The 4 Habits of Healthy Families: Everything Your Family Needs to Get Healthy and Stay Healthy for Life / Featuring the Yes, No, Maybe So Food Choice

by Amy Hendel

Overview

A book has finally been written to address weight management and health in the family. The 4 Habits of Healthy Families will teach families of all shapes and sizes how to create meals that are healthy and enjoyable. Amy Hendel, lifestyle therapist and health expert, guides families through daily planning, preparation and proportion of food. But, what's more, Amy has fought obesity herself and is also a busy, working mother. She brings personal credibility and expertise to an easy-to-follow and practical health guide.

The benefits of improving your family's health don't stop at a healthier, better-feeling family. As you practice Amy's easy program, you'll find your family gathering around the dining-room table more often and seeking out healthy activities to enjoy together. Health will become the platform for a stronger and more closely knit family.

In addition to invaluable sidebars and tips, The 4 Habits of Healthy Families is filled with easy and delicious recipes, sample grocery store lists and a plethora of other suggestions to minimize time and maximize output in the kitchen.

The 4 Habits of Healthy Families offers a generous amount of support from an author who has fought—and beat—obesity in her own family. Amy Hendel is showing the joys and advantages of making health a family affair.

(Originally published as Fat Families, Thin Families by BenBella Books in April 2008.)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781935618119
Publisher:	BenBella Books, Inc.
Publication date:	06/08/2010
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	488
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Amy Hendel, R-PA, IDEA, ACSM, is a family lifestyle therapist, registered physician assistant, and well-known TV and radio personality, health expert, reporter, correspondent, producer, and writer for a wide variety of television and radio shows and print publications. She reaches millions of people through a broad spectrum of media outlets including guest spots on NBC's Today, Fox News, and The Early Show. As a spokesperson for several noted health campaigns including Global Amway's Nutrilite vitamin division, and as "Healthy Home" segment host on Housesmarts, she speaks to audiences throughout the country. Past host of PBS' HealthZone and Westwood One's Good Eating Good Living, she has also been a coach and mentor for iVillage.com, a website with more than 16 million subscribers. Currently she blogs for HealthCentral, a medical destination website and HealthCorps, Dr. Oz's philanthropic organization that fights teen obesity nationwide. As CEO of healthgal.com, her daily newsletter hits thousands of homes.

Hendel's master's level R-PA degree followed her Bachelor of Science degree. She is a personal trainer, fitness instructor, and nutritionist; and her professional affiliations include the California Association of Physician Assistants and the American Association of Physician Assistants.

Read an Excerpt

By working together, every family can create healthier eating and activity habits. I know because I’ve seen it happen so many times. However, I also know from experience that there is no one-size-fits-all-families solution. Every family is different. Some families are constantly on the go. Others face a lot of conflict about what foods they should eat because some members want to make healthier choices than others. Sometimes one family member has developed a health or weight problem; unfortunately, all too often, this is viewed as an individual problem rather than what it really is—a family problem. Some families make generally healthy choices, but they are hooked on big portions or they completely avoid activity. Sometimes the whole family practically lives on sugar and fat, although the weight effects may not yet be evident with every family member. For some families, all members face similar challenges; most struggle with weight, for example. For others, there are individual considerations such as health conditions or unique lifestyle distinctions (family members who are athletes or vegetarians, who have food allergies, etc.).

For some families, serious medical consequences make it urgent to make changes promptly. For others, the consequences haven’t caught up with them yet.

Your first step toward becoming a Healthy Family for Life is to assess your family’s needs and take a closer look at the realities your family faces: genetics, medical indicators, and habits that could be undercutting your efforts to be healthy.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Facing the Facts to Save Your Family
Chapter 2: What Kind of Food Family Are You?
Chapter 3: Eat Like a Cow and Other Easy Ways Your Family Can Become a “Healthy Family for Life”
Chapter 4: The “Yes, No, Maybe So” Food Choice Plan
Chapter 5: Focusing on “Yes” Foods: The Healthy Family Food Superstars
Chapter 6: Thin Habit #1: Plan Together
Chapter 7: Thin Habit #2: Prepare Together
Chapter 8: Thin Habit #3: Portion Together
Chapter 9: Thin Habit #4: Play Together
Chapter 10: The Right Way (and Wrong Way) to Support Each Other
Chapter 11: Don’t Fight the Feelings
Chapter 12: There Are No Perfect Families: The Art of Making Realistic Goals and Helping Your Family
Chapter 13: Secrets for Changing Kids’ and Teens’ Habits