Alright, week 24 already? Where has this year gone? Anyway, this week's focus is on portion control. Have you noticed how large sizes are now? Unfortunately for us, these larger sizes are now the normal serving size. This has lead to the assumption that a Coke is 12 or 20 ounces, rather than 8 ounces like the nutrition panel suggests. When was the last time you measured how much pasta you put on your plate?
It's also lead to the expanding waistbands we see. And it needs to stop. Well, coupling the techniques we learned back in reading the nutrition panel, it's time to be sure we are eating the serving that is listed on that panel.
Okay to do this, the author gives some visuals to help you get a realistic view on what the portion should be. I included a link below for you. I will also recommend that you break out your measuring cups and spoons when eating at home.
Other Resources:
WebMD pocket portion control: http://www.webmd.com/diet/printable/wallet-portion-control-size-guide
The
book we're following: http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1
Jenn's
blog: http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes
Monday, June 11, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
Photo Friday
*** Every Friday, I will post a picture from our lives. Enjoy!!! ***
Holly and Sarah, Dale Hollow Lake, TN, August 2007
Monday, June 4, 2012
52-Week Challenge - Week 23
How clean is your cheese? Did you figure something out last week about the dairy you're eating? I promised you a story so here it goes:
Holly participated in the school science fair this year and there were some pretty fantastic projects there, including a project on cheese and food mold. The student took several cheeses, set them on the counter for weeks, and monitored the mold growing on it. The real honest to goodness cheese was black and furry by the science fair. So much so that she had to take pictures of it and not bring it into the school. Typical right? Well, the process American slices that everyone LOVES so much had NOTHING growing on it *shudder* Talking to her we giggled about the "cheese touch" from Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Just food for thought for your next grocery trip - exactly what is in your dairy and are you sure it's dairy?
So this week's challenge is kind of interesting to me, I guess because I automatically do this anyhow.... The theme is to "Build Healthy and Supportive Relationships." I see that some people would need this, so I'll cover it anyhow with some tips from the author:
In order to build a healthy relationship, you must:
1. Give and Take. Building a relationship involves two people. You should not always be doing all the work, nor should the person you are in the relationship with. Be there for loved ones, and let them be there for you.
2. Do Unto Others. Yes, it's the golden rule. Treat others like you want to be treated.
3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. It amazes me how many people really do need to work on their communication skills. It's a skill and practice makes perfect. Practice active listening daily. Try using your well-honed skills to help someone else communicate their feelings.
4. Honesty. It is the best policy. Check your thoughts for truth. Especially the self-talk.
After all this, you also need to review your relationships and identify the toxic ones.
1. Identify. If an person makes you feel bad about yourself, what you do, or who you are as a person, then that person is toxic.
2. Leave. If the situation is really bad, leave. This includes relationships that involves abuse of any kind. Yes, I know it's easier said than done. But hopefully you have identified the people you can trust and want to build healthy relationships with -- they will help you.
3. Attempt to Make Repairs. Sometimes relationships just get broken. Negativity feeds negativity and you get into a routine. The relationship may just need to be fixed - bring some honesty and openness to the table. And if the person isn't receptive, then maybe it's time to walk away.
4. Set Boundaries. If exiting the relationship isn't an option and neither is repairing it, minimize time you spend with him/her.
Okay, so there you go: how healthy are your relationships???
Other Resources:
Toxic Relationships: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/03/15/you-deplete-me-10-steps-to-end-a-toxic-relationship/
The book we're following: http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1
Jenn's blog: http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes
Holly participated in the school science fair this year and there were some pretty fantastic projects there, including a project on cheese and food mold. The student took several cheeses, set them on the counter for weeks, and monitored the mold growing on it. The real honest to goodness cheese was black and furry by the science fair. So much so that she had to take pictures of it and not bring it into the school. Typical right? Well, the process American slices that everyone LOVES so much had NOTHING growing on it *shudder* Talking to her we giggled about the "cheese touch" from Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Just food for thought for your next grocery trip - exactly what is in your dairy and are you sure it's dairy?
So this week's challenge is kind of interesting to me, I guess because I automatically do this anyhow.... The theme is to "Build Healthy and Supportive Relationships." I see that some people would need this, so I'll cover it anyhow with some tips from the author:
In order to build a healthy relationship, you must:
1. Give and Take. Building a relationship involves two people. You should not always be doing all the work, nor should the person you are in the relationship with. Be there for loved ones, and let them be there for you.
2. Do Unto Others. Yes, it's the golden rule. Treat others like you want to be treated.
3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate. It amazes me how many people really do need to work on their communication skills. It's a skill and practice makes perfect. Practice active listening daily. Try using your well-honed skills to help someone else communicate their feelings.
4. Honesty. It is the best policy. Check your thoughts for truth. Especially the self-talk.
After all this, you also need to review your relationships and identify the toxic ones.
1. Identify. If an person makes you feel bad about yourself, what you do, or who you are as a person, then that person is toxic.
2. Leave. If the situation is really bad, leave. This includes relationships that involves abuse of any kind. Yes, I know it's easier said than done. But hopefully you have identified the people you can trust and want to build healthy relationships with -- they will help you.
3. Attempt to Make Repairs. Sometimes relationships just get broken. Negativity feeds negativity and you get into a routine. The relationship may just need to be fixed - bring some honesty and openness to the table. And if the person isn't receptive, then maybe it's time to walk away.
4. Set Boundaries. If exiting the relationship isn't an option and neither is repairing it, minimize time you spend with him/her.
Okay, so there you go: how healthy are your relationships???
Other Resources:
Toxic Relationships: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2010/03/15/you-deplete-me-10-steps-to-end-a-toxic-relationship/
The book we're following: http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1
Jenn's blog: http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Going to the Lodge
Holly has finished her first year of Brownies!!!! At first, she was unsure about doing Girl Scouts again. I encouraged her to give it a try, as the things they can do in the US are different than what they can do in Korea. She agreed to one more year... and boy did I show her!
Our girls did such a great job on selling cookies this year. They hustled and sold cases upon cases... then they stood out in the cold, driving rain, you know -- the weather that Seattle is known for, hawking more cases. They all did such a great job! And it paid off:
We were able to go to the Great Wolf Lodge for a Girl Scout Camp-in with the cookie money!!!!
Oh, the Great Wolf Lodge is such a good concept for this part of the world. It is a hotel whose main attraction is the indoor water park. Yep - a water park with slides, and wave pools, and splash zones all over -- but indoors, so it's not cold. Brilliant!!!
Ronnie, Sarah, and I went ahead and booked a room for the night so we could partake in the fun. And what fun it was -- there was pizza, and Sing-alongs, and swimming, and S'Mores. And then we got up the next day and did it all over again!
The great thing is we found out one of Sarah's best friends will be a Daisy scout next year... Sarah is already begging to be in Xiah's troop. And Holly finally got to see her cookie money pay off. We are so proud of them and can't wait to see what experiences next year will bring us.
Our girls did such a great job on selling cookies this year. They hustled and sold cases upon cases... then they stood out in the cold, driving rain, you know -- the weather that Seattle is known for, hawking more cases. They all did such a great job! And it paid off:
We were able to go to the Great Wolf Lodge for a Girl Scout Camp-in with the cookie money!!!!
Oh, the Great Wolf Lodge is such a good concept for this part of the world. It is a hotel whose main attraction is the indoor water park. Yep - a water park with slides, and wave pools, and splash zones all over -- but indoors, so it's not cold. Brilliant!!!
Ronnie, Sarah, and I went ahead and booked a room for the night so we could partake in the fun. And what fun it was -- there was pizza, and Sing-alongs, and swimming, and S'Mores. And then we got up the next day and did it all over again!
The great thing is we found out one of Sarah's best friends will be a Daisy scout next year... Sarah is already begging to be in Xiah's troop. And Holly finally got to see her cookie money pay off. We are so proud of them and can't wait to see what experiences next year will bring us.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Photo Friday
** Every Friday, I will post a picture from our life.... Enjoy! **
Holly swimming with her daddy, Atlanta, Georgia, July 2005
Monday, May 28, 2012
Start of Summer-ish
Warning: Yes, I'm going to talk about the weather again.
Memorial Day weekend is typically the start of summer in many parts of the US. Not exactly the truth when you're this far north. First, the kids don't get out of school for another couple of weeks, but that's to be expected when you don't start until after Labor Day. Second, we're still wearing pants and coats. Granted we're wearing light coats and don't need them in the afternoon, it still seems wrong that we're wearing coats in May.
But it's Memorial Day, so we decided to get out and explore a bit.
First up on our holiday weekend: the Northwest Trek. The Trek is part of the Point Defiance Zoo, but is dedicated to preserving wildlife found in the PNW. We had a wonderful day - the animals were out, the sun was out, and we had a nice walk through the rugged park. And the visit isn't complete unless you take the tram through the free-range area.
Sunday brought us some more nice weather. After church, we decided to blow the dust off our bikes and head for the Chehalis-Western Trail. The trail is actually an old lumber rail line that leads through Lacey and on to the Sound. The entire trail is 22 miles and links up with some other rail lines. A few years ago, Thurston County acquired the remainder of the line from about the middle of town to the Sound -- this is what we rode. Again, it was a lovely day: not too hot or cold and just peaceful. The girls did really well on the 7-ish mile ride -- they only stopped because one of my pegs broke (odd, but whatever...).
Of course, when we got back we tended to the garden... Hoping something starts popping up soon!!! With the weather we've been having, it won't be long now.
Memorial Day weekend is typically the start of summer in many parts of the US. Not exactly the truth when you're this far north. First, the kids don't get out of school for another couple of weeks, but that's to be expected when you don't start until after Labor Day. Second, we're still wearing pants and coats. Granted we're wearing light coats and don't need them in the afternoon, it still seems wrong that we're wearing coats in May.
But it's Memorial Day, so we decided to get out and explore a bit.
Sunday brought us some more nice weather. After church, we decided to blow the dust off our bikes and head for the Chehalis-Western Trail. The trail is actually an old lumber rail line that leads through Lacey and on to the Sound. The entire trail is 22 miles and links up with some other rail lines. A few years ago, Thurston County acquired the remainder of the line from about the middle of town to the Sound -- this is what we rode. Again, it was a lovely day: not too hot or cold and just peaceful. The girls did really well on the 7-ish mile ride -- they only stopped because one of my pegs broke (odd, but whatever...).
Of course, when we got back we tended to the garden... Hoping something starts popping up soon!!! With the weather we've been having, it won't be long now.
52-Week Challenge - Week 22
How did going organic, or closer to the source, go for you? I went ahead and took a pic of our basket we got on Saturday from Bountiful Baskets.
Here's what I got for my $15 contribution: a bunch of bananas, 9 peaches, 2 pints of blackberries (I traded my 6 tomatoes for another pint), a cantaloupe, 4 navel oranges, 18 apples, 5 carrots, a head of romaine, 2 yellow bell peppers, and 8 ears of corn. The furthest anything had to travel was from central Mexico (bananas) - everything else is from California or closer.
I also wanted to share these with you:
These are my strawberries and my garden plot in the backyard. We have carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, watermelon, and green beans planted in the raised beds. I also have green onions, pumpkins, and chamomile planted elsewhere in the yard. Hopefully soon, we'll have a garden bounty!
Again, it's just something to think about... Buying local is a great way to support the economy in your neighborhood, reduce your carbon footprint, and best of all eat fresh. So, what can you do to get closer to your fruit and vegetable source?
Building on that theme brings us to this week's challenge: Downshift Your Dairy. The idea this week is to consume lower fat dairy, as you will reduce the amount of saturated fat you consume if you switch. According to the Dairy Council of California, whole milk contains 146 calories per cup and 7.9 grams of fat. Two percent milk is a reduced-fat product containing 122 calories and 4.8 grams of fat per cup. Skim milk is also known as nonfat milk and provides 86 calories and less than 1 gram of fat in each one cup serving. The same research can be done on cheese and yogurt.
We already consume lower fat milk products in our home. I drink 1% milk, the girls and Ronnie drink 2%, with the occasional splurge on raw milk for Ronnie. We eat non-fat or 2% yogurt and reduced fat cheese. Here's my twist on this week: how wholesome is your dairy? Are you consuming cheese or processed-cheese products? What is in that yogurt you're eating? How local is your milk?
Again, tune in next week for what the Oliver clan does.... and I have an interesting anecdote to share with all y'all about cheese products.
Other Resources:
Read more about milk: http://www.livestrong.com/article/552990-what-are-the-advantages-of-milk-the-differences-in-whole-milk-vs-skim-milk-vs-2-percent-milk/#ixzz1wNHSnxIl
The book we're following: http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1
Jenn's blog: http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes
Here's what I got for my $15 contribution: a bunch of bananas, 9 peaches, 2 pints of blackberries (I traded my 6 tomatoes for another pint), a cantaloupe, 4 navel oranges, 18 apples, 5 carrots, a head of romaine, 2 yellow bell peppers, and 8 ears of corn. The furthest anything had to travel was from central Mexico (bananas) - everything else is from California or closer.
I also wanted to share these with you:
These are my strawberries and my garden plot in the backyard. We have carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, watermelon, and green beans planted in the raised beds. I also have green onions, pumpkins, and chamomile planted elsewhere in the yard. Hopefully soon, we'll have a garden bounty!
Again, it's just something to think about... Buying local is a great way to support the economy in your neighborhood, reduce your carbon footprint, and best of all eat fresh. So, what can you do to get closer to your fruit and vegetable source?
Building on that theme brings us to this week's challenge: Downshift Your Dairy. The idea this week is to consume lower fat dairy, as you will reduce the amount of saturated fat you consume if you switch. According to the Dairy Council of California, whole milk contains 146 calories per cup and 7.9 grams of fat. Two percent milk is a reduced-fat product containing 122 calories and 4.8 grams of fat per cup. Skim milk is also known as nonfat milk and provides 86 calories and less than 1 gram of fat in each one cup serving. The same research can be done on cheese and yogurt.
We already consume lower fat milk products in our home. I drink 1% milk, the girls and Ronnie drink 2%, with the occasional splurge on raw milk for Ronnie. We eat non-fat or 2% yogurt and reduced fat cheese. Here's my twist on this week: how wholesome is your dairy? Are you consuming cheese or processed-cheese products? What is in that yogurt you're eating? How local is your milk?
Again, tune in next week for what the Oliver clan does.... and I have an interesting anecdote to share with all y'all about cheese products.
Other Resources:
Read more about milk: http://www.livestrong.com/article/552990-what-are-the-advantages-of-milk-the-differences-in-whole-milk-vs-skim-milk-vs-2-percent-milk/#ixzz1wNHSnxIl
The book we're following: http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1
Jenn's blog: http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes
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