Posts Tagged ‘super foods’

Ch- Ch- Ch- Chia Seeds!

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Raise your hand if you remember the Chia Pet commercials from the 70′s and 80′s. Who could get that jingle out of their head? It turns out that the seeds used in this wildly popular product are Super Hero Foods. No, really. They are.

You’ve probably heard about flax seeds and their health benefits. Chia seeds provide even more health benefits: even more omega-3 fatty acids (making them anti-inflammatory superstars); high in fiber (1 tablespoon has 4 grams of fiber), calcium, protein and other nutrients.

A Neat Trick

Chia seeds do something neat when mixed with a liquid: they form a gel. In addition to making it possible to coat a Chia Pet form so it would grow green sprouts, this little trick can also slow down digestion and conversion of the carbohydrates to sugar. This will keep you feeling full and keep your blood sugar steadier.

Chia seeds are one of the easiest improvements to make to your diet. You can find them at health-food stores or online . The seeds are tiny and it’s hard to even notice how they taste due to their size. I add them to my breakfast cereals, yogurt, bean salads and so on. Because they’re so high in fiber, start with just a tablespoon at a time and gradually add more each day (don’t forget to drink plenty of water, especially if you’re not accustomed to a lot of fiber in your diet).

You can also try this yummy Oat & Chia Bar recipe, courtesy of Shiloh Farms.

Oat and Chia Bar

2 cups Shiloh Farms rolled oats
1/2 cup Shiloh Farms raw pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup Shiloh Farms raw sunflower seeds
2-3 tbsp Shiloh Farms chia seeds
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
2 tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 325′.
Spread oats and seeds on baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring twice to assure uniform toasting. Transfer to a medium bowl. Put honey and butter into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low for about 10 minutes or until syrup starts to condense and thicken. (similar to soft ball stage) . Pour hot syrup over oat mixture and stir to combine. Quickly spread mixture in a buttered 8-inch square pan and pack down evenly. Cut into bars. Cool. Separate bars and store in a sealed container.

And if you have any seeds left over, you can always pull your Chia Pet out of storage and give it a fresh green coat!

Which Chia Pet did you have? My favorite was Chia Guy, followed by Chia Ram. Call me a traditionalist.

Inspired by what you read? You can always get more great information (and inspiration) at Prevention Not Prescriptions.

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No Dessert Until You Eat Your (Sea) Vegetables

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

Yes, we’re talking about seaweed. Stay with me. Sea vegetables are incredibly nutritious foods, some of which you probably already eat. Ever have sushi? Well, the black nori that wraps your sushi roll is a nutritious sea vegetable.

Sea vegetables are high in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals; low in calories.  Some important nutrients you’ll get are:

  • Vitamin B6: Important for turning food into energy, healthy nerves and metabolizing protein.
  • Vitamin B12: Rarely found outside animal sources, it’s important for nerve function, red-blood cell production and energy.
  • Iodine: Necessary for a healthy thyroid.
  • Iron: An important part of supplying oxygen to your muscles.
  • Potassium: Needed for electrolyte balance and muscle function (don’t forget that the heart is a muscle). Helps lower blood pressure.

Sea vegetables in a healthy diet can reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer. They have anti-viral properties and help fight inflammation. Remember that chronic inflammation can indicate an immune system in overdrive, leading to diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

How to Buy & Use Sea Vegetables

In general, you’ll find bags of dried sea vegetables in the store. While they’re no-brainers at places like Whole Foods and your local health-food store, you may also find them in the Asian or Natural Foods sections of your local supermarket. Brands include Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, Emerald Cove and Eden.

  • Add dulse flakes to salads, soups or stir-fries. Dulse is also a good substitute for table salt.
  • Include a strip of kombu when you cook dried beans to help tenderize them. Make a soup broth with a strip of kombu simmered in water.
  • Roast strips of laver at 300° for about 5 minutes until crisp, and eat like potato chips.
  • Add rehydrated wakame to miso soup.
  • Lightly toast nori sheets, then use them to make mini wraps of rice, tomatoes, tofu, avocado, sprouts; anything you like!

My challenge to you this week: eat outside your comfort zone and try one of these sea vegetables. I’d love to hear how you like it!

Want more inspiring health information? Check out Prevention Not Prescriptions every week.

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Super Hero Foods

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

There are foods and then there are Super Hero Foods. As you might have guessed, we want as many of the Super Heroes in our diet as possible. All this month we’ll take a look at some of the most super-duper foods for you plus provide recipes to make eating them as easy as possible.

Nuts about nuts

Do you avoid eating nuts because they’re so high in calories? Well avoid no longer. Nuts supply us with very healthy unsaturated fats, which help lower our cholesterol. They’re also good sources of fiber, vitamins and minerals. True, their calorie count is high, which is why we recommend enjoying a quarter-cup serving of nuts no more than once per day. You can also try whole nut and fruit bars such as the Larabar brand.

Fishing for good health

While we’re on the topic of healthy fats, let’s talk about salmon. What we love about salmon is the omega-3 fatty acids we get from it. Yes, that’s fat, but a very healthy fat. The American diet tends to be high in omega-6 fatty acids and low in omega-3. This imbalance contributes to chronic inflammation conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and so on. Enjoying more omega-3 fatty acids swings the balance back to our favor. Whenever possible, choose wild salmon as it contains more omega-3s and fewer chemicals than farmed. Get started with some Asian Glazed Salmon tonight.

Eat your broccoli (and cauliflower and cabbage and Brussels sprouts)

Mom was right: broccoli is incredibly good for you. So are its relatives in the the cruciferous family: cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. These veggies are great cancer preventers. So far, it seems that it isn’t any one specific compound in the vegetables, so this is a great example of how nature created a perfect little package of health for us to enjoy. Cooking these vegetables can release a sulfur-like smell. Before you turn up your nose, try roasting any of them, including the cabbage. Roasting enhances the vegetables’ natural sugars and mellows the flavor. Or try a quick & easy Cream of Broccoli Soup (surprise: there’s no cream!)

Tune in next week as we explore other Super Hero Foods. Sea vegetables anyone?

Thanks for checking out Prevention Not Prescriptions – it’s new every Tuesday!

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