If you are like me; coming up with lunches day in and day out for the kiddos is a nightmare. Aside from homework; packing the daily lunch is my biggest school day dread. I decided to put together a post that gives you a few ideas so that you don’t have to think of new ideas all on your own. Us mom’s need to stick together!! Well here you go!

Homemade Lunchables
Lunchmeat
Cheese squares
1 Tbsp Chocolate chips
grapes or apple slices
Crackers

Wrap Sandwich
Flour tortilla
1/2 Tbsp ranch dressing
1 piece romaine lettuce
2 pieces lunchmeat
1 slice cheese

Soup
Preheat thermos with hot water
Heat soup in a microwavable safe dish to boiling and add to thermos

Leftovers
Preheat thermos with hot water
Heat leftover in microwavable safe dish until hot and add to thermos

Mini Pizza Sandwich
whole wheat english muffin
1 Tbsp tomato sauce
1 slice mozzarella cheese
2 slices canadian bacon
*I recommend toasting muffin first

Cheese and Cracker Box
Cheddar cheese squares
Monterey Jack Squares
Two types of crackers
Grapes

Hardboiled Egg Box
Hardboiled egg
Mini salt/pepper packs
Fruit
Yogurt

Fancy Yogurt
1/2 cup Plain Fage yogurt
2 Tbsp cranberry nut trail mix
6 grapes, sliced
Drizzle of honey
Dusting cinnamon

Hummus Dippers
Favorite hummus of your choice
carrot sticks
celery sticks
Zucchini sticks
pita chips

Tuna Dip
Tuna
1/2 tbsp ranch dressing
carrot sticks
crackers
Cheese squares
Crunchy Salad
Lettuce
Cherry tomatoes
sweet bell pepper strips
Grated cheddar cheese
crumbled tortilla chips
1 tbsp ranch dressing on the side

Grilled Nugget Box
BBQ chicken cut into cubes
potato chips
broccoli trees
Apple slices

Another little time saving trick I do is I pre make a truck load of turkey and cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and then freeze them in ziplock bags. I pull one out the night before, throw it in the lunchbox, and by lunchtime the are ready to go. I PROMISE you they do not get soggy and my kids and husband gobble them up.

*The image above is a Stephen Joseph lunch box. One of my favorites due to their adorable images.

While preparing for a workshop I updated my grocery list and thought I would put the new version on the website. These are items I buy on a regular basis that help me to plan meals and eat with purpose throughout the month.

I generally do not have all of these things at one time but I like to keep a good stock of my staples. I find that for me I need to be able to grab and create on those crazy days where I work both jobs, both kids have soccer, and laundry is taller than the hamper!

Grains:
Whole wheat bread (Orowheat)

Whole wheat bagels

Whole wheat hamburger buns

Sourdough bread

Flour tortillas (any without PHO)

Corn tortillas

Whole wheat pasta

Whole wheat rice

Gaba rice

Harvest medley rice (CalMati rice, wild rice, sweet brown, heirloom red)

Oatmeal

Steel cut Oatmeal

Whole wheat flour

Whole wheat pastry flour

Panko bread crumbs(Whole wheat/regular)

Dairy:
Milk

Butter (no salt, organic preferred)

Sour cream (Daisy)

Cream cheese/Cottage cheese

Cheddar cheese

String cheese
,Feta cheese
,Parmesan cheese

Eggs (cage free, organic)

Greek yogurt (Fage)

Meat:
Chicken breasts

Grass-fed beef

Lean pork

Ground turkey

Shrimp

Salmon

Tuna

Premium lunchmeat (Primo-Vons)

Packaged Items:
Black beans,Pinto beans
,Chili beans

Green chilies

Tomato sauce

Diced tomatoes

Tomato paste

artichokes-marinated

Organic low-sodium chicken and beef broth

Barbara’s cinnamon puffin cereal

Kashi-Cinnamon harvest cereal

Cheerios/Chex/Special K

Condiments:
Organic mustard

Organic Heinz Catchup (No HFCS)

Olive oil

Jiff Natural peanut butter

All fruit jelly

Salsa (Herdez brand)

All natural Honey

Maple syrup

Cane sugar

Brown sugar

Shredded Coconut

Balsamic vinegar

Red wine vinegar

Snacks:
Pretzels (sourdough Snyders)

Pita chips

Lays potato chips

Organic tortilla chips

Pecans,
Walnuts,
Almonds-whole

Popcorn (Kernal)

Nestle choc. chips

Raisins

Granola Bars (Kids Cliff, Odwalla, KIND)

One area that has become near and dear to my heart is working with children with behavioral problems. I am blessed to get to lead a group that helps parents with children with behavioral problems learn how to use nutrition as a integral part of the overall treatment plan. We now know that improving your child’s behavior is not just about discipline. Eating a well balanced diet with adequate protein an nutrients supports optimal brain function. Proper brain function regulates attention span, learning, and understanding of your environment. Extensive research has shown that a child who eats a well balanced diet is less likely to experience problems with attention span, hyperactivity, and impulse control.

Tip #1: Provide Protein for Breakfast
Skipping breakfast or providing a breakfast weak in protein sets your child up to suffer with lower brain function, mood issues, and hyperactivity. Protein and other nutrients helps to regulate all the things your body needs to regulate its response. A high carbohydrate breakfast (Cereal, orange juice, banana or Pop-Tart) causes insulin in your body to spike then crash causing anxiousness, anger, aggression, hyperactivity.
Example:
*Whole wheat toast with 1tbsp all natural peanut butter
(Jif Natural-$1.99 small jar Walmart/Large Jar (40oz)$3.29 Target)

*2 eggs scrambled with fruit; banana, grape, or apple

*1/2 cup oatmeal with 1 Tbsp peanut butter, cinnamon, 1tsp 2 tsp brown sugar
(Quaker oats $2.99 Walmart, Brown sugar $1.99 Walmart/Target)

Tip #2: Provide a High Protein Diet
Research into diets for the treatment of ADHD found that a high protein diet can improve symptoms including behavior, attention span, and social function. Try to provide some form of protein at every meal.

Tip#3: Limit Processed Foods
In order to process foods to allow them to be sold inexpensively and last longer the manufacturer has found that certain chemicals used and found else where provide this function. We do not know the long term effects of ingesting these chemicals. Processing has only been in full swing since the late 70’s. Children born in the 1970’s are the first full generation to live on a diet that is highly processed.

Tip#4: Boost Omega-3 Intake
Research shows that children diagnosed with ADHD have lower levels of Omega-3 (Fish oil). In the study, the children were given a multi-vitamin with omega-3, zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D. These children showed improved attention span, improved activity transition, improved vocabulary, and reading ability compared to the group that did not get the dietary additive.

Tip#5: Eliminate/Limit Food Additives and Dyes
The FDA has admitted that synthetic food dyes “can have a detrimental effect on some children’s behavior” but it rejected putting warning labels on foods. The simple solution to avoid chemicals in your kid’s food is to eliminate processed and packaged foods, and always read ingredients: Look for Yellow #5, Yellow #6, Blue #1, Blue #2, Green #3, BHT, TBHX, BHA, and sodium benzoate and avoid them.

**A study in The Lancet (World’s leading medical journal) showed that food additives can trigger hyperactive behavior in children without previous behavior problems. The study led the European Union to require cautionary labeling about synthetic dyes on food products.

You do not need to just eat meat to get your protein. I love this list by livelovefruit.com. Start by substituting one dinner and 1 lunch a week with a healthy vegetarian option. Gradually increase until you are eating at least 6 healthy vegetarian meals a week (3 dinner/3 lunch).

You will not only feel better but so will your wallet!! Look through my website for some healthy and yummy vegetarian recipes.

I found this on Pinterest!

I think it is great so I wanted to share it with you!!

Hi loyal friends! I thought I would update everyone on what has been going on over the last year. RN for Wellness, the website has been pretty much silent for almost year. I have still been here, doing my thing, living the whole foods lifestyle. I have updated the Facebook page periodically but for the most part I have been leaning-in to my family through a pretty large adjustment.

Last year it became evident that it was time for us to leave our little mountain community to return to Southern California which is home for us. Doug had some opportunities at work, I was at a crossroads with my career and the business, and we felt like it was time to bring our boys back to family and friends that had been an entrigal part of our life for many, many years. The last year and a half in our small town had been a very difficult year for our family and particularly for Doug and I’s marriage. As all relationships do we found ourselves in a very dark valley. When Doug and I married on November 27, 1999 we made a vow to one another that through good times and bad we would push through. When we were faced with one of the most difficult times in our marriage we made the choice to push through. We both dug deep, leaned in to one another, and leaned in to God. Thankfully we made it and we made it stronger, healthier, and happier then we have ever been. We have come to a place where we can thank God for the storm because the storm made us both better people. We are better individually and better united as one.

In the process of healing we began to look at what areas of our life helped us to grow and what areas of our life did not. We looked at what we wanted for our boys and for our careers. After lots of prayer and counsel with the people we trust most we decided that it was time to return to Southern California. So there began the process of rebuilding our life in a new place. As many of you know this was not a new thing for us. We had done this once before (with a toddler and a baby in my belly I might add) but this time it was different. We were moving home. We were on a foundation of stone, and we were both on exactly the same page. So on Thanksgiving weekend 2012 we loaded up multiple trucks, trailers, and people we love and headed back to Rancho Cucamonga. Now don’t get me wrong leaving Bass Lake was by no means easy. We had developed amazing relationships with people that we know for a fact will be in our life forever. We were able to rent our home (the one I still want to be buried in the yard under the apple tree) to the most wonderful friends who have filled our heart with so much love that leaving them to love on our home was a no brainer. One of the most important relationships in my life was made up there. He helped move us down and unselfishly said goodbye to mountain living with us but has continued to be a support and friend in what he calls our “city” life. Since all transitions are in fact a transition we had to spend some time apart, Doug had to finish his time at his current office and we had to get the boys in school down here at a point where we felt their transition to a new school would be easiest. Needless to say six or so weeks later when Doug was officially home for good we were very happy!!

When we decided to make the move my parents also decided that it was time for them as well. For the first 2 months we all lived under one roof, through the holidays, finding new jobs, and a horrible winter season of illness we lived together. I am not going to say that, that time was easy but I can say we made it through. Now looking back I can definitely see many reasons why God had all of us together.

So what else have we been up to???? Well for starters we immediately began a renovation. We rented Doug’s childhood home and part of the agreement was that we would help renovate it to get it ready to be sold when the time was right. Doug and I have done several remodels so we knew we could help his parents out in this areas. So I went from moving boxes, to 2 1/2 families living here, to plastic and drywall dust. I can honestly say that I seem to be past the drywall dust, my kitchen is almost done, and my house feels somewhat normal for the first time in 11 months.

We have also been busy getting the boys adjusted to life back down here in the “big” city. They both do not have any memories of living down here so it is hilarious to see what changes are a big deal to them. I hear a lot of, “I can’t believe Target is right there!” It used to take us 45 minutes to an hour to get to Target or any other big name chain store so a 5 minute drive is super exciting to them. They love being close to their cousin Frankie and they love that all their grandparents and an uncle and aunt are in the same city. Birthday parties and Holidays are a lot more fun with everyone all together. We have just begun soccer and Doug and I love that our boys finally get to play AYSO and at some of the fields we did as kids.

Doug and I are now both settled in our jobs. Doug is working a great schedule and is able to be off on holidays and weekends. I am excited to report that I am officially 100% self employed!! Rn for Wellness has finally began to become not only something I do primarily as a hobby but also something I get to do to help support our family financially. Every single day I get to do something I love and still get to be Mama when ever duty calls! I have always believed that hard work, passion, diligence, and the support of God and those around you will eventually pay off and I am a true testament that it does!!

So all that being said, I’m back! Thank you to all of you that hung on through the silence. Thank you to all of you who joined me in the quiet time. I can’t wait to get back to sharing with you my favorite recipes and tips to living your healthiest life. I still believe with 100% of who I am that what I stand for is the best way to achieve your goals!!!

This is my next article in the Sierra Star, I thought I would give my peeps a pre-peek!

Migraines: A Painful Reality for Many

Dear Wellness RN,

I suffer from migraine headaches. What exactly are migraines, what are known triggers, and what can I do to alleviate or lessen their frequency. Thanks, Migraine sufferer

Dear Migraine Sufferer,

A migraine headache is characterized by intense throbbing or pulsing in one area of the head and is commonly accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine headaches can last from hours to days. Research has not been able to pinpoint an exact cause for migraines but they do believe that genetics and the environment play a key role.

There are many different known triggers for migraine headaches and they span the gamut of causes. Known triggers are fluctuations in hormones, particularly estrogen. Foods such as red wine, aged cheese, processed meats, chocolate, aspartame, MSG, and sudden discontinuation of caffeine. Physical causes identified are intense physical exertion, sleep disturbances, stress, and certain medications such as birth control pills and vasodilators (nitroglycerin).

The number one thing any migraine sufferer can do is identify their triggers. One way to do this is to journal daily for thirty days. Your journal should include; what you are eating, what activities you did that day (including sex), and if you are female, where you are in your cycle. If you suffer a migraine take a close look at not only that day but the days surrounding it. The next thing you need to do is meet with your physician. A quality physician will sit down with you to develop an action plan.

When talking about migraines it is important to understand what types of headache pain require immediate medical attention. Migraines are generally a chronic condition where sufferers are aware of what they are dealing with. Individuals who experience a migraine for the first time are often frightened and overwhelmed by the level of discomfort a migraine brings. People frequently ask at what point they should seek medical attention for a “bad” headache. There are a few symptoms that should signal you to head in. Seek medical attention immediately if you experience an abrupt, severe headache. A headache associated with fever, stiff neck, rash, mental confusion, seizures, double vision, weakness, numbness or trouble speaking. Headache which occurs after a head injury, especially if the headache worsens. A chronic headache that worsens after coughing, exertion, straining or a sudden movement. New headache pain if over the age of 50.  Remember that if you are not sure it is always better to play it safe. For more information on migraine headaches visit www.migraine.org.

Ok, I feel it is time to do a little post on SODA! I get a lot of questions about soda and people are often surprised at my answer. It is often assumed that because I am a clean eater and a nurse I am a complete, 100% no go on soda. Since I am a recovering Dr. Pepper addict (20 months clean!) I know what soda means to the daily diet. So lets take a minute to chat it out.

When soda (carbonation) was created by Joseph Priestley in the late 1700’s the idea of carbonation was used to enhance taste in beverages. In the late 1800’s Dr. John Pemberton, Caleb Bradham, Charles Alderton or Charles Hires invented the classic soda, Coca-Cola (1886), Pepsi (1893) Dr Pepper (1885), and Hires Root Beer (1866)*. The soda of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s is no where near the soda of today.

Soda originally contained real sugar, caramel, and carbonation. The beverage industry has turned the original mom and pop soda into a 23 billion dollar business. The average soda has a laundry list of ingredients (most unrecognizable) with a huge amount of artificial sweeteners and flavors. If you want to read about some of those sweeteners you can check out my article on The Evil one. The industry has also spent millions of dollars developing the “free” soda with hopes of sucking in the dieter and scale watching monster in all of us. You can check out my article on What is Stevia for my take on this.

My soda philosophy is actually quite simple.

An occasional REAL soda in moderation is OK! (go ahead take a minute…..)

I believe that there should be room in our life for the “little wiggle”. When we completely restrict ourselves the end result is never positive (unless you are a recovering addict like me!). When living a life of purposeful eating you must make decisions that fit you at that moment on that particular day. If you want to have a soda at friday night pizza then have ONE soda. Should it be diet? NO! If you are going to have it, OWN IT.  Side note I have a very good friend who every time she is eating something less than perfect in front of me she always looks at me and says, “I’m owning it!” I love it! Own it girl!! Soda is supposed to have calories. Food is supposed to have calories. Calories make our body work. The sooner you except this the better off you will be. As far as I am concerned if you want a soda and you are worried about calories then I guess you will have to cut calories somewhere else. Thats right people, I hate to be the bearer of bad news… you can’t have it all!! You must be willing to sacrifice one thing for another. No healthy human being lives a life without some sacrifice. Soda is meant to be a treat just like cookies, ice cream, and cake. We have become a society that thinks we should eat what we want, when we want it. Sorry folks! That way of thinking has only made you fat and sick.

So to recap:

• An occasional soda in moderation is ok.
• Avoid “free” or diet soda at all cost.
• OWN IT, OWN IT, OWN IT

*Mike Mcleod, Southeastern antiquing magazine

Get them to eat Broccoli

A friend of mine asked me to do a Blog post on how to get your kids to like Broccoli. After laughing out loud at the request I thought, “ hey thats a great idea!” Now do I believe that I can teach you how to make every kid in the world like broccoli? Ummmm No! I do know that I have a few tricks up my sleeve to help your kids learn to appreciate their “broccoli” or whatever their food vice is. I will use Broccoli in this post but please understand that you are to substitute whatever devil vegetable is beating you.

Know you will Succeed!
One of the mistakes we make when introducing foods to our little one is that we enter the challenge with a great deal of self doubt. We figure they will not like it, we figure it will be a challenge, and we figure we are going to fail. I believe this is our biggest mistake because as with anything else our children feel us and are constantly reading us. When we are scared they know. When we are uncomfortable they know. When we are happy and excited they know. Think back to all those times when your kids were babies and they woke up three times the night before you have to get up early for a big trip. They were not waking because God wanted to start off your wonderful family vacation with anger, resentment, and sleep deprivation. They were waking because they were feeling your anxiety or excitement. Our children “feel” us. The challenge of molding our little clean eaters is no different. The first thing you need to do is KNOW that your going to succeed! Will you succeed every time? Will you succeed the first time? Probably not but, you WILL succeed.

If all else fails, try, try again!
Thats right it may take several attempts to get that little one to realize they like “broccoli”. As we mature our taste buds mature as well. We come into this world with highly sensitive taste buds. Sweet can be VERY sweet and Salty can be VERY Salty. That is why watching your kiddo taste a lemon for the first time is so hysterical. That lemon is really sour for them. A trick I always suggest to try first before you even try a strong vegetable is see what they think of a Lemon. Lemon’s are a strong flavor and little ones either love it or hate it. If you have a little one that loves it then there is a good chance they can handle the shock of the stronger vegetables. If your little one is a lemon no go then figure you will be easing in the stronger veggies. Start by adding these vegetables to sauces and soups. As your child’s taste buds mature so will the amount of veggies you introduce “straight up”. Also remember what they hate today they will love tomorrow so remember every day is a brand new day.

This Family Eats Broccoli!
Thats right, we eat broccoli. Those will be the words uttered over and over again when your ankle biters give you the lip. Remind them that as a family we try to eat lots of different foods and broccoli is going to be one of them. They will learn that every member of the family “tries” different foods. Now we all know not everyone likes everything. I can not do cream corn, ugh! I tell you what, when someone has a true dislike you will know. Picture an exorcist, green goo moment. That is when you know as a parent that “peas” may not work out for JR.

They need to OWN the Broccoli!
I am know for the phrase, owning your food but this is for real. When a child has a resistance to a certain vegetable I recommend they get personally involved with the vegetable. They help you pick it out at the store, they help decide how you are going to cook it, and then they help you cook it. Now I know you may be having a dinner of broccoli with grape jelly and catsup but trust me it is worth it. Just as with adults when you have ownership in something you value it more. This little exercise also reminds your children that you are fun and you are flexible. I am pretty sure these two ideas are lost when you are shoving broccoli down their throat.

If you have aligned your thinking, tried multiple times, and gotten them involved and they are still a no go, you can always rely on the passive aggressive approach to feeding your children… Sneak it in!

PROBIOTICS

After a recent surge in stomach flu, diarrhea, and urinary tract infections among my friends and blog followers I decided that it is time to do a post on PROBIOTICS.

• The digestive system including the urinary system contains more than 500 different species of bacteria. These bacteria’s are helpful in maintaining the health of the system as well as aiding in food digestion. Certain scenarios can reek havoc on these good bacteria’s: antibiotic therapy, gastroenteritis (stomach flu), food poisoning, and diarrhea. While antibiotics wipe out bacteria good and bad, GI upset can cause an overgrowth of bad bacteria which overpowers the good bacteria.

What is a probiotic? 

Probiotic=microorganism
Probiotics are safe in the healthy, non-immuno-compromised persons. Excess ingestion of probiotics should be avoided in individuals with pancreatitis.

Probiotics are known to be effective in the treatment of:

• acute childhood diarrhea
• acute adult diarrhea
• antibiotic associated diarrhea
• regulating the healthy immune system
• treatment of recurrent yeast infections and urinary tract infections

A study published in 2010 by the American Academy of Pediatrics Journal reported that probiotics not only aide in the treatment of acute diarrhea in children but may also decrease the risk of ear infections, strep throat, and respiratory infections. The study involved 638 children in different daycare settings. The children who drank a probiotic yogurt drink were 19% less likely to get the illnesses listed above.

In 2009 CNN Health published an article discussing which probiotics were found to be most effective for treating or preventing varying types of illnesses

Antibiotic associated diarrhea and Gastroenteritis:

1. S. cerevisiae bouladdii
2. Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG
3. Bacillus coagulans GBI-30

Recurrent yeast infections, Urinary tract infections, and Bacterial Vaginosis:

1. L. rhamnosus GR-1
2. L. reuteri RC-14

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

1. Bifidobacterium infantis 35624
2. L. plantarum DSM9843

How do you buy Probiotics?

• Probiotics can be found in food, powder, liquid, and tablets. They can be purchased at your local market as well as health food stores.
• When buying yogurt look for “live & active” cultures
• Look for the probiotics listed above on the ingredient list
• Plain non-fat yogurt is best. Avoid the added sugar yogurts.
• Organic yogurt is best
• According to LiveStrong.com Greek yogurt has a higher concentration of probiotics.

So to recap: Probiotics are microorganisms that naturally occur in our digestive system. It is recommended that under certain bacteria changing situations you should increase your intake of certain probiotics. Make sure that when choosing a probiotic supplement that you choose the bacteria that is appropriate for the treatment of your personal ailment.

And always remember when dealing with illness or infection a little GREEN TEA goes along way! My perfect abdominal upset formula is green tea and an extra dose of probiotic usually in the form of greek yogurt.