Beans: A Food for Longevity!

Beans can help us live longer! Cultures known as “Blue Zones” where people live long lives full of vitality and good health, are known for eating beans. What’s more, beans are inexpensive and can keep your food budget low. Most beans that you cook from the dry bags (pictured above) need to be soaked before cooking. Fortunately, lentils do not, so they are a quicker cooking bean.

Studies show that eating beans helps reduce your risk for heart disease. Lentils are an excellent source of folate and fiber. They contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. The soluble fiber forms a gel and helps to sweep cholesterol out of the body. The insoluble fiber helps to move the food along in your intestines, preventing against constipation. Lentils are mineral rich and contain protein, which along with fiber, helps to keep you full.

Check out the Blue Zones blog for awesome articles

Here are two great Blue Zones books by Dan Buettner:

• The Blue Zones, Second Edition: 9 Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest
• The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World’s Healthiest People

For Lentils with Chicken recipe from Clean Eating Magazine: http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/recipes/one-pot-lentils-chicken/

Click here for Chinese Lentil and Noodle Salad Recipe: http://www.cookingwithpulses.com/recipes/chinese-lentil-and-noodle-salad/  Consider using whole wheat pasta in this recipe.

Chia Seeds : Anti-Inflammatory

Do you remember Chia Pets? These popular figurines of the 1980’s used chia seeds to grow green plant “hair.” Fast forward 30 years and we are now eating the seeds. The seeds are quite nutritious and pack a powerful omega-3 fatty acid and fiber punch! One tablespoon of chia seeds has 70 calories and contains over 20% of the fiber you need in a day! (Reminder: Increase your water intake when you increase your fiber intake.) Omega-3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory compounds and may help treat and prevent heart disease, depression, dementia, and inflammatory conditions such as arthritis.

Popular ways to use chia seeds are to add them to smoothies, yogurt, and cereal. The first time I tried them was in a Chia Pudding sample I ate at Whole Foods (See the recipe here: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/chia-pudding ). Chia has a unique consistency…when you add a liquid to the dry seeds, the seeds absorb the liquid and begin to form a gel. 

Chia seeds can be found at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods. Check out the natural section of your supermarket as well.

Overnight Oats in the Mason Jar: A Winning Snack or Breakfast!

I have a new favorite way to make oatmeal that I use as a meal or snack. I use a mason jar, add oats, liquid (see my recipe below) nuts and fruit, shake, then store in the refrigerator, or pack in an insulated cooler/bag to take with you. I find it takes about an hour for the ingredients to mix and for the oats to absorb the liquid. Most times I make it the night before. While you can microwave the oatmeal in the jar (after removing the cap and lid), I actually enjoy the texture of eating it cold. It makes the perfect portable meal or snack for people on the go!

Tips from Quaker Oats:

• For best results, let oats soak in the fridge for a full 8 hours so they can absorb all the liquid. Of course, a few hours is OK too.
• Use a one-to-one ratio of raw oats and your choice of milk, yogurt, or any other dairy substitutes.
• For a more crunchy, textured breakfast, set some toppings aside to add in the morning.
• Achieve maximum texture with Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. Although, we won't stop you from trying it with Instant or Steel Cut Oats, too!
• Overnight Oats taste delicious in any container, so mix it up with mason jars, mugs, even hollowed out fruit!
• Frozen fruit toppings work especially well when soaking overnight - as they "thaw", the delicious juices are released into the oats!

Source: http://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipes/overnightoats

 Tricia’s simple recipe:

Overnight Oatmeal Blueberry Delight

¼   cup old fashioned oats
¼  cup milk (dairy, soy, etc.)
1/3 cup blueberries
8 pecans

217 calories, 24 g carbs, 7 g protein, 12 g fa

Planks with Tamra of Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Orange County

If you’ve been watching The Real Housewives of Orange County recently you might have noticed that the beautiful Tamra Judge looks even more amazing. On the show her trainer is shown using calipers to measure body fat. Sometimes the scale can be discouraging, but if we measure bodyfat using calipers, or take measurements of the waist, hips, thighs, etc., we may find other ways to motivate us to keep working out. To stay motivated Tamra trained for a fitness competition. This is one of many ways to get motivated to get more fit and/or to lose weight. 

In the above video , Tamra is shown with her handsome husband (also featured on the show) Eddie. They do the plank and then some fun variations on the plank along with mountain climbers. Planks are great exercises that can strengthen your whole body. I found that when I added Barre classes to the mix of exercise programs that I do, I noticed my arms started to look longer and leaner, and I attribute this to all the work on all fours (i.e. planks, and other exercises done while you are holding on your forearms or arms, such as donkey kicks, and leg lifts).

A Quick Potato!

Potatoes are rich in fiber, iron, and Vitamin C and a medium one has 160 calories. Check out these two quick ways for making a potato!

Rapid-Fire Potato Recipe: 

1.    Pierce a potato with a fork 5-6 times all around the potato
2.    Microwave for approximately 5-8 minutes, rotating halfway through
3.    Enjoy!

Here are some healthy potato topping ideas:

1.    Cut open and add light sour cream, black beans and salsa for a yummy Mexican flair. Add spinach to this to make it a meal.
2.    Cut open and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder and parmesan cheese for an Italian flavor

French Fry Alternative Recipe:

Another fun way to cook potatoes in the microwave is to take a potato and slice thin and lay out the slices on a large microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 4-5 minutes and then flip the slices over and microwave another 4-5 minutes. Dip into ketchup and enjoy! 

Here is a quick and mouthwatering Black Bean-Smothered Sweet Potato Recipe from Eating Well.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Delight

I love that the only ingredient in Old-fashioned oats is oats! Oatmeal with peanut butter is one of my favorite things to eat!

Ingredients: 
¼ cup Old Fashioned Oats
¼ cup Water
1-2 tsp Peanut Butter
Fruit (blueberries, strawberries, ½ banana, etc.)
Optional: ¼ - 1/3 cup of Plain Greek Yogurt

Directions:

1. Place oats in microwave-safe bowl
2. Add water
3. Microwave for 1.5 minutes
4. Stir
5. Microwave for an additional 1-1.5 minutes (microwave times may vary)
6. Mix in 1-2 tsp peanut butter (Teddie is my favorite brand!)
7. Mix in your favorite fruit
8. Optional: Add a scoop of yogurt on top if you want to increase the protein content of your breakfast or want to make it more filling. 

Yield: 1 serving
165 Calories per serving using ½ banana and 1 tsp peanut butter

Tips:

• If you buy the old fashioned oats in the large canister and use ¼ cup at a time as suggested on the left, you will get 60 servings, and it will only cost you pennies per serving.
• If you double the oats, double the water.
• Avoid pre-packaged oatmeal which often has many additives. Look for plain oatmeal and add your own toppings.
• Can be eaten as a breakfast or a snack.

Nutrient of Note: Zucchini

One of my clients made Dr. Oz’s Italian Bowl and absolutely loved it. I took the original recipe, and updated it to include more ingredient and preparation details, and parsley to give it an extra kick. The updated recipe appears below.

Zucchini noodles have become popular because they taste like pasta, but are much lower in calories and starchy carbohydrates. Spiralizers are kitchen gadgets that can help turn the zucchini into noodles. I looked at the reviews of them, which led me to buy the Paderno Spiralizer and Spiralizer cookbook at William Sonoma. What an awesome device! 

Comparison of Carbs and Calories in 1 Cup of Whole Wheat Spaghetti compared with 1 Cup of Zucchini Noodles

Nutrient of Note: Zucchini

Zucchini may be helpful for your eyes due to its high content of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. These nutrients protect against macular degeneration. Zucchini is also rich in fiber and copper, a nutrient important for making collagen, a structural protein in the body. Copper is also important for energy production and antioxidant protection. Zucchini is a good source of Vitamin C, magnesium, manganese, and potassium. A whole medium zucchini has approximately 35 calories, which makes it a weight-management superfood! 

Italian Turkey Bowl over Zucchini Noodles

Ingredients

• 2 T canola oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1 1b 93% lean ground turkey
• 1 can unsalted diced tomato (use the liquid, too, don’t drain)
• ¼ cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/8 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• dash salt (optional) and pepper
• 2 medium zucchini (green and/or yellow), turned into noodles with spiralizer
• 1 tsp parmesan cheese (reduced fat feta cheese also goes well with this recipe)

1. Heat up canola oil in frying pan.
2. Add onion and cook 3-5 minutes until tender, stirring frequently.
3. Add garlic and cook for 3 additional minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add ground turkey. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring and breaking it apart frequently.
5. Add diced tomatoes, parsley, and basil.
6. Add a dash of salt (optional) and pepper.
7. Cook for approximately 11 more minutes. Temperature with a food thermometer should be at least 165 degrees before removing mixture from pot.
8. Remove mixture from pot and place zucchini noodles in the pot. 
9. Cook noodles for 2-3 minutes. Flip with tongs as you cook it.
10. Place noodles on plate, with turkey mixture over it, sprinkle on cheese, and enjoy!

Healthy Food Product Update

Seapoint Farms Edamame Products

Soybeans are a great source of fiber as well as numerous minerals. Replacing meat and dairy in the diet with beans such as soybeans can help lower cholesterol. Soy also contains isoflavones which may contribute to healthy bones and decreasing hot flashes in those going through menopause. Whole soy products provide more benefits then their refined counterparts (listed in labels as soy protein and soy protein isolates). When buying soy products, make sure they are non-gmo (not genetically modified). Genetically modified foods are not tested well and may lead to allergies and other health issues. Those taking thyroid medications or at risk for breast cancer should contact their doctors regarding soy consumption.

The following nutritious and delicious whole soy products are non-gmo. I have listed some key features. The microwave and stovetop beans all go well with reduced sodium soy sauce, or low sodium tamari (also made from soy), with a sprinkle of ginger, onion powder and garlic powder.

Soy Nuts

• Only 100 calories, but much more nutritious than other 100-calorie snack packs
• Work well in a trail mix, or on their own as a snack
• Often located in natural area of supermarket

Soy Beans, microwaveable in pods

• Awesome time-savors
• Takes only 3 minutes to cook in the microwave
• The pods are inedible, but this makes them last longer, since you need to do the work of opening them up
• To eat them, bring them close to your mouth and pop the beans into your mouth…they are fun to eat!
• 6 individual bags come in the box

Soybeans, microwaveable, shelled

• Awesome time-savors
• Takes only 3 minutes to cook in the microwave
• Beans have been shelled, so when they are ready, they can easily be tossed over salads or used in rice or pasta dishes
• Six individual bags come in the box

Soybeans, frozen, cook on stovetop

• Convenient and cook up fast
• Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the beans, or pods, bring back to a boil, then cook for 4-5 minutes
• Add shelled beans to rice and pasta dishes