Category Archives: Nutrition

Family Nutrition

RESPECTING YOUR BODY

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My family is very health conscious and when it comes to food we get really excited about sharing good, healthy recipes with each other. Eating cleaner and healthier is about RESPECTING YOUR BODY enough to make healthier choices. Remember: Garbage In, Garbage Out. That being said, my quinoa burgers are the most requested food for me to make when our girls are in town, just saying. We keep as much fruit, veggies, nuts, gluten-free and whole unprocessed foods as possible in our house and limit the “white” foods such as white flour, white sugar, white rice and dairy. Growing up, our daughters didn’t drink cow’s milk and we didn’t have it in our house. When they saw it at friends houses they referred to it as “white milk”(as opposed to our beige milk, aka almond milk) and well, the name stuck. We still don’t have white milk in our house instead, we have coconut milk which is technically white and I’m not sure what our girls call cow’s milk today if they ever talk about it.

This past weekend our whole family was in town to celebrate birthdays and someone said they were craving something sweet so we went wild and made Chia seed pudding. It’s really good(unless you have an aversion to slippery food in which case you may want to pass on this one) and you can make it as sweet as you want and add berries, nuts and anything that sounds good to you. Here is the simple recipe:

2 cups coconut or almond milk
1/3 cup chia seeds
1 mashed banana
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions
In a bowl, add milk, chia seeds, and vanilla extract. Whisk together. Cover and refrigerate. It starts to thicken in 30 minutes. It’s best to eat after 2-4 hours. Add the mashed banana before eating.
The chia seed pudding will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

 

Staying healthy is more fun when you do it as a family. Our daughter Sydney, drinks 1-2 swamp smoothies green drinks a day. She is my inspiration when it comes to stepping up my diet a notch. Thanks Syd!

Dr. Mary's Take Family Kid's Health Nutrition

Hey baby, How about a nighttime snack?

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When Moms ask me how long I breastfed my daughters, I look up to the sky as if I’m counting the years and then I say jokingly, “Right up until they started middle school?” Having three daughters all roughly two years apart, I was breastfeeding for about a 6 year period of time and breastfeeding was one of the best experiences of my life. Think about how amazing is it that our bodies are designed to not only carry and birth people but to give them all of the nutrition they need to thrive and survive. I could write about ALL of the great benefits of breastfeeding however, I’m going to take it up a notch and just talk specifically about breastfeeding at night.

An article that was written for Breastfeed Chicago entitled ‘5 cool things no one ever told you about nighttime breastfeeding’ stated this.  Are you ready?

1) Breastfeeding moms get more sleep.

2) Breastfeeding women have a higher level of  hormones at night therefore produce more milk at night.

3) Nighttime breast milk contains melatonin (a sleep inducing hormone) which babies don’t develop in early life.

4) Nighttime breast milk is rich in brain boosting substances, mood affecting hormones and helps with sleep/wake cycles.

5) Keeps mom’s long term milk supply steady and strong which can lead to less pumping during the day.

For anyone who wants to be blown away by how intelligent our bodies are, I encourage you to click here for the article  to get the “why and “how.”

The gift of MORE sleep, lowering your postpartum depression risk, building and developing babies brains, possibly reducing their risk for long-term mood disorders,  developing their own circadian cycles, ensuring your long-term breast milk supply, giving you an opportunity to pump less at work are just a few reasons to make you want to wake up at night to nurse your baby. Honestly, the Greatest reason is because you love your baby and yourself and want what is best for both of you! Cheers!!

 

 

Family Kid's Health Nutrition

A Little Lemon

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I have a lemon tree in my backyard that produces a ridiculous amount of lemons. The good news is that lemons have so many beneficial qualities and I have an abundance of them. The not so good news is that I have this habit of “pruning” the tree myself.  I have absolutely no idea how to prune a tree, I just go with my instincts and cut branches that don’t look like they want to be there. My husband calls me Edward Scissor-hands after a pruning frenzy but I truly believe that after I finish this task, the lucky remaining lemons get a burst of energy from the earth and taste so much better. I love living a healthy lifestyle . Squeezing a little lemon into your water everyday is a great way to get yourself and your family to drink more water which is essential to good health. Of course, eating lots of fruits and veggies is the best way to stay hydrated. I use lemon in herbal teas, stir-fried and steamed veggie dishes, and home-made salad dressings among other things.

It’s a simple way to cleanse and purify your body on a daily basis and  if you have a lemon tree in your yard, then you’re all set.

Pruning lessons! THAT is what I want for Mother’s Day!! I’m serious!

Kid's Health Nutrition

Come Join Us!

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Raising Healthy Kids Workshop - April 15, 2014
I know that many parents struggle to find the time and resources to incorporate healthy habits into their child(ren)’s daily routine. Come join me at one of my workshops on ‘Raising Healthy Kids’, and discover nutrition and lifestyle approaches to improving your child’s health.

This workshop will feature practical steps to effectively tackle every parent’s main concern – getting their kids to develop healthy habits! The workshop is for adults only, but it will give parents tools to take home and share with their children, getting everyone motivated to stay healthy.

Space is limited, so please register early. The event flyer for the Raising Healthy Kids Workshop can be downloaded here. For more information, you can email us at outreach@lifechirocenter.com or call us at 619.275.4343. The workshop is FREE and open to the public.