Pretty cool.

“Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end.  It’s ot a day when you lounge around doing nothing, it’s when you’ve had everything to do and you’ve done it.” – Margaret Thatcher

“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.” – Waynee Dyer

Nutrition is the BIGGEST battle with overweight kids today -right up there with no activity! I love hearing progressions in our school food system! Read below.

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School nutrition: Healthier ingredients, more education for 2010-11

School nutrition has advanced for the 2010-11 school year as parents, children, and government programs push healthy menu options.

By Stacy Teicher Khadaroo, Staff writer / August 18, 2010

Schools searching for ways to improve school nutrition are starting to get sneaky.

“Replace three-quarters of the fat in baked goods with pureed beans and the kids don’t even notice!” according to a tip from an awarding-winning elementary school in Idaho.

That delicious-smelling breakfast sausage? It’s turkey. And that pizza crust that doesn’t have a hint of healthy-looking brown in its coloring? Fooled ya’ – chances are it’s made of nutritious whole grains. Even salads are getting a makeover, with cafeterias gradually increasing the percentage of heartier greens mixed into the crispy iceberg lettuce kids are used to.

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) reports progress as students head back to school. According to a new survey completed by nutrition directors in 538 districts around the country:

• 95 percent are increasing whole-grain offerings
• 90 percent are providing more fresh fruits and vegetables
• 69 percent are reducing sodium
• 66 percent are reducing added sugar
• 67 percent of those with vending services are making healthier drinks more available

Among the new menu items schools are serving up for 2010-11: jicama, star fruit, sweet potato puffs, collard greens, edamame, egg-white omelets, and fish tacos.

A new website from the SNA, www.TrayTalk.org, educates parents about healthy school meals and highlights innovative approaches around the country.

Along with sneaking healthier ingredients into foods, schools are trying more open tactics.

In Somerville, Mass., school children find their science lessons linked to the “Vegetable of the Month” campaign, featuring colorful posters with nutritional and cultural information on everything from beans to broccoli (“Broccoli was invented by an Italian family by crossing cauliflower seeds with pea seeds.”) read the rest here.

I finally had some time to sit down and read this AWESOME book about back pain. I personally don’t experience much pain, but have found that since I gave birth to my first son, I’m feeling some tension back there. Many people experience back pain because we live in a highly sedentary society. We have bad posture when we drive, when we sit, when we sit on our computers! In fact, I was just talking to my trainer-friend today and we were discussing how hard it is to train a client who has postural issues. Applying any type of weight/stress to the body only creates more muscle imbalances, pain and possibly injury.

8 steps to a pain-free back by Esther Gokhale is a great book because it gives you easy solutions to help relieve the pain. My fiancee’, David, read the book and loved it. He now stacks his pillows when he sleeps because he read that it was more natural for his spine. I think anyone who experiences back pain would benefit from reading this book and trying the Gokhale method.

Did you know that:

• 90% of adults experience back pain at some point in their lives.
• This year, 50% of working Americans will experience back pain.
• Back pain is now the leading cause of disability in people under 45 years old.
• By age 15, more than 60% of all adolescents have experienced back and/or neck pain.