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This year’s Random Acts of Kindness Day falls on February 17, 2016.
Doing acts of kindness make us feel good about ourselves. The person on the receiving end of our kindness gets extra love that day. There is just something that makes our hearts lighter knowing we put a smile on someones face – even just for a moment.
My family has this great list of things we do in honor of Random Acts of Kindness day.
Random Acts Of Kindness Ideas
Heart Attack Daddy’s Car
Cut out as many hearts as you can out of construction paper and tape them to the inside and outside of the car. Set aside a few of them and write reasons why you love that person. When my husband was deployed, the kids and I sent him a “heart attack” care package. We stuffed that box full of hearts! So fun!
Reasons Why I Love You
My husband and I will cut out 7 hearts from construction paper – 7 per child. For one week we tape one heart to each of our kids bedroom doors. On the hearts we write the reasons why we love that child. Examples: You are creative, You are funny, You are smart, You love to read, You give the best hugs, etc.
Take What You Need Poster
Are there stores in your community that still have public boards up so people may pin things that they have for sale or their missing dog posters? We made a “take what you need” poster and pinned it up at a local grocery store here in town.
Bring A Meal
Life can be hard. If you know someone who is sick, mourning the loss of a loved one, just had a new baby, a shut in or someone who is struggling in a hard season of life and could use a pick me up – bring them a meal or special desert.
Donate
Once a year we will collect items to be donated to the local shelter. This past November we were able to donate a box full of winter hats, gloves and socks.
Click on the image below for your “take what you need” free printable. —–>
What do you and your family do in honor of Random Acts of Kindness Day? I’d love to hear about your ideas.
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]]>The post Tips For Eating Healthy During The Holidays appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
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Written by Kari @ Kari Newsom Contributing Writer
It’s that time of year again.
As a Health and Nutrition Coach, I always have people ask me for some tips on how to successfully celebrate special occasions without completely going off the deep end when it comes time to eat.
The first and most important thing I always tell people is this:
ENJOY THE CELEBRATION!!!
All to often we try so hard to do ‘the right thing’ about the whole ‘eating during the holiday’ issue, that we actually end up NOT enjoying this time of year.
Don’t do that anymore. Eating healthy and making healthier choices isn’t about being miserable. I promise.
There are a couple pointers I like to give people who don’t want to go crazy, over indulge and completely get off track with their healthy lifestyle.
If you are like the average person, this time of year {or any celebration for that matter} can be a challenging time.
My family typically eats extremely healthy, BUT I don’t freak out and go crazy that I’m not getting my organic and fresh foods. I am always thankful that someone would take the time to prepare a meal for us to enjoy – whether it’s considered ‘healthy’ in my book or not. Since 98% of the time we eat extremely healthy and disciplined at home, I never feel guilty when those occasions arise where we aren’t able to eat that way.
If there are certain foods that you absolutely cannot eat (if you have allergies or have celiac, etc.) then speak with the host for that day and explain your situation and ask if it would be okay if you brought some of your own items so you can still sit down and enjoy the meal with everyone else. Many times you will find that the host may offer to make some dishes according to your needs. If your eating preferences are just that, preferences, then it’s up to you to make smart choices while you are filling your plate.
Here are a few tips that might help you out this Thanksgiving holiday:
1. Eat a Smaller Meal Beforehand
If you are prone to eating TONS of food and filling your plate to overflowing, then going back for seconds and thirds – try eating a small meal before you go to your Thanksgiving celebration. It doesn’t have to be a rich meal, just a small meal that will help fill you up enough where gorging out on food doesn’t look so appealing to you! You’ll still get to enjoy the food on the table, you just won’t be shoveling it all in your mouth like there’s no tomorrow.
2. Water
Drinking a glass of water about 30 minutes before sitting down to eat can make a person feel full, so you won’t end up eating as much.
3. Self-Control
Make a decision to only have one plate of food, which means smaller portions of each item. Not always easy, but your stomach will thank you for it once dessert time rolls around.
4. Mini Size It
If you are a dessert sampler like some {GUILTY], then don’t take full size servings of each dessert. Cut in half, thirds or quarters so you can sample all the wonderful goodies, without consuming the amount of an entire pie or cake by the time you’re done.
5. Control Your Eyes
If your eyes are always bigger than your stomach, then it’s about discipline, discipline, discipline! Just CONTROL yourself when filling your plate!!! Yes, it smells so good and looks amazing and Aunt Susie’s mashed potatoes are the bomb, but you don’t need a mountain of food to enjoy all that goodness.
Studies show that the first couple bites of food are the most intense and satisfying – taste wise. Even with amazing desserts, the more bites you take, the magnitude of it’s greatness starts to taper down a bit after the first few bites.
6. Going Back
Are seconds bad? I don’t think so, as long as your first servings weren’t gi-normous to begin with. Just remember that you don’t need to over do it! When your body tells you to stop eating – then STOP EATING!
7. Enjoy The Company
Make a conscious effort to enjoy the people around you. Aren’t we all gathering on Thanksgiving (or whatever celebration) to spend time with each other? Yes, so enjoy your company, engage in conversation, laugh and CHEW SLOWLY. This is a guarantee that you won’t eat as much when you talk with people and give your food a chance to settle and your brain is told that you’re full (this usually takes about 15-20 minutes to occur.)
8. Chew Chew Chew
Along with chewing slowly, we should all chew each bite 20-30 times before swallowing completely! I know you think I sound crazy, but you will reduce the amount of food you eat by quite a bit. Why? Since you’re taking the time to chew your food purposely, you won’t be gulping down large portions every 5 seconds and by the time you’ve been eating for 15-20 minutes and your body is saying ‘STOP, I’M FULL’ – you won’t have consumed nearly as much food. Also, chewing this many times is the most important part of digestions since it breaks down your food to a point that once it hits your stomach, your stomach won’t need to work so hard to continue the digestion process.
9. Nix Tons of Liquids While Eating
Try not to drink a ton of liquid while you are eating. The reason is because it dilutes your digestive juices in your stomach and then it takes so much longer for your body to digest your food. This can lead to you feeling so full that you feel sick to your stomach. Give your food a chance to do its job once its in your body!
All in all, we need to demonstrate self control and we are more than capable of doing that! Take time to enjoy the food that has been prepared for you and enjoy the people surrounding you. These holidays have a purpose behind them, so focus on those purposes instead of making the food the center and most important aspect of the day.
Most importantly, when it comes to the food you eat, pray over your food and thank God for the nourishment to your bodies and protecting you from any harm. Thank Him for the family and friends that are surrounding you and the many blessings you have in your life. Thank Him for the life you have. If you are reading this, then you are alive! What a wonderful thing. On top of that, you can’t be reading this post without a computer, ipad or smart phone! Be thankful! You are blessed! Now, be a blessing to others!
What simple things do you do during holiday celebrations to avoid over-indulging?
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In high school, it was boys’ t-shirts, size large, which I shopped for at local thrift stores. Colorful shirts from summer camps and elementary school field days, paired with jeans with the hem let out, and flip flops in every color made up my teenage uniform.
In college, I shopped for server black and whites that could be worn again and again during long restaurant shifts, and a starter wardrobe fit for a young student teacher.
These days, my style has changed, but my primary source for supplying my wardrobe has not. Thrift stores have been saving me and my family money for over a decade. And during those ten years I have learned a thing or two about how to build a stylish wardrobe for much less money.
Last week one of my favorite stores sent me a coupon for $10 off any purchase. The coupon was just enough incentive to draw me into the store to check their sales and clearance racks. I am in an awkward in between stage right now with my weight– my maternity clothes are too big and yet I haven’t lost enough weight to fit into my “normal” Fall wardrobe.
I found two or three items from the store that I really liked, but I wasn’t ready to spend the amount on the price tag. Not just yet, anyway. First I wanted to check in my favorite thrift shop for what I needed. Because more often than not, I can find the clothing I need for a fraction of the cost.
As I perused the racks, I gave a lot of thought to this post. What works and what does not. Here’s what I know…
How to Build A Thrifted Wardrobe
1. Go alone if possible.
I have done more than my fair share of shopping with my kids in tow. In fact, most of my Goodwill trips are made all together. But, I know that my kids’ patience runs thin if we are not moving along quickly enough. It is also altogether difficult to try on clothing while wearing your baby or while trying to discourage your toddlers from crawling all over the floor.
If you must go with children, bring along the stroller (see above sentence), and a non-messy snack or two. If I need a little extra patience from my children, I will first go by the section with the children’s books or toys to give them something to look at while we shop. Sometimes we leave with a new toy or book. Sometimes we don’t.
2. Be thorough. Very thorough.
There really isn’t anyway around this one. In order to find quality clothes in the right style and size, you need to look through all the racks, piece by piece.
In a row of two hundred shirts, I may find 3 to 5 to try on. In order to find the ones I want, I have to look through many which I do not.
3. Learn to speed shop.
I have learned how to look search through the hundreds of hangers efficiently over the years. If you take a second to look at every article of clothing, the time really adds up and the process can be rather frustrating.
Instead of pausing to inspect each item, learn to scan the rack with your eyes and with your fingers. In a section of clothing, you can almost immediately eliminate over half of the pieces simply from the pattern or material. Thus, you are only checking the brand and size of a handful of pieces in each row of clothes.
4. Pay attention to brands.
I joke with my husband that I wear nicer clothing since I shop at thrift stores than if I purchased everything new. Every single time I visit a thrift store to look for clothes, I find multiple pieces of clothing from higher end stores like Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Eddie Bauer, J. Crew, Gap, and so on. Generally speaking, these clothes are often in good condition because they are made from materials that hold up well over time.
Not everything from these stores is in my style or size, but I do give these tags preference. Be familiar with the stores whose quality you appreciate and keep an eye out for those tags.
5. Don’t pay too much attention to brands.
That being said, do not completely exclude the brands with which you are not familiar. More than a few of my favorite pieces of clothing are from brands completely unfamiliar to me.
Just recently, I found a pair of coral colored pants at Goodwill. At first I was not going to try them on because the fit looked a little funny and I did not know the brand. I gave them a chance, though, and they ended being a great fit and good quality too.
The scarf was made in just ten minutes from a jersey knit. Find the quick and easy tutorial here!
6. Only buy what you need. Only buy what you love.
In the past, I have filled my closet with more clothes than I need, excusing the excess because the clothes were purchased frugally. But excess is excess, and owning more clothes than you need does not add any more value to your life or your closet. It simply adds more strain on your space and time.
Using the same excuse of not investing much money, it is also easy to buy clothes which you “mostly like” or which don’t quite fit right but close enough. However, if you don’t love it when you buy it, you are not going to love it simply because you have brought it home.
The same principle applies whether you are buying new or thrifted clothing– buy what fits well, what you feel good in, and what serves a purpose.
7. Inspect each item.
I hate buying a piece of clothing from a thrift store only to discover a hole or stain when I get home. Before you head to the cash register, look over each article of clothing. On shirts and sweaters, give careful attention to the neckline and underarms. On pants, pay attention to the pockets, hem, and waist area.
Occasionally, I will buy something even with a stain or hole because I know it’s just going to be worn around the house, but I want to know about it beforehand just the same.
8. Think outside the box.
If you sew, or know someone who does, many items at a thrift store can be easily repurposed or mended. Dresses can be altered, men’s sweaters or shirts can be repurposed into scarves, skirts or pants can often be taken in or hemmed.
Another occasion to think outside the box is shopping for maternity clothing. At least half of the clothes in my maternity wardrobe were non-maternity pieces which I found at thrift stores. Pants in a few sizes up can work well as your belly grows. Many shirts also accommodate baby bumps, whether they are maternity or not.
If you were wondering, my trip to the thrift store was successful this weekend!
Instead of paying a lot of money for a couple of shirts from the store (even after my coupon and their sales), I found a pair of Gap jeans, a plaid button-up shirt, and a pair of red cords from Ann Taylor. I needed the jeans (again, awkward body stage), the plaid shirt will be a part of my Fall uniform, and I have been looking for red pants for a long time so I was very excited to finally find some in my size!
Do you buy any of your clothes from thrift stores? What are some of your favorite items to shop for?
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Written by Kari @ Living Strong Wellness, Contributing Writer
It seems these days that good, restful sleep is hard to come by. Not only with adults, but children as well. As this is not an exciting fact, it is a reality and I believe we have a wonderful variety of natural options to help us.
For instance, there are herbal teas, essential oils, supplements and something I want to share with you today – magnesium butter.
Ahhh, this stuff is amazing. Why do I love it so much? Because it provides our body something that is lacking so severely in today’s generation – magnesium.
There are many benefits of healthy magnesium levels. To mention just a few:
- Magnesium helps muscle and nerve function. Serving as calcium’s vital partner, magnesium will allow calcium to do it’s job to build muscle growth.
- Magnesium plays an important role in gut health. Without good levels of magnesium aid in the absorption of copper, potassium, vitamin D and zinc. It also helps regulate blood sugar levels, which will lessen the risk for diabetes.
- Magnesium can help lower blood pressure or keep blood pressure low by allowing your muscles to relax, contract and push blood through the arteries and veins without force.
- Magnesium helps melatonin (the sleep regulating hormone) stay balanced, which allows for more peaceful sleep.
- Magnesium can help balance stress hormones, eliminating stress and tension and allowing for a more relaxed state of being (which in return will help with rest as well).
The list goes on and on, but those five points alone should get people’s attention when it comes to supplementing with safe sources of magnesium. Data from 2012 stated that 48% of the American population, 79% over the age of 55, were deficient in magnesium. This isn’t good, especially when it is such a vital mineral and nutrient for our bodies.
Along with taking a liquid mineral supplement, we use magnesium butter every evening before we go to bed. We just spread a thin layer either behind our knees or on our inner arm (where the skin in thin) and that’s it! I have made this for several family members and friends and they all love it and can tell a huge difference in their quality of sleep (especially the adults…go figure)!
The recipe is simple and last a long time on the shelf! We always use it, so we go through a 4 ounce container in about 3-4 months (three of us use it). Since the recipe doesn’t contain water, it would probably last a good 6-8 months if kept clean (wash hands before using the butter) and can always be extended to 12-18 months or longer if refrigerated!
You can make this recipe ‘naked’, meaning adding no essential oils, or you can add your favorite calming and sleep inducing oils such as lavender, cedarwood, vetiver, ylang ylang or sandalwood! If you are using therapeutic grade essential oils, only use a total of 40 drops of oils combined for this amount, which is one cup.
The end result with the color will vary depending on the type of shea butter you use. We use a raw shea butter that has a deep, deep yellow tone and rich scent and amazing benefits that trump refined and bleached shea butters.
Whipped Naked Magnesium Butter
What You’ll Need:
- 3/8 cups virgin coconut oil
- 3/8 cups raw shea butter
- ¼ cup magnesium oil (how to make it yourself)
- ¼ cup almond or jojoba oil
What You’ll Do:
- Melt the virgin coconut oil and raw shea butter over low heat just until it’s all liquid.
- Add the almond or jojoba oil, pour into a medium glass bowl and allow to cool to room temp. You can leave on the counter for an hour or so or you can stick it in the fridge to speed up the process. I like the fridge :o)
- Using a hand mixer or immersion blender, take your room temp oil mix, turn on the blender and slowly add the room temp magnesium oil.
- Mix or blend this until it is creamy. You can’t have any separation, which means, no water droplets anywhere. This can take a few minutes if the oils are room temp. If they are too warm, it will take longer.
- Place the bowl in the fridge for around 30 minutes. You want to see it starting to harden and solidify.
- Once it’s solidifying, remove the bowl and using the mixer or blender with a whisk attachment, whip the mixture until light and fluffy! If you are adding essential oils, do it during this step.
- Store in a glass jar or container and place in a cool, dark place.
I hope you enjoy the wonderful benefits of this magnesium butter that is safe for you and your entire family!
What is your favorite natural solution for calming and peaceful sleep?
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Written by Kari, Contributing Writer
Sometimes certain subjects aren’t exciting to talk about, but they affect our lives in more ways than we know. One of those is snoring. Yes, snoring and this is something that I have had to deal with in my 15 years of marriage. After 15 years of trying almost every way to eliminate this problem, it is FINALLY solved and we’ve had two months of snore-free nights. Now, I want to share with you how we got to this amazing place of peaceful and restful sleep – naturally!
First, lets look at some realistic statistics on this topic:
- 30% of people 30 or older snore
- 40% of people 40 or older snore
- 19% of adult females snore
- 59% of people who say their partner snores
- 5.6% of children snore habitually
- 28% of people who say they experience sleep apnea
- 38 decibels – the average decibel level of a snore
- Approximately 9% of all men and 4% of all women between the ages of 30 and 60 are affected by sleep apnea.
- Sleep apnea may occur in as much as 20 to 40 percent of the adult population that are snorers.
- The partner of someone afflicted with sleep apnea loses approximately one hour of sleep per evening and may wake up as many as 21 times per hour, a side-effect of apnea known as “Spousal Arousal Syndrome”.
- People that are suffering from obstructive sleep apnea are as much as six times more likely to be involved in a car crash then those without sleep disorders. This is due to the fact that they are drowsy from the condition.
- According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drowsy driving is responsible for at least 100,000 automobile crashes as well as 1,550 fatalities per year.
Now that we know this, isn’t it time we do something about it? On top of it, do something about it naturally.
Many of you already know the wonderful benefits of using therapeutic grade essential oils. Now, for me, I was always skeptical when it came to the properties of essential oils, although I’ve used them over the course of the past 22 years – mostly just for the scent, not the health benefits.
A few months ago, I came to a point I was pretty fed up with my husband’s snoring. Not fed up with my husband, but with the nearly sleepless nights I was getting because of this issue. Not only that – but sleep apnea had become a part of this issue, which is never fun. Laying awake at night, listening to the person you love stop breathing for short periods of time, waiting to hear them start breathing again. I also knew how this was affecting him. Read the statistics above if you need a reminder.
As a last resort, I asked a friend who used essential oils if there were any known oils that would help with snoring issues. She went through her book and gave me the names of some oil blends that were said to help eliminate snoring. I went ahead and ordered them along with the handbook, still skeptical, but desperate for something to work. Something that wouldn’t involve pills, surgery or machines.
Before we began applying the oils, I read through the essential oils handbook twice to make sure I had knowledge before blindly slathering therapeutic grade oils over my husband. I learned the why and how of using oils, the application, the cautions and everything I needed to know to understand why these should work.
Finally, the experimenting again. That’s how I looked at it – an experiment and I only gave it a week. I didn’t even jump in with both feet – I guess I was just hoping for the best and going for it.
Well, long story short, I began applying these 3 oil blends alternately (very important when using blends) every night on my husband’s chest and back and I am happy to say that we have had two months of snore-free nights! At first I thought it was a fluke, so we decided to stop using the oils for a couple nights, but the snoring returned, so we went back to using the oil blends.
Since seeing the results personally of using therapeutic grade essential oils, I pulled out all the books and information I’ve collected over the past 22 years and have had my nose in those books drinking in everything I’ve overlooked all these years. I am now also taking classes through a highly respectable certification program and have become a distributor of certified therapeutic grade essential oils through a non-MLM company.
I chose this company because it was the brand I first used and saw results with and I liked the fact that I can offer them to my clients a lower price than those from other companies since all middle men are removed. They are a wonderful, small company that sells high quality, therapeutic grade essential oils that work wonderfully!
If you would like to try to get some much needed rest in your home, you can take the steps we took and purchase our “Quiet Nights ~ Stop The Snoring Kit”! The kit is already a savings of 25% and you can get an extra 15% off by using the coupon code STOPSNORINGNOW!
We hope you find much success in using these oils as we did!
What are your favorite essential oil blends for natural remedies?
statistics gathered from:
http://www.exploringsnoring.com/snoring-statistics/
http://www.statisticbrain.com/snoring-statistics/
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]]>The post What It’s Like to Afford Fresh Organic Produce and How You Can Do It Too appeared first on Day2Day Joys.
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**Please meet Reelika, a new contributor… she would love to hear from you! -Rachel
You are a great mommy. You want the best for your kids and family. It is the hope of many families to be able to provide organic veggies, fruits and berries to their family and especially to the kids. Unfortunately the downside of organic produce is the cost. But what if I told you there are ways that you can still provide the best organic produce to your kiddos without breaking your budget?
As a mom to an allergic toddler and having been diagnosed with hypothyroidism myself, I have done lots of research about the benefits of organic food. I am not a health care advisor, but I can share what has worked for our family and how you can do it too.
Organic produce has been very beneficial for our family. Since my toddler is allergic to many things, I provide him with several organic veggies, fruits and berries. He loves this delicious organic produce and is not a picky eater anymore. He used to be very hyperactive, but since switching to organic food, we don’t seem to have much of a problem with it anymore.
We cut back on other things, but invest into our health, so it keeps us away from pharmacies, doctor’s office and hospitals. Being healthy means also being more productive and happy at preschool, home and work.
Top 3 Tips on How to Afford Organic Produce
Tip # 1 – Organic Produce as an Investment
Don’t look at the price tag of the organic produce as a number; instead, see it as an investment. Compare it to the costs of medications, health care and doctor’s visits.
Chances are you have heard that non-organic food can contain pesticides and cancer-causing hormones or even GMOs. Research shows that pesticides can cause not only cancer, but also allergies, skin and neurological issues, ADHD, birth defects and much more.
Children are especially sensitive to pesticides due to their development and growth. You can either pay the farmer or the pharmaceutical business.
It is time to invest into your and your family’s health. The truth is, many people don’t think about it until they have some kind of health problem. I have to admit, I am completely guilty as I was one of them.
I never felt the need for organic food, until I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism during pregnancy. Since then I have invested into my health instead of the medications I had to use. In fact, medications were more expensive than my investment in organic produce, and I am so much healthier now.
Tip # 2 – Prioritizing Organic Produce
Take a look at what other monthly expenses you have – a new iPhone, expensive jewelry, eating out several times per week, new fancy toys, etc. If you can afford any of them, you can also afford organic produce. Find ways to cut back on monthly payments and use the money instead for quality organic produce.
I am always looking for ways to cut back on our monthly expenses. Saving water and lowering heating costs increases our grocery budget. A monthly budget gives you a crystal-clear overview of your highest expenses so you can make your own choices of where to cut back.
Tip # 3 – Making the Right Choices
It can save you big bucks if you are making the right choices. Be aware of when and which organic produce to buy.
Here is what to keep in mind while choosing fresh organic produce:
- If you bought expensive organic veggies yesterday, then find less expensive produce to buy next time you do groceries. It keeps your budget in balance.
- Meal plan and create a grocery shopping list. Buy the amount of veggies you are planning to eat so you won’t be wasteful.
- Be creative with organic veggies that are close to expiring. You can use them for smoothies, baking, or soup.
- Buy what is on sale or close to its expiry date. It can save huge bucks when the expiration date is close by. Just make sure you use it as soon as possible.
- Buy local. Any organic local veggie is always cheaper than an imported one.
- Prefer seasonal. Prioritize what is in season as it tends to be cheaper, and you can also freeze these for the non-seasonal time.
- Don’t buy pre-washed and packaged food, as these cost much more.
- Prefer healthy veggies and berries for snacks. Leaving chocolate, cookies and chips out of your grocery list saves you money for organic veggies, fruit and berries.
- Frozen organic veggies are great choices as well. Buy them in bulk and while on sale.
- Grow your own organic herbs that you can use for meals. You don’t need a yard to grow your own green leafs. All you need is a small space in kitchen or on a balcony to have your own organic herb section. I also have mini-tomatoes growing in my kitchen.
- Wash the produce just before using it so it will last longer.
- Citrus produce can last at least a week longer when stored in the fridge.
- Don’t forget coupons! Find the best deals and use them.
- Negotiate if possible. When buying directly from a farmer, use your negotiation skills. Offer to buy in bulk and don’t be afraid to ask for a discount. Most likely the farmer will be more than happy to offer you a discounted price when selling more. You can freeze the extra for later and will have saved big bucks.
Fresh organic veggies, fruits and berries are always going to be expensive, but investing into our family’s health and cutting back on our monthly expenses has made a difference for our well-being. Making the right choices keeps us on budget and provides a quality lifestyle. You can do it too!
Did I miss anything? How do you make organic produce affordable for your family?
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Written by Kari @ Living Strong, Health & Wellness , Contributing Writer
We’re in a battle right now. Many of you might not understand what I mean, but each day we wake up, we are faced with decisions that will ultimately affect our health – now and for years to come. A battle we face everyday is our food and nutrition.
Eating healthy isn’t as simple as it used to be; going to our garden, picking apples off a tree or collecting eggs from our backyard chickens. With all the changes that have taken place in just the last 100 years, how can we be sure that what we are feeding our family is safe, truly healthy and real?
What can we do to ensure we are providing our family nutrition that is going to benefit them and not harm them? How can we avoid falling prey to the habit of convenience and poor food choices? We need to rise up as health warriors and fight for our health. There is an onslaught of information regarding health and nutrition right now and honestly, it’s overwhelming and confusing.
Here are some easy tips for winning this battle:
- if your food has a label, read it closely
- eat living foods; avoid dead and fake food products
- drink clean water; filtered water, reverse osmosis
- prepare meals at home more often
- eat organic produce to lessen toxic chemical exposure
- choose organic, grass-fed and pasture-raised meats and dairy products
- choose natural sweeteners in lieu of artificial ones
- if it came from the ground, grew on a bush or tree or has a mom, it’s typically safe to eat
- if it was made in a plant, don’t eat it or at least eat much less of these
- stay away from GMO foods (genetically modified organisms)
- don’t eat conventional meats (beef, chicken, pork) from CAFO’s (concentrated animal feeding operations)
- cut out/eliminate prepackaged and processed foods
- cut out ‘white’ foods that have been refined and overly processed such as white sugar, white flour, white rice
- stay away from foods containing MSG
- eliminate soda, energy drinks, pasteurized fruit juice
- eliminate soy from your diet, soy and soy byproducts are in everything
- don’t participate in diet trends; they are never long lasting and usually cause internal damage and leave you unhealthy
- plan your meals in advance and keep a shopping list on hand
- do grocery shopping each week to avoid buying bulk and unnecessary items
- plan meals so they work with your daily schedule and make enough for leftovers
- make your child’s lunch for school
These are small yet powerful and beneficial steps for us to be proactive in our physical health. Yes, there may be a war going on, but we can stand up strong and be on the offensive when it comes to the choices we make.
Our lives literally depend on how we fight this battle and I choose to be victorious!
What can you do to be a health warrior in your home and to inspire those you have influence over?
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Written by Kari, Contributing Writer
With school starting soon and routines getting back in order, if your child attends school, packing a lunch is a part of that routine. I’m not sure about where you live, but the choices for ‘hot lunch’ are not acceptable at my daughter’s school, so everyday is a ‘cold lunch’ day. I understand the convenience of your child eating hot lunch at school, but the overall consequences are nothing short of disastrous.
And no, I’m not exaggerating.
Understanding where food comes from, how it’s made and what ingredients or chemicals are in the food, it’s not too hard of a decision to make your child’s lunch if you are proactive in your child’s health.
A year or so ago they even made a decision to make school food “healthier” by getting rid of all milk choices over skim and 1% milk. How is this healthier? I like to inform other parents, who are health conscious like me, that having your kids drinking this low-fat and fat-free milk does nothing but deprive them of necessary fats and spikes their insulin levels every time they drink it. Not a habit you want your body doing constantly.
And now that they are wanting to add aspartame to the flavored milk – that makes it even worse. I won’t even go into the fact that the milk comes from conventional cows that have been pumped full of antibiotics and hormones. But serving our kids this kind of milk isn’t helping the obesity issue nor the type 2 diabetes epidemic among our kids.
So…how as parents do we keep our children well-fed during school? How can we make it simple, yet not boring? How can our kids enjoy eating cold lunch while most kids around them are eating hot lunch?
Well, I’m in my 5th year of making my children lunches for school and I have a pretty good handle on what works for my kids on a day to day basis. Not all of my suggestions may work for you, your schedule or your child’s tastes, but it’s a good starting point and can spark ideas in you that you can successfully implement in your house to make sure your kids have a healthy lunch box too!
Some items I like to have on hand to make packing easier are:
- thermoses for hot meals
- various size Pyrex bowls with lids that little hands can take off easily, but are strong enough to not cause leaking
- reusable snack bags (I have cloth/canvas ones, but sometimes I still use regular old Ziploc bags)
- insulated lunch bag
- ice packs (I always stick these inside Ziploc bags in case they break or leak – and this has happened several times)
- reusable utensils and stainless steel water bottles
*If you don’t want to send your kids to school with glass (some ages this may not be realistic), then find plastic containers that are BPA-free.
A few rules about the contents:
1. Always have protein in the lunch.
This is good for stabilizing blood sugar levels and helps keep tummies feeling full longer. Good choices are cultured milk (like Kefir or Amasai), fish, beef, chicken, turkey, bison, raw cheese, eggs, raw leafy greens, beans, legumes.
2. Include healthy fats everyday.
Those healthy fats are so important for our kids. They assist with cell repair, hormone function, brain health and more. They will also keep your kids feeling full longer. Examples of healthy full-fat foods: avocados, full-fat plain yogurt, whole milk cottage cheese, whole milk, cheese, nuts, grass-fed butter, eggs, coconut oil, etc.
3. Good, energy giving carbs!
Those kids need energy so they aren’t falling asleep during their long days. Good carbs are fruits, beans, legumes, whole-grain grains (sprouted or soaked are best), blueberries, raspberries, chia seeds, flaxseed, almonds, honey, quinoa, etc.
4. Clean water.
Make sure they have good, clean water to drink while they’re at school. Most schools allow your child to have a water bottle at their desk – or at least access to their water bottles while they are in class. Having water as the beverage option is perfect in lunches, especially since lunch is either before or after recess – they’ll need to stay hydrated.
Here are a few ideas from my house:
Leftovers.
This is always the easiest and most convenient. I cook healthy dinners, so they gets healthy lunches.
Soups.
During the colder months, the crockpot is my friend. Sending warming and beneficial soups (like chicken noodle or vegetable soup) is a fun change for kids.
PBBH.
For those days when my kids just want a sandwich, they get a homemade spread of peanut butter, butter and raw honey on real sourdough bread, with some Enjoy Life! mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top. They love it!
Healthy ‘sides’.
Think summer sun pickles, slices of raw cheese, chips and homemade salsa, homemade banana bread, roasted chickpeas, etc.
Probiotics.
My children get full-fat yogurt at least 3 times a week in their lunch. I add some raw honey, a tad bit of grade B maple syrup and chia seeds. Not only is this filling, but gives their immune system a good boost and will give them satiety and lasting energy.
Outside the box.
Have you tried cheese quesadillas? These take about 5 minutes to make in a skillet with tortillas, cheese and coconut oil. Fold in half, slice and put in a thermos so they stay warm. Pasta with meat sauce is always a winner. Noodles and butter with parmesan cheese. Sliced hard boiled eggs, raw cheese and crispy sourdough bites. Burritos and enchiladas are quick and easy and filling! We also do French toast, pancakes and waffles quite often. If we make any on the weekend, we make a bunch extra and freeze them, pop them in the oven while the kids are getting ready, prepare with grass-fed butter, grade B maple syrup, cut up in pieces and put into a thermos. It’s always a hit. You can also try homemade crispy chicken nuggets (grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free is an option) with a side of ranch dip made with yogurt and seasoning.
The possibilities are endless, especially if you do leftovers a lot. Just make sure you have some extra when you prepare meals and you’ll have a variety of lunch options for your child. Figure out what your child will and will not eat. How much time do they have for lunch?
If you put too much food in, it will most likely all come back home. If you find certain items they just won’t touch – exchange it for something else. I realized over four years that school lunches are a battle I choose not to fight. I can concentrate on certain items at home for breakfast and dinner or snacks rather than fighting everyday when they’re not getting consumed at lunchtime.
Try to stay away from controversial foods. By this I mean if your child drinks Kombucha – have them drink it at home instead of at lunch. Yes it’s healthy. No it’s not harmful. But we shouldn’t be those parents trying to ‘make a statement’ with items that may be controversial in the sight of the school leaders. Kombucha does contain small traces of alcohol – so leave it at home and pack water, milk (or dairy alternative) or spa water for a flavored water alternative. My daughter thoroughly enjoys her Black Cherry Chia Raw Kombucha – but she never takes it to school. Most of those above lunch ideas can be found in my cookbook, Real Food. Real Kitchen. So Good!
If you find your child feels left out when her classmates are eating pizza and cheeseburgers – then maybe you can plan a couple meals during the month where the leftovers she takes will be what her classmates will have for hot lunch, like pizza, just healthier versions. I’ve done this for my daughter and she was really appreciative that I did that for her.
Packing your child’s lunch doesn’t have to be a burden for you, nor does eating it have to be boring for them! My daughter gets more comments on her lunches and all the kids wish their mommy and daddy would make their lunch like hers! That’s a sign that kids are open for something new and creative when it comes time for lunch at school.
How do you make your child’s cold lunch fun and healthy?
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Written by Kari @ Living Strong, Health & Wellness, Contributing Writer
Summer is probably my favorite season of the year. I enjoy being outside, warm and in the sun! We live in a generation where we have been taught to fear the sun and due to this, so many people miss out on the benefits of being out in the fresh air and soaking in the sun.
Is it important to wear sunscreen every time you are outside? No, no and no!
Sure, there are times when you are going to be outside in dramatic heat for long hours and your near water or at a higher altitude and it may be a good idea to apply some sunscreen – but for the most part – you need to allow your body to receive those amazing sunrays! I understand there are exceptions and some people may have health issues where the sun can be dangerous to them and I am not talking about situations like that. I am speaking in general, but speaking a truth that is so vital!
When we never allow those sunrays to penetrate our skin and go into us, we are shielding a life-saving, natural device. The sun gives our body the active form of vitamin D, vitamin D3, which is vitally important to our health. It also provides us with a natural sunblocking mechanism – the skin – when you develop a tan!
Other benefits of sun exposure are:
- improves mood, reduces risk of SAD (seasonal affective disorder)
- involved in cell growth
- involved in nerve and muscle function
- helps lower blood pressure
- improves immune function
- vital for the absorption of calcium in the intestines
- can help prevent bone disease
- helps maintain levels of calcium and phosphate
- reduces the risk of rheumatoid arthritis
- reduces risk of the risk of the flu
- lowers cholesterol
- increases metabolism
- improves digestion
- reduces stress and anxiety
As you can see – there are numerous benefits to sun exposure and in order to receive these benefits, you can’t be wearing sunblock – blocking out all those precious rays. In our home we hardly wear sunblock or sunscreen – but we do love to slather on our summer sunscreen body oil that I make! It’s simple and easy and provides natural sunscreening properties – without harmful side effects that you can get by using commercial products!
Make Your Own Safe Sunscreen Oil:
All you need is equal amounts of a few amazing and natural oils:
Avocado Oil
Grab an 8oz – 16oz container that you’ll store it in and make sure it’s clean! Next, in a small sauce pan, over medium low or even low, warm the coconut oil. Once it’s liquefied, pour in the remaining oils, swirl around a couple times to incorporate and remove from heat. Allow to cool just a couple minutes and pour into your container using a funnel! Leave the lid off until it’s completely cooled.
Feel free to add any beneficial essential oils or even green tea extract to your oil, store in a cool place and use for those amazing days spent in the sun where you are not in danger of getting burnt – which then a safe and toxic-free sunblock should be used!
What is your go-to safe summer skin care routine?
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Written by Kari, Contributing Writer
Gathering with family and friends is a big thing during November and December and I’m all about celebrations. I enjoy going to them, but I absolutely enjoy hosting them.
I probably got the entertaining bug from my mom who knows how to throw a good celebration. Never did a detail slip by her: the décor, ambiance, music, lighting, food…everything that can be recognized by the five physical senses were always taken care of. Those are the kind of gatherings I long for. Going to someone’s home (or wherever they have the event) and feeling like you walked into the first class dining room on the Titanic!
Have you ever been to an evening get-together where there’s only a bowl of chips thrown on the table, there’s a loud television in the background and all the overhead lights on in the house? Maybe you have, but you’ve never really noticed? These are the things that stand out to me when I go somewhere for a party, because I truly believe there is an art to entertaining. I also believe that God has instilled the spirit of hospitality in people – if we would only tap into that part of us and do everything in the same manner Jesus would – the absolute best possible way!
6 Steps to Entertaining:
THE WELCOME
When hosting a party of your own, remember that having people in your home is an honor and you should treat them like royalty! The invite will be the first impression of your celebration, so put some thought into this. Even if you go the Evite way – you can still make it personal and inviting. Make their first impression of your home a good one that can set the stage for the rest of the night. If your guests are tripping over a bunch of stuff thrown all over the porch or they’re wading through dead leaves on a dark porch – it’s not the best way to greet your company. Make sure the parking areas, driveways and walkways are all clear and well lit! Especially when having elderly guests. Glass jar luminaries or solar lights are a great way to light a walking path. Make sure the porch light is on! Once that front door opens they will be hit with one of three things: an inviting atmosphere, a sterile atmosphere or a chaotic atmosphere. Let’s shoot for the first: an inviting atmosphere.
THE LIGHTING
Don’t turn on all your overhead lights and make your home feel like a hospital – fluorescent lights and fan lights will probably be too bright unless they are on a dimmer. It’s not an office party – it’s a party in your home! Instead, turn on lamps, torchieres and dimmed recessed or track lighting. This will give it a warm, cozy and inviting feeling or mood – hence the term “mood lighting.” It definitely is more relaxing and can keep people from feeling anxious.
THE SOUNDS
Turn the TV off (unless of course they are there for a football game) – and keep it off for the night! This will ‘force’ people to interact – which is not a bad thing. In fact, we don’t do enough of it these days. Have music playing loud enough to hear it, but not so loud that you can’t hold a conversation without yelling or straining to hear. Make it background music – not front row concert seats. Let’s say it’s a Christmas party – put on a mix of Christmas music from Perry Como to Michael Buble to Charlie Brown’s Christmas. Your guests will enjoy it!
THE SCENTS
If you are not cooking or baking food – then you should have an essential oil diffuser or simmer pot going to have a pleasant scent throughout your house. When you get a house full of people – you never know what your house will end up smelling like – so take charge and create a pleasing atmosphere for everyone there. Make it coincide with the time of year. This time of year people enjoy the scents of cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, ginger, pumpkin, pine, rosemary, etc. Our senses play a huge part in how we interpret a situation. Do all you can to make it pleasant for people. If you are baking or cooking, your house will already be filled with great smells!
THE DÉCOR
Now this doesn’t have to be extensive, but if it’s a celebration of a holiday or special occasion, try to have something up to represent that. Even if it’s topiaries on the food table or candles lit around the rooms you’ll be hanging out in. Autumn surrounds us with pumpkins, scarecrows and all things harvest – which provides great décor. Coupled with the dim lights and music – the décor will surely stand out! Photos albums are always popular – so setting a couple out for people to flip through is something you could do that serves as décor/accessories yet gives your guests something to do and talk about.
THE FOOD
Last, but not least, if you have invited people over for an evening or any time of day that will have them at your home for a few hours – have foods and drinks available! I have to say that it is a pet peeve of mine when you go to a gathering and there is nothing to drink and everyone has to grab chips out of one small bowl. I might be considered a party snob – but I guess I think we should all put more thought into how we treat everyone who walks through our door. I must be old fashioned like my grandparents. If you drop in, they’ll feed you even if you tell them you’re not hungry. Grandma will whip up something on the stove for you within five minutes. Nobody comes to their house and leaves with an empty stomach. In the same manner, we should have several options for our guests in case they do get a little hungry or they need something to drink. Let’s face it – entertaining usually centers around food, so keep that tradition alive. If it’s a cold night, along with appetizers, you can have a slow cooker with chili or chicken noodle soup on hand to warm your guests up! Those are both simple and easy. If you know of anyone with food allergies or a food intolerance, it is such a wonderful gesture to have something that they’ll be able to eat (nut-free desserts, grain-free dishes, gluten-free bread, etc.) Your guests will truly appreciate this gesture – and what better way to get conversations going – around the food table!
I promise you – entertaining can be fun and it can be a wonderful ministry to family and friends. It’s wonderful to be a blessing to those you love by treating them with worth during the approaching holiday season! Incorporating a welcoming home, healthy food and a joyous and contagious personality – people will love coming to your home! We are blessed to be a blessing and I intend to make my home a place of ministry.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Enjoy spending time with your family and friends! And make your life A LIFE WORTH LIVING!
Do you like entertaining? What do you think is the hardest/easiest part about it?
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