Today I came across an article in the New York Times titled "Diet: Childless Couples Eat Healthier, Study Finds". According to Nicholas Bakalar, a study was conducted among British families to see if having children would affect the diet of the household. Using data collected of household grocery products purchased over a two week span in 2003 and 2004, researchers found that families with children in the family tended to have less healthy diets than those families with no kids. The researchers further controlled for income, age, and other factors and still found that childless families consumed about 4.4 pounds more of fruit and vegetables than families with children. Since the demand for meat also goes down in families with children, the consumption of dairy, cereal, and potatoes rises much more as well.
So what can we take away from this shocking research study? I think this study makes a shout out to parents to encourage more eating of vegetables and fruits among children. It is important for kids to acquire a taste for healthy foods like fruits and veggies at a young age, especially when artificial sugars and processed foods are made so available to kids. Instead of offering them a bowl of sugary cereal, perhaps chop up a banana and put some pieces into a bowl of cheerios!
Today's Workout: Since I forgot to mention some pretty exciting news yesterday, I figured today I would start out my workout entry by telling you all that I FINALLY bought myself a new pair of running shoes this past weekend!! They are awesome! I stayed with my favorite brand: Asics GT-2160. I love the way they offer amazing arch support (I have bad arches) AND I love the purple and lime green color of them :)
Start out today by riding on a stationary bike for fifteen minutes.
I set my bike to a random workout on level 10 (out of 25)
Finish your bike ride with a three minute cool down.
Next, hop up on a stair stepper machine for a twelve minutes.
I set mine to level 9
Finish your stair stepping with a three minute cool down.
(I ended up walking up a total of 66 floors by the end of my workout)
Complete your workout by stretching out your muscles, especially your calves and quads.
Today's Food Tip: Did you know that Chai is actually good for you? Next time you go to grab a fancy coffee from your coffee store, ask for a chai tea. They are made from a mixture of spices: ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, and black pepper. Chai tea actually helps stimulate circulation to boost blood flow to the skin in order to give it a healthy glow. Many of the spices also contain antioxidants that fight free radicals and reduce signs of aging. In addition to being a wonderful drink, many of the ingredients in chai tea are also infused into beauty products that help to give you healthy skin and shiny hair!
Today's Relaxation Activity: Writing this blog at night before I go to bed has been sort of like writing a journal and has been very therapeutic. So for today, I suggest starting a journal to keep by your bed and to fill out whenever you have a lot on your mind before you sleep. It will help you to channel your thoughts and to relax your mind before you hit the hay.
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