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Nutrition

What Five Star Restaurants Teach You about Healthy Snacks for Kids

ants-on-a-log4A fine meal at a good restaurant has many details. It uses fresh ingredients and interesting recipes. There is a variety of foods and the presentation is pleasing.

When food is prepared thoughtfully and beautifully, even the most basic meal becomes an experience. You can’t wait to try it. Once you start eating, you want to savor it.

But getting your kids to eat healthy snacks can feel like the opposite. Your child may balk at anything he thinks is healthy. She may be picky or prefer sweet or fatty foods.

You probably wouldn’t say that your child loves the snacks so much they can’t wait to eat them. And savoring them? Not likely.

But sometimes, the solution is easier than it seems.

Think about your snacks like a fine chef. Find ways to prepare your food beautifully. Make common foods seem unusual. Add interesting flavors or combinations.

Sometimes just changing the food a little bit can make your child dig in.

continue reading »

The Holiday Survival Toolkit: How to Not Drink at Parties (And Still Have Fun)

cocktailThe holiday season is upon us and we all know what that means—parties.

Parties at work, parties at church, parties at school, fundraiser parties, caroling parties, Secret Santa parties…

It’s the season of so many parties that we long for a weekend night with nothing scheduled.

All the parties can lead to excess, but the biggest party of the season, New Year’s Eve, can be the topper.  Many people drink so much that it can take days to feel healthy again. And even if you don’t drink to drunkenness, your extra alcohol intake in the month of December can take its toll.

I think it’s great to celebrate and enjoy the company of your loved ones, but I don’t want to see you sick.  Find out how to not drink (or at least drink less) this party season. continue reading »

The Best (and Worst) Thanksgiving Foods

thanksgiving-spreadThanksgiving is a great meal.  Friends and family come together to give thanks and celebrate the harvest season–

…and to overeat.

All of us know the feeling of eating too much, too heavy, too rich.  When we should be enjoying our time with loved ones, we are uncomfortable.  We exasperate our health conditions and catch a cold.  We put on weight and feel lethargic.

I’m not going to tell you to make dramatic changes to your Thanksgiving meal.  Usually that doesn’t work—and besides, it’s no fun.

Instead I suggest you just make small choices.  Pick one food instead of the other.  Make little positive choices and they’ll add up to a healthier, more enjoyable meal. continue reading »

More than Needles: 3 Traditional Chinese Medicine Therapies You Can Do at Home

Baduanjin_qigong_smIf you asked the average person how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) keeps you healthy, they would probably answer that it uses acupuncture needles.

That is a good start.

TCM is a complex understanding of how Qi, or life force, affects your health.  Qi flows through meridians passing through points which can be used to regulate and control that flow.  When the flow of Qi increases, decreases or its quality changes, your health is affected.  The most common way to manage the flow of Qi is with acupuncture needles.

But TCM is much more than needles.

In the second part of our two-part series “More than Needles,” you will learn three ways to keep yourself healthy using Traditional Chinese Medicine principles at home.  By using these techniques in your daily life, you will be in charge of your health. continue reading »

The Surprising Truth about Migraine Triggers

migraineHow much do you really know about controlling your migraines?

New research suggests you may not know as much as you think.

According to Timothy T. Houle, Ph.D and co-author Dana P. Turner, M.S.P.H., both of the Wake Forest Baptist anesthesiology department, migraine sufferers make inaccurate conclusions about what triggers their migraines.  Houle and Turner conducted a 3-month study of 9 women who suffered from migraines.  They tracked the women’s hormone levels, their stress levels and the weather.  The women kept daily diaries.  At the end of the study, the scientists could not accurately predict which triggers would cause a migraine.

Their conclusion—most people can’t isolate the many complex variables in everyday life to accurately determine their migraine triggers.

So what can you do?  Can you start eating anything you want?  Do you give up managing your migraines?

continue reading »

The One Simple Summer Eating Tip to Make You Feel Fantastic

strawberriesHealthy eating tips for the summer are a little tricky.

Since the weather is warm, you need light, cooling foods.  Juicy peaches, sweet watermelons, tomatoes hot off the vine…  The right foods are easy to find.  One trip through your garden or a walk through a farmer’s market and you’ll have the perfect summer meal.

But since you’re outside exercising and working in the garden, you build up an appetite.  You work hard and play hard.  You crave calories to keep the fire burning.  Are cucumbers the first food you reach for after rototilling the garden?  Probably not.

Unfortunately, many times craving calories trumps craving fresh food.  You satisfy your appetite with a meal of tortilla chips and soda.  Or brats and beer.  Or hamburgers and ice cream.

And afterward you feel full, bloated and hot.

Fortunately there is a solution.  It is possible to eat well, have energy and avoid feeling bloated.

The trick is in the timing.

With an easy tweak to your natural summer diet, you’ll feel fantastic. continue reading »

Mashed Parsnips

Mashed Parsnips

from East Meets West Weight Loss

 

Are you the “meat and potatoes” type? Maybe you live with one and it makes it difficult for you to cook the healthy foods you know you should be eating. Either way you should try this great mashed potatoes substitute. Parsnips will help you feel full, curb your sugar cravings, and give you a healthy alternative to a staple food.

 

Ingredients

2 pounds of parsnips, peeled, and cubed

1 Bartlett pear, peeled, cored, and cut in half

4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 ½ tsp extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions

1 – Fill a large pot with water and add parsnips, garlic, and pear. Make sure ingredients are covered by an inch of water. Bring the water to a boil and then turn down the heat until it is simmering. Let simmer for 20-25 minutes covered. Parsnips should be soft in the middle and easily pierced with a fork.

 

2 – Drain the pot and transfer the parsnips, garlic, and pear to a food processor*. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Blend until mixture is smooth and creamy in consistency. Serve warm.

 

*Don’t own a food processor? You could put ingredients through a potato ricer or use a potato masher. Or whatever method you would normally use to make mashed potatoes.

Granola Recipe

A key part of a healthy diet is smart snacking.  It is often recommended to eat small meals/snacks throughout the day instead of just three (or for many people only one or two) larger meals. Many snack foods are not healthy alternatives, despite clever marketing claims or emphasis on their caloric content (100 calorie packs, I’m looking at you). However, granola is a great option. It has whole grains to help regulate blood sugar and keep you from binging later in the day. Nuts provide some health fats, and some dried fruits can add flavor and anti-oxidants.

 

GRANOLA RECIPE (Makes 13 cups)

----------------------------------------------
1/2 cup vegetable oil or coconut oil
1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey
1-1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
6 cups quick oats or old-fashioned oats
2 cups chopped walnuts, or almonds, or pecans
1 cup wheat germ (optional)
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup raisins or other dried fruit
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries or dried cherries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two 17 x 11" jelly roll pans with cooking 
oil spray.

Combine oil, syrup & brown sugar.  Microwave uncovered 'til melted (approx. 3 
min.)
Whisk any lumps.  Combine oats, nuts, wheat germ and coconut in large bowl. 
Pour syrup mixture over and mix.  Spread evenly onto jelly-roll pans.
Bake 10 min.  Stir, then bake approx. 10 more min.  (Switch pans/oven racks for 
even baking.)
Cool one hour then sprinkle dried fruit over and mix together.  Store in sealed 
containers or jars.
Can freeze portions in zip-lock bags also.

9 Healthy Holiday Eating Strategies

Pie.  Cookies.  Chocolate.  Eggnog.  Champagne.

The holiday season is filled with good foods.  You eat and drink with your friends and loved ones to celebrate how much you care about them.

But we all know that too much of a good thing is no longer good.  Too many rich foods can lead to extra pounds, digestion upsets, mood swings and a generally “yucky” feeling.

It’s all about balance.

Good, healthy holiday eating can make the difference between an enjoyable holiday season and a miserable one.  The trick is to enjoy treats without overdoing them.  Make a healthy holiday eating strategy and plan to enjoy the holiday celebrations without feeling bad the next day.

See some healthy holiday eating strategies below the fold…

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