Tag Archives: healthy

Her First Time to See Fish + Friday Foodie Fun Facts: Carrots

08/29/2014 R.C. Liley 3 Comments

Do you remember the first time you saw a fish? Not filleted and cooked on a plate or those little golden crackers, I mean alive and swimming in the water.

I haven’t a clue about my fishy first, but I had the joy of showing Avery fish for the first time the day when I had to go to the doctor. Yeah, I had to go in for blood work as part of my unsolved issues I mentioned in this post.

So it was the most ideal way to show Avery fish for the first time, but the aquarium in the doctor’s office held several brightly colored species that she took interest in immediately. While waiting, I held her up close to the glass and her eyes would hone in on one, it would wisp away behind corral, and she’d lock onto another gilled guppy nearby.

The entire time we were waiting, Avery couldn’t take her eyes off of the lively underwater melting pot of fish, and I loved being able to experience her seeing something totally new for the first time. This excites me for everything new Going Mom and I expose her to, and going to the zoo will be splendid for sure!

I remember our first attempts at baby-led weaning with carrots and broccoli being the first foods. She had no clue what to do with those veggies at first, but it was a pleasure watching as she finally figured out they were edible eats.

We’re still feeding her the same veggies plus a couple new ones, and she’s still crapping them out confirming they don’t all end up on the floor! Also, as confirmed from her poop, carrots remain as her favorite food. After mommy’s breast milk, obviously.

Which leads me to today’s Friday Foodie Fun Facts. No, not breast milk, although that might be interesting, today I have carrot facts! I’ve changed several staple foods in my diet over the years, but carrots have always been present and welcome.

For those who crave a satisfying crunch without reaching for a bag of chips, carrots are a perfectly healthy option. Dip them in natural peanut or almond butter and I’m good to go! Another favorite of mine, is to dice them up and eat them with milk or yogurt like cereal. Much better than boxed, processed and sugary grain, and you still have a great crunch that never gets soggy!

Carrots have been cultivated for at least 5,000 years and are thought to have originated in Afghanistan. Originally, carrots were white, purple, red or yellow, but not orange.
In the 16th century, the orange carrot was developed in the Netherlands (Yellow carrots were cross-bred with red carrots) in honor of the House of Orange, the Dutch Royal Family.
Most veggies are best eaten raw, but carrots are more nutritious when cooked first. Carrots have tough cellular walls that make much of their nutrients locked up and indigestible. Cooking, however, partially dissolves cellulose-thickened cell walls, freeing up nutrients by breaking down the cell membranes.
Carrots contain more sugar than any other vegetable, except for beets.
The longest carrot ever recorded was 19 feet 1.960 inches.
The heaviest carrot ever recorded weighed 18.985 pounds.
Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny, was reported to not like carrots.

Are you a fan of carrots?

Ever seen or eaten one a different color than orange? I had the opportunity to buy two large purple carrots a few years ago and thoroughly enjoyed them raw as well as roasted. Look at those massive things! Bugs Bunny would be envious…….his voice? Not so much.

Food, Going Healthy

Going Healthy: Pumpkin Black Bean Chocolate Pudding Easy and Healthy

08/23/2014 R.C. Liley 1 Comment

Since I’ve started eating a whole foods based diet and avoiding most processed foods, many of my unhealthy cravings have vanished. To those reluctant to switch, I promise, it gets easier if you stick with it. Plus, you’ll look better and feel amazing!

I used to have ice cream and boxed cereal on a daily basis, and although the ice cream was usually a lighter version, it was loaded with either sugar or artificial sweeteners along with other chemicals to attain that “perfect” consistency.

The cereal I had seemed healthy, but even those whole wheat biscuits have to undergo processing to be transformed into pretty little shreds of wheat compacted together to get their shape. To me, that’s not really in its “whole” form anymore.

One thing I am unable to shake, though, is how these things are consumed; with a spoon (and cup in my case). So, I still have my cup and spoon, but you’ll usually find organic carrots that I diced and put in the freezer along with frozen organic wild blueberries. The carrots satisfy my desire for crunch and the blueberries are just awesome.

Yes, I like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and this cup has been with me since I was a little boy. It’s the perfect serving size and I’m pretty sure everything tastes better inside my turtle cup!

I simply love eating cool, creamy, and/or crunchy food with a spoon and cup. I’ve nixed the ice cream a long time ago, and only eat the Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Cereal for my boxed choice.

Think Grape Nuts, only a lot healthier! I love it plain with almond milk or as a crunchy topping to my homemade puddings/purees. Like, for instance, this super healthy and scrumptious chocolate pudding made with black beans and pumpkin.

Here’s all you need to make your own healthy pudding to savor guilt free…

Pumpkin Black Bean Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients

1 15oz. can pumpkin puree (I use the Farmer’s Market Pumpkin Puree in a BPA-Free can)
1 15oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (I used organic, BPA-Free canned beans)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp pure stevia powder (if you are not a fan of using all stevia, use only 1/4 tsp and add 2 tbsp raw honey or more if you want it really sweet)
1/2 cup milk of choice (I used unsweetened coconut milk from the can and have had success with unsweetened almond milk too)
pinch of baking soda
dash of sea salt
*Optional: 1 tbsp natural peanut butter and/or 2 scoops high quality chocolate or vanilla protein powder (Sunwarrior makes a great protein powder)
*Optional #2: Add 1 or 2 digestive enzyme or probiotic capsules to help digestion and bloating because you will want to eat a lot of this!

Directions

I like to keep things simple and easy; add all ingredients to your food processor and mix until you have a creamy consistency. I pulsed it a few times and then let it run non-stop for almost a minute.
Put into an air-tight container and chill in the fridge until ready to devour.

Here are what the cans I used look like…

And then you transform these into this!

What do you think? Does this sound like something you’d try or are you repulsed by the combo?

If you make this, please let me know how you like it and if you made any changes. I bet adding banana and shredded coconut would seriously up the flavor profile!

Food, Friday Food Facts, Parenting

Why I Feel Like the Worst Dad + Foodie Fun Facts #7: Coconut

08/22/2014 R.C. Liley 1 Comment

Hello and welcome to the end of the work week! Well, for most people anyway. If it’s not the end for you, then welcome to Friday!

Does your kid have a favorite parent they gravitate to more than the other? Are you that favorite parent, or are you seemingly on similar polar fields as your child causing them to repel from you? I feel like the latter as of late and it’s driving me insane!

For the past few mornings, Going Mom will be holding Avery after feeding her and then tried to hand her to me so she can get ready for work. But, Avery grasps onto my wife’s robe and starts crying making her unwillingness to come into my arms obvious….very obvious.

On one hand, sure, I get it, who would want to leave the arms of such a beautiful lady? But on the other hand, what the hell?! I’m Daddy, a pretty nice guy and her only daytime playmate so far.

It even happens without Going Mom picking her up. I’ll be laying inside the playpen with Avery, and Kelley will just walk by and Avery will start crying (real tears and all) as if my presence means nothing. This makes me feel like I’m the worst dad in the world!

I keep telling myself this is just a phase, as we usually do with a baby, but this has been eating away at me since the first occurrence. Please, tell me this ends soon and won’t last for months. She’s fine when it’s just us, but I want her to be happy to come to either of us when we’re both around.

Of course, I also want her to eat all of the veggies we give her, go to sleep without a fuss, and let us know the instant she poops. But for now, I’d be happy with her not crying when being handed to me. Otherwise, I just might become crazier than a coconut!

Speaking of, I have some coconut facts to share with you for today’s Friday Foodie Fun Facts. How do you like my segue? Hmm, maybe it’s my corniness that repels her….

Coconut Fun Facts

Technically the coconut fruit is a drupe not a nut. Typical drupes include peaches, plums, and cherries.
Coconut oil was the world’s leading vegetable oil until soybean oil took over in the 1960′s.
Coconut oil contains MCT’s (medium chain triglycerides) which are easy to digest and a great source of energy that also helps boost metabolism.
Falling coconuts kill 150 people every year – 10 times the number of people killed by sharks.
In Thailand and Malaysia, trained monkeys are used to harvest coconuts. In some of the countries, annual competitions are held to find the fastest harvester.
Coconut water can be a substitute for blood plasma. It was known to be used during World War II in tropical areas for emergency transfusions.
The coconut does not get dispersed like other drupe fruits which spread through consumption by wildlife. Since coconut is very buoyant and highly water resistant, the coconut palm disperses its seed using the ocean.

I’ve been enjoying coconut a lot lately and love it’s health benefits and flavor! I’ll use organic canned coconut milk for smoothies, mixed with beans in a puree, as well as just milk to drink. Shredded coconut is also great added to cereal or sprinkled on baked goods.

Do you like using coconut? Any recipes/tips you care to share?

Any advice on how to get your baby to like you again?