9 More 'Healthy' Foods To Skip

By: dailySpark Guest Blogger : 5/16/2012  2:00:00 PM : 13 comments : 4,862 views

– Dana Angelo White, Food Network

We're saying "healthy" because there's a lot more to making nutritious choices than meets the eye. Lots of foods present themselves as healthy when they're anything but. On the other hand, eating too much of some good-for-you foods can get you into trouble, too. We started off with an original list of 9, but there are plenty more foods to watch out for.

Whole-Grain Bagels 
It's still a high-calorie bagel, even if it's made with whole-grain ingredients. Plus, some bagels advertise "whole grain," but are only made with a small fraction of whole-grain flour, so they're lacking the healthy nutrients whole grains are known for. A whole-wheat bagel on occasion is fine, but if you’re watching those calories you’re better off with a slice of bread – you'll save more than 300 calories!

High Fiber Yogurt 
Yogurt doesn't naturally contain fiber, no matter what the clever commercials say. Companies add synthetic versions that up the fiber count and these imposters don’t have the same health benefits as the good old real stuff.   Read More >

Make Cooking Dinner a Family Affair

By: Samantha Donohue : 5/16/2012  10:00:00 AM : 1 comments : 1,684 views

Turn cooking into a family affair by promoting your kids to assistant chefs. Here are some quick and easy ways to get them involved.

Help them plan.
Let your children create the menu. Teach them how to plan a balanced meal. Plan around what's in season and make it a goal to include lots of fruits and vegetables. My kids and I love to use Zisboombah.com to plan balanced meals.

Make it fun and educational.
Learning to cook is fun because it's hands-on and experiential. You can cover a whole range of topics, including math (measure ingredients), reading (recipe instructions), fine motor skills (cooking techniques), and science (chemical and physical reactions).  Read More >

Changing My Corner of the World, One Sidewalk at a Time

By: Jen Mueller : 5/15/2012  6:00:00 PM : 89 comments : 5,477 views

One of my biggest pet peeves has always been people who complain about things, but never do anything to change them.  For example, it’s hard for me to bite my tongue when friends complain about our political system, but never take the time to go out and vote.   If you’re unhappy about something, I think you should speak up and do something to make it better instead of always just grumbling about how it’s not right.  That’s why I’ve decided to do something that makes me slightly uncomfortable, but is important to me and my family. Read More >

10 Tips to Stay on Track When Life Gets Tough

By: Nancy Howard : 5/15/2012  10:00:00 AM : 49 comments : 11,126 views

Last week I wrote about the trials of moving my 90 year old father-in-law from independent living, to a hospital to rehab and finally to his new home an assisted living facility not too far from where I live. It has been a roller-coaster of emotions and decisions and it can be tough to not feel as though the whole world is caving in around you. But as with every obstacle in life, when we face them head on, we usually come out stronger than we did before we were hit with them.

It's tough when you are being pulled in a million different directions and what seems like little time to get everything done. When one is working against the clock, this can only exacerbate the stress levels, which is why routine is such an important part of my life. Unfortunately, decisions have to be made and they don't always align with my schedule, but I have come up with some tips to keep me on board until I weather the storm. Read More >

16 Ways Experts Cope with Stress

By: dailySpark Guest Blogger : 5/15/2012  6:00:00 AM : 1 comments : 5,242 views

– Erica Lumiere, Family Circle

Even the professionals who dole out advice on how to handle anxiety and worry aren't immune to daily pressures. The difference is, when these "stress-perts" encounter bumps in the road (piles of dirty clothes or an irate boss or kids repeatedly asking what's for dinner) they know how to tackle the problem while staying calm. Try their tricks and you too can keep your cool.

Expert Stressor: Morning Madness
 
"Getting myself, and my two kids, dressed and out of the house in the morning can get very chaotic!"

—Patricia Martin Arcari, Ph.D., R.N., director of the Calm Mother, Happy Child Program at Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and the mother of two girls, ages 10 and 12.

Patricia's Stress-Solving Action Plan:

Get organized at night. My daughters and I set aside a half hour before bed to make sure that homework is done, lunches are packed and schoolbags are by the door. The girls also pick their outfits, which gives us a heads-up if, say, a matching shoe or sock is missing.

Try not to yell. There's no need to further increase your blood pressure and stress cortisol levels in the morning. When I'm about to lose it, I take four slow, deep breaths and concentrate on keeping the volume of my voice in check.  Read More >

Have You Started Your Experiment of One?

By: Jerome Merlau : 5/14/2012  10:00:00 PM : 16 comments : 3,148 views

I get asked all the time: ''How did you do it?  How did you lose the weight?''

If you know me by now, you know that I’m perfectly willing to share my story with anyone who will listen.  I share my story with the hope of inspiring others.  One of the things that I always try to share is that there is no quick fix.  Let me rephrase that: There is no healthy quick fix for weight loss.  It took me time and effort--yes, effort--to put the weight on.  The best way to lose that weight was with time and effort.

Now, it’s time for some confessions.  How many of you have ever purchased ''how-to'' weight-loss books or the latest fad fitness equipment?  I’ll admit that I have bought some fad equipment in the past that promised abs of steel.  Wasted that money, right?  How many of us have ever decided to do what a friend did to lose 20 pounds, only to falter and not lose any in the long run?  Have you ever found a nutritional plan that worked for your favorite celebrity, only to find that it didn’t work for you?

We all do it.  We may not admit it at first, but we do it.  We follow the latest trends with all the hope in the world that it will work for us. Read More >

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