Happy Father’s Day to all you Dad’s out there! All the stress of raising kids: I wonder if I made the right decisions? I wonder if I was too strict, or not strict enough? Did I teach my kids something good that they will remember for a long time, or even forever? Do my kids know how much I love them? How many times I look back and wonder how I could have done something different. No manual came with this job. The majority of the time I was flying by the seat of my pants. I had a family to support, a career to juggle, and so many other stresses involved with this I would not even know where to begin. Hopefully, I did not make any major screw-ups. Every parent wants their kids to know you love them, and care about them, but you also had to be disciplined as well. How were they going to learn the right way? Out of all of the things I have accomplished in my life, I think the biggest thing I want to be remembered for the most is being a “Dad”. Many guys can be a Father, but not everybody can be a Dad. And still yet, many of you guys out there have been unable to have kids of their own, but that does not mean they are not “like a Dad” to someone else!
Last month Nick graduated from college, and my three kids were back together. Boy, was that great! I often times find myself looking back at pictures from the past and can remember exactly what things were like at that moment again. Memories you have forever! There may come a time with age that my memory won’t be as good as it once was, but hopefully I will never forget all the good times we had together. We are a family!
Sarah and I have a lot of time, effort, money…and love invested in them. We both want them all to be successful, and to eventually have their own families. I told them often I want to see how they do with their kids! But then I will get to be a Grandpa then too! More memories. We always keep active yet, and go to races together, as you have seen many times on previous blog posts by me. Running has been so important to me, and hopefully to them as well.
My daughter Megan gave me this shirt last year, so I wore it to our Run Club on Father’s Day today. “I’m a Runner Dad. Just like a normal Dad, except much cooler!” Yay! Hopefully this will always be the case! Megan sent me this picture in the mail that came this week:
One thing will always be true: I love being a Dad, and I love my kids! I may not continue to tell them enough, but I am proud of all of them, and the adults they have become. I will always be their Dad. I will always worry about them! I will always love them! Happy Father’s Day to all you Dad’s out there! Keep moving everybody!
Mindful eating is a way of eating that promotes health, wellness, and peace, control, and balance with food. What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is being aware or conscious of whatever it is you are doing at that moment. It is being fully present. This may seem like an easy concept; however, I think many of us are eating and surrounding our food with very mindless actions and thoughts. What are you doing when you eat? Are you watching TV, driving, reading, or scrolling on your phone? All of these are examples of mindless eating. Even when you are cooking your food, are you paying attention to what you are doing or how you are cooking? Or are you again watching TV or talking on the phone? There are so many places we can incorporate mindfulness into the process of preparing and eating our food.
Benefits of Mindful Eating
• More satisfaction
• Less chance of overeating
• Acknowledge your internal body cues
• Avoid emotional eating
The benefits of mindful eating far out way not being mindful. When preparing your food, paying attention to how you are making it and all the time, energy, and love that goes into it can lead to a greater appreciation for the food. Having a greater appreciation for your food will hopefully lead to a greater appreciation for feeding your body the healthy food it deserves.
When actually eating your food, being mindful of each bite and chewing slowly will allow you to pay attention to your inner cues of being satisfied and stop you from overeating. You will also fully taste the food you spent your energy making and again, create a greater appreciation for the process.
Emotional Eating: Our emotions have a mind of their own and can lead us to do pretty crazy stuff. There have been many times that I chose to eat and eat and didn’t really know why I was eating and it all had to do with my emotions. When I took a step back and asked myself, “Why am I eating right now?”, it wasn’t because I was hungry but usually because I was upset. When I was able to recognize this, I could channel those emotions in a more positive way such as journaling or going for a walk.
Tips for Mindful Eating:
• Pay attention to how you are preparing your food and appreciate the time and energy spent on this.
• Sit down at a table to eat with no outside stimuli.
• Chew slowly- put down your silverware between bites.
• Drink water in between bites.
• Pay attention to your internal cues for when you are full and satisfied.
• Ask yourself, “Why am I eating right now?” or “Is this what my body needs right now?”
• Pay attention to your emotions while you are eating. If you are not even hungry but you continue to eat, slow down. Maybe take out a journal and write down your feelings. It sounds cheesy, but it works.
• Eat foods that are beneficial to your body’s wellbeing.
I hope some of these tips and tricks help you out with your mindful eating! It is hard at first to break certain habits surrounded by mindless eating, but I promise your body and mind will thank you. You may even be able to work through certain emotions and things -Kelsey
Summer time heat raises the risk for dehydration and heat stroke. With the high summer temps and humidity, it’s extra important to make sure you get enough fluids! It is important to stay hydrated throughout the day, as it is too late, if you wait to get a drink when you feel thirsty. Especially for those older adults, it takes longer for them to feel thirsty even though they may be severely dehydrated.
Tips for getting adequate fluids: • Keep a glass or bottle of water with you during the day so you can sip on it. Drink when you are thirsty and even when you are not thirsty.
• Drink more water instead of sugary beverages, milk and juice to avoid those extra hidden calories. Alcohol will increase your water loss. Plain water always works the best.
• Increase your fluid intakes if your diet is high in fiber, protein or salt.
• On days where you may be sweating alot or burning extra calories such as an all day softball tournament in 80-90 degree weather, or doing yardwork/landscaping in the heat all day…you may need to add electrolytes such as Gatorade or Powerade. I prefer G2 Gatorade as it’s lower in sugar, yet still has plenty of electrolytes.
**Please note, these drinks are not necessary when you’re doing less than an hour of light activity or more sedentary activities as they just add extra calories and sugar.
• Consult with your doctor or dietitian if you are on a fluid restricted diet and would like further help with your hydration needs. Use the above chart to determine your hydration level by the color of your urine.
Summer is well underway now! The kids are out of school and home more and they’re going to be eating more of the foods that you keep stocked for them at home. Active children burn through their energy stores very quickly and need to replenish them often. Snacking is an important part of keeping your kids energized for their play-filled summer days. Snacks should be a combination of fiber and protein so that they are filling and satisfying. Pistachios are a good snack as they contain both fiber and protein. You can also pick out two foods that will meet the fiber and protein combination needs.
Some ideas are: •An apple and a teaspoon of peanut butter •String cheese and a few whole wheat crackers •Baby carrots and hummus •Low-fat yogurt and almonds •Mixed nuts and raisins •Celery sticks filled with peanut or almond butter.
Just be sure to keep in mind that snacks are just to get by until the next mealtime, so snacks should not be a significant source of calories. Kids have small stomachs so keep the portion sizes small as well. This is a good time to instill healthy habits in your child so try to avoid having the TV or video games going during snack time in order to discourage mindless munching. Any fruit, vegetable, low-fat dairy product, or whole wheat grain product makes a good snack so find out what your child likes and get creative with the combinations!
Yesterday was the 23rd Anniversary of the Hospital Hill Run/Walk. Once again, it was a good turnout. The initial plan from the beginning of its inception was to encourage people to get out and exercise, and especially with the kids. We wanted them to learn early on the importance of staying active, and that you could have fun with this. That is why we have numerous age categories, especially for the younger ones, to get them more motivated to participate. It is easier to get them out when they have a chance to win a medal. We also moved up the age category this year to anyone 12 and younger (previously 10 and under) all received a medal for participating. The looks on their faces when they come up to pick up their medals is worth it! We want them getting out and staying active. The biggest lessons they can learn about his is from their parents. I love seeing all these young families out running or walking with their kids, or pushing them in strollers, etc. I just want them out there teaching them the importance of an active lifestyle, and the best way to do it is by setting the tone, and getting out there along with them! So a special shout out to all you parents for working on this. Nobody said it was easy.
My daughter Molly and her fiancée Tanner were out running as well. My kids have been a part of this since the beginning of this. They participated every year, and then when they got a little older, they helped me set up everything, and were great at helping with prizes, awards, setting up, and taking down. They were involved from the beginning. It is nice to have them come back. I don’t get them all back every year, but they can when they are able, and we are participating in other races during the year as well. They learned from the start. I have told Tanner that participating in these fun runs is what being a part of this family is about. We have gone out to Virginia and ran some with Megan and Nate also. That is what this family does, and that is what this family will always do!
The McElroy’s are todays version of what we started over 20 years ago. I love watching their kids out running. It reminds me so much of my kids way back when. They learn from us. We have to be willing to put in the work too!
We have the Sullivan family out, Kris Munger and her daughter, and Cassandra Varilek and her family out running! Lead by example! Prove to your kids how important it is to be active, and take charge of your own health, and be out there pounding the pavement and sweating right along with them. You will start making memories that will last a lifetime! We talk about those times often! Each race/event has its own special qualities that make them unique! Explore them together! I lost count on the amount of the strollers out there yesterday. It brings back the days when we would walk/run with our kids in the Burley back then! They loved it, and we got to all be active and do our things, and do it together!
You have to show up in order to take off! Teach them how to do it. Show them how important it really is. Set the tone, and lead by example. It benefits both you and your kids, and you all have the opportunity to improve your health…and to make memories to last a lifetime! The only time it is too late is when you are not here anymore. The earlier you start with your kids, the sooner it becomes a habit…for all of you. Keep pushing! Keep trying! Keep moving everybody!
June is national dairy month, thus it’s a great time to recognize and discuss the benefits we can get from dairy in our diets. Cow’s milk is the richest source of well-absorbed calcium and is actually absorbed better (about 25%) than the calcium in soy milk. There is about 300 mg of calcium in an 8 oz serving of milk and we recommend getting at least 3 servings of dairy a day. A serving is equal to an 8oz (1 cup) serving of milk, 6 oz tub of yogurt, 1 oz cheese, 1/2 c cottage cheese. In addition to calcium, cow’s milk is an excellent source of phosphorus, vitamin B12, potassium, riboflavin, vitamin A, vitamin D, protein, and niacin…totalling 9 nutrients compared to only 4-5 nutrients found in soy and almond milk.
There are many other types of “milks” out there such as almond, rice, coconut, and soy, however these drinks are not the same as cow’s milk in regards to the nutritional qualities. Many of these milks use fortification (adding nutrients), whereas the nutrients are found naturally in cow’s milk. Below is a list from the Midwest Dairy Association about these beverage’s nutrient sources and nutrition quality (http://www.midwestdairy.com/0p335/dairy-imitators/)
“Soy beverages are made from soybeans and are a good source of protein. However, according to the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS), soy protein is a lower quality protein than the whey protein found in dairy products. Rice-based beverages are generally processed from brown rice and are fortified with nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. Rice beverages typically contain only one gram of protein compared to eight grams in cow’s milk. Nut-based beverages can be ground from any nut and the most popular is almond. Almond beverages only supply one gram of protein per serving and lack many of the natural benefits found in almonds. Seed-based beverages, such as hemp, are newer to the marketplace. Their nutritional benefit is touted to be their omega fatty acid content. Similar to the other beverages, they also fall short on protein.”
Often times, these other “milks” contain higher sugar content, less calcium, less protein, and are absorbed less than those benefits in cow’s milk. Now if you have a lactose intolerance or milk allergy, these are certainly options for you, however if you do not have an allergy or intolerance, I highly encourage you to work towards getting your 3 a day servings of dairy and preferably low fat dairy. It will not only provide you with excellent vitamins and minerals to keep your bones and muscles healthy and strong, it will also provide you with an excellent source of protein.
For more information on the benefits of dairy, you can visit www.midwestdairy.com.
I know I will enjoy a nice glass of cold milk tonight with supper, I hope you do too!
-Kelsey
