Finding Nirvana in Nutrition
Join us as we share resources and news as it relates to nutrition and diet.
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To begin composting I knew I had to gather materials. I always wanted to compost as I knew I would be saving waste and saving the earth. The person who did my yard work mentioned they would save the brown composting materials. The brown materials would be put in a pile and be dumped in my compost pile. I started saving my green waste from my kitchen scraps including coffee/tea grounds. It's all about the Carbon to Nitrogen ratio..C:N ratio! My composting started out in a round fence like structure and I bought a rake just so I could turn my compost. Then later we invested in a more expensive compost. Something like the picture below! It takes a few months to a couple years to get composted fertile soil. It's better to start somewhere than to never get started all! Read more in the listed resources. Things to put and not put in a compost: https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020/07/07/composting-at-home/ https://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/compost.html 
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 If you’ve recently been told your weight is something you need to watch, it’s time to take preventative action. With the majority of adults in the U.S. hovering above the threshold of healthy weight, the nation is on the verge of a health crisis of epidemic proportions. However, you don’t have to become a statistic.
Through wellness-oriented actions, you can take control of the scale and be healthy for life. Here are a few ideas on how to get started. Address Underlying Issues Oxford Academic recently released a study on depression and obesity that clearly illustrates the connection between weight and mental health. It was found that obese people, based on weight alone, were nearly twice as likely to be depressed than those with a healthy body mass index (BMI). Before you begin changing your lifestyle, you need to address underlying issues such as depression and anxiety. Unless these mental health conditions are under control, you are at a higher risk of developing an eating disorder. Binge eating and bulimia are common in overweight people and are typified by overeating and guilt and binging and self-induced vomiting, respectively. These serious mental health conditions can lead to even greater depression. Seek Dietary Guidance It is not enough to simply eat foods you think are healthy. You must understand how each food relates to your body and learn to identify “hidden” health hazards. Added sugar and over-processing are two major problems in American grocery stores that can sneak in and wreck your healthy eating efforts. Consulting with a professional dietitian/nutritionist can help you set your meals on the right course toward a healthy weight. In addition to educating you on food, a dietitian can teach you methods to take your mind off food when it isn’t meal time. Give Yourself Access to the Tools You Need A healthy lifestyle isn’t solely molded by the foods you eat. In order to lose weight and maintain a healthy body from the inside out, you must also find ways to fit exercise into your daily routine. For many, a well-thought-out home gym is a good place to start. Your at-home fitness center should contain a variety of equipment that allows you to achieve a full body workout, including cardiovascular and core training exercises. HomeAdvisor offers more information about putting together the perfect home gym. Before you lay down the cash for equipment, find a place for it in your house. You can turn you garage or spare bedroom into a full gym or stash separate pieces in the corner of each room if space is a concern. You’ll also want to make sure your workout is something you enjoy. For instance, if you hate running but love to hike, take your fitness routine outdoors when the weather is nice. Embrace Sleep Your body needs seven to eight hours of rest each evening, and while you might think this inactivity is bad for you, nothing could be further from the truth. Sleep gives your body the chance to repair tiny tears in your muscles and heal damage caused by over-flexing joints and impact from actions like walking up stairs. It also lets your brain shut down and, through dreaming, process the billions of bits of information that gets thrown at you each day. According to Reader’s Digest, the melatonin your body produces while you sleep can help you create brown fat, which actually burns calories instead of storing them. You can read more about brown fat and why it’s good for you in this NCBI study. You can’t afford to let your weight get in the way of a long and healthy life. Making changes now will help trim down your waist and create healthy habits for the future. Author: Dana Brown HealthConditions.info  We all know how vegetables play an important role in living a healthy life. Vegetables and fruits both are filled with essential nutrients which keep our bodies nourished and help in growth and development. Now the big question comes, when we ask ourselves how can we have our kids eat enough of them. Making kids eat vegetables, is not an easy job and if your kids do eat them, then I am pretty sure you are on cloud 9. For the rest of us parents, there is an easy way which is called Smoothies! Now I know that for your little ones, the call for avocados or carrot smoothies will not get them on their toes to the kitchen, but along with the mixture of some cool and colorful fruits, a vegetable smoothie can become a fun part of your kid’s meal.
Here are these two amazing veggie smoothie recipes which your kids will love! Carrot Orange Smoothie Ingredients 1 cup peeled, chopped carrots 1 orange, peeled and chopped 1 frozen banana, chopped 1 cup ice 1 cup orange juice Directions Layer the ice, banana chunks, orange segments, and carrots in the blender, add the orange juice, and blend until smooth. Strawberries and Cream Smoothie Ingredients 1 cup frozen strawberries 1 cup fresh or frozen mix berries 1 banana 1 cup almond milk or any non-dairy beverage. 1 cup orange juice ¼ cup fresh baby spinach Directions: Layer all the ingredients, and blend until it has a creamy smooth texture. Author: Zakia Akber, BSc Food and Nutrition.  So what if I offer certain foods but my child still doesn’t eat it? The concern here now is mainly if my child is getting all the nourishment that he/she needs. I went through the same thoughts and feelings as any parent would. First, I like to take note and look back at what my child ate or has been eating. If I see gaps in certain food groups, I know that may be of concern. When the child does not eat a variety of foods over the span of a week that may be a red flag for me. Food jags are common however for children and if the child is stuck with one food that is ok! It will pass. The American Academy of Pediatrics does recommend a vitamin and mineral supplement if the child has poor eating habits, following a fad diet, or is undernourished. According to the Vitamin Supplement Journal, certain vitamins such as calcium, folate, iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Vitamin C and zinc were found to be deficient in certain percentages of American children. Here is a list of foods that have a high source of the specific vitamin: Vitamin C
Iron
Vitamin A
Vitamin D
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Folate
Zinc
Calcium
There are others worth mentioning such as fluoride for tooth formation and water should be of adequate amount in the child’s diet. This list does not mention other important vitamin and minerals, so remember it is a good idea to refer to the basic food groups for proper nourishment. A multivitamin may be beneficial due to a busy life but keep in mind natural food provides more fiber (better for gut health) and phytonutrients to help fight free radicals and inflammation. When I do pick out vitamins for a client, I consider their age, gender, illness if any, and their preferences as well. In the huge market of nutrition supplements, what do you buy!?? What is a good quality product? I would choose the highly recommended, quality products for my clients.  Serves 2-4
Ingredients: 1/4 - 1/3 cup mashed and previously cooked butternut squash 2 T brown sugar 1/2 cup milk 1 egg 1 cup flour (I use ½ cup whole wheat and ½ cup white flour) 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt cooking spray maple syrup Method: Beat cooked mashed squash with brown sugar, milk and egg until smooth In separate bowl, stir sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Stir dry ingredients into squash mixture. Heat pan with cooking spray and drop in batter one spoon at a time. When bubbling on top and golden brown on bottom flip them and cook. Serve with maple syrup. If you have leftover cooked squash, you can freeze it and label for the next time you make these pancakes! Get your kids to do the stirring or break an egg! They love the process! This recipe was one of the assignments I had during one of my rotations at a skilled nursing facility. I was assigned a food demonstration and that month the vegetable spotlighted was squash as it was Fall. I picked butternut squash because I found it on sale at the local stores. I tried out a few recipes by scrolling through the Internet. I had fallen in love with the butternut squash recipe for pancakes. I still use that recipe today and have tweaked it a bit for the measurements and my kids love to eat it. It also helps to know they are getting in their Vitamin A from the squash in the mornings too! In addition, squashes are considered nutritional goldmines! How to cut Butternut Squash? Cut in half, peel and chop. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/cooking/tips/g2091/prepare-cook-butternut-squash/ This webpage has good pics! How to cook it now its all cut? I like to just steam the diced squash on the stovetop (15 to 20 minutes) or microwave it (around 10 minutes) for pancakes. I don’t recommend boiling. http://www.scjohnson.com/en/family/family-economics/post.aspx?date=10-11-30&title=Five-Ways-to-Cook-Butternut-Squash |
