Today's podcast goes along with the Healthy Kitchen Challenge that kicked off February first. Find more instructions for gearing up to healthify your kitchen here.

Creating a toolbox (healthy foods) to create health is the ultimate goal for our Healthy Kitchen Challenge. I have put together a Makeover Guide for those who want to get fanatical with the Healthy Kitchen Challenge which you can download for FREE. The link is at the bottom of this post.

Listen to this podcast on iTunes.

What is a podcast and how do I listen?

A podcast is a free downloadable audio show that enables you to listen and learn while you’re on the go.  To subscribe to my podcast for free, you’ll need an app to listen to the show from.

For iPhone/iPad/iPod listeners – Grab your phone or device and go to the iTunes store and search “A Healthy Bite.”  This will help you to download the free Podcasts App (produced by Apple) and then subscribe to the show from within that app.  Every time I create a new episode, you’ll get it downloaded right on your iDevice.

For Android listeners – Download the Stitcher Radio app (free) and search for “A Healthy Bite.”  

For podcast enthusiasts – If you already listen to podcasts and have a podcatcher that you prefer, the feed you’ll need to add is https://www.thatorganicmom.com/feed/podcast

For those who don’t have a mobile device – You can always listen to the show by clicking the audio file at the top of this page.  Or go to: https://www.thatorganicmom.com/podcast

Also, it would mean a lot to me if you could leave a review for A Healthy Bite on iTunes! Some upcoming shows include:

Making your kitchen work for youTips for fighting inflammationSending your child to school with a bodyguardEating for EnergyExercising for EnergySleep like you mean itClean like your life depends on it

It's the little things that have a cumulative impact on our children’s health.

After raising six children I have learned that some little tweaks to lifestyle can make a huge difference!

Expect the unexpectedSleep in the dark

limit screen time at night

Let them play in the dirtBorn to RunToxin overloadA little change in your child's bathAvoid labeling your childUsing food bridgesBe your kids' role modelMake the most of meal-timeStop being a short-order cookChoose smart snacksMake food funCreate food that tastes goodBe patientBring back soup and salad

Listen to this podcast on iTunes.

What is a podcast and how do I listen?

A podcast is a free downloadable audio show that enables you to listen and learn while you’re on the go.  To subscribe to my podcast for free, you’ll need an app from which to listen to the show.

For iPhone/iPad/iPod listeners – Grab your phone or device and go to the iTunes store and search “A Healthy Bite.”  This will help you to download the free Podcasts App (produced by Apple) and then subscribe to the show from within that app.  Every time I create a new episode, you’ll get it downloaded right on your iDevice.

Android listeners – Download the Stitcher Radio app (free) and search for “A Healthy Bite.”

Podcast enthusiasts – If you already listen to podcasts and have a podcatcher that you prefer, the feed you’ll need to add is https://www.thatorganicmom.com/feed/podcast

Don’t have a mobile device – You can always listen to the show by clicking the audio file at the top of this page.  Or go to https://www.thatorganicmom.com/podcast

Also, it would mean a lot to me if you could leave a review for A Healthy Bite on iTunes!

Menu planning has always been one of my favorite things to do. I love looking at new cookbooks, choosing new recipes to try and tasting food combinations I never thought of before.  Having a menu plan when you go to the grocery store actually helps you to spend less and be more strategic about what you spend your hard earned money on.

I've heard that the average family eats the same dozen or so meals over and over but I don't really feel like that is true for me. My dad and my husband could both eat the same meal with the same foods for days on end and never complain. Not me, I really like variety!

Sometimes I get busy or just plain tired and I want an exciting menu plan, I just don't want to take the time to find the recipes and make up a grocery list. For those times in my life, I have emeals.com to do the work for me. All I have to do is go shopping, cook, and enjoy my delicious meal!

We love to explore other cultures by reading and listening to books, watching documentaries and dramas, preparing recipes and learning new languages.  I often find meals on my menu plan that come from other cultures. This recipe was so fun and delicious that I shared it on my Snapchat story to make everyone else drool!

Part of the reason it was so much fun to eat this meal is because when we watch Kdramas where food is shown we always start drooling! We saw this meal being prepared and eaten on the drama Beautiful Gong Shim. You can learn a lot about another culture by exploring etiquette and meal rules.

My subscription is set to Paleo. I have found that it best fits the way I prefer to feed my family in that it avoids sugar, dairy, and grains. If I want my children to have a grain for a side dish or if I want to add cheese to their tacos I can easily just add it in.  As you can see in the Snapchat video above I added rice as a side dish for my children. Taking ingredients out of a recipe is harder than adding a side dish.

I have looked at the Clean Eating plan, Low Carb, Slowcooker and 30-minute meal plans which all look so delicious. There really are so many good recipes in each and every one of the menu plans, but the Paleo just works best for my personal preferences. For people following the Trim Healthy Mama weight loss plan, it's probably the best bet and easiest to tweak.  It would be great if emeals had a THM menu but the authors do not allow other sites to sell menus based on their plan since they have menus own their paid membership site.

Getting in a rut with breakfast is something that I am good at! My kids will tell you I tend to make either eggs or oatmeal.  Maybe I just don't want to have to think that hard in the morning. I have tried to mix things up by having soup for breakfast, we drank green smoothies for almost two years; now I can barely stand a smoothie!

With the emeals plans, there is an option to add on a breakfast and lunch menu. I have used these off and on to add some variety to my boring breakfasts. I may subscribe for a few months, then take a few months off. I just reuse my favorite recipes from the menu plans.

Have you ever found it hard to maintain a healthy balance between your passion (blogging, photography, knitting, etc.)  and the rest of your life?

When I first started blogging it was an all or nothing area of life for me. I was either ALL about my blog… it seemed my mind was on it night and day while I fell a little bit behind in other areas or NOTHING... finding myself staying caught up on the “other” things in my life... completely letting my blogging fall to the wayside.

Many driven people have an all or nothing personality, seeing things as either black or white. This is not usually a healthy state of mind. Research shows that all or nothing personality types suffer from depression more often than those with a more balanced frame of mind.

I happen to be one of those people with a perfectionist all or nothing mentality. However, I am learning day by day to know when something is “Good Enough” and you can too! If you find that you are living in a constant frantic state, trying to accomplish everything all at once, burning the candle at both ends, you need to get in the green zone by learning to align your passion with God's purpose!

Not sure you’ve been in the green zone for a while? My greenest green zone is the beach, that's when I stand in awe of His creation. I don’t live near the beach, so I have to find the green zones in my everyday life.

Let me start by explaining the zones

First, imagine you are a dog. You are just happily lazing in the shade, not sleeping although your eyes are closed, muscles relaxed but still aware of your surroundings...think of this as the GREEN ZONE.

Suddenly, you hear footsteps in the distance...your ears perk up to pick up the sounds and you open your eyes but you don’t raise your head...you have now moved into the YELLOW ZONE… you are “on alert” that there could be something to be on guard about but you aren’t in fight or flight mode...yet…

As you tune your ears on the sound in the distance your eyes suddenly focus in on a figure moving towards you. You see this figure has a big stick in one hand and a large net in the other hand… as the figure moves closer you can see it’s a man. He has an angry expression on his face. You feel the intense energy as he moves into your yard. Suddenly you are on your feet, teeth bared, ready to defend

Your adrenaline begins pumping and you have a heightened awareness that allows you to note any danger... You have just entered the RED ZONE. Fight or Flight.

Many times, the danger will pass by and after we calm down we can return to the Green Zone fairly quickly. However, often due to an over loaded schedule (whether perceived or in reality) or sometimes due to health problems, stress creates excess cortisol which is running through our body, keeping us in the RED ZONE too long.

This cortisol can cause problems, including the accumulation of fat around our middle. When we stay in the yellow or red zone without ever returning to that restful state of the green zone the tension begins to be destructive on our health.

In the past, I’ve had hesitation about becoming less all or nothing because I have been concerned that I would lose my edge. However, this thinking limits me. Not to mention the fact that it leads to burnout. Letting go of All-or-Nothing Thinking can be very beneficial to your productivity and can even lead to feelings of creativity and great joy.

It’s important to find balance and to take time to unwind. As a Christian, I should be too maxed out to spend time aligning my passion with God's p...

Are you still drinking colas? Is soda your go to caffeine drink for that afternoon pick-me-up?

The folks that know say Americans consume 11 pounds of sugar per person, annually, just from drinking Coca-Cola alone, and in case you were wondering, “that's an average of 399 servings of Coke products every year, for every American, which is a bit less than the typical 56 gallons of soda the average American drinks annually.”  Whatever you do, please do not trade one bad habit for another. Diet soda is worse for your health than even sugar is!

Help Quitting the Soda Habit

How To Kick The Habit

Write down your reasons for quitting; lose weight, be healthier, save money, whatever your reason is, write it down, post it on your fridge, in your car, at your desk, anywhere you will see it….Get a friend to kick the habit with you, accountability helpsDrink more water than you thought you ever could! This will help keep cravings away and flood your cells with hydration, making you feel better.Drink Green Tea or herbal teas, unsweetened of course, or sweetened with Stevia or a small amount of honeyDrink Fruit Infused Water, same great water, more flavor! I love this fruit infusing water bottle!Go cold-turkey. This is my way of giving up something, I'm so all-or-nothing… If you aren’t as passionate about giving up your soft-drink habit, then try weaning yourself off by drinking one less per day until you can completely quitTake a plastic baggie and put 17 teaspoons of sugar in it. Tape this to an empty bottle of soda to remind yourself of the amount of sugar you consume in one 20 ounce sodaWhat motivates you?  Is it seeing your success? Motivate yourself by putting your “soda money” in a piggy bank or jar, when you fill it up treat yourself to some reward!Instead of drinking a soda, try carbonated water, it's great! Pellegrino and Perrier are both carbonated mineral water that will give your mouth that fizzy feeling without the sugar. You can even buy Perrier by the case at Costco, it is often on sale!If you absolutely must have a soda, try to cheat clean and cheat smart by drinking something like Virgil's Zero Root Beer, sweetened with Stevia. Virgil's even makes a Dr. Pepper substitute called Dr. BetterEven better than that there is a Kombucha (fermented health drink) flavor Root Beer, Ginger, and Doctor that are very good for you and taste similar to soda. Try looking for those at your local health food store. The brand is Live.Try drinking some stevia-sweetened homemade lemonade.Start juicing. Not only will you feel amazing with all that natural energy, but you'll also BE healthier! My favorite juice book is The Juicing Bible.Create a new ritual. If you used to drink a soda every afternoon, try taking a walk instead, or drinking hot water with a drop of peppermint oil.Get more help from my Quit Soda Guide

Drink more water than you thought you ever could! Drinking filtered water from a big berkey gravity-fed water filter ensures that your water is safe to drink. You will feel less hungry and have a higher metabolic rate if you drink water 20 to 30 minutes before a meal. Your digestive system can process your meal more quickly thanks to an accelerated metabolism, which also speeds up the rate at which nutrients are distributed throughout the body.

The above factors encourage healthy eating and weight reduction. This will help keep cravings away and flood your cells with hydration, making you feel better. 

Have you given up drinking soda? If not do you want to? If so, how did you do it? I'd love to hear more about it.