Apple season is my favorite time of year, bringing back memories of apple picking, homemade applesauce that never had the chance to cool, and warm apple crisp. If you’re heading out for apples this weekend, try this easy recipe everyone will enjoy snacking on. Tasting like a little slice of apple pie without the calories, it’s an easy snack that can even be enjoyed on the run.
The crisp Fall weather is a great reminder to slip out of our more casual summer routines and get in gear for the school year that’s under way. There is one routine that can provide us with the clarity and focus to start each day as our best selves; breakfast. In fact, studies show that children who eat a healthy breakfast score higher on tests and overall, do much better academically!
Developing brains need meals and nutrition on a regular basis to function. Skipped meals can affect a child’s ability to learn, behavior, and physical health. Yes, food does so much more than keep our bodies healthy, it also feeds our mind! Many food ingredients can have the opposite effect, leaving one with “brain fog”, feeling irritable, and the inability to focus. When we nourish our bodies with healthy, balanced meals, our brains can function at its best. But how can we fit breakfast in when its often the busiest time of day while trying to get everyone out the door on time?
Having dairy issues can easily send you running for the calcium supplements, or worse, doing without. So how important is dairy to our health? Milk may be the first thing we remember drinking as a child, most likely with each meal. Today, the reality is that more and more people have trouble digesting dairy. In many cases it goes hand in hand with gluten intolerance, where people have an issue with both. Dairy is thought of as our main source of calcium which is critical to building healthy bones and teeth starting with childhood throughout our adult lives. But is it the best choice for everyone?
First let’s look at some of the pros and cons of dairy. It can help build strong bones and teeth while lowering risks of bone diseases like Osteoporosis as we age. However, if we take in too much high fat dairy, our risks for heart disease and some cancers may increase. It can also leave you feeling very uncomfortable if your body doesn’t tolerate dairy products. So where else can we get our calcium intake without resorting to supplements?
Discovering an easy, no fail recipe for fresh peaches is a treasure during peach season. This recipe brings out the flavor of the peaches by lightly roasting or grilling them. Add in the wonderful hint of lemon, thyme, and cinnamon, it turns into pure delight! Enjoy it as a dessert topped with frozen yogurt, or store it in the refrigerator for a breakfast fruit side or an after school snack.
What is the one huge health habit that is missing in so many of our daily lives? Laughter!
Our daily eating habits and exercise aren’t the only factors that affect our risks of heart and other chronic diseases. Stress is moving up on the list of negative effects, and yes, even with children. We all experience stress in our lives from managing a full day of work, family, chores, finances, road rage, illness, and many others. Our bodies can usually return back to its “unstressed” natural state, but when the stress doesn’t leave and we find ourselves in this mode constantly, the danger begins. It begins to cause inflammation in our bodies, increasing our risks of heart and other diseases. So what can we do about it?
One surprising thing we can do is LAUGH more!
