Happy Valentine's Day

Every February you hear about heart health.  With Valentine's Day and the focus on love, it only makes sense.

When Sweet Pea was born, we found out she had a complete AV Canal defect that would require surgery to repair.  So, at 5 months she went in for open heart surgery to repair the hole in her heart.  It was heartbreaking for us to know what she would have to go through.  

The day after surgery.

One week after surgery.

Almost 3 years after surgery.

For us, there was nothing we could have done that would have prevented her heart defect.  But, there are things that you can do to help keep your children's hearts healthy.

1) Monkey see, monkey do.  Set the example with healthy habits and positive talk about your bodies.  Avoid harmful behaviors (smoking, alcohol, drug use) that breakdown the body.

2) Eat healthy.  Having healthy food at home begins with making healthy choices at the grocery store.  Stock up on nutritious and quick to prepare foods that work with your family's schedule.  Need ideas?  Let Kelli and I know.  We would love to help you set up a meal plan that works for your family!

3) Make family meals a priority.  Children who have regular family meals eat a wider variety of foods, are less likely to participate in harmful activities, have better grades and have stronger ties to their families.  To make mealtimes more meaningful, check out the Family Dinner Box of Questions.  It contains lots of conversation starters that require more than yes or no answers.

4) Encourage and model and active lifestyle.  Encourage your children to be active.  Take walks as a family. Find an activity that you can participate in together.  Junior loves to ride his bike with me while I run.

Hmmm...  Maybe not the best family activity ;)

5) Encourage quality sleep habits.  The right amount of sleep is vitally important to health.  While you sleep, your body repairs itself.  With enough sleep, you'll have more energy, think clearer, manage stress better, get sick less often and be less likely to be overweight.  Instilling healthy sleep habits now will set your kids up for a healthier future.

6) Unplug.  Take time each day to unplug.  Turn off the TV.  Step away from the computer.  Ignore the phone.  Stop texting.  The more connected we are, the more stress we feel.  Limit time in front of video games.  For every hour that you're plugged in, aim for double that being engaged with the family or outside moving around.

7) Resolve conflicts. No one is perfect.  Not everyone will get along with you.  Teach you children healthy ways to resolve conflicts.  Teach love, forgiveness, grace and mercy.  Grudges, unforgiveness, disunity and conflict are unhealthy stressors that can lead to health issues in children.

Mom and dad, you set the example in your home.  Your children look to you.  By modeling heart healthy living, you're helping your children to develop heart healthy habits.  Take the steps needed to set them up for success!


This post contains affiliate links.  These are products that we use ourselves.  Mom 4ce receives compensation when you purchase through these links.

Giving Thanks

It's November.  And you know what that means, right?

It means that all over Facebook and the blogosphere you'll be seeing post about being thankful.  You might even be tempted to join the "30 days of thankfulness" challenges.  And that's okay.

Turns out being grateful is actually good for your health.  Here's some of the top reasons to express thankfulness this month and the rest of the year.

1. It's good for your mental health.  People who regularly give thanks have a more positive outlook on life.

2. Being mindful of the things you have to be grateful for can boost your well being.

3. Grateful high schoolars have higher GPA's.

4. Thankfulness makes you a better friend to others.

5. Counting your blessings before you fall asleep can help you sleep better.

6. Being grateful for the little things that your significant other does can strengthen your relationship.

7. Gratefulness may be beneficial in the treatment of hypertension and in reducing the likelihood of sudden death in patients with congestive heart failure and coronary artery disease.

8. Gratefulness can boost your immune system.

9. Gratitude can help boost feelings of belonging and decrease feelings of stress.

10. Expressing gratitude can cause you to spend more time exercising.

So, there you have it.  Reasons to be thankful this month and during the rest of the year.

What are you thankful for this year?

Mom 4ce Challenge

A lot of you have seen us posting about our weekly workout groups.  And you're bummed because you live on the other side of the country and can't join us, right?  Well, now you can!

Kelli and I are pleased to announce the launch of the Mom 4ce Challenge group!

Join us for support and motivation to reach your goals to get healthy and to get your family on the right track! 

Here's how it'll work.  

Starting July 1st, we will be creating a private group.  Members of this group will receive meal plans (with a grocery list!) and workouts for the duration of the challenge.  They will also get lots of support and motivation from us and from the other members of the group.

Random prizes will be given out during the challenge as well =)

The challenge will run 4 months (July- October) and costs $100 ($25/ month).

So how do you get in on this?  Easy.  Email us at mom4ce@gmail.com!

Kam's Story

 
My firstborn, Kamron, was born in April of 2005.
He was the first grandchild on both sides of the family and to my husband and I, he was perfection.
When Kamron was three he was diagnosed with Asthma.  We had already spent most of his life talking to the pediatrician about food allergies but hadn't had him tested because we were told that he would outgrow them.  He also had Eczema and some mood swings. 
Finally when he was five I pushed and had him tested for allergies.  We went to a specialist and did the back scratch test.  He was found to be allergic to every tree and grass near us as well as soy.  (The only food on the test was soy, milk, and eggs.)  I honestly didn't think that the soy would be that big of a deal to take him off of...and then I looked at the back of every cracker package at the store...and I may or may not have cried in the middle of the snack aisle at the grocery store. 
After a month of really watching what my son ate and keeping him on allergy medicine Kamron wasn't having serious outbreaks.  He was occasionally having random asthma attacks and so the allergist and I talked about testing him for other food allergies but the allergist said it would be better to do an elimination diet.  I was gearing up to start playing with his diet but Kamron, ever the firstborn, took matters into his own hands...
He collapsed in the middle of PetCo and was rushed to Children's Hospital via ambulance.  No parent can describe the feeling of helplessness as she watches her child struggle to stay coherent in an ambulance flying down the highway.  As I sat in the hospital praying for my son waiting for my husband to arrive I just knew that he had cancer or some other life threatening illness.  Instead I found out that the ER Physician had no answers for me except that it was not cancer or many other illnesses that he was tested for.
The next day we went to our family doctor and found out that Kamron had a small heart murmur that he would outgrow but he had an irregular heartbeat.  We went on to see two child cardiologists  and had a follow up with the allergist.  In a nutshell, Kamron's asthma and different allergies caused his heart to beat erratically and make him pass out.
From several different books I read we decided to first go off of wheat.  After a month I had a different child!  He could play without getting seriously exhausted, he was not as moody, and his Eczema was clearer!
The next thing I did was to slowly wean him off of processed sugar and artificial dyes.  This was honestly a little bit harder and something we all struggle with, however the end result was well worth it.  I was able to take him off of his allergy medicine and he did not get sick during Spring in Texas!!!  
I am not saying that taking your children off of soy, gluten, processed sugars, and artificial dyes will heal your kids problems but I would definitely try it!

NOTHING IN THIS BLOG POST SHOULD TAKE THE PLACE OF SEEING A MEDICAL DOCTOR! 
***Picture is courtesy of Oh My! Photography***

Our crazy, beautiful, messy lives

So, I've been trying to write a post about how to keep travel from interrupting your schedule for the last couple days.  And then it hits me.  It's not only travel that gets in the way of our workout schedules, it's life.  Our crazy, beautiful, messy lives.

Take today, for example.

This morning I was just coming back in the door when Girly came downstairs crying.  She wasn't feeling good and needed me.  Twenty minutes later, Sweet Pea was awake and demanding to be fed.  Once I got her settled with food, Squish came rolling down the stairs and wanted to snuggle on the couch.  At this point I still hadn't been able to hop in the shower, but I sat and snuggled with Girly and Squish for a few minutes.  Then Sweet Pea needed out of her chair...  And my day just went from there.  Now it's nap time and I finally have a couple minutes to sit down and think =)

Somewhere in the craziness that was this morning I still managed to get a workout in.  It wasn't long and it wasn't pretty, but it was something.  And some days that's all that really matters.

What can you do on those days that you can't seem to find any time?  Try some body weight exercises through out the day.

Fixing breakfast?  Do some squats while waiting for that coffee to brew.  Walking around picking up after the kids?  Do walking lunges!  Waiting for the kids after school?  Do wall push- ups against your car (and who cares what everyone else in the pick- up line thinks!).

On days it's nice enough and we head to the park, I make sure I pick the parks that have a path around the playground equipment.  The kids play while I walk...  In circles...  But I get a walk in.

Take 15 minutes and chase your kids around the yard.  At work all day?  Take the stairs when you can.  Walk on your lunch break.  I have a friend who walks around the parking lot everyday at lunch.

The point isn't to beat yourself up because you missed a workout.  It's to find ways to get it in despite what happens in a day.

For me, I get up before everyone else and head out the door for a run or walk.  Since I'm back before the kids are awake, I will do a short strength or stretching workout.

When we travel, I try to plan my workouts around what we'll be doing.  If we're going to visit the grandparents, I know I'll have a bit more flexibility in getting my runs in (my dad usually forces me out the door to run with him ;) ).  Or I simply plan it as a rest day/ week, because rest (when you've been working out) is just as important as working out.

Plan your workouts.

But also plan for the unexpected by having back up work outs that you can do in a short amount of time.

Freese Kid 4ce Interview

My kids wanted to do a blog post and since three of them can't read yet, I decided it would be better to interview them.  None of them have been coached on what to say, remember that as you read! 

What do you like to do?
Kamron (age 8): "I like to play with Legos, ride my Wiggle Racer, ride my bike, and jump on the trampoline."
Dylan (age 4): "I like to talk in alien talk.  (He then proceeds to talk in gibberish).  That is translated into jump on the trampoline, I like to crash my bike but then Daddy ran over the back wheel because I left it hiding behind the car.  I like to play Starfall.com and run around in circles.
Ryan (age 4): I like to do 100 jumping jacks and count them.  I also like to do box jumps because you can't Mom.  I sometimes like to play with my dog but sometimes she runs too fast and I can't catch her.  I also like to play with my Legos, Superman, and blocks.

Do you like to play video games?  Which ones?
Kamron: "Mario, Batman, Star Wars, bike racing, helicopter parachuting, sword fighting, archery, and that frisbee game."
Dylan:  "Star Wars on the Wii, sword fighting, Mario Kart, and Monster Jam!"
Ryan:  "Monster Jam!!!  Oh and Toy Story, sword fighting, and bike racing."
  
Do you play video games everyday?
Kamron: "No, Wii's are for the weekend.  Mom, did you forget that?"
Ryan: "No, that would be silly!"
Dylan: "What?  People do that?"

What do you like to eat?
Kamron: "Chicken Fried Rice, hamburgers without the bun, green beans, baked potatoes, stir fry, and eggs with sweet potatoes that are a quiche."
Dylan: "Brussell Sprouts!  Taco soup, cheeseburgers without the bun but with cheese on it, apples, watermelon, oranges, strawberries, blueberries, salad, and olives."
Ryan: "Apples! I like apples!!!!  Scrambled eggs, oranges, chicken legs, chicken and dumplings, and popcorn."

What is your favorite snack?
Kamron:  "Trail Mix"
Dylan: "Strawberries and Blueberries"
Ryan: "Strawberries without the blueberries; I give my blueberries to Dylan because he's weird."

What do you want everybody to know about eating healthy?
Kamron: "Eating healthy is really good because it gets you bigger muscles like Wolverine and Captain America.  It doesn't taste gross, it tastes good."
Dylan: "It makes you strong and you won't get sick!"
Ryan: "Healthy is good for you, like Superman!"

So there you have it, that is my interview with the three of my kids that can talk.  Anna was busy twirling in circles and getting into whatever she could find during this time.  

Butter

I like butter.

Actually I love it, a lot.  I cook with butter daily.  

I make my eggs with butter each morning.  Today, I reheated my chicken in melted butter.  

It was sooooooo good!!!

  

Besides being delicious, butter is actually a healthy food.  

It is chock full of Vitamin A, E, and K; lauric acid, lecithin, and selenium!

Butter fights against free radical damage and weakening arteries. 

It contains conjucated linoleic acid, which is an anti-cancer agent, muscle builder and immunity booster!

This is only a few of the good things about butter.  

 So go ahead, pass the butter and ditch the margarine; just make sure that your butter is from grass fed cows.  My favorite brand from the store is Kerrygold.
You get bonus points if you make friends with a farmer and get your butter locally.   

Your body will thank you and your taste buds will dance. 

Know Your Numbers

Whenever someone starts talking about their latest *diet* I cringe.  Not because wanting to lose weight and get in shape is bad, but because 95% of the time they're going about it the wrong way.

Many of the diets available today put your body into starvation mode- having you eat 1200 or fewer calories a day.  Sure, you'll see results right away, but after awhile you stop losing or *gasp* start gaining weight again.  Then you start worrying that there's something wrong with your body and cut calories even further or give up.

But, if you would have just known your numbers, things could have turned out differently.

What do I mean by that?  Simple.  Know how many calories your body has to burn just to exist.

There's a couple different way you can do this.  The most expensive is to have it done at a clinic.  Or, you can use this formula as a starting place:

(your weight in lbs) x 10 + 30% of that number

What does that really look like?  I'll use my numbers as an example because I know them ;)

125 x 10 = 1250
1250 x 1.3 = 1625

What?!?!?  You mean just to maintain where I'm at, without adding in exercise, I could eat 1600 calories a day? Yup.  So, if I was gong to jump on the latest diet craze and drop to 1200 calories a day, I would not be able to function for more than a couple days because my body would refuse to keep functioning like I had been use to.

Oh, but wait.  I said without exercise.  I need to add in more calories for exercise.  Since my main form of exercise is running, I use the estimate that I burn 100 calories per mile (this varies as your body becomes more efficient, but is a good starting place).  So, if I run 21 miles a week, I can eat an average of 300 more calories a day.

Wait, that means I'm eating 1900 calories a day now...

And for all the mamas out there who are nursing, you need to add more calories to help nourish your little bundle of joy.  I would recommend adding  300- 500 calories a day depending on how much they're nursing.

So yes, I eat close to 2200 calories a day to maintain my weight.

But, what does that mean if you're looking to lose weight?  One pound of fat has 3500 calories.  To lose that, you need to create a deficit of about 500 calories a day.  But, before you take that away from the number of calories your eating each day, remember this:

The most effective weight loss is going to come from a combination of diet and exercise.

I prefer that no more than about 250 of the calories needed per day come from a reduction in your diet.  The rest needs to come from a combination of cardio and strength training.  And as you build more muscle, your body will become more efficient at burning calories =)

Kelli's Post

Here is a Facebook post that I put up recently.  It got a lot of good feedback so I thought I would share it with you all.

I struggle with being real and sharing my personal "stuff" on here because I want to seem like "Superwoman." Here's the truth though, I am human. I like chocolate. I like wine. I skip workouts. I don't always push myself. Then, I brush off my knees and get back to work on being healthy.

Stay With the Fight!

Back in January I stepped outside of my comfort zone (read running and weights ;)) and started Les Mills Combat.  Take a look...

Can I just say I'm loving it?  I never thought that punching and kicking would feel so good lol!  But this isn't the kickboxing y'all remember from Tae Bo.  This is mixed martial arts amped up!

Depending on which schedule you follow (there's 3 to choose from) you'll workout 5-6 days a week.  I went with the first schedule (5 days).  The longest workout is an hour (added in the 2nd or 3rd week).  The rest of the workouts average 30-45 minutes.  Perfect for me, because anything longer than that and the kids are yelling, screaming calling for my attention =)

There are three basic types of workouts.  You have your cardio (30, 45 and 60 minutes worth), your strength (about 30 minutes) and your stretching (45 minutes or so).  My favorite workouts are the Extreme Cardio (60 minutes) and the HIIT Power (30 minutes).  

I would video myself doing some of the workouts for y'all to see, but it's really not pretty.  I'm no where near as coordinated as the guys on the dvd.  But I still manage to get a good workout in in a relatively short amount of time.  And, I now feel like I have the power to land some punches and kicks if I had to lol!

After 60 days of Combat, I have a ton more definition through my shoulders (hello sleeveless shirts this summer!) and feel so much stronger.  I can definitely see adding these workouts in as cross training on my non running days.

Heart Health

Every February you hear about heart health.  With Valentine's Day and the focus on love, it only makes sense.

When Sweet Pea was born, we found out she had a complete AV Canal defect that would require surgery to repair.  So, at 5 months she went in for open heart surgery to repair the hole in her heart.  It was heartbreaking for us to know what she would have to go through.  

The day after surgery.

One week after surgery.

One year after surgery.

For us, there was nothing we could have done that would have prevented her heart defect.  But, there are things that you can do to help keep your children's hearts healthy.

1) Monkey see, monkey do.  Set the example with healthy habits and positive talk about your bodies.  Avoid harmful behaviors (smoking, alcohol, drug use) that breakdown the body.

2) Eat healthy.  Having healthy food at home begins with making healthy choices at the grocery store.  Stock up on nutritious and quick to prepare foods that work with your family's schedule.  For menu ideas, go to www.eatingwell.com

3) Make family meals a priority.  Children who have regular family meals eat a wider variety of foods, are less likely to participate in harmful activities, have better grades and have stronger ties to their families.  To make mealtimes more meaningful, check out www.poweroffamilymeals.com

4) Encourage and model and active lifestyle.  Encourage your children to be active.  Take walks as a family. Find an activity that you can participate in together.  Junior loves to ride his bike with me while I run.

Hmmm...  Maybe not the best family activity ;)

5) Encourage quality sleep habits.  The right amount of sleep is vitally important to health.  While you sleep, your body repairs itself.  With enough sleep, you'll have more energy, think clearer, manage stress better, get sick less often and be less likely to be overweight.  Instilling healthy sleep habits now will set your kids up for a healthier future.

6) Unplug.  Take time each day to unplug.  Turn off the TV.  Step away from the computer.  Ignore the phone.  Stop texting.  The more connected we are, the more stress we feel.  Limit time in front of video games.  For every hour that you're plugged in, aim for double that being engaged with the family or outside moving around.

7) Resolve conflicts. No one is perfect.  Not everyone will get along with you.  Teach you children healthy ways to resolve conflicts.  Teach love, forgiveness, grace and mercy.  Grudges, unforgiveness, disunity and conflict are unhealthy stressors that can lead to health issues in children.

Mom and dad, you set the example in your home.  Your children look to you.  By modeling heart healthy living, you're helping your children to develop heart healthy habits.  Take the steps needed to set them up for success!