Category Archives: Health

Jun7

Food For Thought; Save The Children Reports

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Food For Thought; Save The Children Reports

report copyOn June 17th and 18th world leaders, including President Obama, will convene in Northern Ireland for the G8 Summit.  Based on a newly released report by Save The Children, titled Food For Thought, Global nutrition should be high on the agenda.   We have known for a long time that good nutrition is important for kids.  What the Food For Thought Report highlights is that it is not just important, it is critical.  Good nutrition, it turns out, especially in the first 1,000 days of life when the body and brain is growing rapidly, is more crucial to proper development than we realized.

“A quarter of the world’s children are suffering the effects of chronic malnutrition. Poor nutrition in the early years is driving a literacy and numeracy crisis in developing countries and is also a huge barrier to further progress in tackling child deaths,” said Carolyn Miles, Save the Children CEO and President.

Save the Children’s report also highlights the huge economic cost of chronic malnutrition. Chronic Malnutrition causes stunting of cognitive development that results in the inability to reach full adult potential.  That means a quarter of the worlds adults will not be able to fully contribute to their communities in the way they would had they received proper nutrition as a child.  Spending on nutrition programs is one of the most cost effective forms of development assistance, yet currently amounts to just 0.3 per cent of global development spending. Any investment now, the report says, would be a down payment on future prosperity.

 

brain copy

“Improving the nutritional status of children and women in the crucial 1,000-day window – from the start of a woman’s pregnancy until her child’s second birthday – could greatly increase a children’s ability to learn and to earn,” said Miles. “World leaders gathering in London on June 8th must commit to concrete actions to tackle malnutrition in those critical 1,000 days, and invest in the future of our children.”

Of course the need for good nutrition does not end there. As a parent I know it is a life long commitment to ensure that my kids eat healthfully. I also know how challenging it can be to make sure to fit in all of the nutrients kids need in their daily meals.  That’s why I love easy finger food vegetables for my kids like sliced cucumbers, carrot sticks or Iceberg lettuce wedges.

My favorite easy Gr8 recipe that all my kids love is Edamame:Edamame

Steam fresh or frozen Edamame in the pods.

Toss the cooked pods with a bit of kosher salt.

Let the kids pop out the beans and enjoy!

Check out more Gr8 recipes for healthful eating options on twitter #Gr8Recipes .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can help let President Obama know that nutrition is an important item on the agenda by tweeting @whitehouse with your messages using the hashtags #next1000days and #Nutrition4Growth . A sample tweet may read something like this:

  •  @whitehouse let’s make sure all kids get healthy food in their #next1000days so they can reach their full potential. #Nutrition4Growth

Save the Children is the leading, independent organization that creates lasting change for children in need in the United States and around the world. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

global teamI wrote this post as part of The Global Team of 200, a highly specialized group of members of Mom Bloggers for Social Good that concentrates on issues involving women and girls, children, world hunger and maternal health.

Our Motto: Individually we are all-powerful. Together we can change the world. We believe in the power of collective action to help others and believe in ourselves to make this world a better place for our children and the world’s children.

 

May22

8 Week Sprint Triathlon Training Schedule

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8 Week Sprint Triathlon Training Schedule

My friend Jo at the starting line

I really wish I didn’t do this to myself. Each spring since turning a certain age I have  signed up for a sprint triathlon with friends as a way to motivate myself to stay fit.  Each spring I find myself feeling like I’m starting back at square one of my training. The thing that I have learned with five sprint triathlons under my belt, is that training really does work.  When I adhere to a training schedule, I find the race to be much more enjoyable. Keep in mind, my personal goal is not to win (not that I ever could!),but my hope is to come in a respectable middle of the pack, and to challenge myself. After our race debacle last year, my friend Jo and I decided to give the Nantucket triathlon another go. The race is now 9 weeks away, which still gives us time to fit in an 8 week training schedule with an extra week to taper.  Here is the schedule that I know will properly prepare me for the day of the race. Keep in mind that I am not a physician or fitness expert of any sort.  Really I just try to spend at least 5 days a week rotating the three legs: swim,bike,run, until I feel confident that I can do each distance individually, and then I do a couple of  “bricks” where I  combine the swim and bike, or bike and swim, to help me think about the transitions. The course we will be doing is  1/3 mile swim, 14 mile bike and  3.4 mile run. So here is my ideal training plan over the next 8 weeks.  I can promise you that I will not do every day on this calendar, in fact I’ve already varied from it, but I can promise you that I will try.

May15

The BBQ Grilling Hazard You Need To Be Aware Of

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The BBQ Grilling Hazard You Need To Be Aware Of

I love nothing more than to grill our meals when the weather permits.  It saves me a mess in the kitchen and is a delicious way to prepare low-fat, healthful meals for my family.  Last year a few of my husband’s colleagues published a finding about a medical issue  that I don’t think many people are aware of. It can cause severe health risks so I wanted to share the information with my readers as the grilling season begins.

The hazard comes from the wire bristles on the grill cleaning brush that can become dislodged from the brush and end up in food.  The thin wire bristles can be tiny, and hard to detect on food, but cause major internal damage if ingested.  The Radiologists discovered the bristles in internal images taken of six patients who had come in between the months of May and November with severe abdominal pain. All six of the patients had  just eaten grilled meat of some sort before coming in.

Since then my husband has switched our grill brush to the pumice stone type, and we still wipe down the grill before cooking on it. There may be other safe types of grill cleaning brushes out there,that is just what we are trying this season. If you do continue to use a brush with metal bristles the reccomendation is to wipe down the grill after cleaning with the bristle brush before cooking on it.   With a metal bristle brush the likely hood of ingesting a metal bristle is probably very low, but the risks if you do are quite high. All last sumer after learning about this finding every-time I ate at a  BBQ I was convinced I’d accidentally swallowed a bristle. Luckily that was never the case.  As grilling season resumes again I wanted my dear readers to be aware and keep safe, and enjoy their grill!

Aug10

What You Need To Do A Sprint Triathlon: Planning & Gear List

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What You Need To Do A Sprint Triathlon: Planning & Gear List

This is what you will need to do a sprint triathlon: Planning & gear List

Step 1: Find a race to sign up for, check  usatriathlon , active.com or trifind.com

Step 2: Set up a training Schedule (see here for an example)

Step 3: Set up any travel plans, (it’s good to stay somewhat local your first time though)

Step 4: Since you may need to ride your bike while carrying everything bring all of the below in a backpack.

What you need race day:

1. a bike  I used my mountain bike for my first race which was fine because I just wanted to finish, but subsequently have rented or borrowed a road bike which is really what you want to use, they are so much lighter and  faster.

2. a tri suit  I got mine through danskin, this is the most efficient way to dress and will save you time on your transitions. Even for the Nantucket Triathlon I did not find that the water temperature called for a wet suit, and personally  I find them constricting when I swim.

3. a number belt (see photo below) available at any sports shop.

4.sneakers

5.socks

6. a small towel

7. a water bottle to rinse your feet with

8. water bottle with spout for your bike

9. bike helmet

9.sunglasses

10. goggles for the swim

11. 1 packet gu or other energy gel I usually eat this when I am half way through the bike. Try it before the race to make sure you like it and are familiar with the texture.