Because Nothing Should Weigh a Child Down

Author: livelight

Participant Spotlight: Rushell Walker

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Almost two years ago, a mother and daughter set out on a journey to better health and well-being. At the time, Rushell did not like herself very much. She couldn’t fit into the clothes she wanted to wear. She had a hard time playing and exercising, feeling out of breath when she moved around. Her weight made her feel distant from other kids who didn’t share the same, frustrating experience.

Rushell’s mother was also going through her own struggles with weight. After she gave birth to her son, she was unable to lose the weight. At over 300 pounds, she was was burdened by all the things that came along with being morbidly obese. She couldn’t walk down the street or up stairs without becoming out of breath.

So together, mother and daughter decided to make a change. Rushell was referred to Live Light Live Right.  She started exercising with the program. At first, it was difficult to be in the program. She wasn’t used to moving around so much, nor to the feeling of exercising and having sore muscles. Then things started to change for Rushell. She started to feel energized, stronger, and the fatigue wasn’t as pronounced. She was able to wear some of the clothes that she had longed to wear. She lost 20 pounds. She started making friends. Pretty soon she was taking other exercise classes at the Y.

Rushell’s mother knew she needed to make changes in her own life as well. She decided that she would have bariatric surgery. Along with bariatric surgery, she incorporated daily exercise and eating healthy. It wasn’t an easy journey, but the journey was transformative. She lost 100 pounds, and her outlook on life has turned around completely.

Rushell’s mother wants to let all the families who are considering change to know that change isn’t easy, but the benefits are well worth the struggle. She encourages everyone to rejoice in the small changes, make changes as a family, and celebrate every step you take towards a healthy life.

Healthy Tip: Know Good Fats from the Bad

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Did you know that there are different kinds of fat in foods?

There is “bad” fat, which are the ones called saturated or trans fats when you read a label. These aren’t good for your heart. Then there are “good” kinds, which are called unsaturated fats. You might see the words “monounsaturated” or “polyunsaturated” on food labels. These are good! They make you feel full and all of the cells in your body actually need them to survive. Next time you’re at the store, try some of them and see if you like them. Continue reading →

Tricks for Limiting Your Halloween Treats

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It’s that time of year again where your favorite candies and cookies in orange and black wrappers are everywhere. Halloween candy is hard to resist because these seasonal treats hit the shelves just after Labor Day and stick around until long after October 31. Interested in managing your weight during the Halloween season? Here are some tips to help you succeed! Continue reading →

How we treat obese children

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Everyday we see how obesity affects poor children in dramatic and difficult ways. One of the ways we’ve seen it hurt children is through words. The words that other people say, even those who mean to help, can hurt. Parents, teachers, doctors and other children can be cruel. Obese children suffer in their grades at school and have higher rates of depression, largely because of weight bias.  Continue reading →

Backpack Giveaway for a great year at school

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For many families living in New York City’s poorest neighborhoods, the cost of buying school supplies for the first day of school is staggering. The list that schools send home — pencils, binders, backpacks and glue — can quickly add up to a price tag well above what a family can afford. For obese kids who face weight bias in school, having the right supplies can make a huge difference in their academic success. Continue reading →

Healthy Tip of the Month: Slow Down When You Eat!

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Next time you sit down to eat a meal, try this trick. Stop, take a deep breath and then pick up your fork. Before you take a bite of the food, look at your meal. Think about slowing down. Eating more slowly  can help you control your weight. When you eat fast, your stomach has no time to tell your brain that it’s full! It takes 20 minutes for your brain to catch up to your stomach signals. But if you slow the process down, your body will realize that it’s had enough and you may find that you weren’t as hungry as you thought you were.

Continue reading →

Spotlight on: Steven Nelson, the reluctant camper

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At first, Steven didn’t want to go to the Live Light Live Right summer camp program. He was very stubborn and combative about the idea, his mom said. Before camp, his mom had difficulty explaining to him benefits of eating fruit, drinking water, and moving more.

But all that changed once he started camp. He has been exercising and has changed his eating habits completely. He now eats fruit, smaller portion sizes and hardly eats any junk food at all. He says that Miss Ebony and Miss Kim were very encouraging. They told him “no junk” and encouraged him to snack on granola bars and water. His mom says he has never consumed as much water as he does now! Continue reading →

Fast, fresh and healthy brown bag lunches

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School lunch is an excellent time to refuel your child’s energy as well as help boost concentration and memory for the afternoon. The trick is providing a lunch that packs a nutritional punch and appeals to your child. Live Light Live Right nutritionist Judy Marshel shared her tips with us.

The ideal lunch contains 1/4 lean protein, 1/4 whole grain, 1/4 vegetable, 1/4 fruit and a serving of low-fat dairy. Continue reading →

Healthy Tip of the Month: Breakfast is your best friend

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It’s true, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. In fact, eating breakfast instead of skipping it can actually help you lose weight. Why?

Well, when you sleep for a full night, your body hasn’t had any calories in 8 or 10 hours, so it’s like a car running on fumes. It needs fuel to get going. (That’s why it’s called breakfast as in, you are breaking a fast.)

If you eat when you wake up, it helps fire up your metablism, allowing your body to burn more energy. Eating breakfast helps you from getting too hungry and overeating later in the day.

If you’re not a breakfast fan, try some of these healthy breakfast ideas:

  • Fresh fruit with low-fat or non-fat yogurt
  • Unsweetened cereal or oatmeal with low fat or fat free milk
  • Eggs
  • Whole grain toast with peanut butter

Junk food cravings get worse if you don’t get enough sleep

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Pulling an all-nighter might help when it comes to cramming for a high school chemistry test, but it can also make you reach for a Big Mac the next morning. When people don’t get enough sleep, they are more likely to eat junk food, say researchers.

A new study from the University of California, Berkeley found that people who did not get enough sleep had impaired decision-making skills and the reward center of their brain was heightened. So people who didn’t get a good night’s sleep were more likely to reach for an unhealthy snack than someone who was well rested. Continue reading →

Welcome Elisa Zied to our advisory board!

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Elisa headshotWe are thrilled to welcome Elisa Zied, a registered dietitian nutritionist, to our advisory board. Elisa also writes a blog for Parents.com called The Scoop on Food. It highlights topics that parents care most about when it comes to feeding their kids. She’s written about sugary drinks, fast food, hydration, food allergies and much more. Check it out here.

“As a mother of two, I work hard to raise my children to live and eat well,” Elisa told us recently. “Once an overweight child, I turned my life around by eating less and eating better, and making fitness a priority in my life. I am thrilled to share my personal and professional experiences and work alongside an amazing staff and terrific children by serving on the Advisory Board of Live Light Live Right. I also love the fact that it’s based out of Brookdale Hospital–the hospital in which I was born!”

We’re excited to welcome Elisa to our team and look forward to working with her.