Click here for a special message from First Lady Michelle Obama and to join Kids Get Cooking Day. Read on for highlights from Prevention Editor-in-Chief Diane Salvatore’s interview with Mrs. Obama, and get the full story in our March 2012 issue, on newsstands now. On staying healthy when every penny counts: “Clearly this is a tough economic time, and a lot of families are hurting. So when we talk to parents, we talk about small changes for kids and things that don’t cost extra money. Like adding water and eliminating sugary drinks and sodas. That’s going to save money right there. Or adding a few more vegetables.” On the preventive power of food: “Another suggestion is to cook a meal, maybe not every night, but a couple more times a week than you usually do. That way you have leftovers, and you take your lunch to work. If people can find a way to slowly incorporate these changes into their lives, they’re going to see the doctor less, and they’ll have more energy, even in tough times of depression and struggle.” Eat for More Energy On getting her girls to love vegetables: “Sasha always claimed not to like tomatoes, which is such a shame because we grow beautiful tomatoes out in our garden. But then she took a cooking class at school where they made sandwiches with tomatoes, and all of a sudden she’s coming home saying how much she loves tomatoes. She insisted that the tomatoes she had at school were different from the ones we have at home. But the real difference is that she had put time into making that sandwich, so she was invested in it. And I think that’s why involving kids in the cooking process is so important—they become invested, and they’re willing to try new things, and they might discover that they actually like them.” On fighting double standards about women and weight: “I would tell women: Forget about weight. Don’t get on a scale. Stop measuring your waist … I look at it as setting an example. When I get up and work out, I’m working out just as much for my girls as I am for me, because I want them to see a mother who loves them dearly, who invests in them, but who also invests in herself. It’s just as much about letting them know as young women that it is okay to put yourself a little higher on your priority list. It doesn’t make you a selfish person. Men already feel just fine with an extra investment in themselves. And we encourage that. But we have to turn that around for ourselves and show our young girls.” On the pressure to look forever young: “Women are definitely under a lot of pressure, but I think it’s important to remember that to look good, you have to feel good. I look at my mom at 74 and see how beautiful she looks and how wonderful she is with our daughters and with me and my husband–and I want that for myself when I’m her age.” On health care reform and the need for preventative care: “Health reform is critical to prevention. But it’s important for people to know that health reform is about fighting to ensure people get preventative health care. The high rates of diabetes and strokes and heart attacks are all preventable with good access to medical care and preventative treatment. And nutrition is a part of that prevention. Many people don’t have access to a nutritionist. Well, health care reform would allow that. It will mean that millions more people have access to the things that people with good insurance take for granted.” For the full interview and a look back at groundbreaking Let’s Move! milestones, pick up the March 2012 issue of Prevention, on sale now!
