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Mindful Eating Fun for the Holidays

11/27/2020

 
girl eating apple
Photo by Khamkhor on Unsplash
With the holidays upon us, there are sure to be many opportunities to share wonderful foods with the little ones in our lives. A playful and engaging activity to explore together can be a pause for Mindful Eating. When we are mindful, we are paying attention to experiences with all of our senses, on purpose, with curious interest and care. Here is a 5-minute practice you can try with some favorite festive treats.
​
  1. Decide what food you might like to explore. It could be a fruit or a veggie, a pretzel or a cracker, or maybe a delightful praline (as featured in the new release, Praline Lady by Kirstie Myvett). Anything goes!
  2. First, let’s explore this snack using the sense of SIGHT. What does it look like? Use all the descriptive words you might find. 
  3. Next, let’s explore with TOUCH. Hold it in your hand. Is it light? Is it heavy? Is it soft? Is it hard? What textures do you feel with your skin?
  4. Now comes HEARING. Does your snack make a sound? Hold it to your ear. Is it talking to you? Does it make a noise when you gently shake it in your hand or squeeze it? Maybe you have to unwrap this treat. Does its wrapper make noises as you remove it? 
  5. How about SMELL?  Gently hold your treat to your nose, and notice if it has a smell. Is it a pleasant smell? Is it a smell you do not like? Hmmm, does the smell make your mouth water? 
  6. We’ve looked. We touched. We listened and smelled. Finally we get to TASTE. Take a small bite of your snack. Before you chew, get curious. Notice what the snack feels like inside your mouth. Do you detect a taste even before you chew?  Now bite into your treat, and chew slowly. Notice all the textures and flavors in your mouth. Does the taste change as you chew? 
  7. When you are ready, let yourself swallow your snack. See how far you can follow its sensations, maybe even down to your belly. Notice how you feel now. 
  8. We have used all five of our senses, and we can still use even more. We can use the 6th sense of our heart and mind.  Take a moment to notice what memories this snack reminds you of. Can you invite some gratitude in your heart for this food and the hands that prepared it? What does that feel like?
  9. If you have another bite or a different snack, is the experience the same? What are the ways it is different? What does it feel like to slow down and share a snack in this way?

There are so many ways to explore! Have fun with this, and notice what you uncover together. We can’t wait to hear all about it!
by Rashmi Bismark, MD, MPH, Mindfulness educator and author of Finding Om
Finding Om
What do you think? Post a picture of your favorite snack and mindful eating discoveries on Twitter or Instagram and tag us at @KidLitinColor!

Rajani LaRocca - Seven Golden Rings

11/10/2020

 
Picture

 
This is such a fun story that required me to actually pause and think because Math isn’t my strength. What inspired you to write this story?
My family has always been a fan of math puzzles, both when I was a kid and later when I became a parent. My son, in particular, loved music and math from when he was very little. So he was my inspiration for writing a picture book involving a math puzzle and featuring a main character who loves music and math.  

The Author’s Note is really informative. What type of research did you do for this book?
I researched the history of binary numbers, but the math was already something I knew. The biggest challenge was to break down the concept of binary numbers in a way that made it understandable to those who aren’t familiar with this concept. 
 
Was math your favorite subject?
I would say it was tied with science...and English...and history...and French. I liked school a LOT. 

I liked how Bhagat set out to be a musician for the rajah, but something totally unexpected happened instead just when you think all is lost. It’s a great reminder, especially for children, that they possess more than one strength or gift. Tell us how that idea came about and if there were many revisions.
When I first drafted this book, I had Bhagat succeed at becoming a singer for the rajah. But I put this story away for nearly a year, and when I went back to it and revised, I changed the ending. I think this ending occurred to me because I’ve always felt like I had a foot in different worlds...especially as a doctor who writes books for kids. Am I good at science, or at writing? As it turns out, for me the answer is that I’m good at both—and the same is true for everyone, especially kids. Sometimes we can surprise ourselves with our varied talents, and all the different ways in which we can succeed and be happy. 
 
Since the pandemic authors haven’t been able to have normal launch parties. What did you do to celebrate the release of Seven Golden Rings?
I had a virtual launch party with a wonderful local bookstore, the Silver Unicorn Bookstore in Acton, MA! 
 
What are you working on next?
I have five books publishing in 2021! My next book is a middle grade novel in verse, RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE, with Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins in February 2021. It’s set in 1983 and tells the story of 13-year-old Reha, the daughter of Indian immigrants in a small Midwestern city, who feels torn between the world of her parents and community and her school and 1980's pop culture. Then her mother falls ill, and she’s torn in a different way. It’s a story that involves immigration and assimilation, Hindu mythology and 80's pop music, holding on and letting go.

What's the one piece of advice that has helped you as a writer? 

Learn how to find the heart of your story. Then, when other people—your critique partners, your agent, or editor—give you feedback, see how this holds up to your intentions for the story. You are the author, and you get to decide what to change in order to serve your story.
 

Picture
Rajani LaRocca was born in India, raised in Kentucky, and now lives in the Boston area with her wonderful family and impossibly cute dog. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, she spends her time writing novels and picture books when she’s not practicing medicine. Her middle grade debut, Midsummer’s Mayhem (Yellow Jacket/Little Bee Books), an Indian-American mashup of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and competitive baking, was an Indies Introduce selection, an Indie Next pick, a Kirkus Best Middle Grade Book of 2019, and a 2020 Massachusetts Book Award Honor title. Her debut picture book, Seven Golden Rings: A Tale of Music and Math (Lee & Low Books, October 2020) is set in ancient India and involves a math puzzle and an explanation of binary numbers.

If you’d like to learn more about Rajani LaRocca  please visit her social media links below! 
Website: http://www.RajaniLaRocca.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rajanilarocca
Instagram:
 https://www.instagram.com/rajanilarocca

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