Packing Healthy Snacks for the Beach

image via i stockSummer is finally here and it's time to hit the beach. But summer doesn't give us the right to eat poorly. It's important to stay healthy all year round. Relaxing at the beach is a great way to spend the day, but make sure you bring some healthy treats to share.
Before you set out for a day at the beach, it's always smart to plan ahead and pack some yummy food to bring along. Instead of bringing junk food, this year try something new and healthy. I love to freeze different foods the night before my beach escape. Frozen fruits, like grapes and blueberries, are especially refreshing in the heat, taste great, and provide you with healthy nutrients. Freezing yogurt the night before can also make for a great beach snack. By the time you're ready to eat, the yogurt won't be frozen but will be nice and cold. You can also bring along some granola or make your own trail mix. These snacks provide energy and can be added to the yogurt and fruit to make your own parfait. Try to avoid salty foods though, like salted pretzels or salted nuts. It's important to stay hydrated and keep your energy level up when spending the day in the sun. Salty foods will do just the opposite by dehydrating you. Foods like fruit and veggies are high in water content which will provide you with a little extra hydration. Making sure you have lots of water is extremely important as well. For those who don't love to drink plain water, bring along some flavor packets to keep everyone happy. Drinking is the key to making it through a day at the beach and in the sun.
Plan on eating a meal at the beach? Don't spend all your money on greasy cheeseburgers and pizza; instead, bring a healthy lunch that everyone will enjoy. Reduced fat peanut butter and cut up apple pieces on a whole-wheat sandwich will be popular, especially with the kids. Besides being easy to prepare, the peanut butter will provide some protein and the apples will add some extra water content. To make the sandwich even more enticing for the kids, try putting the peanut butter and apples in small whole-wheat tortillas to make eating more fun. It tastes extra-yummy when the peanut butter melts in the sun and gets all gooey. Don't forget extra napkins! Feel free to add some of that granola or some banana. Making a normal sandwich into a wrap not only makes eating more exciting but also makes them cleaner; wraps are easier to hold so you don't have to worry about your sandwich contents falling into the sand.
If your kids insist on eating at the snack bar, let them choose between a grilled chicken sandwich and grilled chicken fingers. Most snack bars will be happy to substitute grilled chicken for the fried chicken on the kids' menu. Forego the fries and get baked potato chips instead. If your kids are clamoring for the ice cream truck, have them choose ices over ice cream for a lot less fat.
With all these healthy choices, everyone will be satisfied and you are guaranteed to enjoy a great day at the beach. Your friends and family with thank you, as will your body. And don't forget the sunscreen.



Be Well,

Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right

Backyard Safari

What's better then a Backyard Safari during the warm summer days? My girls love to be out in the yard...really, warm or cold they need their two hours of fresh air. I enjoy watching them wander around amazed at creation!

BUGs...my five year old loves bugs! When we received our Backyard Safari gear from Summittoy.com , the girls were thrilled! They garbed the Cargo Vest, Mega View Periscope, and BUG Vacuum as they ran towards the door to their Backyard Safari!Backyard Safari Girls

My five year old could not get enough of the Bug Vacuum! Sneak up on bugs, suck them up! Catch them live! She became the ultimate bug wrangler! The Bug Vacuum allows you to look at bugs up-close with the built in magnifying glass. Then, Sophie was thrilled that she could release them back into their natural habitat! You see, they are pets to her, really!

The periscope is awesome! Although my five year old found it a bit top heavy. My seven year old and our neighborhood friends, age 11 loved it!

Backyard Safari equips young explorers with all the essential field gear they could possibly need for scoping out "wildlife" and get the much needed outdoor time. It's wonderful to have a few tools especially for children that my prefer indoor activities. My five explorers spent two hours in the Backyard Safari. Now, that's priceless!

 Donna partners with Team Mom to review products made in the USA or practicing fair trade. It's important to know what companies in the mainstream market place fit our high standards. At Blessed Nestwe work hard to provide you with the best and we enjoy telling you about other companies who are doing the same!

Donna

Why eat organic?

Today's post written by Dr. Joanna.

"Organic" products and organic foods have become a buzzing topic as of lately. Not surprisingly, consumers are often confused as to what organic really means. This article will look to answer some of the most common questions about buying organic and the benefits of choosing certain organic foods over non-organic foods.

What is Organic?

Use of the term Organic is monitored by the USDA National Organic Program (NOP). The NOP uses the word "Organic" to mean that a food or produce is grown or raised without the use of pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, in an area that is not contaminated by sewage, and does not involve genetically modified organisms or ionizing radiation[1]. "Organic" meat means that the animals are not raised with or given antibiotics or growth hormones.

The USDA NOP has created three categories of organic. 100% Organic is a top grade Organic product and all ingredients in the product are made according to the USDA organic farming standards. The second category is labeled simply as Organic which means that at least 95% of the ingredients are organic.  The third category is "Made with Organic Ingredients" which signifies that at least 70% of ingredients are made according to USDA's organic standards without any genetically modified organisms.

Don't get tricked!!!

Products that contain less than 70% organic ingredients may still have labels boasting about their few organic components; this does not mean that the product is considered an organic product!!

Look for the Seal

The USDA Organic seal assures buyers that the product comes from a manufacturer or farm that has an Organic-certified program and system plan and that all records of product production are verified in accordance to that plant. Manufacturers and farms that produce food that hold this seal are inspected annually unannounced to ensure standards are met and maintained.

Why Buy Organic??

Pesticides belong to a group of chemicals intended to kill living organisms and are intended to be toxic material. Consuming small amounts of pesticides each day may lead to a build-up of these toxic materials in the body. Pesticides in and on food have been linked to a variety of health problems including skin, eye, and lung irritation, cancers, nervous system side effects, and changes in hormone levels[2]. Organic produce is grown to be "earth friendly", without pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Although some foods nutritional content does not change depending on whether the food is organic or not, the presence of pesticides does!!!

What to buy Organic

According to the Environmental Working Group, the most contaminated foods are peaches, strawberries, apples, domestic blueberries, nectarines, cherries and imported grapes; buy these fruits organic! Of the vegetables: celery, sweet bell peppers, spinach, kale, collard greens and potatoes are best to buy organic because these vegetables retain the most pesticides[3]
Naturally lower in Pesticides
The vegetables least likely to test positive for pesticides are onions, sweet corn, sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, eggplant

and sweet potatoes. Lower pesticide containing fruits include avocados, pineapples, mangoes, kiwi, domestic cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit and honeydew.

For a complete list of pesticide content for fruits and vegetables go to www.foodnews.org

Your Shopping List for Organic Foods:

Buy these Organic
(15 Listed from most pesticide-containing to least)

1.Celery
2. Peaches
3.Strawberries
4.Apples
5.Domestic Blueberries
6.Nectarines
7.Sweet Bell Peppers
8.Spinach
9.Kale/ Collard Greens
10.Cherries
11.Potatoes
12.imported Grapes
13.Lettuce
14.Imported Blueberries
15.Carrots

References:
[1] http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/NOP

[2] http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/pest.htm
[3] www.foodnews.org

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Foods to focus on while you're nursing

Today's post written by Holly~ Writer for our Perch in the area of breastfeeding and wellness

The quality of your breast milk is affected by what you put in your body- but who has time to figure out exactly what to consume when you're overwhelmed with caring for your new baby?  We've all been given plenty of advice from mothers and friends about what you should eat and what to avoid while breastfeeding.  I'd like to offer a few ideas that maybe you haven't heard, that will boost your supply, make your milk healthier, and may even create a smarter baby!  The best part is, they're all very easy to implement.

Here is a list of some specific foods to focus on while you're nursing:  

Coconuts.  Every bit of them...the meat, the milk, the oil, the water.  Coconuts contain lauric acid which the human body converts to monolaurin- the building block of the immune system.  Monolaurin is antiviral and antibacterial- so to keep your baby healthy, drink coconut water, cook with coconut oil, make Thai inspired coconut soups, even eat macaroons!
Walnuts.  Have you ever pondered the shape of the walnut?  It looks just like a brain- nature's way of telling us what body part it benefits.  So as you're munching away on a handful of raw walnuts, not only are you helping your baby's brain develop and grow, but you are also keeping your own mind sharp.  A definite necessity in the face of sleepless nights and pregnancy/breastfeeding brain!
Beans.  If you're caring for a gassy or colicky baby, avoid all beans.  The proteins can pass into your breast milk and are hard for baby to digest.  Be sure to look for sneaky sources of beans- such as those in soy milk or your morning coffee.  (Remember, those are beans too!)  Coffee should be avoided for two reasons- the caffeine that passes into breast milk takes longer for baby to metabolize, and it can make your baby gassy from the beans; a recipe for a wide-awake, super fussy baby.  That's reason enough for me to skip my morning java.
Fish.  Aim for up to 12 ounces of fish per week, and both you and your baby will reap the rewards.  Fish is a great source of protein and full of omega 3 fatty acids which aid in the healthy development of your baby's eyes, heart and brain.  Fish is also high in Vitamin D which is good for your baby's bones and strengthens the immune system.   It might even lower your baby's risk of developing asthma.  Fish oil has been shown to decrease levels of postpartum depression in new moms, so if you choose to take a daily supplement, look for one that is third party tested and pharmaceutical grade.
Eggs.  Breakfast is especially important, especially in the early weeks and months when you're nursing all night.  Opt for whole eggs cooked in coconut oil or real butter.  Egg yolks contain choline which is necessary for milk production, and in your baby it affects the parts of the brain responsible for memory function and lifelong learning ability.  The cholesterol in eggs is needed to build nerve tissue and brain cells.   In fact, cholesterol is one of the most important ingredients in breast milk!  Please don't be afraid of the healthy fats- You and your baby both need them.   After all, it's a proven fact that nursing a baby requires more energy than pregnancy.

Are you hungry yet?  I am, and I just had breakfast...I think I'll go make myself another omelet.

Find Holly at Integrative Mom.com

Holly

The I Love Lucy Project

I first heard of The I Love Lucy Project, here. The I Love Lucy project is described below....one lovely little girl

and a Mom with a mission. Read their story.

The I Love Lucy blog has been set up by Linda Eyre and her daughter Shawni to fight against blindness on behalf of Shawni's daughter Lucy. Lucy, who is three-years-old, was diagnosed last year with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome which causes blindness, obesity, and a wide array of other health issues.

We are on a race against time to fight against "retinitis pigmentosa," the type of retinal degeneration that will most likely affect Lucy's eyesight between ages 9-15. We are hoping that before the degeneration becomes more dramatic, the cures that wonderful foundations are working toward finding will come to fruition.

But these foundations need money in order to speed on their research. We hope this blog will be an avenue to create awareness and raise funds to help Lucy and others who suffer from this debilitating disease.