Food Staples

A story from Sara:

When I was young my mom had a method for getting me to eat healthy foods that I found gross. She would tell me to plug my nose, chew it, and then chase it with some juice. Well, that may work for some of you but it is not an enjoyable way to eat healthy food.

You may be looking at all these healthy recommended foods and be thinking yuk! How am I supposed to eat that? Well, we don’t blame you! But don’t plug your nose yet! There are many delicious recipes out there that use many of these healthy foods like kale and quinoa and your taste buds don’t suffer one bit.

I love trying out a new healthy dinner at home and watching my husband and two year old take their first bite. I sit in anguish wondering if they will notice the sprinkled flax seed or that I put salted kale chips in their tacos. Usually, I get a very happy response and then I share with them what they are eating and I get the joy of seeing my husband’s surprise.

Here are staples I like to keep around the house to hide in food.

Flax seeds. An important source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 series of essential fatty acids. ALA are critical hormones in regulating cellular activity. Omega-3 fatty acids help lower cholesterol and blood triglycerides, and help prevent clots in arteries which may result in strokes and heart attacks.
You can buy a bag of these at wither Trader Joe’s or Sprouts

They have a salty taste so you can use them on anything that needs salt. For instance, add on your chicken when baking, a salad, veggies, omelet, or I even put some in my daughters oatmeal.

Spinach. Great source of Iron and contains folate and has many flavonoids which are compounds that are filled with antioxidants.

I make spinach salads often, or soften the spinach in a pot with some olive oil, sea salt, and a favorite herb like dried rosemary. This is a great side of any dinner dish. You can also use wilted spinach in omelets or on warm turkey sandwiches.

Kale. Loaded with vitamin C, beta-carotene, calcium, and antioxidants.

You can wilt this with your spinach if you like or you can make kale chips. Cut the kale off the stem and tear them it into bit sizes. Then line a baking sheet with foil and spread out the kale on it with olive oil and sea salt. Bake the kale at 425 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until crispy. This is good as is or it goes great on tacos or burritos. Adds a salty crunchy taste. My two year old loves these.

Quinoa. A protein filled grain that contains all nine essential amino acids that offers the same energy and satiety you would get from meat.

It is a good replacement for rice. You can buy pre-seasoned quinoa or just playing. I like the playing stuff because then I can season it with what I am serving. Quinoa does not have a lot of flavor but itself so it is easy to throw in food just for the health of it. For example, toss some in your salad. It will make your salad more filling too. It is also good in soup which is a good replacement for noodles or rice. Season it with fresh lemon juice and dill and put it beside some salmon or chicken.

Frozen Berries (rasberries, blueberries, cherries, etc medley) They are considered one of the “super foods.” They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are one of the cancer fighting foods because of their phytonutrients which counter the natural oxidation in the body that contributes to aging of the tissues and many degenerative illnesses such as cancer, dementia, and damage to the arteries.

Great to throw in your cereal or oatmeal in the mornings. Or top it on some yogurt for an afternoon snack. Throw in a blender with some ice, a banana, and yogurt- great smoothie.

New Year Energy

It's still early in the year, but has anyone else noticed that the parks are home to quite a few more active souls in the mornings and evenings these days?

We think it's great that everyone has fresh new year resolutions, and are getting out for some healthy activity, but inevitably most of these people will fall of the wagon, and stop working out, and the park will no longer bustle with the same energy.

Why do so many people "fail" in their resolutions? Here are a few reasons:

1. Goals are TOO difficult - If you set your goals at an unreasonable level, you wont be able to stick to it, and that feeling of failure and despair may keep you from doing anything. So instead of saying you want to work out every day for the whole year (not only is that difficult, but it leaves no room for rest and recovery), commit to a challenging, but attainable goal such as 3 days a week.

2. No support system - There are very few people that can be disciplined enough to get out and exercise consistently without any extra incentive. But if you commit to your friends, and establish a group that you are accountable to, you are much more likely to stick with it!

3. Not enjoying it - Not everyone loves exercise like we do, but we do believe that exercise can be fun for everyone. All too often, people only think of the end goal of better health, or losing weight, and will suffer through their exercise just to attain the goal. But if you enjoy what you're doing, how much easier will it be to stick with it? You just have to find a group that you enjoy, or an activity that you really like. Trying lots of new things is a great way to not get bored, and potentially find a new passion.

If you are setting goals for this year, and need helping quantifying, or creating something challenging but attainable, please feel free to ask for help, and we will do our best to assist. We will also continue to provide a great support system, and mix it up in class so you all enjoy your workouts!

Kurt Hahn Challenge 2011

To understand the challenge, first you have know who Kurt Hahn is, and what he strives to do in his teachings.

Kurt Hahn is an international educator who was involved in founding Outward Bound among other things, and his philosophy is described below.

"Hahn's educational philosophy was based on respect for adolescents, whom he believed to possess an innate decency and moral sense, but who were, he believed, corrupted by society as they aged. He believed that education could prevent this corruption, if students were given opportunities for personal leadership and to see the results of their own actions."

He lists 6 declines of modern youth, and each year I make plans to make sure I do not fall victim to these declines. They are:

Decline of Fitness due to modern methods of locomotion;

Decline of Initiative and Enterprise due to the widespread disease of spectatoritis;

Decline of Memory and Imagination due to the confused restlessness of modern life;

Decline of Skill and Care due to the weakened tradition of craftsmanship;

Decline of Self-discipline due to the ever-present availability of stimulants and tranquilizers;

Decline of Compassion due to the unseemly haste with which modern life is conducted or as William Temple called “spiritual death”.

While I was in Oregon, working as a park ranger, I met a friend named Dorothy. She introduced me to the principles of Kurt Hahn’s teachings, and I was inspired by her drive to do her part in fixing these 6 declines. She made plans at the start of each year to do something positive for herself in each of the declines, and she dedicated herself and her job to helping others to do the same by getting them outside, learning and moving.

Her challenge to herself, which I adopted and have shared with Jenni is to work on something in each of the 6 declines of modern youth to counter the problem.

For the decline of fitness - set some fitness goals, stay active, challenge yourself to do something new, or go faster or farther (you are all ahead of the game by being in Rough-Fit)

For the decline of initiative and enterprise - Have an Adventure! Go out and do something amazing and be inspired by nature and the world around you.

For the decline of memory and imagination - Set goals and allot time for Reflection. This can be journaling, reading, or meditating.

For the decline of skill and care - Learn a new skill. Whether it’s simple or complex does not matter.

For the decline of self-discipline - Commit yourself to being disciplined enough to reduce or eliminate a particular artificial stimulant from your life (TV, CPU, blackberry, Facebook etc.). You can also eliminate stimulants and tranquilizers that are found in artificial and processed foods.

For the decline of compassion - Volunteer! Doing something for someone else, it's as simple as that.

At Rough-Fit this year, we will be doing our best to help you fight these declines. But we encourage you to share this challenge with your family and friends and let’s take on the Decline of Modern Youth together.