Good morning!
My special breakfast this morning was a Green Monster Parfait!
Green Monster Parfait
Ingredients:
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 large banana (reserve 1/4 of banana)
- 1/2 scoop Vega Choc-o-Lot powder
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1/3 cup Power House Glonola
Directions: In a blender, blend the spinach, 3/4 of the banana, Vega powder, almond milk, and chia seeds. In a large glass add a few tbsp of the glonola. Now add a large layer of the Green Monster followed by another scoop of Glonola. Finish with remaining GM (you might have some leftover) and top with the 1/4 of banana (sliced) and Glonola.
The Green Monster Parfait was ok, but not wonderful. I think I had high expectations for it and I’m not sure I liked eating it with a spoon.
After tasting my granola again this morning, I concluded that I overcooked it! Whoops.
I guess it is possible to screw it up after all. ;)
I would suggest cooking it for no longer than 10 minutes on each side and not letting it get as dark as I cooked mine.
I also concluded that the clump factor is missing in this recipe.
Checkout my ‘old’ Glonola version…
Choco-Carob:
Total clump factor!
However, the original Glonola had too much clumping and stuck together too much. Maybe I can find a happy medium with both recipes?! :)
I think I am going to make another recipe integrating the original recipe with this one. I will have to tweak it a bit more….you know me, I am picky with my recipes!
It’s Slimming
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Are you ever out in public and you hear a conversation going on and you can’t believe what you are hearing? That was me the other night. I was at a department store looking for a gift for a girlfriend and I passed a group of 3 girls who were looking for back to school clothes. They couldn’t have been more than 9-10 years old.
Girl #1: ‘I need to get some new jeans. All of my jeans at home are fugly.’
Girl #2 & #3: ‘Yea same here.’
The girls were browsing through a couple racks of jeans and holding pairs up as they went along.
Girl #2: ‘I like these ones. I might try them on.’
Girl #1: ‘Those jeans are not slimming at all…they are too light and light colours make you look FAT.’ She scrunched up her face in disgust.
The girl quickly threw down the pair of jeans, as if they had some sort of contagious illness.
Girl #3: ‘I agree, you have to get the dark wash. You will look skinny in them. Dark colours are slimming’
‘Here, try these on. I have this pair and they make your butt look awesome.’
She handed Girl #2 a pair of dark wash jeans to try on.
Then I decided to stop being a creeper and I left the scene.
But, I was sad in my heart for these girls.
They couldn’t have been more than 10 years old and they were already concerned about having jeans that made them look skinny.
I remember being around 11 years old when my disordered eating started to develop. While I admit I didn’t know about slimming jeans (or even had a general fashion sense aside from neon and snap-on bracelets), the feelings were still very real.
It is important that we do not dismiss young girls when they talk about weight or slimming jeans or wanting to look thinner because when you are going through it it, you are like a sponge that absorbs every comment, every magazine ad, or every commercial on TV. Your surroundings are telling you to be ‘skinny’ and to wear ‘slimming’ clothes and so that is what you do.
Our weight-conscious culture seems to infect whatever it touches with messages that you aren’t good enough the way you are and that you need to change your body or wear slimming pants. These messages are hard enough to dismiss when you are an adult let alone an impressionable young girl who is fighting to fit in at school and to find out who she is.
I couldn’t help but wonder as I walked around aimlessly in that department store: What can we do for these girls?
I think two big ways that we can have an impact are 1) Educating about a positive body-image at home and setting a proper example for our kids, perhaps with a great tool like Operation Beautiful. and 2) Introducing special Body-image classes (for girls and boys) into the school curriculum. I don’t think this topic gets enough attention in the school curriculum even though the issue is pervasive and affects all aspects of a student’s life.
Have you ever overheard a similar conversation or perhaps were in a conversation when this was going on? What can we do for young girls who are developing a poor body image?
I think my sister and I both went through the toughest time self-image wise ages 8-12. Those tween ages are really hard for girls because of the different rates of physical development. I was an early bloomer – tall with boobs at age ten, but compared to my friends I thought I was big and fat! Once they caught up I felt way less self-conscious.
One thing I admire about the way my oldest sister is raising her kids is how she tries not to talk about fat/skinny, calorie counting, etc. in front of her kids (boy and girl). My nephew is 10 and my niece is 7, and I know what they watch and hear what they pick up from other kids. (at least my niece. i don’t typically hear my nephew talking about fat/skinny, but i know he is affected by it, too.) I’m living with the three of them for the time being and I have had to tame my tongue on the topic. This has been life-giving and encouraging to me.
i totally hate hearing girls say bad things about themselves it is so heartbreaking! i also get so worked up when i see young girls, mostly right out of high school/college girls out dressing aweful(short shorts, tight jeans/shirts) and not taking care of themselves. it’s just sad and you want to scream have some respect for yourself….i understand how they feel and maybe thats what upsets me the most, because i would never want anyone to feel like that!
thank you so much for your thoughts everyone! I value your opinions :)
Growing up I was this tiny little bean pool with a pronounced rear end. My entire family called me “Bubble Butt” I was so horrified growing up. I was always very aware of how I dressed so that I could make it look smaller. Now I am happy & proud of my shape! I always remember that when talking to my daughter about looks. Not to judge, not to call names and always to realize that everyone is different and that is what makes for a wonderful world. Being healthy & happy is beautiful!
When I was younger I had terrible body image issues. I think one of the best ways to help is to avoid size-focused descriptions of people. Even when you think it is a positive message, it can be interpreted negatively. A classic example is all of the attnetion plus-sized models have been getting recently. Constantly revering to size 8 or 10 women as ‘plus-sized’, even if they are described as beautiful, can make things worse. Girls don’t want to be ‘plus sized’- the name itself implies that you are bigger than average- and they really shouldn’t be thinking of their beauty in terms of size anyway! Calling people thin can be just as bad as calling people fat, because it still places that emphasis on body size. Instead of using size-related terms, people should use health-related terms. Describe people as looking healthy, happy, fit- whatever term you like that doesn’t imply a certain pant size! Remind girls that everyone is beautiful, by pointing out beautiful people, and describing their beauty in terms of things other than size! When girls stop thinking of everyone else in terms of size, then maybe they will stop thinking of themselves in terms of size, and will instead see what is really important.
When I taught highschool I heard things like that all the time. It is so depressing. I will do anything I can to help my daughter grow up believing she is beautiful, strong, healthy, and wonderful.
Recently my six year old cousin asked me “Janna, is being skinny good?” I didn’t even no how to answer. And she has asked me on a couple occasion if she “was skinny” and told me I “was skinny”. I told her that everyone is beautiful no matter what they look like and she answered with “No. Not fat people.”.
:(
Its so sad what this world is coming to. The fact that those girls are 9 and 10, is just absolutely terrible.
I don’t want to be pessimistic but I don’t think this is an issue that can be solved. I mean, we can definitely help, but it can’t be solved. :(
This is definitely an issue I’m passionate about- it’s tragic that young girls (heck, all girls and women) feel the pressure to look a certain way. I’ll walk through a bookstore see a magazine that used to be oriented toward “girl power” for tween-girls suddenly advertising kissing tips and how to look good and it makes me sad. I know first-hand the life-stealing experience of an eating disorder and it makes me very worried that young girls could so easily fall prey to body image issues that could lead to such horrible disorders. I want to raise more awareness about body image issues for young girls, because I wholeheartedly agree that this is a domain that is seriously lacking in education systems and society in general. I think by talking about it in public forums (like your blog!) we’re all doing what we can- but I’m hoping that with time positive body-image messages can help to minimize the harmful effects of the mass-media on girls’ self-esteem and body image. And now I’ll step down from my soap box… haha.
OMG. I was just thinking about something similar I heard the other day. I was shopping around Target for some turtlenecks and this mom with her two high school aged daughters started walking through the aisles near me. The one sister was like: “You’re too fat for that size, You have a muffin top, etc., etc.” and the other sister was like, “I wear a size two. If I can’t get a size two, I’m not getting it, etc., etc., etc.” It got me thinking as well. I forget about all the pressure I used to feel to wear the “right” size and have the “perfect” look. Ever since I became an athlete my body image has changed dramatically.
Anyway, I think a way to almost secretly promote better body image is through athletics. If you make girls feel empowered, strong, capable . . . make them see their bodies as more than just objects to gaze upon, they’ll feel better about themselves. They’ll (hopefully) focus more on their abilities and progress and less on their hips and thighs.
Plus, exercise keeps girls healthy. Healthy eating goes hand-in-hand, etc.
At least that’s what worked for me — and I had an ED for many years.
I have an 11 yr old daughter and it is one of the most difficult jobs in the world! They have so many more outside influences that I can remember having when I was this age.
I have heard conversations like that and it’s really sad.
My mom taught me to identify with the inside of my body, and treat myself well so my heart, lungs, and brain would work well. She also taught me to love my body for what it can DO and encouraged us to be active for that reason. I think her perspective helped me a lot.
I’m not just saying this because I pride myself in a fat talk free home, but it really does all start at home. Those girls have heard SOMEONE say all those things, and I’m guessing it wasn’t their teachers. Maybe they read it in teen magazines, but SOMEONE is buying those magazines and allowing them in their home. Not me!
It is very sad, indeed. Who is too blame? I love Operation Beautiful on so many levels for how much of an impact it can and does make. I think if woman could stop comparing themsleves to one another and just embrace themselves, they will feel Free and empowered instantly. I try to work with many of my clients on this one, it is just so deep. One Negative comment, hurtful parenting, low self esteem…all of this plays a role on a self image.
I probablly would of stepped in and said, “Don’t call her fat, she is beautiful!” lol :)jk
Geesh this stuff is starting way too early. I do remember being 11 in 6th grade and realizing my stomach was pudgy, and I know that it was about then when I started to think about things like that. To think some girls are learning it as young as 5 is SCARY!
A few weeks ago I also overheard the conversation of a few young girls on the bus (they also might have been around the age of 10) and they were talking about their weight. And my heart almost stopped when one girl said “well, if I don’t eat anything tomorrow, I am going to weigh 37 kilos (which is like 80 pounds)!!”
I so wanted to turn around and just scream “are you crazy???? not eat anything?? you are still a kid!!”
But instead my heart just sank (after it continued beating) and I also thought “what can we do for those young girls who don’t know how VITAL it is to eat in a healthy way?”
I totally agree with body image classes for young people – and I think they should be paired with some education on nutrition as well. I didn’t get educated on the important role of fats in a diet and when I also got sucked into this dieting tunnel, I thought “yey, low-fat, let’s cut every bit of fat out that I can possibly detect”
How should they know that our body is like a factory – it NEEDS all sorts of things to work properly, to develop, to grow new life and to live long.
I am in the middle of preparing for my clerkship exams but I was thinking about taking some night classes on nutrition and then trying to set up a way to reach those girls and boys who don’t know what they are doing to their future health & body image!
I agree, I think messaging on positive body image needs to come from both the home and school environments. I have 10 and 12 year old nieces and it kills me to hear them talk about their bodies. The 10 year old is already concerned about losing weight! The 12 year old talks to her friends about who has a better body and what they need to change about their own. Growing up with a poor body image, I know how it can affect every aspect of your life and control the way you think, act, and feel. I love the mission of Operation Beautiful and would love to see some sort of body image lessons implemented into school curricula.
I have seen my best friends 5 year old little girl do this! She was playing dress up and made a comment to her sister along the lines as “I am a princess but a chubby one.” It broke my heart. First, how does she even know the word chubby. She is only 5 and already thinking about her looks :( I grabbed her and gave her a hug, and said you look so beautiful as a princess and you are a princess :)
I think that we lead by example. If little girls see their mommy partaking in fat talk and pointing out things that they dislike in themselves, they will learn to do that to themselves. My mom did and does this. She never points out the positive about herself. So, growing up I learned to look at myself that way too. I focused on negativity and would not believe there was anything beautiful about myself. I struggled with getting beyond the fat talk and learning to love me. I feel that if girls and/or boys are surrounded with positive talk they will learn it and feel it. Positive affirmations, positive imagery, and positive messages from others are very powerful!
I think positive body image messages should be over flowing in the school setting. Teachers should step in, but that’s a whole can of worms I won’t open :)
When I have children I am going to read to them Caitlin’s Operation Beautiful book. It is honest and helps people of all ages learn to love themselves. Also, I believe being honest with kids about the “reality” of celebrities, models, and the images we are slammed with are lies. That real beauty comes from within :) Also, to learn to see not just the beauty we see in others but in ourselves as well :)