Friday, June 29, 2012

Three Ways I Add Nutrition to My Kids’ Meals

Three Ways I Add Nutrition to My Kids’ Meals 
I have three children, ages 8 to 17 years old.  They are not only highly active, but they also have varying tastes in food and varying appetites.  Because they are young, growing fast, and learning from my influence, I feel it’s especially important that I help them create healthful eating habits now.  For me, it begins with creating nutritious meal options for them.
In general, I keep a supply of Shaklee Cinch® Snack Bars on hand for when my children need a low-calorie, high-protein snack.  Of course, each of my children favors a different flavor, so we keep a Snack Bar Assortment Pack in our pantry at home.
My go-to strategies for creating nutritious meals for my children:
1. Use soy protein whenever possible.  We always bake with Shaklee Instant Soy Protein. As a rule of thumb, we substitute about 1/3 soy protein for every cup of flour that a recipe calls for.  For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of flour, we’ll change it to 2/3 cup of unbleached or wheat flour plus 1/3 cup of soy protein.  And a favorite kitchen activity we can all do together is to make Shaklee protein snacks.  Add a cup of soy protein to 1/3 cup peanut butter and ¼ cup of honey.  Mix the ingredients together like dough and then roll into balls or snakes. Any shape will do.  Cover with coconut or nuts and refrigerate until hard.  My kids love these for dessert or as an afternoon snack!
2. Sneak veggies in everywhere. Either celery with peanut butter or baby carrots make a great snack.  Soups are another great meal to pile with veggies, such as carrots, spinach, broccoli, or celery.  For example, I like to cook carrots or celery in a stock pot and then puree in a food processor.  This not only thickens the soup base, but my kids never even know the veggies are in there!
3. The more fresh fruit, the healthier.  At home, we call fruit “nature’s candy.”  Blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, bananas, and apples are always on hand in our kitchen.  The berries are easy to grab by the handful, and we often bag a variety of berries and other cut-up fruit to take on the go.  Another specialty in the Evans household is to replace sugary jams or jellies in a traditional peanut butter and jelly sandwich with fresh fruit.  We put berries or even bananas in the sandwich and smush them into the peanut butter.
Probably the most important thing is getting my children involved in deciding what to eat and being creative with meals.  The more they are involved, the more likely they are to make healthier food choices when I’m not around—and that makes me a happy parent!
Laura Evans 
Contributed by Laura Evans
 

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Cancer and Cleaning Products

Cancer and Cleaning Products: What Do You Clean With? Is it Safe? 

This story was contributed by Erin Zammett Ruddy, writer for Glamour Magazine. I love it when we can help others "make the switch" and give their homes a chemical overhaul and use Shaklee instead!

I love Clorox wipes. I always knew they probably weren't the best...for me, for Alex, for the environment, but I never wanted to let my mind fully go there because I didn't think I could handle one more thing to be paranoid about. Well, last week I went to a little informational meeting about green cleaning products (a mommy friend hosted, there was wine and cheese) and...OMG. No more Tide, no more Pledge, no more Tilex and definitely no more Clorox wipes. Here's why...
I know this probably isn't news to most of you, and, to be honest, it's not news to me (read one of the many stories Glamour has run on the subject) but...the toxins in our everyday cleaning products have been linked to allergies, asthma, neurological problems and cancer. Not to mention what would happen if a child ingested them, not to mention the destruction they do to the environment. Turns out the informational meeting was actually about selling products, so some of the stuff we learned could have been on the extreme side to scare us. But I believe it. And the products actually seem great. Have you guys heard of Shaklee? That's what it was and, yes, I bought some. I'll be getting my starter kit this week and will let you know how it goes.
I do wonder why I didn't make this change sooner. I've been watching my friend Sarah use Seventh Generation everything for years and I guess I was just too lazy to follow suit. Alex has asthma and excema and, well, I have a completely bizarre cancer that was caused by...well, we just don't know. Makes you think. I feel like the least I can do is use organic, healthy and safe cleaning products in my house. Baby steps.

Anyway, What do you clean with? Are you completely green? My new Shaklee products are on the list of recommended products from the green guide. And some more from the organic consumer's association.

Dirty Dirty Grapes! ~ Contributed by Eco-liciousMama

If you think running your fruit or veggies under your sink faucet is going to get rid of all those nasty pesticides, residues and just plain dirt, think again! My grandmother and mom loves using Shaklee's Basic H2 as a fruit and vegetable wash. So I thought I would finally give it a try!

My grapes and Basic H2


This is a picture of the grapes after they were rinsed with water and then I let them dry. You can see all of the residue on the grapes.


I added 2-3 drops of Basic H2 to the bowl and then filled it with lukewarm water.


I added the grapes to the water and swished them around a little bit and now you can see the disgusting, dirty water. Let me remind you that these results are after the grapes have already been rinsed in water! The pictures don't do it justice but the water was sooo dirty and gross!



This is really disgusting! After I dumped out most of the water from the bowl, there was so much dirt and debris on the bottom of the bowl. Look at the photo below! To think that is what we digest when we don't thoroughly wash our fruits and veggies!


Here are the Basic H2 washed grapes! Don't they look gorgeous! I'm not even stretching the truth in the slightest when I tell you that the fruits and veggies actually taste so much better after being washed with Basic H2. Once you try Basic H2, you will never go back to using traditional cleaners again!

You might also like:
The Dirty Dozen
What's Under Your Sink?

Basic H2 - May just be the best, safest, and cheapest ...

Monday, June 18, 2012

Healthy Step-EAT HEALTHY


The WebMD Daily Bite
Quinoa Taco Salad
Quinoa Taco Salad
Roasted corn kernels and tangy lime juice are a great addition to this simple salad.


A veegan quinoa taco salad is sans tomatoes. And bean-free. No customary black beans and tomatoes you can add 'em in. You can also add crumbled goat cheese on top, if you desire.
Ingredients
1 cup quinoa cooked in two cups water
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Juice from 2 juicy limes
Sea salt, to taste
2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
1 half small red or purple onion, diced fine
1 small yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced fine
1 cup roasted corn kernels (I used frozen, roasted on a cookie sheet for 6-7 minutes,
then cooled)
1 large head of crisp romaine lettuce, washed, dried, sliced crosswise
Gluten-free tortilla chips
1 large avocado, pitted, peeled, diced

Instructions

Cook the quinoa per package instructions. Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork. Scoop the quinoa into a bowl.
Drizzle the cooked quinoa with extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Squeeze on fresh lime juice and toss again. Season the mixture with sea salt, to taste.
Add in the fresh chopped cilantro, diced red onion, diced yellow pepper, and roasted corn kernels. Stir lightly to distribute. Taste test for seasoning adjustments.
Line four salad bowls or plates with the fresh romaine. Spoon the quinoa salad on the center of the lettuce. Add the diced avocado to each plate. Tuck in a few tortilla chips around the edges.
Serve with an extra lime wedge.
More Options:
Add a cup of chilled, drained black beans, if you like your taco salad super hearty.
Add sliced red or yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, if you desire.
Sprinkle with the cheese of your choice.
Serve with your favorite salsa on the side.
Total Servings: 4

Nutritional Information Per Serving

Calories: 240
Carbohydrates: 41.2g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Fat: 4.4g
Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
Fiber: 5.4g
Sodium: 24 mg
Protein: 6.7 g
For more recipes go to Foodily.com
Find more WebMD recipes on the Recipe Finder

Thursday, June 14, 2012


Top 10 Healthiest Fruit List with Fruit Benefits


healthiest-fruits.jpg
This healthiest fruit list shows the most nutritious antioxidant fruit benefits.

You'll want to choose often from the healthiest fruit list in order to get the best fruit benefits. Then you can look better, think better and have more abundant energy.

But that's not all. It turns out that an apple a day (or an apricot, grapefruit, kiwi, papaya or bowl of blueberries) CAN keep the doctor away!

Besides being delicious and nutritious, by reducing your risk of colds, flu, heart disease, stroke and cancer, eating the healthiest fruits with the most antioxidant fruit benefits will help you to feel better and live longer.

The Healthiest Fruit with Antioxidant Fruit Benefits 
1. Apples, with the skin, provide pectin, 5 grams of fiber and a heaping dose of flavonoid antioxidants. Apple fiber helps lower cholesterol and keep you regular. And the powerful flavonoids reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer. A medium apple has about 80 calories.

2. Apricots are a good source of vitamins A, C and E, potassium, iron and carotenoids. The lycopene found in apricots helps protect your eyes and prevent heart disease, LDL cholesterol oxidation and certain cancers – especially skin cancer. And the fiber in apricots helps relieve constipation. Plus 1 apricot has only 19 calories.
 
3. Bananas are a great source of potassium (about 400 mg), which helps lower your risk of high blood pressure and stroke and plays a key role in muscle function. Bananas are delicious and sweet to eat, making them a good sugar substitute and natural energy source. The fiber in bananas helps restore normal bowel action. A medium size banana has around 108 calories.

4. Berries are super high in powerful antioxidants, including vitamin C. Numerous studies show berries offer great protection against heart disease stroke, cancer and many other diseases. 
  • Blueberries top the antioxidant fruit benefits list. Besides other health benefits, blueberries help prevent high blood pressure, macular degeneration and brain damage leading to Alzheimer's disease. 1 cup of blueberries has 81 calories and 4 grams of fiber.
  • Blackberries – a single cup of blackberries has 74 calories and a whopping 10 grams of fiber.
  • Raspberries – there are 60 calories in 1 cup of raspberries with 8 grams of fiber.
  • Strawberries – 1 cup of sliced strawberries has 50 calories and 4 grams of fiber.
5. Cantaloupes are packed with Vitamin C, potassium and carotenoid antioxidants. Cantaloupe can help reduce inflammation, prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease, boost immunity and help protect your skin from sunburn. Half a melon has 97 calories and 2 grams of fiber.

6. Cherries are very high in iron and disease-fighting flavonoids. They also have potassium, magnesium, C and E, folate and heart-protective carotenoids. Cherries can significantly reduce inflammation, arthritic pain, bad cholesterol and cancer risk. 1 cup of cherries has 88 calories.

7. Citrus Fruits are best known for flavor, juiciness and high vitamin C content. But they're also a good source of folate, fiber and other antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Citrus fruit has been shown to help reduce cholesterol, blood pressure and the risk of some types of cancer.
  • Pink or Red Grapefruit – half a grapefruit has just a scant 47 calories.
  • Oranges provide an impressive 50 to 70 mg of vitamin C and a medium orange has only 68 calories.
  • Lemons and Limes – 1 lime or small lemon has about 17 calories.
8. Kiwifruit, when compared ounce for ounce, has more than twice the vitamin C of an orange. It's also an excellent source of magnesium, potassium and vitamins A and E. Kiwis have been shown to boost the immune system and reduce respiratory diseases. 1 medium kiwi has 47 calories and 3 grams of fiber.

9. Papayas are loaded with vitamin C, folate, carotenoids and natural digestive enzymes that help with protein digestion. 1 cup of cubed papaya has 55 calories.

10. Red Grapes contain iron, potassium, fiber and an abundance of powerful disease-fighting antioxidants. Although red wine gets most of the publicity, dark colored grapes are the original source of the flavonoids, anthocyanins and resveratrol, which have been shown to help prevent heart disease and cancer. 1 cup of red or purple grapes has 60 calories. 

Contributed by CommonSense

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Lose Fat but be Careful to Keep the Muscle

Many people go on diets to lose weight, then after they lose a little, they hit a plateau and stop losing...sound familiar?

The reason for this is because on calorie restricted diets the body burns fat cells and muscle cells.Since muscle fuels our metabolism, once we lose some of our muscle mass, our metabolism slows down. When it does, we stop losing weight.Ugh!

It is important to find something PROVEN to work time and time again to keep ourselves healthy.Shaklee's Cinch Inch Loss Program is terrific. I have used it every time I need to drop inches.The reason it works so well every time, is simply this...The science behind it. Shaklee fuels Olympic athletes.They have helped elite athletes earn over 80 medals in the Olympic games. When an athlete trains it is important to keep muscle mass. When Shaklee's Sports Nutrition Line was created,it was done so to help the athletes retain muscle mass.
Later, when the Cinch weight-loss program was being developed (by doctors, scientists and nutritionists) they had an idea to see if the same ingredients that retained muscle in elite athletes could help dieters hold on to muscle while burning fat only. It did! In clinical studies every participant that used the Cinch program lost weight, but held on to 100% of their muscle mass! 


Here is a great video clip that explains how it works. http://images.shaklee.com/video/show.php?video=Healthy-Weight


They also have a great forum of on-line support with meal plans, recipes and buddy systems for those that a partner who is going through it at the same time

Add Cinch to some common sense rules to fat loss and you will be a healthier, slimmer, fat burning machine. 

The 5 Rules of Fat Loss

1. Don't eat so much


In other words, if you're eating a typical diet, you're probably eating a bit too much food to lose fat. That's right, the food you eat that isn't used by your body for energy and re-building gets stored as fat. Simple stuff, but it's often overlooked. That's because most of us have no idea how much food we really eat.

We all need to become aware of how much food we are eating. Seems like a small step, but it makes a big difference.

Here's a simple way to do that: Grab a notebook and write down everything you eat for the next three days. After those three days you'll have a rough idea of how much food you normally eat.

Then all you have to do is replace your any simple carbs (things that are white or processed) with complex carbs. Choose breads with five grams of fiber instead of those with just one or two.  


Fill your plate with large amounts of energy promoting, oxygen rich veggies as your star attraction. Trim back portions of meat and Voila. Same amount of food, instant calorie-reduction, no stress.

2. Eat healthy food


Depending on who you ask, "healthy" food can mean different things. But there is one universal truth: More nutrients with fewer calories is a recipe for success.
In general, the best foods are lean meats, vegetables, high-quality fats, and maybe a small amount of starches, depending on your carbohydrate tolerance. The best part about these foods? They're also fairly low in calories compared to processed stuff.

But what's all that look like on a plate? Just check out this graphic:


A simpler way to eat.


Meals directly after a workout:


What about plant-based eaters? We've got them covered too

A plant based approach to eating.

3. Move more often


We've seen some remarkable fat-loss progress in clients who simply moved more often.

Taking the stairs, going for a morning bike ride, or walking to lunch instead of driving may seem like small steps, but they make a big impact on how your body feels and how many calories you burn.
Of course, this isn't all you need to become a cover model, but it does kick-start the fat loss process. It also supports rules number four and five.

4. Do strength training a few times per week


To look and feel better and speed up the rate of fat loss, you need to do muscle-preserving exercises like weight-training or bodyweight workouts. They don't need to be too intense, and they certainly don't have to take a long time.
The best thing you can do is start slowly and visit the gym two or three times per week. Perform a small circuit of full-body exercises like squats, lunges, rows, and presses. It all takes about 45 minutes.

5. Do intervals (aka "Cardio")


If strength training was your muscle-preserving exercise, intervals are your calorie-burning activity. Doing short bursts of work followed by longer periods of recovery helps your body burn a tremendous amount of calories.
To start, all you have to do is get on an exercise bike, treadmill, or other cardio equipment and try the following:
30 second burst of fast pedaling or running
60 second recovery of slow pedaling or jogging
That's one round. Go back and forth between the "intense burst" and "recovery" and repeat that for a total of six rounds.

Or go walking for 40 minutes after a meal.

It's all about your daily practices.
Your behavior. Your habits. What you do every day. The decisions you make -- both consciously and unconsciously. But how do you change a habit?

Here are a few healthy habits to get into to aid weight  loss:.
Take fish oil and a multivitamin. Use Shaklee's Cinch Weight Loss Shakles with Leutein. Leutein has been clinically shown to help the body hold on  to lean muscle while losing only fat.

Eat slowly. Work out at least three days per week. Stop eating at 80% full. Eat fewer carbs. Eat veggies and protein with every meal. Cinch protein snack bars help provide heart healthy protein while sustaining blood sugars.  Practice de-stressing by deep breathing or yoga stretches.

All you need to do is take the first step and we can help you with the rest. 

Visit: www.cinchplan.com/healthysteps for info and meal plans