Healthy, Happy Mom

Some thoughts on exercise

2009-01-15T20:17:00.002-05:00

I've learned some more about exercise recently, and wanted to share what I've been learning.

1. Your exercise routine should not be routine. Mix it up! It's a good idea to decide what days you will do weight training, and cardio, etc., but don't do the same things every time. Your body gets stronger faster by doing something different every day.

2. Don't fret if you can't get in an hour all at once. What really matters, as far as weight loss goes is how many calories you have burned. If you have to do 20 minutes here, and 20 minutes there that's fine!

3. Don't confine yourself to what you have on work-out videos, or what you can find at the gym. Get a jump rope, and jump rope outside for a while. Take advantage of the stairs in your home, or wherever. See how many times you can go up and down the stairs. I'm up to 20 times up and down our 3 levels of apartment stairs. We have a small parking lot on the side of our apartment building that is not used much. Some days I put on my MP3 player, take the kids outside, and we exercise in the parking lot. The kids have fun running around while I chase them, or I'll even use the curb as an aerobic step, stepping up and down on one side of the parking lot 10 or 20 times, then running to the other side to do the same thing. I see how long I can do this, and then I might do some jumping jacks, or some squats, with one leg up on the curb, and then the other. The possibilities are really endless--you just have to get creative. The kids have a lot of fun when we do this too.

4. If you have a hard time with lifting weights, try using a resistance band. They are fabulous. They really work your muscles, but don't put so much strain on the wrists. They are great for any fitness level.

5. See how long you can pull your abdominal muscles in while you're cooking dinner, folding laundry, vacuuming, and any of the other endless number of chores you have to do. Not only will this make you look instantly thinner--you'll be strengthening your abdominal muscles, and actually making your stomach look better at the same time. See if you can even keep your stomach pulled in while bending over to pick up toys and children. This adds an extra challenge.

6. Some days you won't feel like doing a hard workout. That's fine, but still do something. Pilates are great on those days, as is yoga, or even some light strength training with a resistance band, or a leisurely walk in the park with the kids.

7. Go to the park! Don't just watch your kids play--play with them. If there's not too many people around, use the benches and things like aerobic steps. Do some jumping jacks. Take your jump rope with you. Go across the monkey bars. Not only is this good exercise, it's fun, and your kids will think you're really cool!

8. Walk anywhere you can. Just because something is a mile away doesn't mean you have to drive--it means you have a great opportunity for some exercise!

9. When all else fails, use your children as weights! We do airplane rides in so many different ways I can't even tell you. It's great fun for my kids, it adds some great muscle tone not only to my arms and legs, but also to my abs! I've found I can even do some pilates moves with my children.

10. Do bicep curls with your grocery bags as you carry them in from the car. Do leg lunges as you walk around the house. Do a few tricep exercises on the edge of your chair before you get up from a meal. Just keep looking around you for ways to add a little exercise into whatever you're doing!

11. If your kids are interested, get them their own work-out video that you can do with them. Yes, they do have work-out videos for kids. My kids think it's great to have one of their own.

Tips for healthier, tasty cooking

2009-01-15T16:33:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I was talking to a good friend today, and she said she'd like some tips on cooking healthier, so here are a few of the things I've learned that add a lot of health, but don't diminish the taste--sometimes they even make it better!

Oils--Use olive oil instead of butter of other oils when sauteeing, stir frying, etc. Once you've used up the vegetable oil in your cupboard replace it with canola oil. It's a little more expensive, but has healthier fats in it, and has the same results when cooking or baking. Flax seed can be substituted in things like muffins, etc for oil--it adds healthy fats, a great flavor, and the ever important fiber. Applesauce can also replace oil in some recipes--its especially good in pancakes, muffins or breads. Fats can be cut in half in most recipes without a difference in taste.
Calcium--People talk about calcium as if you can only get it from dairy products--not true! Try getting some of your calcium from green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, green leaf lettuce, etc. 2-3 servings of dairy is also important, but be sure to use the low-fat, or non-fat versions. If you don't like drinking skim milk, at least keep it around for baking--you won't notice a difference.
For recipes calling for two eggs try replacing one egg with two egg whites. Both eggs can be replaced with egg whites for some things.
Use ground turkey in place of ground beef, or get the lower fat versions of ground beef ie 95/5, or 85/15. Rinsing with warm water when you drain the grease off cooked meat can also help get rid of some of the fat.
Use whole grains wherever possible, even for things like cookies, muffins, pancakes, etc. They actually add a very nice flavor, plus vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They have a positive effect on blood sugar too, unlike their white versions.
Popcorn--you can still eat popcorn, and be healthy! Most nutritionists say to just sprinkle herbs on air popped popcorn, but get real--the herbs don't stick to dry popcorn! What I suggest is cooking your popcorn in a large pot with a lid. Put about 2 tbls of olive oil in the bottom of the pan, cover the bottom of the pan with popcorn, sprinkle salt over it, and then cook it. Be sure to frequently shake the pot to keep the popcorn from burning. When the popping slows to 1 pop per 2-3 seconds, then take it off the heat. The great thing about this is that it's already flavored--when it's done cooking it's done! You can even add Mrs. Dash, lemon pepper, or any other spices you prefer with the salt for more flavorful popcorn. Another option is to use the hot air popper, and then sprinkle with herbs after spraying with a little pan spray--that way the herbs stick.
If you make your own bread and rolls you can replace the sugar with diastatic malt (this is a sweetner made from sprouted wheat, it's used in Europe to sweeten the breads.) This is an especially smart thing if you are diabetic, or are worried about becoming diabetic. I have had people buy bread from me, and they were amazed that this is what I'd sweetened my bread with. If you buy and grind your own wheat try using white wheat to get your family used to wheat. It has a more subtle flavor, and most people can't tell the difference between that and white flour.
Try cooking your oatmeal in apple juice, and even adding a few apples and cinnamon, and maybe raisins. This way you don't need to add any sugar or anything. It's delicious! Experiment with difference juices. The juices sweeten the oatmeal naturally!
Cook pasta in low sodium chicken broth, and add any spices you may like such as italian seasoning, lemon pepper, oregano, basil (the possibilities are endless). This flavors the pasta without having to put any fatty sauces on it. Add some stir fried vegetables on top with some chicken or shrimp and you've got a great meal, especially if you sue the whole grain varieties of pasta (there are some great ones out there now).
Keep fresh fruits and veggies cut up in the fridge for a quick snack when you get the munchies, or are hungry between meals. This will help you get in all your servings of fruits and veggies for the day, as well as keep you from eating things you shouldn't be eating.
Cereals--a lot of the fad diets out there have given breakfast cereals a bad name when it comes to weight control, but that's wrong! Many cereals out there are great compliments to a healthy lifestyle. Look for whole grain cereals. In the ingredients section you should see whole grain corn, or oats, or whole wheat flour, etc. If it says "enriched" it means processed, white, and nutritionally deficient. Some really good ones are Cheerios (and there's so many flavors to choose from now,) bran flakes, Shredded Wheat, Grape Nuts, Fiver One, the list goes on and on. Bottom line is--read the labels! Watch out for the ones with more than 6 grams of sugar. Try to get the ones with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.
Salad Dressings--if you haven't tried any of the low-fat, no-fat dressings in a while you should try them again. There are so many different things out there now. I've even found a calorie-free, sugar-free, fat-free honey mustard dressing that is pretty good. I like the Wish Bone salad spritzers as well. A light Italian dressing can make a great marinade for chicken, or for sauteeing the chicken in. Just watch the fat, calorie, and sugar contents on your dressings. You can use salad dressings for seasoning pasta, pasta salads, meats, etc.

When life gets you down

2008-10-17T21:25:00.004-04:00

So, I've had one of those months when I've just been feeling a little down. There's not necessarily any reason, it's just that sometimes it gets hard doing the same thing day in and day out. I haven't been very productive either. I've realized the two are connected. Today I made myself get moving early in the morning, and I was amazed at what I accomplished. It made me feel so much happier. I got some of those cleaning projects out of the way that have been bothering me. I was thinking today about the times that I have been the happiest with being a stay at home mom. They are the times when I get moving early in the morning, exercise, eat right, play with my kids a little, and cross a project or two off my to-do list. It also helps tremendously to spend time each day in prayer and reading scriptures. If you're feeling a little down right now try those things out tomorrow, and see if you don't feel a little better.

Healthy Foods

2008-09-09T21:51:00.006-04:00

Here's a picture of the kind of thing I like to make to eat. It's really simple. Basically, I just take whatever vegetables I have around and stir fry them and add maybe some chicken or shrimp or pasta--whatever sounds good, and whatever I have on hand. I might add some lemon pepper, or even spray on a little wish bone salad spritzer for extra flavor.

This one was cabbage, onions, celery, shrimp, lemon juice, salt and pepper. It was so yummy!

Favorite Books

2008-09-08T23:10:00.003-04:00

Okay, I have a few favorite books that I love to share with people.
1)"Set For Life". I believe it is out of print now, but can be bought used on Amazon. It has 5 shorts chapters on taking good care of yourself that can be read in about 2 hours, and then the rest of the book is great recipes.
2) Pillsbury's "Good For You" cookbook--yum, yum! easy, easy!
3)Prevention Magazine's "Firm Up in 3 Weeks" This one is great because it tells you how to take care of yourself, has recipes, and also has 3 weeks worth of exercises and pictures to demonstrate each of them. Each day has 3 different levels of exercises, so if you start at level 1 you actually have 9 weeks worth of exercise!

Getting Started

2008-09-08T23:03:00.002-04:00

If you're just getting started at exercising and eating right it can be pretty tough. You feel like you have to make all these changes to your life, or you're a complete failure, right? Wrong! The best way to change is a little at a time. Here's what I suggest. Take one week at a time. This week start by
1)Eating 2-3 more fruits/vegetables every day, and 1 less thing that isn't good for you. Don't tell yourself you can't eat anything--just decide if you really want to eat that cookie, or whatever it may be. When you stop to actually think before you eat you're much more likely to make a healthy food choice, and avoid the unhealthy ones.
2) Don't overeat. Listen to your body--it knows when to stop. This is my biggest pitfall. I love food! I like to turn to food for everything-happiness, sadness, boredom, etc. etc. You could say it's been my best friend, but I'm changing how I look at food, and it's making a huge difference in my life.
3) Exercise for about 20 minutes 3 days this week. It can be anything--walking, running, aerobics, weight training, whatever, just do something. It would be preferrable to start with some sort of cardio exercise though, and then work in the weight training later on the days you aren't doing cardio.
So, there's 3 goals for the week. Get out there and do it, and see if it doesn't help make a difference. Good luck!

Eating healthy to lose weight

2008-09-05T20:00:00.003-04:00

There is so much conflicting information out there about eating healthy and losing weight. It can be so overwhelming! I have done a lot of reading on this particular topic, and have learned a lot. The biggest thing I've learned is that if it sounds too good to be true, it is! There is no lose weight quick diet out there that will provide long term weight management. Who wants to lose weight just to have it come back? The truth of the matter is that lifestyle changes have to happen, period. It doesn't have to be all at once though. Pick one thing you can do better this week. If you do really well with that, then add something else to it next week, and so on. I've found that a good rule of thumb for a healthy weight loss is to eat AT LEAST 4 servings of fruits, and 4 servings of vegetables every day. Fresh ones are best, then frozen, then dried, then canned. Be careful of drinking a lot of fruit juice, even if it is 100% juice--it gives you the calories without the filling fiber, so you'll probably end up eating that many calories again, just because you're hungry. Second, eat about 4 servings of whole grains a day. Try to stay away from processed and sugary foods. There are so many yummy ways to eat whole grains. I'll start posting some recipes soon. Next, you need 3 servings of protein a day. This can be in the form of low-fat meats, beans, or dairy products. Most people seem to think they need so much more than this, but you really don't. Watch your portion sizes. Pay attention to what a serving really is--you'll probably find that your idea of a serving, and what it actually is are quite different. That is the basics of what I have learned, and what has been working for me. I'm 30 lbs down from a year ago, and still going. I have dropped about 4 pant sizes, and I'm feeling great! Even better than that--my kids are learning to eat healthy too.

Getting exercise everyday, even with small children

2008-09-05T19:13:00.000-04:00

So, I've heard so many moms say they can't exercise because their kids keep them from exercising! I say that is just an excuse. Sure, it's hard, but it's very possible. I have three children, ages 5, 3, and 16 months. I manage to exercise for AT LEAST an hour six days a week. The only time I miss a day is if I'm sick usually. I do cardio exercise for an hour three days a week, and pilates and weight training three days a week for about an hour to an hour and a half. I don't manage this by doing the same thing every day. Every evening I take a minute or two to look at my calendar and see what I have going on for the next day. If I have something going on early in the day then I get up at 5:oo am, go to the fitness center at our apartment complex and use the elliptical for an hour. That way I'm done early, and nothing can stop me from getting it done. Two or three days a week I have a friend come and exercise with me. If it's a cardio day then we do aerobics with a video, and our kids play together. If necessary we pause the DVD for a few minutes to take care of kids, but we always get right back to it. Sometimes we go for a power walk pushing our double strollers (now that can really be a workout.) If it's a pilates, weight trianing day then we use more of my DVDs, and/or books or weight training routines I've printed online. We try to change it up every 6 weeks so we continue to get benefit from the workouts, and to keep things interesting. I try to get my exercise done early in the day, and not take my shower until it's done. There are the days that it is impossible to do that though, and I've been known to stay up until 12:00 at night just so I can get a good workout in after my children go to bed. No, it's not always easy, but it is one of the most worthwhile things I could be doing. My kids have caught onto this now too, and they try hard to exercise too. This is not just for me--it's instilling good habits in my children as well, habits that will help them throughout their lives.

Being healthy and happy as a mom

2008-09-05T19:08:00.000-04:00

I do my best to stay healthy. I try to exercise every day and eat right. This is often a very hard thing to do as a mom of three young children. I'm hoping that this website will help other moms out there, and maybe even others who find it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I have lost about 30 pounds in the last year, and continue to lose. I'm feeling pretty good, despite my serious lack of sleep and busy schedule. I hope to share some of the ideas and knowledge I've gained with others who have the same struggles I have. It is possible. I find the better I take care of myself the happier I feel, and the better I am able to take care of my family. Please let me know if anything I write helps you in any way, or if you have questions about how I have done this or that.