The verdict is in, my friends. The consensus among medical professionals is that breastfeeding is not only essential for newborn babies for the first six months of life, but also a great tool for the mother in getting back to her pre-baby body. In fact, according to latest research, breastfeeding can also reduce the chances of developing breast cancer in the future.

With all these positives, it’s a wonder that so many women struggle with breastfeeding. Although I have successfully breastfed my second child now for five months and counting, my first son was a far different story. I only lasted less than three months and felt highly disappointed in myself to perform something women had done for generations.

I have some guidelines I would like to share with the fellow new mothers out there for are thinking about how to be successful:

1. Drink water!

I cannot stress this enough. Keep a bottle of water right next to your Boppy pillow because I can guarantee that when you are breastfeeding you will suddenly feel very thirsty. Forget the diet soda and stick to pure water. It’s better for you all around.
2. Have three servings of dairy per day.

A cup of yogurt at breakfast, a glass of milk before bed, and a few ounces of cheese fulfills this requirement very easily. You will need the calcium and the protein!

3. Avoid empty calories.

You know what these foods can do to you (cookies, cakes, candies, etc.). It will not add fat to baby, but to you! And you will be hungrier and eat more than you need to.

4. Eat at least 500 extra calories per day.

Add this with extra fruits, veggies and lean meats and other proteins.

5. Try to nap.

Do this when the babies naps (at least initially) so you won’t feel exhausted. In addition, be sure not to make the mistake I made by sleeping on your stomach. This can reduce milk supply and you will leak all over your bed!

6. Get a great electric breast pump.

This is great for when you get engorged or need to go out sometime. Also, be sure to express some milk out so daddy can feed too.

And finally:

7. Find another breastfeeding mother for motivation and tips.

Everything becomes easier when you have someone to turn to for support. Find someone who will be happy to guide you through and you will definitely be successful!

Since the birth of my second child in September, (I will be brutally honest here) I have not followed the principles of healthy eating that Fit Fare promotes to everyone on the internet.

I know what you are thinking. How can I trust this writer, touting how great healthy eating is when she does not even practice what she preaches? Well readers, I will make a pledge to you that I will stock my fridge with only the most nutritional foods. That means plenty of apples, oranges, bananas, green leaf veggies, red peppers and more. I have barred my husband from buying any junk foods so I will not have any problems either.

For those of you who made that resolution to start fresh in the New Year and have already lost control, take the pledge with me and get rid of everything that has high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated, and enriched written anywhere in the ingredients section of foods. Let’s take out the white bread and replace it 100% whole wheat. Let’s stop feeding our kids Lucky Charms and start eating eggs, yogurt and other filling foods at breakfast. We can do this together, so as you toss these foods or give them away to your neighbor, just imagine me doing the same thing. We will save everyone, one kitchen at a time!

Are you ready? I am! I know we can do it!

My roots being from India, I am no stranger to the local Indian markets in my hometown. When I came across Shan’s Chicken Tikka BBQ Mix, I have to admit I was intrigued. Chicken Tikka flavored entrees happen to be one of the most popular menu items at any Indian restaurant. Finding a box with a premade mix of all the spices needed to create an intricate Indian meal is the perfect shortcut for a procrastinator like me! 

Following the directions on the box, I marinated my chicken in a marinade consisting of the spice mix itself, lemon juice, garlic paste, ginger paste and butter. Then I left the marinated chicken in the fridge for 1-2 hours. The chicken I then retrieved had changed in color to a deep red-orange and was ready for cooking. The marinade itself had seeped into the chicken and actually seemed like it had penetrated the chicken enough to get a full flavor.

After grilling the marinated chicken and serving it on plates, I waited for a reaction to see if my guinea pigs had realized I took a shortcut to making BBQ Chicken Tikka with the Shan’s Spice Mix. All I received were compliments for “such an excellent masterpiece”, and that “local restaurant will have something to reckon with if they ever taste” my chicken! I myself decided to try the chicken which smelled so succulent. One bite and I was hooked! I could not put down my fork until the entire plate was finished. I quickly retreated to the kitchen for more and saw a following which was not usual. Almost everyone wanted a second helping!

My rating for Shan’s Chicken Tikka BBQ Mix is an A+ all the way!

Beads of sweat are falling down your forehead as you squint through the beaming sunlight. With temperatures well over 90 degrees fahreinheit, you begin to feel the fatigue set. Before you faint from heat exhaustion, try these five ways to bring your body temperature down.

1. Drink plenty of fluids.

The news media always recommends this on days when it feels like Satan stopped by. They usually target pregnant women and the elderly, but that does not mean it will not help you. In fact, typically on days that are scorchers, your body increases the body’s use of fluids, meaning you will be getting dehydrated much sooner. Keep bottles of water in the fridge so you can take them to go. If you know you will be out for long in the car, freeze a bottle of water so it stays cold throughout the day. As it melts in the heat, you will enjoy the ice cold drink without feeling like you are drinking soup.

2. Skip the alcohol.

Beer, wine and other alcohol, though they can be refreshing cold beverages, are not efficient for your body. In addition to increasing the feeling of being warm, you actually dehydrate your body by drinking.

3. Take a dip.

Go to a friend’s swimming pool, your local beach or step in your tub for a cool bath. Simply wading in cool water can give you the relief you need, at least temporarily.

4. Get a handheld fan spray.

You can buy these at discount stores. They are simply spray bottles with the blades of a fan attached at the nozzle. As you spray the water onto yourself, the blades turn to give you a slight breeze. These little inventions are great when you are at the beach, or picnic and need something to cool off with.

5. Aim to spend time outdoors at dusk.

There will be an astounding difference in the outdoor temperature when you decide to change spending your time in the afternoon to the evening. The sun is a major contributer to heat and humidity, and typically by the time sunset occurs, there will be a significant temperature reduction. Without the worry of the rampant sunlight, it will be less sunscreen you need as well as less anxiety over the direct heat.

As you lay back on your bright beach towel, with your sunglasses shielding the luminous sun, a feeling of hunger begins to rise from within. You dip your anxious hand into the snack bag to see what you packed and pull out a bag of greasy and fat-filled potato chips. Suddenly, you disappointedly remember you had not remembered to pack any snacks which was why you were holding the only thing that was left at the local snack shop before your trip to the beach.

You begin to eat your chips, and your hungry is temporarily satiated. However within moments the excess carbs in the fried snack give your stomach a turn for the worse and you wish you had the delicious fruit that your beach neighbor is suckling on next to you.

Do not be the person in the above illustration! Make the time to pack something healthy on your trip to the sandy beach this summer. Below are a few great summer snacks to pack in your cooler with hydrating drinks.

1. Watermelon cubes.

This is the ultimate summer fruit and with a little prep work at home it can be easy to take along. All you need is a plastic fork, a Tupperware container and voila! You have got the perfect refreshing and sweet snack to eat while lounging in your chair.

2. Mango and yogurt smoothie.

Think this one is hard? Not at all. Buy a pureed can of mangoes and a container of yogurt and mix it together in a blender with ice. Pour it into a large thermos and bring along paper cups and straws and you are ready for a fresh summer drink. This gives you both fruit and dairy. No need for sugar either since the natural mango fruit has more than enough. Wonder what this is called in a restaurant? Go to your local Indian restaurant and ask for a Mango Lassi. It’s delicious and healthy!

3. Berry Mix.

Take strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and mix it together into a container. The strawberries and raspberries are heavy on the fiber, while the blueberries add the extra kick of antioxidants your body craves on a daily basis. Munch on this mix instead of trail mix and keep your gorgeous summer figure.

4. Dark Rye Crackers with Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese

If you are not one for all the fruits, bring your own crackers and cheese. Be sure to stick to whole grain crackers and bring pre-cut cheese slices for minimal work as you get your suntan.

5. Leave the Soda/beer behind and bring water!

It’s essential to bring extra water to the beach. The temptation to bring carbonated drinks and alcohol is strong, but realize that these items actually dehydrate you sooner. Having water will keep you cool and help you with digestion.

Five Easy Steps to Fitting More Exercise into your Day

1. Take the stairs whenever possible!

You heard me! Skip waiting for the elevator and find the fire stairwell. Not only do you move more, but you might actually get to your destination faster!

2. Do 5-10 min bursts of activity throughout the day.

I am specifically saying to keep a stopwatch and just move at random intervals. My favorite thing to do when other people are out on cigarette breaks are just walking around the block twice in ten minutes. I push myself to speed walk so I burn the most calories and since its not for more than ten minutes I never feel like I have a never-ending exercise program.

3. Bring free weights to work.

Yes, I am serious. Take some 5 or 10 pound weights and leave them in a drawer or under your desk. Set a timer on your computer calendar to actually do a few sets of repetitions every other day. Pretty soon you will have muscles you never knew you had! This takes all of 5-10 minutes and can be squeezed in right before you eat your lunch.

4. Take on a sport for fun.

Here’s a few things to try: Baseball, basketball, kickball, soccer, tennis. The list goes on and on. Find something you might be passionate about or you have always wanted to do. An example I love is indoor rock climbing. I always wanted to try it, and when I did, I felt like I was having fun not working out. Another great example is snowboarding.

My brother went just for the fun of it, but later realized he worked out a lot of muscles in the process. The trick is to find something you truly enjoy and you will end up having the benefits of exercise as well.

5. Get a fitness buddy or join a fitness group.

If none of these tips help out and you must join a gym, get a fitness friend to rely on. They will keep you accountable and you can keep them accountable. They will be your support and your motivation to continue.

Last month, I wrote about Dealing with Toxic People. Since then, I have had a request to tackle an equally important type of person that affects the lives of everyone: manipulators.

Who are they?
Manipulators are not necessarily as easy to point out in your life as toxic people. The reason being is that not all manipulators are toxic. For example, there are some people who know how to use their powers of charm and charisma to haggle a great price at your local flea market. In a sense, they are manipulating the situation, playing on weaknesses, and harnessing their talents, to get something for themselves. Everyone tends to end up happy usually, and no one gets upset. In these cases, while the person may be manipulating the situation to their advantage, it is not necessarily in a way that negatively affects others.

However, people who manipulate others are, in fact, toxic to your health and they can be at times difficult to spot. I have narrowed down the most common traits you would find in those that manipulate you or others below.

The Phony
Nothing about this individual is true in nature. They smile to your face, laugh at your jokes, agree with your ideas, and appear to be extremely chummy with you. Meanwhile, they are laughing at you, talking about you, and betraying you at every turn to anyone and everyone else if you have unknowingly crossed them. They instigate problems with you and others, only to leave you wondering how the problems began in the first place. This character also parades themselves touting their high morals and principles, devotion to their religion, or truth in their words. They may also try to appear wealthier than they may be, or happier with their lives than anyone else.

The truth about the phony is that they are anything but what they say they are to you. Never take their word for it, see it in their action and that is where the truth will be.

The Sweet Talker(Controller)
This person knows how to talk their way into anything. Seemingly innocent in nature, they tend to take the role of ‘nice’ person often. They are cordial, friendly, and polite and leave a positive impression upon you initially. These people tend to be difficult to figure since they are not necessarily as obviously fake as the phony.

This individual is the one that knows how to influence everyone into making a choice that is favorable to the sweet talker. He or she may be able to sway a group to eat at her choice restaurant or see his choice movie. This extends beyond being a decision maker, but also playing a leading role in any situation. These people cannot share the spotlight or the power and feel threatened when anyone in any situation (work, family, group of friends) starts to get noticed. They then sweet talk their way into being sure that no one takes away their role as leader or decision maker.

The Deceiver
Those that use deception at will to gain control or power are the deceivers. A clear way to notice a deceiver is when you catch them in their own web of lies. This, however, can be very difficult to do because they are such pro’s at deceiving they are able to cover up any suspicion by casting doubt on you yourself.

Things they may say to try and fuddle you can be: “I didn’t say that, I said….” or “Actually, I told you that this is what happened, don’t you remember?” or “Oh yeah, but then this happened and then that…”

They are quite good at covering their tracks and it proves to be difficult to nail them unless you have another person to verify and fact check.

The Distorter
These people live in their own fantasy world. They make up anything to prove their point, whether its true or not, and they believe it to boot! It is strange to imagine what goes on in their heads, but ultimately its one the of the hardest types of people to reason with. In fact, these are the people that create wild stories to give the impression that they know everything about everything.

The reason why a distorter can be dangerous is that if the person they are talking to does not realize they are speaking from a twisted sort of reality, then every word they say can be held as truth. Rumors start from these type of people, and they spread quickly.

The best way to handle this type of person is to simply take anything they say as a grain of salt.

The Victim
I saved the victim for last because I believe these are the worst type of manipulators. I say they are the worst because they will do anything in their power to get everyone to believe they were wronged. They never take any responsibility for any problems they may be involved in and always look to blame someone else. They have no respect for others, but demand respect for themselves. When you point out their inconsistencies, they accuse you of being just like everyone else and continue to bemoan their neverending sorrows.

If they have ever felt unhappy with someone, they call and speak to everyone about it and do their best to turn whoever they are speaking to against the person they have angst against. If possible, it is best to cut all ties to the victim or distance as much as you can. Close ties with this drama queen type will only increase stress in your life.

Recognizing the traits is the first step
A good manipulator is a combination of any of these above. It’s rare to find just a phony, or just a victim. Typically, a good manipulator has all of their traits rolled into one. Pay close attention to people you suspect are manipulating you. You may begin to see patterns and can distinguish how their personality ties in with the above mention qualities.

Once you have recognized what you are up against, you have a few ways to handle it.

1. Call them out. Let it be known that you see their behavior and will no longer succumb to it. This by far is the most difficult way to approach it. Once you have revealed their true nature to them, they will do anything and everything in their power to guilt you, upset you, turn everyone against you, and try to make your life miserable. Calling them out will threaten the manipulator and only make them come at you stronger and harder.

I would only recommend calling one out when they have been tormenting you for a long period and you are ready to let go and move on. This method cannot work in an office setting with your boss where you need to continue working in the same place. Appropriate times to do this can be when you are ending a relationship or friendship. Be sure though to expect a harsh backlash to this method. The manipulator will make you feel so guilty or miserable for saying anything and if you cannot handle this, then move on to other options.

2. Ignore them. It is not easy at first, but if you try to ignore the attempts to make you feel guilty, or control you, they may end up just leaving you alone after a while since its too much work for them to even try their tactics on you. Pretty soon they will move on to someone who is easier to lead.

3. Distance yourself. This is easier said that done of course. If the person manipulating you is your spouse or parent, picking up and moving away might not be an option. However, those that are able to distance can simply cut back on spending time with this person.

The first time I tried Pacific Chai Latte, I was at my friend Cicy’s house.  As we chatted away about our lives, she casually asked me if I wanted a cup of tea.  I obliged, and soon there was a teacup sitting on the table waiting for me.  When I picked up the cup and took a look, I told Cicy I needed more milk since it was just too dark for me.  Cicy looked at me and smiled, then said, “This is a special tea, just try it and if you don’t like it, I will drink it.”

Of course I was a little cautious before I put her pretty teacup to my mouth.  I closed my eyes and gave it a chance.  To my surprise, I was instantly satisfied by the mix of cinnamon, vanilla and various spices in the tea.  

The Details 

Pacific Chai - Spice Chai Latte  “An extraordinary Tea Latte, Rich with Ginger, Honey, Cloves, & Cinnamon”

Directions: Just Add Water.

Served: Hot or Cold with Ice.

Special features:  No Trans Fat, Hydrogenated Oil Free, Gluten Free

Vitamins: 4% daily value Calcium

Nutritional Facts:

Serving size: 6-8 oz water and 2 tbsp chai mix

Calories: 90  Calories from fat: 15

Total Fat: 1.5g  Saturated fat: 1.5g

Cholesterol: 0mg

Sodium: 20mg

Total Carbs: 16g

Sugars: 14g

Protein: 1g

Overall impression: While the chai latte is rather high in sugars and carbs, the total fat is low enough to make this a daily treat to replace such drinks as alcohol and soda.  The simple preparation makes this an easy to serve drink and is perfect for a snack before bed or an afternoon tea.  With no trans fats, or hydrogenated oils, this drink offers a good alternative to high in artificially sweetened juices and soda beverages.  

Taste Grade: A+

Health Grade: B+

Other flavors Pacific Chai Latte comes in are Green Tea, Vanilla, and Mocha.

To get the recommended 7-8 hours of sleep per night is a miracle for many people.   In fact, more often than not, weekends become the time to catch up on sleep lost during the week.   Many parents, though, do not have that luxury.   Children seem to have an internal clock that gets them to wake quite early on weekend mornings.   This leaves only one alternative: readjusting our current lifestyle to get adequate rest everyday.

To sleep like a baby, one has to be sure to mentally prepare oneself for rest.   Try the following tips and see if your sleeping habits have improved:

1. Turn the television, radio, phone, computer, and any other distractions off approximately 30 minutes before heading to sleep.  Instead, do quiet activities, like reading a book.

2. Set a schedule to fall asleep at the same time every day.   Setting a routine will enable you to be tired enough to fall asleep and keep from staying up late.  It will also help you rise early and on time without feeling drowsy.

3. Take a relaxing bath right before bedtime.  This will relax your entire body in preparation for sleep. 

Stress happens to be a major player in how your body operates. It is true that stress is needed for your body to function. However, excessive stress can cause your body to begin to move down an unhealthy road where diseases and illness start to take over.

For example, when you feel depressed about anything, you will feel that depression throughout your body. You will feel sluggish, lazy, tired, and generally under the weather. The stress from being depressed effects your eating habits and your lifestyle, in turn causing your body to work less efficiently. Whether it is an abusive spouse, a neglectful parent, a condescending boss, or a leech-type friend, the stress can become toxic to your health.

Recognizing toxic people

Who are these toxic people to watch out for? Toxic people are ultimately the people who cause you the most negative stress in your life. They are the people that make you feel unhappy, or spoil your mood purposely every chance they get. They are also the people who tend to be manipulative, deceiving and conniving. They could also be the ones that inadvertently cause you stress by harming themselves, for instance a family member that is a drug addict.

Sometimes toxic people are people you love very much like your children, parents or spouse. At times, it is hardest to distance yourself when you are actually related to the toxic person in your life.

Handling yourself around toxic people

First and foremost, keep it in the front of your mind that it is not at all selfish to change the way a toxic person affects you. Keep in mind that when you are stressed, your immune system becomes weaker. Therefore you are more prone to disease. Look at the following advice as a way to stay healthy, just like exercising or eating well.

1. If possible, let whatever toxic nonsense they spew go in one ear and out the other.
Pretend to listen, but don’t really hear what they say or do altogether. If you are in a situation where you have to listen to someone, like your boss, then look below.

2. Kill them with kindness.
I know this is easier said than done. Sometimes your kindness can be taken advantage of, which might even make it worse. Other times though, if the toxic person is trying to break you down by saying rude things, they might realize it’s not worth the effort since it is no longer affecting you.

3. Do your best to be cautious and to avoid the person as much as possible.
If you are at a party, occupy yourself with helping the host instead of being in the room with the other person. If you are at a family function, be busy chatting with cousins so you don’t get a chance to see or hear the toxic person. This may not work with a boss at work, but can work with co-workers.

4. Focus on the good things you have in your life when you are around them.
This will make it difficult for them to penetrate and ruin your mood. Be happy to have a roof over your head, meals to eat, quality friends and family, and pretty soon the toxic person will have no affect on you. Any time they begin to wear down on you be thankful for what you have and realize they may lack many of the blessing you have in your life.

5. Realize that you should feel sorry for the toxic person.
They are not blessed with a good life and mind, which is why they spend their time ruining your day. When you begin to pity them, you will find that their misdeeds are minor.

Photo courtesy of www.aci.az.gov.