September 2003 Newsletter

This Newsletter is published monthly on this website to offer information and motivation to our readers.

Make Martial Arts Part of Your Family Lifestyle

 

by Joseph Galea

Raising children today is tough. Many parents must work full time resulting in less parental supervision and limited time to devote to instilling values and discipline. Wouldn't it be great if you could vaccinate your children against peer-pressure, poor academic performance, and negative behaviors? If only it were that easy! In lieu of the miracle shot,we suggest martial arts training to help supplement your efforts at teaching life skills to your children.

Martial arts teaches discipline. Some people are scared off by the word discipline because it brings to mind an aggressive approach to achieving a desired result.Discipline involves setting limits, establishing consistent consequences and making positive behaviors a habit. We strive for children to be disciplined in their actions so that if at first they don't succeed, they will try again.According to family counselor Dr. Ruth Peters, Ph.D.,“Discipline will help your child grow into a self-confident, successful adult.”

Martial arts provides a positive social environment. Do you know your children's friends and what they do when they hang-out? What children do with their spare time will influence who they choose as friends and what peer pressures they will face when you are not around.While it is difficult to pick your children’s friends, you do have the ability to surround them with a better mix.When your children participate in martial arts training they are among other children whose parents want their children to learn the same values and disciplines as you!

Martial arts teaches good manners.Don't you love hearing a child say “ please”, “thank you”, or “excuse me?”Politeness is an underrated character trait that can have a great impact on your children's ability to play or work with others.When children are disrespectful, they will find it harder to make friends as teenagers, and subsequently more difficult to make a good impression as adults.That's why you will hear our students say “Yes...sir!” or “Yes...ma’am” in class.We are teaching them to respond habitually in a positive way to parents and other people. Although we raise our children differently, most of us want our children to have discipline, good manners, and a positive social environment.When you add martial arts methodology to your efforts, you will increase your chances for success.

 

action PRINCIPLES

Do What You Love Doing

 

By Bill FitzPatrick

There are 5,000 different types of occupations. Choose one that you love. People have been successful at all of them. They are your models. When you love your job, it doesn't seem like work. Plan to spend a lot of your time doing what you love.You are in control of your own happiness.

 

by Jennifer G. Galea MS RD

For years, nutritionists have told health conscious individuals to avoid chocolate candies due to their high fat content and empty calories. We use to recommend plain sugar type candies because, although they still were empty calories, they had fewer calories and were fat free. Now the recommendations have changed due to recent findings regarding the benefits of chocolate.

Many chocoholics have touted the benefits of chocolate on mood. Ancient Europeans used chocolate to treat anemia, tuberculosis, fever, and gout. We can't support those uses, but here are the scientifically documented benefits leading to the cautious recommendation to consume chocolate:

• Chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, contains antioxidants and specific flavonoids that have been shown to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.

• One third of the fat in chocolate is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil.This type of fat has been shown to be beneficial for heart health.

So while no nutritionist would advocate a diet rich in candy of any sort, chocolate intake isn't viewed as the nutrition nightmare that it used to be. To avoid taking these recommendations “too far,”here are some basic guidelines:

• As with any food item, eat chocolate in moderation, especially considering its calorie content.

• Choose darker chocolates,which are higher in antioxidants and flavonoids.

Incorporate other healthful items into your chocolate, while leaving out the additional empty calories. For example, try chocolate covered raisins or strawberries. (I don't recommend yogurt covered raisins as the yogurt doesn't have the nutritional benefits of chocolate. Further, the yogurt coating usually contains unhealthy fats.) Another example: choose plain dark chocolate rather than chocolate covered caramels, to eliminate the additional empty calories found in caramel.

 

How to Make the Most of After-School Time

Parents: Don't let your child waste precious after-school time surfing the net or hanging out. Instead, keep them learning and growing with our special martial arts program for kids.

We help children develop key areas such as listening skills, goal setting, leadership, and confidence in a safe, fun, and challenging environment.

So, help your child make the most of their daily after-school time with martial arts classes at ASDFC.