Family Dinner Time: Conversation Starters

I've posted before about the importance of "family dinner time". Sometimes it's difficult to start new lines of conversation. We get stuck in a rut of "how was your day?" and "so what do you want to do this weekend?"

There are great games, printables, and other resources to spice up the conversation; but I figured it wouldn't hurt to share a few of my favorites. Since I have a 5 year old and an almost-3 year old I have to keep the conversation funny and super simple.

So here's how I get them talking:

• If you could be any superhero which one would you be? Why? (you can interchange "superhero" for whatever the obsession of the week is- "dinosaur", "animal", "Octonaut" all work, too)
• What do you think the birds are talking about when they chirp? (again, interchange the animal and their "noise")
• Do you think Reggie (our dog) likes to watch tv? What do you think his favorite show is? Why? (or some equally silly imaginative question)
• If you could be in the Lego Movie, which character would you want to be? Why?
• What do you want to build with Legos later?
• How many bubbles do you think are in the bath tub when you take a bath?

Can you see what I'm doing here? It's all about using their imagination to answer questions about things that are important to them. You may not have to ask more than one question because the conversation will start to flow naturally- that's great!

My husband and I love to sit back and listen to the funny responses; and the kids think it's so silly when we answer the questions, too!

The whole idea is to make the meal a special and fun part of the day. There shouldn't be stress or pressure at the dinner table. Sometimes it's difficult when you know you want your kids to eat and they aren't- but you want to create a comfortable environment and then the eating part will come.

There are so many ways that quality dinner conversation can enhance your family- it's good for kids, it's good for parents, it's a family thing.

If you have a question that you love to ask your kids- shout it out! We love comments!!

Gardening for Fun and Physical Activity

By now you guys know that I'm all about making everyday activities count towards the physical activity I need in my life. This weekend, we planted some colorful flowers around the front of our house and this was one of those opportunities to make every movement count.

Let's go over a few tips for how to burn more calories while gardening:

1. Proper form. You can't burn calories if you have to go inside after throwing out your back. So watch yo-self. Depending on how you like to garden, either kneel or sit on a stool so that you aren't straining your back muscles. Keep in mind that you have the opportunity here to strengthen your core so pull your belly button into your spine to engage your abs. This will help take some of the pressure off your back.

2. Squats. Ensuring proper form, as you bend down to pull weeds, go ahead and do it with a squat. Pretend like you're sitting in a chair and don't let your knees go over your toes. This exercise can be done as a wide squat with your toes pointed out and feet more than shoulder width apart; or as a regular squat with your toes pointing forward and knees shoulder width apart.

3. Arms. Digging can be tough. Especially if you're like me and like to buy the 3 gallon plants :-) Keeping proper form, really try to engage your arm muscles and let them do all the work. This will also help to take pressure off your back. This weekend I was having to dig through and around some well established root systems- my biceps will thank me tomorrow, I'm sure.

4. Think of it as a workout. If you have the mindset that you want to burn extra calories then you will be better prepared to work at a faster pace. The more leisurely you garden, the less calories you burn. It's still a great activity, but you're the boss so kick it up a notch and dig faster, squat more, and don't lolly-gag.

Make the most of your time. Be mindful of the opportunity you have while doing "chores" and you will see that you'll be working up a sweat and enjoying a beautiful yard in no time!

My Favorite Water Bottle

This is not a sponsored post
The Easter Bunny isn't just for the kids. Nope- hubs and I always get each other a little something for our Easter baskets and this year was no exception. The bunny is pretty good at picking out something I'll love- last year it was some cute ceramic containers for my office and the year before that it was Pioneer Woman's new cookbook. This year? This super cute glass water bottle. 

I have a slight obsession with water bottles, coffee, cups, cold cups, etc. and I'm not gonna lie- I may be running out of room for them all. I've owned a ton of water bottles in my day, but this one is my absolute favorite! It's durable and doesn't leak at all. You can actually lock the lid, which prevents it from leaking or opening on accident. It's also an awesome bottle if you're a runner- it's made to "take a hit"- so if you drop it there's a good chance it won't break. You can find it at Target in the fitness equipment section.  The other reason I love my glass water bottle is because every morning I put lemon essential oil in my water. It helps detoxify the body and, as a bonus, sanitizes the inside of the water bottle! 

Good App: UP Coffee

Remember when I wrote about how I broke my soda habit? Well, I was careful not to say "caffeine habit". I still need caffeine. I'm grumpy without it in the morning and no one wants to be grumpy.

I do have to be careful how much caffeine I take it. I get jittery and anxious if I over do it. That's no good. 

Usually, I do fine with a mocha in the morning and a refresher in the afternoon. Sometimes I am tempted to make it a two mocha day though. Like when I'm up all night with a sick kid... Been there. 

I stumbled upon this great app to help me visualize how much caffeine is in my system. The app is designed to tell you when you will get optimal sleep, but I have found it helps me avoid the jitters. 

It's called UP Coffee and it's from the same folks who brought you the UP Jawbone. (This isn't a sponsored post, by the way)

Here's what it looks like in the App Store (all pics in this post are screenshots from my phone):

The first time you use the app you give it info like your height and weight so it can calculate how your body burns caffeine.

Every time I drink something with caffeine I add it to the app- they have lots of options but if you can't find your caffeine of choice you can add a custom entry:

After I add a drink, my caffeine tank fills up showing me how close I'm getting to jittery:

The app tells you how close you're getting to good sleep and as the day goes on your caffeine tank empties: 

There are graphs that show your caffeine levels over time and compared to all other users. They also give you fun tips and facts everyday. "I'll take caffeine for 1000, Alex."

This app has been great for me to see how much caffeine is still in my system. There have been days where I've felt draggy in the afternoon and checked the app only to find my tank half full- this tells me that I need to GET UP AND MOVE instead of drink more coffee. See how that works?

You should try it, I think you'll find it interesting too. 

What apps keep you accountable? We'd love to know how you use technology to stay healthy!

How I Broke My Soda Habit

Soda, pop, coke, whatever you call it- it's not a healthy drink. Don't even get me started on "diet" versions! Regular pop has a lot of sugar (41g in 12 oz of Pepsi), a lot of empty calories (150 in 12 oz), and sodium that no one really needs because we get enough from our food.

Up until recently, I have been a one-pop-a-day drinker. The size of that pop varied depending on how much caffeine I felt like I needed that day ;-) but I have always had to have a pop in the afternoon to keep me going. I was so addicted that if I hadn't had a pop by 3pm I'd start to get a headache. Yikes.

I know better!

I've been on this journey to a "healthier me" for a while and I have made so many improvements to my lifestyle over the past year or so. I knew it was time for me to stop my pop habit.

So, I started contemplating alternatives. I knew I still needed the caffeine, but I didn't like the idea of having more coffee- that's more caffeine than I needed in the afternoon. I don't like iced tea- I end up making it too sweet and less sugar is one benefit to letting go of pop. I was also worried because, at this point, I craved pop. Finding an alternative would be difficult. I was ready to make a change, I just needed to find something I loved as much as pop.

After much R&D I have replaced pop with...

Starbucks Via Refreshers Strawberry Lemonade (6g of sugar, 0mg of sodium, and 35 calories for half a packet)

• I only use half a packet in my 16oz cup and I usually fill the cup half full with ice.
• I love the flavor. It's sweet and slightly tart. 
• The caffeine comes from green coffee extract- this is also the stuff found in popular drinks like Plexus.
• Since the powder is added to water- I'm also drinking more water, always a good thing!

I went for a whole week without a single sip of pop and never had an issue! I didn't even crave it. I have one half-packet of refreshers per day (two if I'm super run down) and I'm good to go.

Now that I've broken the habit, I'm determined to keep this up. Just to make sure I don't fall into the pit of deprivation, I do still get pop when I eat out- but that's rare so it's more of a "treat" than a "must have".

Taking on unhealthy habits one at a time is a manageable way to make lifestyle change.

What's an unhealthy habit you wish you could break?

**This is not a sponsored post, just my story**

Calcium- What's the Big Deal Anyway?

When most of us think of calcium we think of two things- dairy and bones. I like to think I get my daily dose of calcium every morning with my skinny decaf toffee latte- it's my favorite way to put a dent into my daily dose. Ha ha!

But, did you know that calcium can come from sources other than milk, yogurt, and cheese?  Or that calcium does more than build strong bones?

Calcium aids in muscle contractions, blood clotting, nerve impulses, secretion of hormones and, of course, in bone structure. Those are some pretty important jobs- and many women have a hard time getting their daily dose of calcium.

I'm really not a milk drinker unless it's in my coffee or flavored with chocolate, and my morning coffee definitely doesn't give me all the calcium I need for the day. Bummer, right? Well, the good news is that there are lots of other ways to get calcium that don't come from milk or dairy!

Broccoli 

Kale

Oranges

Almonds

White Beans

Soybeans

Soy or Coconut Milk

Tofu

Fortified Orange Juice

Cheerios (fortified)

What's your favorite source of calcium? I won't judge if you say ice cream or a mocha/latte/fancy coffee drink- those are my favorites too! :) 

Serve Successful Family Dinners

Having dinner together as a family is one of the most important things you can do. There are all sorts of studies showing the benefits of family dinner time. It improves your family's health- mentally, emotionally, and physically. Kids are less likely to be overweight, kids develop better vocabulary, parents are more in touch with their kids, all family members are happier... the list goes on and on!

It seems like dinner time used to be a priority. Nowadays, there are lot of competing activities. Sports, work, clubs, schedules... lots of things try to steal time away from dinner. Even if you can only sit down as a family 3 times a week- it is SO WORTH IT. Even if you didn't make dinner at home: drive thru and bring it home to the table; go into the restaurant and sit down to eat- it is SO WORTH IT.

I cannot stress enough how important this practice is to the health of your family.

In our house, we make it a priority to sit down together 6 nights a week. This doesn't mean I cook 6 nights a week. We might be having leftovers or takeout, but we sit down at the same time and everyone eats their meal together. Here are some of my tips for making family meal time a success:

1. Don't talk about food. Seems odd since you're eating, but this is a great time to talk about anything. Why bother discussing how fluffy the potatoes are? You will actually eat slower and eat less (aka: not overeat) if you are carrying on interesting not-food-related conversation.
2. Eat "family style". 4 out of the 6 nights we sit down together, I put all the food out on the table. This way no one has to get up for seconds, but it also encourages picky eaters to try new things because they are exposed to the foods more often.
3. Turn off technology. It only takes 20-30 minutes to eat a meal. Everyone can go without cell phones, tvs, tablets, and anything else that distracts from the conversation. This is a time to connect with family, not with wifi.
4. Don't get up until everyone is finished eating. Sometimes this is hard with kids who eat really slow. But, for the most part, everyone should be feeling full and finished eating after 20-30 minutes. Stay at the table and enjoy the company. Stick around, it sends the message that you really are interested in your family and not just going through the motions.

Family dinners are my favorite time of the day. I can hear all about what my kids are thinking and doing. Everyone slows down and sits semi-still. It's so enjoyable, I wouldn't trade it for anything!

What's your favorite thing about eating as a family? We'd love to hear from you!

Boost your Iron Absorption and Intake!

Ok, so, my entire life I've struggled with my iron being "borderline"- meaning, the cut off for normal is 12.0 and my levels are 12.0. Or, they're 11.2, but it's so close to normal that they don't recommend treatment- which is really annoying. ;)

What I've recently come to find out, while working with my doctor, is that I have a low ferritin level. Ferritin basically binds to iron so your body can store it. My body doesn't store iron very well, which means I have to really pay attention to the foods I eat and be sure I'm taking in a certain amount of iron-rich foods every day. I tried iron supplements, but they were sooooo hard on my stomach. It wasn't fun. 

Ok, so how can we boost our body's ability to absorb all this iron we're trying to take in?

First, we have to understand the two types of iron:

Heme: heme iron comes from animal sources and is most easily absorbed by your body. Think beef, pork, and lamb. 

Nonheme: nonheme iron comes from plant sources like veggies, legumes, and cereals. Your body can't absorb this type of iron as easily. Spinach, black beans, cheerios, etc. 

Pair iron-rich veggies, legumes, and cereals with Vitamin C:  When I eat my spinach egg white omelette for breakfast, I always pair it with an orange or a glass of OJ. That way I know my body is able to absorb the iron from the spinach. 

Pair iron-rich veggies, legumes, and cereals with iron-rich meats: Slice some steak and throw it over a bed of spinach and other veggies. The meat will actually help your body absorb the iron from the spinach! Or, make this yummy turkey black bean chili, but use grass-fed ground beef instead. 

Avoid coffee or tea at meal time: I know, I know. I love a good cup of coffee with my breakfast, too! But, these yummy drinks contain polyphenols that inhibit your body's ability to absorb iron. Bummer, I know. I still enjoy my coffee- but I might do so after I finish a meal. 

Avoid calcium: This inhibits iron absorption, too. 

Cook with Cast Iron: Such a simple way to get some extra iron! Some foods will actually absorb some of the iron from the skillet while they're cooking. 

Have you or do you struggle with low iron? What has worked best for you?