All posts tagged diet

September 17, 2014 · Blog

What is Vitamin P?

My newest goal in life is to include more play and pleasure into my everyday, which are equally as important as good food and exercise.

 

I woke up on Sunday morning to a clear, cool, and sunny day.“What a great day to go rent bikes in Central Park, ride to the Boathouse and have a drink,” I said to my husband. This was not my idea, but was a good idea given to me by friends as we walked on the High-line in Chelsea last Saturday night.  I made a mental note and thought, wow, I have to do this!  I don’t always have such great ideas myself, but I am good at picking them up wherever I can and putting them to good use.

 

So, that Sunday, I skipped my morning workout, which is usually not so much fun, or very long, and rode a bike with my husband through Central Park for a few hours.  We laughed and enjoyed the beautiful park together, and I hardly realized I was riding!   Okay, maybe it was the Paradise Martini at the Boathouse (which I highly recommend), but really I think it was the exhilaration of good company and plain old having fun. Here’s to exercise that doesn’t feel like work! Cheers!

We went for an early dinner. I had a tricolor salad and tuna steak with a red wine reduction, spinach and mashed potatoes. It was delicious, I might add.  I ate slowly, happily and enjoyed every bite.

The result of my fun day was so amazing for my mind and body. I was relaxed, in a great mood and I slept soundly at night. I actually felt my endorphins elevated and I just felt good!!  I also noticed how good my digestion was in this state.  This is called the Cephalic Phase Digestive Response, which basically means that happy chemicals = good digestion.

I read a book by Norman Cousins, The Anatomy of an Illness.  In it he wrote about how he cured his disease with laughter.  He watched I love Lucy and other comedies and laughed so hard that it stimulated all the healing chemicals of the body. There is something to play and pleasure.  If stress, as we know, is harmful, well what’s the opposite?

Beyond nutrition and physical activity, we can infuse joy into our food, and fun into our exercise.  It is a mistake to assume diet is the only reason for good or bad health. Even when the intake of food is perfectly figured out, we should never forget that play and pleasure are key components of good health.

Think of play and pleasure as Vitamin P.  A big dose is recommended very often!

 

http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/emotionalmental-health http://www.nifplay.org/opportunities/personal-health/

 

 

 

September 19, 2012 · Blog

Snack, Anyone?

What should we give our kids for school snacks?

The questions we have to ask ourselves are;

How do we keep our children’s blood sugar level so they are not bouncing off the walls and then falling asleep in class?

How do we give them the maximum nutrition to keep their brains functioning all day?

What do our kids need in between meals to maintain focus and concentration?

 

The answers to these questions are one and the same. They need a good source of protein, a quality source of fat, and either a fruit or vegetable source for energy.

 

If  your children are young, you can probably get away with a small avocado salad with cucumbers and tomatoes and a hard boiled egg.  Older kids may feel self conscious and would do better with one of my apple zucchini (grain-free) muffins.

 

One important point I want to make is that grains play havoc with blood sugar.  I would recommend leaving all grain products out of the equation.  The best snack would be a grain free one.  Another important point is that a snack should be a small meal not a treat. A treat should be something to have on occasion. So here we go:

 

 

-An apple and a tbsp. of raw almond butter

– a slice of banana paleo bread

-a grain-free apple zucchini muffin

– a small salad with chicken or fish strips or sliced egg, avocado and yummy dressing

– a small collard green wrap with tuna, egg or chicken, avocado and sprouts

– you can use a cabbage leaf or lettuce leaves for the above wrap

-chicken ,turkey or beef sliders, good quality ketchup, some black pitted olives and cut veggies

-Kefir with cut apples, pears, berries or melon, topped with grain-free granola

-zucchini pancakes

-apple sauce with slivered almonds and shredded coconut

-raw coconut wraps with nut butter and sliced bananas.

-fruit salad with walnuts and shredded coconut

-guacamole with grated egg and carrots and peppers to dip

-mixed berries with toasted coconut flakes and nuts

-Egg salad or chicken salad in a bell pepper

-roasted chicken gourmettes and sliced vegetables

-whole Kirby cucumber seeded and then stuffed with tuna or egg salad

-spinach strawberry and walnut salad with raspberry vinaigrette

–guilt-free pizza bites with pizza sauce dip.

–paleo pancakes

– organic apple chips or zucchini chips or sweet potato fries can be added to the snacks above.

 

See what your children prefer from the list and use your imagination to come up with new and interesting choices.  Share them with us here in the comments below. We’d  love to hear!

 

By choosing your childs snacks wisely you are helping their education and their health!!  Their teachers will thank you !