Thursday, March 1, 2012
Monday, February 6, 2012
Hail to the Kale
It comes in ornamental, curly or dinosaur. It’s a descendant of the cabbage family, and our ancestors may have been eating it as early as 2000 B.C. I’m talking about Kale, the king of greens. Most people know what kale is, they’ve seen it, perhaps they’ve tasted it, but few people eat it on a regular basis. Why is this? Maybe it looks a little too green, maybe they were forced as a child into eating their auntie’s boiled kale and liver, or maybe they just never found a good recipe that matched their taste palate. Well, if you can relate, then keep reading and find out some of the wondrous benefits of kale, and check out a delicious (and of course, nutritious) recipe or two. Soon you’ll be asking yourself, “Why wouldn’t I eat this green leafy beauty?”
The numbers:
In just one cup, you get: 15% of your daily requirement for calcium, 15% of vitamin B6, 180% vitamin A, 200% vitamin C, 1020% vitamin K, 40% of magensium and 5 grams of fiber. It’s also a good source of phosphorous, iron, potassium, manganese, and copper. Tip: if you tend not to like the flavor, next time you eat kale focus on how you are nourishing yourself and all of the healthy benefits when you are eating it. Notice if that changes your eating expereince.
What the studies say:
Kale contains vitamin K, which may reduce the risk of developing cancer. It also contains vitamin A which is may help to reduce the risk of macular degeneration. And its calcium content may decrease the risk for osteoporosis.
But there is also so much more to food than just individual vitamins and minerals that we don’t fully comprehend. Try paying attention to how your body feels after you eat kale in comparison to a processed food. You just might notice an energized feeling in your body. If you do, remember this and you will be more likely to eat it again.
Recipes:
Other ideas:
Chop up kale and use it in place of your usual greens. (Kale has great robust flavor, and will keep longer in your fridge.) Chop it up and add it to (just about anything) meat or turkey loafs, soups and stews, omelets…you get the idea, use your creative juices. And on the subject of juices, juice it! Have some juiced kale, which is popular in Japan. Add a little carrot, an apple, and ginger for some zing. Have other ideas you’d like to share? Leave us a post!
References:
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
How to Get More Vitamin G
Eating a balanced and nutritious menu and keeping fit are incredibly important in terms of your overall health and wellness, but there are also other important factors to take into account, such as your thoughts.
No matter how much you exercise and how well you eat, if you are constantly thinking negative thoughts and stressed out, your health will be compromised. Negativity can cause stress and stress in the body has been linked to inflammation which in turn has been linked to illness. On the other end of the spectrum, positivity increases endorphins which make you feel good and have been linked to increased immunity.
There are those that say positivity is a choice. Which to some degree is true, but for some this does not come easily. Perhaps there are people who are just born with a positivity gene, or maybe its life circumstances; the old nature or nurture debate. And even those of use who have a generally positive outlook on life, we're not that way 100% of the time. So how can all of us cultivate more positivity in our lives?
You just need a good dose of Vitamin G.
So what is Vitamin G? I call it gratitude. And just as different vitamins and drugs have been tested by scientists for their improvement of health issues, so has gratitude.
It can be easy to think about all of the things we don’t have, the way we’d like other people in our life to be, the way we’d like to be, the way we’d like the weather to be. But how often do we say and think about all of the things that we are actually grateful for in life in comparison to the negative thoughts?
The Emmons Lab at UC Davis has a department and web page dedicated to the scientific study of gratitude.
Check out some of their findings:
- Those who kept gratitude journals on a weekly basis exercised more regularly, reported fewer physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded hassles or neutral life events (Emmons & McCullough, 2003).
- Participants who kept gratitude lists were more likely to have made progress toward important personal goals (academic, interpersonal and health-based) over a two-month period compared to subjects in the other experimental conditions.
- A daily gratitude intervention (self-guided exercises) with young adults resulted in higher reported levels of the positive states of alertness, enthusiasm, determination, attentiveness and energy compared to a focus on hassles or a downward social comparison (ways in which participants thought they were better off than others). There was no difference in levels of unpleasant emotions reported in the three groups.
- Participants in the daily gratitude condition were more likely to report having helped someone with a personal problem or having offered emotional support to another, relative to the hassles or social comparison condition.
- Children who practice grateful thinking have more positive attitudes toward school and their families (Froh, Sefick, & Emmons, 2008).
- Grateful people report higher levels of positive emotions, life satisfaction, vitality, optimism and lower levels of depression and stress.
- The disposition toward gratitude appears to enhance pleasant feeling states more than it diminishes unpleasant emotions. Grateful people do not deny or ignore the negative aspects of life.
- People with a strong disposition toward gratitude have the capacity to be empathic and to take the perspective of others. They are rated as more generous and more helpful by people in their social networks (McCullough, Emmons, & Tsang, 2002).
- Those who regularly attend religious services and engage in religious activities such as prayer reading religious material score are more likely to be grateful. Grateful people are more likely to acknowledge a belief in the interconnectedness of all life and a commitment to and responsibility to others (McCullough et. al., 2002). Gratitude does not require religious faith, but faith enhances the ability to be grateful.
- Grateful individuals place less importance on material goods; they are less likely to judge their own and others success in terms of possessions accumulated; they are less envious of others; and are more likely to share their possessions with others relative to less grateful persons. Reference
Skeptical? I challenge you to add in a dose of gratitude just as you would daily exercise. It can even take as little as 5 minutes out of your day. Have fun with it, and if you can, journal as this will help you to see how your overall mood and attitude changes, and how your relationship with other people change for the better.
Simple ways to add in gratitude to your life:
- Take 5 minutes out of your day to sit in a quiet space and bring to mind all of the people and things you are grateful for; your friends, your significant other, your family, your pet, your health, your home, etc. Bring these to mind one by one and then really feel the gratitude and positivity that begins to radiate inside of you. If you don’t have 5 minutes or a quiet place to sit, bring to mind things that you are grateful for as often as you remember to throughout the day.
- Make a gratitude journal. You can do this on your own or there are several that you can purchase.
- Or if you more of a techy, get a gratitude app.
- Or make your own gratitude blog.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Gluten Free Breads
The holidays can make lifestyle diets, like gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan, a little more difficult for both the individual whose diet differs from the mainstream, and for those cooking for them. For the next couple of weeks we’ll post recipes and ideas for holiday eats and treats that everyone can enjoy.
This week, let’s talk gluten.
What is gluten? Well, it's a little more complicated than this, but here is the easy-to-understand definition: its the sticky protein substance in wheat and other products that give a chewy texture. A gluten-free diet is mainly used to treat celiac-disease, but there are many other health professionals who have been prescribing it to help with other disorders, such as ADHD.
Those who are gluten-free must stay away from: Bulgar, barley, durham, farina, graham flour, kamut, matzo meal, rye, semolina, spelt, triticale, and wheat.
In addition, those adhering to a gluten-free diet should also be wary of these items and make sure they are labeled gluten-free: beer, breads, candies, cakes and pies, cereals, cookies, crackers, croutons, gravies, imitation meats or seafood, oats, pastas, processed lunch meats, salad dressings, sauces, and soups. Cross contamination is something to be watchful of as well. And other products that you may not have thought of, like food additives, lipstick, vitamins, and toothpaste, may contain gluten.
But just as there are many things that one has to take out of their diet, there are many other options that one can add in, and have fun in the process. Sometimes difficulties in life, like a food allergy, offer a new learning experience that we would not have otherwise encountered. We can always take difficulties and turn them into strengths and positive experiences. For example, sometimes food allergies actually cause us to be more health conscious, and as a side benefit, healthier, and more informed about our own health and alternative options--and able to help others in return.
Here is a short list of food items that those who are gluten-free (or cooking for people who are gluten-free) can eat and use as substitutes for some of the above: Amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, corn, cornmeal, gluten-free flours (rice, soy, corn, potato, beans), hominy grits, polenta, pure corn tortillas, quinoa, rice, and tapioca.
Because wheat contains gluten, many times bread is something that people give up, but tend to crave. You can still have bread with a little creativity, and there are plenty of options that are in-store as well, you just have to know which brand to choose. I don’t have a gluten intolerance, but I’ve tried many gluten-free breads and listed a couple of my favorites. Try one out, either store bought or handmade, let us know what you think and, post your favorite brands or recipes.
A couple of good and tasty gluten free breads and where to find them:
Gluten-free bread recipes:
Cranberry quinoa bread
Zucchini bread
Cinnamon bread
Carrot muffins
Sweet potato cornbread
Pizza
Dinner rolls
Sandwich bread
Date muffins
Zucchini bread
Cinnamon bread
Carrot muffins
Sweet potato cornbread
Pizza
Dinner rolls
Sandwich bread
Date muffins
Good gluten-free recipe blogs/websites:
References:
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Are you Eating in the Past, Present, or Future?
Do you find yourself eating lunch in front of the computer while trying to finish a spreadsheet? Maybe you try to eat in your car while driving and checking email on your iPhone? What about reading the back of a cereal box while eating? Or how about this scenario: you’re famished after work, you plop down in front of the TV with a selection of snacks that you think you can’t possibly finish, and then, poof! All of a sudden you are in a food coma unable to remove yourself from the couch. The food is gone, just traces of crumbs, and you are left without recollection of eating or enjoying your meal.
If you can associate with any of these situations, you are not alone, we all do it. “We eat mindlessly,” says Jan Chozen Bays, author of * Mindful Eating: A Guide to Rediscovering a Healthy and Joyful Relationship with Food. She says that “The fundamental reason for our imbalance with food and eating is that we've forgotten how to be present as we eat.”
Many of us have a lot to juggle and we are constantly multi-tasking, including when we eat. Or we use food as a way to “numb-out” from emotional pain or a handful of other reasons. But when we are not present with our food, we not only disconnect from our food, but from ourselves.
When we start paying attention to our food when we are eating—when we eat “mindfully”—we not only enjoy our food more, but we connect to ourselves, and our ability feel satisfied, rather than full. One of the coolest things about mindful eating is that we learn to hear our body’s huger and satiation cues. The best way I can describe it is like when you have a friend that listens to you really well—they know you so much better, and it just feels good when someone listens to you. So why don’t we do this for ourselves? Well, we can. Mindful eating and mindfulness in general, helps us to learn to listen to ourselves better and be better to ourselves so we can be better for everyone around us.
How to Eat Mindfully?
1. Start by sitting alone with your food. No music, TV, reading materials.
2. Then pay attention to the flavor, texture, aroma, temperature and sound of your food.
3. After taking a few bites, pay attention to the body. Are you still hungry? Are you full? Where are these sensations taking place in the body?
4. After playing with this for a while, we can play with how full we feel and what that means to us. What does half-full or 80% full feel like?
5. Make sure to pay attention to the mind. Don’t push your thoughts away; just name what is happening, like “this is just a thought being known.” Just because you think about looking at TV doesn’t mean you have to watch it—it’s just a thought, and like all thoughts it will rise and fall like a breath. Notice the impulse and return to just eating. But if you don’t, try not to judge or criticize yourself. You can try again later, or even in the next moment.
After practicing mindful eating for a while, you’ll notice how you are more aware of not only your hunger and satiation, but of how you are sensitive to specific foods or food combinations, times you eat, and how emotions affect your eating. If you are an emotional eater, it will become easier to catch yourself trying to sooth yourself with food, and eventually, with time, you will learn to make different choices.
Keep in mind that habits are just that, habits, they are not who you are, but they are also hard to change and take time. So be gentle with yourself and the process and remember that lasting change is built on many small changes. And just making the decision to make a change is the first step.
If you are interested in giving it a go, here is some “homework” from Jan’s Blog on Psychology Today:
(1) Try taking the first four sips of a cup of hot tea or coffee with full attention?
(2) If you are reading and eating, try alternating these activities, not doing both at once? Read a page, then put the book down and eat a few bites, savoring the tastes, then read another page, and so on.
(3) At family meals, you might ask everyone to eat in silence for the first five minutes, thinking about the many people who brought the food to your plates.
(4) Try eating one meal a week mindfully, alone and in silence. Be creative. For example, could you eat lunch behind a closed office door, or even alone in our car?
(2) If you are reading and eating, try alternating these activities, not doing both at once? Read a page, then put the book down and eat a few bites, savoring the tastes, then read another page, and so on.
(3) At family meals, you might ask everyone to eat in silence for the first five minutes, thinking about the many people who brought the food to your plates.
(4) Try eating one meal a week mindfully, alone and in silence. Be creative. For example, could you eat lunch behind a closed office door, or even alone in our car?
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Spaghetti…Squashed
Last week I ate one of the most satisfying meals I’ve had in a while. It was chilly day, with just a hint of winter, and my boyfriend was in the mood for spaghetti. So we made spaghetti, with spaghetti squash. It was delicious, nutritious…and easy.
After baking the squash in the oven, we topped it with a red sauce, chopped fresh tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and instead of meat we used a walnut mushroom mix (we found it pre-made at the Wedge, but you can also make it yourself).
Chances are you may have already tried this recipe (or something close). If you haven’t tried spaghetti squash, I highly suggest trying any of the recipes below. If you have, try out a new one this week, and tell us about it.
Spaghetti Squash with Herbs:
Spaghetti Squash and Broccoli:
Spaghetti Squash with Shrimp:
Spaghetti Squash with Turkey Meatballs:
Spaghetti Squash Nutrition Facts:
If you have diabetes or are watching your weight and carbohydrates, you can save 179 calories and 33 g of carbohydrate by eating a cup of spaghetti squash instead of a cup of pasta.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient database, 1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash provides 42 calories, 0.4 gram of fat, 1 g of protein, 10 g of carbohydrate (4 g as sugar) and 2.2 g of fiber.
Because it has a high water content, spaghetti squash is not as dense in vitamins and minerals as its other squash friends like acorn or butternut, but it does provide 5 percent of the DV for Vitamin A, 3 percent of the Daily Value for calcium, 8 percent of the DV for dietary fiber and 9 percent of the DV for Vitamin C. It also provides carotenoids which may help to protect the body against disease.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Eat Like an Okinawan
Elderly Okinawans are known to be the healthiest people on the planet; they have the highest population of centenarians, and a low risk of diseases related to age. And surprise, surprise, it has to do with their healthy and balanced diet and lifestyle factors, such as regular exercise and positive mental outlook.
What seems to show that their diet contributes to their longevity, is that when the younger Okinawan generation traded the traditional food for western fast-food, diseases such as heart disease and cancer started to increase.
Here are 7 tips based off of their lifestyle:
1. Eat minimal amounts of fat, meat, sugar, refined carbohydrates, dairy and stimulants.
2. Have a philosophy of “Hara Hachi Bu,” which means eating until you are 80% full. (We generally eat until we are full, then we feel stuffed.) Try 80% for size—what does it feel like to you?
3. Eat a menu with plentiful fruits and vegetables (they eat up to 13 serving of vegetables a day, mostly yellows, oranges, and greens, such as broccoli, carrots, red peppers, tomatoes, onions, cauliflower, okra, and eggplant) including sweet potatoes (a staple) and legumes.
4. Make complex carbohydrates a little over half of the daily calories, which include vegetables, fruit, whole grains (oats and barley), tofu, and other legumes. (All important to heart health).
5. Eat foods with healthy omega-3 fat, such as fish and soy oil. These also play an important role in heart health.
6. Sweets in moderation. (Moderation in general is the key word.)
7. Include exercise into common daily activities, such as walking and gardening. (For example, try parking farther than normal if you can’t walk to the store. Or take the stairs instead of the elevator.)
You shouldn’t feel that you need to change your own lifestyle drastically, just take what you feel might work for you. This is a good reminder for us of how true the saying, “we are what we eat” is—if we nourish ourselves with healthy foods, exercise and positivity, we will radiate this outward and reap the rewards of health for ourselves and those around us.
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