PLAN, PURCHASE, AND PREP ~ A quick guide to a healthier family

Do you struggle with finding time to make sure your family gets a healthy dinner? With work, running kids to practices/lessons/games, helping with homework, etc - it often seems like the best option is the quickest option (AKA - fast food.) However, with the Center for Disease Control recently reporting that 17% of children in the U.S. aged 2-19 are obese (and 33.8% of adults), it's time we rethink our faster is better approach to eating.


Our biggest enemy is lack of time. So, take a look at your schedule and decide what day you can dedicate a chunk of time to preventing you and your family from developing diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other obesity-related diseases. For me the weekend works best, but find what works best for you, then plan ahead. What are some healthy dinners you can make in the coming week? Make a shopping list of ingredients needed and get your grocery shopping done - all at once! Next, take about an hour and prepare anything that you can. Brown your lean hamburger or (lean) ground chicken/turkey, and cook or just season any other meat - as appropriate. Wash and cut vegetables and fruits so they are handy and ready to grab and eat. Pre-cook things like brown rice, pasta, or quinoa so that you can re-heat it quickly later. Think ahead and prepare the things take "too long" and often deter you from making a healthy meal. You will love having your fridge stocked with healthy meals and snacks ready to roll out in no time at all.


I challenge you to try this - at least once. I have a feeling you will love not having to stress about meals and being able to eat and serve something you feel good about. You just might decide to make this a healthy new habit for you and your family. I hope you do!

Got Range of Motion?

My half-marathon training officially began last week.  However, after being on vacation, where my activity level was not the same as it usually is, my body had tightened up a bit.  Suddenly, after just a few training runs my hip started hurting.  I had two choices:  Gut it out and hope it started to feel better or do some Range of Motion exercises.  Even though the runner in  me wanted to go for a run and hope for the best, the trainer in me took over and I skipped my weekend run and hit the Range of Motion exercises.
 
I immediately eliminated the hobbling that had occurred everytime I went from sitting to standing.  After a couple of days I went for my next scheduled run - hill repeats!  My hip didn't flare up at all.  In fact, when I stretched out after my run, I was so limber, I hardly felt the quad/hip flexor stretches!  And, this morning as I sat in a meeting I just kept thinking, "My hips are feeling awesome right now!" 

Spread Foot Glides - Great for hip mobility!  

Why am I sharing this with you?  Because we all have times when we ignore the pain just hoping it will go away on its own.  We keep doing the things that make it feel bad, because those are activities we enjoy, but we pay for it later.  Instead of pushing until the pain immobilizes you, listen to your body.  Because your body was designed to move, proper movement will allow your body to self-correct the imbalances your activities create.  So, do your exercise routines that I've given you, come to the Range of Motion classes, move your body in every direction every day.  Your body will thank you!   

One Change

Let's keep it simple. Let's stop the drastic changes, crash diets, etc. that last for about a minute. How about one change this week? One change that you can adopt as a lifestyle to improve your health.

Here are a few ideas:
*Add a serving of vegetables to your lunch.
*Use the stairs - always!
*Skip the donut, scone, muffin - whatever - and eat a healthy breakfast. (Oatmeal, fruit and yogurt, etc.)
*Drink water instead of soda this afternoon.
*Add just 10 minutes of exercise to your day.
*Go to bed earlier tonight.


Pick one thing that's do-able and do it - every day! Keep reminding yourself to do this one thing until it's a regular part of your daily life. Then continue with your new healthy habit for life!
It's easy to change one thing. Keep it simple!

Fast Food Meal - Under 500 Calories

While fast food is not ideal, with our busy, fast-paced lives it periodically becomes the only option for getting in a meal.  Instead of eating that greasy burger and fries and regretting it afterward, how about this?  A fast food meal that includes vegetables (not french fries!)

KFC has my go-to fast food solution:  the Grilled Chicken Breast Meal.  Take that skin off of your chicken breast, order a side of mashed potatoes and gravy and a side of green beans and you've got a meal that's under 500 calories!  (And that includes the warm, flaky biscuit that's hard to resist.)   (Approx. 490 calories and 15.5 grams of fat.)  Want to subtract 100 calories and about 4 grams of fat?  Skip the mashed potatoes and go with 2 sides of green beans.   And while you're skipping things - let's skip the soda and drink water!

Here's the details of each item listed above so you can adjust it to your preference . . . . .

Grilled Chicken Breast = 210 calories, 8 grams of fat

Chicken Breast - no skin = approx. 160 cal., 3.5 g of fat

Mashed potatoes and gravy = 120 cal., 4 g of fat
Mashed potatoes - no gravy = 90 cal., 3 g of fat

Green beans = 20 cal, 0 fat

Guilty Pleasure
Biscuit = 190 cal, 8 g of fat

Prefer different sides?  See KFC's nutrition guide to create your own meal.  But, be careful -   those little sides may not seem like much, but they add up in a hurry!  Try to keep it balanced and don't skip out on the veggies!   Remember, this is not a recommended regular meal.  Just a better option when you have to hit the drive-thru. 

Quick, Healthy Dinner Find - at Costco!

I'll be honest, I'm lazy when it comes to cooking.  I want healthy food that involves the least amount of prep possible.  So, when I discovered these chicken breast skewers at Costco, I had to try them.  

I have to say, I was quite surprised at how good they were.  First of all, it was actually all white meat!  Each skewer is just 100 calories (and I found 2 skewers to be plenty for me.)  And even though it comes with a packet of sauce, the chicken has good flavor without it.  However, the sauce is quite tasty and I would recommend you add it for a nice pop of flavor.  Just remember, a little goes a long way.  (1 tablespoon = 20 calories)

As for prep, the skewers were quick and easy - just my style!  Throw them in the microwave, oven, or even on the grill for a few minutes and they are ready to go.  Just add a side of brown rice or even yakisoba noodles, add some veggies and dinner is ready!  (Soba noodles are higher in calories, but good for those of you who need more protein in your diet - 1 cup has 275 calories, but 10g of protein.) 

Enjoy a quick and healthy dinner tonight! 

Smart Shopping

Several weeks ago I heard a statement that really struck me. "You can't be any healthier than the food you eat." I went to the grocery store recently with that phrase in my head. I found it to be a great guideline for my food shopping and meal planning.

It can be so tempting to purchase meals in a box and fast food when life gets busy. Most of us know what we should eat, but we often make choices based on convenience and impulse. Life is busy. I get it. But, do you really want to only be as healthy as a fast food meal?


Take a step back from the busyness for a few minutes. Make a plan for your meals. Hit the grocery store with that plan in mind and have a healthy holiday season!


Shopping tips:


Start your shopping in the fresh produce section and purchase a variety.


Look for lean meats: Chicken and turkey (skinless), fish, and even lean beef.  (Look for the words “loin” or “round” in the name for leaner cuts of beef.)

Organic does not mean healthy. Check the calorie and fat content and the ingredients. Check the calories, fat content, and ingredients - just like you would with all foods.


Look for whole grain, high fiber versions of cereal, bread, tortillas, etc.


Low-fat doesn’t necessarily mean healthier. Many low-fat choices have high sugar content.


Skip the empty calories (high in energy, but low in nutrients) like sugary soda, candy, cookies, etc.  You'll cut unnecessary calories and save money. 

Check labels - always!

Choose food that is as healthy as you want to be.

Sandwich Thins and Flatbread

I've recently tried a couple of newer products and wanted to share them with you in case you haven't tried them yet.  The first is Orowheat's new Sandwich Thins.  I am loving these!  They are only 100 calories (for the top and bottom slice!) and have 5 grams of protein and fiber. 

I've found this to be perfect for a post-workout peanut butter sandwich (toasted is the best!)  It's light, but great for a snack without a lot of calories. 

The second thing I tried was Flatout Flatbread.  The jury's still out on this one for me.  I made a wrap with it today, but the texture of the cold flatbread wasn't quite right.  I think I'll try it warm next time and see if that helps.  I tried the Healthy Grain Flatbread which has 100 calories, 9 grams of protein, and 8 grams of fiber.  I think it has potential, but I need to experiment a little more! 

Have you tried either of these products?  What do you think?

Have any healthy foods that you'd like to share?  Tell me about them!  Everyone is always looking for something delicious, healthy, and new - what are you liking right now?