Isn’t fat bad for me? Is it good or bad? Both. You see, not all fats are created equal.

The Skinny on Fats

Heavily processed, hydrogenated “trans” fats used in prepared, packaged foods can be extremely damaging to the body. They can compromise the cardiovascular system, immune system, and contribute to behavior problems. They can also lead to weight gain, skin breakouts, high blood pressure, and liver strain.

Many people are scared of fats, but our bodies need fat for insulation, vitamin and mineral absorption, and to protect our organs. High-quality fats can steady our metabolism, keep hormone levels even, nourish our skin, hair, and nails, and provide lubrication to keep the body functioning fluidly.

Where to Find Healthy Fats 

-Avocados, olives, coconuts, wild salmon, and omega-3 rich organic eggs.

-Whole nuts and seeds, and their butters like almond butter or tahini.

-Look for the highest quality oils when shopping. Words to look for: first-pressed, cold-pressed, extra-virgin, and unrefined. Avoid expeller-pressed, refined, and solvent extracted.

How to Use Healthy Fats When Cooking 

-For cooking at high temperatures (stir frying and baking), try butter, ghee (clarified butter), or coconut oil.

-When sautéing foods, try extra virgin olive oil.

-Oils like flaxseed, sesame, toasted sesame, walnut, and pumpkin seed are best used unheated in sauces or dressings.

Try this delicious, easy recipe for a great source of healthy fat: 

Avocado Dip -Prep time: 3 minutes - Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

• 1 large peeled and pitted avocado

• 2/3 cup plain yogurt, goat yogurt, coconut yogurt, or almond yogurt

• 1 diced tomato

• a squirt of lemon or lime juice

• a dash or two of cayenne pepper

• sea salt and black pepper

Directions:

• Mash avocado with a fork until very smooth.

• Add yogurt, tomato, and cayenne. Blend until smooth. This may be done in a food processor, in a blender, or with a fork.

• Add sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste.

• Serve chilled with mixed raw vegetables.

Tip: Best made a maximum of 1 hour before serving.

By Eris Norman, Certified Holistic Health Coach, AADP 

Norman’s Farm Market - 100% Locally Grown Produce 

Sleeping bag? Check. Bug spray? Check. Bathing suit? Check. EpiPen/Inhaler? Check.

Sending child to camp with a food allergy or asthma throws another wrench into the works.  This coming week (May 12- 18) is National Food Allergy Awareness Week, and according to Food Allergy Research and Education, 1 in 13 kids is affected by food allergies. Additionally, May is the month for awareness of asthma, which affects 1 in 10 kids. If your child is one of them, there are some very important things to know before sending him or her off to camp.

1. Pick the right place. Activity Rocket is a great starting point for locating camps, but you should follow up with the camp to learn more about how they can accommodate your child’s needs. Some questions to ask:

• What are their food containment/food preparation policies?
• Are the facilities air-conditioned? How about the presence of asthma triggers such as pollen, molds, dust, etc.?
• Do they have experience with children with similar needs?
• How do they handle medical emergencies? Where is the nearest hospital?

If possible, it is wise to check the facility out firsthand. If not, seek recommendations from parents of other children with asthma/food allergies. If your child’s asthma or food allergies are more severe, you may opt for a camp specifically for children with allergies/asthma.

2.    Inform the camp of your child’s needs. Let the camp personnel know the extent of your child’s allergies/asthma symptoms. Make your child’s counselors aware of the specific symptoms your child manifests when having an episode or adverse reaction. Most importantly, make sure you’ve develop an asthma or allergy action plan, and share it with camp staff. Access templates here (for asthma) and here (for food allergies).

3. Educate your camper. Make kids play an active role in their own health and safety. For kids with food allergies, make sure they know not to trade food with other campers or eat foods if they’re not sure of the ingredients. Teach them how to read a food label (if age appropriate) and identify potential allergens. For kids with asthma and allergies, tell them to be proactive if they feel a reaction or an asthma attack coming on so they can tell an adult. They should know to keep their inhaler or EpiPen on them at all times and how to use it if need be.

Whether preparing for your kid’s stint at sleep away or day camp, following these tips can help ensure a fun, safe summer for your child!

Additional resources:

http://www.foodallergy.org/managing-food-allergies/at-camp

http://www.asthmaandallergycenter.com/w/seasonal.mvc/Details/4

Activity Rocket makes it easy to locate fun physical activity classes and camps in your area. But how can you incorporate more exercise into your kids current schedules? One mom has the answer:

A fun and easy way for kids to get more fresh air and exercise is to walk or bike to school.  Give it a try this Wednesday May 8 on International Bike to School Day, when kids all over the DC area will be rolling and walking.

Start now so your family is ready and relaxed when the big day comes:

1.  Brush up on your bike-to-school know-how on the  parent info page of the national Safe Routes to School program.

2.  Map a safe route with this free online tool.

3.  Talk to your child about safety. Watch this tried-and-true safe cycling video together.

4.  Give your child’s equipment a once-over.  Make sure:

• tires are full
• brakes work
• chains are tight
• helmet fits!

Kids younger than middle school age will need you to walk or bike with them. Or perhaps your child can jump in with a group of kids led by a parent guide such as this dad who started a “bike train” in Fairfax County. Often, kids with disabilities or live too far to walk or bike can also take part. It’s up to parents to decide whether their middle-schoolers are mature and confident enough to ride or bike on their own.

And remember, for those with older kids—walking and biking isn’t limited to pre-drivers. High schoolers can get fit and reduce traffic and air pollution around school if they walk and bike, too!

Read more here about how biking/walking to school is picking up speed in Vienna, VA!

This post is courtesy of The Durable Human – a blog by NoVA writer mom Jenifer Joy Madden.  Read more about how to raise active, durable kids in her just-released Durable Human Manifesto: Hooray for Humans! – a picture-filled quick-read “booklette” you can download here for free!.

Learn more about JJ on Google+. 

As this April draws to a close, so does this year’s Autism Awareness Month. Up your autism awareness with these key facts you may not have known about autism spectrum disorders.

• 1 in 88 children in the United States falls on the autism spectrum. 
• Boys are four times as likely as girls to have autism.
• Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability, with a 10-17% annual growth rate.

Activity Rocket is a great resource for parents to connect with activity providers that accommodate or cater exclusively to children with special needs.

Five-year-old Mallory had always been the drama queen in the family. The middle of three children, there was never a dull moment when she was in the room. “She is the most stubborn person I know,” claimed her mother, who then glanced meaningfully toward her husband. I had thought Mallory’s father was doing a pretty good job of demonstrating the stubborn trait himself up to that point in the consult, but Pauline was sending me a signal to focus on Mallory.

And Mallory was giving her family much to worry about. Since her parents could remember, she had complained of stomach pains and had bouts of diarrhea. At 30 pounds, she was a scrawny kindergartner. Chronic stomach distress was likely contributing to her poor weight gain, I was thinking, until her parents mentioned the mouth sores. “She has them constantly,” her mother reported. 

Because Mallory “overreacts to everything,” Pauline continued, “we thought she was just being difficult when she did not want to brush her teeth.” It turned out the reason was the presence of two big welts. Once they knew what to look for, Mallory’s parents discovered she almost always had a sore somewhere in her mouth. 

If great actors evolve from great pain, Mallory was well on her way to a successful career on the stage or screen. The more I heard about her, the more it sounded as if this poor youngster had not had a physically-comfortable day in her life. Gentle questioning of her parents suggested they were not in much better shape. Pauline confessed she was constantly bloated and was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. Mallory’s older sister was also underweight and Mallory’s father had similar issues. “I’m fine,” John grunted, taking himself out of the conversation. 

Nobody had been able to help Mallory with the sores. Removing orange juice and acidic foods from her diet at the suggestion of the pediatrician had not helped at all. Her parents tried to provide a variety of healthy foods including fruits, vegetables and whole grains, but the sores continued unabated. Looking at her diet diary, I noticed while she ate more vegetables than the average child, she also ate cereal, bagels or pasta daily. 

By applying therapeutic nutrition, the problem is inevitably something you are eating that is bothering you or something that is missing that could help. In my experience, chronic mouth sores almost always are a symptom of gluten intolerance. I suggested the whole family go gluten-free for a month to see how that change would affect the stomach complaints in general and the mouth sores specifically. 

While I was not sure a gluten-free diet was necessary for Mallory’s siblings, I knew given her sensitive personality, the whole family would have to be on board, at least when they were together, or she would not be able to tolerate the trial. Pauline readily agreed, as she suspected gluten was a problem for herself. I thought John would object but he surprised everyone by readily agreeing to be supportive (when he was home). 

Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, barley and spelt. The disease associated with gluten intolerance is called celiac disease. While chronic mouth sores are a symptom of celiac disease, they are also a symptom of non-celiac gluten sensitivity. I have seen many people resolve sores when gluten is removed even though they do not have celiac disease or a gluten allergy. While researchers are looking for biological markers to identify people who are very reactive to gluten without having celiac disease or a measurable gluten allergy, they have remained elusive. 

Three weeks later I got an exuberant email from Pauline. “The mouth sores are gone. It’s a miracle,” she exuded. “Just one more quick question: Can you do anything to make a person less stubborn?” 

Kelly Dorfman is a clinical nutritionist who works collaboratively with other medical professionals to help people with complex medical problems. She is the author of What’s Eating Your Child? (Workman 2011) and contributor to Huffington Post. Related Posts: Is Corn the New Danger Food?

For more by Kelly Dorfman on Huffington Post, click here.

We all know that yoga is good for us and that we need it in our lives, but it’s just as amazing (and necessary) for kids! Kids of all ages can and should practice yoga. These days it’s hard to keep kids focused and entertained (especially when many of their eyeballs are glued to TVs, video games and computers). Perhaps introducing something new like yoga might open their eyes to a whole new way of looking at things… with the computer off. The reasons as to why yoga and kids mix are endless. You want to know why? Oh,well, here’s just a few: 

Physical:

Yoga promotes physical strength, encouraging children to use all of their muscles in new ways. This is great for non-athletic children who typically shy away from physical activity in fear of failure or being picked last. It also helps athletic children to excel in other physical activities and sports. Yoga promotes body awareness. Young children learn about their spines, joints, and muscles. They learn how to manipulate their bodies and maximize their mobility.

The flexibility that results from a child’s yoga practice increases his or her range of motion and helps prevent injuries. Yoga helps children to develop improved posture. Children actually become excited to sit up straight and stand up tall. Make sure that they understand that this rule applies outside of yoga, too! Yoga teaches children to listen to their bodies by modifying or changing poses that are too hard or cause pain.

Mental:

Yoga builds self-esteem and self-respect. A child’s yoga practice is a rare opportunity to do something without ever having to worry about being wrong. Yoga is non-competitive. It is one of very few (if any) non-competitive activities that a child can participate in. In day-to-day life, children compete on everything. Who’s the smartest? The tallest? The prettiest? The most popular? Acceptance is a large part of yoga. Children learn that they are okay just the way they are. And when they don’t feel the need to constantly compare themselves to others, they become more accepting of everybody else’s differences.

Yoga helps children to focus and concentrate in school and get better grades. A child’s yoga practice helps in developing creative thinking skills and encouraging original thought. In yoga, children learn to take turns, to be nice, and to respect others. When children practice yoga, they learn how to be still (and quiet!). This helps them to listen with attention and make good decisions.

Both:

Balance is a key element of yoga. The balancing poses promote mental and physical balance. Mental clarity and balance emerge from the effort of trying the poses. Even if a child never learns to stand on one foot, if they can learn to stay calm when they fall—and to get up and try again—they’ve learned balance.

The only way that anyone grows in life is through challenge. When a child is facing an extreme challenge with a particular pose or activity, the child can learn to modify the pose in order to find the success within the challenge.

When children learn to breathe deeply and fully, and become more aware, they can bring peacefulness or energy to their bodies.

As with all forms of exercise, a good yoga practice can mean a good night’s sleep!

YOGA IS FUN!

By ExtendYoga – this summer at extendYoga check out their camps – June 24-28, 2013. It’s a jam packed week full of awesome, not-just-yoga, but crafts, games, music, community service projects and more!

Earlier this evening, I read Jenny Rosenstrach’s “Refrigerator Dump” post on Dinner: A Love Story (www.dinneralovestory.com). I should mention that in my humble opinion, Jenny is a rock star. I relate to almost everything she writes, enjoy her recipes and am envious of all that she’s accomplished. Like me, she comes from a magazine publishing background but she has created a wildly successful blog, published a fantastic cookbook (which I read cover to cover in three sittings), and writes a monthly column for Bon Appetit. To say that she’s my hero is nothing short of the truth. 

So, it’s no surprise that I appreciated the account of her weekly refrigerator assessment. I run through pretty much the same routine every five days–take a good look around, get rid of anything that must go and figure out how to save or repurpose whatever’s salvageable. It’s a good feeling when you turn the 1/2 bag of cabbage, leftover from Tuesday’s stir fry, into cole slaw for Friday’s fish tacos. 

If you’re looking for ways to reinvent something that’s often left sitting in your fridge: basmati rice, sliced flank steak, a couple of eggs…please mention it in the comments section below, because I’d love to take on the challenge of throwing out a few ideas. In the meantime, I’ll share tonight’s fish taco recipe (I wasn’t kidding about the leftover cabbage, plus the tortillas from this week’s kimchi quesadillas and an avocado that was a bit too soft to the touch). But please, bring on your leftovers! 

Friday’s Fish Tacos

Slaw Dressing

4 Tbls cider vinegar

2 Tbls honey

juice of 1/2 lime

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Mix ingredients to combine, in a large bowl.

Slaw

1/2 bag shredded cabbage 

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced 

1/4 cup shredded carrot, optional 

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped 

Add slaw ingredients to the dressing bowl and toss to coat. Season with some salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside until ready to serve. 

Sauce 

3 Tbls ranch dressing 

1 Tbls sriracha sauce 

Mix the dressing with sriracha and set aside for serving.

Fish 

2 pieces of tilapia 

seasoning*

Season fish with salt, pepper and any seasoning of choice: Old Bay; chipotle chili powder; or a combination of cumin, chili and coriander powders. Preheat a grill pan and coat with non-stick spray. When the pan is hot, sear fish for approximately 3 minutes on each side. Timing is somewhat dependent upon how hot your pan is and how thick your fish is. When the fish releases easily from the hot pan, it’s time to flip. Once it flakes easily with a fork, it’s done. 

Etc. 

Tortillas, warmed on the grill pan 

1 avocado thinly sliced 

lime wedges, for serving 

To serve, layer each tortilla with some slaw, sliced avocados, flaked tilapia, drizzled sauce and a squeeze of lime. Makes 4-6 tortillas, depending on how you stuff them! YUM!

Read more from Musings of a Sly Rooster - Life…with an Emphasis on Food & Fun

Activity Rocket wants to give a shout out to an amazing Health, Wellness and Beauty event – Sunday, February 24th from 6-8 pm, targeting moms and their teenage daughters and benefiting the charity KaBoom. Meet top area experts, excellent vendors, win raffle prizes, special discounts, eat and mingle with friends, and leave with a cool swag bag! 

We are gearing up for our ‘Health, Wellness, and Beauty’ Event

Sunday, February 24th 4-6 pm at Kidville, Bethesda! 

Come and support the Charity this Month:

KaBoom! a non-profit organization that helps communities build playgrounds for children  

Fitness Tips from Former Player for Superbowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers & XPRO Training Consultant, Willie Williams

 All Attendees will receive a gift bag filled with free products from our sponsors!

 Food and Drinks by:

Lebanese Taverna, Firehook Bakery, Bagel City Cafe, Tropicana 

RAFFLE (must be present to win):

One-Month to EQUINOX GYM

Capitals Tickets (thanks to Body Tech)

Gift Certificates to SUBWAY, SWEET GREEN, KIDVILLE

  Register now at launchnetworkhealthevent.eventbrite.com

Whether you’re a new mom or you’ve been around the block a few times, there are three things we all desire for our little ones – safe, healthy, and happy lives. From the time our children begin eating solids, food safety concerns shoot through the roof. Found on produce, fruits, and vegetables, pesticide residue is a mom’s worst fresh food enemy. Pesticides can lead to health problems such as cancer, lung disease, reproductive problems, and immune disorders.

As moms, we have a lot on our plates. And, with the little free time each day (what is free time again?), we all struggle to find a moment to sit down and figure out the safest food to put on your child’s plate. But, there’s nothing as healthy as fresh fruits and vegetables for your little one. Before you shop, make sure you know the “Clean 15 vs Dirty Dozen” foods and also consider these simple ways to cut the amount of pesticides your family consumes:

• Wash and/or peel fruits and vegetables.

• Soak and rinse produce that is more difficult to wash or peel.

• Look for locally-grown organic produce and purchase it while it’s in season.

• Buy organic for items higher in pesticide residue, such as celery, strawberries, apples,peaches, spinach, potatoes, and imported grapes. Lower risk pesticide residue items include onions, avocado, sweet corn, asparagus, and mangos. (refer to the Clean 15 above) 

Keeping in mind these simple tips and putting them into practice will ensure that your family will be less susceptible to pesticides, and can still enjoy a nutritious and delicious diet.

Happy Family is the leading premium organic food brand delivering optimal nutrition for the entire family. Written by: Stacy Cantor, Mother of 2 boys can be followed for local events & community news on Twitter.   

I just read the new book, “TWEAK IT: Make What Matters to You Happen Every Day,” by Cali Williams Yost, a thought leader, consultant, and colleague in the work-life world. This helpful, positive, and easily digestible book offers small, concrete, and simple ways we can regularly change our schedules and mindsets to make a big impact in our work-life fit (not balance). While she acknowledges that 10 to 15 percent of the population likely already does “tweak it” naturally, she also contends that most of us do not. 

The “TWEAK IT” practice, generally, includes the following: 

1. Yost first recommends that you pick a simple calendar and priority list system to manage your “TWEAK IT” process. More specifically, she suggests that you find one that allows you to keep your work and personal calendars side by side, or merged, or easily accessible, so that when you are planning something in one realm, you can simultaneously see what is already designated in the other realm as an action or priority list item. This allows you a full picture or snapshot of your work-life schedule/goals, to enable the making of better planning decisions. (I am guilty of keeping these calendars separate and apart; are you?) 

2. Yost also suggests that you take 30 minutes each week to not only identify what your personal work/life success looks like, but also identify and focus on specific actions and priorities for each week to help achieve that success. She provides an exhaustive list of areas in which to focus, including that of Renewal (e.g., move your body, choose healthy food), Career (e.g., networking, updating your skills), Money (e.g., everyday finances, college savings), Connection (e.g., loved ones, friends), Connection with Kids (e.g., kids under 13, technology, school), Caregiving (e.g., elder care, summer care), and Maintenance (e.g., health, personal appearance, house). Pick the area(s) you want to focus on and identify specific actions/priorities for the area(s). 

3. Yost then directs you to input those actions and priorities into your (work and personal) calendars. So, you really want to have dinner with your family all together at least 3 x a week. Or, finally, you want to get to a networking event for your career. Or, you want to have 10 minutes a day where you meditate or even do nothing at all. Or you want to have time with your partner without the kids. Or you want to spend some time 1 on 1 with each of your kids. Don’t despair and hope that it will just work out when something else happens to get cancelled or it is vacation time. Instead, take action, be mindful, write it on your action/priority list and place it on your weekly calendar — and then, if possible, make it happen. 

4. Yost further recommends that you take time each week to review how the previous week went and whether you achieved your desired results. Upon review, then revise the action/priority items for the next week to better meet your own goals or better fit into the upcoming week’s schedule (this becomes part of the 30 minutes per week discussed above when you identify and prioritize your goals). Yost notes that if you achieve a 70% completion of the activities/priorities each week, you have cause to celebrate. 

Her book is also filled with advice from other experts who suggest specific “tweaks” in the general areas described above, as well as issuing an in invitation to all of us to join the “TWEAK IT” revolution/community. There, you can share ways in which you “tweak” your life, as well as hear how others are “tweaking” theirs. 

Although I see myself as someone who does manage my work and family responsibilities and goals on a weekly or daily basis (as does 75% percent of the population, according to the book), I can easily let too much time go by without making a change to rejigger the schedules and fit when it is not reflecting my goals or wishes (similar to 85% of the population). Thus, I am going to try the method described here and report back. Do you want to try the “TWEAK IT” process, too? Click here for some worksheets. Do you have any particular “tweaks” in mind? Let’s meet back here in a month and share our results! 

By Julie Weber – Activity Rocket’s Work-Family Expert 

See Related Posts: Co-Parenting & Still Stressed Out, Tips for Choosing the Perfect Activity, Meet Julie Weber – Activity Rocket’s Work-Family Expert