San Joaquin Healthy Families

by NISSA HALLQUIST

It’s no secret that too much bad food and stress, along with too little exercise and free time, have conspired together to make many families in the U.S. unhealthy and unhappy. If you’ve felt these effects yourself, it doesn’t have to be the case for your family any longer.

Nutrition

With obesity and diabetes major concerns these days, for children as much as adults, it’s more important than ever to learn how to eat healthy. According to Joanna Lua-Vargas, Clinical Dietician at Doctors Hospital in Manteca, parents need to lead by example to teach children how to eat right early on in order to avoid health problems later.

The first thing to do is rid the home of temptation. Instead of chips, candy, and donuts, Lua-Vargas suggests a variety of healthy sweet and salty snacks, such as pretzels, air-popped popcorn, homemade trail mix, and, of course, plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

But then, what about the times when temptation does present itself? There’s no avoiding TV, billboards, and peers constantly telling children about how great sugary, fatty processed foods are. In that case, in order to keep you and your children from feeling deprived, Lua-Vargas actually recommends giving in once in a while, such as a pizza night or a treat when out at the movies.

“Moderation is the key. You don’t want it around all the time, but it’s okay to occasionally have food that’s bad for you,” she says. “Otherwise, total denial only leads to excessive splurging later on.”

Exercise

Keeping physically active is another important weapon in the fight against obesity and diabetes. As with eating right, leading by example is the best way for parents to teach their children to get regular exercise.

Put simply, get up and get out. Set aside some time every day when the TV and computer get turned off and the family goes out for a walk, a bike ride, a quick pick-up game in the driveway before dinner, or a swim in the pool. On the weekends, go hiking or bowling or walk around the mall—find what works for your family.

For a more formal approach, area fitness centers have specialized programs for people of all age and physical levels. According to Dan Clark, General Manager of Custom Built Personal Training (the personal training company at In-Shape Health Clubs), significant results can be seen with fitness plans custom-made for the individual. A personal trainer also adds that extra bit of motivation and fitness knowledge that you and your family might not have.

More than feeling better physically, getting some exercise as a family is also an ideal way to have fun and spend quality time together.

Personal Hygiene

Establishing proper grooming habits is the most essential and simple way to prevent illness and/or dental issues. Hand-washing in particular has gotten much attention lately with the ongoing threat of the H1N1 virus. That, and the supplementary use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers, has been shown to greatly reduce the spread of infections.

Then there’s brushing teeth. Getting kids to brush their teeth is sometimes like, well, pulling teeth. The solution, says Rafat S. Razi, DMD, MPH, who specializes in pediatric dentistry in Tracy, is to make dental care part of a child’s routine as early as possible. Children should start going to the dentist when their first teeth erupt; the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) advises by the first birthday. Regular brushing should begin around that time as well, and flossing by three years old.

“Sometimes parents aren’t very insistent on establishing a brushing regimen with younger children, thinking their baby teeth are just going to fall out anyway,” Razi has observed. “But healthy baby teeth are what lead to healthy permanent teeth.”

In addition to ensuring the maximum prevention of dental problems from the beginning, starting young makes dental hygiene a good, daily habit that will last a lifetime.  

Relationships

As a family practice physician with Sutter Health in Stockton, Carlos Delgado has seen firsthand the positive effects a good familial relationship can have on one’s health in general. After all, feeling accepted and emotionally stable tends to make one want to take care of themselves and each other.

The first step to having a close family is spending time together. Sharing a common interest (see “Exercise”), watching a favorite TV show together, and so forth shows interest and caring. Then, while spending time together, make an effort to engender an environment of open communication. If your children resist opening up at first, be patient. Teens especially have been conditioned to think that adults don’t understand.

“The most important thing a parent can do is listen,” says Delgado. “Your children will come to you with their problems as long as they know you’ll hear them and be tolerant of their experiences.”

At mealtimes especially, turn off the TV and eat as a family in the dining room. It may feel odd at first. But with nothing to pose a distraction, discussion will become inevitable and, over time, comfortable. (Another positive side effect can be reduced obesity, since turning on the TV will no longer always be associated with eating something.)

Clean Home

You’re eating better, exercising, keeping your bodies clean, and spending more time together, but all these efforts to get and keep healthy could be for naught if you haven’t also considered your environment. Since you spend so much time inside, the pollutants found inside the home can be even more hazardous to one’s health than outside.

Pollution sources run the gamut: from hairspray and pet dander to radon and carbon monoxide (see sidebar). While the amounts and types of pollutants will vary, there are ways to minimize them all. First, if at all possible, remove the source. Clean up mold and minimize moisture. Vacuum frequently to get rid of pet dander and dust mites. Do not allow smoking inside.

The second technique is ventilation. Opening the window to let fresh air in and stale air out helps flush the home of quite a few airborne contaminants. Use a fan to circulate the air more quickly. Using some sort of air cleaner (portable or a whole house system) can eliminate smaller airborne particles that may be missed with regular cleaning.

Once you’ve taken such steps, you will likely see a reduction in asthma, allergies, and respiratory infections. You can literally breathe easier knowing that you are doing everything necessary to take care of yourself and your family. [SJM]