It's a party

I'm off to a BBQ birthday party tonight for my friend Tara. I was going to give her this Tiramisu cupcake that I got yesterday at Whole foods to go along with her present. Her favorite cake is Tiramisu so when I saw the cupcake I thought she would love it. But today the cupcake is looking pretty sad, so I don't think I will be including it in her present. I guess I will have to have a few bites of it instead. I'm off to party it up, hope this old lady can keep up. My party days seem to be few and far between.

Another day

1/4 cup oat bran
2 TB. Bob's apple cinnamon hot cereal
1/3 cup water
mix together

Topped with
warmed up pear sauce
almond butter
drizzle of coconut butter
Galaxy cranberry orange granola
Bear Naked banana walnut cereal

I'm off to work, have a good Saturday.

A dash to WF

I had a delima today. During work I kept thinking about whether I should go for a run after work or go to the fancy gym. The weather was perfect for a run. But I also had to figure out what I was going to fix for dinner tonight, because that played a part in my decision also. If I go for a run then it's an egg white sandwich for dinner. But if I go to the fancy gym it's Whole Foods salad bar for dinner. Whole Foods is down the street and I could also pick up some other things I needed.

Well the salad is always the decision maker, and always wins.

I got a salad but after coming home and eating it I realized it just wasn't up to par. That's when I realized why, I was missing some key salad ingredients. Where were the hemp seeds, cranberries, soy nuts, nutritional yeast, it was all missing.

I was hot and sweaty after the gym so I was doing the mad dash, I'm so uncomfortable, and so embarrassed, and sporting a zipped up hoody on a hot afternoon kind of thing. I was hurrying and didn't get the things that really pull this salad together. Oh well I ate it and enjoyed it just the same, but was a little disappointed.

While getting some other things I needed at Whole Foods I found one of the newest Larabras. I almost couldn't contain myself and bought 5 of them. I'm not even sure if I will like them but I just had to get lots of these coveted bars. I'm taking two to a friend who will be equally excited.

I packed one as a snack for tomorrow at work, it better live up to my anticipation.

My workout at the fancy gym included abs along with some grueling leg exercises and followed by HIT on the stairs. That's why I was a sweaty mess after the gym and had to blast the AC to cool off before going to Whole Foods.

I know you guys can relate. Anyone else ever had to make a stop after a workout and was all sweaty. Just want to make sure I'm not alone.

Caregiving and Youth

By R. Scott Benson, M.D.



I met a remarkable young woman last week. Sarah (not her real name) was only 15 years old so she couldn’t get a summer job, so she offered to help with her grandmother who had recently returned home from a brief hospital stay. Sarah was pretty excited about the opportunity since she always felt that she was her grandmother’s favorite.



After a few weeks Sarah had what she described as a pretty typical panic attack. Her parents weren’t particularly surprised since Sarah had had some problems with anxiety when she started middle school. Those problems resolved with brief therapy. They quickly arranged for a reevaluation aware that she was at risk for a recurrence of her anxiety problems.



Before she came for the visit she had experienced a couple more panics and was having trouble settling for sleep at night. She couldn’t identify any new stressors. She was positive about her family and peer relationships. She told me her time with her grandmother was going well and she enjoyed the responsibility. She did tell me that her grandmother needed someone with her and the family didn’t have any other easy options.



We reviewed the tools she learned in the sixth grade for control of her anxiety symptoms. Her schedule was a little cramped and she had dropped her regular exercise (she is a runner). We got that going again, talked about her sleep and agreed on a follow-up appointment.



That week Sarah continued having panic attacks and some crying spells. I asked her to tell me a little more about the time she spent with her grandmother. At first she was hesitant since she didn’t want to complain – “Sometimes it’s hard, but it’s okay.” I pressed for more, and she began to cry. It was turning out to be harder than she thought it would be. Her grandmother had gotten mean and complaintful. Nothing Sarah did was right.

She could tell her grandmother was getting forgetful, but she wasn’t prepared for the repeated accusations that it was Sarah who was misplacing, even hiding things from her. Sarah, ever dutiful, would retrace her steps, offer reassurances to her grandmother, only to hear the same accusing questions a few minutes later. The worst for Sarah was her grandmother’s angry name calling, accusing Sarah of stealing, questioning her behavior with her boyfriend, claiming sexual behaviors that never happened.

Sarah had kept all this to herself even questioning if some of these hurtful accusations could be true, thinking her parents would disbelieve that her grandmother would say such things, worried what would happen to her grandmother if Sarah didn’t “tough it out” and help the family keep her grandmother in the family home.

Sarah was relieved to get these problems out in the open. She agreed that we should share these problems with her mother. Her mother was concerned that Sarah was having such a struggle with the grandmother; she knew there were some memory problems but had not seen these behaviors. Both were relieved to hear that these were not unusual behaviors in elderly persons with early dementia.



Sarah’s mother agreed to talk with their family physician about an evaluation for her mother. I talked with Sarah and her mother a little about strategies they could use to help Sarah with some of the stress of this caretaking responsibility. I suggested they look at the information available through the Alzheimer’s Association and the AARP site on caregiving.



Families will be challenged by increased demands for caregiving as the baby boom generation ages. A lot of this caretaking will fall on mature children and adolescents. Currently, there are estimated to be 1 to 1.3 million teens who have caretaking responsibilities. A lot is written about the demands on adults put in a caregiving role realizing that they are subject to depression, anxiety, and burnout. Teens in caregiving roles face the same risks and we need to be prepared to provide the support they need. Some communities have recognized this problem and started programs to provide these young people with the support they need. One program, the American Association of Caregiving Youth in Boca Raton, FL, is bringing national attention.



There is also information about Alzheimer's and the mental health of seniors at HealthyMinds.org.

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Peach season

Peaches n cream oats
August is the only time I get to have peaches n cream. I refuse to have an out of season peach, they are horrible. I picked up a local peach last weekend and I have been waiting all week for it to ripen all week. Finally this morning it was ready to be eaten. The best peaches will be out in about a week or two, so this one wasn't the best but was still good.

1/4 cup oat bran
2 TB. Bob's apple cinnamon hot cereal
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp. chia seeds
splash soymilk (for the cream)
1/3 of a diced peach
mix together

Topped with
almond butter
drizzle of pure maple syrup
Tj's low fat almond granola
dark chocolate chips (I got a little carried away and didn't eat all of them)

This breakfast was very filling and I wasn't able to finish all of it. I'm feeling a little full right now.

It's a home run

This morning called for a bootcamp style workout. I needed a workout that was fun, free spirited, and was whatever I felt like doing.

I started with 30 min. on the spinning bike to bring my heart rate up, get my body moving, and get the sweat rolling (I know gross, but true). I then did some resistance training using only my own body weight and working upper body. I also did some kickboxing, plyometrics, intervals, running in place, jumping jacks, and so on in between each set. I finished with 15 min. straight of high intensity intervals. In all it was 1.25 hrs of working out. I wanted to finish with some yoga but I had to get ready for work.

Dinner tonight was layered taco bean casserole. I seem to be on a casserole kick, it's just so much easier sometimes.

I started with cooking some Tj's ground turkey with diced onion, salt, pepper, and chili pepper. Once cooked I added some diced roasted red pepper, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, salsa, and 1/2 cup water.

In a pan coated with non stick spray I begun layering.
Layer 1: Tj's whole wheat flat bread
Layer 2: Non fat refried beans
Layer 3: Turkey mix and topped with some salsa
Repeat layers two more times
Topped with Tj's spicy non fat black bean dip, salsa, reduced fat cheddar cheese, and cilantro.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. Let rest for 5-10 min. and then serve.

Dinner tonight was a home run, it was so good.
I served it with a salad of mixed greens, chopped carrots, and tossed in Drew's roasted tomato dressing.

Layers of goodness.
I love the fluffiness of the flatbread, it's like homemade tortilla's. The bean dip on top was the best part. Next time I would use more of that and less of the refried beans.

Banana pancake morning

Banana pancakes
3 egg whites
2 TB. oats
2 TB. Bob's spice n nice hot cereal
1 TB. whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
dash salt
mix together
cook in a non stick pan on both sides
on one side I added 1/4 of a sliced banana

Topped with
Tj's almond flax butter
raspberry all fruit spread
sprinkle of Bear Naked banana walnut cereal

Topped with 3 little cherries
I liked the banana's sliced and cooked in the pancake, but I might have sliced them too big. In the spots around the banana the pancake was a little mushy.

Breakfast or dinner?

Tonight's dinner was inspired by a few things:
1. I had expensive Great Harvest bread that was a little stale and needed to used.
2. I had tart expensive organic blueberries that weren't very ripe, but needed to be used.
3. I wanted something easy for dinner and something that I could make ahead.

Out of that came blueberry breakfast/dinner casserole.

Dry ingredients
I used 1/2 a loaf of diced Great Harvest sweet wheat n oat
1 cup Bob's extra thick oats
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
Wet ingredients
1 1/2 cups organic non fat milk
1 carton free range egg whites
1 TB. evaporated cane juice
whisk together

add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
add to a coated with non stick spray baking dish.
topped with 1 pint of blueberries.
sprinkled with more cinnamon.
bake at 350 degrees for 50 min.

It turned out really good. It got a little too brown on top, it just wouldn't finish cooking and at the end it got a little too toasty.

Next time I would add more fruit and mix it in and also add a little more sweetener.

Topped with a drizzle of pure maple syrup and coconut butter.

And served with some Tj's all natural turkey bacon.

After workout re fueling

Class was definitely hard this morning. After dancers workout my abs and legs were burning, in a good way. The you're going to be so sore tomorrow kind of way.

Turbo kickboxing was a mix of old and new rounds. We went old school and did round 17, 21, and 32. Along with some newer 40 and 41, round 21 was so fun.

Lunch is served.
A nice salad with a big glass of water to rehydrate after my intense workout this morning.

Mixed greens topped with two carrots cut into chunks, sun dried tomato, feta, and Tj's spicy hummus. Paired with Kashi crackers.

Along with a turkey roll up.
This little roll up is a good source of protein. In the roll is some all natural turkey with a slice of Havarti light cheese.

Full of crunch and a mix of colorful nutrients.

It's all about the toppings

This morning it's all about fueling up for today's dancers workout and turbo kickboxing. I need a lot of energy to get through these two high intense classes.

I picked up this Bear Naked cereal the other day in banana walnut. It's a little too high in calories and fat in my opinion for cereal, but it makes a great topping. It's loaded with lots of healthy grains.

1/4 cup oat bran
1/3 cup water
1/4 tsp. chia seeds
few slices of banana diced up
mix together

Topped with
2 TB. Bob's muesli
sprinkle of Bear Naked banana walnut cereal
a few Kashi whole wheat biscuits

More toppings
sliced banana
blueberries
Tj's almond and flax butter
splash of soymilk

A healthy day in my healthy life

This morning I was up before the sun and getting my workout in.
I did an interval/circuit workout inspired by shift n lift.

I started with 10 min. on the spinning bike followed by resistance training working chest and back. Then it was back on the bike for 10 more min. and then shoulders, biceps, and triceps. I finished with 20 more min. on the bike.

I was reading in Shape magazine today that this style of workout is becoming a new workout trend. They are opening special clubs and introducing classes designed around a mix of intense cardio and resistance training. I like it because it's intense, burns a ton of calories, and you can pack more into your workout in a shorter amount of time.

As I finished my workout and was stretching and cooling down, the sun was coming up. It's so peaceful in the morning and makes you feel so accomplished to have your workout done. You also are ready to start the day with a healthy mindset.

Dinner tonight was full of omega 3's.

In the pasta salad was:
whole wheat fusili pasta, Tj's roasted red pepper and artichoke tapenade, feta, diced zucchini, broccoli, roasted red pepper, sun dried tomato, basil, oregano, dill, pepper, chili flakes, and Alaskan canned salmon.

Topped with some grated fresh Parmesan cheese

And served along with some local organic cherries. These cherries are amazing.

I always incorporate fruits and veggies into every meal. If there is a way to include more fruits and veggies, I will find it. The more the merrier.

How do you find ways to make sure that you are getting all the servings of fruits and veggies each day.

Any tips?

Energy Drinks and Our Children

By Gariane Phillips Gunter, M.D.





I was giving a talk to a group of fifth graders regarding mental health issues when one young man raised his hand to ask a question. His question caught me a little off guard as he asked me about using energy drinks. 





Out of curiosity, I asked the group of 100 students to raise their hand if they drank these drinks. To my amazement, most hands went up!!! I then asked them where they got the drinks and they responded that their parents bought them for them. These children opened my eyes to a real problem.





Many children and teens today are choosing energy drinks as a part of their daily diet. And while some energy drinks are clearly labeled as unsuitable for children, others are specifically marketed to kids as young as four, promising boosts in energy and nutrition as well as enhanced athletic performance.





The problem is that this energy boost comes with a price. Most energy drinks, although packaged in smaller cans and bottles than regular soft drinks, are packed with sugar and caffeine — sometimes as much caffeine as in 1 to 3 cups of coffee! Too much sugar can put your child in the fast lane to the dentist's office and also contribute to weight gain. Excessive caffeine comes with its own set of problems — especially in younger kids, it can negatively affect attention and concentration as well as restful sleep.





As adults, we know how it feels to have too much caffeine and our children are no exception. Caffeine by design is a stimulant — though a widely used and accepted one — and because children are smaller than adults and haven't yet developed a tolerance to it, its effects on them may be more pronounced. As in adults, too much caffeine can cause:



• jitteriness and nervousness 

• upset stomach 

• headaches

• difficulty concentrating 

• difficulty sleeping 

• frequent urination



Many of these drinks also contain additional ingredients whose safety or effectiveness has never been tested in children — including herbal supplements, guarana (a source of caffeine), and taurine (an amino acid thought to enhance performance). Children and teens may ingest these drinks without realizing the potential danger. Even mild caffeine toxicity can cause nausea, vomiting hypertension, accelerated heart rate and tremors. Because the Food and Drug Administration does not regulate these drinks it is not possible to know the exact quantities, ingredients or effects they may cause. 





Despite all the hype, energy drinks offer no real health benefits or competitive edge for kids. A balanced diet, physical activity and adequate sleep will work to give our children all the energy they need, safely.

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Cold cereal on a warm morning

This morning I was feeling like a simple cold bowl of cereal.

In the mix was
Kashi whole wheat biscuits
Tj's low fat mixed berry granola
Bear Naked banana walnut cereal
Whole oats peanut butter raisin granola

Topped with
1/4 of a diced apricot (it was a little over ripe)
Tj's almond flax butter
blueberries
sprinkle of unsweetened coconut
couple splashes of soymilk (I like my cereal very dry)

I also had my usual scrambled egg whites and tea.

Lentil snoop

Dinner tonight was lentil salad

First I mixed some diced red pepper, roasted red pepper, cucumber (with the seeds scooped out), 1 TB. Newman's light balsamic vinaigrette, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and lemon.

I cooked red lentils per instructions with 1 cup red lentils, 3 cups water, and simmered for 15 min.

The lentils turned into mush instead of staying firm, and the salad turned into a soup.

I mixed everything together, let it come to room temp and added some feta. It turned out more like a thick soup and less like a salad. It tasted okay, but wasn't what I was going for. I didn't want soup on a 90+ degree day, I wanted a cold lentil salad.

Topped with barbecued chicken tenders, and served with some grapes.

I'm not much of an expert on lentils, and I really just started cooking with them this past year.
Anyone got any advice on what lentil would be better for this recipe.

Blueberry pancake

It's pancake Monday
3 egg whites
2 TB. oat bran
2 TB. Great Harvest pancake mix
1 TB. Bob's spice n nice hot cereal
splash soymilk
mix together
on one side I added fresh blueberries

Topped with
Tj's almond butter with flax seeds
dollop of applesauce
drizzle of pure maple syrup
blueberries
Yogi walnut spice granola (the granola added a really good crunch to the pancake)

Rainbow of fruits and veggies

Tonight Jeff was having steak so I made a dinner for myself that only I could appreciate. I made a salad loaded with fruits and veggies. We are stuffed to the roof with produce around here. I need to start coming up with ways to make a dent in it.

In the salad mix
Green leaf lettuce
sliced carrots
sliced red pepper
diced cucumber
broccoli florets
raspberries
feta

Blackberry vinaigrette
handful of blackberries warmed up and crushed up
1 tsp. Newman's light balsamic vinaigrette
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
drizzle of raw honey
lemon juice
mix together

The salad was topped with barbecued local wild coho salmon, that was glazed with whole grain mustard and sprinkled with dill, salt, and pepper.

The salad was so good. The dressing was a little over powering with all the blackberries. Next time I would thin it out a little more.

Brownie's topped with vanilla bean frozen yogurt might be on the menu for later?

Who wants brownies???

While I was at the grocery store today I decided to pickup some Kodiak Cake brownies. I have been wanting to make these for a while but they are always so expensive. Today they were on sale and brownies are Jeff's favorite treat.

I made the recipe per instructions except substituting applesauce for the butter.

I love the companies philosophy. They want to make products how they used to be made. With all natural ingredients and whole grains.

These brownies are made with 100% whole wheat flour and cane juice, and there are no additives or preservatives used.

I had a bite and they are the BEST brownies ever. I'm saving them for dessert later. They are worth the expensive price. I also have a box of their whole wheat pancake mix that I want to try out one of these weekends. I think they also make a whole wheat cookie mix. Now I will be on the hunt for that.

So run and get these and don't think twice about the price, they are that good.