Category: eating healthy

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Can You Train Your Mind To Like Healthy Food?

Can You Train Your Mind To Like Healthy Food? Imagine a world where you never craved pastries, but instead, your desire for carrots was overwhelming. Losing weight would be a cinch, but then… you may not have gained weight in the first place. There may have been a point in history where nourishing foods were scarce, but that isn’t the world we live in now. So, while at one point the reward system our brain operated was helpful in its excitement at food, it’s now driving an obesity epidemic.

The convenience of fast food and processed foods makes it too easy to give our brain a high by overeating junk. Don’t you just wish you could train your brain to love healthy food instead? Well, you can.

The Scientific Study

Researchers from the University of Harvard and Tufts University published their findings in Nutrition & Diabetes (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4183968/). The participants, all overweight adults, were split into two groups. One group (the controls) was given no guidance on how to lose weight while the others were assigned to a weight-loss program that was behaviorally based. Each group underwent an MRI brain scan before and after to determine how the reward center in the brain would react.

They found promising results in the brain scans of those who had been assigned to the weight loss program. Over time, the unhealthy foods were less appealing to the brain than they had been at the beginning of the study, while the healthier options were suddenly creating more activity in the brain’s reward center.

healthy foodsThe weight loss program itself encouraged participants to reduce their calorie intake to stimulate steady weight loss (the healthy rate of a pound or two each week) were taught about portion control, recipes, and filling meals, and they were also given tip sheets. Quite simply, the plan revolved around high-fiber foods to reduce hunger levels and keep energy high as well as high protein to keep hunger at bay and balance blood sugar. Obviously, the group that lost weight was those who received guidance.

The findings go beyond that, though, what’s clear from this study is that you can train your brain to crave healthy foods instead of the typical junk food we want. Choices like sweet potato instead of French fries, and bran flakes instead of a sugary cereal, are easy wins that can help contribute to healthier living and will provide your body with nourishment, rather than a temporary sugar high that leads to weight gain and sugar crashes. For every naughty food, there is an adequate replacement that will leave you feeling good after you finish eating, rather than experiencing guilt.

Tips & Hints

Now, here are some helpful tips on how you can start training your brain at home.

• Habit Breaking – If your habits are causing you problems, it’s time to create a new one. If you traditionally made a late afternoon trip to the vending machine for chocolate, instead take a walk or make a cup of herbal tea. It shouldn’t take long for you to create a new habit.

• Three Colors – There have been studies that found people respond well to having three colors on their plate, so aim to create a plate that features three colors and do the same for your snacks. It’s not as difficult as you think – nuts, dried fruit, and a square of dark chocolate is the perfect option.

• Health On Hand – If you really want to ditch junk food, you need to have healthy food on hand at all times. It’s the most efficient way to keep yourself on track – you should also know what types of foods are most likely to lure you in so that you can keep them away altogether.

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Can I Eat More If I Work Out?

Can I Eat More If I Work Out? A combination of a balanced diet, a consistent exercise routine, and a stable sleep schedule is ideal when it comes to improving the current status of your health. Yet, there’s a point at which diet and exercise intertwine and make matters a bit more complicated.
In particular, many people wonder whether exercising more means you can eat more without negatively impacting the positive progression of your health. That’s especially the case when you consider the calories and nutrients lost through intense and frequent exercise.
Below, we’ll discuss the role that losing calories and nutrients plays in the amount of food you should be eating on days you work out.

Replacing Lost Calories

No matter what type of exercise you’re participating in, you’re burning a set number of calories based on how long and how intensely you perform the exercise.
When you burn more calories than you’re consuming throughout the average day, you’ll experience weight loss. That’s great if you’re looking to lose weight, but it’s not so great if you’re trying to build muscle and strength.
To maintain your weight on days that you exercise, you’ll need to be taking in as many calories as you’re burning through exercise.
That means eating a greater number of calories during the day!
You should try to limit the extra calories to how many calories you burn during your workout in order to maintain your current weight. A few extra or a few less won’t make much of a difference but being a few hundred calories off can make you gain or lose weight!

Eating More Nutrients to Refuel

When you exercise, your body uses carbohydrates, fats, and proteins to provide you with the energy you need to complete your workout. Additionally, your body loses electrolytes like sodium and potassium when you exercise intensely.
After you’re done with your workout, it’s incredibly important that you replace the nutrients you lost during exercise and supply your body with the fuel it needs to continue with your day.
Though that means eating more over the course of your day, it also means eating the right food. The “extra” food that you’re eating on days in which you work out should be nutrient-dense and help to return your body to its natural state.

The Limitations

You can eat more during the day if you’re burning calories and losing nutrients during exercise, but there are quite a few limitations.
Under no circumstances does working out enable you to consume unhealthy foods and not experience the negative health consequences associated with them. That means working out doesn’t make it okay to hit up a local fast-food joint on your way home from the gym.
Coming home from the gym after a 30-minute run only to eat a cheeseburger and French fries with a large soda won’t only put you above your daily recommended calories, but it’ll also overload your body with unhealthy fats, sugars, and salt.
Rather than burning calories and improving your health, your body must now work to rid itself of the unhealthy level of these nutrients that you just consumed. It practically reverses the positive effects of your workout!
You should be replacing the number of calories that you lost and focus on replenishing the nutrients that your body craves post-workout.

Final Thoughts

In short, yes. If you’re looking to maintain your current weight, you’ll need to be consuming more calories and nutrients on the days that you’re exercising. But you need to make sure that the additional calories and nutrients you’re consuming after a workout are healthy and will support your health and fitness goals.

 

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Nutrition Need Not Be Boring

Nutrition Need Not Be Boring. Deciding to change your diet and improve your nutrition is an admirable step, but it can be difficult to stick to a new eating plan if you find healthy food to be “boring.” You might eventually begin to lose interest in eating meals loaded with fruits and vegetables while limiting the foods you used to love.
The good news is, there are plenty of ways that you can keep your new diet interesting. The more interested you are, the more likely you are to continue this diet long-term.
Here are a few ways that you can keep a balanced diet interesting and prevent yourself from becoming bored.

Drinking Shakes or Juices

The thought of adding fruits and vegetables to every meal might make you shudder, but there are other ways to get your vitamins and minerals. The easiest and best way to get all those important nutrients is by making shakes and juices that are loaded with all the vitamins and minerals you need to live a healthy life.
What’s great about making your own shakes and juices is the serving size. Rather than having to eat several cups of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, you can get the same amount of nutrients in an 8 or 16-ounce beverage.
You also have full control over the ingredients you’re using and the nutrients you’re taking in. That means you can try out some new recipes with your favorite fruits and vegetables without getting bored of the same old thing every day.

Focus on Variety

One of the most common reasons that people give up on their diets is because of the monotony of it all. Though there are certain foods and beverages that’ll help to improve your health and nutritional intake, it can be incredibly boring to eat and drink the same few items every day.
That’s why variety is so important! There’s no shortage of healthy foods and beverages and there are practically unlimited recipes to keep you interested in your diet and health, all at the same time.
The best way to implement variety into your diet is by doing your own research and compiling a comprehensive list of recipes that you can consume while on your diet. In addition to learning about new foods that you didn’t even know you liked, you’ll always have something new to look forward to on your diet!

Leave Some Room for Fun

Starting a new diet usually means leaving your favorite foods in the past, especially if they were full of salt, fat, or sugar. While you know it’s for your own good, it’s completely normal to crave these foods every once in a while, even if you’re on a strict diet.
Your body requires food and beverages to stay alive, but it’s also incredibly common to find enjoyment in what you’re eating and drinking. A new diet doesn’t always mean you have to eat healthy 100% of the time.
Though you should do so in moderation, you should leave some room for fun when it comes to your new diet. That means allowing yourself to eat some of your favorite foods, as long as you’re not doing so every day or seriously setting your new diet back.

Final Thoughts

When you think about nutrition, you probably think about swapping out your entire current diet and replacing it with nutrient-dense foods. Though doing so will undoubtedly improve your health, it can be a bit boring and negatively impact your relationship with food. That’s why it’s so important to keep your new diet interesting and something you can stick to.

 

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Balanced Meals Mean More Nutrients

Balanced Meals Mean More Nutrients. Everybody knows just how important it is to maintain a healthy diet to improve overall health. But, there’s much more to starting a healthy diet than simply eating foods that are regarded as stereotypically “healthy.”
When you’re beginning a new diet, you need to understand why your body needs specific nutrients throughout the course of the day, the role that balanced diets play in improving health, and how to add variety to your diet to stay interested.

What Your Body Needs

When most people think about diets, they place a heavy emphasis on the number of calories they’re consuming over the course of the day. However, the actual nutrients that you’re consuming are much more important than the calorie count.
That’s because your body desperately needs each of the macronutrients and micronutrients to function properly. These nutrients include:
● Carbohydrates
● Proteins
● Fats
● Vitamins
● Minerals
● Water
Think about it this way. If you’re eating the standard 2,000 calories per day, but you’re eating a diet loaded with fats and sugars, you’ll be much more likely to increase your risk of developing health conditions and gaining weight than if the diet were more balanced.
Your overall goal when it comes to consuming a more balanced diet should be to get the nutrients that your body requires without overdoing it.
Getting too much or too little of specific nutrients can cause negative health consequences that can effectively set your new diet back even further.

Why Balanced Meals are So Important

There are quite a few reasons that balanced diets are considered so important.
First of all, balanced meals contain plenty of nutrients in one meal and allow you to spread out your nutrient consumption throughout the day. Rather than getting all of your vitamin D in the morning, for example, you can get it in smaller portions throughout the day.
This can help you to maintain consistent levels of the required nutrients at all times rather than having them spike with specific meals.
Balanced meals are also much more interesting to consume. With a truly balanced meal, your meal will be stocked full of different tastes, textures, colors, and nutrients. That means you have many more options when it comes to different types of meals that you can make.

Adding Some Variety of Balanced Meals to Your Diet

In order to stick to any diet, particularly a more balanced diet, you need to add a lot of variety. There are a few reasons for that.
If you get bored of eating the same meals, day in and day out, you’ll most likely revert to your previously unhealthy diet. When you lose interest in eating because the food doesn’t appeal to you or it’s become too repetitive, then you’ll lose focus and get off track.
It also helps to keep your diet much more fun. When you’re constantly cooking new meals, trying out new ingredients, and pairing new foods, you’ll be much more interested in eating, even if it is considered a “healthy” balanced diet.
Variety also allows you to strategically select the nutrients that you’re getting with each meal. By selecting specific foods or ingredients, you can better target the nutrients that you’re lacking in and cut out on some of the nutrients that you’re getting too much of.

Final Thoughts

Before you completely revamp your current diet to eat only healthy foods, you need to take quite a few things into consideration. The most important thing you can do when trying to improve your health is by consuming more balanced diets that are loaded with a greater number of nutrients.

 

 

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Key Nutrients For A Healthy Brain

nutsKey Nutrients For A Healthy Brain. We all know that eating a healthy diet is one of the most important things to do in order to maximize quality of life. The usual benefits that come to mind when we think of eating healthy are reducing excess body fat, reducing cholesterol to maintain cardiovascular health, and allowing the digestive system to function properly.

Every one of the aforementioned benefits is certainly true and very strongly correlated with quality of life. Ironically, one important reason to maintain a proper diet that is grossly understated is the positive effects this habit has on the brain!

The brain may be the control center of the body, but this organ depends on a necessary supply and nutrients in exactly the same way the bodily components it manages. The focus of this article will be to illustrate a few key nutrients that allow the brain to maintain its heavy workload and optimize overall function.

Omega-3 for a healthy brain

Omega-3 is what is known as an essential fatty acid. This means that our bodies do not naturally produce this substance; therefore they must be supplied solely through the foods we consume. Fortunately, omega-3 fatty acids can be found in a variety of foods that meet the needs of those adhering to a wide variety of diets. Oily fish products such as salmon and mackerel are loaded with this substance, while those following a vegan diet can turn to various seeds such as flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts.

Not only does omega-3 ensure the proper production of the hormone responsible for feelings of well-being, serotonin, consuming adequate amounts of this nutrient has repeatedly been linked to slowing cognitive decline and reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease! This benefit was reported, as in many other research articles, by a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (Kulzow et al.).

Vitamin K

This nutrient is yet another tool in consuming a diet that supports optimal brain function. Vitamin K is known to aid in the function of neurotransmitters, which are basically the vehicles of the brain that carry information along the synapses.

Synapses can be thought of as the highway system of the brain in which information is shared. This remarkable benefit of Vitamin K is supported in a report published in the journal, Frontiers in Neurology, entitled “The Relationships Between Vitamin K and Cognition: A Review of Current Evidence (Ludovico et al.).

To make sure you are consuming enough vitamin K, make an effort to consume various green leafy vegetables such as broccoli.

Turmeric

Including the fact that turmeric is a delicious herb added to many food recipes. The implications that an adequate intake of this herb has on the brain are quite interesting. Turmeric is known to contain the powerful antioxidant, curcumin, which has been shown time and time again to both enhance memory and stimulate the production of new brain cells.

The well-known research journal, Geroscience, described a study entitled, “Efficacy of curcumin for age-associated cognitive decline: a narrative review of preclinical and clinical studies” (Sarker et al.) in which researchers discovered a positive correlation between the consumption of curcumin and cognitive decline.

While this herb is probably best known for its role in creating many curry dishes, turmeric can also be used as a tasty additive to many other foods.

Conclusion

A healthy diet should be a priority for every individual for an immense list of reasons. Given that the nutrients we consume are quite literally the fuel source for the body, every effort should be made to ensure our engines are able to safely keep us on the road for the long haul and healthy brain!

Works Cited:

Alisi, L., Cao, R., Angelis, C. D., Cafolla, A., Caramia, F., Cartocci, G., … Fiorelli, M. (2019). The Relationships Between Vitamin K and Cognition: A Review of Current Evidence. Frontiers in Neurology, 10. doi 10.3389/fleur.2019.00239

Külzow, N., Witte, A. V., Kerti, L., Grittner, U., Schuchardt, J. P., Hahn, A., & Flöel, A. (2016). Impact of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on Memory Functions in Healthy Older Adults. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 51(3), 713–725. doi: 10.3233/jad-150886

Sarker, M. R., & Franks, S. F. (2018). Efficacy of curcumin for age-associated cognitive decline: a narrative review of preclinical and clinical studies. GeroScience, 40(2), 73–95. doi: 10.1007/s11357-018-0017-z

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Effective Mini Breaks for Health

 

Effective Mini Breaks for Health. It is reallymini break easy to keep working hard, trying to fit more into every minute of the day, and failing to do it miserably. In many cases, we will push ourselves so hard that we reach a state of burnout, which can be really hard to fight off.

 

According to Psychology Today, burnout is going to be a state of mind,  that occurs when you put the body through repeated and long exposures to stress. It can appear when there are problems at work or when you have too many demands on your time and attention all at once.

Once burnout happens, you are going to need to take some time in order to get it fixed, and this could take months. Instead of worrying about that, it is better to give your mind and body the breaks it deserves right now. While a long vacation may be out of the question right now, taking some mini breaks could be the solution you need.

What Can We Do For Health?

my weekend mini-break

Not everyone will have time to go on a long vacation or take a long weekend to help them recharge and avoid burnout. That does not mean that you are out of luck when it comes to giving your mind and body a break. Instead of those longer breaks, you can take the time to work on mini breaks to help out.

Mini breaks are simply small breaks that you add throughout the day. Rather than trying to work 8 to 10 hours straight, you can set up smaller breaks during the day. This allows you to focus on the task really hard for a bit, and then take a break and recharge a bit.

How Can I Take the Mini Breaks For Health?

The mini breaks that you use will depend on the type of work that you need to accomplish and how your day is set up. But you should aim to get at least a few of these breaks throughout the day to help out.

One productivity method that can help with this is the Pomodoro method. In this method, you will work hard for about 25 minutes with no breaks and no distractions at all. When that time is done, you automatically take a five-minute break. Do not get on social media or online during that time. Get up and move around or close your eyes for a few minutes.

With the five minutes done, you go back to work for another 25 minutes. Do three or four of those, and then take a longer break, usually an hour. Get out of the office, move around, or even take a short nap if it is needed.

This is just one example of how you can take some mini breaks throughout the day. You will get more done because you have that break to look forward to, allowing for fewer distractions as well. You can mix this up a bit to help you get the full results.

The Benefits of Mini Breaks Throughout the Day

There are a number of benefits to choosing to add some mini breaks throughout your day, rather than attempting to work through it all and getting yourself worn out in the process. Some of these benefits include:

  • You get more done because you know you will get that break.
  • You can give the mind a rest that it deserves
  • Cut down on the stress because you are relaxing throughout the day
  • Can put you into a better mood.
  • Prevents burnout so that you can keep working longer.
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Understanding Energy In Your Diet

energy foodUnderstanding Energy In Your Diet. According to the energy balance equation, your body gains energy when you intake more energy through your diet than you expend through physical activity. That’s why the main point of most diets is to limit your energy intake by counting carbs or calories.
It seems like a few years ago all of the diets were about counting calories and now they’re all about limiting carbohydrates. But should you limit carbs or calories? And, if they’re both units of energy what’s the difference? This article will discuss the difference between carbs and calories, how they impact your diet, and how or why you should watch them.

Calories Are Energy, Right? Yes.

To set the record straight, carbs and calories are not both units of energy. We’ll start with calories and talk about carbohydrates in a little bit.
Calories are the units of energy, not carbs. A single calorie is the amount of energy that it takes to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius. This is a very small amount of energy, so when you read the nutrition label on your food, what they call “Calories” (with an upper-case C) is actually the number of kilocalories (that is, one thousand lower-case c calories). That doesn’t mean that the food companies are trying to lie to you and get you to eat more calories.

They do it because it would be tedious and useless to try to count actual lower-case c calories. Don’t worry about keeping track of whether we’re talking about calories or kilocalories in this article though. Because we’re talking about calories as a unit of energy, it doesn’t really matter which scale we’re talking about, as long as you understand what calories are and why they’re important.

diet

Carbs Are Energy, Right? No.

As mentioned above, a carbohydrate is not a unit of energy like a calorie is. Carbohydrate is a class of nutrient, along with proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fats are all called “energy-yielding nutrients” because the body can break them all down to release calories.
Of the energy-yielding nutrients, proteins, and carbohydrates both release one 4 calories per gram, while fat releases nine calories per gram.

So Why Are Carbs So Special?

You might be wondering if fat contains more than twice the calories per gram, why do all of these diets have us watching carbs? And that’s a good question.
The first reason is that the average person has much more carbohydrates than fat in their diet. We tend to think of carbohydrates as coming from grains, like pasta and bread. These are sources of carbohydrates, but carbohydrates also come from sugars. Grains are a source of complex carbs, which your body breaks down over time. Sugars are a source of simple carbs that your body doesn’t have to break down.

Sugars are naturally occurring in sources like fruits, but they’re also added to just about everything. If you put a store-bought sauce on your pasta, you’re putting carbs on carbs. If you put jam or jelly on your bread, you’re putting carbs on carbs. And don’t even get us started on sources like soda and junk food.
When you eat whole grains, you’re not just getting carbs. You’re getting fiber, vitamins, and minerals. All of these nutrients can also be found in other foods that don’t have as many calories, like vegetables, which often have no carbs at all.

Fat, on the other hand, is far scarcer in our diet and its benefits cannot be found elsewhere. We usually don’t think of fat as being good for us, but it’s in every cell of our bodies and is very important to the nervous system. While some fats are better than others and you should be careful about how much you get of each kind, carbs are simply more expendable in our diets.

Hopefully, this article has helped you to understand the difference between carbs and calories, as well as why most diets these days have you counting carbs. Remember, however, that a balanced diet and plenty of exercises are better for you than a diet that tries to eliminate fats or carbs, or calories and promises a quick solution, and brings more energy into your diet.

 

 

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The Dark Side of Self-Improvement

The Dark Side of Self-Improvement. Like anything in life, there is always going to be good and bad. Roses are beautiful and they have a wonderful fragrance. However, many have thorns that can pierce even the thickest of leather gardening/ work gloves.
There are two main points that comprise the dark side of improvement.

self-improvementUnderstand that there is no magic pill for self-improvement. Self-improvement is a process that takes time, effort, and planning. It can’t be as simple as taking the red or the blue.
We are creatures that have evolved from an early man and woman that had to fight to survive. Therefore, we learn best from pain. When you were a child, first learning how to ride a bike, your parent likely did all she could to prepare you for that first ride.
She showed you how to balance the bike, pedal, and control its direction. However, despite her best attempts at keeping you balanced, you probably fell a few times before you got the hang of balance.
Pain doesn’t have to be bad, nor dysfunctional, as long as we learn from it- and as long as it’s not willfully inflicted on us by others.
As you move through your plan for self-improvement, expect to fall down so that you can get back up stronger.

Disappointment

Every year we make resolutions, only for most of us to give up on them before February rolls around. You start with all of the enthusiasm you can possibly have to support your optimistic belief that this will finally be the year you accomplish…
Only, in the end, you end up with disappointment as your enthusiasm fades, or you fail to end up where you wanted to be.
Understand that while the concept of self-improvement can turn into something of a rabbit hole for us, it can be a powerful tool.

One of the fundamental aspects of our humanity is that we feel a need for improvement. It’s possible that this comes from some archaic evolutionary survival tool for ancient men and women. While it is a useful tool, it can become toxic for those of us who see this need for improvement as a flaw.
Going back to the bike analogy: That child, be they you or someone else, approached that bike ready to learn how to ride without training wheels. He was excited. However, the first time he fell off, he probably felt a twinge of discouragement.

It’s important to remember that he didn’t approach that bike with the physical practical knowledge of how to balance it. He likely knew how to operate it mechanically thanks to the safety of his training wheels.
But just because he could still improve on his ability to ride without training wheels doesn’t mean he was fundamentally flawed. It just means that he had room to grow and something to learn. He had a way to improve.

Growth of self-improvement

Also, bear in mind, that like the child learning how to ride a bike with training wheels, the point of growth in self-improvement doesn’t occur when the goal is reached. It occurs when we learn.
A child who is learning to ride her bike without training wheels is probably going to fall. For older generations, this entailed some form of knee skinning. Regardless, the entire experience is a teachable, and learning moment passed down from one generation to the next. For those who teach themselves such things, the experience is added to.
We tend to see our goals just beyond our reach. When we stumble while reaching it’s important to remember that the stumble, or trip-up is a learning moment. Not a failure. The dark side and toxicity come when we throw in the towel when we stumble rather than getting back up.

Avoid Self-Judgment

As a side note, remember that you are always going to be your strongest critic. This doesn’t mean that you should judge yourself. The process of self-improvement requires honest assessment, not self-judgment, and there is a big difference (Handel, S. (2011, May 28). The 10 Commandments of Self Improvement: A Basic Introduction to the Core Principles of Self-Help)

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Getting the Kids Excited about Eating Healthy

Getting the Kids Excited about Eating Healthy. Let’s face it; almost every parent automatically goes into a discussion about eating healthy with the fear of dread and failure. It is written all over our faces. We go into that conversation expecting a battle and even a loss.

It does not have to be that way, however. There are some creative and fun ways to get the kids excited about eating healthy, especially if you include them.

Make It Fun Eating Healthy

There are so many creative ways to get the kids involved in making healthy choices. What you want to accomplish is a sense of pride and a feeling that you are in control. Once you take out the idea that you are in control and it is their body and their choice, things will go a little smoother.

Have your children accompany you to a fresh fruit and vegetable stand. If the weather permits, get your kids involved in picking their own fruit – anything from strawberries to apples and grapes to pumpkins that is available in season for picking.

On your outing, make it clear that the foods they are picking will be the ones that they will help to make into meals.

Get the Kids in the Kitchen

Many of us from generations past seem to believe that cooking is a solo act. Get your kids in the kitchen and involved in the act. Cooking should not be a chore for one person to maintain. Let it be a family function.

Teach your children how to assist you in preparing the family meal. Have them take turns chopping and dicing (of course, according to age and safety), and have them take turns to season too. There is not a kid around that does not love to add spice to a recipe.

This gives the kids a great opportunity to see how healthy cooking is fun while giving them a sense of pride and a lifelong skill. If you do not know how to cook, you will not know how to survive!

Take Turns/That’s Fair

Have a schedule of who gets to pick which meal for the week. Let your children sit down on a Sunday and browse a cookbook of simple recipes, or go online. We all know that our children are perfectly capable of using the internet.

By having each child pick a meal once or twice for the week, you give that child the feeling of accomplishment and success. Take them to the store for the ingredients. Have some fun when you get home and sort and group your vegetables by color. Slice, dice, and parboil them and put them into little baggies for later use.

Another great idea is to have a special treat for dessert that has healthier ingredients and prepare it for the weekend. You can use things like skim milk or egg whites to make heart-healthy desserts fun and tasty too!