Marilu.com – The Home of Marilu Henner’s Total Health Makeover®

Aug 27

Fitness Friday * Middle school solution for middle age pollution

Reacquaint yourself with something that kept you fit in your childhood: a jump rope, hula hoop, pair of roller-skates, frisbee, unicycle, basketball, skateboard, stilts, inline skates.

Go easy at first if you’re a tad past your prime. It’s embarrassing for a middle-aged person to be waiting in an emergency room holding a pogo stick.

If you have kids, get them acquainted with these activities. They’re way more fun than video games.

Aug 20

Fitness Friday * Back to school

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Remember the “good old days” when we all walked to school? Okay, maybe we took the bus – but our parents and grandparents probably walked to school. And it didn’t hurt them to get that exercise every day.

So – if your kids live within a mile of their school, why not have them walk?

Now, we know it’s a different world. There’s a lot more traffic, and there are definitely dangers out there we don’t want our kids anywhere near. But what about a group walk? With adult chaperones (you see where this might be going for you, right?)?

In a town we know, the Walking School Bus is a very successful community fitness program. Retired folks have taken on most of the escorting, getting to know the kids in their neighborhood, and allowing the kids to get to know some of “those old people” who live nearby. The not-a-bus starts at the farthest point from the school where adults wait for the first kids to gather. As they walk toward the school, and past more homes, other kids join in. It’s kind of like a neighborhood carpool – without the car.

There’s safety in numbers. There are adults present to manage intersections. There’s community building. And there’s fitness. (And a way to get the wiggles out each morning and afternoon!)

Aug 19

Featured recipe from Marilu’s table * Brown bag lunches

Posted in Budget & Finance, Healthy Kids, Recipes | No Comments »

Today we have a couple of recipes to perk up your brown bag lunches. These are kid-friendly (you know your kid best, so adapt the recipes to fit!) ways to get some extra fruits and veggies into them during the day.

Oh, and the world’s easiest cookies are here, too. Because every kid wants dessert… but that doesn’t mean you need to buy junk food, and it doesn’t mean you have to be a kitchen slave either.

Check these blog posts for more ideas!
Brown bag it * basics, leftovers, salads
Brown bag it * sandwiches

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Apple Carrot Salad
Green * Serves 4

1 apple, cored and grated
2 carrots, grated
1/2 cup currants (call them baby raisins if your kid doesn’t think she likes new things – or sub raisins)
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon lemon zest (skip it if you don’t have a real lemon)
1-1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (skip it if your kid doesn’t like the flavor… or try less at first)
1/4 cup walnuts, soaked 6-8 hours, chopped (if you didn’t get them soaked, don’t panic; use them anyway)
1 Tablespoon shredded unsweetened coconut (skip it if your kid doesn’t like coconut)

Combine apple, carrots currants, orange juice, lemon zest, and ginger the night before. Stir in walnuts and coconut in the morning, just before packing lunches.

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Easy Fat-free 3-Bean Salad
Blue * Serves 8

1 pound fresh green beans, cut in 1″ pieces, steamed until tender & cooled
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans
1 15-ounce can kidney beans
1 large red onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar (from the Asian foods section of your grocery store)

Combine all ingredients in a sealed plastic container and shake well. Let sit in fridge overnight, gets better with age, up to 10 days in the fridge.

Note: If you make steamed green beans for dinner, just make an extra pound for this recipe. Add the other ingredients after dinner, and you’ll have a great salad ready for brown bag lunches in the morning!

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Three-Ingredient Cookies
Yellow * Makes 18 cookies

1 cup natural peanut butter
3/4 cup Sucanat®
Egg replacer equivalent to 1 egg (or substitute 1 egg)

Mix it up – spoon onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for 7-10 minutes.

Optional: Add some Tropical Source chocolate chips.

Aug 14

Back to school * Lunch time!

Posted in Budget & Finance, Green living, Healthy Kids, Organizational tips for home and life | No Comments »

While you’re out shopping for school supplies, pick up a few things to make packing lunches easier. We’re big fans of reducing waste, so our recommendations are mostly reusable – that means your kids will have to bring them home, so you can wash them out for the next day. Bonus? You get to see what they didn’t eat, and make adjustments to ensure they’re getting enough good, healthy food for their day.

Lunch bag * We like reusable lunch bags, especially the insulated kind. You can get a “squishy” insulated lunch bag for a reasonable price. An old-fashioned lunchbox can be fun, too, with favorite characters on the side. Or go upscale, and look for a bento-style lunch box. We had a friend who re-used dog food bags for lunch bags (he washed them out, don’t worry) until they kind of fell apart, which took months. Perhaps you have an old purse that would make a great lunch bag?

Cold pack * Our favorite cold packs are the blue ice blocks, a bit larger than a deck of cards. One of those in an insulated (squishy) lunch bag will keep cold food cold for 4-5 hours. They’re made in other sizes and shapes, too, and they’re all pretty reasonably priced. Of course, a frozen water bottle (be sure to pour off the first inch before freezing!) also works well – and your child can drink the water, too.

Thermos * Because there are days that we like warm food, we like to have a small, wide-mouth thermos – something that holds about 1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) works pretty well.

Silverware * We reuse plasticware (the heavier stuff goes through the dishwasher just fine), but you may want to look for something more sturdy. Purchase an inexpensive set of silverware at a discount store, or if your kids like adventure, get camping silverware.

Containers * The inexpensive plastic containers can work really well for brown bag lunches – they can be reused for a long time, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. If they don’t come home some day, you’re not out a lot of money. There are some other containers with built in cooling packs that we like, too. We’re not big fans of the plastic bag; there’s so much waste with that method. Think creatively to avoid the waste.

Napkins * Our favorite napkins are colorful bandanas from the dollar store. We like that they wash well, and they’re easy to replace.

Aug 13

Fitness Friday * Team sports for kids

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Get your child involved in team sports. There are lots of options for all kids in school. Let your child try different sports this year, if last year’s sport wasn’t a good fit.

The lessons of teamwork are important, and so is the regular discipline of practice, drills, and playing the sport! Even sports that sound like individual efforts like cross-country running, tennis, golf, skiing, and track all have team components.

Volunteer as an assistant coach, or be the team parent who organizes healthy snacks. And be sure to show up for all the games.

Aug 12

Featured recipe from Marilu’s table * Currant scones

Posted in Healthy Kids, Recipes, Vegan | No Comments »

Sometimes we want something a little fancier for breakfast, and these scones do the trick.

Offer scones for a quick on-the-go breakfast or after school snack, or pack them in a school (or brown bag) lunch. (Who said you had to pack a sandwich?)

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Currant Scones
Yellow * Serves 10

2 cups unbleached flour
1/4 cup Sucanat®
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soy margarine, cold
2/3 to 3/4 cup soymilk
3/4 cup currants

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix flour, Sucanat, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the margarine with a pastry blender or a couple of forks, until the mixture is coarse, resembling corn meal.

Gradually add soymilk to make a soft dough. Add currants and knead the dough 3 or 4 times.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/2-inch thickness and cut out scones with 2-inch cookie cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Aug 11

Why the nutrition bill matters

Posted in Healthy Kids | No Comments »

Our friend Kathy at the Lunch Box Bunch blog wrote a great post on children’s nutrition. She’s a big dreamer when it comes to the food our kids should get at school… but if we don’t dream big, we won’t work hard to create change.

Here’s an excerpt – go and read the whole thing!

Why the Nutrition Bill Matters: Even skeptics of increased government funding for programs have to agree that 1) education is crucially important in our country. And 2) no amount of education, from math to social studies to science, chemistry and literature is going to make a difference in a child’s future if that child is unhealthy. Health is number one.

…If you haven’t learned that lesson yet – you will. At some point in your life you may get ill, or a loved one will get ill and the only thing that will matter is getting well. Wellness. Without a well state – you cannot succeed in anything. And that includes school.

But I do want to stress that health is relative for everyone – what is healthy for me – may be very different than what is considered healthy to you. The point is that we should all strive to take care of ourselves and preserve what health we do have. But this essay is about kids. School kids. And the food they eat everyday to fuel their minds and bodies. And for the kids, I like to dream big…

~ Kathy, www.lunchboxbunch.com

Jul 26

Featured recipe from Marilu’s table * Vegan fondue

Posted in Family friendly activities, food, tips, Healthy Kids, Menu suggestions, Recipes | No Comments »

It’s another Meatless Monday meal. This one is a favorite with kids (of any age) – because fondue means playing with your food! Set out a large platter of dippers, and give everyone a long-handled fork and a plate.

This recipe also makes a nice “cheese” sauce to pour over baked potatoes or steamed greens.

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Vegan Fondue
from Vegan Lunch Box: 130 Amazing, Animal-Free Lunches Kids and Grown-Ups Will Love!, by Jennifer McCann
Green * Makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup chopped baby carrots
one 12-ounce package soft or firm silken tofu
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 Tablespoon mellow brown rice or white miso
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
pinch of white pepper
pinch of nutmeg

Place the carrots in a small saucepan and cover with a scant 1/2 cup of water. Bring to boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the carrots are completely tender.

Meanwhile, place all the rest of the ingredients in a blender. When the carrots are done add them and their cooking liquid and puree until completely smooth.

Place the fondue back into the saucepan and heat on medium low heat, stirring frequently, until piping hot.

To serve, pour the fondue into a small crockpot or fondue pot and serve surrounded by vegetables and bread for dipping (see our list of favorites below). To pack for a lunch, pour hot fondue into a small thermos that has been preheated with boiling water for 10 minutes.

Some Favorite Fondue Dippers:

cubes of crusty wholegrain bread
boiled baby new potatoes
lightly steamed baby carrots
raw or lightly steamed cauliflower florets
raw or lightly steamed broccoli florets
steamed Brussels sprouts
blanched asparagus spears
bell pepper strips
apple chunks
cherry tomatoes
artichoke hearts
raw button mushrooms
raw zucchini slices
blanched whole green beans

Jul 09

Fitness Friday * That’s hot!

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Wow, it’s been HOT-HOT-HOT lately!

But you know that weather (hot or cold, wet or dry) is not an excuse for not exercising, right? There are some exceptions, of course – don’t go outside during an electrical storm or hurricane or tornado – but the recent heat is not enough to stop exercising.

We just need to exercise smart when it’s hot.

Pay attention to your body’s response to the environment. Can you still breathe easily? Can you still talk while you’re moving? Is your heart rate staying below 80% of its maximum? Are you still sweating?

Don’t push it – this is not the time to add distance or reps, or increase speed or weight.

Take water breaks. Or bathroom breaks. Or just breaks.

If you exercise outside, go early in the day or late in the day. Avoid the hottest part of the day.

Split your workout into shorter intervals. These aren’t speed intervals – just partial workouts. Instead of one 60 minute workout, try three 20 minute workouts throughout the day (think creatively).

Wear sunscreen if you’re exercising outside.

Stay hydrated! Start drinking water an hour before you exercise, drink (sip) while you exercise, and keep drinking for a couple of hours after you exercise. Replenish what you’ve lost through sweating. Don’t chug it, though. At a certain point, you’ll need to consider replenishing minerals, too. We’re not fans of sweetened sports drinks, but there are some brands of enhanced water (check for sugars!) that aren’t too bad. Or drink a glass of watered down fruit juice, and make sure you’re eating lots of vegetables and whole grains.

This is all true for your kids, too – whether they’re “just playing” outside, or are in an organized sport.

Jun 23

Play with your produce

Posted in Family friendly activities, food, tips, Healthy Kids | No Comments »

Yes. Play with your food. Especially with your produce – that’s fruits and vegetables.

This is berry season. If all you eat are strawberries and blueberries, it’s time to try something new. Raspberries and blackberries are good, and easily available (and can you say fiber? Chew those berries!).

It’s also the season for salad greens. There are so many kinds of salad greens – way beyond iceberg, spinach, and romaine. Try butter lettuce, frisee, arugula, red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce – they’re all available in just about every grocery store.

Make trying new food fun!

Set out everything in individual bowls, labeled A, B, C, etc. Have everyone taste each food and rank it. Comments are welcome, as long as they’re not “yuck.” Practice those adjectives – words like spicy, sweet, smooth, fresh, crisp, slimy, crunchy, nutty, tickle-y – you get the idea. Identify all the personal favorites, and figure out family favorites.

Mix up everything into one dish.

* Try a berry salad, topped with a dollop of vanilla soy (or rice or coconut) yogurt, a tiny drizzle of raw honey, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Try macerated berries (sprinkle with a little sugar and let them sit for half an hour, then mash lightly with a fork) on shortcake. Try a berry smoothie. Identify personal and family favorites.

* Try a green salad, topped with a simple vinaigrette. Or top it with a scoop of tuna (or mock-tuna) salad. Or put a thick layer of salad greens in a grilled chicken or tofu sandwich. Identify personal and family favorites.

Play with your produce with a few taste tests. Learn what you all like and why. Teach your kids (and maybe your partner) that trying new foods is an adventure, not something to fear. Honor individual preferences, but remind everyone that it can take time to enjoy new foods, so sometimes things they don’t especially like will show up at meal time. A taste is good enough when it comes to new foods.

Challenge yourself to try some new produce this week! Have fun!

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