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News flash: us Westerners aren’t exactly paragons of health and wellness.

While it’s easy to blame our bloated body fat percentages and sedentary living on many different external factors, the reality is that much of what’s ailing us collectively has stemmed from the compounding effects of bad habits that began in childhood.

And these trends aren’t getting any better.

Kids these days are less active, less interested in physical activity and sports, and spend more time in front of T.V.s, computers, tablets, and phones than ever before. 

Their dietary habits aren’t any better, either, with less than 10% of teenagers meeting the minimum number of daily servings of fruits or vegetables.

Many parents think this calls for extreme measures like micromanaging their broodlings’ every calorie and extracurricular minute in an attempt to save their kids from the pitfalls of modern living.

This too often backfires and can lead to alarmingly unhealthy behaviors as the children get older and eventually leave the nest.

And so parents wonder what’s the right way of addressing this issue? How can we teach and encourage our kids to eat and live healthily in a way that will stick and become their own?

I invited Jeff and Mikki Martin on the podcast to help answer these questions and more. 

They’re co-owners of The Brand X Method, a coaching program devoted to youth training since 2004. 

Through their training centers across the US, live seminars, and coaching programs, they’ve helped tens of thousands of kids learn proper movement patterns, improve their athleticism, avoid injury, and develop a healthy relationship with food.

And in this episode, Jeff and Mikki share some of the key lessons they’ve learned over the years, including where to start when they’re young, how to help them enjoy sports as they get older, how to introduce them about proper nutrition, and more.

Let’s get to it!

Time Stamps:

9:40 – Why did they remove PE from public schools?

21:53 – How do we educate parents with new information about raising kids?

29:31 – What are some movement solutions that work best for kids?

39:51 – How do you approach nutrition with kids? 

49:48 – Are there any supplements that you recommend for kids? 

52:30 – What are your thoughts on omega-3, vitamin D and multivitamin supplements for kids? 

58:09 – Are energy drinks and caffeine intake becoming an issue with teenagers?

59:56 – Should teenagers stay away from caffeine altogether? 

Mentioned on The Show:

Books by Mike Matthews

Jeff & Mikki Martin’s Website

The Brand X Method’s Facebook

The Brand X Method’s Instagram

The Brand X Method’s Twitter

The Brand X Method’s Youtube

What did you think of this episode? Have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!