Amanda's Books and More: good health

Showing posts with label good health. Show all posts

Thursday, July 13, 2017

Planet Scrabbage and the Vegerons

Planet Scrabbage and the Vegerons

by Paul Ian Cross

About the Book:

Book Description:

It's time we took a trip to Planet Scrabbage!

This planet is AMAZING; far away in outer space...

A vibrant, fresh and colourful, VEG-TASTIC happy place!

A hilariously silly rhyming picture book, for ages 4-7, about the importance of eating your veg!

Purchase on Amazon:
Paperback | Kindle

My Review:

Is your child a picky eater? Does he or she hate vegetables? The vegetables on Planet Scrabbage are called Vegerons and they will transport your child to a happy and healthy place.

Amanda (age 9) says that the story is cute and that kids will want to eat their vegetables so that they can be like the Vegerons. The Vegerons are painters, explorers, athletes and more!

The illustrations are cheerful and the rhyming text is lots of fun. This book will make your picky eater giggle and want to try that green stuff on the plate!

More from Paul Ian Cross:

Short Story Review:
Engella

and

Picture Book Review:
Praxx and the Ringing Robot

About the Author:

Paul Ian Cross

Hello, earthlings! I'm a scientist and children's author based in London, UK.

I work in clinical research (developing new medicines) and I'm also studying for my PhD. I very much enjoy my science career but I also have a real passion for writing stories! I have been writing fiction for nearly ten years. I am developing a series of children's books that are both enjoyable and educational.

My young nephew Hayden influenced my decision to become an author. I loved seeing his reaction when my sister Michelle first read one of my stories to him!

In my spare time, I love going to new places and I try to have as many holidays as possible. My partner Adrian and I absolutely love Scotland, especially the Isle of Skye. We also recently travelled to the Philippines which is a beautiful country; we can't wait to go back.

So that brings us to now... I'm currently working on several new book ideas. I am now developing my first short story, Engella, into a middle-grade novel. I have five books planned for a brand new series – The Engella Chronicles.

I hope you enjoy my stories as much as I enjoyed writing them!

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Disclosure: I received an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

After School Lunch Idea

Hi Guys! This after school lunch idea was inspired by Pinterest from School Bites on their Healthy Lunch Board. All kids need to eat healthy and to live a healthy lifestyle. If left to themselves, they will make the wrong choices. Also, parents should not be afraid to say, "No" to their kids when they want sweets or treats (including chips). And believe me, the kids will test you. All my children eat fruits and veggies often quite happily, because it's a regular part of every lunch and dinner. Usually we have fruits at lunch and for snacks, and veggies or salads with dinner.

Having a fun presentation makes eating healthy food that much more enjoyable. Of course, it takes a little more time, but it doesn't have to take a lot of time. I hope my pictures will inspire you to add a fun twist to your kids' after school lunches. By the way, we do eat treats as well, but all in moderation.

Also, I made Amanda a herbal ice-tea with a little bit of sugar to go with this lunch/snack. I've also made her herbal ice-tea mixed with apple juice instead of sugar. I think the latter choice is a better idea. Oh, and we're having summer in South Africa, so that's why I'm talking about ice-tea.

Off the topic, even with our healthy life-style, I've been battling with my health. I'll maybe write a post about it later, but I just wanted my readers to know why I'm not able to keep up with my high expectations of myself regarding this blog and other blogs. I totally understand other bloggers only posting once a week or taking a break. I love blogging and I love you guys, so I don't want to stop. I just have to take on less and learn to be happy with that, at least, until I'm fully recovered.

Take care and God bless!

Tina - an American mom raising 4 kids in South Africa

Now on to the blog hop...

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet (M.M.S.S.) blog hop!

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Sunday, February 10, 2013

Guest Post - Preventing Type 2 Diabetes

Guest post by Carolyn at Full-On Fit:
How You can Prevent Type 2 Diabetes in Your Family

Family Unit

This past November was American Diabetes Month, and it was a special time for me. See, my young cousin was recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I didn't think it was something that could hit so close to home, especially because she is so young (only 13!) I thought the doctors must have been wrong, but after many doctor visits, I found out that Type 2 Diabetes, formally called adult-onset diabetes, is now affecting many young people. What’s even scarier is what Diabetes could lead to; according to St. Joseph’s Cardiac Hospital of Syracuse, if diabetes is left untreated, it can lead to such things as heart disease, neurological problems, and even amputation.

In order to be able to help my little cousin, and prevent my other family members from developing this disease, we decided as a family to learn more about the disease and what we could do to prevent/manage it. Here are some tips that you and your family can use as well:

Blood Test

Early detection
Something we did not do…It’s important to schedule frequent doctor visits to help detect early signs of Type 2 Diabetes. It can be hard for doctors to diagnose this condition in children because kids usually don't display any signs or symptoms, so doctors don't think to do the proper blood tests that can detect Type 2 Diabetes – so stay on them!!

Nutrition
For the most part, Type 2 Diabetes is directly correlated with obesity. Therefore, the healthier your diet is, better the chance you have of preventing Type 2. One thing that we noticed that was very helpful for us was to decide as a family to start eating healthier. Deciding to change our lifestyle habits as a unit made people more likely to accept it and stay with it for the long-term.

One of the first steps is to get the junk food and unhealthy foods out of the house. Clean out the cupboards and the refrigerator – donate the unused foods if you choose, but it’s important to get the bad stuff out of the house so it isn’t a temptation.

There are many great foods that can be eaten and cooked so that children can [grow to} like eating healthy. Here are some basic foods/principles my cousin has to stick to, and that our family is also sticking to as wells:

Mashed Cauliflower

- whole wheat products: bread, rice, pasta, etc.
- lean meats: chicken, turkey, salmon, and lean cuts of pork
- no white sugar or salty snacks
- baked meat and “French fires” instead of fried
- lots of fruits and vegetables

A few favorite recipes:
- low-carb chicken pizza
- Italian ranch turkey burger
- cauliflower mashed “potatoes”
- maple scrambled eggs with turkey-bacon

Exercise
Exercise is very important to help prevent diabetes. The great thing is that it’s still the beginning of the New Year, so what better time than now to make resolutions as a family to start exercising more?! You don't have to go to the gym and perform strenuous exercises with your kids; there are plenty of fun exercises you can do right in your own neighborhood! Here are a few of our favorite activities:

Toddler Yoga

- bike rides and nature hikes in the neighborhood and neighboring forest
- neighborhood games of soccer, kickball, tag, capture-the-flag, etc.
- swimming at the pool at the local college
- practicing Zumba and Yoga
- having silly dance competitions with my nieces
- going sledding, skiing and ice skating now that it’s snowing

More than ever before, it is extremely important to stay healthy as a family. Making healthy activities and foods a normal part of your family this year will ensure that your kids are less likely to develop Type 2, and are also being taught how to make healthy habits that can last them a lifetime!

Carolyn is a 20-something year old with a passion for life, fitness and overall well-being. She is an avid cycler, golfer and has been known to bust some serious moves on the dance floor. Check out Carolyn’s blog at Full-On Fit!

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Giving thanks for fish and chips

I mentioned previously that Amanda had been sick. When your child is sick, it’s often difficult to know what’s wrong and if you need to take him/her to the doctor. If you do take your child to the doctor, the doctor will decide what the problem is, but there is room for error even with all the learning and years of experience that your doctor will have had. At the end of the day, you know your child and you must go with your gut feeling to insure his/her good health.

Two days ago, I was still worrying about Amanda. It wasn’t clear to me if she was on the road to complete recovery. Deep down I knew that she was, but there was a specific moment that I doubted myself. It was at that precise moment, as the worry thoughts passed through my mind, that Amanda voiced what I had not said. “Mom, don’t worry, I’m fine.”

How did my child know what I was thinking? How did she know what to say at the right time? It was so specifically appropriate that I decided to heed her advice. Out of the mouths of babes, God speaks (Luke 10:21).