Christanne Smith

When I counsel adults with heart disease, many have a hard time making changes to their diet. I have often thought that it would be easier for them if they had grown up with heart healthy habits instead of having to learn them later in life. We often don’t think about children and heart health, but as parents we can start building heart healthy habits in our children that will benefit them for a life time.

Here are 7 heart healthy habits: 

• Don’t restrict calories but offer “real” food.
• Eat heart healthy fats and oils.
• Load up on fruits and vegetables.
• Consume plenty of low-fat dairy products.
• Use nuts, seeds, and legumes more often.
• Incorporate more whole grains.
• Be physically active.

• Don't restrict calories but offer "real" food.  Most of the time it is not a good idea to restrict children’s calories. They should be able to eat meals and snacks and decide for themselves how much they want to eat.  With that being said, the way to make sure that they don’t overeat is to offer “real”

Most women don’t even start thinking about making healthier choices for the benefit of their baby until they are actually pregnant. But, many studies have shown that preconception nutrition can improve fertility and pregnancy outcomes. In fact, combining certain dietary patterns is referred to as the “fertility diet” and may favorably influence fertility in otherwise healthy women. So, when you start thinking about cute little toes and baby carriages, start making some of these pre-pregnancy nutrition and lifestyle changes too.

• Add vitamins to your routine. It is well known that taking folic acid before pregnancy can prevent birth defects of the brain and spinal cord, so be sure you are taking a supplement either as part of a multivitamin or by itself. Another important nutrient to add is iron. Many women tend to be low in iron, and iron needs will increase during pregnancy. Starting pregnancy with good iron levels by taking supplements or eating iron-rich plant based food seems to be

When my husband was out of town, I thought I would give the kids a treat and take them out to eat. When I asked them if they wanted to go, they all shouted, “Yay!  A picnic!” They grabbed a table cloth and ran outside to wait for me to bring the food. I quickly put together a picnic with food that we had on hand, and we sat outside eating dinner and playing for the rest of the evening. Since then I have thought about how much healthier we would all be if we went “out” to eat more often--if more families thought about going out to eat as a picnic in the park instead of eating unhealthy food at a chain restaurant. As parents, we can influence the attitudes our kids have about healthy eating and physical activity, and create a healthy nutrition environment at home.

Eat meals together as a family

Try to eat one home-cooked meal together with your family each day.  Studies show that family meals are associated with improved intakes of fruits, vegetables, grains, calcium-rich foods, protein,

When should you start feeding your baby solid foods and what should you feed her?

• Start feeding solids to babies between 4 and 6 months.
• Introduce new foods 3-4 days apart.
• Try foods several times.
• Try several textures and flavors.
• Avoid foods that can cause choking.

“The first year is a great time to introduce a variety of foods with different textures and tastes before the “picky eating” ages of 2 and 3 begin.” Christanne Harrison   Introducing Solids: Time for Tofu (and Other New Foods) When my son started kindergarten, I asked him what he wanted in his lunch on his first day of school.  He quickly responded, “Tofu squares!” He came home and proudly told me his teacher said that she had never seen a kindergartner with tofu in his lunch before.  I started feeding my son tofu before he was a year old, and he has loved it ever since.  Obviously, not all children are going to like tofu when they are introduced to it, but the first year is a great time to introduce a variety of

Breastfeeding: Nutrition for Better Brains and Super Moms Breastfeeding can’t guarantee a super baby who walks at 4 months and differentiates colors, letters, and numbers by 6 months, but research does indicate that it is the best nutrition for your baby, helps fight infection, promotes brain development, and may even increase academic performance and IQ. And breastfeeding definitely makes you a super mom! The best nutrition for your baby:

• Breastfeeding provides the calories and nutrients that are just right for your baby. The composition of breast milk changes as your baby grows to meet her nutritional needs. Breastfed babies may need a vitamin D supplement, so ask your pediatrician.
• Breast milk passes antibodies to your baby. In addition to nutrients, breast milk also gives your baby protection against infection and disease.   Breastfeeding may also prevent or delay allergies.   Remember that any amount of breast milk that you are able to provide for your baby is beneficial.

1. Start before you conceive: Women that start pregnancy in good health and at a normal weight are more likely to have better outcomes. If you are thinking of becoming pregnant, try to maintain a healthy weight and eat a balanced diet. Be sure to include a folic acid supplement, which is critical for fetal development.  It is optimal to begin folic acid supplements even before you become pregnant.
2. Remember quality is better than quantity: It is easy to convince yourself that eating for two means that you can eat whatever you want. But, in reality, you only need a few hundred extra calories a day and a lot more nutrients than you normally do. Be sure that most of your food choices are nutrient dense and not just empty calories. For example, a half of veggie sandwich on whole wheat bread (nutrient dense) for a snack is a better choice than a donut (empty calories).
3. Avoid potentially dangerous foods: Some foods have a higher risk of carrying microbes that cause food borne illness