The Brick House...in pursuit of stronger lives.

Mommy, You Are Beautiful

2016-07-22T18:06:00.002-04:00

Dear Mommy,

Just as you have set the children down for a moment of rest, after wiping peanut butter off of every flat surface in the kitchen and putting the fourth load of laundry to wash again because it was forgotten in the washer and has now become musty smelling… I want to remind you that you are beautiful.

The work that is done behind the scenes just so life can run smoothly is important work. Did you learn this juggling act in school? Probably not. Did you learn the art of nursing a baby while helping your 2-year-old go potty and in the midst of sing-alongs with your 4-year-old? Not likely. But here you are, doing important work.

“The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.” ~William Ross Wallace.

It is a season. Those years when your little ones are growing, developing and formulating their perspective of the world will pass by in the blink of an eye, so slow down and just be in that season. There will never be anyone better at being your children’s mother than you. It doesn’t mean it is easy. It requires waking up a bit earlier than the brood to spend some time in prayer, collecting your thoughts and even getting in some exercise. This sounds like a tall order, especially if you are still waking up in the middle of the night with babies, but trust me, the discipline of an early alarm clock for precious quiet time will save your sanity. You will find that you can get a better grip on your day, your spirit and your health when you put this little tip into practice.

It is not selfish, it is self-preservation. Keep your own cup full so that you can pour out love and goodness to your babies.

Society has changed so much in the past few decades and stay-at-home-moms now seem to be viewed as those who have a luxurious privilege, but truthfully, who better than a child’s mother to know the heart of a child and guide the shaping of their character? Today’s families are so busy and often juggle the caretaking responsibilities of the children. Everyone thinks someone else is watching the littles and frequently the needful guiding hand is not available to truly help the child arrive safely to adulthood.

I won’t pretend that I understand your family dynamics, or what best fits your finances, but I will tell you this, you will never regret dedicating your time to be fully present during the young years of your child(ren)’s lives. Fulfillment in a career can come at a different time in life. Does it mean that you cannot have your own personal interests? I don’t think so. Those motherhood years can be ones that you develop skills in cooking, organizing, writing, gardening, floral arranging, teaching (you are teaching your children every day- degree or not), photography, sewing and even develop leadership skills as you volunteer for organizations pertaining to your children’s activities. When my children were very young, I would go to the library and check out every book I could get my hands on in a particular subject, like floral arranging or bread-making, and use resources at home to hone these new skills. Those were some of the most enriching years. The children often learned right alongside of me.

Perhaps not a one will read this simple musing, but the thought begged to be written out. Mommies are irreplaceable. If you are having a difficult day, or it seems like you will never find yourself again amongst the endless duties of mommy-hood, rest assured, this is a season, and you are doing the most important work of your life.

xoxo,
Tasha Brickhouse, RD, LD/N

Are you thinking about becoming a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist?

2016-06-26T15:42:00.000-04:00

A Commentary on Eastern Michigan University’s

Distance Coordinated Program in Dietetics

When I first started exploring the idea of going into the field of nutrition, I had a rather large

Study, study, study...

misconception of just how much of an education base was required to function as a nutrition professional. I mean, after all, there seems to be nutrition gurus everywhere with very little in the way of formal training. But then I learned about the risk of practicing nutrition without being fully credentialed as a Registered Dietitian through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; understanding specific disease risks and conditions is essential to applying nutrition therapy. It was clear that I wanted to provide the most accurate, evidence-based care for future patients and clients.

In my previous blog post, Road to R.D., I shared the history of my decision to study nutrition and how I selected Eastern Michigan University’s Distance Coordinated Program in Dietetics. Since that post, I have successfully graduated from the program with my B.S. in Dietetics, Summa Cum Laude, I have successfully passed the Registered Dietitian Exam and obtained my State of Florida license to practice as a Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist.

For those who are interested in pursuing the field of dietetics, you might find my experience to be helpful when planning your path… and so I write…

In the last post, I left off right when I had been accepted into the dietetics program, which was a 2-year (Junior & Senior year) program. The Coordinated Program at EMU can also be a Master’s level program, including additional coursework, but also provides the required ACEND approved curriculum just the same. Upon completion, this qualifies the student to sit for the Commission on Dietetic Registry board exam. To give you an idea of how this program works, all of the coursework is completed online while the 1200 hour supervised practice requirement is coordinated by the student in facilities local to the student. This requires making connections with local dietitians in each of the required fields and ensuring that the proper facility agreements are completed. I cannot say enough good things about this program, especially if you are not in the vicinity of a university with a dietetics program. The distance option is so convenient. However, this program is made for the detail oriented, self-motivated, technologically savvy student. If you can learn via web lectures, power-point presentations and can navigate Office software, Adobe and such, you can do this program.

My program began the Fall of 2014, but beforehand, we took a prep class, Fundamentals of Nutrition Therapy to get us ready for some of the medical terminology and the nutrition assessment process. This was helpful because when the classes began in September, we had a brief “boot-camp” prior to our 1-day per week clinical schedule and we needed to be prepared. The striking difference between the coordinated program and a typical internship is that we were learning all of the didactic material at the same time that we were completing our supervised practice hours, whereas, in an internship, the didactic work would have been completed before the student ever steps foot in a healthcare facility. The benefit that I saw in the Coordinated Program is that I was able to put in practice what I had learned right away, thereby solidifying my knowledge immediately. Initially, there was a bit of a learning curve because some of the RDs were not fully aware of my field knowledge base and anticipated that I would have the same understanding as an intern who had completed the didactic work. With a little clarification, they all were more than happy to adjust their method of instruction.

The first semester of the program was split between Nutrition Therapy (in an acute care setting) and Foodservice Management. My Nutrition Therapy Supervised Practice Hours were at a ~280 bed hospital and my Foodservice Management Supervised Practice Hours were completed at a ~70 bed long term care facility. Both of these locations were utilized for future rotations; I completed the long-term care supervised practice hours at the LTC facility and at the hospital, I completed half of a semester in Foodservice Management and again for Nutrition Therapy II in the final semester. In the first Spring (EMU called it WINTER), in addition to the LTC rotation, I worked with an outpatient office which was part of a local hospital. One of my special interests is in breastfeeding and lactation counseling, so as an added bonus, that hospital was hosting a weekly breastfeeding support group which was great experience working with mommies as they provided the first nutrition to their babies. It was a highlight!

During the second Fall, the focus was turned towards Community Nutrition in which the Supervised Practice hours were completed in a WIC facility in addition to 1-day events with Head Start, a Senior Center and an elementary school. Additionally, the second fall included a specialty rotation, in which I completed hours with an Oncology Dietitian who also was the Sports Dietitian for a local university and who was a monthly guest on a local talk radio program. Additional hours were completed with a private practice dietitian.

Study on the beach, study in the car, study study over here, study everywhere...

All of these Supervised Practice Hours are in addition to at least 4 classes per semester. Determination and planning were my left and right arm to help wade through this intense program. Can I also include that this program occurred during my daughter’s final year of high school, my youngest son’s sophomore and junior years in high school (as a home schooler), and through my oldest son away at Bible College and then his wedding. Many of my schoolmates had families as well. There were a couple of super-moms with little children and I think they deserve an additional badge.

The coursework covered Nutrition Therapy I, II, II & IV, Food Systems Management, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Entrepreneurship, in addition to Seminar in Dietetics, Micronutrient and Macronutrient Metabolism, Food and Culture and Nutrition of the Lifecycle.

In all honesty, I would have never guessed that a dietitian would have so much training in Foodservice or that dietitians play such a vital role in critical care. Prior to my experience, it was difficult for me to handle any medically invasive intervention, including needles and wounds, but my preceptors were so amazing and they coordinated many valuable experiences for me such as being in the operating room during a quadruple bypass surgery, a gastric sleeve operation which included a cholecystectomy, I watched gastric band assessments, a bronchoscopy and I shadowed a wound nurse. To my great surprise, I was able to attend each event without any issue, primarily because I focused on the anatomical process that was taking place. In each setting, I was able to see the importance of a dietitian in either the prevention or the treatment of the condition. Not enough can be said about how important preceptors are to the dietetic student/interns. My preceptors went out of their way to ensure that I gained the required knowledge and experience. Early in the process of preparing for the program, I began to volunteer with a newly forming local dietetics group and the dietitians from that group became my mentors, cheerleaders and now I can call them friends. For the upcoming membership year, I have the privilege to serve as the President-Elect of that same group.

Additionally, the EMU Dietetics Program Director, Lydia and the Clinical Coordinator, Diane, were absolutely amazing. When I think of all that had to go into preparing the students, keeping us on track with dates and requirements, all via the wonders of the internet, I am in awe with their dedication to the success of future dietitians.

Graduation was a sweet time for the distance students who were able to travel to Michigan for the ceremony as well as a celebration ceremony thrown by Lydia and Diane. That weekend was the first time that I was able to meet any of the professors and staff as well as the other students who attended. For over 4 years, I had been in communication with the EMU staff, either preparing for the program or during, so meeting everyone face-to-face was a momentous event. I am so thankful for the opportunity to attend.

#EMU Class of 2016!

I cannot end this commentary without infusing the significance of faith during this process. I truly did not know or believe that I could complete such rigorous course of study, but I truly had to place my trust in God and recognize that His strength was more than sufficient, even in the times when I was so very weak. He taught me so many side-lessons in the process.

If you are considering the field of dietetics and you have questions about EMU’s program, please leave me a note in the comments and I will be glad to help.

In a future post, I will share how I prepared for the RD exam and what I used to study.

XOXO,

Tasha Brickhouse, RD, LD/N

Guest Bloggin' over on Stone Soup, a Food and Nutrition Magazine Blog

2016-01-09T15:33:00.000-05:00

Polish Cabbage Rolls!

Do you need some comfort food to get through this Winter Saturday? Try this and get a belly full of vegetables and whole grain, to boot!

Head over to the Stone Soup blog for the recipe! Leave some feedback and let me know how you like it!

Guest-bloggin' over on ApostolicSportswear | Wearing an orange ASW skirt for #HungerAction Day!

2015-09-03T12:21:00.000-04:00

Featuring one of Apostolic SportsWear Skirts!

It is no secret.
I am a running-skirt kinda girl. My sweet friend Teresa was probably one of the forerunners of modest active skirt-makers and she has stayed true to her passion. A bit of her passion has spilled over to her ultra-creative daughter Hannah, who is maintaining the family business website Apostolic SportsWear.

Hannah asked me if I would write a little diddy about some of the physical benefits of exercise, aside from a smaller number on the scale or in the tag of your clothes.

Jump over to their blog and read about Perking you up with a fresh cup of...Exercise? Leave a little feedback and share on your favorite social media if you know someone who could use a little pick-me-up!

So do you want to know why I am wearing orange today? September is #HungerAction month which is an initiative to encourage folks to donate non-perishable goods to their local food banks. September 3rd is a day to wear orange signifying your action on hunger.

Did you know that 1 in 6 Americans struggle with hunger? As summer comes to a close, many food banks have run very low on their supplies due to increased needs while the children are out of school. Locally, the Pentecostals of Deland is hosting a food drive throughout the month of September to benefit local needs and contribute to The Neighborhood Center in Deland. Our church has 5 key missions in a Whole Life Challenge for the year 2015. Two of them are Feeding the Whole Man and Serving the Whole Community. I cannot think of a better way to actively contribute to these vital mission points. We welcome your donation of non-perishable food items during our service times:

Sunday 10am and 6pm
Wednesday 7:30pm (except the 3rd Wednesday when groups meet in homes)

If you are not in the Volusia County area, I encourage you to reach out to your local food banks and donate. They can always use your help!

As always, be well...

Tasha's Cucumber Salsa

2015-06-16T08:44:00.002-04:00

Keeps perfectly for up to 1 week... you can put it on top of spring mix, in a pita, add cold quinoa or brown rice or just eat it as is...

Summer cucumber salsa:
5 Kirby cukes,
1 pkg of grape tomatoes (sliced in half)
1 red pepper-chopped
1 green pepper
2 fresh corn off the cob (raw)
1 red onion, 1 can of drained black beans
1 can of drained white beans (optional, could also use garbanzo beans)
1 handful of chopped cilantro
about 3-4 tbsp your favorite vinegar (white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar)
The juice of 1 lime
Sprinkle with sea salt...

Chop veggies in bite size pieces... Let sit for about an hour so it can mingle. Gets more yummy overnight.

-Much love,
Tasha

Praying the Hedge of Protection

2015-03-06T08:49:00.001-05:00

Praying the Hedge of Protection

photo credit: Google Images, Creative Commons

Recently, The Lord has been reminding me about some areas of vulnerability in life, kids, family and such. In times past, these concerns would become debilitating, wondering how to prevent calamity, or struggle. Somewhere along the line, someone (it may have been God himself) spoke in my heart about praying a hedge of protection around my family, my home, my husband. During these times of prayer, I could visualize The Lord creating this great protective hedge that brought safety and was guarded by angels on every corner.

These hedges are Biblical. Job 1:10 says," Hast not thou made a hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land." The enemy knew that this hedge made Job untouchable.

Here is an interesting thought though: is a hedge stronger than a wall? Or a fortress? The Bible says that "He is my refuge and my fortress" Psalms 91:2, but why is there an emphasis on a hedge?

A hedge is alive and has to be cared for, maintained, pruned so it will thicken and protect. Prayer is that care and attention that keeps the hedge alive and strong. Shaken but not destroyed in a storm.

Your prayer do matter, they are heard and do make an impact.

Blessings to you~
Tasha

Mind Over Matter | On the Road to Sweet Success

2014-06-12T09:18:00.001-04:00

In the trenches of the No Sugar Challenge, one might think that there is nothing but survival as we muster the strength to forage for food not laden in the sweet stuff, however, the taste of sweet success is not served on a silver spoon. It is the taste of victory...

Meet Kristina, a new friend of mine. In mid April, she posted in a local running Facebook group that she was looking for a running buddy in my city. I NEVER respond to this sort of thing... call me shy, backward, whatever, but it is just not like me. I decided to comment and say that I was in the area, so we met at a local coffee shop the next day to get to know one another. From the first meeting, I could tell that Kristina was a fun-loving, super dedicated working momma. It wasn't hard to find common ground in our love for family and the all-too-real struggle to bounce-back-after baby (her second baby was born in October of 2013). She told me that she began running (and completed 3 5k's) before her recent pregnancy and was ready to jump back in. We wasted no time, and planned our first run the next day on April 15.

Let's just face it, folks, runner's anxiety is real. "I wonder if they are the same pace as me. Will I be able to keep up? Will I die from lack of oxygen? What if I have to walk and they don't." Even my BFF, Darcy, says I make her anxious when we run, and I PROMISE, that is the last thing I am trying to do. This "runner's anxiety" has kept me a lone runner for the first 2 1/2 years of my running habit. It can keep you from really enjoying the company and safety of others, and create all sorts of unhealthy "comparison conversations" in your head. The truth of the matter is, everyone starts somewhere. If you start where you are now, just think of where you will be in 1 year, 2 years, 3 years!

If Kristina had any of these apprehensions, she surely hid it well. Our first run was an interval set, with a 16:39 min/mi pace. The greatest milestone of the day was for her to make the decision to get dressed, put her shoes on and drive to my house, and run with someone that she hardly even knew. It was that day that she clothed herself with determination, and now she is on her way.

The following week, she moved and had to take a week off of running. That sort of thing could derail anyone's efforts in a new lifestyle change, but not Kristina! This gal works full time, has a 4 year old and an 8 month old, handled a move, spends the weekends living a full family life, and yet, her mind is set on accomplishing the goal of running and greater health.

Each time we have met, we have stretched the running intervals a little longer. The first goal was to reach running a full 1 mile without stopping. Imagine my hysterical surprise when partway through our first full mile she turns into full coach mode, saying, "Tasha, keep going, don't stop, you better not slow down!"... lol... Boy, I'm glad she was there to keep me motivated! :-) Every time we talk about visualizing the progress for the future months, I tell her to imagine what her family Christmas pictures will look like, and her response is, "I'm going to rock those pictures, look at me now!" So much fun to see a go-get-it personality in action.

This morning was a particularly monumental day for Kristina. We are almost halfway through the 30 day No Sugar Challenge, and she discovered that she is down 10 lbs! Whoop whoop! Not only that, but our last full run interval on Tuesday was 1.28 miles with an average of 13:33 min/mi pace, and today, she rocked out a full 2 mi run with a 13 min/mi pace! When we hit the 1.5 mi mark and she kept running, I had a feeling that she already had a goal in mind, and she did! For the most part, I have tried to give Kristina a couple options each running session as to how to reach the next goal level. Sometimes it is based on length of intervals, sometimes it is "run to the next stop sign." Almost always, she has exceeded the goal based on something she has made up in her own mind. Her motto, "Mind over Matter" presses her on to her next goal, despite what her body may fee like. I respect the fact that Kristina stretches her own abilities without setting the bar so high that it is unattainable.

It is so exciting to see the transformation within Kristina and this is just the beginning! Share this and follow along as we watch this crazy girl in action!!

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend. http://bible.com/116/pro.27.17.nlt

xoxo

Breakfast Tacos | Day 5 No Sugar Challenge

2014-06-05T08:06:00.000-04:00

I absolutely LOVE having fresh ingredients on hand to assemble quick and healthy meals. I am a firm believer that we should include vegetables in our breakfast, and it makes eating healthy all day very natural. Last night, we made tacos, so I had whole wheat tortillas on hand for breakfast (check brand ingredients for added sugar: La Tortilla low carb whole wheat seemed to be good). So when I came home from running with my friend Kristina, I quickly cooked:

1 whole egg and 1 egg white in a pan with a small amount of olive oil spray

Grabbed a hand full of baby greens

Layered them on the whole wheat tortilla

Topped with the below salsa

and 1 tbsp of plain Greek Chobani yogurt

Yes, you should come over :-)

Yesterday, on The Brick House Facebook page, I shared this super easy Ninja-made salsa.

18 Roma tomatoes

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

2 jalapeños

2 garlic cloves (grated finely)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 1/2 tsp lime juice

1/4 tsp cumin

Salt to taste

Using Ninja Mega Kitchen System (BL771) food processing attachment (you can cut by hand if needed), I processed the tomatoes, pulsing for only about 15 seconds, then drained excess liquid. Process all the peppers to desired chunkiness, and combine ingredients. Eat. Yum.

Happy Day 5 of the No Sugar Challenge!

BE the SWEET in LIFE!

xoxo

*affiliate links to keep The Brick House lights on :-)

National Running Day | June 4th, 2014

2014-06-04T06:51:00.002-04:00

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:14

Running. It is either loved or despised. And sometimes both. At the same time. Four or five years ago, if you told me that I would run, on purpose, and not because someone was chasing me, I would have told you to check your meds. When I began trying to shed some weight, I could not dedicate enough time to walking in order for it to begin to rev my metabolism. Since I was a teenager I often used at home workout videos, but that was not doing it for me either. It seemed like everywhere I turned, someone was talking about running, or using a couch-to-5k program to get started. I read where people who were much bigger body frame than myself were getting out there and trying to run. Out of nowhere it was like something inside me said, "Tasha, you are going to conquer this thing you said you would never do."

You may have read a previous post about this, so just humor me. When I set out to do the first day of the couch-2-5k training, it appeared that I would almost die for lack of oxygen. However, I survived. It was during a time of personal/family economical struggle, which threatened to crush me emotionally. Every time I laced up my shoes, it was like I was slapping my situation in the face. "You cannot beat me," was my heart's cry. I would literally pray during the run intervals that God would lengthen my endurance, no matter what the trial was, that I would be able to persevere and come out on the other end. Those very prayers are what kept me from stopping my run intervals before the timer dinged. It was a test of my physical and emotional ability. Rev. Joe Hanthorn said, " Faith is not faith until you have had a good chance to quit." Running was my opportunity to build my faith. In God's strength and in my own.

1 Corinthians 9:24 says:

24Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

25And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

26I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

27But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

Everytime I ran a little further, I felt weakness leave my body. Physical and emotional weakness. It was bringing my unruly, spoiled, don't-like-to-be-uncomfortable flesh back in check. Life is hard, but we, powered by the Spirit of God, are equipped to be stronger than we ever thought we could be.

And running made me a stronger person.

What will you conquer today, on this National Running Day?

xoxo

Coffee Talk | Day 2 | No Sugar Challenge

2014-06-02T09:03:00.001-04:00

Did you survive day 1? Are you still speaking to me? The first week is the most challenging. For one thing, EVERYTHING seems to have sugar in it. And, just when you have bravely made up your mind to stay away from sugar, something crazy happens like you have to decorate 140 cupcakes and remember not to lick the frosting off your fingers (spoken from experience). Just keep on trucking. If you hit a snag, pick yourself up off the floor and move on.

The biggest concern that I heard about yesterday was the fear of losing your sweet date with Mr. Joe. You know, that tall, dark, and yummy, make-your-heart-beat-faster, coffee date. I hear your concern. I agree, this was my toughest battle! The coffee is not the problem. It is what we put in it that is the real issue. We are aiming to stay away from sugar & artificial sweeteners and it would seem that life just simply will not be the same without coffee just the way we like it. I encourage you to open your mind to the possibility of learning a new way to enjoy your coffee.

In The No Sugar Challenge post, I talked about how, in effort to eliminate the use of Splenda, I opted to brew flavored coffee, and add a splash of half & half. Please recognize, that flavored coffee beans are very different than going to a coffee shop and ordering a flavored coffee (French Vanilla, Irish Cream, etc.). The baristas use flavored syrups that are sugar or sugar alternative based. This will not help you on your No Sugar Challenge.

In the case of flavored coffee beans (grounds), the beans have been flavored during the drying process with a very small amount of oil (somewhere around 3%) that allows the flavor to penetrate the porous exterior of the bean. This translates to a negligible amount of nutrient difference, but it offers a great flavor boost. Some great brands to try are New England Coffee (hazelnut, blueberry, French vanilla), Eight o'Clock (French vanilla, caramel macchiato, hazelnut). Additionally, Panera Bread restaurant serves hazelnut coffee in brew form (not a flavored syrup), however, the other flavors are via syrup. It is important that you ask the barista/restaurant if their flavored coffee is brewed flavor or syrup based.

The next thing to consider is your cream choice. Some folks are good with straight up black coffee. They are my heroes. :-) For the rest of us, cream or some form of milk is used to round out the sharp, bitter flavor that straight brewed coffee has. The Virginia Cooperative Extension did a side by side comparison of non-dairy creamers, half & half and skim milk. Hands down, nutritionally speaking, skim milk won, due to the decreased fat and calories, however, for most people that will not offer enough body to make their coffee experience enjoyable. Let's go back to the non-dairy creamer for a moment. Both the liquid and the powdered form have some concerning ingredients that put them on our "no-no" list.

Liquid Non-Dairy Creamer has Water, Corn Syrup, Soybean & Cottonseed Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sodium Caseinate (A Milk Derivative), Dipotassium Phosphate, Mon-& Diglycerides, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate. Not A Source Of Lactose

Powdered Non-Dairy Creamer has Corn Syrup Solids, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Sodium Caseinate (A Milk Derivative), Dipotassium Phosphate, Mono- And Diglycerides, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Soy Lecithin, Artificial Flavor, Artificial Color. Allergy Warning: Contains Milk And Soy.

So you can see the trouble that this could cause, as one of the main ingredients is corn syrup (or solids), and in the case of the powdered, partially hydrogenated soybean oil is a nasty form of trans fat that we need to avoid like the plague.

Another option you may want to consider is unsweetened vanilla almond milk, however, it is important to read labels, as some varieties contain added thickeners and hidden sugar. Silk brand unsweetened vanilla is the most clean variety, so give it a go.

A final thought on half & half. If you are eating mostly vegetables, fruit, lean protein and healthy carbs, the added fat from a tablespoon or 2 of half & half will not be too dangerous to your weight loss/ health goals. That being said, carefully monitoring all other areas, and keeping your consumption within recommended serving size should be a safe way to enjoy your morning coffee date.

If you are adventurous, try adding a shake of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg or a dash of vanilla extract directly to your coffee grinds for brewing. It will give a warm, yummy aroma with added flavor. If you simply cannot handle zero sweetener, you may want to drop a dried, pitted, unsweetened date in the bottom of your coffee cup, allow it to sit for 2-3 min and remove it (it begins to break up). Dates have a caramel flavor that is very yummy, totally natural, and may add just the right amount of sweetener for you!

So, you and Mr. Joe are happily reunited, on to a more healthy future, and will be off to conquer the world...

BE the SWEET in LIFE!
xoxo

Crockpot Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats | Day 1 No Sugar Challenge

2014-06-01T06:23:00.001-04:00

So, I have been challenged to share a "no sugar" recipe each day of June. I am going to do my best to keep you stocked full of ideas.

While it is summertime, this crockpot oats recipe is good to make ahead for the week, and doesn't heat up your whole kitchen. Let me point out a few things about the ingredients.

Steel cut oats are a more whole form of oats that are heartier and retain their shape better in cooking. They take longer to cook, but the result is a almost nutty texture. The best brand (or most widely recognized) is Bob's Red Mill Oats Steel Cut. I order them from Amazon, or Big Lots has been carrying them as well.
Almond milk is all the rage, but many varieties contain sugar, especially the flavored ones. Silk brand unsweetened almond milk is the cleanest variety out there. You can use regular skim milk if you would like.
Be sure that the raisins and dates that you choose are not coated in sugar, dextrose, or the like. Look at the ingredients and it should only read "raisins" and "dates". No brainer.
When buying coconut oil, it is really important to choose extra virgin, cold pressed. It is the highest quality with the most nutrients available. The cheapest place that I have found it is Sam's Club.

Just yesterday I made a different variety of this using ripe bananas, cinnamon, cloves, raisins and walnuts. It was like banana bread in a bowl. You will be so surprised at how the fruit can sweeten oatmeal without added sweetener. And you get the benefit of fiber, to boot!

Happy first day!

xoxo

Sweet Summertime No Sugar Challenge

2014-05-31T22:04:00.001-04:00

This is a challenge that you may HATE at the beginning, but grow to LOVE! In the spring of 2012, I was taking a biology class that was designed for non-science majors (because I originally went back to school for business). My professor, Dr. Fernandez-Nunez, seemed to be there on special assignment to convince non-science majors to become science majors. Well, I worked. He really flipped the switch on my nutrition education path. By that point, I had been running and watching my diet fairly closely for about 7 months. Weight loss had hit a plateau and I wondered if I would ever reach a normal BMI. Since that time, I have not only been able to blast pass the plateau, but have reached a healthy BMI, reduced fatigue, strengthened my immune system and I can attribute it to the 30 day no sugar challenge (that I loved so much I stuck with for over 6 months, and still work hard to limit added sugar)!

During one of his lectures, he began to describe the impact of sugar on our cells, and the inflammation that occurs when the body has to process large quantities of sugar. He also discussed the chemical effects of sugar alternatives in the biofeedback mechanism between the stomach and the brain. A good bit of what he discussed can be seen in this video:

While the video is lengthy, and some of the science may make your brain swim, the meat and bones is the fact that our human body was not meant to process the quantity of sugar nor chemical alternatives that we offer it on a daily basis. In areas of the world with low incidents of diabetes, cancer and heart disease, the people gain their nutrition from whole fruits, vegetables, lean protein and whole grains. Fruit is used as the sweetener, with the occasional addition of natural sweeteners such as honey.

That is where the no sugar challenge comes in. There are several things that this "fast" does for us. It cleanses our system of additional sugar and toxic alternatives. During the time of the fast, there is a rejuvenation of the taste sensation that has becomes dull and desensitized to the sweetness in fruit and even in some vegetables. Somewhere around the second week, you may discover that foods have much more flavor and you will begin to enjoy good, whole foods.

As you shop, you will want to become an avid label reader. It would be easy to assume certain foods, such as canned beans would not have sugar in them, but don't be fooled! I have seen kidney beans packed in high fructose corn syrup (a chemically modified form of sugar), pasta sauce with huge amounts of added sugar and high fructose corn syrup, standard peanut butter has loads of sugar, and you would be astonished to realized that pretty much any loaf of bread on the shelf has sugar, honey or high fructose corn syrup.

During the challenge (and even afterwards), I recommend these whole wheat pitas (or something similar).

Carefully read the labels, folks! The ingredient list is your friend. Know what is in your food. This label indicates that there is less than 2% of a few ingredients, sugar being one of them. This is about as clean eating bread product as you can find. If you find something else, message me!

As I mentioned before, pasta sauce, peanut butter, and condiments will most likely contain sugar. If you live in "Publix" land, their deli peanut butter is just plain ol' peanuts and it is FANTASTIC! As far as sauces are concerned, Hunts Garlic and Herb contains no sugar or high fructose corn syrup (but it is a little thin), and there are some other varieties that do not add sugar, but you need to read your label.

By and large, focus your meals around the veggies, lean protein, fruits and whole grains. Season with herbs, and dress your salads with different varieties of vinegar, mustards (check for sugar content), and some extra virgin olive oil.

If you are weaning yourself from soda, consider seltzer water with orange, lemon or lime slices. Years ago, I was a diet Sprite lover, so when I was weaning myself off of artificial sweeteners, I began occasionally having this and it satisfied my desire for a fizzy drink. Another idea is to add fruit and mint to water.

My absolute favorite is pineapple and mint. This is a great use for those pineapple cores that tend to just be thrown in the trash! During Thanksgiving time, I bought several bags of fresh cranberries and threw them in the freezer. Other combinations to try are strawberry and kiwi, lemon & lime, cucumber and melon. You will benefit from the added water, and from the increased vitamins from the fruit!

Let's talk about something real important. Coffee. :-)

Without a doubt, I love my coffee. Prior to my "no sugar awakening," I took my coffee with half & half and Splenda or some sort of flavored creamer. During the fast, I knew this would be the toughest spot for me. While I always wanted to be one of those "I'll take it black" gals, I just could not hack it. Here was my strategy: flavored coffee (coffee that has flavored grounds, such as hazelnut, French Vanilla, etc.) with a splash of half & half. The first few days were a bit rough, but honestly, by the second week it was just fine, and to this day, I can easily take my coffee with a small splash of half & half, and be happy about it :-).
So, here lies your June Summertime No Sugar Challenge! Tomorrow is the big day! I know that you are going to make it! Do this for your health, you have nothing to lose, and whole lot to gain! See some SWEET SUCCESS this SUMMERTIME! - Besides, I'm doing it with you... so message me if you have any questions or concerns...
xoxo

Fresh vs. Dried Herbs | Herbed Polenta Showdown

2014-05-30T19:12:00.000-04:00

If you ever want to find out my crazy rambling interests, just take a peak at my Pinterest board along the right side of the blog...

------------------->

Learning about the uses of herbs have come as a slow integration of the cooking experience. However, I cannot say that I have fully experienced the eye-opening opportunity of tasting several herbs individually, both dried and fresh in order to contemplate their impact on the flavors of our dishes. So, today's lab was a great experiment! I highly recommend anyone who wants to punch up their meals in a healthy way to open your spice drawer and pick up their fresh counterparts to do a little side by side comparison... these are my findings:

Ingredient	Appearance	Flavor	Texture	Aroma
*Dried Herb*
Rosemary	Small, stick-like, light green	Bitter	Stiff, sharp ends, not as easily crumbled	Woody, clean
Italian (Flat leaf) Parsley	Papery, darker green, lightweight	Mellow, with high notes towards the end	Crisp, lightweight, thin, crumbly	Earthy
Thyme	Fine, small whole leaves, light green-to-yellow	Bitter and soapy, very astringent towards the end	Light, stiff, crumbly	pungent
Sage	Ground fine, powder, green with a touch of grey color	Musky, deep	Powdery	Slight mustard smell
Fresh Herb
Rosemary	Long, evergreen type leaves,	Slightly bitter, with a little pepper taste, a fresh citrus-like note	Firm, shiny leaves with a thick stem	Bright aroma, similar to citrus
Italian (Flat leaf) Parsley	Light, airy leaves, flexible stems	Somewhat bitter, when bitten into, sharp flavor	Lightweight, easily chewed thin leaves	Very little smell
Thyme	Petite green leaves on stiff stick-like stem	Sharp, peppery	Crispy	Fragrant, sharp
Sage	Soft leaves, green with fuzzy surface	Astringent, pungent, like the pith of a citrus fruit	Soft, pliable leaves with a velvety texture	High notes of freshness
Spice
Ground cloves	Dark brown, powder	Deep, spicy, with pepper flavor towards the end	Powdery	Rich, full, spicy

Putting it to the test...

To make things more interesting, we were asked to prepare a recipe containing herbs two ways: one with fresh herbs and one with dried herbs. I found this recipe at the American Institute for Cancer Research. The original recipe calls to be served with grilled portobello mushrooms, but because my focus was on the herbs, I omitted them.

Herbed Polenta

Ingredients:

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 cup non-instant polenta or cornmeal
4 cups boiling water
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (or 2 Tbsp dried)
1 tsp. crumbled fresh thyme leaves, or 1/4 tsp. dried
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary, or 1/4tsp. dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup (1 oz.) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Canola oil spray

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In deep, heavy pot, combine oil and polenta. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring, until polenta smells toasty, about 2 minutes. Remove pot from heat. Add boiling water carefully to avoid spatters. Stir until polenta is smooth. Mix in garlic, parsley, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Bake polenta, uncovered 20 minutes. Stir well. Bake additional 20 minutes, or until polenta is creamy. Divide among 4 dinner plates. Sprinkle each with a quarter of the cheese.

Here is the Tasha review:

During the herb analysis, I determined that the flavor of the dried thyme leaves were very bitter and somewhat soapy tasting, but the fresh version was crisp and peppery. As I suspected, when the dishes were complete, the polenta with the dried herbs had a stronger, more bitter flavor than the polenta with the fresh herbs. The polenta with the fresh herbs smelled brighter, with high notes from the fresh herbs, while the polenta with the dried herbs had a more deep, earthy aroma. Visually, the polenta with the fresh herbs had more of a “garden fresh” look because of the brighter green herbs, which made it more appealing.

All of this makes me very happy that I have recently expanded my herb garden and hope to gain much more experience in introducing fresh herbs to our happy, healthy plates....

Green is the new black...

xoxo

My Mother's Day Gift to My Children

2014-05-11T14:42:00.001-04:00

My very first Mother's Day was March 1st 1995. Well, not actually Mother's Day, but that was the day that my firstborn was laid upon my chest to nuzzle into my heartbeat and become my external purpose for living. From the moment that I laid eyes on him, there was a shift in my world. Somehow, it was now up to me to create an environment that would give him the best opportunity to thrive. Through prayer, books, teaching, his well-being was the center of my focus. With the addition of my sweet girl and second son, it was a full time job to ensure their growth. I do not regret a single second that I have enjoyed watching them grow.

Just a month after my daughter was born (I was 21), I suddenly and unexpectedly lost my mother to lung cancer. In the whirlwind of a toddler and a newborn, it took a while for her death to sink in. When I finally came up for air, I realized that she would never meet my second son. Ever. The hole that left in my heart was wider than I could wrap my mind around. I turned to the Lord for comfort, to ease the sorrow. I was not angry over the loss, but it did feel like somehow I was going to have to do motherhood without the help of my very own mother. I felt cheated.

Fortunately, the Lord heard my heart and brought a swarm of wonderful examples into my life to love and direct my path. I do not know where I would be without these precious ladies.

I do have to say, the thought of my children feeling that same sorrow is even heavier than the loss of my own mother. If it is vaguely in my power to prevent them from experiencing loss that deep before they need to, it is my mission to accomplish. On Mother's Day 2011, I resolved to put my health in focus. Not to be selfish, but to be here. Here when they graduate. Here when they become engaged. Here when they say "I do." Here when they welcome their first child. And when my future grandchildren graduate, for as many good long years that the Lord allows for me to walk on this Earth.

So, contrary to tradition, on Mother's Day, I hope to give my children a gift. Hugs, pictures, meals. A bike ride, a stroll on the beach. The ability to call me on the phone, or tag me in a status. We are worth it.

To your health...and Happy Mother's Day!
xoxo,
Tasha

Compare Foods for Appearance, Texture and Flavor

2014-05-10T21:19:00.001-04:00

This week's food lab required the sampling and evaluating 3 brands of 3 different types of food. It was a useful exercise in putting each of my senses to work as I assessed the different attribute of these items. You may find some of the information helpful as you make your future purchases.

First, I evaluated 3 brands of Strawberry all-fruit (no sugar) spread.

Food Product	Appearance	Texture	Flavor
Strawberry Spread- Polaner All Fruit, Strawberry	Slightly red (under ripe strawberry), glossy, translucent	Clarified, loose gelled, smooth, almost no seeds, spreads easy	Sweet then tart, strong strawberry smell, bright contrast with peanut butter on toast
Strawberry Spread- St. Dalfour Strawberry 100% Fruit Spread	Deep red, less glossy, fruit fibers are noticeable, clumpy	Sticky, fruit clung to itself, seedy, with pulp texture, clumps when spread	Tart then sweet, can taste grape flavor, faint fruit smell, mellow when paired with peanut butter on toast
Strawberry Spread- Smuckers Strawberry Simply Fruit Spread	Fully red, slightly translucent, glossy	Less clarified, smooth, gelled, slimy with very few seeds, spreads smooth	Tart then sweet, strawberry flavor present, mild sweet smell, tart when paired with peanut butter on toast

I went into this experiment only having tried Polaner, so I assumed that every "all-fruit" spread would be exactly alike. Wrong! Polaner and Smuckers were very clarified, strained, and allowed only very little seeds in the spread. Polaner smelled the strongest of strawberry, but almost like strawberry candy, instead of a real strawberry (which may be from the "natural flavoring" that they add). St. Dalfour looked more like rich, ripe strawberries, stewed down with gelatin added, however, it is sweetened with grape juice and dates, so the strawberry flavor was much more subtle, and the grape flavor shown through. Smuckers was sort of the middle of the road, not overly pungent, with a light strawberry smell. The label says it uses fruit syrup, which leaves a gaping whole for wondering what types of fruit. Polaner was the least expensive at $2.39, Smuckers was $2.49 and St. Dalfour was actually on sale at $3.69.

My pick? I actually liked St. Dalfours. Maybe it is because I could actually see strawberries in it. Perhaps because it was very mellow, yet sweet.

Next, Salsa...

Food Product	Appearance	Texture	Flavor
Salsa- Newman’s Own Medium All Natural	Dark red, fiberous, chunky, speckled with spices, thinner liquid base	Scoopable, gritty, fiberous, chunky in liquid base with softer vegetables	Spicy, tangy, slight burning, umami smell and flavoring robust
Salsa- Chi-Chi’s Medium Thick & Chunky	Bright red, more visual texture of vegetable chunks, no runny liquid base	Thick, firm vegetables, scoopable	Predominant tomato taste with heat that enters after a few seconds, strong tomato/pepper/onion smell
Salsa- Casa Mamita Medium Chunky	Glossier finish, bright red, thicker base with chunks of vegetables	Medium amount of base vs. vegetable chunks, tomato fiber noticeable, scoopable	Strong tomato with very little heat towards the end, most bland variety with a sharp acidic smell

In all honesty, I prefer fresh salsa. Cooked salsa seems to lose some crispness. Anyhoo, of the three that I tested, Chi-Chi's is the only one that does not contain any sugar in the ingredients, although it did seem a bit sweet (they also show "natural flavoring" on the label). Newman's Own had a more robust, earthy taste, but the vegetables were very soft (not my cup of salsa). Casa Mamita is Aldi's brand, and I tend to pick this up for my kids to munch on with rice or on baked potatoes, but when comparing it to the other brands, it really does not have any nice heat that the other "medium" varieties have. Newman's and Casa both have a small amount of sugar (it is lower on the ingredient label), but I really prefer the varieties that contain no sugar.

My pick for best flavor? Newman's. Best Texture? Chi-chi's.

Finally, Pasta Sauce...

Food Product	Appearance	Texture	Flavor
Traditional Pasta Sauce- Hunt’s	Bright red, blended, smooth, liquefied, herb speckled	Soupy texture, slightly grainy, pureed texture, left thin coating on pasta	Lightly herbed flavor, smooth tomato flavor, slightly sweet, sharp contrast to pasta
Traditional Pasta Sauce- Classico	Deeper red, more green herbs present, more concentrated, most texture of all	Bits of onion and tomato, thicker tomato base, left thick coating on pasta	More herb taste to compliment the tomato, some sweetness, rich umami flavor when paired with pasta
Traditional Pasta Sauce- Barilla	Bright red, gritty appearance, very few herbs present	Medium thinness, onion bits, slightly gritty	Strong onion (perhaps onion powder) flavor, pungent onion flavor when paired with pasta

This was a great item for to test. In a perfect world, I would make my own sauce. In reality, my very busy teenage boys eat their weight in pasta each week. The best I can do is find the brands that have the highest quality possible, because, after all, tomatoes are a vegetable.

I was most disappointed in Hunt's traditional pasta sauce. The consistency was that of tomato soup or maybe even thin ketchup. When added to pasta, it only lightly coated. Even more disappointing, high fructose corn syrup was a leading ingredient in the sauce. This was certainly a no-go for me. (Note: the Hunt's Garlic and Herb contains NO HFCS, however, the consistency is still very thin). Classico surprised me, because, frankly, I rarely purchase it. It was the best in flavor and richest in consistency which coated pasta well. Barilla, a common sauce in my house, simply did not compare well with Classico. I had not noticed just how pungent the onion flavor was in their sauce until I compared it with the others. Certainly not a great pick.

So, you have now been on a food lab field trip... now wasn't that fun, kids?!

xoxo,
Tasha

The Road to R.D.

2014-05-08T11:05:00.000-04:00

Over the years, The Brick House has been a place to share encouragement, tips, and how-tos, therefore, it only seems fitting to give a little info about my adventure into Dietetics that is only just beginning. As I was researching the field, I read many student blogs that were extremely insightful, so if you are considering a career in nutrition/dietetics, this may serve as a launch pad for you!

Let me give you a little background. My husband and I married shortly after I graduated from high school with honors in business and within our first year of marriage, my oldest son was born. I entered college, initially interested in computers, but then switched my focus to business. After a year, we relocated to Central Florida and soon baby #2 and baby #3 came along. I knew early on that I would homeschool them, so my days were filled with teaching them how to learn (I’d rather not fill their bucket, but rather, teach them to learn… but that is another blog post altogether). After 10 years of marriage, my husband and I began an installation business that is now in its 10^th year. In effort to assist him to the best of my ability, I took several classes through Daytona State Center for Business and Industry and Daytona State College Small Business Development Center. These resources were invaluable to the establishment of the business. A family based business offered several opportunities for our family. Aside from an income source, each of my children have been able to help their dad prepare for projects, learn a trade and be exposed to the entrepreneurial lifestyle (both good and bad).

When the economy threatened to squeeze the life out of our business, I reenrolled in college. My oldest son began dual enrollment as a high school/homeschooler, my daughter was a freshman and my youngest was in 7^th grade, all homeschooling through Florida Virtual School. This offered some flexibility for me to study, work part time all the while trying not to lose my mind!

Initially, it seemed that the best thing for me to study was business management. During the second semester back, I took Biology (for non-science majors) with a professor who held a Bachelor’s in nutrition. He was assigned to teach this class in effort to convert non-science majors into science majors. It worked. While I always enjoyed reading about nutrition on a casual, need-to-know basis, I soon realized that I absolutely LOVED learning about the impact of nutrition on health. By this point I had begun cleaning up my diet and getting active, resulting in about 40+ lbs of weight loss.

I quickly began researching the nutrition profession. Soon I discovered that the credentials for being able to work in the area of nutrition took dedication as well as commitment to a competitive education path. Quoting the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, “All registered dietitians are nutritionists, but not all nutritionists are registered dietitians. This is a distinction that can matter a great deal to people’s health.” The time investment of education would only be well spent in a program that would allow me to serve the public as a qualified professional. So I was on the hunt for an accredited program that would meet all of the needs of our family.

The Academy’s website offers links to the accredited programs throughout the country and explains the different programs. One option is to enroll in a Didactic Program (Bachelor or Master’s) plus internship. The other option is a Coordinated program that allows students to complete the didactic studies and complete supervised practice hours within their Bachelor or Master’s program. There were several blogs that I read in which students who had completed the Didactic program were having an extremely difficult time being placed in an internship. Only about 50% of the applicants get placed. This seemed like a very scary position, because without the internship time, the students were unable to take the Registered Dietitian’s exam. I called into the Academy and discussed the options with an advisor, and based on where we live, there were no local programs of either kind available. They suggested that I look for distance programs, and specifically recommended Eastern Michigan University Distance Coordinated Program in Dietetics. There were some huge advantages to this program.

· I could stay in my area and do my coursework online

· The science pre-requisites could be taken locally and transferred in (upon approval)

· Because it is a fully online program, out of state tuition cost do not apply

· It allowed me to become familiar with local dietitians while I secured preceptors for the program

In a traditional internship program, the field time is already prearranged by the internship program director. This very unique program allows the student to make contact with potential preceptors and establish supervised work hour rotations. I will come back to this in a bit.

The science of food...

So, with all of this information in hand, it seemed that I had a long road of science prerequisites to fulfill, and it seemed very daunting. So many of my classmates were already on a science tract, and I’m over here with a handful of business experience. Folks, my prayer life greatly increased as I worked my way through chemistry, organic chemistry, anatomy & physiology, microbiology and biochemistry. My friends heard me cry and whine all the way through.

During the summer of 2013, I attended Florida Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Symposium. It was so enriching. The information sessions were dynamic and I felt right at home. During a meet and greet session, a dietitian from my county gave me the number of someone in our area who was developing a local dietitian’s chapter. That put the ball in play with regard to securing preceptors for the program. She will never know how valuable that 10 minute conversation was to me.

In January of 2014, just 18 months after I set out to complete the prerequisites, I was sending in my application, which was a 3 ring binder full of requirements. At 37 years old, I was actually applying to my very first program of study, with a pocket full of life experience. The program has just 20 slots available each fall, and 82 students applied. I was slightly nervous, but God opened so many doors up to this point, that I had a peace in the fact that I only wanted to do what HE wanted me to do, and if this was it, I would earn a spot. To be entirely honest, I am supremely humbled that He has opened so many very specific opportunities for me. It has been the sort of journey that I literally felt as if He walked every step with me, grabbed ahold of each and every door that we encountered and held it opened as I walked through... My most important task? Well, of course, it was to be WILLING to walk through the door. That required getting out of my comfort zone, breaking out of the mental box that I had myself in, and believing that He can do all things in me when I am willing to calm myself into His presence.

Mid-March, my son trotted in with the mail and I mindlessly begin opening the letters. I look down to read the details of the letter in my hand and see that I had been accepted into the program! There was a mighty shout in the house that day!

So here I am, in May 2014, just a couple of months before I begin the program in late August, anxiously awaiting the experience of the next 2 years. While I feel like I have learned so much just in the preparation, I have not even begun yet.

Why did I choose nutrition/dietetics? Let me count the reasons:

· I love food

· I love nutrition

· I love people

· I love helping people

· I love being a positive part of peoples’ growth and recovery

· I love that God has created us in such a magnificent way, and that He has created food sources for us to specifically meet EVERY SINGLE nutritional need that we have.

In closing, while I am not YET an expert in the area of nutrition, I hope to share some things along the way that may spark a desire for others to take ahold of the great benefits that come from placing a priority on eating well.

Xoxo,

Tasha

Introducing a Brand New Kosher Casual Product!

2014-05-07T15:13:00.001-04:00

I could barely wait to open the package on this new jacket from Kosher Casual! Their running skirt already made me a KC addict, but when Anna from Kosher Casual told me that they were coming out with a jacket, I was beyond excited!

Living in Central Florida in April, the weather always keeps us guessing. Most days the sun is shining and the temperature is mild, somewhere around 70 degrees, but when the sun goes behind the clouds it can turn brisk quickly. Today I wore the jacket to my son's baseball game, and even in the sun it was the perfect item to wear. During the peak of the heat, it nicely wicked away any perspiration and when the clouds rolled in it kept the chill away. The material (90% polyester 10% lycra) is the softest, most flattering textile that I have come across in the last 3 years since I began running. It stays in place during movement and keeps its shape beautifully. This jacket is a great wash-and-wear item with plenty of color to dazzle your senses! This color is magenta, and they carry fuchsia, black, blue violet and cornflower blue.

The sleeves are a comfortable length; on me, they lay slightly beyond the wrist, but not quite as long as thumb hole shirts. This is a perfect length for those chilly mornings when you don't want to running gloves, but you want to cover your hands.

The jacket has a full zipper, neatly enclosed in the in the structure of the interior facing of the jacket that travels up to cover the neck. Unzipped, the collar sits nicely on its own to offer a sporty style. There are zippered pockets on either side of the waist. With a flattering ladies cut design, the body of the jacket offers a smooth feminine style. This has become my favorite athletic jacket!

For those of you that enjoy modesty in your active lifestyle, Kosher Casual has many things to offer! Check out the running skirts while you are on their website. The quality is superb!

xoxo,
Tasha

*This post contains affiliate links to products that I love and recommend which help support The Brick House.

Conquering Obesity!

2014-05-06T08:51:00.000-04:00

I love infographics!

Take a few minutes to read through and get a feel for the impact that obesity is having on our society and see what you can do to turn the tide!

Marriage Tip | Never Stop Dating

2014-04-30T14:46:00.001-04:00

Last weekend I attended the Florida District Ladies Conference, and Connie Bernard spoke on Living with Intention. One of her points was to live with intention with your husband. I was encouraged that many of the things that the Lord laid on her heart to tell us were things that He has already been working on me.

If someone would have told me that I would write a blog post about marriage during our early years, I would have told them they were funny. After almost 20 years of married life, we can honestly say that we have learned more than we ever thought we knew. When two people who are as completely opposite as my husband and I are, we were bound to need some shaving and sanding to fit these two puzzle pieces together. Allan is the happy-go-lucky, never-met-a-stranger, so-loud-he-should-have-been-Italian sort of guy, while I have been more reserved, rule-following, melancholy, slow, quiet type. The stereotypical thought that women have to speak a bazillion words per day and men only speak 10 does not fit our husband and wife dynamic. Allan is the talker. I am the thinker. If we were one person, we might be brilliant J… or very dangerous, haha. We had our first child within the first year of marriage, so the days of just the two of us were few. We loved every second (well, maybe not EVERY second) of our three children being young. Life was busy, and because I was a full-time mom, we worked hard to stretch our funds. The kiddos had us going all the time, and we seldom stopped to just be a couple together.

Even though I had read several times how important it was for couples with small children to make time for one another, we were really bad about it. There were several years that the only time we went out was on our anniversary. Because it was so infrequent, I fretted the entire time. “How do you think the kids are?” “Do you think they are behaving?” or even, “My goodness, we really cannot afford to go out AND pay a sitter.” and "What was your name again?"

Under normal circumstances, we did life like every other family, rolling with the punches while bobbing just above the surface. However, when life circumstances got heated, as they always do, we found ourselves coming apart at the seams. That “three stranded cord” [And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. Ecc 4:12] can become frail when we become separated and entangled in the cares of life. The three strand cord can be seen as the husband, wife, and God, who binds them together. Whether the spouse is a believer or not, there is still room for this principle to be applied by the believer, and it is quite powerful.

During a particularly challenging time, when the economy fell apart and our livelihood was at stake, we needed something to keep us anchored. Though our finances did not make it easy, we started making Friday night our date night (with flexibility for schedules). No matter how difficult the week had been, that was a time that we could personally connect again, and rediscover what it was like to date again. We didn’t have to dress up (all the time), nor did we have to go to the fanciest place in town. There were several times that I found a great Groupon for an activity or dinner. Sometimes we just enjoyed an endless bowl of chips and pico de gallo (my personal favorite splurge on cheat night).

If the frugal side of me got caught up on the expense of date night, I would talk myself out of it. What I have discovered is, this weekly investment of alone time together has been worth its weight in gold. If I could have told my younger self anything, I would have said to keep these things a priority:

Honor your relationship with God; be in prayer, praise, and doing His work continually.
Honor your relationship with your husband, and never stop dating.
Honor your health, because you are a vessel that the Holy Spirit dwells in, and the lifelong helpmeet to your husband.
Honor your children by teaching them how to do these things.

I have found myself leaving this reminder to engaged friends, and really hoping to instill this in my kids. The best thing I can do for them is to show them that their parents really do love one another.

Date night (or morning) does not have to be out to eat. A walk in the park, feed the ducks, explore a trail, or visit a museum. Walk the downtown area, grab a cup of coffee at a little coffee shop. Check for outdoor concerts like Symphony Under the Stars, or take a fishing pole down to the lake. Keep it simple, and every once in a while plan something very special.

The point is to really enjoy one another. Take pictures, hold hands, laugh, and get to know one another again, especially if it has been some time since you had time together without wiping peanut butter off of someone while playing referee between rowdy kiddos.

xoxo,
Tasha

Feed Your Life!

2014-04-29T18:35:00.000-04:00

Hey, there is arugula hiding in my eggs!

I am a foodie. There is no hiding it. My step-mother, Suzi, tells me that as a kid, when we were eating breakfast, I would ask what we were having for dinner. I love the nurturing feeling that comes from food that comforts, and the crisp texture of fresh foods. I cannot tell you the number of meals that I have enjoyed at the hands of those who love me, and as such, I absorbed that love through every forkful.

As an adult, I became the food nurturer; loving those around me with food that would express the deep love that I have for them. It was the one, personal gift that I could offer to them. So when I determined that my weight was not going to improve with the way I was eating, I really had to change my motto from “I live to eat” to “I eat to live.”

Changing the mindset of eating is not always easy. Behavioral change is just as difficult. I have found that when the evidence is clear, and reason is identified, making adjustments in habits become a little easier. After spending the better part of 15-18 years fatigued, uncomfortable, irritable, and quite honestly, depressed, all of my personal research pointed to the incredibly nutrient poor diet that I was ingesting. I survived on a large portion of carbohydrates, with a small helping of vegetables and a dollop of protein. What I thought was the thrifty way of eating, cost me more in valuable years than it would have ever saved me in money.

There was an interesting cascade effect that began when I first started incorporating more vegetables and healthy proteins in my diet.

First, I made a healthy meal choice.

Then, my mind recognized that a good choice was made, and the happy “reward” hormone said “atta girl!” in my head.

This sweet little happy hormone encouraged me to make more and more good choices, and even gave me the nudge to get active.

The activity, of course, rallied in weight loss, as well as the occasional ravenous hunger spells from the calorie deficit.

Remembering that happy feeling when good food choices were made, it kept me from digging into the former food habits.

All of these things help in the course of sustainable weight loss and increased health.

But be aware: If an indulgence creeps in, these things all work in reverse! Unless you quickly jump back on the program and keep trucking forward. I say this not to be a downer, but to remind us that we will have times that we allow ourselves the occasional splurge, and when that happens, we can take control of the situation and resume the path that we are headed on.

As I transitioned into a healthier eating pattern, my mission was to eat no less than 5 servings of vegetables and fruit (combined) per day. If I had a day that I was more hungry than normal, I tried to train my brain to think of a veg or fruit that I could eat, rather than the normal filler foods like crackers, chips, etc.

One thing that I am super thankful for during the last 3 years is that I have not been ill, even once. Not a cold, flu or anything (thank you, Lord). There have been a couple of times that it felt like something was trying to set in and I would quickly make a batch of Ginger Tea (hot water, 1 inch hunk of ginger, wedge of lemon & a tsp of honey), and whatever it was would leave. This is truly evidence that nutrition will assist the body in promoting wellness. When our cells are given the proper macronutrients, vitamins and minerals, the chemical reactions within the body work in proper fashion, building new cells, tissues and fighting off invaders as well as getting rid of dead or bad cells. All of these things take place without any acknowledgement on our part; the nutrients from food simply do their job.

So, no longer is there a huge desire to consume food based simply on taste. Food serves a function, fueling the body, so that life is so much richer. Physical, mental and emotional health improves by eating whole foods.

If your food comes from the Earth or ate from the earth, eat it. If it has undergone any form of processing besides washing, freezing, grinding or drying, you will do yourself a favor by limiting them to only about 1/5 of your total food consumption or less. Each step of processing removes another layer of nutrients, which your body desperately needs to stay in tip-top, disease-fighting state.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;font face="Verdana, sans-serif"&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;div style="text-align: left;"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/div&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/font&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

The Blue Zones, Second Edition: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest, by Dan Buettner is a fascinating book that details the 9 common factors among the population of individuals who live to see 100 years of age. While that may seem like a lofty goal, these individuals seem to do it effortlessly with simple rules for life. I had the privilege to hear Dan Buettner speak at the 2013 Florida Dietetic Symposium and his research bolstered my insistence on making nutrition a priority.

Eat fresh foods. Often. Don’t get discouraged if you try something for the first time and do not like it. Our palettes need the need the opportunity to acquire a new taste. The first time that I ate arugula I thought it was too pungent. It took about 3 times of trying it with different dishes before I finally decided that I LOVE it. Especially with balsamic vinegar!

Challenge yourself the next time you go to the grocery or the market, to buy something that you have never eaten before and keep an open mind to it. Look up the nutrients of that food, and remind yourself that you are FEEDING YOUR LIFE!

Xoxo,

Tasha

The Princess Half Marathon 2014 | Getting There

2014-04-24T21:29:00.001-04:00

*Let me preface this post with a link to My Journey. I was not born a runner, nor have I ever had any significant athletic tendencies until 2011. If you think that you could never reach an accomplishment like a half marathon, think again.

If I could sum up the process of training for my first half marathon in one word, it would have to be courage. Too often, I relate better to the cowardly lion than the lion-hearted. Big goals scare me speechless. I fear the long process, the unknown, and I fear failing. In the end, I know that there will not be anyone more disappointed in me, than me, if I fall short of the goal. And that is the major miracle and milestone that occurred in February of this year (2014). Not simply that I ran 13.1 miles for the first time in a race, but that somehow the courage to take on the task and be faithful to the training, so that I could meet the goal. There was a specific reason that I chose the Princess Half Marathon as my first, which goes beyond the fact that it was a fun Disney race. As a Daughter of the King (which makes me a Princess), recognizing just how much of a privilege and a blessing it is to have His strength offered to me as His child was/is part of my growing process. Though I am not “young” in the Lord, there are things that I learn every day that gives me a greater understanding of what He desires to do in my life. Running the Princess was an exercise in deepening my dependence on Him to lengthen my endurance.

This was not a decision made on a whim. The Princess had been calling my name for over 2 years, but I was shy and afraid. It seemed like that was only something that elite athletes would do, not a less-than-three-year-runner would take on. My dear friend Angel had been encouraging me to jump in, but I was not nearly on her level of fitness and felt like, “sure, you think it’s easy… but not for me!” Because she has been my faithful fitness streak partner for almost 2 years, she said if I signed up, she would be right there with me. As an added bonus, my friend-that-is-more-like-a-little-sister, Dara, who had also taken up running signed up too! I knew it would be a big weekend, and having companions would make it even bigger!

At the time of registration, in the summer of 2013, the farthest that I had ever run was 7 or 8 miles. My sister, Kim, kept telling me that if I could go that far, surely I could make 13.1. I still was not so sure. I kept up my weekly maintenance runs of 3-5 miles a couple times per week and did a “long run” of 6-8 miles at least 2 times per month. My long runs were maintenance runs for real distance runners, or so I thought. On October 29^th, I started the suggested Jeff Galloway training plan that was offered on the Princess website. I loved the fact that it would download into my calendar on my phone so I always knew what my scheduled runs were.

By this point in my running, I was not using any interval training apps, simply MapMyFitness/ MapMyRun. For a very long time, I depended on an app to tell me when to run and when to walk, because it gave me something to shoot for. If I left it up to myself to create intervals, I would probably not push myself as far as I could go. I felt like a big girl now, just hit the start button and go! There were occasions when I would walk a few paces during a drink break or at a turnaround point, but I for the most part it worked better for me if I kept the momentum going. Not everyone is the same, and many have found great success with Jeff Galloway’s walk/run interval method. You have to go with what works for you.

During the Fall of 2013, while I was training, I was also taking a full load of classes and maintaining a crazy schedule with my kids. Lots of taxi time and even more time in the books. Running first thing in the morning seemed to set the day in order and gave me that great feeling of accomplishing a small goal at each run. I normally run with one earbud in (for safety), and listen to music or podcasts, but so many times I tuned out the music and worked on sorting out an issue at hand… exactly how many amino acids are there?... what are the names of the B Vitamins?... How is Hannah going to get to class tonight when Trent has practice?...Will Trevor be at work or school tomorrow?

At the beginning of 2013, the main physical goal I had set for myself was to hit 13.1 in ’13. Even though the training plan did not suggest for me to run 13.1 yet, when I set out for the long run on December 28^th, I ran my first 13.1. It was pure adrenaline! Up until this point, I had only done 10 miles. As soon as I turned off my app, my husband called to find out where I was (I had taken longer than the 11.5 miles that I originally told him I would run). He had planted a water bottle at a specific location for me earlier, and when I called, I asked him if he would start an Epsom salt bath for me. To my surprise, he said it was already done. When I got home, my daughter had a smoothie ready for me and he had some eggs and veggies waiting. I was so moved by their support of this goal that meant so much to me, and I was only still in training!

January and February in Florida can be pretty chilly (I know, nothing like up north…), so making myself get out there in the cold mornings was sometimes a struggle. I did fairly well keeping to the training schedule, because I did not want to get to the race and fail.

The last 2 long runs did not go quite as planned. The time needed for the long run was sometimes difficult during these mornings when the sun did not come out until after 7am. Saturdays were frequently filled with one activity or another, and we have church on Sunday. In order to get my miles in before the sun arose (since I did not have a running partner) my dear husband followed me in the vehicle, shining the headlights on the sidewalk and keeping me safe. At one point, he rode a little ahead of me. A shadow fell on the sidewalk ahead of me and I could not see the uneven pavement and I fell hard. I was carrying a hand-held water bottle, which I landed on, and it exploded all over me (yes, you can laugh… I did). I was soaked, scraped, and a little shaken, at only the 3^rd mile of a 12 mile run. My husband jumped out of the car and made sure I was ok. There was a time in my life when I would have gotten in the car and said forget it… Instead, I gave him my wet jacket, had him refill my water bottle, and proceeded on. I think he was really concerned for me, because he followed me for a while, even after the sun was up.

The very last long run was supposed to be 14 miles. It looked like it might rain, but I had no other time to fit it in so I headed out anyway, telling myself that I needed to be prepared in case it rained the day of the race. The first 5 miles were fine. Then the mist began….It was fine until about mile 8, and by mile 10 it was pouring. I huddled under a tree, hoping for it to pass. My hubby called and asked if I needed a pick up (how does he know the perfect time to call?). I finally conceded and he agreed to come and rescue me. Up until this point I was faithful to the plan. I believed in the plan, and I trusted that it prepared me for the race. I will say, I knew that I would not be a record setting runner. My average run pace for a long run was in the upper 10 min/mile or 11 min/mile range. I was perfectly fine with that pace. All that mattered to me was to finish strong. The fact that I had the courage to see it through the training plan was a major accomplishment for me.

In the next post, I will share with you the fantastic experience of the Princess Half Marathon weekend.

*Disclaimer: Please consult a physician before beginning any exercise plan. This is written as encouragement.

Frozen Bananas | Faux Real Frosty

2014-04-19T12:54:00.002-04:00

When I first began to eliminate sugar/artificial sweeteners from my diet, the transition was a little

challenging. First there are the cravings. Then there is the struggle with trying to find foods without sugar. And then there are more cravings. Frozen bananas were a mainstay in those initial days. For years, we have always thrown the over-ripe bananas in the freezer to make banana bread, but since I was not doing that regularly, they quickly became a constant ingredient in my green smoothies.

There is no need for any mad kitchen skills when it comes to storing overripe bananas in the freezer. If I am too lazy to peel them, I throw them in whole and when I want to use them I let them sit on the counter for 3-5 min to soften, then cut off the skins with a paring knife. The handy way to do it is to simply peel the bananas and put them in a freezer bag and pop them in the freezer. Try not to pack your bag too tight so the bananas do not mush together. When they are frozen, you can shift them around in the bag to loosen them and take them out as you need.

I'd love to tell you that I have this great long list of green smoothie recipes, however, it simply isn't so. Most of the time, whatever is in the fridge gets added. If it is strawberry season, those get added, if it is melon season, then I go that direction. I try not to get too stuck on any one variety because I shop according to what is in season at the time. Oh, and price... that is a huge factor. In any case, I always add a handful of kale or spinach (yes, it turns green, but no, you cannot taste it). The micronutrients are so good for you, and it is one way to get in a veggie serving without really trying.

For those nights when only the creamy texture of a soft-serve ice cream will do, this yummy treat can save the day! Faux REAL! You will be so amazed that you will kiss Wendy's good-bye forever...

Keep an eye out at the grocers or at the market for discounted bananas that are overripe. When I see them at Winn Dixie, I buy whatever I can because they will last a good 6 months or more.

Leftover fruit from a fruit tray, or overripe fruit make great items to freeze for later. Once they are frozen they can be added to smoothies or oatmeal for a naturally sweet treat. Don't be surprised if you find yourself nom-nomming on the frozen bananas straight out of the bag... super yum!

xoxo,

Tasha

My Journey to Better Health!

2014-04-18T12:02:00.002-04:00

If reading real life experiences help you, then this is for you... Three vital points to my journey can be found in the previous posts regarding the Spiritual, Emotional and Physical aspects of health and weight loss. There is an abundance of information here!

Good, healthy food was never a foreign substance for me. I believe my mother was the seed of the original health nut. I remember some of my youngest years being part of a mostly vegetarian household. There wasn’t a plant product that I was foreign to me. So how did I allow myself to rollercoaster through every weight on the scale between 138 and 220? Quite simply: lack of focus and discipline.

There have been seasons when I held fast to a diet and other seasons when I have banished the scale like somehow IT was the problem. I always cooked with elements of the healthy background from which I came; I also allowed too much of the unhealthy non-food in as well. Sometimes I would say, “Oh, you only live once.” Other times I would say, “It is cheaper to buy the boxed stuff.” I could look around at all of the other people, eating what they want and staying slim, and being completely oblivious to their inner health and think, “There must be something wrong with ME.”

Now I see things completely different. The fact that my body showed the weight that I gained as a result of eating poorly was actually a GIFT! How many times have we come across someone who we think is getting away with something that is really not good for them (physically, mentally, emotionally), only to find out that their misdeeds catch up with them all at once, with vengeance? That is exactly what happens inside our bodies when we neglect to nourish ourselves as we were intended. Some of us can get away with eating junk for years with no external signs of trauma, but then suddenly, with very little or no warning, a diagnosis of a preventable illness or disease! The fact that my body was my “tattle-tale” helped me to see that what I was doing was poisoning instead of strengthening this vessel that I’ve been given.

My eye-opening, about-face, get-serious-about-being-a-healthy-adult moment came in May of 2011. I was too embarrassed to step on the scale and admit how far out of control that I allowed myself to get. My best guess is that I was about 195 lbs. I was talking to my sister, who is a physician, and a healthy lady herself, about what in the world could be hindering my weight loss. I was praying that there may be a safe pill or a wave of a magical wand that could solve my problems. Without specifically saying it, she helped me see that there were 2 things hindering me: my fork and my couch. She suggested that I check out Sparkpeople.com. I dug in and read all kinds of articles. I set up a profile and began tracking every morsel that went into my body.

The first realization was that I was consuming way too much of the wrong kinds of foods, and my activity level left too many calories at the end of the day that had not been burned.

I reduced my allowable carbs and increased my proteins primarily because I understand enough about my body to know that the carbs stick with me too long and the proteins help me stay full when I reduce the carbs. Something that I always kept in mind though is that vegetables and fruits have carbs, but I treated those carbs different than I treated grain and potato carbs. I ignored the carbs from veggies and fruits in effort to persuade myself to eat at least 5 of them a day. I never wanted the fear of their carbs to prevent me from eating those fresh foods. Another trick that I implemented was one that my grandmother (who was a little bitty lady) used with great success. On Friday nights, I would allow myself to eat anything that I wanted, without any guilt. A strange thing happened though. While I would indulge in chips and salsa, I no long desired the fatty, fried, super sweet stuff that I was once drawn to.

Making this simple change created some momentum in the weight loss area. I began implementing some exercise in here and there and reading about how some people who were never runners were able to successfully begin a Couch to 5k program. Me? A runner? Never! I was the girl in school who always went to the nurse’s office if we had to run mile in gym! But something bit me…I suddenly wanted to conquer this! Perhaps it was the encouragement of a bit of weight loss, or maybe seeing others who were older than me, and perhaps even heavier than me do this without backing down. So in June of 2011, I downloaded the Couch 2 5k app on my iPhone and set out to “run” my first workout. I think I prayed the entire running portion that I would not die on the pavement and some stranger would have to call my family and tell them. I imagined the look on my children’s faces when they heard the news that their mother croaked on the last leg of a 30 second run interval. Then to my surprise, the workout was done and I in fact had completed the first day of the program.

The weirdest thing happened.

I came home and wanted to do the 2^nd day right then. OMYGOODNESS. My 7^th grade gym teacher would be so proud! For the next few weeks I stuck to the schedule and progressed through the program to run (without stopping!) a full 5k on September 4, 2011 (happy early birthday to me!). Running gave me the biggest bang for the smallest time investment. At this point, I was happy to see my scale hit around 168 lbs. That means, in 4 months I had shed almost 30 lbs, fair and square. No pills, not gimmicks, just breaking the magnetic pull from the couch and changing my food choices a bit. Next goal was to conquer the 10k, which was met by January 1^st, 2012.

Somewhere in this time I discovered the SparkStreak theory: choose a new habit that you would like to begin and each day in a row you do it counts towards your streak. If you skip a day you begin at 1 again. So I began my first fitness streak in August of 2011. My first streak was 120 days in a row. It was so exciting to keep it going. My friend Shaneka was my buddy and we cheered each other on. My next streak lasted over 100 days. And currently, my friend Angel and I have a 728 day fitness streak going. The best part of the streak is that it is motivating to others as well! That is the whole idea: to SPARK someone into changing their life too!

All of this created a newfound confidence. I had been feeling the nudging to go back to school, but never felt that I could muster the energy required to maintain a household of 3 teenagers, a struggling business and college. Even so, in October of 2011, I jumped in with both feet. Success with maintaining discipline in body trickled over to success in maintaining discipline in the mind. In the spring, my biology professor (who held a bachelor’s in nutrition, among other things) helped me put together some missing pieces in my weight gain/loss mystery. He went into great detail of the impact of sugar and manufactured products on the cells in our body. He challenged the class with a 30 day sugar/artificial sweetener fast. He promised that there would be weight loss and a reduced bloating, along with increased energy. He explained that there are so many toxins in the manufactured foods which actually CREATE food cravings. It is like how tobacco companies manipulate the nicotine in cigarettes to ensure future customers. I took the challenge, and saw great success! Within the first month I lost approximately 10 lbs and saw a difference in my waistline. Additionally, food tasted so much better and I no longer craved the treats that I had been allowing myself sparingly.

This set me in the direction to visit the idea of a lifelong love of food and nutrition. Instantly, I knew the direction I should go with my education and I began to turn my attention to the field of dietetics. It was like I had been reunited with an old friend. The more I refreshed myself with the healthful attributes of God-given foods, the more I began to remove processed foods out of my diet, and saw even more weight come off without much effort.

Consciously adding natural foods into our diet does so much more for the body than just the circumference of our waistline. It is the most effective way to build our innate ability to fight off sickness and disease. A strong immune system is to the body as the Coast Guard is to our shores. Invaders may attempt to invade, but when we build the cellular response to attack the foreigners, the result is as we were divinely designed.

Today, my weight rests somewhere in the upper 130’s. My body is stronger from the inside out than it was 36 months ago. More than anything, my spirit, my body and my mind all come together in a balance of a disciplined lifestyle that can better reflect the life that the Lord desires for me to live.

The key components of my current lifestyle are comprised of:

· Morning quiet time praying and reading The Word each day. A life built on Jesus is the core of a balanced life.

· Drink my first glass of water for the day while my coffee is perking and eat something small shortly after awakening (whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter most days)

· At least 10 minutes of exercise each day (sometimes it is an hour run, sometimes it is 10 min of yoga/stretching)

· ALWAYS eat at least 5 vegetables/fruits each day (less hungry when these are eaten)

· 5-6 mini meals or 3 moderate meals w/2 snacks

· Have a protein source at each meal/snack. Chicken, turkey, lean pork or red meat, tuna, nuts, beans, tofu, cheese (small amount), Greek yogurt.

· Drink at least 3 liters of water per day

· If sweetener is needed, honey, or pure stevia or raw sugar. This is used very sparingly as it creates cravings. Zero white sugar, zero sugar substitutes.

· Choose whole grain, brown rice, quinoa, and whole oats. Zero white flour.

· Read labels, and choose items that have food closest to its original form. Frozen vegetables are a more stable form than canned. Look for items with no additives, starches or syrups. Check things that you would not suspect. Dry roasted peanuts can contain sugar and starch. Canned beans sometimes are packed in corn syrup.

· Stick to “Clean Eating” methods of food choices and preparation

This story is mine, but it is not anything that anyone else could not experience with a hearty portion of stick-to-it-tiveness... I hope this helps you find it! You can do it!

*Disclaimer: Please consult your physician before beginning any weight loss or exercise regimen. This information is offered as suggestions and encouragement.

The Physical Side of Weight Loss

2014-04-16T17:09:00.002-04:00

Part III of III

Go here for Part I

Go here for Part II

Those of us that seek to lose weight come at it from varying perspectives. Some have struggled with weight for as long as they can remember, while others have noticed their weight creep up in their middle years, or after a major life change, or even a health emergency. We also approach a new healthy lifestyle with many different experiences in activity and exercise. This makes everyone’s starting line a little different.

Let’s pretend that each and every one of us have begun at square 1, no prior physical activity experience, and hate to sweat. This is a very real position for many! This is not a judgment, this is a recognition. But our bodies were made for activity. Centurions (those who live to 100) have been studied to find their secret, and regular activity/exercise is a common thread that ties them together. We were created with the ability to tend to crops, care for children, and draw water from the stream. Today, we get our food from the grocer (in the air condition), the kids are in school and our water is pumped into our homes. Believe me, I love technology and the modern day conveniences, however, we cannot neglect the body’s need for movement.

I have to tell you something, but you need to promise that you will not stop reading once you see it.
Are you ready? Ok, here it is.

Exercise is HARD.

Especially in the beginning.

Especially if you don’t like to sweat.

Especially if you do not have much coordination

(I fall into this category, no pun intended).

It is hard mentally. It is hard emotionally. It is hard physically. The path of least resistance is not your freeway to success. It is the off-ramp to health misfortune. You have to prepare yourself for the battle that will go on in your mind and your body once you make up your mind to get healthy and lose weight. You have to remind yourself that you are making deposits in YOUR LONGEVITY ACCOUNT! Think about a year from now, 5 years, 10 years. If the Lord tarries, what sort of milestones will you pass? Will you be married? Will you start a family? Will your children be school-age? Will your nest be empty? Do you want to be an active participant in your life, or a spectator? This thought should stay with you, always. It is worth all of the “hard” that you will face. And one day, it will not be so hard. You will be thankful that you chose to kill the hill rather than go around it!

The best way to start from scratch is to lace up your athletic shoes and head out the door before your mind can talk you out of it. Set a timer on your phone for 10 minutes and walk. Every. Single. Day. For the first week. If you have a smart phone, download an app like MapMyFitness, create a profile and track your activity. They offer challenges with a chance to win prizes as well! Each day, look at your pace and gauge how you feel after your walk. Try to do this as early as you can in the morning. This will get your happy endorphins going for the rest of the day, and you know that you have begun the day with a purposeful decision to get healthy. Not only that, but if the rest of your day gets carried away into the unknown, you have gotten it out of the way!

This is a great time to talk about the Fitness Streak that I mentioned in part II of this series. The idea of the Fitness Streak is from the free diet tracking website Sparkpeople.com. I used this site to get the mojo going in my efforts to be healthier and lose weight. The basic idea of the Fitness Streak is to commit to exercise no less than 10 minutes per day, starting at day 1. Each consecutive day that you exercise at least 10 minutes counts toward your streak. If you skip a day, you start back at day 1. You would not believe the fantastic incentive it offers once you have made it past 14 days, then a month, and then a year. Currently, I am on my 3^rd Fitness Streak. During the first two, I made it well past 100 days, and the current Streak I am teamed up with a great partner, my friend Angel. We are on day ~~726~~ 1111 today. We do not see each other daily, as we live in different cities, however, we post our daily activities on a Facebook group that helps to keep us accountable to one another. There have been some days when life is crazy and I realize after I have snuggled into bed that I forgot to put my 10 minutes of exercise in, and I will peel my sleepy self out of bed to do a 10 minute exercise video or yoga. My flesh hates it, but the next morning I am glad that my Streak is still intact! Having a partner who is depending on you to keep your joint Streak going is a really good incentive!
After the first week, increase your time by at least 5-10 minutes, 3-5 times per week, (continuing at least 10 minutes on the remaining days) until you are able to walk comfortably for at least 30-45 minutes. Research shows that during the first 15-20 minutes of exercise, we use stored glycogen (fuel), but after that we begin to tap into our fat reserves. Something else begins to happen as this daily habit develops; your muscles begin to develop strength and your stature is a little more upright. You may begin feeling winded quite quickly, but with time you can easily manage to even have a conversation during exercise.

This all may sound basic and elementary, but it is so important to speak right at the intimidation that we encounter when we begin this new active lifestyle. There may be times that you experience discomfort in limbs or areas of your body due to the new movement. Listen carefully to your body to determine if it is discomfort or pain. One may be from uncharacteristic use and the other may indicate an injury.

You may always enjoy walking, and that may be your primary form of exercise; keep in mind that strength training will help to maintain bone density and build muscle to support your frame. As you become stronger, consider using small weights for arm exercises, or use your own body weight as resistance as you do wall-pushes.

If you are anything like me, you may look for exercises that will have the largest amount of impact on your weight loss for the shortest amount of time invested. This, in fact, was the reason that I started running. Before you tune me out, listen; I, Tasha Brickhouse, was the girl in school who, when asked to complete the physical fitness test and run the mile quickly became ill and asked to go to the nurse. Every. Single. Time. Running ranked right up there with dissecting frogs in Biology. They both left me breathless and ready to hurl. For some reason, while I was on the Sparkpeople.com website reading all of these middle-aged people beginning a Couch-2-5k program, I was like, “Game ON!” I had already been walking up to 3 miles regularly, so I didn’t exactly start on the couch, but, I had zero previous running experience. Somewhere in my determination to get healthy, I made up my mind that I would conquer this fear of running head on! And I did!

The first step was to download the Ease into 5K app. It started with a walking warm up, then a cycle of short run then walk intervals. The first day, I was exhilarated and exasperated. It was hard to breath, and I prayed for the prompt to walk at the end of every interval. The day that I ran 3 minutes straight, you would have thought that I completed the Boston Marathon, because to me, I was crashing down walls with every step. The app really made the transition to running my first 5K in November 2011 possible. I was not speedy, but I ran the entire race and it was such a personal milestone!

Running became an opportunity to learn more about endurance. It taught me how to breathe deeply and slowly through the tough spots (in life, as in running). It has taught me that discipline trumps desire. It has shown me that I can be tougher than I thought I am, especially when I am strengthened with prayer. The repetitive motion of running brought order to my thoughts, established a designated quiet time when the Lord could help me work out a difficult situation. I listened to Podcasts, encouraging music, or sometimes just the breeze in the trees. I’ve seen more sunrises, watched the fog lift and seen the dew glisten on the trees. These simple things are missed so easily.

There are many other forms of exercise that are worth a try. One of my favorite is Barre. It is a combination of yoga, Pilates and ballet. The techniques are great for increasing balance, poise, and muscle tone.

I began using this YouTube video, and you can also go to the Barre3 website to sign up for an online membership that gives you access to a library of videos. Barre studios are cropping up all over the place, and some may enjoy a class setting. For my on-the-go schedule, it works better for me to do them at home.

We have a weight machine and resistance bands that I use for cross-training days. I mentioned yoga earlier, and I believe the techniques used in yoga exercise are very beneficial for the body. Personally, I do not participate in the spiritual aspects of some yoga practices, however, the act of breath control in exercise can eliminate toxins from the body, and offer needed relaxation and strengthening to our physique. Look on Google or Pinterest under Fitness Challenge to find many month long challenges.
Additionally, I ride my bike several times per month, between 10-15 miles each ride. This activity compliments running very well because it uses slightly different muscle groups that support the running activity. I highly recommend using a bicycle as a supplementary activity. In the beginning, it may be harder than you remembered as a kid! We don’t forget how to ride, but suddenly it isn’t as easy as it once was! Start small, and build up! You can track your ride on MapMyFitness as well.
Pick your pleasure. There is a great big world out there of options to begin your active lifestyle. The health benefits are vast, beginning with strengthening your heart, removing toxins from your body, improving digestion, increasing circulation to all of the limbs, and elevating mood by way of endorphins. All of these are in addition to building muscle and strengthening your bones.

Lots of love and sweat to you! xoxo
Tasha Brickhouse

*Disclaimer: Please consult your physician before beginning any exercise regimen. This information is offered as suggestions and encouragement.

Staying On Track While You Are On The Fly!

2014-04-14T14:50:00.000-04:00

The alarm goes off before the sun, feet hit the floor and go until we collapse into bed at night. Many of our meals get eaten absentmindedly, while checking emails or behind the steering wheel. Guilty, guilty, guilty of this, almost on a daily basis. So how is a trying-to-stay-healthy-gal supposed to survive this may-I-take-your-order culture? Planning, re-routing and packing.
For years, the kids’ activities have kept us on the go. In effort to stay on budget, we have become accustomed to packing coolers for the day. Occasionally, we have to get things while we are out, so it is important to know what could be good options on the go. I will try to offer some options for you!

If I had only 10 minutes to go grab some food for the family, rather than drive-thru, think about what you can grab at the grocery store.

First, hit the produce section. Having a water bottle on hand can serve as an emergency produce wash.

Apples

Oranges

Bananas

Precut pineapple and melons

Plums/nectarines/peaches

Berries

Washed and de-stemmed green beans or sugar snap peas

Carrots

Peppers (red, green, yellow, orange)
Celery
Pouchables (Pureed fruits and vegetables are a good option in a pinch, but are ingested quickly, and you may not realize you are full and continue to eat unnecessarily)

In the produce section, many carry mixed nuts in bulk containers. Look for ones that are not roasted in oil, sweetened or coated. For my family, I buy the big bags of roasted peanuts in the shell. Nuts in the shell are great for portion control, because the shells show you how many you are eating. Plus, you cannot just throw the nuts in your mouth by the handfuls!

Dried fruit and/or trail mixes are not likely to be your best choice unless you are very careful to select the type that has not been sweetened. Raisins are good, most dates are good, and apricots. Most other dried fruits are coated with dextrose or some other type of sugar. Trail mix was designed to offer a significant amount of energy for those back-packing/trail-trekking folks. If you are not doing that sort of activity, chances are you will just be storing all that extra energy, aka: putting on the pounds. Granola is the same sort of a beast. To make it tasty, it is sweetened with a variety of additives.

Ok, move on to the deli. There are some grab-and-go items in most deli sections such as:

Rotisserie chicken (high in sodium, but a decent option if you are on the go) If needed, see if the associate can cut up the chicken for you.

Hummus is great to dip the carrots, raw green beans, peppers and raw sugar snap peas.

Hard boiled eggs

Whole wheat pitas, mini or regular size to use for sandwiches or dippers

Natural peanut butter (Publix has fresh ground peanut butter in the deli section. To. Die. For.)

Now for the dairy section. I am VERY brand/ingredient selective in the dairy case. So many of the yogurts and cheeses have way too many additives in them, which work against your weight loss process. Many of them include starches and stabilizers to lengthen the shelf life.

String cheese- Look for the ingredients to list milk, cultures, salt. Simple ingredients

Greek yogurt- I am going to camp here for a minute. Greek yogurt is a protein powerhouse, when it is the actual traditional Greek variety. This means that the yogurt has been strained to release additional whey liquid and the consistency of the yogurt is much thicker. This allows for a denser amount of protein per ounce. Read the ingredient label carefully. The best brands will only contain milk, live and active cultures (must say this or it does not contain the needed good bacteria). Many brands will add whey protein powder, potato starch, guar gum or other fillers. Good brands are Fage, Chobani, and even the Winn Dixie brand is good. For weight loss, it is better to select the plain yogurt and add your own fruit, crushed pineapple, honey, or a tsp of Polaner (unsweetened) All-Fruit spread. Most fruit-flavored yogurts use high fructose corn syrup in addition to sugar. These will work against you in weight loss.

Cottage cheese- As stated above, several varieties contain unnecessary fillers. Daisy cottage cheese is a good, clean variety that you can trust.

Lastly, there are some select items in the isles of the store that are good choices:

Pickles (the dill variety)

Snyder’s pretzel sticks is one of the better brands, containing no high fructose corn syrup, however, they are made with enriched flour (not whole grain), and so these are on my “occasional” list.

Barbara's Bakery Fig Bars, Multigrain may not be sold in all stores, but you can find them here. Traditional fig bars consist of a large amount of high fructose corn syrup, but Barbara’s are sweetened with pineapple juice and are made of whole grains.

Popcorn kernels for homemade microwave popcorn. (1/4 cup of kernels in a brown paper bag, fold the top down 2 times. I use the popcorn button on my microwave and it comes out perfect every time. Pour the popcorn in a large bowl, spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray and dust with sea salt, cayenne pepper, garlic, or parmesan cheese). Allow it to cool completely and put it in an airtight container for on the go.
Unsweetened applesauce is good, but READ THE LABEL. Most of them are sweetened.

Keeping fresh foods ready to eat in BPA Free Plastic Containers help to make busy days easier. Do you have any other great ideas that you use?

*This post contains affiliate links to products that I love!

The Brick House...in pursuit of stronger lives.

Mommy, You Are Beautiful

Are you thinking about becoming a Registered Dietitian/Nutritionist?

A Commentary on Eastern Michigan University’s

Distance Coordinated Program in Dietetics

Guest Bloggin' over on Stone Soup, a Food and Nutrition Magazine Blog

Polish Cabbage Rolls!

Guest-bloggin' over on ApostolicSportswear | Wearing an orange ASW skirt for #HungerAction Day!

Tasha's Cucumber Salsa

Praying the Hedge of Protection

Praying the Hedge of Protection

Mind Over Matter | On the Road to Sweet Success

Breakfast Tacos | Day 5 No Sugar Challenge

National Running Day | June 4th, 2014

Coffee Talk | Day 2 | No Sugar Challenge

Crockpot Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats | Day 1 No Sugar Challenge

Sweet Summertime No Sugar Challenge

Let's talk about something real important. Coffee. :-)

Fresh vs. Dried Herbs | Herbed Polenta Showdown

If you ever want to find out my crazy rambling interests, just take a peak at my Pinterest board along the right side of the blog...

------------------->

Fresh Herb

Spice

Putting it to the test...

Herbed Polenta

My Mother's Day Gift to My Children

Compare Foods for Appearance, Texture and Flavor

The Road to R.D.

Introducing a Brand New Kosher Casual Product!

Conquering Obesity!

Marriage Tip | Never Stop Dating

Feed Your Life!

The Princess Half Marathon 2014 | Getting There

Frozen Bananas | Faux Real Frosty

My Journey to Better Health!

The Physical Side of Weight Loss

Staying On Track While You Are On The Fly!