Nutrition Trends Mom Should Know About

There are a lot of buzzwords flying around when it comes to nutrition lately. For instance take a look at antioxidants. Have you ever wondered just what they are.

Antioxidants are powerful substances that protect us against free radicals, which are harmful molecules in our bodies. Don’t panic. Free radicals come from pesticides, toxins and smoking, but they also are a part of aging that is not easily reversed.

Free radicals can also damage your body’s cells and can lead to early aging, diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Antioxidants from the vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals in food help stop free radicals from attacking and damaging cells. They are found in colorful veggies and fruits, black and red beans and fruit. The best source is leafy green vegetables.

Nutritionists have also been talking a lot about Vitamin D lately. Studies show that getting enough vitamin D may help decrease your risk of heart disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer and flu. This vitamin is also vital for promoting normal bone growth, reducing inflammation and helping your immune system stay in top shape. However, up to 66 per cent of us don’t get enough vitamin D for disease prevention.

Vitamin D is found in only a few foods, such as milk, margarine, fish and eggs. That’s why supplements are a good option to discuss with your doctor.

These recommendations from Health Canada. Children should get 200 international units (IU) a day; adults, 400 to 600 IU a day. The Canadian Cancer Society encourages adults to take 1,000 IU a day in the fall and winter to reduce the risk of colorectal, breast and prostate cancers.

Another buzz word is prebiotics. Prebiotics are a type of not digestible fiber that helps probiotics grow and thrive in your gut. An extract of chicory called inulin is a popular prebiotic fibre that’s added to packaged foods such as cheese, yogurt, pasta and beverages. Look for it on the ingredient panel of foods; it’s listed 
as “inulin” or “chicory root extract.” It is good for you and your kids.

Most of us consume one to four grams of prebiotics per day from the foods we eat. To up your intake, choose these foods more often: chicory, onions, garlic, soy, dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichokes, whole grain wheat, barley, and foods enriched with inulin, such as cheese, pasta, yogurt and bread.

I will get into more nutrition buzz words in my next blog.

Parenting Tips
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Super Easy Ice Cream and Cookies

I love to cook with my kids. However I do get scared that they will burn themselves on the stove.

To prevent this I try to stick to recipes that are not too complicated and that do not require a lot of fussing with hand appliances. Try the following if you want to please your youngsters.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookie

Butterscotch chips
1 cup peanut better
4 to 5 cups corn flakes
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
Coconut flakes
Melt the butterscotch chips and peanut butter together in a large microwave-safe bowl in the microwave. Then stir in 4 to 5 cups of corn flakes and 1 cup of dry roasted peanuts and a handful of shredded coconut. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls on wax paper. Store in an airtight container between layers of wax paper.

Homemade Ice Cream Without An Ice Cream Maker

Did you also know you can make ice cream in quart size bags without an ice cream maker?

Here are the basic ingredients you will need –

/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups crushed ice
4 tablespoons salt
2 quart size Zip-loc bags
1 gallon size Zip-loc freezer bag
a hand towel or gloves to keep fingers from freezing as well!

Mix the milk, vanilla and sugar together in one of the quart size bags. Seal tightly, allowing as little air to remain in the bag as possible. Too much air left inside may force the bag open during shaking. Place this bag inside the other quart size bag, again leaving as little air inside as possible and sealing well. By double-bagging, the risk of salt and ice leaking into the ice cream is minimized. Put the two bags inside the gallon size bag and fill the bag with ice, then sprinkle salt on top. Again let all the air escape and seal the bag.

Wrap the bag in the towel or put your gloves on, and shake and massage the bag, making sure the ice surrounds the cream mixture. Five to eight minutes is adequate time for the mixture to freeze into ice cream.
Freezer bags work best because they are thicker and less likely to develop small holes, allowing the bags to leak. You can get away with using regular Zip-loc bags for the smaller quart sizes, because you are double-bagging. Especially if you plan to do this indoors, I strongly recommend using gallon size freezer bags.

Parenting Tips
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