What We Can Learn From Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Stephen Merchant's Lip-Sync Battle

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Stephen Merchant induce tears in their lip-sync battle performances on a recent episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

The HealthyButJuicy lesson is this: Just.Let.Go.

Whatever it is you might be holding onto. These guys show us the freedom is admirable, the response is positive, and the act is uplifting, if not downright hilarious. And who couldn't use a little more laughter?





What crazy funny things have YOU seen lately?

Share in the Comments below, we'd love to hear and share in the laughs! :>

Happy Healthy Juicy Letting Go!

How To Get A Better Night's Sleep With Young Kids

Did you know insufficient sleep can make you fat, stupid, and dead? Fast Company briefly explains why and suggests that you 'train in the subtle arts of getting to bed the right way.'

These suggestions are helpful but fail to address a subset of the adult population and root cause of their lack of sleep— parents with young kids.

If you're a parent, sometimes it's them not you, for why you aren't catching enough zzz's. Good news is the same tenets are applicable to THEM in the same context as well. Here's how and what you can do.

• Exercise - Fortunately, the gym is not a requisite for this. For both kids and adults, 'intense activity necessitates intense rest'. While your kids might not be jogging the tread mill, once kids know how to walk, they're running in no time and fast, wherever there's space and opportunity. Keep your kids active and bring them to places where they can run around, jump, and climb to burn off some energy for a better night's rest. Parks are an affordable suggestion but if it's winter, too cold, or raining, take them, perhaps, to a nearby mall with a play area. It's just as affordable as the park (ahem, free) and they can have the opportunity to socially interact with other kids as well.


• Bedtime - If you need 7 hours of sleep, subtract 7 from the time you need to be up and make sure you're in bed by then, the article suggests for adults. For kids, however, set their bedtime around the same time every night. Obviously, their sleep time won't be exact every night (just like us, they're not robots :>) but their bodies will get used to the routine and hour when you're consistent.


• Allow time - It's funny, you're not doing anything when you're sleeping, yet it takes a decent amount of effort to get there— using the bathroom, brushing teeth, changing into pajamas, to name a few— that you might actually avoid going to bed because of the process. With kids, the hassle is sometimes (often times) even greater because they're even more outrightly reluctant to do those very things. Add 10 minutes to all that, too, for bedtime stories. Like yourself, give your kids a sufficient amount of time to do the things they need to do before bed. Add extra time, if you can, for reluctancy. This is when that time-subtracting exercise might come in handy. That is, (Time to start getting ready for bed) = (Time you want them in bed) - [(Time it takes you to do all the things they need to do) + (5-minutes for reluctant fuss time)].


• Unplug - For adults, the internet and tv might keep us wired and awake, so they suggest getting unplugged for bedtime. For your kids, avoid the same that will get them wired, including consuming sugary items and jumping on the bed. Turning off the lights, speaking softer, and creating a peaceful, nighttime environment can also help.


• Ritual and routine - We are creatures of habit— both us and our kids— and the more often we do the same thing, the easier it is for us to do it and even without thinking. Create a routine for your kids by doing the same thing day in and day out for them to know what to expect. Hopefully, that way, their reluctance is minimized because they are empowered by knowing exactly what to do. Also, give them time to dance. Some or most of us, don't just plop into bed and fall asleep right away. We fix our pillows, adjust the blanket, and find a comfortable position to fall asleep. Kids are no different. You might put them in bed but give them a little time to say good night to their stuffed friends (if they sleep with them), ask the questions their curious minds need answered, and settle in before shutting eye.


• Dinner! - This wasn't included on Fast Company's list of suggestions but is really important for both kids and adults. Never go to bed hungry. While you may be able to fall asleep, your body, young or old, will wake you up if it's too hungry. Believe it or not, your body still needs energy even when it's sleeping like a log. Achieve this by eating a good dinner. Take time to actually sit down and eat together. Encourage healthy eating habits and nutrition, including engaging in conversation.

There's more to add to this list but this a good start. What helps YOUR little ones sleep better?

Share your tips in the Comments below, we'd love to hear! :>

Happy Healthy Juicy Better Night's Rest, Parents and Kids Included!

30 Ways To Know You're A Parent Of A Toddler

1. You impersonate the sound of every animal you encounter. If you’re a mom, you’re a bitch more than half the time.
2. You can accurately describe poop in all shapes, forms, and colors. And when you haven’t seen it in a while, you’re on what’s called ‘poop watch’.
3. Screaming doesn't sound as loud as it once used to (even if it has gotten louder).
4. You realize how difficult it is to sit down, though it’s really all you want to do.
5. Your memory has never fully recovered since the bump.
6. It’s an exceptional time in your life, where you can smell someone’s butt in public without reserve or being arrested.
7. 6pm is dangerous and is not a time to be sleeping.
8. You have to insist on vacuuming even when someone else desperately wants to do it.
9. You know every alternative to Pepperidge Farm’s Goldfish (not to mention every version of their own line).
10. You don’t have a lot of (or any) time to read books that don’t reference animals or personify inanimate objects.
11. Even when you’re by yourself, you look at a flying plane in the sky with wonder and excitement.
12. You skip your workout when planning to go out to a restaurant because that, in and of itself, is your workout.
13. Forget working out, who has time for that?
14. But actually, your biceps have never been so toned in your life.
15. You identify practically everything as ‘Not a toy’.
16. You insist someone else go to the bathroom when you do.
17. Though you appreciate their curiosity, you still get upset when they touch things in public bathrooms.
18. In fact, if Yelp had a category for public bathrooms, you could be an Elite reviewer.
19. You found another purpose for hoodies. It not only keeps heads warm and hair dry, but it also dubs as a leash in potentially quick runaways.
20. You didn’t realize standing in line at Starbucks was that interesting.
21. Forget lipstick, spare socks are your must-have purse item.
22. You can find the humor in snot.
23. You have rekindled your love for Legos.
24. You’ve never lost (or misplaced) so many items in your life.
25. You blame teething for any and all middle-of-the-night wakings.
26. You know that Cheerios can, in fact, be eaten with a fork.
27. You avoid fountains and escalators if you’re in a rush.
28. You’re always in a rush.
29. Car seats don’t scare you though your phobia for reinstalling them still gives you nightmares.
30. You are relieved at the end of the day when the house is quiet but are too tired to actually enjoy it. Instead, you go to bed early.

What did we miss?

Share below in the Comments, we'd love to laugh out loud!

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This post is authored by piecesofm and is dedicated to her life love, who'll be turning Terrible tomorrow! :>



Happy Healthy Juicy Parenting!

Raising Awareness And The Throes Of Hunger

As part of Hunger Action Month, the CEO of Panera, Ron Shaich, has been taking the SNAP Challenge this week. In case you didn't know, SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as Food Stamps, and is a US federal-aid program that helps low-income individuals and families purchase food.

The SNAP Challenge is a voluntary exercise with the goal to increase awareness and understanding amongst those not affected by hunger, and to help get a better sense of what it is like to struggle with hunger by living on only $4.50 per day.

Below are some poignant sound bites of each of Mr. Shaich's daily posts to date.

Day 0:
We live in the “land of plenty,” and yet nearly 48 million people receive food stamps and 16 million children go to bed hungry.

Day 1:
I haven’t even felt the first pangs of hunger, and I’m already gaining a whole new perspective into challenges that so many people in this country face in dealing with food insecurity – from the embarrassment of having to leave items at the register to the diligence and ongoing calculation required to constantly prioritize and rank every purchase and potential purchase, big and small.

Day 2:
When I finally ate lunch at around 2:30 p.m., it really felt like a reward, and I didn’t take for granted the satisfaction that the meal provided... I was hyper aware whenever those around me consumed.

Day 3:
The face of hunger is as diverse as this country is.

Day 4:
This week, through my participation in the SNAP Challenge, I have had a glimpse into how detrimental and all-consuming hunger can be – and I’m barely halfway through my merely seven day challenge. I can’t stop thinking about food.

Day 5:
“It’s not just about food to fill a belly, it’s about life.”

Mr. Shaich's writing is insightful and raw, and hits sorely close to home.

I remember when I was in grad school— actually discussing the very issue of food insecurity, the SNAP program and Challege— one student couldn't understand (out loud) why those suffering from food insecurity couldn't just go out and get a job so they could pay for and get the food they needed. I interjected, asking, How can these people get jobs if they don't even know how to pack a grocery bag? [We had just finished talking about food banks]. I'm not sure he really understood concepts, yet, such as the basics of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, but don't blame him either as it is extremely difficult to understand issues at the core when you haven't experienced them yourself first-hand.

I've never gone hungry because I couldn't afford it. But I can tell you the symptoms, experiences, and consequences of hunger, as Mr. Shaich describes, due to the struggles of income are the exact same as those due to mental illness and, more specifically, anorexia.

To re-iterate, in both instances, you really can't stop thinking about food when you're hungry nor can you really be productive (if at all); it really isn't about the food; and it really is about life— trying to figure out how to build one worth living given the very dire, arguably extremist, circumstances. Every day is a battle.

For me, it was a 10-year battle that crept into my life silently and one that is now silenced because of hard-working efforts and achieving a life of recovery. Yay! Well, not so yay. Because I still live with the consequences of the silent disease, unemployed and in silence about it.

Despite two degrees from an Ivy League university, functional brain, good health, and eagerness, how do you explain to potential employers what the hell you've been doing the past 10 years of your life while everyone else you graduated with are now managers and directors? You've been TO hell and back but that isn't exactly the experience employers want to hear about.

The effects of hunger are profound. This always brings up the Minnesota Starvation Experiment, which is a HealthyButJuicy recommended read, if you don't know about it already. It's nearly impossible to be productive when you are starved— physically, mentally, and emotionally— and when the elemental need of food and nutrition, and focus on survival become your world and all-consuming.

This post isn't just about food insecurity and eating disorders, though. It's about raising awareness, increasing compassion, and bettering ourselves and each other. Before we can solve or address issues, whether they be our own or others', we need to begin to fundamentally understand them first. And, by asking ourselves things like 'In what kind of society do we want to live?' and What kind of life do I?, perhaps, one day, we can reach our goals.

You matter. You can make a difference. And you can be the change.

Share your thoughts in the Comments below, we'd love to hear! :> xoxo

Happy Healthy Juicy Inspire!

The Future Of Higher Education? Disrupt!

During this week's TechCrunch Disrupt in SF, Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor of California, sat down with Sebastian Thrun, CEO of Udacity, an educational tech start-up to discuss The Future of Higher Education.

You can read this article about it and see what people are saying in the comments.

I debated whether I should share my thoughts here or on my other blog, piecesofm, but decided to feature it here as I think this topic is 100% HealthyButJuicy, as it relates to education. Being unemployed with two degrees from an Ivy League institution, healthy, and juicy, this really hits home...

Contributing to the conversation, here are my thoughts:

In my experience, college is too heavily focused on its business-- increasing enrollment and tuition rates-- and not enough on equipping students with the skills they need post-graduation. Rationalizing that college graduates are 'exposed to many different forms of thinking', as Schwartz touts, may be a nice idea but they end up being pretty useless as well. Literally. How many times do you see History majors in completely unrelated professions? And what good is it for them to have the knowledge they don't use (and likely forget) IN ADDITION to the burden of never-ending student loans?

Flat out, schools are not prepping their students enough to pay off those loans with jobs in which they can actually apply the knowledge they learned and paid for. Practical makes complete sense and this disruption in education is exactly what we need. It's not to say all students should or will be redirected and/or geared to the tech industry but, at least for those who know that's what they want, they will be much better prepared and connected.

Share this post and your thoughts in the Comments below, we'd love it if you do! :>

Happy Healthy Juicy Education and Tech!

Pork Vegetable Stir-Fry - A HealthyButJuicy Original #15minuterecipe!

If you thought 30-minute meals was fast, try 15 seconds!

HealthyButJuicy kicks off its 15-second video recipes with Pork Vegetable Stir-Fry. Follow @mdesenna on Instagram for instant video-licious gratification and check back here for the detailed recipes. Dishes will be 100% HealthyButJuicy and scrumptious!



So one of the key skills you should develop when cooking HealthyButJuicy is to be able to modify recipes to your likes, tastes, budget, and what you simply have on hand. We called this dish Pork Vegetable Stir-Fry but if you don't eat or like pork, you can simply swap it out for ground beef, chicken, or turkey, firm tofu, or even meat substitute crumbles.

As for the vegetables, we used edamame and carrots (a couple of my daughter's favorites), red bell pepper, and scallions (aka. green onions). We would have added corn, which would have been a nice additional color (and another of my daughter's favorite) but we didn't have any. No biggie.

My daughter ended up not really liking the red peppers— we don't typically eat it often— but I thought it was a great addition both in terms of color, flavor, and texture. It added a bit of sweet- and juiciness and complimented the salmon that we ate with this dish well.

Re: kids and food dislikes. I am all for offering new foods to my daughter (almost 2!). Variety is the spice of life, isn't it? :> And it's important to offer variety to your kids when they're young because as we grow older we tend to be less willing to try new things or foods we think we don't like. As Ellen Satyr (a child nutrition expert) has said, sometimes it takes as many as 15-20 times for kid try a new food before s/he likes it (I remember that because I got that question wrong on a quiz in grad school :>).

Also, offering foods your kids may not necessarily like can actually help teach them some proper table manners. Instead of throwing food on the floor or across the room, my daughter now either gives the food to me to put on my plate, puts the food she doesn't want on her own plate (farthest away from her), or puts it back on the main serving dish. (Perhaps the latter isn't very proper but it's a step up from across the room. :>)

Pork Vegetable Stir-Fry Recipe

Ingredients
3 medium Carrots, diced
1-2 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth/Stock (enough to cover the carrots in a small pot)
4 oz. Ground Pork
2 Scallions, finely-sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 cup frozen, thawed Edamame
1-2 tbsp. Oyster Sauce
Oil, as needed

1. In a small pot, cook the carrots in the broth. Carrots take longer than the other vegetables to cook. Cook them to your desired consistency. We cook them until semi-firm to-the-bite, or how my daughter likes it. Skipping this step is also an option if you don't mind your carrots crunchy.
2. In a large wok or deep pan, heat up some oil (about 1-2 tbsp). Add the pork, spreading it across the pan. We're looking for a good sear to bring out the flavor.
3. Add the scallions and toss to release some of its flavors.
4. Scoop out of pan onto serving dish.
5. Add a little more oil to the pan and let it heat up a little.
6. Add the peppers and toss to coat. Cover the pan slightly to soften.
7. Toss in the other vegetables and stir-fry until everything is warmed up.
8. Add the pork and scallion mix.
9. Add a little bit of oyster sauce and re-toss.
10. Transfer the everything back to the serving dish. Voila!

Tweet or Instagram us a pic of this recipe if you try it! Tag your posts with #healthybutjuicy #15secondrecipe

We'd love to see your versions and how it turned out!

Happy Healthy Juicy Make-It-Your-Own Stir-Fry!

Five Simple Habits That’ll Make You A Better Co-Worker: A Working Mom’s Perspective

What you do as a parent can often seem completely irrelevant to what you do in your professional career. On the other the hand, though, the people you work with are, in some (or many) ways, very much like the children you are trying to raise and be role models for. That being said, here are five simple habits, practices, or things you can say to help yourself be a better co-worker.

Please. One of the first things we want our children to say is… well, it’s Mama and Dada, but after that we work hard to teach them Please. That’s because somehow, though not surprisingly, they pick up I Want and Give Me way faster and, once they do, they start saying it seemingly more often than not. As parents, we have to continually interject if we want to raise them to become polite beings of society. What’s the magic word? And really, it is pretty magical, isn’t it? Please connotes respect and that you don’t take things for granted. Can you put away your shoes, please? Can you please help set the table? I don’t always expect my daughter to do the things I ask, just like I don’t expect my co-workers to, but at least I give her the respect she deserves in my requests.


Thank you. Equally powerful as Please, is Thank You. Thank you is the best way to conclude an interaction. That and maybe a hug. In two short words/syllables, which you can even pair down to one in a Thanks, you relay to the other person that you appreciate them, value them, and don’t take them and what they do for granted. Thank you for helping to put away your toys. Thank you for sitting in your chair like everyone else. Thank you for this one-of-a-kind scribble drawing. Thank you for making me laugh. Thank you for holding hands. Thank you for being you. And in the office… Thank you for helping me with this project. Thank you for explaining that concept to me (Bill). Thank you for your time. Thank you for making more coffee when there was none. Thank you for your contribution as a member of this team... I can go on and on. There’s a lot to be thankful for.


Do you need help? Kids need lots of help. They wouldn’t be able to get through childhood without mom, dad, or some caretaker, or would have a very difficult time. The people you work with, members of your team or company, are no different. As the great Aristotle once said: The sum of the whole is greater than the parts. I try to not to be an overbearing parent and let my daughter try to do things as self-sufficiently as she can but will often ask her after trying and struggling a little, Do you need help? Do you need help walking up these steps? Do you need help taking off your jacket? Do you need help opening the door? Maybe with children it’s more apparent but we all need help sometimes and it never hurts to extend yourself beyond what is necessary and just offer. For sure, it makes the ride that much better, smoother, more enjoyable, and efficient.


Did you have a good day? I ask my daughter this on a daily basis. I want to know that she did and, if she didn’t, why and what can I do to make it better so that she does. Surely, every day will not be rainbows and sunshine—teething, biting, bullying, and germs all are implications of cloudy forecasts—but nonetheless, caring to even just ask is a step to showing someone you care about them and want them to be happy. Employee satisfaction is one of the most important key factors in the success of a company. It results in low-turnover, increased productivity, and ultimately higher returns. Perhaps this is not something we need to ask our employees or selves on a daily basis but should on a somewhat regular one.


Good job! Momma is very proud of you :> Ok, the latter part of this saying might not be applicable but the former can do wonders. My daughter knows where to put her shoes when we walk in the house—we have a no-shoe policy—but doesn’t always put them away. When she doesn’t put them away, I remind and show her where they need to go. When she does put them away, though, I commend her for her efforts and ability to be responsible. Good job, Babe, that is very good. That is what big girls do. Every time I say that, for whatever she does—saying good night to those around her, washing her hands after she goes to the bathroom, singing the ABC song, counting to 10, giving her friend a hug, sharing—I am positively reinforcing her actions and behavior. Translated in the workplace, it might sound something like: Good idea/input/feedback—your contribution has help us do this better! Good job on landing that account! Or, good work on that project, I couldn’t have met that deadline without you. We all need validation, encouragement, and recognition for the good things we do. It’s what helps us keep going.

It doesn't take much to say a few positive words to those you work with but the effect it has can do wonders for your relationships, quality of work, and, ultimately, happiness both in and out of the office.

What else can people do to be a better co-worker? Share in the Comments below or Tweet/Instagram us, we'd love to hear! :>

Happy Healthy Juicy Co-Working!