Think about what youre really drinking when youre drinking soda pop.

More sugar. More calories. More health problems.

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Find out why water is wise.

Eleven of the statements below are true. Can you nd the one false one? 1. One can of cola has more sugar in it than a Snickers candy bar. 2. The average person can lose 15 pounds by cutting one can of soda pop a day. 3. Water is a good thing to offer children instead of juice or soda pop. 4. One can of cola contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar. 5. Kool-Aid, Gatorade and soda pop all have about the same amount of sugar and calories. 6. Twenty years ago teens drank twice as much milk as soda pop. Now they drink twice as much soda pop as milk. 7. Water can prevent constipation. 8. Six cans of soda pop contain 1 cups of sugar and 840 calories. 9. Soda pop has been linked to obesity, weak bones and tooth decay. 10. Children can become addicted to the caffeine in soda pop and suffer when they dont get it. 11. Water can help you lose weight by making you feel full. 12. It is difcult to switch from soda pop to water. Which statement is false? The last one. Its easy to switch from soda pop to water. You will feel great and save money. Help your child develop a taste for water. It is a gift that will last a lifetime.

TAKE THIS POP QUIZ.

Your children deserve the best.

Give them water.

Easy ways to get kids to drink more water: Keep water cold and visual. Store a pitcher of water in the refrigerator. Make water fun. Serve it with a straw or in a fun cup. Fill pop-top bottles with water. Take them with you on walks or in the car. Make a game of looking for drinking fountains. Stop and drink at each one you nd. Add avor to water by adding juice now and then. Add about 2 tablespoons juice to each cup of water. Ask for water instead of soda at fast food restaurants. Rell glasses with water before leaving.

Babies soak up a lot of vitamins.

Take a multi-vitamin with folic acid daily, even before you are planning on having a baby.

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BABY TALK WITH FRAN:

Dear Fran: My baby is a year old. Im just starting to squeeze into my jeans again. Id like to wait a while before getting pregnant again. But I want my children to grow up together so I feel I should have another baby soon. Will getting pregnant so soon harm my future baby? Is there anything I can do to get my body ready for the next pregnancy? Signed: In the Baby Business at Camp Verde
Dear In the Baby Business: Congrats on tting into your jeans! Just as it takes a while for pregnancy fat to fade, it takes a while for your body to store up nutrients for another pregnancy. Your body is at its best with three years rest between pregnancies. If thats not possible, take a multi-vitamin with folic acid daily to get your body ready for your future baby. Love, Fran

Dear Running with Jack Rabbits: Running with jackrabbits is a good way to get your body ready for your next pregnancy. But your body needs to replace nutrients too. Multi-vitamins with folic acid are a good investment in your future baby. The costabout three dollars a monthwill pay off for you and your baby over a lifetime! Love, Fran

Building Strong Babies.

Dear Fran: My childhood was lled with wonder and magic. I want to offer the same to my children. How long should I wait between babies so I can celebrate the life of one before adding another? Signed: Listening for the Whisper in the Wind
Dear Listening for the Whisper in the Wind: The decision of when to create a miracle varies from mom to mom. You are wise to think about how the decision will impact the quality of your childs life. Studies show that spacing children three years apart reduces the chance of premature birth and low birth weight. Keep in mind that Mother Nature doesnt always go along with our plans. Take a multi-vitamin with folic acid every day between pregnancies to be sure your body is ready. Love, Fran

Dear Fran: My money goes quicker than a jackrabbit. I know I need vitamins when Im pregnant. But arent vitamins a waste of money when Im not pregnant? Signed: Running with Jack Rabbits

Family meals are a time to share something as basic as food.

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Keep diabetes a hop, skip, and jump behind you.

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EN AS STORY: Physical activity

helps keep her family in shape and shapes a closer family.

I did not grow up in an active family. But when I went to high school, I got in the habit of running to classes. Maybe thats what caught my husbands eye he did grow up in an active family. And when he took me to visit his relatives, I was amazed at how strong they were. They chopped wood and plowed elds during the day. At night they played games that involved physical activity. My husband wanted to give his children that same gift of strength, and the pride that comes with being in good shape and good health. So he started our family on the road to an active life. I quickly realized that being active together doesnt just help prevent diabetes and other health problems. It also helps families form a stronger bond. It even helps my relationship with my husband. Instead of just talking, we walk and talk. I like that. Our kids are active in sports. They bike a lot, take long walks, and have quite a reputation in the community for always being on the go. It seems that they are growing up so quickly. Im sure theyll soon be teaching the games that kept them active and in shape to their own children. And I plan to be a t grandmother, because I want to teach them healthy habits.

Ena

s four active kids.

Enas top 10 tips for family tness.

People wonder how to become an active family. Its simple. Just take advantage of all the opportunities that come along:
1. If you see your children watching TV, ask them to walk to the mailbox with you. 2. While youre walking, talk about the scenery or pick up a rock and see who can throw it the farthest. 3. Race your kids back to the house or play hide-and-seek. 4. Roll a ball around the house. 5. If you have a tness center in your area, use it but always remember you dont need fancy machines to be active. 6. Make hopscotch squares (you dont need chalk use masking tape, string or sticks). 7. Play games like kick the can and red light/green light my kids love to play those with their cousins. 8. Teach your kids how to play leap frog, piggyback races, and 3-legged races. 9. Put a stone or egg on a spoon that they have to carry while they race. 10. Dont let summer heat slow them down water balloons and sprinklers can help everyone keep cool.

Cleaning the plate always makes sense

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Stop eating when full.

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MARGARETS STORY: How she lost a lot

of weight and gained a ton of wisdom.

Im proud to be 67. Im even more proud of losing 67 pounds. Putting on the weight was the easy part. I grew up on a ranch, and it seemed like I was always hungry. I placed a high value on food. When I had children of my own, food was scarce so I made sure they ate everything on their plate. Of course, I cleaned my plate as well.

not to eat much. Thats ne with me. I like it that shes listening to her inner voice, not to me. Its easier to hear that inner voice when youre young thats the best time to learn how much to eat. Of course, staying at a healthy weight isnt just about eating. Being active has changed my life. Now when I look at overweight older people, I think, They need exercise!

I love to walk with my granddaughter Then I got sick, and my world it keeps me going, because its fun changed. The doctors told me I had Margaret to walk with her. Her energy is catchy, and to lose weight. Thats when I realized how soon I realize were both swinging our arms and hard it is to change old habits, but I did. Today, laughing. When its too hot to walk, we do exercise videos I eat out of hunger, not out of habit. I dont eat just to have together. I hope my granddaughter will always be active, something to do. I dont eat cakes, candy, and soda. Most so she doesnt have to struggle with weight like I did. important, I just eat until Im full. When my 8-year-old granddaughter came to live with me, I decided I wasnt going to make the same mistake with her that Id made with my own kids. I didnt want her to grow up struggling with her weight, so I let her decide how much to eat. Sometimes she leaves food or chooses If only I had gained this wisdom when my own kids were little. Mothers who help their children learn how to eat right and exercise at an early age are giving them a wonderful gift.

Margarets top 10 tips for family tness.

1. Allow children to decide how much to eat. 2. Dont make them clean their plate. 3. Place small servings of food on their plate. If they want more, theyll ask. 4. Make sure they dont look for food because theyre bored read or play a game with them instead of giving them food. 5. Be proud of giving them grow foods like vegetables and fruit. Get rid of slow foods like candy and soda. 6. Talk a walk together every day. They will treasure the memories! 7. Put on an exercise video when its too hot for a walk. 8. Dont wait to get sick before you do something about your weight. 9. Remember that its easier to pick up healthy habits when youre young, but 10. Dont forget that its never too late to change bad habits.

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See TV as youve never seen it before. Make TV time family activity time.

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Heres your TV guide to family tness.

Turn on your TV and loosen up.
Bend over to touch your toes and see how your favorite TV show looks upside down. Stretch your neck, rolling it gently clockwise. Then switch directions. Tilt your head from side to side. March in place. Swing your arms with a uid not jerky motion. Lie on the oor or couch on your right side with your legs straight. Lift your top leg slowly, wrap your arm around it, and pull it gently toward you. Now turn onto your left side and do the same thing. Repeat until your leg muscles feel stretched and relaxed.

Watch your show and get hearts racing.

Do jumping jacks. Pick a word or a person. Each time someone says the word or the person appears, jump up and dance. Lift your legs in the air and hold them for a few seconds. (First try this standing up, then lying down). Fill water or milk bottles with water and lift them as if they were weights. Stand with your arms down and pull the bottles to your waist. Extend your arms outward as high as you can, then down again slowly. With the weights at your waist, lift them overhead. Use a slow, uid motion. Do not jerk the weights.

Turn off the TV and listen to your inner voice.

Breathe deeply. Think how much better you feel than you would if you had simply sat on the couch while watching TV. Repeat any of the stretching exercises from the rst section.

A hundred of these Kisses cant reward your child like a kiss from you.
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Treats dont always have to be the kind you eat.

Reward your child by lling their appetite for love and their hunger for excitement.
Paint rocks together. Give them a bubble bath. Go on a picnic indoors or out. Toss hacky sacks. Award them points toward a movie or bowling. Buy them a book and read them a story. Keep them busy with markers, puzzles, a jump rope, etc. Get them a deck of cards and teach them some games and tricks. Finger-paint with them. Have them start a coin collection and give them a few to start with. Show them how to string beads.