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If you are thinking of healthy lunch staples to have on hand for kids of any age, then look no further.  Here are ideas that will stave off early signs of low-blood sugar, keep energy levels high between meals and feed your family with fiber, fats, proteins, carbs and a host of phyto-nutrients.

Special note about low-blood sugar: it’s the state that all moms and dads need to avoid when it comes to keeping hormones, particularly insulin, in balance and prevent body fat storage. As an adult, you’ll feel it yourself as extreme hunger or thirst, headache, crankiness. Just look to when you last ate and ask yourself what you had. If you did not have protein and ate mostly starches or fruits, then you’re likely experiencing a crash. If you haven’t eaten in over 3-1/2 hours, then it’s time (next time shoot for 2-1/2 to 3 hours between feedings).

You’ll know your kids have reached low-blood sugar status when they begin complaining, get floppy or otherwise cranky. Ask yourself when they last ate AND what they had. If your kids are eating mostly starches (breads, pasta, muffins, cookies, chips, candies, etc.), then they are liable to fall victim to mood swings more frequently. Long-term cycles of high and low blood sugar can lead to Type II diabetes, which is a terrible reality.

Make it a habit to balance all meals and snacks with a proper protein and fat combination along with fresh fruit/veggies. Starches are fine, but do go low on the junk food. Nobody needs to teach kids that habit. Typically kids eat junk at the expense of the real food that will help their bones and muscles to grow optimally not to mention their brains to function properly and their immune systems to be in high-gear. If they are in sports, then you better the heck make sure that produce, proteins and fats are consumed regularly throughout the day. You are what you eat. Feeding on junk will only allow the cells to uptake junk. Don’t sacrifice good nutrition for convenience. You don’t have to. Here’s how:

Keep on-hand nutritious staples that you can reach for in a pinch. Buy extra of these things (especially when on sale), so that you never run out (which seems to happen when you’re in a pinch). This is preparation at its finest. Plan ahead and prevent unhealthy quick-fixes so you can avoid fast food and other unhealthy solutions.  Ideas for staples include:

Nut or seed butter.  If food allergies are a problem, then try out sesame seed butter (tahini), sunflower or pumpkin seed butter.  You can buy it or make it yourself (look at the 3/7/09 post on FamilyFitnessGuru.com).  Peanut butter (organic and/or homemade), almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, etc. are great sources of healthy fats and some proteins AS LONG AS they do not contain added sugar, partially hydrogenated oils or preservatives.  Also, be aware that most conventional brands (Peter Pan, Jiffy, etc.) may contain genetically modified peanuts (GMO).  Nobody knows what these do long-term to our bodies and genes.  So, stay away from GMO if you want your kids and yourself to live as close to nature as we are meant to be. If in doubt, don’t buy it. If a label is not clear, then it probably is GMO.

Whole grain bread (if you use sprouted grain, then you get a gold star!)  Stop buying white bread.  Just stop.  (I’ll talk more on that later.) Give it to the sparrows and let their blood sugar fluctuate and their bellies grow fat. For you and the kids, however, make it whole-grain, fiber-rich bread. Aim for at least 3 grams of fiber per slice. That is harder to find than you think, but well worth the benefit to your plumbing.

Raw honey, apple butter and/or a low-sugar jelly (not with added sweeteners). I found a locally produced apple butter at my favorite health-food store. It only has apples and cinnamon – no added sugar.  It tastes plenty sweet on a peanut butter sandwich, for instance, and can be used in other recipes like breads, muffins and pancakes. I will buy raw honey in bulk from a food co-op. It costs me under $3/pound and I get a two-quart jar (half gallon) for $18 or less. Most health food stores will sell bottles of raw honey. Although it’s a sugar, raw honey contains immune-boosting properties and B-vitamins. C’mon, it’s honey. You can also use honey for any baking or recipe that calls for sugar and not compromise your immune system in the process (more on that later).

Fresh fruit. Have fresh (organic if possible) fruit washed, sliced if necessary, but at the ready for those quick extras to throw in a lunch. Nothing adds fiber like an apple or a succulent pear (about 3 grams per fruit) and kids love their sweetness. Aside from their wonderful anti-oxidant properties fruits (and vegetables) play a crucial role in balancing the acid-to-base ratio in the blood. Too much acid over the years can lead to debilitating diseases (cancer, kidney disease, diabetes). Consuming fresh produce will cause your blood to become more alkaline and cleaner.

Fresh vegetables. Home-grown, organic or from a local farm are the best choices. Make sure to wash and cut up your veggies in advance. Just keep sandwich bags or small containers nearby so that you or your kids can quickly take a portion of veggies and drop them into their lunch box. Fish oils, anyone? Unless you have certain allergies or contraindications to consuming fish oils, consider keeping high-quality fish oil capsules in stock. The North American lacks in omega-3 fatty acids and fish oil can help regulate insulin levels (thus staving off body fat storage), reduce inflammation and Did you know that fish oils may play a part in helping kids with ADHD? No matter whether your child is diagnosed as such, the American diet is deficient in DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). This is an omega-3 fatty acid that is found in fish. Make sure your kids have fish oils daily. Experts disagree on the dosage children should consume, but 1 gram per day is looked upon as a safe standard. You can buy fish oil capsules for children that come in flavors like orange or strawberry. Search online or inquire at a local health food store. Add a couple capsules to junio’s lunch, and you can rest easy that his brain will be developing nicely and he’ll soon be more powerful than a locomotive and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound… or at the very least getting a healthy source of omega-3 fatty-acids in his repertoire.

Dried fruits.  These are an easy high-energy snack, especially good for pick-me-up nutrition. Think of using them after a sports practice or game or whenever low-blood sugar is looming. They pack a high-calorie punch and are great treats for lunch time. Yes, I know -it’s not a candy bar or a Little Debbie. But think in terms of unprocessed and no preservatives, not to mention the benefit of immune-boosting properties from natural fruits. Speaking of preservatives, sometimes sulfur and sugar are added to dried fruits. Be sure to read the labels for purity sake.

Lean protein sources. Nitrate-free sliced turkey breast (again, ask the deli person to show you the label), boiled eggs, chicken breast even canned tuna are excellent staples to keep on hand. Look for sales at the deli and freeze any extra meat (yes, it keeps). You can also cook up chicken breasts in advance to grab for a whole-grain chicken sandwich (throw a little hummus or homemade honey mustard (mix: 2t mustard, 1/4c yogurt and 1 T honey), throw in a slice of tomato and dark green lettuce and you’ve got yourself a restaurant quality lunch for your child.

Water. Bottled water is convenient, but perhaps not environmentally friendly. Why not buy an insulated bottle and fill it with nature’s best substance for body cooling, fiber-dissolving, life-sustaining hydration? Save money on the boxed drinks with straws and reduce your child’s access to quick sugars, like high-fructose corn syrup, from juices. Let their sugars come from produce and dried fruits, they are less concentrated and include fiber and phytonutrients for cancer-fighting properties and optimal immune system function.

Bonus tip: Whole grains (best for breakfast or dinner). Oats, quinoa, brown rice or basmati rice (not plain white rice), millet, buckwheat, etc. are the unprocessed carbohydrates that contain fiber and sugars for your body without adding it to yours or your child’s waistline. Please stay away from white flour products altogether. White flour is nutritionally empty and serves only to quickly add sugar to the blood stream and a likely crash shortly thereafter.  You can cook up oats for the week and store them in your refrigerator to make an easy and filling breakfast as well as adding to muffins or your own homemade bread. Try cooking a little more with the unprocessed grains (again prep in advance so that you can heat up quickly).

To help you save time in the long-run encourage your children, as early as you think they can, to make their own lunches. It will be a pain in the gluteus maximus for you as they start the process (always leaving a wake of crumbs and such behind); however, you’ll be teaching them skills for life while using healthy ingredients. Most importantly, you’ll save yourself a lot of time. Have the ingredients at the ready for quick lunch-making. These staples will carry you through busy weeks and your good modeling will only serve to catapult your family’s fitness.

Liz Donnelly is a proud member of National Association of Professional Women, International Youth Fitness Association, Lakewood Early Childhood PTA and Junior Women’s Club of Lakewood and mother of three. She is the Owner, Fitness Trainer and IYCA-certified Youth Fitness Specialist for Training by Liz, LLC (http://Trainingbyliz.com). She also runs a blog on family fitness at http://www.FamilyFitnessGuru.com

For comment or to request speaking engagements she can be reached at info@familyfitnessguru.com.

Copyright 2009 by Liz Donnelly, The Family Fitness Guru and Training By Liz, LLC.

How many times have you looked through magazines for some quick anti aging skin care treatments? Or maybe some hot skincare tips that you can use to slow down, or stop the aging process altogether?

Some of the anti aging skin care treatments can be easily put into practice by a little conscious effort about our food habits and lifestyle, and then making the changes necessary. Some you may already be doing, which is great. This only means that you are already on the right track to youthful looking skin for many years to come.

Believe it or not, some of the most important tips for skincare begin with a good night’s sleep, followed with a healthy diet. You need a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep for your skin, as much as it is important for a healthy body. The food that we eat should preferably be healthy, homemade, and less oily. And the perfect routine would be to eat in intervals of 3-4 hours.

Get ready to drink plenty of water! You’ve heard it before, drink a minimum of 3 liters of water to make your skin elastic. Another great suggestion is a regular intake of fresh fruit juices, which allows the body to flush-out toxins and keeps the skin fresh. Drinks with caffeine like coffee, soda, and energy drinks should be avoided as much as possible.

You need to clean your face and neck regularly, especially at the end of the day. The areas should be wiped gently using a cleanser and cotton to remove the dirt, oil, pollutants and makeup. Homemade scrubs to exfoliate your skin, to free the pores from blockages are also recommended.

Did you ever think that the cosmetic brushes and sponges that you use for applying makeup and cleansing your face could be an issue? They should be cleaned regularly to keep them free from the germs and bacteria that accumulate in them. Soaking these items in warm and soapy water, rinsing them, and then allowing them to dry is all that’s needed to keep them germ free. And don’t forget to replace them from time to time. If you can’t remember when you replaced them last, it’s time!

Remember to diet and exercise, and avoid stress when possible. Remember, stress is the root cause of most fatal illnesses, and some conditions like acne and pimples. Not to mention those frown lines that are so hard to get rid of.

I also recommend using one of the over the counter anti aging skin care treatments that you can apply directly to your “crows feet” or existing wrinkles on your face. One of the good ones will slowly fill in those fine lines, making you look and feel years younger.

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Skin care lotion or skin care creams really are the ultimate solution for nourishing and hydrating your skin on a regular basis. These moisturizing creams will not only help to maintain the normal moisture balance, and pH in your skin, it also helps to prevent the formation of wrinkles and fine lines.

The daily use of skin care cream helps to give a person a radiant glow, because of what it can do to their skin. A wide range of skin care lotion or face creams are available on the market today. You have to determine which product will be the “best fit” for you, your face and skin type.

I mentioned skin type because it makes a difference. Whether you fall in the too dry, oily, or normal range. Also are you allergic to any one product that may be included in the skin care lotion you are about to buy? But the biggest question remains, will you remember to use the product? In order for these anti-aging products to work, they need to be applied daily or twice daily to be effective.

You also need to follow the general steps to good skin care. If you continue to lay out by the pool on every hot sunny day, and spend every rainy day in the tanning bed, you are defeating the purpose of the skin care lotion, and will be wasting your money. (it would be like taking your diet pill with a big mac)

Other skin care secrets that will make the “anti-aging serum” more effective would be to use cleansers and scrubs instead of soap on your face. Don’t rub your face dry with a towel after a wash, pat it dry instead, and use a toner after washing. Always remove your makeup at the end of the day. And use a moisturizer daily after a wash and before going to bed. It’s really all about the ph level in your skin, and keeping them where they need to be!

Do yourself a favor, and attend fewer late night parties. Try going to bed the same time each night. Drink a lot of water and juice to help get rid of toxins from your body, while keeping it moisturized. Smokers, stop. If you drink a lot of alcohol, cut down. And reduce the amount of caffeine you’re getting from coffee, soda, and energy drinks.

Great anti aging skin care means watching what you eat as much as what you put on your face. If you want younger looking skin you should be eating a diet high in levels of vitamin C or adding a vitamin C supplement to your daily routine.

If you can follow these tips, your skin care lotion, or skin care cream will be much more effective. An s it helps to fill those fine lines on your face once and for all. You will soon see the results with a younger looking you!

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Did you know that your skin actually reflects your health and your mood? So, protecting your skin is not only important for your appearance but also for your health. Using the proper skin care can actually slow down the aging process and retain that youthful look we’ve come to enjoy, and count on, for a long, long time.

But before rushing out to the mall when spotting that first wrinkle, understand this. All of the anti aging treatments available are not going to help you, if you don’t first help yourself. With saying that I mean there are simple steps you can follow on a daily basis that will help you help protect your skin. And this will make the skin care lotion much more effective.

Simple Steps Protect Your Skin:

Daily Cleansing: Regularly clean your skin to remove all the daily dust and grime collected in your skin pores. Always remove all makeup before you go to sleep.

Daily Moisturizing: Using a moisturizer after a wash not only restores the moisture back to your skin, it also nourishes it, and maintains your skin’s natural pH balance.

Hydration: Drink at least eight glasses of water (or substitute some with fruit juice) every day. Also mist your face with water whenever possible.

Sun Protection: Use a sunscreen or a sun block of at least SPH 15, before venturing out in the sun. Wear sunglasses to protect the sensitive areas around your eyes. Avoid the hottest sun of the day, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. and any. Don’t worry about a fashion statement, make a health statement instead. Wear a hat to help shade the sun and wear something light, and long sleeved to protect your arms. NOTE: Tanning beds are certainly not a healthy option to the sun. Both are bad for you, your health and your skin. Self-tanning lotions and spray tans are really your only safe options for a dark tan.

Healthy Drinking: Control your intake of caffeine from coffee, soft drinks, and other energy drinks. Also cut back on your alcohol intake.

Healthy Eating: Eat food rich in proteins and vitamins instead of fat and starches. Eat food rich in fiber from fresh vegetables, legumes and fruits. Restrict your intake of sugar, and cut down on chocolates.

Skin Care Product Selection: Check the ingredients; to be sure you are not allergic. Choose the most effective product that is going to be right for you, and your skin.

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Enter the world of Japanese skincare and at the heart of the matter you will discover is nothing but a dedication to caring for skin from within and without. There are no shortcuts. If you have admired the Japanese complexion, you will have to do it their way. Here’s a look at the main aspects of what we call Japanese skincare.

Diet: it’s no secret that seafood and fish oils contain those essential ingredients that your hair, skin and teeth and nails need. Look at people around the world who come from a coastal region, and you will notice, how vital and young they seem. The food that they eat comes from the sea, and this is what keeps them looking great.

Japan is an island nation and the Japanese diet as it has evolved over the centuries has included as much as it can from the marine environment. So here’s the first thing you can do – add more seafood or fish oils to your daily intake. If you are adventurous, you could add some types of seaweed to your food. They are powerful sources of valuable nutrients and antioxidants.

More Liquids: The modern lifestyle leaves us with little time to consider what we put into our bodies. Remember our bodies are largely composed of water and we need liquids all the time. Add more soups, and vegetable and fruit juices. Try Miso soup, a Japanese clear soup with shredded wakame or Japanese sea kelp in it. It will taste good, and help your skin as well.

Wakame extract: This concentrate obtained from the kelp that grows only in the Sea of Japan has been around for some time. Known as Phytessence Wakame, it has wonderful properties, and nourishes the skin in a number of ways. It is found online these days for those who outside Japan and a number of niche manufacturers advertise it as an ingredient of their moisturizers and beauty products.

Wakame extract is famed as a collagen elastin lotion. It provide vitamins like B1, B6, and B12 to firm up the skin and reduce inflammation. Or it can be minerals like calcium and sodium, which maintain the pH balance and keep your skin from drying out. It also has an antioxidant that protects the skin from UV damage. Finally it maintains the levels of hyaluronic acid in skin, keeping it looking smooth and firm to reverse skin aging.

Lifestyle: The Japanese lifestyle makes for better health with its emphasis on community and tradition. Work has its own place, but a regular routine counts for a lot. Take time out for gentle stretches and exercise as in yoga, and try to meditate awhile everyday.

So, if it’s wonderful skin you’re wanting, you now know the Japanese skincare way to get it. Use these secrets that have been handed down for generations and find that glowing and youthful skin that you have always admired.

Gerald Markowitz is a health advocate who has been researching natural skin care products that help maintain a youthful appearance. Find out more about some of the most effective treatments on his site http://www.HealthandSkinCareSite.com

Changing the trend in the rate of childhood obesity in America is not difficult as long as parents are willing to accept their responsibility for teaching their children healthy lifestyles. The parents of obese children must begin, within the family, to identify the problems and custom design a plan for change. It is also important to get regular physical activity if you want to maintain a healthy weight.

Regular exercise is another important factor in reversing the numbers in the current child obesity graphs. Limit sweetened beverages, including those containing fruit juice, as they make your child feel too full to eat healthier foods. Limit white carbohydrates to reduce obesity in your children including rice, pasta, bleached bread and sugar (desserts).

However, health problems are not the only concern parents should be aware of, they should also determine if their child has social or psychological problems because of the child’s weight. First, all educators and parents need to understand obesity childhood and how it relates to a long, healthy lifetime. Besides controlling diet through programs, children themselves must make a commitment to eating smarter. In other words, parents must become experts at child and teen nutrition and set a good example. Identifying the problem and its causes is just the first step.

It’s the parents only that can help the teens live happy normal lives. Research indicates that children are more likely to be obese if their parents are obese. It isn’t known whether this is because of genetic factors which the child inherits, if its because families tend to share eating and activity habits, or a combination of them both.

Author: Jared Wadel

The Youth Obesity Solution…

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