Trick or Treat?

Mothers often struggle to get their children to eat fruits and vegetables...but mostly vegetables. So how can you overcome this and get them to eat an adequate amount of daily fruits and vegetables each day? My suggestion..trick them with a treat!

"Sweet Green Smoothie"
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 frozen banana
4 strawberries
1/2 cup peach slices
1 kiwi unpeeled
1 kale leaf
1/4 cup of plain or vanilla yogurt
4 baby carrots
1/2 cup yellow squash
1 tsp flax seed
1 tbsp old fashioned oats
1/2 cup cold water
4 ice cubes

Random ideas:

• Mix carrots, spinach, and zucchini into spaghetti sauce or other sauces
• Finely mince vegetables into hamburger patties or turkey burgers
• Minced vegetables into tuna for sandwhiches
• Put carrots or advocados in smoothies (it's good, trust me!)
• Homemade soups with a lot of vegetables
• Put banana on peanut butter toast for breakfast
• Add spinach to pancakes
• Vegetable Pizza
• Vegetable Omelets

Frequent Migraines??

The more news and articles I read regarding health, the more I realize that it really all comes down to eating, sleeping, and exercising. All help prevent disease, health conditions and obesity. They can determine your mood and the way you treat those around you. So eat right, sleep the right amount, and exercise daily.

THE HEADACHE-FREE DIET:

• Eliminate tryamine-containing foods known to trigger headaches, such as herring, organ meats, aged cheeses, peanuts and peanut butter, fermented sausages, such as bologna, and pepperoni, chocolate, sauerkraut, and alcoholic beverages.


• Avoid caffeine-containing beverages, misuse of alcohol, and tobacco smoke.


• Eat frequent, small nutrient-packed meals rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and other "real" foods, and low in fat, and processed foods.


• Limit ice cream, since it can trigger migraines in some people. migraine sufferers also should avoid drinking icy cold beverages, which stimulate the nerve center at the back of the palate that controls blood flow to the head.


• Fasting, or even allowing more than five hours to elapse between meals, can trigger a migraine attack.


• Get regular and adequate sleep.

- Elizabeth Somer, M.A., R.D.

Top 5 Tips to Boosting your Mood with Food

1. Eat breakfast – breakfast increases your body’s metabolic rate by 25 percent. Skipping this morning meal can make you feel tired, sluggish, even cold. The best energy-boosting breakfasts are those that are light, low-fat, and healthful. Mix a little protein, such as yogurt or peanut butter, with carbohydrates such as cereal, toast, or low fat waffles. (Researchers from Reading, UK, report that breakfast helps you feel more upbeat if it consists of mostly grains and fruit).
2. Eat every 4 to 5 hours – after four hours blood sugar levels drop, resulting in fatigue, poor concentration, irritability, and lethargy.
3. Have a low-fat light lunch and a light evening meal, and drink lots of water throughout the day.
4. Snack defensively rather than feed your fatigue – choose nutrient-packed time released carbs, such as whole grain bread sticks, fresh fruit, and crunchy veggies. Your best bet is to combine fruit with another nutrient-filled food, such as yogurt or cereal that delivers a steady stream of carbs and maintains a constant blood sugar level. For example: One whole-grain muffin with raisins and nuts, topped with 1 tablespoon of cashew butter. Serve with 1 cup of fresh pineapple chunks.
5. Take a multi vitamin to fill in the gaps on the days you don’t eat perfectly.

Original Posting: http://theepi-cure.com/2009/07/28/elizabeth-somers-top-5-tips-to-boosting-your-mood-with-food/

Refresh Yourself!

Garden Salad, Caesar Salad, Fruit Salad, etc. Whatever type of salad you prefer they can be refreshing and beneficial! I have noticed quite often that women eat more salad than men, why is this? Do men feel that meat is "manly" and salad just...isn't? There is such an opportunity for variety when it comes to salads! You may use different types of lettuce, dressings, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, cheese, etc. Just make sure you are not going overboard with the additions or it may just lose the benefit of being low in calories!

By the way, this does not include dessert salads!! :)

Four reasons why to eat salad:

1. Eat Salads for the Fiber

2. Eat Salads for the Health Benefits of Fruits and Vegetables

3. Eat Salads to Cut Calories and Increase Satisfaction

4. Eat Salads to Get Smart Fats

And remember you can add ThinStick to your salad dressings.

For the entire article please visit:

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/4-healthy-reasons-eat-salad-today

10 workday lunches that will save you time, money, and calories

This is such a practical article from WebMD. If I'm not mistaken all of us enjoy anything which saves us money or makes us feel as if we are getting some kind of deal!

A list of YUMMY $5 lunch ideas(assuming you already have dressing)!


1. 1 pita with lettuce and grilled chicken with light Caesar dressing; baby carrots; and an apple.
2. Salmon lettuce wraps with light sesame Asian dressing; 1 can of broth-based soup; and an orange.
3. Tomato & cucumber salad with olive oil and vinegar; tuna salad on pita; baby carrots; and an apple.
4. 1 can of soup; and grilled chicken on a bed of romaine with sliced apple and light vinaigrette.
5. Garden salad with salmon, tomato, cucumber, and baby carrots; an orange; and 1 can of soup.
6. Whole-wheat tortilla wrap of hummus, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, feta cheese and black olives; plus a carton of fat-free vanilla yogurt, and berries.
7. Whole wheat pita stuffed with vegetarian refried beans, salsa, lettuce and shredded cheddar cheese; and apple slices with peanut butter.
8. A green salad loaded with canned chunk light tuna, carrot strips, pepper slices, tomato wedges, red beans, and dried cranberries topped with balsamic vinaigrette; with a cup of low fat chocolate milk to drink.
9. A peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread; a piece of fresh fruit; and low fat yogurt.
10. Whole-wheat tortilla roll with sliced turkey, sliced low-fat mozzarella cheese, red pepper strips, and lettuce leaf (chill and slice into bite size pieces); with fruit salad and a glass of skim milk.



TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE GO TO http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/cheap-and-healthy-brown-bag-lunch-ideas-for-grownups