8May

Healthy Lunch Box Ideas

Posted by: Jennifer Mansfield Categories: Blog posts Daily Posts Food Gluten Free Gluten free kids Health Living Paleo
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I prepped these tips for an event at our son’s elementary school. It’s the brain-child of a good friend of ours, and I’m excited to be a part of it. The concept it simple: get kids and families thinking about how to live a healthy life.

It starts with you, and ends with the community. Like many things in life, when you have the support of those around you, the choices in life are easier. When we feel that warm, supportive arm of a friend or loved one wrapped around us, it helps us to feel confident that we can achieve our dreams. Even if the dream is as simple as finding more organization in your life, or as life changing as a goal of improved health. grain-free lunchbox

So I thought I would share these tips here as well. I hope you find them useful in helping you achieve a balance of healthy lunch solutions that won’t break your (limited) time or budget. Good luck!

 

Healthy Lunch Box Ideas

If you’re like most parents, it’s about all you can do to get your kids out the door on time each morning, without the pressure of making sure you’ve packed a healthy, wholesome lunch too. And while we would love to rely on the quality of foods in our schools, the reality is there just isn’t enough funding available to make sure we are providing Organic, healthy and non-processed foods for our children.

However, the health and well being of our children is our top priority, so it’s becoming more apparent that we need to control what our kids eat.

Here are some quick tips for keeping your kids happy, and filled with healthy and delicious foods everyday that won’t create more stress in your morning routine:

  1. Pack all school meals the night before you need them. The mornings are way too busy to deal with lunch packing. This is key, folks!
  2. Avoid processed foods – try to focus on foods free of refined sugars
  3. Skip the dessert – it causes cravings, sugar crashes and brain fog
  4. Use your own intuition to find what works best for you and your family
  5. Opt for organic whenever possible

 

Here’s what a low cost, balanced meal plan could look like:

  • Sandwich (nitrate free, nitrite free lunch meat or Organic nut butter and jelly)
  • Fresh fruit (sliced apples, melon or grapes are easy)
  • Nut butter or Hummus and crackers for dipping
  • Granola
  • Low sugar granola type bar (we like Larabar, Kind Bars, Thunderbird Energetica)
  • Salad (we pack a salad with pre-mixed lettuce, carrots and cucumbers and O&V dressing)

 

Remember, prepare your meals the night before they’re needed and you will have a (relatively) stress free morning!

 

 

 

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13Sep

6 Nutrients your children need

Posted by: Jennifer Mansfield Categories: Blog posts Daily Posts
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Raising an 8 year old comes with all sorts of challenges; silent prayers when he flies through the air tackling his opponents in football, conscious choices of which foods to send in his lunchbox, nightly bed time routines, play dates, encouraging

responsibility and protecting him without stifling his curiosity, among so many others. This is an age where I’m acutely aware of his innocence weaning and he is becoming a little person who will soon take on more responsibility, both in school and at home.  And with that added responsibility comes an awareness of how important the food choices we make are, and the supplements that we give our children are vital to their development. And while most kids will choose a cookie over cauliflower any day, it’s our job as parents to make sure we’re giving them the proper vitamins and nutrients they need to thrive.

So, I’ve put together a list of the top recommended vitamins and supplements for children; as always, check with your doctor or other professional if you feel best doing so prior to starting a new vitamin and supplement routine for your child.

(more…)

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21Dec

Why to go Gluten-free

Posted by: Jennifer Mansfield Categories: Blog posts Daily Posts Gluten Free Inspiration
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HERE’S A PASSAGE FROM A SITE THAT I FREQUENT DEVELOPED BY A DOCTOR IN HOUSTON, TEXAS CALLED THE GLUTEN FREE SOCIETY. I ESPECIALLY LIKE HIS REASON FOR DEVELOPING THE SOCIETY:

THE ORIGIN OF OUR DEDICATION TO THE GLUTEN FREE COMMUNITY…

Little Michael was only seven years old when his mother took him to see Dr. Osborne. You see, he was diagnosed with a debilitating disease called juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Michael’s case was so bad that doctors didn’t know if he would make it. Because of this, the Make-A-Wish Foundation actually stepped in and granted Michael and his family a wish (A trip to the Galapagos Islands).

Michael’s condition racked his body with headaches, muscle pain, joint pain, indigestion, and stomach pain. He had been suffering since his introduction to normal foods at 20 months of age. He was in and out of the hospital so frequently that he had to have a permanent stent placed in his arm so that when he was hospitalized, it would be easier to give him an IV.

Imagine going through years of hospital trips, doctors visits, and horrible pain all before you reach the age of 10. This was Michael’s story until his mother brought him into Dr. Osborne’s office. After an extensive exam and laboratory testing, Micheal was diagnosed with non-celiac gluten sensitivity. That was in 2005.

Today, Michael is gluten-free and very much alive. He no longer has a plastic stent in his arm. He is growing normally. He doesn’t need to take as many medications to treat his symptoms. He is active in band, and he has a new lease on life.

Michael is alive today because he is gluten-free. Does this sound like a diet trend?

Read more here.

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