Eating and Staying Healthy Through The Holidays!!

It's that time of year again! Every direction you turn there are treats a plenty, treats galore! Offices are brimming with countless plates of Christmas cookies and every party has a feast spread out before you. Everyone else is digging in. What's a person, who is trying to be a healthy eater, to do?

My answer might surprise you, but I say get in there and ENJOY! It only comes once a year and if you've been faithful to eat healthy ALL YEAR LONG, than indulge a little and celebrate! Of course, use common sense ie: All things in moderation. I can tell you from personal experience, that all too recently, I OVER-INDULGED at a holiday gathering and paid for it the next morning! My body naturally couldn't handle digesting some of the rich foods, that I don't normally eat, and sent my intestines on the fast track to removing the offensive foods. You get the picture, I'm sure.

Are you worried about the inevitable sugar-high your kiddos will get when they indulge in sweets that are normally not readily available at home? It's my experience that at most gatherings, the only foods which seem "kid-friendly" ARE the sweets. My kids are afraid to try fancy hors d' oeuvres and appetizers that they are not used to. My suggestion is to feed your kids healthy all day long and fill them up with an early, healthy dinner before you head out to a holiday party. They won't be so hungry and will have something healthy in their bellies first. Then they can have some guilt-free treats of their own. Be careful to monitor their trips to the buffet table so they don't end up with a tummy ache. They often don't know when to stop snacking, because the food is readily available, much like many of us adults! Allow for a couple cups of punch, then when they are thirsty (as they usually become while running around excitedly and playing) tell them only water then to help flush everything out.

Also, allow for proper rest for kiddos who have been up later than normal at parties, as their little bodies both heal and grow while they sleep. We'd be wise to follow the same advice. Make sure you remind them to wash, wash, wash their hands, especially before eating. Proper and often hand washing is just as effective as an annual flu shot. So LOTS of bubbles! If they don't see many bubbles, they need to repeat. Teach them to sing the ABC's to scrub long enough and rinse well. Antibacterial soaps don't do much. It's the act of rinsing that actually causes the germs to slide off our hands and down the drain. Regular soap is fine. Try not to overuse alcohol-based hand sanitizers, which can be extremely drying. Use only when a sink and soap are not available. Keep an eye on your kiddos hands. They don't think to apply hand moisturizer after washing, like we do. Keep some on the sink where little hands can reach it. Cracked and broken skin on hands can invite infection, as hands pick up more germs than any other body parts. Switch from alcohol-based hand sanitizers to Silver Shield. It's pure silver and pure water, does not dry skin out and keeps killing germs for four hours before needing to be reapplied. Use it also to clean all surfaces that hands touch ie computers, phones, remotes, door handles etc... If you haven't read my posting on the benefits of Silver Shield, check it out under "healthy living".

The holiday season will be a better experience if we are healthy. And we can then enjoy all the special foods and activities that we look forward to each year :) May you be blessed with good health now and in the New Year!

Guilt-Free Ice Cream Alternative

My kids love this healthy alternative to ice cream adapted from Above Rubies Magazine. It's super easy and fast to make when needing a little treat :)

Ingredients:
2 frozen bananas (cut up before freezing)
A couple scoops of almond butter (or organic peanut butter, if you prefer)
2 Tablespoons of organic maple syrup
2 teaspoons spirulina powder

Mix in food processor/blender on low until thick and creamy, do not over mix. If too thin, add extra bananas to thicken. Enjoy :)

Our Favorite Shake Recipe

Strawberry-Banana-Soy Shakes

Ingredients:
Vanilla or Reg. Soy milk(can use rice milk if you prefer)-about 4 Cups
Frozen or Fresh Strawberries about 12
Frozen or Fresh Bananas-1 cut up
6 ice cubes
2 Tbsp. honey or organic maple syrup
2 teasp. Spirulina
2-4 oz. soy or healthy yogurt
Add other liquid vitamins or probiotics, flaxseed oil, wheat germ if you wish

In blender:
crush ice first, then add fruit(can substitute other berries) and a little soy milk to get it going. Then add other ingredients and the rest of soy milk. Blend until thick. Makes 3-8oz servings. Enjoy! :)

Tips for Picky Eaters!

Even though my two kids have always eaten healthy foods since they were born, they still turn their noses up from time to time. If you're just starting to implement healthier choices, take it slow. If you seem stressed out about their lack of enthusiasm, they will feel stressed as well. Be excited about the new foods you are planning to try and talk them up. Get your kids involved in the shopping, especially at a farm market or pick-your-own orchard or farm. My kids love the fact that they picked their own and even enjoy a little nibble here and there. It takes time to retrain our palates after they've been abused. Make whole fruits and veggies available as much as possible. Wash produce and keep on the table, counter and in open bowls in the fridge. When they are hungry and they see it, they'll grab it. I started washing and cutting up veggies and putting them in big ziplocs in the fridge, so when I'm tired from cooking they'd be ready to mix into a salad to go with my meals. The bags kept dwindling and I wasn't sure where the veggies were going til Handsome Hubby said one night "Thanks for cutting up the veggies. It makes it so easy to toss some into my lunch bag in the morning." Who would have thought HH would jump on the healthy, raw-eating wagon! Let kids help as much as possible. Things take much longer to prepare, but it's worth the effort and they are more apt to try new things if they feel they've played a part. Get them familiar with green, which seems to be the enemy with most youngsters. One way to get my son to eat certain fruits and veggies that he wouldn't eat whole, is to use a juicer or blender to mix in a variety of things. My son has always loved soy shakes and I love mixing all kinds of goodies into them. Add a little wheat germ, probiotics, coconut oil and other vitamins kids won't take easily. I love to add a couple teaspoons of spirulina, it's a great super-food and turns the shakes a pretty green. My kids think that's cool and are more willing to try other green veggies. I make them try everything, but they are allowed to have a couple things that they don't prefer. And that's fine. It takes about 30 or so tries to develop a taste for some veggies, so keep trying. Here's another sneaky thing I do. When making soups or chili and I want to put beans in, I know my kids will just pick them out or eat around them. My solution is to prepare the beans separately , toss into the food processor with a little of the soup broth and then add back into the soup or chili before serving! Many times my kids have commented "Wow! This chili tastes extra good tonight Mom!" They get the flavor and nutrients of the beans without having to bite into them. It's only a short 18 or so years we have to give them a taste of as many good foods as possible. Once they are on their own, hopefully they'll come back to what they know is good for their bodies. :)

Organic Comfort Food: Meatloaf

People often call and ask me for my meatloaf recipe, so I thought I'd post it. Now that the chilly weather is upon us, I enjoy cooking my family's favorite comfort foods. When we gave up red meat a few years ago I craved foods like meatloaf, meatballs and burgers! I supplemented organic ground turkey and found it satisfies even the pickiest of eaters! Feel free to make ahead, as it is just as yummy the second day! Enjoy :)
Organic Turkey Meatloaf:

Ingredients-
1 Cup Italian seasoned or roasted garlic bread crumbs
3/4 Cup soymilk
1 1/2-2 lbs. Organic Ground Turkey ( I buy the 94% lean rather than 99% for taste. Label should say no antibiotics or hormones etc...)
1 Organic cage-free egg
sea salt and pepper to taste
1 small minced onion
2 tablespoons of sauce mixture

Ingredients for sauce-
1/2 Cup Organic ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon sucanat or organic brown sugar if you can't find sucanat
1/4-1/2 Cup water

Mix all together. Shape into a large, somewhat flattened, loaf. Use a large Pyrex, not a loaf pan. Once formed, pour most of sauce over top of loaf. Spread evenly with spoon. Save a little sauce to baste with once halfway cooked.
Bake at 350 F. for 1 1/4 hours uncovered. Let stand five minutes, serve with yummy veggies and enjoy!

Healthy Eating On A Tight Budget

Let's be real...Living on one income is unfortunately not the norm nowadays. Sometimes it feels like constantly paddlin' against the current. Although it doesn't come without some sacrifices, the blessings of more family time, FAR outweigh any sacrifices. Most of our bills are fixed and I can not control, but groceries is one area that I CAN control with a little creativity. When we had our first child and I quit working, we literally cut our income in half. Our income has increased slowly over the years, but we now have two kids, a dog, a cat, and have been homeschooling for four years, so our expenses have increased greatly as well. I feel it's my job to make Handsome Hubby's check stretch as far as it can. It can be a challenge to purchase organic, healthy foods, which, now that they are becoming more popular, are very expensive. One way to supplement the grocery list to be able to buy the organic foods is to buy some of the non-food items at your local dollar store. I'm not ashamed to say that I shop at my local Dollar Tree at least twice a month. I can't speak for any of the other stores of its kind, this is just the one nearest me. Buying paper goods, school supplies, toiletries etc... there allow me to save money for healthy foods for my family. If you've never checked one out, give it a try. I keep watch on the prices of the things I buy every week at my regular grocery store and then can shop with confidence at the Dollar Tree, because I know those items normally cost more than a dollar. Here's a tip: Beware of impulse shopping! It is very tempting because at such a good price, you'd think why not? Shop ONLY from your list, just like with other stores and work hard to stick to it. Of course, everything there is not a deal! They have to make money too. Be careful to shop by the unit price. They have many name brand products and if you can buy it for less and save your family some money, why not? If you've never been, here's a list of things that I buy on a regular basis, that I know cost more at my local grocery store: toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving cream, rubbermaid storage containers, dog toys, greeting cards(usually 2 for $1, this is an area that I used to overspend in during my weekly shopping), ibuprofen, bandaids, flushable wipes for kids, fabric freshener(like Febreze, smells just as good), air fresheners, dishwasher tablets, dish detergent, wrapping paper, gift bags, mylar balloons, party plates, cups & tablecloths, napkins, hand sanitizer, liquid and bar soap, ziploc bags, notebooks, glue and glue sticks, scotch tape, bleach pens, laundry stain sticks, batteries, candles, q-tips, cottonballs, bottled h2o, tearless shampoo & cond. for kids, some brand name makeup, and occasionally candy for a movie night. Wow! That's quite a bit of savings right there! If you try it, I guarantee you'll save some money and won't cringe next time you put all those organic items on the conveyor belt at your local grocery! And you'll feel great, knowing that the food you're feeding your family is healthier for their little bodies and who cares if it's served on a stack of $1 paper plates!!

Nesting Mama's Tip on Skinless Fruits

We try our best to buy organic produce whenever possible. But sometimes it may not be available or as fresh and so we resort to buying the best that's available. It's recommended that we, of course, wash all fresh produce to remove any germs or pesticides. There are expensive veggie washes out there, but I've learned that an inexpensive one exists that we already have right in our cupboards...pure baking soda. When scrubbed on and rinsed with water it not only removes all germs and pesticide residue, but usually removes the wax that is applied to fruits. Once in a while, though, the skin may still be too waxy and therefore it's recommended we peel the skin off before eating. Since my kids were toddlers, they enjoyed eating whole fruits. Cool fruits are a great treat for teethers. But they usually become slippery and slimy after being in their mouths and often end up on the floor. My solution was to use corn holders, which usually only got use for a couple of months in summer. And Voila! You've got handles that even the littlest of hands can grip easily. Try it and Enjoy!