Imagine building a house without a foundation. It may stay standing for awhile, but eventually it will start to shift and crack and eventually collapse. Starting the day with a healthy breakfast should be considered as important to your body as a solid foundation is to a house. The word breakfast literally means “breaking the fast”. After you stop eating in the evening, there is usually about 12 hours until you rise and eat again. Although it is important for your body to rest during the night, it is extremely important to begin nourishing your body once you awaken. As soon as you eat, your metabolism revs up. The internal organs, including the brain, can perform their respective functions and you have energy to begin your day. On the contrary, if you don’t eat, your metabolism is not activated and the body starts to go into starvation mode. The human body has a natural instinct to preserve itself and basic functions begin to slow down as the body responds to a lack of nutrients. By not consuming breakfast, you stress all your internal organs, you have trouble concentrating because there is no energy for your brain, and you create a body that is destined to be obese as it learns to hold onto fat due to this perceived famine. Therefore, eating a healthy breakfast is an extremely important habit to teach your children.
So what are the best choices for breakfast? It is very important at every meal to have carbohydrates and protein. Let’s start with the carbs. A great habit to instill in your children is to have fresh fruit to start the day. Fruit gives you tons of energy, it’s full of nutrients and enzymes for digestion and most varieties have a good amount of fibre. When it comes to bread, insist on multigrain. White bread should be considered a “treat” just like candy. My youngest daughter likes when I make “M&Ms”. No, not the chocolate kind. I toast up some multigrain bread, her current favourite is Dempster’s Whole Grains “Ancient Grains” (3g of fibre and 5g protein per slice). Then after buttering it, I sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on top. Cinnamon is a great blood sugar stabilizer and antioxidant. Then I cut the bread into the letter “M”, the first letter of her name. Somehow this makes it taste much more delicious.
Next, I would recommend a good source of protein. Plain, low fat yogurt is great because it is loaded with protein, is an excellent source of calcium, has lots of good bacteria for the intestines and is easy to add flavour to. Stir in the aforementioned fruit, some honey or maple syrup, some chopped up nuts and a high quality granola and you have a very satisfying breakfast. Or make a smoothie with the fruit and yogurt. In my experience, if you give them straws, kids are more likely to drink it. It’s all about making it fun. Stay away from presweetened yogurts that are loaded with sugar. One of my daughters’ favourite breakfasts is what we call “string cheese egg”. I pour egg whites into a fry pan and the girls string the cheese over the top. I serve it rolled up and they love it. What a great blast of protein
Many people ask me about breakfast cereals and instant oatmeal. I am not a fan because most are loaded with sugar and are low in protein and fibre. Nature’s Path, Kashi and President’s Choice brands have some excellent cereals, but make sure you check the nutrition label. Look for at least 4g of protein and 3g of fibre. My kids love the Nature’s Path Optimum and Optimum Slim. They are both loaded with fibre and protein and are actually fantastic to eat after exercising.
By starting the day right, your kids will be ready to perform their best in school, in sports and in life.
Showing posts with label healthy children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy children. Show all posts
Monday, April 6, 2009
Habit #5 “Get Your Finances in Order”
As a Registered Nutritionist, I have clients who come to me with a variety of ailments seeking to restore balance in their body. In this series of Lens "Habits for Vitality", I'm going to give you some basic habits to incorporate into your life to help you make the changes necessary to live an Optimal Life.
Stress is a major contributor to health issues. Most of my clients who are looking to lose weight and are struggling are under some kind of profound stress in their life. Whether the stress is from working too hard, raising kids, going through a divorce, many of these stresses boil down to financial issues.
A friend of mine recently had a very bad cold and terrible cold sores on her mouth. When I went to visit her, she told me she and her husband had been fighting non-stop because he lost his job and they were out of money. There was a lot of finger-pointing going on. I suggested to her that her current health situation was a direct reflection of the fighting. I sat them both down together and we talked about a plan to move forward.
When couples fight, 7 out of 10 times it is about money. It may not be directly about money, but indirectly it is there.
“You are always at work”
“Why do you need more shoes?”
“How are we going to pay for the kid’s education?”
“Why can’t you get a better job?”
So what does money have to do with Health? Well, humans have what is known as the “Fight or Flight” mechanism, which you have probably all heard of. Here’s how it works.
Rewind to 1000’s of years ago and you are a caveman out hunting when a sabre-tooth tiger suddenly appears. Adrenal starts to rise very quickly and your instincts take over. You have 2 choices; you can either try to kill the animal or run like heck in the opposite direction. Both these choices involve physical activity. In the fighting or running, you burn off the adrenal that has built up and you are fine.
Now, let’s fast forward to modern day and the scenario changes. You are sitting at your kitchen table staring at your credit card statement in disbelief. Your husband walks through the door with a new big-screen tv and tells you he has invited all the guys to come over on Sunday to watch the game on the new tv. Adrenal starts to rise very quickly and your instincts take over. Do you have the same 2 choices; try to kill your husband or run like heck in the opposite direction? Not really, but the alternative is actually worse for your health. You may start yelling and screaming or worse yet, you just sit there seething building up resentment. Neither of these involves physical activity so the adrenal does not get burned off.
The result is that your body produces cortisol. This in turn creates inflammation in your body which causes you to store fat in your abdominal area to protect your internal organs from the inflammation. Inflammation is a great source of health problems from arthritis to heart disease.
Autopsies are showing that even thin people have fat surrounding their internal organs as a protective mechanism. Fatty Liver Disease is one of the fastest growing diseases in North America because of this mechanism.
Here are some suggestions.
- Meet with a Financial Planner and get some professional advice. They are objective and knowledgeable and are not emotionally attached to your situation.
- Look into refinancing and/or consolidating your debts.
- Be clear about all your fixed monthly expenses: rent/mortgage, hydro, gas, insurance, phone, taxes and how much is left over after those are paid.
- Look at your variable expenses: food, entertainment, gifts and see where you can cut back.
- Research ways to make some additional income.
- Stop focusing on what you should have done and instead learn from this experience and move forward together as a team with a common goal.
- Eat healthy food. The impulse when you are stressed is to dig into that bag of potato chips or box of cookies. However, this will further suppress your immune system making you more susceptible to illness. Also the weight you gain in the process will make you feel even more stressed.
- Go for a long walk or get some form of exercise every day to help clear your head and re-energize your body.
- Have sex regularly. Often when you are angry or stressed, this is the first activity that ceases and that is a big mistake. Remaining intimate with your partner is an important key in being a strong team and reducing the chance of building up resentments. Also, having sex releases endorphins in the brain which are the “feel good” chemicals that you need more than ever when you are stressed.
Stress is a major contributor to health issues. Most of my clients who are looking to lose weight and are struggling are under some kind of profound stress in their life. Whether the stress is from working too hard, raising kids, going through a divorce, many of these stresses boil down to financial issues.
A friend of mine recently had a very bad cold and terrible cold sores on her mouth. When I went to visit her, she told me she and her husband had been fighting non-stop because he lost his job and they were out of money. There was a lot of finger-pointing going on. I suggested to her that her current health situation was a direct reflection of the fighting. I sat them both down together and we talked about a plan to move forward.
When couples fight, 7 out of 10 times it is about money. It may not be directly about money, but indirectly it is there.
“You are always at work”
“Why do you need more shoes?”
“How are we going to pay for the kid’s education?”
“Why can’t you get a better job?”
So what does money have to do with Health? Well, humans have what is known as the “Fight or Flight” mechanism, which you have probably all heard of. Here’s how it works.
Rewind to 1000’s of years ago and you are a caveman out hunting when a sabre-tooth tiger suddenly appears. Adrenal starts to rise very quickly and your instincts take over. You have 2 choices; you can either try to kill the animal or run like heck in the opposite direction. Both these choices involve physical activity. In the fighting or running, you burn off the adrenal that has built up and you are fine.
Now, let’s fast forward to modern day and the scenario changes. You are sitting at your kitchen table staring at your credit card statement in disbelief. Your husband walks through the door with a new big-screen tv and tells you he has invited all the guys to come over on Sunday to watch the game on the new tv. Adrenal starts to rise very quickly and your instincts take over. Do you have the same 2 choices; try to kill your husband or run like heck in the opposite direction? Not really, but the alternative is actually worse for your health. You may start yelling and screaming or worse yet, you just sit there seething building up resentment. Neither of these involves physical activity so the adrenal does not get burned off.
The result is that your body produces cortisol. This in turn creates inflammation in your body which causes you to store fat in your abdominal area to protect your internal organs from the inflammation. Inflammation is a great source of health problems from arthritis to heart disease.
Autopsies are showing that even thin people have fat surrounding their internal organs as a protective mechanism. Fatty Liver Disease is one of the fastest growing diseases in North America because of this mechanism.
Here are some suggestions.
- Meet with a Financial Planner and get some professional advice. They are objective and knowledgeable and are not emotionally attached to your situation.
- Look into refinancing and/or consolidating your debts.
- Be clear about all your fixed monthly expenses: rent/mortgage, hydro, gas, insurance, phone, taxes and how much is left over after those are paid.
- Look at your variable expenses: food, entertainment, gifts and see where you can cut back.
- Research ways to make some additional income.
- Stop focusing on what you should have done and instead learn from this experience and move forward together as a team with a common goal.
- Eat healthy food. The impulse when you are stressed is to dig into that bag of potato chips or box of cookies. However, this will further suppress your immune system making you more susceptible to illness. Also the weight you gain in the process will make you feel even more stressed.
- Go for a long walk or get some form of exercise every day to help clear your head and re-energize your body.
- Have sex regularly. Often when you are angry or stressed, this is the first activity that ceases and that is a big mistake. Remaining intimate with your partner is an important key in being a strong team and reducing the chance of building up resentments. Also, having sex releases endorphins in the brain which are the “feel good” chemicals that you need more than ever when you are stressed.
Habits for Vitality #3 “Drink Good Water Daily”
As a Registered Nutritionist, I have clients who come to me with a variety of ailments seeking to restore balance in their body. In this series "Habits for Vitality", I'm going to give you some basic habits to incorporate into your life to help you make the changes necessary to live an Optimal Life.
Most people only consider 3 Macronutrients when looking at their diet: Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats, but there is a fourth Macronutrient: Water.
There are 2 very important questions I ask clients after I have heard their primary goals (e.g. weight loss, pain reduction, allergy issues). The first is how much water they drink on a daily basis and the second is how often they have a bowel movement. The answers will usually tell me if they are adequately clearing toxins out of their body and that is always the best place to start. Most health issues center around digestion (or rather poor digestion) and holding excess toxins in the body. Therefore taking water into account is vital to achieving optimal health.
Water - we take it for granted daily. It's just not big deal to have a shower any time we want, water the lawn, wash the car, etc. It flows abundantly (so it seems) so what's the Big Deal? The reason it is so abundant on the earth is because we need it in abundance in our bodies.
What percentage of your body is water? Have a guess. It's between 55% and 80%. So how important do you feel it is to drink good water?
- Drink at least two glasses of good water as soon as you wake up and take some Probiotics (good bacteria for the intestines that are vital for proper digestion).
- Sip good water throughout the day.
- Drink then wait around 20 minutes before eating.
- Drink 1+ hour after eating.
Try NOT to eat and drink at the same time, this dilutes the HCL (Hydrochloric Acid) in your stomach! What's the color of your Urine? Yellow can mean you're dehydrated, or you've consumed some B complex vitamins!
The Brain, along with all the internal organs and cells rely on water as a crucial substance to allow for proper functioning. Mild dehydration can interfere with concentration and cause headaches. Instead of having a nap in the afternoon, try chugging 2 glasses of water and that sleepy feeling will likely disappear.
If you are trying to lose weight and you are not drinking enough water - Good Luck!!!! You will struggle and isn't that the last thing you want? Converting fat into energy in the body is a very complicated metabolic process which requires a great deal of water. Also waste is produced in this process that must be flushed out of the body. Give yourself a break. Drink more water and watch the weight slip away much more easily.
Clinical and scientific research exposes, for the first time, that recurring "chronic pains" are a signal system of the body indicating severe general or local dehydration. Most of the arthritis pains can be relieved simply by drinking water. Instead, however, the patient often receives costly pharmaceutical medications which treat the symptoms rather than cure the cause.
Most people do not consume enough water on a daily basis. Infants who are breast fed do NOT need to drink water, as they get plenty in the breast milk. If they are not breast fed, they should consume 1.5 ounces of water per pound of body weight. Children should drink an average of 40 ounces a day. Children should EAT fruit and DRINK water as fruit juice is loaded with natural sugars (add sometimes added sugars). Adults should drink at least 48 to 60 ounces a day and more if they are exercising vigorously.
Increase your water consumption by one glass per week until you reach the desired intake of about 8 glasses per day. This way, your body will slowly get accustomed to receiving more water and you won't be running to the toilet every 10 minutes. The ideal situation would be to consume 2 glasses upon rising in the morning then have 1 glass of water every hour until late afternoon. If you have a digital watch, set it to chime every hour as a reminder. If you consume your water in the early part of the day, you won't be waking in the night for trips to the toilet.
Most people only consider 3 Macronutrients when looking at their diet: Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats, but there is a fourth Macronutrient: Water.
There are 2 very important questions I ask clients after I have heard their primary goals (e.g. weight loss, pain reduction, allergy issues). The first is how much water they drink on a daily basis and the second is how often they have a bowel movement. The answers will usually tell me if they are adequately clearing toxins out of their body and that is always the best place to start. Most health issues center around digestion (or rather poor digestion) and holding excess toxins in the body. Therefore taking water into account is vital to achieving optimal health.
Water - we take it for granted daily. It's just not big deal to have a shower any time we want, water the lawn, wash the car, etc. It flows abundantly (so it seems) so what's the Big Deal? The reason it is so abundant on the earth is because we need it in abundance in our bodies.
What percentage of your body is water? Have a guess. It's between 55% and 80%. So how important do you feel it is to drink good water?
- Drink at least two glasses of good water as soon as you wake up and take some Probiotics (good bacteria for the intestines that are vital for proper digestion).
- Sip good water throughout the day.
- Drink then wait around 20 minutes before eating.
- Drink 1+ hour after eating.
Try NOT to eat and drink at the same time, this dilutes the HCL (Hydrochloric Acid) in your stomach! What's the color of your Urine? Yellow can mean you're dehydrated, or you've consumed some B complex vitamins!
The Brain, along with all the internal organs and cells rely on water as a crucial substance to allow for proper functioning. Mild dehydration can interfere with concentration and cause headaches. Instead of having a nap in the afternoon, try chugging 2 glasses of water and that sleepy feeling will likely disappear.
If you are trying to lose weight and you are not drinking enough water - Good Luck!!!! You will struggle and isn't that the last thing you want? Converting fat into energy in the body is a very complicated metabolic process which requires a great deal of water. Also waste is produced in this process that must be flushed out of the body. Give yourself a break. Drink more water and watch the weight slip away much more easily.
Clinical and scientific research exposes, for the first time, that recurring "chronic pains" are a signal system of the body indicating severe general or local dehydration. Most of the arthritis pains can be relieved simply by drinking water. Instead, however, the patient often receives costly pharmaceutical medications which treat the symptoms rather than cure the cause.
Most people do not consume enough water on a daily basis. Infants who are breast fed do NOT need to drink water, as they get plenty in the breast milk. If they are not breast fed, they should consume 1.5 ounces of water per pound of body weight. Children should drink an average of 40 ounces a day. Children should EAT fruit and DRINK water as fruit juice is loaded with natural sugars (add sometimes added sugars). Adults should drink at least 48 to 60 ounces a day and more if they are exercising vigorously.
Increase your water consumption by one glass per week until you reach the desired intake of about 8 glasses per day. This way, your body will slowly get accustomed to receiving more water and you won't be running to the toilet every 10 minutes. The ideal situation would be to consume 2 glasses upon rising in the morning then have 1 glass of water every hour until late afternoon. If you have a digital watch, set it to chime every hour as a reminder. If you consume your water in the early part of the day, you won't be waking in the night for trips to the toilet.
Habit #2 "Remember How To Breathe Like a Baby"
As a Registered Nutritionist, I have clients who come to me with a variety of ailments seeking to restore balance in their body. In this series "Habits for Vitality", I'm going to give you some basic habits to incorporate into your life to help you make the changes necessary to live an Optimal Life.
Stress causes numerous physiological changes, including changes in how we breathe. When we are stressed, our breath becomes shallow usually due to increased blood pressure, then oxygen levels drop and stress increases. A viscous cycle thus begins. One of the most important ways to get stress under control is to slow down our breathe cycle.
Isn't it amazing how our body does things without us even knowing it? Our breath is essential to our survival and we can only last six minutes maximum without breathing in more oxygen.
Did you know that 75% of diseases have been related to poor breathing techniques!
Try this first, stand up straight and put your right hand on your heart (centre of your chest) and your left hand on your stomach. Breathe normally and observe what moves and when. Do not take in more air than you normally do, but rather, quietly observe your breath and notice which hand is doing most of the moving.
Take a moment or two to notice how you breathe. Is it your chest hand or your stomach hand that moves first? Place both your hands on your lower ribcage now. Relax your abdomen, and as you inhale a normal amount of air, feel your ribcage expand all around. Allow the air to come out all by itself. Notice how your spine moves.
How did you breathe? Like a baby or are you a chest breather? Now concentrate on deeply filling your lower lungs first then your upper chest. Empty the lower then your upper chest. Breathing properly utilises more calories, relaxes you and makes you feel phenomenal! Spend at least a few times a day while in your office or while driving, concentrating on your deep breathing techniques. It will relax and reenergise you.
Deep breathing massages all our internal organs including the heart, decompresses our spine, oxygenates each and every cell in our body, and can relax your mind if you breathe deeply. Try having an argument when you are consciously breathing deeply with your respective other or friend. It's impossible; your body is too relaxed. You can't possibly argue and breathe deeply at the same time!
Stress causes numerous physiological changes, including changes in how we breathe. When we are stressed, our breath becomes shallow usually due to increased blood pressure, then oxygen levels drop and stress increases. A viscous cycle thus begins. One of the most important ways to get stress under control is to slow down our breathe cycle.
Isn't it amazing how our body does things without us even knowing it? Our breath is essential to our survival and we can only last six minutes maximum without breathing in more oxygen.
Did you know that 75% of diseases have been related to poor breathing techniques!
Try this first, stand up straight and put your right hand on your heart (centre of your chest) and your left hand on your stomach. Breathe normally and observe what moves and when. Do not take in more air than you normally do, but rather, quietly observe your breath and notice which hand is doing most of the moving.
Take a moment or two to notice how you breathe. Is it your chest hand or your stomach hand that moves first? Place both your hands on your lower ribcage now. Relax your abdomen, and as you inhale a normal amount of air, feel your ribcage expand all around. Allow the air to come out all by itself. Notice how your spine moves.
How did you breathe? Like a baby or are you a chest breather? Now concentrate on deeply filling your lower lungs first then your upper chest. Empty the lower then your upper chest. Breathing properly utilises more calories, relaxes you and makes you feel phenomenal! Spend at least a few times a day while in your office or while driving, concentrating on your deep breathing techniques. It will relax and reenergise you.
Deep breathing massages all our internal organs including the heart, decompresses our spine, oxygenates each and every cell in our body, and can relax your mind if you breathe deeply. Try having an argument when you are consciously breathing deeply with your respective other or friend. It's impossible; your body is too relaxed. You can't possibly argue and breathe deeply at the same time!
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