In today’s world, we’re constantly surrounded with various pollution sources. Indeed, it has become essential for us to adopt healthy lifestyle and cooking methods to protect ourselves and our family members, while decreasing our chances of developing chronic health diseases.
So how to go about this? Actually, being a healthy role model for yourself and your kids is not that complicated. Sometimes, we just need a little push down the right road; so here is yours! I have listed below key tips to help you inspire everyone around you, all naturally! Remember, every little step counts!
LIFESTYLE TIPS - Stay away from unhealthy FAD diets that do not promote a healthy lifestyle. - Plan a daily physical activity for all family members. - Limit the time spent on TV and PC. - Eat slowly to teach your child good eating practices. - Have healthy snacks always available at home. - Decrease the consumption of juices and soft drinks by replacing them with water.
GROCERY SHOPPING TIPS - Stay away from high-fat meats. - Avoid smoked items. - Alternate between regular and light items. - Check food labels for hidden fats, especially chocolate, sweets, ready-made salad dressings, etc… (High in Calories often means High in Fats, and Low Fat can sometimes mean High in Sugar).
COOKING TIPS - Always trim the fat, especially in meats and chicken. - Grill, boil or steam your food. - For a zesty bite, use lemon, balsamic vinegar, mustard, garlic and soya sauce instead of oil. - Rely on herbs and spices as taste enhancers. - Go for light cooking creams. - Add oil to your stew at the end of the cooking process. - Enjoy a weekend barbecue with your little ones, but remember to remove the char as it contains harmful particles. - Make sure your kitchen is equipped with non-stick cookware.
HOME-MADE SWEETS TIPS - Eat 1 sweet per day, preferably home-made. - Cinnamon has a sweet taste; add it to your fruity smoothies. - Use small quantities of oil instead of butter. - Bake with less sugar and oil (3/4 of the actual amount) for the same recipe. - Use egg whites without egg yolks in recipes (split other ingredients’ quantities by 2 - this might affect some recipes). - Keep away from artificial sweeteners; they could affect your children’s growth.