Healthy choices for the holidays
Here I am combining a few articles from RealAge. As usual my comments are in Italics. They have some great articles regarding nutrition. It is a website I recommend everyone take a look at. I get info via email from them 2x a week. Merry Christmas everyone!
Go a Little Nuts at Holiday Parties This Year
Whether you’re a health nut or just a nut lover, you've probably heard that these hard-shelled seeds help keep your weight and cholesterol down, cancer at bay, and your heart, well, hardy. Just in time for all those nut bowls and party platters, here are the specific benefits of each. Think small handfuls, as nutritious as they are, nuts pack 160 to 200 calories per ounce!
1. Coping with holiday stress? Reach for the almonds. Crunching down 24 of them will give you 35% of your daily value of vitamin E, which is quickly depleted when you're under pressure. (Eat 'em with the skin on to get the biggest dose!) You'll also score some calcium, magnesium, and riboflavin.
2. Need an excuse to go for the macadamia nuts? They win the prize for having the most mono unsaturated fats -- the good ones, which lower bad LDL cholesterol. Just one ounce (10 to 12 of these creamy white treats) has 17 grams of the heart-healthy stuff. Plus, they're a good source of thiamine, a B vitamin that helps keep your muscles, nerves, and GI system humming.
3. Not crazy about Brazil nuts? Eat one anyway. That's all it takes -- one a day -- to completely meet your body's need for the antioxidant mineral selenium. You'll also be munching down some complete protein (Brazil nuts have all the essential amino acids in one neat package) and zinc (think immunity boosting, and more stress relief) while minimizing its one drawback: saturated fat (5 grams in 6 to 8 of these big nuts).
4. What's with the buzz around walnuts? Omega-3 fatty acids is what. You can meet your daily value for these hard-to-get health protectors in about 14 halves (1 ounce). Walnuts are also stuffed with disease-fighting antioxidants: In a study of nearly 100 plant foods, they ranked #2 in antioxidant content (rose hips -- hardly party fare -- came in first).
5. Feeling moody? Hunt out the filberts -- aka hazelnuts. These slightly smoky, buttery nuts are packed with mood-stabilizing tryptophan; 20% of the RDA is in every ounce (about 20 hazelnuts).
6. Peanuts? Okay, smarty pants, you're right: Peanuts aren't really nuts. They’re legumes (bio-cousins to peas, lentils, and beans). Never mind. They're rich in three key B vitamins -- folate, niacin, and riboflavin -- so you can lose the guilt at happy hour. And ounce for ounce, they pack the same protein punch as beef (7 grams), minus the saturated fat. Wow.
Who would think you could leave a party healthier than you came. But it could happen, if you're nuts about most nuts. I love nuts for my afternoon snack on my drive home from work - I buy a trail mix so I've got the variety. Just put them in a small enough container so you don't eat too many!
1. Coping with holiday stress? Reach for the almonds. Crunching down 24 of them will give you 35% of your daily value of vitamin E, which is quickly depleted when you're under pressure. (Eat 'em with the skin on to get the biggest dose!) You'll also score some calcium, magnesium, and riboflavin.
2. Need an excuse to go for the macadamia nuts? They win the prize for having the most mono unsaturated fats -- the good ones, which lower bad LDL cholesterol. Just one ounce (10 to 12 of these creamy white treats) has 17 grams of the heart-healthy stuff. Plus, they're a good source of thiamine, a B vitamin that helps keep your muscles, nerves, and GI system humming.
3. Not crazy about Brazil nuts? Eat one anyway. That's all it takes -- one a day -- to completely meet your body's need for the antioxidant mineral selenium. You'll also be munching down some complete protein (Brazil nuts have all the essential amino acids in one neat package) and zinc (think immunity boosting, and more stress relief) while minimizing its one drawback: saturated fat (5 grams in 6 to 8 of these big nuts).
4. What's with the buzz around walnuts? Omega-3 fatty acids is what. You can meet your daily value for these hard-to-get health protectors in about 14 halves (1 ounce). Walnuts are also stuffed with disease-fighting antioxidants: In a study of nearly 100 plant foods, they ranked #2 in antioxidant content (rose hips -- hardly party fare -- came in first).
5. Feeling moody? Hunt out the filberts -- aka hazelnuts. These slightly smoky, buttery nuts are packed with mood-stabilizing tryptophan; 20% of the RDA is in every ounce (about 20 hazelnuts).
6. Peanuts? Okay, smarty pants, you're right: Peanuts aren't really nuts. They’re legumes (bio-cousins to peas, lentils, and beans). Never mind. They're rich in three key B vitamins -- folate, niacin, and riboflavin -- so you can lose the guilt at happy hour. And ounce for ounce, they pack the same protein punch as beef (7 grams), minus the saturated fat. Wow.
Who would think you could leave a party healthier than you came. But it could happen, if you're nuts about most nuts. I love nuts for my afternoon snack on my drive home from work - I buy a trail mix so I've got the variety. Just put them in a small enough container so you don't eat too many!
A Holiday Spice That’s Very Nice
Whether you sprinkle it on hot drinks or mix it into your favorite muffins, you’re giving yourself the gift of good health with this seasoning: cinnamon.
Ground or stick, sprinkled or stirred -- cinnamon packs an antioxidant wallop. It tested near the top when 20 spice extracts were recently analyzed for their antioxidant capacity.
Phenol Power
Cinnamon and cinnamon sticks were clear standouts during the test, not only because of their total antioxidant ranking but also because they scored high marks for phenolics -- health-protective compounds credited with thwarting cell-damaging processes in the body. Bonus: Cinnamon phenols in particular may also help bring down blood sugar - great if you're a diabetic! Cinnamon is so easy to enjoy - the cinnamon stick in your hot cocoa made with water (the healthiest way because we know milk inhibits the healthy benefits of chocolate), in your sweet potatoes, in your baking. It's pretty easy to add cinnamon to the season. We like easy!!
4 Top Ways to Stay Skinny in the Season of Temptations
Honestly, eggnog’s the least of it. In this busy tizzy of a season, it’s the grab-and-go foods you swore off only yesterday -- the morning doughnut, the Whopper at the mall, the bag of chips that mysteriously fell into your grocery cart -- that get to your hips.
1. Munchy and Crunchy: Potato Chips
This one’s a snap: Walk right past the Pringles and grab a bag of Baked Lay’s Original Chips. Not only are Baked Lay’s worth eating, but lots of chips lovers actually like them better than the original. Their reasoning: less grease, more crunch. The BBQ flavor gets singled out especially. You’ll save 50 calories and almost 10 grams of fat per ounce! Does anyone eat the Baked Lay's? I tried them once and it wasn't the same. But maybe I need to revisit these. What I eat instead is whole grain tortilla chips with salsa - way healthier. I don't even keep chips in the house anymore.
2. Soft and Sweet: A Cream-Filled, Chocolate-Frosted Doughnut
When something inside of you has to have a) chocolate and b) a Krispy Kreme, order three of their Glazed Chocolate Cake Doughnut Holes instead. For a much smaller tab-- 160 calories instead of 350 and 8 grams of fat instead of 20 -- you can still get your fix! That bite size idea works for all treats - 2 bites and we are usually satisfied.
3. Solid and Satisfying: Snickers
This may not sound like it will satisfy your candy-bar craving, but trust us. Instead of a 2-ounce Snickers bar-- with its 280 calories and 14 grams of fat -- rip into a Chocolate Chunk Quaker Chewy Low-Fat Granola Bar. The stunning difference: The granola bar packs 110 calories and a measly 2 grams of fat. Can you feel your waist shrinking already? I suppose it's worth a try - I do think the granola bar still has lots of sugar. I like to substitute my homemade granola bars or a power bar instead - then you are getting some good protein too. If anyone wants the granola bar recipe just let me know. I can post it on my blog.
4. Thick and Juicy: A Quarter-Pounder
You’re driving by a string of fast-food joints when a burger attack strikes. Choose Burger King and order a Whopper Jr. While the fat content of fast-food burgers is basically the same across the board-- about 20 grams each -- BK’s unofficial quarter-pounder beats the competition otherwise: 370 calories versus 410 for a quarter-pounder at McDonald’s and 430 for one at Wendy’s (with no cheese). Hold the mayo on the BK burger to knock off almost another 100 calories.
There you have a few RealAge tips that might help us stay healthy this season. Remember to wash your hands and keep your water / tea intake up.
Here are a few quotes:
Those who would see wonderful things must often be ready to travel alone. Henry Van Dyke
Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not. Ralph Waldo Emerson
And the burning question across Canada - If winter comes, can Spring be far behind? Percy Bysshe Shelley
Stay safe and warm everyone!!
1. Munchy and Crunchy: Potato Chips
This one’s a snap: Walk right past the Pringles and grab a bag of Baked Lay’s Original Chips. Not only are Baked Lay’s worth eating, but lots of chips lovers actually like them better than the original. Their reasoning: less grease, more crunch. The BBQ flavor gets singled out especially. You’ll save 50 calories and almost 10 grams of fat per ounce! Does anyone eat the Baked Lay's? I tried them once and it wasn't the same. But maybe I need to revisit these. What I eat instead is whole grain tortilla chips with salsa - way healthier. I don't even keep chips in the house anymore.
2. Soft and Sweet: A Cream-Filled, Chocolate-Frosted Doughnut
When something inside of you has to have a) chocolate and b) a Krispy Kreme, order three of their Glazed Chocolate Cake Doughnut Holes instead. For a much smaller tab
3. Solid and Satisfying: Snickers
This may not sound like it will satisfy your candy-bar craving, but trust us. Instead of a 2-ounce Snickers bar
4. Thick and Juicy: A Quarter-Pounder
You’re driving by a string of fast-food joints when a burger attack strikes. Choose Burger King and order a Whopper Jr. While the fat content of fast-food burgers is basically the same across the board
There you have a few RealAge tips that might help us stay healthy this season. Remember to wash your hands and keep your water / tea intake up.
Here are a few quotes:
Those who would see wonderful things must often be ready to travel alone. Henry Van Dyke
Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us, or we find it not. Ralph Waldo Emerson
And the burning question across Canada - If winter comes, can Spring be far behind? Percy Bysshe Shelley
Stay safe and warm everyone!!
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