theme song

I thought maybe the patriotic song was not the way to go...so here's a new one. :) I think the "Hills Are Alive" from the Sound of Music is a happy, feel-good song...not too cheesy and talks about the outdoors and happiness. I think it embodies health and wellness quite well for this reason:

The hills are alive with the sound of music
With songs they have sung for a thousand years
The hills fill my heart with the sound of music
My heart wants to sing every song it hears

My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds
that rise from the lake to the trees
My heart wants to sigh like a chime that flies
from a church on a breeze
To laugh like a brook when it trips and falls over
stones on its way
To sing through the night like a lark who is learning to pray

I go to the hills when my heart is lonely
I know I will hear what I've heard before
My heart will be blessed with the sound of music
And I'll sing once more

The obituary

Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, age 100, of natural causes -- meaning it was just time for Kraft Macaroni and Cheese to go because he was so old, and he knew he was going to be replaced by someone just like him, just a little new and different. He lived a wonderful life, bringing joy to many homes for many decades. He provided quick lunches for children, comfort foods for adults, side dishes to supplement healthy family meals. Before he died, he was working on training his replacements, Kraft Ultra-Gooey Mac and Cheese, Kraft Ready-to-Pour Cheese Sauce and Noodles, Kraft Whole Grain Mav and Cheese Bites, and Kraft Quick-Boil Mac and Cheese. So he definitely knew he was going to move on as he had several people waiting to take his place. These new fellows address everyone's needs and tastes for Mac and Cheese - whether they want something healthier, quicker, or cheesier!

What I have done differently: Well, let's talk about food first: Back in the Atkins days, I would totally avoid carbs and sugars and pretty much ate low fat proteins and lettuce all day... but it soon registered that this was not healthy, but it was definitely better than my eating candy as an afternoon snack or just a bowl of pasta for dinner. What was important was keeping a reasonable glycemic index...and that didn't mean just eating a whole cow for my daily meal...it meant that if I was going to eat bread, pasta, or sweets, that I ate something with a good amount of protein along with it. Getting a balanced meal with the right balance of meat, carbs, and veggies is the healthy way to go...also it is important to avoid saturated fats. And then lastly, I am more into natural and simple foods - I don't buy calorie-dense packaged foods like granola bars, breakfast bars, chips, etc. that have little nutritional benefit and usually packed with sugar or salt...I avoid these foods because they can't really make a meal, and it is important to eat real meals...hot foods, cooked with good ingredients.
And then there's exercise -- physical activity is important, and it makes me feel good...plus let's me eat just a little bit more. It's important not to reward yourself with food after exercise. It's key to eat only when you're hungry.
And lastly -- there's just mental wellness -- that means I make it a point to spend my childrens' waking hours with them. I make sure I have time for myself as well to shop, to write in a journal, to surf the web, play with my iPhone, to watch silly TV, to just sit outside when it's sunny with a glass of something cold to drink (or hot if it's not particularly warm).
 

 Products that I have stopped using that caused contention:
I stopped eating/buying microwaved popcorn. I totally love kettle corn but popcorn has no nutritional value. It's just a munchie...and my son was asking for it too much so I just stopped buying it.
I also quit buying anything "low fat" -- maybe this was more of a contention for me. In the end, calories matter - not fat...so there really is no reason to stock up on low fat foods unless we're talking low in saturated fat.
Finally, I quit buying bakery items from my grocery store (a little disappointing for me) because they contain trans-fats - a big no-no for us all!

I like mayonnaise and the "light" version tastes great...fat-free tastes horrible so why use it?

This stuff is great - has some benefits of nuts, low in saturated fat, reasonable caloric content...and tasty. I never would have considered such an alternative beverage in the past but it has wholesomeness. I chose this picture to represent "alternative" foods that are natural and tasty.

Because I spend so much time with my son...he was able to recognize all his letters (both capital and lowercase) at age 20 months. He was able to read at a 2nd grade level at just 3 years and 4 months. And he was able to write full sentences quite legibly at 3 years and 4 months. I'm not bragging. Every child is smart. It just depends on how much time you're willing to spend with them to do stuff like this. Spending time with my family over all else is what I call wellness.

I made my garage into a gym...so I can exercise everyday without making excuses while watching mindless TV.

I went to the store --- Lucky is nice because it is very uncrowded and clean as you can see in the pictures, which makes shopping  a pleasant experience. However, the aisles always feel a little long and intimidating with a lot of different foods in one aisle! It can be a little unpleasant when you think you have to find something specific. I had to go all the way to the back of the aisle to get the macaroni which a bit annoying. The macaroni is not as obvious in this store as I have taken pictures showing how all the macaroni is on the very bottom shelf, all in a row, all the brands. This is not particularly bad but it can make it hard to locate if you don't already know where it is. I like how all the Kraft Mac and Cheese is together so you can see all the different varieties. The new "Cars" shaped pasta was cute plus the extra cheesy, thick and creamy flavor really caught my attention (and made me hungry). I picked the Cars one, because I knew my older son would be really excited about it. When I brought it home, and he told me he was hungry, I said I would make the Mac and Cheese...of course, the box excited him. He took the empty box and read the different parts of it as I prepared the macaroni. He kept asking me when it would be done as I prepared. I decided to use a pasta boat to cook the macaroni since my son was so impatient -- pretty simple...just add the pasta ( I just dumped it in the boat),  add water to the line, and cook in the microwave for about 3 minutes at a time, stir, and then repeat about 2-3 times. It was a little hard getting the pasta just right and soft enough -- I kept eating a piece after each round of boiling to test the consistency. I then prepared the sauce, added to the pasta boat, and cooked again in the microwave to thicken the sauce and pasta together. I must admit that this just was not fast enough.  My son kept asking me over and over when it would done...and macaroni simply does not cook that fast, especially if you want it wet and gooey like it should be. Overall, though, the process was easy and involves slightly less mess than cooking on a stovetop...but it just is never fast! I know, I know, I did not follow the instructions on the box exactly, but I wanted a quicker turnaround this evening.
  Finally I served the macaroni to my son...which he enjoyed -- looking at and eating. I and my husband also ate some right out of the pasta boat...it's a very addictive food! The macaroni is warm, soft, chewy, gooey, salty, cheesy, melts in your mouth...good! Simple but strangely leaves you hungry for more after each bite.

Health and Wellness

Health and wellness-- well they are sort of different and yet the same. Health is about yor physical health -- your blood pressure, your heart rate, your weight, your vital stats...but wellness is about both body and mind. So here's an example: I have an elliptical in my garage. I could just exercise for my 30 minutes and think to myself, "when is this thing going to be done?" Or I could use my iPhone during the whole thing and fill my mind with more information overload than I already have for the day. BUT if I watched some brainless TV while exercising, I am relaxing my brain and my mind...while getting physical exercise. I would call this wellness.

Wellness is also about being connected to the world, to family and friends who love you --

Wellness -- a feeling of being and feeling well-grounded in such a vast realm

Wellness -- being in bright places at home and at work...being in touch with the outdoors and the sunliught!

   So it's not just about the mind relaxation and body exercise but also about eating right and enjoying eating right. I make sure I eat healthy small meals throughout the day -- I read about nutrition and make sure what I put into my body is good wholesome stuff. I also make sure I treat myself every day. Over time, I have developed a taste for healthy foods -- it's not just about what food tastes likes but also how you feel about it and yourself if you put it in your body.
  And it's about being as close to the outdoors and sunshine as possible -- good weather, sunny homes, sunny offices...it's also about being a part of the world, being connected with friends and family.

I mean look at this salad -- it's yummy...made me hungry...yet healthy!