Caring for the Student's Mind & Body
For college and high school students, fall brings a lot of activity. Between fun stuff (like football games, parties, and dances) and difficult tasks (like midterms and research papers), it may seem like your kids don't have a lot of time left to exercise and eat right. It is not uncommon for students to let their health slide. Before you know it, it's January 1st and your young adult is trying to figure out how to lose 20 pounds before going on Spring Break!
There is a better way to do this. By establishing some simple, healthy nutrition and fitness habits, you can help your older children avoid gaining weight and have more energy for school and everything else.
On the nutrition side, encourage your kids to make the right choices, such as:
- Enjoying a good breakfast for all-day energy and fewer cravings later.
- Eating fruit or nuts (instead of pizza or potato chips) for late-night study snacks. If you or your teen can prepare snacks ahead of time, they'll be less likely to resort to unhealthy fast food when in a pinch. Choosing healthier foods will stabilize their energy levels throughout the day (and night).
- Drinking plenty of water to help the body remove waste and reduce hunger. Encourage your student to keep a water bottle with him all day and drink that in class instead of high-calorie drinks like soda.
If your children practice healthy habits more often, they'll have plenty of energy and less of the stress that comes with school. High school and college are times when healthy habits are made, so encourage them to put forth effort now and reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle for the rest of their lives! |
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