WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: "I want to eat better, can you help me?"

“Quite simply, the more you substitute plant foods for animal foods, the healthier you are likely to be.” 

                        --Dr. T. Colin Campbell, nutrition expert at Cornell University and co-author of The China Study

Every day, while giving presentations or talking with people around the country about the work we do in the Growing Healthy Kids organization to defeat childhood obesity, there is always at least one person who asks for help in eating better.  Sometimes it is because they have just been diagnosed with diabetes.  Frequently it is because they know they are not eating right and are gaining weight or having issues with their blood pressure. 

Learning how to eat better often starts with a stark realization that if something doesn’t change, one’s health will change for the worse.  The fact is that obesity is the root cause of many preventable diseases.  Taking responsibility for what you eat is the first step towards better health.

March is National Nutrition Month.  Here are 3 tips you can use to eat better AND feel better:

1. Eliminate high fructose corn syrup from everything you eat and drink by reading food labels on all processed foods.  This highly processed sugar is stored as fat and has no nutritional value. 
2. Eat super foods every day, such as almonds, walnuts, blueberries, kale, quinoa and sweet potatoes. 
3. Take a walk after dinner every day, or at least most days.  Adding this simple step can aid in digestion, help you sleep better, reduce stress, get to a healthier weight, and prevent overeating. 

Savor the flavor of eating right!

In gratitude,

Nancy Heinrich

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc. 

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: My Favorite Kitchen Tools

"Every child should be taught to cook in school, not just talk about nutrition all day.  Good food can be made in 15 minutes. This could be the first generation where the kids teach the parents." 

                                                                   --Jamie Oliver

Know what? Kids love to have a job in the kitchen.   We give them jobs when they come to our workshops.  That is why we have so much fun playing surrounded by fresh veggies.

One of the great joys we experience in our Growing Healthy Kids in the Kitchen workshops is teaching kids how to use basic kitchen tools.  My belief is that all kids should be knowledgeable in using 10 basic kitchen tools.   Let’s start with two of my favorite kitchen tools.

When kids come to our workshops, they clamor to use the graters and microplane zesters.  Something magical happens when you give a kid a cutting board, a box grater, and a pile of zucchini and carrots or a cutting board, a zester, and a bowl with lemons and limes*. 

My Rx for your children’s wellness?  Take the kids shopping this week and pick out a new kitchen tool.  Playtime!  They’ll have a new job they love and you’ll be halfway towards a great batch of whole grain breakfast muffins!

MEMO TO PARENTS:  Hug your children and tell them "I love you" every day.  These are the most important  habits for Growing Healthy Kids.  

In gratitude,

Nancy Heinrich

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc.

*PS-Next time you make a key lime or lemon meringue pie, kick up the flavor by topping it with some citrus zest!   Or add lemon zest to your favorite whole grain blueberry muffin recipe.

WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS: Breakfast Matters

"Children are our most valuable resource."  

              --Herbert Hoover, 31st President of the United States

When we teach kids about healthy eating, we always include a class about breakfast. When we teach a class for parents, we always ask, "What did you have for breakfast today?  Was it a good example for your children?" 

The first meal of the day when you “break the fast” after a night of sleep should give your body and brain the energy to start the day feeling vibrant, alert, and alive.  It should contain foods that will not cause your blood glucose and insulin levels to spike excessively high.  After all, what goes up must come down.  When kids are allowed to eat highly processed carbohydrates for breakfast, such as Honeybuns, Sugar Smacks, or instant oatmeal, they turn into little yo-yos of human energy.  Processed and refined carbohydrates cause extreme highs and lows in blood sugar and insulin which have been shown to lead to overeating.

Here are 3 delicious ideas for you and your kids to start the day right:

• Eggs and fresh, seasonal fruit (my favorite Sunday morning breakfast: a Portobello mushroom omelet with half a grapefruit or a dish of fresh strawberries)
• Steel cut oats with nut milk, pecans and dates or raisins 
• Pinto or black beans, avocado and fresh lime juice (don’t forget the Crystal hot sauce!)

Kids need good breakfasts to power their minds for learning and provide long-lasting energy for their bodies.  Guess what?  Parents need the same thing!  Using these breakfast ideas will go a long way to helping your kids stay at a healthy weight and teach them the importance of eating a good breakfast.  Bon appetit! 

In gratitude,

Nancy Heinrich

Founder, Growing Healthy Kids, Inc. 

PS-To schedule GROWING HEALTHY KIDS IN THE KITCHEN classes for your organization, please send an email to wellness@growinghealthykids.org.  Thanks!