Healthy Habit Thursdays: Focusing on Vitamin C

Posted on April 7, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image via Wikipedia

Last Thursday we found out why it is so important to eat foods rich in Vitamin B.

Today I want to give you some facts about another vitamin that is vital to your health: Vitamin C.

Needed for growth and repair of tissues
Used to form collagen, a protein that makes skin, scar tissue, and blood vessels
Essential for the healing of wounds
Necessary for the repair and maintenance of bones and teeth
Blocks some of the damage caused by free radicals

Now what, you may ask, are free radicals? The term is mentioned a lot…perhaps it would be good if we had a definition. 🙂

Free radicals are the by-products that result when our bodies turn food into energy. Perhaps it would help to think of it like setting a match to a newspaper…after the paper burns, you are left with ashes…the ashes are like the free radicals…kind of dirty garbage. A build-up of these by-products in our bodies is largely responsible for the aging process and contributes to the development of cancer, heart disease and arthritis. BRING ON THE VITAMIN C!!!!!!!

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin which means it dissolves in water. Leftover amounts of this vitamin are not retained, but are passed out through the urine. And what this means is that you need a CONTINUOUS supply of the vitamin in your diet.

So how can you make sure that you and your family are getting enough Vitamin C?

You need to eat foods rich in Vitamin C…many fruits and vegetables fall into this category, among them: papaya, watermelon, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, red peppers, blueberries, cranberries and pineapples.

SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING contains 100 child-friendly recipes that your children would love to help you prepare. Many of the healthful ingredients called for are rich in Vitamin C. If you click on the book title, you can go to my website and find out more about the book.

Two important reminders:

Sunday, April 10^th…I will be at the Covered Treasures Bookstore in Monument, CO from 2-3:30pm…talking about reading, crafting and cooking with young children and signing copies of my book. For more details go to www.coveredtreasures.com. The Book Fair benefits the Tri-Lakes Community Preschool Tuition Assistance Program.
Tuesday, April 12^th…I will be hosting Max the Dog as he continues his 36 day book blog tour. For more details about the on-going contest and to see where he has been and where he is going, please visit: http://readwithmax.com/blogbooktour.htmlhttp://readwithmax.com/blogbooktour.html.

And please don’t forget to stop by tomorrow for Follow-Me-Fridays: Where’s Miss Vivian? I will tell you all about today’s visit with Bates Elementary School.

What’s In Your Child’s Bookcase Wordy Wednesday: FREDERICK

Posted on April 6, 2011 by viviankirkfield

Image by Sergey Yeliseev via Flickr

One of my favorite children’s picture book authors and illustrators is Leo Lionni.

His stories get to the heart of the challenges and concerns that young children face and his bold yet simple illustrations bring his characters to life.

FREDERICK is one of the four books that are part of the SHOW ME HOW Story-time Program at the local schools here in Colorado Springs. Each time I’ve read the story, the kindergarten and Pre-K children are eager to listen and then discuss the events in the book and relate them to their own lives.

FREDERICK

Written and illustrated by Leo Lionni

During the fall, a mouse family scurries around to collect seeds and nuts for the winter. One mouse, however, does not seem to be doing anything except daydreaming. Frederick explains that he is collecting sunshine, colors and words…but his family believe he is just trying to avoid the hard work. When winter comes and the long cold days and nights seem endless, Frederick entertains his family and lifts their spirits by reciting the poetry he composed while the other mice were collecting seeds and nuts.

Each one of us has special gifts and, as parents, we need to recognize and encourage our children’s strengths and talents. Sometimes this is very difficult, especially if your child does not enjoy doing what the rest of the family likes to do.

For example, most of the members of a family might love participating in all kinds of sporting activities, but one child in the family does not, preferring to draw or play a musical instrument. In a situation like this, it is even more essential for the parents to provide opportunities for that child to develop his own gifts and pursue his particular interests.

Just 15 minutes a day, reading a picture book story, will help build YOUR child’s self-esteem, develop pre-literacy skills and create a life-long parent-child bond. If you are looking for a resource that will make choosing a picture book a snap, please visit my website where you can purchase a copy of SHOW ME HOW! The book has just received the KIDLUTIONS PREFERRED PRODUCT AWARD: http://kidlutionsppa.blogspot.com/2011/04/show-me-how-build-your-childs-self.html and, as you can imagine, I am thrilled!

I’ll be at the Covered Treasures Bookstore in Monument, CO on Sunday, April 10^th from 2-3:30 and I hope everyone local to that area will stop in to say hello! There will be a Book Fair and book signing which benefits the Tri-Lakes Community Preschool Tuition Assistance Program and if you need any details, you can go to www.coveredtreasures.com. Come on over and spend a lovely afternoon in Monument and support early childhood education!

Another reminder…Tuesday, April 12^th, my blog will be hosting the book blog tour of Max, the Dog. You can visit http://readwithmax.com/blogbooktour.html for information about where Max has already been and where he will be going for the next few weeks. There are prizes to be won for those who follow the tour so please check it out.

Make-A-Meal Mondays: CHILD-FRIENDLY NUT BUTTERS

Posted on April 4, 2011 by viviankirkfield

I’m a little sad…my son was visiting from Chicago and I just dropped him off at the airport. What an awesome weekend we had…filled with fly-fishing on a picture-perfect stream, gourmet dinners and lunches…some enjoyed at local eateries and others made with the help of my son who loves to cook (and is pretty darn good at it), long walks and important talks.

Building a healthy relationship with an adult child is an on-going process. It helps if you begin in early childhood by spending positive time with your young child and providing unconditional love. The process continues throughout adolescence and early adulthood when you provide emotional support and friendship…but no advice unless it is specifically requested. 🙂

One of the foods my children loved when they were young was peanut butter. On crackers, with jam or jelly on bread, spread on apple slices or celery sticks…it provides high quality nutrition and a taste most children love.

Why purchase processed peanut butter (or other nut butters like almond or cashew) when you can easily make your own, without adding sugar, salt or preservatives?

You will need: A food processor or blender that can chop nuts, ½ lb peanuts (or other nuts such as almonds, cashews or pecans).

1. Put the nuts in the food processor or blender. Cover and process until the nuts are finely ground.

2. Add a few drops of canola oil if you want it to spread a little more easily.

3. Spoon out your nut butter and store in an airtight container.

4. Spread on bread, crackers, apple slices…be creative!

Looking for other simple child-friendly recipes? Young children love to help in the kitchen. When you participate positively with your children…whether you are reading, crafting or cooking…you build their self-esteem, develop pre-literacy skills and create a life-long parent-child bond. If you visit my website, you can check out my parenting book that contains 100 simple healthful child-friendly cooking activities.

I hope you’ll keep in mind the Book Fair Event at the Covered Treasures Bookstore in Monument, CO on Sunday, April 10^th from 12-4pm. I’ll be there, signing copies of SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING, along with two other local authors. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Tri-Lakes Community Preschool Tuition Assistance Program. If you are in the Denver or Colorado Springs area, please stop by.

Also, please remember the book blog tour for Read with Max the Dog…you can visit the other blogs that are hosting: http://readwithmax.com/blogbooktour.html. My site will be hosting on April 12^th and I hope you will all stop by here for that!