Organic, All Natural, Hormone Free Today’s food choices mean tough shopping decisions Weighing In

There’s been a lot of buzz lately about the food we purchase at the grocery store, where it comes from and how it affects our ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Organic foods are all the rage these days, and people are throwing about phrases like “all natural,” “cage free,” “hormones,” etc.

It’s enough to boggle even the most food-savvy mind.
Though mind boggling, these things can actually affect us in very real ways. Some of these factors can influence the way we metabolize our food. In addition, the “type” of food you are purchasing can affect the actual amount of nutrients in them. For example, a news report I caught the other day was touting the antioxidant powers of blueberries and also stated that if not purchased as organic, sometimes those antioxidants were nonexistent. And here I thought a blueberry was a blueberry! Who knew?

I’m just beginning to delve into the research about all these tricky concepts, and it is quite overwhelming. One thing is for sure: Many factors affect our ability to live a healthy lifestyle - diet, exercise routine, environmental factors, stress, sleep, etc. It’s important to take all of these things into consideration when delving into the organic, all natural, hormone free debate! Any one of these factors gets thrown off balance, and our path to a healthier life can be thrown off course.

I’ll keep you posted as I learn more, but in the meantime, tell me what you know about the new food debate.

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by Lindsay Eichelman

Mission Impossible? Weighing In

People who know me know that I travel quite a bit and I tend to be more travel heavy in the summer months than any other time. I’ve come to the realization that eating healthy while traveling is quite the mission impossible.

Traveling and eating healthy SHOULDN’T be such a terrible thing. Sure- it should require a bit of extra planning- but it shouldn’t be terribly difficult. Right? I seem to figure out every excuse in the book! I’m in vacation mode mentality. Or I’m in a city where there is a restaurant that has my favorite macaroni and cheese and I simply can’t skip it. Or I just have to eat out every meal because I’m on the road and clearly that isn’t the healthiest option. The list could go on and on and on.

I’m certain that there has to be a way to stay on track with healthy eating while traveling. People certainly do it all the time I’m sure. However, I can’t seem to get it together. And now that we are in the midst of summer- my travel time is at its peak- so you can imagine how I’ve been eating. After all the food and beverage I consumed this past weekend- I feel like I could not eat for an entire week and be ok with it. My point is that if I’m going to continue on the path to healthy living, I need to learn how to enjoy travel without losing my mind. How do you compete against a seeming mission impossible and eat healthy while traveling?

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by Lindsay Eichelman

Being Childlike Weighing In

There has been much talk in the media lately about kids in our country and how healthy or unhealthy they are. Childhood obesity is clearly on the rise and becoming a huge problem. It seems that with advances in technology kids would rather sit inside and play video games or spend time online rather than getting outside and riding their bikes. Fast food fits in nicely with our fast paced lifestyles and only adds to the problem. Sometimes it seems that childhood is much different now than it used to be. And while change is not always a bad thing- this change seems to be leaning towards kids living much more unhealthy lifestyles.

While things may seem different- some things never change. This week I have the opportunity to be a team leader for Vacation Bible School at my church. Each evening the kids amaze me at how much energy and creativity they have! Last night I watched as my team visited their game rotation and had so much fun running and playing tag. I was also amazed as these kids after two hours of serious stimulation still had the energy to dance and sing their hearts out at the end of the evening. It makes me tired just thinking about. The best part was- they were having an absolute BLAST!

So while childhood obesity and generally unhealthy children are becoming the trend in our country- I’m positive that it can be fixed! Kids inherently like to be active! We need to learn to limit their technology so that they have the opportunity to do just that. Get them outside in these great summer months to run and play. In addition, healthy eating is so much easier to make a habit if you start at a young age. I challenge parents everywhere to make their children’s health a priority and invest time and energy into making sure they are active and eating well.

As adults, we can take a few pointers from those kids too! Take some time to run and play too this summer. Not only will it make you physically healthier but I promise that you won’t be able to stop smiling. Contrary to popular belief being childlike can be extremely healthy!

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by Lindsay Eichelman

Welcome Home! Weighing In

Lindsay Eichelman
Project & Promotions Manager

This vacation didn’t go so well in the healthy living department. In fact I failed miserably. I only worked out one time and indulged in all kinds of great food. While my eating and exercising routines were seriously disrupted, I did have a fantastic vacation full of lots of fun, relaxation and time with great friends. This week will be focused on getting back on track in true welcome home style!