Healthy Eating
8 Back-to-School Nutrition Ideas Made Easy
It’s a new school year; many of us look at September as being a good time to start doing things differently. For years I felt as though making my girls’ lunches at night was too exhausting, after having cooked or prepared meals for them all day long. This September, I started making their lunches, while preparing their dinner. The kitchen has been messier than ever but I realized that this is the time in which I have the most energy and when I can be most efficient, as much of the food is already out of the fridge. Why I ever thought that putting the girls to bed and then heading downstairs to make their lunches was a good idea, I will never understand. And the years I spent rushing around each morning, making their lunches, are also over. It feels good to actually sit with my girls on a school day and partake in eating breakfast with them. And what a beautiful start to the day for each of us. So, what are you going to do differently this school year? Here are 8 back to school ideas to provide your children with more nutrition and hopefully keep your world more sane overall:
Read MoreThe Important Job of Parenting
Various parenting methods produce children whose primary emotion is love or fear – these are the only two options. It seems to me that the “authoritarian” parenting style is still very much alive and well in the raising of today’s children. This makes sense due to the fact that so many of us were raised ourselves by parents using this approach. The challenge with this approach is that the children who are punished or told what to do at all times “or else,” end up living in fear. It is the only result of authoritarian parenting. Children parented in this way feel under attack. These children put up defenses around the parts of themselves that their parents don’t approve of and try to protect their vulnerable inner selves by displaying tough outer selves. They keep themselves “safe” but at what cost?
Read MoreA Nutritionist’s Take on Canada’s Food Guide
The number of recommended fruits and vegetables is wonderful. I only have three concerns. Counting juice as a serving, when it is often not fresh and is laden with chemicals and sugar, simply doesn’t make sense to me. The nutrient content of frozen and canned fruits and vegetables is not the same as fresh fruits and vegetables yet no distinction is made in the guide. Secondly, no mention is made of the need for organic fruits and vegetables. The soil in which our ancestors’ produce was grown, was loaded with nutrients, far more than the soil of today! Organic is truly the best we have these days.
Read MoreWhat Does a Nutritionist Do and How Can They Help You?
Nutritionists can help you detect food sensitivities/allergies or nutritional deficiencies and then assist you in devising a plan to change your child’s diet. If you determine the foods to which your child reacts and your findings include one of the major food groups, such as dairy and wheat, you might ask yourself, “What can I feed my child?” A Nutritionist will teach you exactly what to feed your child, what the alternatives are and ensure that your child does not miss out on any important nutrients. They will even supply you with recipes and books to assist you, so that you do not need to do any of your own research if you don’t want to!
Read MoreWhat Our Food Cravings Are Trying to Tell Us
The body never fails us; it is we who fail to listen to its wisdom and trust its guidance. Our food cravings are a source of valuable education. Individuals are drawn to certain textures, fat content, flavours and smells of various foods for a reason. Below are different kinds of food cravings and what they are trying to tell us.
Read MoreRange of Colours on Your Plate Represents Range of Nutrients
Each type of food calls upon a particular set of digestive enzymes to digest it. If those digestive enzymes are continually called upon and your digestive system is not strong (as is often the case these days), the particular digestive enzymes needed to digest your favourite food will wear out. It is no coincidence that the top allergens in North America are dairy and wheat – the two foods that we consume the most. Each time we eat wheat, in our breakfast (toast), lunch (sandwich) and dinner (pasta), we use the same digestive enzyme to break down the wheat. If we start to experience bloating or fatigue or maybe even acquire celiac disease, these are all signs that our digestive enzymes for wheat are not working properly. This is why digestive enzymes are being taken in supplement form, more and more often these days.
Read MoreMum’s Original – Choco-Orange Balls Recipe
I mentioned in my last blog post that I would be sharing more of Ann Barnes’ information with you because she and her work inspire me so greatly. It is…
Read MoreNutrition in Simple Terms – Back to Basics
I attended my first LIPS (Ladies in Philanthropy for Southlake) event at Nature’s Emporium Health Store the week before last. I had no idea of what to expect but low and behold, the keynote speaker explained nutrition in the clearest manner I had ever experienced in all the years I have been attending nutrition seminars and classes.
Read MoreMy Baby Is Reacting to Formula
First of all, I should explain that babies never react to breast milk itself but they can react to the foods that mom is eating and are therefore going into her breast milk. There will be people who tell you this is untrue but I am here to tell you that this is absolutely true. I have seen this with my daughters and also, had dozens of clients over the years whose babies have reacted to the foods in the breast milk they are consuming. When a mother feels her milk is causing pain or suffering in her child, she often decides that she had better stop breastfeeding. More times than not, reactions to infant formula end up being even greater than the reactions to the foods in the breast milk!
Read MoreWays to Feed Your Brain
With proper diet, nutrition, and memory use, your brain can remain sharp and active well into your nineties. Many of you have been reading my blog for over a year…
Read MoreDealing With Stress Over the Holidays
At this busy time of year, some of you may be wondering just how you are going to survive each day. Your children might be small, you may have many family members and friends for whom you want to buy gifts, you may have many parties to attend and of course, there are still meals to prepare and housework to be done. And maybe you have to go to work each day right up until your festivities begin! And you are rushing, rushing and rushing to get it all done and still make things meaningful for yourself and those you are closest to. How do you do it all? How do you keep your energy levels up and your focus clear?
Read MoreWhy and How Do I Go Gluten Free?
I think that this year, my approach will simply be to go gluten-free. It is the gluten that is so hard to digest. It is the gluten that causes so much bloating for us and fatigue and moodiness. Did you know that gluten is one of the biggest contributors to acne? It also causes or worsens the following symptoms and conditions:
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