I am thrilled to be involved with Chef Chris Daly's HIP4Kids program. The subject of childhood obesity makes me crazy, because for the most part, it doesn't have to be. I believe it begins and ends with the parents, and too many parents either don't care, or they simply don't know any better. When meals become an ongoing trip through the take-out windows, and soda is the everyday beverage of the house, bad things are eventually going to happen. Diets don't work, and exercise is as important as anything on your menu. In my mind, it's as simple as being active and eating food that is actually good for you.

Children on their own will gravitate to food that causes the problems, and too many children lead a sedentary lifestyle. If the parents don't get it, prepare for all the horrors of the ongoing child obesity saga. It's a matter of education, and that's what HIP4Kids is all about. Chris Daly is a talented chef who could easily find a very successful life in a countless number of restaurant kitchens, but this chef elected to go a very different direction. He chose the challenging path of helping kids to enjoy a happy and healthier lifestyle. He has been at it the past eleven years, so the knowledge and the commitment is there. The key to solving the problem is simply getting people to listen.

All I know is what I see on a daily basis. We have a serious problem with food, and it's not getting any better. I do know one thing - we need more people like Chef Daly, and we need more parents to take charge and begin immediately to turn this crisis around. It's difficult, but not impossible. I view it as a matter of life and death, so I have no problem taking the predictable heat from companies that have zero interest in the health of our children. In this regard, I will attempt to be as positive as possible, but having said that, I intend to tell it like it is.


Bob Bickell
Editor of HIP4Kids Monthly Newsletter
Publisher - Restaurant Report
Publisher - Prime Philadelphia
 

Fight Fracking with Chefs for the Marcellus

The fight to ban fracking for natural gas in New York State’s Marcellus Shale is reaching a critical moment.  Now is the time to express your concerns and commitment to protect our regional foodshed and watersheds from this industrialized process that threatens environmental health, the regional food movement, and the beauty of our state. Read more on this subject.....
 

The New Year's Weight Loss Challenge 2012

Worried About Type-2 Diabetes? Discover How You Can Easily Help Prevent or Manage it!

 If you've noticed the news, Type 2 Diabetes is on the rise in the USA, and around the world, for both kids and adults. If you don't have it, it's not too late to take steps to prevent it. And if you already have it, there's a new way to help manage it. Studies have proven the earlier you tackle any blood sugar problems, the better your chances are for success. It has also been made clear that losing excess weight can help ward off diabetes. If you could lose weight without being hungry, and if you could eat something that tasted however you wanted it to, would you do it?

Who wouldn't answer 'yes' to that?
You don't have to change your habits or start taking expensive pills. All you need are Chia Seeds. The Chia Seed, while not well known, is actually a Superfood. It was lost for centuries, ever since the ancient Aztecs used its super-nutrition for their armies. With the ability to keep people feeling full, and being 23% protein by weight, it isn't any wonder they were able to conquer so many lands. Every tiny seed was a powerhouse of nutrition, vitamins and essential omega-3 oils.

How easy is it to use?
Chia Seeds are actually one of the easiest things you can possibly add to your diet. It's as simple as sprinkling them onto anything you already like to eat or drink. Chia Seeds don't have a flavor of their own. Instead, they distribute the flavors of food or drink that you add them to. This property lets them take on the taste of that food, or amplify the flavor of liquids. (Meaning when you cook with them, the food will actually taste better!)
For example, you could sprinkle them onto: breakfast cereal, yogurt, oatmeal, ice cream, juice, milk, pizza, salad dressing, pasta, sandwiches....really, anything that's moist enough to get the seeds to stick to the surface...and you stay full much longer, from eating much less food!

It seems far fetched, how can little seeds do all that and more?

Get ready for a double shot of weight-loss benefits:
First: Chia Seeds help you feel full longer, and you can actually watch the process work! Diet pills may ask you to believe they work, but MySeeds Chia shows you. If you take 1 tablespoon-full of Chia and add it to 9 tablespoons  of water, stir, and wait 15 minutes, you'll see that each seed has formed a big bead of gel on the surface and the water is now thick like a gelatin. Notice how much larger this solid form is? This is what happens when you eat the seeds. The gel won't come off the seed easily, and is made of pure water. This feels like food in the stomach, but replaces calories with water (which has 0 calories)

Second: Chia is a fiber-rich seed. It has soluble and insoluble fiber. In fact, you can literally SEE the fiber of the Chia Seed in action, if you place it in liquid. (it will form a big bead of gel around the seed) Fiber-rich foods are processed more slowly by the body. This is a great benefit if you're trying to lose weight without starving! When foods process more slowly, you feel 'satisfied' or 'full' much faster than normal. This makes it easy to eat less at mealtime.

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By packing in fiber, the food you eat is less calorically dense. The fiber fills you up, and performs its important roles in the colon, but ISNT absorbed by the body to turn into extra calories and fat. Insoluble fiber is not digested. It is sometimes called 'roughage' and helps to clean the colon.

But what about glucose? Glucose and insulin levels are important for preventing type-2 diabetes. Starchy foods, sugary drinks, and other modern-day diet options that convert quickly into sugars in the body spike insulin levels. You can give your system a break with fiber. Viscous fiber (that which appears like a gelatin) slows down the conversion of carbohydrates into sugars and helps normalize blood glucose levels. That means it's beneficial to mix Chia Seed in with food you already like to eat.

Blood sugar naturally rises and falls through out the day. It can also be what makes you drowsy in the afternoon. Dips and spikes aren't good for consistent, healthy energy. The slowing of conversion of carbohydrates into sugar has the ability to create endurance. Carbohydrates are the fuel for energy in the body. Prolonging their conversion into sugar stabilizes metabolic changes, diminishing the surges of highs and lows creating a longer duration in their fueling effects. Protein fuels energy as well, and the protein in chia is complete. Once again, a double benefit for you.

With Chia Seeds you can deal a powerful 1-2 punch against Type-2 Diabetes risk-factors: excess weight and insulin spiking foods. Of course, there are many other benefits to Chia as well, such as healthy omega-3 oils, micro-nutrients, a full range of b-vitamins and more calcium by weight than milk. If you already have Type-2 Diabetes, it's important to watch your blood-sugar closely and ask your doctor about adding Chia Seeds to your diet. If you don't have this problem, it's not too late to stop it from ever hitting you. If you have risk factors, or, if you're just looking for a way to feel better every day, and improve your health, you need to take action right away. You need Chia Seeds!

About Author
"Going Green" & helping to improve the health of all people is a top priority! You can learn much more about how the Chia Seed can help you with photos, videos facts and more at http://www.mychiaseeds.com/ , plus don't forget our free shipping & 2 cook books!