Labor Day is in the past and the kids are back in school.  So you’re back to making lunches (or at least I hope you are).  As my kids were growing up they insisted on homemade lunches, no school lunches for them!  I really didn’t blame them when I saw what was being served at school–nothing you could call healthy.

So, what are my tips for making healthy lunches for your kids at school and you at work or on the go?

Start with an insulated carrying case, preferably one with sturdy containers to keep foods from spilling and spoiling.  I really like the Nubius Bento Box system.  In addition, take a look at their reusable sandwich wraps which will help you reduce your waste impact, are toxin-free, completely reusable and easy to clean. Sustainable, fun, and available in a variety of sizes, colors & designs, Nubius Snack Taxis were one of Oprah’s favorite Earth Day solutions this year, and their Wrap-N-Mats are another option.

You will need one or two freezable cold packs to keep everything cold as well. Another way to keep the food cold is to refrigerate and/or freeze the food so that it’s cold when you put it in the lunchbox.  Freezing a bottle of water or other nutritious drink will keep the food cool and safe as it thaws.

A well-balanced lunch should consist of a good, lean protein such as lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs or legumes, good carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables and low-fat or non-fat dairy such as milk, cheese or yogurt.  If you are going to make a sandwich, use whole grain bread rather than white bread.  If your kids are resistant to whole grain bread, transition them over gradually.

Be creative, lunches don’t have to include a sandwich.  Cut up veggies and pair them with a container of hummus or a dip made from plain Greek yogurt.   Avocado is a great source of protein and can be eaten with just a little bit of oil, vinegar and seasoned salt.  Mix cucumbers, garbanzo beans, olives, sunflower seeds and sprinkle with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Pack cheese cubes, turkey chunks or hard-boiled eggs and veggies to be eaten together.  Be creative and think outside the box.

If your child likes chips, a new product I recently found is Beanitos which are healthy chips that contain good protein and fiber. You can find them at some grocery stores and online.

Fruits will stay fresh better if left whole.  If you prefer to cut them up try to pack them so that the cut sides are together.  Mix the fruit with yogurt and nuts for a fun treat.

A snack that can be eaten later in the day can include dried fruit, nuts and seeds, none of which will spoil if not kept cool.

To learn more about healthy eating that’s delicious, enroll now in our personal one-on-one coaching program.  You will learn to eat the most delicious and healthy food for life and lose weight at the same time!

Raw food advocates will tell you that science has proven that cooking not only destroys nutrition and enzymes, and sometimes even chemically changes foods from the substances needed for health into free-radicals and poisons that destroy our health.  Although there is truth in this I am not going to make the switch to eating only raw foods.  However, I will incorporate some of the recipes as part of a well-balanced diet.  To learn more about raw foods, read more.

You must be aware, though, that not all raw food is low-glycemic and it can be high in calories because of the use of nuts.  If you are one of the many people who are looking for a way to lose weight or are diabetic, you must be very careful when choosing recipes to follow.

Many raw food recipes require a high-power blender to get foods to the desired consistency.  For a high-quality blender that will do the job, take a look at Blendtec blenders.

Here is one of the delicious recipes we had this weekend.

Upscale Kale Salad (adapted from Mimi Kirk)

2 bunches of kale, washed, destemmed and dried off
1 cup dried cranberries(go light on these if you’re trying to lose weight)
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 orange, segmented
3/4 cup whole pecans

Dressing:
1 1/2 orange, juiced
3 or 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 small clove garlic, thinly cut
3 tablespoons raw agave
pinch of salt & pepper

Directions:
Whisk all dressing ingredients in bowl (except olive oil)
Slowly add olive oil, whisking to emulsify.
Place dry kale in large bowl and add about 3/4 of the dressing. Using your hands, massage the dressing into the kale leaves (leaves will begin to soften, add more dressing if needed). Add cranberries, segmented orange, sliced onions and pecans on top. Drizzle the rest of the dressing on the toppings

ENJOY! (It tastes best to let the salad marinate for a few hours in the fridge before serving, but it is not necessary).

Yellow cupcakes made with cannellini beans… and a chocolate cake made with chickpeas?

You read that right. Beans are one of the “secret” ingredients you’ll find in many of the dessert recipes you’ll find in Guilt Free Desserts. Used properly, they provide light, springy structure, moisture and tenderness to baked goods. One word of caution: Baked goods made with beans can have a slight “beany” flavor for up to 12 hours after baking. This flavor will dissipate, so be patient. It’s worth the wait.

When using canned beans, opt for Eden Organic. In addition to being grown without the use of pesticides, Eden also packs their beans in BPA-free cans.

Along with canned beans, bean flours are another good option to have on hand. Bob’s Red Mill is a great brand, found at most food retailers across the U.S.

Because bean flours are dense, try adding bean flour for up to 25% of your gluten free flour mix.  Here are the most popular bean flours and how to use them:

• Garbanzo Bean Flour: Use 7/8 cup to replace 1 cup of wheat flour in baked goods.
• Black Bean Flour: Use as part of your baking mix for chocolate cakes and brownies.
• White Bean Flour or Fava Bean Flour: Mild in taste, white bean flour or fava bean flour are suitable for use in most recipes calling for white flour. Substitute 1/4 of the white flour for bean flour.

To learn more healthy baking secrets and enjoy 40 kitchen-tested, gluten free, low glycemic recipes, pick up a copy of Guilt Free Desserts today!

Plastics are made from crude oil and natural gas.  When plastic was first invented it was thought that it would reduce our environmental footprint.  As we know now, plastics are piling up at dumps, clogging our waterways and endangering wildlife.  In addition, a recent study in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that nearly all plastics are harmful to food whether or not they contain DEHP (phthalate) or BPA (bisphenol A).  These two chemicals are used as softening agents in plastic wraps and in the epoxy resin of liners in canned goods.  Researchers have found a high percentage of plastic bags, containers and food wraps leach into our food especially after microwave heating, repeated washing with harsh detergents in dishwashers, prolonged contact with fatty or oily foods and scratching or cracking that occur with use over time.

Why be concerned with leaching?  The chemicals that leach are endocrine disruptors and can alter the body’s hormone system causing adverse developmental, reproductive, neurological and immunological effects.  Studies have shown links to adverse health effects such as low fertility and cancer.

One of the most dangerous forms of plastic containers is Styrofoam (made from styrene).  Styrene is described by the Environmental Protection Agency as a suspected carcinogen and as possibly toxic to our gastrointestinal, kidney and respiratory systems.  Restaurants often pack our leftovers in Styrofoam and it’s also often used for disposable cups for hot drinks.  Studies have shown that chemicals leach from Styrofoam when exposed to heat or oily foods.  The leaching of styrene doesn’t even require heat.  A study at Louisiana State University showed that eggs packed in Styrofoam containers have 7 times more ethylbenzene and styrene than fresh eggs from the farm.  An easy solution–buy your eggs in cardboard containers!

How can you help and lessen your use of plastics?  Buy reusable grocery bags.  Recycle all plastic bags including the plastic on your dry cleaning and that your newspaper comes in (although you may not be able to put them in your home recycling bins, they can be dropped off at most grocery stores).  Change to glass containers as much as possible and especially when heating food in the microwave.  To keep your plastic food containers safe wash them by hand rather than in the dishwasher.  Don’t use plastic wrap on your food and especially when microwaving.  Wax paper works very well.

There is so much more to be said about this topic.  As a starting point, I recommend that you read the book The Healthy Home by Dr. Myron Wentz & Dave Wentz.  It’s an easy-to-read book with simple suggestions for changes to make your living environment healthier.
When you get your book, there is a unique code in the back for access to the website with more information.  In addition, be sure to send me your code so I can register you for future contests!

Chilled Cucumber Soup

2 medium cucumbers
¼ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup celery leaves
2 tablespoon dried dill
2 scallions, white part only, chopped
4 cups buttermilk
1-1¼ cup Greek plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt to taste

Cut 8 thin slices from cucumber and reserve for garnish.  Peel, seed and chop the remaining cucumbers.  In a blender, puree in 2 batches, the cucumber, parsley, celery leaves, dill, scallions and 2 cups buttermilk.   Whisk remaining 2 cups buttermilk and yogurt into soup.  Add 2 tbsp. lemon juice and salt to taste.   Chill 6 hours.  Adjust seasoning with lemon juice and salt if desired.  Garnish with cucumber and dill.
Makes 8 servings.

Do you find exercise to be more of a chore than a pleasure?  If so, we need to change your mindset.  Think about exercise as recreation like when you were a kid and you went outside to play with friends.  What did you enjoy doing then?  Bicycling, skating, playing hide and seek? All of those activities had you moving and you didn’t think of it as exercise, did you?

Exercise does not have to be a bore.  Walking is a great way to start and then get creative.  Go for a hike on a trail you’ve never explored before, try yoga or zumba or sign up for a dance class.  Even small changes can make a difference–park further away in the parking lot, take the stairs instead of the elevator, ride your bike or walk to work, take a walk during lunch with an co-worker.

Watching TV can slow down your metabolism and can even negate your workouts if you watch more than 10 hours per week.  Bottom line is that for a long, vibrant, healthy life lead an active recreation life in addition to your scheduled “workouts” which should include cardiovascular activity 5 times per week and resistance training 3 times per week.

Do you feel like you’re stuck in a rut and don’t know how to get out?  Think outside the box and learn new ways of leading a healthy life.

What if I told you that you can prevent Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, weight gain, premature aging, cataracts and macular degeneration, infertility and IBS… by what you eat?

Seem too good to be true? Well, it’s not…

While most chronic diseases may look very different on the surface, they are really just physical variations of the same underlying causes. When you eliminate the causes, disease doesn’t stand a chance.

Nearly every disease that plagues modern man begins with what is on our plate. Most people are digging their own graves with a knife and fork.
But this DOES NOT have to happen.

You can change the course of your life and chart the course of your health with a few simple choices and a handful of easy changes.

You can lose weight effortlessly. You can prevent disease in your body. You can reverse the symptoms of disease that may already be there. You can feel GREAT and have abundant energy!

You don’t just wake up one day with diabetes. You don’t catch cancer. And your memory isn’t here one day, and then gone the next. All of these chronic illnesses take years, or even decades, of the same internal destructive processes before the diagnosis occurs.

Most health books are packed with information…but lacking in good advice. I have found a 7-book series called Your Plate Your Fate which will give you hundreds of tips on how you can put prevention into practice.  Kelley Herring, the author of the series, learned from personal experience.  She suffered from an unknown illness, tried the route of doctors and prescriptions and when that didn’t work she found the solution to her health problems by changing her nutrition.

This book series combined with the 3 month personal coaching program I offer will give you the tools for a long and healthy life.  No more excuses…take action now for a better quality of life now and in the future!

Remember that if you’re looking for a new sturdy blender that is going to last you a long time, take advantage of Blendtec’s offer of free shipping in July!  Simply click here to order.

I believe I’ve found the answer…it’s the Blendtec Blenders.  In the Total Blender you can make smoothies, fresh juice, ice cream, milkshakes, cappuccinos, margaritas, soups, sauces, bread dough, dressings, salsas and more! It replaces up to 9 other appliances (think of the space and money savings).   This is the blender you’ve seen used in the best coffee shops, juice bars, gyms, and restaurants for years.  The blender comes with a 4″ blade that will do all the heavy-duty jobs you throw at it and the large jar is BPA-free.  Possibly, best of all is that the blenders are well-priced and come with a 7-year warranty.

The company is offering free shipping during the month of July so check it out by clicking this link.  When you go to the shopping cart enter JULYFREESHIP to take advantage of this month’s offer.

Be creative with your breakfast  smoothies for yourself and your kids and start your day off right.  I’d love to hear from you what you blend up in your new blender!

Here are some of the myths that I encounter.

1. Fat-free is a better choice.  This is definitely not true in most cases.  Cookies, cakes, crackers that are labeled fat-free generally have added sugar, flour and starch thickeners to make them taste better.  Eating these fat-free foods will more likely lead to weight gain than weight loss.

2.  Carbohydrates (or sugars) cause you to gain weight.  This generalization doesn’t take into account what kind of carbohydrates and that makes a huge difference.  Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is not likely to lead to weight gain.  However, eating carbohydrates like pasta, rice and bread almost certainly will lead to weight gain.

3.  Exercise makes you eat more often.  Research has shown that after 20 minutes of exercise people eat no more than those who do nothing.  Exercise builds muscle, giving you a bigger motor to burn fat.  Keep exercising for better health.

4.  Different types of foods should not be eaten together–i.e. proteins should be eaten separately from carbohydrates and fats.  That would imply that beans are not healthy because they have both protein and good carbs.  In fact, beans are a great food that are big on nutrients.  The body is designed to digest all types of foods at the same time.  In addition, the best way to lose weight and keep it off is to eat well-balanced meals that include proteins, good carbs and good fats.

What myths have you heard?  I’d like to hear from you.