Families Fit Together –
Spring Fit Tips From Dr Mary Ellen Renna M.D.

Here are some healthy tips to share with your family from our partner and pediatric nutrition expert, Dr. Mary Ellen Renna, M.D.

• With every season, don‘t forget to change the colors on your plate: serve the fruits and vegetables of the season. This helps provide a proper balance of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.


• Regularly plan healthy meals together. Sitting down as a family and writing out meals for the week. It can actually be fun to talk about, and with everyone‘s input, it will result in more balanced eating.


• Visit the local farmer‘s market to find regional vegetables. Bring home a few plants and herbs to grow in your own garden.


• Pack healthy and well–balanced snacks for school and after–school activities and sports. Make sure you have cool-pack bags to keep drinks chilled and fruits and vegetables fresh.


• With the arrival of warmer temperatures, don‘t go out and run a race as your first activity. Ease into outdoor activities and make sure to stretch before and after exercise.


• Check equipment – bike tires, bike chains, skateboards, padding and soccer balls. If something is worn out, repair or replace it.


• Plan activities the whole family can enjoy, like a day out at a local park.


• There are easy fun activities that can be done in the evenings or weekends, such as jumping rope and doing sit–ups or push–ups.


• Plan a family outing:
  Visit the Apple & Eve Families Fit Together™ destination resources to find a local hiking trail or activity for a spring picnic or a family game of soccer or football.


• Plan a fun, activity–filled family summer vacation that incorporates things like visiting a dude ranch, hiking in national/state parks or going on a white water rafting trip.

Just 10-20 minutes for three times a day of uninterrupted exercises is a great way to keep kids fit. Taking a walk and dancing to a few music videos are great options. You may also consider starting the morning with a quick exercise routine for your kids, which could be easy as 10 jumping jacks, 10 sit-ups, 10 push-ups, and 10 squat thrusts. Activity in the morning will energize kids throughout the day. It’s also important to limit sedentary activities like watching TV and playing computer and video games. If your children know they are limited to one hour of TV or video games each day, they are more likely to become interested in outdoor physical activities.

The color of the foods you eat makes a difference when it comes to your health. Phytonutrients (plant nutrients) that make up the different colors of fruits and vegetables are natural defenses produced by the plants. These nutrients help protect plants and also maintain our health when we eat them. The wider the variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, the wider the range of plant protective nutrients your body will have. Here’s what you can find in some popular fruits/vegetables:

• Green vegetables in the brassica family – such as broccoli, kale, collard greens or brussel sprouts – are high in vitamins and minerals.


• Orange vegetables contain high levels of alpha carotene, a powerful antioxidant that helps maintain healthy skin.


• Red fruits and vegetables contain the most amount of lycopene, a phytonutrient found to help maintain healthy eyes and digestive system.


• Blue fruits contain anthocyanins, which contain potent antioxidants and phytonutrients.

For more information about Dr. Mary Ellen Renna and her program, visit www.nextgenfit.com


To visit the Apple & Eve website click here.