Life has been busy, beautiful and chaotic here at Simple Acres. Autumn brings beautiful colors, family traditions, holidays to look forward to and “bugs” we need to fight off to stay healthy. How do you and your family stay healthy as the season changes and the holidays come? There are a few tips that promote a healthy family that are helpful for us we are excited to share!

We have a lot going on as mothers. I found myself in bed with a cold this week and what I realized is how much my family needs me to be my healthiest. We as mothers have so many roles that often we forget to take care of ourselves or we just can not find the time.

Here are my 10 Tips that promote a healthy family:

1. Take a time out. When it comes to health, rest is KEY to prevention. I am guilty as charged and can be the worst at this BUT I am taking a self-care stay-cation this week to rest and reset. We need this as moms and our kids even need this too. Rest helps keep our bodies functioning optimally to ward off illness. I am working hard to be intuitive to my bodies signs of weariness as well as my children’s this season and trying to be proactive with extra rest as needed.

2. Have a plan. Helping our kids and selves to be healthy through the holiday and fall-winter season takes planning and being prepared. This includes having an idea what you want to serve for dinner and snacks that are healthy to when you will get in physical activity. Planning comes in many forms but to keep it simple just write a note, journal or type it in your notes in your phone. Once written, there is a much higher chance of follow through.

Look at that cow, isn’t she cute!? I love how fluffy our black Angus cows ears get and they are the most inquisitive and peaceful animals. Also, very weird when they all come from 5 acres away and stare at you…I digress and there I am present with the slobbery cow. That brings me to number three.

3. Be present. Even in the midst of chaos I try to check in with myself and what I feel I need to maintain health (nourishment, activity, rest, spirituality) and what my family needs whether it is extra attention, rest, love or an extra healthy drink to start their day. Being present is part of that time out I mentioned above and helps in the planning process for your family’s success.

4. Stay active. It is easy to not exercise as the weather cools and our schedule fills with festivities and delicious foods. Often it is said people gain 10-15 pound during the holiday season of the year. Exercise is a powerful tool to ward of holiday pounds, decrease stress, boost our immune system and practice self care. What activity does as a mom is it models healthy behavior to your little ones. I have been running bleachers for 6 months now and when I take my kids they ACTUALLY run WITH ME! This is because they see the exercise as norm and fun! 15 minutes three times per week with 25 sit-ups and push-ups has been my regimen. With such minimal time I have seen and felt big results.

5. Be Realistic. You will not be perfect mamma. The reality is you will miss that daily vitamin, workout or servings of produce some days. Remember CONSISTENCY not perfection is needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle as a family. Keeping your perspective more positive and realistic with decrease the stress of all that’s on your plate.

6. Laugh often. A happy heart really is good medicine as it decreases stress hormones that effect your health and immunity negatively. Family movie nights with funny movie themes, telling jokes and getting silly with the kids are all great ideas to keep “the funny” alive.

7. Love often. Love is healing, uplifting, rewarding and comforting. Whether it is quality time spent, gift giving or kind words….love truly is the bodies best medicine.

8. Start your day right. I’m finding myself eating my moms pumpkin pie for breakfast and snacks this time of year! We need a convenient way to get in the antioxidants our body needs aside from the enjoyable foods the season offers. I am excited to share V8® Veggie Blends: Caribbean Greens juice drink. It is natural, healthy and convenient. This is a new flavor that you can find at Walmart. What I loved about is it’s tasty but not too sweet as its 75% juice, 25% water and contains no added sugar or food additives and is only 60 calories per serving. Just drinking a cup or two at breakfast gets me nearly to goal intake for vegetables for the day!

9. Increase produce intake. We need to eat more fruits and vegetables (2.5-3cups a day of vegetables per the USDA) than ever this season to equip our bodies  with the antioxidants needed to maintain health. Busy schedules and picky kid appetites generally wreak havoc on this goal. One cup of V8® Veggie Blends: Caribbean Greens equals a half a cup of raw vegetables which means meeting your goals just got simpler! Bring on the vitamin A,C and E.

10. Connect. Take time out, retouch with yourself and the Greater Good to reboot your body from the inside out. Here I am enjoying my V8® Veggie Blends: Caribbean Greens soaking in what nature has to offer on our farm. Watching my kids play in the pumpkin patch and counting my blessings!

Get your   V8® Veggie Blends  now at Walmart in the beverage section of the store.

Quality life, love, health and happiness I wish you! Dovidenia. Xo

The post 10 Tips That Promote a Healthy Family appeared first on Simple Acres Blog.

A fresh start is always a good thing! Whether it is a new year, week or day starting off refreshed with a healthy diet is a perfect way to start. My Asian Coconut Sesame Chicken Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette is the perfect balanced light meal packed full of healthy nutrients.

What I enjoyed about this new recipe I put together was its simplicity all while experimenting with new ingredients such as pureed ginger and lemongrass paste. It was so convenient shopping at Safeway where I found EVERYTHING I needed for my Asian Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette.

Ingredients

Salad:

• head of iceberg lettuce
• coleslaw mix
• sweet baby bell peppers diced
• handful slivered almonds and handful of wonton strips for garnishing
• a few pinches of diced cilantro for garnishing

Coconut Sesame Chicken:

• 6-8 oz chicken tenderloin pieces
• 1-2 eggs for dipping
• breading (1/2 cup panko breading, 1/4 cup coconut, 1/8-1/4 cup sesame seeds)

Citrus Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup Simply Orange Juice
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, may add a little more to your taste
• 1/4 cup light olive oil
• 1 pea size drop of lemongrass paste
• 1 Tbsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1Tbsp diced cilantro
• dash of salt and pepper
• 1 full lime squeezed for juice
• 1-2 Tbsp soy sauce

Directions

Coconut Sesame Chicken:

1. Mix panko, coconut and sesame seeds in a bowl. Set aside.
2. Beat eggs and leave in separate bowl for dipping.
3. Dip defrosted chicken in beaten raw eggs and then dip and coat with breading mix from step 1.
4. Place on non-stick baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until coating is golden brown and internal temp is at least 165 degrees.
5. Once cooked set aside to cool briefly until you can handle them to slice them.

Salad:

1. Toss all ingredients in bowl in exception to garnishings.
2. Set aside.

Citrus vinaigrette:

1. Whisk all ingredients listed in mixing bowl.
2. Add more vinegar, salt, pepper or honey to your taste as you are making it.

WATCH THE VIDEO below to see a quick tutorial on the cooking process! Place your salad mix in a bowl, top with sliced breaded chicken, top with slivered almonds, wonton strips and citrus vinaigrette and enjoy!

There you have it friends, a delicious and light meal to refresh and start new any day, moment or meal of the week!

This meal was perfect with the fresh cut fruit I bought at Safeway and a cup of my Simply Orange juice.

You can find the Simply Orange juice in the juice cooler section. The fresh cut fruit is in the produce section and if you are looking for a great beverage to enjoy during the day such as vitaminwater or something to power an intense workout such as POWERADE, those can be found in the cooler/ beverage aisle in your local Safeway. I found my grocery stop so convenient as the one-stop-shop for everything I needed.

A great offer I must mention! Right now if you buy $15 worth of participating items you will get $4 off your Fresh Cut Fruit via Catalina. You will find the $4 off on your receipt as a coupon/credit for your next purchase of Fresh Cut Fruit!

I hope you enjoy my Asian Coconut Sesame Chicken Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette ! What is great is by make a bit larger batch as this recipe describes, leftovers can be used as an easy lunch the next day. You could eat it as a salad or place it in a wrap for something new. You may also like my Strawberry Spinach Salad or BBQ Chicken Salad as well.

Cheers to fresh starts every day with nutrition that nourishes the body from the inside out! Dovidenia. Xo

The post Asian Coconut Sesame Chicken Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette appeared first on Simple Acres Blog.