This Mama Cooks! On a Diet

Help raise money for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund

I have a dear blog friend, Shannon, who is fighting ovarian cancer along with a myriad of other health issues. I’ve already donated money to the American Cancer Society by purchasing a luminaria in her name at my community’s Relay for Life event. (I also bought ones for my mom, who was diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and our friend Mike who also has neck and head cancer.)

So when I saw that Kelly Ripa and Electrolux are teaming up raise money for  the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund (OCRF) this summer, I was all over it. Read my post Create a virtual lemonade stand at Electrolux.com and raise money for the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund to learn more.

Got milk and avocadoes? Then make an Avocado-Mango Smoothie

Did you know that kids don’t drink enough milk to prevent fractures? That nine out of 10 teenage girls fail to get enough of the calcium they need? And 50% of women over 50 suffer from osteoporosis?

That’s why it’s so important to get your entire family to drink milk and eat dairy products like yogurt. You can learn more about osteoporosis prevention in my post at This Mama Cooks! Reviews, Got milk this summer?

Smoothie recipes

Looking over the whymilk.com website, I noticed several delicious smoothie recipes including this one using avocado. Did you know avocadoes contain:

81 micrograms of the carotenoid lutein, which some studies suggest may help maintain healthy eyes

nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds that can contribute to the nutrient quality of your diet

76 milligrams beta-sitosterol, which a natural plant sterol which may help maintain healthy cholesterol levels

Plus they’re delicious! (For more on avocadoes, check out avocado.org.)

More American Heart Month activities with Go Red for Women

Did you know that:

• Cardiovascular disease kills approximately 450,000 women each year, which is about one every minute.
• More women die of cardiovascular disease than the next five causes of death combined, including all forms of cancer.
• Sixty-four percent of women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease have no previous symptoms.

That’s why the American Heart Association started Go Red For Women® to
educate and connects millions of women of all ages. With one out of three women still dying from heart disease, we continue to fight this No. 1 killer by helping women turn simple choices into life-saving actions. Whether it’s eating healthier, exercising more, reducing our cholesterol, or quitting smoking, Go Red helps women make these choices for themselves and each other.

Research shows that 96 percent of women who “Go Red” have made at least one
choice to improve their heart health. For example:

• More than 40 percent have lost weight.
• More than half have increased their exercise.
• Six out of ten have changed their diets.
• 53 percent have checked their cholesterol levels.
• One third have investigated their family’s history of heart disease or talked to their doctor about their personal heart risks.

Celebrate American Heart Month with The Heart Truth

Last Friday was National Wear Red Day where millions of people wore red to help spread the critical message that "Heart Disease Doesn't Care What You Wear–It's the #1 Killer of Women." Even if you forgot to wear red, there’s still many ways to get the word out about The Heart Truth. Here’s how:

Red Dress Collection 2009

On February 13, 2009, The Heart Truth will bring the Red Dress to life once again on the runway at New York Fashion Week with the debut of the Red Dress Collection 2009. This spectacular event reminds women of the need to protect their heart health and inspires them to take action. For the first time ever, a selection of the designer dresses seen on the runway will be auctioned online in February through a partnership with Clothes Off Our Back.

Kids need healthy food - support the Child Nutrition Act

As a founder of a Colorado charter school, I know that parents are very frustrated with what’s served at school for lunch and snacks. That’s why I’ve tried to come up with healthy school lunch recipes on my blog, My Readable Feast. At least your child can bring their own healthy meals to school.

Still parents want healthier choices – less fat, sugar and salt, less processed junk food, and more organic and locally grown produce – for their child’s hot lunch. It’s a chore to pack a nutritious lunch every day, especially when your child doesn’t have access to a microwave or refrigerator. And parents know that kids who eat better perform better academically and socially.

The Child Nutrition Act – a major piece of federal legislation that helps determine school food policy and resources – will go before Congress in 2009. This offers the opportunity to create a future for school food in which fresh, healthy meals are the norm and all children have access to the type of comprehensive nutrition education that creates healthy habits for a lifetime.

Want to change the future of school food and make fresh, healthy meals the norm? Sign the petition from Healthy Schools Campaign. After all, if you’re eating better as a family at home, shouldn’t your child have the same ability at school?

Stay healthy on a budget

Staying Healthy on a Budget

Here’s some great tips on saving money while getting healthy:

• Brandi shares with us a great article on 10 Ways to Diet on a Budget.
• Susan helps the parents among us learn how to talk to our kids about a tight budget.
• Jacqueline offers us the Secrets of Budgeting for Health Care. 
• Brett shares some great tips on getting more protein for your dollar.
• Vanessa tells the Celiac’s among us how to eat Gluten-Free on a Budget.
• Rita shares her tips on how to have a budget friendly Christmas. 

Great stuff!

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How yoga keeps me balanced: a guest post by Linda C. Wisniewski

As part of her WOW! Women on Writing Blog Tour, book author, Linda C. Wisniewski has written a guest post on yoga and meditation for This Mama Cooks! Linda writes for the Bucks County Herald and teaches memoir classes for Bucks County Community College. She is regional representative of the International Women's Writing Guild and a board member of the Story Circle Network. Linda is a contributing editor for the Story Circle Journal and is co-editor of Story Circle Book Reviews, as well.

Her book is Off Kilter: A Woman's Journey to Peace with Scoliosis, Her Mother, and Her Polish Heritage. Born to a cruel father and a long-suffering mother in the insulated Polish Catholic community of upstate New York, Linda learned martyrdom as a way of life. Off Kilter shows her learning to stretch her Self as well as her spine as she comes to terms with her mentally deteriorating, widowed mother, her culture and her physical deformity.

I’m honored to have been chosen to spotlight her work on my blog, and know you’ll be delighted, too.

Anthocyanins, R.W. Knudsen's Just Juice, and a recipe for black currant jelly

Black currant is leading source of antioxidants in many countries, especially Europe. According to the UK-based Blackcurrant Foundation, black currants are full of health promoting antioxidants called anthocyanins, which are also found in blueberries and black elderberry. Anthocyanins give black currants their distinctive dark color - the darker the berries, the more anthocyanins it contains. Black currants are also especially rich in Vitamin C. They claim black currents can help prevent joint inflammation, eyestrain and urinary infections.

Black currant is also called European black currant or Ribes nigrum and should not be confused with black elderberry (American elder, Sambucus canadensis) However, both berries have similar health benefits. Black elderberry contains nearly five times the level of anthocyanins of blueberry and acai berry, and twice the level of cranberry. I’ve been taking Natures Way Sambucol Syrup at the first signs of a cold. My dad introduced me to it, and I’ve been a firm believer in it ever since even if it does taste awful.

R.W. Knudsen’s Just Juices

The folks at the R.W. Knudsen Family sent me a couple bottles of their Just Black Currant juice to try. (There is also Just Black Cherry, Just Blueberry, Just Cranberry, Just Pomegranate, Organic Just Concord Grape, and Organic Just Tart Cherry. Wow!)

You do NOT want to drink this straight. It is way too tart, so I mixed it with an equal amount of 100% apple juice. Not bad. This would be a good substitute for a glass of wine for your non-drinking friends or any pregnant ladies at the Thanksgiving or holiday table. The apple/black currant mixture is not sweet like grape juice, but tastes like real wine.

Knudsen also sent me a recipe for Black Currant Jelly. By using their juice, you can make jelly in less than an hour and don’t have to deal with the mess whole berries can make.

Making black currant jelly is also a great idea for the holidays. It’s a much healthier gift than cookies, and you can get the whole family involved in making presents for neighbors, teachers, friends and family.

(Check out the Knudsen website for more recipes and coupons.)

5 ways to trick, treat and have a healthy Halloween

Halloween is traditionally the biggest candy holiday. Did you know that 30% of kids report that they sort their candy first when returning home with trick-or-treat loot? Only 20% of kids savor it, while 16% share it, 14% stash it, and 7% swamp it.

Chocolate is kids’ favorite Halloween treat, followed by lollipops, gummy candy, and chewing gum. I’m glad to know that because I’m planning to get a bag of mini Hersey bars and some lollipops for the neighborhood ghouls. More than 93% of children go trick-or-treating each year, so I better get to the store soon!

These are just some of the findings from the National Confectioners Association (NCA) survey showing that since 2005, candy manufacturers have continued to expand their product lines to meet consumer demand for more "better for you" options for trick-or-treaters. One example is sugar-free product releases increased 51% from 2006 to 2007.

But like all treats, it’s all about moderation. Here are some tips on how to keep Halloween healthy for both kids and adults.

Let the kids eat bugs! Lifeway Organic Probug that is – probiotics for children

Lifeway Probugs™ is a new line of organic whole milk kefir that will appeal to kids with its fun packaging and yummy flavors. Probugs have 10 live and active cultures to help kids’ tummies and immune system stay healthy. They also are high in protein and calcium, with added inulin for optimum calcium absorption. (See the Lifeway website for Probugs nutritional information.)

The drinks come in packaging that is easy to grip even by the littlest hands. Probugs don’t spill, and can be resealed for later use. They’re very portable, which makes them a great healthy on the go snack, too.

What’s all the fuss about probiotics?

Probiotics have been found to be helpful for people with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) but not eczema. Studies have shown that using probiotics can help treat gastrointestinal problems, delay kids from developing allergies, and treat or prevent vaginal and urinary infections in women, according to the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide.

As you probably know if you stroll by the yogurt aisle once in awhile, probiotic drinks are a big trend. Dannon, Yoplait, and Lifeway all have probiotic products and even my local milk supplier, Diamond D Dairy, has produced their own called Yoforia.