One of my favorite cooking tools for the summer months is my crock pot. It doesn't heat the house up like the oven does, I can start it in the morning and not have to worry about dinner getting started when I am out running errands or doing afternoon classes.
If standard recipe says: Standard Recipe slow cooker on high heat Cook in slow cooker on low heat 15 to 30 minutes 1½ to 2 ½hours 4-6 hours 35 to 45 minutes 3-4 hours 6-10 hours 50 minutes to 3 hours 4-6 hours 8-18 hours
From my extremely informal research, these are my top three favorite slow cooker recipes.
Beef Goulash Or Veggie Stew You can load this up with seasonal veggies or you can use canned or frozen vegetables in the winter time. With the addition of whole grain pasta this is a meal really worth putting on your favorites list.
BBQ Pork There isn't anything that this isn't amazing with. It is yummy on rolls and in tortillas, it is great on salads and just plain. You can make it as spicy or as sweet as you choose with the sauce that you use.
I love my slow cooker, especially in the summer months. I urge you to pull yours out and start experimenting with it.
One of the first lessons that Food $ense teaches is about Food Safety. If you haven't been able to take a class locally, (by contacting a local agent), you can take the class online. I have a few random thoughts about Food Safety, well not the entire realm of Food Safety, but Hand Washing in particular.
This last week we had people on both sides of our extended family come down with the stomach flu. With all the business of the summer, I was desperate that none of our immediate family come down with the dreaded sickness. So I started preaching and became really vigilant about hand washing. I was shocked at how little of it went on in our home. I even noticed that I wasn't washing my hands as much as I should have been. Thankfully, I think we escaped the dreaded germs.
Here is some Great information on Food Safety basic practices. If you follow these all the time, you will be in the clear when it comes to food borne illness, but I bet as you read through them, there are some that you aren't doing. I was breaking quite a few of the rules.
CBS News ran a report a little while ago and they reported that 95% of people are washing their hands wrong. Say WHAT?!?! Am I living around all these people? Is everyone using those cleaning wipes at the grocery store to clean their carts and forgetting how to use soap and water to wash their hands? The CDC says Handwashing Saves Lives, I am sure that it does, but it can save you a lot of other things too, like discomfort, sick kids and dirty laundry. A healthy family is a happier family. I know we are going to be much better about keeping our hands clean.
One of the household tasks that I absolutely hate the most is grocery shopping. I find it intimidating, and I really feel the pressure to "do it right", so when I buy something that I shouldn't I feel a lot of guilt. It doesn't seem fair that most of the store intentions are to trick you into spending more money on foods that aren't that great food you. It feels like an mission into enemy territory.
I would like to say that it doesn't have to be that way, but I haven't exactly found a way around it yet. Shopping at roadside produce stands, and farmer's markets can greatly add to the pleasure of your food buying experience. But it still feels like the big bog stores and the chain marts are still out to get me and gobble up my little grocery budget on things that won't nourish my family, but make them lots of money.
I found this AMAZING super market guide that I wanted to share with you. It has great tips for grocery shopping smarter in every area of the store.
It can be a challenge to make healthy food choices and stay within your food budget. Here are some tips to help you get the most from your grocery budget:
Take an inventory of the food you already have in your home. Plan your meals for the week, keeping in mind what you already have in your pantry.
Make a shopping list and stick to it.
Compare unit prices (cost per ounce or pound) to determine if you are getting the best deal.
Buy the generic store brand versions of foods.
Take advantage of store loyalty savings programs, as well as clipping coupons and online discounts.
Remember that stores retain your purchase habits. Make sure you are protecting your privacy and know your rights.
Only take advantage of the deal if you know you will eat the discounted item. It’s not a deal if the food goes to waste.
Shop the perimeter of the store for nutrient dense foods. Processed and packaged foods tend to be more expensive.
Visit your local farmer’s market to find fresh produce. Arrive early to get the best selection or late to get the best deals. Fresh food spoils quickly so don’t buy more than you can eat or freeze. Find your local farmers market.
Shop for foods that are in season. When the supply is plentiful, the prices tend to be lower.
Some stores offer discounts to customers for bringing their own bags.
We don't have to be at the mercy of our the stores eating up our grocery budgets. A few smart tricks and lots of informed shopping can make us the masters of our own fate. - And we can use our food budgets fully nourishing our families and taking care of ourselves. Remember to always plan, the most expensive food item you can buy is the one you end up not using.
Did you make big changes to your life on January 1st? Did you set goals, join a gym, start a "diet"?
Even for me, it is hard to resist the urge to plan to change my whole life when New Years rolls around. Everyone else is doing it, posting about it, I want to do it too -- Except, I don't. Not really.
If you had a lot of success with changes to your lifestyle in January, I am really happy for you. I hope you are enjoying feeling great, having more energy and realizing all the amazing things feeling good can lead to.
If you didn't have the success that you hoped for, I have a few thoughts and ideas to share with you.
When studying weight loss and increased activity that leads to long term healthier lives there is a term that is almost universally used - Behavioral Modification. And it means not just changing the way that you eat or how much you exercise.
Although we hear it All The Time - just changing the way that you eat... and just changing how much your body moves is not enough to create lasting change. Yes! both will make you feel better, both will add to your health; neither by themselves or even together will create lasting change.
Instead, it’s almost more important to address the social and psychological cues associated with our lifestyles. Quite simply, following food rules for the rest of your life is not sustainable, so it's important to dig deep to discover and examine why you are either going for junk food all of the time and/or eating too much (easier said than done, right?).
If examining our behavior is going to be the best chance we have at lasting change, here are some of my best ideas regarding how to do that.
Evaluate what’s worth it. When life calls for you to celebrate, by all means, celebrate. Have a small piece of cake, enjoy your grandma's famous Easter ham. Food that brings us joy and is a once a while a treat, should be just that. But drinking a gallon of soda a day instead of your water and eating a box of cookies on the sofa at night, are neither a treat Or a joy. They just aren't worth it.
Be mindful of your food choices. When you do opt for something that’s not so healthy, savor it. Eat consciously, enjoy every bite, and do your best not to overeat.
Don’t linger on the guilt. If you fall off the healthy lifestyle train completely and can’t get out of the processed foods trap, don’t live and relive your mistake. And certainly don't let this be the reason you Give Up! You’ve proven to yourself that you want to do this, you are worth it, so pick yourself up and get back on. Right now, this evening, or tomorrow morning are all chances to start fresh.
Don’t force it. If you love bread or are obsessed with the cheeses of the world, don’t force yourself to adopt to a lifestyle that doesn’t work for you. Learn to bake whole grain bread, or enjoy it in moderation. Instead of just smothering every meal in cheese, find the ones you love best and use them to really add some excitement to a recipe. If you just can't go without at 3 o'clock snack, then Don't! You can make the very best choices for you in lots of different healthy ways.
Listen to your body, and listen to your mind and your heart. All of us here at Snappily and Food Sense want you to live the healthiest life for you - and we want that healthy life to be full of joy and happiness.
I read an article this morning about the upcoming health trends for 2018, according to Registered Dietitians that were interviewed at the recent Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foods and Nutrition Conference and Expo. Guys, it was really depressing, and left me pretty angry and I grumped around the house and gave Joseph an earful about the state of the nutritional world and now I am going to complain to you. -- Okay, not really, But I want to share some thoughts with you.
Some of the things that were talked about were foods that were free of allergens, wheat, gluten, eggs, dairy and nuts. The article specifically talked about the magic of dairy-free chocolate chips. I am sorry that people that are allergic to dairy can't eat chocolate chips, but is spending money on a dairy free alternative the best use of our time and resources?
The next item on the list was something they called "Plant based foods" - if you are thinking Yah! plants.... They aren't really talking about eating more fruits and vegetables, they are talking about things like almond milk, "cheese" made from cashews, cauliflower rice and pizza crust and every veggie chip under the sun. (although they did voice some concern that veggie chips can have as much oil and sodium as potato chips (Guys! Potatoes ARE a vegetable)
There was a lot of buzz about fresh and dried flower powders that can be added to your smoothies and lattes. Also making the list were powder forms of protein foods like eggs, peanut butter, and regular old protein powder in both whey and soy forms.
Also making the very long list were.... homemade fermented veggies, matcha, convenience foods with vegetables added, probiotics and healthy fats.
It is no wonder that the world of Health is so darn confusing, and overwhelming and for me it feels too expensive, too time consuming and that I am just not smart enough to start counting macros and bio-hacking my own body. (YES!! it's a thing!!)
I posted a photo on my Instagram account the other day -
Vegetables aren't every going to be trendy. They don't sell books on the best seller list and they don't make the morning news shows as the next big thing. Whole grains are on the same list, they don't taste like spicy bacon and lime chips and they don't have a super hero on the outside of the box. But they have been good for us forever, and they will continue to be good for us.
The thing that I love most about the Food $ense program (and I LOVE a lot of things about it) is that everything they teach is 100% evidence based. That means it has been tested and studied and tested some more and test results shared and studied again. It doesn't have the same zing to it as the fad diets, but it is true and it works, and it will probably never ever Trend, but I am okay sticking with sound advice that has been true, well, since at least 100 years.
One of the first really big changes that you can make when deciding to live a healthier lifestyle is preparing meals at home.
Making meals at home is better for you and your budget according to all the experts. Whether it is from fresher ingredients, healthier preparation, mindful eating or many other factors, preparing your meals at home is just Way better for you.
But even though we at times, can have the best of intentions, life throws us a curve ball and it can be even Harder than Usual to get dinner on the table. Here are some tips that I try and keep in place to make getting dinner on the table during the crazy times, a little bit less crazy.
1. Have a Pantry go-to Meal - for our family, this is basic spaghetti with red or white sauce from a jar or peanut noodles. I can have the ingredients always on hand, and all it takes is a pot of boiling water. When I am feeling like I just can't make dinner tonight, I like to have a back-up plan where I can tell myself, "Make this, it will be ready in 15 minutes"
2. Breakfast for Dinner- Everyone loves breakfast foods, whether it is pancakes, waffles or french toast, there are no bad breakfast foods. (at least not in our house!) If I am looking for a pass on dinner, I'll make something hearty, Joseph will cooks eggs to special order and we almost always get the smiles from our boys coming up from downstairs saying, "do I smell bacon?"
3. Chicken and Rice - with just a few spices and a saute pan you can have dinner under control. Saute' up some frozen chicken tenders and put a pot of rice on. It takes 20 minutes or so for the rice and that is plenty of time to defrost the chicken and have it cooked and ready. (Since the tenders are smaller and thinner that chicken breasts). Add a bag of frozen veggies and you've got a great My Plate dinner.
4. Go Bowling - I can whip up a Bowl Meal with all kinds of food from the pantry or fridge. Start with a bowl of rice (or other grain) or noodles, and just start adding yummy things. I love to make bowl meals then there seem to lots of little bits of things left in the fridge that need to be used up. Roasted veggies, cooked meats that there aren't enough of to make meal. Salad fixings, canned beans, frozen veggies - everyone can make their own just how they like it.
5. Soup's On - With a few ingredients that you probably have in your pantry, you can make soup. We love taco soup and minestrone soup at our house, but there are as many delicious soups and combinations as they are cooks in this world. You can make your own and it is so much cheaper and better for you than buying soup from a can.
6. Taco Tuesday - There are a lot of reasons that we are a whole country of taco lovers. Soft or hard, beef, chicken, fish or pork - small street taco size or huge burritos as big as your fist - there isn't anything that it seems you can't put in a tortilla, add a bit of salsa and call delicious. We eat some form of Tacos once a week, I can pack them full of veggies and there aren't a lot of dishes to watch. That's good enough for me on the tough nights.
These are some ideas that have worked for me. Things that I try and keep in mind when making dinner seems worse than a trip to the dentist. What has worked for you? What tricks do you use?
I have been talking about the benefits of getting your body moving. Especially if you have been leading a sedentary life. The USDA recommends that the average adult get 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week.
We got a new dog at our house and so we have all been doing a Lot of walking! I have been so surprised at how easy it has been to get moving (and trust me! I am not a mover - especially when it is 20 degrees outside). Jett, Ezra and I have been taking turns during the day walking the dog. We try and be gone for at least 40 minutes to give him time to go to the bathroom and get all his dog wiggles out. It has been really easy to do it --- and that is really saying something, because I have the 6am shift.
But if walking isn't your thing, and you are really wanting to start "working out" I have found some GREAT exercises that will have you building muscle and getting healthy in no time.
You can do these during commercials, you can do them for 10 minutes in the morning and at night. Really anytime, and they require zero equipment, so all you need to get started is your body.
The Plank - As simple as this looks, it works every single part of your body - and to make it harder, you just do it longer. This exercise is a good way to begin your workout routine as a warm up and also to tighten your abs, back, thigh, and butt. To do a plank, get down on all fours and position your hands directly below your shoulders, shoulder-width apart. Straighten your legs so that your body is in a push-up position, with the weight on the balls of your feet. Engage your core muscles and lift your torso so that it forms a straight line with your body. Make sure to keep your butt down. Hold this position for about 10 seconds. Do 8 to 10 reps of this exercise and one to two sets to start
-- if you are not quite ready for this. I found this amazing video to share.
Squats - Squats are one of the best exercises you can do for building the muscles in your legs — glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves — try and make them an essential part of a workout routine.
Here’s how: Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Your toes should be facing straight ahead, but can be angled outward slightly. Then, keeping your torso straight and your abs engaged, slowly bend your knees and lower hips toward the floor. Rise slowly. For your workout plan, start with 8 to 10 reps and one to two sets.
Lunges - Lunges, like squats, exercise the muscles in your legs. Stand with one leg forward and one leg back. Bend your knees, lowering your body into a lunge position. Be sure to keep your front knee and back knee at 90 degree angles. Push on your heels and return slowly to your starting position. Beginners should do 8 to 10 reps and one to two sets as part of their workout plan. As you gain strength, add back lunges and side lunges to your workout routine.
need them modified for a beginner ?
Push Ups - Good Old Push Ups, they are a great workout for the upper body. But the key is using proper technique. Keep your feet together and parallel to each other. Tuck your toes under your feet. Try not to arch your back as you push up. Be sure to exhale as you straighten your arms. Do 8 to 10 reps. Increase the reps as you gain strength. Start with one to two sets and work up to more.
But if you are new to push ups, or like me, you just have the arm strength of wet noodles....
Crunches - I have a hard time even thinking about crunches without having terrible elementary school PE flashbacks. I think we had a minute to do as many as we can, and I probably maxed out at about 5 -- total.
To do one correctly, lie on your back with your knees bent. Put your hands behind your head and pull your elbows back. Exhale as you slowly curl your torso toward your thighs until your upper back is off the floor or mat. Hold for a count of three — add more time as you get stronger. Inhale as you lower your body back down to the mat. Your workout routine should include 10 to 12 reps and two to three sets to start.
You don't need any equipment to get started, and if you are wanting to modify any of the exercises, all you need is a wall and a sturdy chair or the side of your couch.
I have a few foods that I always try and make sure I have in my pantry. I thought I would share some of them with you, because I ran out of one the other day. Joseph and I were shopping at Costco and he asked, do we have peanut butter. I replied that of course we had peanut butter and so we didn't get any. But last week, I used up the last of the jar of peanut butter and went to the pantry to get a new one.... and I couldn't find one. I went downstairs into storage to get a jar, there wasn't one there either. Not to be deterred, I went back upstairs and began to search the pantry for peanut butter, I just couldn't imagine that I had actually let us run out of my go-to ingredient. But no, there was no peanut butter.
I got me thinking, I need to clean up the mess that is my pantry, so I can actually find things, and I needed to share with you my favorite foods to always have on hand.
Peanut Butter - You bet we eat a lot of peanut butter sandwiches around here. But peanut butter is the main ingredient in my favorite Thai peanut noodles. It is my go-to pantry meal, everyone in my family eats it and it isn't spaghetti, so I can serve it the same that I serve spaghetti (WAHAHA evil laugh) To make this ingredient as healthy as possible. check your label for added sugar. Ideally your peanut butter should have peanuts and a little bit of salt.
Brown Rice - We love rice at our house. Some people are much bigger fans of white rice than brown rice, but we are trying to slowly make the transition to just eating brown rice. We aren't there yet. I love rice because it goes into and with nearly everything. You can add it to soups, casseroles, skillet meals. You can cook it and saute up some veggies and have a delicious stir-fry. And my family finds rice very non-threatening. When I say that dinner is chicken and rice. I have a sure hit on my hands, no matter the form that I have made it in.
Quinoa - I wasn't that big of a couscous fan until I began toasting it. That changed everything for me. I know that a lot of people use it as a swap for rice or grains, but it is too expensive for me to do that. When I make quinoa, I always use it as my protein. That makes some quinoa and frozen veggies an amazing for you dinner, packed with nutrition and very filling.
Lentils - these are another one of my favorite cheap and quick proteins. I love beans, but cooking them from dry honestly takes more time that I have 90% of the time. Lentils only take 20-30 minutes and since they don't look or taste like beans, the bean haters at my house eat them.
Pasta and Jar Sauce - This is one of my dinner emergency kits. My kids love noodles and white sauce, and they love spaghetti, so on those nights when practice runs late or I forgot to get food out of the freezer, this is our backup plan. We have found a few prepared sauces that we really like and I feel good about eating and feeding my family. And a jar of sauce and a package of pasta can feed a family for less than 3.00$. It can feed me entire family for less than 6$.
This is a wonderful list from Food $ense that has quite a few pantry foods that are great to have on hand.
And they have put together a list of what you can eat and make with those foods you have on hand. Enjoy!!
When I first started trying to follow My Plate I had no idea how I was going to feed my family all those vegetables. I didn't know how I was going to eat all those vegetables. Trying to achieve half a plate at every meal seemed like a nearly impossible task.
But as I have learned through Food $ense classes and just putting the things I have learned into practice, it isn't as hard as you might think - and actually can be really really delicious.
I began first by adding a green salad to lunch and dinner. It was easy, the kids could help me prepare it, and my bigger kids could easy do it on their own. Everyone could choose their own dressing and so I never had to face any, "but I don't like salad" complaints. It quickly became habit and I felt really good about the changes we were making.
Something else that I have recently started doing, is roasting up all the veggies that I have left in the fridge on Saturdays during my meal prep. I always add a great big onion to them, toss them in a little bit of olive oil spread them out on two baking sheets (because I make a LOT) and then sprinkle them with a little bit of salt and pepper. I used these veggies as a go-to side dish all week until I run out of them.
That means that without even having to think about it, I have added a green salad and then a side of roasted veggies to my plate without even having to think about it. Then when I make dinner during the week, I can plan much smaller portions of protein and grains because I already know we have lots of vegetables to fill up on. I don't even worry about "do roasted veggies go with this" because you don't think that for a second about a green salad, it just goes with everything, I feel that way about roasted veggies.
Ingredients
2 lbs cubed pumpkin (sweet potatoes or winter squash)
1 lb brussels sprouts
2 red onions, peeled and each onion cut into wedges
1/4 cup walnuts (or other sturdy nut like almonds or pecans)
3 tbsp maple syrup
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp dried chili flakes, adjust to taste
1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400F.
Peel and dice the pumpkin into 1“ cubes, If your brussels sprouts are large, cut them in half.
Place the pumpkin, brussels sprouts, onion and walnuts onto a large baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup, then mix with your hands until it is evenly coated.
Sprinkle the veggies with the dried chilli flakes, salt and pepper.
Roast for 25 minutes, or until the pumpkin is browned and cooked through.
I saw this quote on an instagram story this morning and I couldn't help but think about how this applies to beginning to be physically active. We all live busy stressful lives and for a lot of us, at the end of the day, all we want to do it tune out and sit on the couch - not move or do one more thing. Just me? No ?
The mental discipline to becoming active and making physical activity a habit can be more overwhelming than either the physical resistance or work. Choosing to make a change can be the most important step - nothing happens without that first choice to change and live a healthier life.
First - begin by taking that choice and making a commitment to yourself. You are worth the health and happiness that being active and living a healthy lifestyle will provide for you and also the people that you care about. Get rid of the mental excuses, You are worth every ounce of effort that it takes you. And each choice for good is worth twice as much as staying in the place that you are at. You aren't suddenly going to be perfect at "being healthy", but you don't have to tell yourself, "I'm too tired" or "I can't" - you can start by simply saying, "I'm Not too tired" and "I Can"
Second - get your stuff together. If you are going to be walking, find the nicest walking shoes that you have, or buy the best shoes that you can afford. You won't want to go if your feet are killing you. If you have decided to swim, get your towel, suit and a pair of goggles in a bag. Perhaps you are getting on a bike, make sure your tires are pumped up and the bike is in safe working condition and get a helmet. Set out the DVDs and your water bottle, or make a date with a walking partner. Everything you can do to eliminate excuses that we make for ourselves will help you take those first hard steps.
Next - Start slowly. While it is recommended that adults get about 2 hoursand 30 minutes or 150 minutes per week of moderate physical activity. This is about 30minutes 5 days perweek. You aren't going to be doing this the first time you get active. Start with just 10 minutes at a time for a the first week. Starting at a level that doesn't destroy you, but challenges you will give you chance to see yourself progress into higher levels of fitness instead of making you want to give up.
Then - Fuel your body. I find that when I am being more active I just want to feed myself better. I care more about what I am doing for myself and how I am taking care of me. I find it lots easier to drink more water and cut out soda, have my fruits and veggies and eat less junk food.
If you are looking for more ideas or support, please visit Food $ense at our website or find local classes where you can connect with people who have the same goals as you.
This little mix here, is pure kitchen magic. I use it nearly once a week when the fall and winter roll around and I start making a lot of soups, skillet meals and casseroles. I had to make a new batch up this weekend and thought I would share it with you, because it is the most amazing thing in my pantry.
It practically makes dinner all by itself!
It is basically, dry milk, corn starch (as a thickening agent), and flavor from chicken bullion, onion and seasonings if you add them. I mixed it up in a bowl and then put it in a jar for you guys, but normally, I just dump all the ingredients into a zip top plastic bag and mix and store it in the same bag.
If you are wondering what to do with the stuff, you use it any way that you would normally use a can of "Cream of -----" Soup. Except!! this is chemical, preservative, strange ingredient, fat, and gluten free.
Food Sense has a free Cookbook that you can download and it has the most wonderful easy recipes that you can make. I am not kidding, it actually makes me a much better cook. You'll wonder how you ever lived without this in your pantry.
After a long day of sitting at work do you arrive at home, flop onto the couch and spend the rest of the night there until you drag yourself off to bed?
If this sounds like something you do, you're not the only one. More and more of us are spending our entire days without any aerobic exercise, and lots of us are hardly even moving at all.
New studies and lots of research are starting to show that this sedentary lifestyle can be just as bad for us and shorten our lifespan as much as smoking!
It can be a larger risk factor than high cholesterol or even high blood pressure. Eye-Opening, right?
So what now? You're busy, you don't have a lot of "extra" time. You're tired and have kids and callings in your church and responsibilities in your community. You can't afford a gym membership or a personal trainer. How do you get active?
Walk, Walk, Walk
Walk to work, walk to meetings, walk around your neighborhood or walk around your kids’ playground at sporting events. It doesn’t matter where you walk as long as you walk. And, while you are walking try and keep your pace brisk enough that it will elevate your heart rate but still low enough to be able to carry on a conversation.
Hike for Cardiovascular Health and Happiness
Hiking in nature is an amazing way to boost your fitness because it often has undulating terrain that helps to vary the intensity of the exercise. Additionally, the plants and trees growing there increase the level of oxygen available to us, which can help improve our cardiovascular health but offers other health benefits as well. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, found that those who walked outdoors in nature have a significantly reduced risk of mental illness, compared to those who simply walked in urban areas.
Bike to Boost Oxygen and Brain Health
If you live too far from work to walk there, why not try cycling? Not only will you boost your physical fitness levels, you’ll also give your brain a boost too. That’s because research shows that when inactive middle-aged men and women begin cycling on a regular basis, they give their long-term memory a boost, too. I’m sure the same results can be expected for other age groups and fitness levels.
Take the Stairs
When you are given the chose between elevators and stairs or using a ramp and stairs, choose to use the stairs to give your aerobic fitness a boost.
Get the Kids Involved
If you think your kids will come between you and any time you might have for exercise, why not head to the park and get active together? Whether you throw a ball around and chase after it, run races or participate in some other activity, you’ll be helping him or her to develop a healthy attitude toward activity while boosting your own fitness.
Join a Dance Class
Combine socializing with a new dance class to master the tango. Or perhaps belly dancing or Hawaiian dance is more your speed? Find a local dance class and move that body.
Exercise Even if You’re a Couch Potato
If you really can’t pull yourself away from the television, why not use commercial breaks as your time to give your fitness level a boost? Just stand up and run in place until the commercial break is over, you can do jumping jacks, burpees or hop up and down on a mini trampoline.
I just spent the most amazing three days with my Food $ense family. Learning and Sharing and Growing. It fed my heart and made my love for the people who I work and serve grow. They are each so full of compassion and desire to help and serve the world and start by doing so at their doorsteps.
It just made me realize all the more what a journey Health is.
Being Healthy isn't and end, there isn't a You're Healthy Now finish line.
There is no ultimate number, weight, size, cholesterol, blood pressure that means "you've made it - now you get to be done" Isn't that an interesting way of looking at things.
As I looked around the conference room, I saw men and women that were different as we could possibly be and yet all passionate and trying to improve and educate about the exact same thing. Being Healthy
We drank some soda, we ate some chocolate, we moved our bodies and consumed a swimming pool's worth of water. We talked about how to keep trying and motivating people to make change. To be accepting of those who aren't ready yet, and to embrace little changes forward and to celebrate every single victory!
I am so glad you are here. I am so glad that you are on this journey, or that you are thinking about beginning this journey, or even that you are ready to start again. I hope you find happiness and encouragement here, I hope you find strength and support. and Love.
Can you believe all the amazing things that having a few meals a week with your family can do?
Have you tried to have a few more meals with yours? Have you been more present, more mindful, more engaged and had a better experience when you have had meals together?
I hope so. I always love it when I get to focus on a whole month of being together as a family. I hope you can embrace that small changes make a big big difference and that you don't have to change your whole life to change the world.
Because we are now at the end of September and that means that we are at the end of Family Mealtime Month, I want to share with you 3 more reasons, or 3 reasons you may not have thought of that you should have a meal with the people that are your family.
Improved Communication
Sitting down around a table provides an ordinary (but really extraordinary) opportunity to talk. We get to talk, practice listening, learn manners, respect opinions, laugh, share and learn.
This opportunity to catch-up with our families on a daily basis (or as often as we can) helps kids (little ones AND big ones) develop a sense of security and belonging. With a strong sense of belonging, children begin to acquire feelings of responsibility. It all comes from knowing that their actions have the power to affect the family.
Strengthened Family Values
Whatever topics may be talked about around the dinner table, the experience as a whole is an opportunity for you to teach and your whole family to talk about, ask questions, define and listen about the values of their family.
Before we even realize it, outside influences begin to tell our children what they should consider important - messages from television advertisements, school, social media.
The table is your chance for your family to process and address these messages together in subtle or direct ways every day.
The values of the family (which is the home base our loved ones return to at the end of each day) carries the most importance as to how children will interpret their day’s experiences. Here, while having a meal together, they learn to build confidence in, to understand, and act upon their values.
Enriches the Definition of Family
If your table is anything like mine, you always say "yes" when someone asks, "can ? stay for dinner"
Friends, neighbors, co-workers, guests everyone is welcome to sit with us at our table and enjoy a meal. We welcome you into our home and our hearts by welcoming others to our tables.
The simple act of enjoying a meal together has the universal effect of bringing people together.
