September 6, 2016 - Back to School Health Regimens And Changes to Flight Schedules

Elisa's Daily Scoop

Starting the School Year off Right

Hey Guys!

Well, it would be an understatement to say how unhappy my girls were to be headed back to school.

Ugh, I remember the first day of school.  Hated it.

I drove the girls to school this morning - they were not happy!  But, what can you do, it's the way it goes.
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They'll be back into the swing in no time.

​Of course, I'm not sure I will lol.

First Day of School Year 2016-2017 (Gianna 7th Grade/Kelsey 5th Grade) (c)travelincousins.com

The good news is, a little routine never hurt anyone and with the beginning of the school year, comes a renewed commitment to eating well and being healthy.  

Something about the summer just makes it easier to eat sweets and lots of sugar - is it just me ?

So, I've begun my week with a few commitments to healthy eating and routines:

1) Steering clear of the fast breakfast food
The girls are in agreement that we will be enjoying healthy breakfasts going forward.  A few of them include:
a) Quinoa with Cinnamon & Honey and b)Sweet Potatoes.

It's easy to make a sweet potato for breakfast  -- you can buy the pre-wrapped sweet potatoes in the supermarket and nuke them for 7 minutes! Gianna loves them!

As far as the quinoa - make a batch in advance, store it in the fridge and just add some cinnamon, honey, fruit and nuts in the morning.  You can enjoy it cold with a little almond milk or heat it in microwave.

(Credit: organicfacts.net)

Did you know...
Quinoa is an Andean plant which originated in the Andean region of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia and Chile, and was domesticated 3,000 to 4,000 years ago for human consumption in the Lake Titicaca basin.

(credit: flickr.com)

Did you know...
The origin and domestication of sweet potato is thought to be in either Central America or South America around 5,000 years ago.  

After his first voyage to the Americas in 1492, Christopher Columbus took sweet potatoes back home to Europe. The crop was introduced into China in the late 16th century and spread through Asia, Africa, and Latin America during the 17th and 18th centuries.
​

2) Drinking Hot Water with Lemon and Honey Daily
Are you fully aware of the health benefits of Lemons?  It is an amazing fruit!!!

They prevent cold and flus, aid in digestion, have been known to cure malaria and cholera as well as nosebleeds, even shrink your waistline and so, so much more!!

Lemons contain vitamin C, citric acid, flavonoids, B-complex vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and fiber and
contain more potassium than apples or grapes.  

(credit: activevegetarian.com)

Did you know..
The origin of the lemon is unknown although images depicting lemons have been found from Ancient Greece and Rome.

Historians believe Lemons were first cultivated in Assam (a region in northeast India), about 2500 years ago on the hot, semi-arid Deccan Plateau.  
A study of the genetic origin of the lemon reported it to be hybrid between bitter orange (sour orange) and citron.

3) Add the Following Power Foods to our Daily Diet
* Berries
* Beans
* Nuts
* Kale
* Honey
* Cinnamon
* Dark Chocolate (yes, that's right!)

Did you know...
Studies show that dark chocolate (not the sugary crap) can improve health and lower the risk of heart disease. Dark Chocolate is Very Nutritious. Dark Chocolate is a Powerful Source of Antioxidants. Dark Chocolate May Improve Blood Flow and Lower Blood Pressure. 

(credit: authority nutrition.com)

AND THE BEST PART ABOUT ALL OF THESE FOODS - THEY ARE PORTABLE!! GREAT FOR TRAVELING, TAKING TO WORK OR SCHOOL AND ON THE GO!!

4) Walk, Walk, Walk
Last, but not least, we are going to make an extra special commitment to walking lots more. I've already caught the walking bug and cannot tell you how good I feel!

Going to get these kiddies out with me to walk at least 1 mile a day - to burn off fat and clear their minds!!  You can bet we'll be taking Punkin along with us too!

(credit: www.walkboston.com)

My day is pretty routine otherwise. 

The rest of the week I've got some really fun travel tips to share as well as a new Foodie Friday feature about MP Taverna in Astoria!

Here's to a great day!! See ya back here tomorrow.

-E
xoxo

Tanya's Daily Scoop
NEXT TRIP DEPARTS IN: 18 DAYS

UGH - More changes...

Hello everyone! 

Today we go back to our local routine. We travel quite a bit and it's always nice to keep a routine when we are able to. So here's to almost 3 weeks of routine!!

I've got much laundry and unpacking to do today, as well as grocery shopping galore - the kids were doing most of the cooking while I was gone and the fridge and cabinets are pretty wiped out of just about everything!!!

Although as noted, I did cook our Sunday night dinner. But since yesterday was a holiday, I didn't get the shopping done, and we had dinner out.

The rest of the day was filled with going to this lovely fairly new little coffee stop Bohdi Tree which will be a great place to sip a nice hot drink on a cool winter day (dare I say cold - as it doesn't get cold around here).
​Cosette had even suggested that it would be a perfect place for Apre Ski - although as we all know, there are no ski resorts  within at least a couple of hours drive...and I'm too much of a ski snob to go to them anyhow.

The Bodhi Tree also has Kombutcha on tap, Cosette and I enjoyed the very tasty flavor of the month - Nectarine and Basil. YUM

So along in the spirit of Elisa posting about Healthy Eating check this out:
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According to Foodrenegade.com
Kombutcha is the beverage the ancient Chinese called the “Immortal Health Elixir”.
It’s been around for more than 2,000 years and has a rich anecdotal history of health benefits like preventing and fighting cancer, arthritis, and other degenerative diseases.

WHAT IS IT?
Made from sweetened tea that’s been fermented by a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (a SCOBY) a.k.a. “mother” because of its ability to reproduce, or “mushroom”.

KOMBUCHA HEALTH BENEFIT #1 — DETOXIFICATION
Detoxification produces healthy livers and aides cancer prevention. One of kombucha’s greatest health benefits is its ability to detox the body. It is rich in many of the enzymes and bacterial acids your body produces and/or uses to detox your system, thus reducing your pancreatic load and easing the burden on your liver. 

KOMBUCHA HEALTH BENEFIT #2 — JOINT CARE
Kombucha contains glucosamines, a strong preventive and treatment all forms of arthritis. Glucosamines increase synovial hyaluronic acid production. 

KOMBUCHA HEALTH BENEFIT #3 — AIDS DIGESTION AND GUT HEALTH
Because it’s naturally fermented with a living colony of bacteria and yeast, Kombucha is a probiotic beverage. This has a myriad of benefits such as improved digestion, fighting candida (harmful yeast) overgrowth, mental clarity, and mood stability. As such, it’s noted for reducing or eliminating the symptoms of fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, etc.

KOMBUCHA HEALTH BENEFIT #4 — IMMUNE BOOSTING
Kombucha is extraordinarily anti-oxidant rich, and you all know the benefits of anti-oxidants for boosting your immune system and energy levels.

​And there are plenty more...

We had also headed over to Chino to go visit Dream.

And then decided to go play some Tennis. Which is always fun, although none of us are really any good! LOL

Now how's about a little Travel Talk for TRAVELIN TUESDAY...

I'm recently back from my 13th trip of the year and while on our way out on that trip I received an email. A schedule change email from the airlines.
It had nothing to do with the trip that was about to embark, however it had plenty to do with our upcoming winter Euro Ski Circuit Trip in February of 2017.
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The flight schedule had changed and now rather than a short layover in Montreal - which by the way I was quite happy with and planned to go for a yummy dinner while briefly in town. Now our connecting flight doesn't depart for a day and a half!! Having us arrive a day late to begin our circuit. 

Funny thing is I don't mind this new schedule one bit. I'm not too thrilled with shortening our first stay in Europe - which happens to be in Chamonix, France; but I love Montreal and there are plenty of things that I'd love to go and do if and whenever I have the opportunity.

We have been heading up to Montreal for the past couple of winters on our way to the fabulous Quebec Winter Carnival. So to be able to drop in for more than a few hours is actually something that I welcome.

The only issue would be regarding our planned stay at an Airbnb in Chamonix and their cancelation/refund policy.
I contacted the host and during the high season she could not adjust our reservations for only 1 night. However she was kind enough to offer a full refund (rather than the 50% that was posted).

I already went ahead and booked a hotel for that night in Chamonix and one for Montreal as well. 
Montreal will be a grand place to kick off our Euro Ski Circuit!!!

Changing plans usually annoys me, but this time I'm actually excited :)

Now for something that is potentially gonna screw up Dave's (DC) vacation with us to Florida and the cruse to the Bahamas...

He doesn't have a passport - which is okay on a closed loop cruise to the Bahamas.
However he also CANNOT locate his birth certificate - which he definitely NEEDS!!!

This is a rather stressful situation. I'll keep you posted. Please pray and cross your finger that he finds his birth certificate - otherwise he's gonna be wishing the kids and I "Bon Voyage!"

And that's about it for today. I'm gonna go get my sweat on!
​-T