EVERYTHING
FOR YOUR FAMILY
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Cover Story
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 Even those who are deeply committed to good nutrition, fitness and emotional well-being will occasionally get derailed by the demands of life now and again. Once this happens, reinstating the routine can be as difficult as starting from scratch. So what are some of the things that are particularly difficult for families as a whole? > Time – Families with active children have been notoriously overscheduled for years, with Mom or Dad running a taxi service that goes from school to practice, club meetings, rehearsals and other activities. (And that’s just one example.) How are parents supposed to schedule a regular fitness routine? > Expense – Eating fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and whole grains can be quite expensive if you shop only at the grocery store. (Preparing meals every day is also very difficult for tightly scheduled families). Gym memberships, sports enrollment fees and costly equipment are not only financially taxing, they also demand a great deal of time. > Knowledge – Many parents are simply unaware of what their kids are eating or how much activity they may be getting. This is particularly difficult in households where both parents work. The people at St. Joseph Health System (SJHS) recognize these very real struggles that many families face, and in an effort to turn things around, the organization has partnered with the American Academy of Pediatrics to create its Healthy For Life (H4L) campaign, which focuses on helping kids and their families develop healthy lifestyles by incorporating physical activity and a responsible diet. The program was designed under the expertise of Dr. Elliot Sternberg, executive vice president of Wellness and Health Improvement at SJHS. Sternberg agrees that establishing overall wellness habits is no easy task; there are numerous variables involved, and many have deep cultural roots that are particularly relevant in many communities throughout Southern California. “In our development of the Healthy For Life program, we needed to get a strong overview of health situations across the board,” says Sternberg. “We understand that healthier foods can be expensive and that there are deep traditions that often need to be revised. However, it has to start with the parents.” A heady task Most adults have tried – usually more than once – to implement a new healthy-eating and fitness regimen in their lives. We can all agree that long-term success takes an extraordinary amount of consistency and dedication. It’s not easy to maintain it day in and day out, for months and years. Whether it’s Mom or Dad who is the driving impetus behind the family health effort, the person rallying the troops has to not only be self-motivated, he or she also must inspire the other family members, who may be resistant to change or just don’t like being told what to do. “I would like to let people know, they don’t have to make giant, sweeping changes starting tomorrow,” says family therapist Dr. Kathleen Nickerson. “It is not easy, but making fun, small, manageable changes can be.” Sternberg concurs. “There is only one good health routine,” he says. “It’s the one you do consistently.” A team effort Before embarking on a quest such as changing your diet, fitness and communication habits, everyone needs to be in agreement and be willing to hold each other accountable. Have a family meeting in which each member shares a goal. And remember, it doesn’t have to be something huge; try to focus on fun, attainable milestones. For example: > We will sit down to dinner together at least four days a week. > We will go on a family bike ride at least twice a month. > We will all start wearing pedometers and see who can walk the most steps per day. (Decide on a special outing that you can do together as a reward, with a special bonus for the highest achiever.) We asked several experts for their best ideas to help implement changes that can yield significant results. Here’s what they said: Nutrition Mom and model-turned-chef Catherine McCord learned when her children were very young that many parents do not have the time, knowledge or inclination to prepare flavorful, healthy meals. She set about to create ideas and recipes to help over-scheduled parents, which evolved into her enormously successful blog and business, Weelicious (weelicious.com). McCord is now nationally recognized as an authority on quick, creative menu options for every meal and occasion. “My best piece of advice for developing a great relationship with food is to make it a family affair,” says McCord. “Food is cultural, unifying and fun. It is the center of every culture and should be celebrated as such.” McCord and her family go to their local farmers market every Sunday. “It’s like our church,” she explains. “We walk there as a family and we socialize. We share in our community. We get to know the individual farmers, who we help support, and we get to taste all the free samples. My kids are stuffed by the time we leave.” McCord advises that parents get their children involved in the care and preparation of meals early on. The more kids understand about food and it’s nutritional value, the more adventurous they are as eaters. “Another value to the farmers markets is that they are extremely economical,” McCord says. “Buying fresh produce from the grocery story can get very expensive.” In addition, since in many cases grocery store produce is shipped from thousands of miles away, its shelf life can be severely depleted. Another tip: Learn about seasonal veggies and plant a garden. You will earn both fitness and nutrition points, because gardening can be a great form of exercise and, again, it is a shared experience that everyone can participate in. Fitness Laurie Smith is the program director of Renaissance ClubSport. This fitness center is based on a concept that offers a “one-stop shop” for its clientele. “We offer a variety of programs for our members,” says Smith. “And we want to be the solution to the parent who is driving all over town taking their kids to swimming lessons, martial arts practice or basketball. How does Mom ever get to the gym herself?” Renaissance has family membership plans and flexible child-care options for very young children, as well as programs for juniors that cater to the fitness needs of children as young as 9 months. With a state-of-the-art gym, spa, court and pool facilities – in addition to specialized training in Pilates, yoga and martial arts – the gym lets family members go to the same place, and each can pursue an activity he or she is passionate about. Communication Part of family wellness is emotional well-being, so expressing oneself and sharing feelings cannot be undervalued. “Learning to communicate and express feelings is a vital tool for developing family health and confidence in kids,” explains Nickerson. “I think sitting down to a family dinner is a great way to do this.” Nickerson advises that parents find ways to help their children open up, such as pursuing a one-on-one activity with each child. “Do something related to a subject they love,” she says. “If they like to paint or draw, perhaps you can take them to a gallery or take an art lesson with them to foster some quality time on their turf.” People get a boost of confidence when they are in the lead. Let your children teach you, and you can ask them a variety of open-ended questions that can get them to discuss issues that might be happening in their school or social group. Consolidate activities to reap the greatest rewards. Doing things that are active, inter-active and fun is a great way to get kids to let their guard down, and soon they’re sharing ideas, opinions and feelings. “I found when I go for long walks with my kids is when we’ve had the best discussions,” says Sternberg. “The conversation can start out about fitness, but then that opens a door to a relaxed, natural conversation.” • HAVE FUN! Here are a few activities that families can do together, at public facilities or with minimal equipment: > Walking > Hiking > Biking > Softball > Basketball > Kayaking > Badminton > Swimming > Handball > Tennis • GET COOKING! Teaching children to cook isn’t just about having them help out during late-afternoon crunch time. It’s an excellent opportunity to teach them about delicious and healthy meal options. When children help prepare a meal, they have a greater sense of ownership and are more likely to be open to trying new things. “In addition, cooking has tremendous value,” says Catherine McCord, founder of her popular blog and business, Weelicious (weelicious.com). “Science, math, reading and art are all part of cooking. You can also add to that environmental awareness, nutrition and community relations.” When you introduce your children to a wide variety of tastes, colors and textures when they are very young, they won’t develop a defiant resistance. “I don’t make my kids eat anything they don’t want, but I do introduce them to it,” says McCord. “They were cruising around in their strollers at age 1 chomping on raw mushrooms. They loved them.” Source: weelicious.com • CONCIERGE MEDICINE Imagine access to a doctor’s care on your schedule. With health-care reform still uncertain and questions swirling about cost, access to providers and care quality, has the time come for concierge medicine? Some have labeled it a luxury and the cost excessive. But confronted with crowded waiting rooms and doctors with limited resources to adequately treat illnesses, concierge medicine has become a more widely accepted option. Yes, there is an annual fee to belong to a practice, but the trade-offs are attractive to a growing number of families that are searching for the right strategy to cover their health-care needs. According the folks at Personalcare Physicians (mypersonalcarephysician.com), some of the values of concierge health care are: > Access – Doctors are available 24/7, with same-day appointments and no waiting, as doctors only see a limited number of patients. (The caseload is 350 at Personalcare; it is 600 to 650 at most concierge services and 3,000 to 4,000 at conventional, insurance-based doctors). > Relationship – Concierge physicians have time to get to know their patients individually, so they can attend to specific needs. > Proactive health-care management – Concierge doctors can help clients focus on long-term health, with benefits such as yearly comprehensive physicals, fitness and nutrition planning, and stress management. This is also true for family care, as doctor’s can coach and assess the ongoing health and development of each individual child. “We treat many families at Personalcare,” says Dr. Jeffrey Barke, founder of Personalcare Physicians. “As parents, we understand the stress involved when our children are sick or injured, and we are here for anything that comes up. “Our favorite compliment from our parents is: ‘Thank goodness you are here; we didn’t know what to do.’ That’s exactly why my partners and I went into concierge medicine, so we’d have the time to listen and help our patient families receive the health care they deserve.” |
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