Superbowl Ladies Night!

Sometimes I have to pinch myself to be sure I’m not dreaming. Totally corny to say, I know, but in this job I get to meet the most amazing people. Last night’s group of women was no exception. Funny, warm, eager to participate and learn, the women served as another reminder of why I love what I do.

We started off the night with a quick warm-up activity. I made the ladies put down their glasses of wine, so the warm-up couldn’t last too long! The purpose of this quick blood-pumping activity was to show how easy it is to get oxygen running through our blood- to feel energized. Quick movement, a walk outside, or play time with our kids can be just the thing for the afternoon slumps. Try one of these and a glass of water before hitting the vending machine, the cookie jar, or the coffee maker and you might find it wasn’t sugar or caffeine your body needed after all.

Then we moved to the host’s beautiful kitchen to begin some sampling. Like the previous night’s event, the theme was Superbowl snacking! The ladies were impressed with the nachos. Some could tell it wasn’t cheese covering the chips, but all thought they were delish, and especially liked the black bean addition. They were really psyched once they learned what was in the nacho sauce. Nachos you can feel good about eating! Who knew?

Also served was a yummy salad with greens, carrots, walnuts, raisins, and feta cheese. While I don’t do dairy, because I found it to be the cause of my asthma, I reminded the ladies that if there is going to be cheese, it should be quality cheese. One rule of thumb is…If it still looks like plastic after the plastic has been removed, it ain’t cheese.

One guest asked about cheese made with goat’s milk. For some, goat’s milk products are more easily digested. The other advantage is that goats, unlike most cows in traditional dairy factories, are not fed hormones and antibiotics. This is a real problem today, and a good reason to buy organic and/or local if you purchase dairy. Most dairy cows today, unless otherwise stated on the milk container, are injected with growth hormones. It’s not a surprise, then, that most of our girls are growing breasts at age 7, and beginning menstruation at 9. The longer a girl is exposed to estrogen, which begins at menarche, the higher her chances for breast cancer later in life.

Then we moved on to popcorn, seasoned with sea salt and nutritional yeast. So easy to make popcorn right on top of the stove, and so much better for us than the microwave stuff! The women, knowing about genetically-modified corn, asked about the corn kernels. Buying organic means there are no gm ingredients, but I just found this Non-GMO shopper’s guide so we can all check out our products!

We finished up the food sampling with chocolate granola. SO delish, and always a big hit! I had an insightful chocolate granola moment today, but I’ll wait for another blog to share that with you!

Some of the women were moms with children who weren’t getting a whole lot of veggies into their developing bodies. For most kids, smoothies solve this problem! Smoothies are a great place to hide veggies. Add enough fruit to sweeten, put the smoothie into a opaque, covered mug (or call it a Shrek smoothie), and most kids will drink it. My Chocolate-Covered Strawberry smoothie uses only one green leaf, so the color doesn’t turn green, in case that is an issue. Smoothies tend to satisfy sweets cravings, yet are filled with fruits and greens, so they make for a snack moms can feel good about serving. They are also a great place to hide additional supplements, like ground flax seed, plain yogurt, or a little hemp protein.

Super night with a super bunch of women…and now looking forward to a Superbowl! Bring it!

Are you interested in hosting a Ladies Night with a Twist? If so, contact me through Donna@Betteroffwell.com. The host is always free.