Health
Summer Flab
Health
Written by Theresa   
Thursday, 06 August 2009 06:36

Back from vacation and back at my desk. This happens to me every year...I loosen my rules for a few weeks and bango-blubber. Oh, it's not bad just a couple of pounds but on a five foot frame, I really feel it.  Maybe its good, it reminds me why I have my rules in the first place. They are my first defence in feeling good.

Now the bad devil on my shoulder says: "you sure felt good eating those home made donuts and drinking that wine" "you sure felt good, sleeping in rather than putting on your stupid running shoes and getting out the door" "you weren't complaining about feeling good when the bowl of chips were right there in front of you and they went so well with the beer!"

But the good angel on my other shoulder is usually right. She tells me: "this is the path to actually feeling good, having energy and not having to buy new pants" "you remember, its actually easy to have energy and eat it too!" "don't be swayed, just get back on the path, you can take care of this..."

So, back to my own rules for myself:

1. Get back to the gym (5x per week), weight training really does make all the difference.

2. No wine during the week and no more than two per day on weekends.

3. Skip the bread and double the veg.

4. Dessert happens once a week and behave like the French...3 bites!

5. Stretch, meditate, relax, it will give you courage.

Thanks, good angel, I will have this bit handled in no time, you are truly a lifesaver.

 

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New to Food 101
Health
Written by Theresa   
Monday, 17 December 2007 19:00

I recently had the pleasure of coaching a mom with twin 5 month olds. It only seemed natural to help her decide when and what to feed the twins when they were ready for food.  Before even thinking about what to feed these innocent angels, there ensued a discussion of when to feed them. Here are my points:


Baby Readiness Signs:

  • Sits up well
  • Controls head and neck well (can signal fullness by turning away)
  • Controls tongue well (mastication and movement)
  • Tracks spoon with eyes
  • Grabs for your food on your lap
  • Opens mouth when being fed
  • Use adjusted age if they are premature (between 6 and 9 months)

What happens if you wait too long?: After 9 months may refuse textures.After 9-12 months need external iron source

What can happen if you start too early?  Increased risk of choking, allergies, gas, reduces truly beneficial breast milk, increases risk of obesity.

What time of day?

  • Pick your baby’s “happy time” to start.
  • Consistently use this “meal” as a learning, playing, exploring time
  • Allow 1 hour but don’t expect to use the whole hour every day
  • Mom’s job for the first month, anyone else’s after that
  • After a breast feed (stop slightly earlier than usual so they are not overly full but the “edge” is of their hunger)

When deciding what to serve it helps to remember that these first few months are less about getting the nutrition from the food and more about learning to eat as well as eating habits. That said, I am not a fan of processed baby foods and fall more into the naturopathic and nutritional camp of fruits and vegetables first. The belief being that if we are teaching taste and texture, I want my kid to develop a habit of real and whole foods.  Encouraging a taste for a processed, dehydrated, re-hydrated product just doesn’t make sense to me. My 12 year, hopefully as a result of this approach, prefers collard greens and broccoli to just about anything other than the occasional loaf of fluffy french bread. 

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