In the last ten years, portion sizes have gotten much bigger, which makes having a healthy diet even more difficult. This makes portion control even more important. One of the keys to a healthy diet is good portion control, and the key there is knowing how much of which foods you should be eating. My goal in creating Moms Health Zone was to provide other moms with easy ways to improve the health and well being of their families. A critical way to improve your family’s health is to encourage a healthy diet. These portion guidelines will help you do just that.

One great way to make sure you have the correct portion size is to change the size of your plate. Smaller plates lead to smaller servings. Medicine.net has put together a great set of guidelines to help guide. “A serving is a specific amount of food, and it might be smaller than you realize. Read more →

The fall is a great time to establish new routines that will last through the upcoming school year. One of the best exercise tips I can give you is the importance of making time for being active, even if it’s just a 15 minute workout. As a mom, I know time is always tight and you don’t have a lot of it; the good news is a short daily routine can be even more helpful than long, extensive sessions at a gym.

Here are a few of my favorite fall exercise tips:

1. Be sociable. One of the best ways to stay on track is to have someone hold you accountable, and spending time with a friend includes fantastic emotional benefits, so establish a 15 minute workout with them. Go for a weekly walk together or join the same class at a local gym. Incorporating friends into your daily routine will help keep you motivated, even on days you don’t feel like making time to keep your body active. Let’s face it, when you know someone’s meeting you at the corner, it helps you get going when the getting up and out is tough… Read more →

A lot of moms are in desperate need of organizing tips because being a parent is a job like no other. Breaks are rare, to-do lists are lengthy and getting everything done often seems impossible. The good news is there are a lot of time saving tips that can help parents stay on top of their impossibly busy schedule.

Here are a few organizing tips to get you started:

• Keep an eye out for helpful tools, apps and resources. Whether you prefer an organizer on your phone or a hard copy you carry in your purse, keeping track of appointments and activities for the entire family is essential for moms. A planner is a must for any parent juggling a million and one things at once. Want more time saving tips? There are a lot of apps out there that can help you with meal planning, reminders throughout the day and more. One of my favorite resources for moms is The Mommy Coach. She can work in person or virtually and her tips, resources and kits are invaluable. Read more →

In my recent article on Patch.com, I asked, “What are your tips and strategies to build connection, deepen relationships and develop the art of conversation with your kids?” Keep an eye out for a future article, where I’ll share what my readers suggest. In the meantime, I wanted to add my two cents on the subject.

It’s never too late to help your kids develop and strengthen their conversational abilities; these skills will be vital for them as they get older and make friends, get jobs and become full-fledged adults. How do you get started?

1. Set a good example. Kids will mimic what they see, so keep them in mind when you’re talking with your spouse, neighbor or even sister on the phone. Read more →

An important part of parenting is teaching your kids how to be a contributing member of society. One important way they contribute in the home is through chores. No matter their age, there are ways your children can help out around the house.

How do you encourage your kids to help with chores? Of course the tasks they’re given should vary based on age and capabilities, but there are some overall principles that apply no matter what age they are:

Make Time to Talk. If you’ve asked your son or daughter to do chores and they aren’t doing them, stop what you’re doing, turn off distractions and talk to them about it. Find out what’s going on in their head and help motivate them to get their work done first so they can spend time choosing what they do later. Spend this time in a discussion as opposed to lecturing your child about their responsibilities or duties. Read more →