Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Monday, June 27, 2011
Ever do this with your kids? You should!
I have to admit to forgetting about this monday post...You'd think I'd remember after this long, but we are getting ready to put our house on the market this week, so needless to say I'm a bit sidetracked and covered in paint! Fun stuff!
So this is my last "get off your butt and get healthy" post...aren't you all so glad! :)
I got to thinking about how much my kids move! They don't even sit still when they sit still! I'm thinking they have got something there??? I'm going to make this simple, not only because my brain is not turned on, but I have boot camp in 54 min and my husband is asking me for a real quick haircut..oh life is glamourous!
So here is my one deep thought...if we all followed our kids around and jumped, climbed, ran, wrestled, and just all around moved, we would probably be in pretty good shape (or at least we would have more fun!) Here are just a few things I love to do with my kids...
We go for walks at night
We play tag in the house
We play "throw the kids on the bed and tickle"
We go on the slip and slide
And we dance! A lot!
It's time to dance everyone! so grab the kids...
Im waiting, Im waiting, Im waiting
Ok here it goes, our favorite dance song!
Please share us with your friends!
Friday, June 24, 2011
{A Legacy Of Health}
Britny ... is a Mommy of 2, wife to 1 and lover of God. Her days are filled with homeschooling her monkeys, making a home on a budget and bringing joy to mankind in the form of sweet treats! She owns a small boutique bakery, Brit’s Bakes, which gives her a fun and creative outlet from Mommyland. A self-proclaimed “foodie” she enjoys reading food blogs, cook books and searching for the best local eats. She is also an occasional runner (which is necessary when there is so much good food in the world) and enjoys setting goals and running road races. When not covered in flour and drowning in laundry, multiplication tables and coupon clipping...you will find her sipping on a vanilla latte with her BFF, who also happens to be her husband of (almost) 11 years.
In the month of June, my husband and I have started a “get off your butt” routine. On Monday, Wednesday & Friday, we put on are matching Nikes ( I know. we are ridiculous), grab some water, put on our favorite Pandora station and head out to the garage. No, we don’t have any fancy machines, or a personal trainer who stops by to kick us into shape - it is just us, two jump ropes, a pull-up bar, dumbbells and our neighborhood to sprint through - I LOVE IT. If you are in need of motivation grab a friend or few - or that good lookin’ guy you married and keep each other accountable! This makes working out so much more fun and when you are working together for a common goal - stuff just gets done, in all areas of life.
So what kind of health goals do you have? Are they realistic? Are they preparing you for the future? So many times our goals can be far fetched, chasing the wind, “I want to wear my Junior High jeans” kind of goals. What if we changed our mind about our health goals and really purposed being healthy as a legacy for our children and even grandchildren? As moms, we have the power of influence in our children’s lives that affect the generations to come. Everyday. If they see Mommy freaking out about her pant size, number on the scale or filling her body with junk food in truck loads...this is the pattern they are most likely to follow. Be a healthy example! Every choice we make is knitting together the person our little people can become. If they see Mommy feeling good, being strong, active and making balanced food choices (we are not talking deprivation people!), they too are set up to do the same. What do you want the “health” legacy to be for your family?
Having our health is a gift and exercise is a way of saying thanks for the gift we each have been giving. It doesn’t always have to be about looking “better”, though as you cultivate a healthier lifestyle that is sometimes the bonus! So put your ideals and perfectionism aside and think about what lifestyle you would like for your children. Make healthy choices as a family - go for walks together, prepare healthy meals together, and teach your kids (by example) to have a healthy relationship with food...there is a time for cupcakes and a time for carrots....:) Let your children see you set goals and see them through - Let them see a Mommy who has energy to run with them ( and sometimes catch them), a Mommy who takes risk and is willing to climb on the jungle gym or slide down the slip n slide with them. Making memories and teaching your child to make positive choices for their future too, now that is healthy!
Let your kids see you drinking this and you will be the picture of utmost health...... or you may totally gross them out! :)
Blend together:
1 Quarter of a Fresh Pineapple, chopped
1 Mango Sliced
1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Peach Slices
Half of an Orange
1 Medium Banana
1/2- 1 cup Coconut Milk
After the mixture is good and blended, GO GREEN!!
Add in a large handful of Spinach (preferably organic) and blend away! Pour in a jar throw in a straw and sip your way to better health :)
IF you must, you can add some agave or honey to sweeten things up, but the banana usually does the trick!
NOTE: If the green color freaks you out (I promise the taste will not) you can add a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries. This will give you a purplish drink, that even the kids might drink!
You can find Brit's Bakes on facebook at www.facebook.com/britsbakes she also has a blog at: www.pocketfulofmoments.blogspot.com
In the month of June, my husband and I have started a “get off your butt” routine. On Monday, Wednesday & Friday, we put on are matching Nikes ( I know. we are ridiculous), grab some water, put on our favorite Pandora station and head out to the garage. No, we don’t have any fancy machines, or a personal trainer who stops by to kick us into shape - it is just us, two jump ropes, a pull-up bar, dumbbells and our neighborhood to sprint through - I LOVE IT. If you are in need of motivation grab a friend or few - or that good lookin’ guy you married and keep each other accountable! This makes working out so much more fun and when you are working together for a common goal - stuff just gets done, in all areas of life.
![]() |
| My son cheering me on !! |
Having our health is a gift and exercise is a way of saying thanks for the gift we each have been giving. It doesn’t always have to be about looking “better”, though as you cultivate a healthier lifestyle that is sometimes the bonus! So put your ideals and perfectionism aside and think about what lifestyle you would like for your children. Make healthy choices as a family - go for walks together, prepare healthy meals together, and teach your kids (by example) to have a healthy relationship with food...there is a time for cupcakes and a time for carrots....:) Let your children see you set goals and see them through - Let them see a Mommy who has energy to run with them ( and sometimes catch them), a Mommy who takes risk and is willing to climb on the jungle gym or slide down the slip n slide with them. Making memories and teaching your child to make positive choices for their future too, now that is healthy!
Let your kids see you drinking this and you will be the picture of utmost health...... or you may totally gross them out! :)
Blend together:
1 Quarter of a Fresh Pineapple, chopped
1 Mango Sliced
1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Peach Slices
Half of an Orange
1 Medium Banana
1/2- 1 cup Coconut Milk
After the mixture is good and blended, GO GREEN!!
Add in a large handful of Spinach (preferably organic) and blend away! Pour in a jar throw in a straw and sip your way to better health :)
IF you must, you can add some agave or honey to sweeten things up, but the banana usually does the trick!
NOTE: If the green color freaks you out (I promise the taste will not) you can add a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries. This will give you a purplish drink, that even the kids might drink!
You can find Brit's Bakes on facebook at www.facebook.com/britsbakes she also has a blog at: www.pocketfulofmoments.blogspot.com
Monday, May 30, 2011
It's time to "get off our butts and get healthy!" Four steps to begin this month long journey with the Earth Monkeys family!
I have been so excited for this post for a long time!
The idea has been brewing for a while and now the time is finally here!!!
We are going to spend the month of June focusing on a topic that we here at
Earth Monkeys have become crazy about...
GETING OFF OUR BUTTS AND GETTING HEALTHY!
Lets dive in!!
-On any given day in the United States half of all women are on diets, and 1 in 4 men are on a diet.
-2/3 of people who loose weight on a diet gain it back within a year,
and almost all gain it back in 5 years!
-Half of all 9 and 10 year old girls say being on a diet makes them feel better,
and 4 out of 5 children are afraid of being fat. (this rattles me big time!)
-Americans spend over 40 billion dollars a year on dieting or diet related products. (they should spend that on Earth Monkeys products instead!) ;)
-One in every 400 children now has type 1 diabetes...13 million men, and 12.6 million women also suffer from diabetes! This is crazy!
These stats are very disturbing to me. Not only does it prove that diets are basically not effective and are doing nothing to improve our health, but the fact that our kids even know what a diet is and feel better when they are on one, breaks my heart!
Somethings gotta change!
It may sound cliche', but think about the fact that you have one chance with this body on this earth, ask yourself: "is it more important that the food I eat taste super good for 10 seconds and wrecks my body, or that I nourish it with the best food possible so that it will last and serve me well?" I once heard a girl say "I don't eat to live, I live to eat". Let me propose...its time to eat to live! I'm going to ask you today to make some commitments. For some of you, I think you will feel a great sense of hope and a weight lifted with this clear direction and change in thinking we are proposing, for others, this may not be for you, and that's ok too.
LETS START NOW!!!
1) Remove the word "diet" from our vocabulary, lets break the cycle and make this a word our kids know nothing about. It's time to commit to "being healthy" NOT being on a diet.
2)Start moving. We will go into this more on another post, but for now, just Get off your butt and move ;)
3) Lets stop comparing our outsides to other peoples outsides. We are all different and it's time to stop thinking we all need to be stick thin super models. It's time to focus on being healthy, not skinny.
4) It's time for a full on pantry/fridge makeover! I'm going to give you a few things that we are all going to start with today, things we are feeding our families that are making us crazy unhealthy, and even killing people!
The first change is our pantry/fridge makeover
(note: I am going to give you just a little bit of information on a few things that we need to wipe totally out of what we feed our families. There is a ton more information that is out there, I'm just sharing a small amount on each thing)
-Check the labels on all processed food and anything with Hydrogenated oils...put it in the trash! Let me tell you why...
These oils are put in our foods because they are cheap and they greatly extend the life of our foods.
The way they are processed makes the chemical makeup comparable to plastic and your body can't digest this. They raise bad cholesterol, and are linked to heart disease, Alzheimer's, encourage development of cancer, cause obesity, and cellulite (this should be enough for most of us ;). And this crap is in everything, so be prepared to trash a lot of stuff!! Nuff said???
Get rid of soda, diet and regular...
-It has NO nutritional value.
-It is linked to osteoporosis (by not allowing the body to absorb calcium) , obesity, tooth decay, and heart disease. (just to name a few)
-It has ove 100% of the USRDA of sugar which increases insulin, causes High blood pressure, causes heart disease and diabetes.
Did I just hear you say "well I drink diet"??? (uh ohhhh...)
-The artificial sweeteners in that diet soda are linked to 92 different health side effects (major gasp!) including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders, epilepsy, MS, lupus, fibromyalgia, depression, and seizures. It also doubles the risk of obesity and takes away your appetite for healthy foods. (note: you can find lots of information online for helping quit the soda habit. It is an addiction.)
Lets continue on with sweetners...
Think you are safe with Splenda? Well it is NOT natural. The FDA approved it without any long term studies even though it contains chlorine and the chemical makeup is close to pesticides. (need I say more?)
High fructose corn syrup...dont let the adds fool you, it is not safe. It is made from corn, yes, but it is overly processed and is 45% fructose which is related to type 2 diabetes, obesity, HBP, heart disease, liver disease, and kidney stones...and it's in a ton of things...get rid of it all ;)
Your safe because you replaced your bad sweeteners with Agave, right? Wrong. I fell for this one until I did some research and found out it is HIGHER IN FRUCTOSE than even high fructose corn syrup! It is overly processed with chemicals and is even connected to miscarriages! So not cool.
I have found that the safest sweeteners are small amounts of real sugar, raw honey (the thick stuff) and Stevia.
I have to quickly mention those "100 calorie snack packs"...seriously, they may be low in calories, but the ingredients are terrible! Lets start being more concerned with WHAT we put in our bodies and not just how low in calories it is..lets all get into the habit of reading labels, and researching before jumping onto the latest "new thing". My rule is, if I don't know what an ingredient is, I don't buy it. Really! You want a healthy snack? Eat something real...like a fruit or veggie ;)
A quick look at salt.
The amount that is suggested we eat in one day is equal to 1t and we as Americans are eating at least 2x that amount. Let's look at why this is so harmful...
-It is linked to heart disease, HBP, stroke, heart failure, kidney failure, kidney stones...
This means when we cook at home, we should add only small amounts to our meals, and take that shaker off of the table, because we do not need more added. This also means, if we are getting any of our meals at a fast food restaurant, we will NOT be able to stay within the RDA. (I have a million other reasons to avoid all fast food, but I wont go off on those today...)
This is only the beginning!
This is only the beginning!
I want to challenge you to do your own research on things like red dye, fast food, processed food in general, soy, corn...teach yourself to research things from every angle, and remember that if there is money to be made, of course that opinion will be for something. Dig deep. Let us know what you find! So lets clean it out...remember, we are not counting calories, fat or carbs...we are getting rid of the crap that is harming us and the rest will follow. Lets get our families out of this unhealthy rut that we are in as a nation.
This is in no way meant to sound "holier than thou"or preachy...its meant to be the start of a month long conversation with you all so that we can all learn and grow from each other. I am really hoping that this month will be totally interactive! What are you going to change to improve the health of you and your family? and What are you already doing in your lives to be healthy? Are you in it with us to "Get off your butt and get healthy"month?...are you committing to hanging with us and going through the process? Talk to us ;) Let us know in the comments beneath.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)



