Thank you Council For Responsible Nutrition for sponsoring this post. I am proud to be one of the 170 million Americans who take dietary supplements each year!
Throughout my years as a parent and volunteer with other children, it’s been important for me to instill healthy habits in the children that I’m influencing, especially my own. I’m a strong believer in the fact that we should all do everything we can to take care of our bodies and ensure that we’re getting the vitamins and nutrients that we need. For me, that means knowing and teaching the children that I’m around the importance of nutritional supplements and how they can be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise to help our bodies perform at peak level. Now, most of you know that I haven’t always been so healthy. In fact, I’ve struggled for most of my life with finding the balance of nutritional supplements that will help me maintain my ideal weight, boost my athletic performance and feel my best. But as my own children have gotten older and I’ve spent more time with both them and their teammates, it’s become essential that I teach my kids healthy habits and that has required me getting healthy myself. I’ve learned that when it comes to nutrition, leading by example is the only way to teach.
Now, before I share more about how I teach my kids healthy habits, let’s talk a little more about my habits. I, like many U.S. adults, take dietary supplements daily. According to a survey from the Council for Responsible Nutrition, 76 percent of adults (around 73 percent of men and 79 percent of women) in the United States take dietary supplements. This can include vitamins and minerals, specialty supplements, herbs and botanicals, sports nutrition products and weight management products. Personally, I take several supplements a day including a daily multivitamin, collagen, probiotics and protein shakes. So, to say that I use supplements as part of my healthy daily life is fair. But how (and why) do I teach my kids healthy habits using supplements? I’m so glad you asked.
Lead By Example
Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, a coach or a volunteer, it’s important to remember that if you’re interacting with kids in any way, chances are there’s a kid out there who looks up to you. As an adult and a parent, it’s my job to model a healthy lifestyle that includes the use of supplements. I know from my own experience that dietary supplements play an important role in good health when used as part of a healthy lifestyle so I want my children and their friends to see me taking my vitamins every day and choosing supplements that help me feel my best. I, like 73 percent of supplement users (according to a 2017 survey from the Council for Responsible Nutrition) take a daily multivitamin so I make sure that my children see me take that vitamin every day. This reminds them to take their multivitamin and starts forming healthy habits that I hope will stick with them for life.
It’s important for me to remember that any time I make a choice to take a supplement, I’m modeling behavior that I want my children to emulate. So not only do I make smart choices when it comes to my supplements, I also make sure that if I’m going to take something, I’m setting a good example that they can see.
Be Knowledgeable
Truth: there are a lot of supplements out there and not all of them are things that I want myself or my children taking. All it takes to get confused is walking down the nutritional aisle at any store. That’s why I think it’s so important to be knowledgeable when it comes to supplements. A great place to start is by talking with your doctor or your child’s pediatrician about what dietary supplements are right for you. Then do your research and do it well. The Council for Responsible Nutrition has some great resources to help you here. Look at not only the type of supplements you’re choosing for yourself and your family but also what is in them.
Make sure that they are appropriate for the goals that you are hoping to see your family achieve. As your children get older (as one of mine has) sports nutrition may become more of a focus. My son needs to be using protein powders for support and recovery when he’s working out with his team for three hours a day. That makes it my job to find the best protein powder for his specific needs (remember he is a Type 1 diabetic). I regularly talk to him and his friends about protein content versus carbs versus sugar. By knowing what separates and makes the endless amount of protein powder supplements different, not only am I able to make the right choice for him but I’m able to provide helpful information to his friends as well.
Get Involved
While I try to model a healthy lifestyle to my kids and their friends and stay up to date on supplements, when it comes down to it, my best tip for teaching my kids healthy habits is to get involved and live a healthy lifestyle with them. This may mean coaching their teams or volunteering in their activities. It may mean taking them to the gym to workout together. It may mean simply showing them that nothing is more important than taking care of ourselves and modeling how dietary supplements play a role in maintaining overall wellness.
What I know it for sure means though is jumping in, being involved in their lives and their health, and teaching them that through diet, exercise and dietary supplements, they have all the tools they need to help make their bodies healthy, happy and strong!
To learn more about dietary supplements and how they can help create a healthy trifecta when paired with diet and exercise, be sure to visit the website for the Council for Responsible Nutrition. Then, whether you’re a parent, a teacher, a coach, a volunteer or a mentor, thinking about how you can teach the children in your life about nutrition is the best possible way!
Tell me, what dietary supplements does your family use and how do they help you live your best life?
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
The biggest and best tip here is to lead by example. We can’t expect our kids to embrace an active lifestyle if we don’t do it ourselves.
As I was reading each section I was like thinking in my mind what I would do for the kids. You had every idea I did. Starting with be an example
I take supplements too and I love my gummies! Now that I’m over 50, I take supplements designed especially for my age group. It’s another way I’m trying to be the best I can be.
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I love how you talk about leading by example. I tell my husband that and to pick your battles a million times a day. Because if we don’t show our children how can we expect them to do things?
I try to lead by example, too! I think it’s important for kids to see us doing it.
I loved the lead by example tip. Truly, we see so many kids who act like their parents do. Whether you want to be or not, kids will follow people they love.
SInce the kids in our family are two we spend a lot of time playing outside and modeling good eating habits to encourage them to develop their own healthy habits.
Healthy habits are important, that’s for sure. We always try to do outdoor activities as a family, and we have healthy food choices in the house.
Amber Myers recently posted…Should You Stay At Coronado Springs At Walt Disney World?
I really enjoyed reading this post. These are wonderful tips. I can’t wait to implement them with my family.
Tasheena recently posted…Menu Plan Monday: Week of 10/15/18
This is such a great post, I think leading by example is a must – I think we 100% learn a lot from what we see and hear, so a good example goes a long way.
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I think it’s great to teach kids healthier habits early on in life. It gets them started for when they become adults. We love to do a lot of outdoor activities together ourselves.
Great post. It’s important to show our kids how to live a healthy life and it’s best to lead by example.
Having a healthy lifestyle is the best example that we, as parents, can give to our kid. This is a daily work and yor’re right the best tip is to get involved and live a healthy lifestyle with them.
My kids take supplement on daily basis. They are pretty active, love outdoor games.
I love your methods. I wish more kids had the chance to live healthier lives!
These are great habits for everyone! Glad to see the kids are listening!
Being taught by mom the importance of health, I appreciate it all during my adulting. I realized how important all her reminders and I wish I could do to my kids what my Mom has done to me. I bet your kids have realized they are all lucky being taught the way you do to them 🙂 -www.travelberries.com
Wow, this is such a great initiative when it comes to instilling such lifestyle to your kids. I am not yet a parent but in the future I would love to do the same to my future children.
If you are yourself a person your kids can look up – certainly they will follow you 🙂
Thanks for the amazing post, such an inspiration.