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Ladies,

Yet again I come to this very gracious board to ask advice. My family has a history of high cholesterol. Yesterday we got the results from the lab that two of my ds's have high cholesterol. I was reading that Charlotte Mason realized the importance of nutrition, physical activity, and outside time for children as a habit. She not only recognized the need for fresh air and appreciation for nature, but our bodies need for physical exertion. She predicted that generations to come would be less physically fit (like our nations obesity issue) and unable to focus. She wrote, "We are becoming a nervous, overstrained nation and though golf and cricket may do something for us, a watchful education, alert to arrest every symptom of nervous over-pressure, would do much to secure for every child a fine physique and a high degree of staying power." from A Philosophy of Ed.

I love how Carrie has integrated gross motor activities into our Bible time. My ds's love it too. Our family is now in need of nutrition and physical drill habit overhaul. Now that the cold weather has set in does anyone have any great ideas on indoor activity? I could also use any advice on habit changing when it come to nutrition and exercise. I believe I read on one post a while back that someone used exercise videos with their kiddos. If you have any fun suggestions for those, that would be great as well. We do have a fitness wii game, but I would like to hear some other options.

In desperate need of the latest “Swedish Drill”,
Cindy

Of course my kids are all pretty little still, and I don't remember how hold yours are from your siggy... should have looked at that.

we have a little trampoline and a balance beam that we set up in the living room. Sometimes we'll take them to someplace that has a play area. We even take them to McDonalds and just get a drink and let them play. DH will chase the kids around in the house if the weather has been too bad for too long. They play dodge ball a lot of times with a soft ball and hiding around the corners.

We'll also do a lot of just plain exercise with mother-may-I or Simon Says or Redlight/greenlight. Cleaning the house is a good active thing. For my kids it's not so much what they ARE doing as what they are NOT doing.... as long as they aren't sitting around reading or watching tv all day long then I'm happy. As long as they get SOME active play in each day, it will all balance out. In the spring and fall I'll kick them outside for 5 or 6 hours each day. I seriously will give them drinks and snacks on a table outside and not let them come in until later in the day. In the summer they are out for a couple of hours in the morning, then we do school, go to the Y, museum, park, etc. and then come home have lunch and then go back outside until supper time. So the few months I can't do that daily I'm ok with less activity as long as there is some amount of HARD play each day. Like where they are out of breath and laughing.

I'm interested in reading all the replies to your question. I also need some ideas for getting my kids (and myself) more active. My ds9 has very little interest in anything active! He will read all day if I let him, which isn't bad, but he has no stamina when it comes to physical activity. Just the little bit that he does for the Bible Time has him winded and worn out. He doesn't like to go outside either. My other two dc and I like to be out when it's warm. Now that it's getting cold, I'd like to find an exercise DVD for children. Any good suggestions? Also, has anyone heard of or used "Fit Deck" products?

I hate to sound like a "crazy" one but My DH cholesterol was sky high and it needed to come down. He's got diabetes as well and his job can be very stressful. So we went Pure Vegan for him for 6 weeks then added animal protein back in but we treat it more like a condiment now. It makes up the smallest portion of our plate. I no longer cook around the meat I cook around the season. (cause it's cheaper to buy what is in season.) Seriously we have been convinced by the food lobbies meat and milk is so good for us. But most of China doesn't eat any dairy and they are the some of Healthiest people in the world with little bone problems and what we eat as a one person steak would feed a family of 4. But I digress... My hubbies cholesterol went from 270 to 100 in 3 months. Just by switching his diet and Bonus!!! I lost 10 pounds in the process. (and I was cheating and eating ice cream) My mom calls us flexitarians. The reason I'm so enthusiastic is that he lowered is cholesterol so quickly and without medication and little to no exercise. I'm not perfect I still fall into "Hot dogs are so cheap and easy and the kids love them" days but that's why they call us flexies..

You do need some animal protein because they supply necessary amnio acids. But you can have vegetarian/vegan meals a few times a week like:
Taco night: tortillas, refried beans, lettuce, tomatoes, avocados, green bell pepper, and a small amount of shredded cheese.
or a vegan vegetable soup (ok use chicken broth).
My kids love this salad, apple, pomegranate, pecans and mixed baby lettuce with poppyseed dressing, and one kid is not big on veggies. With side dish of whole wheat bread with honey.
I still make spaghetti, but the sauce has lots of mushrooms and zucchini and (some days I add for the 4 of us only 2 cut up italian sausages in it.)
homemade potstickers are also a huge hit (even tho I cringe at the white wrappers) I fill em with veggies and the kids eat them for the novelty factor.

You don't need to run out and buy a vegan cook book but what you can do is stop feeding yourself and the kids white food: mashed potatoes, non whole wheat noodles, white bread, white rice. Things that we all know are low in fiber have had the nutrients stripped from them and then added back in so it can be called enriched. (I'm still confused on that one) Fiber is awesome it sweeps the excess cholesterol from our bodies so even if you are cheating and eating ice cream, the fiber moves those bad boys along and out of your body. Fiber I love it now.. Fiber is your friend oh wit i'm sounding like a "crazy" now
Switching wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I just built my meal plan around a soup, a salad, or a fruit but not the meat. I did find I couldn't buy boxed foods tho.. many things like hamburger helper or scalloped potatoes no longer fit into my plan.

My kids get fruit for snacks or cookies but they gotta eat the fruit first.

As for indoor games, hide and go seek, and puss in the corner. My china dd and I do some Tai Chi, its amazing how slow movements really make your body sweat! but be careful of the philosophy of tai chi.. We just use a book not dvd's.
We love our Wii fit, and Wii Outdoor challenge at my brothers had the kids sweating.

I'm a "mean" mommy recess is outside for 1/2 an hour unless its raining so hard you'll be soaked... bitter cold wind oh well here is your scarf... 105 degrees heres your water bottle, and the sun block.

I ope I didn't sound too crazy... And I hope that helps you. Diet can soooooo quickly reverse high cholesterol.

Learningathome--I totally checked out the fitdeck. It looks like something my guys would like.

Tansy,
I am printing out every word you wrote. So helpful. I do not think you are crazy at all. It sounds like you were in the same boat we are in. I love the kid friendly meal ideas. I soooooo needed that. I'm excited to hear your husband's cholesterol is doing so well. I have been battling the cholesterol thing myself since my early 30's. (I may have had it earlier and never knew). My ds's and I are not overweight (although I could use to lose 20 or so) but this has given me a big wake up call on making some big exercise and diet changes.

Your post inspired me to get my kids moving, too. It's a bit cold to go outside here today. We just did some stretches and then turned on some fast, fun kids' and Veggie Tales songs, and they were running and jumping to the music! It then turned into a game of mom trying to catch the kids... I was a spider and they were bugs trying to keep away from me. So it turned out to be good exercise for me, too! They were sweating at the end! This reminds me that we can get them moving without a lot of prep, esp. on the spur of the moment. We had a lot of fun!