Day One:   

Okay - are you ready?    Let's start getting into shape and let's start getting healthy, or staying healthy if you are already there.  You know summer is coming. 

We will start with small changes for one week!    Are you ready?    Remember you already know what to do... so here we go.

Nice and simple:

1. complete 15 minutes of exercise today.   Whatever makes you happy.   Go for a walk, skip, swim, run, whatever you can do.

2. give up one food that is bad for you and substitute it with a food that is healthy and low fat/ low calorie.

THAT is it!!     Simple right?

Examples of foods to add once you have given up the unhealthy one:

• grapes 1/2 cup
• an apple
• 1/4 cup of almonds
• celery - as much as you want... did you know that?
• carrots
• peppers

Whatever you feel you could eat instead of a fatty, unhealthy choice!  You know you can do it!  So - go... and do it!  If you want more choices, I am sure you can google, "low fat healthy foods".  You know that.

Let me know what you gave up and what you decided to eat!

Check in tomorrow for more.

Children and Sports:

With all the food out there for convenience, it is not surprising that children grab fast food and snacks, instead of  healthy food/ snack options.  Below is a quick list of what most children should think about when training or playing a lot of sports or doing a lot of exercise.   But remember, we are all unique, so make sure this works for your child.

Food information for young athletes:

Pre and Post-game prep:

·         Pre-game:  prep is extremely important – the small meal/ snack needs to be balanced with a good fat, protein and carb (like crackers,  bread, cheese, fruits and veggies).  Pre-game fuelling should begin about two hours before the game.   Good fat or low fat is needed, as fat takes longer to digest, which can upset the stomach.  High-fibre foods may also upset the stomach, so they should be saved until after the game.

·         Post-game snack should include similar snacks which should be eaten within one hour of the game.    Foods like fruits and veggies, pretzels, crackers and cheese.

·         Remember – Natural is your friend.   Sugar is your enemy – there are over 125 reasons why processed/ refined sugar can ruin your child’s health, including suppressing the immune system, upsets mineral relationships, interfering with the absorption of calcium and magnesium, increasing the risk for cancers, as cancer feeds on sugar, etc, etc.  So keep it to a minimum.

MEALS:

·         Breakfast:  this should include low-fat yogurt with some granola and a banana or whole-grain cereal and milk with sliced strawberries.   Nuts, fruit, cheese, eggs, and even chicken are also good for breakfast.

·         Lunch:  bean burritos with low-fat cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes or a turkey sandwich with fruit.  (see recipes)

·         Supper: grilled chicken breasts with steamed brown rice and vegetables, or pasta with red sauce and lean ground beef, along with a salad. 

·          Good snacks include pretzels, raisins, crackers, string cheese or fruit.

GENERAL INFORMATION ON NUTRITION FOR YOUNG ATHLETES:

·         Hydrate:   one needs to be hydrated with water, before the game, during the game and after the game.  Water can also be found in bananas, coconut water, avocado and potatoes.   These all have a great source of potassium which works with the calcium for the bones, and helps hydrate the body.  If the body is not well hydrated, the energy will go toward regulating temperature instead of to the muscles, which limits playing ability and can lead to heat stroke, exhaustion or muscle cramps.  Even mild dehydration can affect athletic performance.

·         if exercising more than 1.5 hours, a sport drink without sugar is a good idea to provide energy and replace electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, that athletes lose in sweat.   Water, however, is usually enough and usually the best choice.

·         GO GREEN:  dark, leafy greens such as kale, spinach, and romaine lettuce include chlorophyll, which is crucial for child athletes.  Chlorophyll cleanses and oxygenates the blood, which is a true performance enhancer.   Having more oxygen in the blood translates to better endurance and an overall reduction in fatigue.  You can buy liquid chlorophyll to add to water to drink as well or you can buy it in pill form and swallow in conjunction with a glass of water.

·         Calcium and Iron-rich foods:   Calcium keeps the bones strong:     Recommendations for Calcium intake:  Ages 9-13   = 1300 mg/day

·         good sources include:  cheese cubes and strings, yogurt, cereal with low-fat milk, broccoli with yogurt dip, almonds, individual cheese pizza and tortillas.

·         Iron helps carry oxygen to all the different body parts that need it.  Iron-rich foods include red meat, chicken, tuna, salmon, eggs, dried fruits, leafy green vegetables and whole grains.

·         Protein: this is needed to build and repair muscles.  However, too much protein can lead to dehydration and calcium loss.  Protein-rich foods include fish, lean red meat and poultry, dairy products, nuts, soy products and peanut butter.

·         Carbohydrates: Carbs can provide energy for the body.  But, look for whole-grain foods like whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, whole-grain bread and cereal, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Getting prepared for the cleanse.

We KNOW we have put a lot of foods and drinks into our body which should not have been put there.   So, once in a while, it would be a good idea to have a little 'spring cleaning' so to speak.  The one I have created is not hard to do, but it is not easy either.  It sucks since you will have to give up some of your favourite things and your body will fight with you at first.

Before you start, you will have to plan when you start.   You will need 4 days, when you are able to relax when needed and for some, to even go to bed, while your body fights with you.    Due to everyone being individual, some will sail through and go along as if nothing had changed, however, some might even get a low grade fever, headache and feel heavy and need to rest.    But, we KNOW it is worth it, right?

The total cleanse is for 6 weeks, but like I said in the previous blog, you will not go hungry!!   This is a cleanse to help get rid of some toxins, and to find out what food will help you achieve ultimate health.   So, get thinking over the weekend when a good time for you would be to start and I will begin to enter the information soon.

You are unique!

If you want a little boost to get started, you can do a cleanse.   I have created one that you can do and you do not have to starve, because, you KNOW that you don't like that and it is psychologically hard on most people. 

But first - you have heard that you "are what you eat", but actually, you "are what you assimilate".  

Now, did you KNOW that? 

You can eat a variety of food, but if you do not digest it properly and and nutrients do not get to where it is needed in your body, then it does not matter what you eat.   Everyone is a unique individual and therefore, there is not ONE diet that will work for everyone.    That just makes sense,  doesn't it??   You KNOW that some people have allergies, but does everyone??   NO.    Some people have sensitivities, but does everyone??  NO.    Therefore, you KNOW there is no one DIET that will work for everyone...therefore, the KNOW diet.

So... you have to find out what works for YOU and learn how your body handles the variety of foods that you put into it.  Over the next few blogs, I will remind you of what you KNOW, or help you KNOW what you need to in order to figure out what will work for you. 

Are you up for the adventure??   You KNOW you should.   Let's make it fun and do it together!!

We KNOW what to do...

Below are things we KNOW we should do, ...therefore,  the KNOW diet...

1. Water - we know we should drink water, filtered, distilled, or as pure as you can get it.
2. Vegetables - whether we like it or not, veggies are needed, and the darker the colour the better. In case you did not know, not too cooked.  You want to keep all the goodness in.
3. Fruits - fresh raw fruit is the best, and preferred over fruit juices.  We KNOW variety is good as well.
4. Fibre -from fruits and vegetables, as well as, whole grains.   You KNOW why fibre is good right?
5. Fat.... yes, I said it... Fat, but as you KNOW, it needs to be the healthy fats ie found in extra virgin olive oil and flax seed oil, however, do not heat that one! Now, is that something you knew? 

This blog is all about what you know and may need reminding, or finding out what you don't know.  It is to share information and to encourage each other to stay on track and eat healthy.  Sometimes we just need reminding what we already KNOW.

6. Meat -  organic if you can or free range.  Avoid processed meats with added preservatives such as nitrites and nitrates.  Remember, eggs are a good source of protein as well.
7. Dairy - fermented products, like plain yogurt or kefir is a great choice.   What you may or may not have KNOWN, is that butter, yes butter, is a good choice, but obviously not TOO much!  It is also a good fat to cook with in moderation.
8. Grains -  make sure they have whole grains.   You KNOW you do not want the refined grains.
9. To add another category - nuts and seeds -  raw nuts and seeds are the best, as you probably KNOW, and again, as you KNOW, in moderation.   Try some almonds, sunflowers and pumpkin seeds for an easy snack!
10. Sweets -  well, unfortunately, as you KNOW, refined is out and natural is in.  More to come on that later. 

The KNOW diet helps me as well to stay on track.   It is easy to sneak and eat what I KNOW I should not, so I need this blog as well to interact with others and encourage help each other to make the right choices in what I put into my body! 

Nutrition Know Diet

Everyone knows what to do when it comes to nutrition and eating right, but we do not always do that, do we?   This blog is to discuss and talk about what we do know, what we should know and if we don't know, where to find what we need.  The Nutrition Know Diet is for information because we need  NO diet, we just need to KNOW!    DIE is in the word diet.   Doesn't that tell you something right there!!   We just need a KNOW diet which is no diet!  Confused?  We just  need to encourage each other so we continue to use what we KNOW or find out what we don't.

The easy things we know are:

• to eat our fruits and vegetables
• drink enough water
• eat healthy fats
• do not eat trans fats
• take our vitamins
• eat healthy carbs
• eat enough protein
• limit caffeine
• eat as natural as possible

What else should we know? 
Why don't we eat what we know is right and will keep us healthy?
We know what to do!
Let's help each other do what we know and follow the Know diet, therefore, no diet!