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Name: Renata L. Lerch
Kids: Son, age 19 months
Works: Managing Director at limalerchconsulting.com, and Editor-in-Chief of EcoLogicalMom.com
Favorite part about being a mom: Experiencing unconditional love for my child
Least favorite part about being a mom: Lack of "me" time and constant worrying
Famous for: Trying hard to be fit and healthy. And for being a fanatic about cheese!
Michelle Schoffro, a natural medicine specialist, composed a list of 9 reasons to drink green tea daily:
1. Green tea is a superb fat fighter. Its active ingredient, EGCG, increases the rate at which fat is burned in your body.
2. It targets belly fat. Research at Tufts University indicates that EGCG in green tea, like other catechins, activate fat-burning genes in the abdomen to speed weight loss by 77 percent.
3. Green tea keeps energy stable by balancing blood sugar levels. EGCG improves insulin use in the body to prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes that can result in fatigue, irritability, and cravings for unhealthy foods.
4. Research shows it may be helpful against lung cancer. In an April 2010 study published in Cancer Prevention Research, EGCG was found to suppress lung cancer cell growth.
5. Green tea may halt colorectal cancer. In numerous other studies, EGCG appears to inhibit colorectal cancers.
6. In research, it appears to cause prostate cancer cells to commit suicide. A March 2010 study in Cancer Science indicated that EGCG aids the body by causing prostate cancer cells to commit suicide.
7. Green tea may prevent skin damage and wrinkling. EGCG appears to be 200 times more powerful than vitamin E at destroying skin-damaging free radicals. Free radicals react with healthy cells in the body, causing damage, so lessening their numbers may help reduce wrinkling and other signs of aging.
8. It contains a potent antioxidant that kills free radicals. Because it is a potent antioxidant green tea can positively impact a lot more than skin cells. Free radicals are increasingly linked to many serious chronic illnesses like arthritis, diabetes, and cancer.
9. Green tea tastes good. If you’re not wild about the flavor, try a few different kinds. Try it iced or hot. Add some of the natural herb stevia to sweeten it if you want a sweeter drink. I wasn’t crazy about green tea the first few times I tried it, but now I love it with a fresh squeeze of lemon and a few drops of stevia over ice -- et voila! Green tea lemonade.
Reap the rewards
Add one or two teaspoons of green tea leaves to a cup of boiling water, preferably in a tea strainer. Let steep for five minutes. Pour over ice if you prefer a cold beverage. Green tea contains a lot less caffeine than coffee or black tea.
For more information on healthy living and eco-friendly parenting, please logon to www.EcoLogicalMom.com
Source: Michelle Schoffro Cook. Adapted with permission from The Life Force Diet. Michelle Schoffro Cook, RNCP, ROHP, DAc, DNM, is a best-selling and six-time book author and doctor of natural medicine.
Feeding kids healthy foods is important, but sometimes quite challenging, especially when it involves picky eaters!
We tested three fabulous recipes that kids love, for breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack. Check them out!
1) Plain Oatmeal transformed into Oatmeal Pancakes
Oatmeal is loaded with vitamin B and other minerals. If your kids doesn't like oatmeal, we think he/she will love oatmeal pancakes.
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup oatmeal
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cups white flour
- 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1/3 cup oil
Pour milk over oatmeal and let stand 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix in a separate bowl, both flours, baking powder and salt. Add to oatmeal mixture. Beat in eggs, honey and oil until well mixed, but not necessarily smooth. For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup batter onto greased griddle heated to 325 degrees. Bake until bubbles begin to pop at edges. Turn and bake until other side is browned. Serve hot with butter and honey or syrup.
2) Green Veggies into Veggie Pesto:
Pesto pasta or chicken is always a win-win,
- 2 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves (about 2 ounces). Try adding some broccoli to the mix.
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
- 1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Combine the spinach, pine nuts, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a processor. Lightly pulse. With the machine running, gradually add 1/3 cup of the oil, blending until the mixture is creamy. Add salt and pulse. Put half of the pesto into ice cube trays and store in the freezer for future use.
Transfer the rest of the spinach mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the Parmesan. Season the pesto with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread the pesto over your favorite pasta, chicken or fish and serve.
.
3) Good Ol' Fruit Smoothies
The sky is the limit for fruit combination. Tip: use your kids' favorite fruits!
- 6 organic strawberries (can be frozen)
- 3/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup orange juice (milk works just as well)
- 2 tablespoons of oatmeal cereal (optional)
Mix all ingredients in the blender and serve immediately.
For more information on healthy living and eco-friendly parenting, please logon to www.EcoLogicalMom.com
Sources: EcoLogicalMom.com, cook.com, Lil' Sugar
According to a 2008 study, the 10 foods that pose the highest choking hazards for young children are hot dogs, peanuts, carrots, boned chicken, candy, meat, popcorn, fish with bones, sunflower seeds and apples.
Peanuts caused the highest frequency of injury, and hot dogs were most often associated with fatal outcomes. Age younger than 3 years was the highest-risk factor.
Hard, round foods with high elasticity or lubricity properties, or both, pose a significant level of risk.
Dr. Gary Smith, the lead author of "American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy statement on food hazards", says some foods should simply not be given to children under 4 or 5: he mentioned raw carrots, marshmallows, peanuts, popcorn, hard candies and gumballs.
If feeding a young child a hot dog, he said, cut it lengthwise before slicing it. (Simply slicing it into nickel-size chunks makes it more dangerous than not slicing it at all.) Cut grapes into quarters. Flat lollipops are safer than ball-shaped suckers.
For more information on healthy living and eco-friendly parenting, please logon to www.EcoLogicalMom.com
Sources: NYTimes and International Journal of Pediatrics
Several reports have been released about how safe tap water can be in many countries, highlighting the benefits of tap versus bottled water. Learning what contaminants are in your local water supply will help you determine the best filter options for you!
There are different source of water supply in Wisconsin. Please click here to access a water quality database per zip code, provided by EWG.org, or to access a filter buying guide. That will allow you to make informative decisions about drinking water options at home.
For more information on healthy living and parenting, please logon to EcoLogicalMom.com
Oats are rich in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, thiamine, iron, beta-glucan, and antioxidants. They can also taste very good! Who doesn't like oatmeal cookies?
Very versatile, oats leftovers can also be used to treat acne, neutralize odors, soothe dry skin, and be turned into modeling clay for kids!
Treat acne:
Cook up some oats, let cool until lukewarm, then apply to the affected areas. Let stand for several minutes, then rinse.
Neutralize odors:
Place an open container of dry oats in your fridge.
Soothe skin (adults and diaper rashes):
For adults: Mix it with honey and lukewarm water, and apply to the skin for 20 minutes.
For diaper rashes: add about a cup of ground oats to the bath water.
Modeling Clay:
- 1 cup rolled oats (you can use instant or old fashioned)
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra
- 1/2 cup water
Stir together all the ingredients in a large bowl, adding more flour if necessary, until the dough forms a lump. For colored clay, you can add drops of food coloring to the water before combining it with the dry ingredients. Knead it on a floured surface, adding flour as needed, until it is smooth and not too sticky. Allow finished creations to air-dry overnight. Leftover clay can be refrigerated in a ziplock bag for up to three days.
For more healthy living information and tips, logon to www.EcoLogicalMom.com
Sources: Yahoo Green and Family Fun
We love cakes, and raspberries, nuts and whole wheat ingredients. When we came across this recipe, we absolutely fell in love. Simply delicious!
Spring Linzer Cake
Servings: 12 portions
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup whole almonds
- 2 tablespoons low-fat milk
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, divided
- 2/3 cup raspberry jam
- 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar, for garnish
- 1/2 pint (about 1 1/4 cups) fresh raspberries, for garnish
To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray with flour (see Tip); alternatively, coat the pans with regular cooking spray, line them with parchment paper and spray the paper.
Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
Place almonds in a food processor and process until finely ground. Add milk, oil and almond extract and pulse to combine.
Beat egg whites in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in 1/4 cup sugar in a slow, steady stream. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Beat egg yolks and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl on medium speed until pale yellow and doubled in volume, 3 to 5 minutes.
Gently stir the almond mixture into the egg-yolk mixture with a rubber spatula. Add the flour mixture; gently stir until just incorporated. Stir about 1 cup of the whites into the batter until combined. Gently fold the remaining whites into the batter, using long, even strokes, until just incorporated and no white streaks remain. Divide the batter between the prepared pans; spread it to the edges and gently rap the pans against the counter once or twice to settle the batter.
Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then invert the layers onto the rack, remove the pans and parchment paper, if using, and let cool completely, about 45 minutes more.
To assemble cake: Place one layer, top-side down, on a serving plate; spread raspberry jam over it. Cover it with the second layer, top-side down. Sift confectioners' sugar over the cake. Decorate with raspberries, if desired.
Sources: Eating Well and FoodNetwork
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