In Trinidad there was a family
with much confusion as you will see
it was a momma and a papa and a boy who was grown
wanted to marry a wife of his own
found a young girl suited him nice
went to his papa to ask his advice
his papa said: “Son, I have to say no,
that girl is your sister, but your momma don´t know”
A week went by and the summer came down
soon the best cook in the island he found
he went to his papa to make a day
his papa shook his head and to him he did say
“Can´t marry that girl I have to say no
that girl is your sister, but your momma don´t know”
Went to his momma and covered his head
and told his momma what his papa had said
his momma she laughed, she says: “Go man, go
your daddy ain`t your daddy, but your daddy don´t know
When making changes to your eating habits, I feel that willpower is an essential element. Although willpower is important, solely relying on it is a gamble. For example if you like Oreo cookies and you have them sitting on your counter. Willpower will walk you past the cookies a couple times, but eventually you’re going to stop and have one or two. Does that make you weak – do you lack willpower? No it only means you’re human.
You shouldn’t gamble with your nutrition.
Instead of relying on willpower alone, remove all the junk food from your fridge, pantry, and cabinets. Yes, get rid of it all… Throw it all in the trash! Then replace all the junk you threw away with healthy replacements. Sure, you spent money on it – but your health is more important than the money you spent on the junk. If you have a problem throwing the stuff away, invite me over and I’ll do it for you. I would love to do you that favor.
EXAMPLES
CEREAL
Throw Away
If you have any cereal that has a cartoon character on the box, pour the contents in the trash and recycle the box. Maybe it will come back as a box for a better cereal.
Replace With
* Oatmeal
* Whole Grain cereals with less than 4g sugar and more than 5g fiber per serving
FRUIT
Throw Away
If you have any canned fruit in heavy or “lite” syrup. Toss it! It’s probably worse for you than a candy bar. If you have any candy bars in your pantry get rid of them, too.
Replace With
* Fresh fruits
* Frozen fruits
* Fruits canned in water or juice
I love these books, because they take a very realistic and practical approach to making better choices when it comes to eating. Wouldn’t you like to know that, even on your “cheat” or “splurge” day, that you are enjoying yourself and still making a wise food choice. Well, these books help with that. So, if you like ice cream (and I’m not promoting the eating of ice cream) this book will tell you the best choices. If you’re traveling, and the only food options just happen to be fast food… keep on moving! No, these books have listings for several restaurants that can help you make a wise decision, even at a fast food establishment. That’s what I love about these books. It keeps the average person from feeling like they are depriving themselves. So, it’s not saying don’t eat candy when you go to the movies (I am, but the book is not). It’s simply saying Eat This Candy…Not that Candy… Stay away from the candy, but if you just have to have some, check out the selections in the book.
On a recent flight, during the safety instructions, the flight attendant instructed those that were traveling with children or someone that would need your help – in the event of an emergency – “Put your oxygen mask on first before helping others”. Okay, I’m going to admit it. I usually don’t really pay attention to the flight attendant during the safety instructions. Sometimes I choose to as a refresher. But, this particular time for was different. A twelve year-old boy that sat next to me asked, “Why would you do that? Wouldn’t you want to help your kids first?” I responded, “If you can’t breath, it would be difficult to help someone”.
I thought about my exchange with my young flight companion, and began to consider how this applies to every day life. When it comes to your life… “Put your oxygen mask on first”. Think of all the people that depend on you, spouses, children, siblings, friends, etc… Then, stop to consider what good you are to them if you’re tired, sick or stressed. We all get busy with various aspects of our lives, but don’t forget to take care of you. Protect and preserve your energy by getting enough sleep, exercising, eating healthy foods, and taking some time to relax. So, take a day off from work or plan a weekend getaway. You’ll feel energized and ready to take on life’s challenges. Be good to yourself so you can be good to others.
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I attended a few cookouts and kids birthday parties over the summer. And, at every one of them, I saw a way too familiar scene – Kids walking around drinking colored liquid out of little plastic barrels, These little barrels, affectionately known as Little Hugs, are a product of the American Beverage Corporation. They have managed to find their way into the hands and mouths of children since 1974, and according the company’s web site, the fruit drinks are still their top seller. Notice, that I still have not referred to them as juice. Parents… Fruit Drink is not Fruit Juice! Yes, they are kid-sized and kid-friendly, but they are no better for the kids than soda or candy. Whatever the reason is for buying the Hugs, rethink it. Below is an ingredient comparison between a can of Coke and a Little Hug:
Little Hug: Water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, sodium polyphosphates, artificial flavors
As you see, there is very little difference between soda and the fruit-flavored drink – and there is no fruit or juice. While we’re at it, let’s not forget about the Capri Sun “drink pouches” – not good, either… At your next cookout or birthday party, let’s really do the kids a favor and leave the Little Hugs in the store. Instead, only buy kid-sized drinks that are 100% juice. Capri Sun has some 100% Juice items, and Juicy Juice has 100% juice “juice boxes”. Those are better options. Let’s show a little concern for the health of our children. Stop buying the fruit flavored drinks and buy them juice and water. So… the next time you give your child a hug, make sure it’s the kind using your arms.
With the exception of a few relatives, most of my maternal family, The Mackells, live in Maryland. When we were growing up, we spent every Saturday together at our grandparents’ house. As a child, I used to really look forward to Saturdays. But, then we all grew up. So, despite our close proximity and early closeness, our family drifted apart over the years. Last December, my sister, a group of my cousins and I started planning a family gathering to “Bridge The Gap”. Once a month we held meetings. The meetings themselves brought back the feelings of those Saturdays at Eastport. We caught up, made up, reminisced, and vowed to press forward. And we did just that…
On July 25th 2009 our work from the meetings came to fruition as we held our “Bridging the Gap Family Celebration”. It was a special day as we gathered 100 relatives at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, MD. It was great having everyone together for a joyous occasion. I saw cousins that I hadn’t seen in over 10 years. I even met a cousin for the very first time – and she’s 22 years old! This celebration served as a prelude to our first family reunion, to be held in the summer of 2010.
