family and fitness.

Getting family on board for eating right can be a challenge.  This morning I had a mom's group come to my studio for a "How to take better pictures of your kids" mini class.  After it was over I was talking to a mom about getting our kids to drink milk and eat veggies...especially the ones who are 100% against the idea.   I wish I could say we had some fantastic ideas after a completely enlightening brainstorming session...but no such luck.  If you have ideas PLEASE put them in the comments so that we can all benefit from your wisdom!

**Don't forget the contest challenge this month!  It will go thru next Monday.  The top 4 people who log the most miles of walking/running/biking will win a $30 gift certificate each to the store of their choice.  You can still win!  Make sure to post your miles everyday here on this blog post...**

In the meantime, here are some tips from my health insurance lady that will get your family more active:

* Laughter:  Activity has to be fun to keep the interest and imagination of young ones.  Whether it’s tag, ring around the rosy, or a game of catch, it all counts as exercise.  Active play helps kids learn that it’s fun to move.

*Family time:  Evenings and weekends are great opportunities for walks,  hikes, and bike rides.  Enjoying exercise together speaks volumes to your children – they learn that activity is a natural and positive part of life.

*Freestyle fun:   Sometimes the best activity is the one they make up.  Spontaneous running, kicking, throwing, and jumping strengthen young bodies and help them burn off steam.

*Moving vacations:  Make a point of including active fun in your travel itinerary.  Enjoy water parks, the zoo, and other attractions that involve physical fitness.

*Fitness friends:  Build exercise into your family social time.  Get together with other kids and parents to enjoy active time together.  Enroll your kids in community or school sports teams/games. 

*Role model:  Making fitness a priority in your own life encourages your kids to do the same.  Show them how cool it is to be active and healthy.

*Less screen time:  The more TV and computer time your kids have, the less active they’ll be.  Set clear limits and stick to them. 

fit. LIFE.

lean meat.

Here are some thoughts on lean meats from...you guessed it...my health insurance lady.

Keeping it Lean

Protein is an essential nutrient.  It’s found in nearly every tissue including muscle, bone, and skin.  Even your hair and nails are made of protein.  But some sources –  certain cuts of red meat for example – add unnecessary calories and can raise cholesterol and triglycerides.  So choose lean protein for good health…without all the unwanted fat.  Learn how to get what your body needs without the extra fat with these suggestions:

-Substitutions

Try lean ground turkey instead of hamburger.  You can put tofu in your stir-fry instead of beef.  And use more beans in your chili than meat.

-Lean Choices

Pick leaner choices – skinless chicken, turkey breast, or fish – more often than red meat.  Remember to be careful with marinades and sauces…they can add fat and sodium.  Try seasoning with fresh herbs, citrus vinegar, and spices.

-Preparation

Trim off all visible fat before cooking.  Then use a cooking method – baking, broiling, or grilling – that doesn’t retain fat like frying does.

-Vegetarian

Remember, meat isn’t your only protein source.  Make vegetarian meals with protein-rich beans, soy products, and grains as the base, plus produce.

-Low-Fat

Dairy products are a great source of complete protein, but they can be high in fat.  Opt for skim or low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt (avoid added sugars and flavoring).

-Lean Cuts

Going lean doesn’t mean you can’t ever have red meat.  Just minimize the amount and cook leaner cuts.

Take Action!

Think about your favorite meals.  What dishes can you make that use lean meats and non-meat protein sources?  Write down your ideas so you have a handy list of options!

healthy. LIFE.

healthy breakfast.

A healthy breakfast is an important way to start the day.  Why eat a healthy breakfast? The mayoclinic.com says:

It might be the last thing on your morning to-do list, or worse, it might not be on your list at all. But a healthy breakfast refuels your body, jump-starts your day and may even benefit your overall health. So don't skip this meal — it may be more important than you think.

Even if you're short on time, quick and flexible options you can grab at home give you plenty of healthy ways to put breakfast back on your daily menu.

The Benefits of a Healthy Breakfast:

Breakfast gives you a chance to start each day with a healthy and nutritious meal. It also lays the foundation for lifelong health benefits.

Benefits for adults
When you eat a healthy breakfast, you're more likely to:

• Eat more vitamins and minerals
• Eat less fat and cholesterol
• Have better concentration and productivity throughout the morning
• Control your weight
• Have lower cholesterol, which may reduce your risk of heart disease

Benefits for children
Breakfast is especially important for children and adolescents. According to the American Dietetic Association, children who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to:

• Concentrate better
• Have better problem-solving skills
• Have better hand-eye coordination
• Be more alert
• Be more creative
• Miss fewer days of school
• Be more physically active

Here are some healthy food choices from zenhabits.com

Scrambled tofu. Healthier than scrambled eggs. Add some onions, green peppers or other veggies, some light soy sauce or tamari, maybe some garlic powder, and black pepper, stir-fry with a little olive oil. Eat with whole-grain toast. Fast and delicious.

Fresh berries, yogurt, granola. Get low-fat yogurt (not non-fat, as it often has too much sugar) or soy yogurt, cut up some berries or other fruits, add some healthy cereal. I actually use the Kashi Golean Crunch instead of granola, as many brands of granola have way too much fat and/or sugar.

Grapefruit with whole-wheat toast & almond butter. Add a little sugar on top of the grapefruit, and it’s actually pretty good. The almond butter is healthier than peanut-butter, with lots of good protein to fill you up.

Fresh fruit salad. Cut up some apples, melons, berries, oranges, pears, bananas, grapes … any or all or whatever your favorite fruits are. Add a little bit of lime or lemon juice. Perfect.

Protein shake with extras. I use soy protein powder, but whey works well too. Blend up with low-fat milk or soy milk, some frozen blueberries, and perhaps some almond butter or oatmeal. That may sound weird, but it’s actually pretty good, and pretty filling. A little ground flax seed works well too.

Eggs with peppers. I’m not a fan of eggs, but many people love them. Egg whites are healthier than whole eggs. Scramble with a little olive oil, red and green bell peppers, maybe broccoli, onions, black pepper. Goes well with whole-wheat toast.

Cottage cheese and fruit. Get low-fat cottage cheese. Add any kind of fruit. Apples, citrus, berries.

Gibb’s muffins & jam. While most muffins you buy at a coffee shop or grocery store are just empty carbs with lots of fat (basically, cake), this is a delicious recipe with lots of fiber and nutrition. (Note: the recipe in the link doesn’t mention it, but it’s actually a recipe from Simplify Your Life by Elaine St. James — it’s her husband Gibbs’ recipe). Bake them the night before, and they’re perfect in the morning (and for days to come). A little honey or jam makes them perfect.

We are big time cereal eaters here at our house.  Some of these healthy breakfast websites suggest having a baked potato with veggies on top for breakfast and other crazy stuff that I would never eat fro breakfast.  I know Koreans eat breakfast like it's lunch or dinner.  I just can't bring myself to do that!  I've got to have breakfast for breakfast, lunch for lunch, and dinner for dinner.  Eating something like stirfry for breakfast?  I just can't do it!  I'd much rather have a bowl of mostly healthy cereal. 

If your family keeps the grocery store in business just because of how much cereal you buy, check out this information:

(from mayoclinic.com)

What to look for in dry cereals:

Cereal may frequently be your go-to item for breakfast, whether your grab a handful to eat dry while on the run, or you have time for a quick bowl with milk. But not all cereals are created equal. So when choosing a breakfast cereal, try to put a little thought into your decision by reading the nutrition label and ingredient list. Remember that a serving size is typically 3/4 cup to 1 cup. The key items to look for are:

• Fiber. Choose cereals with at least 3 grams (g) of fiber per serving, but if possible, aim for 5 grams per serving or even higher.
• Sugar. Added sugar doesn't automatically make a cereal unhealthy. But try to choose cereals that have 13 grams or less of sugar per serving.
• Calories. If you're counting calories, choose cereals lower in calories, ideally less than 120 calories per serving.

Sources: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21; USDA What's in the Foods You Eat, 3.0

Remember to top off your bowl of cereal with some sliced fruit and low-fat or skim milk. Or if you're on the go, take along a piece of fruit and a carton of milk with your dry cereal.

healthy. LIFE.

10,000 steps.

Here's a little fun from Nancy Sinatra since we're talking about walking:

Walking is an easy way to get your 20 minutes a day in.  There are recent studies that have shown that walking 10,000 steps a day will greatly improve your health and fitness.

This is from thewalkingsite.com:

"Maybe you have heard the recent guidelines about walking 10,000 steps per day. How far is 10,000 steps anyway? The average person's stride length is approximately 2.5 feet long. That means it takes just over 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps is close to 5 miles.

A sedentary person may only average 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day. For these people adding steps has many health benefits. I have outlined the basic 10,000 steps program, but also added a commentary below.

A reasonable goal for most people is to increase average daily steps each week by 500 per day until you can easily average 10,000 per day. Example: If you currently average 3000 steps each day, your goal for week one is 3500 each day. Your week 2 goal is 4000 each day. Continue to increase each week and you should be averaging 10,000 steps by the end of 14 weeks.

There are many ways to increase your daily steps. Use your imagination and come up with your own list:

Take a walk with your spouse, child, or friend

Walk the dog

Use the stairs instead of the elevator

Park farther from the store

Better yet, walk to the store

Get up to change the channel

Window shop

Plan a walking meeting

Walk over to visit a neighbor

Get outside to walk around the garden or do a little weeding

If you want to get a walking program startedcheck out the help that you can get here.

August contest winner:

Laura C. you're the winner!  What a CLOSE contest this month!  Four people were in the running and within just a couple of days of each other.  Laura went to bed before midnight and got at least 7 hours of sleep for more 28 days this month!  I'd like to know the secret to that streak!  Awesome job, Laura.  I think I know where you want your gift certificate from, email me just so I can be sure though!

September contest:

Four winners this month!! Okay...since Nancy's got our boots in the mood for walking, let's have that be our contest this month.  Log in every day to the Move it Monday post and tell us how many miles you walked.  The FOUR people who walk the farthest (most miles) this month will be our winners.  Yes, I said four people.  The top four walkers will win a $30 gift certificate to their favorite healthy place to eat, spa, or place to to shop.  So get out those walking shoes (if you have to...dust them off...) and let's get walking.

If the physical benefits of walking haven't yet put you over the edge to get out there and pound the pavement, here are some emotional incentives to get you going.  You can find the list below here:

Walking slows mental decline. A study of 6,000 women, ages 65 and older, performed by researchers at the University of Cali­fornia, San Francisco, found that age-related memory decline was lower in those who walked more. The women walking 2.5 miles per day had a 17-percent decline in memory, as opposed to a 25-percent decline in women who walked less than a half-mile per week.

Walking lowers Alzheimer’s risk. A study from the University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville found that men between the ages of 71 and 93 who walked more than a quarter of a mile per day had half the incidence of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, compared to those who walked less.

Walking improves sleep. A study from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle found that women, ages 50 to 75, who took one-hour morning walks, were more likely to relieve insomnia than women who didn’t walk.

Walking lightens mood. Research reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that walking 30 minutes a day boosted the moods in depressed patients faster than antidepressants. Why? Walking releases natural pain­killing end­or­phins to the body – one of the emotional benefits of exercise. A California State Uni­ver­sity, Long Beach, study showed that the more steps people took during the day, the better their moods were.

Besides these mental benefits of walking, it also serves as a form of meditation. An outdoor stroll can help erase a bad day as you instead start to focus on the surrounding environment. Carolyn S. Kortge began walking in the ’80s and entered her first race-walking competition in the ’90s, eventually becoming a USA Track and Field Association bronze and silver race-walking medalist. Carolyn, who lives in Eugene, Ore., was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in 2004, but continues to keep her mind off the pain in her knees and hands by walking daily.

“When you’re walking there’s an opportunity for meditative intent.  You can be silent and focus on creating a connection with your body through prayer, breathing or a phrase,” she says. “It’s a wonderful way of changing your focus.”

walking. LIFE.

back to school.

Getting back into the swing of school usually means a new start for everyone.  It's always a good chance for me to get my family back into more healthy eating habits.  That means good snacks when the kids get home from school. 

I was online and found this awesome list of 25 healthy snacks for kids...and you!  Snacks are such a great way to keep your from feeling deprived, not having your sugar drop out the bottom, keeping up your energy, and helping you to refrain from overeating or eating things you'll regret.

I love to keep almonds, triscuits and cheese, or pistachios around the kitchen for a quick snack or pick me up.  I'll grab a little handful of almonds and get back to work or slice 3-4 skinny pieces of cheese and a triscuit for each, put them on a pretty plate, and sit and enjoy for a couple of minutes.  Depends on the morning.  In the afternoon when the kids are home from school and everyone is making a snack, I love to slice up some strawberries and put them in a cute little blue egg cup from Anthropologie with some vanilla yogurt (In think Dannon Light n'Fit is the best!).

I printed out this pdf from eatright.org that lists 25 Healthy Snacks for Kids and put it in my menu folder in my handy little organized junk drawer (check it out here).  Now my kids walk in the door from school, open the drawer pull out the list, pick the snack they want, have great joy in making their own snack creation (I'm not kidding about the joy),sit down, and devour their snack.  

Then it's on to homework...that's another story that's not going quite as smoothly as snack time yet...

I've put a little bit of the list below for you...you can get the rest of the list here. And I don't know about your kids but mine LOVE to dip anything...so the bonus dipping list is awesome!

25 Healthy Snacks for Kids

©2009 ADA. Reproduction of this fact sheet is permitted for educational purposes.

Reproduction for sales purposes is not authorized. This fact sheet expires 3/2011.

When a snack attack strikes, refuel with these nutrition-packed snacks.

1. Peel a banana and dip it in yogurt. Roll in crushed cereal and freeze.

2. Spread celery sticks with peanut butter or low-fat cream cheese. Top with raisins. Enjoy your “ants on a log.”

3. Stuff a whole-grain pita pocket with ricotta cheese and Granny Smith apple slices. Add a dash of cinnamon.

4. Mix together ready-to-eat cereal, dried fruit and nuts in a sandwich bag for an on-the-go snack.

5. Smear a scoop of frozen yogurt on two graham crackers and add sliced banana to make a yummy sandwich.

6. Top low-fat vanilla yogurt with crunchy granola and sprinkle with blueberries.

7. Microwave a small baked potato. Top with reduced-fat cheddar cheese and salsa.

8. Make snack kabobs. Put cubes of low-fat cheese and grapes on pretzel sticks.

9. Toast a whole grain waffle and top with low-fat yogurt and sliced peaches.

10. Spread peanut butter on apple slices.

11. Blend low-fat milk, frozen strawberries and a banana for thirty seconds for a delicious smoothie.

12. Make a mini-sandwich with tuna or egg salad on a dinner roll.

healthy. LIFE.