Healthy Work at Home Tips For Homeschooling Families

The article below was written by Jen Laemmel, a holistic nutrition and wellness coach. She available for consultation by phone and can help you with your nutritional needs anywhere in the country. Her contact information is at the bottom of the post.

Hello, my name is Jen Laemmel. I’m a Mom of an almost 6 year old daughter, a wife, I run three businesses and am in the throws of starting another (business that is.) I mostly work out of my home and wow is it ever a busy life. My expertise is in nutrition and I am constantly trying my hardest to practice what I preach! I have found myself famished in the afternoons and realize that I forgot to feed myself. I was so busy making breakfast, packing lunch for my daughter, cleaning up and heading right up to my office that I forgot to eat. Isn’t breakfast the most important meal of the day? That sure is what I was taught and what I tell my clients. So, I’m turning over a new leaf and it truly is making a difference in my days and my life. I would like to share with you some of the very basics of what we all need nutritionally as well as some of the tricks I have come up with to actually meet those needs.

We all know eating well is so important and that we will be much happier and healthier if we make better dietary choices. Unfortunately, we all have that “busy” thing in common and it oftentimes gets in the way. So, I propose that we all pay attention to a few things at a time, such as making sure we ALWAYS eat breakfast, steer clear of those simple carbohydrate kid snacks, add some healthy fat to our meals, take out the trans fats (aka partially hydrogenated oils), try eating three healthy meals a day with good snacks in between, stretch and meditate for 10 - 20 minutes each day, stop eating 2 hours before bedtime, get plenty of sleep, drink more water, eat 80% organic, eat less red meat, exercise at least 3 times a week, and so on. I have found it best to only pick a few things to start with. Do it for a month. Really FEEL the difference it makes and then gradually add a few more good-for-you things as time goes on.

Although all of us are unique, our basic dietary needs are similar. Seven to ten servings of fruits and vegetables is a great number to follow. Focus on a variety of colors and various cooking methods. Fresh raw and lightly steamed vegetables are best with fresh frozen next and canned last. I also strongly recommend organic due to the higher nutrient content in these foods amongst many other reasons. We also all need whole grains in our diet. My rule of thumb is to buy bread that has been the least amount processed and has the smallest ingredient list. Stone ground and whole grain bread and pasta are wonderful once you get used to them and so much better for you! Choose brown rice over white rice as often as possible with white rice as an occasional treat. We need around the same amount of servings of grains as we do of vegetables and fruits per day. Dairy and protein requirements are about 2-3 servings per day. I would suggest lean means, nuts and legumes for your protein requirement and organic dairy or dairy alternatives. Good fats (essential fatty acids) are very important as well. Don’t be afraid of fats, especially the healthy ones like olive oil, flax seed oil and avocados.

So how on earth do you cram all of those foods in during the day? Well, first of all it doesn’t leave much room for the bad-for-us snacks does it? I always make a giant salad each night so there is enough left over for myself and my husband to take to work the next day. I put them in separate containers so they are ready to go. I also always have a big bowl of fresh fruit on my counter. If I have time when I get home from grocery shopping I pull the stickers off the fruit and wash them before putting them in the bowl. Anything to make it easier to grab and go, right? Before I leave the house I try to pack a bag of healthy snacks for my daughter AND myself. I also pack water bottles for us. This is key to keep from grabbing quick non-healthy items from the convenience store. We all deserve to treat ourselves well and be healthy. We all deserve to take time out for us. We all deserve to feel good and enjoy a long quality life! With just a few changes, you can truly notice a difference in your wellbeing!

Jen Laemmel, BS. MS. is a holistic nutrition and wellness coach.
She lives at almost ten thousand feet in the Colorado mountain town, Crested Butte. She lives there with her husband and daughter and together they enjoy a life of recreating, hard work and peace. Jen gained her passion for nutrition several years ago when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. This journey with her mom made her more and more aware of how important diet and wellness are. She received her bachelor of science in food science, human nutrition and dietetics. She recently completed her master in holistic nutrition and is currently undergoing a PHD. program in philosophy of nutrition. She recognizes how important continued education is, especially in an everchanging field like nutrition. Education is also the main focus of her practice. By giving people the information and clearing up the confusion, clients are able to use these tools to make better decisions for themselves. Her practice also focuses on the positive. So many times, people worry about what they should NOT do, what they should NOT say, what they should NOT eat. Let’s focus on what we do well and what we can do and good things will come our way. So working with Jen will be positive, exciting, new, and a bit oovy groovy, but it will also be scientific and will provide the most current information available. Contact us today and get started on your path to wellness!

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