I love artichoke hearts and a great add on to salads. My aunt has told me artichokes are super healthy for you so I looked into what benefits they offer. Here is what I found out:

- full of fiber

- good source of protein

- contains vitamins and minerals including magnesium, chromium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and calcium

- great source of vitamin A

- may lower cholesterol

- may help lower blood fat levels

Sources:

http://www.vegparadise.com/highestperch48.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/394397/the_surprising_benefits_of_artichokes.html?cat=5

A few facts about how the body absorbs and metabolizes alcohol:

-          Alcohol does not require any digestion and is absorbed directly from the stomach and the small intestine

-          Alcohol is broken down in the liver

-          A small amount of alcohol is metabolized in the stomach before it has been absorbed

-          Once absorbed, alcohol moves through the blood stream to the liver (where is it broken down)

-          An average, healthy adult metabolizes the equivalent of one drink per hour

-          Drinking more than one drink per hour you expose every tissue in your body to the toxic    effects of alcohol

-          Consuming foods with some fat, protein and fiber helps to slow the absorption of alcohol and can reduce blood alcohol concentration (BAC) by as much as 50% as opposed to drinking on an empty stomach

-          Carbonated alcohol beverages are known for being absorbed very rapidly

-          Women usually absorb 30-35% more of a given alcohol intake compared to men of the same size, which may explain why females often show a greater response to alcohol than males

-          Very little alcohol is lost in sweat

-          Alcohol can cause dehydration (so it is best to drink lots of water before, during and after drinking)

-          Alcohol fails to trigger the satiety (fullness) response in the body, leading  some to overeating

-          Alcohol has a high calorie content and doesn’t provide any nutritional value

How many of you look at the nutrition facts panel before you buy something? Maybe you check out the fat content or the sugar content? Do you really know what you are reading? Maybe you know what you are looking for, but do you understand it?

I found this diagram below and wanted to share it with you (courtesy of Trader Joes)! I constantly read the ingredients of a product and the nutrition facts panel. I think it is important to read the ingredients label and the nutrition facts panel before you buy anything, but most of all it is important to understand what you are reading. Reading this article below gave me a refresher course on what I am reading.

If you are not already reading labels, I encourage you to read the ingredients and nutrition facts panel before you purchase anything. Most likely if you don’t know what an ingredient is then it probably isn’t good for you.

Happy Shopping!!

Do you know how much fiber you consume a day? Did you know that your daily fiber intake should be between 20-30g a day? Most Americans today don’t even consume half of that.

If your fiber intake is low I urge you to add more fiber to your diet. Fiber does a body good for many reasons. Fiber is known to fight diseases and help prevent many others such as heart disease, colon cancer, breast cancer, hemorrhoids, constipation and other intestinal problems.  Fiber also helps control diabetes and reduces risk of diverticulosis. Fiber also prevents us from over eating because it adds bulk to our diet, therefore, it helps us feel full longer.

So what foods have fiber in them? Here are just a few below.

-          beans

-          peas

-          apples

-          blackberries

-          avocados

-          oat bran

-          oatmeal

-          corn

-          broccoli (cooked)

-          lentils

-          pears

-          lima beans

One thing to think about is that when we had fiber to our diets we also need to make sure we drink more water. Fiber binds with water and causes the body to eliminate more water. If we increase our fiber intake we also need to increase our water intake to prevent dehydration.

Lastly, there are supplements out there, but it is way better and to get your fiber from food. Supplements cause us to miss out on important nutrients we get from food.

Merry Christmas! I will keep this short so you can get back to opening presents!

5 Healthy Holiday Foods

Yams are high in vitamin C, dietary fiber, vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese; while being low in saturated fat and sodium

Green beans are an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin A, dietary fiber, potassium, folate, and iron

Nuts are the best plant source of protein not to mention they are rich in fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants like as vitamin E and selenium

Whole Grains (stone ground wheat, oats, brown rice) are a good source of B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron and fiber

Homemade Mulled Apple Cider is high in antioxidants, but be careful, you are better off eating an apple than drinking many cups of apple cider since apple cider is concentrated