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We know that gut health is the foundation for better digestion, increased metabolism, decreased inflammation, and risk of chronic diseases. But how can we make it better? This week we will focus on some simple tips. Understand that gut health means overall health, meaning it is SUPER important in building your health and reversing damage that has already been done. First tip is, yes, like we always say, eat more whole grains, nuts, veggies, beans, and fruits. And remember the more variety, the better it is for our gut microbiome. Shoot for thirty different foods every week and go to mondaycampaigns.org for great recipes!

Some of us struggle with weight, and some of us have children who struggle with weight. A book you might be interested in is “Helping your Child with Extreme Picky Eating“, which puts growth charts in perspective and addresses topics like understanding BMI, being underweight, and childhood obesity. Speaking of which, over the last three decades, childhood obesity rates have more than doubled and the rate for adolescents has quadrupled. If children are obese at age three, the probability of being overweight or obese in the teen years was almost 90%. Early childhood is a critical age for prevention strategies for parents to have an enormous impact in terms of forming healthy habits, such as family meals and plant-centered diets. It is meatless Monday and a wonderful time to help our kiddo’s live healthier!

This week we are sharing some very surprising facts about the importance of family meals together. Not only do they provide time to connect with each other, they offer a protective “shield” for our families in three ways. They help with intellectual functioning, physical health, and mental health. These are all VERY Important aspects that something as simple as eating together can improve. Family meals have more to do with a teenager’s positive outcomes than do their socioeconomic status, family structure, after-school activities, tutors, or church! WOW. Stay tuned to learn more this week and have a marvelous Monday everyone!

Vegetables are the most nutrient-dense foods, yet only 9 % of adults and 2% of high school students eat the recommended servings! The best ones are dark, leafy greens, cruciferous veggies (arugula, Bok choy, broccoli, kale, cabbage), allium vegetables which are chives, garlic, leeks and onions, sprouts, and all other brightly colored vegetables. To boost veggie intake in your home, stock up and prep them on the weekends, buy already prepped ones to save time, learn to love salads, slip veggies into everything you can think of – smoothies, soups, casseroles, loaves, and oats. Here is something interesting – children need to be offered a new food 20 TIMES before they accept it, so never give up! Find new ways at meatlessmonday.com and have a marvelous Monday too!

Refined starches, sometimes referred to as “the great grain robbery” are the things we think of as comfort foods: macaroni and cheese, cinnamon buns, cookies, bagels. It all begins with refining wheat to make white flour and in the process, we lose 70 to 90% of the vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and nearly all the good phytochemicals are removed. So, they try to “enrich” products made with white flour, by adding nutrients back in, but only a few. It then is devoid of many great nutrients, and very importantly essential fatty acids and fiber are lost. Then what else is added? Sugar, salt, oil, artificial flavors and color, preservatives, chemicals. By making cakes, cookies, pies, breads, crackers, and other foods we have extracted the good stuff and added harmful stuff. Rethink your health on the shelf and replace these foods with whole food comfort, like hummus, sweet potatoes, portobello mushroom burgers – go to meatlessmonday.com to find more!

Our food choices matter, in so many ways and emphasizing health-promoting foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds can be effective! Regardless of where you are on your journey to being healthier, you can begin by adding more of these foods, which will crowd out the health-damaging foods. Focus on real, whole plant foods that have only one ingredient on the label, or no label at all! And it is SO important to know that not only is a plant-based diet safe for children, but they are more likely to meet their nutritional needs than if eating our standard American diet. It is meatless Monday everyone and have a great one!

Most of us want to get healthier, feel great, function better and live longer. Let us face it though, it is hard to know how to change life-long habits and trade them in for healthier choices. There are some “quick wins” you can achieve, trying each one for a week, then adding another. Today is about breakfast. What is your “go to” and how can it be healthier? Try replacing it with oatmeal with walnuts, pecans or almonds mixed in, a tablespoon of ground flax seeds or chia seeds then raisins or dried fruit and lastly cinnamon, cloves, or any other spice you would like. Use plant-based milks instead of cow’s milk to make it, and for your mornings to be super-fast and easy, mix it all up the night before then eat it cold – overnight oats are fabulous! It is meatless Monday, and their website is loaded with great breakfast ideas for you and your kiddo’s! Have a marvelous Monday everyone!

Many times, we have discussed the link between eating plant-based foods and reducing the risk of cancer which is well established in large studies across the world. More fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains can not only prevent cancer but help with cancer patient survivorship. The foods we choose have an impact on our gene expression – extremely exciting! And of course, we ALL want to avoid cancer, but it may be hard to know where to begin. There are some “easy wins” you can start with: swap refined grains and cereals for whole grains; trade out milk for soy, oat or almond milk; add at least one portion of green, leafy vegetables a day; use fruits for snacks instead of processed salty or sugary foods. On this meatless Monday, try one new recipe that is plant-based and make it a marvelous, cancer-fighting Monday too!

Monday’s healthy habit is about Physical Education and Sports Week! And in the Blue Zones, those areas where people live longer, stronger and better, they do not do so much “fitness” as much as they play and move and have fun together. Plus, they do it outside – in the fresh air and sunshine, and grass! Think about the ways you and your family can make your own “PE” that is fun! Walk with friends, find “hill climbs” to race up with your children, and find ways throughout the day to get up and move. Blue Zones people “move” every 20 minutes! And remember that deep breathing outdoor air in the sunshine helps us process those nutrients we are eating, too!

There is only one diet that has ever been proven to reverse heart disease, which is one centered around whole plant foods. Heart disease is the #1 reason that you and your loved ones will die – so the ability to reverse it is exciting news! And that is not all it can do – it can also be effective in preventing, stopping and reversing other killers like type 2 diabetes and hypertension. There is a growing movement toward plant-based eating, yet it has been slow. Keep in mind, it took 25 years and more than 7,000 studies that linked smoking to premature death before it was widely accepted. The physician who just became President of the American College of Cardiology was asked why he follows his own patient advice by eating a plant-based diet. He responded that he does not mind dying, he just does not want it to be his own fault:) On this Meatless Monday, you too can be on the leading edge of our country becoming healthier by increasing your plant-slant!