Dawn's Happy Habitat

Time Machine

2009-09-07T15:01:00.000-05:00

Do you ever wish you had a time machine? You could just have a peek at what you will look like in 10, 20 years? Well you do. Kinda. Your parents! You have their DNA. Have you heard the phrase "It runs in the family"? For example if one of your parents has Type 2 diabetes you can voluntarily start cutting sugar out of your diet and regularly exercise or wait until your obese and giving yourself insulin shots. More importantly if you have children think about what good habits you can instill in them. Make lifestyle choices that will have a positive effect for your grand kids. So take a look at your family tree and see what you can head off for yourself. If you're adopted you can still make a guess based on your body shape. Where you carry your fat: upper body (apple shape) will tell if your at risk for heart disease.

Healthy Home

2009-07-09T11:58:00.004-05:00

What does eating healthy have to do with a Happy Habitat? When you are taking care of yourself you are better able to serve those that you love. You have a better attitude when you are taking time to put good things in your body. You will have more energy to get things done. Hopefully when you start taking charge of your health by removing CRAP out of your diet you will move it out of your life.

One thing that helped me with the food/mind connection is alcohol. You take a food (wheat) process it. (beer) put it in your body and it alters you mentally. It effects your attention, reactions, physical reactions. It's the same thing with the absence of food. If you skip a meal your blood sugar drops and it effects your attention span, energy level, mood. My point is you can't seperate what you eat and how you feel.

Remember this acronym - CRAP

2009-07-09T11:50:00.002-05:00

C ommercially

R efined

A nd

P rocessed

Commercialized food, bright colors, pretty packaging, minimal nutritional value.

Refined sugars, flour, most nutritional value removed

Processed chemicals, additives, preservtives.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

2009-07-09T11:20:00.003-05:00

The makers of High Fructose Corn Syrup have recently produced a series of commercials defending their "natural" product. This widely used sweetener is being linked with obesity and is used by manufacturers simply because it's cheap.

Here is a little information they didn't give in their commercial. Let's say you made some iced tea at home with table sugar. What happens next is your body will convert the sugar to glucose, which will cause the pancreas to release insulin. The insulin enables the sugar in the blood to be taken to cells where it is used for energy. This is accompanied by an increase in the production of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate appetite and fat storage. Another reaction to glucose(table sugar) is the reduction of ghrelin a hormone that signals hunger.

Now if you would have had a drink made with HFCS none of these actions would have taken place. Instead fructose is removed and metabolized by the liver and does not cause the release of insulin. The fructose converts to fat. The body doesn't release the hormones leptin and glucose to signal your body that you are full. In the book "Master Your Metabolism" Jillian Michaels wrote about a study done at the University of Pennsylvania that found that women who ate fructose instead of glucose had higher ghrelin levels for up to 24 hours. So you will continue to eat more calories 24 hours later than if you had just table sugar.

Moderation is key. Too much sugar is not good period. My nutritionist suggests a max of 2 tablespoons a day added to your drinks. One thing that I have noticed is that when I cleaned up my diet my craving for sugar has decreased.

Dessert - My Brownie Berry Truffle

2009-07-05T19:39:00.004-05:00

My Brownie Berry Truffle

Strawberries

blueberries

brownies

whip cream

BROWNIES

1 stick of butter

1 cup flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

8 oz semisweet chocolate chopped

1 1/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs

preheat oven to 350 degrees

melt butter and chocolate in the microwave safe bowl. Stirring every 30 sec until melted. Add sugar mix, egg mix, flour and cocoa powder, salt.
Pour in 9" square baking pan bake 50 to 60 min.

While brownies are baking, slice 1 quart of strawberries and rinse 1 quart blueberries ,

Mix whipping cream , 2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp vanilla with hand mixer 2-3 minutes. Put in refrigerator until ready to layer.

To make truffle:

Layer

1/2 cooled brownies

1/2 strawberries

1/2 blueberries

1/2 whip cream

repeat layers

Serve or refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Recipe - Dawn's Mexican potato salad

2009-07-05T19:14:00.006-05:00

Dawn's Mexican potato salad

2 lb red potatoes

1/2 bag frozen corn

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 cup sour cream

1 Tb lime juice

1 Tb taco seasoning

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1 cup shredded cheese

Boil potatoes until soft. Place a colander in the sink and put frozen corn in it. Drain potatoes on top of the corn. Put drained potatoes and corn in large bowl. Cut potatoes with knife to small pieces. Let cool.

In another bowl mix mayo, sour cream, lime juice, taco seasoning. Add to potatoes. Toss in cilantro and cheese and you are ready to serve it up.

Fantastic fix for tired ole' potato salad!

Healthy Food Info - Red Dye #3 - Thyroid Problems and Mood Swings

2009-07-03T15:20:00.004-05:00

This information came from http://www.feingold.org/.

"The case against Red 3 (Erythrosine) is based upon findings that it causes thyroid tumors in animals. Beatrice Trum Hunter, a member of the FAUS Advisory Committee, notes the dye is made of an iodine-containing compound. When it is ingested, the iodine is released in a free state. This means it can affect the thyroid system, which in turn can influence mood swings.

Another problem with Red 3 is its high "lipid solubility," or its ability to dissolve in fatty tissue. Erythrosine is fairly easily dissolved in the fatty tissues of the body, including fatty tissues of the brain. This may account for the rapid, severe reactions so many people have to the dye."

Researchers at Brandeis University observed photodynamic action. They found Red 3, in combination with light, interfered with the way nerve cells release neurotransmitters.

What do the manufactureres do with the 300,000 pounds of Red 3 they make annually? The versatile chemical has other handy uses....Erythrosine B is registered by the Environmental Protection Agency as a pesticide. Red 3 is not just a dye added to the compound. IT IS the pesticide!

Healthy Food Info - "Foot Dragging Administration"? or FDA

2009-07-03T14:27:00.005-05:00

As you read in one of my previous posts, many of the artificial dyes used in our foods today were supposed to be investigated by the FDA for safety. This process failed as you will see in the following info quoted from the Feingold Association at http://www.feingold.org/.

"Year after year, the FDA granted additional temporary extensions to the provisionally listed dyes, and by 1985 members of Congress were exasperated. The Committee on Governmental Operations issued a report highly critical of the FDA and its parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services. The report cites unethical governmental practices and excessive influences of the industry lobbies, particularly the Cosmetic, Toiletries and Fragrances Association and the Certified Color Manufacturers Association.

In January of 1985 the Public Citizen Health Research Group filed suit against FDA for their failure to ban ten dyes, including Red 3, which had been shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals. The Delaney Clause of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act states that any food additive known to cause cancer in humans and animals may not be deliberately added to foods. In October of 1987 Public Citizen won their case in the U.S. Court of Appeals. The judge's decision affirmed that FDA was in violation of the law by permitting the continued use of Red 3.

Many years later, bright red maraschino cherries and countless other food products still contain the illegal dye.

Healthy Food Info - Food Allergies VS Food Sensitivities And What May Be Causing Them

2009-07-03T13:41:00.006-05:00

A valuable resource I have tapped into regarding healthy eating is the Feingold Association started by Dr. Benjamin Feingold. This organization is dedicated to the investigation between what we eat and how we feel after we eat it. The Feingold Association makes it possible to go to a centralized location where we can seek information, treatment, and support.

On of the key things I learned researching this site is there is a significant difference between an actual "food allergy" and having sensitivities to certain foods. This is especially important when working with an autistic child. An allergy is pretty obvious and most times requires some type of medical treatment. Food sensitivities, on the other hand, are less obvious and generally not acknowledged or taken seriously by medical professionals.

Food is fuel for the body after all and if we are not ingesting the right foods or foods we are sensitive to then we are in effect putting diesel fuel into a gasoline engine (sorry my green friends....we are putting gasoline into our ethanol tanks!!! Ha! Ha!).

One of the worst culprits in this covert attack on our bodies is synthetic dyes (food colorings).

Synthetic dyes date back to 1856 when the color "mauve" was 1st invented from coaltar oil. The new color hues quickly replaced fruit, vegetable, and mineral colorings that had previously been used.

In 1960, Congress directed the FDA to prove the these food dyes were safe. The agency was given 2 1/2 years to complete the task. Meanwhile, the dyes then in use were given a "provisional" status permitting their continued use while the testing was being conducted. After the initial time period was up and the testing was still not complete, it was determined that the provisional status would be extended pending test results. Amazingly, this provisional status has been extended several times over several decades with no results from the tests ever being completed.

And we wonder why we need to be careful about what we ingest today? I hope this post was helpful and informative and will cause you to research further into what you are purchasing for you and your family to eat.

For more detailed information on this issue, read my next post on the Feingold Association findings on Red Dye #3. For more info, please check out http://www.feingold.org/ for a treasure of healthy information.

Healthy Food Info - A Valuable Insight On Table Salt In Your Diet And It's Impact On Healthy Eating

2009-06-25T15:35:00.011-05:00

Salt is an important consideration when meal planning for your family. What you know about salt and your use of it is a big part of healthy diet and eating habits for your family and you need to take this into consideration when following recipes.

Did you know that the run of the mill salt that you purchase in the store is processed and refined? Did you also know that there are more natural salts available that are healthier for you?

One easy change to make in your spice cabinet is the type of salt you use when preparing meals or spicing up your dishes. I read about this in Dr. Bob's Drugless Guide to Balancing Female Hormones. The fact is that refined salt is missing all of the minerals that you find in natural salts. Refined salt is pure Sodium Chloride refined from mineral rock salt. Sea Salt is a much better option. Sea Salts are made through evaporation of sea water which leaves behind all of the nutritious minerals that we "landlocked" people in the midwest are sorely lacking. There are many great ways to get natural Sea Salts and many great brands to choose from. I have just ordered some Celtic Sea Salt (http://www.celticseasalt.com/) and am looking forward to getting it in the mail!

One word of caution though. Refined salt does in many instances contain Iodine which is critical to the human body for multiple functions. Many natural Sea Salts either have low quantities of this or no quantity. So you need to make sure if you make the switch to natural Sea Salts that you properly supplement your diet with adequate levels of Iodine. You can do this by adjusting your meal plans to include more seafood (shellfish or fish...sushi if your family goes for that kind of stuff since it has a lot of seaweed which is high in Iodine content) Remember, Iodine is needed for proper Thyroid function. 70-80% of the Iodine content in your body is found in the Thyroid gland. So especially if you are having Thyroid issues you will want to make sure you are getting enough which is easy enough to do. The main source is the sea.

Some good sources I used in my investigation on adjusting my family's salt intake included Wikipedia, http://www.druglessdr.com/, and http://www.celticseasalt.com/.

While you are here, also check out some of our sponsored cookbooks found in the sponsor section. This cookbooks include many healthy recipes that address this issue. There is also a link to Dr Bob's website if you want to know more about salt.

There's Safety In Numbers When It Comes To Healthy Eating!

2009-06-25T14:57:00.001-05:00

Welcome to my blog ! This blog is about developing healthy eating habits and lifestyle for our families. I have been on a 3 year journey myself to incorporate healthy eating habits and lifestyles for my family. I will be providing a lot of helpful tips, recipes, cooking methods, and products that will help you like they helped me.

This journey began during a ton of research I did to help one of my children who is autustic. I had also developed a slight thyroid problem also, so I figured it was time to start eating and living healthier and making sure the entire family did as well. I'm not talking about a diet but making healthy eating changes for the whole family. I could not have made this journey without the encouragement of others so I decided to start my own blog so I can also do some encouraging!

My first change was how I did my grocery shopping, educating (preparing) my kids for healthy eating changes, and trying to find what was going to work for us. It isn't as easy to get your 14 year old get excited that their favorite junk food isn't coming in the house any more and that it isn't punishment. Because it's good for you doesn't cut it.

Since I'm from Missouri I always want to know why (Show-ME-State) . Feingold was my first step in this direction. They have tons of information on what you shouldn't be eating. Dr Bob's book was a great help into a healthy eating lifestyle. I hope this blog will encourage you to start making changes with healthy food that doesn't seem like punishment.

Make sure you bookmark this page or subscribe to my e-mail notifications so you can get the latest tips and tricks on healthy eating!