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Eating healthy and getting the right nutrients are as important an exercise and great sleep. Here are some Kewl and healthy recipes. |
Baby, It’s Cold Outside!
Well, maybe not yet, but getting back to school can also mean getting back to germs! Cooped up in classrooms with all our classmates, creates the perfect environment for colds and germs to spread easily from person to person. So, what can we do to protect ourselves?
Wash your hands regularly. You don’t have to become too much of a germ freak, but it is a good habit to clean your hands before and after eating, and once you get home from school. You can carry a hand-sanitizer if you like, but over-using these kinds of products can lead to weakening your immune system. If your body doesn’t fight off a germ or two, it might not be strong enough to fight off the big ones!
Keep your hands away from your face. All day long we touch things that have germs on them, which isn’t so bad UNLESS you then transport the germs to your mouth, ears, eyes or nose. Keeping your hands out of your face can also help stop some forms of acne, which is a plus!
Don’t share your germs. If you want others not to sneeze all over you, why not lead by example? Try to carry tissues to cough or sneeze into when you’re sick or experiencing allergies. If you don’t happen to have any on hand, it is now recommended to sneeze into the crook of your arm (inside of your elbow) to block the ‘spray’, and to avoid covering your own hands with the germs.
Eat right. Eating fresh, healthy, nourishing foods can help your body to fight off most germs. The vitamins and minerals help your body to function at its best. Without them, germs can find that chink in your armor and infect you.
Get enough sleep. Just as important as eating right is being well rested. Your body can recover from almost anything with enough rest. Being tired makes you more likely to be vulnerable to a germ attack.
Dress warmly enough. Sure, parkas and wool socks aren’t necessarily the cutest clothes on the planet, but a red and drippy nose is much un-cuter! Getting overly chilled puts your body in survival mode, and all your resources go towards getting the body warm again, leaving the gates wide open for germs.
Get plenty of exercise. A healthy strong body is the best defense against little teeny germs! When you’re in good shape, every system in your body is working at top efficiency, and that includes your immune system.
Vitamins and such. There are all sorts of home remedies for colds out there in the world: vitamin C, Echinacea, elderberry syrup, etc. Most doctors agree that upping your vitamin C intake can help prevent colds from setting in, and lessen the severity of their symptoms. Always check with your parents or doctors before trying anything like this out, but anything from drinking an extra glass of orange juice to taking a chewable vitamin C tablet each morning could help boost your immune system… and anyway, it probably can’t hurt!
Fitness Shakes
Trying to eat healthy, but no ideas come to mind? These kewl recipes can help you shop for everything you’ll need to make even healthier shakes than you can get at those expensive smoothie places, and usually for less than a dollar a shake! Try one or two out with your parents first, as blenders can be tricky at first, and see which ones are your faves. Then bring your imagination to the task, and come up with new combo shakes that are personalized especially for YOU! Who says kiwis and peanut butter don’t mix?!? Enjoy!
Chocolate-Banana Protein Shake
1 cup of Water
20 – 30 grams of protein powder (chocolate)
1 frozen banana
Pour water into the blender first. Add protein powder Add frozen banana (break it up as you put it in the blender). Mix until frothy.
Banana-Orange-Strawberry Shake
6 strawberries, frozen
1/2 banana, frozen
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tbsp. skim milk powder
1 heaping tbsp. high- quality protein powder (optional)
1 tsp. flax oil (optional)
In a blender, process all the ingredients until thoroughly mixed and serve.
Atomic Smoothie
1 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 banana, cut into small pieces
1 small kiwi, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon toasted wheat germ
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
This all gets blended together. There's no protein powder because you don't need it with all the protein from the seeds, peanut butter and wheat germ.
Watermelon!
Is there anyone who doesn’t love watermelon?!? We don’t think we’ve ever met anyone who would say no to it’s cool, juicy refreshing-ness on a hot summer day. And why should you? Watermelon is good for you! All that water and fiber, and just the tiniest bit of natural sugars make it the perfect summer dessert that will never weigh you down. Most people like to spit out the seeds, though, to be honest, we’ve NEVER seen anyone with a watermelon growing out of them, so you don’t have to worry too much if you swallow a seed or two! In slices or as Watermelon Water (oh, yeah!) it’s THE way to get your fresh on in the summer time! Try this at home…with your parent’s permission!
Watermelon Water
Ingredients
* 6-8 lb watermelon, cut into 2 inch square pieces (you don’t have to measure J)
* 2 cups cold drinking water
* 1 tablespoon lime juice
* 1 tablespoon honey
* ice cubes
* lime, to garnish
* mint leaf, to garnish
Directions
1. Process half of your melon cubes with 1 cup of water. (That means put them in the blender)
2. Strain into a pitcher. (That takes out the pulpy stuff)
3. Repeat with second half of melon and second cup of water, strain into pitcher.
4. Stir in lime juice and honey.
5. Fill glasses with ice, and then pour in your watermelon juice.
6. Garnish with lime slices and mint leaves.
Pretty, pretty tasty and pretty refreshing – your friends will be pretty impressed!
Do You Break Your Fast?
In other words: Do you break your fast by eating every morning? Breakfast really is an important meal, and as part of a ritual for preparing to have the best day you possibly can, it’s worth spending some time finding just the right fuel for you!
So, what do you do? Are you a 'mad dash out the door with nothing' kind of girl? Or do you sit and have a full bacon, eggs, toast and juice American breakfast bonanza? Even though some people can't handle all that food in the morning, everyone should have something! Here are some great light and healthy options for you to consider:
Green Tea or Hot Water with Lemon - Lots of people enjoy the comforting ritual of a hot steaming mug in the morning! Green tea, or even just hot water with lemon, are great ways to gently wake up your tummy and you at the same time. The steam refreshes your face and nasal passages, while the warm liquid washes away the night from your mouth and let's your digestive tract know that more is on it's way! Green tea also has 'catechins' that help your body rid itself of fat, and that have anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties. This stuff is pretty good for you! It contains caffiene, but far less than in coffee, black tea or even hot chocolate! You can get decaf varieties if the caffeine is a problem for you.
Toast - How about a little something to calm the hungry acids in your tummy? Just of piece of whole wheat or grain bread will do wonders in calming the monster that arises just around second period! Bread does break down easily into sugars, but the more whole grain you can get, the longer it takes to break down...and the longer your body gets energy from it! Any kind of spread is okay - the less sugar the better to avoid a sugar crash! - and just don't over do it! Too much of anything is just plain too much! If you need more, you can add a lightly fried or poached egg to give your breakfast more protein and oomph to get you through to lunchtime!
Yogurt - This wonder food is full of healthy pro-bacteria (they're the ones you need to be healthy)and a good dose of protein to start off your day. It even comes in low-fat options, which can also help if you have issues with lactose. Just stay away from the kinds with lots of sugary flavorings already mixed in! If you need some flavor, go with mixing in your own fresh berries, fruit, granola or a little bit of honey. These add more natural sugars that are easier for your body to process, and in far lower concentrations, while also adding some vitamin and mineral kick!
Another thing to consider if a healthy weight is your priority: To keep your body processing (and not storing as fat) the nutrients you taking in, you must get the fires of your digestion burning in the morning. That way, your body will burn, and not store, the foods you eat all day long and not just from lunchtime on. When you don't eat, your body thinks a famine has come, and stores up everything it can to help you survive. Eating regular meals and not starving yourself convinces your body that there is no danger, and allows it to rid itself of unneccesary fat and stay lean and healthy.
So eat a healthy breakfast, and burn, baby, burn!
Five a Day?
Are you getting yours? Eating five vegetables a day is one way to make sure you're getting enough of the nutrients they provide into your daily diet. And if you make sure you get five different ones, you'll really be giving yourself the fresh and healthy 'mulitvitamin' that you deserve. Most veggies are easy to find, cut up, and have handy in a baggy for snacks when you're away from home, as well as a great addition to any meal. Salads can be made entirely from vegetables! Even though they can also have beans or meat or just about anything that sounds good to you!
We were recently working at a fair all day long, all weekend long. Even though they had plenty of food available, it was all so expensive, and most of it was unhealthy. That can be fun for a while, but sooner or later, your body really craves something with actual nutritional value, or everything stops working! Your brain slows down, your body feels sluggish, and somehow, that hour between 2 and 3pm just seems to crawl by! That's when a little baggy with carrot sticks and green beans saved our lives! Refreshing, crunchy, and full of the natural sugars, salts,vitamins and minerals we need to jumpstart our energy reserves. So great!
So get your 5 veggies on!
Greek Yogurt!
Have you tried this?!? The Greek's have always had it right, but now it's becoming more and more available in stores all over! Greek yogurt is creamier than regular yogurt, even if you get one with a low milk-fat percentage! And if you want a special treat, try mixing in some local honey! One spoonful, and you'll feel like you just took off from the ground! Yeah, it's that good! Berries are also a good mix in, but DO try the honey!
Did you know that honey is the one foodstuff that never spoils?!? And if you get local honey, it is filled with antihistamines for local pollens to help you fight allergies. It also has anti-biotic properties. Wait! Was this article about yogurt or honey?!?
Just have both!
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!
Peanut Butter Oatmeal
Oatmeal (not the instant kind!) with chopped nuts and raisins, a sliced banana, or strawberries. For extra protein, add a scoop of peanut butter to the oatmeal.
POPCORN!
For a healthy snack make some air-popped popcorn and sprinkle it with salt-free seasoning mix.
Yogurt Veggies
Put some fresh veggies or fruit into a bowl and serve with plain or with low-fat yogurt.
Fruit Smoothie
For a delicious shake, combine a cup of milk in a blender with ½ banana, 4 strawberries (or 10 blueberries), splash of OJ, 4 ice cubes and blend.
