The goods on cucumber

The cucumber is a tropical plant that originated in Southeast Asia more than 10,000 years ago. It was originally used not only as a food, but also for its beneficial skin-healing properties. Cucumbers are composed primarily of water, but they are also a great source of vitamins C, A, and folic acid. The skin is rich in fiber, and also contains many valuable minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and silica – which strengthens our connective tissue, hair and nails. Topically, cucumbers can be used to treat swelling under the eyes and sunburns. Enjoy it on its own, in a salad, or added to water to create a fresh taste!

Build Your Health Bank

Have you ever had your life change in a single moment?

I did. Last week.

I was returning home from camping and surfing in Tofino-Ucluelet. It had been a great trip complete with being outdoors 24 hours per day in beautiful weather, catching up with long-time friends, and 3 not-crowded surf sessions.

Like many of the BC roads, the drive from the coast to Port Alberni involves twisty-turny mountain roads.  It was raining on the summit, and while I had slowed down, as I turned one corner I felt my wheels slip on the oily-wet road.  The wheels never re-gripped the road again and while I managed to avoid the oncoming traffic, I ended up crashing into the ditch.  My car is a write-off.

But amazingly, I walked away.

For the most part I’m okay.

I credit my excellent ability to heal to the fact that my health bank was full. I’m healthy. I’m physically active and I eat healthfully.

Eating healthfully not only makes you healthy in the present moment, but it builds up a reserve (what I call your health bank) that you can draw upon in times of stress. That stress may be psychological or physical, expected or unexpected. Everything from training for a race, to preparing for final exams, to recovering from a car crash. 

Before that moment, I was exercising and eating well to build up my bank to support my surf skills. I’ve spent the last two years learning to surf - no easy task as a woman in my late thirties. But that’s a whole other story. Now, I’m using my bank to recover and rehabilitate from a car crash.

My recovery is going well. Everyone whom I’ve come across since my cash, from the bystanders, to the RCMP officer, to the acupuncture practitioner, can’t believe how well I’m healing. Those vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that I fuel my body with are now working to heal me.

It’s been a week since the crash and my life is getting back to normal. I think that in a few more days I’ll be able to jog, ride a bike, and do yoga. It’ll be a bit longer before I’m back on a surf board.

I’m sharing this experience with you to inspire you to take care of your body. Build up the balance in your health bank. Eat lots of organic vegetables and fruit. Include plant-based protein. Choose healthy fats. Limit sweets and other processed foods to “sometimes foods”. Don’t over-use caffeine or alcohol.

You never know when your life will change in a single moment and you’ll need to use your savings.

Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps moms and dads support your picky kids to get good nutrition today…and instill a life-long love of healthy eating. After 7 years of moms asking for help with their eating too, Kristen created 40 Days to a Healthier, Happier You women’s weight loss program. Find out more at www.KristenYarker.com


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www.Facebook.com/KristenYarkerNutrition
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The Goods on Rosemary

Not only does this fragrant herb come handy in the garden or kitchen, rosemary is known to improve digestion, enhance memory and prevent aging within the brain. Rosemary is also a source of anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds which make it an immune system booster. Pair with roast pork, lamb or potatoes, in sauces or anywhere else you could use a dose of its flavour. Yum!

Make Fruit (and Veggies) a Fun-Time Food

My 6 year old niece and 3 year old nephew inspired my article today. It’s June 30^th and I’m in Calgary providing childcare while my brother and sister-in-law enjoy an adult-only vacation. This morning my mini sous chefs “helped” me make red (watermelon-strawberry) home-made ice-pops in preparation for tomorrow’s Canada Day celebration. They are super excited for tomorrow’s popsicles. And they taste-tested the fruit while we were making them this morning.

Sometimes I feel badly for poor vegetables and fruit because they often don’t get invited to parties. They’re the obligatory foods that one must struggle through in order to earn dessert. When we stack the odds against vegetables and fruit in this way it’s no wonder that kids don’t want to eat them.

Instead, I encourage you to make vegetables and fruit a fun-time food. By including them in fun times, you’re creating a positive association with these healthy foods. Fun is more likely to drive kids to eat foods rather than health. Studies have shown that kids are less likely to try a new food if they’ve been told that it’s healthy. In addition, if they do try the food, they rate it as less yummy than kids who aren’t told anything about the food. The exact opposite of what we want.

I certainly see this reflected in my own childhood memories. My favourite veggies and fruit all have good memories attached to them. I remember sitting on the back porch in the summer with my Grannie shucking corn and playing “bean, no bean” while snapping the ends off of green beans. I remember picking raspberries in my best friend’s backyard. I didn’t eat green beans, corn and raspberries because they were healthy. I ate them because they were fun.

I’m grateful to my Grannie and others who inspired me to enjoy vegetables and fruit. As an Auntie and a dietitian I work to pay-it-forward and inspire the next generation. This past Valentines’ Day I led an activity where we made cupid’s arrows from fruit and veggies strung along wooden skewers, some cut out with heart-shaped cookie cutters. These kids, who were notorious picky eaters, enjoyed cucumber, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries and more. Not once did anyone complain about there being no candy at the Valentines’ day party.  At tomorrow’s Canada Day picnic we’ll have a veggie tray with red cherry tomatoes and radishes, red watermelon, and the red watermelon-strawberry popsicles. You won’t hear a single word come from my mouth about how healthy these foods are.     

Actions are much more important than words when it comes to getting kids to eat vegetables and fruit. Don’t teach your kids nutrition. Just include vegetables and fruit in fun times. When they get older, there will be lots of time for kids to learn why we eat these foods. Right now all we need is for kids to develop positive attitudes towards them (and eat them).

Looking for fun fruit & veggie ideas? There’s a ton of ideas on Pinterest. Check out my theme boards at http://www.Pinterest.com/KristenYarker

Kristen Yarker, MSc, RD helps moms and dads support your picky kids to get good nutrition today…and instill a life-long love of healthy eating. After 7 years of moms asking for help with their eating too, Kristen created 40 Days to a Healthier, Happier You women’s weight loss program. Find out more at www.KristenYarker.com

www.KristenYarker.com

www.Facebook.com/KristenYarkerNutrition

Instagram: @KristenYarker

Twitter: @KristenYarker

Pinterest: KristenYarker