Do you like to use spices when cooking? If you don’t you should. Spices can really boost your health!

Research shows that turmeric can help prevent Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s rates tend to be lower in India where people consume a lot of of turmeric. It also may be lower there because they don’t fill their body with a bunch of processed foods. Curcumin, which is the substance that gives turmeric the yellow color is also known as a natural antioxidant.

Cooking tips:

- best known for being used in curries

-can be added to steamed rice for flavor and color

- can also be added to stir fried veggies

Enjoy!!

My friends bother was talking about doing an anti-inflammatory diet and that sparked the idea of this blog post! I am hoping he will blog about his experience!

Did you know that certain foods can decrease inflammation? Cherries are often known to ease inflammation as well as the seasoning turmeric. According to the University of Arizona turmeric may help prevent rheumatoid arthritis. Omega 3 is also known to greatly decrease inflammation. Omega 3 can be found in salmon, flax seeds and walnuts. Also the best vegetable juice to reduce inflammation is cucumber and celery.

Obviously, if there are foods that can reduce inflammation there are certainly foods that contribute to inflammation. Want to take a wild guess at what foods are “pro” inflammation? If you guessed sugar, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages you are right! Red meat is also a big contributor to inflammation as well as white flour, eggs, fried foods and vegetable oils like corn and soybean oil.

It is so easy to fall in to the “quick” meals and processed food life style, but we are what we eat. Everything we eat is going to affect our body in one what or another whether it is now or later in life. I encourage you to eat more fruits and vegetables and limit or eliminate all processed foods from your diet. Your body will thank you!

Now a days people are always trying to watch their carb intake. What you need to know is that we need to eat carbs to keep our body functioning. We are required to eat at least 130 grams of carbs a day just to supply energy to our nerve cells, including those of the brain. Instead of cutting carbs out of our diet we need to take out the bad carbs and add more good carbs to our diet. Examples of good carbs would be: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, brown rice and sweet potatoes.  Examples of bad carbs would be refined sugar, sodas, white breads and white pastas.

We should realize that carbs don’t make us fat… it is all the sugar and all the processed foods that make us fat.

Cutting carbs greatly reduces our nutrient intake.  People may lose weight on these low carb/no carb diets, but it is not a healthy way to lose weight.  Not to mention when you don’t have enough carbs you get irritable and shaky. Who wants to feel that way?!

When we consume enough good carbs it helps prevent the production of ketones as an alternative energy source. Excessive ketones can result in high blood acidity and ketoacidosis, which alters basic body functions and damages tissue.

People are always looking for that quick fix and to tell you the truth there is no quick fix and there will probably never been one. The best thing you can do is change your eating habits and exercise daily to keep healthy.

Remember you can never go wrong with too many fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your diet.

I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t always have time to cook a healthy meal every single night! About a year ago I discovered frozen meals made by Amy’s Kitchen. Get this… they are frozen meals that are organic, healthy, have natural ingredients, are not processed and most cook in 5 minutes or less.  What more could you ask for right?

Amy’s Kitchen has a variety of meals to choose from such as pizza, soups, brown rice bowls, pastas and apple pie. One thing I like about Amy’s Kitchen meals is that they tailor some of their foods for people who are lactose intolerant (such as myself) and offer pizzas, burritos and enchiladas that don’t have cheese. I might also mention all the products are vegetarian, but don’t let that scare you.   There are plenty of meals I haven’t had such as the baked ziti, the toaster pops, the lasagna or the veggie burgers, but I can honestly say that I haven’t had a bad meal yet.

I think for those who are living the busy life and don’t have the time to necessarily cook every night and are looking for something healthy and easy I think an Amy’s Kitchen meal might just be what you are looking for.

Where to buy? I have found them at WholeFoods, Henry’s, Vons (aka Safeway) and believe it or not Target (although Target has a very limited selection).  Amy’s Kitchen meals also typically cost more than your average frozen meal, but hey… wouldn’t you rather spend an extra buck or two on something that isn’t processed and that is healthy rather than a medical bill down the line because you ate too many processed foods and your arteries were clogged?

On a side note I saw Amy’s Kitchen burritos featured on How it’s Made and I was so fascinated and so excited to see a product created with real ingredients!