Teens these days are very diet conscious. However, many have adopted destructive habits such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking or using laxatives (see How Yoga Helps Teens Battle Eating Disorders). Parents and teachers need to make sure they are teaching their teens how to have a positive relationship with food and body image. Here are 20 dirty diet tricks that will help teens maintain, or achieve, good health in a positive way. 

1. don’t eat while standing – you don’t wear off more calories by standing (common myth) and your brain doesn’t register the food you are ingesting (mindless snacking a big no-no); sit down and enjoy a meal/snack instead of nibbling
2. don’t eat more than a palm’s worth of anything – portion control is important and your hand is always available to measure by
3. munch while you grocery shop – if you forgot to eat before shopping, snag a bag of baby carrots & munch while filling the basket – ring up the empty bag
4. do traffic light isometrics - while waiting at a red light tone buttocks & abs by clenching until light turns green, you’ll learn quickly which red lights in town are the longest
5. enjoy gorgeous nails – give yourself a manicure when food cravings hit – hands are pretty and out of trouble
6. go monochrome - use colour to your advantage by dressing from top to bottom in one unbroken vertical line=instantly taller and thinner, this really works well with sophistocated dark colours (navy, gray, black, chocolate)
7. don’t eat and…(read, watch TV, work, study) – being mindful about what you put in your mouth makes it more satisfying, tune into what you put in your mouth and enjoy every morsel to its fullest
8. sign up for a fund-raising walk-a-thon or bike-a-thon – enlist sponsors and get moving, you’ll be motivated, be helping others and have a deadline which is good for body & soul
9. make a date – set a standing time to workout with a friend, you can chat, gossip, people watch, and get fit at the same time (see Diet vs Exercise – How to Win the Fight Against Childhood Obesity)
10. want chocolate – eat a sour pickle –  the aftertaste will erase your craving for sweets
11. slow down – put your knife and fork down between bites to slow yourself down & give your brain time to signal “I’m full” which usually takes 20 minutes (see Don’t Rush Your Kids Mindful Eating Key to Maintaining Healthy Weight)
12. live the 80/20 rule – eating healthily 80% of the time allows for small indulgences the remaining 20%, also don’t beat yourself up when you do indulge (we all do) just count it as your 20 percent and return to eating healthy
13. keep it small- never order anything involving the words “deluxe,” “supersize” or “jumbo” – order small sizes of everything especially at a fast food outlets and the coffee shop
14. start a healthy cooking club – exchange recipes & ideas with like minded friends and celebrate success together, you’ll be developing skills and habits you’ll use throughout your life and will have a great cache of healthy eating recipes for when you move out
15. love soup – enjoy a steaming bowl of broth based soup before your meal – it’ll fill you up and quench your hunger
16. employ mind games – cut your sandwich into quarters or use a salad plate instead of a dinner plate to fool yourself into thinking you are eating more - mind games work, use them
17. always buy thin crust pizza – deep dish is trouble and will go straight to your thighs – ugh!
18. drink water – you’ll stay hydrated and feel fuller as well as avoid the unneeded sugar in sodas or the caffiene in coffee & colas
19. smuggle healthy snacks into the movie theatre – you’ve got a big bag, use it for good
20. always bring a guilt free option to get togethers- a fruit or veggie platter are always hits, or if you want to indulge, raid your stash of healthy recipes from #14 and whip up a divine low fat, low sugar option of your fav dessert

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Here in Alberta, Canada we notice the solstices. Today the sun will rise at 8:48 am and set at 4:16 pm local time. Yes, you read those times correctly. Not quite 71/2 hours of daylight. It’ll be dark as you go to work/school and dark as you come home. For someone who loves the sun and thrives in the long days of summer, this is a challenging time of year. I am always thrilled when the Winter Solstice arrives because it means that we will now gain daylight minutes with each new dawn.

With the darkness of the early hours around me I have enjoyed two wonderful posts about how to take care of yourself during these long, cold, dark days of winter. Both of which come from the always engaging elephant journal.

Winter Solstice = Kidney Kindness by Cora Wen

Provides Chinese medical insight into the solstice and how to nourish your kidneys living in harmony with the seasons and your body’s natural rhythms

Winter Solstice Yoga by Nancy Adler

Yin yoga explained with some wonderful pose suggestions to help you stay on your mat during the winter, using it as a time for rest and renewal

Until the sun begins to shine in at least equal amounts each day I will continue to ingest copious amounts of vitamin D supplements, try to appreciate the natural ebb and flow of energy levels, take care of my body with respect and compassion, and follow the advice of these sage women.

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Eating disorders are more prevalent than Alzheimer’s disease. “In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Millions more are struggling with binge eating disorder (Crowther et al., 1992; Fairburn et al., 1993; Gordon, 1990; Hoek, 1995; Shisslak et al., 1995).” This is especially prevalent in the teenage population where, “Over one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives (Neumark-Sztainer, 2005).”

With those kind of statistics it was good news last week when Time magazine brought to our attention, with this article, scientific proof from the Journal of Adolescent Health that yoga helps those struggling with eating disorders. (Shout out to YogaDork and Yoga Buzz for highlighting this.)

Yoga has proven to be highly therapeutic and relatively non-threatening when working with those struggling with eating disorders. It provides a gentle awakening of the mind with a soft embrace of the body as it helps to re-establish the connection between the mind and body which can become highly disengaged for individuals with eating disorders. Yoga’s focus on fostering self love and helping to eliminate negative emotions while developing body awareness and acceptance make it an ideal therapy.

Physically yoga helps as it is a non-aerobic form of exercise. In other words it gets the blood flowing, releases positive chemicals into the brain which help overcome anxiety and depression, is weight bearing (a necessity for anorexics who may be at risk for osteoporosis), and doesn’t lead to weight loss but helps build and tone the body. In addition, it is a skill which can be kept up throughout life promoting health and vitality for years to come.

One further benefit of yoga class for teens struggling with eating disorders is that it is a forum for discussion. Topics such as personal boundaries, comfort zones, levels of trust, body image and others can find voice in a safe and nurturing environment.

For more information on how you can help those struggling with eating disorders visit the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)  and download a copy of their Educator Tool Kit.

You may also appreciate the article Moving Again, a personal account of how yoga aided Margaret E. Juliano’s in her fight to good health.

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Timesonline reports that new research stresses that exercise does NOT result in weight loss.

“Professor Boyd Swinburn, director of the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Obesity Prevention, says: “This is provocative in many ways . . . but my concern is that if we put the emphasis on exercise we are unlikely to tackle the obesity problem as we are not driving at the root cause.””

This is shocking as it attacks the entire culture that exercise is key to losing weight which has been accepted as fact since the 1980s aerobics boom. So why doesn’t exercise work? Two factors are key:

1. We overestimate calories burned typically doubling the figure
2. We eat more to reward ourselves for exercising

OK, guilty as charged.  I’ve been known to enjoy an extra slice of cheese cake if I went to spin class. And I know that when my kids get home from their evening sports activities their first stop is the fridge. In fact, in “a review of 18 studies of new school exercise programmes, published in March in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, found that in none of them did increasing PE reduce the children’s weight.” So where does that leave the Daily Physical Activity requirement? (see the post Yoga and the DPA Requirement)

We are now forced to consider the other side of the “eat less, move more” equation. Yes, the four letter word, “diet.” A simple mathematical equation of “calories in = calories out” and you won’t gain weight. Put emphasis on either side and you have either weight gain or weight loss depending on how you mess with the balance. True, it sucks, as you actually have to watch what you eat, make healthy choices, and be aware of your consumption habits.

Its always been easier to simply enrol Junior in a sporting activity and allow free reign at the table. Therein lies our problem. Constant snacking, high fat/high sugar foods, easy access to fast food, excessive consumption of soda and juice, highly refined products, convenience over nutrition. All these are contributing to an epidemic which is killing our children.

In order to truly combat the childhood obesity we need to follow the Surgeon General’s three pronged attack to:

• Help kids stay active
• Encourage healthy eating habits
• Promote healthy choices

For ideas on how to implement these goals check out the suggestions for Schools & Teachers and Parents & Caregivers.

Its not a case of diet vs exercise but more a lifestyle shift which includes both diet AND exercise. Yes, this means hard work, consistency, and actually eating 5-10 serving of fruit & veg a day. For a multitude of suggestions on how to accomplish this visit Diet-Blog. When we finally figure this out we’ll be well on our way to healthier living for ourselves and our children.

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The Law of the Harvest

This week was our first killing frost. In this part of the world the first frost is as inevitable as the sun set. However, exactly which morning will bring said frost is always an unknown. So gardeners in the area become expert gamblers, trying to coax one more day on the vine out of their tomatoes before harvesting their crop. Often leaving root vegetables to be dug after their tops lay wilted and dying.

I must admit, however, this year September was very kind with temperatures into the 20s & 30s (Celsius) until the last week. These extra days of heat helped ripen and sweeten the fresh produce until it was bursting with flavour. I swear my cherry tomatoes taste like candy and I’ve never had such huge beets or onions.

Each year in the spring my children help plant the garden. They each get their own plot where they can choose what to plant. Often it is a salsa garden with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and herbs as we love fresh salsa. Other top choices include spinach (a quick gratification seed), carrots (fresh from the garden taste so good), broccoli (always fun to harvest with a knife) and marigolds (so happy). We dig around in the earth, get dirty, find worms, as they make a row and carefully (or not so carefully) sprinkle the seeds, cover, and water. The kids are very diligent about keeping them watered and daily ask if they get to fill a bucket from the rain barrel to water their precious plot of dirt, at least for the first week. Then like all children, they become distracted, and move on to more pressing activities (ballgames, bike riding, play dates).

Their efforts, even though unseen to their young eyes, have begun to germinate and send out roots. Through a little diligence, some gentle reminders, watering, weeding & waiting soon those first green shoots of spring will burst through to the sun. That is my favourite time of year. Everything is fresh and new, full of potential waiting to be taped.

Then the hot lazy days of summer roll around: a time for growth, development, reaching deep into the earth, striving for the heat of the life giving sun. Now we get to care for our charges. Watering on hot days, pulling weeds when they threaten to take over, itching to pull a carrot top before it is ready. This is the waiting period. The plants are left to do what they do best, grow into their potential.

And now it is harvest. A beautiful time of year with its vibrant colours and invigorating temperatures, but one which always leaves me a little sad. The glory days are behind us and the cold, long winter ahead. April seems so far away, yes half a year of snow and cold. Why do I live here? (a topic for another day) The garden needs to be harvested, the bounty of the growing months eaten, enjoyed, put away into jars and freezer bags to be enjoyed later.

Life Lessons

I love teaching my children to garden because there are so many life lessons in this annual exercise. We are truly like the seeds we plant. With a little care and attention, some regular weeding and watering, we may also be able to reach our full potential and be truly useful, productive, flavourful, and beautiful. Also the lesson of planning a project, actually starting it, following through, and reaching a close over a period of months is indispensable in our day of instant gratification. Then, of course, come the lessons in hard work, diligence & patience. As well, the importance of taking care of the earth, connecting with its life giving force, and a responsibility to tend living things is reinforced in a very real manner. Finally, there is the payoff as we make salads, salsa, soups, chocolate chip zucchini bread, and all manner of delicious things out of what we have grown ourselves.

It’s sad to see the growing season come to a close. Now we get to dig out the scarves and mittens, put away shorts and summer dresses. I think I need to find a satisfying indoor project to get me through the coming winter. Scrap-booking? Organizing my disaster zones? Painting? A new yoga practice? Something to stimulate my mind and spirit while I hibernate. Let me see… What potential lies in these dormant months?

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It’s back to school time and we’re running around like crazy making sure everyone has supplies, shoes, clothes, etc for that first fateful day. My five yr old is so excited about her first day of Kindergarten I’m surprised she can sleep. She keeps walking around with her backpack on telling me she’s ready for school.

Searching for Healthy Food Choices

So last night as I walked the grocery store isles, list in hand, I realised I need to stock up on all those handy school lunch items. With four children in school, I go through an enormous number of pre-packaged food even with doing home baking and always having fresh fruit on hand. So I began to search for healthy choices that I’d feel good about them taking, and that would supply the nutrition their growing bodies and eager minds would need to get through the day. Since my kids are responsible for their own lunches I feel compeled to offer as many healthy, high quality choices as possible and try to limit treats.

As I walked, the suggestions of registered nutrional counselor, Linda Miner, for providing healthy choices that kids can put together themselves came to mind. I especially like her 80/20 rule: healthy choices make up 80% of a lunch, treats 20%. As well, this video, with dietician Elizabeth Somer, offers great tips for getting your kids to eat healthy snacks and create a positive relationship with food.

Yoga’s Nutritional Guidelines

These guidelines are very similar to yoga’s principles of nutrition which is to eat small quantities of high quality foods. What exactly is a high quality food? Basically those items which promote the body’s life force without producing toxins. Within the yoga community there are many diet suggestions, some of them contradictory. The one quote which helps clarify for me what type of diet one should follow came from a Yoga Journal article “Eat to Support Your Yoga” by Mary Taylor and Lynn Ginsburg. In it John Schumacher, director of Unity Woods Yoga in Bethesda, Maryland, is quoted as saying:

“As you continue to practice yoga, an intuitive sense of what is right for your own body will emerge. Just as you’d modify a favorite recipe to fit your own tastes as you prepare it repeatedly, so you can adapt a food system to support your practice.”

Helping Children Make Healthy Food Choices

Of course our children need to be exposed to a wide variety of high quality foods in order to know what is right for their bodies. So here are my personal suggestions for getting your kids to make healthy food choices.

• Keep the fridge and cupboards stocked with healthy choices
• Don’t buy junk – you can’t eat it if it’s not avaiable
• Avoid vending machines
• Model good choices and healthy eating behaviors
• Learn all you can about good nutrition
• Drink water, eat fruit
• Keep experimenting and offering high quality foods – you never know when they’ll decide to like it
• and Don’t give in when your kids are whining for something sweet, sticky, salty, fatty and full of perservatives

This summer we reviewed what constitutes a healthy snack with the kids – something from at least two food groups from Canada’s Food Guide (Fruits & Veggies, Grains, Milk & Alternatives, Meat & Alternatives). The kids always have to have a healthy snack before a treat (candy, ice cream, slurpies, etc) and are free to help themselves anytime to the fruit crisper in the fridge. I’m hoping these lessons and habits will continue into school lunches. I’ll just keep scouring those grocery store isles looking for healthy school lunch items and encouraging my children to eat high quality food 80% of the time.

What do you do to help your children make and eat healthy school lunches?

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