Know safety, no injury. No safety, know injury.
Author Unknown

©2010 Joel A Levy. All Rights Reserved.

This one is for the parents, the aunts & uncles, and even the grandparents who want to help the children in their lives develop and enjoy healthy eating habits. We all know that old saying, “You are what you eat.” Think about this… if you don’t want to put that cookie in your mouth because it is loaded with sugar (and you know that it will only end up cushioning your bottom) why would you give it to your child(ren) day after day? It makes them hyper, cranky, and craving more, and most of all does nothing for the fact that they were hungry and needed some nourishment! I can tell you from talking to many parents that the cookie is right there and they just don’t know what else to give them. When asked most children will take the cookie over a bowl of spinach (my son included) however, my goal is to help give you some tips so that you can offer something a bit more appealing than spinach instead of that cookie – - – perhaps even a healthier version of that cookie.

Check out my suggestions below and as always give me feedback or share some of your ideas.

Eat Healthy. Live Happy,
Yvonne

Top 5 Snacks my kids LOVE

• Baked tortilla chips (buy the kind without the transfats or flavors) with Shredded Cheddar Cheese melted on top. These are so much better for your kids than the kind with the powder cheese on top and no artificial anything! (By the way if you are lactose intolerant, cheddar cheese does not contain lactose like other cheeses do.) Add a few cucumber slice to the place or a sliced tomato and you have a great snack to hold the kids over until dinner (not a bad breakfast either… and your kids will think your are super cool for letting them have it!).
• Yogurt sticks- Horizon and Stoneyfield make yogurt in a tube (refrigerator section) that are low in sugar and high in nutrition. I put mine in the freezer for a special frozen yogurt treat. The kids love them.
• “Chocolate Almonds“- Emerald nut company makes something called Cocoa Almonds. My son loves them and always ‘asks permission‘ to have them. I play along… I think for a second and then say, “OK”. They are a better choice over a candy bar or chocolate dipped almonds.
• Try celery, carrots or apples dipped in nut butter (skip the honey, too much sugar). There are a variety of nut butters to choose from: Peanut, almond, cashew, soy, or sunflower seed. Make the food look fun and appealing.
• Cinnamon Toast- I use gluten free bread, but you can use any WHOLE GRAIN BREAD. “Wheat bread” is only white bread with coloring and some vitamins stuck in it. Make sure it says whole grain. I use coconut oil or earth balance lightly spread on the bread and then sweeten with agave nectar. Agave nectar is from the cactus plant and tastes sweeter than sugar but doesn’t give your child that sugar rush. And of course a small or large sprinkle of Cinnamon.

Bonus Tip

Have a healthy snack ready for when the kids come home. This could be in the fridge all prepared (like the Cinnamon toast or the Cheesy Chips) and they can heat it up when they walk in the door. If your child stays after school pack a separate snack bag with one of the healthy choices.

©2010 Joel A Levy. All Rights Reserved.

Related posts:

1. Super Post-Workout Meals
2. Super Pre-Workout Snacks

“Safety first, because you might not get a second chance.”
Tom Patire

©2010 Joel A Levy. All Rights Reserved.

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”
Abraham Lincoln

©2010 Joel A Levy. All Rights Reserved.

At least one third of Americans today are considered obese. Imagine, with all of our advancements in technology, we are less physically fit as a nation than we have ever been before. The Atkins diets, and the Jenny Craigs, and the Weight Watchers just don’t seem to be doing the trick. Not that it is their fault, because it is not. They really are trying to help. The thing is, we just don’t move our bodies anymore. Let’s face it, it is boring as hell to go to the gym. Of course, this would be the perfect place to plug my kickboxing classes at Family Martial Arts Academy, or my personal training services, but that is not the point of this post.

Back when I was in college, I became fascinated with the world of dance. At first I took classes to supplement my martial arts training, but eventually I fell in love with it for its own sake. I studied everything from ballet, to modern, to jazz, to African, to tap. Baryshnikov and Gene Kelly became heroes of mine along with Gregory Hines, the Nicholas brothers, and Bill Bojangles Robinson. One thing all of these men had in common, aside from being incredible dancers, was that they were all in incredible physical shape. It didn’t seem to matter how old they got, when they took to the stage, they were always magical, and they moved with grace and ease.

At one point I was taking so many dance classes, and rehearsing for so many shows, that I was dancing for about eight hours a day. Talk about being lean and fit! My body did whatever I wanted it to do, and I was constantly exploring new physical challenges. It also made my martial arts ability far better than it had ever been before.

Take a look at this video of Shirley Temple and Bill Bojangles Robinson. He is well beyond his youth at this time, but look at how fit he was. He not only dances up and down a flight of stairs, but does it while singing and humming a tune, and never gets out of breath. He feet are fast, his legs are youthful, and his body is agile, trim, and fit. He also looks like he loves to dance and move.

Want to stay in shape? Find a physical activity that you love to do, and you will never stop doing it. It won’t feel like working out, it will just feel like fun. Bet you never thought of tap dancing as a workout, but then again, maybe you never tried it.

And if you happen to be in the Highland Park, NJ area, and you want another fun way to stay in shape, come check out one of my kickboxing classes, or call me for personal training. Never know, it might change your life.

Now, enjoy the video, and get inspired!!

Photo: laurenatclemson

©2010 Joel A Levy. All Rights Reserved.

“Those who are lifting the world upward and onward are those who encourage more than criticize.”
Elizabeth Harrison

©2010 Joel A Levy. All Rights Reserved.

When the unexpected happens, especially when it involves an emergency with a loved one, most people freak out. Has this ever happened to you? Unfortunately, this is the worst thing you can do. When split second decisions have to be made, you are more focused on your own emotional state, than on what actually needs to be done. Not only that, but you become extremely difficult to communicate with for the people who could potentially help you. You are stammering, and screaming, and getting your facts confused, rather than calmly and effectively communicating the information to 911, for example. When help arrives they need to have their ducks in a row, so they can take appropriate action as quickly as possible.

Perhaps the worst thing you can do in an emergency is to panic in front of the person who is having the emergency. I have seen it happen many times. Once, in a school where I was teaching, saw a girl trip while running, and smash her head into a gymnasium wall. I knew it would not be pretty, after she bounced off the wall and hit the floor. I ran over and picked her up, and the blood started to pour out between her fingers where she was holding her face. Knowing that she would respond to my energy, I calmly and softly told her she would be fine, and that everything was going to be ok. With a lifetime of martial arts behind me, I can usually tell the difference between a superficial wound, and a bad injury. This would be a broken nose at the worst. While not exactly pleasant, it is also not a brain injury.

The girl remained calm, with a few sniffles, as I carried her to the nurses office. On the way there, another teacher ran over in a panic, pulled the girl’s hands away from her face, and shouted, OH MY GOOODDDDDD right in the girl’s face. At this point of course, the girl goes into complete hysteria. I hip checked the other teacher out of the way, and carried the girl the rest of the way to the nurses office, where the nurse was a calm professional.

It turned out the injury was a decent gash on the forehead, and it bled a lot, but the girl was ok in the end. She would have been more ok, if the buttinsky teacher had left well enough alone, and had not further traumatized the child with her reaction. This scene has occurred in similar circumstances in most people’s lives. It is vitally important, that when others need us, we remain cool, calm, and collected, for their sake.

As an incredible example of how to stay calm in an emergency, check out this video of 5-year-old Savannah’s call with 911, when her dad was potentially having a heart attack. It aired on The Bonnie Hunt Show.

Photo: taberandrew

©2010 Joel A Levy. All Rights Reserved.

Most people who know me (Yvonne) know how much I love to create in the kitchen. I spend a great deal of time reading about how foods can make us feel better, give us energy, and recover from an intense (or even not so intense) workout.

Last week I posted my pre-workout meal suggestions, now let’s look at the post-workout meal. Just as it is important to fuel your body before a workout it is equally important to feed your body the right foods after your workout. We want to keep those blood sugars level by eating high fiber foods, complex carbohydrates, and protein to help our muscles to get stronger. The key is to not over eat. I will show you that it is easy to get all of your nutrients in each meal while either maintaining your weight or losing weight – whichever you need. I hope you find my suggestions helpful and as always I would love to hear from you letting me know what worked for you and what didn’t, so post your comments below.

Post-Workout Meals

Post work out is a bit different from Pre Workout Meals. Now is the time to nourish your body so your muscles get the nutrients they need to get stronger and recover. The important thing is to get food into your system within 20 minutes of completing your work-out. This will help you to avoid those blood sugar lows which will make you feel yucky (and you deserve to feel great since you just treated yourself to a healthy workout)and if your goal is to lose weight not eating will actually make it more difficult by slowing down your metabolism. Be sure to replenish fluids as well. Consider waters that will replenish your electrolytes, but not add any sugar (smartwater, OWATER, or SoBe is sweetened with Purevia).

In the a.m. your body will tolerate a different foods than in the p.m., so try:

• Omelet- I go a bit crazy with this category; you should too. Have fun… throw in veggies, have it in a wrap, or add some meat or cheese. If you don’t like your veggies hot make a small salad of tomatoes, cucumbers and avocado dress it with olive oil and some sea salt… YUM!
• No time for the prep, no problem. Try some cottage cheese with slivered almonds and some agave nectar. Add some whole grain toast or rice cakes and you’re good to go. Shihan actually prefers his cottage cheese with olive oil, tomatoes, and za’atar (Mediterranean herb mix) on a corn cake (like a rice cake, but made from corn).
• Really no time at all. I hope this is not always the case since your body does need to be fueled with 3 good meals per day and small snacks in between to keep those blood sugars level. BUT if you need to cover yourself until lunch and you ate a good pre-workout meal then go for the homemade trail mix- simply toss some almonds, seeds, a bit of dried fruit, and a handful of store bought granola in a bag and munch on your way to work or whatever.

You may be eating late at night, in that case you have to consider that the post workout meal must also be gentle on the digestive system.

• The other half of the sandwich. Now you can eat that other half that you left behind. Remember the salad and to satisfy the sweet tooth afterward make yourself a cup of herbal tea sweetened with stevia (no calories).
• Baked or roasted sweet potato- Wash well and keep the skin on. Either bake whole on a lined baking sheet or cut up into strips and bake. Prepare this in advance so you can enjoy as soon as you get home. After they are cooked they stay well in the fridge for a few days so make extra. Sprinkle with some olive oil and sea salt…Super Yummy! Add some raw nuts and a cup of tea and you have a great late night post workout meal.

I hope you have found these tips helpful. Please post your questions or suggestions for future tips below. May your workouts build you strength and give you a longer, healthier life!

Recipe

OK here is a new family favorite: Turkey Burgers

2 lbs ground turkey
1 large onion
3 cloves garlic
1 green pepper
1/2 cup fresh cilantro or parsley
1 potato-washed skin left on
1/2 cup cooked rice (I prefer brown)
salt, pepper

Chop the vegetables in your food processor until fine but not mush. Mix veggies with ground meat and spices. Ground turkey tends to be a bit soft. If your mixture is too soft to form burgers add bread crumbs 1 tablespoon at a time. Shape your burgers and grill on an indoor or outdoor grill (a good not stick pan will work in a pinch). Make a salad and ENJOY!

©2010 Joel A Levy. All Rights Reserved.

Related posts:

1. Super Pre-Workout Snacks

“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
Mahatma Gandhi

©2010 Joel A Levy. All Rights Reserved.

“If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right.”
Mary Kay Ash

©2010 Joel A Levy. All Rights Reserved.