Category: Good For You

The Benefit of Green Peas

peafacts

I never minded cleaning my plate when I was a kid.  I actually liked eating my vegetables, but I never had any idea how much good they were doing!  I am especially amazed by the number of things that green peas can do for your health.

One of the most important things that peas provide us Vitamin K.  It plays a vital role in your body because it:

  • helps the blood clot – preventing excessive bleeding;
  • helps anchor calcium inside the bones which helps prevent osteoporosis; and
  • helps to restore strength to bones following steroid use.

Peas contain such high quality protein that commercial protein powders have begun using it as an alternative to soy or whey based protein.

  • Coumestrol, a phytonutrient in Peas, has been shown to reduce the risk of stomach cancers
  • The Pantothenic Acid in peas supports the energy producing cells in the body and play an important role in adrenal function
  • A cup of peas is just 81 calories, has no cholesterol, they are good source of soluble as well as insoluble fiber
  • A cup of peas provides 16% of RDA of folates. Folates are one of the B-complex vitamins required for DNA synthesis inside the cell
  • Fresh green peas are very high in Vitamin C.  A cup has 67% of the daily requirement.
  • Peas contain phytosterols, which helps lower cholesterol levels
  • A cup of peas is also high in antioxidants like carotenes, lutein and zea-xanthin as peas1well as vitamin-A (25.5% of RDA). Vitamin A is required for maintaining healthy membranes, skin and eye-sight, and protects against lung and oral cavity cancers
  • Peas are also good in many other essential B-complex vitamins such as niacin, thiamin, and pyridoxine. Furthermore, they are rich source of many minerals such as calcium, iron, copper, zinc, and manganese

Looks like I am going to mix a cup of green peas in with my quinoa for lunch tomorrow!  Yum!

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Good Things Happen When You Ditch The Fat


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Pet Treats People Can Eat Too!

carrotoatIn the event of a zombie apocalypse, you’re getting off the grid, bugging out, planning a hike or outdoor adventure and need to make dual duty rations for you and your canine companions, or if you just forget to grab snacks at the grocery store, these treats for your pups are a healthy snack you can feel good munching on too!  A word of caution:  if there’s any chance these might do double duty as emergency snacks, you might want to rethink the bone shaped cookie cutter. 😉

Apple, Carrot & Oat Dog Biscuits

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2/3 cup chunky carrot juice
  • 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup coarsely ground almond meal (roughly ground almond flour)
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, with a rack in the center of the oven. Line a baking sheet with a silicone liner or parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Make your chunky carrot juice:  I take 3-4 carrots, cut the tops off, peel them carrotsand toss them into the Vitamix until they are pureed.  I then add a bit of water and blend again on high to get the consistency closer to a pulpy juice.  If the final product doesn’t measure 2/3 cup I add a bit more water until it does.
  3. Combine all ingredients in bowl of your stand mixer (or other large bowl) and stir to combine until a thick dough forms.
  4. Flour a wooden cutting board or similar surface well, and turn the dough out onto the board.
  5. Sprinkle flour on top of the dough and onto a rolling pin, and roll the dough to approximately 1/4″-1/2″ thickness. Be sure to use plenty of flour, as this dough is very sticky!bonecookiecutter
  6. When the dough is rolled out, dip a cookie cutter into flour and cut out the biscuits.cookiecutters
  7. Transfer the cut out biscuits to the prepared sheet pan, leaving about 1/4″ of an inch between each treat. These don’t spread out, so you can fit 30-40 onto a baking sheet at a time (depending on the size of your cookie cutter).
  8. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 minutes, or until light golden brown.
  9. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the biscuits to cool completely.
  10. Transfer the biscuits to an airtight container, where they will keep at room temperature for up to two weeks.

If you don’t use all of the dough you can freeze it for up to a year as long as you wrap it well with plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe Ziplock™ bag.  All you need to do is thaw it (still wrapped) in the refrigerator overnight and you’ll be good to go.

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What Do Vitamins & Minerals Really Do For Your Body?

This is the most complete chart I’ve seen explaining what each vitamin and mineral does for the body.  Thanks gojifarmusa.com!

vitaminchart

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Almonds Rock!

I love almonds!  They are easily thrown into my Vitamix to make almond meal, almond flour or almond butter to spread on my morning toast, added to my smoothies to add healthy fat & as a protein boost, and, as it turns out, they are great for your health!

I’m going into the kitchen now to grab a bowl to munch on during the football games.  A much healthier alternative to our usual chips & dip!


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Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Pizza is my weakness anytime I’m trying to lean out.  The ooey, gooey, cheesy goodness just warms my insides at the mere mention.  But I know it also will leave me bloated and sorry I gave in to my craving afterward.  This crust, from Eat. Drink. Smile. solves that problem!

CAULIFLOWER PIZZA CRUST RECIPE

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 cup riced, then cooked cauliflower
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp italian seasonings
  • 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (for topping)
  • pizza sauce & additional toppings of your choice

DIRECTIONS:

  1. To rice the cauliflower, cut florets into chunks and pulse in a food processor until you see rice-like bits. You could also use a cheese grater to produce the tiny pieces. Do not over process, you don’t want mush.
  2. Microwave the riced cauliflower in a bowl for 5-8 minutes depending on your microwave. No need to add water. After microwaving, transfer riced cauliflower to a fine mesh strainer and drain completely, gently pressing out excess water. Once drained, transfer riced cauliflower to a clean dish towel and wrap the sides around the cauliflower while gently pressing out excess water. This drying process is important!
  3. One large head of cauliflower will yield about 3 cups of riced cauliflower. Use it to make more pizzas immediately, or store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
  4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
  5. In a medium bowl, combine 1 cup riced, cooked cauliflower, 1 egg and your parmesan cheese. Next, add Italian seasonings, crushed garlic and salt. Making sure everything is well mixed, place your “dough” on the cookie sheet and pat out a 9″ round. Be sure not to press it too thin as it’s easy to create holes.
  6. Bake your dough at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven. Add sauce, mozzarella cheese, and your favorite pre-cooked toppings to your pizza. Place pizza under broiler just until cheese is melted, be sure to keep an eye on it!

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Weeknight Salmon in Parchment

For all of us trying to get more fish, and heart-healthy Omega-3’s, into our diets, this quick and easy recipe from Tastemade (the link takes you to the video – which is handy if you have trouble folding the parchment) takes 15 minutes from prep to cook to table!

INGREDIENTS

  • 30-inch long piece of parchment paper
  • ½ bulb of fennel, thinly sliced
  • 1 large scallion, cut into 2-inch-long pieces
  • 4 oz salmon fillet
  • Salt
  • Paprika
  • 1 slice lemon
  • ¾ Tbsp butter
  1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.
  2. Fold parchment paper in half and cut out a large heart shape. Fold open the heart.
  3. In the middle of the right side of the heart, place 3–4 pieces of scallions and a few pieces of fennel. 
  4. Place the salmon skin-side down on top of the scallions and fennel. 
  5. Top salmon with salt, paprika and the lemon slice. Add the pat of butter on top.
  6. Fold the heart-shaped paper over the fish until the edges meet. (This means the crease will lift off the table.) Begin overlapping folds from the top left and work your way around to the bottom left, at which point you can twist it or paper clip it.
  7. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in oven for 8 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 140ºF. Serve in the bag on a plate.

Toss a salad together while the salmon is baking and you’ve gotten a completely healthy meal on the table in under 30 minutes on a weeknight!

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Meal Prepping Made Easy

I came across a post on Twitter last night that is so simple, I can’t believe I haven’t seen it dozens of times before!

What is the one thing, besides tracking your meals and exercise, that all diets rate as a “must do” for weight loss success?Meal Planning.  Hand and hand with pre-planning what you’ll eat and when you’ll eat it, is making sure the food you’re supposed to be eating is ready and able to be eaten with minimal fuss to keep you from resorting to fast or unhealthy food choices.

Meal prep for the week is a great idea, but what is the most common complaint? Boredom.  One can only eat so much grilled chicken!  This brilliant idea from Fit Men Cook takes care of boredom without adding more than 5 or 10 minutes to your weekly meal prep time!


By simply using foil to create sections on a cookie sheet, you can create individually seasoned portions of the protein you’ll be adding to your lunches and dinners for the week and, by doing it when you pre-cook it, save time when you eat it during the week.  You can create different salad choices, bowl themes, stir fry mix-ins, fillings for lettuce wraps, toppings for zucchini noodles, the options are unlimited.

When you have a specific goal in mind (losing weight, adding muscle, or if you are an athlete) you need to consume specific amounts of protein.  Meal prepping using a scale, sectioned cookie sheet for baking, and zip bags or storage containers, is a great way to keep you on track.  

Most of us need at least 50 grams of protein a day, and significantly more if we’re working out a lot or trying to lose weight. This graphic shows what 25 grams of protein looks like in a variety of foods, so you can eat a few of these portions and know you’re on the right track.


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What Healthy Eating Does For Your Body


If you use Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: things like health articles, my favorite recipes, fun drinks, food facts, nutritional information, restaurant reviews, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a very active page on Facebook you can visit too:https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Top 38 Diets of 2017

usnwrdietrankingsIt’s estimated that more than 45 million Americans, and an untold millions more worldwide, start a diet each year.  To assist those who are looking for the best and healthiest way to battle the bulge, U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in rankings and consumer advice, today released its annual assessment of the year’s Best Diets.

For the seventh year in a row, the DASH diet has been rated Best Diet Overall, followed by the Mediterranean diet, up from fourth place last year. The MIND diet, second last year, comes in third, and is followed by a four-way tie for fourth place: the Flexitarian diet, Mayo Clinic Diet, the TLC diet and Weight Watchers.

U.S. News’ Best Diets 2017 offers rankings of 38 diet plans across nine categories: in addition to the Best Diets Overall, this year’s lists can help people find the Best Weight-Loss Diets, Best Fast Weight-Loss Diets, Easiest Diets to Follow, Best Commercial Diets, Best Diets for Healthy Eating, Best Plant-Based Diets and best diets for conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.

I’ve found links to all of the 38 diets with information about the diets.  I would Google any of the diets you are more interested in and pay particular attention to the opinions of people who have tried the diets.  For instance, the Engine 2 diet is one that is very difficult to stick to – it was developed by a professional athlete who was becoming a firefighter: so NOT like the rest of us.  Read the honest opinions and the pros and cons, especially the food limitations, so that you can make a well informed decision before committing to a diet.  It’s very depressing to fail at something when it could have been avoided if only you’d have done your homework beforehand.

Best Diets Overall

1. DASH Diet – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://dashdiet.org/default.asp

2. MIND Diet – Information, recipes, and more: https://www.southdenver.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Mind-Diet-for-web.pdf
2. TLC Diet (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://tlcdiet.org/
4. Weight Watchers – Information, diet books, meetings, recipes and more: https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/
4. Mayo Clinic – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://diet.mayoclinic.org/diet/home
4. Fertility – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/the-fertility-diet
4. Mediterranean (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: https://authoritynutrition.com/mediterranean-diet-meal-plan/
8. Volumetrics (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://guidedoc.com/volumetrics-diet-menu-plan-recipes
8. Flexitarian – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/flexitarian_diet
10. Jenny Craig – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.jennycraig.com/
11. Biggest Loser – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.biggestloser.com/
11. Ornish (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition/the-ornish-diet.aspx
13. Vegetarian – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/Nutrition/Vegetarian-Diets_UCM_306032_Article.jsp#.WG27pRsrLIU
13. Traditional Asian (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/traditional-asian-diet/recipes
15. Slim Fast – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://slimfast.com/
15. SparkPeople – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.sparkpeople.com/
15. Anti-Inflammatory (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.drweil.com/diet-nutrition/
18. HMR – Information, diet books, recipes and more: https://hmrgettherefaster.com/
18. Flat Belly – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.prevention.com/weight-loss/flat-belly-diet
18. Nutrisystem (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.nutrisystem.com/jsps_hmr/home/index.jsp
21. Vegan – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20773383,00.html
21. Engine 2 – Information, diet books, recipes and more: https://engine2diet.com/
21. South Beach – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.southbeachdiet.com/how-it-works/index.jsp
21. Abs (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.absdiet.com/uof/absdiet/abospl/
25. Eco-Atkins – Information, diet books, recipes and more: https://www.atkins.com/how-it-works/library/articles/the-eco-atkins-diet
25. Zone – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.zonediet.com/
25. Glycemic-Index (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.dummies.com/food-drink/special-diets/glycemic-index-diet/glycemic-index-diet-for-dummies-cheat-sheet/
28. Macrobiotic – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.nutritionsecrets.com/what-to-eat-on-the-macrobiotic-diet/
28. Medifast (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.medifast1.com/index.jsp
30. Supercharged Hormone – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.doctoroz.com/article/dr-natasha-turners-supercharged-hormone-diet-reset
30. Acid Alkaline (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/alkaline-diets
32. Fast – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/fast-diet-review
32. Body Reset (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.harleypasternak.com/index.php/body-reset-diet/
34. Raw food  – Information, diet books, recipes and more: https://draxe.com/raw-food-diet/
34. Atkins (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: https://www.atkins.com/
36. Dukan  – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://www.dukandiet.com/
36. Paleo (tie) – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://thepaleodiet.com/
38. Whole 30  – Information, diet books, recipes and more: http://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/

For Weight Loss

1. Weight Watchers
2. Biggest Loser Diet
3. Biggest Loser Diet
3. Jenny Craig
3. Raw Food Diet (tie)

Easiest to Follow

1. Fertility Diet
2. MIND Diet
3. Weight Watchers

For Heart Health

1. Ornish Diet
2. TLC Diet
3. DASH Diet

Best Plant-Based Diets

1. Mediterranean Diet
2. Flexitarian Diet
3. Ornish Diet

For Fast Weight Loss

1. Biggest Loser Diet
1. HMR Program
3. Atkins
3. Weight Watchers (tie)

For Diabetes

1. Fertility Diet
2. Biggest Loser Diet
2. DASH Diet (tie)

For Healthy Eating

1. DASH Diet
2. TLC Diet
3. Mediterranean Diet
3. MIND Diet (tie)

Best Commercial Diets

1. Mayo Clinic Diet
1. Weight Watchers (tie)
3. Jenny Craig

I have made it habit not to make New Year’s Resolutions, but want to wish good luck to all of us who may or may not be starting off 2017 with a diet or change in eating habits in our plans.

If you use Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: things like health articles, my favorite recipes, fun drinks, food facts, nutritional information, restaurant reviews, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a very active page on Facebook you can visit too:https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood