Pass The Butter .. Please.

This is interesting . . .

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back. It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavorings..

DO YOU KNOW.. the difference between margarine and butter?

Both have the same amount of calories.

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.

Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because they are added!

Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years .

And now, for Margarine..

Very high in Trans fatty acids.

Triple risk of coronary heart disease .

Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Increases the risk of cancers up to five fold..

Lowers quality of breast milk.

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

Here is the response from Jessica, our Dietician:

Most of that is true. Margarine is very high in trans fat and trans fat should make up less than 1% (it is also found in cakes, cookies, most of your baked goods) of your total intake. Trans fat has been shown to increase heart disease, risk of cancer and others. Butter is mainly saturated fat and although trans fat is the #1 worst fat for you, saturated fat is #2. Saturated fat should not make up more than 7% of your total daily intake. Diets high in saturated fat can also lead to heart disease and increase risk for cancer. Saturated fat is also the fat found in milk, meat, and other animal products. My advice for optimal health is to stay away from trans fat all together and saturated fat in moderation, but also remembering that both of these fats are found in food other than margarine or butter.

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However, this is the part of losing weight that I don’t like. Things always seem to feel like they are getting worse before they get better. My fat feels more ‘jiggly’ and soft. It hangs in places that I don’t like and sometimes sticks out of my clothes in ways I don’t find flattering. I have been through this before and my husband always tells me it is a sign of progress. A sign that things are getting better. So, in case you experience this and it makes you feel like you aren’t making progress, here is the explanation of why this happens.

There are three densitys of fat; brown fat, white fat and yellow fat. There is no difference in the fat other than the density. Brown is the most dense and white is the least dense with yellow falling in the middle. If you have your body fat for more than a year, it is relatively dense. Then, as you start to lose weight, the fat becomes less dense. This is why it starts to feel jiggly-your fat is less dense but it is still taking up the same amount of space. This will change as you continue to lose weight. Your fat will eventually become white fat (the least dense) and your skin will catch up and be tighter and the jiggles will be gone. Think of a balloon. If you fill it up with water and then let the water out quickly the balloon is looser than it was before you put the water in. In time, the balloon goes back to it’s normal ‘tightness’.

So, don’t get discouraged. Keep going. It will get better!

I have said before that I work better with a schedule and I am already finding that I am getting more things accomplished and have more energy this week than I had all summer. Having things scheduled at a certain time helps me to get tasks done that I don’t necessarily enjoy. For example, today at nap time I have scheduled time to go through the stack of mail on my desk and balance the check book. Since I know that is what is on the schedule, I can prepare myself for the task and just jump in and get it done.

This can also be a good way to tackle getting started exercising. Although I usually enjoy my exercise time, not everyone does and believe me, sometimes I don’t feel like doing it! But, if it is scheduled into my day, I am less likely to skip out. After all, what else will I do during that scheduled time? Watch TV? Maybe, but then I would feel guilty the whole time knowing that I was really supposed to be exercising! Our schedule helps hold us accountable to the things that need to be done. So, even if you resist scheduling (like my husband), give it a try. Take baby steps and start with scheduling the big tasks you typically avoid. You don’t have to schedule out every minute of your day.

Another way a schedule can help is with meal planning and incorporating a more healthy diet. If you have a scheduled time that you eat dinner each night, you can also schedule the time that you begin to prepare that meal. This helps to eliminate “It is 7:00 and we haven’t eaten. Let’s just grab pizza because we don’t have time to make something.” Meal planning can also be part of your schedule. Set aside a specific time each week to sit down as a family and talk about what meals you want for the next week. This also helps avoid the “what should we have for dinner?” conversation every night.

Last but not least, schedule family time. It is important to spend time together. If it is scheduled, everyone will know it is happening and it is less likely that conflicts will arise. Try having a family calendar in the kitchen so that everyone in the family knows what is going on.

You will be amazed at all of the things you can find time for when your day is more scheduled!

Drinking a soda each day isn’t horrible. My problem is that I would drink more like two or three a day and not drink anything else. Switching to water has been kind of a hard transition. I have done a pretty good job of it but, I do reward myself with a soda every once in a while-mostly on weekends. As I have said before, there is no need to completely cut out the things that you enjoy. They just need to be done in moderation.

The American Dietetic Associations website, www.eatright.org, says that adults should drink 8 cups of water a day which is 64 fluid ounces or just under 2 liters. You should drink more on the days you are exercising. Kids over eight years old need the same amount as adults where as younger kids need 4 to 5 cups.

So, how do we make sure we are drinking enough? As with most things, it starts with awareness and planning. Start being aware of how much water you drink. Do you drink as much as you should? If not, come up with a plan to get there. For example, I like my water really cold, so I bought a few 16 ounce water bottles. I fill them up at night and put them in the refridgerator. Throughout the day I pull them out and drink them; knowing that I need to finish all four before I go to bed. At night I wash them out, refill them and put them in the fridge for the next day. If I am leaving the house I always make sure to take one with me. I also make sure to drink a big glass of water after my workouts (in addition to my daily ‘requirement’).  Put together a plan for yourself. Think about why you aren’t drinking enough water and what would help you get there. Maybe it means putting some flavor in such as Crystal Light.

I have actually noticed a difference in the way I feel since I started focusing on my water intake. I just feel better. I also don’t crave the sweetness and flavor of sodas as much. I even find that when I do get one, I can’t drink it all in one sitting. I even find myself choosing it over soda when I am at a social gathering. Now that is something I never thought would happen!

Hop Scotch

What a fun activity! Go outside and draw hop scotch on your driveway. Then start jumping around! You don’t have to play by the rules (I don’t even remember what they are). Just have fun and challenge each other to do different things. Hop on one foot, hop both feet into each square, hop backwards and whatever else you can think of! It is even a great time for the younger kids to work on their numbers.

Tag

Play a game of tag in your back yard. You will have a great time chasing each other around and you will be exercising at the same time. Challenge yourself to stay in constant motion for as long as possible. Take short breaks and start again.

Red Light Green Light

Another fun game for the backyard. Take turns being ‘in charge’ with your child. Instead of always running during green light, try hoping on one foot, doing jumping jacks or walking on your hands and feet like a bear. Be creative and make it fun.

There are a lot of activities you can do with your children outside that also provide great exercise. If you have older kids you can jump rope or ride bikes around the block or even kick a soccer ball around. Spend some time thinking of activities that your family enjoys and make it a point to get outside and do them.  Be creative and have fun!

How many times have you heard someone say something like, “I am not eating all day because I am going out tonight for dinner and I want to save all of my calories (or points) so I can eat whatever I want.” ? Or maybe you have a busy day and you just ‘forget’ to eat only to realize late in the afternoon that you are starving. As moms we always make sure that our kids are fed but sometimes we forget about ourselves. Maybe you are finishing up a quick load of laundry while your kids eat breakfast, checking your email or making a quick phone call while your kids eat lunch. Then it is on to the next thing and you never ate. Again, then you are starving at dinner time and eat a huge meal.

Here is the problem. Our bodies need food throughout the day to provide the energy that we need to function. We are designed to eat about every 3 hours. So, if we don’t eat regularly, the body starts to ‘wonder’ when it is going to get fuel next. Then when you do eat, instead of using all of that food for energy, the body stores some of it as fat. That way if it doesn’t get fed in a timely manner it can use that fat for energy. Now, using fat for fuel doesn’t sound too bad right? Except that the body has to be starved for food quite a while before it actually starts to use that fat. In America, there is no way we go long enough without eating for that to actually happen. So what actually happens is that the body just keeps storing food as fat and we don’t lose weight because our body is in survival mode and thinks that it needs to keep storing everything we eat as fat.

What about when we go all day without eating and then have a huge meal at night? That is just as bad because our body needs most of its energy during the day when we are the most active.  If we eat more than we need at night, right before we go to sleep and are inactive for a long period of time, our body will store that excess as fat.

So, what should we do? EAT SMALLER PORTIONS ON A REGULAR BASIS. Try to consume a majority of your calories before the evening. Dinner should actually be the smallest meal we eat, not the largest. Have a morning snack between breakfast and lunch and an afternoon snack between lunch and dinner. Eating smaller portions on a regular basis will actually help you lose weight when combined with a healthy diet and exercise.

What if you want to go out for dinner? Go, have fun, allow yourself to enjoy a night out. Here is the thing though-having dinner out doesn’t mean that you have to overeat. Why not share an entree with whoever you are with? Or, if you can, get the lunch portion. Another tip is to ask for a to-go box at the beginning of your meal. Split the meal in half and put one half in the to-go box right away. That way, the extra is off your plate and you will avoid over eating.

How can you avoid skipping meals? Like I said before, we always make sure that our kids are fed. So, instead of trying to get things done while they are eating, sit down and eat with them. Take care of yourself as well as you take care of your kids. They will love having you eat with them.

Remember, not eating enough is just as bad as over eating! Remember that next time you are tempted to skip a meal!

First of all, we have to make it a priority. We all know that the things that we consider a priority in our lives are the things that get done with the most consistency. Second, we have to put it in our schedule. As moms we all have a schedule of activities that we do whether it is our mommy group, story time, nap time, etc. We need to put exercise time into that schedule. I have found that a written schedule works best for me. I can’t keep it all straight in my head. I have also found that I get a lot more accomplished in a day if I have designated times for things. Now, that doesn’t mean I am regimented to the point that I am a military commander shouting orders. There is flexibility in the schedule. But, if there are certain times during the day that my kids are ’scheduled’ to play on their own and I am ’scheduled’ to update the blog or work on marketing then we all function better because we know what to expect. I also can dedicate the time that I have scheduled to play with my kids more completely because I know that I have other time dedicated to get things done on my list. I don’t have to be thinking about them in the back of my mind while I am spending time dedicated to my kids.

Some people complain about a schedule or a routine. They like to ‘go with the flow’ or deal with things as they come up. I am not saying that is wrong however, a schedule and routine helps everyone in the family know what to expect. It can help eliminate conflicts and misunderstandings. You may also be surprised how much more you get done.

Like I said, I am flexible. If something that we want to do comes up last minute, we will move things around to accomodate. Or, if we decide we want to stay at the pool for an extra hour then we shift things around. There isn’t anything wrong with that. If you don’t use a schedule, give it a try for a week and see if you notice a change.

Back to exercise. The important part is making it a part of your schedule and routine. I first started trying to do my 30 minute walks in the morning before my husband left for work. The thing is, I am really not a morning person and I found myself dreading my walk and having negative associations with it. I have found that walking in the evening suits me much better. I actually look forward to it and find it to be a stress reliever and a way to sort out the days events. The only problem is that things can easily come up in the evenings that prevent my walk from happening. It takes more committment from me to say that this is an important part of my day that I am not willing to skip. By doing it in the morning, it is done before the day starts and there are less things that conflict with it. However, I am easily convinced to stay in bed and can find a million reasons to do so. The important thing is to pick a time that works best for you and stick with it. Make it a priority. Some days I take the kids in the stroller in the afternoon because we have an evening activity that prevents me from going on my own. The point is, I am not going to let that activity keep me from my committment. What are you going to do to make exercise a priority?

In the August 2009 issue there is an article about raising good eaters. We all want our kids to eat healthy and sometimes that is a tough task to master. Here are a few of tips that were included in the article:

1. You’re not a short-order cook

2.Give vegetables the hard sell

3. You have to try one bite

4. If all else fails, use bribery (and don’t feel guilty)

After reading the article I was pleased with myself because we actually do most of what the article suggests.

We only have one option for dinner (the only exception is sometimes a modified version for our 4 year old who has a milk allergy). We tell our kids that they don’t have to eat it but they don’t get anything else for the rest of the night. Or, if they are hungry later we will just re-heat their dinner. The hard part is the follow through-both parent’s have to be on the same page and you have to be firm. And don’t worry, it doesn’t do any harm if they skip dinner once or twice.

Our kids are required to eat their vegetables. They are served at lunch and dinner. For lunch, the rule is that if they don’t eat their vegetable then they don’t get their treat in the afternoon. At dinner we abide by the above-if you don’t eat your dinner then you don’t get anything else for the evening. Now, there is controversy out there about the ‘clean your plate’ rule.  The key here is to give your kids appropriate portions. If they have portions that are appropriate for their size and age then there isn’t anything wrong with having them clean their plate. The problem comes when kids are forced to clean their plate regardless of how much is on it. For example, an inappropriate time to make a child clean their plate is at a restaurant when they are given way to much food. Sometimes we hear the ‘I’m not hungry’ complaint. This is when the above rule applys ‘That is fine, you don’t have to eat but you don’t get anything else tonight’. (See how that solves most problems!)

When we introduce new foods or cook something a new way, we make our kids try one bite. Sometimes they think they aren’t going to like something and they really do or sometimes they really don’t. You can usually tell if a child is being stubborn or if they really don’t like something. We all have things we really don’t like and prefer never to eat and your kids are going to have those things too. The key is to not give in every single time they say they don’t like something. A true reaction to not liking something is usually pretty genuine. Don’t forget to praise them for at least trying it. Now, on nights we are trying something new, an alternative is offered for a genuine dislike. Something to keep in mind though, it can take 10-12 tastings for us to acquire a taste for something. Don’t give up too easily, especially if you have a picky eater. Try cooking it a different way or ‘hiding’ it in another dish.

Of course, there are times when we resort to bribery. As a parent you all know the feeling of ‘I just don’t want to battle tonight’.  At our house it is usually ‘Take 5 bites of each thing and you can have dessert’. That usually works because dessert is not a regular occurance at our house.  Sometimes we do what we have to do to make it through.

The first few days I shared what I was eating for meals to give you an idea of what I was doing. I am not going to bore you with all of those details each day. But here are some basics of what I have started doing:

-For breakfast I have either a fruit smoothie or an English Muffin with Peanut Butter

-Lunch is some sort of ’sandwich’. Tuna in a Pita, deli turkey and cheese in a whole wheat wrap or something similar. I also make sure I have some fruit and a vegetable with lunch.

-Afternoon snack is a smoothie (if I didn’t have one for breakfast) or some nuts or fruit. Yogurt or cottage cheese is a good choice as well.

-Dinner has some protein-chicken breast, ground pork, salmon, etc. We always have a vegetable and sometimes rice or pasta. We are still working on ways to be more creative with dinner.

I allow myself a ‘treat’ every day if I want one. It is not a requirement. I love my coffee which isn’t bad except that I love it only with a lot of creamer. So, often that is my treat.  However, I used to drink two cups in the morning which meant that I was getting a lot of sugar from the creamer. I have cut it back to one cup and really don’t miss that second cup. Other days I have ice cream or a can of Dr. Pepper. Again, the key is MODERATION. Just don’t go overboard. Have a serving of whatever it is you love. Eat it slowly and really enjoy it!

Last but not least, I have been drinking lots of water. To tell you the truth, I really don’t like drinking water. I crave flavor and carbination (like a Diet Pepsi…). BUT, the more water I drink, the more I crave it and the less I find myself wanting soda. In fact, the other night we were with some friends and I had the choice of soda or water and I actually chose water! Now that is pretty amazing.