Nutritious choices made simple®
Did you know that every year since 1994 there has been a week dedicated to turning off the TV? Originally called TV-Turnoff, Screen-Free Week is a chance for both kids and adults to power down from our dependence on screen-based entertainment and find joy in other things—cooking together, books, nature, music, hobbies, playing games, cultural attractions, exercise, each other!
Both kids and adults love parks—for relaxing, playing, picnicking, exercising or even just reading under a tree. And, while going a town or city park is certainly a fun springtime activity, visiting one of our country’s many National Parks for a day (or more) of exploring and healthy family bonding time can make lifetime memories. And if you go this month you’re in luck because getting into your favorite National Park for free will be…well, like a walk in the park!
Ah, vacation at last! Your chance to relax (or live it up) and not have to think about a thing—good for you (and take me with you)! Does this sound familiar: your flight is delayed so you’re running through the airport with no time to get a meal, so the snack cart near the gate is your only lunch option? Or how about this: your “meal plan” at the resort only includes two meals…and the first one is long gone and the second one is hours away. Or this: to save some money and make your life convenient, you want to stock that mini-fridge in your hotel room with good options…but the only store you can reach on foot is attached to the gas station around the corner. Sometimes travel food should involve a little planning, and if not that, then at least a few ideas for how you can “make do” with limited choices or less-than-healthful options available.
Does your teenager’s activity level plummet with the temperatures every winter? When my son was in high school he played sports in the fall and in the spring, but every winter he became much more sedentary—making it harder for him to be in good physical shape for his spring sport—not to mention inducing a fair amount of boredom. On the other hand, my teen daughter likes to snowboard whenever she has the chance during the winter; she also enjoys sledding. (For some reason, however, she does not enjoy shoveling snow though.) Not everybody likes outdoor winter activities (me included), but it’s recommended that children and teens get 1 hour of physical activity daily. Luckily there are options aplenty for both types of kids!
The act of fasting—abstaining from food for a specific period of time—is gaining in popularity among some fitness enthusiasts and weight-loss dieters as a means to reign in calorie intake, but it certainly isn’t anything new. Despite the recent interest in the subject among authors (The Fast Diet, The Overnight Diet, The Warrior Diet, The Alternate Day Diet, etc.), fasting has been practiced around the world for ages. Hunger strikes, religious fasting periods and extreme “cleanses” designed to “purify” mind and body are all variations of fasting (and for the record, I don’t recommend extreme “cleanses” or long term fasting—they can be dangerous). One of the biggest reasons—but not the only reason—that folks are becoming increasingly interested in fasting, is for help with weight control and weight loss.
If you’ve resolved to “eat more vegetables” or “cut out white foods,” this is your post. I get it, we all like to start fresh in the new year and that’s great. Really! I love a positive resolution like “eat more veggies” because it’s just more pleasant to think about adding something to your diet instead of taking something away, so kudos to you. Now you just need to do it, right? And for those of you looking to eliminate “white foods” from your diet, I’m guessing you mean foods made from white flour and sugar and regular pasta perhaps. Surely you can’t mean white vegetables? Let’s take a look at what’s great about the white vegetables that are plentiful during the winter months, and why they deserve a spot on your plate/in your bowl.
The nutrition and food policy world was atwitter last Thursday when the latest version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans was released. I know, you’ve probably heard of them but really have no idea what they have to do with your diet and food intake. I’d bet we are all touched by the Dietary Guidelines in some way, even though lots of us don’t really notice.