Breakfast Anyone?

I'm not telling any of you anything you don't already know when I say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! You've all heard the quote, "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper." I love this quote, and I love breakfast. I think it would be MUCH easier to live-like-a-king-in-the-morning if life in the AM could slow down just a bit. Who has the same time available before rushing out the door in the mornings to make breakfast that we may (or may not) have in the evening? Our mornings are packed with getting kids ready for school, ourselves and husbands ready for work, morning workouts, etc. My almost-2-year-old is seriously starving the instant she wakes up in the morning, so if breakfast can't be on her plate in 2.5 seconds, we're all in for a rough morning.

However, if my kids don't get a good breakfast, we're not only in for a rough morning, we're in for a rough day! As much as they (and don't we all) love them, sugary cereals are not an okay breakfast option. The havoc wreaked on their blood sugar first thing in the morning leaves us all in a state of hysteria for the rest of the day.

I do, however, love cereal. A few months ago, when I was still in first-trimester-of-pregnancy hades, I had to stay in bed while my husband fed the kids breakfast. If we didn't have any cereal, they wouldn't get fed, and I'd end up getting out of bed to the sounds of their screams. They were hungry, and ornery. The trick was finding breakfast cereals that are full of healthful attributes, are low in sugar, have no saturated or trans fat, are full of whole grains, and most importantly...still taste great!

If you feel guilty for providing nothing-but-cereal for breakfast, don't! Cereal has lots of benefits! If you're a ready-to-eat cereal eater, you probably consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than a non-cereal eater? Cereals contain important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients. So actually, cereal is a guilt-free top source of key nutrients in children´s diets!

Shopping for cereal, however, is no easy task...especially with kids in tow! The only boxes they want to buy are the boxes that may as well be full of little cookies. Dessert for breakfast? No way! Maybe my kids are missing out on "fun" breakfast traditions like donuts and cookie-cereal, but my life is much easier because I simply don't provide these options in the morning.

A few weeks ago, I received an email with information from General Mills through MyBlogSpark. They offered me coupons for four free boxes of cereal. Anyone who knows my husband knows that this family loves freebies! (He was once the Showcase Winner on The Price is Right to name one of many instances...) I jumped at the chance to score some free cereal, and was even more excited when I read about the changes General Mills is making in the cereal world!

General Mills recently announced a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain. Yay!

Eating a good breakfast is important for ALL of us, but several studies have shown the benefits especially for kids, including the following:

• Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children´s diets.
• Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child´s diet today.
• More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.
• Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.

For more information about kids and cereals from General Mills, please visit the Cereal Health and Wellness page.

Find a cereal that works for you! A few years ago, my in-law-extended-family had a reunion. Everyone was supposed to bring a box of cereal to share. I brought one of my favorites which my husband's aunt tasted. After taking a bite, she exclaimed, "This tastes like cardboard!" So yes, one person's perfect whole-grain cereal with less sugar is another person's bowl of sawdust. If you're one who prefers breakfast cereals that come in lots of colors and artificial flavors, then you might have to choose between taste and nutrition. But if you like a cereal with natural flavors from toasted whole grains, and maybe some nuts and dried fruit, you'll have many healthful cereals to choose from. And according to General Mills, tasty cereal's about to get healthier! I can't wait! Also, if you click here, you can score a coupon for $1 off some cereal! Enjoy!

And just in case I didn't make it clear, General Mills provided me with the free product, information, and gift pack through MyBlogSpark.

What did you eat for breakfast?

Diet Soda...America's OTHER Drinking Problem

I grew up on fast food. Probably 3 times a week, my family ate out. With a working mom, and busy running-all-over-the-place schedules, waiting around for dinner to cook wasn't always an option. I grew up going to restaurants, thinking that ordering "just water" wasn't really an option. Why drink water when you can have soda? Well, fast forward to my poor-student-college days, and things became quite different. Why pay two dollars extra for a drink, when I can have water for FREE? I was converted. I am no longer a soda drinker. Ever. At first it was a money issue, but now it's a health issue. I guess I'll occasionally drink lemonade, or another non-carbonated, low sugar variety, but I'm really OK with...water.

A lot of people say "You shouldn't DRINK your calories." I agree...sort of. I drink lots of homemade smoothies, and feel 100 percent OK about the calories I'm putting into my body. But if overdosing on calories worries you, then reaching for a Diet Soda probably isn't the best solution. Yes...I'm about to step onto a soap box here. I realize Diet Soda (or regular soda for that matter) is the drug of choice for many of you. But before you reach for it, think again.

Artificial sweeteners may be just as bad for you as high fructose corn syrup. (And you know how I feel about that!) In 2004, a study published in the International Journal of Obesity found that rats ate more after consuming an artificially sweetened drink than they did after sipping sugar water. Interesting. The reason? According to researchers, calorie-free artificial sweeteners act like stomach teasers. You drink your diet soda, and your body waits for the calories that should surely follow. They never arrive, however, so your body tells you you're hungry and sends you elsewhere to look for them! And where do we find those calorie cravings? In the form of a high-calorie snack bowl! (At least I do...)

Another study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas in 2005 found that diet soda drinkers (one can per day) had a THIRTY-SEVEN PERCENT greater incidence of obesity.

Diet, or not, I'm not a soda fan. My dad, on the other hand, can't live without his Pepsi. For you soda drinkers, what's the lure? Seriously. I've never been attached to soda. I just used to order it. For me, it wasn't a hard habit to break. But for many of you, it would be the hardest thing ever. I really am curious why. And if any of you have been addicted to soda and have given it up, let us know how. I would love to break my dad of his Pepsi addiction (which I know isn't the worst thing in the world...but for a man working out daily and trying to lose weight, he would probably drop 10 pounds in a week. But he won't give it up! He loves it too much.) Any suggestions?

10 Essential Nutrients For Your Skin...and the 20 Foods They're In!

Yesterday, I let you in on a little secret....I'm not looking my best these days. I'm beyond tired. Sleep is usually at the bottom of my list of priorities, but in a few days, it's moving to the top! Even if all we can do is get on a boat without stopping at any ports, I'm still going!

When I get home, I'm hoping to be rejuvenated. But the sleep deprivation cycle will surely resume as scheduled! I definitely need to work on that...cuz mama's not the only one who suffers when mama's tired!

Besides my poor children and husband, my face also suffers when I'm tired. I look tired. My face is tired. My eyes are tired. So if I want to look my best, I need more sleep. Don't we all? But another way to look better--besides getting the ever-needed zzzz's--is by focusing on something else...feeding your face. That's right. We don't just need to eat more fruits and veggies for healthy bodies. We need them for healthy skin! Here are a few of the best skin-beautifying-nutrients, and the foods they're found in:

1. Selenium: This vital nutrient helps preserve elastin, a skin-smoothing and tightening protein. The antioxidant may also protect against the sun (by stopping free radicals created by UV exposure from damaging skin cells). Face Foods: Canned Tuna, Brazil Nuts, Cottage Cheese
2. Niacin (Vitamin B3): An anti-inflammatory that soothes red, blotchy, dry skin. Face Food: Avocados (Great to eat AND to use as a face mask for dry skin).
3. Vitamin E: An amazing sunscreen booster that helps protect skin cells from UV light, or other cell-damaging free radicals in the environment. This powerful antioxidant also helps prevent dry skin! Face Food: Almonds (I'm going to pack some along for the trip...I can always use some extra sunscreen!)
4. Vitamin A: Helps clear up breakouts by repairing skin cells. This important nutrient also reduces the development of skin cancer cells! Face Foods: Carrots, Mangoes
5. Vitamin C: Smooths out wrinkles by aiding in the production of collagen--the skin's structural protein. Face Foods: Sweet Potatoes, oranges, acerola cherries, red peppers
6. Omega 3 Fatty Acids: The skin plumping, wrinkle reducing miracle workers! (Not to mention skin hydrators...) Face Foods: Flaxseeds (sprinkle on oatmeal or veggies), flaxseed oil (add to your smoothies), salmon, walnuts.
7. Folate: Helps reduce the chance of cancer-cell growth. Also reduces wrinkles by plumping up skin as water penetrates cell membranes. Face Foods: Spinach, collard greens
8. Zinc: A pimple-fighting mineral! Zinc also helps boost elastin production, and sebum production. Face Food: Oysters! (any oyster fans out there?)
9. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2): Helps aid in tissue maintenance and repair, and also improves blemishes caused by rosacea. Post-surgery, or injury, the body uses large amounts of this vitamin to heal! Face Food: Mushrooms
10. Flavonols: This antioxidant helps smooth the skin, and protects against sun damage. Face Food: Dark Chocolate (My favorite! This one should be a staple in your diet...just make sure it's the DARK variety! Yum!)

Fill your grocery cart with these foods to cleanse your body from the inside out. What are your best beauty tips?