Organic Foods And Your Budget

 By Caroline Shannon

  I am always looking for a bargain. But even more so, I love being able to brag about a great shopping steal. When people tell me they love my pants, it feels so nice to say, “Twelve bucks at Target-can you believe it?!”

And when it comes to food, my price preferences are no different.

But even thought I know that organic food choices are my best option, my pocketbook disagrees. The thing is I would love to be able to eat organic and keep it on the cheap side. I mean, who wouldn’t? It’s better for you, it’s better for the earth-it’s a good deal all the way around.

Unfortunately, however, organic food can be pricey, and I don’t have the dough to always be buying grocery items of the luxurious kind.

So, you can imagine I was totally psyched when I saw a recent article on MSN that discussed the Top 12 Foods to Eat Organic.

According to the article, the most important items to buy organic are as follows:

Beef - According to the Environmental Protection Agency, meat contains higher levels of pesticides than any plant foods. Even though I don’t eat red meat, I just could not believe this one.

Milk - Hormones, antibiotics . . . ewww! Switch to an organic brand of the white stuff, or buy soy or almond milk.

Coffee - Buy Fair Trade beans which ensures that no pesticides and chemicals were used, and that farm workers were treated fairly.

Peaches - Forty-five different pesticides are used on these babies!

Apples - Organic apples are chemical-free, and taste sweeter-Yum!

Green Peppers - One of the most heavily sprayed veggies.

Celery - This green vegetable does not even have a skin to protect it from chemicals.

Strawberries - FIVE HUNDRED pesticides are used per acre of this fruit crop-need I say more?!

Lettuce - This leafy green is contaminated with what are considered the most powerful pesticides used on food.

Grapes - The fruit’s skin is so thin that even washing and peeling will not eliminate the pesticides that seep into grapes.

Potatoes - Idaho’s best are ranked the highest for pesticide residue.

Tomatoes - Chemicals will eventually saturate the whole tomato, again, because of the fruit’s thin skin.

This article really made me think, and I feel a bit better knowing my options. Unfortunately, at this point in my life everything I put into my body is not going to be organic; it just does not help to balance my checkbook! But if I can eliminate from my diet some of the very obvious sources of chemicals and not break the bank, then I will be happy with that for now.

So, do you think double-fudge, chocolate ice cream is organic, too?

 

 

Keeping Your Youth Athlete Safe

**Be aware the following article is of a sensitive nature**

I was watching T.V while checking e-mails the other night after the Olympic trials, when I ran across a show on the Sundance Channel call….  Flying : Confessions of a Free Woman. Jennifer Fox explored her life experiences and those of other women. She began to talk about her life and suddenly I was struck by her words…”I Ran Track In High School and was abused by my 42 year old coach at 13 years old while I was sharing my poetry book with him”. He didn’t rape her but took advantage of her youth and desire  to make him happy and proud of her.She said her “sex”  with him was an exchange for love. 

It was clear that this situation was a defining moment of her life on so many  levels.Unfortunately she describes her life as “A Wreck”. This caused me to think a lot about the  bad situations parents can place  girl athletes in unknowingly .Perhaps,sometimes we don’t pay proper attention to our daughters as much as we pay attention to their track pursuit.

Children’s Relationships with Child Molesters

Some people don’t understand how a child can be drawn into a child molester’s world. How do so many child molester get away with assaulting children?
We need to keep in mind that these children don’t think like adults do.  Maybe they come from a single parent home. Maybe they are approaching puberty and feel awkward and unsure of themselves. Whatever the reason, a child molester will pick up on the weaknesses and doubts of a child and weasel his way into that child’s psyche.
The targeted child may only see that someone is totally interested in her. He or she may bask in the extra attention that the child molester gives. 

What Drives a Child Molester to Victimize a Child?

If you have ever conducted a sexual predator search on a child predator web site, you may have been surprised at how long the predator report was. What drives a child molester to victimize a child?
* Child molesters get a thrill out of violating the trust of an innocent child.
* For some child molesters, a new conquest is just part of a game they are playing within themselves.
* Most child molesters are totally obsessed with children.
* They watch children, talk to them, and try to find ways to spend time with them.
* Child molesters typically observe the targeted child for some time so that they can better understand their vulnerabilities and act on them.
Do your part by routinely checking child predator Web sites and generating predator lists of sexual offenders in your area. A predator search can help you know just who might be out there ready to harm your child.

Protect Your Child From Child Predators

You may think that your child is perfectly safe from the advances of a child predator simply because you know where he/she is at all times. Your child isn’t lonely, and you and he do lots of things together. You may feel that he doesn’t fit the profile of a child predator’s target. Think again.
With the influx of Internet usage in a vast majority of homes, your child just isn’t safe! Child predators prowl the Web looking for their next victims. They may pose as another child or teen on sites such as FaceBook or MySpace. They may tell your child any number of lies and continue to do so until they’ve established a relationship. By then, your child may have become more secretive and protective of that relationship.
Take steps now to protect your child!

* Keep your computer in a a popular area of your home, such as the kitchen, living room, etc.
* Use the parental controls that your Internet Service Provider offers.
* Talk to your children and tell them never to hand out personal information.
* Warn your child about the dangers of child predators.
* If you are worried that someone who has contacted your child is a child predator, access the child predator Web site.
* Do a child predator search by inputting that person’s e-mail address.
* Be proactive to keep your child safe!

 Unfortunately the following headlines are real, and all very easy to find with a quick google search.

Former Track Coach at school is charged in 4 Bay area rapes

Former Conn. Gymnastics Coach Accused Of Raping Teenage Student …

The Seattle Times: Coaches who prey - The abuse of girls

Youth minister and track coach released after being charged with rape

 A teacher and  track coach says he is not guilty of raping a teenage student.

Coachfaces rape charge :: PostStar.com

Well I think you get the idea , there are more links than I have time to put up.Parents be cautiously  trusting of adults that have interaction of your youth athlete.

The World’s Fastest Man’s “TrackMom” Comforts Him

DAVID J. PHILLIP / Associated Press

 One thing is for sure TrackMoms lift up and encourage our athletes year in and year out. In good times and not so good.  Fast times and not so fast. Most times our kids just need to know we are there,even the worlds fastest man needs a little of mom’s love and reassurance.

Tyson Gay stumbled awkwardly to the track 40 meters into the men’s 200-meter quarterfinal at the Olympic trials yesterday and did not finish the race, suffering what his agent called a ‘‘severe cramp” in his left hamstring.As a result, he will not represent the US in the 200 at the Beijing Olympics next month. See the race here.  Early in the week Tyson Gay posted the fastest time ever with a wind aided boost. 

 

‘Before I went out on the track I felt a little tightness in my hamstring, so I had kind of a bad feeling,’ Gay said of his quarter-final.

 

Gay’s mother, Daisy Gay Lowe, said her son was upset tearful after the injury, but that his spirits lifted.

“He just needed some reassurance,” she said. “I prayed for him and prayed over him, and just wanted to make sure he didn’t get too down.” She wore a shirt with her son’s face on it. And below, there was an Adidas logo and the slogan, “Impossible is Nothing.”

“It’s going to work out,” she said. “It’s going to be OK. He’s going to run the 100, and he’s going to win the 100, and he’s going to run in the 4×100 relay. It’s all right.”

Hasay Is HOT!! On The 4th Of July

 

 

 Eugene Oregon continues to excite and inspire us.Last night Jordan Hasay, CIF Champion in the 3200 , Silver medalist in the 2007 IAAF World Youth Championships in Ostrava. Czech Republic.

Jordan broke the national high school record for  the1500m in a semifinal heat at Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon . Her time of 4:14.50 bested the previous mark by 2.1 seconds,finishing 7th over all. The other High School sensation Christine Babcock also qualified for the 1500m finals in an earlier heat .

Watch her interview here

Happy 4th Of July

 

Sharing the 4th of July with your kids

  By Gary Drevitch

1. Our Flag

The next time you’re with your child and you see an American flag, point it out. Explain that it stands for our whole country and that it’s one way we tell the world who we are as a people. It also shows we’re connected to each other as Americans — we’re on the same team. Because our flag is special, we treat it with respect.

At home, look at a flag together and point out that each part has a meaning. The 50 stars stand for our 50 states. The 13 stripes stand for the original 13 British colonies, whose citizens decided in 1776 that they wanted to govern themselves rather than be ruled by a king.

 

2. Our Pledge

If your child is in school, she may have recited the Pledge of Allegiance, but like many other kids her age, she might not understand exactly what she’s saying.

Explain that the pledge is simply a promise. We’re giving our word that we’ll be loyal (allegiance) to our country, which the flag stands for, because it’s a place where we can decide who our leaders will be (republic), where everyone sticks together (indivisible), and where our goal is for people to be free (liberty) and treated fairly by others (justice).

Ask your child to guess whether most countries have a pledge of allegiance of their own. (Most don’t.) We, as Americans, decided to create one to remind ourselves of our special freedoms. Written in 1892, the pledge was first recited during a celebration to mark the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s voyage to America.

 

3. Our National Anthem

If your child watches the Summer Olympics with you, he’s likely to hear at least one rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Explain that it’s our country’s song and that we sing it to show that we are proud to be American. To signal our respect, we usually stand while singing it.

Then share the story behind the anthem: A young poet and lawyer named Francis Scott Key wrote the words during the War of 1812. After British ships bombarded a fort in Baltimore during a fierce battle, Key saw our flag still flying, proudly waving. It meant that we still had our freedoms and that we had defended our young country. Ask your child what the image of a flag waving means to him.

 

4. Our Independence Day

You don’t have to wait until the July 4 festivities to explain what the fun is about. July 4 is our country’s birthday. It marks the day in 1776 that a group of determined patriots declared our independence — that no other country could rule us.

To do this was extremely dangerous. Back then, our ruler was the king of England, and he had one of the most powerful militaries in the world. To rebel against the king was to risk your life. Still, the king’s laws were harsh and unfair, so American patriots battled for the freedom to govern themselves. In 1783, the Americans won the fight, which we call the Revolutionary War.For older kids, explain that Americans gave their reasons for rebelling in the Declaration of Independence — one of our country’s most important documents. In it, Thomas Jefferson wrote that all people are entitled to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

 More on the 4th of July !

4th of July Food Handling Tips

 Fun Fourth of July facts

4th of July Facts and Safety Tips for Your Pets

Preparing For Championship Travel…… Don’t Forget A Good Breakfast

As we prepare to travel to the JO’s I am beginning to think about where we will eat, what we will eat,how much it will cost and most important how nutritious it will be. Take a look at this great article on some of the major restaurant chains and just what we are eating as parents and athletes  during our up coming JO experience. Now this is FOOD FOR THOUGHT .

Worst Chain Breakfast Diet-Busters & Satisfying Swaps

 Hungry Girl is here with the 411 on some flab-inducing breakfasts, and recipe swaps that slash calories and fat FAST!

Attack of the 1,210-Calorie Veggie Omelette!

At IHOP, you might think ordering the spinach and mushroom omelette is a good idea — but this egg disaster has a shocking 1,210 calories (eeeks!). Instead, try HG’s Ginormous Oven-Baked Omelette– you can have a giant piece of our protein-packed omelette for just 140 calories and 3g fat! An added bonus? You can make it the night before and then simply heat ‘n’ eat in the AM! 

79-Grams-of-Fat French Toast!

Even if you’re DYING for French toast, avoid Denny’s Fabulous French Toast Platter at all costs. This freaky breakfast plate will cost you 1,261 calories and 79g fat! Instead of feasting on this diet dud, try HG’s Cinnamonlicious French Toast. It has just 170 calories and 1g fat. And if you crave the sausage links and bacon slices this platter comes with, go for Morningstar Farms’ Sausage Links (2 links = 80 calories and 3g fat) and Jennie-O’s Extra Lean Turkey Bacon (2 slices = 40 calories and 1g fat). Then finish it off with sugar-free pancake syrup!  

Morning Muffin Mayhem!

McDonald’s regular Egg McMuffin has 300 calories and 12g fat. For a tiny little muffin? And if you slip up and order the one with sausage, you’ll be gobbling up 450 calories and 27g fat. YIKES!! Try HG’s Egga Muffin instead, for only 165 calories and 1.5g fat. 

600-Calorie B-Fast Sandwich Alert!

Subway may be known for its low-fat sub menu, but think twice before grabbing the sandwich chain’s 6-inch Chipotle Steak and Cheese Breakfast Omelet Sandwich. That meaty monstrosity has 600 calories and 32 grams of fat! If you wanna go Southwestern, you’d be way better off with HG’s Bueno Breakfast Burrito, with only 170 calories and 5g fat.

Slam Don’t! (Denny’s 1,040-Calorie Dud!)

So you’re starving … and you order up Denny’s Lumberjack Slam with hash browns. (The thing already includes pancakes, ham, bacon, sausage, AND eggs!) How can we say this politely — BAD IDEA!!! This massive morning mistake is loaded with 1,040 calories and 53g fat! If you crave a little bit of everything, why not whip up our Super Duper Veggie Scramble (only 150 calories and 5g fat), HG’s Very Blueberry Pancakes (201 calories and 2g fat), and our Butternut Hash Browns (85 calories and 1g fat)? ALL of that would cost you only 436 calories and 8g fat — that’s less than HALF the calories and EIGHTY FIVE percent less fat than Denny’s Lumberjack disaster!

Hungry For More?

Check out Hungry Girl: Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World. The book’s a New York Times Best Seller, and it’s packed with 165 super-easy and delicious recipes, survival guides for eating out, and so much more!

For a daily dose of guilt-free tips, tricks, food finds, recipes and more, visit hungry-girl.com and sign up for free daily emails!

Patrice Jones of Illinois Elite Says “This Is My NOW!”

 

 TrackMom Monique Jones Of Illnois Elite sent me these great pictures and update of Patrice Jones and her wonderful 400m race this past weekend.On the final day of competition at the USATF Youth Nationals in Charlotte,Patrice was ready to run and run she did putting up a magnificent effort in the midget girls 400m final in a show stopping personal best of 58.91 and a silver medal. Congratulations!  She also took home medals in the Long jump and 200m 6th place over all. Hard work does pay off.Patrice is poised and ready for AAU JUNIOR Olympics in,Detroit later this month .

  This is what youth track is about..doing your best and expecting no less.