Omega What?

I am sure we have all heard about Omega 3 Fatty Acids.  I wanted to know a little bit more: What are they, Why are they good for you, and What foods contain them?  I did a little research and this is what I found:

Omega 3's are fatty acids necessary for good health but our bodies cannot produce them.  We have to get them from food or supplements.

Omega 3's are good for our bodies for many reasons:

• Help to reduce inflammation in the body
• May help lower risk of chronic diseases such as cancer
• Have a crucial role in brain function
• May reduce the risk of high blood pressure and heart disease
• Lower the amount of cholesterol  in the blood
• Help prevent cancer cell growth

Fish, plant, and nut oils are the primary source of omega-3 fatty acids.  Here is a list of a few foods which contain Omega 3's:

Salmon

Halibut

Herring

Sardines

Tuna

Walnuts

Flaxseeds

Flaxseed oil

Soybeans

Tofu

Shrinp

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.

Keep Breakfast Simple

As moms (and dads) on the go it's easy to skip breakfast to save a few minutes.  This can actually wreak havoc on your diet for the rest of the day.  Skipping breakfast not only makes you feel sluggish and grouchy it can slow down your metabolism and make you ravenous at lunch time; therefore vulnerable to making unhealthy choices.

Here are my simple suggestions to make breakfast easy and delicious:

1. Keep it simple:  Don't try to re-invent the wheel each morning.  Stick to the same routine and keep it simple.  If you are not a big eater in the morning don't plan on a huge meal.  Healthy whole-grain cereal and low-fat milk are your best friend.

2. Keep it healthy: Simple does not mean grabbing a doughnut or huge muffin from the local coffee shop!  Eat your breakfast at home before you run out the door. It will save your wallet and your waistline!

3.  Keep your pantry and fridge loaded with staples: I always make sure I have whole-grain, high fiber cereals and instant oatmeal  in the pantry and a healthy supply of fruits and nuts in the fridge.

My suggestion for breakfast: Kashi or any other organic brand cereal or oatmeal, blueberries, a handful of walnuts, dash of cinnamon and low-fat soy milk.  I eat it almost everyday.  I don't have to think about it - it's routine - and gets me going for the rest of the day.

Easy Tricks to Stay on Your "Diet"

The word diet is truly a four letter word.  I do not use the word in the context of starving yourself through-out the day or denying yourself all of your favorite foods.  Diet should refer to a lifestyle of eating healthy foods on a regular basis.
One of the things I often hear is that when someone goes on a diet they skip breakfast.  This actually has the opposite effect on the body that you are hoping for.  By skipping a meal you can cause a dip in your blood-sugar which can leave you sluggish, irritable, and ravenous at lunchtime.  Sound like someone you know?
This is what I do to stay on track:
1. Eat a healthy breakfast: Skipping breakfast can also make your brain crave high-fat foods.  So don’t leave the door without eating something healthy – even if it’s quick - like whole grain cereal or oatmeal with berries and skim milk. 
2. Eat one or two healthy snacks through-out the day:  If you are watching your weight the idea of eating a snack may seem preposterous.   But eating healthy snacks between meals helps to keep your metabolism up and running and keeps your blood sugar from dipping too low.  A couple of good choices are low-fat yogurt with a handful or almonds or berries, a banana with 1 TBL natural peanut butter, or cut up fruits and veges.  If you have them already cut up in baggies they are easy to grab on the go.
3. Get plenty of Sleep:  We all have busy schedules but lack of rest can be detrimental to our “diet” plan.  Lack of sleep can decrease our smart decision making abilities including what food choices we make.  The optimum amount of sleep is 7-8 hours every night.  Just 2 nights in a row of less than 7 hours can impair your decision making ability, leaving you vulnerable to making poor food choices.
4. Don’t Deny yourself all the foods you love: Unless it’s a doughnut that is!  I love pizza, wine and chocolate.  I could not go through life happily if I was not allowed to eat those foods again.  So I choose to make my own healthy pizzas: light on the cheese, no meat, and heavy on the vegetables, go easy on the wine, and eat only good quality dark chocolate in very small amounts.  This way I can continue to enjoy my favorite foods, not feel deprived,  and keep my “diet” on track.

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!"

Healthy Drink Choices

Here is a great list of 4 healthy drink choices from Dr. Weil:

1. Green tea: Green tea is a potent source of catechins - healthy antioxidants which can inhibit cancer cell activity and help boost immunity. Replace your morning coffee with a cup of tea for a healthier wake-up.

2. Cranberry juice: Cranberries are a rich source of vitamin C and contain a substance that hinders the attachment of bacteria to bladder walls, which can help prevent urinary tract infections. Instead of cranberry juice cocktail, opt for unsweetened cranberry juice concentrate and dilute with water or sparkling water.

3. Red wine: The antioxidant activity of red wine has been linked to heart health benefits, reduced stress, and even preserving memory. If you enjoy an occasional drink, limit your intake to 1-2 glasses a day. If you don't drink, don't start - there are other ways to get antioxidants in your diet, including fresh, whole fruits and vegetables.

4. Pure, filtered water: Staying well hydrated is essential to optimal health and overall functioning. Drink as much as you want throughout the day, and in the warmer months, be sure to drink water.

Here is the link to the entire article:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP03406/Four-Healthy-Drinks.html

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

Instead of Drinking Diet Soda

It is a myth that if you want to lose weight you should drink diet soda. I have even seen "experts" on diet and exercise promote this idea as a "revolutionary" weight loss idea. Let me first start by saying...I used to be a diet coke junkie. Every once and a while my husband and I still reminisce about the good old days of frosty, diet sodas with little ice chips floating around the glass on a hot Texas day...mmmm...but I digress...

Research shows that people who drink diet drinks on a regular basis may be more likely to gain weight and develop metabolic syndrome, a condition that includes having excess belly fat, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and insulin resistance. The artificial sweeteners in diets sodas interfere with signals in the brain that help your body judge how may calories you have already ingested and make it difficult for your body to determine how much you really need to eat. Not to mention that studies also show that sodas can cause erosion of tooth enamel. (Women's Day Mag April 2009).

So - what to drink - choose better alternatives: water, unsweetened iced tea, green or black tea, low fat milk, and small amounts of 100% fruit juice.

How to Cut Calories When Cooking

I read some great tips from Women's Health Magazine abut how to cut calories while cooking at home. I wanted to share a few with you:

1. Substitute low fat or nonfat yogurt instead of sour cream in recipes.
2. Use chicken or vegetable broth instead of oil to saute meats and vegetables ( I prefer 100%organic free range chicken broth).
3. Cut 2 TBL of butter from the recipe when making mac-n-cheese.
4. When making meatballs, meatloaf, or burgers go half-and-half wit the ground beef and ground turkey (my version - go 100% extra lean ground turkey on any recipe that includes meat)
5. When preparing rice or any packaged meal that requires butter - use broth instead.
6. Use tuna packed in water, not oil.

A few more of my own tips:

• If buying canned fruit make sure it is in it's own natural juices or light syrup - not heavy syrup.
• When following recipes that call for a lot of oil - cut some of it back and substitute with water.
• If a recipe calls for heavy cream - cut the amount in half and substitute low fat milk for the remainder.

What Jack La Lanne Eats

I read this article in "What Should I Eat" from Consumer Reports on Health. It had a write up on Jack La Lanne. These are a few quotes from Jack La Lanne:

"The food you eat today, you're wearing tomorrow."

"Junk in, junk out."

"Ten seconds on the lips, a lifetime on the hips."

His diet includes, fish, scrambled egg whites, 10 servings of raw vegetables everyday, 5 pieces of fresh fruit, and whole grains. What amazed me is that he is 92 yet works out for over 2 hours a day, every day. He also states that he hates to work out...but he does it for better health.

Most of us don't want to take the time out of our busy schedules to exercise...but you have to remember...it's a lifestyle. Take the time. Even regular brisk walking can reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other diseases.

Just remember great words from a former Mr. Universe and Mr. America, "Junk in, Junk Out."

More Disease Fighting Foods

There is some controversy surrounding soy products. For the most part I have always heard that soy is good for you. As someone who had "surgical menopause" and does not take Hormone Replacement Therapy, soy products were recommended to me by my doctor due to the natural estrogens found in soy to help with symptoms related to menopause. I drink soy milk, eat tofu, and eat snack bars that contain soy. I think along with regular exercise, a healthy diet, good sleep habits, and having soy in my diet, I have not had any symptoms from menopause that would require me to resort to medication. It's not the same for everyone but it has worked for me.

There is fairly strong evidence that soy plays a part in heart protection and helps to lower cholesterol. The isoflavones, naturally occurring plant compounds found in soy, show some of the same characteristics as human hormones, and may help protect against breast and colon cancer, may ease menopausal symptoms, reduce risk of heart disease, and improve bone health.

The negative comments I have read about soy surround not eating soy if you have estrogen related breast cancer.

But most of the articles I have read consider soy a "Super Food" and recommend including it in your diet for the added benefits of heart protection, cancer protection, and relief of menopausal symptoms.

Healthy Kids Snacks

My kids snack just as much as other kids do. I just try to find them a healthier, natural substitute for most of their favorite things. Thankfully that wasn’t too hard after I found the brand Annie’s Homegrown Natural Foods.

They have a large variety of snacks, mac-n-cheese and cereals that use simple natural and organic ingredients. What’s even better, all of their packages are made with some recycled content, and all of them can be tossed in the recycling bin. Here are some of my (and my kids) favorites:

1. Cheddar Bunnies, Honey Bunny Grahams, Cinnamon Bunny Grahams

2. Arthur Mac N Cheese, Bunny Pasta with Cheese

3. Cinna Bunnies Cereal

I have found these products at both Super Target and Market Street. They also have a great on-line site for purchasing:

http://www.annies.com/home

Easy Tips To Keep Your Diet On Track:

Our days are busy. We feel guilty when we over eat or don't have time to exercise. How do we keep our diets and exercise programs on track? How do we stay motivated and keep a positive attitude? Here are a few easy tips:

1. Don’t set unrealistic goals. Commit to eating well for a 1 week. When you have accomplished that goal set a new goal of 2 weeks and so on. Every time you reach your goal you will have a sense of accomplishment.

2. Eat well and exercise not to just look good but to feel good too. When you add a small amount of exercise like walking into you daily routine along with making healthier food choices, you will soon see how much better you feel. Use this as your motivator and keep it up.

3. Move on after a mistake. We all overindulge now and then. Sometimes more NOW than then but forget about it and move on. Follow any overindulgence with several healthy meals and snacks. This will ensure that you are eating healthy food most of the time. And don't feel guilty. Realize that you made a bad choice and move on. Feelings of guilt propel us back into our old bad habits.

4. Eat a healthy breakfast at home before you start your day so you are not tempted to indulge in the unhealthy treats along the way like doughnuts, bagels with cream cheese, and lattes. Keep healthy alternatives at home and work like Kashi oatmeal and cereal, and snack bars. If you can't drink your coffee without loads of sugar, flavored syrups and whipped cream - skip the coffee!

5. Toss the junk food and restock your cupboard and fridge with almonds, fruits and vegetables, Soy Joy or Kashi Bars. Have cut up fruit and veges on hand so that they are easy and convenient to grab. And do the same at work. Having a bowl of grapes washed and ready in the fridge makes for an easy, healthy snack.

6. Drink lots of water and green tea. Avoid sodas of any kind.

How to Burn More Calories After 40

I’m not quite there yet…just over a year before I turn the big 4-0. But because I had a hysterectomy at 36 as part of my ovarian cancer treatment I had what is called surgical menopause, which basically means that I went into surgery well before my menopausal years and came out of it post-menopausal. So how’s that for a body adjustment?

I find that it now takes more work to keep those pounds off and to keep the arms and shoulders looking lean and mean. Now I know we all wish we could have arms like Madonna at 50 but let’s face it…most of us cannot afford a personal trainer and devote a good portion of our days to working out. So I went to the books for tips on how to get the most out of my workouts and how to burn more calories while I am working out and also just at home. Here is what I found:

Swing Your Arms While You Walk: If you bend your elbows at a 90 degree angle and pump your arms while you walk you will burn up to 15% more calories every time you work out. (forget about how you might look - swing 'em hard)

Work Out with Music: It can help you to go up to 20% longer to burn more calories. SometimesI am just about to call it quits and a great tune will rev up my run or make me walk that extra block or two.

Take it Outside: Exercisers burn 10% more calories when walking or running outdoors than they do on a treadmill at the same speed. Even pushing more against the wind or other elements burns more calories too!

Move More all Day: Pace around while you talk on the phone, walk instead of drive, go up and down your stairs, get up and walk around the house a few times between emails. You could burn up to 350 extra calories a day!

**Some information from an article in the March 2009 Prevention Magazine**

** Picture from inmagine.com**

How to Make a Gourmet Salad in 5 Minutes

When it comes to salad I am on the lazy side. I am usually in a hurry but still want a nice salad with dinner. I usually start with a bagged salad. Make sure you wash and drain it well. I like Dole Tender Garden, 7 Lettuces Blend, or Classsic Romaine. I even mix bags together for more variety. You can use any kind you prefer but try to make sure it has some of the darker greens mixed in like spinach or endive. The more color in the bag the better.

To spruce it up I add about ½ cup of craisins, ½ cup sliced almonds, and ½ cup chopped carrots(I use the baby carrots that have already been peeled). If you have more time add some chopped onion and green pepper as well. To really make it gourmet add 1/2 of a chopped Granny Smith Apple with the peel on.

To keep your salad healthy stay away from high fat, creamy dressings. My favorite salad dressing is Annie’s Naturals Lite Raspberry Vinaigrette. Stick to the recommended serving – measure it out if need be. If you already have a favorite dressing make sure to read the list of ingredients. Many salad dressings contain high fructose corn syrup and lots of calories and fat.

But I Just Want a Cookie!

How many times are you at the grocery store with your kids and they want to get every dessert product you pass by? “Mom, Can I have this?” “No.” “Can I have this?” “No.” It gets exhausting. It is to the point at my house that when we are at the store if my 7 year old son asks if he can have something I tell him to read the label. He knows a few of the key words to look for – no high fructose corn syrup and no hydrogenated oils.

It makes me feel pretty bad sometimes. So I started to read the labels of several snack brands and found one that I feel is healthy enough for my family and oh boy…it tastes good!

The brand I like is Back to Nature. We love the Peanut Butter Crème Cookies (Taste like Nutter Butters – remember them?) We also love the Chocolate Chunk Cookies. And, of course, they're all baked with no hydrogenated oils and have no trans fat.

So you can still have a little sweet indulgence now and then and you don’t have to cut all the sweets out of your diet. Just try to find some that are a little better for you and are made with more natural ingredients. It’s Ok….have a cookie! (But just 2)

Welcome to my Blog!

I started this blog not because I am an expert in nutrition, diet or exercise but because I am a pushing forty, happily married, cancer surviving, mother of two who just wants to raise a healthy family without having to have a personal chef, trainer or a degree in nutrition. Why should I have to read the label of every single food item I buy for my family? What happened to food just being food?

Two years ago when I found I had cancer, my family and I, who already exercised and ate pretty healthy, really started doing a lot of research on what we were eating. We began to read the labels of everything we bought. The first few weeks of doing this meant for long hours at the grocery store. I found myself exclaiming out loud in the aisles, “I’ve been feeding this to my kids?” It produced a number of wary looks from fellow shoppers. Once I began to get a handle of what products I thought were okay and what to avoid it began to get much easier but what I found shocking is the number of preservatives, hidden trans fat, and over processed foods that are in our diets. Why should there be ten ingredients in butter? Shouldn’t butter just be cream and salt?
So I decided I would start off 2009 with a blog that had great food tips, easy healthy recipes, and information that I could share with others on getting back to a more natural way of eating. I wanted to help others so they would not have to do all the leg work I have done over the last couple of years to put healthy food on my families table.

1 Corinthians 6:19,20 (New Living Translation)
Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

The first thing I want to talk about is breakfast. For me, it’s boring. I do not get excited about breakfast at home. It is utilitarian. Although I would prefer a nice big toasted everything bagel with a bunch of cinnamon swirl cream cheese. That’s not what I eat. Six out of seven days a week I eat either cereal or oatmeal with fruit. I know it sounds pretty bland but you can really make it a great start to a super healthy day. Here are a few suggestions:

Kashi Heart to Heart Brown Maple Oatmeal
Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal
Kashi Heart to Heart Cereal










Whatever I choose I always add about a teaspoon of cinnamon to my cereal, ground flax seed (I’ll tell you why next), and fruit – usually blueberries or sliced bananas. To make the cold cereal even better I use light vanilla soy milk. I know it may sound strange but it is so good. I like it so much that I never use regular milk anymore. If you don’t like the extra vanilla flavoring than just get regular light soy milk. My favorite brand is Light Silk Soymilk. It’s all natural.

The reason I usually choose Kashi brand cereals or oatmeal is that I know I can trust that their products are going to be all natural. I don’t have to read the list of ingredients before buying their products – I have found from my research and reading the labels of many different brands of cereal that they consistently use all natural ingredients. Here’s their website if you want to look at the products they sell.

http://kashi.com/

I also want to add that I do not work for anybody or get anything for mentioning products. I am just simply sharing my opinion about products I love. As I mentioned, I have spent a lot of time reading labels and just want to share the information I have found so that I can help others get back to more natural way of eating.