How to Get Your Kids to Eat More Fruits and Veges

I feel pretty lucky.  My kids will eat steamed broccoli and carrots at dinner without a fuss.  Now don’t get me wrong, given the choice, French fries would trump the veges any night of the week.  But when it comes to getting them to branch out and try a larger variety of fruits and veges it’s not always an easy job.  So I tried to think of a more creative way to squeeze those important foods into their diet and for me it was  - The Juicer.

First off I will begin by stating that yes a juicer is a pain to put together and to clean.  But every time I start to feel overwhelmed about the entire process I take a look at all of the different fruits and veges I am getting into my kids with no fussing - and the added bonus is that they always ask for more.

I don’t have a secret recipe.  I actually call my juicing technique – The Kitchen Sink.  I try to make sure my refrigerator is stocked full of a large variety of apples, pears, grapes, lemons, grapefruits, carrots, and leafy greens like spinach and kale.  

I find the most effective way to juice is to wash all of your fruits and veges and cut them up into the appropriate size for your juicer before you begin.  Have them all ready to go and then juice away.  The secret I have found is to make sure you include a lot of familiar tasting fruits in with the more “exotic” ones.  For instance, my kids would rarely eat grapefruit, kale or lemons on their own but when juiced with apples, oranges, and grapes, they don’t even know realize they are getting all of the other foods as well.  

My typical juice recipe: 1 red apple, 1 green apple, ½ grapefruit, ½ lemon, large bunch of grapes, large orange, large bunch of spinach or kale, large bunch of salad greens,  3-4 stalks of celery, 2-3 large carrots, 1 pear.  You do not have to use so many different fruits but I figure if I am going to the trouble of getting the juicer out, I want to get the most out of it.  Although I wish I had the time to do this every day, I usually juice for my family 3-4 times a week.  Once you get into the habit, it’s not so daunting, and when I think about all the benefits my family is getting I feel it is worth all of the effort.

Embrace the New Year

We'll hear it the entire month of January... A New Year - A New You.  So I ask...What makes the idea of a new year fill us with excitement and anticipation of setting new health and fitness goals?    Maybe instead of rolling our eyes at the age old cliche, we should embrace the simple truth in this phrase and look to the new year to set goals not just for a new diet but for an overall healthier lifestyle. 

First, set realistic goals. If are currently not exercising don’t set a goal of running a marathon by the end of the year. Start by adding a short walk into your routine a few times a week and slowly work up to 30 minutes 4-5 times a week.   If your goal is to start running, once you can comfortably walk 30 minutes at a time, add 1-2 minute running breaks into your walk and slowly work up to longer periods of time as you get more comfortable. 


Second, slowly make healthy changes in your diet.  A complete pantry overhaul may be what you need but to keep your family from thinking you have lost your mind...make simple changes one at a time.  For instance, switch from white rice and pastas to brown.  Switch from white bread to wheat and multi-grain varieties.  Be more conscience about the packaged products you are purchasing; if they contain high fructose corn syrup or any kind of hydrogenated oils, put them back on the shelf.  And the most important nutrition goal you can have is to limit your animal protein and start eating a larger variety of fruits and vegetables.

Third, have fun. Try not to look at healthy eating and exercise as a daunting, punishment to endure. Instead, try to turn it into a new way of life – your new and improved lifestyle. Exercise stimulates various brain chemicals, which may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You'll also look  and feel better when you exercise and eat a healthy diet on a regular basis, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem.

Involve your children in making healthy choices

In a world of what to eat and what not to eat we can sometimes lose track of the foods that are really important for good health.  There really should be no perplexity when it comes to eating.  When did it get so confusing?

It saddens me that when my kids ask for a certain food I have to tell them to read the label first.  I have them trained to look for certain “no-no’s” like high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils.  Their pleas of, “Come on, mom, just this one time,” sometimes make me want to laugh and sometimes make me want to cry.  As a society how can we produce and mass advertise such unhealthy food products and then wonder why we have the highest rates of diabetes and childhood obesity?

As a parent, and more importantly, as an eater, it is easy to get confused about what products are good for you and what products to avoid.  I basically try to keep it simple.  Here are some of the rules I follow:

1. When grocery shopping stay on the perimeter of the store.  Load up your cart with fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh meats and dairy and stay out of the aisles that contain the packaged and processed foods.  When I go down the aisles it is only to purchase a few products: whole grain breads, pasta, and rice, healthy whole grain cereals and oatmeal, almonds, green tea, and very few other items.

2. Involve your children in making healthy choices.  Yesterday when we went grocery shopping we spent 90% of our time in the produce department and I let my kids choose the fruits and veges they wanted to eat, pick them out, and bag them themselves.  It gave them a sense of pride and involvement and made them not only talk about healthy choices but also want to eat all of the good stuff they picked out!

3. Make each plate you serve be colorful.  You might not think of all the foods you need to eat ahead of time but when you sit down to have a meal look at your plate and ask yourself if it is colorful.  I may give my kids a turkey sandwich for lunch but their plates will also have carrot sticks and red grapes on them.  A spaghetti dinner also includes steamed broccoli, carrots, and fruit.  Even when we order pizza I include carrot sticks and berries alongside the oozing cheese.

I really think we don’t have to make eating so confusing.  Just stick to the basics, make wise choices most of the time, and enjoy eating.

3 Easy Steps to Better Health

The focus of my blog has always been..."when did food stop being food?"  I still get amazed walking down the aisles of the grocery store at the abundance of packaged, processed, salted, boxed and canned things on the shelves that we call food.  If there is a list of ingredients a mile long...undecipherable names of preservatives and chemicals in the label - can we really call it food?  What happened to  food that we can recognize?

I honestly don't believe in any kind of "diet".  I think healthy living is a lifestyle choice.  Believe me, living in Texas in the summer is not the place I really want to go for a run but exercise is one of the most important ways to maintain good health so heat or no heat - I run.  SO what can we do to get on our way to living and most importantly eating healthy?  I say start with a few minor changes.  I'll do more descriptive blog posts on each topic but I think I can break it down into a few easy steps:

1.    Get rid of any products in your kitchen that contain high fructose corn syrup.
I am a big fan of Dr. Oz and he even goes as far as to say to get rid of any products that contain any kind of corn syrup or nay syrups at all)
2.    Get rid of all the products in your house that contain partially hydrogenated oils or any kids of hydrogenated oils.
3.    When you shop at the grocery store do almost all of your shopping around the perimeter of the store.  The perimeter of the store contains the fresh fruits and vegetables, the fresh meats, fresh dairy and more.  When you start going up and down the aisles that’s where you find all the packaged and processed foods.

I think if you start to foces on these 3 steps you will be on the right track of a newer, healthier lifestyle.

The Benefits of Brown Rice

I know, I know!  I have said it before but if you have not switched your white rice to brown rice...now is the time!

There are so many benefits to eating brown rice over white rice.  For starters, brown rice is a whole grain and provides more fiber, iron, B vitamins and other nutrients than white rice. (There are 1.5 grams of fiber per half cup of brown rice-almost three times the fiber in the same amount of white rice.)

If you still haven't made the switch...do it little by little.  Don't expect your family to quit white rice cold turkey!  Slowly add brown rice into the white rice you are currently eating and slowly phase the white rice out.  I started by combining 3/4 white to 1/4 brown and slowly over time we completely switched the entire family to brown rice.  Now my boys don't even know the difference.  In fact, it has been so long since they have even seen white rice that they probably would think it's a new food and would not even want to try it.  Not even for a dollar!

For more information on the benefits of brown rice view this article from drweil.com:
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP03684/Healthy-Choice-White-or-Brown-Rice.html

Are Your Carbs White?

One of the easiest changes we can make in our diet is switching all of our "white" products to brown.  If you are still eating white bread, pasta and rice it is now the time to switch to the whole wheat/whole grain versions.

Don't be discouraged if your family has some resistance at first.  Significant changes in the way you and your family eat may take time.  Start with one product at a time and slowly introduce the new products into the diet a little at a time.  For instance, if you normally eat white rice, the next time you make rice serve half white/half brown rice mixed together.  Do this a couple of times and slowly work your way to eliminating all of the white rice and serving brown rice only  Do the same with spaghetti.

I actually think that the switch to whole wheat/whole grain bread is the easier change to make.  There are so many great tasting whole wheat and whole grain breads out there.  I prefer the ones that are labeled multi-grain, 7 Grain, etc.  Be sure to read the label to make sure your bread does not contain high fructose corn syrup.  Also look to see if your bread is All Natural and that it actually contains 100% whole wheat or 100% whole grain.

If you find that your kids are resisting the changes just be honest with them.  Share with them that you are making these changes so that they are eating a more healthy diet to keep them strong and healthy and to keep them from getting sick. 


So what's the skinny?  Why are whole wheat and whole grains better for you? 

Eating whole grains such as oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, brown rice and pasta as part of a healthy diet can help reduce the risk of heart disease, some types of cancer, and Type-2 diabetes.  The whole wheat versions also contain more vitamins and nutrients that have not been striped out in the refining process.

So start today - make the change.  Yes you can!

Food for Thought: You are More Than What You Eat

I heard something the other day that has really stuck with me.  It was from Michael Pollan, in his Book The Omnivore's Dilemma.  He said:

"You are what you eat, eats."

I have been thinking of this statement a lot lately and it has made me even more conscience of the foods I purchase and consume.  Here are a few tips I am trying to do for my family that will hopefully make a difference in what we eat - and what we eat has already eaten:

• Buy organic milk
• Buy eggs that are organic or at least vegetarian feed, cage free, or free range
• Buy chicken that is organic or at least "all natural" -  raised without any hormones, antibiotics, or steroids
• Buy as much "local" produce as possible
• Buy some organic fruits and vegetables - apples ,berries ,celery, and spinach have higher amounts of pesticides

*As I come up with more tips or suggestions I will add them to the list*

Super Easy Health Tips

There is so much confusion about what to eat and what not to eat. When did eating become so confusing?  As I always say...What happened to food just being food?

Eating healthy is basically pretty easy.  Here are a few easy tips to try and simplify our lives:

Here are the good foods:

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables
• Eat small amounts of lean meat and fish
• Eat healthy fats (olive oil, avocados,almonds, salmon)
• Eat Whole Grains (No white breads,rice,or pasta-use the healthier whole wheat and whole grain varieties)

Foods to avoid:

• Minimize full fat dairy products(use low-fat milk and yogurts)
  
• Avoid fried foods
• Avoid soft drinks (regular and diet)
• Avoid white breads, rice, and pasta

And remember (from the words of Bob Green) 

"Move More...Eat Less!"

Are All Diets Created Equally?

According to an article in Consumers Reports on Health...researchers assigned 811 overweight adults to 4 different diets with varying amounts of carbs, fats and protein. After 2 years it didn't matter which diet they were on as long as they cut calories.

What does that mean for us? If you want to lose weight...move more, eat less! We need to develop the habit of eating smaller portions, add more fruits and vegetable into our diets, switch from white rice, bread and spaghetti to the whole grain varieties, and most of all...add small amounts of exercise into our daily routine.

That does not mean we have to hit the gym everyday or train for a marathon. Simply add 10-20 minutes (to start) of walking into your routine most days of the week - I have been known to walk around my house at night after I put the kids to bed if I have not had the opportunity to exercise during the day. You can increase your walking time as you get stronger.

But remember...start small...don't make unattainable goals, and reward yourself with small gifts when you reach each goal...a new book, lipstick or pedicure (round of golf for those guys).

Here is a great sight to view when figuring out portion control:

http://www.theportionplate.com/index.html

Changing What You Drink May Result in a Flatter Belly!

What?

A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that around 37 percent of our total daily liquid calories come from sugar-sweetened drinks. And here's the really crazy part: Those beverages have a bigger impact on our waistlines than anything else we eat.

You may be drinking up to 400 extra calories a day!!!

Here are drinks to go easy on:

1. Whole Milk: Go for the skim or fat free varieties.

2. Sweetened Tea: Unsweetened tea is a great beverage to sip but when you start loading up on the sugar you are loading up on the calories. The super plus about tea - studies have found that compounds in green tea known as catechins rev your metabolism for up to 24 hours—meaning it actually helps you burn more calories. So drink the tea but skip the sugar and the artificial sweeteners - add a splash of lemon instead.

3. Alcohol: Most wines ring in between 100 and 120 calories a glass. A frozen Margarita has appx. 180 calories (all carbs) for a 4 oz serving. Considering the average margarita glass holds 12 oz you're looking at 540 calories. A 12oz. beer has from 75-200+ calories depending on the make. Oh - so sad!

4. Diet Soda: You think because it has "diet" in the label that it is OK to drink but new research from Purdue University suggests that drinking these artificially sweetened beverages can alter with the brain's ability to measure caloric intake. Drink them often enough and you may actually start to crave sweets more, eat more, and GAIN more weight.

What should You Drink?

1. Water (the old fashioned plain and simple kind)

2. Tea (unsweetened, of course)

3. Coffee (unsweetened of course - skim or fat free milk, avoid any kind of whipped cream, chocolate shavings and syrups - they can add up to 200+ calories.

Some info from womenshealthmag.com Article - Think Before You Drink 7/21/2009

Image from: recipes.lovetoknow.com

5 Ways to Prevent Prostate Cancer

Here is a great article about ways to prevent Prostate Cancer, The second most common cause of cancer death in men. I will include highlights from the article and the link to the complete article.

1. Eat a healthy diet, low in red meat and high in vegetables.
2. Drink Green Tea
3. Exercise
4. Take a Daily Multi-Vitamin
5. Regular Screening

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP03295/5-Ways-to-Prevent-Prostate-Cancer.html

10 Easy Life Changes for Good Health

I am going to do a series of 10 easy things you can do that will help improve your health. These will be 10 easy adjustments to your normal routine...just one a day that will hopefully make some great changes to your overall health. The good news is...I am going to do them with you. I found myself lapsing back into some old patterns over the last couple of weeks so now it's time to forget about past mistakes, get a positive new attitude and take a proactive approach to our health.

Today I will go over step number one:

Deep Breathing

Our assignment for this week is to take just one minute out of our day - you can do it in the car while you are driving if you have to - and concentrate on deep breathing. This is where you inhale deeply thru your nose- deep from your abdomen, hold breath for a few seconds, and then exhale thru your mouth. I try to count for 5 slow seconds on each inhale and exhale.

Benefits from deep breathing include:

• Floods your system with oxygen
• Helps you relax or calm down
• Energizes you
• Stimulates the digestive process
• Improves fitness
• Help to detoxify inner organs