Parents: Make Time for Healthy Choices

(NewsUSA) – Between soccer practice, piano lessons and
homework, more and more parents are discovering that it can be hard to balance a healthy life with
a busy one.

Health care professionals, however, are discovering that nutrition- and activity-based
habits, when developed early, can make a positive long-term impact.

Eileen Berry, a Florida mother and self-taught nutritionist, has taken this to heart.
"Healthy foods are available -; and, as parents, we need to make this happen for our kids," she
said. "We don't have the luxury of 'shouldas', 'wouldas' and 'couldas,' especially when our
children are involved.

So, what can you do to get your children's habits on track and moving in a healthy
direction?

*Take a look. Check out the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPyramid for kids
online (www.mypyramid.gov) to see what your children need in
their diets each day. Did you know, for example, that grains and vegetables should make up the
majority of your child's diet?

*Don't forget the vegetables. A study published in the Journal of the American College
of Nutrition found that while preschool-aged children consumed about 80 percent of their
recommended fruit servings a day, only 25 percent had the recommended amount of vegetables. So, it
is important for parents to creatively re-introduce vegetables -; and change things up by choosing
vegetables in a range of colors.

*Check ingredients. Ingredients such as whole-grains and foods with oils derived from
corn, soybean, canola and olive oils are good picks. Meanwhile, foods and beverages with caloric
sweeteners as top ingredients should be avoided.

*Get moving. Have fun in the outdoors. Whether it's taking a walk together with the
family dog or playing catch, get moving as a family.

*Set limits. Limit television and computer time to encourage your children to spend
more time being active.

And while all parents should be advocates for their child's health, proper nutrition
and activity is even more important for survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer. These
children are among those in the higher-risk population for obesity, according to health care
professionals. Good choices can lead to better health and may reduce the risk of preventable
cancers in adulthood.

For more information on healthy habits for survivors, visit the National Children's
Cancer Society at www.beyondthecure.org.