Smart fats are good for your child’s heart and brain.  The smartest fats are omega-3 fats.  These fats are the prime structural components of brain cell membranes and the insulation coating of the nerves throughout your child’s nervous system.  Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats also help keep your child’s veins free of cholesterol buildup.  

Explain to your kids that hydrogenated fats are “dumb” fats.  They are the fats that are “twisted” so they don’t spoil quickly.  Your child should avoid any food that contains hyrdogenated oils and partially hydrogenated oils known as trans-fats.

Here is a smart fat list for your family:

Salmon (wild caught)
Tuna (light)
Flax Oil
Ground Flax Seeds
Olive Oil
Canola Oil
Nuts (especially walnuts)
Seeds 
Avocado*
Soy foods
Egg Yolk 

*mash avocado and add into mashed bananas for baby’s first food

Need some extra help in putting the health and wellnes of your family on track? The L.E.A.N. Family Workshop is the perfect solution! Every family member gets involved during the 6-week L.E.A.N. START PROGRAM. The fun, interactive workshops also include family workbook, informative handouts, activities and nutritious easy-to-do-at-home snack and meal ideas.

To find out more about the L.E.A.N. START FAMILY WORKSHOPS, contact Dr. Sears’ L.E.A.N. Coach, Mary Ann Otley at (636) 795-2936 or visit us at www.familywellness4life.org.

Happy New Year!

Every year at this time people around the world begin to implement decisions to improve their lives.  New Year’s resolutions are common.  Almost as common is the reality that most of the good intentions we have as New Year’s resolutions will never be achieved.  Research reveals that the success rate is only 15-20%.  The large number of abandoned exercise equipment and unused gym memberships is evidence of this reality.

Some of the most common New Year’s resolutions involve making commitments to live healthier lives.  This is no surprise since obesity is at epidemic levels in our country.  A few years ago, I recognized that I had gained a considerable amount of weight.  On reflecting on how this happened, I realized that I had gained about 3 pounds a year for 10 years.  Did you know that 3 pounds a year is equivalent to gaining about 3 ounces a month?  The reality is that we usually gain weight slowly.  This is actually good news, because by making only slight changes we can easily reap long term benefits.

It is very good to want to improve the quality of our lives.  However, whether your New Year’s resolution involves eating healthier, exercising more, or making positive lifestyle choices, being successful can be difficult.  So, how can we increase our success rate and gain the benefits we desire?  Here are 4 simple Tips to help you succeed in your New Year’s resolutions.  These tips will help you anytime you make decisions to improve your health and the quality of your life.

Have Realistic Expectations

When we make New Year’s resolutions, we often start with a lot of enthusiasm only to see it wane as the days and weeks click by.  To achieve sustainable lifestyle change, it is important to recognize that change is a process, progress at first might be slow, and that we will encounter challenges along the way.  One of the best ways to overcome challenges is to enlist the help of God through prayer.

Before you begin, plan to be persistent by keeping your goals in mind.  Write your goals down and post them in prominent places.  Because setbacks will occur, plan to be gentle with yourself.  When you slip up and miss an exercise session or eat something you didn’t plan, quickly forgive yourself and get back on track.  Sustained activity and good eating choices over time will produce the results you want.  A slip up here and there won’t prevent your success.  Giving up is the only thing that will do that.

Set SMART Goals

If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, then you may consider increasing your activity level and making healthier eating choices.  When increasing your activity, select activities you enjoy.  If you have been inactive, you should consult your physician before you begin a rigorous exercise routine.

If you are planning to make healthier food choices, avoid diets that are only temporary fixes.  Diets can be attractive because we hear stories of rapid weight loss.  The reality is that diets can be harmful to your health, make it more difficult to lose weight, and usually are very discouraging, especially when we return to our old habits and put on more weight than we lost.

Make your goals SMART.  SMART is an acronym often used as a planning tool.  It works in business and is also a great tool for setting goals for our lives.  When setting your goals make them SMART by following these simple steps:

Specific:  Be specific and clearly state your goal so that it is easy for you and others to understand.   If your goal is weight loss, stay off the scale and avoid setting a goal that is directly related to pounds.  Instead, set a goal to reduce your waist size.  This will help you stay focused.

Measurable:   Set goals that are measurable. For example, you may set a goal of doing some activity you enjoy 3 times per week.  You make set a goal of eating one serving of fruit and vegetables each meal.  You might set a goal of limiting your portion sizes to the size of your fist.  Another good goal is to chew each mouthful of food at least 10 times.  All of these goals will help you lead a healthier life.  Since they are measurable they will help you stay on track.

Action oriented:  Clearly define the actions you plan to take and select activities you will enjoy doing.  Whether it is increasing your level of activity or changing your eating habits. You can make it fun.  As a family, we make eating fun and we are all involved in meal planning, shopping, and meal preparation.  By getting everyone involved, we have fun together as a family and there is unity in our family about how we exercise and what we eat.  The principle that “People support a world the help create” definitely applies to the family.

Realistic:  Be realistic in setting your goals.  Many people make resolutions that are very ambitious.  While ambitious goals can be inspiring and motivational, they can often be overwhelming and discouraging.  Set goals that you can achieve.  A good idea is to set interim goal.  The concept is that you will have an overall goal and then set interim goals that are steps toward your final goal.

Time-oriented:  When setting goals it is always helpful to focus on the results or benefits from the actions we will take.  It takes about 30 days for us to retrain ourselves to form new habits.  Setting goals in 30, 60, 90, 120 day increments can be helpful.  When measuring progress it is important to celebrate small beginnings and progress along the way.

Plan for Success

Build a support network.  Select a few friends or family members who you know will support your New Year’s resolution.  Tell them your goals and speak openly about your commitment and your plans.  Ask for their support and encouragement.  Give them permission to hold you accountable in a gentle way.  If your decision is to exercise more, then find a buddy who will go to the gym with you.  Having a partner will help keep you motivated.  If your decision is to eat healthier, then try to do it as an entire family.  Having everyone involved will help eliminate temptation.

Enjoy the Journey

You are a special and unique creation and designed for special purposes.  Good health helps you live to your full potential and fulfill the plan and purpose for your life.  Our life on Earth is only for a relatively short time.  Whenever you seek to make changes in your life, see it as a journey.  Like any journey, it will have ups and downs; interesting times and boring periods.  Enjoy the moment and the people you are with.  Stays focused on the benefits and have fun doing the activities you have chosen.  Don’t forget to celebrate along the way and celebrate in ways that are consistent with your goals.

Wishing you a blessed 2011!

Tom & Mary Ann Otley

Now you have the opportunity to learn from the comfort of your own home, on your own time and at your pace!  L.E.A.N. Online includes six interactive eLearning segments, hands-on learning activities, family challenge activities, free downloads, and more!

To register for this class, click on REGISTRATION or contact Mary Ann Otley @ 
(636) 795-2936, email @ familywellness4life@gmail.com.