How to Stay Healthy

What a great girl that you are willing to help your mom out! Do you have a crock pot? They are great for simple meals. Encourage mom to get a crock pot and a crock pot recipe book. You'll find great comfort foods that can easily be prepared. Just put it all in the crock pot before you leave for school and that evening it will all be ready for you! Good Luck!

S.,
Good for you for seeking information about eating healthy.In general, meals that use fresh ingredients and are simple
are the way to go. Start looking at food labels and avoid
long labels that have ingredients that seem like they are in
another language. Avoid trans fats, hydrogenated fats, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, food dyes, food preservatives,and artificial flavors. For example, if you are making spaghetti, look at the label of the tomato sauce. A brand like Blue Parrot is much better than Ragu. Try to make a green vegetable or salad with every dinner and avoid canned vegetables and fruits that are high in salt, sugar and low
in nutrients from over processing. If fresh vegetables are
too expensive, buy frozen vegetables. When cooking, try
baking and roasting over frying foods. Use herbs rather
than salt for seasoning. When using oil, select olive
oil for its good fats content. When choosing meats, look for lean meats, or cut the fat off meat. When buying cereals, look
for oatmeal and granola that does not have corn syrup. Make sure your mom also drinks water throughout the day for hydration and avoids caffeine. Good luck and your mom is lucky to have a daughter who really cares!

Here is a lady that focus's on healthy cooking. Neat gal hope it helps!

www.PCCuisine.wordpress.com
http://www.shoutlife.com/profile_view.cfm?uid=26130
http://www.pccuisine.com/

Blessings,
C.

Choose healthy snacks for home. Try all kinds of raw fruit and frozen fruit to make smoothies with plain, unsweetened yogurt(the green drinks are even better). Raw veggies with a healthy dip, maybe a nut butter or hummus. Nuts and seeds and dried fruit make good snacks. My kids also eat avacado(guacamole) and bean dips and salsa.

Wow S., what a wonderful daughter you are. Remember to talk with your mom and other adults so you don't take on too much stress.

Remember to eat lots of fresh vegitables and fruit. Try to stay away from processed foods. There is too much sugar, corn by products, and wheat in these and there are all found to effect many immune disorders.

Remember you are choosing a life style not a diet.Choose live foods that rot or sprout. Easy way to do that is shop on the perimeter of the grocery store. You will need will power to choose good versus junk food. But you can do it. Your mom needs also to supplement herself with good vitamins and minerals. Stop by the library and pick up the book by Janet Maccaro PHD, CNC "90 Day Immune System Makeover"

Also, cut out pop and sugar drinks and drink water and tea, green tea is great and comes in all kinds of flavors now.

My 5 yr old loves meat wraps. We avoid breads becasue of the yeast it affects my asthma. i take lunch meat and spraed just a bit of mayo on one end slice the cheese real thin and add pepper and roll it on up. She loves this for lunch.

God Bless you and remember to study and continue with your education. "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge." Hosea 4:6

You can do it. Experiment and have fun!!!!!

J.

Dear S.,
It's great that you care about your Mom and how she is doing!
I know from my experience that the better you eat, the better you feel and the more you will want healthy foods.
Sugar is a real culprit with fibromayalia. Also processed foods like chips, packaged mixes, white bread.
When you buy vegetables, buy the dark green (lettuce, broccoli) dark orange, red foods, they usually have more nutrients. Buy them and learn to eat them. Use whole grain foods, like whole grain bread, oat cereal. The more you stay with healthy foods the better you and she will feel. There are specific diets for fibromayalgia, I would suggest you look on the net. Half the battle will be your attitude with regards to eating healthy.

Below is a webpage that had a variety of modes of care. They suggested a diet low in carbohydrates may help. That means less sugar, breads, pasta, cereal, (junk food usually is really high carbs) fruit is also considered a carbohydrate.

If you can, make most of your food. You can also try a Health food store and start shopping differently. Put the good foods first on your list and in your diet. Try to buy less and less of the junk foods. You will both feel much better.

www.disaboom.com/Health/fibromyalgia/treatment.aspx?utm_s...

I wish you both the best!

H. B.

S.,

If you like eggs and cheese, make an easy, nutritious millet dish with 5 ingredients! Place 1 Tbsp butter in large frying pan on medium heat. When pan has heated, add 1 cup millet (you can buy in grains and flours section of store, health section or health food store) and brown the millet by stirring frequently. Meanwhile, boil 2 cups of water and 1 Tbsp butter. Add browned millet to boiling water. Cover. Cook on low heat for 25 minutes. Take off heat and let rest 5 minutes with lid on. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Crack one dozen eggs into a bowl, beat with fork and add 1 cup milk and 1 tsp salt. Grate cheese (any kind will do) and cut 8 slices of cheese as well. Mix cooked millet into egg mixture and add grated cheese. Pour this mixture into a 9x13" pan and top with sliced cheese. Place pan in oven and bake for 40 minutes or until slightly browning on edges. To cook faster, cover with tin foil for first 30 minutes. I have other yummy, healthful, easy recipe ideas if you wish. Look up Fibromyalgia online and get ideas from there. Many people still think that fat is bad, but only the harmful fats should be avoided, there are many essential fats and those who are ill are usually lacking in them. Cheese and butter, as well as fish, olive oil, avacados, and grapeseed mayonaise, all contain healthy fats your mother should enjoy. God Bless your efforts and care for your mother's comfort.

You've had some wonderful answers. The best advice is to read the ingredient portion of the label - if you don't know what all the ingredients are, don't buy it! And, avoid high fructose corn syrup and malted barley those are both a type of sugar but worse for you than real sugar. And, if you're really just starting w/ cooking - start with one of Molly Katzen's kid cookbooks or the Jumbo Vegetarian Kid Cookbook. Not because they're kid cookbooks but because these have healthy, easy recipes that are broken into basic steps. I pull these out even when my 6 year old isn't helping me! They'll get you going and then you can start experimenting w/ other cookbooks. Use the library to try out cookbooks. you can always photocopy the few recipes from each that you like.

A good source for healthy well balanced meals is:

www.weightwatchers.com

In no way are they only for people trying to lose weight. The recipes are put together for basic health. There are FREE recipes on the site, so you would not need to purchase any kind of subscription.

Also, you can go to the library and/or bookstore and look in the cooking section. There are lots of cookbooks that an eighth grader would be fully capable of navigating on their own. I was about your age when I stated cooking meals on my own for friends.

Good luck! I'm sure your mother is very proud of you and appreciates all that you do!

Try getting a small bag of salad from the store to start your dinners off, chicken breast is pretty healthy for dinner. You can cut it into strips, season with Mrs. Dash or even marinate it in Italian dressing, cook it on the stove, toss on top of your salad or eat it just like that (it's delicious). Also your local store should have lots of good healthy premade meals for two all ready to go and heat up. Stick with fruits and vegetables as much as possible and you can also google quick healthy meals for some good printable recipes.
Sounds like your a great daughter and on the right track to getting healthy. Take care!

Wow. I think you are a very smart 8th grader. I have a few suggestions.
Chop up veggies (squash, carrots, onions, celery, etc.) You can stir fry these with cubed chicken and a simple sauce you can buy at the store in a packet. The packet has directions on how you cook the everything. It will be in the chinese section of the store. Pick up some rice also. Minute rice is simple and easy or you can get rice in the frozen food section. You can make a quick salad and test out some fun dressings like poppy seed or raspberry. You can cook chicken in the oven. Coat the chicken with melted butter and mashed up crackers or cornflakes. We have breakfast for dinner often. pancakes, german pancakes, french toast, crepes, omlettes, or just eggs and toast with some bacon or sausage or frozen hash browns. Cassaroles are good and you can make a couple of pans and freeze the others for later. check out recipes on the internet. cassaroles with cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup are pretty simple and fool proof. Spaghetti is easy and you can dress up the can sauce with some mild sausage and veggies. There are slso some great packets of sauce for pasta and you can find them in your pasta area of the market. Fish is great and you can ask the butcher how you prepare it or just heat the oven to 350 or 400 put the fish in some foil with some butter and lemon juice and fold it up so the butter and juices don't leak out. It kind of steams the fish and it is so good. Serve with rice a roni. Check out recipes on the web. Good luck. R.

S.,
First let me commend you for stepping up into the role of caretaker at such an early age. WAY TO GO! Secondly let me say that i've been there and while things may be difficult at the moment, they will get better as you adjust and find what works for you and your mother. Third,as someone whose been to countless doctors and specialists, I know that fibromyalgia is not fun. (borderline lupus here) ok, my advice...
your mothers symptoms will be worse, as are mine, when she is stressed. I don't mean for you to bear all of the stress, but you and your mother are a team, share the responsibility.
eating healthily will also help keep her symptoms in check. so, i love to eat tortilla wraps, tortillas-either plain or spinach-lettuce, some cheese, tomatoes, sandwhich meat, and some ranch(lite)

The best thing you can do to stay healthy is do most of your grocery shopping in the produce and fresh foods section. Buying boxed and packaged meals is convenient but they are full of preservatives, unwanted calories and unhealthy food substitutes.

Good for you! You might check a book store or library for cook books. The Joy of Cooking will teach you what you need to know. I love sweets. I have found fresh snap sweet peas and green apples fill my sweet craving. You can buy them both ready to eat, so all you have to do is open and eat. Good luck! If you stick to this, you'll be grateful the rest of your life. So will your mom!

Hi S.,
I'm sorry to hear about your mom's discomfort and the stress that this can add to both of your lives. I am happy to tell you that there is HOPE for both situations and getting away from your junk food life style!
First, I should mention that I am a Cert. Health Coach and Pilates instructor. I talk to people on a daily basis about 'simple' ways to achieve better health.
The first thing both of you want to do is 'DRINK MORE WATER'! This alone will help to detox your body of the sugars and fat that come along with eating a diet of junk food! At least 64 oz per day, plain water... no added fruit slices, carbonation, or those flavored waters.
Second, you want to add more fruits, veggies and berries to your diet! By increasing your nutritional status you will decrease inflammation in your body (fibromyalgia), gain more energy and wash the excess toxins, fat and plaque from your body. A 'simple' solution for the recommended RDA's of F, V and B is a product I tell my clients about called Juice Plus+.
Juice Plus is powdered produce in capsules, chewables or gummies. It's Simple, SAFE, Affordable. There is a great kids program that will provide 'free' Juice Plus for you if your mom decides to add it to her diet.
Go to www.juiceplus.com/+la03919 for more detailed info.
There are lots of people that are using the nutrition of JP+ to help with conditions such as your mom's and to create a new blueprint of better eating habits.
Additionally, you will both want to eat more whole grains, seeds, nuts and learn to read labels on all of your food products... not just look at the nutritional facts. Avoiding things like hydrogenated oils of any type, high fructose corn syrup, enriched flour products, white sugar, dyes!
For recipes you can go to a great website www.pcrm.org
You can search fibromyalgia for more details on better diet choices for both you and your mom.
You are a very wise and brave young lady and must love your mom a lot to actively seek help for the two of you.
If you would like to talk more please feel free to email at ____@____.com or call ###-###-####.
I hope this helps!
L.

GREAT questions especially with Fibro there are many things you can do to help. My husband has fibro and Hep C needless to say health is a priority. Supplements, antioxidants are Key I can share a few with you.
we are active believe it or not it will help start small and build up it is good in all aspects, your mind effects a lot
now for food we are on a very balanced and training nutritional plan here is what helped.

I am training for a Ms. Colorado figure competition I love to snack. LOL doesn't go well together.

so.. it is in your mind you can not think of it as a diet... first it is a life style change. Als think about what the food actually does that helped me termendously, I love chocolate I think about it, what it does once in my body and past my taste buds where it goes how hard it is to work it off it just isn't worth. But cutting it out all together doesn't work well either.. you don't want to feel like your on a diet.. so
our nutritional plan incorporates, things like (Good) protein shakes Protein is key, and Yummy Greens for carbs.. the protein shakes are a great snack they taste great and cure the crave.. etc..

Also for the sweets start with blueberries, pineapples the exotic fruits are great.. but not too many as the are high in sugars even natural sugar can be too much.

Fun deserts.. my kids love ice cream so I make a smoothie... then freeze it for me. Use protein (make sure it is good, not too much sugar, avoid artificials, protien should he high too) then add ice, then your fav fruit
some water.. then Freeze you have your own protein, fruit ice cream and it is great.

there are so many.. others but I hope this helps
with Fibro avoid those sodas they are horrible, and caffine too.. we can't survive without our coffee but my husband now has his one cup and really enjoys it.

Linda P.
Stayin Home and Lovin It!
____@____.com

S.,
You are on to something good. Healthy food can dramatically change your life style. A simple meal is fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, squash yellow or green, peppers any color. Mix them all in a pan with some olive oil cook on medium for about 15-20 min add cheese and some wheat noodles (boiled in water for about 20 min) and you have a meal. If you prefer more flavor add some zesty Italian salad dressing. Also a good snack for in between meals celery and peanut butter or apples with cream cheese on the side. Good luck keep the good food/meals coming. This will only help you and your mother for your future.

Hey, I hate cooking and I am always looking for an easy meal. This one is awesome:

Taco Salad:
2 Cups cooked rice
1 package ground turkey (tastes the same as beef I promise and way healthier)
1 package taco seasoning
2 tomatoes (diced)
1 can olives (cut in half)
3 pieces of lettuce (cut in strips)

Cook the rice first and when it's close to done start the ground turkey add the taco seasoning into the turkey as it's cooking. When the rice is done put it in a cake pan filling the bottom. When the turkey is cooked add it on top of the rice. Then add the cut veggies on top of that. Serve immediately and add a scoop of fat free sour cream and salsa.

Hi S.,

Some healthy meals that my girls like to make are what we call deli plates. They cut up organic cold cuts, cheese and TLC crackers and add that with some carrots, celery sticks and cherry tomatoes. We have a dipping sauce (ranch dressing or hummus)and also add some grapes, apple slices and strawberries (If the girls are having a sweet tooth, we also add some yogurt fruit dipping sauce. This is easy and healthy and might appeal to a junk food junkie since it doesn't seem like an official meal.

My sister has Fibromayalgia and she eats organic foods and makes her own bread, etc and has very few flare ups. It can be expensive to eat like that but better for your mom and even for yourself if you can afford it.

Good Luck

Wow! Good for you! Best way to break the junk food habit (Gotta love it, gotta hate it!) is to not buy it at the store and if you've got a ton, toss what you do have. Here are some of my easy favorites:
Taco Bean Soup: Add together 1 can condensed tomato soup, 1 tomato soup can of water, 2 cans of beans (drained) and 1 packet (or 2 Tbsp) of taco seasoning. Simmer all together until heated through. You can also add chunks of cheese, corn, chicken or beef... whatever you like to it! =)
Parmesan Chicken: Dip thawed chicken breasts in a beaten egg, then dip in a mixture of about 1 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese (this can be out of the Kraft can, or fresh shredded) and about 2 teaspoons of italian seasoning (or rosemary or basil... whatever you like). Saute in skillet with a little olive oil until cooked through. I serve it with pasta and tomato sauce on the side.

Another way to pump up the health factor of a meal is to always serve a salad with it or a vegetable... frozen vegetables are better than canned and they're easy... just put in a bowl with a little water cover with saran wrap and microwave until hot.

I would encourage you to check out Rachel Ray's recipes (either in book form or on foodnetwork.com) She has some great recipes (sometimes with weird ingredients, but mostly basic) that are easy... 30 minutes or less to fix. Good luck!

S.,
Cooking 101 is the Beginner's Guild to Healthy Cooking. I found the order form at my allergist who is much into alternative medicine. For more information call ###-###-####.
I have not ordered the book yet but they have some interesting sounding cook books that might be able to help youand your mom.
Good Luck,
C. B

Do you have a crock pot? If not this is a wonderful and very easy way to cook many healthy meals. Most crock pots will come with easy to follow cook books, for example: you put in a cut of meat for roast, you can ask someone in the meat department for help, throw in some veggies (carrots,potatos,celery,etc..) add water and some seasoning, turn it on and let it cook all day, while your at school. This is a very easy way to cook meals that are healthy and that you will have enough leftovers for a couple of days. I hope this suggestion helps.

S.- I want to encourage you in your search. My family were not healthy eaters and when I developed some health problems in my twenties I started to be very careful about what I ate. I believe our bodies crave what we expose our tastes to-- so if you eat junk food now it will crave junk food if you make the descion to switch to food you know are healthy your body will begin to crave those foods instead. There is no magic wand you just have to make the switch and wyou will feel better!

Hi S.. My name is S., too, and I have fibromyalgia, too!
I still have to cook, but if your mom has to work, I bet she's exhausted when she gets home.
The easiest things I make when I'm really tired are:
Spaghetti or fun-shaped noodles with canned or jarred sauce, with garlic bread and canned corn. to make it extra healthy, you can cut up vegetables (carrots and zucchini) really really small and boil them in the sauce until they're soft. You'd never know they're in there!
Frozen Vegetables and rice, with butter and seasoned salt. If you want to add some shredded chicken, it makes a whole meal!
Baked Potato bar--microwave some potatoes and have some toppings ready to add. Broccoli, shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, etc.
Grilled chicken (season it with seasoned salt or lemon pepper) and baked potatoes with green beans.
You can also try cutting up an apple and putting it on a plate at the table with dinner. Or cut up a banana, skin still on, into about 4-5 pieces. Slice an orange (skin still on). You'll be amazed that you eat them when they're so easy to grab.
Or put them all together in a bowl for a fruit salad and pour a little orange juice on top. Yum!
Canned fruit (in light syrup, or no sugar added) and applesauce (unsweetened) are other easy, fast ways to get fruit into your diet.

If you fill up on a nice healthy meal, there won't be room for junk food! And if you get a craving for something, try to think of a healthier alternative. It's amazing how if you are craving chocolate ice cream, a big glass of chocolate milk (not the store-bought stuff, because it's usually whole milk with way too much sugar--go for NesQuick instead and 1% milk) will satisfy it!
Your mom will feel lots better when she eats healthy food, so after a while, she'll be able to help you cook!
I hope that helps.

The best and easiest way to eat healthy is to concentrate on fruits, vegetables, and grains. You don't have to go to any length to prepare your meals. A little pice of meat or even lean hamburger, a piece of fruit, and a raw vegetable would do it. Add a piece of whole grain bread and you are well fed. If you want to prepare the food more look on line for healthy recipes. I've found a lot that way. Just google "healthy recipes". Also, google "food pyramid"and that will show you what to eat. You are a good daughter to take on this chore. You will be blessed for it.

S.,

Try chicken tacos. Get some chicken taco seasoning (i like schillings brand) from the market, buy lettuce, tomatoes, & cheese, a can of refried or black beans, and some boneless chicken tenders. Follow the directions on the seasoning package, I think you'll love them, then use can the leftover cooked chicken and put it on chips with beans and cheese and have nachos. Also, try Shake & Bake for pork chops. Good luck!

Hi S..

Great work seeking help for your mom. I hope my kids are as motivated to help others as you are.

My thoughts are to add a fruit or veggie to each meal you eat. Some ideas are carrots with ranch dressing or hummus, apple slices with peanut butter and a bowl of berries with yogurt.

A quick and easy supplement to your diet might be the key.

I have met several women suffering from fibromayalga that are getting relief from drinking the super juice that my kids and I drink in the morning and the afternoon. The super juice we drink daily has the equivalent of 7 to 13 servings of fruit.

Send me an email and I can send you a few articles to read or you can read more at www.mymonavie.com/thesuperberryjuice.

Take care,

S.

Hi S.! I am proud of you for wanting to stay healthy, and for wanting to help your mom, too.
A good website that I really like is: www.savingdinner.com.
The author of this website publishes lots of recipes (and grocery lists to go with them) that are all very healthy. She always puts a few recipes on there for free, that you can try. She also has a section on there where she goes thru and lists all of the fruits and veggies out there, and gives you ideas of how to fix and eat them, etc. Just starting out by buying a bag of lettuce and a tomato, and having a salad with every meal would be a good start! Don't try to change all at once, but make a START by adding healthy things like green salads, fruit salads (I like to slice oranges, bananas and kiwis together in a bowl --everyone loves it!), and whole-grain breads to every meal. Then try a new, healthy recipe once a week, and so on. The more you learn, the more fun it will be, and the healthier you will become!
Good luck! ~Leica M.

Hi S.,
It's nice to see how dedicated you are to your mom. My suggestion would be, if you have the money. Have a family member take you to a book store and buy Mark Bittmans "How to Cook Everything" cookbook. I'm not much of a meal maker myself, but this cookbook is a LIFESAVER. It is written very well and understandably. He also has a LOT of recipes that don't use a lot of ingredients, or can be finished and ready to eat in about 30 minutes. The other cookbook I would suggest you get is "Betty Crockers Quick Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less". There are not a lot of recipes in the Betty Crocker book, but they will give you a good headstart on meal making. Also, a lot of the recipes in Betty Crockers are one pan meals, so you don't have to dirty 2 or 3 pans when you make dinner. Luck and Kudos to you.

S., I think it's wonderful that you are helping you mom! Here is a quick and easy meal for the two of you and kids absolutely love it and they are 8th and 10 graders. You will need the following ingredients for Tater-Tot-Casserole.

1 pound ground hamburger (cooked and grease removed)
1 can cream of mushroom or celery soup which ever you prefer
1 can mix veggies (drained)or bag of frozen mixed veggies
1 pkg of tater tots
milk

After the hamburger is cooked into small pieces and grease is removed put into the bottom of a casserole dish then add the veggies, and your choice of soup. Using the can from the soup fill it with milk and stir all the ingredients together. Then top that off with the tater tots laid out neatly in a rows. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes at 425. Any leftovers can be saved by freezing them in a freezer safe container.

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do. S. C.