Since you heart is pumping hard to push blood through about 60,000 miles of blood vessels  a day, wouldn’t it be a good idea to feed this muscle its needed fuel? Dr. Heather shares what she feeds her family of four so all stay healthy and function at their best.  Good fats (Omega-3s) were tops on her list.  Putting flax seed oil with heart healthy blueberries and other fruit into smoothies is a daily event for breakfast or snacks.  Avocados in salads or Guacamole are frequently consumed by her family.  Grass-fed beef and eggs are commonly found on their plates for dinner and other meals.  One of her young daughter’s was making scrambled eggs with spinach and cheese for her breakfast while we were on the air.  It’s not that hard!

To hear all of Dr. Manley’s Heart Health interview, please go to the www.BetterFoodChoicesRadio.com archived shows, or, www.iTunes.com, Podcast, Better Food Choices and click on the Feb. 3rd, 2012 show. PLEASE, avoid having any heart disease statistics in your family.  Listen to Dr. Heather Manley.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Chocolate lovers, enter to Win a Case of Chocolate Walnut Cookies, Sugar Free, by Joseph’s Lite Cookies.  This is a great opportunity for those diagnosed as pre-Diabetic or Diabetic, or for those who want to avoid either diagnosis.  Joseph made them especially for you.  Go to www. KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today.  Enter more than once to up your winning odds.

They went from Junk Food to Real Food and now swear by it. One boy was 16 and always “starving.”  The other was an overweight college kid.  And they have a dad with Type 2 diabetes.  Mom thought she was feeding her family good food but after a dinner with me, she realized Jello and other processed foods she was serving were counter-nourishing her family. Her turnaround story is brilliant. A first bit of advice is, “You can’t tell them. You must show them.”  If you want to be inspired and learn how overnight everyone of them voluntarily bought into her changes, listen to Vickie Peaire tell her story.  Go to www. BetterFoodChoicesRadio.com (date: Jan 27, 2012) and listen or find it on iTunes, Podcast, Better Food Choices.  You will be SO glad your did!

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Save money and Win a Case of Classic Macaroni and Cheese by Annie’s Homegrown.  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes before Sunday night.

How to Choose Nut Butters:
ADDRESS ALLERGENS by reading for peanut butter ingredients or exposure during processing.  This helps those with and without PB allergies.
ORGANIC or NATURAL: Certified Organic means fields, plants/trees and processing meet strict organic standards… as good as it gets.  Natural may or may not mean void of unhealthy ingredients.  Know your source.
READ INGREDIENTS: one or two ingredients is enough for good nut butters. Avoid added stabilizers, sweeteners and oils.
RAW or ROASTED: Raw means no heat application which alters nutrients such as essential fatty acids – essential for your body’s cellular production.  Roasted uses heat for this adjusted flavor.  The less the better which is why Lightly Roasted is a good choice.
NUT VARIETIES: Almond, Cashew, Walnut, Pecan, Macadamia and even Coconut are alternatives to Peanut Butter. Those taste tested by the Kid Kritics were big hits!

This and so much more was shared by today’s radio guest, Co-Founder and President of the Artisana brand, Santiago Cuenca-Romero.  Listen to all he had to say, www.iTunes, Podcast, “Better Food Choices.” Very interesting guy!

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Be the one who Wins the Case of Chocolate Energy Bites by Greens+.  Enter by going to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes. They are perfect for kids… just ask the Kid Kritics.

From fat to thin, from sick to healthy, from True Body Age of 67 back to 42 in 3 years! It took Celeste only  21 days to shed her illnesses including IBS. All by eating “real food”, raw fruits and vegetables. This is common sense simple, saves money and time.  Both Celeste and her husband have maintained their youthful weight and health for 5 years.  They are the testimonial you need to believe you can so this.  And, the food is delicious.  Listen to the podcast of this interview to learn more on www.BetterFoodChoicesRadio.com, Or you can go to iTunes, Podcast, Better Food Choices and listen. Their book, filled with recipes, is a must read for anyone who wants to become Wonderfully Well.

… for the health of your family.
ellen … Yes, I pulled out my juicer and plugged it in – back to juicing in my house!

Time to enter to Win a Case or Yummi Bears Immunity Shield by Hero Nutritionals, AND, a clever children’s book, Battle with the Bugs, by Dr. Heather Manley.  Keep your kids healthy all winter with this combo prize. Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today!  (Prize changes on Monday.)

You only need to do two things to make yours a healthier happier 2012 per Dr. Jonny Bowden.  1. TREAT YOURSELF BETTER… make good decisions about how to feed and care for yourself. 2. TREAT OTHERS BETTER… this makes you feel better as it stimulates the release of up beat hormones such as serotonin and dopamine.  That’s it.  The result is everything works better when your follow these two tips.  You can do this! Rather than wasting your body, stimulate yours to function optimally.  To listen for more, please go to www.BetterFoodChoicesRadio.com or www.iTunes.com, podcast, Better Food Choices.

(Also, you may want to check our Dr. Jonny’s new “Unleash Your Thin” program. Simply Google Unleash Your Thin.)

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Two and a half  more days left to enter to Win a Case of  Organic Lightly Roasted Almond Butter by Artisana.  What a great budget saver!  Go to. www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes.  Enter more than once to up your odds!

Moms, Deirdre and Vickie, say Take Five in 2012. These are daily New Year’s Resolutions you can keep.  1.  Take 5 minutes for yourself to be still. 2. Take 5 minutes with each of your children to talk with them.  3.  Give each of your children 5 minute chores.  4.  Build up to serving a combination of 5 fruits and vegetables.  5.  Thank God for 5 blessings.  You can do these.  None require drastic changes nor do they cost any money.  All will lift up you both your family and you.  For more ideas from Deirdre and Vickie, listen to them on www.iTunes.com, go to podcast then Better Food Choices for “Moms Reveal New Year’s Resolutions They Can Keep!”  They are full of common sense and fun.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Don’t forget to sign up to Win a Case of Organic Spicy Falafel Chips – Gluten Free!  They are a wildly delicious meal in a chip.  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today.  Enter more than once to up your odds.

The “queen” of budget crunching, Valerie Berkowitz, R.D, author of The Stubborn Fat Fix, and, mother of four young ones, will tell you her secrets to keeping her costs down while celebrating the holidays. She makes it simple and doable.  There is always something to learn from Valerie.  Tune in to for help to lighten your budget load. Friday, Dec.23rd, Noon, eastern time, www.BetterFoodChoicesRadio.com.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

If you love Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels (Good Health Natural Products) then enter to Win a whole Case this week.  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today!

You may be surprised to learn that chefs are known to keep it simple at home. Chef Jesse Ziff Cool explains how she creates two holiday meals for her family.  All her recipes are easy to make.  One family’s favorite is her Scollop Potatoes.  Steamed vegetables and turkey are two other menu items.  She confirmed that her children and grandchildren are kitchen helpers.  To learn more, listen on www.iTunes.com, Podcast, “Better Food Choices.”  This is an inspiring and animated interview.  Simple is Cool!

… for the health of your family,
ellen

It’s time to Win a whole Free Range Turkey by Shelton’s Poultry!  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today.

Delicata Squash

Catherine is from Kentucky.  Her family's traditional holiday menu is southern in nature: Baked Ham (brown sugar & pineapple glaze), Homemade Biscuits, Mac and Cheese (made with choice cheese by her husband), Roasted Brussels Sprouts (olive oil, lemon juice, toasted almonds, Parmesan cheese), Delicata Squash (baked with bell peppers, carrots, onions and slightly sweetened with maple syrup), Salad (baby arugula, blood orange sections, shaved fennel, pomegranate seeds, toasted almonds, vinaigrette dressing), and her family's "secret" recipe for Chocolate Caramel Sea Salt Tart – oh my goodness!  By the way, her young kids love the Brussels sprouts and squash recipes.  It is time to start offering your kids a variety of vegetables.  Purchased fresh and made well is your key. Look for these and more recipes on Catherine's  website, www.weelicious.com.  To listen to Catherine's interview, please go to www.iTunes.com, then Podcast, then Better Food Choices – it is worth every minute of your time!

… for the health of your family,
ellen
 

Want to fill your pantry with some healthier munchies for holiday entertaining?  Enter to win a Case of EatSmart Naturals Whole Grain White Cheddar Cheese Curls by Snyder's of Hanover. Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes.  Enter more than once to up your odds

Pamela is not only a great chef, she is a ton of fun. Meet the founder of Pamela's Products on Friday's radio/podcast show. Noon EST, www.BetterFoodChoicesRadio.com. She's going to share her favorite gluten free holiday recipes with us. Whether you have a wheat issue or not, you will want to make her creations. To quote the Kid Kritics, "They make your taste buds dance!"

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Don't forget to enter to Win a Case of Fresh Frozen Wild Blueberries by Wyman's of Maine.  How cool would it be to have enough for your yummy winter immune building smoothies?  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today!