Live Healthy NYC: Avoiding Halloween Nightmares for You and Your Kid...

Live Healthy NYC: Avoiding Halloween Nightmares for You and Your Kid...: Halloween can be a scary time for us-not because of the ghosts and goblins, but because of the reeses candy, snickers, twix b...

Avoiding Halloween Nightmares for You and Your Kids:

Halloween can be a scary time for us-not because of the ghosts and goblins, but because of the reeses candy, snickers, twix bars, and the assortment of candy and treats that are around. 

Halloween means candy and that usually means a tendency to overindulge. In order to avoid indulging, I am offering a few healthy tips for you:

#1) Don’t buy your favorite candy- buy the least interesting candy or better yet, if your kids are small enough to not have an opinion, buy yo-yo’s, stickers, or other cool treats!

#2) If #1 doesn’t work, limit yourself- yes, you may feel that you really want that piece of candy, that you’ve “earned” it, and you may even think that the one little bite size piece of candy isn’t going to do harm, and the honest truth is, it probably won’t- but keep sticking your hand in the bowl, and before you know it, you will have eaten more than you intended! And that’s not good! Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s parties are around the corner and you will want to save your calories so that you can look great in that little black dress! So, pick one or two bite size pieces to eat and that’s it! 

I am including a short list of candy that will reduce your chance of getting spooked by the scale:

·      3 mini York Peppermint Patties (150 calories, 3g fat)

·      6 Dum-Dums pops (150 calories, 0g fat)

·      5 snack size Twizzlers Strawberry Twists (150 calories, 1g fat)

·      3 mini Twix (150 calories, 8g fat)

·      3 treat size boxes of Nerds (150 calories, 0g fat)

·      7 Hershey’s Kisses (156 calories, 9g fat)

·      2 fun size packs of milk chocolate m&m’s (147 calories, 7g fat)

·      6 mini 3Musketeers (146 calories, 4g fat)

·      6 rolls of Smarties (150 calories, 0g fat)

#3) Purge it- If it was a light year for trick or treaters stopping by, and you have leftover candy, get rid of it! We give it to my husband’s office, the doorman, or kids shelters.

#4) Trade it- Depending on how much loot my kids collect, I will give them money ($.25 for each piece of candy they “sell” me). This is great because the kids can use the extra money for something at the toy store that they’ve had their eye on. With the candy that you know have bought from your kids, get rid of it ASAP so you won't be tempted! 

#5) Halloween IS NOT a free pass to eat the reeses, peppermint patties, twix, etc all day/night long. You can rationalize all you want (dark chocolate is an antioxidant, peanut butter cups are trans-fat free, twizzlers are low-fat), but the truth is, the calories will add up! So, be wise and enjoy them in moderation.

So, now that you know what to do for yourself, how do you keep your kids healthy? Many people believe that “healthy Halloween” is a classic oxymoron. While you don’t want to be seen as a “Halloween Scrooge”  you do want them to be healthy. Here are a few ways to help your kids have a healthier Halloween:

#1) Feed your children a healthy meal before they go out trick or treating. This will help them filling up on too much candy because they are hungry.

#2) Instead of candy, try handing out treats, like small toys, stickers.

#3)Don’t let your kids overindulge in the candy that they collect. Offer buy-backs (see #4 above). Also, allow them to eat a piece of candy only after they’ve had a healthy snack.

#4) Forbidding the candy will certainly backfire on you. Allow them to eat some, and explain the importance of healthy choices of snacks and teach them moderation!

Have a happy and healthy Halloween!

Live Healthy NYC: Food Day

Live Healthy NYC: Food Day: Food Day is just around the corner on Monday October 24 th and it seems that the whole country is excited. Just take one glance at th...

Food Day

Food Day is just around the corner on Monday October 24^th and it seems that the whole country is excited. Just take one glance at the Food Day website and you will see hundreds of events scheduled to take place from Washington to Maine. Just as Michael Jacobson had hoped when he founded Food Day last year, people are joining together to push for and celebrate healthy, affordable food that’s produced in a sustainable and humane way. Even Slow Foods is participating by encouraging people to take part in their second $5 dollar challenge on October 24^th.

One event that is particularly exciting is Cook-in’ for a Cause, which is being hosted by IIN grad Nancy Rossi and her brother Mike Ames. Nancy and Mike are working on a new film called Now We’re Cooking!, a documentary that will inspire and connect people to cook their meals at home with healthy, whole foods.  For more information on the film and how you can become a part of their initiative, visit the Now We’re Cooking! – The Movie Facebook Page.

This year on Food Day, participate in Cook-in’ for a Cause, a virtual dinner that encourages everyone to host a healthy, homemade dinner for their family or friends.  To participate in Cook-in’ for a cause, all you have to do is follow at least one of Food Day’s guidelines: 

Food Day Principles

1.            Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods

2.            Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness

3.            Expand access to food and alleviate hunger

4.            Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms

5.            Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids

6.            Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

Make sure you share your photos from your meal on Cook-in’ for a Causes’ Facebook page so everyone can see the delicious dishes that you come up with! 

What do you have planned for Food Day? For some great ideas, contact me at rachel@livehealthy.com

Live Healthy NYC: Healthy Autumn Eating

Live Healthy NYC: Healthy Autumn Eating: It’s hard to tell that it is Fall outside! The temperatures have been totally erratic and at times it still feels like summer (jus...

Healthy Autumn Eating

It’s hard to tell that it is Fall outside! The temperatures have been totally erratic and at times it still feels like summer (just last week we were swimming in the warm ocean water in Bridgehampton!). 

But, it’s not still summer, and yes, the leaves really are starting to change color and the temperatures are beginning to cool down. When I stop at the farmers markets (both at the beach and around town here in the city), the fall crops are plentiful with wonderful fruits and vegetables. I can’t help but want to cook up some great breakfast breads, porridges made either from quinoa or oats, fall veggie stews, crisp salads, and sweet apple crisps or pumpkin pie.

Some of the great fall veggies are: belgian endive, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, pumpkin, spinach, beets and swiss chard.

Some of the great fall fruits are: apples, pears, pomegranates, clementines, cranberries, grapefruit, and figs.

It was just this year that I discovered the wonderful sweet, subtle and crunch taste of fresh and dried figs. I had only tasted the classic “fig newton” cookie and didn’t really think too much of it. Did you know that although dried figs are available throughout the year, there is nothing like the unique taste and texture of fresh figs. Figs are a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps to control blood pressure. While so many people consume a diet that is high in salt, and do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, it has been shown that consuming potassium rich foods (ie:figs) can lower blood pressure.

Figs are also a good source of dietary fiber. This has a positive effect on weight management. Figs are also a good source of calcium.

There are so many different ways to eat figs. They can be served as an appetizer wrapped in prosciutto and stuffed with goat cheese, as a glaze with roasted turkey or pork, in a salad, or a delicious fig bran muffin.

Any way you eat it, it’s a wonderful healthy source of vitamins and nutrients and a sweet fall treat!

Roasted Figs with Baby Greens and Honey Vinaigrette

You will need:

Small fresh black mission figs, stemmed

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

3 tbsp orange blossom honey

1 tbsp warm water

½ lemon, juiced

baby mixed greens

handful of fresh herbs (parsley, basil, and chives all freshly chopped)

Gorgonzola cheese, cut in big chunks

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Cut a small x in the top of the fig and squeeze it gently to crown it slightly. Put the figs on a baking sheet pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until the figs are soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes.

Put the mixed greens and herbs in a bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil and toss gently.

In a small bowl, combine the honey, warm water and lemon juice and whisk to combine.

To serve, divide the greens, mound the chunks of cheese on the side of each plate and place some figs on the center of the salad. Drizzle the whole plate with the warm honey vinaigrette.

For more healthy ideas contact me at rachel@livehealthynyc.com

Live Healthy NYC: Stop by for a fun afternoon!

Live Healthy NYC: Stop by for a fun afternoon!: MODEL CONTEST me.n.u 1042 Lexington Ave, NYC Between 74th and 75th Street October 13 th , 2011 3-7 PM Featuring Kelly Gerber Je...

Stop by for a fun afternoon!

   MODEL CONTEST

me.n.u

1042 Lexington Ave, NYC

Between 74th and 75th Street

    October 13^th, 2011

3-7 PM

Featuring

Kelly Gerber Jewelry

me.n.u Fall Collection

Professional photographer

For Model Search

Rachel Graham Live Healthy NYC

Pink Cocktails & Treats

With a purchase enter contest

 WINNER will be the next me.n.u model

 * A portion of the proceeds will benefit breast cancer research

For more information

Contact 646-370-644

Live Healthy NYC: Food Wars-No More!

Live Healthy NYC: Food Wars-No More!: Good nutrition is important, for both adults and kids alike. We all need vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and fat to mainta...

Food Wars-No More!

Good nutrition is important, for both adults and kids alike. We all need vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and fat to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

As any parent knows, parenting is a tough job! And, feeding your child healthy, delicious, and nutritious meals can make the day harder and even more challenging!

How many times have you gone the extra mile to make dinner, something other than tacos, chicken fingers, mac n’ cheese, or spaghetti with tomatoe sauce, - I’m talking about what you think is a gourmet, 5 star Michelin meal that you prepared from scratch, like roasted chicken, sautéed kale and spinach and mashed sweet potatoes, only to be said by your youngster- “ick”, “I’m not gonna eat that!” or “I’m not hungry, the snacks filled me up”! And, you want to throw in the towel!!! It’s happened many times!

I recently came across a few “rules” that will help you optimize your child’s eating habits.

#1) Model how you want your child to eat-

Eat lots of fruits and veggies

Limit junk food 

#2) Eat a variety of food

Variety is the spice of life. Studies have shown that kids who are exposed to a variety of flavors/textures/colors of foods have more mature palate.

#3) Don’t push your child to eat what he/she doesn’t want

Recognize that it’s not about how much they eat, rather it’s about the quality of the food that goes in their mouth. Trust your child’s appetite.

Bribing, threatening or rewarding with dessert or a new toy does not help your child like healthy food. It’s not beneficial in the long run!

#4) Do not give up!

Keep buying, preparing new foods. Up to 15 exposures may be necessary to get your child to taste a new food. Keep enjoying it yourself, in front of them, and eventually, they may say it’s their favorite! My family despised avocado (it’s among my favorite!) and all of a sudden, my kids were ordering a california roll with avocado! 

#5) Keep it fun!

Kids love to go to the market and help in the kitchen! Encourage them to take part in the preparation of the meal. Serve plain fruits and veggies with fun dips.

#6) Do not overwhelm kids

It’s a good idea to keep the portions small, especially if you are trying something new! Serve the new food next to their familiar, “can’t get enough” of food.

Children can be intimidated by a huge pile of something they’ve never had, especially if they think your up to something and want them to try something that’s good for them!

And, lastly, smaller portions look more manageable and it’s ok to leave them wanting to ask for more!

#7) Enjoy!

Meal times are not about putting your child infront of the tv and going about your business. They aren’t entirely about nutrition. They are more about engaging with each other, the social interaction that comes with eating together. It is true that children who feel comfortable and secure at a dinner table, are more likely to have better appetites and are more likely to try and enjoy new foods.