There’s been so much attention on the National School Lunch Program that it’s often forgotten that parents make lunches too.  As new nutrition guidelines are implemented in schools across the country, parents could also use some guidance. 

A few months ago Stephanie Holguin from Foodie-isms asked me to write an introduction for her Lunch Box Love Series.  At the time I was just starting to make my daughter’s lunch, something I was a little anxious about.  But I knew this was something I was going to have to do for many years to come so I figured that I might as well get good at it.  I combed through the Intstitute of Medicine’s recommendations for school lunch and developed a check list. 

5 Nutrition Must-Haves for Your Child’s School Lunch summarizes these nutrition recommendations and the rest of the posts in the series (next week) will translate the guidelines into lunch meals.  So don’t miss the rest of the Lunch Box Love series for inspiration on what to include in your child’s packed lunch.

I love this recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking. It’s a lower fat (but super tasty) version of Chicken Parm and it’s perfect for the slow cooker. Kids who don’t like chicken can eat the spaghetti and sauce — at least that’s what my almost 4-year old daughter did.

This is a great dish to put in the crock pot before you drive your kids to sports events or go for play dates. No need to pick up food on the way home. The tasty meal will be done when you walk in the door. Just have a salad prepared or quickly prepare some veggies and your good to go.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
-2-4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
-1/2 cup bread crumbs
-1/4 cup parmesan cheese
-1/2 spt Italian Seasoning
-1/4 tsp black pepper
-1/4 tsp kosher salt
-1 TBS olive oil
-1 beaten egg
-sliced mozzarella cheese or 1 cup shredded
-26 oz of your favorite marinara sauce

Directions:
Spread the olive oil into the bottom of your slow cooker. Mix the egg with a fork in a separate bowl and mix the bread crumbs with the seasonings and the parmesan cheese in another separate dish. Dip the chicken into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture, coating both sides with crumbs, cheese and seasonings. Place the chicken breast pieces at the bottom of the crock pot. Layer 2-3 slices of mozzarella cheese on top (or top with shredded cheese. Top all the ingredients with the marinara sauce.

Cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4. Frozen chicken will take longer. Serve it with the pasta of your choice. I used whole wheat spaghetti.

It’s the last week of summer. I’m just glad it cooled off here in San Diego. There’s a very small but distinct feeling of fall in the air. Fall is my favorite season, hands down.

We recently bought a condo and are first time homeowners. We’ll be spending the next couple of months on renovations but are looking to get settled before the holidays. I’m hoping this will expand my cooking as we will have more freezer space and a bigger refrigerator!

This week I’m trying a few new meals. I’ll be making a slow cooker Cheese Tortellini sans the sausage — an All Recipes dish. I stumbled upon this 17-bean and barley bag at Trader Joes and there’s a soup recipe on the package. I’m going to adapt the recipe for the Slow Cooker. I’m also going to try homemade mac and cheese for the first time.

I’ll post the recipes that turn out. For more ideas for your menu plan see Org Junkie.

What’s Cooking This Week

Monday: Chicken Fajitas with tortillas and guacamole

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Cheesy Italian Tortellini, bread and green salad

Wednesday: 17-Bean & Barley soup, bread and carrots

Thursday: Leftovers/potluck (maybe soup with grilled cheese)

Friday: Salmon Topped with Veggies with mac and cheese

Challenges — Back to School (or Life)

With summer ending that means it’s back-to-school for some of you. Those with younger children will get settled back into a normal routine. Either way it’s a change.

The Lunchbox Love Series over at Foodie-isms is starting this week so I’ll be sure to send you the link for that. I’ve been making lunches for my daughter for about a month now (twice a week). It’s challenging but kind of fun in a weird way.

the biggest challenge is that my daughter hasn’t been eating her sandwiches. She used to eat peanut butter and jelly but no longer seems interested. She prefers grilled sandwiches or bread that is toasted. Here’s a before and after picture of one of her lunches.

I encourage her to try it all but don’t make a big deal when she brings back her lunch. I don’t mind it so much because with these new bento-style lunch boxes she gets a large variety. I’ll be reviewing a few of these lunch boxes…they are so cool.

I think the fun part about making lunches is the presentation. I know when she opens it up she is reminded of home (and me!). I like to throw surprise items in there and I’m even thinking of cutting her sandwiches and cheese up into fun shapes. When she’s old enough maybe I’ll even send her little love notes.

What I didn’t expect was that her lunch time would also include influence from other kids. One night at dinner she ordered us to eat our “healthy foods first”. I asked her where she heard that and she said “a boy at school.” I told her that we never make her eat certain foods before others and to tell the boy that the next time he says it.

This got me thinking about how kids influence each other when it comes to eating. Research actually supports the notion that kids are more likely to eat what their friends are eating. I wrote a guest post on this subject for Meal Planning Magic: How to handle negative (food) peer pressure for kids at school.

Has this been an issue for any of you?

News — Diet soda bad for pregnancy and calories on menus

Some noteworthy news include a study published in the September issue of American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showing that pregnant women who drink at least one diet soda a day are 38 percent more likely to have a preterm baby (<37 weeks). Women who drank as much as four diet sodas daily were 78 percent more likely to have a premature baby.

Needless to say diet soda is not recommended during pregnancy (unless maybe you’re 40 weeks and counting).

Also in the news was the FDA draft guidelines for restaurant businesses (with 20 or more locations) to print the calorie information of their items. Upon request, consumers can get additional nutrition information including fat, saturated fat, sodium and sugars.

The only items excluded from the calorie counts are those that will be on the menu for 60 days or less such as daily specials. After the comment period the FDA will finalize the guidelines.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one. I don’t know if I want to see the calorie count on items when I’m relaxed at a restaurant. I do think people who eat out more frequently may benefit from understanding how many calories are in different items. But low calorie doesn’t always equal well balanced.

If you eat out quite a bit check out Healthy Dining Finder. They work with restaurants to get healthier items on the menus (not just low calorie).

Well that’s about it for now.  Have a great week!

The kiddie party is about to end while a group of parents sit around and watch their children spiral out of control. They’re jumping around, the tantrums are escalating and no child seems to be listening.

“Sugar always makes my kids hyperactive,” one mom says. “This is why we never give my son sugar before bed,” another chimes in.

But parents don’t always realize that it’s not sugar that causes hyperactivity in kids but something else lurking in the food their kids eat. Yes, it could also be that they are just overtired and over-stimulated but there could be more to the story.

The safety and behavior effects of certain food additives have been questioned in recent years. Let’s investigate what this means for the health and well being of your family.

Sugar myth dies hard
Science hasn’t shown a connection between sugar intake and hyperactivity, yet this myth continues to live on in many households. This doesn’t mean that excess sugar is beneficial, it just hasn’t been found to be related to behavioral issues in kids.

Take a research study published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology in 1994. Thirty-five 5 to 7 year olds labeled by their mothers as “sugar-sensitive” were separated into two groups. While both sets of children were given the exact same sugar-free drink, one group was told their kids got a large dose of sugar and the other was told the truth.

The mothers who were told their children were given sugar rated their children as significantly more hyperactive. This study highlights how just having the expectation that sugar causes adverse behavior makes it seem like a reality.

While sugar is not implicated in hyperactivity, there are other ingredients in sugar-containing foods that could be the culprit.

The world of artificial colors
One reason sugar has been implicated in behavior issues with kids may be that sugar-containing foods including juice drinks, candy, colored breakfast cereals, certain snacks and baked goods often contain artificial food colors or dyes.

According to a 2008 study published in Nutrition Reviews, research points to a relationship between hyperactivity and artificial food colorings in a small subset of hyperactive children. These children are considered intolerant to such additives.

But two recent UK studies found increased signs of hyperactivity in otherwise healthy children ingesting artificial colors and the preservative benzoate. The results of these studies led the British government to recommend removing food dyes in the food and restaurant industries. The European Parliament passed a law that foods that contain such ingredients carry the following warning label: “may have adverse affect on activity and attention in children.”

The Plot Thickens
On June 29th of this year, the Consumer for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) wrote a letter urging the FDA to ban all food dyes. They lay out their argument for such a ban in a report titled “Food Dyes: A Rainbow of Risks.”

In the report, CSPI discusses the research linking food dyes to hyperactivity but also discusses other health issues and safety concerns:

• Safety studies on food dyes examine single dyes instead of a mixture of colors which is how they are typically consumed.
• Some food dyes may contain very small levels of carcinogenic compounds. The FDA has established legal and safe limits for such contaminants but this was based on 1990 dye usage which has increased 50 percent since then.
• FDA does not take into account the effects dyes have on children who consume more dyes per body weight than adults.

The FDA definition of safe color additives is “…there is convincing evidence that establishes with reasonable certainty that no harm will result from the intended use of the color additive. ” CSPI disagrees with this statement and believes that because dyes offer little in the way of nutrition (for cosmetic purposes only) they should be banned.

The food industry responded to this report stating that food dyes have been extensively studied and are safe for consumption. But it’s the FDA that makes the rules and there is no word yet on whether there will be changes coming.

What’s a parent to do?
I don’t believe that food dyes are unsafe but I do not want them in the daily diet of my family. I hope that FDA revisits food dyes and their long term safety for both kids and adults. But until something changes, here are tips on reducing food dyes in your family’s diet:

• Check ingredient lines for artificial colors. Red 40 and Yellow 5 & 6 account for 90 percent of all dyes in food products.
• Choose foods that use real food components to add color to foods such as beet juice, tumeric and beta-carotene.
• If your child has behavior or attention issues, eliminate all artificial colors. For other children keep the intake of food dyes as occasional (birthday parties, Halloween etc.).
• If you believe your child is sensitive to food dyes file a report. 
• To learn more about additives in food see CSPI’s Chemical Cuisine.

So tell me, do you watch out for food dyes in the food you buy?

References
Hoover DW, et al. “Effects of sugar ingestion expectancies on mother-child interactions.” Journal of Abnormal Childhood Psychology. 1994: 22(4): 501–15.

Sinn N. Nutritional and dietary influences on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Nutrition Reviews. 2008; 66(10):558-568.

McCann D, et al. “Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2007; 370(9598): 1560–67.

I got a good one for you guys.

I made this Mexican Lasagna for our Monday Mexican night and it was fabulous.

I was tempted to make something else due to time but I got it on the table in less than 30 minutes. My 16-month old gobbled it up and my daughter pulled off the tortilla part and ate it with the guacamole. Don’t get me started on her eat-only-tortilla phase.

Instead of the avocado salsa the recipe calls for, I made it with guacamole. I also served it with blueberries.  This gem comes from the 6 O’clock Scramble Newsletter. Their recipes are exceptional!

Enjoy!

Servings: 8

Ingredients
15 oz. canned black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz. vegetarian refried beans
15 oz. corn kernels, naturally sweetened, drained, (or use 1 1/4 cups corn kernels from 3 – 4 ears corn)
1 cup mild salsa
4 scallions, sliced
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (reduced fat optional)
4 tsp. vegetable oil
6 soft taco size (8-inch) flour or wheat tortillas
1 avocado, peeled and diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 lime, juice only, 1 Tbsp.
1/4 tsp. salt

DirectionsHeat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together both types of beans, corn, salsa, scallions and cheese.

Put the oil in a small bowl. Heat a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Brush both sides of each tortilla with a thin layer of the oil and fry it in the skillet, turning once, until it is puffed and golden in spots, about one minute total. Stack the cooked tortillas on a plate.

To make the lasagna, put 2 tortillas in the bottom of the casserole dish; top them with 1/2 the bean filling, then top that with 2 more tortillas, and the second half of the bean filling. Top it with the final 2 tortillas. Press down with a spatula on the top tortillas to seal the layers.

Bake the lasagna, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes until it is heated through. Cut it into squares with a pizza cutter or serrated knife to serve.

While the lasagna is baking, in a medium bowl, gently toss the diced avocado and tomatoes with the lime juice and salt. Top the lasagna squares with the avocado salsa at the table.

SERVE WITH BLUEBERRIES OR RASPBERRIES
Serve it with 1/2 – 1 lb. of fresh blueberries, raspberries, or your favorite berries.

Nutritional Information per serving (% based upon daily values)
Calories: 410; Total Fat: 19g, 29%; Saturated Fat: 8g, 40%; Cholesterol: 30mg, 10%; Sodium: 1,140mg, 48%; Total Carbohydrate: 55g, 18%; Dietary Fiber: 10g, 40%; Sugar: 3g; Protein: 17g
Nutritional Information per serving with sidedish (% based upon daily values) (1/2 cup berries)
Calories: 451; Total Fat: 19g, 29%; Saturated Fat: 8g, 40%; Cholesterol: 30mg, 10%; Sodium: 1,141mg, 48%; Total Carbohydrate: 66g, 22%; Dietary Fiber: 12g, 47%; Sugar: 10g; Protein: 22g

Sugar and fat. 

People of all ages prefer this taste combination.  Yeah, some people like sweeter foods and others prefer salty but as I learned in my training as a dietitian, the mixture of sugar and fat is one that is particularly pleasing to the palate.

As we talked about in our picky-eating series, kids are naturally drawn to sweet foods that are energy-dense.  And in a world where these items are literally everywhere, parents are left unsure how to deal with them.

The problem goes something like this: kids fight for these foods but their parents fight back trying to keep their intake as low as possible.  Or, parents give in because they simply don’t have the energy to fight.  Either way, the issue of how to manage sweets is one many families face.

In this series we’ll dig deep into this topic of how to raise kids who have a healthy relationship with sweets – and grow up eating them in moderation.   We’ll have expert interviews, case studies and specific strategies to get you and your family on the right track.

But first, we need to get to the heart of the problem.  Not what everyone thinks is the problem, but the real problem.

The Problem – at face value

Everybody knows that Americans eat too many energy-dense foods.  According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Report, foods with added sugars and solid fats contribute almost 35% of calories in the typical American’s Diet.  This is true for people of all ages – children, adolescents and adults.

Yet the Dietary Guidelines recommend 10% of total calories come from what they call “discretionary calories.”  And that’s only if people meet their nutrient needs first.  Ouch.

The bottom line: Many people are consuming high quantities of foods that offer little in the way of nourishment.  These foods are not meant to make such a large contribution to the diet of younger — and older– bodies.

The problem and solution is typically defined as “these tempting foods need to be cut back or eliminated from the diet.”  But the way we go about this can make the problem much, much worse. 

Uncovering the Problem — it’s more than taste

When parents see their kids loving sweets they often get worried, especially if their kid is at a higher percentile for weight.  This fear often drives them to cut back sweets in their child’s diet in ways that are counter-productive.   

Researchers reviewed 22 studies in the 2004 issue of Obesity Research and found that that parental restriction was the only feeding strategy associated with increased eating and weight in kids.  

Take a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition several years ago.  When offered to eat as much energy-dense foods as they wanted, girls (aged 5 to 7) of parents who restrict them from palatable foods at home were more likely to eat in the absence of hunger than the unrestricted girls.  Research also suggests that girls who eat in the absence of hunger tend to feel bad about themselves.

Studies also show that an indulgent or permissive feeding style, common in lower income homes, is associated with excess eating and higher BMI.  This is letting children eat what they want when they want and that includes plenty of energy-dense foods. 

And how about how adults feed themselves?  Many spend their time between trying to be good on a diet or healthy eating plan or eating what they want in larger quantities. Studies show most people who diet will gain their weight back plus more.

So children and adults just don’t only over-eat sweets because of taste.  The way they are fed, or feed themselves, has a major impact on whether they obsess, overeat or simply prefer energy-rich foods.  

The real problem

When I ask clients struggling with weight their biggest challenge they usually say something like “carbs,” “sweets” or “potatoes.”  They fight hard to stay away from palatable foods because they think they have to. 

This is the problem!  Deep down no one wants to give up foods that are so highly preferred by their taste buds and that includes children.  So people look for excuses to eat such foods whether it be stress, uncomfortable emotions or celebration.

No one is taught how to eat sweets in a balanced way.  In our society we see food as black or white – good/bad, healthy/unhealthy.  How many diets tell you to avoid the bad foods? How many times do you hear someone say they were “bad” or “good” due to eating?

Yeah, we hear words like “moderation” or “occasionally” but what does that mean?  Many fear that they can’t trust themselves around ice cream, cookies or a big bowl of chips.  And if they can’t trust themselves, how can they trust their children?

I believe our relationship with sweets is actually a learned behavior.  Take a look at other cultures that make less of a big deal about indulgent foods (or drinking but that’s a whole other topic).  They enjoy them without guilt and make them part of a well balanced diet.  Isn’t that what we want for our kids?

The answer to this dilemma lies somewhere in the middle of being to controlling or permissive when feeding our kids and ourselves. It’s learning to look at sweets in a whole new light. 

Like my friend and pediatric dietitian Jill Castle once told me, “You want the kid who runs by the bowl of M&Ms without even noticing it.”  Stick around for the series and I’ll help you raise a kid like that.

So tell me, what challenges does your family face when it comes to managing sweets?

References

Faith MS, Scanlon KS, Birch LL, Francis LA, Sherry B. Parent-Child feeding strategies and their relationships to child eating and weight status. Obes Res. 2004;12:1711-1722.

Fisher JO, Birch LL. Eating in the absence of hunger and overweight in girls from 5 to 7 y of age. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2002;76:226-231.

Ellyn Satter Resources

I adapted this Slow Cooker Chicken leg recipe from A Year of Slow Cooking. This is easy and flavorful. The original recipe calls for more garlic and paprika.  There’s only so many garlic cloves I’m willing to peel and I didn’t love it the time I tried it with paprika.  But you can!

I was apprehensive of this recipe at first because there’s no added liquid. I was worried it might catch on fire but sure enough it turned out great.

I like cooking with chicken legs for a variety of reasons. First, darker meat is less dry and easier for young children to eat. It also contains more iron and zinc than white meat which is also good for little ones. And my daughter has always liked eating the drumstick (fun to eat I guess?).

When I choose a higher fat main dish I try keep the other items lower in fat. Like this time I paired the chicken with green beans and baked fries.

This one can cook for quite a while (6-8 hours) so it’s a good choice for work days. Enjoy!

Serves: 6
3-4 pounds chicken
1 large onion sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
15-20 garlic cloves, peeled, but intact

Directions

In a 4 or 6 quart slow cooker, place the onion slices on the bottom. In a large mixing bowl, toss chicken with olive oil, salt, pepper, and all of the garlic cloves. Place into slow cooker, on top of the onion. Do not add water.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6.

Happy Monday. I hope you are enjoying the last days of summer.

Just a reminder that I’ll be teaming up with Stephanie from Foodie-isms for a lunch box series in early September. I’ll be talking nutrition and she’ll be coming up with the lunch ideas. I know that some of you are gearing up for back to school and that means making lunches.

I’ll be posting some awesome recipes in the next few weeks. We tried Mexican Lasagna and it was beyond easy and really good. I made a couple of tasty chicken dishes too. And I’m still working on those roasted chickpeas. I’ve gotten some great ideas from people.

This week I’m going to try pork cutlets for a change. I’m always squeamish about making meat outside of the slow cooker. But this recipe looked easy and I feel up for the challenge.

For more meal plans see Org Junkie.

What’s Cooking this Week

Monday:Black Bean Burritos with toppings and guacamole

Tuesday: Pork Cutlets with a mushroom sauce (6 O’Clock Scramble book) with bread and zucchini fries

Wednesday: Slow Cooker Italian Chicken with White Beans (old slow cooker cookbook), bread and spinach salad

Thursday: Potluck/leftovers

Friday: Marinated Wild Salmon, mac and cheese and broccoli parmesan

Challenges — What a difference the Farmers’ Market makes

I’ve been experiencing some mommy guilt lately. Each week I say that I’m going to get produce at the Farmers’ Market and it just doesn’t happen. So there I am at the store having to decide between the not-so-good looking organic apples from Chile and the conventional ones from here. Neither choice makes me feel good.

I’ve also been very disappointed with my fruit selections. My daughter has been shunning oranges — her favorite — because they just don’t taste that good. Of course I still eat them but kids are little foodies at heart.

So I decided that I can fit a Farmers’ Market run on Saturday morning. We went and picked some ripe and tasty produce, mostly fruit. My daughter couldn’t get enough of the oranges and nectarines. We had them with our Sunday morning pancakes.

I wonder…when did food shopping get so complicated? We buy our food at Costco, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Vons and the Farmers’ Market. And I really feel like each store/place has something we need.

News
There has been some good news in school nutrition world. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Act passed the Senate. It just needs to get through the House to be written into law which will happen (or not) by September. When it passes for good, I’ll give you all the details of what it means for School Lunch.

I’ll leave you with a guest post I wrote for Zen Family Habits about common health mistakes families make. I compiled a list of the mistakes I see most often — and they usually start with a good intention.

Today we have more choices, things to be scared of and less time to do it all. Like food shopping, it all seems so complex. But does it have to be?

Let me know what you think in the comments. Have a great week!

I like making my own muffins for a variety of reasons:

A) they make an easy on-the-go snack

B) they are easy to freeze

C) they are good vehicle for fruits and veggies

D) my kids eat them

E) I’ll stop now (let me know your Es in the comments)

This recipe comes from Erin at 5 Dollar Dinners. I usually make banana muffins but decided to go veggie and recently tried zucchini and butternut squash. They were yummy.

This time making them I experimented a bit. With the zucchini muffins I used all whole wheat flour but for the squash I used half white and half wheat. I think the half and half ones turned out better because they were a bit more moist.

I also cut back a little on the sugar and added some flax meal. I left some room at the top of third cup of sugar and filled it in with flax meal. That is optional of course.

These are great to get creative with.  Enjoy!

Servings: 11-12 muffins

Ingredients
-1 cup flour (1/2 cup whole and 1/2 cup white)
-3 T canola oil (to double the recipe try 3 Tbsp applesauce and 3 Tbsp canola oil)
-1/3 cup sugar (replace some with flax meal – optional)
-2 eggs
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-1 teaspoon cinnamon
-1 cup mashed or grated fruit or veggie (mashed banana, grated apple, peeled and grated zucchini or carrots, steamed butternut squash or any other fruit or veggie)
-1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions
-Preheat oven to 350. In a bowl, combine eggs, oil, sugar and mashed fruit or veggie. Mix well. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix until it forms into batter. Can use hand mixer beaters. Add nuts if you like.

-Mini muffins: Bake 8-10 minutes. Regular muffins: Bake 15-20 minutes. Tops will turn golden.

Welcome to August.  Can you believe summer is more than half over?

We still haven’t been that hot here in San Diego.  We had one warm week but that’s been it.  I have to say I’m enjoying the cooler summer. It makes it nice to go to parks and play with kids without the nagging heat.  

But back to food…

I’ve been looking to try different snacks lately.  I made some zucchini muffins the kids seemed to like (recipe forthcoming).  And I tried roasting garbanzo beans from this recipe on Family Fresh Cooking.  I went the sweet route and topped them with syrup and they still tasted bland.

But I’m very intrigued with the idea behind this recipe.  What’s better than kids snacking on crunchy beans?  I’m going to try more savory seasonings next time and have it cook longer to make it really crisp.  Does anyone make this at home?  If so, I’d love to hear from you. 

Because we are somewhat cool over here, I’m going to make a Black Bean Chili for Wednesday long slow cook day.  I’m also going to try Mexican Lasagna for the first time.  And Tuesday it’s Chicken Parm in the slow cooker. This recipe is tasty and beyond easy.  All in all, a good food week.

For more weekly meal plans see Org Junkie.

What’s Cooking this week?

Monday:  Mexican Lasagna with guacamole from the 6 O’Clock Scramble Newsletter

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan with bread, spinach salad and fruit.

Wednesday: Black Bean Chili made with pork tenderloin (Fix-It and Forget-It Cookbook), bread, carrots and green salad.  

Thursday: potlock/use leftovers

Friday: Grilled Salmon with Avacado Dip, mac and cheese and sautéed mixed veggies

Challenges – it’s me this time!

A couple of weeks ago I fell into a bad cycle.  I noticed that I was exercising less, falling extra short on sleep (I’m never 100% well rested) and eating more than usual.  Basically I was feeling stressed with all that I had on my plate — blog, work, buying a condo, taking care of kids and trying to stay up with friends.

An article I read on Simple Mom reminded me of something I know but often forget — I was choosing to feel stressed out. 

It’s easy to feel like a victim to stress with the million things parents have to do.  But the truth is the situations don’t automatically cause stress — it’s how we perceive the circumstances around us that produce the stress. 

I’ll never forget when my old boss told me, as I was upset in her office, that I chose to feel that way.  At the time I thought she was crazy but now I hate to say she was right.

So once I caught on to what I was doing, sat back, looked at the situation objectively, and asked myself some questions. 

What is the worst thing that can happen if I don’t get everything done?  Does being stressed help me in any way?  What things can I do to help me get through this overwhelming period?  Doesn’t exercise and sleep make more productive and happy?  Is there anything I can cut back on? Can I organize my time better?

So last week I got up early to run, did my 20-minute yoga tape before writing at night, went to sleep earlier and got up early to work on stuff.  And I have to say, it was a much better week. 

News – don’t sit for long

There have been news reports about the downside of sitting for long periods.  According to a study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, those who sit more hours in a day (>6 hours) are at higher risk for obesity and dying early than those who sit less (<3 hours).  And the time spent sitting was an independent factor regardless of daily activity levels.

That means getting your hour of exercise in doesn’t make up for sitting all day.

This isn’t meant to be another guilty twist on getting enough exercise.  Instead, it demonstrates an important point — the human body was designed for movement.  Yet we are all faced with a modern lifestyle that encourages more sedentary behaviors.

We also live in a society that places more importance on getting structured exercise, like spending an hour at the gym, than being naturally active every day.    

But making your days filled with activity is very doable.  Take breaks at work to walk down the hall and talk to a friend.  Be more playful with your kids.  Walk instead of driving whenever you can.

Studies show that people who get more of this natural type of activity in their day, something health experts call Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), may burn up to 350 additional calories daily.  That adds up.

Of course there are additional benefits to getting more intense physical activity in terms of health, strength and how one feels.  We just can’t forget the power of moving more every day.  We have those legs for a reason.

Okay, I’ve been sitting to long.  Time to go wrestle with my kids.  Have a great week!