BWWI's Marine Corps Youth Fitness Challenge
This June BWWI will host our 6th annual Marine Corps Youth Fitness Challenge in Falls Church City.
If you are interested in joining this free & fun event, check it out on our MCYFC page for details!
Work out with real Marines! You only compete against yourself!
Learn how to exercise safely & effectively as you increase your strength and stamina!
Who can join: Boys & Girls in grades 1-8 (Older students can help)
When: 2 to 4 PM on Sundays 6/3, 6/10, 6/17 and 7/1 (in all weather!)
Where: Roberts Park (Lynn Pl & Randolph St, 1 block from West St)
If you are interested in joining this free & fun event, check it out on our MCYFC page for details!
Work out with real Marines! You only compete against yourself!
Learn how to exercise safely & effectively as you increase your strength and stamina!
Who can join: Boys & Girls in grades 1-8 (Older students can help)
When: 2 to 4 PM on Sundays 6/3, 6/10, 6/17 and 7/1 (in all weather!)
Where: Roberts Park (Lynn Pl & Randolph St, 1 block from West St)
1 Breakfast, 1 Frying Pan, 2 Dishes!
Zander wanted scrambled cheesy eggs, bacon & toast for breakfast. Sounds good to me! I gave him 2/3 of the meal, added cooked black rice & power greens to the frying pan for my meal. Topped off with organic apple from Toigo Orchards & grass fed milk from Trickling Springs Creamery (my coffee beans were lovingly roasted at Caffe Amouri) and we are good to go! Now we are both happy and there is little mess to clean.
Happy Saturday Morning Everyone!
Happy Saturday Morning Everyone!
Chef Bon hosting a Colonial American lunchat TJ Elementary School. Students learned just how much our daily meals have changed over the years!
| 
Master Tao Porchon Lynch is 93 years old and going strong!
|
You can invite Chef Bon to your school!
If your school is in the Greater Washington, DC metropolitan area, you can invite Chef Bon to visit your school! The Bonita Woods Wellness Institute offers a variety of culinary, nutrition and wellness programs for students. Our programs are fun, educational and memorable.
No matter where you are in the USA, you can also get Food Health type programs through Chefs Move to Schools & Prevent Obesity. Both programs are part of Mrs Obama's Let's Move! campaign, and Chef Bon is active with all of them.
Why do we do this? Because our children have the right to grow up healthfully and age as gracefully as Master Tao... and Chef Bon's mom, Ursy Potter. Ursy just returned from horseback riding & hiking very steep mountains of San Miguel, Mexico, where she took pictures of Monarch Butterflies (at the final stop of their southern migration). As soon as she was back home, Ursy and her husband Carter Hearn went kayaking at the Needles section of the Shenandoah River.
All 3 of these amazing adults are an inspiration to us all!
Every child also has the right to also be an inspiration of fun & healthful living!
No matter where you are in the USA, you can also get Food Health type programs through Chefs Move to Schools & Prevent Obesity. Both programs are part of Mrs Obama's Let's Move! campaign, and Chef Bon is active with all of them.
Why do we do this? Because our children have the right to grow up healthfully and age as gracefully as Master Tao... and Chef Bon's mom, Ursy Potter. Ursy just returned from horseback riding & hiking very steep mountains of San Miguel, Mexico, where she took pictures of Monarch Butterflies (at the final stop of their southern migration). As soon as she was back home, Ursy and her husband Carter Hearn went kayaking at the Needles section of the Shenandoah River.
All 3 of these amazing adults are an inspiration to us all!
Every child also has the right to also be an inspiration of fun & healthful living!
My stepfather Carter Hearn with my stepbrother Davey Hearn, his wife Jennifer & their son Jesse. No matter what age, my family loves to have healthful adventures!
| the 57th Potomac Downriver RaceKeeping in shape can be fun! My family (Carter, Davey, Jennifer & their son Jesse) loves playing in nature. While I am a fair weather kayaker (I can't even Eskimo roll!), the rest of my family loves going through whitewater and down waterfalls. Add in camping, hiking and rock climbing, and you have a good picture of how we keep in shape.
If you have a neighborhood gym that you enjoy or you like to shoot hoops with your friends, go for it! So long as you are (safely) having fun, breathing hard, sweating and working your muscles, you are doing it right. |
Please help us to help end childhood hunger!
Health and wellness education is important for our kids. Equally important is making sure that all children have access to healthful food. Please visit No Kid Hungry to give your voice in asking Congress to protect SNAP (formerly food stamps) and other federal nutrition programs in the Farm Bill. Also, you can add your email to the pledge. Your support will be very helpful!
Want to learn more? Check out these sites: FRAC, USDA, and SNAP.
(pictured: Every child needs to eat healthfully!)
Want to learn more? Check out these sites: FRAC, USDA, and SNAP.
(pictured: Every child needs to eat healthfully!)
A day at Touchstone Farm
click of pict to see this year's photos
Last year Zander & I built a garden behind our kitchen - partly because he did a Garden Merit Badge for Boy Scouts, partly so we can have lovely produce at the tip of our fingers, but mostly for fun. (After all, what is a chef without a garden?) Please check out our 2011 facebook photo albums (1, 2 & 3) to see how we are did!
The secret to our amazingly blooming Garden of Paradise? We went to Touchstone Farm in Amissville, VA to get sheep manure to mix with our soil (and a dash of Miracle Grow). I seriously think this is the best fertilizer in the world! So last weekend, Zander and I returned to Touchstone Farm. Several friends and my parents asked us to get manure for them, too. Also some sheep wool mulch. This is amazing! You put a thin layer of the dirty sheep wool around your plants and it is the best mulch you could imagine. It helps keep the soil moist and the bits of dirt & sheep poo left in it act as additional fertilizer every time you water your garden.
The secret to our amazingly blooming Garden of Paradise? We went to Touchstone Farm in Amissville, VA to get sheep manure to mix with our soil (and a dash of Miracle Grow). I seriously think this is the best fertilizer in the world! So last weekend, Zander and I returned to Touchstone Farm. Several friends and my parents asked us to get manure for them, too. Also some sheep wool mulch. This is amazing! You put a thin layer of the dirty sheep wool around your plants and it is the best mulch you could imagine. It helps keep the soil moist and the bits of dirt & sheep poo left in it act as additional fertilizer every time you water your garden.
PortionSizeMe - One kid's healthful perspective on food
Thank you Cecilia for pointing this article out to me. You can read about Marshall's innovative program here in today's New York Times article.
What a wonderful program this young man has started! Look further at http://portionsize.me/
What a wonderful program this young man has started! Look further at http://portionsize.me/
 Maddy is watching you! Maddy the Cat's feline friend Croaker showed this whimsical video to us, so now Maddy wants to share it with you. This has nothing to do with diet but everything to do with enjoying nature and having fun.
|
Just posted on the BWWI facebook page
If you are not already a fan of our BWWI facebook page, please check it out. We post news and conversations there as well as on this website. We just added articles on Cosmetic Surgery and Stem Cell Burgers. Sounds disgustingly enticing? You have to read it to believe it!
Check it out!
Chef Bon has new posts on her blog page, Food Health...Our Daily Blog. If you have any links, tips, recipes or tricks you want to share, please feel welcome to contact us by email or the BWWI facebook page. We are always happy to share the informational wealth!
1 Pan Meals
Tips from a tired Mom trying to enjoy meals with a picky eater... and also keep her sanity in a good place
- meals and - meal plans | Chef Bon's New Articles
Chef Bon has a few more articles to share with you
How Buying Local Impacts the Global Economy and Healthful Detox |
Plus new Gluten Free recipes!
We are adding more tomorrow, too :)
Granola is happening!
If you want to see what all the fuss is about, check out our new line of gluten free baked goods at Falls Church's Local Market and Vienna's Caffe Amouri. More gluten free treats & locations coming soon. We can't tell you how excited Chef Bon is about this!
|
|
Everyone has the right to eat healthfully!
 Even my godchild Emmy Alex the Cat!
After her yummy breakfast, Emmy Alex napped in my lap, daring me to try to work without disturbing her. ..
|
It's good to be back!
Zander & me at a family dinner
Check out our latest articles on Our Daily Blog and Chef Bon's Baked Treats to see where we have been
In this photo, you see:
Chocolate Cloud Cake made with tofu, low fat cottage cheese and yogurt
Key Lime Cheesecake made with low fat cream cheese and tofu
Cherry Blueberry Tarts
Who says that desserts have to be bad for you to taste good? No one noticed the added health value to my desserts but they did notice how good they felt after eating them!
In this photo, you see:
Chocolate Cloud Cake made with tofu, low fat cottage cheese and yogurt
Key Lime Cheesecake made with low fat cream cheese and tofu
Cherry Blueberry Tarts
Who says that desserts have to be bad for you to taste good? No one noticed the added health value to my desserts but they did notice how good they felt after eating them!
BWWI has a new logo
We had over 100 designs submitted by artists from around the world. The winner was Chloé Durand of www.ct-realisations.co. If any of you are looking for an artist, we could not recommend anyone better! She researched us, went all through our website and captured the essence of our mission. We love how Chloé incorporated both the joyousness of health and nature. The colors are perfect! For those who read colors, green represents physical health and blue is for spiritual well being. How perfect for us!
You can see our new logo design gracing our new line of granola treats currently being test marketed in local stores. Learn all about our venture into the world of baked goods on our Yum Bites and Granola page. We at BWWI are so excited. Wish us luck!
You can see our new logo design gracing our new line of granola treats currently being test marketed in local stores. Learn all about our venture into the world of baked goods on our Yum Bites and Granola page. We at BWWI are so excited. Wish us luck!
Everyone has the right to eat healthfully!
 |  |
Spicy Banana Pepper Marmalade - so good!
Last night Michael Amouri of Vienna's Caffe Amouri came by for dinner & to play with making chocolate bark in my kitchen. First we stopped by the Local Market because I love that store so much! Then Michael & I experimented with cracked espresso bark & peppermint bark. You will see both at his coffee house this winter.
Michael's favorite dinner item was a condiment - my Spicy Banana Pepper Marmalade. I made it off the top of my mind, but the basic recipe is:
6 hot banana peppers, 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup raw apple vinegar, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Simmer the peppers in the oil. Add lime juice, let simmer a moment to take out the rawness. Add vinegar and simmer with a low bubble (not a full boil). Add salt. Adjust flavor to your taste.
this was a great addition to our dinner... and my breakfast... and lunch... dinner again tonight. So spicy & flavorful!
Michael's favorite dinner item was a condiment - my Spicy Banana Pepper Marmalade. I made it off the top of my mind, but the basic recipe is:
6 hot banana peppers, 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup raw apple vinegar, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Simmer the peppers in the oil. Add lime juice, let simmer a moment to take out the rawness. Add vinegar and simmer with a low bubble (not a full boil). Add salt. Adjust flavor to your taste.
this was a great addition to our dinner... and my breakfast... and lunch... dinner again tonight. So spicy & flavorful!
How fat is too fat?
Our nation is so inundated with artificial ingredients, partially hydrogenated fat, overhanging midriffs (muffin tops), disinterest in exercise or real cooking... We are becoming jaded to the term "national obesity epidemic".
We are fat and getting fatter while we pursue diets that boast "Eat all you want and still lose weight!" How is this possible? A large percentage of us actually think this is OK. Instead of making healthful choices, we would rather "manipulate" or "trick" our body chemistry. What ever happened to the good, old fashioned program? You know - the one where you eat healthfully and exercise?
As our nation increases in pounds and inches, I offer this sage advice: drive less & walk more. Eat more produce (fruits, veggies & whole grains) and less prefab food. If you have a 100 calorie snack bag of cookies and a 100 calorie fruit salad, which should you chose for your snack? (insert sarcastic response here) In that case, why would you ever have a snack bag of cookies when you can carry an apple, orange or banana (each well under 100 calories) instead? While I am not pushing any particular diet, I do recommend that everyone eat minimally processed food as often as possible. My grandmother called this "food that sticks to your ribs", meaning it keeps you full and energized for a long time. This is different from the processed food that sticks to your ribs, gut, thighs, butt, and all those cellulite loving areas...
Our digestive system is a lot like a checking account. It is all about calories in balancing with calories out. The easier it is to digest the food, the more your body wants to grab those calories and hold on to them. The rougher and less refined the food, the harder your body has to work to break down and digest it, & the less you absorb the calories. Your body has to work at digesting unprocessed food and needs energy to do that. It is easier to use the calories in the food to provide digestive energy than to store them. That"s right - eating high fiber food burns calories! So that 48 calorie apple becomes more like a nutrient dense & potentially calorie free snack! That is why, the rougher food = more nutrition and less calories. The more refined food = less nutrition and more calories.See? Basic math just like your bank statement. Not mine, which I can never properly balance, but hopefully yours.
We are fat and getting fatter while we pursue diets that boast "Eat all you want and still lose weight!" How is this possible? A large percentage of us actually think this is OK. Instead of making healthful choices, we would rather "manipulate" or "trick" our body chemistry. What ever happened to the good, old fashioned program? You know - the one where you eat healthfully and exercise?
As our nation increases in pounds and inches, I offer this sage advice: drive less & walk more. Eat more produce (fruits, veggies & whole grains) and less prefab food. If you have a 100 calorie snack bag of cookies and a 100 calorie fruit salad, which should you chose for your snack? (insert sarcastic response here) In that case, why would you ever have a snack bag of cookies when you can carry an apple, orange or banana (each well under 100 calories) instead? While I am not pushing any particular diet, I do recommend that everyone eat minimally processed food as often as possible. My grandmother called this "food that sticks to your ribs", meaning it keeps you full and energized for a long time. This is different from the processed food that sticks to your ribs, gut, thighs, butt, and all those cellulite loving areas...
Our digestive system is a lot like a checking account. It is all about calories in balancing with calories out. The easier it is to digest the food, the more your body wants to grab those calories and hold on to them. The rougher and less refined the food, the harder your body has to work to break down and digest it, & the less you absorb the calories. Your body has to work at digesting unprocessed food and needs energy to do that. It is easier to use the calories in the food to provide digestive energy than to store them. That"s right - eating high fiber food burns calories! So that 48 calorie apple becomes more like a nutrient dense & potentially calorie free snack! That is why, the rougher food = more nutrition and less calories. The more refined food = less nutrition and more calories.See? Basic math just like your bank statement. Not mine, which I can never properly balance, but hopefully yours.
Chef Bon's new cooking videos!
Chef Bonita and her favorite nutrition partner Laurie Young are having fun making cooking videos. To answer the questions running through your head: No, we have no idea what we are doing. Yes, they will get better over time as we figure out how to do this right(ish). Yes, we are so happy & having a blast! Have any recipe requests? Please let us know! We would love to hear from you. Currently, we have 5 recipes on Youtube. We will get a bunch more starting in a couple of weeks. Check them out here. :)
Check out Chef Bon's Blog: FoodHealth
11/12/2011: update on Scouting for Food - local scouts brought 4500 pounds of donated food to the local food bank at Knox Presbyterian Church in Falls Church. This will help a lot of families in need to have a festive Thanksgiving! (photos here)
Hungry? (click here!)
Try Chef Bon's Chocolate Cherry Yum Bar!
A great powerbar that is super easy to make.
How is Chef Bon's Diet going? Find out on our diet page!
| Bon's Daily "Get Fit" Challenges |
What do I love about my diet? My pants fit! ...kind of...
It is wonderful to be able to wear my clothing again.
It is wonderful to be able to wear my clothing again.
Bonita Woods
Wellness Institute
No two bodies are the same. No two diets should be.
  |
google-site-verification: googlee799b6f200044aae.html
C:\Users\Bonita\AppData\Local\Temp\googlece68d1e2d9cc85d8.html