Easy, Tasty Oatmeal

Oatmeal has a bad wrap! Most people view it as boring and bland.  Not only is oatmeal extremely healthy with loads of fiber but with the proper recipe it is easy to make and super yummy. I make a pot full and leave it in the fridge.  Then for breakfast in a rush, I just zap it in the microwave for a minute with a little milk and there you go, a healthy homemade breakfast in seconds.

Cooking Time: 15 minutes Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 cups 1% milk

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup pitted and chopped dates or 3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 cups old fashion oatmeal

 

Cooking Instructions

1.      Put milk, cinnamon and dates in a thick based pot turn heat on medium and bring milk to a boil.

 

 

 

2.    Add oatmeal, turn heat down to low and let oatmeal simmer for 10 minutes.

3.    Once oatmeal is at the desired texture remove from heat, let it cool for a couple minutes and serve.

  

Vegan Crockpot Chili

As a parents we are always busy, running from one obstacle to another.  Whether you are a stay-at-home dad, an executive mom, or a homeschooling parent; we just cannot keep up with all the demands and delights of parenthood, not to mention cook a decent meal.  So in an effort to provide my growing children with a healthy diet and appetizing food, I began to embrace my crockpot.  In effort to live up to my dreams of feeding my family a clean cuisine in the shortest amount of time possible I came up with this vegan recipe.  We couldn’t get enough of it, and I made extra so there was enough left over for lunch for a couple days too.  If you are using dried beans instead of canned remember to soak them 24 hours in advance.  Dried beans are cheaper with less salt, chemicals and preservatives than canned beans.

 

Vegan Crockpot Chili

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Servings: 10-12

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

4 cloves of garlic minced

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon flaked basil

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups of dry kidney beans soaked overnight or 2 cans of organic PBA free kidney beans.

2 fifteen ounce cans low sodium tomato sauce

1 cup red or orange sweet peppers chopped (red or orange so the family will not know they are there)

Directions:

1.       Put olive oil in a skillet and sauté onions, garlic, cumin, basil and black pepper until onion start to lightly brown.

2.       In your crockpot, put the beans in first, then the tomato sauce and onion mixture then combine.  Finally put the peppers on top.  Cover the crockpot and turn to low if you want it to be ready in 8 hours or more.  Set to crockpot to high if you want it done in 4 hours.

3.       Once it is done, stir in the peppers and serve with a side of rice or crusted bread.  Most importantly, add a salad or some roasted vegetables as a healthy side.

 

Are you addicted to fat?

Every mother would be appalled at the idea of addicting her own child to drugs.  But in reality something very close may be happening.  According a study published in one of the most prestigious scientific journals, Nature, obese rats show the same changes in their brain receptors as humans addicted to heroin and cocaine.  These same obese rats participated in compulsive food seeking actions compared to their non obese counterparts. 

 

Scientists fed the rats three different diets, the first group ate regular laboratory chow, the second had limited access to high-fat cafeteria foods and the third group had unlimited access to the high-fat cafeteria foods; all three groups had 24 hour access to laboratory chow.  The cafeteria diet was of human grade, tasty and high in fat.  After 40 days the unlimited access rats became obese while the other two groups did not.  Additionally, after 40 days the unlimited access group was willing to withstand pain in order eat the cafeteria food while the other two groups were not.   Finally, from CT scans performed the rats’ brains; researchers found that changes in the brain chemistry of the rats with unlimited access to the high fat foods resembled the chemistry changes of drug addicts. New studies are finding similar changes in studies on humans.

This change in brain chemistry may explain why obese individuals feel helpless in front of food and are unable to control their compulsive eating even though they know it is detrimental to their health.  If the same changes that occurred in the rats’ brains occurs in human’s who eat a high-fat, high- calorie diet, then these individuals many literally be addicted to unhealthy foods.  This is very important to keep in mind when feeding children.  If they are constantly fed high calorie, high fat foods, these poor children are slowly becoming addicted to unhealthy junk food.  No wonder children are struggling with obesity at such young ages!  And no wonder children and adults are having such a hard time losing weight.  Not only do these individuals have the struggle of weight loss, but they may also be dealing with an addiction.

Let’s help our children stay healthy.  Try these small changes to encourage healthy eating and weight management:

1.       Provide children with healthy snacks like cheese sticks, apple pieces, grapes, or baby carrots and broccoli with ranch dressing. 

2.       Try to cook at home as much as possible even if it is something fast and easy like a stir fry.

3.       Give children a protein rich breakfast to get them through the morning.  Toast and Greek yogurt with olives, Cheerios and milk, and eggs with oven baked hash browns are all good choices. 

4.       Pack your child’s lunch for school and encourage the school system to provide healthy low fat meals and snacks to the students.

Every little step counts.  Stop our children from getting addicted to these harmful foods and teach them how to eat healthy.  This important lesson will last a lifetime and enable them to enjoy a healthy life.

Reference:

Johnson, P.M. and P.J. Kenny, Dopamine D2 receptors in addiction-like reward dysfunction and compulsive eating in obese rats. Nat Neurosci, 2010. advance online publication.

 

What is Clean Eating

When grocery shopping, the perimeter of the store is my comfort zone. I go down only a few isles: the frozen section for frozen veggies and ice cream (yes I do eat ice cream), the pasta isle, and the Mediterranean isle. But as I talk to more people and they learn I am a nutritionist, people have been asking me about numerous different products. So I decided to take a journey down the treacherous isles of the super market.

No goal in mind, I wondered around with my cart picking up different products and reading the ingredient; most of them looking like the chemical gibberish from my chemistry books. I kept asking myself why people intentionally ingest chemistry experiments. I am not alone with this thought. Many health conscious individuals share the same feeling. They do not want to eat chemicals, preservatives, food coloring and numerous other things added by manufacturers to the foods.

Clean eating is eating food that does not contain foreign substances. Ingredients for the products would be recognizable food names like olive oil, whole wheat flour, sugar and other whole foods. Food is prepared using only food grown by nature; this includes red meats, chicken, fish, shrimp and many other unprocessed meats.  Baloney, pepperoni and fish sticks are not on the menu at clean eating households. People eat foods with no artificial anything. This entails cooking from scratch sometimes but that does not mean it has to be a lengthy practice. You can find numerous clean eating recipes on the Healthy Plate 5 blog that take about 30 minutes to prepare.

 

Processed foods contain high quantities of hidden sugar, salt, high fructose sugar, saturated fats and other unhealthy substances.  Clean eating limits the amount of these unhealthy ingredients because you know what is in your food and you know how much of it you put in your meals. This aids in weight loss, diabetes, hypertension, renal disease, gluten free diets and numerous food intolerances people suffer from because the cook controls exactly what and how much goes into the meal.

Just like most other diet choices, clean eating does not have to be an all-or-nothing regime.  You can try to eat clean as much as possible but when you are traveling, sick, busy or just do not feel like cooking there are other options.  Making the change to eliminate as many chemicals possible is a healthy step that can benefit both you and your family.

 

Meatless Monday Menu

Wondering what and how to cook a Meatless Monday meal?  But first, what is it? Meatless Monday is a nationwidemovement to help encourage person to eat healthier and preserve the environmentat the same time.  Mass meat productiontakes a big toll on the environment and by avoiding meat even for only one daya week can help reduce the carbon dioxide levels in the environment and loweryour cholesterol levels too.  This fitshand in hand with Earth Day being on Monday, making it the perfect way tocelebrate Earth Day this year.

 Here is an easy,healthy, fast dinner to prepare in celebration of Earth Day: Roasted Asparagus,Cherry Tomato Sauce and Pasta. 

First start with the cherry tomato sauce since is takes thelongest.

Cherry Tomato Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 pint baby bell mushrooms

1 tsp dried onion

A pinch of corn starch

Salt to taste

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put olive oil in apan and turn on heat until warm then add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet andcover.  While the tomatoes warm, wash thebella mushrooms and halve the bigger mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are all washed add them to the skillet.  Also add the dried onions and a dash of salt,put heat on medium and cover skillet. Now cook the pasta of your choice accordingto the package.  Make enough for 4serving.

2.      Next start the Roasted Asparagus.

Roasted Asparagus:

Ingredients:

2 tsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1        pound asparagus

3.      Rinse asparagus and chop off bottom fibrous inchof the asparagus stocks.  Put theasparagus on a cookie sheet drizzle on olive oil and sprinkle on salt andpepper. Now mix it all up with your hands and put the cookie sheet in theoven.  It should be ready in about 15minutes.  Now go set the table.

4.      Once the mushrooms and tomatoes are soft add asprinkle of cornstarch and stir the vegetable juices to thicken up the sauce.It should take the vegetables between 30-45 minutes to soften.

5.      Your food is done and your table is set, now godig in.

Does Green Tea Promote Weight Loss?

Green tea has been in the media multiple times in the past few years.  Reporters rave about its amazing benefits and grocery store shelves are piled high with many different types and flavors.  Green tea has gotten so much publicity companies have started making green tea pills claiming they promoted weight reduction.

 

The internet is overflowing with information about green tea, but does this miracle drink live up to its reputation?  According to a review article published in 2006, green tea does have multiple beneficial attributes.  Green tea is the richest of all teas in antioxidants.  The antioxidants and polyphenols in the tea contribute to cancer prevention, cholesterol reduction, and anti-inflammatory functions.  Additionally, green tea has presented antidiabetic, antibacterial and antiviral abilities.  This is all good, but can green tea help promote weight loss like the media claims?

According to current research, there is no specific answer yet.  One researcher found that green tea MAY decrease percent body fat in people who drink it habitually for more than ten years.  In another study, researchers instructed one group of overweight women to drink green tea and a second group not to while both groups followed the same diet plan.  At the ends of the study, there was no difference in the amount of weight lost between the two groups.  As a result, the researchers said there is no relationship between green tea and weight loss.  But that does not mean we need to give up drinking green tea.

There are multiple beneficial affects to drinking green tea, especially when it comes to cancer, diabetes and high cholesterol prevention.  The down sides to drinking green tea are caffeine and teas in general effect iron absorption.  Therefore, just like all other foods and drinks it is best to consume green tea in moderation around 3 cups a day to get the benefits of the tea but avoid the side effects.

References:

1.            Cabrera, C., R. Artacho, and R. Gimenez, Beneficial Effects of Green Tea--A Review. J Am Coll Nutr, 2006. 25(2): p. 79-99.

2.            Lee, M.-S. and Y. Kim, The hypocholesterolemic effect of green tea catechin, (-)-epigallocatechin gallate via upregulation of hepatic cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylsae (CYP7A1) in cholesterol-fed rat. FASEB J., 2008. 22(1_MeetingAbstracts): p. 700.5-.

3.            Singh, D.K., S. Banerjee, and T.D. Porter, Green and black tea extracts inhibit HMG-CoA reductase and activate AMP kinase to decrease cholesterol synthesis in hepatoma cells. The Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 2009. 20(10): p. 816-822.

4.            Wu, C.-H., et al., Relationship among Habitual Tea Consumption, Percent Body Fat, and Body Fat Distribution. Obesity, 2003. 11(9): p. 1088-1095.

5.            Diepvens, K., et al., Effect of green tea on resting energy expenditure and substrate oxidation during weight loss in overweight females. British Journal of Nutrition, 2005. 94(06): p. 1026-1034.

6.            Hurrell, R.F., M. Reddy, and J.D. Cook, Inhibition of non-haem iron absorption in man by polyphenolic-containing beverages. British Journal of Nutrition, 1999. 81(04): p. 289-295.

Astonishing Asparagus

Spring is here; and along with it comes the warm weather, beautiful flowers and sunny afternoon walks.  But more importantly, the fresh produce starts coming in soon.  Finally, after a long winter of frozen vegetables people can start buying fresh from the farmers market and enjoy the true flavor of “fresh.”  One of the vegetables native to March is asparagus.  These tasty stalks are from the lily family, which also arrive in April. 

In addition to bursting with flavor and texture, asparagus is packed full of nutrients and stripped clean of calories.  Four asparagus shoots are only 13 calories with 12% of the Daily Value of vitamin A, 38% vitamin K and 22% folate.  This wealth in folate is important because many scientists believe folate deficiency to be one of the most common deficiencies in the USA [1].  Folate deficiency increase ones risk for heart disease and causes megaloblastic anemia which could result in depression, irritability, forgetfulness and disturbed sleep [1].  Additionally, the fetuses of pregnant women who do not consume enough folate are at risk for neural tube defects [1].  Getting enough folate before pregnancy can prevent such mishaps.  Fotunately, asparagus is high in folate and other vitamins while it is low in calories and easy to prepare.

The good stuff does not stop there; asparagus is also called a prebiotic food.  Everyone has heard of probiotics, the beneficial bacteria found in yogurt that promotes digestive health, but what about prebiotics.  Prebiotics nourish the beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract.  Prebiotics not only nourish the good bacteria which reduce pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella and clostridia while beneficial microbiota also decrease carcinogen activity in the gut [2].  So on top of being packed with healthy goodies, asparagus also promotes good digestive health.

With all these benefits, eating asparagus is a no brainer but preparing it properly may be tricky.  Asparagus, like many other vegetables lose a significant amount of vitamins during preparation because they dissolve in the cooking water.  In order to preserve the greatest amount of vitamins steam, bake or grill your veggies.  My favorite way to prepare asparagus is to cut off the woody bottoms, rinse them with water thoroughly, then place them in a baking pan.  Drizzle with a tiny amount of olive oil, sprinkle on some salt and bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bon Appetite!

References:

1.            Insel, P., E. Turner, and D. Ross, Nutrition. 2 ed. 2004, Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

2.            Mahan, K. and S. Escott-Stump, Krause's Food, Nutrition, & Diet Therapy. 11 ed. 2004, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Saubers.

 

Simple Salad

All of us could use to eat more fruits and vegetables. Even if you do fill your plate half full of vegetables; eating a few more serving a day will not hurt. In celebration of National Nutrition Month we will talk about ways to incorporate more veggies and fruit into our diet. One of the easiest ways to introduce a selection of new fruits and veggies is through salad.

I love salads; light, crisp, crunchy and fresh. But chills flow down my back when people smother them with salad dressing. Most dressing a full of fat, emulsifiers, dyes, preservatives and flavors just to mention a few. On the other hand, salad can be dry and difficult to swallow without some dressing. Which is why I make my own. Homemade salad dressings can be full of taste and free of the chemicals and concoctions in store bought dressings.

Homemade salad dressing is not a one size fits all deal. Try experimenting with different oils, spices, citrus and vinegars. Olive oil, lemon and plain salt and pepper are my favorite. Using herbs like basil, oregano, rosemary and dill add an exciting kick to fresh spring salads. When making dressing with your own dressing you know exactly what goes in it, not to mention the nutritional benefits of the healthy oils and fresh herbs.

Simple Salad Dressing:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice one lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of the fresh chopped herb of your choice (optional)

Put all the ingredients in a jar and shake it well. Pour contents on your salad. It makes enough dressing for 6 servings of salad.

Tabbouli Syrian Style

Tabbouli or tabouleh is a salad that originates from the Middle Eastern Mediterranean area fomr countries like Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey.  In the USA I have seen many variations to this healthy salad but this is an authentic Syrian recipe used by most Syrian cooks.

Tabbouli is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, iron, fiber, monounsaturated fats and numerous other beneficial nutrients.  This salad can be eaten as a main course or a side.  At my house we eat is as a main course with a side of cheese or spinach pies.  But jazz it up however you like, you cannot go wrong with tabbouli.

Preparation time: 30 min

Ingredients:

2 bunches of parsley

¼ cup of very fine bulgur

1 large tomato diced

½  medium onion,minced

2 squeezed lemons

1 tsp dried mint

¼ tsp pepper

Salt to taste

3 tblsp olive oil

Directions:

To prepare parsley, cut parsley leaves into a food processorwith scissors including about 1 inch or 2 cm of the stem attached to the leafthen process using the pulse button until parsley is the preferred texture.Repeat until all the parsley is minced. You should be able to process one bunch of parsley at a time.  Do not process for too long or the parsleywill get mushy, we a looking for minced not mushed.  After cutting the parsley, soak it is icecold water to clean and remove dirt. Change water every 10 minutes until the water is clean.

While soaking the parsley, put bulgur, tomatoes, onion,lemon, mint, salt and pepper into a small bowl. Mix together and allow it to sit so bulgur can soak up the lemon andtomato juices (we do not cook the bulgur). After the parsley is cleaned and drained, mix parsley with the bulgurmixture and add olive oil. Serve immediately and decorate with lettuce leavesif you wish. Saha wa hana!  i.e. Withgood health and pleasure in Arabic.

Nutrition Information:

 

Weekly Weigh in: Exercise

Every week we discuss weight loss, healthy eating and exercise but we have never truly looked at the relationship between exercise and weight loss. Does exercise alone result in weight loss? If you exercise daily, can you eat whatever you want with a clear conscious?

According to the research, unfortunately not. Study after study show exercise alone is not effective for weight loss. Some even report slight weight gain in exercise only regimes because exercise increases hunger so people who are not watching their diet actually gain weight. On the other hand studies report numerous health benefits to regular exercise some of which are increased insulin sensitivity (this decreases the risk of diabetes or improves it in diabetic individuals), exercise also decreases cholesterol and blood pressure not to mention improving depression.

If the health benefits are not enough to keep you exercising, current research does show exercise coupled with a proper food regime are effective in weight loss. One study published in 2011 found people who exercise are more aware of food choices and more responsive to dieting. Maybe because people who exercise can relate to how long it will take to burn off the twix bar or extra serving of pasta.

In short, do not depend on only exercise for weight loss or weight maintenance. Coupled with the proper diet, exercise improves health in numerous ways. Find the type of exercise you enjoy most and stick to it. The benefits are endless.