Hunting and Gathering--How the Nyberg's Grocery Shop

When I was a 5th grade teacher, I always enjoyed teaching about Native Americans, pilgrims, and Thanksgiving. I feel like so early settlers--trying to figure out the best way to get food and where to find it. Do I grow it? Trade for it? Is it in season?

I am a hunter-gatherer grocery shopped. I bet at least once a weeks someone asks us, "So what do you think of the new Whole Foods?" The truth? I love it. What about Trader Joe's? I love it. What about the new Hy-Vee? I love it. What about Gateway Market? I love it. Costco? I love it. 

I typically make a few trips for food each week because 1) I have three guys and a dog in the house, and 2) we need fresh food. Hunting and gathering works well for this lifestyle because I can visit a few different stores throughout the week and get what I need. If you think this sounds expensive, I would love to compare budgets with you. I bet I spend FAR LESS on eating healthy than most families spend on the Standard American Diet (SAD)!!

Each store offers different things that I need to make sure our family eats healthy. I love to make protein snack mixes, but I can't get everything at one store. Here's the recipe and where to gather your supplies at:

Protein Mix

• Beef Jerkey free from Nitrates--Trader Joe's. It's the only place I found with decent packaged jerky. Cut it up into small pieces.
• Dried Fruit--Unsweetened--Also from Trader Joe's. I LOVE dried strawberries and I always cut them up too.
• Nuts--Raw from the Hy-Vee Health Market, Trader Joes, or Gateway Market. You can get these as a bulk item, but those bins always make me nervous. How long has the food been in those things?
• Seeds--Raw, unsalted--anywhere. 
• Raw Coconut--Gateway Market. 

Mix about a cup of each ingredient in a large bowl. Then put into small snack containers. I keep mine in my work bag, the kitchen for snacking, in my purse, and in my front seat. That way I don't feel tempted to get something fast and junky. I'm sure there is a good formula for fats to proteins to carbs to follow, but I don't for these snacks. Rebel! 

Sometimes I get groceries at Target, but I can never get a week's worth of groceries only there. If I need to get everything at one place, I usually hit Hy-Vee Health Market on Wednesdays when everything is on sale. If you want good beef, check out their Health Market freezer. I bet I could get everything at Whole Foods, but I'm just not in that area often and the store overwhelms me. Actually, the shoppers overwhelm me. I need to go once by myself to research the store more. 

Oh, and if you aren't familiar with Prudent Produce Organic Delivery Service--check them out TODAY! (I'm currently watching our two year old dig through today's delivery for fresh bananas and apples.) 

Where do you like to shop? One store? Many stores? 

--Katie

Our Burmese Adopted Family

The families are refugees from Myanmar ( Burma ).They were resettled to the US in 2010 by the help of UNHCR.  They first came and resettled at Huston, TX and later moved to Des Moines, IA.The mother is a pregnant woman and expected to have a new baby in the end of December. 

                      

The family needs winter clothing ,coats, gloves and snow boots.They also need bed sheets.  All of the clothing sizes should be the Medium sizes according the ages.

1.San Ceu ( Father ) 28 years old-- 1) Medium Sweater/Sweatshirt, 2) Winter Coat size M 3) Medium Gloves 4) Snow Boots size 10 5) warm pants, size M

2.Mary Khim Vum ( Mother ) 28 years old -- 1) Medium Sweater/Sweatshirt, 2) Winter Coat size M 3) Medium Gloves 4) Snow Boots size 10 5) Pants size 8

3.Sui Hlawn Par ( Daughter ) 8 years old--1) Medium Sweater/Sweatshirt, 2) Winter Coat size 8 3) Gloves 4) Snow Boots size 9  5) Pants size 8 6) Toy or Art Set

4.San Lian Hmung ( Son ) 5 years old--1) Shirt size 5/6, 2) Winter Coat size 6 3) Medium Gloves 4) Snow Boots size 1  5) Pants size 6  6) Boy Toy 

5. 1) 0-3 month Baby Unisex Sleeper   2) Baby Toy (newborn) 

6. Family Gift Tag--Bed sheets

The second Family are:

1.Siang Ling Khenglawt ( Father ) 29 years old----1) Medium Sweater/Sweatshirt, 2) Winter Coat size M 3) Medium Gloves 4) Snow Boots size 10 5) warm pants, size M

2.Bawi Nun Khim ( Mother ) 21 years old  --1) Medium Sweater/Sweatshirt, 2) Winter Coat size M 3) Medium Gloves 4) Snow Boots size 10 5) Pants size 8

3.John Za Hre Thang ( Son ) 19 months old--1) 2T Sweater/Sweatshirt, 2) Winter Coat size 2T 3) Gloves  5) Pants size 2T 6) Toy 

4. Family Bed Sheets

New Year's Resolutions...NOW?!?!

Q. Yes, you should be thinking of 2013 goals, NOW!

A. Just like diets and fad workout programs, resolutions usually never work. How many times have you said to yourself, “this year I’m going to lose 10 lbs and start living healthier,” or, “I’m going to finally take care of those headaches” Most of us only talk and not enough are taking action. Most of us have great intentions but somewhere down the line, we get “busy.” This may seem early, but NOW is the time to start making goals for next year. That way when next year hits, you’re ready to go. Make 2013 the year of ACTION! I saw a statistic that said for every $1 you spend on medication you can expect to pay $1 on treating side effects for that medication. Insurance premiums and co pays are increasing and your benefits are decreasing. Enough is Enough!

Your health is a savings account; you must invest early and continue to make deposits. This “Health account” will grow over time and save you and your family thousands of dollars in the future by keeping you out of the hospital, off unnecessary medications, and functioning at a high level. Living a balanced life and making good lifestyle choices are the key to having a healthier life. You might have all the ideas to get healthy, but do you have the internal motivation and know WHAT to do? 8 Weeks to Wellness is the leading healthcare program in the US. 

This is NOT a weight loss program; this is a lifestyle change program.  For 8 Weeks you will receive, 2 Chiropractic adjustments/week, one hour massage/week, 2 personalized training sessions/week, a nutrition program and guided meditation all customized to fit your life and goals. Go to 8ww.com for more information and the nearest 8WW wellness center near you. Stop talking and start doing! Make the commitment to a healthier life.

I'd like to learn about...

We spend a lot of time researching, reading, listening, sharing, and discussing all of the latest in health care news. I tend to gravitate towards topics that directly impact me and my family like nutrition, mammograms, and preventing illness. 

The latest topics on my research list are:

• Cleanses. We are the only modern culture that doesn't routinely cleanse our bodies, the sickest culture, and the culture with the most toxic bodies. Whenever I try to find information or reviews about cleanses, I find a lot about weight loss and water loss, but not much about the actual cleansing of the body. 
• Alkaline and Acidity in our bodies/pH Testing. We started learning about this at SuperConference in September, but need to learn more about the implementation of it for our family. Look for more about this after the first of the year in our office!
• Mammograms. My mother is a breast cancer survivor so this is a topic that is so important to me personally. I don't think mammograms are entirely safe, but I'm researching my options to find which is the safest and most reliable. 

What's Dr. Wes learning about? He is spending time in San Antonio with the creators of 8 Weeks to Wellness learning the latest information about nutrition, exercise, spinal care, and relaxation. We can't wait to share what he learned with you!

Any ideas for us? We'd love to hear from you!

--Katie

The Worst Picture Of Me. Ever.

My hubby said "Katie, I think you need more fiber".  

Did the title catch your attention? I decided to publicize my worst picture ever because of the story that goes with this picture. Why do I look like this? I completed several rounds of deadlifts, rope climbs, bear crawls, and running with sandbags on my back. Evidently this is my "deadlift" face. Completing this workout with the best partner I could imagine (my hubby) and for such a wonderful cause makes this one of my favorite pictures of all time.

This picture was taken at my Crossfit gym's Operation Justice Fundraiser. In this partner workout, we had to do many different movements. It was the first time I've participated in an athletic event since high school (unless Sunday co-ed softball counts). It was the first time I've ever run with sandbags on my back. It was the first time I've been in a setting where people were watching me workout. It's the first time I've had tons of people cheering me on. The best thing about this day was the man it was honoring. For a great hero story, check out this article from WHO TV13. 

Dr. Lance says, "When you can no longer breathe, just shrug your shoulders." Oh no!

The moral of the story: If you aren't good at something, still go for it. Push through your toughest moments to accomplish something you never thought you could do. And love the heroes in our country. They understand the importance of life and making the most of it. 

My Sunday Mantra

My mantra for eating healthy is "If you fail to plan, plan to fail". It is completely worth my time to prepare breakfasts and vegetables on Sunday afternoons instead of trying to find something healthy to eat before we all leave the house in the morning. 

Here are some suggestions for planning your weekly meals. 

First, find a planner for your dinners. I like this one that I've shared before in another blog post. Plan all of your meals around vegetables and proteins, and then throw in some fresh fruit and/or grains if that is part of your wellness plan. 

• I always plan for at least one slow-cooker meal each week. Usually it's a whole chicken with whatever veggies we have in the house like carrots, sweet potatoes, peppers, onions, etc. 
• We have Mexican a lot, so one meal is usually spiced up. It's a great way to use leftover meat too. Meat + Salsa = Easy & Yummy dinner!
• I try to find a new recipe each week. I am currently working my way through Everyday Paleo. Each time I try a recipe, I put a quick post-it note in there with tips for the next time I make it. 

Second, plan your breakfasts. Here's what I prepare on Sunday afternoons:

• Sweet potatoes with grilled chicken or sausage or bacon for post-workout breakfasts. I put 1/3 of a sweet potato in each container and top it with sliced chicken, a few slices of bacon, or a small sausage patty. 
• Scrambled Eggs--one dozen eggs usually gets us through about two mornings of breakfast. I heat up some coconut oil in a skillet, crack the eggs directly into the pan, and then scramble with a fork. Yum! 
• Extra meat--I try to fix 1-2lbs of bacon and/or sausage to have for the week. 

Third (and the biggest struggle for me) are lunches. Usually I send leftovers with Dr. Wes and Ben, but that still leaves lunch for Will and me. 

• Prepare veggies and fruit on Sundays. I like to have "quick" and mess-free fruit for lunches for Ben. Often it's grapes, strawberries, or blueberries. Sometimes I have to thaw out a bag of organic fruit to send, but our household much prefers fresh fruit. And bananas. Oh my goodness--we eat a ton of bananas in this house. 
• We don't eat a lot of raw veggies (except in salad) and it's worth my time to steam broccoli  carrots, and green beans on Sundays. 

Find a day or night that works for you, and see if spending a few hours in the kitchen can save you time during the week. I bet you'll find that you are preparing healthier meals and eating out less. It saves us time, money, and makes a big difference in our family's health! 

I'd love to hear your tips too! 

--Katie

Social Media Wellness

I love technology. I was the ultimate computer geek in high school and earned the computer department award my senior year. I got teased about my computer skills but then begged to solve everyone's computer problems. Now I spend most of my time online in social media forums. 

What I like most about being online is the wealth of information that is available in an instant. It's important to know which sources are reliable and which ones are garbage, but for the most part I've found some pretty awesome sites for health and wellness information. 

Here are some social media wellness tips:

Facebook

Follow the sites that fit your lifestyle, or a lifestyle you desire. For example, I follow a Paleo diet so I "Like" paleo sites and products. I also follow businesses that promote exercise (Crossfit) and overall wellness. And of course, I follow countless awesome chiropractors because they know how to balance it all together. I avoid following businesses that sell cupcakes and candy. That would be dangerous.

Pinterest

I love Pinterest. I am one of those people who pins hundreds of things and actually accomplishes most of them. Here's my favorite tip: Create two separate boards for food related pins. One of mine is called "Fun Food" which I pin anything that sounds yummy but not Paleo/Primal, and one board called "Paleo/Primal" for healthy foods. I love having these food separated because when I am meal-planning for the week, I only look at the Primal/Paleo board for ideas and avoid being tempted by foods with grains/dairy. Most of the "Fun Food" ones are still healthy but I save these for attending pot lucks and holiday meals. I also have a board for Fitness & Health where I pin quick, at-home workouts. The workouts have all been great so far!

Check out my personal Pinterest page for ideas!

When you are searching for ideas or recipes, try searching for boards instead of just pins. For example, if I am looking for a new workout, I search for "Crossfit workout" boards and can usually find lots of great boards to start following too. 

Blogs

There are lots of great blogs out there. Like Facebook, I search for keywords that suit my lifestyle. I google "Gluten Free Recipes Blog" and can find lots of great blogs by people who have put a lot of effort into creating a great, free resource for others. 

Want a good place to start? Try these!

Waukee Wellness Facebook

Waukee Wellness Pinterest

Waukee Wellness Website