As part of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, I was contacted by a group of super kids who want their voices heard – they want healthy food; who want to be seen – as they stand up to improve their health.

The Presenters

The Complete Project Board

On April 12, 2012, I took a trip to Don Mensendick School in Glendale, Arizona to hear the Project Citizen Presentation by Ms. Littau’s 5th-grade class.

The students put a lot of effort into this project. Parents and teachers need to listen to these kids. The district nutritionist wouldn’t come hear their talk. I think there is something wrong with that.

The Problem

If they are asking for healthy food, why do parents and teachers continue to give them junk?

The children researched. The students indicate, quite obviously, that it’s hard to have a life if you are dead (I really like that sentence!). Over 300,000 people die from obesity-related problems every year, and that 1 out of 3 American children are considered overweight or obese. That is a very serious problem with very serious consequences.

The Plan

Summary of their plan – Educate the students, staff, teachers, and community about healthy eating.
1. Request permission to plant a garden, which they did.
2. Organize a community event on May 19, 2012.
3. Invite local chefs, businesses, and grocery stores to donate time and money to the event.

**UPDATE** – The class will be giving their presentation to an Arizona Legislator on Monday May 7th at 11am!!! I have presented this to Jamie Oliver to post of the Food Revolution Day site.

Special thanks to the hard-working AWESOME students of Ms. Littau’s 5th-grade class:
Brittany
Juan
Sthephanie
Jesus
Luis
Seraphim
Serafin
Brian
Daniel
Yonali
Grayce
Andrew
Jose
Jasmine
Manuel
Daniel
Ashley
Connie
Maria
Aradely
Ariel
Iris
Alonzo
Andrea
Dania
Jenny
Preston
David
Aricelia
Matthew
Ismael
Alondra
Mairim

This is our first-ever Food Revolution Day, a day of action to inspire, educate, and empower people everywhere to stand up for real food. Thousands of people worldwide will participate in events to raise awareness on preventing diet-related diseases, promote better food education and arm people with the knowledge and tools to make healthier food choices.

Obesity is preventable yet at least 2.8 million adults around the world die each year as a result of being overweight or obese. In fact, the majority of the world’s population is more likely to die from obesity than from hunger (Reference: WHO). Kids are growing up overweight and malnourished from a diet of processed foods. Food Revolution Day aims to empower people to make healthier food choices that lead to healthier lives.

100% of net funds raised for Food Revolution Day will go to support food education projects for both children and adults through Jamie’s foundation work in the U.S., UK and Australia.

Anyone can host or attend an event for Food Revolution Day – schools, businesses, restaurants, chefs, bloggers, parents, grandparents and youth – as a way to learn more about cooking or share your skills and knowledge about food with your community.

For many athletes, this past weekend kicked off the start of their 2012 race season. To prepare themselves, these individuals have been spending countless hours focusing on fine-tuning their physical capabilities, ensuring that they can achieve their peak performance when needed. But for how many of these athletes have their efforts been hindered by poor race-day nutrition?

I’m talking about the energy gels, protein bars, and sugar-infused sports drinks that provide much of the endorsement for these kinds of events. Chemically created sugars and additives have taken over much of the nutritional value that these items were intended to provide, and many people find these highly processed items taxing on their digestive systems. So what other options do you have?

Create your own race-day nutritional supplements! I’ve made the Energy Gel below for a number of races, and it provides the perfect boost between transitions. Additionally, I’ve used the Sport Drink religiously over the past few years in place of Gatorade or other drinks for virtually any event.

Chocolate Energy Gel
Makes 1 container
2 Medjool dates, soaked in filtered water for 8+ hours and pits removed
1 tblsp clear honey
1 tblsp cocoa powder*
Pinch sea salt

Dates should feel soft. If not, microwave for 20 seconds
Add honey and mash with a fork until smooth (can also use food processor, but would need to be making a bulk batch)
Add cocoa powder and salt
Continue to mix until all of the powder is moist
Spoon into containers for later use

*Cocoa powder can be replaced for other flavor choices. Try:
1 tblsp freeze-dried berry powders
1 tsp lemon juice and 1/2 tsp lime juice

Sport Drink
Juice of ½ lemon
Juice of ¼ lime
2 tblsp clear honey
Pinch sea salt
Filtered water

Combine all ingredients in a water bottle
Fill halfway with water, seal and shake vigorously for 10 seconds
Fill the remainder with water and shake again before drinking
If the mixture is too potent, you can split it up into 2 bottles and dilute with more water

For a variation, you can also add a few splashes of coconut water!

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Baked Squid
Difficulty: Easy
Feeds: 2
1 pound Squid tubes & tentacles
2 tblsp coconut aminos
1 tblsp olive oil
1 tblsp dried parsley flakes
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp crushed black pepper

Wash and pat dry squid
Place in Ziplock bag and add all ingredients, mixing well to coat all of the squid
Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours (I let mine marinate overnight)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Place squid on an oven-safe baking rack above a baking sheet to catch drips
Bake for 30 minutes

New Moves – New Recipe

Happy Weekend!

I hope this little note finds you well. There have been a few new moves recently that I’m so excited to share with you.

1. I have ventured out on my own career-wise. When I made my 2 lists to see if it was time, my “leave list” was much, much longer than my “stay list.” Sure, I was nervous to make this change…no safety net. But the moment I did it, I was enveloped in relief, and stress that I didn’t know I had simply melted away. My last day was Monday Halloween, and I’ve been booked solid since with more phone calls and emails from clients wanting to get in with me and doctors referring their patients to me.

2. I am now a resident of the community where I worked. This makes me very happy on a personal level – having love in a fulfilling relationship is one of the most wonderful experiences I have ever known.

3. Workout: Some torturous combination of moves occurred this week, which will give you some excellent workouts to last a couple of weeks.

4. New Recipe: I posted a new recipe on the website. It is a version of a “chocolate no-bake” – without guilt! Zero guilt. Whole food ingredients. You can make these in the form of a cookie or a bar. To adjust the texture, you can use fewer grapes and more dates, which will also make it a little sweeter. Try them out, and let me know how they turned out for you.

A Little Bit About Letting Go

When we talk about imbalance in the body or disease, there are 2 things that need to happen: We need to get rid of something and we need to add something in.

The “get-rid-of” list consists of the 5 causes of illness:

1. Toxin: Natural, environmental, man-made like drugs.
2. Allergen: Food, mold, dust, animal.
3. Infection: Bacteria, yeast, parasites.
4. Poor diet, lifestyle.
5. Stress.

The “add-in” is something you need to thrive:

1. Real food.
2. Vitamins, minerals, hormones.
3. Sunlight, water, air
4. Love.
5. Community.
6. Rhythm.
7. Meaning and purpose.

If you’re feeling anything out of balance, take a look at these lists and determine if there is something within your control that you can get rid of and if there is something you can add in. Change can be a little scary, but if it is going to make your life better, what are you waiting for?

If you’d like me to help you with your lists, send me a note. I’d be more than happy to consult with you – mindy@thefitkitchen.net

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