Best Way to Ripen, Cut, & Preserve an Avocado
Either in guacamole, as a replacement for mayo on a sandwich, or just plain with a little bit of salt, avocados are delicious and nutritious! Full of fiber, potassium, folate, vitamins K, C, B6, E, and monounsaturated fat, avocados are great for blood pressure and blood sugar control, as well as for keeping belly fat down. Do you need any more reasons to indulge?
What You Don't Know About Omega-3 Fats
If you really understood how critical omega-3 fatty acids are to keeping your brain sharp, your heart healthy, and your mental health intact, you would make sure you and your family were eating more of them! Omega-3 fats have an important role in reducing inflammation, blood clots, and blood pressure, and are critical for learning, vision, and brain function; especially for the brain development of babies and children. Even childhood food allergies and postpartum depression are linked to a low intake of omega-3 fatty acids! We usually talk about omega-3s in conjunction with seafood, but I have a couple of non-fish suggestions that will help you get more of this incredible fatty acid in your diet. Furthermore, so you don’t get confused by tricky labels, I will clue you in on the omega-3 label language and the different kinds of omega-3s.
Plum Surprise!
Jack Horner was on to something; plums are delicious any way you eat them, and are especially good for your bones, blood sugars, waist size, cronic disease risk, and even your memory.
A New Look at Labels
Have you noticed any food label changes yet? Exciting things are coming with the new FDA food label requirements!
The Real Fruit Truth
I’m challenging you this month to replace processed sugar and sweet treats with fruit! Many people equate fruit with white sugar, claiming it to be just as bad. THIS ISN'T TRUE! I'm regularly told, "I'm skipping fruit and sugar as part of my diet plan," as if it's the same thing. If you are someone who thinks this, please keep reading!
Make Your Salads Healthier!
My challenge this month is to eat leafy greens every day. Even though this month is almost over, don't stop eating those greens! Make it a habit for life to help decrease cognitive decline as you age, boost your health, and keep body fat off.To help with this challenge, this week's Tuesday Tip addressed some tricks for making salads more nutritious. Here are the tips in a nutshell:
Preparing Great Grains
I've spent so much time this month presenting to groups about the importance of whole and ancient grains that I think it's time to post a new healthy challenge to eat more whole grains! Don’t be afraid to prepare whole grains. Most of them can simply be boiled like rice until they’re tender.
Judes' Healthy Choices at Restaurants
This post is the first of a new miniseries I call "Lunch Date" that demonstrates my healthy choices at various restaurants. As you see my healthful choices, hopefully, it will help you in your restaurant decisions.
Sunflower Seeds: Brain Boost
Sunflower seeds do more than give a satisfying crunch; they improve our health! They are totally delicious AND loaded with some heavy-hitting nutrients that are especially good for our brain power.
Arugula: A Rock Star Green
Arugula isn't just delicious. It’s also brimming with health-protecting nutrients. In fact, arugula strengthens your bones and may make exercising easier. These rock star rockets may even help keep your brain sharp and smelling better.
The Healthiest Bread
Is there bread that is actually healthy? Obviously white bread, rolls, buns, and crackers are problematic, but even among the healthier bread varieties, there is a significant variance. Which one should you choose? Below are the healthiest bread options to eat.
Amazing Vegetable Avocado Soup
If you're busy and enjoy high-quality delicious food, you'll want to try this month's meal hack. You'll be surprised at how well a little salsa and avocado can enhance the flavor of purchased vegetable soup from the refrigerator section at Costco or your grocery store. A delicious, hearty soup that is quick and fun!
Blood Oranges: Winter Detox
Eat half of your meals and snacks in fruits and vegetables for your daily “detox cleanse” and don’t forget to eat a variety of colors, including bright and dark colors. Blood oranges are a perfect winter fruit full of these powerful phytonutrients and lots of vitamin C to boot. Take February’s Healthy Challenge and eat blood oranges while they’re still in season.
Fabulous Flax
It’s surprising that before now, I haven’t chosen flax seed as one of my monthly Healthy Challenge foods since I started my blog more than six years ago. It’s oozing with valuable nutrients that we have a difficult time getting in our diet, but that truly make a difference to our health.
Southern Okra Fun
Okra is full of valuable phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals, and you don't need to fry it to make it delicious! Instead, try roasting it to create an appealing texture so you can enjoy this delicious southern vegetable.
Cottage Cheese: Secret Weapon
Cottage cheese is a secret weapon to increase protein and keep body fat down. For all the cottage cheese haters out there, I've got great news. You won't know it's even there! In fact, It makes recipes creamier and more delicious without you even recognizing its presence. So if you tolerate dairy, then take advantage of this protein-packed craving-stopper and muscle protector.
Powerful Papaya
I’m so glad that I’ve given papaya another chance. Not only can I enjoy its delicious taste, but now I can take full advantage of the wonderful health benefits. With 144% of daily value of vitamin C in one cup of papaya, along with a good dose of folate, vitamin A, magnesium, potassium, copper, vitamin E, and choline, papaya can boost our immune system to help us fight sickness.
Build a Bowl: Easy Grain Bowl Formula
Are you in a rice, pasta, or potato rut, and searching for delicious, simple ways to eat more whole grains? Grain bowls, the west coast's healthy obsession, are a perfect solution! These aren’t too unfamiliar, given that Chipotle’s best-selling item, their burrito bowl, is just a Mexican version of a grain bowl. These bowls are the ideal way to make a fast, tasty DIY meal using leftovers and ancient whole grains, any time of the day. Cooked whole grains like farro, barley, brown or black rice, or quinoa keep for about five days in the refrigerator, so you can prepare them in advance in a rice cooker or on the stove top and use them throughout the week as the base ingredient of this tasty new trend, in various combinations.It's so easy for quick, causal restaurants to put together a burrito bowl or a rice bowl right in front of you – you tell them what you like, and they throw it in a bowl. It's not much harder to do this at home, and it may just become your go-to weeknight staple. Make variations using one or a mixture of whole grains as a base, and then top it with ingredients that combine different textures and a balance of flavors between salty, sweet, and acidic. In other words, use my simple Grain Bowl Formula below to build the best bowl ever!
Parsley Power
Who knew that a measly sprig of green could be such a powerhouse of nutrients? In fact, parsley was praised for its healing powers long before it was used to prepare food. Other cultures have come to appreciate its culinary benefits, but sadly, it is often delegated to a garnish in American cuisine. I’m here to advocate for this under-appreciated and under-used sprout!