Before and After Resolutions for the New Year

This weeks’ blogging was mostly about the upcoming holiday tonight.  Maybe some of these will help us?  With thoughts of excessive partying and eating tonight and resolutions for tomorrow we all have a lot on our minds…

Let’s start with the excessive partying tonight (always a fun place to start).  I have to admit, I don't have these ingredients in my house, so if your planning to indulge you may want to prepare:

New Year's Eve: Top Chef Masters share hangover cures http://ow.ly/3uUYs

I like Chef Domenica.  She gives us some good solid rules to think about…

Chef Domenica: The Resolution Before the Resolution http://dlvr.it/CGQsF

Have you made your resolutions yet?  Here are some common, but reasonable ones to work on:

Top ten healthy new year’s resolutions: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20452233,00.html

And finally, after all of your endulging, here is some great advice to help you begin a better life tomorrow:

Everyday Fitness: Here’s How to Regroup after Holiday Overeating http://dlvr.it/CGDWq

Have a great New  Year everyone.  May you all be healthy and happy.


For more health and fitness tips you may visit our website or follow us on Facebook.

Exercise to Prevent a Cold; Exercise Caution With A Cold

Welcome to cold season.   Are you prepared?  Sure, you take your vitamins every day, but what else are you doing to prevent getting a cold?

More and more studies are beginning to show the link between moderate exercise and fewer colds.  We already know that exercise helps ward off heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer.  Regular exercise improves your overall fitness, but it seems to be able to jump start the immune system by fighting off colds and flu.

The American Journal of Medicine reported that in one study women who walked for 30 minutes every day for one year had half the number of colds as women who did not walk.  In another 12 – 15 week study woman who walked 35 – 45 minutes a day five days a week experienced about half the days sick as the control group that was not walking. It is now believed exercise is a key factor in prevention of colds.

But if you get a cold, should you still exercise?  There appear to be a great deal of debate on this topic, but little official testing.  The general rule of thumb appears to be moderate exercise with a cold is safe for most people, maybe even helpful.  But be careful that what you are experiencing is a cold and not the flu.  And always listen to what your body is telling you.

Consider exercising with a cold if:

• You are fever and flu free
• You have a lot of energy
• Your symptoms are mild
• You are not feeling dehydrated

Exercise does not appear to lengthen your cold and it will not shorten or reduce the length of your cold.  It could, however, possibly break up your congestion temporarily. 

There is an old belief that you can sweat out a cold but that is not actually true.  The best way to get over a cold is to build your immune system back up.  Sometimes exercise can help, but so can resting and staying hydrated. 

If you are taking a decongestant while exercising it could cause your heart rate to pump harder and you may become short of breath or have difficulty breathing.  Listen to your body.

If you have asthma and get a cold your breathing could be compromised.  You will have an increased risk of coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.  You may need more medication than usual which may cause your heart rate to increase.  Listen to your body.

Consider skipping exercise with a cold if:

• You have a fever
• You feel weak and lack energy
• You are feeling dehydrated
• Congestion is below the neck
• You have flu symptoms, such as vomiting, fever, rash or diarrhea
• You have pre existing conditions, such as heart disease or asthma

Testing has shown that hard training athletes tend to choose continuing exercise when they have a cold.  They will not give up a chance to train.  They tend to train at their normal intensity and not give their body the rest needed afterward making it harder for their systems to fighter immunities such as colds and flu.  High performance athletes traditionally push their physical limits and actually end up with an increased number of respiratory tract infections.

Moderate exercisers will be more hesitant to train with a cold.  They will usually lower the intensity of their workout.  Unfortunately for some people a cold can be an excuse that leads to the “beginning of the end”.  They may slowly allow themselves to back off of their workout program altogether. 

Gym etiquette should be followed at all times but even more so when you have a cold.  It is important not to spread your germs all over the gym. 

Watch your etiquette:

• Wash your hands before and after your work out
• Wipe off any equipment you use
• Throw any facial tissue you use in the trash
• Cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough.  Cough into a tissue or your shoulder, never your hands.

If you are exercising with a cold and experience sudden chest pain, tightness or pressure it may be time to call your physician.  It is up to you to follow your body’s signs and react before anything becomes serious.  If you have excessive shortness of breath or dizziness stop what you are doing immediately.  If you are coughing and wheezing it is a sign that it is time to stop.  You must be flexible with your exercise routine and adjust it to your needs at any given moment.

Listen to your body.  Boost your immune system with moderate exercise, and then give it time to recuperate with rest and hydration.  Your body will thank you for it.

For more health and fitness tips fan us on Facebook or read tips on our website.

Health and Fitness Tips for the Holidays

Here is a wrap up of tips for the holidays:

Daphne Oz has a blog called The Dorm Diet.  Her post encourages college students to enjoy going home and to remember to stay in shape for the holidays.  She encourages others to enjoy their food, enjoy their bed, and prepare for those big meals so they can be enjoyed also.  Great advice for everyone!  And Daphne, your advice brings back memories...

https://app.e2ma.net/app/view:CampaignPublic/id:40172.8897100816/rid:f43d832b3dfe8a88b6844c6a361ce481

Research show that drinking in moderation can be good for your health, but holiday binge drinking is not.

http://healthland.time.com/2010/12/20/even-small-amounts-of-holiday-drinking-boosts-cancer-risk/

Travelling for the holiday?  Here are some tips to keep the family healthy during travel:

http://blogs.webmd.com/health-ehome/2010/12/healthy-holiday-travel-checklist.html?ecd=soc_twitter_webmd_blogs_http://feeds.feedburner.com/

Wine is a great gift for someone on your “OMG, I don’t know what to get and the holiday is tomorrow list”.  Here are 10 Great holiday wines under $15

http://huff.to/ftGwHv

Office Gossip

Hey, did you hear about Lauren?  It’s office gossip time!  Meet me over by the water cooler in five minutes…  Later, sipping water, in a soft whisper…

Ok, this is not an actual scene, but it is a true story about Lauren, our office administrator.  Do you know her?  She’s quite pretty (and blushing right now),   but for some reason she wanted to lose some weight for her Halloween costume.  She decided to try the Isagenix weight loss plan, and… well… you should see her now!

Lauren bought a 9 day accelerated weight loss program, but she found that it lasted her 15 days.  She stuck with it for the full fifteen days, and lost 15 pounds in 15 days.  All I could say was…WOW.   According to Lauren, it wasn’t that hard to stick to the diet, but it was hard to give up the coffee.  Seems like a small price to pay to lose 15 pounds in 15 days.

I am just a little jealous of Lauren’s success.  I guess it’s time for me to investigate this accelerated weight loss program.  On the Valley Boot Camp website it says:

Accelerate healthy weight loss!

Get weight loss and cleansing off to a fast start with the 9-day supply of the Cleansing and Fat Burning System. Seven pounds is the average weight loss for people using the Cleanse and Fat Burning System for nine days.* The five nutritional components of the system help you cleanse while infusing your body with premium nutrients for optimum health and safe weight loss. Stimulant free*.

You may experience

• Greater energy
• Weight loss boost
• Improved muscle tone
• Balanced digestion
• Reduced cravings

Lauren apparently did better than average.  Way to go Lauren!  Intrigued and need to find out more about this program?  There is more info on the Valley Boot camp website (http://valleybootcamp.isagenix.com/us/en/nineday.dhtml).  Check it out and let me know what you think.  Or give Lauren a call at the Valley Boot Camp office.  She can tell you how easy it was for her to lose 15 pounds in 15 days. 

PS.  Lauren just agreed to post her story on our website.  You can read about it here: http://www.valleybootcamp.com/lauren.php

For more information about health and fitness tips check out our website or become a fan on Facebook.

Holiday stories- week in review

The holidays are coming… The holidays are coming.  Perhaps a wrap up of holiday stories this week is a little premature.  After all, Christmas is more than one week away; what will next week’s wrap up include?  I don’t know.  But  this week holiday stories seemed to be everywhere.

Just a simple recipe turns into a holiday suggestion:  

http://blogs.webmd.com/healthy-recipe-doctor/2010/12/last-minute-holiday-appetizer.html?ecd=soc_twitter_webmd_blogs_http://feeds.feedb

Holiday drinks selections get really stretched to cover the holiday theme.  I mean really, fruitcake flavored cocktails?

http://www.thedailymeal.com/liquid-fruitcake-12-fruitcake-flavored-cocktails

22 Holiday Gift Collection to make/bake.  Recipes always seem good to repeat.

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-holiday-baking-pictures,0,998505.photogallery

Get some sunshine.  Be happy.  Try to Avoid Stress, and get your D’s. The need for D’s—how much vitamin D do we really need and what is the best way to get it.

http://blogs.webmd.com/pamela-peeke-md/2010/12/vitamin-d-licious-new-news-you-need-to-know.html?ecd=soc_twitter_webmd_blogs_http://feeds.feedburner.com/EverydayFitness

Which leads to the final reminder.  If anyone you know suffers from depression remember that this time of year can be extra difficult.  Try to get help or be extra sensitive to others that may have this issue.

Stress And the Holidays

Tis the season to be…. Stressful?  Sure, we don’t plan on stress, but it seems to happen anyway.  There is so much built in pressure with the holiday season.  Extra shopping, cleaning, and cooking that add to the responsibilities  of our already chaotic lives.

Stress is an emotional and physical response to the pressures from the outside world.  We all experience stress on a daily basis.  In small quantities stress can be good.  It can motivate you and help you become productive, however,  too much stress can be harmful.  The interesting thing about stress is that it can be managed- even during the holiday season.  You can handle your holiday stress better once you understand and believe that you are in charge and that you can control it.

The easiest way to control your stress is to identify the stressor and then alter it so that it is not so stressful.  If your stress is cooking a big family dinner, you might alter your menu and include more precooked meals.  Or if cleaning is an issue, you might allow your company in fewer rooms so that you have less cleaning to do.  Or, you might require others to help you with the cleaning. 

Here are some simple tips to help you AVOID stress:

Learn to say no.  Too many times we accept things that we know in advance are going to cause stress.  Sometimes it is ok not to have everyone over for dinner.

Accept that you can’t do everything.  Sometimes it is ok to ask for help, or to just not do it.  If you are having everyone over for dinner you don’t have to use your special serving pieces that need to be dug out of the basement.  They might not even care if you served on some nice paper plates. 

People can be stressors.  You may not be able to avoid your in-laws, but you don’t have to sit next to them at the dinner table.  Try to avoid people that stress you out.

Knowing that you are taking control and changing your stressors will give you a sense of accomplishment.  You will feel better as soon as you take control.

Of course, many stressors are things that we can’t change. For these stressors it is good to know and understand some stress relievers.  Some tried and true relievers are

• Exercise-Stretching, walking, breathing exercise
• Relax- Light or aromatherapy, get a massage, take a long bath, listen to music, read a good book
• Meditation, Relaxation Techniques, or Self Hypnosis
• Release- Crying can help relieve stress!

Living a healthier life in general will combat stress.  Eat a healthy diet, avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs, get enough sleep, reduce caffeine and sugar, and exercise regularly.  Studies show that exercising 30 minutes a day three times a week is enough time to have an effect on your stress relief.

Here are some great stretching that helps relieve stress http://www.active.com/women/Articles/Stress_Busters.htm

According to the Mayo Clinic, one way to take control of the stress in your life is through physical activity. Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise-and-stress/SR00036 .  A 30 minute high energy aerobic class will do wonders during this stressful season!

Good Luck and Best Wishes for a Stress Free Holiday Season.  If you would like more information on health and nutrition you can read our tips at www.valleybootcamp.com, or you can friend us on Facebook.

Tips for a 15 minute workout

The Fast Workout

Only have a few minutes to exercise?  Does a 30 minute workout sound like it would throw off your whole day?  Life is busy.  Don’t sweat it. Ooops, I mean, go ahead and sweat it, just sweat it faster.

What is the best way to jump into a routine if you only have a few minutes?  Today’s busy lifestyle is pushing many people to consider the importance of fat burning over calorie burning.  To lose weight you will need to consider both but fat burn will help you lose your weight faster. 

Only have fifteen minutes to pump it up?  

Even a 15 minutes workout needs a warm up.   A three minute warm up will make your muscles more pliable and increase your range of motion.  So not only will you help prevent injury, but you will end up using more muscle fibers and have a better workout.

Don’t save your energy to the end of your workout.  Make every minute count!  Workout as intense as you can every moment that you can. 

Some great fat burning activities great for fast workouts:

Running- 5 mph- burns 144 calories

Inline Skating- moderate- burns 86 calories

Jumping Rope- burns 171 calories

Aerobic Dancing- burns 101 calories

Walking upstairs- burns 137 calories

Stair Stepper- burns 119 calories

Bicycle 14- 16 mph- burns 180 calories

They have a fairly wide range of calories burned, so what do you think they have in common?  These exercise all good fat burning exercises.  They use multiple muscle groups and will get your heart rate pumping. 

Some great fat burning gym exercises great for fast workouts:

Going to the gym for your fifteen minutes of pain, ummm, I mean exercise? 

For a fast gym workout start thinking like this:

Squats are good- Squats plus overhead presses are better

Pushups are good- Pushups with squat thrusts are better

The more muscle groups you us e the better.  The less time in between each set the better.

Ok, so you get the idea.  Now continue thinking out of the box with this.  Say you really want to do your bicep curls and tricep curls today.  They aren’t big fat burners or calorie burners, but you scheduled them in your mind would feel guilty skipping your curls.  Not to worry, you can still do them.  Do some cardio first and get your heart pumping, and then do your curls.  Your routine might look something like this:

2 minute run

20 bicep curls

2 minute run

20 tricep curls

2 minute run

20 bicep curls, etc.

Try to take only a 30 second break in between sets. 

Of course, you will burn more fat the faster you run or the heavier the weights you use.

Breathe slightly deeper and use more lung capacity for more effective fat burning.  (This doesn’t mean hold your breath.  Never hold your breath while exercising!)

If you have truly worked hard during your 15 minutes you should feel tired.  For really great results, try getting another fifteen minutes in later in the day!


For more great tips on exercise and nutrition check out our website or add your photo to our Facebook Fan Page.

Week In Review

Here is a wrap up of some health and nutrition articles circulating on the web this week.  

10 Ways to Walk off Fat Faster-

http://www.health.com/health/gallery/1,,20432121,00.html

Really, now we have to hide the nutmeg? 

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/large-doses-nutmeg-hallucinogenic-high/story?id=12347815&tqkw=&tqshow=WN

What to eat before a date.  Do we really need to eat before a date?

http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/nutrition-101/what-to-eat-before-a-date


And some yummy pasta recipes just in time for holiday company
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/pass-the-pasta/?src=twt&twt=nytimeswell


For more fitness and nutrition tips visit our website or join our facebook community.  

10 Tips For Fitness Success

Changing your lifestyle to achieve better fitness is a conscious choice. Getting fit may not be easy but you will feel better, look better, and probably be happier.  What do people that have made the transformation know that you don't?  Here are some tips to make your fitness goals a little easier.

1.  IDENTIFY YOUR WHY
You are the only one who knows WHY you want you want to make fitness changes.  Without knowing your WHY, you will just be going through the motions and that usually doesn’t work out well.  Ask yourself:

• Am I unhappy with the way I look?
• Am I unhappy with the way I feel?
• Do I want more energy?
• Do I want more stamina?
• Do I want to fit into a certain size or piece of clothing?
• Do I want more confidence?
• Why do I want this?

Without knowing your WHY, you cannot develop a plan.

2.  DEVELOP A PLAN
In order to achieve true fitness you will need to balance both exercise and fitness.  (http://valleybootcamp.blogspot.com/2010/10/balancing-act-of-food-and-exercise.html).  Depending on your "WHY" you may need to work more on one then the other until you even things out.   For example, if your goal is to gain strength and you are happy with your weight you may decide to spend more time strength building while you continue to eat a healthy diet.  In fact, as you build strength and muscles,  you may find that you need to eat more to remain at your current weight.  Conversely, if you are strong but wish to lose weight, you may decide to accomplish this goal through a healthier nutrition program.  Keep in mind that you will still want to exercise since that will help you burn those calories faster.  Either way, you need to make sure you always have enough fuel for your activity.  Ask advise from an expert or trusted friend if you are unsure of the right thing to do.

Once you have an idea what you want to work on, you need to commit to putting your plan into action.

3.   COMMIT TO SUCCEED
Hold yourself accountable any way that you can.

• Join a group.  Groups make it easier for you to be accountable because other people are watching.  People will know if you aren't doing what you are supposed to.  Maybe you enjoy the competition of others.  If it helps you with your commitment, go for it!  
• Write it down.  Most people succeed better when they write it down. Buy a special pen and notebook and make time to reflect.  Carry the notebook with you so that you can write things as they happen, or set aside a certain time of the day that you will always sit down to write.  Make sure you set yourself up to succeed.
• Find someone to commit with you. If your doctor said you couldn't eat the day before a test, you wouldn’t eat.  You know that your doctor would know that you ate, so you don't eat.  A friend, just like a doctor, can help you stick to your goal. You and your buddy should be able to help each other stay on track.
• Are you competitive?  Sparking a friendly competition will help make things more fun for some people.  Consider picking a friend that is a good match for you—maybe someone who likes the same sports as you or someone who as the same time free during the day to work on your goals.
• Set up a schedule.  Promise yourself that you will exercise daily before work or promise yourself that you will go healthy food shopping every other day so that your food will always be fresh.  Choose your plan and make it work.
• Visualize your goal. http://valleybootcamp.blogspot.com/2010/11/visualize-your-goal.html.  If you can picture yourself succeeding you can believe it will happen. 

Now that you have committed to your goal, accept that it will take small steps to succeed.

4.  TAKE BABY STEPS
Changing behavior is hard.  It would not be realistic to expect a sugar lover to stop eating sugar and not have food cravings.  A couch potato cannot stand up and run a marathon.  Start easy.  Pick one habit at a time to focus on.  Here are some suggestions that might help with your fitness goals:

• Save dessert for weekends.
• Drink 16 ounces of water before each meal.  In a study of dieters, those who started each meal with a tall glass of water dropped about 4.5 pounds more over 12 weeks compared to dieters who skipped the water.  They also lost the weight about 44 percent faster.
• Don’t eat in front of the tv or on the phone.
• Use a smaller plate when you eat.
• Exercise daily.
• Park your car further from your destination.
• Ride your bicycle to work.
• Increase your exercise each time you work out.  If you ran 15 minutes yesterday, run 16 minutes tomorrow.

You get the idea. Make small changes, and keep going.  Week one park your car further than your destination, week two continue parking your car further and further, and drink 16 ounces of water before each meal.  The third week, pick another behavior to change.  Not every behavior can change easily.  You may need to postpone one and try another. On a week when your mind is more focused you may be able to succeed with a behavior that you once struggled with.

Soon after taking baby steps you will learn to run.

5.  BORN TO RUN
We were not meant to be stationary people.  We were hunters and gatherers that slowly became computer oriented, tv watching non active beings.  Mark Sisson, author of “The Primal Blueprint” (http://www.marksdailyapple.com) compares healthy lifestyles to that of primal man.  Get up off the couch and move.  Here are some things to try that will burn the fat:

• Resistance training.  Weight training is not only beneficial to the targeted muscle groups, but over time will also increase your metabolism.  This means you will be able to burn more calories at rest and spend less and less time doing cardio.  Maintaining a healthy weight is a lot easier than losing weight.
• High intensity interval cardio workouts.  Doing bursts of high intensity exercise will boost blood flow and oxygen levels.  It also helps to build speed, stamina, and speeds up the weight loss process.  Interval training will give you a higher caloric burn during your workout, making fat burn at a faster rate.
• Fitness training variety.  To avoid hitting a plateau and having stale workouts, change up your training program every 4 – 6 weeks.  This will give your body new training stimulus and make it more challenging for your body to adapt to a new routine.  Not only will you burn more calories because your body has not yet become efficient at performing the exercises, but it will keep your workouts fresh and exciting.

6.  CATCH ALL OF YOUR ZZZZZZ’S
Consistent bedtimes and sleep duration is the best way to optimize sleeping patterns. Inconsistent bedtimes or awakenings will result in partial sleep deprivation can affect mental and physical performance on the following day.

Most people have days when they feel sleepy and lethargic. Others suffer from extreme fatigue on an everyday basis. Are you overtired? You can take this quick quiz to see if you are getting enough sleep http://www.fitnessonline.com/tools/sleep/, but you probably know the answer already by the way that you feel.

The importance of sleep is getting more and more publicity these days.  In an article by Colette Bouchez on http://www.webmd.com research shows that those who sleep less weigh more (http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/lose-weight-while-sleeping.)  While doctors have long known that many hormones are affected by sleep, David Rapoport, MD, associate professor and director of the Sleep Medicine Program at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City, says it wasn't until recently that appetite entered the picture. What brought it into focus, he says, was research on the hormones leptin and ghrelin. Doctors say that both can influence our appetite.

7.  DRINK, DRINK, DRINK YOUR WATER
Your body is between 60 -70% water.  Water helps regulate body temperature, assists in getting vital nutrients to your cells, transports oxygen, protects joints and organs, removes waste, and more.  Staying hydrated is extremely important.  Using water to replace higher calorie drinks such as soda, juice or alcohol can save you hundreds of calories.  It can also serve as an appetite suppressant.  Often when we think we are hungry we are actually just thirsty.

8.  EATING HEALTHIER IS NOT A DIET, IT’S A WAY OF LIFE
“Fitness is not only about exercise.  It’s about changing your lifestyle.  It’s about choosing health over convenience,” said Erik Martin, owner of Valley Boot Camp Fitness in River Vale, NJ.  According to Martin, changing your lifestyle is the true measure of success.   There are several lifestyle changes that can assist in better health and fitness:

• Snack smart.  If you are craving a high calorie sugary food, pair it with a lower calorie healthier choice.  For example, if you need chips, eat them with salsa.
• Soup first.  Eating soup before your meal adds volume and fiber to keep you from overindulging later in the evening.  http://valleybootcamp.blogspot.com/2010/11/soup-slimming-food.html
• Eat 5- 6 smaller meals per day.  Your body needs a continuous stream of energy and nutrients to maintain daily activities.  It is important for your body to become accustomed to a regular eating schedule to keep your metabolism burning energy at a high rate.  This means your body will burn more fat at a faster rate and speed up the weight loss process.  In addition, try to eat your larger meals earlier in the day so your body has time to burn off the calories you are consuming.
• More veggies, please!  Always ask for more vegetables when eating out.  It is a great strategy to get full of vegetables and stay away from bread and other unhealthy foods.
• Eat, don’t drink your calories.  Calories from drinks like juice, soda or alcohol are a lot more fattening than filling. 
• Eat in moderation.  Use a smaller plate.  Only eat half a serving in a restaurant.
• Target good nutrition.  Ensure that your diet is balanced and composed of high quality meats, fruits, vegetables, and other foods is the best way to achieve a healthy lifestyle.  The goal is to create a program that you can maintain. 

Remember, nothing is 100%, so don’t be fanatic about what you eat or how much you exercise.

9.  ALLOW YOURSELF TO CHEAT
Sure you have to remain dedicated to lifestyle changes.  But no one is perfect.  If you “slip” don’t distress.  That could lead to self destruction.  Dust yourself off and start all over again, fast!   Consider the 10% rule.  If you follow your plan 90% of the time, and “slip” 10% of the time you’re doing great!  Reward yourself!

10.  REWARD YOURSELF

Get the dress, jeans, bathing suit… You deserve it!

Be sure to read other tips on our website at www.valleybootcamp.com and Fan us on Facebook

Tricking your family to eat healthy

As a Mom we all do what we can to see that our kids get enough fruits and vegetables, and many times they fight us.  And so, the war begins.  But let’s face it; a young child cannot outwit us sneaky adults.  And so, the deception begins….  We grind up the vegetables and add it to the food so they don’t realize they are eating it.  How many dishes can you make without anyone ever seeing the hidden vegetables?  Yes, we Moms are sneaky…

Can you guess what's in the sauce?

My recipe for pasta has probably changed more than any other dish that I make in an effort to make a healthy meal without resistance.   I first began hiding my vegetables in my pasta sauce.  I knew I could put mushrooms, onions, peppers, and even carrots if I pureed the vegetables enough. 

Soon, the sauce became a meat sauce because you could “hide” so much more in a meat sauce.   But how could I serve them all that red meat?  Not on my watch!  So I began mixing half ground beef with half ground turkey, and they never noticed the change.  I gradually faded out the beef, because who would notice it with all of the wonderful flavors of the vegetables? 

Next was the pasta issue.  I wanted to switch to whole wheat, and of course, the family resisted.  So I did the half and half measure again.  When I mixed the whole wheat pasta with the traditional pasta and served it with the white meat sauce filled with vegetables, they were content.  They never really noticed when the traditional pasta was gone and the whole dish was whole wheat.

There are times when I will substitute the meat with meat substitutes, but no one seems to care anymore.  My children are older and understand the benefits of eating healthy, but I find it a little funny when they ask if there is any meat in the meat sauce. 

What about you? What have you done to help your family eat healthy meals? 

For more health and nutrition tips you can visit our website at Valley Boot Camp or follow us on Facebook.