Posted on Monday, September 5, 2016

6 Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Back to School

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And with kids going back to school, it’s important that they give their brain the proper fuel it needs when they get back to the classroom. Eating in the morning helps kick start your metabolism and keeps your body running efficiently. Starting the morning off with a healthy, nutritious breakfast is very important for adults too. Today, I will be sharing some healthy breakfast ideas. Want to know the added bonus? They’re quick and so easy that the kids can do it on their own!

Oatmeal with Fruit and Nuts

Oatmeal is so quick and so easy. Whether you make it on the stove or in the microwave, it packs a huge punch. Make sure you’re using steel cut oats. Mix in some fresh fruit and nuts, such as almonds. Want to make it even easier? Try overnight oats. Put a cup of oats in a mason jar with some milk and let them sit in the fridge over night. The oats will be light and fluffy in the morning. They can be eaten cold or warm. This will allow you to hit snooze a few extra times in the morning.

Peanut Butter Toast

Kids love peanut butter. Pop a piece of bread in the toaster, spread on peanut butter, then sprinkle some cinnamon and chia seeds. Chia seeds are full of fiber to help keep you full, and the cinnamon adds an extra kick of flavor. You can even cut up a banana and put it on top or have it on the side. It’s so easy the kids can do it totally on their own!

Smoothies

Smoothies aren’t always healthy and can pack a ton of calories if you’re not careful. But if you use the right ingredients, they are a great option for busy mornings. Make sure you use Greek yogurt and lots of fruit and ice cubes. Greek yogurt is full of protein to help keep you full. You can add chia seeds or ground flax seed for extra fiber. What’s even better? You can drink it in the car on the way to school or work! Check out my Instagram page throughout this whole month. I will be sharing healthy smoothie recipes for you to enjoy.

Frittata or Quiche

Does anyone actually know the difference between a frittata and quiche? Because I sure as heck don’t. But both are excellent options for a healthy breakfast. You can use a variety of different veggies and some high quality cheese. The best part? You can make them ahead of time. Sure, omelets are delicious, but that means you’d have to wake up even earlier. Add a side of fruit or turkey bacon and you’re good to go.

Protein Pancakes

Healthy pancakes? Enough said. Before the school year starts head to the local health food store and pick up some Kodiak Cakes. Kodiak Cakes are whole-wheat flour mixture that are packed with protein. To up the protein content and ward off hunger even longer, add one egg and a cup of milk. Wisk the ingredients together, throw them on the burner, and you’ve got delicious, fluffy pancakes. Top with some fresh maple syrup and some cut up strawberries. Yum!

Avocado Toast

Avocado toast is one of my favorite breakfast time meals — by itself or with something on the side. Top it with a runny egg and you have me hooked. It has the right amount of healthy fats, protein, and carbs to fuel your day!

Water

Don’t forget to hydrate. You should always start your morning with at least one big glass of water. Your body dehydrates as you sleep and water helps to get your digestion going in the morning. Try adding a splash of apple cider vinegar to your water for an additional fat burning push. Coffee and green tea are also good options but make sure they don’t take the place of water. And keep the sugar and creamer limited.

With all of these delicious, healthy options your kids — and your partner — will stop reaching for that box of cereal that’s full of sugar an opt for a healthy breakfast instead.

For more healthcare tips for you and your family, check out my workbook for dealing with caring for your children, as well as your aging parents: Life in the Sandwich Generation. Life in the Sandwich Generation is a workbook filled with information, tips and tricks for managing the demands needing to care for your aging parents, as well as taking care of your children. It details how you can involve your children in the process, how to learn more about your parents health and finances, while still making time for yourself and your spouse. You can find it here for only $10!

Posted on Thursday, June 23, 2016

Concerns For Your Kids While You’re Working

When summer rolls around–and your kids reach a certain age–there comes a time when you’re able to leave them home alone while you’re at work. This can be really helpful, but it can also be really stressful. You’re depending on your child to be responsible for themselves, and possibly their younger siblings. So what should you do when your kids are old enough to be home alone but you still have concerns for their safety? These tips will help put your mind at ease while you’re away.

First, establish rules. This is extremely important. Don’t allow them to have friends over. Depending on their age, don’t allow them to use the stove. This way you don’t run the risk of them accidentally starting a fire. If they plan to go to the park or over to a friend’s house, they must call you before they go and when they arrive there. This way you know where they are at all times.

Second, have your parents or neighbors check in. If grandma and grandpa live in the neighborhood, ask them to stop by every once and a while. But make sure it’s not too often. You want to be sure your kids know that you trust them to be alone, but that grandma and grandpa are there to help with anything they need. If you’re close with your neighbors, ask them to keep an eye on the house. Are the kids coming and going when they’re not supposed to be? Are they having friends over when they aren’t supposed to? Also, let your children know that the neighbors are always available in the event of an emergency.

Third, give them chores to keep them busy. There are plenty of little things they can do around the house that don’t require adult supervision. They can fold laundry, put away the dishes or take the dog for a walk. This will prevent them from sitting around and playing video games all day and it will also help take a little bit of work off of your plate.

Fourth, enroll them in camp. This will get them out of the house and even allow them to make new friends. This way you know they have structure and supervision without hiring a sitter to be at the house with them.

Fifth, send them to the local park or swimming pool. The community that I live in has buses that pick kids up and take them to the pool every hour during the week in the summer. Your kids can walk or ride their bikes to the bus stop and it will take them to the park. This way they can meet up with friends and can be active and play outside. Check for offerings in your area. Also, find what is within safe walking distance.

Sixth, use technology to your advantage. We live in the age of smartphones and GPS trackers. Make sure all of the tracking apps are active on your child’s cell phone or tablet. If your kids don’t have a phone yet you can pick up a GPS tracker at your local electronics store.

Leaving your kids home alone for the first time can be really stressful. Hopefully these tips will help make it a little easier for you.

For more healthcare tips for you and your family, check out my workbook for dealing with caring for your children as well as your aging parents: Life in Sandwich Generation. Life in the Sandwich Generation is a workbook filled with information, tips and tricks for managing the demands needing to care for your aging parents, as well as taking care of your children. It details how you can involve your children in the process, how to learn more about your parents health and finances, while still making time for yourself and your spouse. You can find it here for only $10!

Posted on Monday, June 13, 2016

Trust Your Gut When It Comes To Your Child’s Health

A mother’s intuition is a powerful thing, especially when something is going on with your child. Doctors

aren’t perfect, and they’re also very busy. And sometimes symptoms can be over looked or brushed to the side. Recognizing these symptoms early is essential for your child’s health and wellbeing. So what do you do when your doctor says one thing about your child, and your gut says another?

First, I suggest monitoring the child. Do their symptoms persist or even worsen? Are they able to keep up with their regular routine? Or are they spending more time away from school and sick in bed. If they seem quick to return to their normal routine, it was probably something minor. However, if they seem lethargic and run down several weeks after the onset of the illness there is a good chance something more is wrong. A lot of times kids don’t tell you when something is going on because they don’t want it to impact time with friends or social activities, so you need to look for signs and symptoms with them or their behavior.

Second, do your research. If doctors are reluctant to listen to your concerns bring your research to them. Doctors are busy, and although they are intelligent their mind is not a steel trap. They can’t keep every symptom of every diagnosis locked away. So if you bring them some research on common symptoms it may help them pin point what is going on with your child.

Third, keep a log so you could refer back to it. Days and events can blur together, especially when you have multiple children. You may mix up which child had what issue or other important details. It is extremely important to keep a log of illnesses, even those that seem insignificant. You never know when you may need to refer back. These events may be pertinent to diagnosing your child in the future. They may have seemingly minor things going on now, but six months in the future there could be a big medical event that these small symptoms were leading up to. This way if you keep notes you will remember all of the details.

Fourth, if you think there may be something more going on with your child seek out a moms group for that specific disease or disorder. This can be really helpful to get first-hand knowledge from someone who has been there. The internet can provide so many resources when it comes to this. Moms can share their experiences and what their child went through. This can help you validate your thoughts and intuitions.

If you feel in your heart that there is something more going on with your child’s health you need to take matters into your own hands. It could be the difference between life or death for your child.

For more healthcare news and tips daily follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.