14 week update

We are continuing on our journey. We have survived 2 holidays. We are still working out.

Steve has lost 9.5 inches and 12 pounds

Karen has lost 9 inches and 11 pounds

Christmas 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS!  It’s been a very busy year at the Cummins residence!

We have a new family member! Nick our oldest, married Angie Bahls June 11^th. Nick and Angie live in Rock Island , IL not far from the Augustana College campus where both attend. Nick is majoring in pre-dental. He recently attended an event on campus and learned to suture pigs’ feet.  This cemented his interest in a medical profession. Angie is studying speech pathology. She plays bells as one of her side interests and both sing in a gospel choir on campus.

March was also an exciting month. Cariyana was suddenly hospitalized. She and Mom spent 5 days at the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital. Part of which was a stint in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit after a respiratory illness that forced us to discuss Cariyana’s resuscitation status. It was not a position any parent typically imagines themselves in. Fortunately, she weathered the storm.  To combat the newly discovered medical diagnosis we continue to insert an airway each night before she goes to bed. She can almost put it in herself, now! We will be exploring a more permanent (but complex) surgical solution to enlarge her airway with the specialists at the University of Iowa this spring.

Shortly after her discharge, we spent Spring Break in Texas visiting Charley’s birth family. On the way, we stopped at the Oklahoma City Memorial. What a tranquil gorgeous tribute.  After the visit we had a much clearer understanding of the magnitude and devastation of the violence that occurred to so many at this site. A must see.

The next night we spent at Fossil Rim a wildlife resort. We were lucky to be there in the off season and had the entire lodge to ourselves which allowed a little more freedom for the kids. The greatest part was the guided tour we took of Fossil Rim itself. Up close giraffes, zebras, ostrich, emu, and all kinds of other animals typically found in the wild from all over the world. It was so awesome!  After the guided tour we drove through the park ourselves and fed Kathy the giraffe right from our van (her head fit right through the sunroof). We still have zebra teeth marks on our van to remember the day! It was a visit the kids will never forget.

Then, we spent 3 days on a horse ranch in a fully furnished cabin enjoying the company of Charley’s birth family. We visited Aunt Amy and Uncle Brian and their 3 children—Lindsey, Hayden, and Kayla. We ate some great barbeque, played games, sang, and took walks on the property. Charley met his grandparents for the first time that he can remember. He is named after Charles Houston Massey his grandfather. The only thing we missed was a visit from a nearby cousin of Karen’s. Sometimes timing does not work!

The summer flew by after the wedding. Although we spent as many weekends camping at the Lake as possible we did not spend as much time as we would have liked.  We enjoyed some great laughs, roaring fires, and Sunday morning Bloody Marys on the deck with our lakefront neighbor the Durhams.

The end of July brought a visit to the New Jersey Shore. We caravanned this year taking both of our Honda Odyssey’s to allow Nick and Angie to tag along. It worked out quite well actually. Boys in one van. Girls in the other. We had a great time at the beach for a week in Sea Isle. I wish I could have included more photos of parasailing and fishing in the bay. A great time was had by all.

Fall has brought the start of school. Alexis (11) and Charley (12) are in junior high in Walcott as 6^th graders. They seem to have transitioned very well. Both tried out for Jazz Band (flute and alto sax). Add that to band (flute and Tenor sax), orchestra (violin and cello), piano, weekly swimming lessons, and scouting for both of them and they are very busy kids. Plus Alexis has fit in Lego League and ballet!

Xavier (nearly 9) is following in big brother Nick’s footsteps and has joined Rivermont Collegiate for third grade and beyond. He loves it at Rivermont and has several new buddies including a favorite named Michael. Xavier plays piano, takes weekly swimming lessons, and is in scouting. In May, Xavier celebrated his First Communion. He is so happy he can now partake in Communion.

Joe (6) and Cariyana (soon to be 7) both started Kindergarten this fall at Buffalo Elementary. The change from Blue Grass to Buffalo had to happen to allow for better accommodations for Cariyana and her lifelong height challenges. A newer school just makes more sense. Soon with the addition of a simple wearable push button device she will be able to open the front door of the school all by herself (instead of swinging her lunch bag at the not quite reachable handicap button)!  We have my friend Jon at St. Ambrose Adaptive Design lab to thank for that idea! Joe and Cariyana are in the same classroom and are getting along famously and doing very well academically. The hope is Cariyana will escape her IEP this spring. It’s been a long haul!

We can’t believe how big all the kids are getting!!  The only thing that remains the same (well almost) is Karen’s position as Assistant Professor at Trinity College and Steve’s at John Deere Cylinder. It seems every career is fraught with the need to do more with less these days. We are working as hard as ever. Karen had 51 students in her course this fall. And if you ever want to chat with Steve, call first. One never knows what hours he will be working or how long it will be on a given day.  Jerry and Joann Ray are our daily blessing. They are at the house most afternoons holding down the fort until we get home. We could not live this life without them!

Fall also brought another change for the Cummins. We applied to enter a contest and represent the West YMCA and West Locust Hyvee in the Healthy Family Makeover Challenge. We competed against other local families. It was an 8-week challenge consisting of working out with the help of a weekly Wellness Coach and bi-weekly consultations with our Hyvee dietitian. It’s been a great experience!  For the 8 weeks of the challenge we (Steve and I) worked out at the YMCA consistently 6 days per week. The kids worked out 3-4 days per week by attending a Kids Fit Class on Mondays and Wednesdays or participating in open gym, zumba or playing racquetball. As part of our goals of the challenge we had to record in a food diary everything all seven of us ate for 8 weeks! That was tough but boy did we learn a lot!  Read our blog (web address below) for more detail on diet changes and work out progress! We are continuing in our journey and are proud to report continued lost pounds and inches! We won the Challenge and have been featured on Paula Sands Live, the Dispatch, and look for front page coverage 12/23 or Christmas Eve in the QC Times.

Our Healthy Family Challenge Blog----http://cumminshealthyfamilychallenge.blogspot.com/

It’s a busy life! Until next year…blessings to you and yours! Remember the reason for the season. Merry Christmas!

The Cummins Family—Steve, Karen, Alexis, Charley, Xavier, Joe, and Cariyana

Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Happy Holidays!

Snapshots Of Family Holiday

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It's All About the Plan!

The 8 weeks of the challenge are over. Despite winning, the motivation to continue at the current pace is waning. Its hard work to eat healthy and exercise frequently! We have determined the culprit.  Lack of planning!

Exercise is the hardest to plan for us. A busy life means near constant juggling, prioritizing, and often re-prioritization.  Ordinary life events constantly get in the way!

Communication is also key. One needs to have support of the other spouse to make food and exercise happen!

• Our recommendation is to communicate daily. Plan the exercise time. Plan meals. You might need to plan who is picking up what at the grocery store! We do.
• Utilizing the free Kid Fit class (and Child Watch) as guaranteed exercise time. That equates to two days a week planned exercise for the entire family from now until April!
• We plan meals on the weekend for the work week. Steve and I together. It only takes a few minutes. It equates to buy-in and a little bit of research in the freezer (Steve's job).  I make the grocery list and plan what needs done to make that meal happen. I use the crock pot often. I also have an electric pressure cooker that makes meals a snap!
• Back to grocery shopping, definitely we are shopping more often. You have to have the fresh fruits and veggies on hand to be compliant with eating healthy. My recommendation is to shop the ads. Local stores offer 2-day sales to entice us to come in. Sometimes the buys are a really good deal! You could even plan meals around what is on sale. One must stick to the list though to avoid impulse buying. And the old adage that the outside aisles of the store is where the healthy foods are is mostly true. I have to admit the sale ads are mostly full of unhealthy foods.
• Another item to plan for is hunger. Kids get hungry, often! We now keep a snack bag in the van. We fill it with Dr. Krackers, dried fruit, and dry cereal (like puffed wheat or shredded wheat), and when I think of replenishing it baby carrots or a small apple or two. This is especially handy for after swim lessons or after an evening work out when the kids will have to wait for the meal to be prepared before they can eat. Before the challenge I am pretty sure Mc Donalds or Checkers might have been an added stop when the errands ran long or we were gone over mealtime. The additional reason to have this access to a snack is for timely replacement of glycogen after a good work out! If I don't eat something relatively soon sometimes I feel not so good. And that has potential to ruin my day.
• Planning THAT is the key!

Thankful

...For an opportunity for better health.

...For personal service via our Hyvee dietitian. We learned so much! Our family will live better for it!

...For individualized wellness coaching. We could not have done this without you and your knowledge, expertise, and encouragement!

...For the opportunity to share our experience and success with others.

After Photos

Our AFTER refridgerator photo. Note how full the crispers are with fresh produce! We also changed from 2% milk to 1%, changed from regular mayo to mayo with olive oil (better fat), added yogurt as an additional dairy source (buy yogurt when its on sale, these for the kids were 29 cents each last week), orange juice instead of apple juice (even though juice is essentially empty calories--orange has a higher NuVal score) and the 2X greek yogurt is what Steve and I eat.  In the morning for me and after a workout for Steve.

 Our AFTER pantry photo.  Changes in the pantry include a host of more nutritional breakfast cereals-both cold and hot along with our new found snack--Dr. Krackers--we ordered them online and found they have a pumpkin seed variety in addition to our first love the three seed version.  Protein and fiber in these crackers plus crunch! And don't forget, sunflower butter instead of peanut butter (higher NuVal!).  And beans, lots of types of beans (baked) for fiber and an additional protein source to make those brown bag lunches more interesting!

I promised AFTER photos of Steve and I. Our inches and pounds are not very apparent in photos. Lets delay a photo for a few more weeks. As Wyatt pointed out, Steve and my workout shirts are fitting more loosely. And Charley is going to have to start wearing a belt with his jeans--thanks Kid Fit class! This photo is of the kids playing racquetball at the YMCA.

It's Official!

We won!

"Unbelievable job!"

"Your gate times (YMCA check-ins) blew everyone else out of the water!"

What do we win? We have said from the beginning even if we did not win the prizes, we had already won! Our greatest prize was the leg up on finding a way with this busy family to learn how to eat better and fit exercise into our busy schedule. We did it! But not without help from our Wellness Coach, Wyatt Knapper and our dietitian Janet Macon. Without them and their encouragement and guidance, we would not have been successful, I am sure of it.

Now for the real prize information....$250 cash, $250 gift card to Hyvee, half price YMCA membership for a year, and an appearance on Paula Sands a local television show!  The show will air November 30th at 3pm. Filming will occur here at the house the Monday after Thanksgiving and focus on food changes we have made. Teresa Bryant will be the host of the segment.  Should be interesting.  My first question was...do they know we have 5 kids?  Watch us!

Announcing...

Steve has lost almost 8 INCHES and 2 pounds!

He feels GREAT and has lots of energy! And he says "its like a drug-free high" right after the workout, "amazing"! Who would have ever known it could be like this! He says he's in the best shape of his life!

Steve is burning 400-500 calories in his 40 minute workouts on the elliptical and bike. And lifting weights 2 days per week.

I am so proud of him!

Drum Roll Please!

Down almost 6 inches and 8 pounds...Karen Cummins! 

Remembering that this was wellness coaching (no body fat measurement was taken).

Wyatt was quick to point out that while I was doing my cardio each day I was building muscle. And Janet our dietitian confirms that converting fat to energy while also building muscle can really wreak havoc on the scale.  Fluid in muscle quickly replaces pounds lost from fat. Knowing that, I lost more pounds! 

Wyatt also promises with perseverance and steady work the pounds will just melt off. (Weight loss was not one of my goals remember--I wanted no pressure but now am thinking 8 pounds does not seem like many). But alas, its 1 pound per week, a healthy way to go!!

Back to more cardio I go. Keep pushing, step it up, don't become complacent. Continue to work it-- increase resistance, heart rate, or steps! Work toward burning 700 calories per 40 minute workout! I have my work cut out for me! All the while, continue the resistance training 2 days per week.

It seems like we have been at this for a long time (8 weeks, but really just 42 days!)...bottom line this is new to our bodies.

WOW! It's Week 8

Steve and I have said from the beginning...we don't need to win by points, we have already won with the opportunities for change we have already learned!! Winning would be a bonus. We have learned SO much!

The official last day of The Challenge is November 12th, "they" will begin tallying points on Monday the 14th. Points again are earned by the whole family by exercising 3 days per week (I am proud to say Steve and I exercised 6 days each week). Wyatt said it was a mere 42 days...yeah. But it seemed like a lot to us! Our bodies are just starting to be convinced this is a new way of life. Points are also achieved as the whole family meets the 3 set dietary goals (ours were--5-A Day, NuVal scoring for the first half of the challenge but then we began to try to achieve 3 dairy servings per day, and lastly the dreaded food journals!  I have to say now that the actual recording is a very eye opening experience. Keeps me honest and thinking. What I disliked was maintaining and checking on 6 other family members who also had to record. Busy work. But again, it makes you accountable and definitely more conscious of what is going in. More points for submission of photos (pre, during, and post). Anyone that knows me I have photos! Ask and you shall receive. I will post the after photos later this week. And somewhere in all of this earning of points Steve and I's results will factor in...exact numbers coming with those numbers!

Display board at the West YMCA.

Diet Worthy Info

Last week I met again with our assigned dietitian, Janet Macon, from the West Locust Hyvee. We chatted about our food diaries--some of her comments will follow...then we toured the store in search of "gems" of information to further my quest to make further healthy changes for my family.

First her comments...

Meal replacement drink (Steve has been dabbling) not good to use on a regular basis.

Alcohol burns first. I am not sure I knew this! Alcohol eaten with a meal...burns first. The meal portion is stored as fat! My take home message (might seem obvious to you) 1) save up calories to consume alcohol 2) if you drink don't eat but be smart about it. Hence the reason for beer bellies.

Discovered gems on our tour....

There is a loaf of bread with a decent NuVal score! Its in the freezer section of the Health Market. 81 NuVal for a Genesis brand blue loaf. There is a low sodium version as well for a NuVal of 93! The kicker is they are $4 a loaf. Too high for my family. But what if you were single or not big bread eaters and could just keep it in the freezer, plan, and remove it for the next day...definitely health worthy. AND save 10% on "sack sale" days in the Health Market!

In the bread aisle Village Hearth Light scores 45. And Pepperidge Farms Ancient Grains a 47 NuVal. Better... Also Thomas Light Multigrain english muffins with a score of 42. I love english muffins. But because I love them, I best be careful. I did not know a multigrain version existed. Speaking of multigrains--Quaker makes multigrain oats...something else to try!

I did not know Kashi also sold frozen entrees. Great for lunches at the office. 2 for $6 on sale. Could even divide for a healthy lunch at home among smaller children. Another thing to buy with the bag sale date.

Cariyana is lactose intolerant. We buy her Almond Milk from my mothers food coop. The brand we use is not the highest NuVal available via Almond Milk. We can do better. Good to know!  Also, we could mix Almond Milk and cows milk for the kids and boost them nutritionally. We could also stir in powdered milk for increased protein and calcium. Xavier could use the calories and nutrients.

The Health Market has some wonderful looking wraps on the shelf. Some with green onion, some with garlic flavors. Lower in calorie, higher NuVal.

I have been wanting to make fish tacos. The Health Market sells a flavor packet for this! Might get us off to a good start with my first trial of fish tacos.

She suggests mixing greek yogurt with conventional yogurt in place of ricotta and cottage cheese (higher in sodium) for my lasagna and stuffed shells recipes. I did not know greek yogurt would hold up...never thought of it. Speaking of greek yogurt. I inquired about Yoplait's 2x greek yogurt and if it was just a gimmick. No it is not, twice the protein, higher NuVal.  It has 17 grams of protein (hence, the 2X claim – conventional yogurt contains 6-8 grams and most Greeks contain 10-12 grams) and 45% DV of calcium (most Greeks contain 15-20%).  Weight Watcher plain yogurt will also be one to watch, no NuVal yet but she expects it will be very high. Its traditionally cheaper too!

Janet cannot explain why but instant rice has the same NuVal as longrain rice. Hard to believe instant anything could rank a NuVal of 82!

My kids like juice, healthy juice is hard to come by.  Orange juice is the better way to go with a NuVal of 30. AND Minute Maid makes one that ranks a 52!

Last suggestion. Every week let the kids discover a new vegetable or fruit in the produce department. Take it home, google how to prepare, experiment and enjoy! Turnips, hairy fruit (an exotic fruit called rambuton--$6 each!), and persimmons are in view. 

Lots to digest, literally!

Meatless Meals

Our dietitian instructed us the first week of the Challenge...meat servings no larger than a deck of cards, decrease red meats, incorporate one fish per week, and one meatless meal. Meatless is not too hard, fish is a challenge for this family (except for tuna casserole, tuna salad).

This recipe was part of the Hyvee Healthy Family Challenge recipes given to us Week 1. I finally got around to trying it yesterday.  Due to cost I made a substitution. Imitation crab for scallops.

Seafood Explosian

(Serves 4)

1/2 lb cod, cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 lb salmon, skin removed, cut into 1 inch pieces ( I used canned salmon and just added it later)

1/4 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 lb bay scallops

1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

Heat nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Toss cod, salmon, shrimp and scallops with seasoning. Cook cod and salmon, stirring frequently, about 1 minute or until they are halfway cooked. Add shrimp and scallops and continue cooking until cod and salmon flake easily, shrimp is curled and pink and scallops are nearly opaque, about 2 minutes. Serve. 

140 calories, 4.5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 90 mg  cholesterol, 640 mg sodium, 1  g carbohydrates, 0g fiber, 0g sugar, 21 g protein

Look at all the Omega-3 value in this recipe. I was a bit hesitant considering the cost but my kids loved this!

This next recipe, Black Bean Lasagna is a family favorite. Several years ago a colleague pointed this recipe out to me. She found it on the back of Hyvee brand shredded cheese.

Black Bean Lasagna

1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes, undrained

1 15 oz. can refried beans

¾ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped green pepper

¾ cup salsa

1 tsp chili powder

½ tsp cumin

8 oz cottage cheese

1/8 tsp garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs

1 box whole grain lasagna noodles, uncooked

1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

Heat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine black beans, tomatoes, refried beans, onion, green pepper, salsa, chili powder, and cumin. Mix well. In a small bowl combine cottage cheese, garlic powder, eggs, salt and pepper.

Spread 1 cup tomato mixture in bottom of greased 9 x 13 pan. Top with half of the noodles, overlapping slightly. Top with half of the remaining tomato mixture.

Spoon cottage cheese mixture over the top, and top with half the shredded, then the remaining noodles, tomato mixture and shredded cheese.

Cover with greased sheet of aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. Serve with sour cream and salsa.

Can be refrigerated for 1 day. If refrigerated add 15 minutes to baking time.

210 calories, 6 g fat, 3 g sat fat, 0g trans fat, 45 mg cholesterol, 550mg sodium, 26 g carbs, 4g fiber, 2g sugar, 13 g protein

Our dietitian suggested baked beans for the kids lunches as an alternate source of protein (and it counts as a vegetable!). Baked beans are great cold. OR heat in microwave, place in thermos dish and add a few pieces of chicken. Should still be hot for their lunch period. My neighbor Perm Horst gave me this recipe several years ago. Another family favorite.Great for potlucks too!

Calico Beans

1 large can Bush Beans (not drained)
1 can kidney beans (drained)
1 can navy beans (drained)
1 can black beans (drained)
1 can butter beans (drained)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup catsup
1 T dry mustard
1/2 t. nutmeg
2-3 T. dry onions


Cook on low in crock pot all day.

 

Chiropractic Care for the Kids

This week all 5 kids received two chiropractic adjustments after Dr. Nelson reviewed their spinal screenings. Each one has a unique problem and we are now on the way to treating those. Finding a way and a time to get all 5 an adjustment is a real challenge! Having an alternative method to treat the kids chronic problems (ADHD, headaches, bed wetting, ear pain) is of real value to us. I just wish we had chiropractic coverage on our health insurance plan to help after the Challenge!

Steve and I are maintaining our chiropractic appointments. In addition, Steve is undergoing an internal herbal cleanse (Advocare product) at present at the recommendation of the office. In addition to my adjustments I have paid for two 30 minute massage sessions. I have to say the massage therapist at Nelson Chiropractic is AWESOME!

End of Week Five

Its almost the end of week 5 and I am behind in my blogging. Its very difficult to stay on top of things, life continues to get in the way! Lots has happened as we continue with the Challenge.

This week Wyatt taught us free weights, lunges, and a shoulder circuit. These are stabilizing muscle exercises. Lifting dumbells is hard work! Its also something you need a spotter for. I am to spot for Steve and he for me to be sure we don't drop it on our chest. At the bench press you lay flat and lift the dumbell from the rack and raise it above the nipple line in controlled raises. Steve can handle this much better than I. This is a better workout than similar movements on the weight machines and we utilize stabilizing muscles (my muscles definitely need stabilizing--just watch me shake!). Its not that its so heavy its that you don't feel in control of the equipment.

I do lunges (at this point without weights) and Steve does squats. Its really hard work. I feel like I am going to fall over! With practice (and strengthening of my stabilizing muscles) I will eventually add weights. 

If I understand Wyatt correctly, persons usually concentrate on major muscle group exercises. Weak stabilzer muscles will prevent you from being able to lift more weight. Strong stabilizer muscles are essential to maximize our fitness results! More hard work.

Meanwhile we continue to increase our cardio workouts. Wyatt's recommendation is to increase them by 10% each workout. Increasing speed, resistance or time. Steve is on the cusp of running on the treadmill.  After I saw him, I had my first ever thought "maybe I should try it!" Never have I thought of myself as a runner. Never?

More Lessons Learned

Although we should always take one day off a week from exercise (per Wyatt) it seems life gets in the way and suddenly there is more than one day missing of exercise per week. Life is full of things that get in the way--a friend calls can you do this or that and it sounds better than working out (I can always workout later I think to myself), suddenly someone is sick and you need to stay home, a meeting runs later than expected and now the kids need taken here or there (there goes my workout again). Our schedule was so booked this weekend the YMCA was not open when we were available to workout! This is not easy! Hence the reason one might need an option of their own equipment at home? Or maybe just take a walk in the neighborhood and call it good! I get it.

Then there are fun things that get in the way of getting our healthy food in. This weekend we went to a wedding. Terrific food. Boy did it become apparent to me how much difference there is in portions!! The chef cut the roast beef much larger than a deck of cards! Probably the size of 3 and on-half decks. I asked that he cut mine down to a third of his offered slice. The buffet table offered two plates, one for salad. We should only use one plate. That would control our out of control portions America! As I go through the line with the kids everything looks awesome two types of pasta, 2 meats, garlic toast. Only the salad and melon (the kids won't eat a full serving of cucumbers) will count for our 5 A-Day! We likely won't get in our needed 5. We should have planned better way back at lunch and breakfast! Would I have ever thought this way before?

Today we have another busy day planned--church, book fair setup, Xavier's football game, and a nephew's Eagle Scout Ceremony over the supper hour. How will we eat right AND get in a workout that we missed out on yesterday? One needs a PLAN. Being the planner that I am, Steve and I discussed the following last night. Research when other YMCAs open...can we workout sooner than noon, lets pack a picnic lunch (its gorgeous outside) so we don't get forced into eating out (and can eat healthy and get in our dairy and fruits and vegetables), and we need to plan that the scout event might not include fruits and vegetables. Lets see how this works....we will be on the go from morning until night.

Ripples, Photos, and More

Our married college age son, Nick, has taken an interest in our Challenge. He has been somewhat more health conscious himself since graduation from high school--exercising regularly, trying to eat what he thinks are better items. Another ripple effect is his new education of actual nutrition and exercise. Here he is working out at the YMCA with Steve and I.

There are other ways to get your exercise in for the day--that are not only family oriented but FUN! With the size of our family we have a good start on enough players for a football team!

And there is the excuse of "its good exercise" to do some much needed fall yard work! Everyone loves to have a good time!

We have discovered some new to us cereals with high NuVal scores (89 and 91) that the kids like! My mom was astounded that she could do better than her Fiber One cereal (at NuVal 52). I had not heard of the Moms Best Naturals brand until discovering this in the smaller Health Market section at the Rockingham Hyvee. And 2 for $5 with this weeks sale! Even puffed wheat was only $2.99 a box. Who said healthy could not be affordable!

Recipes

I enjoy cooking. It takes a bit of planning, but I am a planner. Here are two recipes we have discovered during this challenge that have earned a spot in my cookbook. These are kid approved!

Apple and Smoked Gouda Lettuce Salad (serves 5)

1 bag or a head of iceberg lettuce
1 cup halved red grapes
1 apple, cored and chopped
2 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, diced
2 T chopped pecans
1/2 cup light red wine vinaigrette

Toss lettuce, grapes, apple, cheese and pecans in large bowl. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. This recipe was taken from a recipe provided via Hyvee for the Family Makeover Challenge 2011.

Chicken Fettucine Dish (serves 4)

1 pound chicken breast cooked (I used leftover white and dark meat)
frozen mixed vegetables (I used a Carribean blend with yellow squash, broccoli, and red peppers)
olive oil
8 ounces whole wheat fettuccine pasta
1 cup low-fat Alfredo sauce (I made my own homemade--so easy)

Cook chicken in olive oil. Prepare fettucine according to package directions. Add frozen vegetables to boiling pasta during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain. Stir in Alfredo sauce into pasta mixture. Serve chicken over top or do like me and just dice the chicken and stir all together.

This recipe was adapted by me from a recipe provided via Hyvee for the Family Makeover Challenge 2011.

Alfredo Sauce

3 T butter
2T olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups milk (not skim)
1/4 t. white pepper
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
3/4 c. mozzarella cheese

Melt butter with olive oil over med/low heat. Add garlic, milk, white pepper and simmer. Stir often.  Add Parmesan cheese and simmer 8-10 minutes more or until thick and smooth. Add mozzarella, stir frequently, serve. This recipe I adapted from one I found online.

Nutritional Goals Revisited

Today I met with the dietitian (gotta love access to the experts!) to discuss her interpretation of our nutritional intake. Overall, she says we are doing "very, very well!" She is impressed with our food variety. I have to say that has come from my upbringing. We have always had a garden, always exposed them to new things and new recipes. I like to cook and don't mind the planning. Steve was not raised quite like that but came along over the years. He discovered beets and spinach after he married me. Two things he really likes! I have continued that philosophy and variety with my children from a very early age. I also don't cave. This is what we are eating.


What exactly did she notice?  We do have areas for improvement.

•  The entire family is not getting their required calcium rich dairy. We discussed shifting our nutritional goals to the focus on dairy from the NuVal scoring. We have learned so much from the NuVal scoring! But, we all need more milk. We also need to move to a lower fat milk. Last week we did move from 2% to skim but the kids really noticed. Not favorable! I think we will settle on 1%. She recommends Steve and I consume milk, in front of the kids, at least one time per day. If not, we both should be taking a calcium and vitamin D supplement. 
• Charley gets a fair amount of his dairy from lesser sources like cheese. No wonder he tends to be constipated. I think I will make more homemade yogurt and see if that will bring up his dairy. I know Alexis will eat it very readily and she too needs more milk as she approaches the teen years. Janet explained this age is when classically kids dairy intake really falls off and especially girls need it the most!
• We should change to unsweetened applesauce.
• She says potatoes and beans (including refried beans) and other starchy vegetables do count as vegetables. We had not been counting them! Which means, on some days we were doing even better getting in our 5 A-Day!
• Although I have been mixing white and whole wheat pasta for most dishes, we could do even better getting in whole grains with our pasta intake. Just make the entire switch!
• There are days when the kids juice intake is too high (both of the middle boys take a medicine in juice). These are empty calories. She suggests diluting the juice with water for this.
• We need to move from 3 fruits and 2 vegetables most days to 3 vegetables and 2 fruits.

Next time, I want to incorporate a tour of the store to learn more about things I tend to overlook. Like FROZEN bread (sprouted whole grains) in the Health Market section--better NuVals! I bet there are other hidden treasures within my local Hyvee!

Together we Elliptical!

Its the beginning of Week 5. We are continuing to work hard! Last week I mastered 30 minutes on the elliptical, now I am increasing the resistance! Steve has long since mastered 30 minutes and resistance, now he is working on increasing his strides (speed). Many of our cardio workouts are the combination of elliptical and bike or treadmill. Steve likes the rowing machine too!

More Wellness

Nelson Chiropractic is a partner in the Healthy Family Challenge. All of us receive free chiropractic care during the challenge. (Do they know there are 7 of us?) We have not had chiropractic coverage with our health insurance in many years.

Finally, last week we went for our initial screening and evaluation. A spinal exam of course along with a rolling thermal scan that indicates weaknesses in our spinal cord/column.

My evaluation findings revealed I am in pretty good shape "one of the best scans the doctor had ever seen", had I ever had chiropractic care?  Yes, most of my life. I have always said if my chiropractor moved, so would I! That was, until I had no further chiropractic coverage. I will be seen twice a week for a few weeks and then be given a maintenance schedule (monthly?). They also recommended some massage (not free) as an adjunct treatment for my tight muscles. I had my first massage, and it was heavenly! Complete with an icy cold bottle of water for my ride home!

Steve on the other hand...he needs a lot of work! He will start with three times a week for 2 weeks! The initial plan includes other adjunct therapy including some exercises to learn, drinking more water, kinesio taping, and some electrical stimulation for other improvements.

The kids all had their scans but we go back next week for their interpretation and potential plan.

They also reccomend we attend a 20 minute How to Stay Young class.

Important Questions, Answered

Remember I wanted to know if my kids were getting enough milk...no they are not!  Janet Macon our Hyvee dietitian is reviewing our food journals. "Charley and Alexis for example, are falling short on their calcium-rich dairy. More than half of Charley's dairy is coming from cheese, a relatively low-quality choice. They need 3 servings a day with only one serving from cheese. "She suggests aiming for milk and yogurt for the other 2 servings.


Tonight they each got a glass of milk with dinner (we have classically been water drinkers with meals).  I have my first batch of homemade Greek yogurt in the crock pot now, I hope they like it! Making it myself will really impact the grocery bill. Greek yogurt even on sale is close to $1 per 6 oz. serving. I was saving that expense for my breakfast. A colleague of mine shared the recipe with me. It was published in The Radish. I love that publication!


Another question I posed was the value of chia?

Steve likes it and adds it to fruit smoothies or did earlier this year when trying an herbalife weight loss plan. Janet's response was quite interesting. "Chia is a great source of fiber and plant omega-3's (ALA), but is an expensive source. She suggests milled flax seed, not chia because the omega and fiber contents are almost identical and flax costs less than half what chia costs less per pound.

Next I wondered about tuna. Should I buy it in oil or water?I thought I had read that tuna packed in oil was higher in Omega-3's.

She replied "Tuna packed in oil actually tends to be lower in omega-3 – at least the edible portion.  The tunas natural oils will leach into the substrate – the added oil – and be drained off when you drain the tuna.  Tuna packed in water delivers more omega-3 because, of course, oil and water don’t mix.  A couple of published studies have found that water packed tuna delivers about 1/3 more omega-3 per 100 g (3.5 ounces) that oil-packed.  Albacore and bluefish have much higher omega-3 than light tuna, though it also tends to be higher in mercury.  Albacore is the variety of tuna that is limited (to 6 ounces per week) for pregnant women."

Lastly I have noticed the salad dressing aisle does not contain decent NuVal scores. What might she recommend? 

Because we don’t’ tend to get many nutrients from salad dressing anyhow, she recommends we choose the dressing with the lowest amount of unhealthy fat (saturated) that we and the kids like, then monitor how much of it we use.  See if you can find a high monounsaturated fat dressing (olive oil-based) that we like.  Otherwise, just limit how much we are using.

We  sure are learning a lot of tips through this challenge!

So Many Have Asked....here is the recipe!

Strained Yogurt

Ingredients:

½ gallon milk,  milkfat of your choice

½ cup purchased Greek-style yogurt

Supplies:

Slow-cooker/crockpot, whisk, warm blankets, colander and bowl, cheesecloth (Hyvee sells)

                Pour milk into a 4-quart cooker set to low. Allow the milk to heat for 2 hours, hten turn off the cooker and whisk in the purchased yogurt.

                Wrap the entire slow-cooker in warm blankets. The writer used a large fleece blanket and wrapped it twice—place it in a non-drafty location. Leave it like this for 12 hours or overnight.

                In the morning, line a colander with cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Be sure that this setup is large enough to handle all of your yogurt. Pour the warm yogurt into the cheesecloth. It will be runny but not runny enough to go through the cheesecloth quickly. At this point you can refridgerate the yogurt. Leave it like this for several hours or until its convenient to do something with it.

                How quickly your yogurt strains completely will depend upon its consistency when placed in the fridge and the temperature of your refridge, as well as how thick you want the finished project to be.

                When yogurt is ready, enjoy it as you usually would.  The author likes hers drizzled with honey. ( I like it with Kashi granola with black currants. )She also suggests putting it right into your ice cream maker to make frozen yogurt. Yum!

Source:  HowStuffWorks.com

(I used the whey product to make instant pudding!)

Cooks notes: 

For creamier yogurt, replace some of the milk with half and half. Be aware that increases your fat content of your yogurt.

 (Beware this makes only 4 servings of yogurt but its delicious!)

Enjoy! 

This was published in The Radish