Are You On a Diet? Here’s How to Talk About It With Your Kids.

I’ll never forget the time I was grocery shopping and I overheard a mom with her school-age daughter in the produce section. “Mom, can we get some carrots?” “No honey, carrots make you fat. They have too much sugar.” I was floored. I wasn’t a parent at the time, but it didn’t take motherhood experience to know that woman wasn’t setting her child up for a healthy relationship with food.

Fast-forward fifteen(ish) years, and I’ve experienced weight loss success through a juicing program. I also have two kids that I want to have a healthy relationship with food, and I admit things can get a little complicated when communicating with them about my juicing. When there are days that I’m not eating any solid foods or sitting down to dinner with my bottle of juice while they enjoy a plate of lasagna, I worry about the unintended message that sends to my kids.

But the truth is, ANY health regimen that we follow has the potential to influence our kids’ view of food. If you talk about weight loss in front of them, they may internalize messages about the number on the scale. If the adults in their lives eliminate carbs (even if the kids eat with no restrictions), they may develop the idea that carbs are “bad.” If we openly count calories, our kids may start worrying about the number of calories they’re eating, too. If we follow a program with ready-to-eat meals and eat a completely different meal at the dinner table, they’re bound to wonder why.

So how do talk to your kids about eating habits that are outside of their norm in a way that doesn’t negatively impact them? Here’s what I found works.

I have been compensated by Squeezed.com to sample and review their juice cleanse, but I am sharing my true and honest experience. Make sure to tell them radio 105.3/Kristina sent you!

Talk about how you feel. Talk about how different foods make you feel. Don’t generalize food categories as “good” or “bad,” but show your kids that you are listening to your body. Some examples:

“Bread is so yummy – but when I eat it, my body doesn’t feel very good so that’s why I don’t eat it.”
“My body has been feeling really tired lately so I needed some help learning about different foods that might help me have some more energy. That’s why I’m trying these special meals for awhile.”
“I drink these juices every once in awhile because they have so many nutrients my body needs! I feel good when I do this, but I look forward to eating regular meals with you soon!”

Don’t talk about weight loss. Talking about weight in front of your kids is a sure-fire way to make them internalize messages about weight. Stick to the narrative above about how you feel. If there are medical reasons that you can share in a way that’s not scary for your kids, you can do that – but keep weight out of it if you can. For example:

“The doctor said my blood pressure is a little high. They recommend I try these foods for a little bit to see if it helps my body.”
“I’m not sleeping very well at night, so it makes me tired during the day. When I drink these juices I start sleeping better, which makes me happy because then I have more energy for my family!”

Don’t make it a big deal. Don’t frequently talk about (or complain about) your eating plan. Just let it be part of your life, but don’t make it a huge part of your family’s life.

Following a non-traditional eating plan is hard in the context of a family. Ideally, we’d all just cook healthy meals and eat them together – but for some people, that just doesn’t work and they need something a little more extreme (for lack of a better word). I’ll admit that when I started using juice cleanses regularly, I was concerned about how my kids would perceive me abstaining from food for several days at a time. But with intentional communication about the “why” for my body, and an avoidance of conversations about weight, it’s turned out to be a non-issue. Plus, since juicing isn’t a full-time regimen, I choose my juicing days to coincide with days that we don’t typically have a very structured eating schedule (like weekends, days when our evenings tend to be full of running around to activities, or Friday when we plan for pizza in front of the TV while watching a movie). Honestly, they rarely notice when I’m juicing because I’m intentional about when I do it. And I love that after a cleanse I can enjoy whatever I’m cooking the rest of my family for dinner without any need for modifications or restriction.

I can just cook healthy meals and we all eat the same thing.

That’s been the beauty of juice cleanses in my life. I do one when my body feels like it needs it, I plan it carefully so it doesn’t affect my family life, and afterwards I’m naturally drawn to healthy food choices and smaller portion sizes.

If you’re feeling tired and sluggish, are constantly going from feeling overly stuffed to completely starving, or are just sick of too much junk food and need a hard re-set to break the habit, try a Squeezed.com juice cleanse. I have loved using Squeezed.com as a tool to keep my body feeling healthy. You don’t have to wait another day; order by 1:00 for same-day delivery. Make sure to select Radio 105.3 at checkout!