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area, including her journey to become healthy.
How to Make Change
    As you read this chapter, you may have noticed a continual theme. Like a drumbeat, the words healthy eating and exercise sound over and over. Many life-threatening conditions can be prevented by making changes in our diet and in our level of activity. Why do we not do it? I believe three culprits prevent us from making these changes—time management, energy, and motivation.
    We must take inventory of our time. You may think that you already have every single second scheduled to a tee and you have absolutely no extra time, but I bet you can adjust your schedule and incorporate small changes that will give you more time to spend on your health. You can cook food ahead of time so you always have a snack on hand to avoid the drive-thru window. Instead of throwing bags of chips or cookies in your children’s lunch box, pack a piece of fruit. Do homework with your child at the park, so after he or she is finished, you can run around and play together and squeeze in some physical activity. See what I mean? Making little changes in your routine can make a big difference.
    What about energy? Many parents I know complain of not having enough energy to make health a priority. They are simply too tired. This is where you have to make sure that you are taking care of your health first so that you can help your family. (This is also the best way to role model healthy habits for your children. If you don’t do it, why should they?)
    When you make time for exercise, you actually have more energy than when you are sedentary. I know this is true from personal experience. If I start my morning with exercise, I have tons of energy for the rest of my day. I turn into the Energizer Bunny. I just keep going and going and going.
    Finally, sometimes we don’t make changes because we don’t have the motivation to change. But what is more motivational than our children? Our kids should be the biggest motivators in creating a healthy lifestyle at home. I don’t know of anything that can move me more than when I know my child has a need. I like to think one thing most parents have in common is a desire to see their children live long, healthy lives. And I believe you, as a parent, will do anything to give them a foundation for a great quality of life. So make the commitment to make change. Let them be your motivation to eat better and start moving more. We will be with you every step of the way!
How Healthy Are Your Kids?
    Let’s find out how healthy your kids are. The quiz below is a great starting point for you as a parent to know what kind of commitment you will need to make to get the change-ball rolling. Circle your answers and tally your score.
    1. My kids eat fast food...
    a) once a week (2)
    b) at least five times a week (3)
    c) once or twice a month as a special treat (1)
    d) every day (4)
    2. When we do something together as a family, we like to...
    a) go out to eat (4)
    b) go to the movies (3)
    c) do something active such as play sports or go hiking (1)
    d) go to an amusement park (2)
    3. The drink that my kids have most with meals is...
    a) soda (4)
    b) water (1)
    c) milk (2)
    d) juice (3)
    4. My kids watch TV and play on the computer or video games...
    a) an hour a day (2)
    b) two hours a day (3)
    c) three or more hours a day (4)
    d) less than an hour a day (1)
    5. My kids participate in regular exercise...
    a) 30 minutes a day, five days a week (1)
    b) an hour a day, three days a week (2)
    c) once a week (if we’re lucky) (3)
    d) never (4)
    6. We eat dinner together as a family...
    a) during major holidays (4)
    b) once a week (2)
    c) at least five days a week (1)
    d) on weekends when we go to a sit-down restaurant (3)
    If you scored:
    6 to 12 points—Green light! All systems are go. You are traveling in the right direction as a family. As you read this book you will continue to learn more about great health.
    13 to 18 points—Yellow