Well, school’s back after a long summer break in Oz. And here are some healthy tips to start the new school year!

Tip 1: Healthy Lunchbox from the start
We all know how difficult it is for kids to eat fruit & vegetables, but think about this for a moment. We give kids their breakfast before school in which they may eat cereal, toast and some fruit, then they are at school all day, they get afternoon snack and dinner with us. So, what are the kids eating all day long whilst they are at school? And is the food they’re eating nutritious enough to ensure they are getting their daily intake of fruit and veges?  
So it is really important for the lunchbox to be filled with foods which are enjoyable for the kids to eat as well as nutritious with fruits and vegetables otherwise come dinner time there is a lot of catching up to do with ensuring they get their daily intake of nutritious foods. Lunchbox ideas can include: cut up pieces of fruit, popcorn, cucumber/celery/carrot sticks with cheese dip, rice crackers, vita brits with vegemite and cheese, sandwiches or wraps with fillings such as chicken, tuna, ham and salad. Set a goal with the kids to start the new year with a healthy lunchbox and continue the way throughout the term.

 Tip 2: Water Bottle is a must
 Especially in Australia at the moment it is really hot in the first term of school with summer. So ensure your kids have their own water bottle in which they can refill daily. For the younger kids ask them to choose a water bottle with their favourite characters on it, so they will like the look of it. Ensure to fill the water bottle daily with water so the kids keep hydrated throughout the day at school. If you struggle to get your kids to drink water then put a splash of lemon or apple juice in the water for flavour.  

Tip 3: Set Active Goals 
Set some active goals with the kids. Find out what the kids want to do this term and set some goals with them. They may like to join the school or local sporting team or go swimming more at the pool or beach. Ask the kids to write the goals down, for younger kids they can draw pictures on the paper that relate to their goals. Then place the paper on the fridge or on the wall in their bedroom where they can see it and remember their goal. 

 Tip 4: Role Models 
Be a great role model for your kids and get active with them. Find time in the afternoon or on weekends to go swimming with the kids or to the park. Kids especially younger kids love it when mum or dad can join in and play games with them. For the older kids find out who their active role models are, if it is a soccer player or AFL player and encourage them to get active as per their role model. 

Enjoy the start of Term 1 back to school. If you have any tips you want to share with other parents about what you do to motivate your kids to get active or healthy in the new school year then post them below. 

Have a great day! 
Joey

 

 I came across this picture and thought to myself, humm… now that’s a tiny portion size! But it got me thinking about portion distortion and how the option of super-sizing meal servings today are making a difference! Over the past few decades we are now eating anywhere from two to five times more per serving than in the past. If we just changed the portion sizes of the food we eat at meals, it can make a dramatic difference.

If you feel as though you may have overindulged in the holiday season and your clothes feel like they have shrunk!? Yet you don’t want to reduce the afternoon munches or occassional glass of wine… then why not try smaller serving sizes with all your meals. A better way to look at a serving size is to use your hand.

- A serving of protein (chicken, seafood, and meat) should be approximately the size of the palm of your hand, length and thickness. 

- Green vegetables or a mixed salad could be the size of two fists – Are you eating enough of these? 

- Carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice or pasta should be served no bigger than the size of your tightly griped fist.

If your new years resolution was to start an exercise program and you have already made the excuse to yourself  “I’ll start in February” try one of the 4 tips below:

1. Grab a friend and get moving, whether it be a work mate at lunch, or an afternoon walk with friends! 

2. Hire a Personal Trainer to give you a kick start!

3. Ask your boss to get Corporate Fitness trainers to design a team building, health, fitness and wellness program for your whole company.

4. Report to a friend or your partner how many times you plan to exercise in the week and get them to check up on you.

For more information on how to lose weight or looking for a personal trainer check out this website: http://www.corporatewellness.com.au  

Around the time of New Years Eve most of us will talk about a new year resolution wheather it be to get fit, spend more time with the family, stop smoking or join the gym, just to mention a few but my question is how many of us actually wrote your resolution down on paper?

Humm… now you may be thinking well, no I didn’t write it down but I know what I want to achieve. The first step to making your new year resolution a reality is to know what you want but to get closer to it becoming reality, it is vital to write down what you want for 2009 on paper and display it in a place where you can read it daily.

Reading your goals or what you want on a daily basis helps you to focus and be reminded of your goals for success.

 Ok, so what are you waiting for, go grab a pen or open a word document on your computer and do it now (if you haven’t written it already!)

Here are 5 points to help get you started with writing your new year resolution!

1. Write down what you want: eg. lose 5 kg before my sister wedding

2. Set a date!!! When do I want to achieve my goal? By 20th April 2009

3. How am I going to achieve it: Eat a healthy well balanced diet and exercise regularly

4. Who is my support unit? My best friend, she will help motivate me and we can exercise together

5. Display it & read it daily! Display your resolution in a place where you can read it on a daily basis, like the mirror in your bathroom or on the fridge door

Don’t think that because we are already a couple of weeks into 2009 and you have not really focused on your New Year Resolution that it is too late. It is never too late to make a change, to achieve what you desire!

Have a wonderful day!

Richard & Joey Marc

Ingredients: 

8 Strawberries

6 Raspberries

4 Blackberries

2 tablespoons berry sorbet

1/2 cup crushed ice

1/2 cup water

Mix it together:

Wash all fruit ingredients and cut strawberries in half.

Place all the berry fruits, sorbet, ice and water in the blender

Mix all ingredients till smooth then pour into a cup and enjoy!

*Option: add 1 cup of skim/soy milk to turn into a smoothie

ü      Stop making excuses  Don’t prolong or make excuses to avoid starting a health program or exercise.

 ü     
Find an exercise buddy at work. Team up with a work colleague, your partner or a friend, that you can train with. This is great for motivational to get the both of you attending the exercise sessions, drinking the water and doing the incidental exercise that makes the difference.

ü      Write down your goals. Don’t just wish to achieve something. Write it down on paper. Studies have shown if you review your goals daily you will have a much higher chance to achieve them. Once you have set a goal, set a time limit to achieve it.

Honestly and truely do we really need a burger that contains 70grams of FAT? Of course NOT…

It is disgusting that in society today we are more aware then ever about the problem of obesity but fast food chains continue to place food products out there that are only contributing to the problem further!

A brand new Quad Burger from Hungry Jacks, which comes with four beef patties, four slices of cheese, two rashers of bacon, barbecue sauce, and two buns and has no lettuce or vegetables has gone on sale in Australia this week.

The burger has more than 70g of fat and over 4520Kj (1000 calories) – half the daily recommended calorie intake for a woman and nearly one-third for a man.

Not only is it going to effect the calorie intake and health for adults, imagine what this burger will do for the body systems of kids who eat it?

And lets be realistic not only is the Fat content a concern in the burger, we also need to think about how long it is going to take for the body to digest the 4 beef patties & 2 rashers of bacon it has in one meal sitting - from one burger!It is definately not a friendly meal for the digestive system that’s for sure!

Given the extent of the worldwide obesity problem I just can not believe that fast food chains are aloud to continue come out with new and improved burgers that contain endless amounts of empty calories which do absolutely nothing for any persons health and wellbeing.

What do you think? Share your opinions with us below.

Last month I set a goal of increasing my fitness levels and thought a great motivation tool would be to enter in a fun run! So with this in mind I hoped online to search for a fun run to enter into and came across the Sydney Running Festival which is held on September 21.

With only 4 weeks till the event I am running the beachsides of Coogee, Bronte and Bondi beach to get myself fit for the run. Plus, something else I am running for a charity, the McGrath Foundation, which was co-founded by Jane McGrath and her cricketing husband Glenn after Jane’s diagnosis and initial recovery from breast cancer.  So this is a great motivation tool, as I have the support of family and friends who have sponsored me for the run and to also be involved with raising some money for a great foundation as well!

 If you are interested in taking up the challenge of entering the Sydney Running Festival there are 4 different events:
 
The Sunday Telegraph Family Fun Run (4km)
The Sunday Telegraph Body + Soul Bridge Run (9km)
Blackmores Half Marathon (21.0975km)
Blackmores Sydney Marathon (42.195km)

For more information about the Sydney Running Festival or raise money for a charity click here to visit the website.

Happy Running! 

 
Joey Marc