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.

Surprised? Mixing black beans with chocolate? We worked with this recipe until it knocked our socks off! Added protein, less sugar, no flour, no dairy, and lots of dark chocolate. Gluten-free, Wheat-Free, Dairy-free. Jaimie, our R.D. chef, figured out how to make this combination into a fudge brownie. Try it. It is the featured recipe on www.KidKritics.com – easy to find, easy to prepare. Make it your family’s Valentine Day treat – cut them into heart shapes.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

How would you like a case of Chocolate Walnut Cookies, Sugar Free, by Joseph’s Lite Cookies delivered to your door? Enter to win by going to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today!

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.

Healthy Recipe Mom Karen, mom of 2 says,”These are really good and moist!” Try this recipe during the holidays or for your next party.  It will be a hit with kids and adults alike.  Karen and her friend Tina brought this “super yummy” coffee cake to work.  The result?  “We have tested it amongst the office staff and got a unanimous thumbs up.” I made it too. Easy and delicious – the perfect baking combination for me.  Recommend you try it.

…. for the health of your family,
ellen

You can Win a Case of  Organic Spicy Falafel Chips (Flamous Brands) that happen to be Gluten Free.  The only meal in a chip that I know of and this one is spicy.  Enter by going to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes today.

There are enough nutrients in pine nuts to feed your brain, blood, hair, nails, and nerves. So when you are overdosing on pesto sauce, as I do, you are doing yourself a favor.  Actually, everything in pesto sauce fuels your brain and so much more.  Pine nuts are a bit  pricey as they are so difficult to harvest.  We add just a few to our salads to enrich them.  They are also delicious in egg salad when mixed with some Parmesan cheese.  Pine nuts are one of those foods where you can enjoy just a little and get a lot of bang for your buck.  Look for the best buy, maybe that will be in the bulk section, and keep them in your freezer.

… for the health of your family,
ellen

Don’t forget to enter to win a Case of Organic Spicy Falafel Chips (gluten-free) by Flamous Brands! Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes. Enter more than once to up your odds.  These are a meal in a chip – a spicy meal!

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!

According to a weekend report by the Los Angeles Times, the city’s “trailblazing introduction of healthful school lunches has been a flop.” In response to the public hectoring and financial inducement of Mrs. Obama’s federally subsidized anti-obesity campaign, the district dropped chicken nuggets, corn dogs and flavored milk from the menu for “beef jambalaya, vegetable curry, pad Thai, lentil and brown rice cutlets, and quinoa and black-eyed pea salads.”

Per Ms. Malkin, “Sounds delectable in theory. But in practice, the initiative has been what L.A. Unified’s food services director Dennis Barrett plainly concludes is a “disaster.” While the Obama administration has showered the nation’s second-largest school district with nutrition awards, thousands of students voted with their upset tummies and abandoned the program. A forbidden-food black market — stoked not just by students, but also by teachers — is now thriving. Moreover, “(p)rincipals report massive waste, with unopened milk cartons and uneaten entrees being thrown away.”

Who in the heck thought of  brown rice and lentil cutlets?  To quote a chef friend, “I would have thrown these away.”   Really, where is common sense when you need it.  The Good News is that we are working on a public school lunch solution.  The Bad News, it is going to take a long time to wade through all the issues and create a workable healthier school lunch program.  In the meantime,  please send us your ideas!

… for the health of your family,
ellen

A whole Case of Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels!  You can win this by entering, www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes.  Fill your pantry with this Kid Kritics Approved party and snack food by Good Health Natural Foods.

I watched Kim prepare this whole turkey and did I learn a lot. All she does is replace stuffing with a mix of fresh fruit and vegetables and then rub a coating of olive oil, garlic and a little seal salt on the surface.  Voila!  You may be surprised at her combination of free produce she places in the cavity and around the base.  Go to www.KidKritics.com and check out this week’s Featured Recipe.  Note this simple holiday presentation. This recipe is ideal easy juicy delicious for a holiday feast!

…  for the health of your family,
ellen

Win a Case of Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels by Good Health Natural Products.  Perfect for parties, snacks and lunch box fillers in schools where PB is allowed.  Go to www.KidKritics.com/sweepstakes to enter 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.

This nutrient power-pack in a skin, banana, fuels your brain, bones, eyes, hair, heart, lungs, mouth/teeth, nose and skin.  And it is so affordable all year.  Breakfast, lunch, snacks, smoothies, topping on yogurts-cereals-pancakes, PB sandwich – bread & muffin filler, and an athlete's best food friend – bananas are it!  It is one of the first and last foods you eat because it is easily digested.  Actually, on an empty stomach, it takes about 20 minutes for it so be working throughout  your body.  Fresh and frozen bananas should always be found in your home.  It is a rare day when they are missing in action in ours.

… for the health of your family,
ellen