The results of our recent experiments show that displaying healthy food to the left of an unhealthy option can influence the selection and consumption volume of the healthier choice. Since managers typically have considerable flexibility in terms of how they display food items in retail outlets and restaurant menus, they can use the findings of our research to design optimal menu formats to suit their sales objectives.

The post Can we encourage healthier choices by the way we display food options? appeared first on OUPblog.

The hundreds of parents in First Five Permian Basin’s Parents as Teachers program are learning to be their child’s first teacher. They’re excited for the challenge. Topics like counting, shapes and colors are at the top of the list of concepts to teach their kids.

“Our parents may ask how to teach a certain concept like colors or counting, and we love to incorporate books into the process,” explains Beth Meyerson, Director of First Five Permian Basin.

Recently, the program received 10 Hungry Rabbits by Anita Lobel, part of the Healthy Kids Collection created by the Mario Batali Foundation, a book that reinforces the concepts of counting and colors.

But this story allowed parents to teach their children much more than these basic concepts.  In addition to the benefits of reading aloud to young child, it offered a fun way to model healthy eating and living.

The book shows a family of hungry 10 bunnies and a mother rabbit who has nothing to fill her soup pot. One by one, the bunnies go to the garden. They find vegetables and fruits of various colors and numbers to fill the pot, all accompanied by beautiful illustrations that would entice any hungry young reader. At the end of the story, the family sits down to enjoy a big, healthy pot of vegetable soup.

“Children are making neural connections when they are so young, so what they learn in the first five years of their life is going to imprint with them,” explains Beth. “Whatever message they’re hearing or seeing from their parents is going to plant inside them as a young child. So, if a child has exposure to how wonderful carrots and broccoli are, it’s going to become a part of their ongoing life.”

The Healthy Kids Collection features several books that teach basic concepts while highlighting healthy living and eating. If you work with children in need, you can access these books through the First Book Marketplace.

The post Teaching Much More Than Basic Concepts appeared first on First Book Blog.

In most developed (and many developing) countries, childhood obesity has become much more common over the last few decades, and it is now regarded as one of the most serious global public health challenges of the 21st century. In England, one in five 4-5-year-olds are now overweight or obese, rising to one in three 10-11-year-olds.

The post Should primary schools be responsible for childhood obesity prevention? appeared first on OUPblog.

2016 is here. The New Year is a time for renewal and resolution. It is also a time for dieting. Peak enrolment and attendance times at gyms occur after sumptuous holiday indulgences in December and again when beach wear is cracked out of cold storage in summer. As the obesity epidemic reaches across the globe we need new solutions. We need better ways to live healthy lifestyles.

The post We should all eat more DNA appeared first on OUPblog.

Yep, I signed up. Why? Because as much as I enjoy eating all the chocolate in the world when I’m working on a book or screenplay, I don’t actually like the brain fog that comes with it. So I’m more than happy to turn to science to help me solve the sugar thing once and for all.

If you have your own particular food issues and you’re interested in joining me, here’s the final video in Dr. Susan Peirce Thompson’s excellent, informative Food Freedom series. She’s also giving some free webinars with Q & A this week. I signed up for the one on Tuesday afternoon.

Like I said before, it’s not like I’m particularly proud of fueling my creativity with so much sugar over the years, but I do see from your emails and comments to me that you appreciate me talking about it in public. So here I am again! If that helps you, I’m happy.

Here’s to eating in a way that feels easy, automatic, and free. ‘Bout time!

~Robin

(Photo credit: Maja Petric, via Unsplash.com)

A lot of you have written to me in the past few days thanking me for sharing my own struggles with sugar addiction (a.k.a. my kryptonite), and also for sharing Dr. Susan Thompson’s videos about what she’s learned as both a neuropsychologist and as a formerly obese woman about how to rewire our brains and finally get rid of cravings once and for all. Yes, please, now!

(And by the way, thank you for all your emails and comments! I really do love the solidarity we can have about this topic. It’s not something any of us are particularly proud of, but it feels good to be able to talk about it with each other!)

The third video in Susan’s series is now out, and it’s the best so far: about the 5 critical ways we can rewire our brains so that eating the right foods, and not eating the wrong foods, becomes completely automatic.

If you haven’t already watched videos one and two yet, I highly recommend them, since each is chock full of all sorts of cool science about why we crave what we do, why willpower fails us (it’s not the right tool), and other answers to questions you’ve probably had as you dive into that fourth serving of cookies, candy, cake, or ice cream. I know because I have been there, my friend. As recently as last week!

Hope you love this last video as much as I did! LEARNING! Love it!

~Robin

(Photo credit: Alex Jones, via Unsplash.com)

Photo by TipsTimesAdmin

Diet Plan

Nutrition Tips

बात कुछ दिनों पहले की है. मैं अपनी सहेली मणि के घर पर थी. मणि के पति का जन्मदिन हाल ही में गया है और मणि का जन्मदिन आने वाला है तो हम बैठ कर खाना डिसाईड कर रहे थे कि उस दिन क्या क्या बनेगा. मणि को खाने का बहुत ज्यादा शौक तो नही है पर कम भी नही है. आलू पूरी, छोले भठूरे, टिक्की, फ्रूट क्रीम, फलूदा कुल्फी ही पसंद है बस … ह हा हा !!! मैं इसलिए हंसी क्योकि आप यही सोच रहे हो कि बस !!! हां तो मैंने खाने की बात करते करते मणि से कहा कि केक मेरी तरफ से होगा. इस पर मणि बोली कि अरे नही !!! पिछ्ले साल भी बेटे ने केक online order कर दिया था और दो दो केक खाने मुश्किल हो गए थे इसलिए इस बार उसने मुझे केक के लिए मना कर दिया. वैसे वो केक बहुत ही स्वादिष्ट था.पाईनएपल केक का सुनते ही मेरे मुंह में भी पानी आ गया. असल में, आज भी केक पर लगे पाईनएपल के लिए मेरी और मणि की बच्चों की तरह लडाई होती है. बच्चे घर पर हो तो हम कंट्रोल कर लेते हैं नही तो …!!

हम बात कर ही रहे थे कि तभी मणि के बेटे का फोन आ गया वो फिलहाल विदेश में किसी प्रोजेक्ट के सिलसिले में गया हुआ है.मणि उससे बात करने लगी. ज्यादा समझ तो नही आया पर महीने के हाव भाव से लग रहा था कि कुछ हैरानी और टेंशन की बात है वो मना कर रही थी और थोडी देर बात करने के बाद फोन रख दिया. मेरे पूछ्ने पर उसने बताया कि फंस गए!! अरे !! क्या हुआ? वो बोली कि अभी किसी dietician का फोन आएगा और वो मेरा और इनका (मणि के पति) का सारा डाईट प्लान और हिस्ट्री पूछेगी… मैने हैरानी से पूछा कि यानि !!! किसलिए ??? हुआ क्या!!! मणि ने बताया कि उसके बेटे ने एक साल के लिए देश की जानी मानी डाटिशियन को बुक किया है अब उसके बताए खाने के हिसाब से चलना होगा. उससे पहले अलग अलग  blood test  करवा कर भेजने होंगें जिससे शरीर के भीतर क्या क्या  हो रहा है पता चल सके. उसके आधार पर वो क्या खाना है और नही खाना वो बताएगें. कोर्स भी बहुत महंगा है पर बेटे ने ज्वाईन करवा दिया. बस मेल और फोन पर बात होगी और उनके कहे अनुसार चलना होगा.

मैने सोचा कि मणि के बेटे ने ऐसा क्यों किया. उसने बताया जब पिछ्ली बार मिले थे तो बेटा गुस्सा हो रहा था कि आप और पापा  दोनो मोटे हो रहे हो जरा अपना ख्याल रखो … शायद इसी वजह से… वो बता ही रही थी तभी उसके मोबाईल पर फोन आया जोकि true caller में डाईटिशियन का ही नम्बर आ रहा था. मैं उठने को हुई तो मणि ने हाथ पकड कर रोक लिया. मैं फिर बैठ गई. लगभग 15 मिनट बाद हुई दोनों की और मणि ने फोन रखने के बाद बताया कि वो मेल भेज रहे हैं उसके हिसाब से आठ दस टेस्ट करवा कर उनको भेजने हैं blood group  और weight भी  फिर उसी हिसाब से वो क्या खाना है क्या नही खाना वो बताते रहेंगें. हम दोनो के मन में अजीब सा तनाव था कि ना जाने क्या होगा.

शाम को मणि घर आई तो थोडा रिलेक्स थी. जब वो और उसके पति उनके बताए सारे blood test  करवाने गए तो लैब के डाक्टर जानकार मित्र थे. उनके पूछ्ने पर मणि ने बेटे की सारी बात बताई तो डाक्टर बहुत खुश हुए और बोले बहुत ही अच्छी बात है आप तो ये मान कर चलिए कि आपके बेटे ने आप दोनो की दस दस साल उम्र बढा दी. आपके बेटे ने बहुत सही सोचा. हम भारतीय लोगो का खान पान बहुत बिगडा हुआ है और उसी वजह से सारी बीमारियां होती है… जाते जाते उन्होनें यह भी कहा कि उन्हें भी  Diet Plan जरुर भेजिएगा कि वो क्या और किस तरह का डाईट प्लान बनाते है वो भी इसे जरुर ज्वाईन करना चाहेंगें.

Diet Plan

शाम को सारी रिपोर्ट मिल गई खुश किस्मती यह भी रही कि सारे टेस्ट नार्मल रेंज में थे. और अब शुरु होना था उनका डेली डाईट प्लान Diet Plan.  आज सुबह मैं खीर बना रही थी पर अनमने भाव से क्योकि जब भी खीर बनाती मणि को जरुर दे कर आती पर अब वो तो नही खाएगी … मैं भी क्या करुंगी खीर बना कर . तभी मणि का फोन आया कि तेरे पास किसी का फोन आया . मैने कहा कि नही तो किस का आना है ???… वो हंसने लगी और बोली अगर मेरा बेटा दूर बैठे अपने  मम्मी पापा का इतना ख्याल रख सकता है तो क्या मैं पास बैठी सहेली के लिए इतना भी नही कर सकती … तेरा जन्मदिन भी तो आ रहा है … !!!क्या !! बता न…!!!  क्या बात है … मेरी उत्सुकता बढती जा रही थी. वो बोली कि उसने dietician को मेरा नम्बर दे दिया है … क्या मैने कहा !! अरे नही !!! मैं तो बिल्कुल ठीक हूं मुझे जरुरत नही है और ये कंट्रोल वंट्रोल मुझसे नही होगा….  और ये एक साल का पैकेज महंगा भी तो है … प्लीज मना कर दे .. प्लीज … प्लीज .. !!वैसे भी मुझसे कंट्रोल भी नही होता !!! इतने में मेरे मोबाईल पर दूसरा फोन आ रहा था…शायद ये वहीं से था. अब मैं भी उससे बात कर रही हूं और अपने बारे मे सारी जानकारी दे रही हूं… !!!

इस बात को हफ्ता हो गया है और  मणि के अनुभव को देखते हुए और उसकी खुशी को देखते हुए मुझे भी लग रहा है कि  over weight के कम होने wait नही करनी चाहिए अपने शरीर का ख्याल रखना चाहिए. खासकर खाने के मामले में तो बहुत जरुरी है. असल में, हमारी Indian eating habits आदतें बहुत खराब है जोकि जाने अंजाने शरीर को बहुत नुकसान पहुंचाती हैं… और अगर इस पर कंट्रोल हो गया  तो मन वैसे ही प्रफुल्लित रहेगा.. वैसे आप कैसे हैं … !!!   Fitness का कितना ख्याल रख रहें हैं आप ?? सेहत यानि health  के लिए  Healthy Eating  बहुत जरुरी है …

ह हा हा … अभी तो शुरुआत ही हुई है मेरी और मैं समझाने भी लग गई आपको …  

Photo by Alan Cleaver

The post Diet Plan appeared first on Monica Gupta.

मीनोपोज या प्री मीनोपोज के बारे मे जानकारी का अभाव महिलाओं को और ज्यादा तनाव ग्रस्त कर देता है. पर ये जानना बहुत जरुरी है कि बीमारी नही है मीनोपोज पर क्या है मीनोपोज  बेशक, ये भी एक कठिन दौर  होता है जब बेहद रक्तस्राव होने से कमजोरी आ जाती है और बहुत लक्षण महिलाए को तनाव मे डाल देते हैं.

कल एक पार्टी में मेरी पुरानी सहेली मिली. मिली क्या असल में मैने ही उसे ढूढा. एक किनारे पर चुपचाप बैठी थी. मुझे भी उसने सूखा सा हैलो बोला. यहां वहां की बात करने के बाद जब मैने उससे उसका हाल चाल पूछा तो उसने बताया कि कुछ समय से पता नही उसे क्या होता जा रहा है . कुछ करने का मन नही करता एक अजीब तरह की बेचैनी सी  महसूस होती है. उसे न भूख लगती न ही कहीं जाने की इच्‍छा होती है कई बार  आधी रात को पसीने से तर हो जाती हूं और नींद खुल जाती है कई बार सारी सारी रात नींद ही नही आती तो कई  बार दिन मे बहुत नींद आती है. कई बार दस दस दिन रक्तस्राव होता है तो कई बार तीन तीन महीने हो जाते हैं रक्तस्राव ही नही होता.  मैने इस बात को जरा भी गम्भीरता से नही लिया. उसे बताया कि यह भी एक तरह का चक्र है जिसमे हम महिलाओं को धर्य और संयम के साथ  दो चार होना पडता है अब इसे सहर्ष स्वीकार कर लें या तनाव बना कर रखें ये अपने हाथ मे है. उसने बताया कि डाक्टर भी उसे यही कह रही थी. अल्ट्रा सांऊड भी करवाया है वो भी ठीक है …

मैने जो नेट पर पढा था या जो अपने अनुभव थे उसे बताए कि उसे अपना ख्याल कैसे रखना चाहिए

Women in Menopause Need Foods With These Minerals and Vitamins

 

Plenty of things change as women approach menopause. Fortunately, some undesirable consequences like bone loss and hot flashes may be reduced with a few diet changes.

Menopause is a difficult time for many women. It can be a little reassuring to know that the foods you put on your shopping list can make a difference, and can help restore some sense of normalcy to your life. Read more…

मीनोपोज में सबसे ज्यादा जरुरी है कि खुद को व्यस्त रखें.. खुश रखे अपना ध्यान अच्छी बातों में लगाए और सबसे ज्यादा जरुरी खान पान पर ध्यान देना है आयरन और कैल्शियम का सही सेवन बहुत जरुरी है क्योकि कई बाद बहुत ब्लीडिंग होने से शरीर में कमजोरी आ जाती है सही मायनों में क्या है मीनोपोज प्रश्न आपको तंग नही करेगा और वैसे भी  जिंदगी को pause नही करता मीनोपोज …

महिलाओ की छोटी छोटी समस्याओं के बारे में गायनाकोलोजिस्ट रचना सांगवान से लिया मेरा एक इंटरव्यू एक वीडियों

The post क्या है मीनोपोज appeared first on Monica Gupta.

I get soooo many e-mails from people who have just read or listened to FAT CAT and want some more tips about how to do what Cat does in the book and totally transform their bodies and their health.

So guess what? I’m going to give you the chance to win a great book to get you started.

Colleen Patrick-Goudreau has written numerous books and cookbooks and has an amazing podcast and is generally out there inspiring people and teaching them how to make lifelong changes that will make them feel happy, healthy, and strong. Those of you who have listened to the FAT CAT audio book know that Colleen and I have a great conversation at the end of the book about both of our food backgrounds and what led us to make changes. I love Colleen’s work. I’m also happy to introduce other people to it.

So for this month’s giveaway, you’ll have the chance to win a signed copy of her new book, The 30-Day Vegan Challenge: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Healthfully and Living Compassionately. The winner will also receive a signed copy of FAT CAT, along with a Karmic Cafe T-shirt just like the one Amanda designs in FAT CAT.

You can enter the giveaway here. And remember the cool extra-credit detail: When you enter you’ll get a confirmation email that contains your own personal special code. When you post that code on your own blog or Twitter or Facebook, you’ll get 3 extra entries in your own name every time someone else enters from that link. So the more you share, the better your chances are of winning! Go get ‘em!

Good luck to all of you!

The Secret Seed Society Theatre Show ‘What’s the Big Secret?’ recently made a special visit to Bright Horizons Wooldale Early Care & Education Centre and Caroline Chisholm Primary School in Northampton.  The Show took the children on an exciting and educative adventure with the vegetable characters of the Seed City Series where they learnt the joys of growing, cooking and eating veg.

The children were welcomed into a hall and entertained by the likes of Grandpa Swede, Carla Carrot, and the eccentric scientist and his friendly Gro-bot who were all there to teach the audience how fun and easy it can be to grow your own food!

The children were then taken on a delightful journey from pot to plate! They ‘mashed’ and they ‘cried’ with their veg in a game of idenitfication. They discovered the art and precision to sowing a seed and also learnt the magic of the allotment.  The Show ended with Grandpa Swede teaching the children how to make his famous (and very delectable) vegetable stew.

All stewed out the children were finally let in on the ‘Big Secret’ and invited to join the Secret Seed Society ‘Seed Agent Club’ where they will learn even more about how things grow, smell and taste!  They went away from the show with a wonderful little gift which would take them on a new adventure with vegetables and enable them to practice what they learned in the Show.

We were pleased to hear that the Show was enjoyed immensely by both children and staff:

“The children loved the show – the actors were great and enthusiastic – they loved singing and enjoyed the opportunity to take part.”
(Primary School Teacher).

“The children loved watching the show, singing and taking part” (Nursery Teacher).

 For more information on the Secret Seed Society Theatre Show ‘What’s the Big Secret’ and how we can visit your school please contact us by e-mail here.

Every once in a while, I like to take a break from the regularly scheduled program of books and sharing them, and share with you some other cool stuff. Today, I want to share a website/app that I was asked to review and think could be a real benefit to ANYONE wanting to lose weight and/or get healthier and/or exercise more. It’s called SLIMKICKER.COM, and it’s so super easy to use for your weight loss/healthy lifestyle changing goals.

So, what is it? According to the website, Slimkicker.com is “a level-up game and point-based program. You start by tracking your diet, where whole foods are worth more points than processed foods.” Then the creators go on to say, “But diet, and fitness are half of the battle. Most people regain weight because they never learn long-term habits. We solve this by taking habits as quitting soda, and turning them into 7-30 day challenges. Like a regular game, the challenges start out easy, and gradually become harder, with more points. We encourage you to check-in daily with others doing the same challenge for accountability and social support.”

They also state that it can go along with any diet program that you may already be using or want to use, AND it’s all about learning portion control, proper nutrition, and acquiring healthy habits. I can see this site REALLY appealing to a competitive person OR someone who needs to be accountable to someone, but doesn’t have a fitness buddy in his/her life.

It’s easy to sign up–I did it in about 5 minutes. I haven’t used all the tools yet, but there are tabs in your account where you can record what you eat, how much you exercise, and then join a challenge, such as eating one salad a day for 7 days OR replacing juice with tea for 7 days. You get a certain number of points added to your account if you complete the challenge. YOU ALSO can choose your own rewards–like if you reach certain levels on the site, you might reward yourself with a girls night out? A new handbag? A new book? (That’s what I want to see! )

Spring is here for most of us–(most major holidays are over for a while) so it’s the perfect time to get in shape and be healthy! Check out Slimkicker.com. (BTW, I get nothing special for telling you this. I just think it’s a cool site and will be helpful for some of you struggling with this area of your life!)

Finally, because I HAVE to share a book with you, I reviewed this one for The News-Gazette. It’s great to share as a family because it’s all about excuses and how we use them to eat unhealthy! Its called: “But I deserve this chocolate!” The 50 Most Common Diet-DeRailing Excuses and How to Outwit Them (Author: Susan Albers, PsyD Publisher: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.) I’ll put an Amazon link below. It’s an easy book to use, and you don’t have to read it cover to cover. Find your excuse or your spouse’s or your kids’ or your work-out buddies’, and go from there.

*Picture book, contemporary, preschool through second graders
*Young girl as main character
*Rating: This is a cute book for young children. It can help them learn about different veggies and about making friends. The illustrations are FANTASTIC!

Short, short summary:

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Re-enact the book. Bring in a basket of veggies–some well-known and some lesser known. Have each child choose one. Then do different activities. For example, have any student with a green vegetable stand by the door and a brown veggie by the window. Students could try to find out more about their veggie also–a mini research project.

2. Make a Vegetable A to Z book with students. In a shared writing activity, make a list from A to Z of different veggies. Each student gets at least one veggie to make a book page with. They can draw a picture, write a sentence, or even a fact like where they grow.

3. What makes a good friend? How do you make friends? Have you ever felt like Adelita when you started at a new place? You can ask students these questions and more with this book. It’s a great discussion starter.

(BONUS: There’s a recipe for vegetable soup at the back of the book you can make with children!)

Read my article "It All Adds Up". Click on the link below:

http://www.momblogsociety.com/page/it-all-adds-up

Maggie Goes On A Diet:

This book is about a 14 year old girl who goes on a diet and is transformed from being extremely overweight and insecure to a normal sized girl who becomes the school soccer star. Through time, exercise and hard work, Maggie becomes more and more confident and develops a positive self image.

This new release creates controvery with the word Diet. Will it lead to eating disorders, or help children understand the value of eating a healthy diet and exercising? While I haven't read the book, my first impression is that parts leave good messages; eating healthy, exercise. Another message, however, leaves me cold. In order to be popular and keep friends from bullying you, get thin and participate in team sports. The fact that Maggie loses weight and plays soccer is good, but this shouldn't be the only way to have friends. I'm also troubled that, apparently, the bullies have no accountability for their hurtful actions.

Not Fat Because I Wanna Be: By LaNiyah Bailey

McDonald’s is revamping its happy meals (to make them healthier. Kids will find fewer fries, and a serving of fruit or veggies instead, lowering the overall calorie content by 20%. McDonalds had thought about cutting out the fries altogether... Read the rest of this post

I am ridiculously obsessed with this book, French Women Don't Get Fat.  

It all started with a few, ahem, extra pounds from my holiday baking extravaganza. As motivation to get back on track, my sister and I decided to do a Biggest Loser contest for 8 weeks. Biggest loser wins a gift card to B&N. After day one of small portions and celery sticks I was extremely depressed. I said to myself, "Self, I can't do this for eight weeks." I was perusing my library for helpful tips when I found this book.

It's all about enjoying your food, savoring the flavors, exploring with spices, eating variety, eating seasonally, seeking out quality ingredients (1 small piece of quality chocolate vs a Snickers bar). And there's recipes! And lots of French thrown in, for that Je ne sais quois. But it is muy magnifique! Now I want to learn French, cook French food, and visit France. And be svelte and fit and sophisticated.

Now where did I put my beret?

I’m so excited the 10th Annual ABC Games presented by US Airways are in full swing! Did you know the ABC Games are part of Please Touch Museum’s Healthy Lifestyles initiative “Get Up and Grow,” designed to enhance the lives of families by promoting healthy living to children? In recent years, the initiative has grown to encompass many aspects of the Please Touch experience, such as: “No Smoking” signs and recycling containers throughout the museum; the physically engaging Flight Fantasy exhibit; and healthy eating options that comprise the menu in the Please Taste Cafe.

Max and Me, the museum’s exclusive on-site caterer, is committed to helping educate museum guests on the benefits of eating healthy foods to help the fight against childhood obesity. The Please Taste Cafe offers a number of alternatives to traditional kid fare. Some of the healthy menu options include:

• Whole/ fresh-cut fruits and vegetables with low-fat dips
• Salads with low-fat dressing
• Lean proteins
• 100% fruit juices
• Whole grain cereals and breads, cereal bars and steel cut oatmeal
• Vegetarian options

During your museum visit, keep an eye out for The Kooky Cooks Cooking Show. This show is an interactive performance series, modeled on the popular cooking show television format, which incorporates the wide variety of foods in the museum’s Supermarket. Performances are followed by extended character interactions for children in the exhibit with the performers, designed to encourage and support child-directed dramatic play within the exhibits.

Here are some tips for conservation in the kitchen:

Practice cutting down on paper product use. Try using washable dishcloths and napkins more often to reduce paper waste, and purchase recycled paper products when possible.

BYOB- Bring Your Own Bag, that is! Using a cloth or recycled shopping bag helps reduce the energy and resources used to make and transport paper or plastic bags. Invest in a bag that is durable and compact, and keep it handy in your car, coat pocket, stroller or purse.

And on August 29, the museum will hold its 1st Annual Stroller in the Park, a 5K family-oriented walk in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park. This event will encourage families to remain active and will provide a fun-filled day of healthy lifestyle resources and activities to celebrate the end of summer. To learn more about Stroller in the Park, click here.

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By: Pinky, on 6/2/2010
Blog: Pinky's Please Touch Museum (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  healthy eating, program room, ABC Games, kids, sports, art, Add a tag

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By: Shari Lyle-Soffe , on 4/21/2010
Blog: Shari Lyle-Soffe (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  world hunger, cheese, bacon, fast food, healthy eating, smaller portions, gradual changes, small changes, chemical additives, shortened life expectancy, food labels, creamy gravy, obesity, Add a tag

Obesity is epidemic in this country and the news is full of stories about the excesses that are ruining our health and shortening the lives of our children. Before you get defensive you need to understand that as parents we are only partly responsible for the situation. Food manufacturers and restaurant owners, and yes, our government must share the blame, but we need to do something about it.

Everyday there is a news story telling us that what we were once told about a particular food is now considered incorrect and what we once thought was good for us is now thought to be bad for us. While the government is telling us obesity in children is a major problem, fast food restaurants are advertising bigger, fatter, more calorie-laden options. It is confusing for all of us. How can we keep up? What can we do about it?

I believe certain basics are true. I believe the closer our food is to its natural state the better it is for us.That doesn't mean meateaters should eat their meat raw, but if it isn't covered with cheese or creamy gravy it is probably better for you. I personally believe we eat too much meat in this country but this post isn't about that. I am not interested in changing meateaters to vegetarians. This post is about healthier eating and making changes toward better health.

I married a meat and potatoes man.  One day I decided, after a lot of reading on the subject, that we should become vegetarians. Vegetarian cookbooks that were available at the time were not encouraging. Becoming a vegetarian seemed to involve mixing and matching different kinds of protein foods to get the right combination to make up for not eating meat. After reading the cookbooks I was sure there was no way I would be able to convert my husband to a vegetarian lifestyle. I almost gave up, but I had the cookbooks so I figured I had to at least try a few recipes. I did and I was right, hubby wouldn't eat them.

Then it dawned on me! I could fix most of the dishes that we were accustomed to eating but make them vegetarian. And that is what I did. If I removed meat from a recipe I replaced it with something else  to make up for what was missing. (Portabello mushrooms have a texture similar to meat. Today the stores have many meat substitutes.)I didn't worry about complementarity but instead I concentrated on preparing good meals, that tasted good and that fit our style but without meat. Why should this matter to you? Read on...

On the road to healthier eating you have to expect a few bumps, but that shouldn't stop you. It is a retraining of our thinking and our tastebuds. If you are used to eating food that is drowning in cheese sauce it will take a while to adjust to the idea of eating food without cheese sauce, but it can be done. Make changes slowly. Perhaps you will need to slowly reduce the amount of cheese in the sauce, and reduce the quantity of sauce in a serving. Look for other healthier ways to season your food, and eat the less-healthy choices less often until you can elimate them completely. Concentrate on the foods that you like that are healthier choices.

Lightly salt foods before serving and take the salt off of the table. Make eating healthier a family project and get the kids involved. Teach them, and yourself, to read product labels. Know what unhealthy things to look for (high fructose corn syrup, all kinds of sugars, sodium quantities, che

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billkirkwrites said, on 4/21/2010 11:23:00 AM

Well said, Shari. I personally kind of like the feeling of being a bit hungry. Savoring the first bite a meal, the first swallow of a cup of coffee fixed just how you like it, the first taste of a nice red wine, is as good as it gets. Those long-awaited first tastes explode on the taste buds can almost be felt all the way down to your stomach. Yummmmm....

L. Diane Wolfe said, on 4/21/2010 1:42:00 PM

I totally agree!
I am a vegan, but one can eat bad as a vegetarian, too.

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Do you suspect that your portion sizes are maybe more generous than standard? Just check your reactions to the following statements.

• They just don’t make plates big enough anymore.
• Family size packs seem designed for a single mother whose only child is not yet on solid food.
• Menus are handy to point out the few things you don’t want to eat.
• You are glad food is now sold in kilos as those silly little 1lbs never seemed worth bothering with anyway.
• You’ve heard the term left overs but have no idea what it means.
• Individually wrapped chocolate biscuits have to be the biggest packaging waste ever, each cup of tea results in 27 empty wrappers.
• Your takeaways get delivered as you can never lift yours by yourself.

Image via Wikipedia

If you found yourself agreeing then watch out, as soon you will be finding that these are also far too close to the truth.

• They just don’t make bus seats big enough anymore.
• You buy clothes from shops that don’t sell sizes S, M and L but XL, XXL and XXXL.
• All your clothes have mysteriously shrunk in the wash.
• Fat people want to lie next to you on the beach.
• Friends don’t want you to sit on their patio furniture.
• People avoid queuing behind you at turnstiles in case you get stuck.
• Your entrance into a room can be described as a total eclipse of the doorway.

Image via Wikipedia

Don’t loose heart though. Here are a few cunning ways to make people believe your size is reducing rather than increasing.

• Replace your entire wardrobe with identical clothes a size or two larger than you are.
• Move to somewhere new taking a digitally altered picture of yourself looking about ten stone fatter than you are and show it as the ‘before’ picture of your diet.
• Get a job at a funfair and work in the hall of mirrors.
• Paint half your body with luminous paint and only go out at night.
• Date sumo wrestlers, you will look slim in comparison.

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By: Rae, on 8/28/2009
Blog: Life, Love, and the Pursuit of Publication (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Exercise, Goals, Walking, Weight Loss, dancing, Weight Issues, Dance Dance Revolution, Volleyball, High Blood Pressure, Fitness Friday, Healthy Eating, 50/50 Challenge, Health, Add a tag

So, it's the end of summer vacation. Time to leave the days of lazin around behind and get back to work.


Um, right. Like I had those kind of days. I worked this summer and I worked hard.

Which is why I'm so excited about next summer. God willing, I'll be a travelista next summer, traveling both in the US and out. I plan to work my @$$ off this school year so I can afford to chill next summer instead of work...so I can, you know, actually vacation during my summer vacation.

This brings me to my plan I'd like to call my 50/50 challenge. What is the 50/50 challenge? I'm so glad you asked! :) Starting Sunday, I'm gonna attempt to lose 50lbs in 50 weeks (hence 50/50). This means, I'm trying to lose one pound per week. Can this be done? Sure it can! This is actually the safer way to lose weight - 1 to 2 lbs/week as opposed to say, like 20 lbs/month. Besides, earlier this year, for a blissful month and a half, I was successful at losing a pound a week. Then I hit a wall. I've been this weight for the last 4 months. I guess it's good cos I haven't gained any weight. *shrugs*

So, how will 50/50 work?

Of course there's making healthier eating choices. For me, this means eating more than once a day. The surprising thing is, it's easier for me to exercise than it is for me to eat 3 meals a day. Weird, right? I don't plan on totally eliminating certain things (junk food, pop, chips). Eliminating them never works for me...I only end up eating more after a while. So, instead of getting rid of my weaknesses, I plan on eating less, maybe even using them as rewards when I've had a good week. I'm all for rewards, you know.

Exercising isn't really a problem for me...unless it's on a day where I'm just too tired to do anything. Even then, I have a plethora of exercise DVDs or I'd just do DDR, which is a fun way of working out. My top choices of workouts: walking, Tae Bo, DDR, volleyball, and dancing. 5 days/week - 6 if I'm feeling ambitious - of cardio/strength training.

The last, and most important, component to the 50/50 challenge is God. Earlier this year, I'd asked God to take control of my weight-loss journey...and He did. He talked me out of many unhealthy decisions, especially when it came to Pepsi, which is my number one weakness. Seriously, I can do some damage with Pepsi - like at least a bottle/day. My mouth is watering now to feel the burn... Anyway, whenever I feel like piggin out on junk food, guzzling down an extra bottle of Pepsi, or skipping a workout, I'll have to remember to ask God for help. And you know what the cool thing is? HE'LL ACTUALLY HELP! I honestly don't know why I hadn't thought of asking God to take control of my weight-loss/get-in-shape journey in the first place. It's like, duh! I ask Him to help me in everything else, why not this, right?

I'm SO ready for this challenge! I even have a special journal, complete with a special pen (did I mention I'm obsessed with stationary stuff) to track my progress. I have my inspiration board up on my bedroom wall with pics of beaches, swimsuits I'd like to wear, words, etc. My main reason for this is NOT looks. Of course, I always like to look good, but I'm more concerned with my health. I'm not trying to have high blood pressure and have to take pills for the rest of my life. No thank you! And, not only do I work with kids, but I also have 2 VERY ACTIVE nephews that I'd like to run around and play with without, you know, feeling like I'm gonna die from extreme exertion. Also, I believe God is about to take me places and I need to be physically, as well as spiritually and mentally prepared.

Fitness Friday blog posts will be dedicated to keeping up with my progress. I figure, the more people know about this, the more accountable I'll be held. And you can join me, too, whether you want to lose more than, less than, or exactly 50 lbs. I'd love the company.

So, Rae's 50/50 challenge: from Sunday, August 30, 2009 - Saturday, August 14, 2010. Ready. Set. GO!

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By: Pinky, on 5/12/2009
Blog: Pinky's Please Touch Museum (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  theater, healthy eating, Add a tag

Live on stage May 19- June 8

Please Touch Museum is excited to present the premiere of
Walnut Street Theater for Kids production of
"Berenstain Bears' Family Matters: Junk Food Edition"

Based on the children's book, The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food by Stan and Jan Berenstain, with book, music and lyrics by Michael Borton, the show finds Brother and Sister Bear (and even Papa!) are enjoying a few too many snacks and have been putting on some extra 'fluff.' Mama Bear, through love, laughter and the help of Doc Grizzly, is there to encourage the family toward a healthier lifestyle.

The musical will be staged Mondays through Saturdays at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and is FREE with museum admission.

Just like Mama Bear, parents may have picky eaters at home who'd rather snack on "junk" than healthy snacks. Here's an easy formula, provided by one of the museum's sponsors, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, on how to make healthy choices every day with your child:

• 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day (Pack some grapes in the lunchbox!)
• No more than 2 hours of TV each day (Find other fun activities, like a museum trip!)
• At least 1 hour of physical activity each day (Go for a family walk or play Frisbee in the park!)
• 0 sweetened beverages (Drink water or milk instead!)

With this simple approach, families can work together—just like the Berenstain Bears—on better nutrition and healthy lifestyles!

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Navaja said, on 5/12/2009 9:28:00 PM

OMG i remember growing up with the Berenstain Bears! awesome

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