Category: Diet

Why diet is essential for feeling good and how certain foods help your body heal

Avocado

The avocado is one of the most nutrient dense foods. They are high in fiber, and are the top of their class for folate, vitamin E, and lutein. They are rich in magnesium, an essential nutrient for healthy bones and cardiovascular health, and in potassium which helps prevent circulatory diseases, regulates blood pressure, and protects against heart disease and stroke.

Avocados are also powerful nutrient boosters! They improve the ability of our bodies to absorb nutrients from other foods This food synergy maximizes absorption so we get the full benefit of what we consume.

  • Add it to a spinach salad with carrots to maximize absorption of beta-carotene and lutein!
  • Add it to salsa and increase the absorption of lycopene and carotenoid phytonutrients!

Even though avocados are high in fat, it’s the good kind, monounsaturated. This kind of fat burns more quickly than saturated fat. It also helps fight obesity by helping you feel full.

And… they’re delicious! A little EVOO a touch of salt, and a little sprinkle of Aleppo or crushed red pepper flakes is all you need for a quick snack, or, try this guacamole recipe..

Here’s a couple other avocado recipes:

~Thanks for reading
LC

Chunky Guacamole

Serves ~12

Ingredients: 

  • 6 large avocados
  • 1 tsp EVOO
  • 2 limes, juice and zest
  •  1/2 tsp your favorite hot sauce
  • 2 TBS minced red onon
  • 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 Roma tomatoes, diced

Method:

  • Halve the avocados and de-seed
  • Score the avocado halves in a cross hatch pattern, then remove from skin with a spoon into a mixing bowl
  • All  the rest of the ingredients, one at a time, until fully mixed
  • Taste, and adjust seasoning
  • Enjoy!

 

~Thanks for reading
LC

10 Tips to Minimize Food Waste and Save Moolah

I’ve been working in professional kitchens for 25+ years

In that time, I’ve learned a lot about food waste and how to avoid it. The restaurant industry is a nickel and dime business. The cost of waste adds up quickly. We try to do whatever we can to save costs, but not only that, to save food. There are millions, if not billions of people in the world who don’t have enough to eat and it’s reckless, irresponsible, and just downright mean, to throw away food.

I’ve put together a quick post here on some simple ways to re-purpose scraps and food that might not be super fresh, but still good. Also some items you might not have thought were usable at all!

1. Save bones for chicken, beef, or fish stock

2. Bake carrot peels into chips, or make carrot pesto

3. Freeze veg scraps for veggie broth or stock

4. Cook spinach (link to spinach w/ lemon and garlic recipe, posts on 11/30)

5. Composting/Fertilizer

6. Natural Dyes for Easter eggs

7. Turn leftovers into a new meal (tacos, stir fry, casseroles, chicken salad, soup)

8. Save old bread for croutons or breadcrumbs – old flat breads such as pita or tortillas can be baked, fried, or air fried, into chips

9. Turn leftover rice into fried rice

10. Turn overripe brown avocado into flourless and fudgy avocado brownies

Remember, when you cook from scratch you know exactly what is going into your body. Have a happy and healthful life!

 

~Thanks for reading
LC

Apples

Apples are one of the top five fruits produced in the world and are readily available year round. They’re also delicious! And the magnitude of health benefits they hold makes it seemingly impossible to not eat one every day!

Apples are an abundant source of:

To get the full benefits, wash them well and leave the skin on. That’s where most of the nutrients are. Unpeeled apples have 2-6 times the antioxidant activity as peeled ones.

Apples are extremely versatile in the kitchen! You can eat them raw or cooked, hot or cold, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner… They’re amazing!

Try pairing them with dark chocolate, cheese, or pork. They’re awesome baked with honey, cinnamon, and walnuts!

The fiber in apples can help promote circulatory and heart health, while helping you lose weight by helping you feel fuller, longer.

Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and is essential for the development, growth, and repair of your body’s tissues. Antioxidants boost the immune system and protect against free radicals, which are molecules harmful to the body. Vitamin C can’t be produced by the body so it’s important to consume it through fresh fruits and vegetables.

A diet rich in potassium can help prevent osteoporosis, reduce the risk of a stroke, and regulate fluids.

Phytochemicals play a prominent role in the prevention of cancer, cardiovascular disease, strokes, and cognitive decline due to aging.

 

 

Try to make apples a daily part of your healthy eating routine!

Thanks for reading ~ LC

 

Fruits and Veggies to Avoid While Trying to Lose Weight

So, you want to lose belly fat…

While it’s true, whole fruits and veggies are good for you, some are better than others. If you’re trying to lose weight and rid yourself of some extra flab, you’ll want to avoid, or at least keep these to a minimum, and possibly only have them as an occasional indulgence. Especially this one…

  1. Tropical Fruits: This includes pineapple, papaya,mangoes, bananas, and the like. They contain more calories and sugar than other fruits. While they are certainly a better dessert alternative than a slice of key lime pie, they aren’t as effective to weight loss as berries or apples.
  2. Potatoes: The starch found in all varieties of potatoes is what really loads up the calories. Other starchy vegetables that might not be as obvious include carrots, beans, corn, squash, and green peas.
  3. Foods labeled “Fat Free”: Products containing this common statement are notorious for containing excessive amounts of processed sugar. Additionally, some fatty foods can actually help you lose weight by suppressing your appetite, which in turn can cut your daily calorie intake. Olive oil, almond butter, and Greek yogurt are all good “fatty food” choices that can also help you lose weight. To see more, check out Eat This, Not That’s article on “8 Fatty Foods That Make You Skinny“.

“Best Diet Tips” also has a really great and informative article on the “Best and Worst Vegetables to Help You Lose Weight“.

In short, the lower the food is on the Glycemic Index, the better they stabilize blood sugar between meals and help to curb your appetite.

Please, become aware of what you are actually putting into your body. Your body will thank you for it.

Thanks for reading ~ LC

Synergy: More Bang for your Buck

Eating whole foods provides a better balance of nutrients than just taking vitamins. The reason is the way the nutrients work together to maximize absorption.

An example of this is the way spinach improves the heath of your eyes.

Spinach contains both lutein and zeaxanthin. These two carotenoids offer a power punch of vision protection. You can increase your macular pigment which helps protect your eyesight within a few weeks just by increasing the amount of spinach you eat.

According to the American Optometric Association both lutein and zeaxanthin working together help to maintain healthy cells in the eyes by filtering high energy blue wavelengths of light, which are harmful to the eyes.

WebMD has an interesting article that can help get you started with research on the perfect food combinations.

And here’s a really handy chart and article to help you find out which foods work best together. Try playing around with some of these. You might even come up with your new favorite recipe!

In the meantime, try this Spinach and Grapefruit salad.. (*hint: The grapefruit helps your body absorb the iron from the spinach!)