Halloween is a festive holiday that parents can enjoy with their kids, but it can be challenging to assure healthy eating habits since the goal of most children is to get as much Halloween candy as possible. Don’t wait until this time of year to prepare the family for resisting the sweet temptations of this holiday. If you and the family try to eat healthfully all year, kids will be more likely to make wise decisions when faced with the temptation to overindulge in unhealthy foods. Help kids enjoy Halloween without overindulging by following these tips:

1)      Do not send your children trick-or-treating on an empty stomach. Serve them a healthy meal beforehand to help reduce the urge to snack.

2)      Give children trick-or-treat bags that are appropriate for their size. Older kids may carry larger bags, but not as large as a shopping bag or plastic garbage bag. Smaller bags take a shorter amount of time to fill and also give them the impression that they have lots of treats to choose from in comparison to filling up a much larger bag.

3)      Limit the houses your children can visit to a two to three block radius so that treats will most likely come from friends and neighbors, and the moderate amount of treats will be manageable.

4)      Instruct children to wait until they get home to eat their treats so that they can be inspected first. This way, you can manage which treats you want available to them and throw away any treats with signs of tampering.

5)      Promote good health by passing out a variety of fun, non-candy alternatives (or lower calorie, healthy alternatives) to trick-or-treaters at your house this year.

Not sure what healthy dishes to serve while upholding the Halloween spirit? Try some of these fun, nutritious Halloween treats for the whole family to enjoy!

1)      No-bones-about-it vegetable skeleton. Create a spooky skeleton with different veggies such as carrots, celery, colorful bell peppers, and cucumbers, while using hummus dip for the face. Vegetables come in so many shapes and sizes so they make the perfect building blocks. Have fun and be creative!

2)      Jack-o-latern dip. Carve out a small pumpkin or orange to use as dip containers for hummus, salsa, or yogurt-based dips. Paint a face on the pumpkin instead of cutting holes.

3)      Black & orange dip. Serve black bean dip served with sweet potato chips/fries or orange bell pepper strips.

4)      Brains! Carve a small, seedless melon (watermelon or cantaloupe) to resemble brains. Cut the outer skin of the melon, leaving the white pith. Cut through the white pith with a knife to resemble the brain’s squiggly folds. Then carve to expose a little of the flesh (works well with a watermelon to expose red-colored flesh).

5)      Boo-nanas. Dip peeled bananas in orange juice, then roll in shredded coconut to make white ghosts. Add small raisins or chocolate chips for eyes, then insert a wooden craft stick for a handle (so the ghosts can float about hauntingly). Serve as is or frozen.

6)      Witches teeth. Core and quarter an apple. Remove the wedge from the skin side of each quarter to form a mouth. Insert variously shaped and sized slivered almonds for teeth.

Eating your favorite dessert can be a bittersweet moment as you try to enjoy the rich, decadent flavors while not trying to think about what the next bite is going to do to your waistline. 

While foods and drinks with added sugar taste good, they can negatively impact nutrition and health by displacing healthier foods and causing you to gain weight from the excess, empty calories. When your diet is chronically high in sugar, especially added sugars, your health can be undermined since sugar can suppress the immune system, promote excess inflammation, raise insulin levels, and contribute to aging, weight gain, and disease. However, a small serving of sugar or the occasional sweet treat is not going to instantly translate into a new wrinkle or trigger multiple organ failure.

According to the American Heart Association, the amount of added sugar you can eat a day depends on your “discretionary calories” — your calorie budget beyond what you need to run your body without overindulging. Your discretionary calorie allowance depends on your age, sex, and activity level.

“Most American women should eat or drink no more than 100 calories (approx 6 tsp) per day from added sugars, and most American men should eat or drink no more than 150 calories (approx 9 tsp) per day from added sugars,” states the AHA.”

You can still keep sugar in the diet as long as you aim for more natural sugars (such as in fruit) that also contain desirable nutrients, or stick to your favorite dessert, but consume in moderation. So the next time that rich chocolate cake is calling your name, try some of these tips to satisfy those sweet cravings:

1)      Avoid sugary drinks. According to the American Cancer Society, almost half of sugar consumption in the typical diet comes from sweetened beverages, which includes soda, sweetened teas and juice drinks, and sport drinks. Instead, try swapping these sweet drinks with sparkling water and add lemon (or another fruit) or a splash of fruit juice instead.

2)      Sweeten foods yourself. Buy unsweetened tea, plain yogurt, or unflavored oatmeal and add sweetener or fruit yourself. You are likely to add less sweetener than the manufacturer and you know exactly how much is in your food or beverage. Sometimes it is easier to limit sugar when you see how much is physically added. Would you be more inclined to eat or drink something if you knew it had 16 teaspoons of added sugar in it?

3)      Aim for options that will override cravings for sweets. Eat naturally sweet food such as fruit, some peppers, natural peanut butter, dipped fruit, yogurt, baked apples, fruit & yogurt popsicles, fruit salad, dark chocolate, unsweetened applesauce (or other pureed fruit), and frozen yogurt to satisfy your sweet tooth. Be sure to check the nutrition label for any added sugars or sweeteners!

4)      Focus on fruit. Get your sugar from fruit since fresh produce also contains lots of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. For dessert, try sliced mango, frozen banana slices, and grapes or papaya drizzled with vanilla yogurt.

Healthy sugar substitutes may not necessarily be lower in calories, but most are sweeter, which means less can be used to satisfy those sweet cravings. This means that less can be used while still adding enough sweetness to your favorite treats without the extra calories. Replacing sugar in your diet may help control type 2 diabetes and aid in weight loss. Substituting sugar is most effective when used as part of an overall healthy diet and regular exercise plan. So the next time you’re fighting the urge to indulge in a sweet treat, try some of these healthy sugar substitutes so you can bake your cake and eat it, too!

Resist the urge to splurge on sugar

1) Honey – this ingredient works well in moist, dense, full-flavored bakes. It is sweeter than sugar so you need less. To substitute honey for white sugar in baked goods, you can use ¾ cup or less of honey for every 1 cup of white sugar. You will also need less fluid since honey is a liquid and adds a lot of moisture to a recipe. However, use in moderation since it is high in calories and causes increases in blood sugar in high amounts.

2) Brown Rice Syrup – made with brown rice that is cooked with cultures and enzymes to break down the starches. This ingredient is half as sweet as sugar and has a mild flavor, which is great for cooking and baking. Check the nutrition label to make sure other sweeteners are not included in the ingredients. This ingredient can be substituted on a 1:1 ratio for other liquid sweeteners in baking.

3) Agave Nectar – derived from a spiky, desert-dwelling plant, agave nectar (also known as agave syrup) makes a good substitute for golden or maple syrup and is available in mild or rich flavors. It has a low Glycemic Index, but it is about 33 percent sweeter than sugar, so you will need less. Though more research needs to be done, agave appears to have minimal effect on blood sugar and insulin levels, but be sure to use in moderation because of its high fructose content. Agave nectar works well in chewy bakes like pancakes as well as sticky cakes or muffins.

4) Stevia – a natural, non-nutritive sweetener extracted from the leaf of a stevia plant. This natural ingredient is 200 times sweeter than sugar and can be substituted into baked goods.

5) Fruits & Vegetables – naturally sweet ingredients such as fresh, frozen, or dried fruits (apricots, bananas, dates, raisins, and figs) and grated sweet vegetables (carrots, parsnips, and beetroot) all work well in bakes and cakes. These sweet substitutes add moisture and density as well as fiber and other essential nutrients including vitamin C, potassium, and iron.

6) Applesauce – swap a ½ cup of white sugar with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. The natural sweetness is a perfect addition to your favorite after-dinner treat.

7) Cinnamon – spice up your treat with this in ingredient, adding subtle sweetness, boosting immunity, without added calories.

8) Mashed Bananas – use as a butter and fat substitute in baking. This fruit is high in potassium, which helps lower blood pressure, while keeping your digestive system in check. To ensure the right texture and firmness, cut down the amount of moisture in your recipe by using less milk or water when using mashed bananas as a sugar substitute.

Also, try some of these additional tips in using substitute natural sweeteners in baking:

• Reduce amount of sugar by ½ and intensify sweetness by adding vanilla, nutmeg, or cinnamon
• Substitute syrup with pureed fruit such as unsweetened applesauce or prune puree
• Instead of frosting, sprinkle cakes or muffins with powdered sugar or cocoa, or make a glaze and drizzle lightly

But then on the other hand, some of us think springtime means one thing – 90 days until bathing suit season. Aaagh!!!  Unfortunately when the panic sets in about shedding the winter coat and revealing what we’ve been stealth-fully covering up for the last few months, so does the urge to try the newest and craziest weight loss fads, which usually means an incredibly unhealthy fad diet.

Well in hopes of helping you resist the temptation to try a rapid weight loss ( even faster weight gaining) gimmick, and instead try making healthy lifestyle changes, we’re sharing this article with you.  Since the tummy is usually the culprit of most of the stress between springtime and the summer months, we thought we’d share James Duigan’s (celebrity trainer) tips for taming your tummy. To get started, you’ll have to figure out… what tummy type are you?!

Is yours a spare tire or a stress bulge? Finding out your tummy type is the key to getting a perfect midriff

From  James Duigan –Bodyism.com

For many women, getting bikini ready means tackling one dreaded area in particular — our tummies.
Most of us still think the best way to achieve a washboard stomach is by doing hundreds of sit-ups. Not so, says A-list trainer and body guru James Duigan.

James, who sculpts supermodels Elle Macpherson and Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley among others, insists there is no ‘one size fits all’ method for getting a flat belly. Instead, he’s identified five key ‘tummy types,’ all of which require a different approach to achieve successful toning.

Once you figure out your tummy type, you’ll be on your way to getting the perfect midriff…

THE SPARE TIRE TUMMY

The spare tire: This is one of the easiest tummy troubles to eliminate because it’s caused by eating the wrong foods and not exercising enough.

HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE

These people are likely to lead sedentary lives, perhaps with jobs that keep them desk-bound. They may also have an emotional attachment to sugary foods.

Luckily, this ‘spare tire’ is one of the easiest tummy troubles to eliminate as, according to James, it’s caused by eating the wrong foods and not exercising enough.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS

If you exercise very little, eat lots of sugar and refined carbohydrates in products like biscuits, cakes and white bread, or rely on starchy carbs like pasta and rice, you you probably have an overweight tummy with accompanying fat on your legs and hips,’ says James.

MIDRIFF MAKEOVER PLAN

• Cut down on alcohol. ‘Alcohol is a fat bomb for the tummy — pure sugar which goes straight to your waist and stops you burning all other fat until the booze has been processed,’ says James. ‘Just a few glasses three to four times a week will lead to a “wine waist” — a thick midriff and pudgy tummy. ‘If you want to drink occasionally that’s fine, but the bottom line is that you have to cut back on booze to get a flat belly.’
• Once you cut out alcohol for two weeks, it’s time to overhaul your diet. ‘In a nutshell, eat well and move more,’ says James. Avoid low-fat and so-called ‘diet’ snacks. ‘These pre-packaged products are often packed full of chemicals, refined sugar, salt and preservatives to give them flavor.
• ‘Ditch calorie counting in favor of a healthy diet full of unprocessed fresh foods such as fish, eggs, organic meat and vegetables. ‘Start the day with eggs and smoked salmon, or even grilled chicken and vegetables, and snack on sliced lean meats. ‘And don’t be afraid of eating good fats, such as avocados, nuts and oily fish. These encourage your body to burn midriff fat, giving you a flat tummy.’
• ‘Exercise is the key to helping this tummy type,’ says James. Simply going for a long walk, doing lunges, squats or dips at home or a yoga class will be beneficial. You don’t need a gym.

TOP TIP FOR THIS TUMMY

If you regularly reward yourself for a hard day with a piece of cake or deal with bad news with a biscuit, it’s important to remember that being beautiful is as much about how you feel as how you look. The starting point for any tummy transformation is feeling happy.

THE STRESS TUMMY

Stress tummy: These types are typically over-achievers with perfectionist personalities.

HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE

Stressed-tummy types are typically over-achievers with perfectionist personalities. They are usually also susceptible to digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which can cause bloating and make their tummies look far worse.

‘Stress tummies are easy to spot, as the weight is specific to the front of the midriff and the umbilical area,’ explains James. ‘When stressed, we produce cortisol, a hormone which encourages the body to cling on to fat around the stomach.’

Stressed tummies will also be fairly hard to the touch, rather than wobbly.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS

It’s likely you skip meals, abuse your adrenal system with too much caffeine and grab junk food for convenience.

MIDRIFF MAKEOVER PLAN

• Get an early night. ‘Stressed women nearly always sleep badly, which disrupts the production of leptin, the hormone which helps regulate appetite and metabolism,’ James explains. ‘This is why we eat more when we are tired and crave fat-depositing sugary snacks for an instant energy boost.’
• Combat exhaustion with a relaxation strategy of deep-breathing, meditation and long baths before bed to encourage a good night’s sleep and limit coffee consumption to no more than two cups a day.
• Don’t go for the burn when exercising. ‘Excessive cardio which increases cortisol levels isn’t the answer,’ says James. ‘Instead, yoga, long walks and resistance work with weights is perfect for sculpting and building up strength while calming the system.’
• Magnesium is a calming mineral to help soothe a stressed belly. James advises eating lots of magnesium-rich foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds.

TOP TIP FOR THIS TUMMY

Stress-busting stretches and yoga poses at night time can help to lower cortisol levels, while chamomile teas or James’ own Bodyism Body Serenity supplement (bodyism.com) can also help the body unwind.

THE LITTLE POOCH

The little pooch: These women are likely to be busy mums or have demanding careers – hey may even be a gym junkie.HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE

These women are likely to be busy moms or have demanding careers. ‘They may even be a gym junkie, but stuck in a workout-and-diet rut, perhaps always eating the same foods and doing the same routine at the gym, which keeps you slim but leaves you with a lower belly that spoils your silhouette,’ says James.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS

‘Doing excessive crunches and using gimmicky gym items such as ab-rollers can place a strain on the hip flexors and the lower back, causing the tummy muscles to protrude so your belly sticks out,’ says James.

MIDRIFF MAKEOVER PLAN

• Good nutrition and plenty of fiber are essential to improve digestive conditions such as inflammation, bloating and constipation, which can make a pooch tummy worse. Green leafy vegetables, oat bran and whole grains are good, natural sources of fiber.
• Sit-ups done incorrectly increase your lower back curve and accentuate the ‘pouch’ effect. Swap sit-ups for planks. Do these by lying face down on a mat, resting on your forearms. Push off from the floor, rising onto your toes and elbows, so your body is parallel to the floor from your head to your heels. Start off doing ten seconds and build up to a whole minute.
• It’s a common misconception that using weights bulks women up. In fact, the opposite is true. Using weights will burn serious amounts of fat in a short space of time, so try introducing circuits — repetitions of exercises like squats or lunges which work individual muscle sets.

TOP TIP FOR THIS TUMMY

Be kind to your tummy, reduce inflammation by drinking lots of water and eating easy-to-digest foods such as green vegetables and lighter proteins such as fish and chicken.

THE MOMMY TUMMY

The Mommy tummy: Women with these bellies have usually given birth in the past few years, and, being a typical mum, have little time for themselves.

HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE

Women with these tummies have usually given birth in the past few years, and, being a typical mum, have little time for themselves. ‘After giving birth, the uterus drops and is much heavier than it was pre-pregnancy,’ says James. ‘It takes at least six weeks to return to its usual size, so don’t even think about trying to get a flat stomach until after then.

‘You need to re-train your pelvic floor and lower abs to increase blood flow and strengthen loose muscles.’

TYPICAL BAD HABITS

Rushing back to exercise too quickly. ‘I would suggest waiting around two to three months,’ says James. ‘Being stressed about getting rid of your baby weight will only make you cling onto it more. Give yourself a break!’

MIDRIFF MAKEOVER PLAN

• ‘Fish oil supplements turn on fat-burning hormones and turn off fat-storing hormones,’ says James. ‘Begin by taking three 1,000mg capsules a day with meals and build up to five. I’ve trained Elle Macpherson through two pregnancies and she takes these every day.’
• Try to eat good fats — found in sources such as nuts, oils and olives — every day. ‘Not only do they help you burn fat and absorb vitamins from food effectively, they also help combat tiredness — a big help for tired moms,’ says James.
• Gentle pelvic floor exercises (known as Kegels) act as a natural corset for the body to flatten your tummy from the inside out. Squeeze and clench your pelvic floor muscles 15-20 times, in five sessions a day.
• Steer clear of sit-ups. ‘After giving birth, the linea alba muscles — which run down the mid-line of the abdomen — separate and you need to allow them to recover,’ says James. ‘Crunches are the worst thing you can do, as they will force these muscles farther apart. Instead, breathe deep into your tummy while on all fours, then slowly exhale while doing a pelvic floor exercise.’

TOP TIP FOR THIS TUMMY

Daytime naps (try putting up blackout blinds) and stretching before bed are important ways to restore sleep hormones and boost fat-burning.

THE BLOATED TUMMY

Bloated tummies: These are often flat in the morning, but swell throughout the day with gas or indigestion.

HOW TO IDENTIFY THIS TYPE

Bloated tummies are often flat in the morning, but swell throughout the day with gas or indigestion. Bloating affects both slim and overweight women. It is almost always caused by food intolerances and allergies, or sluggish bowels as a result of a poor diet.

TYPICAL BAD HABITS

You eat the same foods and may have done so for a lifetime without realising you’re intolerant to them.

MIDRIFF MAKEOVER PLAN

• ‘The most common intolerances I see are wheat and gluten (bread, pasta, pastries, pizza, cakes and cereals), alcohol, yeast (in muffins, beer and pastries) and processed dairy (cheese, milk, butter),’ says James. ‘Gluten in particular can inflame the bowel and make the stomach look bigger.
• ‘Experiment to work out what bothers your belly as you know your body better than anyone else. Try eliminating key culprits such as gluten for two weeks to see if your bloating reduces, or worsens when you reintroduce foods. Focus on a diet with lots of fresh veg, meat, chicken and fish.’
• Sluggish bowels are often a result of eating the wrong foods in the wrong way. Make breakfast your biggest meal, as this is when digestion is at its peak, and avoid eating late at night which leads to bloating. Chew food properly and drink plenty of water to keep the digestive system moving.
• Bloating can be a sign of imbalanced gut flora. So to get your tummy really flat you need to repopulate it with friendly bacteria. Prebiotic and probiotic supplements are the simplest way. Natural sources include miso soup, sour cream and some fruit and veg including kale, garlic and onions. A healthy gut means a flat stomach.

TOP TIP FOR THIS TUMMY

Believe it or not, breathing can be the best thing you can do for this kind of tummy. Try this each morning: lay on your back, completely relaxed, and breathe deep into your tummy ten times. After eating, a walk will help the digestive process, too.

Erica’s story begins with a candid account about what happened when she put down the butter and picked up running.

 ERICA’S STORY- The Beginning

I think to really understand my journey, you must go to the beginning.

I guess you can say it’s a “love story”.

I have always been naturally pretty thin. A blessing I know, but in some respects a curse. On the outside, I was a thin girl that my friends/family were always trying to “fatten up”, but on the inside I was a mess! Slowly but surely I was destroying my body. I was eating fast food everyday sometimes several times a day. I couldn’t eat most things without ranch, cheese, or butter on them. I would eat a bowl of popcorn with an ice cream scoop of margin to dip it in every night. Plus, I would eat close to a pound of chocolate after that. The amount of butter I would use at dinner was so noticeable that my husband’s family would joke that everyone better get the butter before I do because there wouldn’t be any left if I got to it first. I never had a reason to change because what the heck I didn’t look that bad and when I would try to eat healthy I would be given a hard time, “you already thin! Why are you trying to diet?”. Plus, I was feeding my addiction to fat and sugar that stems back to every dish my mom cooked had at least a stick of butter in it. Just think Good old southern cooking. My eating was out of control, but my physical fitness level was even worse! I would get winded going on a short walk with the dogs. I never wanted to do anything even slightly active with my family. My daughter would ask me if she could walk home from school and I would tell her no because that meant I would have to walk too.

With my Thirtieth birthday approaching quickly, I began to take some though looks at my life. I was not the mom or wife I wanted to be and I wasn’t getting any younger. My father had a quadruple bypass at 55 and that age suddenly didn’t seem that far off. I knew that I had to make some changes. I had always been what I like to call a flash dieter! I would go through phases or have events coming up. So, I would start “working out” and go on some incredibly restrictive diet that would last a couple of weeks or so until I started slipping back into my old ways. To me working out and eating “healthy”was always about how I was going to make myself look better not feel better. I’m not going to lie, this time I was partially motivated by the 2 sizes I had gone up in the last 2 years, but I didn’t want to just do what I had done in the past. I wanted to make real changes so I wouldn’t end up with the heart problems I was already predestined to get.

That’s when I decided I wanted to make a lifestyle change not go on a diet! I went to the store and came home with a trunk full of leafy greens and other fresh produce. The look on my husband’s face was priceless!!! You know the “who are you and what have you done with my wife” look. I was going to have a salad everyday or at least that’s what I told myself. I vowed to give up fast food and start slowly making healthier choices.

Now that I had a plan for eating habits, I needed to get active. I didn’t have a gym membership. I also didn’t want to spend the money and not use it like I had so many times before. So, I decide to run but I needed a goal and one big enough to really push myself hard! That’s when I said to my husband, “Do you think I can run a half marathon in 5 months?”. To which he responded, “That is a pretty big goal! Are you sure about that?”. It wasn’t the response I wanted, but it was the one he knew I needed. He said, “Well… get out there and prove me wrong.” I was so determined and I vowed to not give up! The decision was the easy part the running was the hard part. I could barely run a quarter of a mile. So, I signed up for a 5k(3.1 miles) and I got to work.

A couple of months in to me eating better and running my daughter looked at me and said, “Mommy how come you don’t get so frustrated with me anymore?”. That’s when it hit me. My change wasn’t just about me. Not only was I becoming a healthier and happier me, but I was becoming a better example and role model to my little girl. It was my job to show her how to build healthy habits now. Our family bonding used to be centered around going to get ice cream or going out to eat dinner. We still do that some, but now it’s going on family hikes and bike rides. When it’s nice outside we walk home from school together. It is amazing how much more talking you do on a walk home from school vs a car ride.

My first 1/2 marathon!

Over this journey I have grown so much. I have managed my anxiety with exercise more than any medication ever could. I have learned to use food and exercise to help manage the pain and inflammation that has plagued me from endometriosis. I have gone from barely being able to run down the street to finishing my first half marathon and 2 more before the year was over. I have become a happier healthier me. However, the most amazing accomplishment on my journey came a couple of months ago. It was the morning after I had completed a race and Cameron (my daughter) came up to me with sleepy eyes, threw her arms around me and said, “Mommy, I am SO proud of you! You did such a good job on your race yesterday.” It is that comment that will continue to drive me to improve myself. There is absolutely no better feeling than having your child proud of you. Proud of you for the right reasons!  I will continue to push myself to be the role model my daughter deserves.

By Emily Barr, MS,RD,CNSC – V.P of Nutritional Services and Co-creator of Ignite Your Skinny Gene Program

Love your mate

Our instinctive nature tells us to shower our loved one with sweet treats or rich decadent meals, all of which are loaded with an unimaginable number of calories, heart stopping saturated fats, and sweetened with sugar that could turn our blood into syrup!  Our goal is to show them our undying love, not poison them with unhealthy, non-nutritive foods!

Ideally we show our love through food every day, not just that special day in February.  In order to love our mates the right way, we need to take a look at the big picture.

Take a look at our special someone’s family history, generations before can provide us with a lot of information of their possible health risks.  Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes all travel down family blood lines.  Identifying the risk is the first step; next we need to modify their diet to help reduce their risk of carrying on the family disease.

• Heart disease – limit saturated fat, sodium, and cholesterol
• Cancer – limit saturated fat, alcohol, tobacco, and sun exposure
• Diabetes – limit intake of concentrated sweets and extra calories and fat

Love our mate’s body.  Over the years, extra weight may have snuck its way onto our bodies, extra pounds that may not have been present early on in our relationship.  Weight gain is an indicator that the current diet situation may not quite be on target.  Of course, that doesn’t change the love we have, but we do want to live long healthy lives together, so a change in lifestyle may be necessary!

If you are showing your love in a healthy way every day, then the special occasion splurge is a-okay!

Love your kids

Our instinctive nature with our children is to feed them kid foods, peppy little animal sugary shape snacks, juices in fun containers, chocolaty flavored cereals, and cartoon character endorsed cookies.  As much fun as these foods are, they are not the healthy choices that our little ones need.  Our kids have the same health risks as adults (like you and your spouse), and not to mention the additional risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes growing up in this generation of excesses.

Our goal as parents is to teach our children about healthy food choices and the importance of eating them at every meal and snack time.  This can be a challenging venture, but over time, it only gets easier and easier as it becomes routine.  We need to make healthy habits mandatory in our homes, leaving the junk foods out of the house and filling the refrigerator and your child’s plate with the healthy ones.  Don’t forget that we need to model healthy eating habits.  That means that everyone in the home is eating the same healthy foods, no exceptions.  Of course, it seems harsh, but we are only doing this out of love.

Love your dog

How can we forget to show our four legged companion some love?  Walking the dog is the best reward they need, which is great because it benefits us, as well!

Oh yes, and don’t forget to love ourselves.  Surrounding ourselves with our loved ones is the greatest gift of all.  Knowing we are teaching and providing our families with healthy, nourishing foods will definitely allow us to sleep well at night.   Which isn’t that what we all want anyway?

When we turn on the TV or open up a magazine we are bombarded with different ads for food. Most of these foods are advertised as being healthy with words such as “low fat” or “high fiber.” As a consumer, it can be so overwhelming! One of the new trends has become advertising food as being a whole grain product or high in fiber. Does that mean that all brown bread is whole grain or that Trix is healthy for me because it says whole grain on the box?

First off you may ask yourself…

What is a whole grain?

A whole grain contains the entire kernel of grain which is: the germ, bran, and endosperm.  The grain can be cracked or crushed, but to be considered a whole grain the end product needs to have 100% of the original kernel.  Most products that are processed are missing the entire bran component.

Why should I eat whole grain products?

Research has shown that when we regularly eat whole grains instead of processed grains  there is a link between : having a healthy weight, improving cholesterol levels, lowering blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart disease and type two diabetes, and can help prevent certain cancers!

How much whole grains do I need?

It is recommended that we consume at least half of our grains from whole grain products. That would mean that adults would need about three to five servings of whole grains and that children would need about two to three servings.  A serving of whole grains is defined as 16g of a whole grain food.

There seems to be a perception that adding whole grains would add to an increase in calories and/or carbohydrates in our diets. But, as you can see, it’s really more that we are substituting whole grains for processed grains. One of the benefits of whole grains products is that they also have fiber. Fiber helps keep us fuller for a longer period of time, so if you’re trying to lose weight whole grains would actually help!

Where can I find whole grains?

It’s very important to read the label! There are so many products out there that appear to be whole grains that it can be hard to distinguish which products are whole grain and which are processed. Looking for key words such as: whole grain or whole wheat can help you choose the right products.  Examples of some popular whole grain products:

• Brown rice
• Buckwheat
• Whole grain pasta
• Whole grain bread
• Quinoa

It is easier than you think to add these whole grain products to your diet! You can always start by slowing switching products out such as eating half white rice and half brown rice.

There are so many health benefits to incorporating whole grains into our diets, and as a consumer you are know more aware of how to find these products. So don’t be scared to go into the “health food” section of your grocery store and pick up some quinoa or buckwheat.

Works cited

Add Whole Grains for Better Health. Mayo Clinic (2011.)  Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2011-mchi/6145.html

Whole Grains 101. Whole Grains Council Whole grains at Every Meal. Retrieved from http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/what-counts-as-a-serving