The Timer: Not Just a Kitchen Gadget

The majority of my posts are focused on food. Makes sense since the first part of the title is "Eat Healthy." But how about "Live Well?" It's about time I started writing a little about that part, too. So for starters, it's hard to live well if you're stressed out from the environment you live in. Which is where I'm at right now.

I really, REALLY don't like housework. My house is a mess quite often, but I've been slowly cleaning up. I'm working to organize, declutter, and give away. One trick that's helped the most is using a digital timer (I learned it from FlyLady). I set it for 15 minutes and work until it goes off. If I'm almost done with a task when it beeps, I go ahead and finish that task. I set the timer again for 15 minutes for my break. During the break I might check my email, call up a friend, or simply sit in the recliner with my latest library find (currently One Simple Act: Discovering the Power of Generosity by Debbie Macomber).

The timer is my new best friend when it comes to household help! When I'm doing a task I don't like, I know I only have 15 minutes to endure it. Then there's also that 15 minute break to look foward to. The timer also makes sure I don't get too distracted and waste too much time on the computer or in the recliner. It also helps to have a list of semi-small tasks so when the 15 minutes start, I know what I need to do. It may be fold clothes, empty and reload the dishwasher, quick bathroom scrubdown, trash pickup, cleaning off a corner of a table, etc. I try to break them down small enough that they can be completed in 15 minutes, that way there's a sense of accomplishment when it's done!

Don't have a timer? No problem. You can use a free online one at E.gg Timer.

Quote of the Day

For the last couple of weeks, I've really gotten away from eating enough vegetables. As I think back on what I ate, there was quite a bit of white refined grains and quick processed foods. I didn't have a menu plan for last week, so many meals were thrown together at the last minute before rushing to do something else. Then I was flipping through a notebook over the weekend and came across this quote:

"Cook like your life depends on it, because it does."

Whoops. That wasn't what I had in mind when I was throwing meals together last week. Food is a major part of our lives. It's what sustains us, nourishes us, and helps keep us functioning at our optimal levels. This week, my goal is to get back to this idea - to actually put in the effort of preparing nourishing meals. I may have a million other things to do, but what I'm putting in my body is a bit more important than many other things on my "to do" list.

Eat Humane - A Great Resource

Did you know there are many health reasons to eat meat that has been raised humanely? When cows, chickens, etc. eat their intended diet rather than corn and other grains, the meat and eggs are healthier for us. According to Politically Incorrect Nutrition by Michael Barbee, grass-fed cows, sheep, goats, and buffalo produce meat and dairy products that contain conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which acts as an anticarcinogen (protects against cancer). Grain-fed animals do not contain CLA or contain much, much less of it. That's just one of MANY reasons to switch from the conventional animal products!

But how do you pick the best meat and dairy products at the store? What's the difference between "grass fed," "cage free," "free range," and organic? Eat Humane is a great resource to make sense of the food labels. It ranks various food labels and companies as either good, better, or best. Select large cities even have restaurants with some humanely-raised products.

Fed Up With School Lunches

I work in a school, but I bring my lunch every day. For that matter, I bring breakfast and snacks as well. As I'm learning to eat healthier each week, the school food is looking less and less appetizing. Lots of bleached, refined white flours (waffles, pizza, burgers, etc.), the same fruits over and over (fruit cocktail, pineapple chunks, or bananas), the same veggies over and over (green beans, carrots, or corn), and the same conventional dairy and processed meats each day. Nothing organic, nothing natural (besides the small variety of fruits/veggies), and nothing colorful that says WOW! It's no wonder many kids eat very little of what's on their plates.
As for snacks, many teachers have stashes of cookies, candy, chips, and Debbie cakes to serve a few days a week. Occasionally there's popcorn...that's been the healthiest so far.

One teacher (anonymous in Illinois) is taking a stand against unhealthy school lunches by eating the school lunch every day in 2010. She documents her journey at her blog: Fed Up With School Lunch. According to her blog, there are over 60 ingredients in school pizza! Her blog also has other facts and guest bloggers, so don't think it's just about the lunch she eats. I particularly agree with the post and comments for School Lunch Wishlist.

Meatloaf from Fed Up With School Lunch

So why is it important to worry about the meals served at schools? Because our children are there for about 7 hours a day (more if there's after-school stuff). Many eat breakfast, lunch, and snacks. The food habits they form at school will be what sticks with them for years to come. If we're going to fight diseases and obesity, it must start at school.
(Side note: Right now, the average school lunch program gets reimbursed $2.68 when students have "free" lunches. Yet the average lunch costs $2.92. No wonder cafeterias can't afford many more healthy options.)

One thing to help these prepared lunches are school gardens, like the one at Monument Mountain Regional High School. There are also Farm-to-School programs, like this one in Oklahoma, that encourage schools and local farmers to work together to provide healthier meals. If you have a school-age child, you can also help the teacher by giving healthier snacks when they ask for class donations. If you bring in food for parties, think beyond cupcakes.