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!

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!

Winter in Northern Michigan is often long, as many already know. As soon as daylight savings hits in the fall, the sun is out less and the days get shorter. This doesn’t make it easy to motivate one to get outside and stay as active as they normally would in the summer. How then do we motivate ourselves and others to get out and plunge into that fluffy white blanket of snow instead of bundling up in the threaded one in our living room? One should look for an activity that isn’t hard for beginners to keep them going with it, and make sure it’s not too expensive.

Snowshoeing may just be what you’re looking for. It can provide one with a simple introduction to the beauty of the many trails that cover Traverse City in the winter time. You don’t need to drive miles away to get to a neat trail, but can often just walk out the back door to the snow-shrouded woods that encompass many neighborhoods in the area. This can be a great way to stay active for anyone and for the whole family during the long winter season. And lessons often are not necessary anymore, since snowshoes sold today are being designed lighter, therefore making it easier for one to learn how to walk in them. It normally only takes a few times to get used to and then you are as good as gold.

For the holiday season, instead of wrapping up in your blanket and resorting straight to the television when the snow hits us hard, why not get the whole family out and about on the trails? There are several locations to explore; some of which include the Grand Traverse Commons Natural Area (by the State Hospitals), the Grand Traverse Natural Education Reserve, Brown Bridge Quiet Area, plus many more.

The nice thing about snowshoeing is that it appeals to all ages and all levels. Kids in schools are doing it as part of their physical education activities in the winter time, whereas adults and elderly individuals can enjoy and feel comfortable with this activity as well. It also provides one with a great workout. Many at first may question the idea that snowshoeing gives you a really good workout. But it is true. A snowshoe workout builds both upper and lower body strength and endurance. In fact, it is a great way for those who often run in the summertime to keep up with their workout program and maintain their exercise endurance. Did you know that if one were to do a five mile run on snowshoes that it would be the same as doing a 10 mile road run? Overall, snowshoeing can be just the activity for a beginner or for the more advanced exerciser. And it can also be great for those who just want to take their time on the snowshoes and enjoy the outdoor nature in the cold season.

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.

Many people struggle with ways to keep the weight off during the holidays, in fact, most of the weight we gain per year is put on between Thanksgiving and New Years! Today, we are going to focus on one part of the dilemma on how to keep the weight off during the holidays: Be active!

It is obvious that to keep the weight off during the holidays (or in any timeframe for that matter), we need to eat the right foods in the right portions. But one overlooked method for staying trim this year should include increasing your activity level. Many of us not only over indulge on eggnog, stuffing, and turkey, but we also under indulge in physical activity.

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!

If you have a hard time getting motivated this Thanksgiving, check out many local activities, such as the Turkey Trot. Also, I will be leading a fun walk from our studio, Formative Fitness on State Street, up to the old State Hospital, so that I too can enjoy a bit of stuffing, some good Thanksgiving day turkey and a (small) piece of  my favorite dessert with my family this year!

The American Council on Exercise just named kettlebells as one of the top fitness trends of the year, and for good reason!

With kettlebells, it’s easy to get cardio without the boring use of cardio equipment, they provide functional strength without the monotony of isolated movements, they are fun and provide varied workouts, flexibility, and more muscle involvement, thus equaling greater fat loss and muscle toning!

One note on kettlebells, however, is that due to the increased use of stabilizing muscles, lower weights will have to be used initially, when doing similiar exercises with dumbbells.

Kettlebells originated in Russia in the early 1700′s and were brought to the United States by a man named Pavel Tsatsouline.

When training clients, I make it a point to show them the difference in doing an exercise with a kettlebell, as opposed to a dumbbell, because unless the form is correct, the benefits of kettlebells are diminished with inproper form.

Only time will tell, but it looks like kettlebells are hear to stay, what with all of their wonderful benefits to helping us get in great shape and staying healthy!

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.