When making lifestyle changes, take small steps. Too many at once can be-come confusing and frustrating, causing you to revert back to old habits. Last week, Jodie Mirosovsky suggested adding water to the diet and exercising with others. Walking 20 minutes a day is a great start. This week, try drinking a glass of water before and after eating. It will help reduce how much you eat and make you feel fuller. An occasional coffee or tea can replace the water. Also, try adding food with more fibre. In our diet, fibre is the part of plant material that is resistant to digestion by the human gastrointestinal tract.
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There are two types of fibre: soluble and insoluble. Some food rich in soluble fibre includes oat bran, fruits, vegetables, brown rice, barley, peas, beans and nuts. Food rich in insoluble fibre are lentils, peas, beans, wheat bran and whole-grain breads and cereals.
Adding soluble fibre to the diet can reduce the risk of developing heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels. Insoluble fibre helps reduce the risk of developing constipation, colitis, colon cancer and hemorrhoids. Diabetics on high fibre diets need much less insulin. Fibre is filling and low in calories and can be used to prevent and treat obesity. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, and whole grains also have high amounts of vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy body functioning.
Ways to increase dietary fibre:
Use fresh or dried fruits as desserts and snacks.
Leave fibre-rich skins on fruits and vegetables when possible. Raw veggies and fruits have more useful fibre.
Eat grain and cereal products that contain whole wheat or bran.
Increase fibre intake gradually and increase water intake to help move the fibre through the digestive track.
Beans, rice and lentil chili
This dish is filling and provides soluble and insoluble dietary fibre.
1 lb. lean ground beef 500 g
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 -19 oz .can diced tomatoes 540 mL
1 -7.5 oz. can tomato sauce 213 mL
1 c.water 250 mL
1 c. uncooked whole grain brown rice250 mL
1 jar salsa 430 mL
1 -19 oz. can mixed beans (red kidney and Romano beans, chickpeas and black-eyed peas) 540 mL
1 c. cooked lentils 250 mL
1 -2 tsp. chili powder 5 -10 mL
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper 1 mL
1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers 2 mL
Sort the lentils to remove dirt and stones, rinse and place in a saucepan. Cover with water. Simmer on medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Lentils will double to triple in volume. Drain.
Brown ground beef. Rinse under hot water to remove fat. Add onion and cook and stir until onion is clear. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water and rice. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add salsa and mixed beans. Cook for 10 minutes. Add cooked lentils and spices. Heat and serve with a tossed salad.
Money management
Teaching financial skills to children now can save them from debt later in life.
Eight of 10 Canadians surveyed believe that youth are ill prepared to manage their finances when they enter the workforce. Eighty-five percent of those surveyed for the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants believe that financial management skills should be taught in schools.
But the school system can only teach basic facts and introduce the skills that are needed for youth to learn money management. To become good money managers, children need years of practice, guidance and examples that start in the home.
What we teach our children through our actions, decisions and daily lives has a huge influence on our children. To develop the financial management skills that they need to survive in a credit based society, children need opportunities to understand and develop their money management skills. This means starting at an early age so they have developed management habits and self-control before they enter the workforce.
When your child shows an interest in money, talk about how the family has a limited amount of money to spend and that decisions need to be made on how it will be spent. To help children identify their spending goals:
Agree on what parents will pay for and give them an allowance. If they are old enough, a part-time job may also be an option.
Open a bank account for a child. Have the financial institution’s representative explain the services and discuss a spending and savings plan. Emphasize the need to save for larger purchases. Also introduce the concept of sharing by giving a portion of savings to charity.
Introduce a simple computerized financial management program to help them keep track of their finances.
The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada has developed resources that can help parents. Visit www2.makeitcountonline.ca/csa/parents/get-the-guide_en.html.
Betty Ann Deobald is a home economist from Rosetown, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. Contact: team@producer.com.
