Unhealthy Snacks

I do believe that healthy snacking is an important part of eating a balanced diet.  Eating a healthy snack, like fruit or low fat yogurt, between meals helps to keep you feeling satisfied throughout the day and helps you not to over eat at meal time.

However, unhealthy snacks can cause spikes in your blood sugar, leaving you with that afternoon "crash". Here is a list of a few snacks to avoid:

1. Doughnuts. High in sugar, trans-fats, and calories doughnuts are not only bad for your waistline, but bad for your energy levels as well. The high sugar content is likely to end in a midday crash. If you crave a doughnut, try a piece of whole-grain toast with 1 TBSP all natural peanut butter.
2. Soft Drinks. There just isn't anything nutritious about soda, whether it's diet or regular. Don't be fooled because the drink is diet - there is nothing healthy about them and in fact diet drinks can actually make you add on extra pounds!  Instead of a soda, try some sparkling water with lemon, unsweetened tea, or just plain water.
3.  French Fries: Actually anything fried - from chicken to potatoes to vegetables - should be avoided. Deep-fried foods contain trans fats that are bad for your body. If you want finger foods, opt for carrot sticks, low-fat mozzarella cheese sticks, or grapes.
4. Chips: Chips of any kind are usually fried so are therefore high in fat and salt.  Instead of chips opt for healthier choices like cut up fruits and veges, apple slices, or a hand full of almonds.  This way you still get the crunch without all the calories.

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.

Natural Ways to Lower Blood Pressure

Lately my husband and I have been obsessed with blood pressure readings.  Luckily getting your blood pressure measured is a pretty easy task these days thanks to the abundance of reading machines they now have in grocery and drug stores all over the place.

Thankfully I have pretty low blood pressure.  I don't know if it is genetic or the result of a healthy diet and  regular exercise.  Maybe a combination of both; however, it has been known to be raised after a stressful shopping trip with the kids so I warn you to only get a reading at the grocery store if you are alone, taking your time, and not yelling at your children while consuming an abnormally large coffee!

High blood pressure is a serious condition that left untreated can lead to heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, aneurysm, and much more.  Nearly 1 in 3 adults have high blood pressure.  Researchers say the nation’s obesity epidemic is a major factor for the increase in high blood pressure.  I went onto the Dr. Oz website to get more information and also researched several other sites to get some ways that you can help to reduce your HBP naturally.

1. Regular exercise like walking
2. Low intake of salt, high fat and processed foods
3. Eating a healthy diet rich in leafy greens (spinach, kale,broccoli)
4. Limit Caffeine Intake
5. Practice deep breathing (Just 5-10 minutes a day can be very beneficial)
6. Increasing potassium in your diet (bananas, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cantaloupe)
7. Lower Stress (Don't work super long hours, get plenty of rest, get some "me" time)

The following foods are especially useful for normal blood pressure:

• Celery
• Garlic and onions
• Green leafy vegetables
• Nuts and seeds
• Cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel and sardines
• Whole grains
• Legumes

Is there a Healthy Hot Dog?

My kids are just that - kids - and no matter what strange new foods I may try to put in front of them - they still love the All American Food - Hot Dogs.

The problem is that most hot dogs are loaded with unhealthy ingredients so I went on a quest to find a healthier alternative.

What I found were several varieties from Applegate Farms. My kids love both the natural turkey and natural chicken hot dogs. They are all natural and do not contain any nitrates (a preservative shown to increase cancer risk and trigger migraines), or by-products like skeletal muscle , tissue, or corn syrups found in almost all other brands of hot-dogs - Yuck!!!

...all of the meat, none of the mystery....

http://www.applegatefarms.com/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?id=2480

Why eat MORE fruits and veggies?

I read this article on the top ten reasons to eat more fruits and veges. Thought I would share:

10. Color & Texture: Fruits and veggies add color, texture … and appeal … to your plate.

9. Convenience: Nutritious in any form - fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100% juice, so they’re ready when you are!

8. Fiber: Fruits and veggies provide fiber that helps fill you up and keeps your digestive system happy.

7. Low in Calories: Fruits and veggies are naturally low in calories.

6. May Reduce Disease Risk: Eating plenty of fruits and veggies may help reduce the risk of many diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, and some cancers.

5. Vitamins & Minerals: Fruits and veggies are rich in vitamins and minerals that help you feel healthy and energized.

4. Variety: Fruits and veggies are available in an almost infinite variety…there’s always something new to try!

3. Quick, Natural Snack: Fruits and veggies are nature’s treat and easy to grab for a snack.

2. Fun to Eat!: Some crunch, some squirt, some you peel … some you don’t, and some grow right in your own backyard!

1. Taste Great!

Here is the URL for the entire article and more great tips from the Produce for Better Health site: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/

Healthy Juice

I have a juicer which I love but don't always have time to use. Juicing is the best way to get healthy nutrients into your body as quickly as possible. Although there is no substitute for fresh juice when I don't have time I like to drink Bolthouse Farms Green Goddess 100% Natural Juice.

It combines 8 fruits with 14 powerful nutrients delivering healthy green phytonutrients. It is also rich in vitamins A, C, B12, and zinc and is a natural source of potassium, maganese, thiamin and riboflavin.

It is one of my favorite choices and I have purchased it both at Super Target and Market Street.

Quick Healthy Lunch Ideas

I am not a big sandwich eater so I am always looking for quick, easy lunch options that are also healthy. One of my favorite lunch options is Amy’s Kitchen Teriyaki Bowls. It is made with organic brown rice, crisp vegetables and marinated tofu and is also non-dairy and gluten free. For those of you who do not like tofu (you should definitely give it a try) they also have stuffed pasta shell bowls, organic enchilada bowls, brown rice and vege bowls and lots of other options. I also like their Pesto Pizza and their Margherita Pizza which are both all natural but most importantly taste good!

I like the Amy’s Kitchen brand because they have convenient, natural vegetarian meals. I have found their products at both Market Street and Super Target. Here is the link to their website with more information about their products and nutritional information as well. Eat and Enjoy!

http://www.amyskitchen.com/products/category_view.php?prod_category=12

Wheat bread Vs. White Bread

Eat This Not That

Eat This: 100% Whole Wheat Bread

Not That: White Bread (Any Kind)


I know most of us have thrown out our loaves of white bread long ago. If you haven’t it’s never too late to make some easy changes that will make a world of difference in your diet.

So you ask “Why is white bread bad?” For one, it didn’t start out white. A bleaching process was incorporated into bread making to give flour and the bread it makes a longer shelf life. During the process of bleaching most of the vitamins are lost, as well as the essential wheat germ and bran, which leaves only poor quality proteins and fattening starch. White bread is then “enriched” to put nutrients back into it. Why all this work? Why can’t we just leave food to be food?

I can honestly say that I cannot find the perfect wheat bread on the shelf but I am not willing to start baking my bread from scratch – yet. Here are a few choices I like:

Nature’s Own Honey Wheat Berry Bread or 12 Grain Bread; Pepperidge Farm Natural Whole Grain Bread; Archer Farms 100% Whole Wheat Honey Bread.

**Make sure they say 100% Whole Wheat**

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.