5 Simple Steps to a Happier, Healthier 2011

Posted on December 20, 2010 by viviankirkfield

The great thing about the New Year is that it gives us the opportunity to make a fresh start…in just about anything! I know that at the end of every December, I sit down, look back over my progress (or lack of it) and make a list of resolutions that I hope will help me do better. Many people don’t believe in making New Year’s resolutions…but they work for me. We can make broad, sweeping resolutions like EAT HEALTHIER…and we can make more specific resolutions such as I WILL STOP EATING BEFORE I FEEL FULL.

“To insure good health, eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness and maintain an interest in life.” William Londen

So here are my 5 simple steps to a happier, healthier 2011.

Eat Lightly: many of us eat too much of the wrong things…nutritionists recommend eating 6 small meals a day instead of 3 big ones. In addition, make every meal count by using more fresh foods instead of highly processed ones. Should you buy organic? Yes, if you can. The most important foods to buy organic are meat (including beef, pork and poultry), milk (and other dairy products), eggs, peaches, nectarines,, apples, bell peppers, celery, strawberries, cherries, imported grapes, pears, potatoes, coffee, and baby foods and juices. If you are a parent, you are probably the one who decides what to buy and what to serve. For 2011, I am going to resolve to buy organic when I purchase the above items.
Breathe Deeply: I know it’s hard to find the time to exercise, especially when you work, take care of a home and family and have lots of other things that take your time and energy. However, moving at least 30 minutes a day will provide great health benefits…and make you feel more positive. Resolve to be more healthy and more positive for your children and for yourself. Dance while you clean the house or take a walk while listening to great music. Get together with a friend and exercise together with a new tape in your living room if you don’t have the time or money to go to a gym. In addition, take time every day to meditate…even if it is just for 5 minutes. It will refresh and renew your spirit. For 2011, I am going to resolve to walk a mile twice a week, do my 30 minute low impact aerobic exercises four times a week and meditate 5 minutes EVERY day.
Live Moderately: This rule applies to all aspects of our lives…eating, drinking, sleeping, surfing the Internet. J I think if people would get enough rest…and eat, drink, exercise and pursue all other activities in moderation, the soaring medical costs in this country would decline. The cells in our bodies repair themselves during restful sleep…and people tend to gain weight if they are sleep deprived. For 2011, I am going to resolve to do less computer work so that I can get to bed at a reasonable hour so that I can sleep the required 7-8 hours.
Cultivate Cheerfulness: Doesn’t it lift your spirits when someone greets you cheerfully, in a store, on the street or on the phone? Thinking and acting cheerfully does have a positive effect…on EVERYONE! Cultivating cheerfulness does not mean ignoring problems or pretending that everything is rosy when it is not. If something is troubling you, please share it with someone who cares about you. Set in motion steps that will change the situation. If it is a situation that can’t be changed, join a support group or ask for help. For 2011, I am going to resolve to let others know how much I appreciate their help and encouragement.
Maintain An Interest In Life: Isn’t it amazing when we see elderly people who get college degrees after they have retired from a life-long career? Or middle-school children who raise money for the children in a village that is situated thousands of miles from where they live? How can you maintain an interest in life? Read a book about something you always wanted to find out about, volunteer in a local school or hospital, reach outside your normal routine to help someone…the possibilities are endless. For 2011, I am going to resolve to reach out and volunteer in our local schools by reading stories and doing craft projects with the Pre-K and kindergarten classes.

So there you have it…my 5 simple steps to a happier healthier 2011.

Are you making New Year’s resolutions this year? I’d love to hear them if you are!

Happy Holidays to All and may the coming Year bring Peace to at least some parts of the World!

How to Eat Healthy This Holiday Season

Posted on November 23, 2010 by viviankirkfield

This is a diagram depicting the rise of overwe...

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We’re coming into that dangerous season of overeating, oversnacking and going overboard when it comes to what we put in our mouths. As parents, not only should we oversee what our children are eating…we should also try to be good role models. I actually LOVE junk food…and work really hard to keep most of it out of the house because I know that if it is easily available, it will be eaten by me. There are a few suggestions I have that work for me…I hope they work for you also.

Plan your weekly menus ahead of time…when we get busy as most of us are, failing to plan in this area is almost guaranteed to equal planning to fail. Fast-food, take-out or frozen TV dinners may have their place on occasion…but if you put aside 30 minutes a week to plan some basic well-balanced meals, your family will be eating more healthfully most of the time. This also allows you to maximize on weekly specials at your local stores. And, it gives you more time for other things…like time to read a book or take a bubble bath.
Choose one morning or one afternoon or one evening a week to turn on your oven and use it to prepare casseroles, a roast chicken, baked potatoes, healthy cookies/cakes/muffins. If you are able to put aside several hours on one day for this task, the rest of the week will be a breeze. Refrigerate or freeze what you have prepared and you will have healthy, ready-made meals for most of the week.
Include your family in the planning and preparing…picky or fussy eaters often eat what they help prepare. Children LOVE helping in the kitchen…it builds their confidence and self-esteem.
Think about portions…I truly believe that the large, super-sized meals that many of us eat, at home and in restaurants, are one of the largest contributing factors of childhood obesity. Just because the cereal bowl can hold 2 or 3 cups of cereal doesn’t mean we should fill it to the top…if you read the portion size on the box of cereal, you’ll see it says 1/2 to 1 cup, depending on the type of cereal. Dinner plates are really large…maybe you can use smaller plates when serving.
Remember to keep hydrated…I know that when I get busy, I forget to drink enough water…and then I think I am hungry and eat a couple of cookies, at 100 calories each, when what my body really wants is a glass of water. With NO calories! Also, try to nix the soda…full of empty calories and not much else except a college education for your dentist’s children.
Plan to have healthy snacks ready for hungry children and yourself between meals like carrot sticks and humus or apple slices and almond butter. Again, if we don’t plan ahead, we will probably grab the first thing we see…and that might be cookies or chips.
If it works with your schedule, try eating 6 smaller meals, instead of the traditional 3. When we are REALLY hungry, we tend to eat more than we should because we eat quickly and our internal hunger regulator doesn’t have time to kick in to tell us we are full. And, on the subject of full, try to stop eating BEFORE you feel full…if you feel full, you’ve had too much. This always happens to me when I go to an all-you-can-eat buffet…and I am never a happy camper afterwards.
Make sure you do allow yourself and your family some special food treats that are part of your holiday traditions or customs…denying oneself EVERYTHING we love is a sure way to feel deprived…and that often leads to overeating, oversnacking and going overboard. I actually have a small ice-cream (made with fat-free frozen yogurt, a handful of homemade granola and a few almonds) every night after dinner. I look forward to it and enjoy it immensely…it is my reward to myself for a good day’s work…and, so far, I haven’t had to hide the scale.

3 top creative snacks for your child’s lunchbox

Posted on September 19, 2010 by viviankirkfield

Sometimes as parents we have to be magicians in order to insure that our children pull out healthy snacks from their lunch boxes. Whether your child goes to a daycare or preschool facility or is home with you, it’s important that he be eating healthy, nutritious foods…both at mealtimes and for snacks.

If the facility provides the snacks and meals, it’s crucial to find out what is being served. And, if you are not happy, please don’t hesitate to make suggestions and, if necessary, band together with other parents to work towards upgrading the menus and ingredients used.

On the other hand, if you are providing the food that fills the breakfast plate, lunchbox and dinner table, you are in total control of what your child is eating. This can be a daunting task…but it is wonderful because you can pick and choose the best ingredients and most healthful recipes.

Our children look forward to snacks…we can help fight the current trends of increased child-obesity, dental decay and juvenile diabetes by making those snacks high in nutrition and fiber and low in sugar and fat.

Here are three top creative snacks for your child’s lunchbox. You and your child can spend some quality time together, making these simple, delicious and healthful treats.

I. PEANUT BUTTER BALLS

You will need: 1/4 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter), 1/4 cup honey, 1/2 cup non-fat dried milk powder, 1/4 cup shredded coconut, a large bowl and a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

Mix the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl until well-blended. Then roll into small balls (about 1 tablespoon each).
Roll the balls in shredded coconut and place on cookie sheet.
Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
Place uneaten balls in a cover container and store in the refrigerator for up to a week (although they won’t remain uneaten for that long).
This recipe makes about one dozen balls. You can double or quadruple the recipe quite easily. To go in your child’s lunchbox: wrap one or two balls in waxed paper and then put in a small sandwich baggie.

II. LION’S CANDY

You will need: 1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter), 1/2 cup ground sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup instant dry milk, 1 Tb honey, 1/2 cup finely chopped raisins (or dates or other dried fruit), 1/2 tsp cocoa (optional) and a large bowl.

Blend together nut butter and ground sunflower seeds.
Stir in dry milk, honey and dried fruit. Mix well (with hands, if necessary).
If the mixture is too dry, add some liquid milk; if too wet, add more dry milk.
Form into teaspoon-sized balls. If desired, roll in cocoa powder.
Makes about 2 dozen balls. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To send in your child’s lunchbox, wrap 1 or 2 balls in waxed paper and put in a small sandwich baggie.

III. RAINBOW VEGGIE STICKS WITH NUTTY DIP

You will need: Assortment of colorful vegetables such as green and red peppers, carrots, zucchini and celery (use your imagination), 1/2 cup almonds (or other nuts), blender or food processor, small container and a large container.

Wash the vegetables and cut in sticks.
Grind the nuts. Add a little olive oil or canola oil if the dip is too dry.
Store the cut vegetables in a covered container in the refrigerator.
Store the nut butter in a small covered container in the refrigerator.
To send in your child’s lunchbox, put an assortment of the rainbow-colored vegetable sticks in a small sandwich baggie and put a tablespoon of the nut butter in a small covered container.

Chef Ann Cooper, director of nutritional services at Berkeley Unified School District and co-author of Lunch Lessons, has great ideas about our children’s nutrition and offers tips on how to improve it: www.thelunchbox.org.

You can also find more information about healthy living and nutritious eating at: www.betternutrition.com and www.deliciousliving.com.