Beating Obesity Into Submission

Why aren’t we able to tackle the obesity problem in this country. We’re not the only ones. America, Mexico, New Zealand, Hungary and Australia are equal or behind the UK in the obesity fight. Obesity and the illnesses it causes is well documented on TV and online. Why isn’t the message coming through. The information is there.

Culture shifts toward fast foods has had a huge impact on our eating habits. 30 to 40 years ago, fast food was only accessible in fish and chip shops. McDonald’s was only starting out in the UK then.

‘Apps’ like ‘Hungary House’ make it so easy to order food. One click of the button on your mobile, and your done. You only have to make the effort to get off the sofa and walk to the front door. Such hard work! Continue reading “Beating Obesity Into Submission”

Catering in LRP – The Options Available For LARP Catering

Eating out on a live action Role Playing Event, a catering guide for Larping. No matter what the duration of the event you are going to you will no doubt need to eat and drink. Here are the different options that players tend to choose when going on a live action role playing weekend and a few thoughts on each.

Fasting

“It is only a two day event; I don’t need to eat a real meal.” This type of role player will usually stop at a garage or small shop on their way to the event and buy a bag of already made sandwiches crisps pasties and chocolate. This works well for players who for whatever reason cannot find the time to sort out food in advance of the event. However a live action role playing event is usually strenuous and can often go on late into the night. Not eating properly even for a few days can affect your sleep patterns your health and therefore your enjoyment of the larping weekend event. Continue reading “Catering in LRP – The Options Available For LARP Catering”

Wait, Don’t Leave The House! Do You Have Food and Snacks With You?

Sticking with healthy nutrition when you’re away from home can be tough. This is particularly difficult if you leave the house without any food and snacks in your possession. If you’ve made the commitment to improve your health and lose weight, then your daily nutrition is what is going to get you to successfully accomplish this goal.

Instead of making the weight loss process more difficult than it needs to be, give yourself an edge by ensuring every time you leave your house for work or to run errands, you have sustenance for when it’s time to eat.

If you do not arm yourself with properly portioned meals and snacks, you leave yourself wide open to unhealthy nutritional temptations that often arise when hunger cravings start creeping in. When the cravings take control, that’s when we are at our weakest which means willpower can figuratively go out the window. Continue reading “Wait, Don’t Leave The House! Do You Have Food and Snacks With You?”

Too Busy to Cook Going 100 Miles an Hour?

I believe in synchronicity it is always showing me what is next. Earlier today I was listening to the founder of Omega Institute speak about the “time poverty” we are all experiencing. Too busy to cook, too busy to sit down and eat, too busy to sleep, over committed, exhausted, but too tired to sleep. Not a great picture. Then about an hour later I was speaking with Elissa, at Fresh Picks, an organic delivery service in Chicago, and she was saying some of the biggest issues people have with buying produce is that they end up throwing it away, “so why buy it”, then it seems to me the thinking leads to… fast food to the rescue!

I like this concept of “time poverty”, it speaks to the larger concern. Wikipedia says; Poverty is general scarcity or dearth, or the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. And when it comes to time, we are convinced we don’t have enough, there is lack, a limited supply, and everything we do takes away from our limited supply. Leaving most of us feeling, exhausted, frustrated, worn out convinced it has to be this way. If the majority of the people we know are living as we do, then what we are doing can feel normal. Continue reading “Too Busy to Cook Going 100 Miles an Hour?”

Fresh Fruit Salad – A Fast Healthy Breakfast and Dessert Idea

Looking for a simple, healthy and fast breakfast or dessert idea? A fresh fruit salad is the perfect choice. This simple fruit salad with just a few ingredients is easy to prepare and delicious every time. With some simple ingredient exchanges and serving ideas it can be one of the most versatile recipes around.

This fruit recipe serves two to three people but can easily be doubled to serve more.

For this fresh fruit salad recipe you will need:

One large red delicious apple – cored and thinly sliced
One large navel orange – peeled, sectioned and cut into chunks
1 cup green or red seedless grapes – cut each grape in half
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
1 to 1 1/2 cups of lemon yogurt – to desired moistness
ground nutmeg – to taste Continue reading “Fresh Fruit Salad – A Fast Healthy Breakfast and Dessert Idea”

The Problem Of Obesity In Teenagers

Obesity in teenagers is a growing problem that has become worse in recent times, and the rates are growing every year. The America is a top leader in obesity in teenagers. Some report indicated that as many as 33% of teenagers are now obese. It is believed that more than 25% of schoolchildren are overweight and in fact, obese, and nearly a fourth of them are at risk of getting heart disease, diabetes, stroke as well as possibly early death. The worse thing is that according to research study conducted on obesity in teenagers, it was found that teenagers aged from ten to thirteen would have an 80% chance of becoming obese adults.

What are the possible causes for Obesity?

Obesity in teenagers may result when the teenager has more than 10% extra weight over that what is suggested weight for that particular height. Obesity in child and teenagers will occur when their total energy intake is greater than the total energy expended, which is the energy the child or teenager’s uses up during physical exercise or activity. There are quite a few factors to consider when looking at the problem. Continue reading “The Problem Of Obesity In Teenagers”

Reducing Childhood Obesity With Home Cooking

If you are a parent, or are planning to become one, you can’t help but be concerned about the childhood obesity crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, childhood obesity has more doubled in the last three decades; for adolescents it has quadrupled. In real terms this means that over a third of children and adolescents are either overweight or obese. These are frightening statistics.

If you want to prevent your children from becoming obese or overweight, one effective way is to cook more meals at home.

Cooking to Lose Weight:

It might seem counter-productive to suggest that cooking more of the food that your children eat can help them to lose weight. After all, most weight loss plans are all about restricting food, right? Well, that’s not always the case. Continue reading “Reducing Childhood Obesity With Home Cooking”

Stop Trying To Force Feed Our Children!

It’s no surprise that the American Advertising Federation (AAF) rapidly contested findings from a December 2005 Institute of Medicine (IOM) study that found food marketing to be detrimental to our nation’s youth. Exactly how such marketing influences children and youth was the focus of the IOM report entitled Food Marketing to Children and Youth: Threat or Opportunity?, which was the most comprehensive review to date of the scientific evidence on the influence of food marketing on diets and diet-related health of children and youth.

Among other results, the report found that “current food and beverage marketing practices puts children’s long-term health at risk. If America’s children and youth are to develop eating habits that help them avoid early onset of diet-related chronic diseases, they have to reduce their intake of high-calorie, low-nutrient snacks, fast foods, and sweetened drinks, which make up a high proportion of the products marketed to them.”

Continue reading “Stop Trying To Force Feed Our Children!”

What Legacy Are You Creating For Your Children?

We have all heard the child obesity staggering statistics. We have watched numerous talk show hosts highlight the plight of an obese child. If you are not aware of the statistics The Center for Disease Control has estimated that 16% of our children, more than 12 million children are obese. In a recent study conducted by the American Heart Association found the following in 2002:

1. There are three times as many super markets in wealthy neighborhoods.

2. In communities with a higher percentage of African American residents there are less parks, public pools, and green spaces to play.

3. Between 1970 and 1980 fast food locations increased to 140,000 from 30,000. In 2001 there were approximately 222,000 fast food joints. Continue reading “What Legacy Are You Creating For Your Children?”

The Crusade for Better School Food – Making a Real Change

Lately the media has reported new findings regarding the rise in childhood diabetes and its dire consequences. This news has once again sounded the alarm about the growing epidemic of obesity in our children and youth. The problem is so serious that experts are recommending drastic changes in the way our children eat. But could complacency, denial, and ignorance among the adult population be hindering our young people from getting the help and education they need to make these drastic changes?

Dinner Tables and School Cafeteria Trays

During a recent school-screening visit to a high-ranking eastern college for one of my daughters, I had the opportunity to raise questions about the quality of the food available through the campus cafeteria. Was the food being served at their school free from pesticides? Was it non-GMO? What about meat sources? Were the students being served factory farm animals injected with hormones and antibiotics? Were there natural, healthy and organic food options available in the cafeteria–as adopted by some of the more cutting-edge schools across the nation such as Yale, UC Berkley, Duke and Oberlin Colleges?

Continue reading “The Crusade for Better School Food – Making a Real Change”