The weather here has been absolutely atrocious. I have totally hunkered down and have only left to pick-up the essentials and take Shay to hockey. I am so Vitamin D deprived I feel like I need to go on an IV drip. Thank goodness I take 10,000 IU’s a day. I can’t imagine how I would feel if I wasn’t supplementing. I am chilled to the bone and feeling totally lazy. They say we are likely to break the current record for the coldest December ….. EVER! I would have been happy to have that record broken in someone else’s lifetime, but what can you do?
Here’s What I’ve Been Up To:
I am generally a real go getter and see holidays as the time to pump out the projects, but because I’ve been hibernating I am barely registering a pulse these days, so I’ve opted for a few days of total relaxation. Generally, I would curl up on the couch and read, but not this year! (At least not yet.) I received a really cool Christmas gift from one of my students ~ a 1000 piece puzzle. What I loved most about this gift was that when I was younger, we used to set-up a card table with a puzzle on it and putter at it over the holidays. I used to love to work our way through a puzzle and it was fun to do on your own or with another family member. What great memories this gift triggered! I started it a couple of days ago and it’s a doozy! I used to always build the outside first, but thought I would try to do all the faces first. Ugh! Do you have any idea how many little Nutcrackers there are in this puzzle? Well, I am totally hooked and haven’t got much else accomplished over the last few days. What a great way to escape the cold (and house cleaning). I had hoped my kids would join me, but a puzzle doesn’t “plug-in” and so they really haven’t shown much interest. They do stop by to see what progress I am making, but it hasn’t been much of a family bonding activity.
Here is where I am at so far.
I am finally making some headway.
However, if you are looking for something to do, go pick-up a puzzle. Maybe your family will embrace the concept and you can spend some quality time together. If not, there is always the possibility that you could enjoy some quiet time relaxing on your own! The way I see it, it is pretty much a win-win situation for me.
Happy puzzle making!
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With the New Year in sight and a few extra pounds to drop after enjoying too many dainties over the holidays, it is time to get back on track. As you know, I am a big fan of Lyn-Genet Recitas book called The Plan. I have posted about The Plan often, but as I sat on the couch this evening enjoying my little bowl of potato chips, I thought I should share what Lyn has to say about potato chips.
We’ve all been so programmed to believe that we can’t have potato chips and lose weight, but on The Plan, it’s not only allowed – it’s encouraged!
Potassium helps to negate sodium which is an important element of weight loss. Of course, potatoes provide an excellent source of potassium (1081 milligrams)and actually provide more potassium than bananas (460 milligrams) which are also high in both starch and sugar and thus not a great choice when trying to lose weight. Lyn suggests eating 1 ounce of salt-free potato chips for women and 1 to 2 ounces for men, as a healthy snack option. (For more information on Potassium, follow this link.)
Choosing the Right Chips
The key to making potato chips work in your diet, is choosing a salt-free chip. If you choose a salt-free chip, many people can eat a small amount for a snack without any reactivity (weight gain). One ounce would be similar to a small plastic children’s bowl full of chips or about 13 chips. I have tried a few different brands, but find that I like the Kettle brand the best. These are available at Superstore, Wal-Mart and some Safeway stores and are comparable in price to most other chips. They are sometimes found in the snack food aisle, but you can also check the “natural food” section of the store. There is no question that they lack some of the flavour of an “all dressed” or otherwise seasoned chip, but I don’t find much of a difference between a traditional “plain” potato chip and the salt-free. Of course, there is a difference, but for me, knowing that I can eat a few chips on a fairly regular basis without feeling guilty about it, totally makes up for the difference in taste. I quite enjoy them. I like to pack a small ziplock bowl full and leave them in my car for a snack on the drive home from work. This is a satisfying little snack and without the bag there, I am not tempted to have more!
Here is a copy of the Nutrition Facts. You will see there is 1% sodium in a serving of these chips.
Just for comparison sake, I thought I would include the nutritional information from another name brand potato chip manufacturer. You will notice the staggering amounts of sodium, even in the lightly salted option.
So, next time you go shopping and are craving potato chips, try out this healthier option and let me know how you like them. Lyn says that her favourite brand is the Trader Joe’s version. I’ll have to try those out next time we are south of the border. Happy snacking!
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I am not sure about you, but by the time Boxing Day rolls around, I seem to be suffering from the post-Christmas blahs! The crazy weeks of preparation, late nights and poor eating habits all come crashing down and I wake up feeling like I’ve been hit by a semi-truck.
If there is one thing that I can be certain of it is that I absolutely need my sleep and my body functions best with 8 to 9 hours per night. For many, if not most, going to bed at 11 or midnight is the norm, but for me it is very rare that I stay up that late. A great game of Settlers or Canasta can definitely lure me into the wee hours of the morning, but other that I am usually off to bed before 10 with 9 being my favourite time to hit the sack. I do find with the kids getting older and staying up later, my 9 o’clock bedtime is becoming much less frequent and more of an occasional luxury. This month has been crazy busy and I found myself collapsing into bed after 11 most nights. All of those late nights and lack of sleep have certainly taken their toll. My eyes are super puffy with big bags under them and my stomach has been uncomfortable for days.
Fighting the Blahs with the Plan
The great news is, that I know just what to do to get back on track. The thing I love the most about The Plan is that I have already determined many of the foods that are “friendly” for my body. Throughout the holidays it is difficult to be in complete control of what you are eating as you are often out and about. I have previously done several posts regarding The Plan and how impressed I am with Lyn-Genet Recitas’s book. I know this is the time of the year when so many are making New Year’s resolutions and planning to shed the Christmas pounds or get back to the gym. Lyn’s book is “hands-down” the best source I have come across. I love that The Plan does not tell you what you can and can not eat, but rather teaches you how to discover what foods work for you and which foods don’t. It is completely different for every individual and allows you to have the control over your own body and how you feel.
Here are some of my previous posts in which I have referenced The Plan:
Here are a few simple tips for getting back on track quickly:
Get a good night’s sleep, 8 hours if possible
Adequate water intake ~ drink the number of ounces equal to half your body weight (compensate with additional water if you have coffee or exercise as both cause dehydration)
Get back to foods that you know to be friendly for you (Note: I don’t say healthy foods)
The Devil Foods According to Lyn
One of the biggest pitfalls that we fall into is assuming we are eating well because the media has told us what “super foods” we need in our diets to be healthy. One of the most fascinating parts of Lyn’s book is learning that your “go-to” healthy foods might be causing the most havoc on your body. Lyn refers to the following 7 foods as the “Devil Foods” because so many people are “reactive” to these foods. Basically, this means that the foods cause your body to react and set it into an inflammatory state which often results in weight gain as well as other symptoms.
Oatmeal
Salmon
Asparagus
Tomato Sauce
Tofu
Black Beans
Turkey
The list of Devil Foods is quite surprising to most. Most of the items on her list were regular items in my diet. I believed that salmon was a super foods and we had it once a week faithfully. We often chose ground turkey over beef, believing it to be a superior choice for healthy eating. Asparagus is one of our families favourite vegetables. Not really the foods you would expect to see on such a list. The point is not that these are bad foods, but more so that people are consciously choosing these foods believing that they are making a healthier choice when in fact some or all of these foods can be highly reactive for many people. So, the result is that roller coaster of weight gain and loss. Have you ever been eating super “healthy” and still gained weight or would lose a few, gain a few. That happened to me all the time, but as soon as I read this book I knew why. Although I have discovered other foods as well, I have discovered that I am highly reactive to many types of fish. We ate fish one to two times per week and for me, a small fillet of fish can cause me to gain up to 2 pounds within 8 hours of consuming it. So you can see how you could be eating really well, but every time you consume that reactive food, you jump back up a few more pounds.
Is The Plan for You?
If you struggle with your weight or even just want to get off those last few pounds, I swear, this is what you have been looking for. I am not going to lie. The first 20 days take quite a bit of commitment because you need to get your body into a “friendly” state, so that you can test foods and get accurate results. However, once you begin to discover the keys to success, you will always have that knowledge to go back to. The Plan doesn’t prevent me from eating anything at all, but it just helps me to read my own body better, make better choices that work for me and most importantly, have the tools to get back on track when I derail and know I am in a reactive state.
My Staple Salad Courtesy of the Plan
This is my absolute favourite everyday salad. I never tire of it and it is really delicious and super easy to make. The dressing is courtesy of the The Plan. I make a batch of dressing every Sunday and it lasts all week.
Lime Agave Vinaigrette
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup water
1 Tablespoon Herbes de Provence
1 Tablespoon agave nectar (you could probably use honey as a substitute, but I always have agave on hand)
Optional: 1 clove garlic, crushed (I am sure fresh would be better, but we buy the big jar from Costco and I use that in it)
Mix and store in the refrigerator for up to one week. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Individual Salad:
a bed of greens (either baby Romaine or Spring Mix)
1/4 of an avocado, sliced
1/2 of a Granny Smith apple, chopped
few thin slices of purple onion
a handful of raw pumpkin seeds
This salad tastes like “summer” to me, but is great for any time of the year. It is light, yummy and looks incredible. We will be having this salad for dinner tonight with some left over Borscht. Mmmm good!
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My son is a worrier. It is not debilitating and seldom prevents him from doing things, but the anxiety is present. He asks a million questions and can be known to perseverate on certain things. He will often ask us “What if…” questions and his mind is always on. A few months ago, he said something that really stopped me in my tracks. We have always grimaced at the words “I’m bored” and basically said that only boring people get bored. We would make lists of all of the different things he could do and encourage him to develop new interests and hobbies. The trouble with Shay is that he has always focussed on one or two interests at a time, and has zero interest in pursuing anything else. His current passions are Minecraft and hockey. When he is unable to play either of these two things, the result is often “I’m bored.” These words triggered a conversation between Shay and I that left me feeling quite “yucky”. I was explaining to him how important it is to have time when there is “nothing to do” and to learn how to handle boredom. His response was this….Shay said that he doesn’t like being bored because that is when he has time to think and his worries start, as long as he’s busy he doesn’t worry. I was not only surprised by what he said, but also that a 9-year-old could even make that connection.
I have a total love/hate relationship with technology. I don’t text and rarely use my cell phone, but I do blog and use the computer regularly. I love how it has made my job and life simpler in so many ways, but I hate what it is doing to the children of today. As a kindergarten teacher, I have a “bird’s-eye view” of the disintegrating language and fine motor skills of our pre-schoolers and it is alarming. In my own house, we try to monitor the use of the computer, iPods and video games, but it is a huge and often overwhelming task. It is a constant battle and despite our efforts, we too seem to be raising technology dependent children.
This quick video really helps explain how technology is impacting society and really makes me wonder how strong of a link there is between technology and anxiety disorders.
After seeing this video and the impact that social media is having on loneliness, I decided to see what the experts were saying about anxiety and technology in general. There seems to be plenty written on the addiction to social media and how that affects people, but in my son’s case it seems to be more about distraction and keeping his mind occupied. Are we creating a generation that are uncomfortable with simply being themselves? I think as parents, we need to be super aware and diligent and keep the lines of communication open, so that we know not only what our children are doing, but how they are feeling. How sad to think that video games, iPods, computers and cell phones are replacing the personal connections and relationships that are the true foundation of life. If children are constantly being entertained, there is little room for creativity, problem solving and reflective thinking. As a result, they grow-up not knowing how to handle “alone time” and despite the hundreds of friends on their social media sites, our children are left feeling lonely. I think this video really “hits the nail on the head” and that these issues are reaching epidemic proportions. The scary part is that is unlike protecting your child from drugs and alcohol, technology is permeating every generation and society has become so dependent on it that there really is no way to avoid it. It is no longer the wave of the future, but rather life as we know it. We need to learn how to adapt and ride this wave in order to help our children thrive and cope in this technologically advanced world we live in.
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I haven’t had a chance to get back to the wreath yet, but hope to finish it up today. As mentioned, I ran out of my basic off white fabric and had to run out to the fabric store. I live and work in opposite ends of the city and ended up having to visit both stores before I found the matching fabric. In fact, I almost gave up because the clerk and I were unable to find it. It wasn’t until we took the “best match” to the cutting table that we found the bolt of my actual fabric. Someone was definitely watching out for me. Note: make sure you buy enough fabric for the project the first time – do you have any idea how many shades, weights and textures of white fabric there are? Needless to say, when I was not at the hockey rink I was out fabric shopping.
Captain Phillips
The great news is that my dad offered to stay with the kids in the evening while my husband and I slipped out for a very rare “date night”. It seems that life is so busy that we rarely take the time to go out together. I know that it is really important and we need to do it more. Well, the stars aligned and we had a free evening as did my dad and we made it work. We seldom go to movies (about once a year) and so it was surprising to learn that we had both had earned a free movie pass through our SCENE cards. We have been talking about getting out to a movie for a few weeks now as we have had about 3 or 4 movies on our radar. We decided to head out and go to which ever one we could get into. A gal a work recently saw “Captain Phillips” and was raving about it, so we ended up seeing it and were totally impressed. Here is the trailer.
We both loved the movie. It was one of those movies that you are so captivated by that you are riveted to your seat and hardly take time to blink. There wasn’t a dull moment and we spent the whole ride home talking about it. It is an absolute must see.
Date Night at a Glance
Really, date night is all about wellness. It is about taking time to get out of the house and reconnect as a couple. I find that working opposite shifts and with the pace of life in general, it is so easy to get in the rut of just doing life. It was so great to chat in the car without interruption and enjoy a great movie together. We were only out a few hours and were home by ten. My dad stayed after and we played a game of Canasta. I absolutely love playing cards and board games, so all in all it was a wonderful evening. We need to do that more often!
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Monday was my day off and I decided to whip up a batch of our favourite homemade tomato soup. This soup is “clean” and bursting with flavour. Nothing better than hot soup on a cold day!
Tosca Reno’s Tomato Soup
From “The Eat-Clean Diet for Family & Kids”
This recipe makes about 8 servings.
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large sweet onion, peeled and chopped
4 ribs celery, trimmed and chopped
2 sweet carrots, peeled and chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
2 cups fresh Roma tomatoes OR one 28-oz can plum tomatoes (no salt added)
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth OR veggie stock OR water (I always use chicken broth)
1 Tbsp dried basil, crumbled
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch of curry powder
2 low-sodium chicken or veggie bouillon cubes (I omit the bouillon b/c I use the broth)
1. In a large pot, heat olive oil over med-high heat. Add all chopped vegetables and sauté until onion is soft and translucent.2. Reduce heat to medium and add tomatoes, stock or water, basil, salt, oregano, curry, and bouillon. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.3. Using a hand-held stick blender, puree the soup to your desired uniform consistency. (I dump it into my bullet to blend it.)4. Remove from heat and serve. Garnish with a scoop of low-fat plain yogurt or yogurt cheese. (We use a dollop of sour cream and some green onion. It is really yummy with the sour cream stirred in, but Tosca probably wouldn’t approve.)
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Well it seems as those the warm days of summer are long gone and with it all of the delicious summer fruits. As we head into the cold winter months, you may want to consider your best options for meeting the nutritional needs of your family. Many of the fresh fruits and vegetables in our local super markets have been grown thousands of miles away and have had to endure long trips before landing in our markets. In order to with stand the journey, most are picked long before they are ripe and thus the nutritional value is inhibited. You may want to consider the benefits of buying frozen and stick to purchasing a majority of your fresh fruits and vegetables when they are considered to be “in season”. Check-out this video for more information on fresh versus frozen.
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I have really been enjoying the Mothers and Daughters in Touch course that Eden and I have been taking on Wednesday evenings. I saw a video today and it reminded me of our class last week on body image. This video is not unlike the message in the Dove Videos on body image. It does a speed enhanced video of a model preparing for a photo shoot. It is so sad to think that they take a beautiful young lady, like the model in the video, and distort everything thing to create a photo that it completely unrealistic. Check out Body Evolution below to see how dramatically photo shop can alter an image. What message does it give our daughters?
What You Didn’t Know About Barbie?
This video also reminded me of some of the facts that our facilitator shared about Barbie. I was able to find an article on dailymail.co.uk which highlighted many disturbing facts about Barbie’s body and how impossible it would be for a woman to ever have her proportions. (I believe that the original source may have been rehabs.com and I have referenced it below.) Here are some highlights from the Daily Mail article:
Did you know that in real life Barbie would have a 16″ waist and that only 1 in 2.4 billion would have the same waist size and likely be suffering from a severe eating disorder?
Did you know that her 16″ waist would be 6″ thinner than her head?
Did you know that Barbie would be forced to walk on all fours because her 3.5″ wrists and her 6″ ankles couldn’t support her own body weight?
Did you know that only 1 woman in a crowd of 638,531 people would have hips equal in size to that of Barbie’s 29″ hips?
Did you know that you would have to search through a crowd of well over 3 million to find a human being with the same waist to hip ratio as Barbie?
This quote was taken from an incredible article written on rehabs.com:
The Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders has calculated how much an average healthy woman’s body would have to change in order for her to have the proportions of a Barbie doll.
They found that women would have to grow two feet taller, extend their neck length by 3.2 inches, gain 5 inches in chest size, and lose 6 inches in waist circumference. No woman could ever hope to achieve such impossible dimensions, and yet young girls are shown that this is a body to emulate.
The rehabs.com article also states that 42% of girls between the ages of 6 and 10 wish they were thinner and many are beginning to diet before they can even spell the word. Check-out their Barbie Infographic below and click on the image to visit the site to read the article and check-out the other charts and tables.
If you visit the site, click on the View Barbie Infographic button.
I know many of us grew-up playing with Barbies and I am in no way saying “ban the Barbies”. Eden was never really into Barbies, but definitely received a few new ones as gifts, as well as a whole set that was passed on to her from her older cousins. We ended up garage selling them as she was never really into dolls of any sort. Having said that, I did not discourage Barbies or her playing with them at the time. I knew that Barbie portrayed the image of what many esteem to be “perfection”, but had no idea what a “fraud” that image was until recently. I believe that knowledge is power and perhaps this knowledge will enable you to make informed choices for the little girls in your life. At the very least, it is interesting information to share with young girls, so that they know the truth behind the doll. Who knew??
Three cheers to all of the women and young girls who love themselves for who they are and are completely comfortable in their own skin!
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I must admit that in the past, I have been guilty of being a bit of a Halloween Scrooge. As mentioned in a previous post, I was never a big fan of Halloween. My own children did not participate until my daughter was in school. My opinion was mostly a product of my bad childhood experiences with Halloween. I spent most Halloweens terrified of the older kids in town and all of their “pranks”. The combination of scary masks and burning hay bales in the streets of town pretty much did me in. As an adult, I had my previous experiences coupled with my desire to keep candy and treats away from my toddlers, so we just avoided it. When we did begin to participate, I refused to handout candy – the thought of giving candy to such small children literally made me cringe. How can that be a good idea?I was adamant and found other options to drop in their bags. So, when kids would drop by our house, they would get a mini-playdough, small toy, pencil or at the very least a sugar-free snack. I did this for several years, but my husband “laid down the law” and told me that “our house would get egged” if I continued down this path and that I’dbe cleaning it up. Yikes! My kids also began to complain and said that playdough was for little kids, so a few years ago, I broke down and joined the masses and began to handout the sugary treats that all kids are seeking on Halloween night. Oh well, a battle not really worth fighting, I guess. I thought this Crest commercial was hilarious and pretty much put me in my place.
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This video was shared by my cousin Lana on Facebook. The nurses at the University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital decided to make a video to encourage the children who are battling illness and in many cases fighting for their lives. The video was inspired by the song “Brave” by Sara Bareilles.
Children’s Hospital Nurse’s Video
My thoughts and prayers are with all of those who are fighting an illness or any other “storm” in their life right now. I also give thanks for all of the people in the world with the heart of a servant. Those who give of themselves freely in order to make a difference in the lives of others – cheers to you!
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I am generally a real go getter and see holidays as the time to pump out the projects, but because I’ve been hibernating I am barely registering a pulse these days, so I’ve opted for a few days of total relaxation. Generally, I would curl up on the couch and read, but not this year! (At least not yet.) I received a really cool Christmas gift from one of my students ~ a 1000 piece puzzle. What I loved most about this gift was that when I was younger, we used to set-up a card table with a puzzle on it and putter at it over the holidays. I used to love to work our way through a puzzle and it was fun to do on your own or with another family member. What great memories this gift triggered! I started it a couple of days ago and it’s a doozy! I used to always build the outside first, but thought I would try to do all the faces first. Ugh! Do you have any idea how many little Nutcrackers there are in this puzzle? Well, I am totally hooked and haven’t got much else accomplished over the last few days. What a great way to escape the cold (and house cleaning). I had hoped my kids would join me, but a puzzle doesn’t “plug-in” and so they really haven’t shown much interest. They do stop by to see what progress I am making, but it hasn’t been much of a family bonding activity.
