Life is all about priorities. We are faced with thousands of choices every day and it is those choices that prove where our priorities lie. For example: what did you choose to wear today? How many factors did you take into consideration before you chose your outfit today? 

Before choosing that outfit you most likely considered:

While it may have only taken you 10-20 seconds to make these decisions, they are all still elements that factored into the outfit you chose.

Even though it's obvious that we weigh all aspects of a large decision (new house, new car, etc.) we rarely give conscience credit to the more subtle decisions that face us on a daily basis. We don't look at the smaller choices in relation to their larger impact.

Back to the clothing example...It would take one small decision to choose to wear pajamas to work every day. But what is the larger impact to that decision? Looking at the big picture - what is it people would think of you? They may think that you are lazy, obstinate, or rebellious? It would likely change the way people act toward you or lead to write-ups or even the loss of your job. Small things really do add up to have a large impact.

Now, let’s apply this same concept to food. While it’s true that running out the door without grabbing anything for breakfast isn't going to be a life-threatening problem...how long before it becomes a habit? What does that habit then lead to? Do you end up grabbing the wrong snacks later because you are hungry and they are available? Or, without revving up your metabolism, do you skip meals for the rest of the work day and then over-eat in the evening?

Being prepared and then grabbing the right things to eat should become as habitual as picking out your wardrobe. While we never intend on eating wrong, we do tend to write eating off as one thing that isn't a necessary priority the way other things are. While we can’t avoid taking care of the kids, work, bills...etc, feeding ourselves properly is the one thing we can shrug off.  When we’re running late, eating is the one thing that you can avoid as in, “Oh, forget that, I’ll grab something later.” Even though we often have every intention of fixing these problems, (Ex: ‘Tomorrow I’ll be sure to get up earlier so I have time for breakfast.’) Tomorrow brings new challenges and often we make the same decisions we did today.

Think of skipping breakfast as if you were you saying: “Oh, forget getting dressed today. I’m in a rush and just don’t have time. I’ll wear my pajama’s today and try get a better head start so I can get dressed tomorrow.” Just the same way that intentionally or unintentionally wearing PJ’s to work over and over again can have big impact - so can making the same wrong food choices and eating decisions over and over again. Small decisions very quickly add up to big consequences and soon the scale and your motivation suffers.

Before you can pack your fridge, your lunch and finally your body with the right things, you must first change your priorities. Once you re-frame your mindset to accept that food choices are not the one place in the day where you can ‘drop the ball’ that will lead you to see where the true problems lie.... 

...For example: perhaps you are leaving too much for yourself to do in the morning and should pack up a breakfast or lunch for yourself in the evening. Remember, giving yourself a pass on making a healthy food choice is not truly the ‘indulgence’ or the ‘stress relief’ it seems to be at that moment...remind yourself how over time, these decisions lead you to feel guilty, unaccomplished and begin to affect the scale and your health.

Because you know that you always take care of the things in your life that are priorities, those bills, the kids, your job, no matter how much extra time one or another may demand each week - eating right isn't something you actually ‘can’t handle’; it’s simply something that needs to be added to the list of priorities so that you make the time for it.

If you can prioritize eating all of the small daily habits necessary for weight loss the same as you do showering, brushing your teeth and getting dressed, weight loss will become just as much of your daily successes as any other.  - Remember too, once you are eating properly, you feel that much better leaving you far more productive the rest of the day!

Above all, keep in mind: it’s not eating healthy or consistently that is hard - it’s revising your mindset and your priorities to remember that it’s something you want to do, something you need to do and something you CAN do!...It's learning how to stop running out the door in your pajamas!

Vitamin D and calcium are essential to bone health however there is such thing as ‘too much of a good thing’.   After a number of recent articles brought the ‘enough vitamin D and calcium’ question to light, many people went out and purchased supplements to boost their intake of these vitamins.

The problem is, too much Vitamin D and calcium can lead to kidney stones or heart disease.

So how much do you truly need?

The answer starts with three questions.

*Remember, the body gets most of its Vitamin D, not from food, but from the ultraviolet B radiation in sunlight.

According to the National Health Institute, recommended intake of Vitamin D and Calcium are as follows:

Infants 0 to 6 months

*

**

Infants 6 to 12 months

*

**

1 - 3 years old

700

**

4 - 8 years old

1,000

600

9 - 13 years old

1,300

600

14 - 18 years old

1,300

600

19 - 30 years old

1,000

600

31 - 50 years old

1,000

600

51 - 70 years old

1,000

600

51 - 70 year old females

1,200

600

71+ years old

1,200

800

14 - 18 years old, pregnant/lactating

1,300

600

19 - 50 years old, pregnant/lactating

1,000

600

*For infants, adequate intake is 200 mg/day for 0 to 6 months of age and 260 mg/day for 6 to 12 months of age.

**For infants, adequate intake is 400 IU/day for 0 to 6 months of age and 400 IU/day for 6 to 12 months of age. (Source)

If you decide you need more of either of these supplements, consider dietary choices rather than an over the counter pill that could give you levels that are too high.

According to the National Health Institute, some good sources of Vitamin D include the following:

Very few foods in nature contain vitamin D.  The flesh of fatty fish (such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel) and fish liver oils are among the best sources [1,11].  Small amounts of vitamin D are found in beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks.  Vitamin D in these foods is primarily in the form of vitamin D3 and its metabolite 25(OH)D3 [12]. Some mushrooms provide vitamin D2 in variable amounts [13,14].  Mushrooms with enhanced levels of vitamin D2 from being exposed to ultraviolet light under controlled conditions are also available.

Foods that are high in calcium include:

One way or another remember that there is no substitute for health living and a healthy diet.  Supplements are a great choice in a pinch or to keep levels balanced or raise them if they are too low but you should always start by ensuring your diet gives you as many vitamins and nutrients as possible.  This will keep you feeling strong and full of healthful energy! 

Studies show that a visually appealing fridge and pantry can actually improve your diet!

When you're home, how often do you wander to the fridge or pantry and take a peek inside to see what there is to eat?  Even if you've done it a few times already that day, don't you continue hold out hope somewhere deep down inside - that this time - something new will magically appear that strikes our fancy and hits the imaginary 'spot!'  Something will appear that is both healthy and delicious, calorie free yet indulgent all at the same time...!

Now...picture when  you're at a party and the fruits and veggies are all cut up and laid out beautifully on a tray or in a pretty bowl.  How much more likely are you to add some of these delicious looking morals to your plate?....What's more - how much more likely are you to eat the healthy foods in this situation than when those fruits or vegetables are closed away in the crisper drawer waiting for you to find, wash, peel and cut them...?

The point is - a huge part of eating is the visual stimulation and the convenience.  (There's a reason we agree to pay more when the snack food industry pre-packages perfect portions for us rather than doing it ourselves.)  

Therefore, making healthier choices more readily available and more visually appealing you can drastically increase the number of times you reach for a healthier snack!

According to a study by Nestle the visual appeal of foods actually impacts the taste of the food as well:

“The energy content of food is not only assessed in the mouth or after consumption, but an estimation of energy content is already established in the brain 200 milliseconds after looking at the food.”

There have also been numerous studies linking the visual appeal of food and how it affects peoples buying habits.

All in all - if an appealing visual presentation of food is enough to influences and purchases, it’s no wonder it’s enough to affect our eating habits!

Below are some tips on how to re-arrange your pantry and fridge to improve you and your families snacking choices.

What to do: