I ran across this little gem of an article and I thought I would share. I think it is a great measure or goal of what our families can be. Are any of these items something that you and your family can work on? Could you make it a family priority? I hope so! Read on:
Ten Signs of a Healthy Family Home
-published by the YMCA of the USA
1. Water is the beverage of choice, supplemented by 100% fruit juices and low-fat milk.
2. Fruits or vegetables are served at every meal including some fresh fruit or veggie options daily.
3. Snack time includes foods that contain whole grains and protein instead of saturated and trans fats.
4. Kids and adults are moving and playful for at least an hour per day, outside and together whenever possible.
5. Kids and adults are breaking a sweat at least three times per week for 20 minutes or more.
6. Kids are provided with frequent opportunities to play outdoors in ways that are unstructured and exploratory. Play experiences in nature take place often.
7. The family dines together at least once every day, with kids involved in meal preparation and clean-up.
8. Kids all receive daily one-on-one time with an adult.
9. Television and video game time is limited to two hours per day.
10. Kids and adults keep to regular schedule that helps everyone get enough sleep. For the kids that means 10-12 hours per night, and seven - eight for the adults.
Healthy living begins at home. We as parents can send a great example by what we make a priority every day. Along with positive relationships, spiritual matters, and education, please make sure healthy habits are a part of your home everyday. Be a motivator for good health. Your family will thank you for it.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Eating the Alphabet - Our Family Challenge
I came across a book titled, "Eating the Alphabet: Fruits and Vegetables from A to Z" by Lois Ehlert and it sparked an idea. I want to do a vegetable challenge with my family! We are going to eat a new vegetable (or fruit if there is no vegetable with that letter) for each letter in the alphabet. This probably wont happen on consecutive days, due to planning issues, but we are going to do it as often as we can. I presented the idea to my family, and with mixed emotions, they agreed. I promised that they would only have to try a small part and I would try to avoid those veggies that they really do hate.
So tonight, we start with artichokes! The rest will be as followed:
A - Artichokes
B - Beets or Brussels Sprouts
C - Cabbage or Cauliflower (sadly, we have never made cauliflower)
D - Dates (no 'D' vegetable)
E - Endive or Eggplant (we've had eggplant before, but will try a new way)
F - Fig (again no vegetable)
G - Gooseberries
H - Huckleberries (yum! I love these!)
I - Indian Corn
J - Jalapeno Peppers or Jicama
K - Kohlrabi, Kumquats and Kiwifruit (want to try all of these!)
L - Leeks
M - Mangos
N - Nectarines (we just always get peaches)
O - Okra ( I might skip this one - hmmmm)
P - Papayas, Pomegranates, parsnips and pumpkin (I think a theme night would be great!)
Q - Quince
R - Rutabaga and radishes
S - Swiss Chard and Starfruit
T - Turnips
U - Ugli Fruit (a real thing, I swear!)
V - nothing for this letter, will have to be creative
W - Watercress
X - Xigua (a Chinese watermelon)
Y - Yams
Z - Zucchini (not a favorite in our home, but maybe a new twist might help)
The point of this challenge is to open our taste buds to some new possibilities. Maybe I will finally find the "food" that Garrett will eat and that is healthy for him. Maybe we will just learn to try and love new foods. Anyways, I am excited about the challenge and wanted to share it with you.
Happy Eating!
So tonight, we start with artichokes! The rest will be as followed:
A - Artichokes
B - Beets or Brussels Sprouts
C - Cabbage or Cauliflower (sadly, we have never made cauliflower)
D - Dates (no 'D' vegetable)
E - Endive or Eggplant (we've had eggplant before, but will try a new way)
F - Fig (again no vegetable)
G - Gooseberries
H - Huckleberries (yum! I love these!)
I - Indian Corn
J - Jalapeno Peppers or Jicama
K - Kohlrabi, Kumquats and Kiwifruit (want to try all of these!)
L - Leeks
M - Mangos
N - Nectarines (we just always get peaches)
O - Okra ( I might skip this one - hmmmm)
P - Papayas, Pomegranates, parsnips and pumpkin (I think a theme night would be great!)
Q - Quince
R - Rutabaga and radishes
S - Swiss Chard and Starfruit
T - Turnips
U - Ugli Fruit (a real thing, I swear!)
V - nothing for this letter, will have to be creative
W - Watercress
X - Xigua (a Chinese watermelon)
Y - Yams
Z - Zucchini (not a favorite in our home, but maybe a new twist might help)
The point of this challenge is to open our taste buds to some new possibilities. Maybe I will finally find the "food" that Garrett will eat and that is healthy for him. Maybe we will just learn to try and love new foods. Anyways, I am excited about the challenge and wanted to share it with you.
Happy Eating!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Food Shopping Advice
The following article comes courtesy of Weight Watchers International:
Consider them your planning guides. Everything's there in a ready-made list: oregano, olive oil, bread crumbs, canned tomatoes. What's more, making a shopping list directly from a recipe means you'll have no last-minute "oops-we're-out-of-something" emergencies, and no time-wasting trips to the store when you'd rather be eating dinner.
3. Shop while the kids are busy
Shopping is faster if you go alone. Plan grocery store forays when the kids are in school or at music lessons, or have your spouse mind them while you shop.
4. Shop on a full stomach
If you shop when you're hungry, you're subject to spur-of-the-moment cravings and impulse buys. To manage the lifestyle you want, shop after lunch or dinner.
5. Savings are under your nose
Most stores stock expensive brands at eye level; look on the highest and lowest shelves for lower-cost generics and in-store specials. Also, give yourself a moment to peruse the in-store flyer with its unadvertised specials.
6. Use coupons judiciously
Be honest with yourself and cut only the coupons you need. Saving 50 cents on jelly isn't any good if you weren't going to buy jelly in the first place. And save those coupons for when they really count; for your store's double or triple coupon days.
7. Buying in bulk doesn't mean automatic savings
Dry goods and some convenience products are good bets for bulk-buying: Paper products, cleaning products, flour, sugar, vinegars, peanut butter and grains. Never buy oils (which go rancid), spices (which lose flavor) or perishables in bulk. A 10-pound box of apricots won't have saved you anything when you throw half of it away.
9. Buy meat and fish once a month
Take advantage of discounts on meat and fish, and freeze ahead for the month. Wrap the pieces individually and tightly in plastic wrap, then bundle them in batches by meal in freezer bags or aluminum foil. Label each with the contents and date. For safety's sake, always thaw these in the refrigerator, never on the counter.
10. Keep a cooler in your car
On a hot day, just getting your food home from the store can considerably reduce its shelf-life. A cooler in the trunk will help keep your dairy products cold, your meat and fish fresh, and your ice cream frozen.
Tips for stocking a healthy pantry that keep supermarket trips — and grocery bills — to a minimum.
With a family, it can be a neverending challenge to keep the fridge full without emptying your wallet. Fortunately, we've devised these 10 great tactics for stress-free shopping.
1. Plan ahead
Use a calendar or your PointsPlusTracker (available to subscribers only) to plan family menus in advance. Note which days you have 20 minutes to get dinner on the table and which days allow for a little more time. Devising a system will allow you to schedule more balanced meals because you can see at a glance how often you're serving vegetables vs. potatoes, beef vs. fish, or convenience foods vs. home cooking.
Consider them your planning guides. Everything's there in a ready-made list: oregano, olive oil, bread crumbs, canned tomatoes. What's more, making a shopping list directly from a recipe means you'll have no last-minute "oops-we're-out-of-something" emergencies, and no time-wasting trips to the store when you'd rather be eating dinner.
3. Shop while the kids are busy
Shopping is faster if you go alone. Plan grocery store forays when the kids are in school or at music lessons, or have your spouse mind them while you shop.
4. Shop on a full stomach
If you shop when you're hungry, you're subject to spur-of-the-moment cravings and impulse buys. To manage the lifestyle you want, shop after lunch or dinner.
5. Savings are under your nose
Most stores stock expensive brands at eye level; look on the highest and lowest shelves for lower-cost generics and in-store specials. Also, give yourself a moment to peruse the in-store flyer with its unadvertised specials.
6. Use coupons judiciously
Be honest with yourself and cut only the coupons you need. Saving 50 cents on jelly isn't any good if you weren't going to buy jelly in the first place. And save those coupons for when they really count; for your store's double or triple coupon days.
7. Buying in bulk doesn't mean automatic savings
Dry goods and some convenience products are good bets for bulk-buying: Paper products, cleaning products, flour, sugar, vinegars, peanut butter and grains. Never buy oils (which go rancid), spices (which lose flavor) or perishables in bulk. A 10-pound box of apricots won't have saved you anything when you throw half of it away.
8. Produce: Fresh vs. frozen
Some fruits and vegetables are fine frozen; others don't translate well. Here's a guide for each:
| Buy Fresh | Consider Buying Frozen |
|---|---|
| Cucumbers | Beans/peas |
| Ears of corn | Bell pepper strips |
| Greens | Broccoli |
| Lettuce | Carrots |
| Radishes | Cauliflower |
| Zucchini/summer squash | Chopped onions |
| Apples/pears | Corn kernels |
| Bananas | Winter squash puree |
| Citrus | Berries |
| Pineapple | Peaches/apricots |
9. Buy meat and fish once a month
Take advantage of discounts on meat and fish, and freeze ahead for the month. Wrap the pieces individually and tightly in plastic wrap, then bundle them in batches by meal in freezer bags or aluminum foil. Label each with the contents and date. For safety's sake, always thaw these in the refrigerator, never on the counter.
10. Keep a cooler in your car
On a hot day, just getting your food home from the store can considerably reduce its shelf-life. A cooler in the trunk will help keep your dairy products cold, your meat and fish fresh, and your ice cream frozen.
It All Begins Today
August 1, 2011. A brand new day, a brand new month, a brand new start. I am beginning a new lifestyle today and wanted to share it with you! Okay, honestly, I have been doing this for about a year and a half now, but today I am letting the word out and taking it up a notch.
I have been doing a lot of research and evaluating what I want out of life and how I want to achieve it. My research has been people watching, if you can believe it. As I sit at the parks, the playgrounds, the stores, I watch people around and wonder why they look the way they do and how they got there. If only I had the guts to actually ask them instead of to just guess! As I watch, I wonder three things: 1. How active they are and what they are active in (or not), 2. Is a healthy lifestyle important to them, and 3. Do they realize what impact their decisions make on their long-term happiness. Yep, these are some deep questions for a simple action like people watching. But it has really made me think, ponder, and wonder if there is some way to better myself by the "answers" these people give me.
Let me give you an example: while the kids were playing at the mall playground a few days ago, I was watching a nearby vendor, Auntie Anns Pretzel Shopp and the flow of customers that came to get a snack. Other than the yummy pretzels, there wasnt really anything in common between these people. Short, tall, skinny, fat, very fat, athletic, sloppy. All kinds of people were represented. So as they came to get some yummy (and glutenous) goodness, I "asked" my questions to each one. You can imagine the fun I have doing this! Hehe. But in the end, my conclusion was this. It is okay to get a big, soft pretzel if you want, but there are consequences for that choice and for me personally, a pretzel isn't worth the extra work or guilt that comes with such an unhealthy choice. So I open my pre-packed bag and pull out a simple piece of fruit or low-fat cheese, or a handful of healthy trail-mix and happily eat my snack knowing that my choice is a better one for me.
This is what I have been doing for the last year and I know that I am having enormous benefits for making better choices for me. I hope you understand this a little. But, on with today! Even though I been more thoughtful about my choices, I have not held myself accountable or even tracked my health at any level. That is what I am beginning today. Today I am starting the Slim & Sassy approach to a healthy lifestyle. I will blog more on that later, but the jist of it goes like this. Healthy meals, shakes, supplements, essential oils, and exercise. I will also be journaling my food and involving my big sister, Monica, in my journey. I will give a weekly update on my experience and give results if any. So please stayed tuned, cause I want your support! Help me, help myself.
So my health journey begins today with daily decisions, small steps, and a determination for long-term results and behavior improvements. Would you like to join me? I hope so!
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