Maryann Jacobsen's Blog, page 11

7 Shifts in Tweens’ Behavior Every Parent Should Know About

This is Part 11 of my Puberty and Growth Series

 

So far in this series, we’ve discussed physical changes that occur during. But puberty is not just about changes in height, muscle, fat and sex organs, it also starts a cascade of changes in the brain.

As mentioned in a previous post, you can think of brain changes during puberty as you do a house remodel, substituting “brain” for “house.” Just like extra equipment is brought in before a house remodels, the brain boosts up neurons (gray matter...

Mexican Frittata [Recipe]

Ever try to make a meal that’s supposed to be easy but it just didn’t turn out? That what happened to me and frittatas. They always came out dry without much flavor (but I added cheese?!). So I took some time off from trying.

About six months ago, I revisited frittatas and found this post on The Kitchn very helpful. After reading it, I realized I wasn’t seasoning the veggies enough. This is it! I now season whatever I’m adding to it very well using garlic, fresh herbs, salt and dried herbs/sp...

What Dietitians Know About Eating That Most People Don’t

In Episode 17 of The Healthy Podcast, I’m discussing what is behind this op-ed piece and why I want more people to know about the HOW of eating. 

In 2002, Gary Taubes wrote an article in the New York Times Magazine entitled: What if It’s All Been a Big Fat Lie? In this article, he made the case that it’s not fat that is bad for us, but carbs. Since then, carbs have been on the chopping block in our ongoing diet debate. Yet despite this pendulum swing, health outcomes are nowhere near where we...

8 Ways to Talk to Kids About Nutrition so They Actually Listen

This is Part 10 of my series on Puberty and Growth

One of the biggest differences between feeding children in the first and second decade of childhood is how much time we spend teaching them. Much of what little ones learn about food come from everyday events – structure, food offerings and autonomy within that structure. But as kids reach double digits, teaching plays a much bigger role in feeding them then it did previously.

Problem is, no one teaches parents how to be effective teachers wh...

Nutrition from Head to Toe During Puberty (Part 2)

 

In this post, we are continuing on the nutritional needs during puberty. In Part 1, we covered the brain, eyes, blood, and heart. Now we are digging into muscles mass, body fat, bone, collagen, the GI Tract, and skin.

Muscle Mass

One of the key tissues to expand during puberty is muscle mass, especially in boys. As muscle mass increases so do energy requirements. Physical activity also benefits muscle development.

While...

The Mindful Family. Using Mindfulness to Manage Stress with Stefanie Goldstein [Podcast]

We all have to deal with the stresses of modern life, and so do our kids. We have more choices, distractions, and unknowns than ever before. Stress is a major health issue in the modern world linked to the increased risk of many chronic diseases. It’s normal to want to try and find an escape, but this only makes things worse.

Mindfulness has become a buzz word when talking about stress and the challenges of modern life. Today’s guest helps us understand what mindfulness actually is and how it...

Nutrition From Head to Toe During Puberty (Part 1)

Remember when you put so much care and thought into your child’s first foods? After age two the crazy growth of infancy slows then it stabilizes during the school years. By age 10, early adolescence hits and the body goes through the second largest growth spurt. But this one is longer: 4-6 years!

Now instead of being in control of what your child eats, you have a kid with likes and dislikes making eating decisions in the real world. The same care that you put into your child’s eating needs to...

Crockpot White Chicken Chili (And How I Help My Kids Enjoy Mixed Dishes)

BK (before kids), and when I first started cooking, I favored mixed dishes. You know, items that include all the food groups in them. Just throw it all in the slow cooker and dinner’s ready.

That doesn’t mean AK (after kids) I don’t make mixed dishes, it’s just that I do it less often. But now that my kids are older, I’m making them more often. I’m also moving beyond my side strategy of serving mixed dishes with bread and fruit. Instead, I ask them how they want to eat it. This is especially...

If I Were to Advise Kate’s Parents (from This is Us) on Food and Feeding, Here’s What I’d Say

 

It’s not every day I get to watch a TV show that chronicles how a child is fed and then also shows how that translates to adult eating habits. But that show is here and if you haven’t heard about it it’s, This is Us. It follows a twin brother and sister and their adopted same-age brother. They are in their late thirties living their complicated lives and the episodes include extensive flashbacks to their childhood.

I thin...

Understanding Your Mind for a Healthier Life. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Shawn Smith [Podcast]

 

We learn a lot about what it takes to be healthy throughout a lifetime. But strangely when it comes to our brain we know very little. We have these complicated machines that are talking to us constantly. And they don’t always make life easy. They tell us we can’t do this, or that we don’t have time for that. That’s because the mind’s goal isn’t to make us happier or more peaceful. It only wants to keep us alive which is why it creates so much darn resistance.