You Can "veg out", but Eat Your Veggies!

The analysis of the 2007-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that Americans are under consuming dark green, red, and orange vegetables. The Dietary Guidelines recommend 1.25 cups of total vegetables and 0.50 cups of dark green, red, and orange vegetables per 1,000 calories for a 2,000-calorie diet. This may come as no surprise to you, but how are we going to fix this long-lasting shortfall within our country? 

Well here are a few tips to increase your dark green, red and orange vegetables in your daily diet:

·         Add veggies you almost like to dishes you already love.

-Layer zucchini slices, chopped spinach, or cooked carrots into lasagna, stir broccoli florets into macaroni and cheese, toss whatever veggies you like into an omelet or quesadilla.

·         Try them in soup.

-Embellish your favorite soups with added veggies. Most canned and commercial choices can stand to have their veggie quota bumped up. Just add the raw or frozen vegetables while you are cooking or heating the soup.

·         Take raw vegetables skinny dipping.

-Have you tried using plain Greek yogurt with a Ranch or Onion seasoning mix to make a light vegetable dip? You will be getting live active cultures, protein and all of the benefits of the vegetables, talk about double dipping!

·         It's all about the cheese.

-When all else fails, you can always sprinkle a little grated, reduced-fat cheese over the top. Drizzle it over vegetables like broccoli or cauliflower and suddenly, it's a whole different ball game.

Source: United States Department of Agriculture-Economic Research Service

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/eat-your-vegetables-15-tips-for-veggie-haters?page=4

Complementary Medicine: Cayenne

Today, many health care institutions are beginning to integrate a new approach using natural therapies and conventional medicine. Complementary and alternative medicine is defined as unconventional treatments used in addition to treatment by your doctor. This blending of treatments is an attempt to treat the whole person- mind, spirit, and body.

Cayenne, or often referred to as red pepper or chili pepper, is a hot, fiery pepper originating in the Americas. It is used medicinally for pain relief which is due to the ingredient capsaicin. Capsaicin has been shown to deplete nerve cells of the chemical that helps transmit pain messages.

It can be used topically for joint and muscle pain from conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and even nerve damage resulting from diabetes. Studies support the use of this practice on joint areas close to the skin, such as fingers, knees and elbows. 

Directions to make a cayenne cream can be found here: http://everydayroots.com/arthritis-pain-relief-cream

It is important to remember these are to be blended with conventional practices and results may vary from one individual to the next.

Source: Mayo Clinic, Book of Alternative Medicine

Did you know September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month?

The CDC reports that “about 1 of every 5 (17%) children in the United States has obesity and certain groups of children are more affected than others.” Childhood obesity is a major public health concern. Children who are obese are more likely to have obesity as adults, have increased risks of certain cancers and diseases and face lifelong physical and health problems.

As a community we can help fight this public health problem. Here are some tips to encourage healthier lifestyles among our youth!

• ·          Live a healthy lifestyle! By demonstrating healthy habits to children they will look up to your values and imitate them.
• ·         Support the federal government in helping low-income families get affordable, nutritious foods through programs.
• ·         Schools can help students be healthy by putting into action policies and practices that support healthy eating, regular physical activity, and by providing opportunities for students to learn about and practice these behaviors.

With the help of states, communities, schools and parents, we can work to shape a healthier generation for tomorrow.

“Diet-friendly” Foolers

Many products can mislead the everyday consumer to thinking they have a healthy product.  Here are some snacks that have successfully disguised themselves as “diet-friendly” foods, but don’t let them fool you!

Granola-Granola is often considered a healthy whole-grain snack. While many variations contain rolled oats, nuts and seeds, many are high in calories and loaded with sugar.

Solution: Watch your portion sizes and go for the mixes that do not contain candied nuts or chocolate.

“Fat Free” Products- Fat provides flavor and texture to foods. By reducing or removing the fat from these products, the overall product is altered. In order to make up for this loss of taste, many products replace the fat with carbohydrates and salt. 

Solution: Stick with simple homemade dressings, like oil and vinegar, and, if you’re out, ask for them on the side to control how much you’re using.

Pretzels- These low-fat snacks are a high carbohydrate source that does not provide our bodies with many nutrients and are often very high in sodium. For instance, you’ll get an entire day’s worth of sodium in one cup of Rold Gold pretzels.

Solution: Stick to nutrient-dense snacks like almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds. Just keep an eye on the serving size if you’re watching your weight.

Spinach wraps and pastas: The amount of spinach in these wraps and noodles is trivial to what you would get if you added spinach to your wrap or pasta. Although the color may look nice, try going for a whole grain option instead.

Solution: Use spinach as a topping to add color and nutrition to your dish. 

Small Changes Make for Big Results

Reaching or maintaining a healthy weight can be difficult.  Balancing food intake with physical activity is the key to success. Slow, steady weight loss is more likely to last than dramatic weight changes, according to eatright.org. Listed here are a few small steps to a reach a healthier you.

1.       Swap dates for sugar in oatmeal, smoothies, and shakes.

2.       Instead of mayo, spread avocado as a sandwich topping.

3.       Try frozen grapes to curb a sweet tooth.

4.       Incorporate chopped nuts as bread crumbs.

5.       Use large pieces of lettuce for tortillas.

6.       Substitute black beans for flour in baking.

7.       Applesauce can be a great substitute for flour and some sugar in recipes.

8.       Try using plain Greek yogurt as sour cream.

9.       Incorporate yogurt instead of mayo in heavy dressing salads.

10.   Opt for fruit as a topping instead of syrup.

For further instructions on substituting, check out these healthy recipe substitutions. This can be a great resource for incorporating healthier options into your daily routine.  http://greatist.com/health/83-healthy-recipe-substitutions.

Fighting Cancer with Plants

An individual’s diet plays an important role in the development of cancer. It has been found that cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and kale are some of the most helpful food families. Researchers have found that spraying broccoli with a plant hormone called methyl jasmonate will greater increase its’ cancer fighting potential. Methyl jasmonate is a natural hormone used to protect the plants from insects and pests. The plant hormone has been shown to have an effect on the glucosinolates (GSs) and the fragments produced when GSs are broken down within the plant. Methyl jasmonate increases the GSs in broccoli and is capable of maximizing the enzyme that is used to aid in the removal of carcinogens. Researchers studied the plant hormones effect on various types of broccoli to determine the type of broccoli with the best reaction from the addition of the hormone with hopes of using this information to find a superior broccoli and then begin breeding.

The research findings can be found in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural Food and Chemistry.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/267585.php