Valuing the time spent improving your health

No matter how busy things are, we always make time for good food and a workout. How? It seems almost impossible the way our society is. The number one complaint I hear from clients is that they are too busy to cook, or exercise.

Part of the problem is the value society places on being busy and stressed. It is more acceptable to work a 10 hour day then to leave after 8 to ensure you get a run in. People listen with approval when you describe your day of running to the school, to work, kids to lessons and back for an evening meeting. But there is a tone of luxury to somebody describing getting off at 5:00, taking a long run, then cooking supper and sitting as a family to enjoy it.

There are so many options for kids extra curricular activities as well, many people jump on board as many as possible, only to have the week become booked up and evenings becoming a juggling act for parents.

So what can we do? Number one, have a plan in place. Know what your meals are going to be for the week. Prepare ahead whatever you can, whenever you can. Look at your schedule for the week and decide where workouts fit in and where you will have time for an actual sit down meal.

Number two- Make food and exercise a priority. When committing to things outside of the usual work week, look at how it will affect your health. If your child wants to take dance lessons, and swimming and play hockey how will you fit in what you need to do for your meals and health? Choosing one, or choosing times that still allow you to fit in what you need can help. Maybe hockey for winter, swim and dance in the summer? Maybe there's a class that is right after school so that you can still be home at a decent hour?
If you're on a sub-committee at work that needs to meet after work hours- maybe the team can meet before work? Or after supper?

It is about priorities, and your health has to be a priority. We need to support those that do fit in daily exercise and healthy meals by showing respect for these choices and not saying, "You're so lucky to have time for that." It is a choice. And in the words of Edward Stanley in 1873 "Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness." (I'd like to add preparing healthy food to that, but in 1873 I think most people still made their own meals.)

Musings from Sick Week

My older son and I were sick this past week and I spent nearly three days between bed and the couch. It amazes me that when we need to, we're able to clear a week for illness. We never do it just for fun, or to enjoy kids that are growing up too quickly, or to catch up on sleep. But once I realized I couldn't get out of bed and rescheduled everything for the week, I was able to devote myself to getting well and getting my son well, and keeping the other two safe. And the world didn't fall apart without me!

With all that time to think, I had some interesting revelations. For one, my need to eat fresh, homemade food all the time meant I had no soup for my recovery. Everyone should have a couple cans of soup or some frozen soup stashed away for a rainy day.

The second revelation is that we are always able to make time for illness, but are less willing to set time aside for wellness. Most people complain they are too busy to cook, or too busy to work out. We should treat these two things like doctors appointments, or meetings. Making fitness and healthy food a part of everyday life, and planning other items around them, has the potential to save you a lot of sick time in the future. I have a whole post planned to help you with this, and I'll get that up soon.

In the midst of sick week, my older son turned seven! And my Mum surprised him with a visit. Luckily we were improving by the weekend and able to have a little fun.

I used reduced beet juice to colour the angry bird! I will use a little food colouring for his party, which luckily was planned for next weekend!

2014

I've already talked about my love of resolutions and I actually think self improvement is fun.

Last year I decided to switch all my face and body products to natural. It has been great, except we bought a bunch of shampoo on sale just before I swore off it and I still have a couple bottles to get through. But I use baking soda for my deodorant, the oil cleansing method for my skin, Jason, Power Smile is my toothpaste of choice. (My skin has never felt better, you should check it out- www.theoilcleansingmethod.com)

This year, I had all my family members to send me their goals. They did, I celebrated. But have I sent them my resoultions? Nope, not yet. So I thought this post (before the shine of the new year fades) would be a good way for me to declare my intentions for 2014.

Career, family, wellness are the three areas I decided to set goals in.

Career: I'm going to advertise! I'm also going to try have set working hours/family hours so I'm not doing both (poorly) at once. It's not easy to draw the line when you're self employed, but as able I'm going to try. I'm also going to keep loving what I do. It's so amazing to spend my working hours talking about food and nutrition. I'm going to blog more regularly and make a few dietitian friends in Kelowna.

Family: Focus and be present with I'm with my kids. Ties into having set working hours, but I want to make eye contact when they're telling me something, not be checking messages.
I'm also lucky enough to have both of my grandmothers still. I'm going to send them a monthly letter, pictures, drawings the kids do. I'll pick up pretty stationary. Starting next month- they had two letters in December....

Wellness: I'm eating well, I love cooking, planning and finding new recipes to try. I'm going to keep trying new foods, new grains, new recipes.

I exercise regularly, but I need a goal on the horizon to increase my training. I'm going to run the Wine Country Half again, and I'd like to do a second half marathon as well. I would love to put together a team of clients and run a 10km with them or something too, stay tuned for more on that.

I don't sleep well, my mind ends up running through a hundred things as I try fall asleep. So I'm going to start by making a list of all the "to-do's" that pop into my head at bedtime, see if putting them on paper helps me sleep.

I'd also like to do more yoga, read at least one book a month, attend a conference, and give back to the community in some way...I'll post as it happens.

I think that's enough for now! I have a great feeling about 2014, and I wish you all a wonderful year! What are your goals for the upcoming year?

Resolve to drink more green smoothies?? Or work on those pecs?

Resolve to eat better, get help with Snackbox! (Coupon code for $15 off!)

The December Snack box arrived, and is loaded with great snacks!

My number one choices for snacks to take with you were the following:

The Good Bean- crispy roasted chickpea snacks that are a great source of fibre nad protein. I love that they are so crunchy, healthy and a nut free choice to send to school. The sample we received in December's Snackbox was Smoky Chili Lime which I loved, but the boys (6 and 4 years old) found them a little spicy.

SunButter- easy open packs of sunflower seed butter, with just a touch of salt added. These are great to throw in a lunch kit or work bag with a sliced apple.

Peeled Snacks- dried mango slices.- I love dehydrated mango, especially when it isn't the sugar coated kind. These were great, although I only got one slice. My four year old ran off with the bag, never to be seen again.

A Good Portion- Pistachios.- Another snack that's great to pack along. They're interactive, because like all pistachios you have to crack them open. So that slows you down. These were roasted saffron and sea salt. We all loved them.

Blue Diamond Nut Thins- although the first ingredient is rice flour, these were different enough to be exciting. They are wheat free but still light and crispy, which is unusual. They'd be nice topped with any of the usual cracker pairings (hummus, nut butter, cheese).

Tutti Gourmet - Bana Crisp- another wheat free treat, these were really interesting tasting! Banana, run, coconut, almond- they were also really light and crispy. These would be great to stash in your desk for those times the vending machine is calling.

Pamela's Product- Whenever Bars.- I wouldn't really say whenever, but these wheat free bars are tasty and lower in sugar than many other snack bars. I'd love to see higher protein and fibre in a snack bar, but paired with an apple and PB, they'd make a nice substantial snack an hour or two before a workout,or as a recovery snack when your next meal is a ways out.

The rest of the box was more in the treat category, although treats with less processing and better ingredient lists.

Hardbite Kettle Cooked Chips- Crunchy and Tasty. The portion size of this bag is great for lunches when you crave a little treat. They are still chips, just good quality chips. 

Wai Lana Cassava Chips- a lighter alternative to chips, these were crunchy and tasty.

Whistler Pocket Chocolate- Very well made dark chocolate in eco-friendly packaging. Made in Whistler, and we all know dark chocolate is full of antioxidants. Just watch your portion size.

Glee Gum- gum is currency around here. The boys took off with the whole pack, but I love the ingredients!

Camino Fair Trade Milk Hot Chocolate- Still full of sugar, but the cocoa is organic and fairly traded. And everyone needs a hot chocolate now and then.

The Ginger People- Ginger Soother- This beverage was really kind of special. Spicy ginger, honey and lemon. I like my drinks a little less sweet, but loved the taste of this. 

Help yourself succeed by arming yourself with healthy snacks for when you're hungry. Just plan ahead when you'll use your snacks.

Use this coupon code for $15 off your first SnackBox until January 31st. Visit www.getsnackbox.com

Coupon code: OkanaganRD 

Disclaimer: I received a free SnackBox but the opinions expressed are my own!

New Year's Resoulutions

I think I get more excited for making New Year's resolution then I do for Christmas. I love setting a new goal and reaching it in the new year. I love that there's this entire year waiting for you to be a better you. I spend weeks before January 1st thinking up what I'll change in the upcoming year. And I stick to them, which is especially exciting because for the most part, people forget about their resolutions before January is over.

The best way to make a resolution you can keep is to change the focus. If you resolve to lose weight and things don't happen quickly, you're likely to become frustrated and give up. But if you change the focus to "I'm going to run a 5 km race in June", or "I'm going to weight lift three times a week.", it's something you can measure.

Here are a few measureable and achievable food goals that could have the added benefit of weight loss:

Make a menu plan every week
Eat 7 servings of vegetables and fruit a day
Make your own supper at least 6 days per week
Pack a lunch every day

Write down your resolutions and post them somewhere you'll see them daily. Give yourself the tools to succeed. Have a calendar and put a check mark on the days you completed your workouts, or packed your lunch, (or a sticker, if you're like me and still motivated by stickers!). Print out a menu plan template and make your weekly menu. Reward yourself for successes, with something other than food.  Good luck and Happy 2014! Let me know how your resolutions are going!

Gingerbread Bites

On to Gingerbread season! At our place, dark blackstrap molasses ginger made with whole wheat flour reigns supreme. I bake a couple of huge double batches and we make gingerbread houses (with real candy!) and gingerbread people, trees, bells, stars... I've also been making gingerbread smoothies, gingerbread pancakes, gingerbread lattes, and gingerbread oatmeal.

So I decided a healthy gingerbread ball would be a great addition to the gingerbread repertoire. So we don't just stuff ourselves with the cookies.

Blackstrap molasses is a great source of both calcium and iron. These bites are sweetened only with the molasses and date purée, but they'll take the edge off any sweet tooth.

Gingerbread Bites

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup oats

2 Tbsp puréed dates (soak dares overnight, then blend with some of water to make a smooth, thick paste. It'll keep for at least a week on the fridge)

1-2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses

Cinnamon and ginger to taste

Pinch of salt

Grind pumpkin seeds in food processor until finely chopped. Add other ingredients and pulse a couple times. The process until a ball forms. Taste a bit and add more spice if needed. Roll in balls. Made about 18.

Cooking with Kids!

My kids and I are writing a cookbook, and it got me thinking about how important time spent in the kitchen together really is. If you don't learn how to cook and eat healthy delicious food, you're at the mercy of the food industry, and who wants to put their health in those hands?

Cooking with kids does double duty as homework too. We're reading, writing and learning fractions. Plus learning peeling, chopping, measuring. Oh, and to keep hands away from hot things and sharp things.

Don't limit what your kids help with, just help them be safe! 

The boys loved helping make this soup, we had a nice cozy afternoon together cooking and chatting.