults can best teach kids how to manage their diets for life, by setting a good example. This includes the types/quality of food you select, the times you eat, and quantity consumed - all should be taken into consideration. The younger children are when you begin teaching them how to manage their diets for life, the better. Here are some tips that will help you teach your kids some of the best ways to manage their diet: • Eat SLOWLY and Chew THOROUGHLY. Encouraging children to do this from a young age will help them create habits that will serve them well their entire life. Eating slowly helps one's digestive system work most efficiently, requiring the least amount of strenuous activity. In other words, when food is thoroughly broken down prior to arriving in the digestive tract, that means less acid and other necessary enzymes will be required to help the food be properly converted into energy by the body. In turn, fewer fat cells will be created and stored, as they follow a healthy diets for life program, because the body is making optimum use of the nutrients contained in the food, dispensing it, then eliminating waste most effectively. Also, scientific evidence has proven it takes a minimum of 15 minutes for the stomach to send the message to the brain, "I'm Full." So scarfing down fast food; or just wolfing ANY food regularly tends to promote over-eating, and eventual weight problems. • Get them INVOLVED in understanding the basic digestive process. Kids do well with lessons which involve easy visualization comparisons. Going the scientific route by looking at pictures of the actual digestive tract with them is a great start. When it comes to emphasizing that important slow eating and thorough chewing habit, as part of their diets for life, encourage them to think of how much easier it will be for their stomach to digest and circulate food's nutrients when the "chunks" of food it receives are tiny rather than "gi-normous" - kinda like a basketball compared to a golf ball. Just use some comparisons your children will find clever that will be good reminders to eat healthily, No doubt they'll be more than happy to come up with some very creative images themselves! • "Monkey See, Monkey Do...." Only keep healthy foods in the house on a regular basis. Lots of good fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and if your family eats meat, leaner, healthier meat. Having very little processed sugar around won't get them addicted to that sweet but inevitably toxic stuff. When only good choices in the frig and pantry, kids adapt to healthy eating. • Teach Label Reading! This will empower your children to take a proactive stance in their food choices Explain that the first ingredient on a label is its main substance. Also, unpronounceable chemicals and preservatives are things your digestive system doesn't know how to break down or have use for; so natural is BETTER. This is true, no matter what your age! All the best as you teach your children how to cultivate and manage healthy diets for life - to your family's good health! Author: Anthony Purcell Anthony Purcell is a freelance writer and also the author of How to Choose the Best Diet for Your Needs View Count: 121
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