I think anyone can benefit from some quiet time alone. But this is especially true for a mom. We are all running full speed from the time the sun comes up until we crash on the pillow very late at night. There is an admitted chaos in the day of every family. While this is normal, it’s also unfortunate since quieting the mind can be very beneficial.

In one of my favorite books, The Janitor, by Todd Hopkins and Ray Hilbert, the first chapter teaches that a burned-out brain won’t start. We’re in a state of constant reacting–to cries, phone calls, e-mails, dirty diapers, carpools and a blur of children’s TV in the background. We seem to define success as filling every moment with tasks and information.  It’s no wonder so many moms feel overwhelmed.

We feel guilty for taking time to renew our own spirit. But if we did, we would have an entirely new energy to take on the world.

One of the best parts of my day is what I can a “Take 10”. No matter how hectic may day, I schedule quiet time for myself. I literally put on a timer and carve out 10 minutes. It’s during my moments of quiet that everything comes in to place. Solutions seem to rise to the surface. Peace comes over my body. And I renew my energy to keep up with the rest. When your day already feels packed, how do you find the time for this?

• Wake up earlier. I know you’re already sleep deprived, but an extra 20 to 30 minutes won’t really make a difference. Wake up before your family and sit with no technology–TV, radio, computer or phone and have a cup of tea. Do nothing but meditate on what you want to get out of your day.
• Take a bath. Nothing gives me instant relaxation like a bath. About once a week, I light some candles and dip into the tub after my kids go to bed. I do nothing but reflect. I feel better immediately.
• Go for a walk or run. My mind fills with ideas as I move in nature. A quiet walk or run will shed stress and tension even on the toughest day.
• Enjoy your drive. When going for a drive without kids in the car, turn everything off. That means no phone or radio. You’ll find that these moments of solitude can also bring great regeneration.
• Meditate. Make a small corner of your home your personal sanctuary for de-cluttering your mind. Maybe it includes a special pillow, blanket or candle. Find a few moments throughout the week to breathe and let your stresses float away. When you meditate, your thinking mind becomes quiet.

The bottom line is that you need to find a way to bring peace into your life and your family. It’s when you feel like you don’t have any time that you need a break the most. You’ll be astounded at the progress you’ll make with a little bit of “mom-me” time.

All moms want their bodies back after baby, but most have trouble fitting it in. Here are some ideas for fitness at any stage of motherhood:

Newborn – 1 year: Fit fitness into nooks and crannies of the day. This is a great stage for mommy and baby workouts. For example, you can chest press with baby or do reverse curls with baby on your legs. You can also get a great workout with baby in a front pack carrier. Squats and lunges are even more effective with the added baby weight! A stroller workout is a great way to get in shape and get some fresh air. Add intensity to your walks or jogs by taking more hills and by doing some strength intervals. You can squat and lunge behind your stroller. Want more ideas? Try a stroller workout like Stroller Strides.

1 – 3 years: Stroller workouts are still great for this stage. As your baby gets bigger, you’ll get stronger! Your toddler will love to imitate you working out so don’t be afraid to pop in a workout video. They just might want to join you.

3 – 5 years: :  Your little one is more mobile and you can be too. Go for a run as you push them along on a bike. Or, play red light green light and tag at the park. The playground is a great place to workout. Do some step ups, push ups and dips at the park bench.

6+: From here on, anything is possible. There are lot’s of sports that you can play with your kids. Try tennis, karate or yoga. Create a circuit workout at the park for you and your family. If your child plays a team sport, use that time to go for a run around the field or do your own workout.

No matter your stage of motherhood, fitness is a gift for you and your family. YOU need the strength for motherhood! And they need to learn from you that fitness is an important part of daily life and can be fit in to a busy life!

Being a mom makes you see the world in a new light. We want to make the world a better place for our children. And often that starts with the home. Many of us don’t realize that the very chemicals we use to clean our homes can actually harm us. In fact, many chemicals have been linked to asthma and other developmental diseases. Luckily, you can keep your home just as clean, and probably for less money.

• To clean windows, mix 2 Tbl. White vinegar with a gallon of water in a spray bottle. Add some lemon juice if you don’t like the smell.
• Baking soda is great for cleaning counters, sinks and stove tops.
• Lemon juice can be added to your rinse cycle to replace bleach.
• Hydrogen peroxide is great for cleaning toilets and shower walls.

Even if you don’t want to go homemade, there are great non toxic product lines available. Find brands such as Seventh Generation that you know you can trust to be “green”. Look for non toxic cleaners that don’t contain chlorine, alcohols, ammonia or phosphates. You even want to make sure that your sponge is non toxic. Most are treated with triclosan or other synthetic disinfectants.

You are not alone. Find professionals and organizations such as Dr. Alan Greene, Healthy Child, Healthy World and Pregnancy Awareness Month who support your desire to raise healthy children in a healthy world.

Share your favorite homemade cleaning solutions on our blog!

I have always loved to cook. My mom will tell you stories about me going through recipes as a child and making things that I could not even pronounce. She was great at letting me experiment and not trying to control the situation. There was one time that I made shrimp scampi. I made my shopping list and my mom took me to the market. When I got home and saw the raw shrimp, I threw them all out as I didn’t know that shrimp were grey when they were raw. I thought they just sold me bad shrimp. Needless to say, it didn’t come out so great. But my parents ate it all and made me feel like it was the best meal they ever had. I am doing my best to be this free with my kids as I allow them to explore in the kitchen.

Admittedly, I don’t like cooking like I used to. I would if I could just spend the day cooking without pressure or children hanging on my legs. But real life dinner needs to be made in 20 minutes while doing homework and keeping children from attacking each other.  During a visit to Grandma’s, my mom came up with an idea to let each grandchild be “little chef” one night. They could pick what they wanted to serve for dinner and help make it. I have continued this and have my kids choose meals each week. They each get a night to help me make the dinner. They really love it. Once again, I need to remind you that it won’t go beautifully or smoothly. It will be less efficient, messier (way messier) and maybe won’t come out quite as you planned. But your children are learning the effort that goes in to cooking and hopefully the joy of sharing the food you make with the people you love.

Jacob is definitely “Little Chef”. When he was 5, he would get in to a chef costume and ask to make up recipes from scratch. This is always a concern. One morning he said he wanted to make breakfast and he didn’t want me to help. When I asked what he was going to make, he said it was going to be a surprise. This of course made me nervous enough to want to stop him. But then I held back. It was a Sunday morning. We were in no rush to be anywhere. What would be the worst thing that could happen? Waste some food?  So with supervision (only so he was safe), I let him make breakfast. He took chopped spinach out of the freezer, mixed it up with some egg and cheese (lot’s of cheese) and put it in my frying pan. I so wanted to tell him that the pan needed to be hot before you put in the ingredients. But he had other plans. Jacob asked me to turn on the oven and put the whole pan in there. Seriously, I’ve never done this and didn’t even know if it should be done because of the handle. We put it in and he sat watching it through the oven door. About 20 minutes later, it was brown and bubbling and he announced that it was done. I took it out and it slid right off the nonstick pan on to the plate. He cut it up in triangles and served it to us like slices of pizza. It’s green egg pizza he announced. I don’t think he knew it would come out like that, but was quite pleased that it did. You guys, it was good. Actually, it was better than good. It was GREAT!!! We now make green egg pizza all the time.

Now you might be thinking, “my son/daughter would never think to put spinach in eggs”. But that’s the beauty of involving your kids in the kitchen. Obviously, Jacob has seen me throw spinach in other recipes. I didn’t know he was paying attention, but obviously he was.  This has since resulted in Jacob wanting to come up with other creations. Some have been awful. Some I’ve had to stop in progress because I just couldn’t bear to see him put sugar in his eggs. It’s hard to let go of the control thing. I’ve since bought Jacob some kids cookbooks in which he loves to pick his own recipes and make with help. It’s a great joy to see his pride as he shares his food with us and I think helps him second think when he criticizes my dinners as he knows the love and effort that goes in to cooking.

It’s our job as a mom to expose our children to a wide variety of healthy fresh foods, even the ones we do not particularly like. It is not your job to be a short order cook. Remember, chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese are not real food. We have gotten very removed from what food is and where it comes from. Get your kids in the garden, in the kitchen and teach them the joy of good eating.

By bringing your kids in to the kitchen, they will connect with food and good nutrition.

Most moms I know, whether moms of babies or moms of teenagers, are burned out. They are burning the candle at both ends. Moms have always been busy but now we fill every spare second with technology. We are addicted to our phone, facebook and the such.

Our addiction to smart phones is associated with everything from car accidents to train accidents, from family dysfunction to work problems.  At Stroller Strides, every employee is suggested to take an Unplugged Day.  Each employee should take one day off a month and literally unplug their phones, email, texting, skype, instant messaging, etc.  I believe that new ideas will come when we create a little space for them.

Try an Unplugged day for yourself or your family. As a mom, we are not concentrating on our kids when we are scrolling through our facebook posts.  It’s hard to stop… I know! So I ask myself,

Do I want my child to text and drive? 
Do I want my child to take calls at dinner? 
Do I want my child to be on Facebook when doing homework?

No? Then we better curb our actions now because they are watching and learning. They are being raised in this tech-connected age so it will be much harder for them to escape.

Me? I’m on Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Linked In, etc. But in my heart, I know that we all need to UNPLUG from time to time!

Need to recharge? Here are 100 ways without technology!

1. Yoga
2. Visit the produce isle at the grocery store
3. Talk on the phone to your best friend
4. Any kind of pampering
5. Write a letter
6. 5 minutes of yoga breathing
7. Upbeat music
8. Meditation
9. Brisk outdoor walk
10. Doodle
11. Journal
12. Any hobby from sewing to reading
13. A mug of herbal tea
14. A hug from your kids
15. Good friends, great wine, fabulous conversation
16. Massage
17. Conscious breathing
18. Get your hair done
19. Cook
20. Bake
21. Dance
22. Take a bubble bath
23. Get  nails done
24. Give yourself a pedicure
25. Give yourself a facial
26. Workout
27. Go for a hike
28. Give. Find a way to do something nice for someone else.
29. Charity
30. Garden
31. Buy fresh flowers
32. Pet an animal
33. Go to a farmers market
34. Read the bible (or whatever spiritual reading you choose)
35. Go to the beach
36. Go to a lake
37. Swim
38. Be in nature
39. Listen to a favorite CD
40. Read an inspiring quote
41. Write poetry
42. Scrapbook
43. Paint
44. Draw
45. Get organized
46. Put on something sexy
47. Get your hair done
48. Play a game
49. Volunteer
50. Stretch
51. Learn something new
52. Have a girls night
53. Have a girls weekend
54. Connect with a girlfriend
55. Have a one on one date with any member of your family
56. Light a candle
57. Give a gift to someone just because
58. Eat clean foods
59. Try a new workout
60. Play a sport
61. Play an instrument
62. Read a magazine
63. Laugh
64. Be quiet
65. Look through old pictures
66. Go for a drive
67. Go on a vacation
68. Go to a museum
69. Sit by a fireplace
70. Sit in a hot tub
71. Wine tasting
72. Get something done that you have put off
73. Have your feet rubbed
74. Take a mommy “time out”
75. Watch an inspirational video
76. Go to a movie in the middle of the day
77. Go away by yourself
78. Float on a raft in the pool
79. Blog
80. Walk your dog
81. Go to church or temple
82. Pray
83. Conscious breathing
84. Aromatherapy
85. Put on a good smelling lotion
86. Put cucumber on your eyes
87. Make yourself spa water (with cucumber or mint)
88. Go to a comedy club
89. Play in the snow
90. Organize a drawer or closet
91. Help someone else
92. Cuddle with a favorite blanket
93. Talk to spouse with no tv, phone or interruptions
94. Have an orgasm
95. Salt scrub and exfoliate body
96. Get rid of clutter
97. Sit and enjoy a cup of tea or a cup of coffee
98. Stay in pajamas all day just because
99. Listen to the ocean
100. Take the time to enjoy your family

What if I told you that 90% of the foods you eat are FAKE? I bet even those of you who think you are eating healthy are actually consuming a ton of artificial, processed and preserved foods.

Breakfast – frozen waffle made up high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors and flavors? Top it off with a fake syrup.

Lunch deli meat on processed bread?

Dinner – Pasta filled with preservatives and jarred sauce with high fructose corn syrup?

I have been preaching eating whole foods for a long time. But I don’t think you are getting what that means. Today, 90% of the foods Americans eat are processed!

You need to eat foods that are grown, fished or killed (sorry to be brutal here).

Here’s another way to think about it. Are the foods you are eating something you could make in your home? You wouldn’t bake yourself a bread with transfats, artificial colors and additives would you?

Let’s face it. Food companies are in business. They make $ by making foods cheap and making them last and last on the shelves of the grocery store.

It’s tricky. For instance, you think when you get sliced turkey from the deli that this is a healthy low fat protein. MOST deli turkeys are totally processed. They take the scraps of meat that are left over from cutting up the premium meat cuts, grind or dice them up and form them into a “consistent” product. Most are filled with sodium nitrate, artificial colors and flavors. Why? You can buy a good quality turkey from markets like Trader Joe’s and Whole foods and the ingredients will read Turkey (and maybe salt or honey or another natural flavor). It’s true it won’t last as long and it may be more expensive but it will be REAL food!

I just read Jillian Michael’s book, Master Your Metabolism. She confirms everything I have been teaching about health but truly helped ME understand why it’s important from a scientific point of view. In her book, you will understand how these processed foods and toxins in our envrionment are destroying our bodies and our world.

It’s a definite MUST READ in my opinion if you value your health and the health of your children!

I think perhaps the hardest thing about new motherhood is the sleep deprivation. In fact, I think some of postpartum depression may be due to lack of sleep. Lack of sleep can cause irritability, lack of emotional control and lack of concentration. But it can also keep you from losing weight!

A study by the University of British Columbia showed that adults who sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to be obese. Why? It comes down to two hormones: ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin’s function is to trigger hunger. Leptin’s function is to regulate energy expenditure and energy intake (in other words it tells you when you’ve had enough to eat). A lack of sleep produces more ghrelin and less leptin.

Here are some ways a new mom can get more sleep:

1) Talk with your spouse about ways he can help you get some shut eye. Perhaps he can take over some feedings.

2) Go to sleep when your baby does; even if that is at 7 p.m. It won’t last forever!

3) Sleep when your baby sleeps. Even though 8 hours is best, taking a nap when your baby does will help!

4) Say yes to help. Get a friend, mother-in-law or babysitter so you can get the extra shut eye.

5) Start a sleep routine with baby as soon as you can. I highly recommend Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.

Think about your own children. From the time they were babies, we use food as a reward, to calm them down, to give them an activity when they are bored. Maybe we let them eat in the stroller. Or maybe you let them walk around snacking as they play. These habits last for a lifetime. What do you do when you’re stressed? Bored? Celebrating? I bet the answer had to do with food. If you want your children to live a long healthy life, you need to help them build healthy behaviors. If you want it for yourself, you will probably need some behavior modification!

The only long-term strategy for weight management is the adoption of a healthy lifestyle, including exercise and control over eating habits. There are endless numbers of diets (Very low calorie diets, Protein Diets, pharmacological treatments, etc.), but the most effective long-term strategy continues to be behavior modification. Behavior modification means that you can change the behaviors in your life that contribute to your overeating. For instance, small changes such as not eating on the couch or slowing down your eating are simple behavior modification strategies. The most effective way to change your “lifestyle” is to do it in slow, achievable steps. The support of a group, your family and friends all promote your long-term success.

When you change your lifestyle, you ensure long term weight loss. Isn’t that what’s important? Take a look at your own eating patterns and that of your family. See if there are some simple changes that could lead to a healthier lifestyle. Here are some to consider…

1) Eat in only one designated eating place at home and work.
2) Find new ways to reward yourself or your family that don’t revolve around food.
3) Try new stress reduction techniques. Meditation and breathing exercises are good for your kids too!
4) Say grace or take a moment before the meal to slow down the pace of eating.
5) Eliminate food cues such as cookie jars, candy dishes and even cook books.
6) Play some slow music and set the tone for slower, calmer eating environments.
7) Eat with all of your senses. Pay attention to smell, color, taste and texture. Play game at table and try tasting food blind folded.
8) Serve from kitchen not family style at the table. .
9) Plan for success! To avoid impulse eating, plan meals as a family for the week.
10) Take a family walk after dinner (even if just on the weekends).

For years, I’ve written about feeding our babies and toddlers healthy organic foods whenever possible. But I’m finding it increasingly difficult as my children are getting older.

Last week, it was “our week” to bring snacks to my son’s baseball game. He begged me not to bring a healthy snack and said “Why do we have to be that family?!”

We are that family and I wish more would join me! Our children are the first generation in history to have a lesser life expectancy than their parents. Our children are plagued with obesity, diabetes and a host of other health related issues that are tied directly to the quality of their diets.

I don’t want my son to feel like I’m punishing him with healthy food.

Why can’t all of us moms step up and say NO to Dorito’s, Oreo’s and sodas at school and sports. We are killing our kids. The more we expose them to these artificial foods, the more they have a taste for them.

I don’t want my kids to feel deprived but I also value their health enough to want to put good things in. These are the years we develop their habits.

Come on mama’s, let’s have a Mommy Revolution and stand up for the health of our children!

Did you always picture your pregnancy to be the time where you could finally have an excuse to stop exercising and eat for two? Unfortunately, you need to erase that picture. Pregnancy may be one of the most important times of your life to exercise. The benefits go to both you and your baby! First off, exercise alleviates or lessens almost every discomfort of pregnancy. Isn’t that reason enough to keep exercising?

What we won’t do for ourselves, we will do for our children. Research has shown that the babies of exercising mothers are born healthier, have less body fat at birth (this is a good thing), are calmer and may have cardiac benefits of a lower fetal heart rate. Basically, when mom exercises, the baby gets similar benefits from the training.

Here are some tips to get started:

1) Look for a prenatal exercise class when possible just so you know your instructors are specially trained. Of course, we would love to see you at one of our Fit4Baby classes!

2) If you weren’t working out, start slowly and build up gradually.

3) Drink enough water. While this is true for the non-pregnant population as well, it’s important for the baby’s health that you stay hydrated.

4) Listen to your body. While exercise is safe, it is important that you don’t overdo it and don’t get overheated.

5) Be consistent. Being inconsistent with your workouts can be harmful to your baby. Your workouts may change but you do want to maintain a level of fitness throughout your pregnancy.

Remember, ACOG recommends that pregnant women exercise at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day on most days of the week so long as you are having a healthy pregnancy. This is your first step to being a “healthy role model” for your child!