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Category Archives: Diet And Food
Plant-Based Oils: Which Ones to Use and How to Safely Cook with Them – One Green Planet
Posted: February 5, 2020 at 12:40 pm
When it comes to high heat cooking, its incredibly important to choose an oil that is stable.
For instance, its recommended to never use hydrogenated oils, which are high in trans fats. On the other hand, other oils may be a surprise such as canola, grapeseed, soy, and corn. These oils have components called PUFAs polyunsaturated fatty acids which are unstable, especially when they are exposed to heat.
Therefore, not great for frying up those sweet potato fries!
So, what is a cook to do?
Choose high heat-friendly, plant-based oils! Lets take a deep dive into your pantry and get the skinny on unsafe and safe oils and how to make the best decision for your body and kitchen.
If you love to cook then you most likely have your favorite oils and generally more than one! For me, I have virgin avocado oil, virgin coconut oil, and extra virgin olive oil on my shelf at all times. Avocado and coconut both go in the frying pan, while that olive oil is generally sprinkled on top of veggies for roasting or used raw on salads.
Yet, for beginners to the kitchen, how do you know which oil to use? On top of that, did you know that some oils are actually worse for your health when you heat them up?Yep, it turns out that some oils break down in the face of certain high heat temperatures and oxidize, which has been linked to unsavory health side effects including cancer.
Free-Photos/Pixabay
Oils are a product of an extraction and pressing process mostly from seeds and nuts, like sunflowers, almonds, walnuts, olives, avocados, coconuts, and even rice bran. All oils come with their own unique chemical composition, which means some oils are better suited for salads, while others are wonderful for searing tofu and veggies.
So, why are some oils unhealthy at high heats?
A lot of this is to blame on the PUFAs also called polyunsaturated fats a type of fatty acid. Unfortunately, PUFAs find their way into many processed food products and, when exposed to heat, can become damaging to the human body. This is all due to oxidation the point in which fats become unstable, go rancid, [and] become toxic.PUFAs are labeled as unstable fats more prone to oxidation, which, in turn, leads to free radicals, and can cause cellular damage in your body that can manifest both internally in the form of damaged organs/glands and externally in the form of rapidly aging skin. On top of that, when consumed these PUFAs can actually turn into trans fatty acids within our bodies and trans fats have actually been banned in the United States due to their dangerous health ramifications.
Where do you find PUFAs?
Well, the bad news, theyre present in nearly all foods (even vegetables). Of course, small amounts of unprocessed PUFA in a well-balanced diet are unlikely to cause issues, but the PUFAs you find in cooking oils that are made to be exposed to heat, are the dangerous ones.Cooking oils with the highest levels of PUFAs include canola oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil, soybean oil, generic vegetable oils, cottonseed oil, sesame oil, peanut oil, margarine, [and] flaxseed oil.
Clker-Free-Vector-Images/Pixabay
Youre looking at the grocery store shelf, youve avoided the above lit of obvious offenders, but youre now selected a wonderful bottle of refined avocado oil. Avocado oil has one of the highest smoke points, so it should be safe right?
Not exactly. Youll want to think twice about purchasing a refined oil product.
When oil is refined, its gone through a process that uses chemicals that are harmful to us, whether that means treated with acid, or purified with an alkali, or bleached. On top of that, refined may also refer to a product that has been neutralized, filtered or deodorized all of which require chemicals like Hexane!
What else happens during the refining process?
Turns out that this purity process actually leads to the creation of PUFAs!
Bru-nO/Pixabay
Choosing an oil thats safe for your cooking needs depends largely on the level of heat and therefore the smoke point that youll be cooking with.
Alright, what in the heck is a smoke point?
In short, a smoke point is the threshold at which the oil becomes unstable. This means if youre cooking with high heat, such as stir-fry youll want an oil that has a high smoke point oil that is stable under higher temperatures, meaning it wont et oxidized, smoke, and become rancid and potentially harmful for consumption.
A_Different_Perspective/Pixabay
If youre just not sure what to use, its best to go with an oil that has a high smoke point. Yet, its not choosing a smoke point oil, theres lots more to it. Ask yourself, what nutrients am I getting from this oil? How about, does this meet my ethical standards? For those looking for high heat-friendly, nutritious, and vegan-friendly oils, here are a few to start with!
kerdkanno/Pixabay
The creme de la creme of plant-based oils is truly avocado oil. This oil is relatively new to the scene within the last couple of decades and quickly became a vegan-friendly favorite.
Refined avocado oil has a dramatically high smoke point of 520 degrees Fahrenheit, which means you can pretty much cook at your ranges highest heat and remain safe from those carcinogenic burn effects. With that said, if youre looking to avoid those refined oils, you can also go with virgin avocado oil with a smoke point of 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Plus, avocado oil is loaded with the many nutrients that plain old avocados have!
Avocado oil is loaded with oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid polyunsaturated fat, and saturated fats. Youll also get a healthy dose of lutein, a carotenoid thats naturally found in your eyes, and may be linked to a reduced risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.Along with a slew of vitamins and minerals, due to the high healthy fat content, avocado oil has been shown to help your body absorb nutrients.
Try using avocado oil in these super high heat recipes:Fried Chicken and Gravy, Southern-Fried Tofu With Maple Dill Sauce,Fried Rice,Broccoli, Green Bean, and Tofu Stir-fry, Cast-Iron Skillet Bibimbap or this Banana Peel Stir Fry.
DanaTentis/Pixabay
Refined coconut oil has a high smoke point of 450 degrees Fahrenheit and it also happens to have a wonderfully rich coconutty flavor, while also pulling off being a superfood. Looking to avoid processed items? Go with unrefined or virgin coconut oil with a smoke point of 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
All great things!
Coconut oil has quickly become a plant-based eaters go-to oil. It can pretty much be used for anything under the sun including baking, frying, and roasting. Coconut oil is perfect for making veggies crispy or thickening up a vegan batter.
This oil is also riddled with health benefits including increasing your bodys ability to burn fat, killing harmful microorganisms, reducing appetite, raising your HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol), plus coconut oil has been known to boost the health of your hair, skin, and teeth.
One of the most astonishing health aspects of coconut oil is the medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs, which are popularly used in bulletproof coffee. MCTs have gained attention over the last few years for their impressive ability to boost fat burning and provide your body and brain with quick energy. These medium chain fats go straight to the liver, where they are used as a quick source of energy or turned into ketones which are champions at burning fat for energy.
As mentioned, coconut oil is very diverse as long as you dont mind a bit of coconutty flavor! Here are a few super-diverse recipes to give you inspiration! Asian Rice Soup, Zucchini Boats, Crunchy Peanut Butter Squares, Parsnips with Rosemary Butter and Walnuts, or these Almond Butter Swirl Brownies.
stevepb/Pixabay
You may think olive oil is best for baking, roasting, dipping, or salad dressings, yet light olive oil is a great substitute for high heat cooking. Extra light olive oil also a fancy way of saying refined has a smoke point of 465 degrees Fahrenheit.
Extra virgin olive oil unprocessed has a much lower smoke point of 325 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, yet you avoid the processed aspects of the oil.
Most of us are pretty familiar with extra virgin olive oil with its thick texture and luxurious flavors. Yet, what does light or extra light mean? Basically, these terms refer to the color and flavor of the olive oil, not its calorie content, and the label on the bottle should say something to this extent. When looking for that high smoke point olive oil, choose the bottle that says extra-light olive oil which means it can withstand hotter temperatures before breaking down.
Olive oil is known far and wide for its wonderful health benefits including decreasing heart disease, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing blood clots, reducing the risk of cancer, and lowering inflammation. This is mostly due to the fact that olive oil is riddled with healthy fat such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated as well as antioxidants.
For that unprocessed extra virgin olive oil, go with the roasted veggie or soup recipes or low-heat, slow simmer recipes such as Red Lentil Potato Soup, Roasted Eggplant and Cauliflower Curry, Pea Risotto With Roasted Asparagus, Roasted Tomato Coconut Soup, or this Spicy Maple Roasted Carrots.
PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay
Alright, so now you know the safest oils and maybe youve picked up a few other oils that are part you reserve stash. Now its time to get to actually cooking with these wonderful ingredients! Here are a few tips and tricks to get you started.
Chickpea Fries/One Green Planet
Just because a food is fried doesnt mean its unhealthy! In fact, its all comes down to the type of food being fried and the oil youre using. For instance, any oil that has those super unstable PUFAs will be very unhealthy, while those high-heat safe oils can actually boost the nutritional value of said fried food.
First off, always heat your oil first before tossing the ingredients in the pot! Try to avoid getting that oil to the point of smoking generally between 300 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit and choose one of those stellar high heat oils such as avocado oil.
Quick and Easy Broccoli Stir Fry/One Green Planet
Sauteing is one of my favorite ways to cook my veggies! I feel more control over the cooked-ness of the veggie, plus I can do a mini-steam by plopping in a bit of water and covering it if I feel some of the veggies need a little softening.
Much like frying, youll want to start with a partially hot pan. Begin your sautee session with a smaller amount of oil, such as a tablespoon, as a little goes a long way. Add more as needed depending on the length of time youll be sauteeing.
As youll generally be using lower heats for a sautee, you can opt for either olive or coconut oil!
Colorful Roasted Root Veggies/One Green Planet
One of the most important lessons Ive learned when it comes to roasting veggies is that less is more when it comes to oils. For a baking sheet of carrots, peppers, and squash, I generally only use one to two tablespoons of coconut oil or olive oil. If you overcoat, then you wont necessarily get that crisp or roasted shell on the veggie, plus they can get mushy.
Plus, make sure to use the appropriate oil for your intended goal!
For instance, when youre trying to get a good crispy outer layer on your veggie, go with a coconut or avocado oil, which will heat up quicker. Looking for a simple, soft roasted veggie with maybe a slight touch of golden brown? Opt for that extra virgin olive oil.
We also highly recommend downloading ourFood Monster App, which is available foriPhone, and can also be found onInstagramandFacebook. The app has more than 15,000 plant-based, allergy-friendly recipes, and subscribers gain access to new recipes every day. Check it out!
For more Vegan Food, Health, Recipe, Animal, and Life content published daily, dont forget to subscribe to theOne Green Planet Newsletter!
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Cardiologist promotes heart health – The Wyoming County Examiner
Posted: February 5, 2020 at 12:40 pm
STAFF PHOTO/BROOKE WILLIAMS Dr. Samir Pancholy frequently reminds patients that its never too late to improve their heart health.
Whether its American Heart Month or not, Dr. Samir Pancholy always reminds his patients that its never too late to improve their heart health.
The treatment of heart disease comes down to diet, diet, diet, exercise, and then medicine, in that order, he said. Procedures are like fire extinguishers. You need them when youre in the middle of a crisis, but they dont really change the course of the disease itself.
The general and interventional cardiologist takes care of patients with a broad variety of cardiovascular illnesses and performs procedures like catheterizations and stent placements.
Since 1996, Dr. Pancholy has been practicing in Clarks Summit, later opening North Penn Cardiovascular Specialists in 2007. His procedural practice is mainly in Regional Hospital of Scranton.
For 20 years, he has also been making trips to see patients in Tunkhannock.
Its been a very good journey for me as far as taking care of patients from Wyoming County and providing service to people who live over there, and working with the doctors in Wyoming County, particularly at Tyler Hospital, Pancholy said.
Outside of the office, Pancholy spends time trying to improve the field of cardiology through original inventions.
Were up to 20 different patents now in the USPTO and worldwide, he said. Were going to market our first device that we invented starting hopefully next month, and were just in the process of prototyping our second device. My whole focus is to make the catheterization procedure simpler and safer for patients.
Starting catheterization procedures from the groin used to be a common practice. In 2002, Pancholy learned an alternative method overseas, starting the procedure from the wrist instead.
We realized that one of the problems with the wrist is that sometimes the artery clogs up and shrivels up, he said. It blocks up the access for future procedures.
His device prevents the radial artery from clotting up and losing its patency.
The second invention in the works improves the transit of the catheters.
Our new device will allow the doctors to push these catheters safely through very unfriendly territory, he said. Its called a transporter catheter and its going to have four or five different embodiments.
Over the last two years, Pancholy has also trained in robotics for catheterization and stent procedures.
In December of 2018, he was part of a team overseas that performed a stent placement remotely from 20 miles away. Next year, he anticipates performing a transcontinental stent placement from Europe to India.
One day, he hopes this technology can become more widely applied to help patients in areas such as Tunkhannock.
Right now, our biggest problem in medicine is that we have a big shortage of doctors, and even a bigger shortage of specialized doctors, he said. If you can bring that expertise over the wire into a rural area, then I think the residents will have a lot to gain.
When it comes to heart health, its important to recognize warning signs such as abrupt changes in your ability to perform any type of exertion, Pancholy said. Discomfort in the chest and weak spells should also be red flags.
While various heart issues exist, Pancholy highlighted antherosclerotic heart disease caused by blockage in the arteries as a dangerous issue.
Every person has full control of how much plaque their arties build up by how they treat their body with their diet and their habits, he said.
While its never too late to change the bodys chemistry for the better, he said this education should begin with young children in schools before they grow into unhealthy adults.
Here were talking about health care expenditures as one of the biggest problems, he said. The bigger problem we are ignoring is the declining health of our population. Unless we fix that, nothing is going to fix our health crisis.
Local medical centers have plenty of educational resources, which Pancholy encouraged the public to use.
In acknowledgment of February as American Heart Month, Commonwealth Health has free heart health fairs planned for Tuesday, Feb. 25, from 2 to 6 p.m. at Regional Hospital (McGowan Conference Center, General Services Building, 743 Jefferson Ave., Scranton) and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital (1st Floor Concourse, Heart & Vascular Institute, 575 N. River St., Wilkes-Barre).
For more information, visit commonwealthhealth.net.
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Trends and Products: Dietary Needs – Pet Age
Posted: February 5, 2020 at 12:40 pm
Dietary Needs
As we enter 2020, the issue of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) continues to be a dark cloud that hangs over the dog food sector. And while U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigators have been unable to find a causal relationship between DCM and dog foods rich in legumes or potatoes, the DCM impact will not likely to go away any time soon.
As scientists search for answers, dog food manufacturers are doing their own research on recipes and how to give consumers what they want in a diet that delivers proper nutrition to their dogs. And thats something that crosses all pet categories; balanced nutrition.
Whether the pets in question are corgis, collies, goldfish, gobies, hedgehogs, mice, cockatiels, finches, bearded dragons or turtles, diet is of optimal importance to their well-being, and not all animals are equal when it comes to nutrition. Thanks to transparency and the clean label trend, todays consumers want to know specifics on the sourcing of ingredients. Theyre looking for such terms as human-grade and organic, and theyre gravitating toward foods that are free of artificial additives and preservatives.
While there is a lot of variety to diets for dogs and cats, those for reptiles, small animals, birds and aquatic livestock are more specified based on the specific species of animal. When it comes to reptiles, brands are offering specially formulated diets, including commercially raised insects that are fed a high quality dietknown as gut-loadedbefore being fed to the companion pet to ensure its dietary needs are being met.
Among small animals, rabbits and chinchillas are fibrevores while ferrets are obligatory carnivores, so consumers obviously cannot expect them all to flourish on the same diet. And the lifestyle of companion birds are far different than that of their wild brethren, thus their diets should not be identical.
And the diets among aquatic livestock might be the most complex of all, as there are thousands of species being kept as pets. Not only does a fish require certain nutritional needs to be met for it to remain healthy, its diet will determine whether it will be able to reproduce.
Stella & Chewys Freeze-Dried Dinners
Formulated to mirror the best nutrition for pets. Stella & Chewys starts with responsibly sourced animal proteins (cage-free poultry, grass-fed beef and wild-caught fish), with no added hormones or antibiotics, and add wholesome fruits and vegetables. These freeze-dried dinners are complete and balanced, and they are 90 to 95 percent meat, organs and bones. They are made with no grains, are gluten-free and include probiotics to support digestion.
http://www.stellaandchewys.com
WellnessCORERawRev
WellnessCORERawRev recipes give pet parents a convenient way to addrawprotein to their dogs diet. Available in four recipes:OriginalDebonedTurkey, Chicken Meal & Turkey Meal;OceanWhitefish, Herring Meal & Salmon Meal; Small BreedOriginal Deboned Turkey, Turkey Meal & Chicken Meal; andPuppyDeboned Chicken, Chicken Meal & Turkey Meal.
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com
Versele-Laga Complete Small Animal Food
Containing all nutritional elements, this complete, high-tech all-in-one extruded small animal food has an industry-leading palatability and prevents selective eating. Based on advanced scientific insights, the composition is tailored to pets to keep them in top form. Available for rabbits, rats, mice, hamsters, gerbils, chinchillas, degus, ferrets and more.
ZIWI Peak Pet Food
ZIWIPeakall-natural recipes use a slow andgentleair-drying method to eliminate pathogenic bacteria which preserving the nutrition of the raw ingredients. ZIWI Peaks proteins are100 percent free-range, grass-fed and grass-finished, ensuring the companys recipes are free from added growth hormones, antibiotics and GMOs.
Purina Oyster Strong System
Purinas Organic layer feed for chickens now includes the exclusive Oyster Strong System, meaning all the calcium hens need to stay healthy and lay strong-shelled eggs is included in the bagno supplements needed. Purina Organic layer feed is available in crumbles or pellets.
Tiki Cat Raw
Tiki Cat Raw offers cats complete and balanced nutrition with the soft texture cats prefer. The single-protein formulas come in hermetically sealed food-safe tubs and are available in ground chicken or turkey plus liver options.
Hills Science Diet Youthful Vitality
The Hills Science Diet Youthful Vitality formula contains ingredients that provide key nutrients important for aging cats (7 years old and older) to support brain function, energy and vitality, a healthy digestive system, luxurious fur and coat and healthy kidneys and bladder. It is available in chicken & rice recipe for dry food and tasty canned varieties in chicken, tuna and salmon.
Sunseed SunSations Natural Parakeet Formula
Sunseed SunSations Parakeet is a natural diet with a variety of grains, seeds, pellets and specialty ingredients. Containing over 10 percent veggies, fruits and nuts, its the Sunthing Special that birds need and pet parents expect. What people wont find in SunSations are artificial colors and preservativesjust natural, delicious nutrition and foraging fun.
http://www.vitakraftsunseed.com
FEGNION
FEGNIONs biologically appropriate recipes consist of high-quality, fit-for-human consumption, single-species meat protein, raw bones and organs, sprinkled with minerals, vitamins and other trace nutrients. The products are free of fruits, vegetables, grains, fish, artificial colors, flavors, hormones, antibiotics and preservatives. The single-species meat recipes come frozen and are available in chicken, turkey and rabbit.
Farmina N&D Rawcan
Farmina Pet Food N&D Rawcan is a one-step, gently steamed GMO-free wet food incorporating the highest quality European ingredients. Every formula is complete and precisely filled into BPA-free cans using a proprietary six-stage fill system so every can is nutritionally identical. All recipes are free of guar, xanthan, cassia, carrageenan and all industrial gums, and they have no water added for processing.
Grandma Maes Country Naturals
Grandma Maes Country Naturals has five new pts and three new slices in gravy canned cat formulas. Grain-free, carrageenan-free and non-GMO. All of the new formulas are supplemented with DL-methionine to promote and maintain urinary tract health.
ZuPreem PastaBlendZuPreems line of daily pet bird food has fun pasta shapes and natural colors. It provides the essential vitamins and minerals birds need every day for good health and is available in three pellet sizes for medium birds, parrots and conures and large companion birds.
Betta Worm Shaped Bites
Tetra Betta Worm Shaped Bites is a nutritionally complete worm-shaped food specifically tailored to the needs of bettas and other labyrinth fish. Designed to imitate the size, shape and color of natural bloodworms, the food floats on the waters surface to appeal to bettas by enticing their natural instinct to hunt.
GO! SOLUTIONS
Petcureans GO! SOLUTIONS wet food collection includes 14 premium recipes for dogs and cats. Packaged in sustainable, recyclable and re-closeable Tetra Pak cartons, these pocket-sized packs of solutions-based nutrition provide functional wet food recipes for unique dietary needs, including picky eating, dandruff or dull coat and food sensitivities. Petcurean is currently the only company to offer the distinct textures of shredded, minced and pate, plus stews.
Timberline Reptile Lunch Box
Timberlines Lunch Box contains 24-plus fresh, maintenance-free crickets boxed up and ready to go on the retail shelf. The packaging of each Lunch Box is clear plastic, so retailers and customers can see whats inside without having to worry about escapees. Each Lunch Box comes clearly marked with a born on date, allowing for seven days of shelf life, and customers get approximately seven days of home use, often more.
http://www.timberlinefresh.com
RAWZ Meal Free Dry Cat Food
RAWZ Meal Free Dry Cat Food is a minimally processed, rendered-free, dry food for cats. The first seven ingredients are real protein. It contains no added rendered chicken fat, and there is no added water. The diet offers a high-protein, low-carb, moderate-fat food for cats. The food is produced in small batches, and 100 percent of profits are donated to charity.
http://www.rawznaturalpetfood.com
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Tips to reduce salt in your diet – Times of India
Posted: February 4, 2020 at 12:48 pm
It is always advised to use less salt in your food. This advice is for you as well as high blood pressure patients. What you don't realize is that if you eat more salt, then you are inviting many such serious diseases. Salt contributes to the soaking of water in your body, which puts a greater burden on your heart and blood vessels. Not only this, it can increase the risk of bowel cancer, kidney disease, kidney stones, headaches and swelling and weight gain in the body. Start eating less salt in your food today. With the help of these special tips, it can be easy for you to reduce the use of salt.Read the labels First and foremost, you must read food labels regularly. When you buy processed food such as chips or other snacks, read the nutritional value on the label. It is advised to keep salt consumption under 2,300 mg or less a day. Look for 'no added salt' which means no salt was added during processing, but the product is not necessarily salt-free.
Use spices Use spices to taste. Always keep chili flakes and black pepper powder on the table. Add them to your food for increased flavour. If a recipe calls for a pinch of salt, replace it with onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, nutmeg, cumin, curry powder, ginger, coriander, bay leaves, green leaves of ajwain or dry mustard.
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Athletic diets can vary from sport to sport, but the ground rules for healthy eating are the same – Pacific Northwest Inlander
Posted: February 4, 2020 at 12:46 pm
Babe Ruth Major League Baseball's legendary record-setter for home runs, RBIs and slugging percentage among others was reputed to enjoy a quart of bourbon and ginger ale for breakfast. That was accompanied by a porterhouse steak and a half-dozen fried eggs. In 1925, when he was just 30, he was hospitalized during spring training for binging on at least a dozen hot dogs in a single sitting.
Finding a nutritionist today who would recommend Ruth's diet is going to be tough. Even at the time, hot dogs and alcohol weren't exactly synonymous with healthy, high-performance eating. But how we approach athletic diets continues to evolve as new findings come to light.
For example, pregame prep is only part of the dietary equation. As nutritionist Michele Clarke-Mason points out, optimal post-game recovery, particularly in collision sports, now plays an increasingly important role in athletic diets.
"Especially in the past, you talk about athletic nutrition, and everyone went straight to the macronutrients. How many carbs should I have? How much protein should I have? Do I avoid fat? For me, recovery is about the micronutrients your antioxidants, your minerals, your vitamins," she says.
"And I throw probiotics in with those micronutrients. They are vital for good digestion and immune health. If you have a really healthy population of gut bacteria, you will be getting a low-level amount of some of the B vitamins on a regular basis. You break down your foods better. They feed and are sort of the housekeepers of the lining of your digestive tract."
Clarke-Mason knows a thing or two about supporting safe, speedy recovery processes in collision sports. Between 2013 and 2019, she worked as a nutrition consultant for the Seahawks. More recently, she's started working with Seattle's pro rugby team, the Seawolves, and launched a specialized catering service for sports teams called Veracious True Foods.
The name of her company is a good indication of her wider nutritional philosophy for athletes. Avoid highly processed foods. Keep refined sugar intake to a minimum between games. And don't treat supplements like a substitute for good eating.
"Because all the advertising we see is on sports products and sports supplements, the general public envisions athletes with tables full of pills and powders and drinks. In my style of nutrition, that's the fine-tuning. That isn't the foundation or the basis at all," she says. "I'm wary of anything that says it will fix X. The body's far more complicated and things work in concert with each other."
Quinn Width photo
Nutrition-planning for high level athletes, like Seattle's Seawolves rugby players, doesn't rely on supplements.
Hailey Haukeli, an assistant athletic trainer with men's basketball at Eastern Washington University, adopts a similar mindset.
"We try to avoid all processed foods," she says. "One thing that the guys are taught to do when they go grocery shopping is to stay on the outside of the aisles. The aisles are where the processed food is. The outside is where the fresh fruit and vegetables are. It's being mindful of what you're putting in your body and how that's going to make you perform on the court."
Unsurprisingly, that rule of thumb doesn't deviate much from general dietary advice. That's why a pregame meal for the EWU basketball team is very similar to a hearty, balanced meal on anyone's table.
"When we're at home, if the game is a six o'clock, usually we'll eat around two. That always consists of whole-grain pasta with a red sauce. We don't do white sauce because it's too high in fat. And then there will be chicken and always salad with it as well. There's usually a fruit salad with cantaloupe, pineapple and grapes that they have on the side too," she says.
Meals before earlier weekend games are a lot like "breakfast foods," such as "eggs, potatoes, turkey bacon, sausage."
For athletes, much like everyone else, the potential pitfalls come when healthy options aren't readily available. That's when fast food and processed snacks a burger combo meal or a gas-station burrito become tempting. Clarke-Mason says that organization is the best defense against the lure of quick-and-easy convenience. She encourages players to travel with a bag of nuts or a high-quality protein bar for that reason.
For Haukeli and the EWU athletic staff, advance nutritional planning can be almost like military-style mobilization.
"Our director of ops will look at the restaurants around the area that we're staying in. More times than not, we end up getting food catered to our hotel, so when we have a pregame meal it looks just like it does here," she says.
"One other thing is that we actually travel with a Ninja blender. When we get to where we're going, the managers will go to the nearest grocery store and get a bunch of frozen fruit, bananas and coconut water. They'll make smoothies for the guys that they have in addition to whatever meal we're having."
And the Babe Ruth diet? The idea that athletes can eat whatever they want without compromising their performance is one of the most persistent misconceptions that both Haukeli and Clarke-Mason have to counter.
"I've been told this by young adult athletes that they can eat whatever they want because they're so active. And that speaks back to recovery. I'm not anti-fat at all, but the fats used in processed foods tend to be fats that feed the inflammation process. So there is a cost. Just because you can compensate for the calories doesn't mean it's serving your body in its best capacity," Clarke-Mason says.
Even a legend can't argue with that. In the year that Ruth was hospitalized for his hot dog binge, the Sultan of Swing had his lowest-performing season with the Yankees.
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Ensure That Your Dinner Evokes Feelings of Gratitude Instead of Guilt – Thrive Global
Posted: February 4, 2020 at 12:46 pm
Theres a lot more you can do to de-food fret and overcome your food-related anxieties, self-recrimination, judgment, and guilt. Here are some suggestions to transcend the cycle of dieting and obsessing about food and weight.
Dont obsess about dieting. One consequence of ongoing dieting can be increased obsession about food, eating, and weight. Indeed, more and more research is linking traditional dieting with increased risk of weight gain. Consider dieting in the best sense of the word: as a way of life and eating were telling you about in this book.
And consider this: from the perspective of the Whole Person Integrative Eating dietary lifestyle, food in itself is not sinful, good, bad, right, or wrongunless youre projecting moral attributes onto it and onto yourself! Nor is food something to be counted, feared, and analyzed. In other words, Im suggesting that, instead of viewing food through the lens of todays new normal of judgment, relate to it as an expression of the ancient meaning of the word diet, in the lens of Whole Person Integrative Eating: as a social, ceremonial, and sensual delight and as a gift that enhances your physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being each time you eat.
Stop counting calories compulsively. Traditional diets that ask you to restrict calories and to eat by the numbers (counting calories, fat grams, and so on) dont work for the long term. Counting calories by itself is not a problem; a compulsive and obsessive attitude about calories is. To lose weight, consider other ways of relating to food so that each time you eat you have an enjoyable experience that nourishes your entire being. Instead of staying lost in a maze of measurements, nutrients, and numbers, focus on fresh foods (see chapter 8, Fast Foodism Rx: Get Fresh for more about this), delicious flavors, the profound pleasure of eating, and the de- light you take in dining with others. In other words, bring heartfelt appreciation to all aspects of the dining experience.
Give up guilt-tripping when you overeat. Guilt and its relativesself-reproach, shame, remorse, and blameare part of a food fretters relationship to food. Its all about what is right and what is wrong. Eat something wrong that isnt in your diet, that you shouldnt eat, or that tastes sinful, andif youre a food fretteryoure likely to respond with guilt.
Consider this: guilt isnt a real feeling. At its core lies the belief youve done something wrong, and now you must suffer for it. To break that conviction and get the upper hand over guilt, change what you choose to believe with the WPIE guideline of bringing heartfelt appreciation to foodand its origins. If you overeat, appreciate and savor the experience. Should you relapse, enjoy the experienceespecially if it was with food you like! Finally, forgive yourself, for forgiveness is a necessity in any relationshipincluding the one you have with food. Then return to your usual Whole Person Integrative Eating dietary lifestyle.
Cease obsessing. If youre fixated on and preoccupied with food-related thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, if you think or worry about food or weight constantly and compulsively, you are obsessing. The way out is to step from the shade in which youre living, into the sunshine. Our WPIE Guided Meal Meditation in chapter 13 in this book can help you do this. It can show you how to replace obsessive, food-related thoughts and feelings with the nourishing guidelines (fresh food, positive feelings, mindfulness, gratitude, loving regard, and sharing) inherent in Whole Person Integrative Eating.
Cultivate awareness. To overcome Food Fretting, familiarize yourself with the strongest elements of food fretters: obsessing about food; anxiety about the best way to eat; food cravings; and feeling bad, guilty, or gluttonous in response to overeating. The second step: when one of these elements surfaces, cultivate awareness by having a self-monitoring strategy in place that you can turn to, such as keeping a log of any critical, judgmental, or obsessive thoughts you may have. Then pause, take a slow, deep breath, and let the thought pass on.
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From ‘internal clock’ diets to VR therapy sessions, 5 wellness fads to watch – CNBC
Posted: February 4, 2020 at 12:46 pm
In 2019, the "wellness" world was dominated by CBD (cannabidiol), meditation and intermittent fasting. At a time when the global wellness industry is worth $4 trillion, according to CB Insights, what comes next?
Experts from the Global Wellness Summit (GWS), an international organization made up of spa and wellness industry leaders, made their predictions for the biggest health trends of 2020. Their forecasts are based on interviews, keynotes and debates from 550 executives, doctors, academics and finance professionals in the wellness market. Here are five of the fads they say will be big this year.
Whether you're a morning bird like Tim Cook, or prefer to take naps like Bill Gates, sleep and routine can drastically impact your productivity and health. But according to the GWS report, "circadian health optimization," or adjusting your schedule, diet and environment to sync with your body's internal clock will replace the current obsession with sleep tracking.
Research suggests that circadian rhythms influence several bodily functions from your hormones to your body temperature, and they also determine your sleep patterns. Soon you might shift your work schedule in accordance with your "chronotype," or your preference for morning or night, in order to optimize your performance and be more productive throughout the day. Or you may time your meals so that you're only eating during the daytime and fasting when it's dark. (There's some evidence that eating within an eight-to-10-hour window can improve your metabolic health, including your blood pressure and glucose control.)
As for products, "wellness homes" are already a trend, and they're often outfitted with smart light bulbs that adjust lighting to boost your energy when you're awake and calm you for sleep at night. Jet lag apps like Timeshifter create a customized schedule (complete with advice like "see bright light" and "avoid caffeine") to get your rhythm on track. And given the connection between circadian rhythm and body temperature, wearable devices like the $299 Embr Wave cool or heat your body temperature to help you fall asleep faster and wake up refreshed.
About 42.6% of the 46.6 million adults living with any mental illness in the U.S. received mental health treatment in 2017, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. And half of millennials and 75% of Gen-Zers have left a job, both voluntarily and involuntarily, partially due to mental health reasons, according to a recent study.
Many people who have demanding schedules struggle to find time for therapy appointments, but digital solutions help, according to the GWS report. Beyond just therapy apps or teletherapy platforms, the GWS expects virtual reality therapy, meditation headsets that measure your heart and breathing rate and wearable biosensors that look out for physiological symptoms of stress and anxiety, will fill that gap.
While the idea of a sabbatical may not be new, the GWS report highlights the need for a wellness-focused retreats to ward off workplace burnout and find "the ideal personal balance of work and wellness pursuits."
The idea behind wellness sabbaticals is to keep working remotely, but take time away from your usual work environment to focus on a project and devote time to your well-being. Some travel companies have started to offer unstructured wellness getaway packages that cater to working professionals, or are specifically designed to address burnout, according to the report.
For example, the Kamalaya resort in Koh Samui, Thailand, offers a 21-day "Well-being Sabbatical" that's described as "an immersive wellness experience that simultaneously accommodates your need to stay on top of business." The startup Amble, on the other hand, gives creative professionals the opportunity to take a crowd-funded, sabbatical to visit and work for the National Parks Service for a month.
With more than half of the babies born in Japan likely to live to 100, Japan is finding ways to ensure that their long lives are fulfilling, including increasing community and work-life balance. According to the GWS report, the rest of the world is taking notice. The result? J-wellness, or Japanese-inspired wellness.
For instance, people in Japan work so much there's actually word for "death by overwork," called "karoshi." To combat this, in 2015, the Japanese government implemented a "Stress Check Program" for workplaces with more than 50 employees, as a way to prevent burnout and improve workers' mental health. The GWS report suggests that more countries will adopt these types of assessments.
J-wellness also includes things like forest bathing, or "shirin-yoku," a practice that involves connecting all five senses to nature, according to the report. Studies suggest that forest bathing can have a beneficial effect on people's mental and physical health, reducing blood pressure, stress hormones, as well as anxiety and depression levels. In Japan, there are 62 therapeutic forests for people to explore, but regardless of where you live research has found that walking in nature can boost your creativity and increase your cognitive functioning.
Infertility is common, with about 12 out of 100 couples in the U.S. struggling to become pregnant, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Given the increased awareness around infertility, more companies are offering fertility treatments including in-vitro fertilization (IVF), egg-freezing and other reproductive assistance technologies as benefits for both men and women employees looking to start a family.
However fertility benefits don't cover everything, and the average cost of a single round of IVF is over $20,000 (and most people require multiple rounds) according to FertilityIQ. So the GWS report predicts that fertility clinics, as well as fertility wearable trackers such as Ava and apps that help people learn about and keep track of important metrics that affect fertility, including ovulation and fertile days, will further democratize and simplify access to care.
Investors are also taking note of femtech start-ups: The fertility start-up KindBody, for example, received $10 million in funding from GV in December, bringing their total funding to $32 million. "Silicon Valley seems more keen to bankroll such initiatives," according to the report. As a sector, femtech could reach a market size of $50 billion by 2025, according to a 2018 study from Frost & Sullivan.
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Study shows Paleo diet gets the worst results – The List
Posted: February 4, 2020 at 12:46 pm
What are you getting yourself into if you commit to one of these diets?
The Paleo diet mimics the kind of food early humans used to consume, in the belief that our bodies are not able to handle the modern diet that has come about because of modern farming practices. The Paleo diet includes food that could be obtained through the prehistoric method of hunting and gathering: lean meats, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds (via Mayo Clinic).
TheMediterranean diet adopts the eating habits seen in cuisines around the Mediterranean Sea, including France, Greece, Italy, and Spain. It involves consuming plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, cereals, grains, fish, and unsaturated fats such as olive oils. People on the Mediterranean diet can also expect to see less meat and dairy. Doctors have given the plan two thumbs up because the say can lead to a healthier heart (via National Health Service).
Intermittent fasting is just as it sounds: You fast for certain periods throughout the day. There are a few ways to go about intermittent fasting, and they may not work the same way. "There is evidence to suggest that the circadian rhythm fasting approach, where meals are restricted to an eight to 10-hour period of the daytime, is effective, [but people should] use an eating approach that works for them and is sustainable to them," metabolic expert Deborah Wexler tells Harvard. Researchas reported in Cell Metabolism also shows that the earlier the food window, the better the results.
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The Dangers of Detox Diets and Products – One Green Planet
Posted: February 4, 2020 at 12:46 pm
From the air we breathe to the water we drink to the food we eat, almost everything in our environment is laced with man-made chemicals and toxic substances. Yet, it doesnt stop there. Toxins are also promoted within the human body by sedentary lifestyle habits, poor diets lacking in vitamins, minerals, and enzymes.In short, our organs of detoxification and excretion are overwhelmed and our body is overloaded with waste products and toxic metabolites which render it vulnerable to all sorts of bacteria and viruses.
This is a terrifying statement, one which is relatively true, and yet it spurs people to make the wrong decisions about dealing with said toxins.
Im talking about artificial, marketed detox and cleanse programs.
If you havent taken part in one of these, then youre probably one of the few. This seemingly healthy and necessary trend has taken the health and wellness world by storm, sucking in even the most prominent voices of right and reason.
Of course, when you get right down to the science of the human body, most detoxes and cleanses arent healthy and definitely arent necessary.
Alright, yes, its oftentimes a good idea to give your body a break from the baked goods, processed foods, refined carbs, and sugar-heavy products, especially following the holiday season. Infusing your diet with lots of plant-based foods that are high in dietary fiber, protein, healthy fats, and loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, while also cutting the processed products is an extra step that will do your body and mind a world of favors.
Yet, this is what is called eating healthy, not cleansing or detoxing.
Not only is their confusion around the need to detox or cleanse, but, as you can see, theres also a whole lot of confusion around the terms, what they mean, and what they entail.
More and more research is surfacing about detox and cleansing programs in which people follow a highly restrictive diet for a short (or lengthy) period of time that claims to boost your bodys ability to rid itself of toxins. While there are definite ways to aid your body in detoxifying such as increasing certain foods that boost the health of natural toxin filtering organs and systems your body is already detoxing on a regular basis, every day!
StockSnap/Pixabay
First and foremost, lets take a stab at defining the terms.
Detoxification refers to diets, regimens, and therapies sometimes called detoxes or cleanses that promise to remove toxins from your body, [help you] lose weight, or promote health. The problem with defining a detox is that there actually isnt one single definition, but a variety of approaches that can be devised by a medical doctor, a naturopath, a nutritionist, or your next-door neighbor. Some of the most popular detox approaches include fasting, drinking juices or beverages, eating only certain foods, using dietary supplements, using herbs, reducing environmental exposures, or even using a sauna.
Cleanses follow many of the same guidelines as detoxes, except they generally include more over-the-counter products. These OTC products are well-known for cleansing certain parts of your body such as your digestive tract or lymphatic system. For example, one of the most popular cleanses happens to be a colon cleanse, which is performed by enemas, laxatives, or colon hydrotherapy (also called colonic irrigation or colonics).
Why is healthy eating lumped into the same category as detoxification and cleanse?
The human body is a natural detoxifier, thats why we have a host of organs and systems that naturally detox our bodies on a regular basis through fecal mater, through urine, through our pores, and so on. What we eat is a crucial component for a healthy body and therefore healthy detoxification. By eating a diet rich in plant-based foods that are filled with dietary fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, youre basically boosting your bodys ability to rid itself of those toxins and environmental stimulants on a daily basis.
Eating a healthy diet is a forever detox that doesnt involve highly restrictive habits, chemical products, or uncomfortable cleanses.
PublicDomainPictures/Pixabay
Ive talked the talk about the human body detoxifying itself on a regular basis, but how exactly does this take place?If youre geared up to really enhance your bodys ability to detox, then this is the first step education on the natural detoxification systems. Below are the main organs that provide detoxification. Keep in mind, there are more to the puzzle, such as skin and the respiratory tract, yet the below highlighted are the main game-changers.
LJNovaScotia/Pixabay
First, lets tackle the big behemoth, the liver.
The liver represents the bodys major detoxification system. To begin, this organ inactivates and removes toxic substances that have been ingested, including many environmental factors such as food additives, harmful minerals, toxic medications, [and] excess hormones. On top of that, the liver also extracts residues and waste material from the blood and excretes them via the intestines or kidneys. What about protection from natural dangerous agents? The liver is there for you! Within the liver, there are Kupffers cells, which filter and destroy foreign invaders such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, and cancerous cells.
As I said, the liver is a behemoth when it comes to detoxing the body!
OpenClipart-Vectors/Pixabay
Next up? The kidneys! The liver and kidneys play many roles in tandem, yet you need both of them at high functioning levels to really get those toxins out of your body.
Your kidneys purify the blood from harmful substances, such as toxic medications and other chemical substances, by filtering them out of the blood and excreting them in the form of urine. On top of that, the kidneys also remove acid that is produced by the cells of your body and maintain a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals such as sodium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium in your blood. Why is this important? Without proper balance the bodys nerves, muscles, and other tissues may not work normally.
LJNovaScotia/Pixabay
When you think of the intestines, you may not realize that the tract stretches all the way from the mouth to the colon. Plus, its notjustfor digestion, but the intestines are also tasked with the elimination of toxins. Digestion takes center stage, yet as soon as the different phases of digestion are completed, the nutrients, penetrate through the intestinal mucous membranes and are transported to the liver.
Yes! Were back to the liver momentarily.
The liver does what it does best detoxes then redistributes the nutrients into the bloodstream and the various chemicals, toxins, drugs, heavy metals and excess sex hormones that were extracted, are dumped by the liver into the bile at which time they are carried back into the small intestine. From the small intestines, these toxic materials continue through the intestinal tract to exit the body in the stool.
You may think the intestines are done, but not quite.
The last step of the process takes place in the colon, where whatever can still be utilized such as fiber, is broken down with the help of the intestinal micro flora, and is transported to the liver for detoxification. The remaining insufficiently digested, large alimentary molecules and toxic residues remain in the intestines to be excreted with the fecal matter.
nastya_gepp/Pixabay
While the liver is a behemoth in the detox department, the lymphatic system is both a detoxifying force, as well as our bodys main line of defense against foreign invaders. The lymphatic system not only aims to defend the body, but its also one of the main agents in the purification of the body fluids.
At all times, there are about two liters of lymph fluid [circulating] in our lymphatic vessels that cover the body from the tips of the toes to the top of the head. This lymph fluid allows the waste products to leave the cells and be carried away to the venous bloodstream and evacuated. The network is vast: lymphatic capillaries lead to lymphatic vessels and finally to the lymphatic glands.The entire system is necessary, yet the glands are really where the action is at. Lymphatic glands are stations where infectious agents are filtered and lymphocytes (white blood cells, the police) are produced.
qimono/Pixabay
Youve definitely heard about the spleen and you know you have one, but did you know its one of the main components of your detox system?
First off, the spleen is part of your bodys lymphatic system and its main job is to filter your blood. Along with filtering your blood of toxins, your spleen also affects the number of red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout your body, and the number of platelets, which are cells that help your blood to clot. On top of that, when the spleen detects bacteria, viruses, or other germs in your blood, it produces white blood cells, called lymphocytes, to fight off these infections.
ractapopulous/Pixabay
I may be ragging on detox programs, yet seeking to get your body healthy is an admirable goal. In fact, humans have been practicing this health trend for thousands of years. From the Native American sauna-like sweat lodge practices to the bloodletting, enemas, and fasting of the 20th century, were dead set on getting rid of those bad bugs in our bodies.
With that said, besides mentally tricking us into feeling healthier, are detoxes and cleanses actually healthy?
Based on emerging research, the answer grows closer and closer to an outright no with a side of high health risks. This is especially compounded by the fact that many people go into detox programs and cleanses withoutseeking medical advice.
In a recent article published by the Harvard Medical School, Harvard Womens Health Watch entitledThe Dubious Practice of Detox,each of the most popular types of detoxes and cleanses were analyzed in regards to actual scientific evidence regarding effectiveness.
Here are two specific cases, which outline why detoxes and cleanses are not only unnecessary but oftentimes dangerous.
stevepb/Pixabay
One of the most relevant examples was the analysis of the Master Cleanse Diet involving a 10-day diet of warm salt water, a concoction of water, lemon juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper, and a cup of laxative tea. The analysis found that during the cleanse, dieters lose weight drastically, mostly from fluid loss, frequent bowel movements, or diarrhea produced by saltwater and laxative tea. Yet, once the dieter resumes normal eating, rapid weight gain follows.
Plus, the health risks of this diet are far greater then what youmaygain.
First off, the Master Cleanse is lacking in protein, fatty acids, and other essential nutrients, as well as carbohydrates. Basically, youre starving your body of the nutrients it needs to actually detox naturally. On top of that, the daily laxative regimen can cause dehydration, deplete electrolytes, and impair normal bowel function, all of which, once again, disrupt your natural detox systems. This cleanse has also been shown to disrupt the native intestinal flora, [the] microorganisms that perform useful digestive functions, which if the diet is performed regularly can lead to metabolic acidosis, a disruption of the bodys acid-base balance. Metabolic acidosis can lead to coma and death.
bodymybody/Pixabay
If you havent seen the pictures on the internet of intestinal cleansing, then you count yourself lucky. Basically, an intestinal cleanse is meant to shave off all the icky buildup on the inside of your colon, leaving it smooth and shiny and clear of debris.
Yet, dont let those pictures persuade you into performing this cleanse. First off, many of these pictures are actually faked. Secondly, when they arent faux, they are probably showing stool generated by large doses of the regimens fiber supplement. In short, youre paying for a cleanse to help you have a large bowel movement.
Per The Dubious Practice of Detox article, theres actually no medical evidence for the cleansing procedure as a whole. Furthermore, the analysis of intestinal cleanses found that the rational to dislodge material adhering to the colon walls is fundamentally mistaken. How so? Well, the article explained that when fecal matter accumulates, it compacts into firm masses in the open interior of the colon; it does not adhere to the intestinal walls as the sludge depicted in the advertisements.
Lets just call a spade a spade its a scam.
Plus, intestinal cleanses follow the same risk guidelines as the Master Cleanse with a drastically increased risk of dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, impaired bowel function, and disruption of intestinal flora, all of which negatively affect your bodys ability to naturally detox.
Bright Beet Salad With Quinoa In a Citrus Vinaigrette/One Green Planet
Alright, so detoxes and cleanses aside, how can you boost your bodys ability to kick those environmental and internal toxins to the curb? Start out by making sure your detoxing organs and systems have the nourishment and care they need. Luckily, fiber-rich and antioxidant-packed plant-based foods are the best way to make this happen!
Whether you love em or hate em, beets are one of the best plant-based foods to keep in your kitchen! Theyre incredibly rich in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, and iron. Plus, these vibrantly colored veggies contain high levels of antioxidants and other health-promoting properties. When it comes to detoxing, beet juice can amplify specific enzymes that support the liver and aid in detoxification.
Try out a few of these make-you-love beets recipes: Flourless Cake with Walnut and Fig Crust, Beet and Balsamic Hummus, Beetroot Cake Porridge, Pink Latte, Orange Vinaigrette Beetroot Salad, or this super simple Beet Soup.
Apple Chia Jam/One Green Planet
Apples are not only a super easy snack to take on the road, but they are also a great healthy treat to curb that sweet tooth! On top of that, theyre known as a great aid for your bodys detoxification systems. Apples contain a soluble fiber called pectin, which helps purge toxins from the bloodstream and lower LDL cholesterol.
Plus, cooking with apples couldnt be easier! Slice them up raw for a snack or try some plant-based creations: Apple Pie, Apple Cinnamon Buckwheat Porridge, Half Rainbow Salad, Fermented Apple Probiotic Butter, Fresh Apple Cinnamon Juice, or this Apple Chia Jam.
Super Green Parsley and Cilantro Smoothie/One Green Planet
Much like beets, cilantro is one of those foods that people either love or hate. Except, when it comes to cilantro, your dislike may be implanted in your DNA! With that said, no matter what, cilantro has always been known as one of the best plant-based herbs to boost your bodys detoxification. Why is this? Cilantro is whats called a chelator, which means it binds to heavy metals and [helps] your body excrete them. Per a 2013Scientific World Journalstudy, cilantro can enhance mercury excretion and decrease lead absorption.
Looking to get cilantro in your kitchen? Here are a few fun ways to utilize this heavy metal-fighting herb:Mint and Cilantro Chutney With Ginger, Cilantro, Lime, and Black Bean Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice, Cilantro Lime Glazed Chickpeas With Mango Salsa,Super Green Parsley and Cilantro Smoothie, or these Cilantro Lime Tacos.
Spicy Carrot Clementine Juice/One Green Planet
So, this one may not be a plant-basedfoodperse, but water is an integral component of a healthy body. Water regulates your body temperature, lubricates joints, aids digestion and nutrient absorption, and detoxifies your body by removing waste products. Yep, water is an essential component for ridding yourself of toxins and waste! This lovely, plentiful liquid transports these waste products, efficiently removing them through urination, breathing, or sweating.
But, this doesnt mean you have to focus on drinking plain old water! You can mix that water up into yummy beverages to get your daily hydration such as Good Morning Beet Juice, Fresh Lavender Lemonade, Raw Turmeric Ginger Smoothie, Juicy Grapefruit Green Juice, or this Spicy Carrot Clementine Juice.
For more Vegan Food, Health, Recipe, Animal, and Life content published daily, dont forget to subscribe to theOne Green Planet Newsletter!
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The keto diet: Its highs and lows plus 5 recipes – West Hawaii Today
Posted: February 4, 2020 at 12:46 pm
My friends Mike and Robin have been on the keto diet for a couple of years. They lost a ton of weight, and they look fit and trim better than Ive ever seen them, and Ive known them more than 30 years.
Their results are not unusual. The keto diet often leads to rapid weight loss.
The trick lies in keeping it off. Mike and Robin have done it well, but a lot of people cant. And therein lies a problem, according to Jennifer McDaniel, a registered dietitian and the owner of McDaniel Nutrition Therapy in St. Louis.
While you might gain benefits in the short term just like any other restrictive diet, most people like, 90% of the people have trouble staying on it. When they lose the weight and they cant maintain the weight that they attained, thats just another failed diet, she said.
The keto diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrates diet its like the Atkins diet on steroids, McDaniel said. People on the diet strive to consume 70% to 80% of their calories through fats, as little as 5% through carbohydrates and the rest through protein.
This helps us lose weight because it forces our bodies to burn fat for energy instead of its preferred fuel, carbohydrates.
McDaniel recommends that her clients not go on the keto diet. The diet changes the microbiome in their bodies (the bacteria, fungi and more that live inside us). It is difficult for people on the diet to consume enough fiber, which can lead to constipation and other gastrointestinal nastiness. And because carbohydrates hold onto water, people on the diet are often dehydrated, she said.
And yet, as Mike and Robin and thousands of others can attest, it works. So I decided to try a few recipes to see how they tasted.
The rules of the keto diet are highly restrictive, which can make cooking difficult. You need to avoid fruit, sugars, grains, beans and legumes, rice, potatoes, candy and juice.
Ingredients to be encouraged include meat, fatty fish, eggs, butter and cream, cheese, nuts and seeds, certain oils (olive, avocado, coconut) and low-carb vegetables most green vegetables, tomatoes, onions, peppers and the like.
Its a lot to take in, so I began with a simple and entirely wonderful dish of Citrus-Marinated Olives. These are a marvelous treat, combining the heady earthiness of olives with bright notes of orange and lemon. Though the flavors are disparate, they work surprisingly well together.
Another winner was Keto Egg Cups, a dish that concisely presents everything that is good about keto cooking: Little cups made from prosciutto hold eggs mixed with cream, spinach, roasted red peppers and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Two entrees came next. First, I took a recipe for Instant-Pot Keto Mediterranean Chicken and made it a recipe for Keto Mediterranean Chicken Without an Instant Pot. It only took about five minutes longer than the Instant-Pot version, and it was deeply satisfying.
The other entree, Keto Breaded Chicken Cutlets, isnt bad but Id only make it again if I were on the keto diet. The chicken is dredged through almond flour before frying, which gives it a duller flavor than wheat flour.
Keto Mediterranean Chicken
Adapted from a recipe by the Food Network; yield: 4 servings
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Liberally sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and cook half of the pieces, skin-side down, until the skin is deeply browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook until the other side is deeply browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining pieces of chicken.
Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the fat (if on the keto diet, keep all the fat in the pot). Return pot to heat and add garlic; cook until golden brown, about 1 minute. Add the olives, capers, vinegar, oregano and 1/2 cup water; stir to combine and to scrape up any browned bits at the bottom of the pot. Return chicken pieces to pot and stir to mix.
Cover and cook at a simmer until chicken is done, about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and boil the sauce to reduce it by half.
Meanwhile, mix the yogurt, parsley, mint, lemon zest and lemon juice, plus a large pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.
Serve the chicken with its sauce, and the yogurt sauce on the side.
Keto Egg Cups
Recipe from the Food Network; yield: 3 servings
1 tablespoon butter, see note
6 large, thin slices of prosciutto
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup packed baby spinach leaves, chopped
1/4 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
6 large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Note: To make this recipe even more keto-friendly, instead of greasing the muffin tin with 1 tablespoon of butter, melt 2 tablespoons and brush the tin with it. It will pool in the bottom of each cup, but that is OK.
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees.
Grease the cups of a muffin tin with the 1 tablespoon of butter (or brush with 2 tablespoons of melted butter). Line each cup with a slice of prosciutto, folding and overlapping so that the entire surface of the cup is covered and no metal is peeking through. Divide the mozzarella evenly among the cups. Repeat with the Parmesan, spinach and roasted red peppers.
Whisk the eggs and cream in a large measuring cup or small pitcher; add some salt and a few grinds of pepper. Pour the egg mixture in each cup, making sure not to overfill.
Bake until the eggs are set and wobble only slightly, 10 to 12 minutes (the eggs will continue to cook after they come out). Let cool 5 minutes, then use a thin knife or offset spatula, if necessary, to loosen the prosciutto from the edges of each cup. Transfer to a plate for serving.
Citrus-Marinated Olives
Recipe by Valerie Bertinelli via Food Network; yield: 4 to 6 servings
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 strip lemon zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
1 strip orange zest, removed with a vegetable peeler
Salt and pepper
1 cup Castelvetrano olives
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange juice
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes, thyme, garlic, lemon zest, orange zest, salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is pale golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in olives and cook until just warm, 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and orange juice. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Keto Breaded Chicken Cutlets
Recipe from the Food Network; yield: 4 servings
1 1/2 pounds thinly sliced raw chicken breast
Salt
2 cups almond flour
3 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Ghee (clarified butter, see note) or avocado oil, for frying
Lemon wedges, for serving
Note: To clarify butter, gently melt butter over medium-low heat. Carefully skim foam off top. Pour carefully into a container, stopping before any of the white solids on the bottom of the pan pour out. Store in an airtight container for up to 9 months or in a refrigerator for up to 1 year.
If any of the chicken slices are thicker than 1/4 inch, pound them out one at a time between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper with a meat mallet to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
Sprinkle chicken all over with salt and just enough of the almond flour to lightly coat both sides.
Beat the eggs in a wide, shallow bowl. In another wide, shallow bowl, mix the remaining almond flour with the Parmesan, paprika and garlic powder.
Dip chicken in the eggs to coat. Let the excess drip off, then coat thoroughly in the almond flour mixture. Place on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
Heat 1/4 inch of ghee or avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add half the chicken and cook until golden on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook until golden on the other side, another 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat with the remaining chicken, adding more ghee or oil of needed. Serve with lemon wedges.
Link:
The keto diet: Its highs and lows plus 5 recipes - West Hawaii Today
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