1. Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning: So easy and so doable and so very good for you. When you wake up your body needs to be hydrated, to flush out toxins. By drinking one to two glasses of water first thing in the morning you are firing up your metabolism, fueling your brain and you will also relieve constipation. In Japan this is common practice because they believe that it can prevent and even cure diseases.
It’s not easy to prepare a healthy and creative lunchbox when it has to be portable, nut-free (school policy) and liked by fussy eaters. A great deal of preparation is required that includes shopping for ingredients and night-before arrangements. I often prepare Georgie’s lunchbox about the same time I make dinner which tends to lighten the morning load. I also like to set aside an afternoon or morning during the week and weekend when I can cook/bake/prepare a dish that can be stored in the fridge for a few days. These dishes include pasta, boiled eggs and roasted chicken.
Last week I received a message from a frustrated mother regarding her son’s eating habits. She explained that breakfast seemed to be a particularly difficult meal of the day for her as she was running low on options and ideas. I’ve noticed that breakfast can be challenging for many parents. It really needn’t be as long as there’s some planning ahead involved and you’re able to see beyond the basics like cereals and bread. Go ahead and experiment. It’s something you definitely will not regret.
I can breeze through the sweets aisle at the supermarket when Georgie is with me. You see, we’ve talked about it and worked long and hard enough for him to know what I’m ok with him choosing at what not.
But the cereal aisle. Man! Completely different situation.
In fact it may actually be far worse than the sweet aisle. The colourful packaging, the chocolate coating, the superheroes and the princesses and all that hidden sugar. And then of course comes the inevitable question: ‘But mummy its breakfast cereal! It’s not sweets! Why can’t I have it?’
The lights were turned down low and the room was cosy and warm. Candles were lit and a sweet aroma filled the air. If it weren’t for the effects of this calm environment I would have been jumping for joy. Because I was about to get a pregnancy massage!
I take care of my body as much as I can. Being a person and a mother who, on occasion, experiences intense neck and back pains I feel its my duty to do whatever I can to make sure I’m as pain-free as possible. But then I go and get myself pregnant and all of a sudden I’m getting strange aches in my shoulders and legs and ooh-ing and aah-ing every time I bend over to help Georgie put his shoes on. Suffice to say I’m not happy.