I was visiting with family one weekend when my niece offered me a chocolate chip cookie. In the past, I would have not only eaten that cookie, but just about every other one in the house. Cookies (especially chocolate chip) were one of my weaknesses. In fact, all things sugary were, and it wasn't great for my health. Over time, I was able to get to a place where I could turn down that cookie without exerting a ton of willpower. Here's what went into creating that moment:

1. Yes, sugar is that bad

The first step in breaking a sugar addiction is by first admitting that sugar addiction really is a thing. It is. It turns out that sugar is just as addictive as cocaine. It's also terrible for you. It doesn't just make you gain weight: it can actually make you sick. By viewing my "sweet tooth" as something quite a bit worse, it motivated me to take real action and just say "no".

2. Cold turkey or gradual reduction?

This first step in being healthier without sugar is to determine the best kind of plan for you. Basically, you have two options: either you slowly pare down your extraneous sugar intake, or you cut it out altogether.

Figure out which one works best for you. Cutting sugar out of your diet entirely might not be realistic for you to do right off the bat, but on the flip side, sometimes eating sugar in moderation actually descends into the exact same habits as before. Little by little, you'll work your way back to eating high levels of sugar. Figure out what option will fit well with your personality and your lifestyle.

I opted for the cold turkey method and cleaned out my entire pantry.

3. Replace treats with healthier options

If you're constantly eating sugary treats, well, that's a lot of snacking. You're still going to have that urge to snack, so replace those treats with fruits and vegetables. In particular, go for something low glycemic so you aren't adding too much sugar to your blood. Blueberries and strawberries are great substitutes because even though they are sweet, they won't spike your blood sugar and trigger your sugar addiction. You and your taste buds win!

4. Push on through

I'm not going to act like this is easy. It's not. Like any addiction, you will feel withdrawal. But if you can hold out for as little as one or two weeks, you'll be through the worst of it. Case in point: Dietician Carole Bartolotto conducted an experiment where 20 people from Kaiser Permanente's facilities stopped eating sugar for two weeks. More than half said their cravings ceased within two-to-three days, and 87 percent said they stopped feeling withdrawal symptoms after six days.

Six days.

It may take you longer (it took me closer to two weeks), but any way you cut it, that's not a lot of time. Can you last that long? It will be hard to say no to cute kids offering you cookies but I bet you can, especially when you know your health depends on it.

The post Why I said ‘no’ when a child gave me a cookie appeared first on FamilyToday.

There is a rising obesity epidemic among our children and it has health experts worried. Initiatives have been put in place to change school lunches, teach proper nutrition and get kids moving. But it turns out we could be making improvements by just asking a simple question: What would The Avengers do?

You could replace The Avengers with any superhero your child loves: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman...what matters is the association. If you ask your child what their role model would eat, chances are they will name healthy foods. Which will give them an incentive to follow suit.

Those little heroes can't do it alone, however. They need their parents to help make those changes stick.

Superhero Nutrition

The theory comes from a Cornell University study conducted by professor and author Dr Brian Wansink. While studying how to choose healthier choices in fast food settings, researchers gave children a choice between two foods: sliced apples or french fries.

In the beginning, children would select the fries as their food of choice. However, after asking what a fictional character (like Batman) would choose, children said the apples.

This study relies on priming. Conducted during a four week period, one week was set as a control week, where no questions were asked. During that time, only 9% of children chose the apples. The other three weeks primed the children by showing images of fictional or real role models before lunchtime. After priming, the number of apple choices went up to 45%.

Results suggest giving children a target to focus on lets them rethink their own choices. Feeling admiration for these characters promoted a positive association with healthy choices, leading children to make a more nutritious selection for themselves.

Other Successes

But the Cornell study is not the first to find this to be the case. An initiative by the Bronx Department of Education in New York City asked young students who they would be more likely to listen to: superheroes, astronauts or athletes. The students chose superheroes.

This information was used to create a new set of nutrition mascots, featuring Wanda Water, Frankie Fruitman and Victor Veggie. Hanging posters of the three over the cafeteria salad bar at local schools have been encouraging and reminding students to make better choices.

Nutritionist, mother and blogger Betsy Ramirez also used a superhero tactic when she taught her child's kindergarten class about eating right. She lays out how she presented the information and foods to the young children, so the same can be done in other classrooms.

Just simply asking the question "What would the Avengers do?" has an impact on your child's choices. Maybe it is time we had superheroes in the kitchen and on the playground.

The post If you want your kids to eat healthy, tell them to eat like The Avengers appeared first on FamilyToday.

Historically, women rested and hid their condition of being "in the family way" while they were pregnant. Doctors discouraged them from participating in too much physical activity, fearing that it would harm the baby. That's not the case now. Nearly all medical professionals now agree that exercise provides numerous benefits for mom and baby.

Read on for the truth behind these five exercise misconceptions:

1. If you weren't active before, you shouldn't start an exercise program during pregnancy.

This is false. Instead, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends that pregnant women should exercise a minimum of 30 minutes a day or 150 minutes per week.

Benefits for moms who work out regularly while pregnant include less risk of depression, high blood pressure and even a lower rate of gestational diabetes. Additional benefits include:

• Weight management

• Improved sleep

• Elevated energy levels

• A reduction in swelling, bloating, constipation and backaches

• Stronger muscles and improved overall strength and endurance.

Some studies also suggest that working out can benefit your child. Things like a stronger heart, better athletic ability and improved intelligence for your child are reason enough to lace up your tennis shoes. If you aren't in the habit of working out, you might want to start with something as non-stressful as walking, which requires no special equipment except for a supportive pair of shoes.

2. Do not elevate your heart rate above 130 BPM when pregnant

Nope! Every woman is different and so is every heart rate. Doctors have now rejected the idea of a target heart rate and instead use a rate of perceived exertion, or RPE. The RPE lets your body guide you instead of focusing on a certain set number across the board.

3. Avoid working your core during pregnancy

This misconception is also false. Your core muscles are abdominal muscles that wrap around your middle, providing support for your back as well. Doctors state that abdominal exercises can improve your posture and help accelerate labor and delivery. Julie Tupler, R.N., one of the authors of "Lose Your Mummy Tummy," writes that a strong core will reduce back problems, ease with labor and accelerate recovery.

However, there are some restrictions. Do not lie on your back starting with the second trimester and don't over exert yourself.

4. Avoid jostling the baby with vigorous exercise

This old wives' tale is false. Exercises like running are safe as long as you feel healthy. However, your body might warn you if you feel "off," so stop immediately if in doubt. Slow down as your pregnancy progresses and adjust your pace. If you can't keep up the pace, take a walk instead.

5. Avoid lifting anything over 25 pounds when you're pregnant

It is true that lifting objects over 25 lbs. while pregnant might be riskier for some women. If you are at risk for premature labor, check with your doctor about lifting items after the first trimester. However, most medical professionals agree that it's safe to lift items up to 25 pounds. In some cases, you can also lift items up to 50 pounds (like your growing toddler) while pregnant. Use the following schedule (and your doctor's advice) as a guideline:

• Regularly lifting 50 pounds or more: Stop work by week 20 of your pregnancy.

• Occasionally lifting more than 50 pounds: Stop work by week 30.

• Repetitive lifting of 25 to 50 pounds: Stop work by week 34.

As always, consult with your personal doctor before making changes to your diet and exercise, especially if you are pregnant.

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It seems like with each passing year, life is getting busier and busier. You can reflect back on when you were a kid and remember playing outside with your friends until you heard your mom call you inside for dinner. You'd come inside to a home-cooked meal, eat together as a family and afterward help your parents cleanup. Now in our highly competitive, fast-paced world, parents spend their evenings running around picking their kids up from school, bringing them to soccer practice, followed immediately by their piano lesson and then when it's time for dinner, they end up stopping for fast-food and eating in the car, rather than a healthy meal shared together as a family around one table.

If you're struggling to have the quality dinner time you're craving, here are five ways to bring back family dinner.

1. Plan meals in advance

The hardest part about preparing a home-cooked meal is the prep time. How many times have you waited until the end of a busy day to even think about dinner? Rather than going home and rummaging through your fridge and cupboards for ingredients that you probably don't have, you settle for the much simpler option of picking your family up a tub of KFC fried chicken. Instead, take 15 minutes at the start of each week to plan out your family's meals and then write a grocery list for the food you will need that week. By doing this, you will only need to go to the grocery store once a week, and you'll have healthy meals planned ahead of time.

2. Make a schedule

In a study done at Columbia University, they found that teenagers who eat dinner with their family five to seven times a week are more likely to have a stronger bond with their parents, less likely to use marijuana and alcohol and have less stress. However, finding a time for your busy family to come together with their hectic schedules can be difficult. During your 15-minute planning at the beginning of the week, also set a time for family dinner each day. Don't let your family miss out on the amazing benefits that come from eating together. Can't make a daily dinner happen? Work your way up to it by starting with 3 dinners a week.

3. Get your family involved

Kids are always more excited to eat when they get to help prepare the food in some way. Whether this means planting a garden and harvesting the fresh produce together, allowing them to pick the menu or letting them help you make the meal, find a way to get your kids involved in making dinner. This will be a great bonding opportunity for you and it will teach your children by example the importance of family time.

4. Educate your family

There is nothing more important than your family's overall health and well-being. Obesity levels are at an all time high, with more than two-thirds of adults and a third of children are considered overweight or obese. As a parent, it is your responsibility to use family dinner as a way to educate your kids on nutrition, and then feed them healthy meals so that your family doesn't become part of this awful statistic.

5. Get to know your family

As eating dinner together as a family becomes a habit, you will quickly notice it become your favorite part of the day. There is no one that you love more than the people within your own family, so naturally the time that you set aside each day to spend with them becomes irreplaceable. Sharing your day's experiences with your loved ones and learning from one another is the best way to bring back family dinner, because it is something that your entire family will cherish and strive to continue doing.

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