How to change YOUR taste buds***

Ok, a friend of mine challenged me EARLY this morning to ONLY state positive things today.  At the risk of failing that challenge, I refuse to tell you how my taste buds haven't changed when it comes to macaroni & cheese, nor will I tell you my opinion of macaroni & cheese ;)

Instead, I will tell you a little story of how I recently changed my taste buds and my 88 year old grandmother's opinion of it...it's a much more interesting and uplifting story!  So, I've always known it was possible to change taste buds as there are several foods that are tastier to me these days than they were in my early years of life and I've researched the subject as well.  Luckily I was raised around LOTS of fruits and vegetables and was ALWAYS encouraged to try new foods.  I think this has a lot to do with my views of food these days and my willingness to experiment.  My 88 year old grandmother has been mentioning over the last couple of years how coffee helps with memory.  Coffee is also a great natural drink and it helps calm an ADD/ADHD brain (pretty sure I fall under that category).  Now, if you couple that information with the information I've learned about food, sugar, artificial sweetners, calories in drinks, etc. you can probably believe that I was not interested in drinking coffee with a bunch of stuff added to it.  So, I thought and thought about this and thought more about how food flavors had changed over my years and, I decided to see if I could change my taste buds when it came to coffee.  I started sipping plain black coffee everyday.  I would make myself do it.  It takes about 21 days to develop a new habit, so that's the goal I set for myself.  For 21 straight days I made myself sip on plain black coffee.  About half way through the challenge I gave myself, I started automatically pouring myself a cup of coffee in the mornings.  By the end of the 21 day challenge, plain black coffee started sounding good to me!  What I did next was go to my grandmother and let her know that I am now a coffee drinker!  She acted like that was the best news she had heard all week!  She said, "OH CARA, I didn't know you like coffee!  You know, it's great for your memory.  I tell my friends that drink water and forget things that if they would start drinking coffee they would remember things better."  (If an 88 year old of excellent sound mind is going to give you some advice - BELIEVE IT!)

At this point, plain black coffee and I are getting along just great and Grandma worries about me a little less!  It's a win-win for everyone!  Now, when it comes to the few vegetables that are less than pleasant, I'm going to stick to my challenge from my friend and say nothing.

Have you ever challenged your taste buds?  If not, I encourage you to.  Start with tea...sip on plain tea, with nothing added to it, for 21 days and report your results...I'll be waiting to hear!

Best of luck and let me know if you have any questions...
Cara

ADDICTIVE DRINKS = BIG HEALTHY DIFFERENCE

Do you have a drink that you are addicted to?  You know, that go to drink that you can't live without?  Is it doing you more harm than good?  If you answered yes to this last question, then we have some good news for you!  You CAN have an addictive drink that makes you feel good!  Are you addicted to soda or some sort of coffee drink that costs you $4.00 per day ($120.00 per month)?  Are you addicted to a drink that you drink several times a day and you KNOW it's not healthy for you?  Are you addicted to caffeine AND not sleeping well?  Read on, my friend, we CAN help you right now!

1.  Everyone NEEDS an addictive drink or 2 or 3 but we need to be smart about it.

2.  Think natural.  Plain tea with no sugar is a great place to start.  I'm pretty caffeine sensitive at my age, so I opt for caffeine free when I can, or only drink tea caffeine up until lunch.  If you like something in your tea, think honey, cinnamon and/or fruit.  When you brew tea yourself, you can put honey in the pitcher before brewing and put cinnamon and fruit in with the tea bag.  Try several different combinations and post them to our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/caraperkinshnhl and let us see how you are enjoying your tea!  Plain coffee is another great addictive drink - not 5 cups, but a cup or 2 a day is great!  My grandmother has always advised me that coffee is great for the memory.  She was so excited when she found out that I drink coffee!  But, be careful.  If you get those fancy full-of-sugar coffees, they can ruin your calorie count for the day!  Do you think you don't like plain coffee?  We'll have a blog later this week about retraining your taste buds, so don't worry.  

3.  Water - what's better than water or water with fruit in it?  There are so many possibilities.  Anything citrus is great to put in water - orange, lemon, lime or grapefruit slices.  Also, you could make berry water with strawberries, cranberries, and/or blueberries.  Berry water is even more flavorful when you slightly squeeze the berries as you are adding them to your water.  This brings out the flavor quick.  Plus, you can snack on the berries as they fall into your mouth while you are drinking!

4.  If you are addicted to any drinks that have lots of calories, sugar or artificial sweetner, I am going to challenge you to change your drink of choice.  It can mean the difference in the way you feel, losing unwanted weight and the over all health of you.

Let us  know if you have any suggestions or questions and stay tuned for more blogging later this week!

Cara Perkins

www.caraperkins.com

cara@caraperkins.com

Healthy Kids = Better Grades = Happy Parents

First day of school!  No doubt you've seen it all over the internet, all over Facebook and it is probably running through your mind right now!  So, what do we do?  We organize the clothes, go clothes shopping, organize the closet, organize the school supplies, meet the teacher, organize the house, talk about getting back into the routine, etc...so much to think about!  But, what about meals?  Let's see, we'll have back to school night, PTA sign up, volunteer sign up, sports, piano, dance, and all of the extra school activities, projects and HOMEWORK!  Where does eating healthy fit in?  UGH, just one more thing to think about!

Well, I've got great news for you.  It doesn't have to be that way!  With just a few habit changes and a few adjustments, you can go back to school worry free!  Here are a few tips that I teach families, including children, to get the whole family on track for a healthy eating lifestyle.  Why?  Read on to find out more...

1.  Pre plan - Make a meal plan, go to the grocery store and do as much pre cooking for the week as possible on the weekend.
2.  Breakfast doesn't have to be breakfast - Think about the leftovers from the night before.  Did you have chicken fajitas?  Warm up a chicken fajita for breakfast, or, put some chicken and fajita veggies in a skillet, add some whisked eggs and make an omelet!  What about a peanut butter and banana sandwich?
3.  Snacking is a must - Kids get worn out mentally at school!  Then, they have to come home and do homework or study for a test!  They need a great snack to help get this done.  Have a variety of nuts on hand, plenty of fruit and skip the junk food aisle at the store.  They'll be so hungry when they get home that they'll eat whatever is there!  Remember the chicken fajitas?  Great snack!
4.  School lunch or not to school lunch - While many school districts are making progress in improving student lunches, be sure to check the internet so you know EXACTLY what they are serving.
5.  Dinner time - Here's where it gets tricky and here's where habits are important.  EVERYONE participates, unless they have 5 hours of homework or a big test to study for.  Even then, use your best judgement.  It can either take 1 person 30 minutes to prepare dinner or 2 people 15 minutes.  Same for clean up.  It can take 1 person 20 minutes or 4 people 5 minutes...you get the math.
6.  Teach the kids how to cook - There are SOOOOOOOOO many reasons that this is important and I could go on all day about this statement, however, I know you don't have all day because you're getting ready for back to school, so, I'll make it short by giving you my top 2.  1.  Teaching kids how to cook helps streamline dinner time and take some of the heat (get it - heat because we're talking about cooking ;) off of you.  Eventually, the kids will be able to cook a healthy meal themselves!  2.  If you teach them how to cook, they have a better chance of being healthy adults, and, anything to make their future better, right?

My wish is that you and your kids have a happy and productive school year.  If you get them on the right eating track at the beginning of the year, it'll help in so many ways.  Kids are likely better able to focus on their school work, sit still in the classroom, control their behavior and make better grades if they have a healthy eating lifestyle.  They'll also be able to keep up on the playground and be excited to play sports and get outside for some much needed fitness.  Imagine how much better their life, and yours, will be!

I hope this has helped.  We have great programs at Healthy Now...Healthy Later that can help you and your family get on the right eating track.  If you need me, I'll be over here www.facebook.com/caraperkinshnhl .  Please send me a message if you have any questions or need to get connected with a program that's right for you and your family.

Happy back to school!

What in the world is the cookbook all about?

Ok, it took me about two years to write and publish my cookbook - WHEW!  It was finally published a couple of months ago and it's been SUPER fun to hear what everyone has to say about it!  I'm going to give you a little insight right here, right now, so you can figure see what it's all about.  There are nine different chapters.  Each chapter is created to help motivate and organize a healthy eating lifestyle.  Below I have listed the chapters along with a short little somethin' somethin' about each one...
1.  Let's Get Started - This chapter is all about habits and how we can do a better job at being healthy simply by changing our habits.  It is encouraging and meant to get you excited about the journey through the rest of the book!
2.  Kids in the Kitchen - If kids learn how to cook, they have a better chance of being healthy adults.  It's all about working with children, as a habit, to make cooking be easy and a good way of life for them.  There are also some benefits for us parents!  If you are too tired to prepare a meal and you've been training your 12 year old to cook, they will be perfectly capable of turning out a great, healthy meal for YOU, for a change!
3.  Staples - Here's where we work on setting up the kitchen so that we always have things on hand that will make cooking a healthy meal easy.  We go from pantry to refrigerator to the spice cabinet.  It's all there, but, I encourage everyone to include their own family's favorites as staples in their kitchen.
4.  Heart Disease Prevention - I have heart disease on both sides of my family and, so do my kids - UGH!!!  The good news is, this chapter will give you tips and tricks to train yourself AND your children now so that your chances of keeping your heart healthy are much better.
5.  Feeding a Big Ol' Group - This can be an exhausting task, right?  Well, in the cookbook, I'll walk you through exactly how to have a stress-free get together and end up with the best food that you and your friends can come up with!  There are also tips on how to serve your guests in fun ways while also making the food interesting and easy.
6.  Tips and Tricks - This chapter covers some great, easy tips that we can all benefit from.  Learn what to carry with you, what to do when you are craving sweets, and how leftovers are important.
7.  Putting it all Together - Here's the meat (pardon the pun) of the cookbook.  I'll show you how to get the family involved, how to make food fun, how to find fun family time and how to simplify life!  It can be done, but why should just one person in a houseful of people have to be solely responsible for the food?  THEY SHOULDN'T! :)
8.  Organizing and Cleaning Up - Just like why should one person have to be solely responsible for the food, why should one person have to be solely responsible for cleaning up, right?  THEY SHOULDN'T! :)  This chapter will give you some ideas on how to get the whole family involved and make clean up time much easier.  Why should one person spend 20 minutes cleaning up when four people can each spend five minutes cleaning up, right?  The sooner you start teaching the kids, the better off you'll be when they can do it all!
9.  Now You are Ready! - This is the pep rally part of the book!  We invite you to stay with us and have fun while we're all being healthy!  My goal is to help others achieve a better quality of life, which is attainable through food...
We have many recipes throughout the cookbook.  Here's a sample list of them...

Smoothie (fan favorite)
Pizza
Mac & cheese
Salad dressings
Tacos
Meat Loaf
Lasagna
Chili
Steak & Baked Potato Soup (another fan favorite)

and much, much more!  All of your favorites cooked in a healthier way!
Are YOU ready?  You can order your own copy today!  All you need is an amazon.com login and go to https://www.createspace.com/4053930 .  Remember, Christmas is right around the corner and this book would make a great gift, especially for those that want to start the new year off with a healthy plan.  If you ever have any questions, ideas, or just need some encouragement, please contact us!  Here's where you can find us...
www.caraperkins.com
www.facebook.com/caraperkinshnhl
...and at Twitter, Instagram, Youtube (see our Kids in the Kitchen videos), and Pinterest all by searching caraperkinshnhl.
PLEASE share our info.  At Healthy Now...Healthy Later we say, "we ALL have health in common, so we might as well make it fun!"
Stay Healthy!
Cheers,
Cara

How in the World Do We Deal With Germs?

Ok, so it's cold and flu season.  No matter how healthy we eat and how strong we keep our immune system, sometimes a pesky germ will sneak their way into our bodies causing all kinds of nonsense!  Nonsense in the form of a cold, the flu, pneumonia or anything else they want to try and prove.  GERMS DON'T CARE!  Now, what do we do when this has caused an invasion in a body that we live with?  Well, there are no guarantees, but there are some weapons that we can arm ourselves with.  It's us against them and, we have the disadvantage since we can't see them...don't let them win the war!  Here are a list of steps that, with a quick trip to the local grocery or discount store, you'll be able to use in hopes of making the battle easier on everyone in the home.

1.  Don't let the sick person into the kitchen!  This is off limits!  Yes, this means that you will have to wait on them, but it's better than you and the the rest of the household getting sick too, right?
2.  The sick person only uses disposable cups, paper plates, napkins and plastic wear.  That's right, that means less chance of spreading the germs AND not as many dishes to do, (you are welcome :)) and all of this goes straight into the trash.
3.  Choose 1 bathroom for the sick person to use and everyone else stays out and uses the other bathroom.  Thoroughly disinfect the community bathroom with disinfecting wipes or a good spray as soon as you figure out that the sick person is sick.
4.  Hand washing/sterilizing...any time any of the non sick are near the sick, in the same room, touch something the sick has touched, etc...it is hand washing time!  Keep the hand sanitizing gel on hand too.  It makes things a little easier.
5.  Be sure and sterilize light switches, door knobs, phones, sink faucets, and anything else the sick person could have touched.
6.  The sick sleeps alone!  If you have kids sharing a bedroom, split them up.  Make a fort, get out the sleeping bags, whatever you have to do, but don't let them sleep in the same room.  This goes the same for the adults.  The non sick needs to take the couch for a while.

It's a tough battle, but you CAN win it!  Comment below and let us know what you do in your home to help fight the good fight.
Here's a grocery list to make life a bit easier...

1.  soap
2.  hand sanitizer
3.  paper plates
4.  plastic cups
5.  plastic spoons, forks & knives
6.  paper napkins
7.  disinfecting wipes
8.  disinfecting spray

Best of luck through this crazy time of year!
Here are the specific places you can find us on the web...
www.caraperkins.com
www.facebook.com/caraperkinshnhl
Twitter - caraperkinshnhl
Pinterest - caraperkinshnhl
Instagram - caraperkinshnhl
Youtube - caraperkinshnhl

I look forward to hearing from you...until then...stay heathy :)

What in the world are we putting into our bodies?

Who knows the answer to this?  I sure don't and I have fun studying food every day!  Are you one of the people who reads the labels on food?  Well, if you've seen some of the labels I've seen, you're probably thinking you need a chemistry or Latin degree or something like that to understand all of the ingredients, right?  I mean, it's crazy!  Everything you put into your body has an effect inside of you.  It can be good or bad.  For example, if you are putting too much sugar in your body, eventually you could develop diabetes.  If you are putting too much bad fat in your body, you could end up with clogged arteries and have heart disease that could result in a heart attack.  So, what's the solution?  How do we enjoy eating and be sure we are putting the right things into our bodies?  KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!  The interesting part of all of this is that we are all so different that it makes this whole scientific experiment called eating a little challenging.  KNOW YOUR BODY!  The 1st thing I recommend to anyone who wants to know what to do is head to the doctor.  Get a check up and BE SURE the doctor takes blood, I know, I know, needles scare you, well, guess what...if you don't get a little blood taken today and figure out how to take the best care of yourself, you might find yourself in a situation where you have to face needles way more often than just once a year.  Be sure the doctor runs blood tests on your cholesterol, vital organs, vitamins, iron, etc, everything possible.  Why is this so important?  Well, my family has a history of high cholesterol.  When I was in my mid 20s (almost 20 years ago), I was diagnosed with borderline high cholesterol.  The doctor said, "cut down on sweets."  I said, "I'm not a sweet eater.  I'd rather have a salad than a brownie any day."  The doctor said, "cut down on fried & greasy foods."  I said, "I'm not a fried, greasy food kind of eater.  I'd rather eat vegetables than fried greasy stuff any day."  The doctor said, "it must be heredity."  I already had that idea in my head, but wanted to see if he caught on.  I constantly research foods that will help with cholesterol, and, I control my cholesterol with food and fitness.  Every six months we check my cholesterol level and I've been able to keep it under control enough not to have to take medicine, and, that's the way I intend to keep it.  Why am I so against medicine?  Because I've seen what it does to people.  As I hear from so many of you, I get the same story way too many times.  Many doctors are prescribing medicine to people and not talking about food options to help with health issues.  THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE TODAY!  The prescriptions are written, folks go home and take the medicine, develop more side effects, require more medicine to help with the side effects, get to the point that they are unable to control their weight, because, remember, we said at the beginning of this blog that everything you put into your body has either a good or bad effect on it.  I've heard from so many of you that you've taken what we've said and have changed your eating lifestyle with the result of curing yourselves, being able to discontinue prescriptions (ALWAYS talk to your doctor before discontinuing prescriptions.  If your doctor refuses to work with you, find another one), and are leading a much better quality of life.  That's what it's all about!  Am I against medicine?  No.  I am for options.  I am for doctors that spend the time to talk about food with their patients.  I am for doctors that will listen when you say that you are not interested in taking medicine.  My doctor only sees me when it's time for a check up or a blood test, that's it.  I don't remember the last time I went to the doctor because I was sick. (probably shouldn't have said, or blogged that sentence cause you know how those things work out;))  When my husband and I were looking for a new family doctor many years ago, (and we went through a few before we hit the Jack-pot, his name is Jack) I insisted to Dr. Jack that I am not interested in taking medicine unless it's absolutely necessary for myself or my children.  He listened and takes really good care of us.  My kids only go to the doctor for their check up or when they twist, bend, or hyper-extend something - they're boys, after all.  I'm not going to say that they are NEVER sick because I'm only willing to risk saying things like that about myself, if you know what I mean.  Anyway, I could go on and on and on, so that's probably how I ended up in radio, but, I'll wrap it up.  Please consider becoming part of my company, Healthy Now...Healthy Later.  We talk about how to be healthy by changing small habits one at a time and teaching folks how to grocery shop & cook in fun, healthy, and delicious ways.  We'd love to have you aboard!  We ALL have health in common & we're making it fun!
Where can you find me?  All over the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area, all over the web, and all over the world on www.fbrn.us (Fishbowl Radio Network) every Wednesday 11:00am-1:00pm central time in the Talk Bowl.  We are reaching out to everyone who eats!  We want to make a difference and have fun!  JOIN US PLEASE, and let me know if you have any questions or ideas to share with the class!
Here are the specific places you can find us on the web...
www.caraperkins.com
www.facebook.com/caraperkinshnhl
Twitter - caraperkinshnhl
Pinterest - caraperkinshnhl
Instagram - caraperkinshnhl
Youtube - caraperkinshnhl

I look forward to hearing from you...until then...stay heathy :)

What in the world am I thinking?

This is my very first blog.  The title explains exactly what I'm thinking right this moment as we speak, I mean, blog.  Let me introduce myself.  My name is Cara and I am a 43 year old wife and mother of 2 teenagers.  Yes, they are both teenagers right now!  Jordan is 19 and Jared is 13, so, if you are a math person, you are realizing that one is finishing his teen years while the other is just beginning...take from that what you might, but it might just explain part of my crazy thinking brain!  Long, long ago, when my first son was born, I decided that my kids would have all the tools they needed to live the healthiest possible lifestyle in an everyday, easy, not having to worry kind of way.  My husband and I each have health issues in our families.  In my research, I found out two things.  1.  Most of the health challenges my children could possibly face could be controlled by a healthy eating lifestyle.  2.  If people know how to cook, they stand a better chance of being healthy.  That's all I needed to know!  TEACH THEM HOW TO COOK!!!  Sounds easy, right?  Well, some of you are probably thinking, "that's crazy!"  Stick with me...don't stop reading...if you are a person who eats, chances are you and I will get along great!  I began doing more research on how kids are typically fed vs. how they need to be fed to get the most out of life.  It saddens me when I see folks who are struggling with their weight and now have kids who are struggling.  This is both an easy and difficult to overcome.  It all starts with a mindset.  Habits are what get us to where we are each day.  For example, you weren't born drinking diet sodas, however, if you find yourself addicted, realize that the addiction started to form one day and now you have a chance to form a replacement addiction.  If your kids are constantly snacking on the wrong stuff, there is time to make a new habit.  The word "NO" goes a long way, trust me;).  Don't worry about being the bad guy.  It will all pay off when your kids are 30, 40, & 50 years old and still getting a clean bill of health.  One of my "lectures" is called, "It All Starts in Your Cart."  Think about that.  The grocery store is one of my favorite places on Earth.  When I go, it's not just to shop, it's to research.  I research food, food labels, and people.  Next time you go to the store, notice what people have in their carts.  Don't take this harshly, but, usually what they have in their cart matches their body type.  If you are struggling with your weight, think about what you put in your cart.  Is it mostly processed food, cookies and chips?  Will your kids throw a fit if you don't take them down the junk food aisle?  Do you spend more time on the aisles or along the perimeter of the store?  The grocery store is a GREAT place to start if you want to change habits.  Stick to the perimeter of the store as much as possible.  That's where you'll find the freshest foods AND you will save lots of time not going down every single aisle.  Spend the majority of your time in the produce department.  If this is foreign territory to your kids, it's time to give them a thorough tour.  My hope is to spread knowledge to others.  Through my years and years of trial and error, I've developed quite a few strategies in getting kids and us that are no longer of the kid age, on track to have a better quality of life by changing habits and eating deliciously without missing processed foods.  I am the owner of the business, Healthy Now...Healthy Later.  We are constantly hearing from folks who are taking our ideas and building better lives for their whole families.  Where can you find me?  All over the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX area, all over the web, and all over the world on www.fbrn.us (Fishbowl Radio Network) every Wednesday 11:00am-1:00pm central time in the Talk Bowl.  We are reaching out to everyone who eats!  We want to make a difference and have fun!  JOIN US PLEASE, and let me know if you have any questions or ideas to share with the class!
Here are the specific places you can find us on the web...
www.caraperkins.com
www.facebook.com/caraperkinshnhl
Twitter - caraperkinshnhl
Pinterest - caraperkinshnhl
Instagram - caraperkinshnhl
Youtube - caraperkinshnhl

I look forward to hearing from you...until then...stay heathy :)