One of the substitutes that I have made is replacing vegetable oil for coconut oil. I was introduced to coconut oil from Laura at the Heavenly Homemaker Blog. I started to research this more and as I learned more about it, I decided that coconut oil would be a permanent staple for my kitchen!

Coconut Oil

• Some health benefits of coconut oil include, fighting against heart disease, cancer, and colon problems. Lowers cholesterol, promotes thyroid gland
• Contains the same disease fighting , Lauric acid as does breast milk which protects an infant from bacterial and viral infections. When I learned this, I started giving a little coconut oil to my kids on an almond every morning with their daily vitamin.
• Not only is coconut oil good to use in your baking and cooking, you can use coconut oil on your skin. It helps relieve dry skin, flaking skin, eczema and other skin infections.

Baking and cooking:

• Coconut oil will tend to look more like shortening when temperatures are lower than 70 degrees. When replacing vegetable oil in recipes, you can warm the coconut oil up to be sure to replace exact amount. When doing this, make sure your other ingredients are at room temperature as well, otherwise, once the coconut oil makes contact with cold ingredients, the oil will harden up again. I have done this step in my baking but I will also tell you that I have just replace the oil still in it’s solid state and it has turned out fine. *See note below.
• Substitute the same amount of coconut oil with vegetable oil. Although I have read that you don’t have to use as much of coconut oil.
• You can replace shortening with 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut oil
• Click here to order coconut oil online

I have substituted Coconut oil in most all of my baking recipes. They have turned out great! *I did find in a banana bar recipe, that I saw tiny white specs in the bar. However, there was no flavor or texture change to the recipe. This is why they say to bring your other ingredients to room temperature so the coconut oil doesn’t turn to a solid again.

It’s in these everyday choices that you can start making that life-style change! You can do it! Step by step, calorie by calorie, exercise by exercise, it’s everyday choices that make a lifestyle change.

Give coconut oil a try and leave me a comment letting me know how it turned out, I’d love to hear about it.

Valentine’s Day celebrates love and romance, which is what we want to do this month. Whenever my husband teaches on the topic of romance, a question he encourages men to ask their wives is: Do you feel more like a mother or a wife? CJ’s goal with this question is to help husbands discover whether or not they are making their marriage a priority, even over raising their children.

Come to think of it, this is a useful question (slightly reworded) that we wives should ask ourselves: Do I act more like a mother or a wife? Which is my greater priority – mothering my children or being my husband’s helper, lover, and best friend? Now, with this question, I am not denying the importance of a mother’s role. Motherhood is exceptionally important. However, the Bible makes it clear that, after our relationship with God, our relationship with our husband is to be our highest priority. In fact, one of the most loving things we can do for our children is to prize our husbands.

Now, if you are like me, this question can be both helpful and discouraging. I find it helpful to see more clearly how I can improve in the wife department, and yet discouraging to recognize how far short I come from where I should be. Yet, seeing my deficiencies propels me to Christ. I am freshly reminded of my need for grace and mercy.

That is why Hebrews 4:16 was my morning meditation: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Let’s receive God’s mercy and find grace to prize our husbands above all others today.

Have you heard about Mommy and Me Fitness?

Did you know we are in your backyard?

We even have a FREE exercise class!

We are a Nonprofit Christian Organization who offers women and children a healthy start!  We are now offering classes in Tierrasanta.

When:  Tuesday and Friday mornings, both classes are offered from 9 – 10

Where:  Monserat park on Robusto rd.  We are right next to Vista Grande elementary.

Yes!  We will add more days in the near future, be sure to check back often here.

Please stay and look around the website, we are glad you are here.  We have lots of helpful information on how to put the FUN back in your fitness routine.  Like this post on fun exercises read here.

In case you are wondering what to bring to class check out this list below:

Stroller

water bottle for yourself

towel or mat for ab work

hat

sunscreen

child’s essentials including snacks, drink and toys to keep your rider happy :t)

You will be most comfortable wearing tennis shoes and workout clothes

To join us for class go here and let us know you are coming.  An area instructor will contact you prior to class to welcome you.

Thanks have a Mommy Strong Day!

Strollering Strong Series

Philippians 4:13  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
A circuit class for all fitness levels including walking, resistance band/strength training, mat work, running and stretching. We will incorporate scripture, prayer, mini-devotionals and words to inspire and encourage you to get that body moving!  Children will love the bible songs, movement and fun this class offers.  Come and see how having a healthy body carries over into the calling God has in store for you as a woman, wife and mother!

Mommy and Me Fitness has a wonderful opportunity to raise support through Mansfield Ohio’s  local Applebees restaurant. On Wednesday, February 29th, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. come out to eat at the Ontario Applebees, and they will donate 15% of your check to Mommy and Me Fitness. You can dine-in or order car side service, just make sure to hand a flier to your server.

Click the link below to print out your flier and pass one out to a friend or neighbor.

Applebee’s Dining to Donate Flier – Mansfield, OH

It’s so exciting to see the ways Mommy and Me Fitness is growing. We’d love to have your support during this growth. Mark your calendars and spread the word!

As Mothers, stress comes in many different forms:

• Physical Stress – nightly interruptions, taxi driver, dealing with several different schedules, household chores, occupation, caring for an infant, caring for a toddler, caring for multiple children, parenting difficulties, deadlines, illness with family members, etc.

• Emotional Stress – expectations, guilt, denial, worry, frustration, loss of loved one, separated from loved one, etc.

Most of these forms of stress that hits most Mothers has a tendency to build on top of each other and then…there is a breaking point. This breaking point is what we want to avoid.

1. First things first, you need to recognize YOUR “stressers.” Identify what pushes you over the edge. Everyone’s buttons are different.
2. Be alert to physical changes. Ways stress physically shows itself: tense shoulders, short-tempered, racing thoughts, exhaustion, excitability, mood changes, overeating sweets-this one’s for me. Beware to all Oreos, chocolate and Twinkies when I’m stressed out!

Once you are aware of your stress triggers, then you can learn to manage them.

Knowing the triggers is half the battle. The other half is overcoming stress.

1. Plan ahead. Look at your week. Make adjustments as you see needed to avoid an encounter with your breaking point.
2. Take time to exercise. It will boost your mood as well as your energy level.
3. Get extra sleep. Try to sneak in a nap when your babies are napping. Or go to bed 1/2 hour earlier.
4. Relax your body. I have used the Progression Muscle Relation. Basically, you tense each muscle group in your body at separate times, and quickly relax them.
5. Taking a warm bath or shower can also help relax tense muscles and revive your spirit.
6. Keep your body fueled with good food and plenty of water. Avoid processed and sugary foods. Trust me…it only adds guilt to the stress.
7. Listening to worship or instrumental musical can be helpful, other times no sound at all is best.
8. No better way to keep your life de-stressed than staying connected to God. A favorite verse I cling to when surrounded by stress is Is. 41:10, “Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous hand.”

What are some ways that you handle stress?

I was recently asked where my inspiration to be healthy and fit comes from. This has certainly changed over the years. When I was single I just wanted to feel better about myself. That was it, nothing more to it than that. My biggest inspiration these days are my boys. I have always enjoyed outdoor activities like camping and hiking. I LOVE to surf, it’s therapeutic and is definitely a workout! Having two young boys now, making time to fit in my workouts has become a huge priority. One of my goals as a mother is to be a healthy example to them. I want my kids to learn to eat healthy right from the start so hopefully they will love their veggies. I want them to grow to love fitness and to pass it on to their families. My hope is that instead of coming home to play video games, my boys will be practicing a favorite sport instead. My inspiration to be fit and healthy stems from a desire to see my children grow, get married, and have children of their own someday…and I want to be there for them! Today, about one in three children/teens in the US are overweight. With a fitness-minded family, I never want  my children to be a part of that statistic. That they will never know low self esteem or have health issues due to their weight.

Remember when you went outside with just a pair of roller skates and your imagination? When we rode our bikes around the neighborhood till the street lights came on? We had fun with very little. If you were anything like me and my brothers, you wore yourself out running around, doing cartwheels, and climbing trees! With all the non-fitness related temptations out there for our children, I think it is more important than ever that we encourage them to be healthy and active. There are countless benefits to raising healthy children and it is my opinion that it starts with us parents. We need to set that healthy example for our children to follow. Studies show that parents who are physically active are more likely to have children who are physically active. In an effort to help your children be more active, you too will be more active and healthy.

Not sure how to promote a more active lifestyle? Here are some ideas:

• Spend time with your kids doing physically active things; you can ride bikes, go on a hike, play Frisbee in the park, learn a new sport together (my parents and I learned to surf together).

• Try doing things that don’t feel like exercise like an obstacle course or miniature golfing.

• Need a rainy day activity? Try going to a roller skating rink (I hear there are a few out there still), challenge each other to a dance off (you can play one of the new games where your body is a controller and you are moving), have a hula hoop contest.

• Turn chores into a game. Make a race out of cleaning rooms or raking leaves. They will be so excited to win they won’t realize they are getting those heart rates up.

• You can sign up for family fun races and then train together.

Encourage each other to exercise!

Thanks for sharing Jen! Please welcome Jen to the Mommy and Me Fitness team!

Grapefruit Goodness

By Angie – CEO of Mommy and Me Fitness

Our new home in Sunny CA has not only 1 but 3 large fruit trees! One of which is a Grapefruit tree.  My kids were not as excited as I was about this. So I was determined to teach them how yummy this fruit can be.  Take a look at some of the fun we had on this journey.

Juice

First on my list of things to do with the yummy fruit was making juice. This was so fun and EASY!  Honestly there is no rhyme or reason to this recipe other than your family’s personal taste.

We filled our container up with half pure juice and the other half water and 1/2 cup of sugar and the kids LOVED it!  My hope is to lower the amount of sugar I put in as they get use to the tang of it! There is no need for a fancy juicer when you have fancy kids to help juice the fruit. Kids are always excited to taste what they’ve made themselves.

I came across this recipe for sorbet I listed below. My kids cannot wait to try it, however, we do not have an ice-cream maker. I thought I would go ahead and list it in case any of you had one, as it looks super yummy!

Grapefruit Sorbet

What you will need:

3 Large grapefruit

1 Cup of white sugar

1/4 light corn syrup

4 Cups water

Be sure to scrub the fruit after you pick or purchase them.

• Zest/peel 3 long strips of the peel and set aside

• Squeeze about 2 cups of juice

• In a saucepan, add the peel, sugar, corn syrup and water.  Bring to a boil, stirring till sugar is dissolved and continue cooking for 2 minutes.

• Set aside to cool

• Place in refrigerator, or set in a bowl of ice for faster chilling, discard the peel.

• Strain the grapefruit juice through a sieve or strainer to remove the pulp.

• Stir the sugar syrup into the grapefruit juice

• Lastly, pour into a container of an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufactures instructions.  Transfer to a container and freeze until firm.

Ok, for those of you who know me, of course I had to look up the health benefits during my search, mainly to explain to my husband why he was going to eat, drink and love Grapefruit. I was pleasantly surprised at what I found and just have to share with you:

The Health Benefits

• Rich in Vitamin C - “cold fighters” that helps support your immune system. It also helps reduce the severity of inflammatory conditions, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

• There is a Phytonutrient in grapefruit that inhibits tumor formation. (I love reading this encouraging information) It promotes formation of something called glutathione-S-transferase, a detoxifying enzyme. This enzyme causes a reaction with our liver that helps to make toxic compounds more water soluble for excretion from the body.

• Pulp is beneficial in any citrus fruit because it contains glucarates that may help prevent breast cancer

• Grapefruit help lowers Cholesterol

• Protection against colon cancer

• Can aide in the prevention of Kidney stones and after watching a few close relatives pass stones I never want to do that so I will pass on the coffee, bring me the juice!

Increase your intake: After reading all the health benefits I am ready to start increasing my families intake of this super star fruit God has given us. I always tell my kids that when they sit down to eat a meal they should practice eating what came from God’s hands first and the man made food last. Of course sometimes they giggle and try to debate that God gave man the ability to make the chocolate cake they want to eat. But I think they get the point.

Start your breakfast with a half grapefruit or a glass of grapefruit today!

I have been on the fitness training program with Brooke for the last three weeks. This training has been none like I have ever had. My first task was to pray. Have I ever prayed for fitness results before? I have prayed while I’m running. I have prayed while I am walking…but have I ever prayed about my fitness routine specifically? I didn’t think I had. What an awesome way to start out this fitness journey…with faith.

I prayed and asked God what He would change about my body…I have several...but what would He change? What kind of goals would God like to see me accomplish? With this in mind and my heart open to His leading, I felt that He wants to be by my side. He wants to come along side me and teach me the parallel of physical strengthening to spiritual strengthening.

During a my second week of training, God opened my eyes wide! I’d like to share that experience with you. One morning last week, as I was taking the daily inventory of my shape in the mirror I started to get greedy for faster results. The Lord quickly brought Brooke’s encouragement to thank the Lord for the results you start to see! I got to wondering if I had done that yet. Besides just the quick, under my breath, hey thanks God! I determined to shut out that greedy voice and give praise to God for the progress I had made. As I was praising Him, I clearly heard Him remind me of the spiritual strength He is also building inside me. The times when I am facing that “mommy frustration” and I usually blow it…I have felt that inner strength overcome. It’s similar to the physical strength I find when I am exercising and think I can’t push anymore, but somehow…I muster up that last bit of strength and finish. God is building my spiritual endurance along with my  physical endurance. I am really feeling that connection in day to day life!

As my mind wanders back to the “why is it so slow to see results” question, for both physical and spiritual growth, He reminded me that it takes time to grow. Growth in my physical results and growth in my spiritual walk. Many times I’ve asked God to just fix me! It would be so easy for Him to just snap His fingers and I can be physically fit and spiritually mature. But God wants me to g.r.o.w. And growth takes practice, and practice takes time.

Friends, when you are at the end of your rope, physically or spiritually, call on God. He will build you up, strengthen you, and guide you. As you go on your personal, fitness journey, invite God to join you.  He will meet you there, you just have to ask.

2 Corinthians 12:10 “that is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am STRONG!”

“Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful.  And since there’s no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.” Where I live it is cold and snowy which is typical for January.  After a mild start to the winter my family has been excited to see the snow, but I know the days still ahead…days of, “I’m bored!” or, “Can I watch TV?”  While we are loving the snowy weather now, some day soon we are going to get CABIN FEVER!  As a mom and teacher it is nice to have some activities to do with the kids that are both fun and deceptively educational, especially on those days where everyone just needs to run around and cannot go outside. Play is a great way to keep both mind and body fit!

Indoor Winter Activities

1. Crab walk Races

In case you wonder what I am talking about, crab walking is when a person sits on the floor, places his/her hands down facing away from the body and lifts themselves up on his/her hands and feet.  Have I confused you yet? See the picture and you will smile and nod! When I was teaching First Grade we had some students who were still struggling with their fine motor skills.  Our school Occupational Therapist told us that playing with play dough was great, but the best way to strengthen those fine motor muscles was to crab walk.  My co-teacher and I were surprised, but the next recess we took our students to the gym and had crab walking races. The kids loved it!  You can do this at home!  My children have crab walk races down our hallway or across our living room.  It is fun to watch, requires no equipment and helps get little hands ready for tasks like holding pencils and tying shoes.

2. Walking a Balance Beam

As a teacher we had balance beams on our playground at my school. I still remember the day our Physical Education teacher came back from a conference on brain-based learning and told us that there is a correlation somehow between the ability to walk across a balance beam and learning how to read.  She took our students out during gym class and almost all the children who were having some reading difficulties, also were challenged to walk the beam.  Needless to say, after that, I had all my students practice the beam at least once during recess for the next couple weeks. I do not have the room to have a balance beam in my house, but I can lay down a piece of wood and let my children walk across it.  Some other people have used masking tape and made a flat “beam” that their children can walk on; then they don’t try to pick it up and swing it around the room.  The first time we laid down the wood the kids started racing across only to discover that our youngest (20 months old) felt the balance beam was a good place to sit. My kids probably went on the balance beam for over 20 minutes just walking across, falling down or trying to run one after the other.  It was definitely good for a few laughs too!

3. Snowball Fight

While I am a fan of snowballs, I prefer to not have the traditional ones inside my house.  However, I do allow my family to have a paper snowball fight with a purpose.  The way this fight works is to write or type something you want your children to find/learn on pieces of paper.  The last time we did this I typed the individual letters in each of my children’s names.  These papers can then be crumpled up to become “snowballs.”  The kids crumple and then the fight ensues! After everyone is done tossing the paper balls, the kids open them up and try to find the letters in their names.  After the names are in order we can either be done or crumple and toss again.  In first grade we would write a math fact (i.e. 2+2=) and the kids would toss them; when they opened those snowballs they had to answer the math fact.  This could be done with letters, numbers, shapes, really anything.  At the end we also will let the kids toss them into a bucket or basket to practice aiming.  The truth also is, if your kiddos have a ton of energy, you can just crumple old paper and let them fly, even without an ulterior purpose!

~Written by Mommy and Me Fitness New Charter Director, Jen.

Thanks Jen for these great ideas!