Sneakin' Veggies to the Rugrats: a mother's guideWritten by Stephanie Olsen
I consider myself a moderately honest person, at times forthright and even true. However, I admit to having conquered new lows in my quest to feed kids nutritionally-balanced meals and wanted to share lies and subterfuges with all and sundry, not only so that your children might heretofore consume dark leafy greens but also that I might spread guilt.The new rule in my house was met with jeers, catcalls and thrown objects, but when I pulled myself together and announced to my daughters that they were to dine, henceforth and forever more, only at kitchen table and never, under any circumstances, in front of TV, they just expressed mild relief that I would still feed them. Being a fair-minded autocrat, I explained reason behind novel law: that we must be aware of what we put into our mouths, and that we should eat only when responding to hunger and not as a thought-less automatic action. I knew my first grader had caught on when she piped up: “Oh, like when you read books at table, mom?”. In an attempt to set an example (we all know that they follow our actions, not our words, boneheads), I now only nosh and read in front closet where, although bag rustlings, page flipping and chip crunching are apparently (from all rude comments overheard) somewhat intrusive, I am out of sight. And it can be quite a struggle in there, let me tell you – trying to balance flashlight, licorice and People magazine is one thing, but getting at Diet Coke in my jacket pocket without spilling! However, I try not to complain too much – it’s just one of those things a mother has to do.
| | Get A Great Workout At Home (Even On A Small Budget)Written by Lynn Bode
Many people think that creating a home workout gym is either too intimidating or too costly. So, often they instead invest their money in a health club membership not realizing that for same amount of money (or even less) they can create a very effective gym right in their own home.For an effective home gym, all that is required is a little bit of planning. Don’t fall into trap of purchasing random fitness equipment because of fancy advertising for latest infomercial fad or great “sale” at your local fitness store. That type of purchasing leads to a house littered with equipment that’s only use is as a clothes hanger or dust collector. This often happens because equipment is either useless, poorly constructed or quickly loses its value because it doesn’t progress with your fitness level. To avoid having a basement filled with expensive dust-collecting equipment, keep these points in mind when making a purchase: 1)What are your fitness goals? 2)How often do you realistically think you will use equipment? 3)What fitness level do you expect to be at in 3, 6, 9 months? 4)Will equipment meet your needs as you get more fit (at 3, 6, and 9-month marks)? 5)Does equipment offer enough variations in use that you can change your workouts frequently to prevent your body from hitting a plateau? 6)Will you enjoy exercises or will you quickly grow bored of them? 7)And, of course how much can you afford? Once you have answered all of above questions then you are ready to make some purchasing decisions. Of course, how much you can afford to spend may dictate what you can actually purchase. Don’t get discouraged. For as little as $100, you can have a very effective total strength training home gym. Even for as little as $35, you can create an effective workout that will tone your entire body. Regardless of what your fitness goals are, there are a plethora of equipment options to consider. For building muscles and/or toning-up you can choose from free weights, selectorized machines, resistance bands, benches and even no-equipment. For cardiovascular improvements (e.g. running, walking, etc), there are even more options. They range from treadmills, to elliptical trainers, to bikes and beyond. So, answering previously mentioned questions is very important. To help make your decision easier, below are several recommendations based on costs and needs, along with benefits of exercise equipment. If you want to create a gym that will provide you with a total body workout (cardio, strength and flexibility) and you have a budget of at least $1000, consider following recommendations: ·Treadmill – The best option for cardiovascular equipment because it can be used for running, walking, and even some leg strength training. Plus, workouts can continually be varied based on speed, incline, even direction. And, it easily progresses as fitness levels improve. ·Full dumbbell set with weights ranging from 5 pounds to 50+ pounds. – Great for light toning, to intermediate strength training to building muscles. Less expensive than selectorized machines and usually provides more flexibility and variety in workouts. ·Fitness Ball – Provides exercise options for toning, strengthening and stretching. ·Resistance Band – Provides another option for strength training. Can alternate use with free weights for a great challenge that will help prevent plateaus. ·Step Bench – Can be used for both cardio workouts and strength training workouts.
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