March is National Nutrition Month. What does that mean for you? Well, it is a chance for you to learn more about healthy nutrition from the ground up! While this can take on so many different directions, lets just focus on a couple…
From the ground up…Literally!
Tomato photo provided via Flickr from naruo0720.
Growing your own fruits and veggies can be a very rewarding experience and leave more room in your pocket. When you plant the seeds, you can’t just leave them alone. You have to water them, possibly fertilize them. Some even believe that talking to them helps them grow as you dispell carbon dioxide as you speak and this is what plants love. It is a great thing to see a flower on a tomato plant that you have so diligently cared for and know that in just a few days that flower will turn into the fruit of you labor. A beautiful, bright, shiny red tomato that tastes just that much better than if you had purchased one from the store.
Some gardens can be acres big with corn stalks and pumpkin patches, while others are a small window sill pots with fresh herbs. Last year, I used a coconut grass liner in an iron basket and attached it to my apartment balcony. In the small 1′x3′ basket, I was able to grow tomatoes, green peppers, cilantro, basil, and a couple flowers for more color. It was easy to take care of and pretty to look at through the window.
The best part of growing your own fruits and veggies is that you have them for a full season and you can use the overflow for canning or meal freezing. For example, with tomatoes you can make your own tomato paste, sauce, canned tomatoes. You can also double up on some recipes and preportion them into freezer safe containers for a taste of summer during the colder months!
From the ground up…Figuratively
Photo courtesy of www.babiestoday.com.
The best place to learn to eat healthy is when you are young. Children are very open to trying new things without fear – moreso than adults are! When you are just starting out with adding foods to your new baby’s mealtimes, start with veggies. This will start their love for them. If you start with fruit, their sweet taste buds will develop first and you can forget the veggies after that.
As toddlers and elementary aged children grow, they need a variety of nutrients to build strong and healthy bodies to play. Encourage fresh fruits and vegetables as healthy snacks and keep them out for kids to get themselves. This allows for a bit of independence for them but with a bit of control for you of what they eat.
Once they are exposed to these foods, you would be surprised at how they grow to prefer them over salty snack foods and candy for snack time. And remember, you are still their role model…If they see you scrunch your nose at your brussel sprouts they will, too!
So what’s your take on nutrition from the ground up? Think of all the ways you could begin with a fresh start. Go back to basics. Develop that healthy balance of fruits and veggies, protein, breads and cereals, dairy, and fat. Start from the ground up!
For more information on National Nutrition Month, visit www.eatright.org/nnm.
Ready to change up the traditional Thanksgiving dessert this year? Instead of pumpkin pie, why not shoot for something healthier this season! A Yogurt Parfait with almond crunch granola is a healthier alternative compared to most pies, which are often packed with calories and fat. With this dessert you’ll get a serving of dairy with calcium, potassium and various other vitamins. In the granola, there are almonds which are high in protein, heart healthy, and a filling treat. Wheaties are full of fiber and can help curb your appetite!
This year, before you sit down to a big meal on Thanksgiving, stand up for a nice long hike, or an early morning weight training workout. By being active before eating, some of the calories you consume will be used to replenish those that were burned off earlier. Also, if you still feel like you ate too much, rise up before everyone else the following day and do it again! I am not saying that by being active, you can indulge in anything you like this holiday, but you can at least justify a few treats. Because when it all comes down to it, it’s about moderation and creating a lifestyle!
The American Council on Exercise just named kettlebells as one of the top fitness trends of the year, and for good reason!
Practice being in the present
With 64% of Americans being overweight or obese, it’s no wonder that our children are following in our footsteps and becoming overweight, or workse, developing diseases commonly associated with obesity such as diabetes and heart disease. How do we gain control of this growing epidemic? Let’s start by re-evaluating our lifestyles and teaching children how to choose healthier behaviors. The following is a list that can help to encourage lifelong healthy habits.