Soda

Do you drink soda?  If you do, just imagine how much healthier you would be if you just stopped drinking soda.

 

 

What a Coincidence!

I just posted about the Trek Desk a few days ago and just yesterday morning I heard this related story on NPR (National Public Radio) called "Can You Move It And Work It On A Treadmill Desk?"  by Patti Neighmond. 

 

Listen to the podcast of this story HERE.

TrekDesk.

 

Here in Nebraska, either hot and humid or icy cold weather conditions limit the amount of my comfortable outdoor walking to about only half of the year.  As I have stated in an earlier post, walking outside is one of my favorite forms of meditation, relaxation and exercise.  That being said, my busy schedule does not allow me to exercise, complete my business paperwork and still have time to watch my favorite History Channel programs....unless I could find a way to incorporate all of these tasks into one. 

Years ago, I saw a report on an evening news show about the Walkstation by Steelcase used by employees at Mutual of Omaha and I was intrigued. These employees wore their work clothes, walked miles per day at work and were able to perform the duties of their job.  Pure awesomeness.  Of course, I knew I couldn't perform eye exams while on this piece of equipment, the cost for the Walkstation was a bit pricey and I didn't like that there was only one option for the treadmill portion of this product.  My interest in this product declined and I went about my usual routine of either working out or completing business related paperwork.  Years after I saw that Walkstation report, I heard about a cheaper product called the TrekDesk (see below).  

The TrekDesk is a "wing" you purchase independent of the treadmill and can be used with the treadmill of your choice. 

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE my TrekDesk.  With my TrekDesk, I can multitask exercise with television and or working on the computer.  In fact, I am writing this post while walking 2.0 miles per hour.  With this product, there is no reason to sit to watch television or sit to work on the computer. 

The TrekDesk costs $479.00 on Amazon.com at the time of this posting.  CLICK HERE to visit this listing on Amazon.com.  

Yes the treadmill is the more expensive part of this, but there is really no need to buy a brand new treadmill.  Too many people have purchased treadmills with good intentions of using them but now they just sit in the garage or basement collecting dust.  Those that use their treadmills often may be interested in upgrading to a newer product.  These people may be interested in selling their treadmill, so seek these people out.  Check out on Craigslist, post on Facebook that you are looking for a treadmill, visit a used equipment store, send out an email to friends and family or just go out and buy a new treadmill.   Just make sure you use it (almost) everyday to get your investment out of it.   I would recommend parking it right where you sit to watch the television now.   Move or throw out your current sitting chair because you won't be needing it any more.  If you are going to watch television, you are not going to sit anymore, you are going to walk while you watch.  If you are going to be surfing social media, talking on the phone or working from home, do it while you are getting some exercise.  

I find that for me any speed less than 1.5 m.p.h. is too slow and above 2.4 m.p.h. too fast to work on the computer.  I usually go for 2.0-2.2 m.p.h. and after watching television I have accumulated 2-5 miles on the treadmill.  Whatever your speed, you will be burning way more calories using the TrekDesk than you will sitting on the couch. 

CLICK HERE to view a CNN video about the TrekDesk.

Forget About Diets, Already!!!!

There will come a point in your life when you finally realize that every diet pill/program/fad/philosophy you have tried provides only short term improvements and aren't something you can maintain for the duration of your life. For many of you reading this, you just need to consider a 180 degree change in your eating, cooking and dining philosophies.

Diets are not long term solutions to your problems, rather, just eating healthy will give you the nutrients you need, keep you from feeling guilty about what you eat, will allow you to feel full after consuming less calories and will allow you a lifetime of achieving your physical goals. 

Try staying overweight while eating ultra healthy.  It is very hard to do.  Eating healthy means that you think about every meal and food that you consume and the food either is nutrient rich or nutrient poor.  For us, eating healthy meant that we adopted a plant strong menu.  If we can do it, so can you.

 



Nobody and no body are perfect.

Some days, we have the best of intentions to eat healthy and exercise but then our day ends and we haven't done either.  Other days we give in to temptation and we eat something we regretted.  Don't let those days define you and your mission towards health.  Know the difference between a  setback and failure.

Chew on this: 9 more years!

Vegetarians have longer life expectancy than meat eaters, finds study

 

Following a vegetarian diet could mean you live more than nine years longer than you might by consuming meat based diets, according to new research findings.

 

CLICK HERE to view the article that summarizes this study.

 

Thank you to M.J. for directing me to this article.  Much appreciated!

 

 

Impossible

*Casie here*

I know all most of you are thinking there is NO way my family could ever go meat and dairy free. Let me just say, I DON'T BLAME YOU. This is a HUGE mountain to climb, it seems overwhelming and nearly impossible. I totally get it. I'm just going to be honest with you. It is VERY hard in the beginning. V.E.R.Y. I will also be completely honest and tell you it WILL NOT WORK if both partners are not on the same page or at least not for very long. It will be nearly impossible. Seriously. Both you and your spouse/significant other need to be on board 100%. I can not imagine if my husband or I were not fully committed to this. It really would be so hard to keep it up, making two seperate meals, having things around that shouldn't be, watching them eating things you are not, just too hard.

Here is my advice and tips for you. Start VERY small. Maybe just try one night a week where you make a meal that is meat free. You can do that, can't you? Just use one of the recipes on here. Truthfully, the fall/winter I feel is the easiest time to be meat free. There are so many different vegetable soups that you can make, they go a long way and in the end are not very expensive. 

If you can't do a dinner, just try to do one lunch a week that you go meat free. (I also have lunch ideas for you *HERE* that will give you a good start). 

Give yourself time to learn what all the products out there are that you can substitute meat with. It took me nearly a year to be comfortable enough to start making recipes. We just had a lot of pre-made frozen meatless burgers and canned veggie soups for a LONG time. Only now am I getting comfortable. You will SLOWLY try different products and try different recipes and slowly get more comfortable with the substitutes and what all the names of the products are.

Here is another EASY tip. Use your same meals that you are eating now (and you are comfortable making) and just replace your regular meat with a meat substitute like Seitan, Tempeh, Tofu, etc... Most come pre-cooked in strips like chicken or groud like ground beef, so all you have to do is warm it through. Throw it into your dish like 10 minutes before it's done. You can seriously fake everyone out. No one will know, I guarentee it. It looks the same as hamburger or chicken and tastes the same. So, that's easy and doable. You don't have to learn any new recipies, just swap the meat out.

Try switching your dairy milk with non-dairy milk. Try all the different kinds and see which one you like the best. I L.O.V.E. almond milk. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! My favorite brand is Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Vanilla. I will NEVER go back to cow's milk. There are other options besides Almond. There is Coconut, Rice and Soy Milk. All these products also have substitutes for other 'dairy' products like sour cream, cream cheese, cheese, butter, ice cream, yogurt, etc...There are so many good items out there.

You have to start somewhere, this is at least better than doing nothing at all. You can do it!

Smoking - Quit It!

  

Any questions?



Water Intake Guide

Are you drinking enough water to satisfy your body's needs?  Probably not. 

 



Chia Seeds

We love chia seeds and consume them daily in our smoothies.  In my practice, I recommend chia seeds to my patients as a great source of omega 3 fatty acids. 





Body Scans

Here are body scans of a 250 pound female and a 120 pound female for comparison ( Source: eatsmartagesmart.com):



Soda



Movember

I was listening to TED.com* yesterday and viewed THIS VIDEO CLIP about the Movember movement.  You can find out more about Movemeber HERE.

Basically, Movember is about awareness and fund raising for prostate cancer.  Even though I shaved today, it looks like I'm going to be sporting a hideous mustache for the rest of November...at least it is for a good cause.


*Thanks to Ryan M. for recommending TED.com to me. 

Learn, Be, Understand and Become.

My Daily Reminder

Breakfast for Dinner

Tonight we had breakfast for dinner and boy was it good. Hit the spot on this drizzly, crisp day.

 I made seasoned potatoes (both sweet and regular). I made 2 medium sweet potatoes and I think it was 5 or 6 regular, smaller potatoes. I cubbed them up and put them in a gallon Ziplock bag. Poured a little olive oil in there along with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, an Italian dressing pouch, and a couple tablespoons of Nutritional Yeast. Shook it all up (actually I had some helpers do this part). Laid it out on a lightly sprayed baking sheet in a single layer and baked at 350 for about an hour. I like them pretty crispy and not soggy, so I go for a really long time. You could do a higher heat like 400 and it would take a little less time like 40-45 mins. It makes the house smell delicious! 

 I made some scrambled "eggs" to go with them. I started with a small onion diced and some canned mushrooms. Sauteed them in a little olive oil until the onions were translucent. I threw in some extra firm tofu that had the water drained off them. You don't really need to cook this, just warm it through. I pretty much followed the recipe for Tufu Scramble from The Happy Herbivore (talked about in this post HERE). I added a squirt of dijion mustard, nutritional yeast and sprinkles of the following: garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, turmeric, salt and pepper. Mixed it all in and DONE! It was REALLY, really good. 

Added some steamed veggies and dinner was served. The kids ate every speck on their plate.

A New Chapter In Your Life

Don't let your past rule your future.  It is time to move on and move forward.

Plant Strong Cookbooks

Here are two cookbooks that we use at home.  We have found their recipes to be easy to make and we have enjoyed all the meals we have created so far. 

 

 These cookbooks show you how healthy eating doesn't have to be tasteless and boring.  Frequently, I have patients that tell me that they don't know how to get themselves or their kids to eat healthier. These cookbooks will give you some direction on how to make your meals more healthy. 

 

The first one is "Happy Herbivore" by Lindsay Nixon. CLICK HERE to learn more about this cookbook.

 

The second one is "Forks Over Knives - The Cookbook". CLICK HERE to learn more about this cookbook.

 

Enchilidas

*Casie Here*

I have to be honest. I have not made Enchilidas since we have gone meat free. We recently got two new vegan cookbooks and these were in there, so I thought I would try them. 

 They actually tasted really, really good. I changed it a little bit, just cause that's what I do. The kids loved them too.

 It did take a good chunk of time, but it was worth it.
2 Beans - black & kidney
Tofu
Corn
Onions
spinach
Mushrooms

Black olives on top
homemade enchilida sauce on top

Teamwork

I created this video over a month ago and just realized I never posted it.  Enjoy!

Why Go Vegetarian or (Better Yet) Vegan

CLICK HERE to watch a video by Michael Gregor, M.D. (about an hour long) that discusses ways to reduce the risk of the top 15 causes of death.  When people ask me why my family and I eat a plant-based diet, I am going to just refer them to this video.  It will be worth your time, I promise.  Very informative!

Best Beverage to Drink

On a daily basis, our family consumes green and black tea as well as matcha, but after watching THIS VIDEO I went out to buy some hibiscus tea.  

I found only a couple of brands at Whole Foods and I purchased The Republic of Tea's Hibiscus Superflower Tea as I really like their brand of teas.  This container has 36 tea bags for $9.99, or .28 cents per cup.  I brewed the tea hot but preferred it with ice and a packet of Stevia for sweetness.  The taste was very good, had a tropical taste and reminded me of one of the flavors by Crystal Light iced tea.   This Hibiscus Tea is caffeine-free so that means the kids will be drinking this, too.

When I ask my patients if they drink plenty of water, many respond that they don't like the taste of water or they report that they just don't drink much water.  This tea is a great way to increase their water intake, replace other sugary or nutrient poor drinks and reap the amazing antioxidant power of this great drink.   It is also cheaper than bottled water, soda, and energy drinks.  I like that it can be cold or hot brewed and has a great flavor.

** Make sure you read THESE SIDE EFFECTS of drinking hibiscus tea.  Thanks to B.H. for bringing this to my attention!



Click HERE to view The Republic of Tea's website.  They make some of my favorite bagged teas, even though we prefer loose leaf tea.

 

A Great Video for the Little Ones:

Home Screenings

Did you know that hypertension (high blood pressure) affects about 1 in 4 adults and diabetes affects about 1 in 12 of the American population?  Many of you reading this post could have diabetes, hypertension or both and not even know it.  When was the last time you made an appointment with your medical doctor for a physical?  If it has been over 12 months since your last physical, then I would highly recommend making an appointment with your medical doctor as soon as possible to review your health status.

 

As an optometrists, I work closely with both diabetics and individuals with high blood pressure due to the association of these diseases with the eye.  It is very important that everyone have their eyes dilated at least once a year, even if you have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure or diabetes.  Optometrists can identify early changes in your eye health that can be the effect of undiagnosed high blood pressure or diabetes.  If you are diagnosed with high blood pressure or diabetes, optometrists can make sure these diseases are not affecting your ocular health.

 

I believe we should be doing everything possible to avoid acquiring high blood pressure and/or diabetes.  So, what are some things you can do to detect if you may have high blood pressure or diabetes?  In my opinion, every household should have a blood pressure monitor and a glucose meter (to measure blood sugar levels) even if you are not hypertensive or diabetic.  Although using these devices allow you to monitor your blood sugar and blood pressure, they DO NOT replace an annual physical with a medical doctor.  These devices are relatively inexpensive and can be acquired at your local pharmacy or online.

 

I would recommend that non-diabetics check their blood sugar multiple times during the week both before and after eating and exercise.  I would recommend checking your blood pressure at random times of the day but especially when under stress. 

 

It is amazing to see how foods, stress and sickness can affect your blood sugar and your blood pressure.  Knowing how your body responds to various foods, stress and sickness will motivate you to change your habits.

 

Too many people rely solely on a scale to monitor their health progress.  If someone is improving their diet and exercise routine and they don't see improvements on their weight, they can get discouraged easily and fall back to their old unhealthy patterns.  Seeing improvements in your blood sugar and blood pressure following improved diet and exercise will keep you motivated to remain with your program even if you are not seeing immediate results on the scale. 

 

Click HERE to view a great article about how to check your blood pressure and HERE  to view an article about having your blood sugar checked.

Remember, checking your blood sugar and blood pressure at home does not replace the need to see your medical doctor at least annually.   Also, have your eyes dilated annually by your optometrist even if you don't have any symptoms or complaints. 

Homemade Popcicles

I know we are sliding into fall and this really should be a summer post. I don't know about your kids, but mine like Pocicles all year round. I wanted to find a healthier, more nutritious (and cheaper) alternative to the store bought ones. Now the ones we got were the low sugar Edy's brand fruit bars. I didn't think they were really that unhealthy, but they were quite expensive. And making them myself, I can control the sugar and ingredients.

There are TONS of homemade recipes online. I am trying a few to see how the kids like them. I will give the recipes and reviews as I try different ones. 

 Now, you can use fresh fruit, but I didn't want to waste all our fresh fruit to make Popcicles, so I used frozen fruit. I had a bag of organic frozen whole strawberries. I put those in a small sauce pan with a tiny bit of water and 'unthawed them' over medium heat. I added a little bit of honey (maybe a tablespoon or so). After the strawberries were unthawed and simmered with the honey. I transferred that to the blender and added 1 small container of Coconut Milk Yogurt in Pina Colada flavor (my favorite by the way). I blended that all up and poured it into the Popsicle containers. Popped them in the freezer and they were done. 

 Our daughter is a Popsicle expert and fanatic. This was going to be the true test. If she liked them, I would be able to make our own and slowly move away from the store bought ones. She loved them and didn't have any complaints. She actually thinks that is pretty cool that mom made them. 

 I am going to try some different fruits and change up the ingredients a little with my next ones. So stay tuned!!!

Happy Popsicle making!!!

Things To Do

If you are like me, you have multiple things on your mind at all times.  People like us want to accomplish both daily tasks and life goals and we have many projects started or good intentions to start them, but we just don't ever get around to getting them completed.  Consider keeping a small tablet or text file that lists all of your priority and long term tasks/goals.  View this list daily and make an attempt to start, work on or complete your tasks/goals each day.  For many of us, there always seems to be uncompleted tasks that are hanging over our heads.  Having this list and viewing it daily keeps us from putting off things until a later time.  When you able to mark off task/goals that you have completed you will feel a sense of accomplishment that you will be proud of.  You will be amazed at how quickly you will be able to check off items on your list when you are committing 20-30 minutes per day to tend to these tasks.

Stress Relievers

What are your stress relievers?  Do you relieve stress with healthy or unhealthy things?  When you are stressed, do you go for a walk or grab a bowl of potato chips? Do you perform breathing exercises or go have a cigarette?  Do you turn on some calming music or consume a 6 pack of beer/soda?  Do you find your favorite chair and read two chapters of a book or waste two hours in front of the television? The problem many of us face is that we resort to unhealthy options to relieve stress that usually cause even more stress on our bodies in the short and long run.  If that isn't a vicious downward cycle, I don't know what is.

For instance, if we look to food whenever we are stressed, we typically gravitate towards unhealthy snacks or meals that only give us short term pleasure benefits and we consume this food even if we aren't hungry.  Shoveling in that food racks up unnecessary calories and does absolutely nothing for you because most comfort food is high in sugar and fat and low in nutrition.   Food should not be there to comfort you every time you are stressed.  If you handle stress by eating food, obesity will follow. 

Reflect on how you currently handle stress and determine what healthy and proactive alternatives to manage stress you can utilize.  Everyone handles stress differently, but there are many things you can do to better manage all that life has to throw at you.

Humor

A little humor each day can help get your mind off some the stresses in your life.  Here are a few pictures to help you get through your day:

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

The Big Deception.

In the past, I was duped into believing that just eating a healthier version of "this" rather than "that" when going out to eat was good enough to maintain or lose weight.  I tried to avoid food establishments that were obviously not serving healthy meals, but I realized that my healthier choices were not that much healthier, if at all.  For years, I allowed myself to believe that if I ordered a sandwich instead of a burger, a pizza without pepperoni, a diet soda rather than a regular one or if I ordered a meal without fries that I was making a "healthy" choice. Although my choices may have been a relatively better option, maintaining this philosophy still kept me from attaining my health and weight loss goals for years.

I used to limit my fast food experience mostly to sandwich shops like Jimmy Johns and Subway. They don't fry anything so all is good right.....well, not so fast. One day, I went on JJ's website and looked at the nutritional information of my two favorite sandwiches: 

#14 Bootlegger: Calories 684, Fat 24g, Cholesterol 77 mg and Sodium 1668mg

#6   Vegetarian: Calories 578, Fat 30g, Cholesterol 49mg and Sodium 873mg. 

ARE YOU KIDDING ME? 

When I first saw those numbers, I felt confused and frustrated. I had no idea a sandwich could be so unhealthy.  Little did I know that the sandwich I thought was a pretty good choice from JJ's was not healthy in the least. I went to the Burger King website to see how a Whopper compared to these sandwiches (similar numbers except the Whopper has 40g of fat). I thought about how many times I ordered two sandwiches at JJ (because one just wasn't filling enough) with a soda and mentally calculated those totals. I quickly realized that one sandwich equalled about 40 minutes on the elliptical machine to burn those calories, so that one entire meal would mean hours of working out. It made sense to me why companies are reluctant to disclose their nutritional information.  One look at these numbers and I decided I was no longer going to eat that junk. No wonder I wasn't losing any weight.

I had been deceived.  I realized my healthy ordering logic was no longer going to work for the new me.  I realized that no matter how healthy food may appear or if someone else is making or cooking it, I cannot assume that it is truly healthy for my body. The only way I would know for sure is if I purchased the ingredients and made the meal myself. I drew the line in the sand and vowed to no longer eat drive thru food and to avoid/limit my consumption of food eaten at restaurants, even if it appeared or was advertised as healthy. 

I can make a veggie burger at home with 1/5th the fat, 1/5th the sodium and 1/5th the calories than the Jimmy Johns Vegetarian sandwich.  Oh, and for 1/5th of the cost.

One of the keys to me losing the weight that I no longer eat fast food, even if it appears to be healthy.  I am no longer tempted to eat the junk I used to because I was deceived once and I will not allow it to happen twice. 

If you are interested (and you should be), here are some links for the nutritional information of popular eating places:

Click HERE to view Burger King's nutritional information.

Click HERE to view McDonald's nutritional information.
Click HERE to view Subway's nutritional information.

Click HERE to view Taco Bell's nutritional information.

Click HERE to view Jimmy John's nutritional information.

Click HERE to view Arby's nutritional information.

Click HERE to view Chick-fil-A's nutritional information.

Click HERE to view Sonic's nutritional information.

Click HERE to view Chipotle's nutritional information.

Click HERE to view Applebee's nutritional information.



Grocery List

What is on your grocery list?  Does it include fruits and vegetables?  Would you be able to walk past the candy/junk food/potato chip/soda aisle without making a purchase? 

When you go to the store, have a grocery list of the things that you NEED and only buy the items on your list.  Don't make an impulse purchase unless it is in the produce section. 

Know your grocery store layout.  Most of the soda, chips, candy and junk food are in their own aisles, so just avoid walking down them.     Start your grocery store experience in the produce section, acquire most of your groceries there and then move on to the other areas of the store that have the rest of the items on your list.  Also, never buy anything at the checkout area.

Don't be intimidated by the produce area.  What you should be intimidated by is the list of unrecognizable and unpronounceable ingredients in most of the junk food out there.  Learn how to read food labels and make it a habit to look at the food label before you make a purchase.  There are many items out there that advertise how healthy the product is or it is assumed that the item is healthy, but in reality the sugar, salt and fat content makes it quite unhealthy.   Don't be deceived by what is on the front of the box of the item you are considering buying.

Make your food choices by what is on the side/back of the box (ingredient list and nutritional list) and not what the front of the box advertises.  If your food item doesn't have an ingredient list, that usually is a good thing, because that means you are buying something that isn't in a box and it is it's own ingredient, like a banana, spinach or kiwi.  Compare that to a bag of potato chips, a box of cookies or a cereal box.  Look at those labels and ask yourself if you really want all those unknown ingredients in your body. 

Check the labels on the items you have at home and all your potential purchases in the store.  Not only will you become a wiser consumer, but you will cut your sodium, sugar and fat intake by a great amount once you started realizing what is in the food......that you are no longer going to be eating.

Motherhood

I never understood why people make a big deal about women staying home to raise their children.   I've had more than one stay-at-home mother describe to me how negatively they are perceived by other working parents.   With my parent's generation, the disapproval aimed towards the working mother.  There are plenty of pros and cons of having a mother work or stay home with the kids, I just don't have issues with either choice.  Mothers and families have a reason for which option they choose. 

Many stay-at-home mothers have degrees and could easily participate in the work force, but they choose to sacrifice in other areas so they can be home with their children as they are growing up. 

Every one's situation is different.  As parents we attempt to make decisions that are in the best interest of our families.  Sometimes that means the mother needs to work to provide extra income or a source of benefits, like health insurance.

If you are a stay-at-home mother, make sure you are taking time out for yourself.  When you are home all day, it is easy for you to expend all of your energy taking care of others that you tend to neglect taking time out for yourself.  Children are a load of work, they make us inefficient at performing simple tasks and they tend to leave us with big messes to clean up.  Your time is consumed being a referee, cleaner and chauffeur.  Being a stay-at-home mother is really like having two jobs,  you have no clock out time and you are always on call.

Be aware that being a stay-at-home mother, you are at a high risk of depression so make sure you are aware of the classic symptoms associated with this condition so you can recognize the early warning signs.  If you suspect you are becoming depressed, make sure you seek professional guidance to assist you in treating this condition.   Click HERE to learn more about depression in women.

If you are a working mother, make sure you are taking time out for yourself, too.  You are juggling the stresses of work as well as the stresses at home.  You have messes to clean up in two places, you have to deal with coworkers that act worse than children at times and you may have management that isn't flexible with your schedule so you can tend to family matters.  You feel guilty you miss many of your children's activities and you feel like you are choosing work over family.  Don't feel guilty about having a job, as that is a source of income/benefits for your family and sometimes it is your only get away from home and the kids.  You need and deserve to get away.  Since you are away at work, you just need to maximize your time with your children when you are at home.  Make sure you take time to relax on work breaks and your drive home so you can be 100% mother when you do arrive home.   

     

Whether you are a working or a stay-at-home mother, be proud of what you do and make sure you are taking time out for yourself.  People that judge you don't know your situation and they have not right to criticize you.  Don't get sleep deprived, go out with your friends periodically, eat healthy, exercise and do some of the things that YOU enjoy doing.  Take advantage of friends and family who can help out with the kids or help with tasks that need to be completed at home. 

For all the dads reading this, appreciate all that your wives do for you and your children.  Tell them and show them often how much you appreciate all that they do.   Don't forget to help out as much as possible and don't think that just because you are the bread winner means you have no other responsibilities with the children or with upkeep of the house.  Help with laundry, meals, getting groceries, taking/picking up the kids, vacuuming and cleaning.  Tape the game/show and watch it after the kids have gone to bed and after you have had a chance to spend some quiet time with your wife.  Give your wife a chance to go out with friends, to go exercise or have some quality time by herself.  There are numerous things you can do, even without being asked, that can lighten her load.   I am sure if you ask what you can help with and you do it, it will be very much appreciated.

Remember, happy moms raise happy children.

TRASH!

Stop and think about what you are ordering, cooking and eating.  You have to look past that rush of great taste and imagine what the food you are consuming is doing to your body.   For all that you expect your body to do each day, don't you owe it to yourself to feed your body only the most nutritious of foods?  How can you function, heal and grow at your greatest ability when all you are eating is, well, junk? Do you really think that fried food, fast food and everything junk food is what is allowing your body to function at it's best capacity?  If you think healthy food doesn't taste good or that it won't fill you up, then think again.  I used to have a fear of not filling up during a meal if I ate health.  Not only do I feel full when I eat healthy, but I acquire that full feeling with less calories.

Here are some of my favorite foods that are the bare minimum requirements I incorporate into my meals everyday.  We then add other fruits and vegetables to the mix to provide a variety to our meal plan.  The first grouping is part of my morning smoothie, I take the next grouping to work, I am making a strong attempt to add more water and hot tea and then almost all of our evening meals attract some or all of the last ingredients.  

Strawberries
Blackberries
Blueberries
Bananas
Spinach

Broccoli
Carrots
Tomatoes
Cauliflower
Kale

Water
Green or Black Tea

Garlic
Onions
Black Beans
Garbanzo Beans

Make a change and have a plan for every meal to improve your health.  Stop eating the junk food and fast food.  Make your own meals so you know exactly what is going into your meal and your stomach.


I love this!:

Decrease Morning Stress

One of the most stressful times of the day can be in the morning as you are getting the family up, ready and out the door on time.  One of the best ways to curb the morning stress is to spend 10-15 minutes the night before and prep for the next morning.  You can get the kids' clothes picked out and ready, clothes ironed, school/work lunches prepared, as much of the breakfast meal decided on and ready to go and all items that need to travel with the family in a common place so they can be easy to grab in the morning.   Every minute you save preparing the night before will relieve you of a tremendous amount of morning stress, allow you to depart at your planned time and get you to your morning destinations on time, if not early.  It is sooooo worth preparing the time the night before to have a less stressful morning.  Just make it part of your routine and it will allow your mornings to be much more bearable. 

Homemade Hummus

*Casie Here*

I wanted to share my homemade hummus with you. 

 The KEY secret to the whole thing is this: You HAVE to roast your garlic in the oven before you make it. It makes all the difference in the recipe.

                                                                    Here is what I do: 
       2-3 whole bulbs garlic (you could just do one, but I love 3) very top part sliced off put in foil, drizzled with a tiny bit of olive oil. Close up the foil tight, place on a baking sheet. Some oil can leak out I have found, so use the sheet ~ 350 for about 30-35 mins. You want it to be soft.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool to the touch, because you have to be able to squeeze it out and it can't be burning hot to do that.

                                                          In a Food Processor throw in: 
                                                        1 can chic peas INCLUDING the liquid
                                                       1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
You could do two cans of the Garbanzo (Chic Peas), I switch off between the two kinds to change it up a bit from week to week. Either are delicious!!!

2 tbs. Tahini paste  

                                                                   1 whole lime juiced 

                                                    Lots of cumin, 1 tbs. (I love cumin!)
                                                                      Salt & Pepper

                               Little Olive Oil streamed in to make smooth and come together.

                                             Add the garlic cloves (squeezed out of their skin)

6 Kalamata Olives, pitted (this is optional, I don't use these very often, but they are good in it)

I usually put in a few sun dried tomatoes (LOVE these).

  I always have it on hand. ALWAYS. I always make sure to have my ingredients on hand. It is a quick, healthy snack or can make a fast meal. I just make batch after batch and constantly have some in the fridge when one runs out. 

 Here is a fast lunch or dinner idea. Take a tortilla, spread on some hummus, throw on some chopped veggies (whatever you have in the house). On this is cabbage, celery, zucchini, carrot, tomatoes, cucumber & olives)

Add some avocado and roll it up. Done! Super yummy and quick. 

I have sent this to school for lunch with Sophie and she loves it! 

Hope you enjoy!