Nutrition Articles

Spotlight on: Plums

• Plums, and their dried version known as prunes, are very high in phytonutrients, which function as an antioxidant and provide much benefit to the body.
• Eating plums helps in the production and absorption of iron in the body, thereby leading to better blood circulation leading further to the growth of healthy tissues.
• Because plums contain blood cleansing agents that help keep the blood pure, plums can help you reduce the risk of contracting heart disease.

Recipe: Chicken Breasts with Plum Salsa and Basmati Rice

• 1 ½ cups of water
• 1 cup uncooked basmati rice, rinsed and drained
• ¾ pound plums, pitted and chopped
• ½ medium red onion, minced
• 3 habanero peppers, seeded and minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Place water in medium saucepan and stir in rice. Bring to boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cool and fluff with fork.  In a bowl, mix the plums, peppers, onions, cilantro and sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Season chicken with rosemary, salt and pepper.  Heat vegetable oil in skillet over medium-heat. Place chicken in oil and brown 1 minute per side.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 additional minutes per side.  Serve over rice with plum salsa.

Recipe: Fresh Summer Fruit Salad 

• ½ cup water
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
• 15 seedless grapes, halved
• ½ orange, sectioned
• 10 fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1 apple, cored and diced
• 1 peach, sliced
• 1 plum, pitted and sliced
• 15 pitted Bing cherries
• ¼ cup fresh blueberries

Bring water and sugar to boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the rhubarb, turn heat to low, cover and simmer until rhubarb is soft, 10 to 15 minutes.  Mash and chill in the refrigerator about one hour.   To serve, mix the grapes, orange, strawberries, apple, peach, plum, cherries, and blueberries with 2/3 cup of the rhubarb sauce.  Stir gently, but thoroughly to coat.  Refrigerate for at least two hours for all of the flavors to blend well.

Childhood Obesity 101: Monitoring Your Child's Diet

Childhood obesity is constantly on the rise, so as parents we need to be sure that we are always monitoring our children's fat intake.  In order to help your child maintain a healthy lifestyle, be sure to establish good eating habits like the following:

• Children with a family history of cholesterol and heart disease should drink 2 percent milk.
• After their 2^nd birthday, all kids should drink 1 percent milk.
• Serve your child lean meats and fish.
• Limit your child's cheese intake.
• Limit fruit juice intake to 4 to 6 ounces per day.
• Offer low-fat snacks like yogurt, pretzels or fresh fruit.
• Prepare foods using low-fat methods like broiling, steaming or roasting.

Choosing the Right Spring Foods

Spring is here again and it's time to take advantage of all of those great springtime fruits and vegetables. Here's how to choose the best ones:

• Apricots : slightly soft, not bruised
• Artichoke : compact head, bright green color
• Asparagus : closed and compact tips, bright green stalks
• Avocado : should be a little “give” when squeezed
• Carrots : crisp, healthy tops
• Collard Greens : dark green, vibrant color
• Mango : more orange/red than green
• New Potatoes : last only a few days
• Pineapple : sniff the bottom for sweet aroma, check for firmness
• Rhubarb : check for bright, crisp stalks
• Spinach : avoid dried out or yellow stems
• Strawberries : pick fragrant, slightly soft ones
• Sugar Snap/Snow Peas : bright green, should feel like they have a snap (not limp)

And while you are grabbing those great spring fruits and vegetables, it's also time to get rid of some of those bad foods, too!

While they may be quick and easy, oftentimes processed foods are causing you more harm than good.  If you are looking to get healthy and lose some weight in the process then you must get rid of these processed foods.

• Flavored yogurt
• Fat free potato chips
• Diet soda
• Instant oatmeal
• Packaged egg whites
• Bottled barbeque sauces
• Bottled salad dressings
• Sugar free candy bars
• Multi-grain tortilla chips

Spotlight on: Spinach

• Leafy, green vegetables, like spinach, provide more nutrients than any other food.
• Researchers have found at least 13 different flavonoid compounds in spinach that have been known to act as antioxidants and as anti-cancer agents, combating specific cancers like ovarian and prostate cancer.
• The vitamin K in spinach provides 200% of the daily value in fresh spinach and nearly 1000% of the daily value in boiled spinach.

Recipe: Spinach Lasagna

2 egg whites 26 oz of prepared spaghetti sauce 24 oz of ricotta cheese 10 oz of Lasagna noodles, cooked 10 oz of frozen spinach, thawed and chopped, then squeezed dry 2 cups of mozzarella cheese, grated, reserve ½ cup ¾ cup of Parmesan cheese, grated and divided, reserve 2 tablespoons ½ teaspoon of salt ½ teaspoon of black pepper Olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare lasagna noodles as directed on the package. Combine parmesan cheese, ricotta cheeses with the egg whites, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Pour ¼ cup of spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the baking dish and spread it out using a spatula. Cover the sauce with a single layer of lasagna noodles. Spread about half the cheese mixture over the noodles, and then cover with about half of the spinach and shredded mozzarella cheese. Finish this layer with half of the remaining spaghetti sauce. Add a second layer of noodles, topping with the remaining cheese mixture, spinach, and mozzarella cheese. Top with the final layer of noodles and remaining spaghetti sauce. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set for 10-12 minutes.

Recipe: Wilted Spinach Salad

10 to 12 ounces spinach, washed and torn into pieces

¼ cup minced red onion

5 to 6 radishes, thinly sliced

2 hard-cooked eggs, 1 chopped and 1 sliced

2 to 4 slices bacon

1 to 1 ½ tablespoons bacon drippings

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons vinegar

1 tablespoon water

½ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Place prepared spinach in a large bowl. Add onions and radishes. Refrigerate, tightly covered. Fry or microwave bacon until crisp; remove to paper towel and set aside. In a small jar or measuring cup combine drippings with sugar, vinegar, water, salt and pepper. Refrigerate all ingredients until just before serving. When ready to serve, microwave the dressing on high for 30-45 seconds. Toss the chopped egg with the greens then pour the hot dressing over greens mixture; toss again lightly. Top with sliced egg and crumbled bacon.

Keep those Arteries Healthy

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading health concerns today. We may associate heart disease with aging but the mechanisms that bring this condition start during the peak of our years. Being young does not excuse us from indulging in unhealthy eating habits. It might seem that we are indestructible going about our daily activities but just like a thief, all these habits creep into our body eating its way into our body.

Stick to White Meat

Meat is an excellent source of protein and it should always be a part a healthy diet. But if you're planning to consume meat everyday then sticking to white meat is an excellent way of keeping our arteries free from obstruction. Chicken meat is a good alternative to red or fatty meat. But before reaching out to that piece of chicken on the table make sure that you stay away from the skin. Chicken skin has the highest concentration of fat.

White meat refers to meat which is literally white   in color. Examples of white meat are those from chicken, fish, shrimps and even alligator meat. Red meat on the other hand refers to pork, beef, veal, mutton or those that are red in color.

Keep away from Sugary-drinks

Sodas and other sugary-drinks are known to cause diabetes but this has also been proven to be a cause of clogged arteries. Consumption of sodas could lead to weight gain, a tell-tale sign that heart disease might already be setting in. Sodas elevates blood pressure which could damage the arteries. Sugar content could also coat free flowing fats in the blood increasing the likelihood of these getting embedded in the arteries and clogging it up.

Eat More Veggies

Incorporating more vegetables into your every diet serves two purposes, it helps clear your body from impurities and inadvertently reduces your meat intake. Leafy vegetables in particular contain nitrates which are directly sourced from the soil. This is converted into nitric oxide and important ingredient for healthy blood circulation. It prevents the formation of plaques, resists blood coagulation all essential for the normal flow of blood. People who include leafy vegetables for example could lower their blood pressure by 11mmHg in a few hours.

Fish and Omega 3 rich foods

Fish has two factors going for it, it's considered as white meat and is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids. Fish meat is leaner and contains none of the fat contained in animal or red meat. While the fat it contains which is Omega 3 works to clear the arteries.

A healthy diet is one that does not starve us from the things we love to eat. But one that promotes moderation and eating food in the right amounts. Most diets fail simply because people find them to stifling. Rather than encouraging people to stick to a healthy diet, it becomes a constant struggle for people each day.

Eating is one of the simplest joys of life. And denying ourselves of these simple joy makes life less interesting. Just remember to eat more healthy foods and keep everything to a minimum. The body has an excellent system for eliminating wastes that if left uncontrolled could clog our arteries. The problem is when our body finds itself overwhelmed and unable to eliminate artery-clogging deposits.