WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS
"Every hour you sit at work increases your mortality eleven percent. Think about that."
----Dr. Mehmet Oz
Up. Just get up. Leave the desk and take a ten minute break. The company will not fall apart while you take a short break to get up from your desk and walk for ten minutes. The above quote by America’s favorite doctor, Dr. Oz, really resonates with me as I observe adults who think they are productive by not leaving their desk for hours at a time.
Did you know that a minimum of ten minutes of exercise gives you heart health benefits? Are you getting thirty minutes a day at least five days a week? How many days a week are your kids getting at least an hour of exercise a day? How do you plan fitness into your day? Deliberately or by accident? What about your kids? Do you schedule recess for yourself every day?
Fitness guru Richard Simmons recommends that you should never eat lunch at your desk. Simmons says, “Stop thinking you can eat at your desk. You need to take 15 minutes and go just eat something. It’s bad for digestion. You can get diverticulitis, you can get stomach aches and you can get depressed.” He added, “We’re not winning the war [on obesity]; we’re losing it. There are more overweight children, more overweight teenagers…there should be more rules about food.” Make the commitment to take walk breaks and lunch breaks away from your desk. Your mind will thank you.
Reversing America’s childhood obesity epidemic will happen by improving the health literacy of parents. Here's a challenge: Be a better role model for your own children. Let them see you sweat!
One of my favorite Growing Healthy Kids’ T-shirt designs created by Get Shot by Ella designer Ella Chabot promotes the mantra, “Exercise Daily”. Write these two words on the top of every day’s “To Do” list and plan movement and physical fun into your schedule. Make it a habit. Commit to it for 28 days.
 |
This WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS' column is dedicated to Baby Ellie. She is the reason our family traveled great distances this week (we calculated over 32,000 miles - ONE WAY) to celebrate her first birthday together. Ellie is my mother’s first great grandchild, daughter of my nephew, Robbie Heinrich, and his wife, Sara Stout Heinrich. This child is healthy because her mother plans time to cook and prepare fresh fruits and veggies every week for her. Sara has scheduled to make access to good food choices easy by planning around what foods are locally grown and in season. Baby Ellie is the
picture of health and that is why I was so happy to deliver a GHK shirt of her own so she can be our youngest ambassador in Kentucky.
 |
| Baby Ellie with her proud parents, Robbie Heinrich (my nephew), his wife, Sara, and Stella (the dog, looking for cake crumbs), at Ellie's first birthday party last weekend |
All children deserve access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Support your local farmers. Eat rainbows from the garden!
In gratitude,
Nancy Heinrich
Growing Healthy Kids
To check out the Growing Healthy Kids' store, click here.
