Childhood Obesity {It's an epidemic}

Is your child overweight? Were you thin as a child, but now overweight? Sadly, chances are that history will repeat itself through your children. It might take decades, but it will probably happen unless you make changes at home now. You can stop the cycle and get educated on food and get more active. It's really that simple.

Healthy kids are more likely to be healthy adults.

Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2-19 are obese.

Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years.

The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.

What causes childhood obesity?

Childhood obesity is the result of eating too many calories and not getting enjoy physical activity.

Being a parent holds a huge responsibility. Educating your child about food should not be forgotten or left to the school system to teach. You might be surprised at how little many adults know about what is going into their bodies, let alone children. Does that mean that it wasn't taught to them as a child? Maybe.

Teaching your children at a young age about food, and it's purpose, is key to overall health for decades to come.  The world is full of temptations on every street corner. If they are educated early, they will form healthy habits. Healthy habits that hopefully last a lifetime.

Get your kids involved at mealtime preparing the food. Teach them about where the food comes from. Try new things. Teach them what foods are natural and good for you. What foods are processed. What does processed really mean? Teach them about serving sizes and how to read a label. If they can read, they are old enough to read labels.

Making eating clean fun! 

Plan a pizza making party.

You can try this recipe for dough: Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

This is a great article on the issue: Children's Longevity

To read more about childhood obesity and ways to get involved visit: www.cdc.gov

Mango Tango

I won't even keep boring you with all the reasons you should stop drinking regular or diet soda.  You can just visit my old post Diet Coke {rehab} and read it again. And again. Until you have decided it's time. 

It's been well over a year since I have quit Diet Coke (ok, 17 months to be exact).  My husband still continued to drink the dreaded chemical cocktail this whole time. I truly believe you can't make a person want to change. They have to want it at their own time. You can give information and support, but not willpower.

I stopped buying Diet Coke months into the detox for him. If he wanted it, he would have to go buy it himself and make that decision. I wasn't supporting that habit any longer. Weeks turned into months, and he kept justifying his DC habit by saying things like "I don't do meth or other drugs, this is my 'thing' " (which I still get a good laugh at) and "I drink plenty of water to make up for the DC I drink, it's fine." We all make excuses.

I could tell he has been thinking about it lately. It was like he knowingly  wanted to say goodbye to an old friend but wasn't sure what day that friend would leave. (yes, I am still talking about Diet Coke here)  Well, he decided on December 31st that he was going to say goodbye to that old friend. He is not far into his detox but I am going to share his journey with you all. And support him along the way. He has made many comments about how he doesn't have sugar cravings like he used too. It's amazing.

It's VERY hard to get off of aspartame and the habit of drinking soda daily. He's lucky in the fact that we don't have any other aspartame in the house at this point. It's in many products including flavored waters, coffee creamers, and many sugar-free foods.

It's smart to have an action plan. Plan other things that are {clean} to drink before you decide to stop.  And if you are used to the caffeine you will need to plan to get your caffeine in other forms or you will CRASH. My husband missed the carbonation day one. So we set out on a journey to get educated on the {clean} options for him to drink. I have many to blog about and will get to that soon. I promise.

Here's an option that tastes great and gives him the fizz he misses. Plus, this is something my kids LOVE and think it's cool to make their own fizzy cocktail. Keep in mind it still contains around 15g of sugar per 12 ounces, but that is 1/3 less than a 12 ounce can of regular soda. This exact one contains 65 calories.

Mango Tango

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of Sparkling Orange Water {all natural} (we used Poland Spring )
• 4 ounces of Orange Mango {100% juice} (we used 365 brand at Whole Foods)
• Ice

Stir ingredients together. I recommend, if you have the time, to let the juice and the water chill in the refrigerator before making one so it doesn't get watered down with melted ice.  You can always add more juice and less water but this keeps the sugar amount down.

Overall Cost for this method:

Juice: $2.69

Water: $1..00

Total: $3.69

It will make 5 -12 ounce drinks. Cost is approx .80 a serving. However, I know I can find larger containers of 100% for the same price. This would bring my overall cost down.

NOTE:  I am not recommending you drink more than one of these a day. Dumping one bad habit and picking up another is not the {clean eating} way.  However, this is a great "treat" beverage without the caffeine, aspartame, or huge amounts of sugar in sodas. 

{cleaned up} Beer Battered Tilapia

From time to time I crave Fish and Chips. My recipe is a {cleaned up} version of the deep fried classic. It has added protein with the wheat flour and almond meal in the batter. And most importantly, it satisfies my craving.

{cleaned up} Beer Battered Tilapia

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour (plus extra for coating)
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 (12 oz) bottle of beer
• 6 tilapia fillets (or fish of your choosing)
• olive oil

Directions:

1) In a large shallow bowl add a small amount flour and toss tilapia fillets in flour to coat and set aside.

2) Add flour, almond meal, sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and beer to bowl and whisk until combined. (it should be the consistency of pancake batter)

3) Add approx 3 Tbps of olive oil to skillet and heat to Med-High heat.

4) Dredge fillets in batter (coating it evenly) and add 2-3 fillets to hot skillet. You don't want to over crowd the skillet.

5) Cook on each side approx 2-3 minutes.

6) Remove from skillet and repeat the steps until all fillets are cooked.

Serve it along side these Garlic Herb Fries and you have a {cleaned up} version of Fish and Chips. Now, don't forget to serve some veggies too! YUM!

NOTE: Feel free to spice up the batter by adding chili powder or paprika.

 

Make Plans, Not Resolutions

It's a fact that many New Year's Resolutions don't make it past the second month.  Armed with these statistics you should choose to 

I have never really been a big believer in New Year's Resolutions. Why? Not sure. I guess I've just felt if you want to make a change in your life you just DO IT! And waiting until the date of January 1st just seems silly. But, as the date of January 1st is quickly approaching you can make the conscious choice to make a change. Pick YOUR day, and make a change to be a healthier YOU!

 I decided in October of 2010 to make a change. I took it day by day and here I am over a year later in a better, healthier place. Changing a lifetime of habits isn't easy, but it isn't impossible. That HOPE alone should give you motivation to move forward.

Instead of focusing on the things you SHOULDN'T do, you should really focus on the things you SHOULD do.

Eat more {fresh} fruits and vegetables.

Exercise weekly.

Drink more water.

Get to know your food by reading labels.

Eat more UNrefined foods.

Avoid Trans Fats at ALL costs.

Limit Saturated Fats.

Get out your calendars and make plans, not resolutions. Lay foundations instead of boundaries. Get excited about food.  Embrace foods you've never tried. Take a cooking class.  Get educated about your food.

If you are ready or in need of a change, TODAY could be your day. You decide. Your life is in YOUR hands.  Go grab any Tosca Reno book at the library or bookstore and start reading.  You are stronger than you realize.

"If you don't do what's best for your body, you're the one who comes up on the short end." -Julius Erving

Best Wishes for a HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR!

Rehydrate with Glaceau Vitamin Water ZERO

It's very hard to find a {clean} flavored water these days unless you make your own at home. Most days I drink a lot of plain water but from time to time I like to change it up a bit and have something sweet.

Here is a flavored water that is {clean}. These come with a hefty price tag of $1-$1.39 a bottle depending on sale prices or stores.

Glaceau Vitamin Water ZERO

GLOW: Strawberry Guanabana

Each flavor has a different amount of vitamins and electrolytes in them. They have quirky marketing messages on each bottle which I find fun to read. Make sure to read the labels because only the ZERO has natural sweeteners, natural flavors, and ZERO calories. Another thing to point out is the fact that each bottle is 2.5 servings. I like to pour a serving in a glass of ice and sometimes mix it half ZERO and half water.  It is super sweet to me without diluting it. 

With all of this being said, I still don't suggest drinking this on a daily basis since water is still your best choice. However, if you are looking for something as a special treat from time to time. Or, better yet, if you are in need of some hydration after a night out celebrating the end to a new year, this might just be what you need.

Cheers to a Happy Healthy 2012!

Is 2012 your year to change?

I know I have come a long way on this {eat clean} journey in 2011 but often times I don't even get to read the labels of the "crap food" on the shelves. Mainly because I've gotten {that} good at knowing what to choose on the first try. However, I do want to make a point to stop by a few of the items we used to consume often and read the labels a year later, but it's Christmas time, who has time for that sort of "fun"? 

It's amazing how many foods are artificially flavored and colored these days. And, the sodium in prepackaged things is shocking when you really start paying attention! If you are always feeling bloated and eat a lot of prepackaged/prepared meals, it's no wonder if you take a look at the sodium. However, it's reassuring to see many companies making changes to their ingredients, but it makes me wonder if they are just trying to trick me into buying something that isn't {clean} by renaming it.  I am getting off track here...

If you are looking to make some changes in 2012 and would like to completely overhaul your life and embark on a {clean eating} journey, here are some of the major things you will need to know.

Avoid all over-processed and refined foods (especially sugar, white rice, and white flour)

Avoid saturated and trans fat, instead consuming healthy fats

Avoid soda and other sugary juices and drinks

Avoid high-calorie, zero nutrient foods, (i.e., junk food)

It sure looks simple listed there, but I can assure it's not so simple at first. If you are still drinking soda or other sugary drinks you are in for quite the fight to detox off of those.  I'm here to prove that it can be done as I am 17 months "sober" off the Diet Coke. (and only crazy ex-addicts still count after the year mark)

Now, here are a few things you SHOULD do:

Drink water. It's recommended you drink half your body weight in ounces daily. (ex. A person weighing 150 lbs. should drink 75 ounces.)


Exercise. Start with 2-3 hours a week. Even walking counts. Heck, have you ever played Wii Just Dance game? That counts too!


Always eat breakfast. Always. Even if you aren't hungry.


Eat 5 to 6 small meals daily. That's 3 main meals and 2 {healthy} snacks.

Stick to these 8 "rules" and master them and you will see huge results.  I will say that I am not 100% {clean} and never claim to be. But I strive for 85% each month.

Wishing you happy healthy life in 2012. 

Chipotle Honey Roasted Peanuts

Are you crazy for nuts? Are you crazy for Chipotle? If your answer is yes, then I have a recipe you MUST try. This recipe is AWESOME! It's sure to be a crowd pleaser at your next holiday party, tailgating, or dinner party. Or, even better, it would make a great personalized gift.

If you used Chipotle Chili Powder before, you know it comes with heat! I opted to use less than the original recipe called for and added a bit more chili powder instead.

Chipotle Honey Roasted Peanuts

Recipe adapted from: www.allrecipes.com 

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup raw sugar cane (fine)
• 1 tsp chipotle chili cowder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 Tbps no salt added butter
• 2 Tbps honey
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 pound {unsalted} raw skinless peanuts

Directions: 

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Stir together sugar, chipotle powder, chili powder,and garlic powder in a small bowl and set aside.

2) Stir together the butter, honey, and salt in a sauce pan over low/med heat until butter has melted and it begins to bubble. Stir in peanuts and mix well until all peanuts are well coated. Then pour them into a 9 x 13 baking dish. 

3)  Bake in preheated oven until peanuts are golden brown, about 30 minutes. Stir the mixture 2-3 times while baking to ensure even cooking. 

4) Once out of the oven, sprinkle the peanuts with the spice mixture and stir until coated evenly. Allow the peanuts to cool to room temperature, tossing them a few times so they won't stick together.

NOTE: I found my Chipotle Chili Powder at Kroger.