Turmeric January 31, 2009

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!!

Another Reason to Avoid Soft Drinks January 29, 2009

I do a great deal of reading… especially when it comes to health and food. I found this mini article I would like to share with you. I know I have said this before, but I strongly believe what we eat now is surely going to effect us later. So take care of yourself now, get rid of all that junk food and practice eating healthy today!

Pistachios January 27, 2009

This blog post was requested by a very good friend of mine. Her new favorite nut is the pistachio nut.

A lot of people don’t eat enough nuts in their diet. Many think they are high in calories and fat, but don’t let that stop you from eating them. They are a great source of healthy fat (mono and poly saturated fat) and a great source of protein.  They are also known to be high in magnesium, phosphorus and potassium.  Potassium is known to regulate muscle contractions, transmission of nerve impulses and assist in maintaining healthy blood presume levels. Potassium can also be found in bananas and oranges.  Pistachios are also a fairly good source for vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 is important because it helps brain function and is known to help the body to convert protein into energy. Recommendation for vitamin B6 is 1.6 mg for women and 2 mg for men a day.

The down side to pistachios is that they are super high in sodium. The right amount of sodium can be  healthy especially for those of us who exercise and need to replace the salt that is lost through sweating.  If you don’t work out often or are watching your sodium intake try looking for the pistachios that are unsalted. They still offer all the great health benefits.

I found this website that has some more interesting facts and health benefits about pistachios. I encourage you to check it out:  http://www.pistachiohealth.com

Nutrition Facts Panel January 22, 2009

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!!

 

Sunscreen January 20, 2009

Did you know that what you put on your body can be just as harmful as what you put in your body? It is never too early to look at sunscreen. Those of us who are live in warm areas year around or those of us who travel to tropical places to escape the cold weather we need to look at what sunscreens will do the least harm to our bodies. I found this article below and wanted to share it with all of you. If anything, it will help us avoid some of the toxic chemicals they put in some of the sunscreens.

 

Food for the liver January 15, 2009

With all the junk we eat these days our liver gets overtaxed. Our liver is suppose to extract all the fat soluble toxins that our kidneys can not handle. When we eat a lot of processed food (fast food, chips, cookies, cakes, frozen meals) our liver gets over worked and isn’t able to extract the toxins from the body, therefore, the fat stores within its own tissue.

 

Below are a few liver supporting foods that we should add to our daily diets:

 

–         kidney beans

–         raw almonds

–         peas

–         soybeans

–         raw salads with fresh vegetables

–         fruits

–         leafy green vegetables

 

Next time it is 2pm in the afternoon and you want to reach for that mid afternoon snack reach for some raw almonds or some fresh fruit and a large glass of water. Water is also known to flush out toxins and cleanse the liver. Enjoy!!

Anti-Inflammatory Foods January 13, 2009

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!

MSG…Watch Out! January 11, 2009

Make sure you ALWAYS read your food labels… Never know what you’re gonna get….

 

Fiber January 8, 2009

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.

Green Tea January 6, 2009

Did you know green tea has many health benefits? For starters it is loaded with antioxidants (EGCG). Secondly, it can reduce muscle soreness for those of you who exercise.  Some studies have also shown that green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells meaning it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. Other studies have also shown that green tea can help with reducing rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease. Of course we can’t depend on green tea alone, but instead we should include green tea in our healthy diets.

 

The down fall of green tea would be that is it has a fair amount of caffeine.  I would recommend that you drink no more than two cups a day and also include plenty of water in your diet. Too much caffeine can cause nervousness, irritability, anxiety, heart palpitations and headaches.

 

If you don’t care for the taste of green tea try squeezing some lemon in it to give it more flavor, but try not to undermine the great benefits green tea has to offer by adding sugar. There is also a brand called Numi and they have a Jasmine Green Tea which is excellent and doesn’t taste so bland as regular green tea. I have also come across that different brands of green teas taste different so don’t knock green tea if you have only tried one brand. Find one that works for you and include it in your daily diet.