How do individuals living in Asian and European countries maintain good health without sacrificing great-tasting foods? The secret is… they don’t diet. Instead, they embrace food as fuel and eat real, whole foods that are packed with nutrients. Here are some key tips from both cultures to help you live a little healthier.
This delicious pasta recipe embodies the flavors of spring. I bought the vegetables in this recipe from the local farmer’s market and all other ingredients from Nugget Market. I enjoyed it all week long, served either hot or cold.
Today, I have reached a blogging landmark: my 100th post! In honor of this occasion, I have decided to share with you 100 nutrition tips. Each tip is from one of my previous posts, starting with my very first post and working up to today. Each tip’s number links back to the original post. If you see a tip you like and want to read more, just click on the number. Enjoy!
You may have heard some buzz lately about the nutritional benefits of coconuts. Is there any truth to the hype? Read on to find out…
Coconut Oil
Currently, the jury is still out on whether coconut oil is good or bad for you. For years, experts have been advising people to minimize their consumption of saturated fats. Although olive oil and other unsaturated plant oils are generally considered to be healthier sources of fat, new research suggests that the saturated fat found in coconut oil may be healthier than other saturated fats.
The fatty acids contained in coconut oil are made up primarily of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) whereas animal-based saturated fat sources (like those found in beef or cheese) are comprised of long-chain triglycerides (LCT). Researchers have found that MCTs are more easily metabolized than LCTs and virgin coconut oil has not been shown to negatively affect cholesterol levels. Long-term research is needed to determine whether coconut oil, like other saturated fats, raise the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Coconut water
Coconut water, not to be confused with coconut milk, does not contain any of the saturated coconut oils described previously. Coconut water has been become popular recently as a natural substitute for energy drinks because it contains sugars, water, electrolytes, and more potassium than Gatorade. Additionally, coconut water contains healthy compounds like selenium, which has been shown to fight cancer in laboratory research.
In fact, a 1996 study by Dr. Larry Clark of the University of Arizona showed just how effective selenium may be in protecting against cancer. In this study of 1,300 people with histories of skin cancer, the occurrence of cancer among those who took supplements of selenium daily was reduced by 35% compared to those given a placebo. Cancer deaths for those taking the selenium were cut almost in half, according to the study that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Conclusion
In conclusion, coconuts have some excellent nutritional benefits when consumed in moderation. You won’t see me going “coo-coo” for coconuts, but you can bet I’ll enjoy a fresh one next time I’m in Hawaii.
This article with written with assistance from Katrina Evans, a recent college graduate and aspiring writer. She enjoys making a difference in people’s lives, and is especially passionate about helping others prevent cancer. Katrina is a “fruit junkie” who also enjoys reading, staying fit, and listening to podcasts.
Nutrition advice can seem confusing, but in reality, it can usually be boiled down to one simple piece of advice: Enjoy a variety of whole foods for better health.
What are “whole foods?”
Whole foods are foods that are as close to their natural form as possible, with minimal processing and refinement. Foods created by mother nature contain countless nutritional benefits, such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Foods created by humans in a laboratory (processed foods) contain only a few of those nutrients, and usually a great deal more of unhealthy additives, such as sodium, trans fat, preservatives, and added sugar.
Whole Foods vs. Processed Foods
The below list shows some examples of whole foods vs. processed foods. The best, whole food choices are in the left-hand column. The more processed the food, the fewer nutrients and greater number of unhealthy added ingredients it contains.
| Whole Food | Processed Food | Highly Processed Food |
| Apple | Apple juice | Apple-flavored fruit chew |
| Baked potato | Instant mashed potato | French fries, potato chips |
| Brown rice | White rice | Rice-a-Roni |
| Chicken breast | Chicken deli meat | Chicken nuggets |
| Corn | Corn flakes, tortilla chips | Soda (contains high fructose corn syrup) |
| Edamame (soybeans) | Soy protein powder | Energy bar, margarine (partially hydrogenated soybean oil) |
| Nuts | Roasted, salted nuts | Nutter Butter cookie |
| Oatmeal | Instant oatmeal | Chewy oatmeal bar |
| Whole grain pasta | Regular (refined) pasta | Ramen noodles |
| Whole wheat flour | White flour | Donut, cupcake |
Finding Whole Foods
Check the list of ingredients: In general, healthier food products contain a short list of ingredients that sound like food (and not like chemicals). Healthy ingredients to look for include: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and skim milk. Ingredients to watch out for include: sugar, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and enriched flour. Keep in mind that some of the healthiest food items do not contain nutrition labels at all, like fruits and vegetables!
Find a farmer’s market: Visit your local farmers market for some of the best-tasting whole foods on the planet. Visit http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/ for market times and locations.
Enjoying Whole Foods
If you are accustomed to eating highly processed foods, it may take a little while for you to learn to appreciate the taste of whole foods. Your taste-buds are likely used to intensely sweet or salty flavors, rather than the subtle complexities of whole foods. Hang in there! The average life-span of a taste-bud is 3 weeks. You can train your taste-buds to appreciate whole foods. Here are some tips to help you out:
How do you find and enjoy whole foods?
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Posted in Nutrition Info
Tagged eat right, health tips, healthy diets, healthy eating habits, healthy food, how to eat healthy, nutrition tips, whole food
Delicious snacks for your Super Bowl party don’t have to be unhealthy. Try out these ten heart-healthy choices that are sure to please!My original 5 Healthy Meals in 5 Minutes or Less were so popular, I decided to make a sequel. These 5 MORE Healthy Meals in 5 Minutes or Less feature all-new recipes that are just as fast, healthy and delicious. They include:
The George Foreman Grill is great for fast and healthy meals!
I recently received the following question from a blog follower:
Q: My husband is on a low-sodium diet. He is a schoolteacher, so I am trying to find low-sodium lunch and snack ideas to pack him when he goes back to school. He used to eat sandwiches with deli lunchmeat, but these are very high in sodium. Do you have any low-sodium lunch and snack ideas?
A: You are correct that deli lunchmeat is typically loaded with sodium. It also frequently contains nitrates, a preservative that is linked to an increased cancer risk. One tip I have heard from another dietitian for sandwiches is to cook up a whole turkey like it were Thanksgiving, and then carve it and freeze the cutlets for sandwiches. One turkey should provide low- sodium lunchmeat for months! I’m sure you could do this with other types of meat as well.
I am also a big fan of dinner leftovers for lunch if he has access to a microwave. I pack a tupperware with the leftovers and keep it cool with an ice pack in my lunch box. Usually, I cook 1-2 meals on Sunday and portion them out for the entire week. I also cut up carrots, cucumbers and bell pepper and portion them out in tupperware containers for the week too.
Snack ideas include: fresh fruit, a handful of raw nuts, plain yogurt with fruit (and a little sweetener, artificial or Truvia if you want to avoid the sugar), low-sodium string cheese, peanut butter and celery, humus and vegetable sticks or low sodium Triscuts.
You also might check the labels of some canned tuna and see if you can find a brand that would fit the bill. A peanut butter and low-sugar jelly sandwich can also be good for a quick meal or snack.
The best way to cut sodium in your diet is to eat more whole, unprocessed foods (like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, fresh meat and milk/yogurt) and to eat fewer highly processed foods.
Do you have a nutrition question you would like to ask? Post it here in the comments section and I may turn it into a blog post!
Are you having trouble motivating yourself to exercise after a long day of work? One great way to start exercising is to create a walking club at work. Organizing a walking club at your workplace is an easy, fun and inexpensive way to exercise. Not only is exercise good for your body, but it can improve concentration, decrease stress, and help make the workday go by faster too! Walking with a group makes exercise fun, which increases the chances you’ll stick with it.
Follow these easy steps to get your walking club started:
For more information on how to get a walking club started in your workplace, check out this Guide from the Network for a Healthy California, or watch the video below.
This is one of my favorite recipes… no chopping required! Serves 8.
Ingredients:
Directions:
Nicole Geurin, MPH, RD 