Why Fish Is So Good For You!

Everyone should include fish into their diet.  Not because of it’s taste, but because of it’s amazing health benefits.  Including fish in your diet helps with:

• Depression
• Attention deficit disorder
• Infant eye-brain development
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Schizophrenia
• Bipolar disorder
• Other brain disorders

Fish contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which the body can’t make on it’s own.  There is a reason why fish is called “brain food”.  If you don’t incorporate fish into your diet, try taking fish oil supplements.

Cancer In A Can?

You know the old tagline; “once you pop, you can’t stop”.  Boy is that so true.  Pringles have always been one of my favorite potato chips.  But not anymore.  According to a recent report Pringles contain an ingredient that causes cancer.  Just so that we are all on the same page, just a little tid bit.  Pringles are not made from real potatoes either.  So, what exactly are they?  The process begins with a slurry of rice, wheat, corn, and potato flakes that are pressed into shape. This dough-like substance is then rolled out into an ultra-thin sheet cut into chip-cookies by a machine.

The cancer causing chemical is called Acrylamide.  The chemical is not intentionally put into the ingredients of the product, however it is created within the processing.  What exactly is Acrylamide?  Acrylamide, a cancer-causing and potentially neurotoxic chemical, is created when carbohydrate-rich foods are cooked at high temperatures, whether baked, fried, roasted or toasted. Some of the worst offenders include potato chips and French fries, but many foods cooked or processed at temperatures above 212°F (100°C) may contain acrylamide. As a general rule, the chemical is formed when food is heated enough to produce a fairly dry and brown/yellow surface.  This chemical may also be found in other processed products, such as cereal, bread, and certain brands of coffee.

There are so many added chemicals and preservatives in many of the foods that we eat. Anything that is considered a processed food has many different chemicals in it so that it can have a longer shelf life.  If we could all just get back into eating real food perhaps we could avoid some of these issues.  The U.S. food industry has done a great job of processing food that is considered “easy” or “convenient”, yet they seem to have some type of side effect way down the line.  

One of my personal goals is to slowly eliminate all processed foods from my diet.  Boy is it hard.  You can hardly buy anything from the grocery store that hasn’t been processed. My new thing is reading ingredients.  If it has a bunch of things that I haven’t in it that just look toxic, I try to leave it alone.  The truth is, if you don’t own your own farm and are growing your own fruits and produce, you are bound to eat something that has some type of added chemical to it.

Source: http://www.whydontyoutrythis.com/2013/07/cancer-in-a-can-the-shocking-true-story-of-how-pringles-are-made.html

To Eat Out Or Not To Eat Out? That Is The Question.

Over the last couple of months, several food chains have had problems with unsanitary food conditions and disgusting pictures to hit the web.  The latest victim of this case is “Golden Corral”.  This is not one random incident.  A Reddit user posted pictures of a Golden Corral kitchen littered with food and garbage.  An employee in Florida posted a Youtube video  of hamburger patties swarmed by flies near the dumpster in the Port Orange location.  

Can we all say disgusting?  Things like this make you want to just stay at home and cook your own foods. The restaurant’s should be closed down as soon as possible.  Seems like there is a new trend with restaurant employees using social media to see who can post the grossest restaurant pics.  Well guess what?  You all win!  Perhaps if the states start to bring criminal charges or fines against the employees who post things like this or participate in tampering with someone’s food, things would be looked at a little differently.

If you’re thinking about eating out anytime soon, maybe you should go online and read the reviews from previous customers.  Or perhaps just cook your own food at home.  It’s probably cheaper, cleaner and healthier.

 

A Healthy Supermarket Aisle?

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Imagine doing your grocery shopping and picking up all the right foods.  No junk, nothing processed, all fresh fruits, grains and veggies.  Only to get to the checkout aisle and be tempted by the candy bars, chips, or a soda.  I know I’m not the only one that this happens to.

There is a supermarket that has created something called a healthy checkout aisle.  Pretty clever.  When you go to that aisle to checkout, you will only see healthy items stocked on the shelves.  Los Primos Supermarket in East Durham (North Carolina) has done just that.  This is something that I think is a great idea for all supermarkets to jump on board with.  But I doubt that this will happen.  The whole purpose of putting all of the tempting food in the front of the store is so that consumers will buy it.  Not to mention, if you have a screaming kid by your side who wants that soda or a pack of candy, most parents will probably just throw it in the basket.

Supermarket shopping is all about having a plan.  Write down a shopping list before you enter the store, get your items and exit promptly before you even think about putting something tempting in your basket.  Also, never, never, never, never go grocery shopping while you’re hungry.  Everything will end up in your basket, from snacks, frozen pizzas or something quick to eat on the go.  If you have a plan then you’re ahead of the game! 

Chickpea Chocolate Cake From Hungry Little Girl.com

I came across this awesome recipe at http://www.hungrylittlegirl.com and decided to share it.  

What you need 

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained 
4 eggs 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 tablespoon oil 
2 tablespoons cocoa powder 
1/4 cup brown sugar 
4 packages Stevia (or 1/4 cup more sugar)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
2 tablespoons coconut flour (see notes for substitution)
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

How you make it 

• Preheat your oven to 350 F
• Line a 1lbs loaf pan with parchment paper
• Purree chickpeas, eggs and vanilla in a blender or grinder
• In a large bowl bring together oil, cocoa, brown sugar, stevia (or more brown sugar), baking powder, salt and chickpea mixture – stir until smooth
• Melt chocolate chips in the microwave (about one minute)
• Add to batter and stir until smooth
• Transfer batter into loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes

** Even tho I really recommend using coconut flour, you can leave it out and bake the cake for 60 minutes or substitute with all-purpose flour and start checking with a stick after 50 minutes if the cake is done (stick has to come out clean)

NYC Bike Program Has A Weight Requirement?

 

I applaud New York City for starting a new bike share program that allows members to use bikes to commute throughout the city.  It’s an excellent way to get around and enjoy the weather during the summer months and it allows you to get  some exercise in.  The question is should the city put a weight ban on this program?

Apparently the city has banned anyone over the weight limit of 260 pounds from participating in this program.  Some people are calling this discrimination against obese people.  Instead of having a “ban” on a certain weight, perhaps the city should invest in bikes with a good bike company that will allow more than 260 pounds of weight pressure on the vehicle.  Perhaps if this was a private company, they could make their own rules, but being that this is a state-run program, it seems to me that they should be able to accommodate everyone who chooses to participate.

Source: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/apple_snubs_chubs_wPsjx5Q7LjJICDn4j0oOLI

New York City School Adopts Full Vegetarian Menu

 

Can we have a standing ovation please?  A New York City public school in Flushing Queens, P.S. 244 has adopted a full vegetarian school lunch program.  Public schools have recently experienced harsh criticism and reviews with the use of “pink slime” in school lunch meats. Hearing this news helps enlighten the fact that there are some school officials who actually care about the kids health.  This has been the first school in the nation to adopt a vegetarian menu and I hope other schools jump aboard.

The school has replaced turkey,ham and chicken with black beans, tofu, and falafel.  It’s a great thing to teach children early about eating more vegetables and less processed foods.  As a child I never thought a meal was really a meal if it didn’t have meat with it.  Eating more veggies not only instill a proper way of eating to children, but also introduces a new way to eat vegetables.  For instance, sweet potatoes don’t have to always be soaked in sugar as candied yams, the veggie can be enjoyed in a stir fry or as a baked potato.  There are so many other options that you may experience with clean eating.

Kudos to P.S. 244!  

 

The Health Benefits of Kale

 I don’t think I’ve ever had kale as a child.  My mom usually bought the “usual” veggies; string beans, corn, carrots, broccoli, spinach, etc…I just recently started using kale in my tasty smoothies.  When you use the kale in the smoothies the other fruits overpower the taste and so you never know it’s in there.  Kale doesn’t actually have a good reputation.  I always heard people saying that it didn’t taste good and had a bitter taste. Well just recently I decided to cook up the green vegetable for dinner.  It was so tasty!  I think that I could actually eat it every night for dinner.  But not only that, kale is packed with a bunch of benefits that I didn’t even know about.

Kale contains high amounts of vitamin A. One cup of boiled kale is approximately 200 percent of the required daily amount. It also contains 88 percent of the required daily amount of vitamin C. Both of these vitamins are antioxidant in nature. In addition, it’s a good source of manganese, a well-known antioxidant mineral. However, it’s the flavonoids and carotenoids in kale that really take the spotlight. Two of these, kaempferol and quercitin, prove effective in preventing the formation of cancer cells. The leutin and beta-carotene in kale also lower the risk of atherosclerosis cataracts, COPD and other diseases, including cancer. In addition to these four, there are 43 other antioxidants in kale.  Kale also supports heart health and helps remove toxins from your body.

If you haven’t done so already, you should add kale into your daily diet.  The health benefits are impressive.  Try using kale in different recipes.  The vegetable tastes excellent on its own, in salads, or in soups.  Try out this sauteed kale recipe from Bobby Flay of the Food Network:

Sauteed Kale

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds young kale, stems and leaves coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, but not colored. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until all the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add vinegar.

Per serving: Calories: 178; Total Fat: 11 grams; Saturated Fat: 1.5 grams; Protein: 6 grams; Total carbohydrates: 18 grams; Sugar: 0 grams Fiber: 3.5 grams; Cholesterol: 0 milligrams; Sodium: 336 milligrams

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/sauteed-kale-recipe/index.html?oc=linkback

Juicing & Why It’s So Good For You

Since I purchased my Ninja blender about 3 months ago, I have been blending and making my own juices.  I haven’t consumed a store bought juice since that time.  If you just take a look at the ingredients on the back of store bought juice, you will see a whole lot of extra preservatives, sweeteners, and chemicals that you have never heard of before.  Even when the juice says “all natural” on the front, it seems to have something else “not natural” in it.  When you make your own juice, you know the exact ingredients.  That is what I love about it. Simpler is so much easier.

Why is juicing so important?

For one you get to absorb all of the nutrients and vitamins from the vegetables.  In most people’s fast paced daily schedule, not many people have time to eat a proper diet and consume 4 or 5 vegetables per day.  Juicing allows you to get in everything at once.  You can also add a wider variety of fruits and vegetables into your diet.  I’ve never been a fan of kale, but if you throw kale, pineapple and banana together, you have an awesome tasting smoothie, and you won’t even notice the kale in there.  It’s also a great way to introduce kids to consuming more veggies.

Here is a great recipe for you found at http://www.figgyandsprout.com:

Green Lemonade

Ingredients

• Apples – 2 medium (3″ dia)

• Cucumber – 1 cucumber (8-1/4″)

• Kale – 4 leaf (8-12″)

• Lemon – 1 fruit (2-1/8″ dia)

• Spinach – 2 cup

Directions

Process all ingredients in a juicer, shake or stir and serve.

Crunch Challenge

Crunch Challenge.