It’s time to get back to basics, Gorgeouses. I have been a bad BAD foodie. I’ve been JUST GETTING BY in the kitchen lately, and my children’s PICKY EATING is, I think, a reflection of my lack of passion about the food they eat. And, in turn, my lack of passion about food is a direct result of my utter EXHAUSTION lately. Which is, in turn, a direct result of bland diet which is, in turn, a direct result of my lack of passion about food.

OY! It’s a chicken-egg scenario. Only, of course, I don’t eat chicken. Or eggs. Or dairy. Or anything animal. Which makes PASSIONATE FOOD a bit of a challenge — both for myself and the kids.

SO, to end this DOWNWARD SPIRAL into doom and gloom and BLAND FOOD. I’m menu planning. At least for the kids. And, I’m getting out all my ammunition, as follows:

1. Better Food for Kids

2. The Eat-Clean Diet for Families & Kids

3. Wholesome Meals for Babies and Toddlers

4. Organic Baby & Toddler Cookbook

5. Brain Foods for Kids

That’s A LOT of kids’ and kid-friendly cookbooks. I have NO excuse for not getting edible food on the table.

And, I KNOW, I’m being hard on myself. Most kids are picky eaters. There’s not a WHOLE lot I can do. But, I want to try a little harder to APPEAL to their senses….

I’m not sure how much I’m going to take from the books, but there are tons of ideas in all of them. I’ll share recipes with you throughout the week. Anyway! Here goes. Weekday Menu Plan for THIS WEEK. CHECK IT!

BREAKFAST:

Will be easy this week. I’m going to make my — now famous, apparently — nutrient-packed VEGAN MUFFINS. When I run out of those, I have our favourite waffles….

LUNCH & DINNER:

Monday:

Lunch: Macaroni and cheese (a healthier version than Kraft). Sliced tomato and cucumber, and a fruit. I’m going to sneak in some PUREED butternut squash into the macaroni and cheese. The squash adds a richness to the colour, a subtle sweetness to the taste, and, of course nutrients and fiber.

Dinner: BAKED SALMON (recipe from Better Food for Kids to come). The monkeys LOVE salmon, and I never make it. Let’s give it a try…. I’ll bake some SWEET POTATO wedges, and steam some broccoli (sprinkled with almonds?) on the side. Recipes to come.

Tuesday:

Lunch: (Aka HELL DAY because I teach yoga at 1pm, which leaves me only HALF AN HOUR, after I pick Monkey up from preschool, to feed them). Leftover Mac and Cheese, sliced tomato and cucumber, and a fruit.

Dinner: Organic (Hallelujah brand) Chicken fingers and veggies (because I’m getting tired just LOOKING at this menu plan, AND Josh-O has dinner plans).

Wednesday:

Lunch: HUMMUS and vegetable wraps. Mmmm, something I can enjoy with them. VEGAN LUNCH. You should see my little Rascal eating a wrap. So fancy!

Dinner: IT’SGRANDMA’S COOKING.

Thursday:

Lunch: Peanut butter and jam on a bagel/toast. Milk/chocolate milk (for the monkey). Fruit.

Dinner: FRITTATA TIME! (recipe to come)

Friday:

Lunch: Hummus and pita, veggies, fruit.

Dinner: IT’SGRANDMA’S COOKING.

Who am I kidding. It’s such a lot of cooking and cleaning ALL THE TIME — this motherhood thing. Nobody tells you there’s going to be SO MUCH COOKING and cleaning ALL THE TIME. So, here I am telling you.

I also noticed that my kids wouldn’t eat MOST of the recipes from the above cookbooks. So much for my ammunition…. I’ve been flipping and re-flipping through them all and thinking MY KIDS WILL NEVER EAT THAT! Sigh….

So, you tell me, Gorgeouses! What are some of your favourite kids’ meals? (And, you don’t have to be a parent to answer this!)

Jessica Alba just a couple of weeks (if that) post baby, already looking fabulous….

Q: My baby is almost 4 months old…what do you recommend regarding exercise, losing weight and breastfeeding? I have read conflicting things and would like to know the best, safest way to lose the baby weight without it affecting my breastmilk.

Thank you!

–Michelle B.

A: This is a question that is near and dear to my heart since I am expecting my first baby at the end of August. I am someone who practiced what I preached. I kept a pretty strict diet and worked out pretty hard – I avoided wheat, dairy and most starches/sugar on a regular basis and weight lifted at least 2 times per week plus cardio 4-5 times per week. WOW did my world get turned upside down when I got pregnant. Needless to say that I have put on more then a couple pounds and had to slow down with the workouts. The result is that I feel fat! I know, I know…I’m pregnant but I thought I would be one of those people who only gained the appropriate 25 pounds. NOT SO!

When I got this question it sparked an urge to formulate a “Bring Sexy Back” plan for all of you moms who want their pre-baby body’s back.

From the research I have done, it is okay to work out pretty intensely assuming you exercised pre baby. It’s the calories you take in or lack thereof that mostly affects the amount of breast milk you will produce. As long as you are providing your body with the right amount of calories coming from good quality, ‘clean’ food there should be no reason you can’t lose the weight!

THE “BRINGING SEXY BACK” PLAN

*If you have never exercised before reduce the exercise portion by half the days and time and work up to 4-5 days per week.

Consult your physician before starting any exercise or diet plan.

Consistency is key!

Exercise:
Cardio: 4-5 times per week for at least 30 minutes (moderate to vigorous intensity)
• Walking/running on the treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical or stair climbing.
• Classes at a gym.
• Going for a brisk walk with a stroller.

Nutrition:
Breastfeeding moms need to make sure they are getting enough calories. For weight loss purposes it’s the type of calories that matter. Maximize your eating by consuming lots of low calorie foods like fruits and veggies!

Tips:
• Make sure you are eating every 3-4 hours
• Don’t let yourself get hungry – then the cravings are too strong to avoid
• Ensure you have cut up fruits and veggies on hand to snack on
• Spend some time cooking and freezing – helps to avoid ordering take out
• ALL MEALS SHOULD CONTAIN A LEAN PROTEIN AND GOOD QUALITY FAT
• Avoid starch at dinner
• Avoid empty calories – sugar is the enemy!
• Load up on fiber

Breakfast: HAVE IT!
• Make sure it contains protein and a complex (full of fiber) carb
• Slow cooking oats with egg whites or cottage cheese is a good choice

Snacks: Fruit with nuts or whole grain crackers with a nut butter

Lunch:
• ½ cup complex carb (quinoa, brown rice etc.)
• 4oz protein
• Veggies
• 1 tbsp fat

Snack: Veggies with hummus, cheese, or yoghurt

Dinner:
• 4 oz protein
• 2 cup veggies
• 2 tbsp fat

I plan to have a protein shake later on in the evening or throughout the night if I get hungry. [Haley's note: for a good protein shake recipe, try Lori's Shake To Go!]

Remember that everyone is different [Haley's note: If you want a more personalized plan, email Lori herself!]. I have had clients who couldn’t lose the weight until they stopped breastfeeding. Consuming organic, good quality food and avoiding processed simple sugars is a great place to start!

Good luck!

Lori

CHECK OUT LORI’S BIO HERE!

Got a nutrition question of your own, Gorgeouses? Ask LORI (click here to ask your question). LOVE!

Q: I am a person who absolutely has to eat breakfast daily. I will eat (for example) two slices of multigrain toast with local honey and a non-fat yogurt with fresh berries or oatmeal with raisins and skim milk. I always have a 1/2 cup of orange juice, coffee (usally black, sometimes with a bit of 5% cream) and a tablespoon of Salba seeds in unsweetened applesauce.

I am 5′10″ tall and weigh about 142 lbs. I am currently nursing a 7 month old baby boy. Even though I eat what I think is a good amount of food in the morning (around 7:30 am), I am weak by mid-morning (let’s say by 10 am).

What can I eat to prevent the mid-morning blood-sugar lows (if that is what it is)? Any suggestions?

Thank you!

– Lori L.

A: Your mother was right when she said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! In North America we have our eating habits backwards having our largest meal at dinner time instead of in the morning when we need the most energy from our food. What you eat for “break – fast” helps to determine your energy levels and food cravings throughout the rest of the day. It is important to consume a balanced breakfast that contains a good amount of protein, complex carbs and fat. A bowl of cereal even if it’s a fibre or a flax cereal with skim milk just doesn’t cut it.

Carbohydrates convert into sugar (energy) which can quickly raise blood sugar levels. Whenever something goes up, like your blood sugar levels, it quickly comes down. This “crash” is experienced by feelings of more carb cravings, fatigue in the early morning or in the afternoon, headache, irritability and light headedness.

In my weight-loss program 10 Weeks to WOW! all my clients do for the first week is change their breakfast. I give them pages of balanced breakfast recipes that they must consume for 7 days. The comments I get at the end of the week are that they have a lot less sugar cravings; they have constant levels of energy and are able to make better food choices throughout the day; most even lose 1-2lbs! This is because their breakfast now contains protein and fat whereas before it was all carbs.

The question I was asked was how to avoid blood sugar dips a couple hours after eating breakfast. It’s a great question.

Let’s break down your breakfast –- REMEMBER a balanced meal means that the meal contains protein, carbs and fat:

2 slices of multi grain toast – approx 30g carbs
Honey (1tsp) – 5g carbs
Non-fat yoghurt (100g serving) – 5 – 10g carbs & 4g – 6g protein
Berries (1/2 cup) 10g carbs
½ Cup Orange Juice – 15g carbs
Total Grams Carbs: approx. 70g

Keep in mind the average daily consumption of carbs should be between 120 – 200g of carbs per day! This breakfast contains half the amount of carbs one should consume in the entire day first thing in the morning. I am not debating that these foods are healthy –- they are, but they are not balanced.

My advice would be to cut the honey and the orange juice and have 1 slice of toast instead of 2. If you want the taste of orange in the morning, have ½ an orange instead of drinking the juice. The orange contains fibre. You can still have the yoghurt and berries. On the slice of toast I would add a raw nut butter like almond or walnut butter (1 tbsp). I would also add in a good source of protein like ½ cup 1% cottage cheese or 2oz low fat (7% M.F.) cheese or ½ cup egg whites.

Remember that a meal should only keep you full for approximately 3 hours. Try having a snack around 10am –- something that also contains protein or fat.

Hope this helps!

Lori

CHECK OUT LORI’S BIO HERE!

Got a nutrition question of your own, Gorgeouses? Ask LORI (click here to ask your question). LOVE!

So, I’ve been on this new diet lifestyle for 2 days now. It’s definitely agreeing with me and, after only two days, I can see the errors of my eating ways, and how gravely they were affecting me on so many levels — physical, emotional, energetic….

The only change Nutritionist, Lori, wants me to make this first week is breakfast. I’m supposed to eat one of the balanced breakfasts among her long list. So, two days in a row, I’ve had an egg, a piece of Ezekiel bread, an oz of cheese and an apple. Starting off with this balanced meal sets me up for the day. And, it’s quicker and easier to make than I thought it would be!

My friends don’t seem to understand just WHY I need to quit my Starbucks-chai-tea-latte breakfast — because, really, it’s not THAT BAD calorie-wise, and I DO take it with nonfat milk (or soy milk). But, the problem is, that evil drink SPIKES my blood sugar, throwing me out of balance. It’s a drug, A CRUTCH, for me — hence I chug it, am absolutely incapable of calmly sipping it. I IDENTIFY with this silly drink. It’s my ESCAPE. My cup of ADULT in this toddler/baby world I’m ensconced in.

Now that I realize all this, I have to change it. I canNOT depend on a drink to do all that for me. And, besides, BALANCE, I’m learning, and not ESCAPE is the way to go. When I have that chai, I crave sugar for the rest of the day — “pant pant pant sugar sugar gimme sugar where’s my sugar another chai need another chai more MORE MOOOOORE!” I CRAVE that HIGH ALL DAY. With a balanced breakfast, I crave balance all day, and the satisfied feeling that balanced breakfast gives me. Also, the balanced breakfast makes me more apt to recognize when I’m off balance — like right now, as a matter of fact, because I’m so tired from WAY overextending myself lately! MUST GET MORE SLEEP!

So, balance. Yoga off the mat. Don’t get me wrong, Gorgeouses, renouncing The Chai is NOT EASY, no matter how easy I make it sound! Today, Gorgeouses, I had to work HARD to resist her. I was a like a toddler whose favourite toy has been taken away. I WAAAAAAN IT, and I want it BAD. But, I persevered and managed to get through the day chai…FREE.

I always thought that “dieting” meant denying myself the things I love. But, the things I love are CRUTCHES, ADDICTIONS. And, I need to liberate myself from these addictions. Freedom is in the healthy foods, and not the stuff that WEIGHS US DOWN — the donuts, the cookies, the CHAAAAIIIIIs we WISH we could have copious amounts of!

I’m a yoga teacher. Time to get back on track as an example for my students. The goal is liberation. Freedom from the material. Renouncing that chai is an act of freedom. Goodbye CHAI. You suck arse.

So, HUGE NEWS, Kitchen Gorgeouses! Nutritionist LORI is going to motivate us with monthly contributions, to start. When she has more time, i.e., AFTER SHE HAS HER BABY, she’ll do more — perhaps WEEKLY!

Just so you know, Lori is AWESOME. So many of my friends are on her diet, and they SWEAR BY IT. She’s a “holistic nutritionist” — which means she has an eye on OVERALL health and not just on weight loss. You’ll love her.

More on Lori AND the diet later. For now, a recipe for a BALANCED breakfast that will make you feel as good as I do now. As Lori says, the first thing to do when you’re changing your lifestyle is to change your breakfast. Eat a balanced breakfast within one hour of waking up. Check it!

LORI’S SHAKE TO GO

Ingredients:

1/2 c rice milk (substitute 1% Regular Milk or Soy Milk)
1/4 c water
1 scoop protein powder (I use Hemp Protein powder because I’m a nutball….)
1/2 c blueberries
1 c strawberries
2 tsp flaxseed oil

Blend until smooth! Et VOILA! Enjoy.

I haven’t tried this recipe yet. But, I bought all the ingredients, see?!

Healthy healthy! And, low maintenance — I’m not, like, juicing or growing my own vegetables and sprouts. Will try it tomorrow.

NOTE: Not every diet suits everyone. What you’re reading here, of course, are my reflections. Talk to your doctor, of course, and don’t take these words as Truth. There is no truth. THERE IS NO SPOOOON!