Little Yogis

     A few weeks ago, it was my absolute privilege to spend an hour or so teaching some very basic yoga to a group of adorable, highly energetic, 8 and 9 year olds.
    
     With yoga mats, (no doubt borrowed from moms and dads, or older siblings), lining the small room from wall to wall, we all sat together in Half Lotus. We held our palms together at our hearts, and I talked about the greeting "Namaste" - "The light in me recognizes the light in you". I explained that I loved Yoga, because anyone could do it. You didn't have to be athletic, or super strong, or a fast runner, to do Yoga. I talked about how Yoga was a pretty special way to exercise, because it wasn't just exercise for your body, but for the mind and body together. We talked about the importance of tuning in to your breath. Big breath in through your nose, big, audible breath out through your mouth. Together we practiced Mountain Pose and Tree Pose, Warrior 1 and Warrior 2, and the class favorite, Cat/Cow, and several other poses, until finally, a worn out, slightly less energetic group, were happy to lay down, close their eyes, and practice a little relaxation and meditation.
    
     A week or so after teaching this class, I asked my 8 year old daughter if she thought her friends had fun learning Yoga. She answered, "Yes! All Sarah, (name changed 😊), wants to do now at recess is Yoga!" The thought of those adorable 3rd graders proudly demonstrating Downward Dog on the playground made me smile, and reminded me that knowledge of a few basic Yoga postures can empower our kids!

 

                                                              
    
     What can Yoga do for your kids?

     1- Yoga Can Increase Confidence
     One beautiful thing about Yoga, is that wherever you are in your posture progress, is the perfect place to be. Yoga is completely non-competitive. There is no comparing yourself with anyone else, just slow and steady personal improvement as you stick with the practice. Our kids confidence will grow as they find themselves feeling strong and flexible in a pose that was initially challenging for them.

     2- Yoga Can Teach Our Kids to Be Calm And Relax
      Yoga can teach our kids mindfulness, and help them to simply be in the present. When you're on the mat, focused on your breath, and the succession of postures, your mind and thoughts naturally calm down. A little yoga and relaxation before bed will teach our kids to wind down, stretch tired muscles, and prepare for sleep.

     3- Yoga is A Fun Way to Encourage Our Kids to Exercise
     Getting our kids to happily turn off the TV and run a mile, or do 50 jumping jacks isn't very realistic. Getting our kids to join in as we do Cobra pose, Happy Baby pose, or Flower pose, might be an easier sell. Yoga is fun! Yoga can be practiced in story form, (see Cosmic Kids Yoga on youtube), or you can play a yoga game. (https://somuchyoga.com/best-yoga-games-kids/).

     Yoga and kids are such a good fit! Yoga is active, creative, fun, and you don't have to wear shoes! Break out the mat, and cat/cow your way to more confident, calm, and healthy kids!

Namaste.

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara
    
(Photo source:  http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3468810/images/n-KIDS-DOING-YOGA-628x314.jpg  )

Dessert, Healthifyed!

I have a confession. I've got a thing for sugar.

                                                                                               ("Old School Candy, forbes.com)

As a kid, I had no shame. My friends and I would make a weekly trek to the gas station up the road to refill our waning sugar supply. Pixie Sticks, Bubble Tape, Lik-m-Aid, Laffy Taffy, Tootsie Pops, I loved them all. Over the years I've moved away from the pure sugar, insta-cavity candy of my youth, to more mature sugar, you know, like Ben and Jerry's l Ice-cream, and Ghirardelli brownies.  

Most of my life, I've found it pretty easy to justify eating copious amounts of treats.  "Sugar is good for me...emotionally", or "I'll just eat one cookie. Okay, just one more. It's a small one."

As much as I try to eat a pretty clean, healthy diet in general, I never could find the motivation to cut back on sweets.  Strangely enough, neither knowing that sugar was bad for me, or my desire to be healthy, were strong enough motivators for me to change my sugar-heavy habits.  In the end, the only thing that could convince me to rethink my sugar consumption was the discovery that I was allergic to chocolate.  It turns out that most of the sweet treats that I loved contained chocolate. Once I gave up chocolate, my sugar consumption went way down. 

Then, my friends, the unthinkable happened. (Pay attention, this is a life-changing secret!)

Once I stopped eating sugar everyday, my desire for sugar diminished significantly.

This is the secret!  If you can make it through the initial few days of going without sugar, suddenly, your body stops craving it.  The more sugar you eat, the more you want. 

Why is this?

Here's the thing. The reason we reach for another Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie, isn't because they are just so darn irresistible, (let's be honest here), it's because sugar is addicting. 

"The average American consumes anywhere from a quarter to a half pound of sugar a day," says a New York Times article called, Sugar Season. It's Everywhere, and Addictive. (NY Times, December 22, 2014)

The article continues,

"Sugar stimulates brain pathways just as an opioid would, and sugar has been found to be habit-forming in people. Cravings induced by sugar are comparable to those induced by addictive drugs like cocaine and nicotine. And although other food components may also be pleasurable, sugar may be uniquely addictive in the food world."

We all know that eating sugary treats is unhealthy, and we know that we just might be addicted to the stuff, so what now?
 
Well, you could give up cookies and muffins and doughnuts forever, and try to convince yourself that another serving of broccoli is dessert enough, or, you could learn to HEALTHIFY!

"Healthify", is the word I've dubbed for taking a typical unhealthy, sugary, totally tempting treat, and increasing the nutrition without messing with the taste.

In an effort to keep the treats that I love, without sacrificing my health, I've learned to make the same yummy treats I've always loved, with a few simple, healthy substitutions.

That's all it takes to enjoy cookies and cake and muffins again, without the guilt, and without compromising your health.

My Fool-Proof List Of Baking Substitutions That Will Bring
                        Back Dessert And Save Your Health

Sugar Substitutes - There are so many amazing sugar substitutes, readily available, that we really don't have a good excuse for baking with sugar.  Pure Maple syrup, honey, Agave Nectar, and Coconut sugar are my very favorites.  Brown rice syrup and Stevia are also great sugar alternatives.
For the most part, I use these sweeteners straight across, (1 for 1, for sugar), and they do a fabulous job.  Honey, however, is so naturally sweet, that you only need to use 1/2 the amount of honey as sugar.

Sugar is no doubt my biggest concern with eating sweets, but while we're focusing on whipping up a healthy treat, why not take it to the next level and healthify the whole recipe?

Milk Substitutes - Coconut Milk, Almond Milk, Rice Milk, or Soy Milk, all substitute beautifully for milk in any recipe, and do away with the cholesterol and fat found in cow's milk.

Eggs - Flax seed is my favorite healthy baking secret ingredient.  A Tablespoon of ground Flax Seed and 3 Tablespoons of water, per egg, makes a perfect healthy substitute for eggs.  I add flax to muffins and pancakes regularly, and my kids don't even know that they are getting a belly full of fiber and Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

Butter and Oils - I grant you, it's tough to find a substitute to match butter.  Taste wise, it's kind of irreplaceable, but it's also extremely high in fat and cholesterol.  My favorite butter substitute, hands down, is Coconut Oil. I love the taste of baked goods made with coconut oil, and the health benefits are incredible.  MDhealth.com reports that,

"Coconut oil has high amounts of lauric acid that have strong antibacterial properties. It is also believed that coconut oil helps with weight loss because it is composed of short and medium chain fatty acids. Consuming coconut oil can also help you manage digestive distress, regulating the blood sugar, strengthening the teeth and bones, and strengthening your immune system."

Cookies that are GOOD for you?!  Yes, please!

Applesauce or a mashed banana also make great oil substitutes.

Flour - I've had several failed attempts trying to use whole wheat flour in dessert.  Often the cookies or cakes baked up dry and dense, and the texture was all wrong.  I had almost given up on baking with whole wheat flour, until years ago, I discovered White Wheat Flour.  (Whole Wheat Flour milled from the hard white wheat berry, as opposed to traditional Whole Wheat Flour milled from the hard red wheat berry).  This healthy flour acts exactly like white flour in baking, and bad texture is no longer an issue.

Bring back dessert, my friends!  Life can be sweet again!

Try these substitutions, and see for yourself how easy and delicious it is to healthify.

Today's a new day; let's make it purposeful!
Kara