Category / General Health & Well Being

by tessbrennan

The ONE thing that made me gain weight!

It is amazing all the articles written about what it is that is making our fellow humans overweight and obese.  I have compiled a list of articles listing out what is making us fat. I will post some links at the end of this article.

I’ve heard such a list of “the one thing” that make us fat, but I don’t believe 1 thing makes us gain weight.  It is a list of things, combinations; the perfect storm.

What makes me Fat

So, what ONE thing on this list has made me fat?  How about you?

There are so many myths about what is making our friends, neighbors, family AND enemies fat that it is getting difficult to recognize the actual culprit.   We KNOW what to do, we KNOW what to eat, we KNOW we are gaining weight.

ALL OF THESE MADE ME FAT… and ATTENTION TO ALL OF THESE made me thin again.  Each one of us has the ability to change our personal future.  Each one of us has free will.  It is a matter of being mindful and choosing the healthier alternative.

Temptation has always been there and it will continue to be there, we just need to learn to brush it away and grab an apple instead. (Pun intended)

Genesis 3:3

3 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”  – BibleGateway.com NIV

My personal story:

I realized my health was declining, my weight was increasing, my pain levels were increasing, and I was sick all the time.  Hence, attention to prevention (or in my case repair). 

Through attention to what I eat, how much I move, what toxins I surround and slather upon myself, and disproving the time and money myths, I have been able to lose the weight, gain TONS of energy, lose the pharmaceuticals, and cut back to one cold per year.  My asthma is all but eliminated, my depression is controlled without Rx, I don’t need pain meds all the time, and I can walk 60 miles at a time.

If you would like more information, or to discuss what a plan for you might look like, contact me.

MAKE IT A GREAT WEEK!!!

(HERE’S YOUR PROMISED LIST OF LINKS)

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/5-surprising-reasons-you-are-gaining-weight

  1. Lack of Sleep
  2. Stress
  3. Medications
  4. Medical condition
  5. Menopause

http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/for-women/11-causes-for-weight-gain-in-women.html#b

  1. Pregnancy
  2. Menopause
  3. Not eating enough
  4. Eating “low fat” foods
  5. Lack of Fiber
  6. Too Much stress
  7. Lack of Sleep
  8. Depression
  9. Lack of fatty acids
  10. Diseases & Illness
  11. Birth control

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-sugar-drink-preschoolers-20130805,0,4412618.story

Among the randomly selected children in this study, 31.4% of 2-year-olds were already classified as obese, and 32.7% of 4- and 5- year olds.

"Overall, children drinking sugar-sweetened beverages on a regular basis have 17% to 20% increase in total calorie consumption," the researchers write in the paper.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/11/25/7-surprise-reasons-for-weight-gain/

  1. Depression
  2. Rx
  3. Gut is slow
  4. Body doesn’t have enough of certain nutrients
  5. Getting older
  6. Plantar Fasciitis or other aching joints
  7. Cushing’s syndrom

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/Puttingonweight.aspx

  1. Foods labeled “low fat”
  2. Stres
  3. TV
  4. Rx
  5. Late Nights
  6. Good Manners
  7. Portion sizes
by tessbrennan

What makes a snack healthy?

Okay, all this talk about snacks this month is making me hungry.  Winking smile  Not really, I keep my hunger number between 2 & 4. 

As I began working to improve my health, and thus reduce my waist line, healthy food choices and portion sizes became really important.  I used to crave sodas, breads and pastas, and sweets A LOT! I was certain there was no way to overcome them. 

What I found was, when my body had the nutrition and components necessary for building a healthy body, the cravings melted away just like the inches on my waist.

Why or how could that be?  Lets look at a graphic to explain a bit of it.

How_food-affects_blood_sugar_image_only

What we eat as a snack is just as important as when and how much we eat.  When we grab a soda, or a donut, or a bowl of cereal as our answer to our hunger situation… we are really setting ourselves up to fail. 

This is why the coffee break became so important.  When you eat a bowl of cereal, a pop tart, or a donut for breakfast, as you can see in the chart, your blood sugar SPIKES quickly and drops off just as fast… leaving you in state of “starvation” via the mind tricks because of the sudden and drastic drop in blood sugar.

Otherwise, if your chosen food item is a good quality protein, then your blood sugar doesn’t spike, it stays stable and you don’t get those “I gotta eat a 10 pound donut” sensations 2 hours later.

When we eat was covered in my blog a week ago on how Snacking can make you skinny.

How much to eat depends on your personal caloric needs for the day, how much activity you’ve had during the day, and how long it will be until your next full meal.  I made some great snack suggestions earlier this month.

So, now you have the logistics of how it all works, suggestions of healthful snack option, and a hunger scale to use… all that’s left is a big glass of tasty water to keep things on an even keel.

Fruit_infused_water

Healthy snacking, and may the grumpies stay far, far away!

For more information on healthy alternatives and choices, please contact me.

 

by tessbrennan

Fast Food… What is it?

In 1955 an amazing thing happened that changed the way see food and what we expect from our food. The concept of fast food changed forever! The McDonalds model of fast food and their advertising took hold in our country.

When my folks were kids everything was made from scratch.

  • Most of it came from the family garden and was prepared and preserved seasonally to last the year. There was a lot of time spent in the kitchen preparing meals and foods for now and the somewhat near future.
  • Obesity rates weren’t an issue, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and cancer were far less common than today. Then it all got "easier," or was it?

Advertising and marketing did an excellent job of convincing the American woman she was spending too much time "in the kitchen" (men too). Use this boxed food to "save time" and effort.  Commercials depicted happy housewives of the era having so much more time because they could now prepare boxed! Ready made food.  (If your listen to your grandma or great grandma you might find that Mac and cheese from scratch takes just the same time as the blue box to make and tastes better.)

Old_Time_Fast_Food

Then, the fast food restaurant entered the scene. If the highly "fortified" boxed meals weren’t fast enough, then the fast food place with the yellow roof is the answer. This isn’t as big a deal in Sweden where they realize it isn’t good for you and rarely visit the places, however in America its become an issue of people eating it on a regular basis rather than as an occasion treat.  Enter mass malnutrition and a higher incidence of the big four. (not a college conference, unfortunately)
Let’s talk about ‘fast food’.

  • The average person needs 5-10 minutes to get to the fast food restaurant. (this number increases exponentially depending on the number of and ages of your children)
  • Then, you wait in line to order, another 5-10 minutes.
  • You find a seat at the restaurant, get your kids set up with their meals, clean up a spill of some sort and replace the spilled food, another 10 minutes.
  • You eat the food. (in our case, the 6 yr old will be eating for the next 60-75 minutes)
  • You clear the table and throw out all the trash from your meal, clean  up the kids, take 1 or two to the potty, and head out to the car.

At home, you wouldn’t have had to load and unload the kids, the meal could have been ready in the same 30 minutes for less money, the kids could have used the potty by themselves without fear of what foreign germs or strange people might be lurking in the bathroom.  Thus loading the kids up one time to get to the destination of the evening and if they spill dinner on their outfit it could be changed before going on to ‘the event’ of the evening.

It’s not difficult to prepare, create, and serve healthy foods/meals. The mindset is the biggest obstacle to overcome. We see TONS of marketing on the boob tube about how much easier it is if we use this box or that box, or allow a hand to help you out… But it really isn’t that big of a time saver, in fact, I’ve found I can make dinner faster without it…and I don’t have to freak out if there isn’t a box in the pantry anymore.  I don’t need no stinking box!

I hear so many people say, "I don’t have time to make it myself." "I don’t have time to eat healthy." and I can’t help but wonder…

When WILL you have time to schedule

  • the biopsies/chemo/radiation
  • the bypass/stress test/stent placement
  • the wait times in the waiting rooms/pharmacies/specialists office
  • insulin testing/administering insulin/dialysis/wound care

It’s really all just a trade off. Perhaps, a little effort today could prevent the need to be forced to schedule time for doctor’s visits and such. OR… Perhaps you could learn a couple new skills today that could prevent the big 4 and allow you to enjoy the later years of your life outside playing around rather than spending the time in waiting rooms with everyone else.

Stop listening to the boob tube adds, please. Washing some fruit/veggies, or making a batch of protein bars, doesn’t really take that long and the benefits could last a longer lifetime!!!

Here are some additional Fast Food Facts for you and another article about the cost of fast food or if you prefer pictures here is a cost comparison of fast food.

Choose Health

For information on food preparation classes or waist line reduction (weight loss) contact me.

by tessbrennan

Perpetuating an Obese Society (Rant)

I’ve been bothered a great deal recently by the perpetual encouragement of poor eating habits we are teaching our kids.

It started at Sunday school, when as a 3 yr old my darling daughter was rewarded for memorizing her bible verse with a couple of skittles. Not a big deal, right? Or is it?

Eating is necessary for life, right. WRONG! Nutrition is essential for life and eating doesn’t necessarily provide nutrition in our day and age.

Fast forward to Kindergarten… Again with the skittles, and now we add:

  • store bought junk food for birthdays (approximately 15 days of the school year)
  • again with the skittles for answering a question correctly
  • junk food for making certain benchmarks throughout the school year
  • a principle’s party complete with empty calorie foods
  • one field day with junk food as a treat
  • popsicles for reaching classroom benchmarks. (artificially flavored water with sugar)

With an obesity rate of 1 out of 3 students and adult obesity rapidly rising, shouldn’t we be able to find healthier ways to celebrate the little victories.

Obesity Trends

Then when the kids get home and have had an unusually bad day, many parents suggest they talk it out over Tostito pizza rolls or a bowl of ice cream.

Don’t get me wrong, I really don’t want to be a party pooper, but I really feel we are failing out kids through our constant reward/consoling system of using food.

Add to this the fact that many schools don’t have time to offer physical education on a regular basis, the fact that elementary recess time is a thing of the past, and our children must "be in their seats" for so many hours a day… No wonder we have kids who are squirmy, over excitable, and overweight.

What if… Instead of offering junk food to the kids who have excelled, we instead offer the opportunity to play a game, have time on the playground, time to mingle and talk to each other in an open atmosphere? Or we offered stickers, tickets to events sponsored by local businesses, or enter them into special raffles.

Tickets-Feel_Good_Fast

What if birthday parties consisted of fruit salad with homemade whipped cream instead of store bought nautical crackers or cupcakes and ice cream.

Watermelon_-_Feel_Good_Fast

What if we taught our kids solid coping mechanisms and healthful celebration habits?

When I was a child, we had PE three times a week and recess twice a day. We had time to run and throw balls and hool-a- hoop. We had crab races, played dodge ball and kickball.

A special treat at school, during my youth, was an all school assembly where we got to watch Looney Toons cartoons and sit next to our friends.  We didn’t have to have popcorn covered in artificial flavors, Kool-aid, or Popsicles. We just watched a movie and enjoyed laughing at the silliness.

In a world of advertising where our kids are bombarded with adds about why "quick" processed foods are "the way to go" shouldn’t we be cognizant of the habits we are instilling?

new habits not deprived

In a world where the bottom line is so important in the classroom, why not skip the expensive,"cheap" empty calories and instead provide our kids with some stimulation and free time.  🙂

For information on healthier options for snack time, recipes, or classes, please feel free to contact me.

by tessbrennan

Healthy, quick Snacks–Chase the Grumpies away!

The blood sugar has dropped, the mood pendulum is rapidly swinging, the cravings set in, as does the temper.  This is a common occurrence for many people, especially our children as they are released from the classroom – or we are released for a 10 minute afternoon break from the doldrums of our work lives.

Quick snacks on the go Healthy Grease Monkey

Providing our kids, or ourselves, with prepackaged snacks may SEEM like a great idea, but when we get down to it we are setting them up for a serious drop in blood sugar and a case of the grumpies.

Although rice crispy treats may be their favorite, (and a weakness of my hubby) the sugar content is detrimental to their health, their immune system, and their moods.  How do we satisfy the hunger, the need for nutrition and a kid’s sweet tooth?  A tasty, natural alternative paired with some protein!

It needs to be quick as time is of the essence, so here are some ideas to have ready at the office or to haul along when waiting in parent pick-up lines – not just for the kids, but for Mom & Dad too!

  1. Peanut butter and apple slices
  2. Greek yogurt or cottage cheese & pine apple chunks &/or strawberries (really, any sweet fruit will work)
  3. Fruit smoothee with protein powder. (I keep over ripe bananas in the freezer to use in these, awesome nutrition for myself and my daughter
  4. Protein bites (one of our favorites and super simple to make)
  5. Protein bars – you can alter your optional ingredients here to keep things mixed up a bit
  6. Fruit Pizza – you can do this with Peanut butter in place of the creamy base as well.
  7. Chopped, leftover grilled chicken with chips and pico de gallo 
  8. Apple Fiber Bars (for when its been a truly hectic week, I keep these on hand)
  9. Humus as dip for carrots & celery, or a few pretzels
  10. Whole grain crackers with natural peanut butter & preserves

HealthyGreaseMonkey snackFeel Good Fast Protein Bites

Here are a couple of links with other ideas. Protein is an important component of this afternoon snack.  I will explain more, later in the week. 

http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/830799/22-healthy-high-protein-snacks

http://www.aupaircare.net/blog/5-high-protein-snack-ideas-for-kids/

http://www.livestrong.com/article/419514-protein-complex-carb-snacks/

For more information about healthy alternatives, protein powder sources, or to sign up for this month’s cooking prep class, contact me!

by tessbrennan

Avoid the Afternoon GRUMPIES

School opens next week… Schedules become more routine with homework, sports, after-school programs, quality time, bed time, dinner time…  (the list goes on and on as the days get shorter)

As parents, our time is valuable, we want to spend HAPPY time with our kids, especially when that time is limited. 

THIS is where a little preparation and even a little planning can make a BIG difference, healthy snack choices can GREATLY improve our own mood and the moods of our children!

I know that my child needs an immediate snack of substance as soon as I pick her up from school. She’s just like me.  Not that she begs for one, but her blood sugar, at this point, has dropped to “the grumpies” and she is argumentative, weepy, whiny, and generally disagreeable UNTIL I can get that blood sugar elevated a bit and SUSTAINED.

Let me explain a bit with an excerpt from “Why Do I Feel This Way?” by Gaber & Day:

Though most of the body can use stored fat for energy, the brain only “runs” on glucose. It, therefore, needs a constant supply.  Without it, symptoms such as dizziness, faintness, moodiness, irritability, weakness, fuzzy thinking, etc. may result. The brain will then put out signals of hunger, or cravings for glucose containing foods to alleviate a potential crisis.

What this means for our kids and OURSELVES, is that we need to pay attention to what we are eating throughout the day, and provide a healthy, sound snack option to offset this issue.

Imagine: Your kids come home, are better able to focus on completing their homework, they are less argumentative and even a bit less whiny.  hmmmm

This month I will be offering ideas to combat the AFTERNOON GRUMPIES.

Today, I will tell you, think protein and fresh fruit…  An example:

Filling_Pair_PB_Apple_Healthy_Grease_Monkey

Enjoy!  May the traffic, the change in routines, and the force be with you!

For more information or to find out about local cooking preparation classes contact me.

by tessbrennan

“Natural” products GRIPE MY BUTT!

Score a point for the courts and consumers!  One line of products will be a little less falsely advertised.  Check out the article here, on how Naked Juices have to remove “Natural” from their labels per a class action lawsuit and judge’s ruling.

I’ve taught classes on label reading and I frequently get comments like, “I don’t have time to read the label,” “I don’t know what have the things on the label mean,” “The print is too small.”

Relying on what the FRONT label says for the value of your product, may not be the best bet! It may say “Vanilla Cream” when in fact it has NO vanilla and NO cream – just artificial ingredients with side effects that can compound their effects when we add in the other things you are exposed to.

Don’t have time? When would you like to schedule your next bi-pass or biopsy?

Don’t know what the ingredients are? – DON’T buy it.

The print is too small? – They have “cheaters” at the grocery store, pick up a pair, heck even borrow a pair and put em back when you are done!

The only way to know what is in the product is by reading the label on the back. In some cases, that won’t even help.

Don't_let_the_Label_fool_you!

When I compound all the artificial things I eat, slather on, and breathe, I’m not giving my body a chance to fight off and avoid those debilitating diseases that are so rampant in our society today.

Give yourself a break. Go au natural and STOP buying things just because the label makes a false claim.

(Please know, I’ve been lured in to this trap as well, just getting much better at being aware and making different choices today.)

If you’d like more information on label reading, or healthy choices, please contact me.  I offer personal coaching, group coaching, and love writing on healthy topics.

by tessbrennan

The exercise you ARE getting–without the credit.

A friend, and client, recently stated, “I would love to hear some non-workout- exercise ideas that don’t require massive sweating or leaving kids to be watched by daddy.”

This got me to thinking…  Many of us get exercise weekly or even daily that we don’t give ourselves credit for.  There was a study done on those working in housekeeping. Perhaps, we need to look at the things we are already doing and give ourselves the credit for what we are doing.

30 minutes of our daily activities can burn some calories for us. Here are some examples and the calories burned in a 30 minute session.

Active Gardening 37 Calories
Carrying a Heavy object 49 Calories
Carrying Groceries 72 Calories
Dance 225 Calories
House Cleaning 34 Calories
Roll in the Hay 17 Calories
Mopping 23 Calories
Mowing the Lawn 51 Calories
Actively playing with your Kids 28 Calories
Scrubbing Floors 34 Calories
Shopping for Groceries 23 Calories
Take the Stairs 43 Calories
Walking 34 Calories (depends on Pace)

 

This is a GREAT way to begin thinking about the things you do on a daily basis and the calories that it burns.  Things add up and your activity level does too.

20130625_162137

Playing at the park, we chase her around on all the apparatus and play too!

tim bowling

Occasionally we go bowling with friends.

Some other ideas for some “non-traditional” exercise might be…

Park farther from the store.
Take the stairs when you have <5 floors to cover.
Walk around the block while your kids scooter.
Walk to the neighbors, the store, the playground.
Do crunches in your home.
Sign up for B.U.R.S.T.club.com workouts (11 minutes)
Do squats while watching a favorite TV program.
Have a “Dance Party” with your kids
Play Football with your Kids (or soccer/volleyball/etc.)
Swim/Tread water  152-167 Calories in 30 minutes
Challenge your kids to workout with you
Walk the dog
Wash the cars

 

IMG-20120113-00114

Daddy & CLB having scooter races in the driveway.

We frequently have dance party in our home, do bike/scooter rides as a family, walk places, and just move about playing tag.  We have friends who get together and ski most weekends in the summer. (Pretty sure that counts as exercise) Just make ways to be more active, change your habits – even dance while you cook dinner – kill two birds with one stone and eat it for dinner!

Erick Flinn

Erick, barefooting. 

What things do your families do to stay active?

by tessbrennan

So, Medical Marijuana Cures Diabetes???

I have a friend with Type 1 diabetes.  I often keep my eyes open for any articles or studies involving diabetes and cures and such to send his way.

This week I saw the article title “Medical Marijuana May Lower Blood Sugar, Help Diabetics Control Disease”

IMG_20130614_201613

I thought it was an entertaining title so I emailed the link to him immediately as a joke. Didn’t even take time to read it… But he did.  What follows is HIS perspective on this article and how Marijuana may or may not help lower blood sugar. 

Enjoy this “guest” anonymous post! (bold emphasis is mine)

Really enjoyed that article.  Thanks for sending me diabetes updates all the time!

The funny thing about this, is I actually told my endocrinologist, when I was about 17, that when I smoked weed, my blood sugar lowered without insulin correction.  Which it did, but I was VERY good about checking my blood sugar.  Like, model poster child for Type 1 diabetes. 

Plus I was a three season athlete, so I REALLY had to keep an eye on my blood sugars.  I didn’t tell him it made me hungry as shit and absolutely retarded, but I asked about the reality of medicinal marijuana, and he said, "Don’t count on it."  What actually happened, is once I got to college, is that I smoked a lot of weed and never checked my blood sugar anymore.  Which, of course, resulted in awful blood sugars.

It’s funny to me that this article is so political.  The above comment to my doctor was because I wanted to smoke weed – legally.  It didn’t have anything to do with control. That whole article doesn’t address the fact that you get lazy as hell, and don’t even want to check your blood sugar. It’s like being a "functioning alcoholic."  The purpose of this article is to legitimize marijuana since some 25% + of Americans have one form of diabetes or another.

The other thing this article doesn’t address, is that if you want to control your blood sugar, you can.  Weed isn’t a miracle drug for diabetes.

It never addresses the fact that personal responsibility, which you know, is SO much more important. 

People are always looking for the easy way out, like a miracle pill to lose weight, as opposed to dedicating yourself to a diet or exercise.  I decided, once we had our child, that I really needed to get on top of my diabetes… so I bought a pound of weed.

Just kidding.

I went to a new doctor, and with his help, my hbA1C (3 month blood sugar reading) went from 8.9 (really bad) to 6.1 (pretty close to what your hbA1C probably is).  And I don’t think that has anything to do with me smoking weed for 5 years or whatever, as this article would have you believe.

Anyway, awesome article.  I sent it to a bunch of my buddies that were diagnosed with diabetes after me, and they’ll get a kick out of it because they all used to smoke weed too.

Isn’t it unfortunate that personal responsibility is always left out of the equation today?

Thank you, to my High School classmate who offered up photos of his medicinal marijuana for this post!

IMG_20121105_192501IMG_20130614_201552

by tessbrennan

There isn’t enough time to Eat HEALTHY.

Time and Money… The two things that keep most people from making a change, a different choice than they have made in the past.

Today = TIME: Jobs, Families, Homes to care for, cars to keep running, shopping, paying bills, a little ME time, kids activities, second jobs, COOKING… The list seems to go on forever.

A friend and trainer of mine, Paula English, once asked me if my “being busy” was actually a bad habit I had developed over the years. I was furious when she insinuated such a thing. How could she say such a thing, I REALLY WAS BUSY.

Then I took a look at everything I was doing in a day. I took a class, Mindful Based Stress Reduction, taught by Madeline Ebelini, who showed me, through 8 weeks of classes and learning the secrets, skills, and benefits of being mindful in my everyday life. What did I find? (yes, that is me in her video)

Paula was right. I had gotten so STRESSED out about everything I had to get done, the schedule, the TIME, the quality, all of it, that I had lost site of loving life and enjoying what life is about. Enjoying my family, friends, my career, and in prioritizing what I did need to do and choosing to leave other things behind. (Even saying NO to some things.) *gasp*

In recent weeks, while teaching a Waist Line Reduction, introductory class, we discussed obstacles in the way of people’s healthy choices. One of the BIG things was TIME.

“Time to prepare healthy food, time to shop for healthy food, effort to prepare healthy food.”

Enter: A FEW SUGGESTIONS TO FAST, HEALTHY FOODS!

Cook Chicken in bulk Healthy Grease Monkey

When cooking on the grill, cook extra to use the rest of the week.  We only ate 2 of these tonight, which leaves 3 to use for lunches or in a meal later this week.

Fresh Veggies are fast Healthy Grease Monkey

Tomato is slice and eat, salad is quickly rinsed and placed in a bowl, chicken was cooked in bulk, green bean casserole (from scratch – NO canned soup harmed in the making of this dish) also made in bulk to enjoy later in the week, on another night.  Beans were crispy tonight, so they will not be overcooked when reheated.

Mashed taters are from whole potatoes – not as quick, but doesn’t take me any longer than it used to when I made the boxed kind… maybe 5 minutes.

Pico de Gallo

Salsa is one of our main staples. I make a HUGE batch once a week and eat on it all week long. Burritos, egg scrambles, topping to chicken or other meat, hamburger topping, as dip with a chip or a spoon.

Quick snacks on the go Healthy Grease Monkey

By keeping fresh produce in the fridge, it makes quick snacks and such a breeze.  Here is a snack I’ve taken to work with me.  Throw in a little of a few things and go.

Stock your Fridge 1 Health Grease Monkey

Here is one shelf in my fridge tonight.  These are fast foods for myself or my daughter to enjoy with a quick grab.  Watermelon, fresh pineapple, blanched broccoli, Greek yogurt, grapes (that need washed yet), chicken boobs… all tasty stuff.

Stock your Fridge 2 Healthy Grease Monkey

My produce drawer is a bit empty tonight, was a “busy” weekend of running around, being the weekend of the 4th and all.  But again, quick easy foods.  Carrots, sliced bell peppers, organic sweet peppers, & romaine lettuce.  (My baby girl says the “OOOOH, THEY SQUIRT SWEET CANDY IN YOUR MOUTH!” when she eats the organic mini sweet peppers.  Love that she loves them. 

Bottom line:

  • Be mindful of what you are going to stock in your home.
  • Prepare foods in bulk to save time. It takes just as long to grill 6 or 10 chicken boobs as it does to grill 2.
  • Keep handy snacks ready.  Prepare several things at once on those days you are already in the kitchen. If I have to be in the kitchen while baking bread, I may as well be productive and get some salsa (pico de gallo) made as well.
  • Wash your veggies/fruits when preparing a meal for something else, again, use that time wisely.

I hope these tips help you in your quest to live a healthier life and to make healthier lifestyle choices, daily.

If you would like additional information on healthy eating or simple steps could improve your life left in your years, contact me.  Thank you, for reading!