The problem with breakfast is that its preparation often gets lumped in with personal preparation, and while it is acceptable to show up to work sans nutrition, coming in without pants does not fly. Therefore when it comes to preparing everything that needs to get prepared in the morning, breakfast often gets the short end of the spoon. Another problem is that most easy morning meals are high in sugar, while lacking protein and fiber. Easy to grab culprits such as muffins, bagels and many cereals fall into this category. With most carbolishious options you will spend lots of time masticating and getting crumbs on your nicely pressed shirt and then still be hungry again by 9:30.

One good way to avoid breakfast skippery is by doing most of the prep work the week before. There is nothing more satisfying then preparing to retire on a Sunday night and stopping by the refrigerator to check on your ready to go breakfast bundles. Having your AM nutrition plans taken care of in advance is one less thing to worry about as the week spirals and jumps and generally makes a mockery of your plans. If only we could pre-brush our teeth!

Another good way to make sure you eat breakfast is to make sure it is delicious. The thought of the treat that awaits you should help get you out of your snug bed in the morning and on your way to world domination.  One thing that always gets me out of bed is a croissant. I love croissants as much as my grandmother wishes I loved Jesus. In my option they are soft, buttery, little crab-shaped slices of heaven. Problem is they have always been made with very refined white floor which isn’t good for blood sugar levels or intestinal happiness. Humankind has recently taken a very large leap forward with the mass production and distribution of whole wheat croissants. I’m quite certain curing cancer will be next, as we are clearly on a roll.

Heather’s Wonderful Breakfast Bundles

What you need:

Aluminum foil

Tupperware container or Ziplock bag

A bag of whole wheat croissants (they have these at Whole Foods and other health oriented grocery stores)

Pre-sliced cheese (low-fat if you are watching your calorie intake)

Thin sliced low-fat turkey, ham or protein of your choice

A couple of tomatoes

What you do:

Slice the croissants in half length-wise. Layer the bottom half with cheese and meat to your specifications. Put the top back on the croissants and wrap them securely in squares of aluminum foil.  Finally slice the tomatoes and put them in the container or bag. Put everything in the fridge and go brush your teeth. You are ready for the week.

Upon waking pre-heat your oven to 375. Fifteen to twenty minutes before you are ready to eat or take your breakie to-go, toss a foil wrapped package inside.  Cooking times will vary depending on thickness of meat and cheese as well as crispiness preferences. When it’s done to your liking unwrap it and add the tomatoes as well as any condiments you might desire. Wrap it back up to travel or if you can’t wait eat that toasty, cheesy, serving of deliciousness right then and there. Who could blame you?

It’s summertime and the livin’ is easy. Or is it? Seems like unless you are twelve years old, trying to get that easy summer feeling leads to additional stress and schedule clutter. You still have all your usual obligations; household, family, work, nutrition, etc. and now you are supposed to be having a bunch of active fun in the sun? Who has the time?

Meal preparation is one great place to shave time off your usual life maintenance regime. The following breakfast idea takes only a couple of minutes to prepare, capitalizes on the summer bounty of fresh anti-oxidizing fruit and is really, really delicious. To get that summer feeling I suggest putting it all together while wearing roller blades and a bikini. This is not a low calorie meal, but you have a long and active day ahead of you and you are going to need your energy.

What you need:

A freshly made apple pie (preferably with no sugar added). You can score one of these in the bakery department of any descent market for $12 to $15. For a lower-carb version you can use sugar-free chunky apple sauce.

A big carton of cancer fighting wonder balls (aka blueberries).

Non or low fat milk (dairy, soy or protein source of your choice)

(Makes 4-8 servings)

Cut a wedge of pie. Throw it in a bowl and heat in the microwave for 90 seconds. You can use the oven if you don’t like microwaves. Next dump a pile of blueberries on your pie. You are shooting for a two-blue berries to one bite ratio.  Boost your protein intake with a nice, cold glass of milk. Make your blue berry wrangling easier by eating with a spoon.

Enjoy your bountiful breakfast!

To the casual observer it would seem that housekeeping and physical flexibility don’t have much to do with each other; with the possible exception of twisting yourself into knots trying to nab the dust bunnies behind your couch. In fact, stretching is one of the best ways to tidy up and set right a disorganized body. A well designed flexibility program lengthens the body, opens up the joints and returns us to a natural posture. A well stretched body is much like a freshly cleaned house just before the first party guests arrive, primed and ready for anything. Putting away your socks and taking the dirty dishes to the sink also keeps the body warm, which makes stretching more effective. When used in an interval fashion both of these modes compliment and intensify the effectiveness of the other.

I have recently developed a “stretch and straighten” routine that I do most mornings. The basic format includes two stretches, done back to back and then two items put away. I then repeat the same two stretches; attempting to go a bit deeper the second time around, and then return two more items to their proper places. I do 10 different moves, twice each for a total of 20 stretches and put away at least as many errant objects. I hold each stretch for 15 to 60 seconds.

After the workout my body feels limber and loose and my bedroom looks great, the floor as clear and uncluttered as my mind. This system works best for the type of person who enjoys multi-tasking and who doesn’t feel wrenched when switching between different activities.

Here are a few guidelines for creating your own “stretch and strengthen” routine:

Choose stretches that work more then one muscle group or target flexibility and balance at the same time. This will save you time and keep you challenged. It’s a good idea to take a few yoga classes and borrow some of their moves as most yoga stretches are multi-dimensional. It also helps to choose moves that flow from one to the other. This will make the routine more enjoyable and effective. An example from yoga that illustrates this is a downward dog into a cobra. Pick up a yoga or flexibility book to get lots of ideas and for quick reference.

Be flexible with yourself on the tiding part of the routine. If you accidentally get caught up in doing all the dishes and lose the flow of your stretching just turn off the sink and come back to it. The dishes will wait for you to complete your next two moves. Also, don’t try to do any major housecleaning while you are doing your routine. It’s more about eliminating clutter and creating order and less about sponges and giant bottles of 409.

Put the stretches that you really enjoy at the beginning and end of your routine. You will remember these most and they will keep you coming back. It is also important to choose moves that target the areas that you are tightest. For most people this is the long muscles of their legs (hips, hamstrings, quadriceps and calves) and spine.

My routine:

Warm-up:

Body Lengthening: reaching one arm at a time toward the ceiling.

Mountain Pose

Runner’s calf stretch (up against a wall)

Pick-up 2 items

Hanging shoulder stretch (arms on my dresser)

Forward bending

Pick-up 2 items

Arms overhead side bend

Half-nelson shoulder stretch

Pick-up 2 items

Standing hip stretch (with opposite twist) both sides

Backward bend

Pick up two items

Angry cats (on my bed)

Baby pose (on my bed)

1. Exercise is almost always more fun then work, but often times less glamorous then the multitude of tempting after work activities. If you take care of your workout at lunch you won’t be tempted to skip it later.

2. Working out at lunch breaks your day into two manageable chunks.

3. A noon time workout will give you a blast of energy that will carry you through the mid-afternoon doldrums. Don’t listen to what your jealous, back-biting, self hating co-workers say about you actually taking a lunch. You will be more productive, and sexier, in the afternoon. Remember, you get paid for what you produce, not for holding down your chair.

4. If you don’t feel particularly competent or appreciated at your day job, a workout can be just the thing. The burst of endorphins will help prop up you flagging self-esteem and if you do something you enjoy eventually you will be good at it. I don’t care what your boss, girlfriend and mother say, you can do something right.

5. You only have about an hour so your workout will be intense and efficient. A great use of your valuable time.

6. Having a workout planned is a great excuse not to go to lunch with annoying co-workers.

7. You’ll be so hungry after you workout that even a healthy, fiber rich, tasteless lunch will taste great.

8. Working out in the early morning (especially if you are over 30) can be a creaky and uncomfortable experience. By midday the body is warm and ready for action.

9. Because you’ve got to get out of the office. Stretch your muscles, feel the sunlight on your pasty skin, get some perspective.

10. You will have your evenings free. Learn a language, go to the ballet, tame of herd of wild guinea pigs. The world is your oyster!

Have you ever noticed that eating healthfully can be down right onerous? Unhealthy food choices such as frozen pizza and beer are delicious, easily prepared and have nuclear winter shelf lives. On the other hand, more wholesome options, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains can go rotten, require chopping and seasoning to make them edible and often call for grueling amounts of mastication. In my option fiber is nothing but a slave driver!

Lately I have been getting around this problem with a delicious and nutritious breakfast smoothie. I simply toss a few ingredients into the blender, hit mix, then froth, then annihilate, then pulverize and wa-la…breakfast is served. Now I have no idea how I used to make time to actually gnaw on a muffin. I see my roommate eating cereal and I role my eyes. What a silly ludite! When will she learn to outsource her chewing like me?

Heather’s Yummy Breakfast Soup*Frozen Fruit (The more you throw in the less you have to chew later in the day. I get mine at Trader Joe’s)

*Protein Powder (amount depends on your needs, boys and muscle growers need more)

*Milk (I use low-fat cow, but non-fat, soy or almond work as well)

*Banana (an excellent thickening agent and will also keep you from cramping up if you have to chew later in the day)

*Dash of wheat germ (lazy person’s fiber)

*Peanut Butter (Extra protein and excellent flavor)

*Bacon (I haven’t tried this yet, but if you do please let me know how it turns out)

Add ingredients and whirl till desired consistency is achieved.**Don’t forget to at least rinse the blender and your glass right away or you will waste all the time you saved not chewing, scrubbing out the cement like smoothie residue.Happy gulping!

A barn raisin’ is not a shriveled treat found on the floor of a barn, but what communities used to do when one of their members need a warm place to stash their cows and oats. Building a barn is always a big job, but in the pre-power tools days of the 18th and 19th century the process was especially daunting. Even for strong country boys and girls barn raising was not a solo sport and several burly pairs of arms were needed to raise much of anything.

Back in the day all able bodied community members were required to participate in barn raisings and those who did not suffered community banishment and all around shunning. The process usually took at least a couple of days and nobody was paid. But it wasn’t all grunting and asking Cousin Edgar to pass the bucket of nails, because a barn razing also provided rare social opportunities for far flung community members to get together, feast and have a good ole’ time (I like to imagine there were fiddles involved).

Helping someone move is the modern day equivalent of barn raising. Which begs the question why would most of us rather hide ourselves in a box all day then help someone move? Why does the modern world leave people to raise their own sad, little lonely barns or hire some sweaty stranger to help?

What are we working out for anyway if not to build strong bodies capable of bounding up steps even when weighed down by heavy boxes of books? What’s the point of lifting a barbell if you can’t (or won’t) lift a couch? Unless you have a physical job, helping someone move is one of the few chances we get in our modern world to put our lovely muscles to productive use. Thought of in a slightly more historical perspective moving is an opportunity to use our skills and muscles, get together with friends and build community spirit. And don’t forget the beer and food enhanced celebration when the final box has been unloaded!

So don’t miss out on the next opportunity to help a friend, flex your stuff and dine on free beer and pizza. Just remember, lift with your legs, not your back and ask for help with the heavy or slippery stuff.

*Mennonite and Amish communities still practice community barn raising. Cool.