Show Me What You're Made Of!

And just like that, the hearts are coming down, and the shamrocks are going up at my house. Thank goodness my husband’s aunt lives here—I would never know what “holiday” it was.  Cupid is left behind, but our heart health remains a priority as we “March Fourth” (check out the date, y’all!) into National Nutrition Month!

To debunk a common misconception, food and nutrition are not the same thing. Food refers to the things we consume that maintain life and support growth and health. Nutrition, in contrast, is actually the science that studies food and how food nourishes our body and influences our health. Nutrition includes discussions about consumption, digestion, absorption, storage of chemicals in food, and how these chemicals affect the body. We can’t stop here; nutrition also involves eating patterns, recommended daily allowances (RDA), maintaining food safety, and addressing global food supplies.

Whoa. Looks like we need more than a month to discuss THIS!!!

Think about it. Every time you eat, you have the opportunity to influence the makeup of your body! You really ARE what you eat--The things you consume get broken down and reassembled into brain cells, muscles, bones, tissues, and organs. Now, you can either opt for kidneys made of Nutter Butters and a pancreas made of cheesecake, or you can provide your body with proper nutrition that supports your ability to perform activities of daily living, enhances concentration and mental performance, strengthens your immune system,  and provides opportunities for social interactions.

Huh?

Yes.  I said social interactions.

Food brings people together! During the holidays, we cook and eat together (pre-covid, anyway. Gonna have a party? What’s on the menu? Offering dinner at your wedding reception? Betcha people are more likely to attend if you do! Sick friend? Didn’t know a bowl of chicken soup could build a relationship, did ya?

I will admit—talking about nutrition can be…well...BORING. So, I would like to dangle the social interaction carrot to make nutrition adventurous for your family. First things first—make sure you have downloaded the GooseChase app on your phone. Search for Healthy Habits Hunt, get crazy, and join the game!

Daily missions will be released, starting today at 8am MST for contestants to tackle (you will get a push notification each morning as the mission is released.) Invite your family and friends to join you and a bunch of strangers across this nutritious nation, open the daily missions, and follow the instructions. Why do this, you ask? For those of you who aren’t joining simply for new nutritional information or your own competitive nature, points will be awarded, and THERE WILL BE PRIZES! Both nutrition and physical wellness are included, every other day, in these challenges.

On your mark, get set, and…

Be Well!!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grapes with Capes: Earning the Superfood Title

Just think of all the words out there that start with the word “super”. A super visor works over or takes charge of other people. The super natural refers to things that are above or beyond normal phenomenon. And let’s not forget the famous super hero. I LOVE Aquaman, but sorry, Jason Momoa, my husband now takes the cape . To put it simply, he is amazing! The trendy term “superfood” has been increasing in assumed credibility, but more realistically, in simple popularity. You won’t find the term “superfood” in my nutrition textbook. If you have taken on the Healthy Habits Hunt challenge, you will run right into a superfood activity that involves identifying superfoods and including them in your diet. But how does a food earn its cape? What does it take for a food to be honored as “super”? The food industry bestows the superfood label on nutrient-rich foods with a supposed ability to positively affect health. Keep in mind, there is no single food that holds the key to good health, di...
Read more

Bleeding, Clotting, & the Stocking Stuffer

I am going to share a little something about myself—not to brag, but it will KINDA help to lead into my next discussion (this next topic is a tough one!) I have always been a very conscientious student. I won eight spelling bees in my 6 th grade classroom (I was terrified to be in front of crowds and refused to participate in a school-wide spelling bee.) I was a FAST speller—my teacher would always tell me to slow down so she could make sure I was spelling the word correctly. Many years later, while I was assisting my own child with his spelling words, he was attempting to spell “refrigerator.” He was stuck on the letter “g” and began to sound it out. “Juh…juh. Mom, is it G or J?” So, I asked, “What do you see?” Kid: “HUH?” Me: “Like, in your head. What do you SEE?” Kid: “Mom, I have NO clue what you are talking about. Sometimes the G and the J make the same sound and I get confused. Which one is it?” Me: “Wait a minute. You can’t see the word “refrigerator” in your head? ...
Read more

"A" is for Eyes

Social media entertains me. I don’t post much on Facebook or Instagram, but I do like to watch (ok, stalk…) the people that DO post. It is interesting to see what petty little things might be important to others. Haha. Occasionally, Facebook is brilliant, in that it becomes this one little spot where OTHER stalkers like me can get information in the blink of an eye. This CAN be very helpful—especially when you need to reach a large group of people very quickly. A long post written by me four years ago popped up in my Facebook “memories” this week. It is pertinent to my topic today, so I will attempt to share it, in brief (Have we met? When have you ever known me to be brief?) My then 15-year-old son was on a camping trip (under duress, I might add,) when I received a call from one of his youth leaders informing me that he would be taking my son to urgent care because he had been whipped in the eye by a tree branch. (I immediately began forming images in my head of his attempts to d...
Read more