Some friends and I plan to do the following 7-day cleanse next week (first week of December). This is an effort to feel good after Thanksgiving and get rid of all sugar cravings before Christmas. Though I will surely partake in some alcoholic beverages over the holidays and my hand will probably get caught in the cookie jar once or twice – my hope is that this will prevent a downward spiral of over-eating that seems to gain speed exponentially. We all know that it is easy to gain weight during the holidays. The average American gains one pound over the holidays and never loses it. This is how we slowly go from being fit to being fat. So don’t be average!

Our health is largely determined by the choices we make. “If it is to be, it’s up to me!” The Fresh Start™  Cleansing Program was developed by the one and only, Nedra Sahr, MS, CNS (licensed clinical nutritionist). Nedra introduced my parents to Shaklee and helped them lose their excess weight about 11 years ago. The Shaklee Cinch program was the first weight loss program that enabled my parents to maintain fitness. They both were yo-yo dieters for 30 years.

Fresh Start™ is not for sale, it is meant to be shared freely. Please try the program and pass it on. We encourage you to share this program with your friends, family and clients. If each of us would pass this forward to three people, just think of the health benefits that would begin to change people’s lives.

The Fresh Start™  Cleansing Protocol
Our bodies are exposed to a large number of foreign chemicals everyday. The majority are man made chemicals that wind up in our food, air, and water, or are taken in the form of drugs. Whether it’s pesticides and insecticides lingering on our produce, preservatives in our meats and deli products, anti-biotics and estrogens given to our cows and chickens to promote more rapid weight gain; each brings a level of chemical load on our liver, kidneys, skin and colon that is becoming increasingly difficult to process. Our body’s ability to rid itself of toxic substances is largely dependent upon the liver. Think of your liver as your body’s sewage waste treatment system. The liver filters and neutralizes every substance that passes through it. When the liver becomes overburdened, the liver enzymes fail to break down the toxins, they then become stored in the liver and fatty tissues throughout the body. The more fat on the body, the greater the toxic load. Overexposure to environmental toxins in the air, cleaning products used in our homes, work places or schools, along with chemical additives in our foods can put great strain on the liver’s detoxification systems and rob us of our health. This toxic build up can produce a wide variety of symptoms such as allergies, acne, arthritis, constipation, boating and gas, depression, low energy, outright fatigue, brain fog or mental confusion, eczema, headaches, sleeplessness, inflammation, muscle aches, joint paint, or cravings for sugar, alcohol and tobacco. The more toxic our bodies become, the more difficulty we will have losing weight.

Although cleansing is important for healthy people it is essential for those who are overweight or who do not feel as healthy as they’d like. People have always been exposed to toxins but today’s exposure to contaminants is not only greater than ever before but the risk is increasing. There are over 7 million recognized chemicals; of that number over 100,000 are commonly used with 1000-2000 new chemicals being produced each year. Safety tests are minimal to non-existent. There is a clear link between rising levels of obesity and chemical exposure.

What can you expect from the cleansing program?
– It jump starts a sensible weight loss plan by cleansing the liver
– Helps to overcome cravings and addictions to sugar, caffeine, fats, etc.
– Heightens sense of smell, sight, touch, sound, taste
– Balances and regulates hormones
– Re-aligns true appetite and satiety levels
– Boosts metabolism and enhances digestion
– Brings radiance to the eyes and skin
– Increases focus, clarity, and energy

A good cleansing program must meet specific criteria:  It needs to work with your life and your values, it must be effective and it must act as the foundation for better health. Fresh Start™ is  structured yet simple, it can be followed anywhere, and  it begins to produce observable benefits within three days. Seven days is the recommended length of the program but if that is too challenging, do it for as long as possible.

Your program will consist of eating fresh raw fruits and fresh raw vegetables in unlimited quantities. By eating fresh raw fruits and vegetables and drinking pure fresh water and herb teas, you’ll find that you will break the cycle of over eating. You’ll smash addictions to fatty foods, refined carbohydrates, (sugary treats, and white bread products) caffeinated and carbonated drinks. Science shows that when a person eats more than 52% of raw foods in his/her diet, cravings drop for sugar, tobacco and alcohol. The toxic load on your liver and kidneys will be substantially reduced giving them time to repair and rejuvenate. Your colon will be cleansed and repopulated with beneficial microflora.

Those with Diabetes or Hypoglycemia, (low blood sugar) will need to have a protein source at each meal. Breakfast:  Add 2 poached or boiled eggs to the fruit servings.  No additional fruit during the day. Snack on unlimited amounts of fresh raw vegetables throughout the day. This is important. Lunch:  4 ounces of grilled chicken without coating, added to a large green salad. Choose a low-fat salad dressing Snack on fresh raw vegetables. Choose a minimum of  2 cups between lunch and dinner. Dinner:  Have a generous serving of grilled, baked or poached fish or shellfish without coatings. Add a green salad, and a bowl of gazpacho. Absolutely Nothing made with flour or sugar. Follow suggestions for vegetables and the breakfast fruit servings as outlined.

Choose Organic Raw Fruit and Vegetables as often as possible. 
Fruit and vegetables with thick inedible skins protect the produce against pesticides. Some fruits and vegetables simply do not require pesticides as pests are not a problem. See the list of the dirty dozen to learn what should be bought organic, and the clean 15, what you can safely purchase.

Note:
avocado limit 1/day
banana limit 1/day
Avoid white potatoes

Go outside your normal eating and buying patterns to try eating raw those vegetables you would normally cook. Cut them into sticks or rounds & dip them in salsa or mustard, if desired.

Avoid all cooked food.

Eat huge quantities of raw fruit and vegetables and eat often. Do not go hungry!

GETTING READY
Ask your family to support you by not bringing junk foods or ‘trigger foods’ into the home. Encourage them to have their indulgences when you are not with them. Before beginning your Fresh Start™ program, prepare and freeze meals for the family that they can fix themselves. You’ll want to avoid the kitchen as much as possible.

Shop ahead for 3-4 days of fruit and vegetables and clean them as follows:
Wash all produce in a pan or sink of water to which you add a few drops of Shaklee Basic-H2.  Let the produce soak for 6-8 minutes. Many preservatives and insecticides need some soaking time to help remove them. Soaking longer than ten minutes can cause vitamin and mineral loss. Rinse and dry. Store each variety in its own glass container or Evert Fresh bag/ Debbie’s bags that you purchase from a supermarket, health food store or from Evertfresh.com. The bags keep produce fresher longer and have no out-gassing effects. They are completely safe.

When you leave the house, take a huge amount of cut up fruit or vegetables with you so that you can continue to graze all day long. The refrigerated lunch bags work well for this purpose.

Morning suggestion: Make a LARGE fruit smoothie by blending various fruits in the blender, keeping the pulp. We like to start with fresh or frozen organic berries, watermelon, apple or peach, pear and any fruits you can find – orange is a good addition. Pulse until you have a drink that has some chunks of fruit – half chewing & half swallowing is a satisfying way to curb the appetite. If you are still hungry after your smoothie and your cup of tea or water, have a piece of fruit or some cut up vegetables. You do not need to be hungry on this program. You will be substituting volume for calories. No need to count calories.

Grazing all day is essential to the success of this program. Keep a bowl or bag of fruit or vegetables within reach, at all times. Graze all day long. If that’s not possible, try eating a large amount of fruit and vegetables every two hours. AND drink 3 quarts of pure filtered water each day. Choose still water not sparkling water. Sparkling water acidifies the body, whereas, it is the intention of the program to create a more alkaline system.  Much of your water intake can come from herb teas, non-caffeinated.

Lunch or dinner: We recommend making gazpacho (recipe included) and having that for lunch or dinner, along with lots of cut vegetables and cut up fruit.

You can make an excellent salad for your evening meal of 3-4 types of lettuce and 5-7 assorted vegetables. Consider adding raw corn cut from the cob, raw peas shucked from the pods for additional variety. Raw asparagus is delicious in this salad and we find that adding an avocado is very satisfying- for most people a half an avocado is sufficient but you may have a whole avocado if you so desire.
Have the largest bowl of salad that you can eat. The idea is to eat a lot of volume to replace the foods you are not eating this week.

Choose ANY olive oil/ vinegar based dressing to add to your salad but dress it lightly- not more than 1 ½ Tbsp dressing. Squeezing a lemon or lime over your salad greens first gives a fresh taste to your salad. Make a vinagrette type dressing of lemon juice and any type of vinegar, added to extra virgin olive oil. .  Blend a tomato and add spices for a tasty dressing. Choose, garlic, basil, chervil, coriander, dill, fennel, marjoram, sage, oregano, parsley, thyme or rosemary.

Avoid Ranch dressing if possible as it is loaded with chemical preservatives. If you love Bleu Cheese dressing go ahead, but cut it with a bit of vinaigrette.

For a treat after dinner, have a cup of herb tea, hot or iced. The Wild Berry Zingers, Blueberry, Raspberry, Good Earth Original
spice teas all have a sweet taste that satisfies like a dessert. (Smile and think positive.)

The No’s:
Following these suggestions of No’s will have you saying YES! in seven days.

No cooked food
No artificial sweeteners
No juices
No coffee
No protein shakes
No nuts
No Sushi
No meats, fish or poultry
No Alcohol
No soft Drinks
By avoiding these acidic foods, the liver, kidneys and colon are given a rest.

The caffeine Coffee or Soda issue:  If you are drinking more than one cup of caffeine coffee or two cans of diet soda daily, you may wish to reduce your intake gradually so you do not experience withdrawal symptoms. Reduce your consumption by one every other day until you are drinking plain water and herb teas. Why? Caffeine is a dehydrating agent and increases the body’s need for water.

Artificial sweeteners:  None recommended. Ever. If you need to sweeten your tea, choose Stevia, powdered or liquid. It’s available in
the natural foods section of your supermarket.

Eating Out:  This is a very simple program to follow when eating out. For breakfast ask if the chef would prepare a fruit smoothie of lots of different fresh fruit. Or  just ask for a bowl of cut up fruit, a half grapefruit, or sliced banana. Tell the wait staff to leave the yogurt and granola in the kitchen. Lunch can be a bowl of gazpacho if it’s on the menu or a huge salad, dressing on the side. Repeat for dinner.  Name the  raw vegetables you’d like to eat. Volunteer to pay extra if it’s an inconvenience to the staff. For a day trip or two, pack several refrigerated lunch bags with cut up fruit and cut up vegetables. Many program participants have taken a small cooler of fruit and vegetables on the airplane when they were traveling to areas they thought would be difficult to find good produce. Over-the-road truck drivers  have successfully followed the program through the truck stops of America by adopting the above practices.

Shaklee Supplements:
5  Alfalfa tabs in the morning and five at night- preferably before eating
2  Herb Lax at night with dinner or before bed
1  Liver DTX Complex in the morning and 2 at night
1 Optiflora ProBiotic pearl

Note: Four people can get together and cut the cost of the supplements. eg: You will only need 7 opti flora for the program. 30 come in one bottle. So find three friends to do the program with you. You can share the cost and support each other.

The raw foods, clean pure water, and supplements all work together to help the body release toxins from the fat cells so the liver can process them for removal from the body. The supplements recommended all contribute to the detoxification/cleansing process.

What can you expect during the first week? Each person’s experience will be unique to them. The more environmental toxins you have built up in your body, the greater the cleansing process. Consider getting eight hours of sleep each night during the week to help the cleansing process be more efficient. Be very intentional about getting the full 3 quarts of water each day.

A few people experience fatigue, irritability, headaches, weakness, bad breath, or flu-like symptoms for the first few days. Usually it’s because they are not eating frequently enough, not drinking enough water or are in withdrawal from caffeine, sugar and alcohol. By the third day you should experience more energy, a feeling of being internally clean, and most likely you’ll find that you are thinking more clearly. If you experience growling stomach hunger, eat more food and eat more often.

By the third day, you will be amazed at how much better you are feeling. You’ll be delighted to realize that you are not craving sweets, breads, or fried foods. Our participants find that their skin is clearer, digestion is improved, and they regain their mental focus. In addition, most report that they drop 4 pounds (women)-11 pounds (men) in 7 days. A periodic detox is one of the easiest ways to see a dramatic improvement in how you feel.

Nedra Sahr, M.S., C.N.S.
Licensed clinical nutritionist
sahrcomcast.net

Bill’s Gazpacho

About twelve egg sized tomatoes- plum work well
1 red pepper
I English cucumber partially peeled
1 apple
1 tablespoon of crushed organic garlic
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
a dash of hot sauce
Juice of 1/2 lime

Put all in cuisinart and pulse to consistency you like (I like mine chunky)
Serve cold or gently warmed- do not boil.

Thanks to Bill McBurney, Ottawa, Canada for sharing this recipe!

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Note from Mrs. D.

This blog is meant to help my Shaklee customers get to know me better. I am an educated mom that researches health issues and takes control of my health and the health of my family. Our lifestyle choices include consuming organic and local foods supplemented with Shaklee vitamins. My family is very active with skiing, snow boarding, bicycle riding and yoga. (Okay, I used to practice yoga regularly and now I fantasize about working it back into my schedule. It will happen.) We visit our chiropractor regularly and on occasion we see an acupuncturist and massage therapist. I use all of the Shaklee Get Clean products and would love to introduce you to them as well.

I believe strongly that we all have to be our own health advocates. Don’t believe what I say, think critically and find your way.

Please feel free to contact me at MrsDMrsDandCo.com to learn more about Shaklee’s healthy line of products.

Have fun this winter! Don’t get sick!

Okay – I am assuming that you have heard some talk about vitamin D in the past few years. Something that seems so obvious managed to escape our health radar for a long time. Humans need vitamin D all year long! We get energy from the sun. So simple, so clear. Our modern lifestyle combined with a fear of getting too much sun (which is a valid fear) has sent us into vitamin D depravation. Ahhhh! Are we fighting a loosing battle?!?! Where is the humanity?!?!? (spoiler: there is hope)

In his recent book, “The Vitamin D Solution“, Dr Michael Holick, nationally recognized expert on vitamin D, states, “Our bodies evolved during a time when we spent most of our days outside, making in our skin an amount of vitamin D equivalent to ingesting 10-20,000 IU/day. Today with our indoor living we get maybe a measly few hundred IU from diet sources – that amount cannot even make a dent in filling our empty tanks…every tissue and cell in the body has a vitamin D receptor. That tells us the importance vitamin D plays in our health”.

Healthy family winter fun

Stated by Dr Stephen Chaney, “It has been postulated for years that a low blood level of vitamin D in the winter months is an important contributor to the increased risk of colds and flu during the winter. And, a number of recent studies have shown that people with higher blood levels of vitamin D are less likely to succumb to colds and flu during the winter months.” Dr. Cheney goes on to explain,  “These studies are clearly consistent with the hypothesis that optimal vitamin D status plays an important role in preventing respiratory infections such as colds and flu. However, all of these studies are associative and do not prove cause and effect.”

Enter Dr. Carlos Carmargo and associates from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital (Pediatrics, dpi: 10.1542/peds.2011-3029). Dr. Carmargo set out to test this hypothesis with a double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention study – the gold standard for clinical studies.

They conducted this study with 250 Mongolian school children during the winter months. Half of the children received 300 IU of vitamin D each day, while the other half received none. Over the course of the winter vitamin D supplementation decreased the risk of respiratory infection in those children by 50%, and that difference ws highly significant.

Mongolia was chosen for the study since they do not supplement their diet and during the winter months their sun exposure is minimal. All of the children were vitamin D deficient at the beginning of the study. Their blood levels were 7 ng/mL, and anything below 10 ng/mL is considered clearly deficient. For those who received the vitamin D supplementation, their blood levels increased to 19 ng/mL – a level considered adequate but not optimal.

Dr Cheney surmised, “This study clearly confirms that adequate vitamin D levels reduce the risk of respiratory infections and that supplementation with vitamin D can help prevent those respiratory infections if one’s vitamin D status is not optimal.”

If you want to know what your level is, ask your physician to check blood levels off 25-hydroxyvitamin D (the most accurate measure of vitamin D status) for both you and your children and consider supplementing with extra vitamin D during the winter months if warranted. If you are breastfeeding, it is important that you get enough vitamin D to pass some on to your infant. Nobody wants a sick infant!

In the spring and summer, go outdoors for 15-20 minutes 3-5 days a week without sunscreen (it blocks 98% of the body’s ability to make vitamin D). Uncover at least 25% of your body – arms and legs – to produce vitamin D. Most everyone is deficient in vitamin D by February.

In the winter order your vitamin D supplements from Mrs D! I took two each day last winter (2,000 IU), along with my Vitalizer for Women and I managed to stay healthy and strong throughout the winter. I used my mortar and pestle to crush half of a vitamin (500 IU) that I mixed with Adelle’s morning yogurt. A bad flu went through her whole day care class and she never slowed down.

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Note from Mrs. D.

This blog is meant to help my Shaklee customers get to know me better. I am an educated mom that researches health issues and takes control of my health and the health of my family. Our lifestyle choices include consuming organic and local foods supplemented with Shaklee vitamins. My family is very active with skiing, snow boarding, bicycle riding and yoga. (Okay, I used to practice yoga regularly and now I fantasize about working it back into my schedule. It will happen.) We visit our chiropractor regularly and on occasion we see an acupuncturist and massage therapist. I use all of the Shaklee Get Clean products and would love to introduce you to them as well.

I believe strongly that we all have to be our own health advocates. Don’t believe what I say, think critically and find your way.

Please feel free to contact me at MrsDMrsDandCo.com to learn more about Shaklee’s healthy line of products.

Live like Lucy; 1996 – 2012

Lucy love licks during a hike in Hariman Park

Almost ten years ago my life changed for the better. In September 2002 I started dating my husband and his dog, Lucy. It was clear from the beginning that Ted and Lucy came as a package deal. Lucy was about 6 years old at the time and she was full of life. I had heard of other female dogs getting possessive of their male owners and not taking kindly to a new girlfriend. Lucky for me, that was not the case. Ted, Lucy and myself quickly became a great team. We went mountain biking together, took long walks in the city, hiked up many mountains and of course, we had our fair share of tailgating parties. Those of you that were blessed to know Lucy knew that she was a party dog. She loved being around people and she really loved a good BBQ.

In the first few months of being together Lucy shifted from following Ted around to following me around. It was a bit humorous and I definitely felt honored. Ted figured that she could tell I was not quite as street smart, so I would need a little more attention. But I knew it was sisterly love. Strong females can connect with other females. They don’t feel threatened or insecure. For sure, Lucy was secure in her beautiful dogness. We became running partners and great friends.

There is a special place in hell for woman that don’t help other women.

– Madeleine Albright

In the 9-plus years that I spent with Lucy, I learned a lot about how I wanted to live my life. Not only as a person, but as a female. And since her passing this past July, I think it would be a great honor to pass on some Lucy knowledge.

Live Like Lucy:

1. Tolerant and Loving

Lucy was a very tolerant and loving individual. She remained calm while our baby crawled on top of her and grabbed at her hair. Lucy knew that the baby meant no harm and she loved seeing her grow and develop. She knew to be calm when we were visiting grandparents and she could make anyone smile with her loving eyes. I guess one of the great things about dogs in general is that they don’t judge you, they love you unconditionally.

 Intense love does not measure, it just gives.

– Mother Teresa

2. Listen to your gut

Granted, Lucy was a dog and therefore her senses were more keen than us poor humans. But I loved seeing her follow her gut and felt inspired by it each time. Lucy could tell if a person or dog was no good. She knew it immediately and would do her best to avoid the person/dog. She did not waste time trying to be nice to a person or dog that did not align with her pure kindness.

Once we were at a BBQ with our baby who was just walking. Another dog entered the scene and Lucy sensed that there might be a problem. She strategically placed herself between our baby and the other dog. Her body language told me that she was alert and not happy with the situation. We picked up our baby and put her in a safe spot to ease Lucy’s mind (and ours).

It’s your right to listen to your gut. It ain’t nobody’s right to say no after you earn the right to be what you want to be and do what you wanna do.

– Rocky Balboa

3. Take no B.S.

Right behind tolerance and following her gut, but definitely just as important was her ability to know when to stand up for herself. This might be the trait that I admired most in Lucy. There were a few occasions when Lucy had to flex her muscles and let another dog know that she was not to be messed with. Each time Lucy was able to get her point across with loud barking and body language. I think I witnessed this about 3 or 4 times in our relationship. It made me think back to the times in my life when I let another person take advantage of me or manipulate me. I was not able to flex my muscles and tell the person that I would not take this abuse. So Lucy inspired me to stick up for myself more and not let the bad guys get me down. I have to say that since she entered my life, I have been living on my terms.

I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands;
you need to be able to throw something back.

– Maya Angelou

4. Enjoy each day

Lucy indeed lived for the moment. She reveled in every aspect of life; running, sleeping, eating and just being together with loved ones. She never turned down a new experience. Her will to live and love was strong and I will always remember her as the spunky beautiful dog that would wake me up in the morning with licks to my face.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

– Eleanor Roosevelt

Lucy last fall on a Pine Hill hike.

Each day with Lucy was a blessing and it seems proper to honor her by not taking life for granted. This fall we plan to have a memorial mountain bike ride in honor of Lucy. Friends and family are welcome to join us, just let me know if you are interested. I also plan to make a donation in honor of Lucy to two non profits that Lucy would love: 1. Girls Leap and 2. Pine Hill Park.

I had the opportunity to meet the founder of Girls Leap and some of the girls that went through the program when I was busy with my design business in Boston. What draws me to this program is that they understand that learning physical self defense is just a small part of what girls need. They focus on building self esteem, which alone makes one less vulnerable. This is a program worth funding and it seems appropriate to do so in honor of our amazing dog.

Pine Hill Park was one of Lucy’s favorite places. She ran with us while we mountain biked the trails and she walked them with me in her later years. All of the trails are maintained by volunteers and they need monetary support for tools and materials.

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 A Note from Mrs D

This blog is meant to help my Shaklee customers get to know me better. My lifestyle choices include consuming organic and local foods supplemented withShaklee vitamins. My family is very active with skiing, snow boarding, bicycle riding and yoga. (Okay, I used to practice yoga regularly and now I fantasize about working it back into my schedule. It will happen.) We visit our chiropractor regularly and on occasion we see an acupuncturist and massage therapist. I use all of the Shaklee Get Clean products and would love to introduce you to them as well.

Please feel free to contact me at MrsDMrsDandCo.com to learn more about Shaklee’s healthy line of products.

Getting back to our childhood and painting more happy faces.

When I was a kid, I used to say my blessings each night before I went to sleep. I’m not sure when this ritual started, when it ended or how I was influenced to begin in the first place. But I can remember kneeling by my bed and thinking to myself “God Bless Mom, Dad, my brothers, my cousins, my aunts and uncles, etc.” I would think of each person individually and bless them by name. It was sort of a mind exercise for me as I tried carefully to make sure I did not forget anyone.

My family attended the local Unitarian Church regularly, but I don’t think that experience lead me to prayer or blessings. The UU Church influenced me more as a community of like minded people enjoying time together. It was valuable and for sure helped shape who I am today – a tolerant, educated and loving person.

That said, I’m just like everyone else. For the most part I am surrounded by people that I love and admire. I have learned not to expend energy on people that bring me down (that’s part of what your 20’s are for). However, there are certain people in my life that get under my skin and that feeling can lead me to think, say or do things that I normally would not consider. Please tell me you know what I’m talking about.

So, the point of this whole post is that through my daughter I have rediscovered my nightly ritual of blessings. One night this past year, while my daughter and I were going through our normal bedtime routine of bath, books and bed I decided to add saying our blessings. My intent was to have a moment each day when we could reflect on the people in our life. We live a few hours from any immediate family, so I was trying to find ways to keep all of Adelle’s aunts, uncles and cousins fresh in her mind. What happened to me in this process was surprising and refreshing. While I was going down the list of relatives and close family friends to bless with Adelle I realized how much I love each of these people. At that moment, any resentment I was carrying about any petty issue faded. I was genuinely happy to have all of these people in my life.

Mutual affection.

So even though this began as an exercise for my daughter, it has become a powerful healing tool for me. Each night before bed we talk about the people in our lives that help make us whole. After a tough day with any negative thoughts, this simple act can help you refocus on what really matters in life. How cool is that? And to boot, this is a great way to understand who has made an impression on my daughter. I am happy to say that she always includes our dog Lucy.

Note from Mrs. D.

This blog is meant to help my Shaklee customers get to know me better. My lifestyle choices include consuming organic and local foods supplemented with Shaklee vitamins. My family is very active with skiing, snow boarding, bicycle riding and yoga. (Okay, I used to practice yoga regularly and now I fantasize about working it back into my schedule. It will happen.) We visit our chiropractor regularly and on occasion we see an acupuncturist and massage therapist. I use all of the Shaklee Get Clean products and would love to introduce you to them as well.

Please feel free to contact me at MrsDMrsDandCo.com to learn more about Shaklee’s healthy line of products.

Bento lunch. Top shelf: ww tortilla with hummus, cheese and chopped black olives. Annies bunny crackers. One lemon zinger cookie. Bottom shelf: red grapes and apple slices.

Since my daughter was born I have been learning how to cook. Since she entered a day care this past October I have been learning how to pack healthy lunches. This is a whole new area of food issues. I have to find healthy options that will sit in her lunch box for four hours and not only taste good but also look appealing. Unfortunately I am not only competing with other kids’ packed lunches. There is a hot lunch served each day with which she can compare her fare. On days that they serve scrambled eggs, I don’t even bother packing a lunch. She loves eggs. When they are serving hot dogs and beans I pack my own organic, casein-free hot dogs. I think every kid exposed to hot dogs will love them, so I can’t really send her to school with a PB&J on hot dog day. But on most days I pack her lunch as I like to know that she is getting the best ingredients; whole grains, minimal if any processed foods, fresh fruit and veggies, organic milk, etc.

One of the best Christmas gifts that Adelle received was from her cousins in NH. (She loves and adores her cousins, so that helps too.) Will and Ollie sent her a Panda Bento Box. Having her lunch in this box really does make a difference. It helps me with the portion control and Adelle just loves eating out of it. It is a two tiered box so one tier is for her sandwich or wrap and any cracker treats I give her. The bottom tier is devoted to fruit and veggies. I am still working on perfecting the whole rice ball idea. Hopefully I will have a blog entry devoted to delicious rice balls.

PBJ on Babalouis bread with two lemon zinger cookies. Carrots, pineapple and cucumbers.

 

tortilla lunch

Note from Mrs. D.

This blog is meant to help my Shaklee customers get to know me better. My lifestyle choices include consuming organic and local foods supplemented with Shaklee vitamins. My family is very active with skiing, snow boarding, bicycle riding and yoga. We visit our chiropractor regularly and on occasion we see an acupuncturist and massage therapist. I use all of the Shaklee Get Clean products and would love to introduce you to them as well.

Please feel free to contact me at MrsDMrsDandCo.com to learn more about Shaklee’s healthy line of products.