Slimming Fermented Foods
Fermented foods aren't just full of flavor – they also promote gut health and boost the immune system, and they may be a key to becoming slim and trim.
Olive Oil: Powerful But Fragile
Rich in monounsaturated fat, olive oil has well-documented health benefits. Also, it's loaded with important, health-promoting phytonutrients. But not all olive oils are equal, and their many nutrients need to be protected from light and excessive heat
Purple Potatoes: Royal Super Spud
Americans' love affair with potatoes has added to our weight problems, but purple potatoes may be the super spud we need to negate the downside of white potatoes while improving our health. No matter their size or shape, purple potatoes have royal benefits.
Healthy Pumpkin Power
Nutrient-packed pumpkins are powerful sources of antioxidants, but preparing them can be daunting. Try these easier, enticing ways to prepare and eat pumpkins, as well as their nutrient-loaded seeds. Enhance your health by eating more of this awesome squash.
The Breakfast To Sharpen Our Brains and Slim Our Bodies
A protein-rich breakfast can reduce hunger and keep us satisfied throughout the day and into the evening, according to several studies from the University of Missouri. Some of these studies used brain scanning techniques and found that a high-protein breakfast impacts different parts of the brain than a low-protein breakfast.
Egg Yolks: The Good Guys
Eggs – including the yolks – are the good guys, not the bad guys! Truly a superfood (for those not sensitive or allergic to eggs) if there ever was one, they are packed full of nutrients that are not as prevalent in other foods. Don't worry, the charges have been dropped and egg yolks have been been cleared of previous accusations that they cause heart disease. Eggs are not all equal in nutritional content, but they all provide an inexpensive, quick, high quality protein that can enhance your health and appearance!
Popcorn Popping: Healthy Snack and Lunch Box Ideas
Popcorn is 100% whole grain and it can easily be prepared without fattening toppings that increase risk of disease. Be creative and make a delicious but healthy snack, either sweet or savory, using these tips and ideas.
Peachy Keen
Sweet, succulent peaches are healthier than we realized. Full of phytonutrients that may fight obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, peaches may be much more than just delicious.
Healthy Raw Honey
Not all honey is created equal! Raw honey is a healthy sweetener and should not be confused with commercially processed honey or agave nectar. Raw honey is a naturally delicious alternative to white sugar and processed honey, and it provides valuable nutrition without so many negative health effects. It's the perfect sweetener for any of your favorite recipes.
Spring Surprise: Sugar Snap Peas
Twenty sugar snap peas contain only 28 calories, and yet are packed full of nutrients. One cup of the chopped pods offers 3 grams each of fiber and protein, a full daily dose of vitamin C, and one-third of our daily vitamin K and vitamin A requirements.
Begging For Buckwheat
Buckwheat isn't a wheat at all. In fact, it's a gluten-free nutritional powerhouse seed that acts like a grain while promoting healthy blood sugars and heart health.
Whole Food Sweetener: Dessert Dates
Dates are the most nutritious sweetener we have, so let's start using them to replace sugar. By using pureed dates in recipes, we can add sweetness with awesome whole-food nutrition, while decreasing the need for processed sugar!
Orange Power
An orange a day may keep cancer away (and other diseases too). An orange has hundreds of different phytonutrients, many of which have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, and blood clot-inhibiting properties, as well as strong antioxidant effects. Loaded with other nutrients as well, oranges add a great flavor punch to foods to brighten up the winter months.
Healthy Dark Chocolate
A square of 70% or higher dark chocolate here and there will satisfy your cravings and provide you with amazing health benefits. Use cocoa powder in your cooking and baking too!
Cruciferous Cauliflower Incognito
Cauliflower may pale in color next to its cruciferous cousins such as kale, Brussel sprouts, and broccoli, but not in terms of nutrition. Like all of the vegetables in the cruciferous family, nutrient-rich cauliflower helps to strengthen the immune system and protect against the development of cancer. Its blonde color makes cauliflower extremely versatile and easy to mask, while its flavor, if cooked correctly, adds surprisingly delicious enhancements to recipes.
Fall Greens: Swiss Chard
Named by a Swiss botanist but originating in Italy, Swiss chard is literally one of the healthiest foods in the world. This thriving summer leafy vegetable grows well into the fall until temperatures fall into the low 20s (F). Full of nutrients, Swiss chard helps regulate blood sugars, maintain healthy blood, eyes, bones, and brain, and may help prevent cancer.
An Apple A Day
The old adage "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" appears to have some truth to it, according to research. Studies have established an association between apple consumption and numerous health benefits. And when it comes to eating apples, they may be commonplace, but are often the ingredient that really sets a recipe apart.
Summer Squash Supreme
While summer squash may not be a "superfood" in terms of any one nutrient, it does contain many valuable nutrients, including some important phytonutrients. Zucchini in particular is taking on a new ribbon-look that changes the texture enough to convert the zucchini haters among us.
Great Garbanzos
Garbanzo beans, also called chickpeas, are great with regards to their amazing nutritional content, the potential for weight-control and chronic disease control, and culinary versatility. Incredibly high in fiber, only two cups of garbanzo beans provide the entire daily recommendation of fiber for women, and a little less than three cups for men! It gets better: in a recent study, two groups of participants received about 28 grams of fiber per day; one group received dietary fiber primarily from garbanzo beans, and the other group received their fiber from entirely different dietary sources.
Blackberry Benefits
Blackberries are bursting with flavor, nutrition, and antioxidants to help the body fight free radicals. They contain some of the highest amounts of fiber and lowest sugar quantity of any fruit. Blackberries are the perfect fruit to eat to help prevent cancer and other chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, while still enjoying scrumptious food.