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By now, we all know that we should make at least half of our grain servings whole grain.  And really, the goal is to eat whole grains most of the time.  Whole grains provide more nutrients and fiber than foods made with processed, or white, flour.

When most people think of whole grains, they think of things like whole wheat or oatmeal.  But there are a lot of delicious and less common grains out there out there to add to your favorite recipes.  Bulger is one of them.

What’s so great about bulger?  Here’s a few facts from Well blog:

Bulgur, which is made from precooked wheat berries, takes only about 20 minutes to reconstitute by soaking or by simmering. It’s also a great substitute for rice because it has more fiber and nutrients and is also a low glycemic index food. Low glycemic index foods are better for you because they produce only small fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin levels compared with high glycemic index foods like rice and potatoes.

Bulger is also filled with fiber, great for a healthy digestive tract and for filling you up without filling you out.  It’s precooked which means, unlike some other whole grains, it doesn’t take long to prepare.  Here’s a tasty recipe for bulgar salad with edamame and tomatoes, or check out Well blog for some other interesting recipes.

Can find bulgar at your local supermarket?  Try a local health food store.

Photo: dichohecho, Flickr

When you’re feeling down or tired, it’s hard to resist the urge to reach for something comforting like sweets and processed junk food.  We call this emotional eating, but it’s not all in your head.  Sugar activates reward receptors in your brain, and carbs have a mild sedating effect.

So for a short time, you really do feel better.  And then the sugar lows hit.

Scientists recently discovered what they think is a cause-and-effect relationship between a junk food diet and depression.  People who ate a regular diet of processed foods were more likely to be depressed than those who ate whole foods.  Can you see the cycle?  You eat junk food because you’re feeling bad, and the junk food actually makes you feel worse, so you go back for more.

You can reverse the pattern, though.  Visit MSNBC for tips on how to include more whole foods in your diet and reduce your consumption of processed foods.  Just a note:  When sugar lovers give up sweets, anxious feelings and fatigue can actually get worse for a few days.  Tough it out, and you’ll be feeling great in no time!

The American Heart Association has come up with an easy way to both measure your risk factors and prevent heart disease.  It’s a list of seven lifestyle factors that, when all are present in one person, predict a long and healthy life as far as the heart is concerned.

“Collectively, when these health factors and healthy behaviors are found in aggregate in one person, the effect on markers of health and healthy outcome are remarkable,” said Dr. Clyde W. Yancy, president of the AHA told HealthDay. “Your chance for meaningful longevity with good quality of life is substantially increased.”

HealthDay reports the seven factors are:

• Never smoked or quit more than a year ago.
• Body mass index, a measure based on weight and height, less than 25.
• Physical exercise — at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity each week.
• At least four key components of a healthy diet, such as fewer calories, more fruits and vegetables, and oily fish, such as salmon, four times a week.
• Total cholesterol lower than 200.
• Blood pressure below 120/80.
• Fasting blood sugar below 100.

Even if your “numbers” such as total cholesterol and blood pressure are high, changing your lifestyle to match those at the top of the list may bring them into a healthy range on their own.  And though changing your lifestyle requires determination, dedication, and hard work, it’s pretty basic:  Eat less, eat more fruits and vegetables, and exercise daily.

For tips on getting more fruits and vegetables into your diet, visit 5aday.gov.

My husband and I could not agree last night.  The issue?  Where to donate to help Haiti.  “The Red Cross,” he argued.  “Partners in Health,” I said.  We both had our reasons, and realized very quickly that the solution was easy enough:  Donate to both.

Haiti has never needed our help more than they do now.   Food, water, medical care, search and rescue teams — these are critical needs that the country is going to need for the foreseeable future. When disaster strikes, as it did in Haiti last week, people are often more than willing to open up their wallets and give.  In fact, Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti Foundation raised $5 million in a texting campaign, just days after the earthquake hit.

What many people forget, though, is what happens after the headlines fade.  Haiti may be lifted out of crisis in the coming weeks, but rebuilding their lives and their country will take months, if not years.  If you’ve been wondering how to help Haiti, the Washington Post has an excellent list of reputable organizations that are helping Haitians.  And if you’ve already given, consider giving again — now, or in the weeks and months ahead.

I worry, in the winter months, that my kids don’t get enough exercise.  We go sledding every weekend and play in the snow when we can, but during the week they’re far more likely to choose to play with their toys than go outside.

Experts have long said that kids need a full hour of moderate physical activity a day.  While toddling may count as moderate physical activity for a one-year-old, older kids really need to get out and move to get their heart rate up.  Unfortunately, a lot of our kids just aren’t getting that much movement every day.

A study out of Britain measured the daily activity of 1,892 schoolchildren and found that up to 39 percent of girls and 18 percent of boys aren’t getting a full hour of exercise every day.  Interestingly, however, 80 percent of parents reported that their kids were plenty active.

While you can count physical education as exercise, you can’t depend on those 30 minutes (often just once a week) to keep your kids fit.  Recess counts, too, as long as kids are outside playing.  But most children are going to need active play after school to reach that one hour mark.  Here are some ideas:

Get outside:  Kids spend long days inside studying.  Let them take advantage of that natural outdoor light, soak up a little vitamin D, and get some necessary exercise by scheduling a regular outdoor playtime after school every day.   With the right gear, even kids in the most northern states will enjoy their time out in the snow.

Have a plan B:  Snow, rain, frigid temperatures — sometimes outdoor play isn’t an option.   Inside, you can get kids moving with active games like Hyperdash, indoor tag (if you’ve got the room), or, for younger kids, CDs that encourage movement.  We love Greg and Steve at our house.

Be a good role model:  Kids need time to play and explore on their own, but active family time not only gives you time to bond, it teaches kids that fitness is a life long habit.  Try family walks after dinner, bike rides on the weekends, or an afternoon spent sledding together on a Saturday.

Do you think your kids get enough exercise?  What are your tips for keeping them moving?

When Jared Fogle went from from fat to fit eating, he claimed, only Subway sandwiches, the chain found their new ad campaign.  And it was a successful one, too.

Now Taco Bell is following suit after hearing from a customer who lost 54 pounds after trading her regular Taco Bell meals for food from their “Fresco menu” five to eight times a week.

Christine Dougherty, 27, loves Taco Bell, but she didn’t love being overweight.  So she tweaked her fast food habit just a little bit:

“I lost about two pounds a month over a period of two years by reducing my daily calories and replacing my typical fast-food lunch or dinner with something from the Taco Bell Drive-Thru Diet,” Dougherty says in a commercial for Taco Bell. “I just chose smarter options.”

Taco Bell’s “Drive Thru Diet” campaign is misleading, I think.  Encouraging people to eat fast food when they’re trying to lose weight is counterproductive.  But despite the frequency of her fast food habit — five to eight times a week is pretty excessive — Dougherty had the right idea.  Replacing an old, unhealthy habit with something that’s lighter and more nutritious is a great way to get yourself on the road to weight loss.

If nothing else, it’s nice to see fast food restaurants offering healthier fare.  What do you think about Taco Bell’s new ad campaign?

Headed out to a New Year’s party tonight?  Here’s a hangover prevention tip.  A new study has found that hangovers just might be affected by the color of your drink.

The study, out of Brown University, found that darker liquors have more chemical by-products in them known as congeners.  It’s congeners that make you feel like the walking dead after a night of over-indulging.

People who drank dark-colored burboun — which has 37 times the number of congeners as vodka — reported worse hangovers than those who drank vodka.  However, though vodka drinkers may have felt better, both groups perfomed equally poorly on cognition tests the following day.

So if you’re going to drink tonight, it might do you well to choose a vodka-based drink.  But as always, keep in mind that any alcoholic beverage will affect your ability to drive.

Here’s to a safe New Year’s Eve and a healthy 2010!  Happy New Year!

During the holidays, people can put on an extra one to 5 pounds, so it’s important to balance out overindulging with extra activity and healthy eating in these winter months.

But a new study suggests that weekends are also a danger zone.  In fact, participants packed on as many as 400 extra calories in a weekend.  It makes sense — I know I do it, too.  Maybe you make a big Sunday breakfast or go out to dinner Saturday night.  The rules just feel different on the weekends.

But since there are more weekends than holidays, it’s important not to just blow off those extra calories each week.  Instead, for weight loss, researcher say to monitor your calories per week, rather than per day.

That’s because most people will balance their calories in a day.  A big lunch, for instance, will make for a light dinner.  But those extra weekend calories are never really “budgeted,” and they add up over time.

If you’re trying to lose weight, one of the best things you can do for yourself right now is start a food journal — even if you don’t actually track calories.  Keeping track of meals and snack can be a real eye-opener, helping you keep track of mindless eating.

Today is Christmas, a day — for those who celebrate — of family, love, and gift-giving.  In the holiday shuffle, we often remember to buy gifts for our nearest and dearest, but leave ourselves off our list.

This Christmas, give yourself the gift of good health and wellness in 2010 by adding one of these small changes to your daily routine:

• Add a serving of fruit and/or vegetable to every meal and snack to get more antioxidants and fiber into your diet.
• Add just five minutes to your workout — even if your workout doesn’t yet exist.  Then add five more, then five more until you reach at least 30 minutes most days of the week.
• Set a bedtime for yourself that gives you at least 8 solid hours of sleep, and stick to it.
• Drink more water … and fewer soft drinks.
• Stop smoking, and cut your alcoholic drinks to no more than one per day (two if you’re a man.)
• Put yourself first more often, and set aside at least one time a week to do what you want to do.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Where I live, we won’t be stepping outside in less than coat, gloves, and hat for at least another three months.  And even if we were snow bunnies who spent all day out in the cold, the sunshine just isn’t strong enough this time of year for our bodies to produce enough vitamin D.

That’s why the YouDocs recommend that we all add a vitamin D3 supplement to our diet.  Why vitamin D3?  Actually a hormone, vitamin D3 is fast becoming an anti-aging superstar.  It protects the heart, strengthens the bones, fights off cancer, stimulates the immunes system, and even can protect against diabetes.

But here’s the thing:  Most of us aren’t getting enough.  Foods like fatty fishes and milk are about the only food sources of D3, and the best source comes from sunshine.  But too much sun isn’t safe either, so the YouDocs recommend that in addition to a few minutes of sunscreen-less sun exposure a few times a week, we also take a supplement.

How much is enough?  Right now they recommend about a total of 1,000 mg a day — 1,200 if you’re over 60 — taken with some healthy fat to help with absorbtion.  And when sunny days return again, be sure to get some outdoor exercise and soak up a little bit of that sunshine.

A baby is a bundle of joy, and some parents — those who aren’t overwhelmed by that bundle of joy’s sleepless nights and many, many diaper changes — are eager to have another one as soon as possible.

But a new study suggests that for optimal health, parents should wait at least 6 and, if possible, up to 11 months before trying for baby number two.  From Forbes:

“There are problems with a short interpregnancy interval, and six months appears to be the most important time frame,” he said. “The good news is that most patients probably have their babies between those time frames anyway.”

When families spaced pregnancies between 6 and 11 months apart, the risk for infant mortality, low birth weight, and other complications went down.  Waiting longer is fine too, say experts, but at least that long is best.

Many moms believe that they can’t get pregnant right after they have a baby, or that breastfeeding will protect them, but doctors are quick to point out that neither of those things are true.  Whether you decide to add to your family right away or wait a while, be sure to eat a healthy diet, get regular exercise, and get as much sleep as possible to keep your body healthy and strong.

With just 11 days until Christmas, shoppers have a limited time to fill the stockings of their nearest and dearest.  Rather than loading up loved ones with candy and sweets, why not give the gift of health with one of these fit gifts?

• A pedometer:  Experts say we all need to take 10,000 steps a day, and a pedometer will help your loved keep track of every step they take.
• A reusable water bottle:  Plastic bottles are out, out, out.  Help your favorite fit friend rehydrate in style with a water bottle they can use again and again.
• A workout DVD:  Gym memberships are expensive and the kind of thing that gets cut when budgets get tight.  Pick a workout DVD that fits your friends style so they can keep up their workouts at home.
• A yoga mat:  Holiday’s are stressful.  Help your loved one find balance again on a new yoga mat.

Keep in mind that fit gifts are for those with an established fitness habit or with a known desire to lose weight.  Giving gifts to “send a message” to someone about their personal fitness isn’t a good way to spread holiday spirit!

Parents of young children dread the cereal aisle, where every sugary cereal known to man-kind is placed exactly at eye-level.  It’s exhausting to constantly say “no” to marshmallow-filled and chocolate flavored cereals, but most contain just far too much sugar.

General Mills says that they’re trying to improve the nutritional quality of their products, and the company vows to reduce the sugar in all of their cereals marketed to children.  “….We have already reduced sugar in many cereals, some by as much as 20 percent,” said Jeff Harmening, president of General Mills’ Big G cereal division said in a statement, “And by spring General Mills cereals advertised to children will all have 11 grams of sugar per serving or less.”

It’s a step in the right direction, that’s for sure.  But there are still healthier breakfasts out there for kids.  Here are a few ideas:

• low-fat yogurt topped with whole grain cereal and fruit
• whole wheat toast topped with peanut butter or served with a hard-boiled egg, with a side of fruit
• whole grain, unsweetened cereal or oatmeal, topped with fruit or with fruit on the side
• brown rice cakes topped with nut butter and a banana
• smoothies 

What’s your child’s favorite breakfast?

My mom made the most luscious cheesecake for Thanksgiving that I couldn’t help but bring home leftovers.  The cheesecake is gone now and is now living somewhere around my middle.  After four days of fun, family, and far too much food, I need to find my way back to a normal, healthy diet.

Here are some simple ways to help rid yourself of that bloated, overfed feeling we all get after a long, holiday weekend:

Step it up:  Exercise will help you get your energy back, burn off those extra calories, and stimulate digestion.

Hydrate:  Chances are that after eating salty turkey and stuffing, you’re retaining water.  Drink lots of extra water today — at least 64 ounces, but some experts believe that drinking half your “weight” in water is more appropriate.  So if you weight 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of water a day to encourage water loss.

Add fiber:  Insoluble fiber — the stuff found in foods like oatmeal, carrots, and apple (skin on) — helps move food through the digestive tract faster.  Load up on fruits (keep those skins on!), veggies, and whole grains.

In a few days, you’ll be right back on track!  Just in time for the next holiday meal to roll around!

The turkey is stuffed, and in a few hours the rest of the family will be, too.

Resist the temptation to pile on the couch to watch football.  Instead, use the time to make fun family memories while burning off that extra serving of Grandma’s mashed potatoes.  Then you can go hit the couch for some football!

Here are some ideas to get you moving:

• Show your pro-bowler uncle who’s boss with a game of Wii bowling.
• Gather everyone up for a family hike in the crisp fall air.
• Light a fire — but first chop your own wood!  Or head out into the woods to cut your own Christmas tree.
• Rake Grandma’s yard for her, then get a family football game going while you’re out there.
• Gather up the kids and go for an outdoor scavenger hunt or a game of hide-n-seek.
• Use up the last of those pumpkins (you know the squirrels are going to eat them anyway) with a game of pumpkin bowling.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

The days are shorter now, the nights cooler.  Though it’s safe to exercise outside in the cold (as long as you don’t have chronic health conditions), it can be tempting to settle in on the couch when the evenings are cold and dark.

Don’t settle in for winter just yet, though, especially with the holidays on their way.  There are plenty of fun ways to burn calories in autumn.  Here are a few ideas:

• raking leaves: 293 calories per hour
• a brisk walking color tour on a nearby nature trail: 204 per hour
• apple picking:  200 calories per hour
• fall gardening: 272 calories per hour
• chopping wood: 408 calories per hour

Want to see how many calories you’re burning this fall?  Here’s a handy calculator to help you add them up.

Did you ever notice how after a really demanding day, you just don’t feel like working out?  Sometimes, though, when stress levels get high, working out is exactly what you need.  So what’s the deal?

According to a small study, when the brain is tired it can affect exercise  … even though the body isn’t exhausted at all.  When researchers asked subjects to work out after either doing a strenuous mental task for 90 minutes or sit on the couch, the group who’d performed the mental taxed stopped sooner and complained they were tired, even though tests showed their bodies weren’t any more worn out than the group who rested on the couch.

The You Docs suggest that this has to do with the “reptilian brain,” which operates on instinct.  But as powerful as the reptilian brain is, it can be overridden with a little tough self-talk.  If you find yourself ready to quit, say the Docs, ask yourself if it’s really your body that’s tired or if it’s your brain.  If your body feels ready to keep working, try playing some mental tricks with yourself to keep going.  My favorite?  “I’ll walk to the next corner, then I’ll quit.”  Play it enough times, and your workout is over!

There are two ways to approach Halloween.  The first is with a “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em” approach.  Tell yourself it only comes once a year, let the kids splurge for one night, then dole out the candy after that.

But some parents aren’t even comfortable with that much sugar.  And while you might get “tricked” if you start handing out pennies or toothbrushes instead, it is possible to make a delicious treat that’s got a little nutrition in it, too.

If this sounds like your Halloween style, here are some great recipe and treat idea for trick-or-treating or your Halloween party:

iVillage: Healthy Halloween Treats Your Kids Will Love

Family Fun:  Creepy Cuisine - 15 Healthy Halloween Recipes

WebMD: Goulishly Healthy Halloween Treats

Reader’s Digest: Best and Worst Halloween Snacks for Kids

What’s your favorite Halloween treat?

Some people put 15 pounds on their freshman year of college.  Others don’t stop there.  Being away from home the first time can be liberating for young adults, but it can also lead to less than healthy choices.

Mark at Mark’s Daily Apple has tips for teens and young adults who want to maintain their weight and healthy lifestyle, even though they’ve been thrust into the land of dorm food, cramped quarters, and all-nighters:

Dorm Food

Mark recommends paying attention to what’s offered when and looking for the healthiest selections.  Avoid fast food when off campus and look for ethnic restaurants instead, and don’t be afraid to lobby for better choices in your dorm’s cafeteria.

Exercise

Build exercise into your routine and don’t let the campus fitness center’s hours throw you off.  Can’t go during open hours?  Take a run instead.

Sleep

Young bodies can function without sleep, but it puts physical, mental, and emotional stress on your body.  Plan ahead so that you can get your eight hours in every night.

Stress

See those three things above?  Make them a priority to keep your stress levels at bay.

Want to learn more about how to stay fit and healthy on campus?  Visit Mark’s Daily Apple to see the rest of his advice.

When it comes to exercise, there’s no workout that’s more accessible to more people than walking.  No extravagant gym fees, no fancy accessories … all you need is a decent pair of shoes and a safe route to walk.

As the You Docs point out, even being out of shape or severely obese isn’t an excuse.  While weight loss is 80 percent what you eat, exercise plays a role in your cardiovascular health and disease prevention, as well as stress management and emotional health.   If you haven’t exercised in a very long time, Dr. Oz and Dr. Roisen recommend starting with just a few minutes a day — every day — and slowing increasing the length and intensity of your walk.

If you’re ready to start a regular walking workout, here are some tips for making a walk part of your daily routine:

1. Put it on your calendar.  Make your daily walk a priority, just like you do with your other responsibilities.
2. Find a buddy.  Having a regular date with your neighbor — or even your dog — will keep you accountable to someone other than yourself.
3. Sign up for a race.  Support your favorite charity and set a long-term goal for yourself at the same time by signing up for a 5K walk/run.
4. Make it me time.  Spending a half hour alone with your thoughts or some of your favorite music while you walk can help you unwind from the stress of your day.

A daily walk will do wonders for your mind and body.  What’s your favorite place to walk?

As we head into cold and flu season many people are asking, “What can I do to improve my immunity?”  The New York Times is reporting that one of the answers to that question is probably:  Exercise.

There’s one caveat, however.  Strenuous exercise appears to depress the immune system, as does a sedentary lifestyle.  But moderate exercise — even during an active infection (assuming you’re not too sick to be off the couch) — helps the body fight off disease.

So what is moderate exercise?  According to WebMD, it’s the equivalent of walking about 100 steps a minute for 30 minutes.  You could use a pedometer to figure out what this pace means for you, or you could use the Perceived Exertion Scale.  A moderate workout would put you between a 3 and a 5 — breathing and heart rate elevated, but still able to carry on a conversation.

Have you noticed that exercise helps you ward off cold and flu?

When the wind starts blowing and the leaves start changing color, it’s time for two thing:  sweaters and soup.

Soup is an tasty way to warm up on a chilly day, and a great way to sneak some extra immune-fighting veggies into your diet.  Here’s my current favorite recipe, Tortilla Soup:

You’ll need:

1 lb. chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 can of black beans

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium bell pepper, chopped

one celery stalk, chopped

one jalapeno pepper, chopped (remember your disposable gloves!)

2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 cans chicken broth

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. baked tortilla chips, broken

1 c. shredded Mexican cheese

1 avocado

Put the chicken, onions, and garlic into a skillet and heat until meat is browned and cooked through.  Add in green pepper and celery and cover, cooking 3-5 more minutes.  Pour broth into a large pan and add in jalapeno, tomato, cilantro, and spices and set to simmer.

When chicken mixture is done cooking, add to broth and bring soup to a boil.  Turn heat down, add beans, and simmer for at least 10 minutes.

Spoon soup into bowls, and garnish with a handful of tortilla chips, some cheese, and a slice of avocado.  Enjoy!

It’s not easy to squeeze in a shower when you’ve got a baby at home, let alone a workout.  But exercise doesn’t cease to be important just because you’ve got new demands.  That’s probably why many moms rely on the jogging stroller.

Built specifically for working out with baby in tow, jogging strollers are more popular than ever.  Babies often calm once they’re out in the fresh air, and it’s an easy way to get them down for a nap.  But more importantly, mom or dad is up and exercising.

According to the New York Times, parents — even those who have an existing running habit –  should start slowly with a jogging stroller.  That’s because it’s different than running solo.

From the New York Times:

To learn how to move most effectively pushing something, Mr. Comana recommends that runners first walk, then mix in bouts of jogging and finally run uninterrupted with an empty stroller before taking a child out in it.

When runners start working out with a stroller, he said, they lose that forward momentum generated by shoulder drive, for example. To maintain any sense of pace, they have to incorporate quicker foot turnover.

When running with a stroller, experts also recommend lowering your expectations on time and distance.

Ready to get running?  Here are more tips for safely walking and running with baby in a jogging stroller.

Photo: Ed Yourdon on Flickr

Runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing and coughing — it’s no wonder that when people have allergy symptoms it affects their sleep.  But a new study recently discovered that allergies can have another impact on a person’s life:  83 percent of sufferers said that their allergies had a negative affect on their sex life.

The survey didn’t ask how the allergies prevented sex, but there are a few theories.  Symptoms could make people feel tired, uninterested, or just plain embarrassed.  But experts say there’s no reason to let an allergic condition get in between you and your partner.  Intimacy relieves stress and improves a person’s quality of life, after all.

If you’ve got allergies, there are things you can do to relieve your symptoms.  The first step is to find out what’s making you sneeze — that might require a trip to the allergist for testing.  And then, learn more about what kind of lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your exposure to allergens.

With a few simple modifications and some simple medication, allergies can be kept under control so that they don’t control your life.

The clean plate club: out.  In:  Eating until you’re 80 percent full and watching your portion sizes.  That’s just one of mom’s old health rules that have changed over the years.

And while kids belong outside exploring and exercising and not in front of the TV, if they do sit a little too close while watching Spongebob, it won’t ruin their eyes.  But kids who consistently sit close might need to have their eyes checked.

But don’t count Mom out yet; she had a few good ideas.  Slouching, for instance, is hard on your spine and your internal organs.  And she was 100 percent right about breakfast being the most important meal of the day.  Not only does breakfast provide the necessary energy to start your day, it also helps children and adults maintain a healthy weight.

A lot has changed since we were kids, but moms have good instincts … especially when it comes to their kids.  My mom always stressed the importance of an early bedtime, something I’ve carried on with my own kids.  How did your mom teach you healthy lifestyle habit?

Photo: ronnie44052, Flickr

It’s hard to tell who’s more excited about the upcoming film version of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are — kids, or their parents, who also grew with Max and his Wild Things.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is hoping to use that enthusiasm to help kids and their parents fight and prevent childhood obesity.   This campaign is way cooler than a few posters tacked on the cafeteria room wall.    In one video — which shows scenes from the movie — Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs sings “All is Love” while Max and the Wild Things run, jump, explore, and play.  The video, meant to encourage kids to get outside at least an hour a day, ask kids, “Did you play today?”

I don’t know about kids, but now I want to go out and play.

Childhood obesity rates in America continue to soar — over a third of kids are overweight and 16 percent are obese.

Good nutrition, once you’ve got the hang of it, is really pretty easy.  But making the jump from the fast food lane to the farmer’s market can seem overwhelming if you try to do it all at once.  Some people have better success if they take those healthy lifestyle changes in small doses.

The You Docs have a simple step that can make your eating habits healthier today.  They recommend changing your kitchen’s landscape.  Make a few changes and you’ll be eating healthier foods and smaller portions in no time.  Their tips include:

• Out of sight, out of mind:  Replace those convenient, pre-wrapped, processed foods with a fruit bowl.  Keep treats out of sight.  Better yet, out of the house.
• Keep your choices simple and few.  In fact, one recommended way of losing weight is eating the same thing at one meal every day.  For instance, breakfast is always yogurt and fruit — no exceptions.  That’s at least one meal tackled when it comes to cutting calories.
• Shrink your plate.  Ever try to fill up one of those new, giant-sized dinner plate?  Calorie disaster!  Choose a smaller plate and you’ll shrink your portions at the same time.

And here’s my own tip:  Wash and chop any fruits and veggies that need it right when you get home from the store.  This simple step has done wonders for our family’s nutrition, and we cut down on waste too!

Back-t0-school is just around the corner — or in some states, already here.  Getting organized for those early mornings is top on everyone’s list, and one way to make the morning go a little faster is with a smoothie.

Smoothies with simple ingredients are quick and easy enough to make that older kids can even handle them on their own.  A few quick gulps and they’ve had a breakfast that’s chockful of essential vitamins and minerals, as well as a little protein and fat to carry them over until lunch time.

Here are some kid-friendly smoothie recipes:

Breakfast smoothie (though I like at least 2% fat yogurt for kids, rather than fat-free)

Peanut Butter Banana

Oatmeal-to-Go

Hidden Spinach Smoothie

What’s your favorite smoothie recipe?

Photo: sxc.hu

If you go to sleep every night counting the next day’s responsibilities rather than sheep, it might just be time for a to-do list.

While you can’t always control how busy you are, you can control how you approach the situation.  A to-do list — as listmakers already know — can help you feel in charge when your day feels out of control.  And that’s true even if you don’t make it through your entire list.  According to Prevention, just crossing things off your list can help you realize that you’re making progress.  In fact, even writing something down on your list after you’ve completed it can make you feel productive.

Lists aren’t just for errands and grocery shopping, though.  Prevention suggests that you use lists for things like making decisions, beating the blues, and planning more joy into every day.

Start you new list-making habit off right with a pretty notepad you can toss in your purse, or with these clever notepads that make working your way through your list just a little more fun.

Photo courtesy whomi.com.

Whenever I think I’ve got an excuse for not exercising, someone in really great shape — and with a better excuse — comes along and reminds me that there really is no good excuse for not being physically active.

Take Team Type 1, a group of cyclists that participate in the Race Across America, a five-day bike race from one coast to the other.  Every member on the team has Type 1 Diabetes, a disease that’s a challenge in its own right, but that can also be difficult to manage during exercise.

Eight men ranging in age from 19 to 44 will race this year.  These guys don’t just participate in the race, they aim to win.  In 2007 they claimed the title, but came in second last year.  This year, they’ve got their eye on first place again.  “We’re sprinting 100 percent of the time we’re out there,” Joe Eldridge, cyclist and team co-founder of the team, told the New York Times.  “I had my best moments and worst moments on a bike during that race.”

Eldridge says that his goal is to win, for sure, but to also bring awareness to their cause and to teach other people with diabetes — especially children — that managing their disease can bring them closer to reaching their goals.

Establishing a regular exercise routine requires a lot of dedication and discipline, and motivation can be hard to muster when schedules get tight and life gets busy.  But hard-working teams like Type 1 inspire us all to be our best, to manage our daily lives, and to take care of our bodies so we can be healthy too.  We’ll be rooting for you, guys!

Photo courtesy of well.blogs.nytimes.

Though I’m not a dedicated vegetarian, I often think I’d like to be.  The health benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle are well-documented.  Not only are vegetarian dishes lower in saturated fats and calories, they also incorporate those oh-so-important extra servings of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables.

During these summer months, our family has decided to go “mostly vegetarian,” or all veg except for dinners out, special events, and the occasional turkey burger on the grill.  But loading up on pasta isn’t the answer.  Instead, smart vegetarians know they need to create complete, balanced meals out of healthful ingredients.

Here’s one of our favorite dinner recipes, Easy Vegetarian Fajitas with spicy Pepper Jack Cheese.  I never measure anything, and these are very forgiving:

Ingredients:

Any kind of fajita-size tortilla

1 T olive oil

1 green pepper, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 yellow squash, thinly sliced

1/2 cup salsa verde

1 t crushed garlic

1/2 t cumin

1 cup of Monterey Pepperjack Cheese, grated

fresh cilantro

Heat oil over medium heat and add peppers, onion, and garlic.  Stir to coat, cover and heat until vegetables are soft.  Stir in squash, salsa, and cumin.  Cook another 5 minutes or so.  Spoon veggie mixture onto tortilla and top with grated cheese and cilantro.  Spicy!

What’s your favorite vegetarian dinner recipe?