Have your own quick fix idea? Share it in the comments!

Healthy Rotisserie Chicken Meals:

A rotisserie chicken without the skin (which can contain harmful HCAs in addition to empty calories) can be the base of a quick, healthy meal if you skip the deep fried potatoes and mayonnaise laden ‘salads’. Instead pick up just the chicken and apply one of this quick fixes to turn it into a fast, healthy meal for your family.

1. Chicken Entree Salad: Breeze through the produce section and pick up a bag of pre-washed spinach or other dark salad greens, pre-cut veggies and any other fruit or vegetables your family enjoys. A can of black beans or chickpeas is an easy  way to add volume, protein and fibre. Pick up a whole grain baguette from the bakery section to round out your meal. When you get home, shred the chicken, toss with the other ingredients and top with your favourite oil and vinegar. The variations on this are endless; try carrot slaw and raisins, walnuts and apples, black beans and corn or snap peas and water chestnuts to keep things interesting.
2. Chicken Pita Pizzas: A package of whole grain pita pockets, a can of pizza sauce and some part skim mozzarella transform your deli chicken into personal pizzas. Simply assemble, broil and dinner is served! Add a pre-made salad from the produce section or some pre-cut veggies and hummus or low-fat dip for a complete meal.
3. Chicken Soft Tacos: Make quick and easy tacos with whole grain tortillas, shredded chicken, taco sauce, shredded cheese and veggies of your choice. Or experiment with different fillings, such as chicken, avocado and mango or mashed black beans, salsa and low fat sour cream.
4. Chicken Stir Fry: In addition to your chicken pick up a bag of frozen stir fry style vegetables and some whole wheat rice noodles and you’ll have a super easy, healthy meal on the table in no time. Rice noodles cook in minutes, making them a great side dish for busy nights. Warm your vegetables with a bit of garlic or ginger and some low sodium soy sauce, add a tablespoon of brown sugar or plum sauce and thicken with cornstarch for an easy homemade stir fry sauce. Add your chopped chicken and serve over rice noodles. Substitute curry paste and a can of reduced fat coconut milk for another take on this idea.
5. Chicken Soup:  Combine your chicken with a carton of low sodium broth (or homemade from the freezer if you have it), some frozen veggies, a can of white beans and you have a warm, comforting meal without all the sodium and BPA that comes along with canned soup. Add cooked pasta or rice if you have time, otherwise some frozen or canned corn is an easy grain addition.

Image(s): FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Do I need to take vitamins and other supplements to be healthy?

Despite having access to abundant amounts of food year round, many North Americans spend hundreds or thousands of dollars a year on vitamins and supplements. The vitamin industry is a multi-billion dollar industry and a 2010 poll revealed  that almost three quarters of Canadians regularly take natural health products like vitamins, herbs and supplements. However research is conflicting on whether or not vitamins and supplements provide a benefit, pose a risk or have any effect at all.

In my opinion it is always better to get your vitamins and nutrients from whole (not fortified) foods whenever possible.  If you have a limited diet for health or personal reasons, such as food allergies or following a vegan lifestyle, you may want to consider supplementing to compensate. There are mixed opinions on prenatal vitamins for pregnant women, however many studies have shown the benefit of adequate amounts of folic acid pre-pregnancy  and in the first trimester to prevent neural tube defect. Supplementation is often required to meet the 400 mcg/day recommended in this case. Extra iron is sometimes required in pregnancy due to increased blood volume; your health care provider can order a blood test to help determine if it’s necessary for you.  The elderly tend to have lower calorie consumption and in general can benefit from a multivitamin. However for most people daily supplementation with extra vitamins and minerals is unnecessary.

Vitamin D is one of the only nutrients that most people could benefit from supplementing. Vitamin D is produced when your body is exposed to the sun, and most people do not get enough uncovered exposure to create enough Vitamin D, especially if you live in a colder climate. Recommendations vary, from the current RDA of 400 IU to 4000 or 5000 IU daily, but the best way to determine how much to supplement with is to ask your health care provider for a blood test to determine your body’s vitamin D levels and then supplement appropriately. Vitamin D is available through a few food sources as well, but it’s hard to meet requirements through food alone.

The bottom line is that needs vary dramtically from person to person based on diet, age, gender and lifestyle. What is certain is that chasing an unhealthy diet with a handful of supplements is not going to offer you the same nutritional benefit as eating the foods that naturally contain the nutrients your body needs.  Additionally, too much supplementation of certain vitamins, such as A and E, can have adverse side effects. It’s best to work with your doctor, ND, nutritionist or dietician to determine if supplements are right for you.

As a doula, I write, talk, and breathe pregnancy and birth. It is about more than just a passion for the miracle of birth – I believe that the way that mothers bring their babies into the world can have a profound and lasting impact on our self esteem and well being.

But one topic I tend to avoid is a controversial one – home birth. I haven’t written about home birth in the past because I have wanted to avoid adding more fuel to the fire. The hospital birth advocates stand by their flawed research studies (proving that home birth is not safe), and the home birth advocates stand by their flawed studies (proving that home birth is safe). Hospital birth advocates believe that home birthers are putting their birth experience before the health and safety of their babies. And home birthers believe that the experience is just as important as the health of their babies.

With staunch advocates on both sides, how are mothers in the middle supposed to make an informed decision? This dilemma has led me to speak out more on home birth, and I make an effort to address my doula client’s questions and concerns in a non-judgmental way.

The first step in determining if home birth is right for you is to do research as it relates to the country (and province/state) in which you live. There’s no point in relying on safety data from the United States, for instance, if you live in Canada. The midwives there are trained differently, and have different skills. Here in Canada, home birth has been shown to be just as safe as hospital birth, and is associated with fewer interventions such as vacuum/forceps delivery, episiotomies, and cesarean section.

Secondly, you must also meet the home birth criteria of your care provider. Generally, you are considered a good candidate for home birth if you are low-risk (e.g. you are not dealing with pregnancy issues such as gestational diabetes or high blood pressure). Some midwives also require you to be within a certain distance from the nearest hospital.

And finally (perhaps most importantly) is whether home birth feels right for you. If you feel safe in hospitals and are wary about labouring at home, then chances are, you won’t labour at home. We are primal beings, and fear or anxiety can actually work to stop our labours from progressing.

I chose a home birth for the birth of my first child because I truly felt safe in my own environment. I knew my labour would progress much more quickly there than it would under the glare of bright lights and beeping machines. I also trusted my midwives implicitly, and knew that they would make the call to transfer me to hospital at the first sign of any concern.

Childbirth is fairly predictable, and there are often signs that arise that may point to a problem. Midwives are highly trained professionals, and the signs that are spotted are immediately addressed by a transfer to hospital. However, this transfer is rarely an emergency, and we usually drive the labouring mother to the hospital in our own cars.

Contrary to popular myth, childbirth is not dangerous. All the screeching and running doctors that you see on TLC rarely occurs in real life, and emergencies that do arise are generally always brought under control. Does childbirth carry risks? Yes, of course. Things can go wrong in pregnancy and birth, just as they can go wrong when you get behind the wheel to drive yourself to yoga class. We all know women who have experienced bad outcomes in birth, just as we all know people who have been in horrific car crashes. Our lives are not without risks, but it is the weighing of these risks by each individual that puts them into perspective.

All mothers and fathers desire to birth a healthy child. Let’s not dispute that fact. But despite what you hear from the doctors and “experts,” the experience does matter. Telling someone who had a traumatic birth experience, “but at least you have a healthy baby” is to completely discount everything they have gone through.

Home birth is not a guarantee that you will avoid bad birth experiences. But for some women, it is a guarantee that you will feel safe and in control of your body. And no matter the outcome, this is the key to an empowering birth experience.

Resources

The Lancet: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2810%2961165-8/fulltext

Findings from Birthplace National Prospective Cohort Study (UK Study): http://www.netscc.ac.uk/hsdr/files/project/SDO_FR4_08-1604-140_V03.pdf

Outcomes of planned home birth with registered midwife versus planned hospital birth with midwife or physician (Canadian Study): http://www.cmaj.ca/content/181/6-7/377.full.pdf

Misty Pratt is a doula in Ottawa, and supports families through birth and postpartum. Misty gave birth to her daughter at home, and hopes to do the same for her second child, due in October. You can find out more about doula services here: www.chickadeechildbirth.com.

In her spare time, Misty blogs at The Chickadee Tweet (www.thechickadeetweet.blogspot.com)

I always say Pinterest is the best thing to ever happen to recipes; it’s an easy and visual way to bookmark favourites and it’s also become a great way to find new recipes to try.  Here are a few new recipes my family tried recently that were nutritious, delicious and kid-approved.

This hummus coated chicken is an extremely easy-to-make chicken dish that the kids absolutely devoured. It’s moist, delicious and the hummus gives it extra protein and good fats. Before it even came out of the oven the kids were commenting on how good it smelled. I made a double batch and the next day used the cold leftovers to make pita pockets with avocado, cucumber and mango… so good!

I was really craving something salty a couple of weeks ago and found this recipe for oven baked sweet potato “chips” really hit the spot. They’re halfway between chips and french fries, and two sweet potatoes made a really big batch (three cookie sheets). Use a mandolin slicer for best results; evenly sliced potatoes will cook more uniformly.

This creamy pasta is so incredible, you won’t believe it until you try it. Loaded with good fat from the avocado and full of flavour from the garlic and basil, it’s insanely delicious and nutritious. Before dinner was even cleaned up the kids were asking me to make it again. All four of them loved it, which as a mom is something I get pretty excited about.

Check out our Pinterest boards for more healthy recipes, exercises and more!

This video perfectly describes how I feel (sometimes) living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It takes not only a huge physical toll but an emotional one as well. Last year for Fibromyalgia Awareness Day I wrote a bit about what it’s been like adapting to life with FM/CFS, specifically the shift in my parenting style, which has been very hard to accept. Some days I feel just like the woman in this video, sitting in my own world while life goes by around me.

Today is the 20th anniversary of International Awareness Day for Chronic Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND) These diseases include ME (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, the term used in most of the world)/CFS (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, the term used in North America), Fibromyalgia, Gulf War Syndrome and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome. It’s commonly known as a combined awareness day for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME.

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome that is characterized by chronic, widespread pain thought to be caused by faulty pain processing, as opposed to inflamation.  There are numerous other symptoms including cognitive difficulties, multiple chemical sensitivity, frequent headaches and migraines, sensitivity to sound, light, touch and temperature, sleep disturbances and un-refreshing sleep.

Often people with Fibromyalgia have overlapping conditions, such as anxiety, depression, IBS, endometriosis, TMJ, lupus and very commonly Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS/ME).

Why May 12th?

Interesting, May 12th was chosen as FMS/CSF Awareness Day because it is Florence Nightingale’s birthday. Nightingale is obviously best known for her contribution to nursing, but what many don’t know is that around the age of 40 she developed a Fibro-like illness and spent the last 50 years of her life bedridden. Despite her condition, she was still prominent in social reform and pioneered the field of hospital planning and design.

Resources

For more information about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of Fibromyalgia see the National Fibromyalgia & Chronic Pain Association’s website or the excellent, empowering and informative Felicia Fibro blog.

Our entire household is excited about the London Olympics. There is nothing quite like watching a person pouring all their emotion and strength into something they are so utterly passionate about. During the Olympics, our television will be turned on almost all the time. This is very different from our regular day to day life. We keep television screening to a minimum and when we do watch we can fast forward past commercials.

A recent article on the BBC’s News Health website has me thinking long and hard about the Olympics, advertising and my children’s health. The article raised the question, will the advertisements from the Olympics official advertisers lead to an increase in childhood obesity? When you consider that a few of the major sponsors are Cadbury, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, it does make you wonder.

The article quotes Professor Lavie from UCL’s Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience  “The adverts will only be perceived very briefly but under some circumstances this would subject the viewer to subliminal processing. This means the viewer is not free to choose what they have processed.” In other words, viewers are watching the runners race around the track, but the advert on the stadium wall is making a subliminal imprint on our brains. We don’t have any choice in the matter. This form of advertising works on adults, who have the ability to make responsible choices, imagine the impact on the millions of children around the world who will be watching.

The danger also lies in the implied endorsement of these dietary choices by athletes. While the athletes are not necessarily holding up the cheese burger and drinking the soda, the endorsement is implied. Are kids today savvy enough to understand that these elite athletes did not rise to the top of their sport based on a diet of fast food and cola?  I’m not so sure.

I know that we will be having many discussion with our daughters about diet and lifestyle choices during the Olympics.  After all, most decisions in an athlete’s life have revolved around reaching their ultimate goal, being the best in their sport. I hope that through these discussions our girls will learn that it is important to separate the athlete from the advertiser.

What discussions will take place at your dinner table around the Olympics and advertising?

Here are three ideas for quick and easy weekday breakfasts that will get your day off to a great start with minimal effort:

Make and freeze pancakes and waffles for reheating in the microwave or toaster oven.  In our family we have a rule that breakfast must include a protein serving, and my kids love these high protein pancakes that more than fit the bill with 18g of protein per serving. Top with nut butter or fresh fruit for a breakfast that is ready faster than your morning coffee.

A smoothie or protein shake is a quick breakfast “to-go” that can pack a big nutritional punch. Mix your favourite fruits, nut milk, juice, yogurt, whey powder, oats, flax, chia seeds… the sky is the limit! Or use this great idea from Pinterest and make up “smoothie packs” in advance. Just add milk or juice, blend and go. A great option for commuters. My tween son often takes one in a travel mug to school as well.

Make ahead breakfast sandwiches, and freeze individually for a healthy and less expensive alternative to the fast food drive through. My homemade version has less fat, whole grains and costs less than $0.35 each to make. See the tutorial below for instructions.

ewww

The photo shows ants attracted to the butter, and basically ignoring the margarine and low calorie spread.  When seeing this, my first thought was ewww, but my second thought was why?  I grew up on margarine, and let’s face it, butter can destroy a slice of bread like nobody’s business!  My husband mentioned that a biochemist (?) friend of his is dead against margarine and swears by butter.  Intrigued, I set out to find some more information and to determine if I should make our accidental switch to butter a permanent one.  Because, while I don’t often use margarine my kids get it on their toast and grilled cheese every week.

Upon doing some google searches, I pretty much found out that the ‘experts’ are divided.  While magarine has fewer caloires and lower cholesterol, and is cheaper it is a scientifically made product made from hydrogenated oils, and the process of hydrogenation creates saturated fats.  Butter is expensive, is high in calories but it is a natural product created from cream.

There were many, many myths out there regarding margarine so I headed over to snopes to debunk a few.  That margarine was used as a turkey fattener?  False.  Margarine is one molecule away from plastic?  Yeah, also false.  Those were just a few of the more outrageous ones I read, but I encourage you to click the link to see some more.

I guess, my takeaway is that, yeah margarine is not the greatest for you, but butter is not much better it’s just different.  You should use both (either/or) with moderation, just like everything else in our diets.  Know that labels on man made products don’t necessarily tell you the truth and should be taken with a grain of salt.

I’ve made the switch to butter in my house using a ‘spreadable’ butter that is a mixture of oil and butter (because really, I still don’t like the idea of masacaring a piece of bread during the lunch rush.)  I can’t say I’llnever buy margarine again, but for now I’ll be trying to make the butter work for us, and after all bacon isn’t any good for me either but I’m not going to give that up any time soon either.

What are your thoughts on the butter margarine situation?

Hugs,

Jenn