No one said that eating healthier would be easier. But here are some

tips that will save you time in your quest for more nutritious meals.

When making dinner, make twice as much — keeping the extra for

lunches the next day. If you are cooking two chicken breasts, you might

as well cook four. If you are making salad, pull out a to-go container

and throw an extra serving in it for the next day.

These tips are provided for eco-conscious moms and are a collaboration from Stroller Strides and Luna Moms Club. 

The market can be your greatest friend (and enemy) when you are on

the road to healthy eating. It helps to have a plan and know what to

look for. Here is your YES list of things to buy…

YES - Food Shopping Checklist

Dairy – Look for organic, no hormone products. When possible, choose white cheese over yellow.

Cottage Cheese          Ricotta Cheese               Milk

Goat Cheese               Whole milk cheese          Muenster Cheese

Yogurt                     Kefir                    Feta Cheese

Lean Proteins (Meat, Fish, Poultry & Eggs) - (Hormone free, antibiotic free, range fed)

Tuna                    Halibut                    Tilapia

Salmon                    Shark                    Lean beef

White Meat Chicken          White Meat Pork          White Meat Turkey

Eggs

Fats & Oils – Use sparingly. These fats are safe to use while cooking. All are not.

Butter                     Extra virgin olive oil          Almond Oil

Avocado Oil               Canola Oil               Grapeseed Oil

Fruits - Best if Fresh & organic, preferably from local farms. Choose variety.

Apple               Dates               Mangos               Pineapples

Apricots          Figs               Melons               Persimmons

Avocados          Grapefruit          Nectarines          Pomegranates

Bananas          Grapes               Oranges          Plums

Blackberries          Guavas               Tangerines          Prunes

Blueberries          Kiwi               Papayas          Raisins

Boysenberries          Lemons               Peaches          Strawberries

Cherries          Limes               Pears                Watermelon

Vegetables – Best if Fresh & organic, preferably from local farms. Choose variety.

Bell Peppers          Eggplant          Onions               Broccoli

Fennel               Parsley               Brussels Sprouts     Garlic

Peppers          Cabbage          Green Beans          Radishes

Carrots               Hearts of palm          Snow peas          Cauliflower

Jicama               Spinach          Celery               Kale

Squash               Collard Greens          Lettuce               Sweet Potatoes

Cucumber          Mushrooms          Tomatoes

Nuts and Seeds – Good source of protein and fat. Do watch quantity.

Pecans               Cashews          Pine nuts           Almonds

Macadamia nuts     Walnuts          Sunflower seeds     Pumpkin seeds

Peanut butters          Other Nut & Seed butters

Grains & Legumes – Buy in natural state.

Organic dried beans     Barley               Lentils

Buckwheat          Brown rice          Couscous

Whole grains          Polenta               Whole grain breakfast cereals

Wild Rice          Whole Grain Pasta     Quinoa

Snack Foods

Whole grain pretzels          Rye crispbread

Whole grain rice cakes          Rye Wafters (wasa)

Baked corn tortilla chips          Wheat melba toast

I’ve heard for a long time now that childhood obesity is on the rise

due to the lack of exercise and super size eating of our kids. They

play video games instead of sports, don’t have P.E. in schools and have

very few physical labor chores. But it’s not just the kids who are

suffering. I personally realized this week a small example of how we

are taking physical labor out of our lives. I was making a dish with a

half dozen grated potatoes. When I went to use my food processor, it

was broken. I almost decided not to make the dish. But then I

remembered the real way is to grate potatoes by hand. So I did. Phew!

It was a lot of work. I felt it in my triceps and really put muscle

into it. This was how my grandma cooked all the time. We have to be

careful. We have made our lives so easy that we don’t need to move. If

you’ve ever seen the kids’ movide Wall-E, you will know why I’m

concerned. They envisioned a world of obese people who never needed to

get up for anything because technology brought served them. Think about

it. Today, there are remotes that can turn on our Television, our

lights and maybe even adjust our a/c. Even if technology hasn’t taken

over everything, many people hire out physical chores such as cleaning,

washing the car, etc. Be careful! It’s good to move. It’s good for your

body, for your brain and your spirit.

When your goal is health, you want to choose foods that are low in

sodium. Excess sodium intake is linked to: hypertension/high blood

pressure and heart disease, fluid retention and kidney stones. The

current recommendation is to consume less than 2,400 mg of sodium per

day. That equals about 1 teaspon of table salt. Many health and fitness

experts recommend a daily intake of 1,000 mg. Needless to say, that is

substantially lower than most American’s eat. You will probably be

amazed at your salt intake if you started measuring it. During

pregnancy and shortly thereafter, you are more likely to have fluid

retention. So if you want to be healthy and look lean, keep your salt

intake way down!

-Buy “lower-sodium” foods in your diet, whenever possible.

- Check sodium-content on food labels: choose lower sodium brands.

- Don’t add salt when cooking.

- Go easy when adding salt at the table.

- Reduce intake of salty snacks.

- Reduce intake of fast food.

- Stay away from processed meats and cheeses

- Buy lower-sodium breakfast cereals

-Check canned foods for sodium content. If using foods canned in water, rinse thoroughly before eating.

- In general, look for FRESH and NATURAL foods

Squeaky knees, stiff necks, aching backs or tender joints-  we’ve all encountered bodily creaks as we head into our day. How much we should do while our bodies sound  like a popular morning cereal, emitting a “snap, crackle, pop”?

A general rule of thumb is: if you find your mobility significantly decreased, or have pain that does not go away in 48 hours, you should see a health care provider for diagnosis and treatment (WebMd). At Stroller Strides, we also ask you to simply listen to your body. If your mind is telling you to slow down, or avoid movement, then listen to your gut and rest.

For run-of-the-mill aches or stiffness associated with motherhood and pregnancy, stretching exercises will help increase your flexibility and help you work out the kinks. Strength training will also help you build muscle, have stronger bones, and increase your functional fitness levels. The more you work at increasing flexibility, the less likely you are to have injury and stiffness in the long run.

One of the best stretches for aches is the pelvic tilt, as it decreases stress on the back and is the building block of good posture.

Pelvic Tilt:

Do the pelvic tilt on your hands and knees, keeping your head in line with your back. Pull in your stomach and arch your back upward. Hold this position for several seconds. Then relax your stomach and back, keeping your back flat and not allowing your stomach to sag. I like to practice this stretch along with a long child’s pose for a total body stretch and relaxation period. To do child’s pose push your bottom back onto your heels with arms extended, forehead down and hold while you breathe deeply.

The next time you are stiff or sore, try these stretches to get your blood flowing, your body limber, and your kinks worked out.

Calories, calories, calories. It is almost a bad word isn't it?

They seem to be everywhere and we are always hearing about them. We all know that we need to reduce our intake of calories to lose weight, but what exactly is a calorie? According to the dictionary, a calorie is the unit of heat equal to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water by 10C at 1 atmosphere pressure.

Now, let’s discuss it in real-life terms. The first thing to understand is that every food and almost every liquid (except for water, tea, coffee, and some diet drinks) contains calories.

• One gram of fat contains approximately 8 calories

• One gram of carbohydrate and 1 gram of protein contain approximately 4 calories each.

• One pound of body fat contains approximately 3,500 calories.

3,500 calories seems like a lot, but over the course of one week (7 days), all you have to do is consume 500 extra calories a day and you’ll gain a pound. 

On the flip side, if you reduce your caloric intake and/or work out, you can burn an extra 500 calories each day and lose a pound. 

The first step to take in any weight loss, weight gain, or improved nutrition program is to become more aware of your own body and what you are putting into it every day. 

Raise your hand if you’ve ever blindly shoved meals or snacks into your mouth during a brief break from work, taking care of your family, or keeping a home. This distracted eating leads to a distinct disconnect with our bodies, which is ironic because the food we eat is the fuel that allows us to keep moving and get everything done!

So how do you become more aware? Stay tuned for some real-life tips and check out the Stroller Strides website for more ideas on thoughtful eating.

Ok, I know this sounds overwhelming if you are already having trouble getting a workout in. But here's my thought on this. Let's say you plan to workout on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Monday, your baby is sick and you miss your Stroller Strides class. On Friday, you aren't feeling well and miss that workout. Now, you have just worked out on Wednesday. Yes, you could say "I'll just workout on other days to make up for it". But that doesn't really work. Let's face it. Our days are packed as moms from wake to sleep. You have playdates, your errands to run, work, etc. So consider this, PLAN to exercise every day. Literally put it in your appointment book and find a way to get it in on most if not all days. Some days may be lighter or shorter, but you are moving regularly. Then, when appointments come up, you won't have to feel bad that you only exercised one day this week.

SHARE! What's your strategy to get your workouts in?