Finding The Balance

     
              Most of us go our whole lives trying to find the perfect balance in life between family,
work, and fun.  My family (holding a plank in the picture above), somehow seems to have found this balance.  And for those of you who are wondering, yes, my brother is holding the popular "youtube plank"as opposed to the ab exercise like the rest of us.

              My parents are my role models, and I admire their accomplishments.  They run their own computer programming company, manage six children and a dog, and travel daily between their office in the city and their newly acquired ranch.  They work hard, but they make sure to play harder.

             My mother has always been an early riser.  She accomplishes more before 6 a.m., than most people do all morning.  She somehow manages to run her company, homeschool her daughters, manage the cooking and chores, keep up with her blog, tend to her garden, and still find time to work out!  My father not only helps my mother with this hefty load, but somehow manages to find time to train for marathons and triathlons.  I hope to one day be able to run one with him : )

            

           
                So what's the secret to their success?  Making time for family and fun.  They realize the importance of family dinners, vacations, and healthy hobbies like running and yoga.  When it's family time, the cell phones are put up, and the t.v. goes off.  When my dad goes to work out, he gives it 120 percent.  Everything is done wholeheartedly.  My mother has always told me, "If you're going to take the time to do something, give it your all."  They've found the balance, and I hope to one day accomplish as much as they have.

Just a Spoonful of Sugar

So, I don't know about you, but I have a lot of questions about sugar. I think we can all agree that it is bad for you, but I also think we can agree that giving it up for good is just out of the picture. So what's a safe amount? What kind of sugar should we choose, when we do indulge? What about honey? Artificial sweeteners? I've done some research, and here are some of the facts:

1.) How is sugar bad for your health?

Not only is sugar more calorie dense, it is less filling, and leads to overindulgence and a bigger waistline. Our taste buds also get accustomed to sugar, so you end up gradually increasing your intake. Secondly, sugar raises our insulin levels, which in turn knocks out our immune system.

**For more information on the negative effects on sugar, and the increased risk of disease and cancer, please visit http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/sugar.htm

2.) What about artificial sweeteners?

Although the low calorie count is very appealing, studies done in the 1970's linked saccharin (Sweet N Low) to bladder cancer in lab rats.  Questions arose for aspartame (Equal) in 1996, when it was linked to brain tumors, and again in 2005 when it was linked to cancer.  I don't know about you, but these facts scare me.  I'm also not a fan of eating anything manmade and unnatural.

**For more information on the health risks and studies done on artificial sweeteners, please visit http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/artificial-sweeteners

3.)  So what are some healthy alternatives?

While our body treats all sugar the same, there are some health benefits associated with some of the options.  Honey, for example, is a great immunity builder, and cures many ailments.  This article (http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/anti-cancer.html) actually calls honey anti-cancer.  How can you say "no" to that?  There is a lot of research, and many opposing opinions.  As for me, I'm going to stick with honey in my coffee, and the occasional sweets that somehow make their way to my cookie jar ; )  And I'll leave you with one final treat.  Check out this video of a tribesman who climbs a 40 meter tree, just to get at a beehive.  He quickly becomes his family's hero.  Imagine being so excited for some honey, that you would spend hours climbing a tree, and willing to get stung hundreds of times.  But this is what our bodies were designed for, burning and replenishing calories.

A Healthier Chicken Nugget

I've been a vegetarian for the last five years, but not because of animal rights (although I do love animals.)  I became a vegetarian because I didn't like not knowing where the meat was coming from, and what was happening to it before it entered my mouth.  The final straw was seeing a certain fast food chain throwing away a "Grade F" meat box one day behind their store.

The mass produced chicken you find in the grocery stores are typically inhumanely raised in extremely cramped quarters where they can barely move.  For those of you interested in learning more, I recommend the movie Food Inc. which shows the chickens being pumped so fat and top heavy that they fall over and can't get up.  This creates stress and disease in the chickens, for which they need antibiotics.  Organic, free range chickens, on the other hand, live stress free lives and have plenty of room to roam and eat their natural diets.  Another great documentary for those wishing to learn more, is Forks Over Knives.  But enough facts, here is a great recipe for healthy chicken nuggets:

                                                   INGREDIENTS

• 3 chicken breasts, deboned and skinned (preferably from Trader Joes)
• 2 cups almond flour
• 2 tbls arrowroot powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• .5 tsp dry mustard
• .8 tsp black pepper
• 3/4 cup olive oil

                                                  INSTRUCTIONS

1.)  Cut chicken into 1-inch by 1-inch chunks.

2.)  Mix flour, arrowroot powder, and spices together in bowl with a fork or whisk.

3.)  Pour olive oil into a separate bowl.

4.)  Dip each chicken piece in the oil and then roll in the flour mixture.

5.)  Place nuggets on baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping halfway through.

6.)  When done, the crust will be golden brown and the juices will run clear.

**This is a great recipe for the kids to help : )

*** This recipe came from Eat Like a Dinosaur by The Paleo Parents:

Why I'm An Organic Gal

So most of my friends, family, and coworkers know by now how committed I am to buying organic produce (preferably from the Farmer's Market) but I discovered recently that most of them have never heard of "The Dirty Dozen" or the "Clean Fifteen", so I've decided to create a post to explain one of the many reasons I choose organic produce.

Here's a list of the twelve top items with the highest levels of pesticide residue due to their thin layer of skin.  The "Dirty Dozen" are:

The "Clean Fifteen" are the top fifteen foods that are safer to buy nonorganic, due to their thicker skin or shells:

I know that some of you have already jumped on the "organic bandwagon", and I know that some of you feel that it is the newest American Fad.  After eating strictly organic for about a year now, I was at the grocery store the other day and had a strong craving for peaches.  I had been craving them for months, so I took the chance and went ahead and bought them.  I gave them an extra good scrubbing at home, and they were just as good as I had imagined (Yes, I had two.)  Unfortunately, they did not taste as good coming back up, and I spent the entire night in the bathroom.  I was also sick the entire next day and following night.  Was it in my head?  Was it just a stomach bug I happened to get that day?  I don't know for sure, but I do know that I will stay away from the nonorganic produce (especially the dirty dozen!)