April 2013, pg 48

As parents, we want to provide the best start our kid’s can get.  When they are young they are developing and growing so struggling over what is on their plate and how much they have eaten is a normal part of parenting.  There is no question that a plant-based lifestyle is healthier, yet many vegetarians are haunted by the notion that while it may be healthy for adults, it may not be the best choice for kids.  Is my child eating enough protein? Getting enough calcium to build strong bones?  How would I know if they are getting enough iron unless they eat meat?

HOW YOU DEFINE IT

Vegetarianism sounds healthy, but vegetarianism simply means not eating meat and can be just as unhealthy as any other diet if it consists of processed foods, refined sugar and cheese pizza.  I prefer the concept of a plant based diet.  A plant based diet consists of minimally processed foods, limited animal products and produce themed meals.  Raising a healthy child on a plant based diet is safe and relatively easy if eggs, fish and dairy are included.  Raising a vegan (no meat, eggs or dairy products) is a bit risky, but can be done successfully.  Produce is nutrient dense, but calorie light and small stomachs fill up before they have consumed adequate amounts of nutrients or calories.  Nutrient deficiencies are more common in children than adults and have bigger consequences during the growing years.  It is highly advisable that you seek periodic guidance from a dietician experienced in vegan diets for children.

ADVANTAGES

Vegetarian children benefit both from a plant based diet and from what they don’t eat.  Feeding children plenty of produce from the start gives them healthy eating habits for life as tastes usually develop during the early years.  By avoiding meat products, they avoid pesticides, preservatives, food additives and have a reduced intake of saturated fat and cholesterol.  Vegetarian children can grow strong and healthy and tend to be leaner than children who eat meat (healthier body fat).  They may even get common illnesses less often.  Vegetarian children become accustomed to the comfortable, light feeling after meals and often voluntarily refuse, or at least don’t overdose on junk foods when given the opportunity.

CONCERNS

Whether your vegetarian child is eating enough protein is rarely an issue.  Children can get plenty of protein from plant only foods like whole grains, nuts, beans or soy.  Dairy products are the easiest way to get calcium and also supply protein.  Even vegans, who don’t eat dairy, can get enough calcium because so many foods are fortified with calcium including orange juice, cereals and soy products.  Making sure children get enough iron is worth your worry.   Iron is not as abundant or as well absorbed from plants as it is from meat.  Vegetarian children can safely meet their iron needs with a well balanced diet because vegetarians tend to eat a higher volume of iron and many plant foods contain vitamin C which helps in iron absorption.  Good sources of iron include Cream of Wheat, beans, dried fruit, tomato paste, tofu and leafy greens.

Children should get all the nutrients they need from food, not vitamin pills.  If your child’s vegetarian diet is plant based, with plenty of variety, they are likely to be getting all they need.  It is more likely that a meat eater isn’t eating enough produce and needs a diet change or supplementation.

WHEN YOUR TODDLER REFUSES MEAT

Many small children choose vegetarianism naturally, even when the rest of the family likes meat.  Parents sometimes panic, explaining and rationalizing to children that they need meat to be healthy.  While eating vegetables, fruits and grains are necessary for good health, meat is not.  In the interest of choosing your mealtime battles wisely, try to respect your child’s choice, after all it is a healthy one.  As children learn about the world around them they may express that it is mean to eat animals.  I have seen whole families dramatically reduce their meat consumption and eat healthier based on a toddlers love for animals.

WHEN OLDER KIDS BECOME VEGETARTIANS

Preteens and teens often look for ways to exert their independence and individuality.  Experimenting with a vegetarian menu is a way to differentiate themselves from their family while still being able to identity with a group; “I’m a vegetarian.”  This is an important one to embrace.  It may make meal planning or cooking more of a pain, but be grateful that they are skipping the meatballs rather than skipping classes.  The best thing you can do for your child is to educate them and probably yourself.  Ask them why they are interested in this lifestyle.  Some teens use vegetarianism as an excuse to eat a diet of cheese pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, soda and cereal. This, of course, is not healthy.       Hire a nutritional counselor to teach your child about nutrition and make them take an active role in meal planning and cooking.

Whether vegetarianism is a choice you made or one your child embraced, don’t expect them to go meatless their entire lives.  Children raised on a plant based diet tend to have a lifelong appreciation for vegetables.  An active, nutrient dense childhood is the healthiest start you can give them.

by

Danielle Federico, M.P.H.

An excellent question!  My answer is based on my background in genetics, nutrition, biology and my experience as a nutritional counselor.  I could easily write a book chapter on this topic and explore some tangent topics as well, but will try to be concise.  So we are all speaking the same language…

The Biological Facts about Food DNA

Genetic modification (GM or GMO) is when genes are changed, often added, to a plant’s DNA to enhance it in some way.  Most often this is done to increase crop yield or increase pest resistance.  GM can change the nutritional quality of food and this concerns some people.  Plant breeding, natural and artificial selection do as well, but no one seems concerned.  Artificial selection is basically when, over the course of time, certain varieties of plants are grown more often than others for these same reasons.  Would you keep planting the more nutritional zucchini that rots on the vine or the variety that does so less often?  In the wild, the successful zucchini will seed more often and spread regardless of its nutritional value; this is natural selection.  Plant breeding is when we create new varieties like tangelos by crossing a tangerine and a grapefruit.  Is the tangelo nutritionally different? Probably. Inferior?  No one really monitors this.  Further, random mutation can change nutritional value and different varieties of apples have different amounts of vitamin A.  My feeling is that this is a squabble over pennies.  Any small difference in nutritional value probably isn’t going to account for much, if you are eating a whole-foods based diet.  The US government does not require that food be labeled as containing GM ingredients so you can not identify them unless you buy organic foods as they do not have genetic modifications.  There are reasons to avoid GM foods, but nutritional value is at the bottom of that list.

Pesticides sprayed onto plants do not affect nutritional value. You can wash some of the residue off when you wash your produce with warm water.  You can reduce your pesticide exposure by as much as 70%  by purchasing only 10 items grown organically. See my article on Buying Organic without Breaking the Bank.

As for children, my primary response to your question is that any minor loss of vitamins due to genetic engineering does not account for the overwhelming loss of vitamins from a child’s diet due to poor food choices. Let me illustrate with some diagrams.

A child should be eating a diet similar to the graph shown here, with half their calories coming from produce and about 25% coming from whole grains and 25% from protein.  (Dairy is a protein, not a food group.)

I would be more concerned about what I call diet modification than genetic modification.  Diet modification is when a child should be raised eating similar to the first graph, but the diet is instead modified to include fruit roll ups, graham crackers, gold fish, sugar cereals, energy bars, Gatorade, hot dogs, white bread products, jelly, etc.  These things are not food.  They are not grains, fruit, vegetables or protein and by composition contain more chemicals than the food group they are imitating.  Unless you are going to make your child fat, there is little room in the daily diet for these items and all the real food groups.  Every time you give your child chocolate Teddy Grahams they are not getting vitamins they need from a real food group and their diet looks more like the graph to the right.  Synthetic supplements are not going to correct this.  Please see my article on Vitamins.

If we compare the loss of nutrients between a child eating an organic Gala apple verses a non-organic GM Gala apple, perhaps the non-organic apple has 10% less nutrients (number made up because no real data available).  But over the course of the day, a child who eats half of their calories from produce is going to get all they need.   Now let’s compare the more likely scenario that the child eats goldfish for snack instead of any type of apple and the opportunity loss of nutrients is 70% or more. Your child will be getting more nutrition if they eat any type of apple, grown in any manner than if they eat the gold fish or chocolate Teddy Grahams for snack.  Coincidentally, and conveniently, if you want to avoid GM foods, I can guarantee that almost all fast food, convenience and processed foods contain GM ingredients.  If you can’t afford to go organic, just stop buying junk and you will reduce your consumption of GM foods.

Keep in mind:

• Convenience food is far more expensive ounce for ounce compared with whole foods.  Eating healthy foods is more important than eating organic.
• I know manufacturers are adding a scoop of whole grains to the gold fish and oats to the smores flavored bars but they still don’t meet the standards of a food group.  If you wouldn’t serve it as part of a healthy dinner, it probably isn’t real food.
• I am against GM with the insertion of systemic pesticides because of the very real environmental damage it causes and the increased allergen content.

Kinesio Tape (KT) has made sports injuries fashionable.  From eye catching colors and interesting application design, your injured ankle no longer looks like a wrapped mummy’s.  Seen on many Olympic athletes and now more widely available, people are wondering what is KT all about. Today I met with Dr. Christopher Matock, sports practitioner and owner of Precision Sports Medicine & Chiropractic in Walnut Creek, CA for a tutorial in another of his cutting edge techniques.

Dr. Matock explains that KT is more than an athletic tape. It is a unique therapeutic tool that has provided new options in rehabilitation and sports medicine.  Unlike rigid sports taping methods which promote immobility, the Kinesio Taping Method facilitates the healing process while providing stability and assistance to muscles and joints.  “KT increases body awareness and provides added support and stability for the injury without restricting range of motion.” Dr. Matock goes on to say, “In my practice, I see a variety of orthopedic and neuromuscular conditions, I utilize KT primarily to stabilize and support the injury between treatments.” This makes KT an effective tool for athletes, personal trainers, class instructors, or anyone who doesn’t have the time to sit out because of an injury.

What injuries are KT best for?

KT is used in the management of a variety of conditions from neck and back pain to rotator cuff strains, carpal tunnel, runner’s knee, calf tears, plantar fasciitis and a variety of other musculoskeletal injuries. The utility of KT extends beyond injury healing to prevention.  For example, if you have a tendency to roll your ankle, a professional can show you how to tape it so that you are less likely to roll it.  If you get achy knees, you could learn how to tape them before a hike.  KT can even be used to help correct posture.  Taping the back, for example can help prevent the shoulders from rolling forward.

How is KT applied?

“The way in which KT is applied depends on the therapeutic benefit you are trying to achieve.” Dr. Matock says, “It can be applied using variable amounts and directions of tension, so the tape has the ability to relax or stimulate muscles.” After meeting with Dr. Matock, I can say that you will not be able to get the full benefit of KT without a trained sports medicine professional to show you how to tape for your particular condition.  There are tips and tricks to cutting and applying.  I am pictured here after Dr. Matock taped me two different ways for shoulder pain.  Effective tape application requires you to hold your body in different functional positions as the tape is applied.  The tape is also custom cut for your body and needs.  You just aren’t going to get the best result by buying a roll of tape and guessing how to apply it.  I strongly recommend seeing Dr. Matock or someone who has been trained to use Kinesio Tape, to show you how to use it.  I was especially impressed by the technique in pressure-stretch application and feel that even if trained, you couldn’t effectively tape your own back, shoulders or arms, simply because you need two hands to do it right.  With shoulders taped, I felt heightened body awareness, my posture was perfect and my form at the gym was impeccable.  Even without a shoulder injury, I felt tempted to leave the tape on!

What is special about the tape itself?

There are different brands available but Dr. Matock has been pleased with the results he has had using the originally invented Kinesio Tex Tape.  One of the cool things about KT is that the adhesive is heat activated and tenacious, lasting for 3 to 5 days.  You could be taped days before a marathon or hike.  Dr. Matock often tapes acute injuries between appointments to speed the healing process.  The tape is stretchable and elastic.  It is made of cotton, so allergic reactions are uncommon, which can be a problem with other tapes containing latex.  The colors don’t mean anything and are usually used by professionals to keep track of cuts.  Heat activates the adhesive so your skin temperature keeps it bound, even for swimmers!  Clean the area thoroughly before applying tape because any lotions or body oils will interfere with adhesion.  When removing, you don’t want to rip if off like a band aid.  To avoid pulling out body hair or damaging your skin, Dr. Matock recommends working it off with soap in the shower, which I can tell you is easier after a few days of wear.

No one wants a sports or overuse injury, but Kinesio Tape is an amazing tool to help you heal faster and look cooler while doing it.

Check out Dr. Christopher Matock of Precision Sports Medicine and Chiropractic in Walnut Creek, CA. www.PrecisionSportsMedicine.com

The Sunol Regional Wilderness Area lacks, what is to me, the number one most important element, to make wilderness hike-able: a tree canopy.  I admit that I am sun sensitive and not interested in squinting from behind my sunglasses.  Wilderness is enjoyable when explored under a beautiful shade canopy…just the opinion of this fair skinned gal.  March and April are the best months to enjoy open wilderness areas in Northern California like the Sunol Regional Wilderness Area in Sunol California.  The weather is mild, the sun is weak, and while you still NEED a hat and sunscreen, you will be able to enjoy the scenery without squinting.  April also happens to be the perfect time to visit Sunol because the wildflowers are in bloom.  The gentle rolling, grassy hills makes Sunol a great park for a hike with kids.  The flowers, coupled with the many dogs you will pass, create more interest for budding naturalists.  The Canyon View Trail is a good trail for kids or if you are interested in a leisurely hike.  It leaves from the parking lot at the Visitors Station and provides, as it is aptly named, pretty canyon views.  The Sunol Wilderness Area is home to “Little Yosemite,” a small waterfall and river that crashes over granite rocks (about 1.4 miles from the parking lot).  Compared to Yosemite, it should perhaps be nicknamed miniscule Yosemite, but it is certainly beautiful and reminiscent of the real thing.  This spot makes the perfect place to picnic while enjoying the sounds of the creek.  Outhouses near the parking lot and at Little Yosemite may not be luxury, but they are convenient.  Continue about .5 miles along Camp Ohlone Rd, a dirt service road, and your youngster may find the W shaped tree interesting.  Return via the Canyon View Trail or walk back on Camp Ohlone Rd. until it meets with a horse friendly trail that will take you back to the parking lot.  The Sunol Wilderness Area is beautiful, but I recommend bringing the usual hiking gear (water, hat, sunscreen) and go in early spring when the nearly treeless trails are green and most enjoyable.

It’is worth increasing your weekly consumption of cruciferous vegetables for the (dare I say it) cancer prevention properties. In addition to these benefits, they also aid digestion, support the immune system, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, help prevent anemia and osteoporosis and all the other reasons vegetables keep us alive and healthy.

For those of you who are obsessive…broccoli contains the highest levels of glucoinolates followed by cauliflower.

Acai Berry

Acai (ah-sigh-ee) berries are an Amazonian wild berry harvested from palm trees. They are getting a lot of hype because they contain 20 times the antioxidants compared to blueberries, the long touted super-berry. Acai berries are still unavailable in most areas of the world, but if you are lucky enough to live in an area where acai is imported they are a healthy compliment to your diet. The berries are a bit tart, but you will not find them fresh unless you are visiting Brazil. Frozen berries and acai juice products are what you are most likely to find. I personally enjoy acai berries as the native Amazonians do, in an acai bowl. These bowls consist on an acai-based, frozen smoothie or sorbet on bottom, sprinkled with granola and topped with sliced fruit like bananas and strawberries. Amazonians eat these for any meal of the day and it is obvious why…they are AMAZING! I am fortunate to live in an area where an acai-bowl eatery, Vitality Bowls, serves organic, all natural bowls to my family every Sunday morning. It is quite frankly the only reason we go for a Sunday morning walk. If you are not lucky enough to have an acai bowl eatery near home you can create one of these insanely delicious creations at home with the help of Sambazon, a company that has brought acai berries to market in the form of juices using a sustainable business model that promotes the environment and the Amazonian community. Check the grocery store for Sambazon bottled acai juice near the Naked and Odwalla displays.

I love the Original Breakfast Bowl

To make: combine 2 packets of Sambazon frozen smoothie, half a banana and little apple juice in a blender, being sure to add just enough apple juice to keep it super thick like sorbet. Scoop the paste-like smoothie into a bowl and top with an all natural granola. Slice the other half of the banana over the top and add some sliced strawberries. Go wild by adding shredded coconut or a drizzle of honey.

Visit the Sambazon website for additional recipes www.sambazon.com

You wouldn’t work your back and ignore your chest, or the quads while ignoring the hamstrings, and yet the calves usually get worked while the tibialis anterior rarely does.  Tibi who? The tibialis anterior is the muscle that covers your shin and is responsible for pulling your foot upward to take a step.  Exercising it is important to prevent lower leg muscle imbalances, especially for runners.  Weak tibia muscles cause premature leg fatigue and can contribute to shin splints.  Anyone who plays shin impact sports like soccer or contact kickboxing can also benefit from developing the tibial muscles because they absorb force and protect the shin bones.  Women who wear high heels often develop weak tibialis muscles because the shoe, by design, discourages lifting the toes when stepping.   Weak tibialis muscles cause people to walk slower during everyday life.  The slower you walk, the less calories you burn.  If you were to increase the strength of the tibialis muscle and increase your gait by only 15%, you could lose 5 pounds in one year.  Seriously.  By just walking through parking lots and grocery stores a bit faster you can lose weight this year without changing your eating or exercise routine.  If you merely try to walk faster or take longer strides, you will notice that your tibialis anterior will have to work harder. 

A good way to build tibia strength is toe tapping.  Press your weight into the left leg and extend the right, resting on the heel as pictured.  Being toe tapping the right foot.  Slowly transfer some weight into the right heel. The more weight you press into the right heel, the harder the right tibia will have to work to pull the toes off the ground.  Toe tap until the shin burns to fatigue.  Work on tapping longer before fatigue and pressing more weight into the tapping heel to build strength and stamina.  Once your tibialis muscle is stronger, you will naturally walk faster without effort.

Trying to lose weight is torture when you are hungry all the time.  Rather than focusing on eating less, I recommend a variety of natural strategies to curb my client’s appetites.  One such strategy is adding lemon to the foods you eat.  The citric acid in lemons slows down gastric emptying; meaning food stays in your stomach longer so you feel full longer.  Lemon is easy to add to salad dressing or make your own following the recipe below.  Fish and chicken taste great with a squeeze of lemon.  Adding a splash of lemon juice or a lemon slice to a glass of water will have the same effect on appetite.  Artificial lemon flavorings and sweeteners can have the opposite effect.  If you start drinking Lemonade Crystal Light frequently, your hunger is likely to increase and your waist circumference with it.  Likewise, lemon desserts won’t suppress appetite because refined sugar increases appetite, zeroing out the benefit.  Cocktails with lemon juice are of no benefit either because alcohol slows your metabolism.

Don’t go overboard.  Citric acid and many other natural and synthetic acids like those found in soda, soften tooth enamel and can lead to dental decay.  I advise against sucking on a lemon wedge directly.  (A mistake some unknowing parents make that rots their toddler’s entire mouths.)  Acids soften tooth enamel temporarily.  After about a half hour, your saliva has rinsed the acid from your mouth and the enamel re-hardens.  So… contrary to what you might assume, brushing immediately after eating citrus can cause more damage.  While the enamel is soft, you are actually scrubbing enamel from your tooth rather than brushing acid off the enamel.  Waiting at least 30 minutes to brush after eating is a pretty good rule of thumb because there are many things that cause temporary enamel softening including all citrus fruits, vinegars and many beverages.

For more natural appetite suppressant strategies click here Natural Appetite Supressants

Lemon Vinaigrette

Combine 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1 clove minced garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon black pepper.  Amp up the flavor by adding 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard and 1 Tablespoon minced green onion.

Like most people, I find myself making a health related New Years resolution this year.  Over the last few months I have been busy.  I was only getting into the gym four times a week instead of seven.  I was staying up a half hour late, sometimes an hour and a half past my bedtime.  I started sleeping in on weekends and sometimes found I didn’t want to get up weekdays.  I have eaten way too much sugar and have been grazing.  Overall I feel more tired and less productive.  Being busy really isn’t an excuse for not taking care of myself…I just got lenient and I want to get back on track before I develop any bad habits.  I could vow to give up sweets, workout more and get more sleep, but the real resolution I need to make, is just a commitment to routine.  Willpower is not a problem for me, but usually that is not enough to make a lifestyle commitment stick.  Routines, habits and strategies are what make being healthy, a lifestyle.  Here is how I intend to rectify my behavior in about two weeks and expect it to last for about six months (at which time I may need a routine tune up).

My short timeline of two weeks may sound silly, but it is realistic for me because I have been living a very healthy lifestyle for a long time and I really haven’t gotten that far off track.   Set a realistic timeline for you.  If you have strategies and routines in your life and you have gotten off track, it should be relatively easy to reinstate and follow them.  If you have nothing in place, it will take time to create habits.

First, I resolve to turn all electronics off by 10 pm.  This is proven to help you fall asleep faster and sleep sounder.  I will have little temptation or excuse to stay up past 10:30.  Avoid novels if you get too involved in the story and are tempted to stay up reading.  Magazine articles are short and put me to sleep.  I will move my alarm clock to the other side of the room so I have to get out of bed to turn it off and I will set it even on weekends.  Sleeping in and staying up late on weekends interrupts your circadian rhythm.  Your most restful sleep is before midnight.  Getting 2 hours before midnight is more restorative than sleeping in an extra two hours in the morning.  After two weeks my body will naturally be tired at 10:30 pm and awake at 7am.

As far as sugar goes…I shop strictly from a grocery list and sweets are never on the list because I only eat sweets I make from scratch.  Baking from scratch is labor intensive and time-consuming, so there is generally a modest amount in my home at any given time and the recipes I use are healthier versions.  My mistake this season was hosting, so I had enough dessert for a houseful of people and then leftovers from a houseful of people.  I should have thrown it all out before I ate it just “because it was there.”  Sugar zaps energy making you less productive too.  Oh well…it is gone now and won’t be replaced because of my grocery list routine.  Meal planning and grocery list shopping is proven to result in better food choices.  Planned meals and lack of countertop goodies decreases grazing.

In addition to sleeping in on weekends, I have missed workouts because one of my favorite gym instructors changed her schedule in November and so I stopped attending one of my weekly classes.  I resolve to try a few new classes and restore my gym routine.  I have the gym schedule in front of me now and have highlighted 5 classes/instructors I am going to try that fit into my life.  I will try one new one per week until I find the one I will stick with.  Getting to the gym other days has not been a problem because I have a daily workout schedule.  This highlights how a disruption in a routine can derail it.

I know that everyone doesn’t enjoy a strictly scheduled life, but I can see all aspects of my health slowly begin to unravel when I don’t adhere to mine.  Health can’t really be compartmentalized into exercise, sleep or food because they affect each other so much.  A healthy lifestyle…a routine… is the answer to optimal health.  Here’s to resolving or creating routines!

Calf cramps are one in a long list of pregnancy nuisances. These charlie horses usually strike in the middle of the night, waking you from sleep in such terrible pain, it can feel as if your calf muscle is popping out.  The reason this happens so often, or to so many women is because the calf muscles work much harder, all day, during pregnancy due to the additional weight and because of the biomechanics of so much of that weight hanging off the front of your body.  Fortunately these leg cramps are preventable. First, stop wearing high heels, which puts additional stress on the calves.  I am all for being fabulous, but brands and media who encourage heel wearing to pregnant women are ignorant or irresponsible.  Secondly, you need to build calf strength so the cramps don’t get worse and more frequent as you gain more weight.  The book MOMMY FABULOUS: Complete Pregnancy Fitness and Nutrition Guide, Designed to Deliver a Fabulous Postpartum Figure can show you how to do this safely and effectively during pregnancy.  Finally the calves need to be stretched.  The stretch pictured here is fantastic during pregnancy.  Angle your feet outward at the hips to make room for your baby belly and lower yourself into a deep squat while keeping the heels on the floor.  It is best performed at the corner of a heavy coffee table that you can hold onto for leverage.  Only lower yourself as far as you can with the heels on the ground.  Once the heels lift up, you shift bodyweight forward and take pressure off the calves and place it in the knees; it becomes ineffective.  Practice holding the stretch until you can lower yourself into the pictured position below and can place all your bodyweight into your heels, as opposed to the balls of your feet.  Being heavier than usual is beneficial because it applies more pressure, and therefore a more effective stretch than you would be capable of when not pregnant.

Coincidently, this is a great birthing position because it opens the pelvis more than any other position.  (Giving birth in the missionary position is the hardest and most painful because the pelvis is most closed.  It is often used because it is convenient for the person delivering the baby, even though it makes childbirth harder on the mother.)  If you are interested in birthing this way, practice holding this stretch position for 2 minute intervals during your third trimester or you will never have the stamina for it during delivery.

Calf charlie horses usually occur at night because of the position you sleep in.  Most people sleep with their toes pointed and the covers pulled over them.  The already fatigued calf muscles are in an activated position when the toes are pointed.  After a few hours of contraction, the calf muscles spasm.  Instead, draw your toes upward into a flat-footed position to sleep.  This position relaxes the calf muscles.

If you get a charlie horse calf spasm, forcefully drive your heel downward while pulling your toes upward to relax the calf muscle and it should subside pretty quickly.  Pregnancy makes sleeping uncomfortable enough.  Use these techniques and you can avoid one more disruption.

Most of the side effects of pregnancy can be treated, minimized or completely avoided.  MOMMY FABULOUS: Complete Pregnancy Fitness and Nutrition Guide, Designed to Deliver a Fabulous Postpartum Figure was written to share specific techniques, foods and exercises that allow women to get through their pregnancies avoiding back pain, chiroprators, night-time aching hips, morning sickness, heartburn, stretch marks, gestational diabetes…the list goes on and on.  Take an active role in your own health and pregnancy.  I can show you how to do it!

Danielle Federico, M.P.H.

author of MOMMY FABULOUS

In my years as a nutritional counselor, I have not had one client tell me that they pay attention to their salt intake (at the beginning of our sessions, that is).  Humans need no more than 500 mg per day and should not exceed 2,400 mg per day.  Yet the average American eats 3,000-4,000 mg per day!!!!!!  One problem with salt is that it causes you to be hungry… and hungry for salty foods.  In addition to having too much sodium, salty foods, also tend to be highly processed and generally not good for you.  Excess sodium consumption has been associated with 150,000 deaths a year in the form of stroke, heart disease and obesity related illnesses.  Sodium causes your body to retain water (bloating) too.  If you did nothing but cut down on salt you would probably lose the 5-80 pounds you have been struggling with and improve your wellness by reducing your risk for a long list of health problems.  Most people have no idea they over consume salt.  About 75% of this comes from packaged foods (boxed rice, canned foods, bread, snacks) and restaurant prepared meals. Start looking at the sodium content on food labels and try to keep the sodium under 200 mg per serving.  Reading food labels helps, but the real problem with labels is for children, people over 50 years old and black people who should not exceed a daily intake of 1,500 mg per day…a food label is based on a 2,400 mg daily allowance.  These groups should try to be even more conservative.  When cooking, keep in mind that chicken breasts are injected with a salt solution and pasta already contains sodium.  You don’t need to add more…it was already added before you bought it.

Cutting back on salt will not be easy, at first.  Your tongue is probably hyper-conditioned for salt, meaning that even strong-tasting herbs and spices are not going to register.  Food may taste bland for some time while your taste buds re-condition.  If you seriously cut down on salt for an extended time, eventually, you will find that non-salted flavors become more intense.  Food you thought was bland when your tongue was sodium addicted may become complex and tasty.  Small quantities of salt will become detectable and maybe even unpalatable.  At some point, you may come to realize why health-nuts, like me, seem to enjoy foods you currently consider to taste like cardboard or bird feed.

Outsmart Burnout

New activities.  This is a classic motivator, but if you are slumped doing your favorite activities you probably want to fall back in love with them.  New techniques within the same activity is the answer.  Weightlifters can try negatives where you lift quickly and extend painfully slowly on a 1:5 count.  Runners may want to change their gait.

Hire a trainer or a coach.  When was the last time someone critiqued your freestyle?  Sure, you have been swimming for years and can do it just fine, but if you have something specific to work on you may be more eager to hit the pool.

Try a new class.  Even if you hate it, it can renew your love for your routine.  Trying the same class you always do with a new instructor can have a positive effect too.

Buy new sport clothes.  Everyone feels renewed in new duds.  If you can work it into your budget, a head to toe new outfit is going to have a greater impact than just buying a new pair of black pants.

Set a new goal.  As a person committed to lifelong fitness, exercise is a continuum with no end.  Making defined goals with a timeline can give you a boost in motivation.  If you are a cardio junkie, make a weightlifting goal designed to improve you running abilities.

Workout in a new location occasionally.  Try a track or a park.

Read some fitness success stories.  Sometimes hearing about how hard Olympic athletes train or how someone ran a marathon after knee surgery is enough inspiration to get you back in the game.

Get a workout partner.  Even if you only meet up once a week or once a month, it can be refreshing.  Trade off who plans the workout rather than just ‘figuring it out’ when you get there.

Take a gym break for 7 days.  I do this when I am feeling over-trained and burnt-out (about once every three years).  I exercise 5-7 days a week; it is a set part of my daily schedule.  Taking 7 days off, as in not even going to the gym to stretch can really refresh you.  With the extra time, you can get a lot done, which can decrease your baseline stress level.  After 5 days I am missing my gym buddies and have way too much pent-up energy.  Absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Avoid Burnout

Do activities you love and you may never get burnout.

Vary your workouts often.  Even a strict workout schedule can have lots of variety (and should).

New music.  Tons of channels and nothing is on TV?  This happens with the new music devices.  With so much storage, you have every good song you have ever heard with you and this gets dull.  Keep only 20-30 songs with you and then change your whole storage file.

Change your fitness focus throughout the year.  Even if you love Step and always do it, you can focus on certain aspects of the activity.  Focus on jumping higher for 3 months for example (or squatting deeper, or getting your high knees up to chest height).

Stop going through the motions.  I’ve seen people attend kickboxing classes for years and still can’t throw a proper punch.  Focus on improving your technique.  This may require slowing down and missing a few beats in a class situation.  You can focus on form and speed once you master your new form.  You get more out of a workout when you do it right rather than quickly trying to keep up.  This may help you enjoy class more than taking a break from going.

Don’t workout while on vacation unless you really want to.  My vacations are always active with hiking, kayaking and walking tours, but I don’t bother with hotel Pilates classes or trying to fit in morning runs.  This makes exercise a chore. [I don’t binge eat or drink…I never vacation from taking care of myself.  This may not work for you if you typically return from trips 5 pounds heavier.]

Pumpkin pancakes make a smart breakfast, providing a serving of vegetables, whole grains, fiber, vitamins and minerals as opposed to eating buttermilk pancakes, which are basically a wad of refined flour.  Pumpkin pancakes are so tasty you can skip the syrup or use a lot less because they don’t soak up syrup the way a buttermilk dough wad does.  In addition, they are easily stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, wrapped in foil because they stay moist.  Flour pancakes dry out and become stale.  Pumpkin pancakes are perfect for school lunch, snack time or tea time.  Make sure to make them small enough to fit in a plastic baggie.  It not only makes them easier to eat by hand, but also ensures that they cook through in the center.  If the diameter is too large, I find the outside will burn by the time the center bakes through.  Because pumpkin pancakes are nutritionally denser, you will find that you will be full sooner than if you were eating a glucose disk (buttermilk pancakes), so the small size is better for this reason too.

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 ½ cup flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup brown sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp allspice

1/8 cups canned pumpkin

1 cup milk

¼ cup canola oil

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients and stir.  Pour batter in 4 inch diameter cakes on a griddle pan.  You can handle it from here. J

Pumpkin – Carrot Muffins (or Cake)

½ cup flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

1 egg

1 egg white

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup canned pumpkin

2 Tbs canola oil

2 Tbs melted butter

1 Tbs grated orange

¾ cup raisins

½ cup grated carrot

1/3 cup dried cranberries

2 Tbs chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.  Beat eggs with a mixer in a large bowl for 30 seconds.  Add brown sugar, pumpkin, oil, butter and orange rind and beat.  Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, stir until moist.  Stir in raisins, carrots and cranberries.  Spoon batter into muffin cups.  Sprinkle walnuts on top.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 -25 minutes.

This same recipe makes an 8 inch square cake.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes and frost with a light cream cheese frosting.  I made this cake for my husband’s birthday last year and he loved it.  We always end up throwing away birthday cake that is just a block of refined sugar with sugar on top.  This is a cake worth eating!

Buy canned pumpkin now, to enjoy it this fall.  Although it is available all year-long, grocery stores take canned pumpkin off the shelves in October just to put is back on in November on sale.  Stock up on canned pumpkin when it is on sale and use it any time of year. Check out additional pumpkin recipes under the recipes tab.

By law, children’s pajamas sized 9 months to size 14 must meet flammability requirements.  This means pajamas are treated with flame retardant chemicals.  Unfortunately, human skin is like a sponge and chlorinated and brominated flame retardant chemicals accumulate in our children’s bodies causing damage in the long-term.  One chemical, polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) has been linked to damaging the nervous system, alters brain development (causing attention and behavior problems) and affects puberty (causing low sperm count and menstrual irregularities).  US citizens have the highest body burden of PBDEs in the world.  PJs will continue to have this particular chemical until 2013 when it will be phased out and replaced by others that do not have long-term safety studies.  A recent UC Berkeley study of children in Salinas, CA found US born children had significantly higher blood levels of flame retardant chemicals than children who emigrated from other countries.

How do we avoid poisoning our children’s bodies while they sleep?

“Flame resistant” does not mean fireproof.  The idea is that loose-fitting princess gowns and flannel pants, for example, ignite more easily than long-john style PJs and that is why they are chemically treated.  Flame retardant PJs may be a benefit when running through flames, but are not really going to help if the bed is on fire.  Every parent should be aware that flame retardant PJs are exposing their children to health damaging chemicals and that there are alternatives.  ALL pajamas are chemically treated and are NOT labeled that they are.  The only way to avoid sleeping in chemically treated PJs is to buy snug fitting cotton PJs with a label saying “Not Flame Resistant.”  Snug fitting cotton PJs meet flammability requirements WITHOUT being chemically treated.  Look for snug fitting PJs with a label saying “Not Flame Resistant” and everyone can sleep soundly.