Take family meals outside and give TV a break. There's nothing to lose but a half hour of news. Photo courtesy of www.readersdigest.com.

Growing up, I remember eating dinner as a family every night – Sunday through Saturday. Because our dining room was basically connected to the living room, we could watch tv while we were eating and as a child that was the best thing in the world! Eventually, as my sister and I got older, the tv was moved to the family room and we had to stare at each other while we ate. At the time, I didn’t see the point. We lived together so we could stare at each other whenever we wanted. But as I look back, I can see what my mom was doing. By taking the tv away, we started communicating more at dinner. Checking in with each other to see how our days went. If I was struggling with a math technique that day, dad would offer to help after dinner. This was also a time for us to just be together. Enjoying each other’s company and sometimes laughing so hard we cried when mom tried to tell us some of the jokes she heard that day.

Today in the US, we see a growing trend of busier lives, children on their own, and less family time. As a Registered Dietitian, I hear many clients talk about less time to shop, less time to cook and less time period. Along with less time usually comes less money. There is no money to eat healthy, eating at fast food is cheaper and quicker, and sometimes my clients just don’t like to cook. When they talk of their families, it is usually in a stressed tone as they aren’t quite sure what their kids have been up to and they feel their spouses aren’t taking their share of the responsibility.

Eating dinner together doesn’t have to feel like moving mountains. My parents’ commute from work was at least 45 minutes – one way. My sister and I were 4 years apart and so had different schedules for after school sports and activities. We lived in the middle of nowhere so finding a neighbor to help “carpool” was a bit tricky. However, despite all of this, we made it work. Here are some benefits of bringing the family back to the table:

• Syracuse University studies show that eating together as a family is associated with happier marriages, improved children’s health, and stronger family ties.
• Family meals can hone a child’s social skills and teach them table ettiquette and good manners.
• Dining together makes for healthier eaters. Kids who regularly eat with their families tend to have healthier eating patterns. They consume more fruits and vegetables and fewer fried foods, sodas, and saturated fat than kids who don’t share family meals, says the American Dietetic Association.

If fitting a family dinner into your schedule seems impossible, just try one day. Set one day a week with your family that you will all sit down and eat dinner together. One day is all it takes to start a trend. If you don’t have time to cook, look to restaurants that provide healthier options for take out. You’ll soon see that once you make the time to sit as a family you’ll be able to make the time for preparing the meal with your family.

So on this National Registered Dietitian Day, my advice is to make an effort and bring the family back to the table…!

The holiday season is full of family and friends, good cheer and good times. However, for some, it can be a time of angst and frustration. Going to all the holiday parties can be quite overwhelming for those who are managing their weight. Here are a couple of things you can do to make the holiday gathers less stressful…

Don’t eat before you go to a party. Oftentimes, people will eat so they are not hungry thinking this will help them not eat at the party. Unfortunately, they will still eat at the party and have just consumed twice as many calories than they intended. If you are absolutely hungry before you leave for the party eat a piece of fruit or a serving of fresh veggies instead. This way you won’t feel you need to eat the entire buffet but you haven’t added too many calories before you even start.

Carry your conversation away from the buffet table. Staying within an arms reach of the food can often be tempting and before you know you have consumed half the fruitcake. By standing away from the table you won’t be tempted to mindlessly reach for food. Also, this gives you the opportunity to take a couple extra steps when the cookies catch your eye.

Use a smaller plate. This way, you can put less on your plate and when you feel the need to “clean your plate” you have automatically cut down on calories and fat. The key is to not overload the plate. If you have an urge for seconds, use a small plate again and try to keep space between your items.

Bring a dish to pass. This is your opportunity to guarantee at least one healthy dish is available. Be advised — you may want to make double the recipe. While many people may bring standard calorie loving dishes, when the healthy one arrives it is usually the first to go!!

Don’t forget your exercise!! Getting your walk out of the way first thing in the morning will put you on the right path to a healthy day. And if you really want that piece of homemade peanut butter fudge, you won’t have to feel guilty about it. Or, suggest a friendly snowball fight after dinner. Your turn to get the trophy from last year while burning away the calories from the cheesy potatoes!

During the holidays, I think we can all agree that it can become very difficult to get our workouts in. Between the family get-togethers, shopping, work, and other commitments, where do we find time to workout? Sometimes we need to go back to basics! This holiday, when you are ready to write off that workout, try throwing in some jumping jacks, crunches and maybe even jump roping! You might not work out as hard as when you commit to a longer workout, but you will have a much better chance of maintaining until you have the time to extend your workouts again. Jump roping, for example, is one of the most time effective ways to burn calories. Five minutes of jumping rope can equate to almost 20 minutes of walking on a treadmill if done with proper technique! So this year, don’t avoid the workouts, simply shorten them to something you can manage! I went to a demonstration with Buddy Lee, a former Olympian who is a professional jump rope instructor and was amazed by how much of a cardiovascular workout jumping rope and doing core training  in less than a quarter of an hour can be when combined correctly! For more tips, or to ask me any specific questions, feel free to email me at sebastian@formativefitness or check Formative Fitness out on Facebook where I am always open to your questions!

This recipe is pretty simple; for the yogurt you’ll need to buy a 32 oz tub of whatever flavor you like! This will make approximately 4 cups (4 servings).

            For the almond crunch granola you’ll need:

Mix all ingredients together. Spread thinly on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes in a 325 degree preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let the granola sit for an hour to allow it to cluster a little together and get crunchy.

Take small bowls or parfaits glasses; put a cup of yogurt in and top it off with a couple teaspoons of the delicious granola!

Everyone knows once Halloween has past the snow will soon start to fly, meaning the holidays are just around the corner. Holidays and family gatherings can often be stressful for some. Making sure everyone is having a good time and preparing for the festivities can be taxing. Why not try to de-stress and enjoy the holidays this year? The following tips will show you how to create the perfect party and relax!

If you are having the get together at your home and are preparing all the dishes yourself, it is a good idea to have everyone RSVP ahead of time. This will help save you time for preparing extra food and money in the long run. Often when we just go ahead and make extra of one thing, we’ll do so for the others dishes “just in case so and so shows up” but this is also how you end up with an enormous feast that not all your guests will eat after munching on pre-meal snacks. Save yourself the stress and don’t let the food go to waste this year!

If you are really watching how much you’re spending as well this year, why not ask everyone to bring one of their favorite dishes to pass. You can still do your part to provide the main dish, like the turkey, but by having others pitch in not all the expense goes solely to you, and this way everyone really feels included in the feast. It also may give everyone in the family something to talk about at the dinner table; each family member or friend could explain why the dish they brought is an important contribution to the holiday meal!

It may also be a good idea to provide some snack foods before hand for guests to nibble on. Buying bulk items like healthy nuts (such as almonds), pretzels, or even providing some whole wheat bread before dinner may serve well as a pre-meal snack. This is also a good way to break the ice, and allow relatives that possibly you haven’t seen in a while realize they can sit back and relax.

If you’re really looking for something different this year for the holidays why not change up the main meal. This obviously may not appeal to those who are into sticking to the more traditional items, but if others in the family are up for something new it may be just the ticket! Instead of preparing turkey, why not prepare ham, enchiladas, or make a platter of baked lemon chicken?

There are many ways in which we can learn how to relax for the holidays. The most important thing to remember is to just have fun and enjoy the time with those around you.

I’ve heard it said that growing older is inevitable, but growing up is optional. As we age, we enjoy the gifts of increased knowledge, skills, and wisdom that come from life experience. If we are fortunate, we also maintain the spirit of playfulness that comes so naturally to children. Does being “grown up” have to mean always being responsible and serious, or can we strike a healthy balance between honoring our commitments while also fully enjoying our lives? Here in Northern Michigan, we are surrounded by plentiful opportunities for recreation in stunning natural settings. Yet we can easily get caught up in day to day tasks without giving adequate attention to the energizing and essential activity of play. When is the last time you did something “just for fun,” or for the sheer joy of it? If you feel burned out, worn out, or too tired out, perhaps it is time to change direction and learn to be a “Kid at Heart.” To be a Kid at Heart, you’ll need to practice being in the present moment, simplify to the bare essentials, and enjoy what you really love!

Practice being in the present

As adults, we can easily become preoccupied with the future. That is, instead of fully experiencing what is going on right now, we get stuck in our minds thinking about what we’ll do, or what will happen in the future. A striking example of living in the future (rather than living in this moment) was shared to me by my uncle, who while taking in a breath-taking view at a National Park, heard another tourist say, “I can’t wait to get home and see the pictures of this!”

Each day, we make dozens of choices about where we focus our mental attention. Adults, who have so much to attend to, often need reminders to “stop and smell the roses”. On the other hand, kids quite naturally pay attention to whatever catches their attention, from moment to moment. Where is your mind throughout the day as you go to work, exercise, cook a meal, watch television, or talk to friends and family? Do you ever find your body doing one thing while your mind is somewhere entirely different? While it is helpful to use our brains to accomplish necessary tasks and plan thoughtfully for the future, it is also important to allow our minds to rest in the here and now.

For a Kid at Heart, this moment (what is occurring right now) is more important than what has already happened, or what may happen later. Simply observing children at play can be a wonderful way to witness how to live in the present moment! Another simple way to improve your connection to the present is to regularly check in with yourself and ask, “What is on my mind right now?” The more we stop to notice the content of our thoughts, the more we gain control over “automatic” activity like fretting about the future. Learning a formal meditation practice where you spend periods of time giving focused attention to your breath, to your bodily sensations, or to a mantra can be a great way to train yourself to appreciate the present moment.

Simplify to the bare necessities

For some over-extended adults, finding room for play amidst an already cramped schedule can seem impossible. If this sounds like you, then it is even more important for you to become a Kid at Heart! To be a Kid at Heart, you’ll need to crawl out from under the gigantic to-do list you’ve created in your life. Perhaps today is the day you plan to pick up some groceries, finish that report for work, fold the pile of clean laundry, and schedule that dental appointment. A Kid at Heart always schedules in opportunities for play. In the book, The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People, Dr. David Niven contrasts the ease in which children prioritize play with the reticence of adults who say they don’t have time for fun; he asks readers if they can imagine a child who is invited to the zoo turning down the offer saying, “I’ll have to get back to you- I’m really swamped right now.” Just the thought is ridiculous!

A Kid at Heart makes space for spontaneity and play. If your to-do list feels stressful to you, get honest with yourself about what activities are truly essential, and which activities are optional. Allow play to rise up on your priority list! 

Do what you love 

I love to ask adults to do the following exercise: Spend 5 minutes brainstorming about the most enjoyable and fun activities that you’ve ever done, and jot each activity down creating a long list. Then, next to each activity, write down the most recent time you actually did that activity. What do you notice about your list? Often, adults who participate in this exercise recognize how infrequently they take time out for the activities that bring so much joy.

More often than not, the persons who complain the most of stress are the same folks who insist that they don’t have time for fun because there are “more important things to do”. Certainly, we need to pay the bills, do our work, and follow through with the responsibilities we commit to. Yet constant use of our brains and bodies to be “productive” without having playful experiences brings us out of balance.    

To be a Kid at Heart, sort out what you most like, and what is most enjoyable to you. Each individual will have his or her own idea of what kind of play is the most rewarding. Consider your personality and your preferences when identifying what kinds of play is a good fit for you. If you love being physically active, your play might include things like doing an individual or group athletic activity, dancing, or learning a sport. Artistic persons might be more drawn to taking photographs, creating artwork, writing for fun, or listening to music. Individuals who are highly social might gravitate most to activities involving people (parties, entertaining, going out on the town with a group of friends). Nature lovers may find the greatest enjoyment being out of doors in nature hiking, camping, or being around animals. Persons who excel at logical and analytical tasks may prefer to play with things like crosswords, puzzles, or board games for fun. One person’s play may be another person’s chore. The important aspect of being a Kid at Heart is to do what you love to do!

As the summer tourist season winds down in Northern Michigan and kids head back to school, consider how you can embrace being a Kid at Heart and make play a significant part of your routine. Whatever kind of play would make your day, create the space and opportunity for it to happen! Feeling more energized, joyful, lighthearted, happy, and carefree will be your reward. No matter what your chronological age, it’s never too late to be a Kid at Heart!

Guest blogger:  Melissa A. Bullard, Ph.D.

Melissa A. Bullard, Ph.D, is a licensed psychologist who enjoys helping singles and couples enhance their relationships. She offers individual, couples, and group therapy. Contact Melissa at (231) 392-3611 or melissabullard@juno.com.

1. Model healthy choices – engage in more physical activity and choose healthier foods to eat. Children learn by example, so let’s start out on the right foot and get them to choose wisely early on.

2. Limit fast foods – the fat and calories provided in typical fast food places contributes to heart disease and weight gain. Not that fast food should always be avoided, but healthier choices can be made. For instance, choose a grilled chicken sandwich without cheese and mayo instead of a quarter-pound hamburger with cheese. Order reduced fat milk with a side of fruit. Some fast food establishments offer a variety of lean meats and vegetables. Go for the most color on your sandwich and put it on whole grain bread.

3. Do not put your overweight child on a diet – more problems come from restricting the diet early on in life. Children may overcompensate and not stop when they are full or they may start to sneak food.

4. Provide your child with healthy, nourishing options at home – freshe fruit and vegetables are quick and easy snacks. Encourage breakfast and planned meals and snacks versus eating on the run. If servings juice, make sure it is 100% fruit juice and stick to 1/2 cup servings. Finally, lead by example.

5. Limit sedentary activities – plan family time that involves simple activities such as walking or bike riding. Or, plan a weekly game night to have fun and share the day’s activities together.

6. Reduce use of refined carbohydrates – chips, white bread, and sweets can lead to weight gain and exacerbate other health issues. Choose instead, whole grains such as whole grain breads and cereals with fresh fruit.

7. Remember that many children grow out before they grow up – some put on body fat before gaining height. Instead of a diet, involve your child in recreational sports and activities.

8. Check yourself – before you determine that your child has a weight problem, check with your pediatrician. Some parents have real concerns while others may misinterpret it as not looking the norm. Your pediatrician will have accurate growth charts and be able to tell you where your child stands with regard to healthy weights.

9. Become and advocate – get involved in community efforts to improve walkways and recreational areas.