Fueling the Fire

Have you ever had a friend tell you that they are going to starve themselves to lose weight?  Most of us have heard it from a friend, relative, or someone in our parents circle of friends at least once.  But did you know that it doesn't work?!?  To stay healthy, energetic, and at a good healthy weight you must eat regularly throughout the day!

Studies have shown that when a person stops eating, the first thing that the body does is slow down the rate at which it processes nutrients.  So when you do eat, your body will more readily turn that food into fat!  It can't help it!  It's only trying to save you from starvation!  And since human bodies are built to survive, they'll do whatever they need to to achieve it.

To keep things humming like a well oiled machine, you have to keep the engine of your metabolism running.  How do you do that?  Eat small amounts of healthy foods, meals or snacks, 3-6 times a day, and exercise.  Because you'll be eating more often, you'll need far less food at each sitting.  But you will need to plan well to make sure you've always got something good around!  And ALWAYS start with something for breakfast, just to get things going early in the day!

With time, you'll find you have more energy, your brain doesn't go into 'food coma' after a big meal, you stay focused at school and in your activities longer, and you've managed to make yourself into a healthier person all at once!

Don't be fooled by starvation 'diets'!  It's 'starvation' plain and simple, and deprives your body and brain of the fuel it needs to help you grow healthy, smart and strong. 

*If you suspect you have a real weight problem or eating disorder, please talk to your parents, a school counselor, and/or a doctor right away to get the right help for YOU! 

Munchie Support!

We get a lot of letters from kids who are struggling with their weight, and are always saying this: "I just can't help it!"  Well, we're here to tell you, YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN!  Sorry to yell :), but no one can lose weight, or simply eat better and exercise, FOR YOU.  It's your body and your choices, that's all there is!

First things first: Are you really overweight?  Everytime is always a good time to eat better, but many girls think they are heavy when they are perfectly healthy, normal girls.  When you are young, extreme diets can have extremely harsh effects on your growth and your hormones, which can affect everything from the brightness of your teeth, hair and skin, to your height, immune system and even your moods!  Talk to a doctor to make sure you have a weight problem before starting any diets!  Everyone else's opinion is just that - an opinion!  Even some parents have unrealistic ideas of normal body size, so make sure you check with a doctor!

So, to support those of you who swear you "can't help it", we're here to help you help it!  That phrase tells us that you're having trouble saying no to cravings and feelings of hunger.  People in other civilizations and in other times in history, do not and did not have the incredible abundance and availability of food that we have today!  Eating all the time is not necessary, but we are used to it!  So here are a few tricks to help you get through those snack times in between healthy meals without suffering too much!  Once you get used to less food in your life, it won't be so hard anymore - but you have to give it a few weeks!

Try a rice cake!  They can take care of your salty, chippy cravings, and their so low in calories that you can have two or three!  By then, you'll probably be full, and can move on to other concerns than food!  Just make sure their the plain, low sodium kind!  The flavored ones are loaded with sugar, and you'll just be fooling yourself!  Rice cakes are easy to carry around in a zip lock bag, so you'll be ready to kill a craving on the spot!

Apple wedges!  They're great for hitting your sweet tooth, while still being mostly water and fiber, and the skin is a great natural teeth cleaner!  Yes, there is sugar in apples, but it's one of the better kinds you can get, packaged with natural vitamins as it is!  You'd have a hard time getting through enough apples to equal the sugar in a candy bar!  And don't even get us started on Cinabons!  More good stuff in this category are Carrot Sticks, Raisins, or a fresh Orange. 

Non-fat Yogurt or Cottage Cheese with Berries!  Use this as a healthy breakfast option, Cottage Cheese is high in protein, while the berries give a kick of flavor and natural sugar to get you going in the morning.  Another option is organic instant oatmeal!  You'll have to stick to the unflavored options, as they are all drowning in sugar, but nothing is stopping you from adding fresh berries or a dolop of non-fat yogurt to add creaminess!

 Now it's your turn!  Think of ways you can replace unhealthy habits with good ones!  Write down what you're doing somewhere that you will see often - it'll help you not to forget!  And if you're up for it, ask a friend to remind you!  That's hard, because you have to be nice when they catch you forgetting!  But if you are serious about your goals, it can be nice to appoint police for yourself!

Good luck on eating healthier, and if you have any healthy tips or ideas you want to pass on to other readers, go to the KEWLMagazine blog in the blogs section, and add your comment in the "eating right" blog.  If we like it, maybe we post it up here, too! 

Fresh Vegetable Soup!

Sure, you can just open a can, but have you ever tasted freshly made vegetable soup?  It's out of this world!  And so easy to make! 

Scientists say that over half the vitamins and nutrients in fresh vegetables are lost in the first few days after they've been picked.  So to have the healthiest, freshest, tastiest soup possible, find a local farmers market for making your ingredient purchases.

There are no rules about what belongs in a good soup, except the ones your own tastebuds set!  Decide what you want in your soup: tomatoes, carrots, onions and garlic (they add lot's of flavor!), cucumbers, broccoli... whatever you like!  Once the soup is made, you can always add things like beans or noodles to it!

It's easiest if you have some kind of food processor to help you get the veggies small, and to let their own juices create the 'soup', instead of adding broth.  There are food processors that fit on the countertop, like your mom's cuisinart, or 'wand'-style processors that you stick into your high sided bowl to whip the ingredients in to small bits.  On the low-tech end, you can always use one of those chopper-machines that are hand operated, or be the processor yourself, and carefully cut everything into very small bits.  For any cutting, you will want to have your parents permission at least, and possibly their help, too!

When you've got everything all small, you can put it in a pot over a low heat.  If it needs more liquid, you can add broth or water or milk or cream or even yogurt to get just the right taste for your soup!  Then, once the flavours have cooked well together, you can raise the heat up to a good eating temp.  Same thing goes for cooking as it does for cutting - check with your parents first!

That's how easy vegetable soup can be!  Think of tomato soup, cream of broccoli, and even those tasty, crunchy, cold summer soups like vegetable gaspacho or cold cucumber soup - so refreshing!  And now, none of them are out of your reach as a young cook helping yourself to healthier eating habits!

Bon Apetit!