Family Fun

We recently had Tom's brother's family and his parents over for his mom's birthday celebration and played a fun game of "apples to apples".

Braves Game

We had a fun time at a Braves game recently with my coworkers. It was COLD outside!

Crazy in the Park

We have been taking advantage of the nice spring weather. Spring weather can do crazy things to you!

Building or Blocking?

I got this from a juice plus friend:

FOODS FOR THOUGHT: FOODS THAT BUILD AND FOODS THAT DRAIN THE BRAIN

Some foods help the brain work better, some foods drag down brain performance. Be smart and feed your children foods that will make them smart (and also eat these foods yourself).
BRAIN BUILDERS
• Avocados

• Bananas

• Beef, lean

• Brewer's yeast

• Broccoli

• Brown rice

• Brussel sprouts

• Cantaloupe

• Cheese

• Chicken

• Collard greens

• Eggs

• Flaxseed oil

• Legumes

• Milk

• Oatmeal

• Oranges

• Peanut butter

• Peas

• Potatoes

• Romaine lettuce

• Salmon

• Soybeans

• Spinach

• Tuna

• Turkey

• Wheat germ

• Yogurt

BRAIN DRAINERS:
• Alcohol

• Artificial food colorings

• Artificial sweeteners

• Colas

• Corn syrup

• Frostings

• High-sugar "drinks"

• Hydrogenated fats

• Junk sugars

• Nicotine

• Overeating

• White bread

Go PRO! Protein...that is!

Info from a juice plus friend:

What are the best protein foods?

Perhaps the fairest and most practical way of rating protein foods is to look at the amount of protein in relation to the total calories in a food. The following chart will show you how to get enough protein without overdosing on fat.

Protein, Food Grams of Protein per serving, Percentage of calories as protein:

Fish, tuna (4 oz) 25-30g 83%
Egg white (1) 3.5g 82%
Cottage cheese, nonfat (1/2 c.) 15g 75%
Poultry, breast, no skin (4 oz) 25g 75%
Kidney beans (1/2 cup) 7g 60%
Tofu, firm (3 oz) 13g 45%
Yogurt, plain nonfat (1 cup) 12g 40%
Beef, lean (4 oz) 30g 40%
Egg, whole (1) 6g 33%
Milk, 1% (8 ounces) 8g 32%
Peanut butter (2 tbsp.) 8g 17%
Cereal (1 cup) with 1/2 c. milk 6-8g 17%
Nuts or sunflower seeds (oz.) 7g 16%
Pasta (1 cup) 7g 15%
Whole wheat bread (1 slice) 3g 15%

THE MOST POWERFUL PROTEINS
Some proteins are more powerful than others. What makes one protein more powerful than another is not only whether it contains all the essential amino acids, but how many different amino acids it contains. That's why nutritional scientists use the Protein-Energy Ratio (PER) and Biological Value (BV) ratings of proteins, which measure how well the body utilizes amino acids in a protein. Here's how the main proteins rate (from highest to lowest) by how well they are utilized in the body.

• Whey protein (the lactalbumin extract from dairy proteins found in protein supplements; also the predominant protein in human milk)

• Egg white

• Fish

• Dairy products

• Beef

• Soy

• Legumes (e.g., beans, lentils)

Best carbs for you?

This is info from a juice plus friend:

Eat brain-friendly carbs. The rate at which sugar from a particular food enters brain cells and other cells of the body is called the "glycemic index" (GI) of a particular food. Foods with a high glycemic index stimulate the pancreas to secrete a lot of insulin , which causes the sugar to quickly empty from the blood into the cells; this produces the ups and downs of blood sugar and the roller coaster behavior that goes with them. Foods with a low glycemic index do not push the pancreas to secrete so much insulin, so the blood sugar tends to be steadier. Feeding your child carbohydrate foods with a low glycemic index is one way of helping him control his behavior and performance in school or at play. Foods with the best brain sugars include the following:

o Fruits: grapefruit, apples, cherries, oranges, and grapes have a low glycemic index. Fruits have a lower G.I. than fruit juices, because the fiber in the fruit slows the absorption of the fruit sugar. A whole apple will be more brain-friendly than apple juice; a whole orange better than orange juice. Freshly-made juice containing a lot of pulp is more brain-friendly than filtered juice.
o Cereals and grains: oatmeal and bran have the lowest G.I. Other foods with a favorable G.I. are spaghetti and rice. Corn flakes and sugar-coated cereals have higher G.I.s.
o Vegetables and legumes: Legumes, such as soybeans, kidney beans, chick peas, and lentils have the lowest glycemic index of any food. Potatoes and carrots have a much higher G.I.
o Dairy products: Milk and yogurt have low glycemic indexes, slightly higher than legumes, but lower than fruits. Plain yogurt has a lower glycemic index than yogurt with fruit preserves or added sugar.

10 great breakfasts

This info came from a juice plus friend:

10 BALANCED BREAKFASTS

An ideal, nutritious breakfast contains a balance of complex carbohydrates and protein. Think grains, plus dairy, plus fruits. Examples of balanced breakfasts are:

1. granola cereal, yogurt, a sliced apple
2. scrambled eggs, toast, orange juice
3. veggie omelet, bran muffin, fruit with yogurt
4. whole-grain pancakes or waffles topped with berries and/or yogurt, milk
5. whole-wheat zucchini pancakes topped with fruit, milk
6. french toast topped with fruit, orange juice or milk
7. low-fat cheese melted on toast with a piece of fruit
8. low-fat cream cheese on a whole-grain bagel, orange juice
9. peanut butter and banana slices on an english muffin, milk
10. For a breakfast-on-the-run smoothie, see "School-Ade."

Of course, it's what you eat not what you say that impresses a child most. By treating yourself to a healthy breakfast, you model to your children that eating a healthy breakfast gives the whole family a smart nutritional start.