The Daoist Diaries

I can’t exactly explain what it is about peanut butter that I love so much… the taste, the texture, the little reminders of childhood when I bite into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But, I do realize that I am one of very few. Most adults can’t stand peanut butter and even more adults are allergic to peanuts… thus leaving a small percentage of adults that do like peanut butter, and an even smaller percentage that are complete fanatics. I go beyond just being a fan… I’m completely addicted.

If we run out of peanut butter in my household, which actually happened recently, I am not a fun mother to be around. I go into complete peanut butter withdrawal. I crave peanut butter like smokers crave nicotine. It’s quite possibly the best, most versatile food. I can eat it in sandwiches, on crackers, celery… with a spoon, you name it.

What is even better is that peanut butter is available in so many varieties. You can get chunky or creamy, whole fat or low fat, standard or all-natural… so many choices! Unfortunately, there was a recent peanut butter scare that involved some tainted jars of peanut butter and I worry that it’s giving the old peanut butter a bad name.

So, being the kind woman that I am, I’m doing a sort of community service here. Peanut butter is still King! It is one of the best yummy, yet healthy, treats for adults and children. In fact, according to the Journal of American College of Nutrition, eating 2 tablespoons of peanut butter directly from the jar (which is something I happen to do quite often) may be a healthy habit! Peanut butter has many essential vitamins and nutrients, such as vitamins A and E, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and fiber.

In addition, scientific evidence suggests that eating peanuts (even in peanut butter) may reduce the risk of heart disease when limited to 1.5 ounces per day and combined with a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol. In 2002, a Harvard Study showed that women who ate peanut butter and nuts had a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes.

Unfortunately, especially for me, peanut butter is high in fat content and can therefore lead to weight gain if eaten in excess. So I am forced to limit myself on peanut butter overindulgence. But, it doesn’t mean that I enjoy my favorite all-time snack any less. In fact, the benefits of eating peanut butter, the healthy ones and the tasty ones, far outweigh the fat issue and the fact that I have to limit myself. Everything in moderation…

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We’ve all experienced some lack of motivation when it comes to exercise. But, it is well known that once you find an exercise program that you enjoy, that fits your lifestyle… you are more prone to stick with it. I know I’ve been there.

ModernSage.com recently received a question pertaining to just this… the inability to stick with an exercise program. Kevin Gianni of LiveAwesome.com was ready to tackle this question with fervor.

Question:

Hi, I wanted to find out whats the best way to stick to a routine that doesn’t fit your lifestyle. I like the idea of pilates, I have seen a ton of expert videos on the market, but pilates just doesn’t want to work with my body. I find it a little boring but I know the benefits are huge. Yoga.. that too comes across as boring and the benefits many. It’s hard to think something is changing in your body when you have a hard time sticking to the routine of it. I’m a big girl and lots of exercises are hard for me. At my wits end.. Rochelle

Answer:

Hi Rochelle,

This is Kevin Gianni from LiveAwesome.com and author of “The Busy Person’s Fitness Solution.”  I was forwarded this question to give my expert opinion.

To answer this question in complete honesty, there isn’t a way you can stick to a routine that doesn’t fit into your lifestyle.

Now of course, there are plenty of possibilities for exercise and activity that do fit, this just means there’s no way you’re going to fit a square peg into a round hole!

One of the biggest reasons for fitness failure is that people try to do things that they can’t feasibly stick with or, worse, things that they don’t like.

I don’t do anything that I don’t like.  I don’t like weight lifting, so I don’t do it.  I have dozens of other activities for building muscle.

The most important thing is to ask yourself, “What do I like to do?”

That answer will determine what type of program you should stick to.  Pilates is great.  So is Yoga.  So is weight lifting.  So is hiking.

All these things will get you where you need to go, but the one that will get you the best results is not the one that has the most “benefits” but the one that you are most likely to create a habit of doing.

So take some time to think about what you do like.  Forget about the benefits and what the experts say, find out what really gets you excited and do that activity.

Once you can figure out this, the rest it a piece of cake!

Live Awesome!
Kevin
http://www.liveawesome.com/

“Most people work hard and spend their health trying to achieve wealth.  Then they retire and spend their wealth trying to get back their health.” 

What are you going to do about it…

Check out Kevin’s latest article on ModernSage.com: 7 Reasons Why You Can and Will Lose Weight

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My son has little to no interest in afterschool programs. I started him early on, signing him up for soccer at the age of 5, the same age that I was when I started playing. He showed little interest in the game but seemed to enjoy running around on the field with his friends. I assumed he would start to show more interest as he grew older.

That same year, I signed him up for T-ball. Again, he showed little interest in the game and this time he didn’t even really enjoy playing with his friends. The weather can get fairly hot in the Spring where we live and he didn’t enjoy getting hot and sweaty.

The following Fall, I signed him up for soccer again. Same story, different year… but this would be his last. That year, he declined the offer to play T-ball, as well, claiming that it made him “sweaty”. I didn’t push the issue. I had decided long ago that I would not push my kids into any afterschool activities.

Now my son is 7 years old and still has no desire for afterschool sports. I tried to talk him into karate, thinking this might be a winner. But when he realized that it would be disciplined and not just all fun and games, he decided he didn’t want to do that either.

My thoughts have now strayed from trying to think of the perfect afterschool activity to wondering if, perhaps, he’s not really ready for an afterschool activity. This is difficult to me to believe, as my daughter is only 4 years old and enjoys attending ballet lessons once per week. I also realize that every child is different, and perhaps my son is just not at a point where he needs nor can benefit from additional stimulation in the form of an organized afterschool activity.

There has been a significant amount of information from pediatricians regarding the importance of free play for kids and less organized activities. This may be why I’m not pushing afterschool activities at this point. But part of me feels that he is really missing out on some fun and good camaraderie with children of his age. I suppose the answer is to find the happy medium: get your children involved in afterschool activities they enjoy participating in, but not going overboard with the responsibilities of young children.

I welcome any feedback from other parents. I’m curious to know at what age other parents began involving their own children in activities and if they push their children to participate or do they let the child decide. Many parents in the area where my children attend school force their children into such activities as swim team and piano. I’ve always been against pushing my children, but maybe it’s better to make them do it than not involve them in any afterschool activities at all.

ModernSage.com received a fantastic question from Morgan regarding her teenage daughter and her internet use. Expert Author, Maurice Arthur, was happy to give his advice.

Question:

My daughter is 15 and spends many evenings with her door closed browsing Facebook and other Internet sites. Is this harmless teenage behavoir or something I should manage?
Answer:

Morgan,
While spending time on FaceBook, Myspace, YouTube etc. may be a relatively harmless activity in most cases, it should be managed nonetheless. Your message brings about many questions that have to be taken into account. For instance, how much time is spent on the Internet daily? How much of the computer time is used for homework? What are your child’s reading habits? Does the Internet/computer time negate from reading time? It usually does. Do you have any filters related to Internet access so that you know what sites your child has visited? If not, how do you monitor the Internet activity and the other monitors in your home? Recently I even read about gangs that were recruiting high school students via Youtube. There is nothing like technology.

In order to determine if the Facebook time is relatively harmless, you have to put it in context. There was a time when I always spoke of managing the television, but now I speak of managing the monitors because technology has changed the game. Those monitors include television, the Internet, ipods, video games and anything else that utilizes a monitor. My opinion is to limit the amount of “monitor time” that a child has daily. So if the non-school related monitor time is 2 hours a day, that would include all the time spent on those sources noted above that utilize a monitor. Might that be 1 hour of TV and 1 hour of Internet activity? You have to decide based on the individual habits of your child and what works best; but I strongly suggest that you manage the monitor activity.

Maurice Arthur

Read Maurice’s latest article, The Media and Your Child, at ModernSage.com

Visit Maurice’s Expert Page

Need some expert advice? Email experts@modernsage.com with your question and we will find the best expert on our prestigious panel to help you.