empowerme

Balance the food that you eat with physical activity to help your body grow

Choose fruits and vegetables more often than juice since fiber is found mainly in the peel and pulp.

Turn off the TV during family meal time and ask your family members to tell you about their day.

Stretch it. Start your day off right with stretches or yoga to loosen up your muscles.

Instead of sitting in front of your television or computer all day, find fun ways to get moving.

Enroll in an instructional group class. Try dancing, gymnastics, martial arts, fencing, indoor swimming lessons - anything that will get you excited about staying active.

Breakfast On-the-Go. Don't have time to eat breakfast at home? Try whole-grain mini bagels or muffins, nuts and dried and fresh fruits that can be taken in the car (apple slices and bananas are also easy and not too messy!).

Do you have a TV or computer in your bedroom? If you do, ask your parents to take it out. Kids who have TVs in their rooms watch 1 1/2 hours more than their friends-and that limits family time too.  

Be a good role model to the people around you by making healthy eating choices and getting regular exercise.

Drink water before eating: If you drink a big glass of water before you sit down to eat, you'll feel fuller and won't be tempted to eat as much.

Bagel Classics. Try a whole-wheat or sunflower seed bagel with low-fat cream cheese or peanut butter.

Spend Valentine's Day with your family and friends, bonding, having fun and playing. This can reduce stress and is great for the heart.

Stay active during TV time. Use commercial breaks as a time to do jumping jacks, push-ups, or crunches. If you love your TV, you'll have a six-pack in no time.

Cut the fat out of your gravy by refrigerating the pan juices and scraping off the solid layer of fat before making your gravy, or use a fat separator.

Shoot it. Put up an indoor basketball hoop or create one out of a trash can. Challenge a friend or sibling to a game of one-on-one.

Try a new fruit or vegetable every week. Here are a few to begin with: kiwi, squash, pumpkin, asparagus, and Asian pear.

Keep it Colorful. Challenge yourself to try fruits and vegetables of different colors. Make it a red/green/orange day (apple, lettuce, carrot), or pick one color and see how many fruits and veggies of that color you can find.

Opt for Regular Sizes. It may seem like a good 'value' but there are lots of extra calories and fats in those extra-large sizes. Go for the regular or small size.

Instead of a stair machine, just climb real steps or use a sturdy stepstool.

Choose your favorite shows and games and make a plan to only watch them – keeping it all to 1-2 hours a day.