Nutrition Articles

Clean Eating 101: Ways to Detox Your Food

Nearly every day we hear about our foods and how they are becoming laced with synthetic ingredients.  If you want to avoid these synthetic ingredients, you need to learn how to detoxify the foods you are eating and choose healthier foods.

Here are some suggestions to detoxify and eat healthier this year:

• Clean your Produce.
• Avoid cans as much as possible.
• Choose Whole Foods.
• Shop for Safer Seafood.
• Watch your Animal Fat Intake.

In the News Celebrating World Vegan Month– Part II

(continued from Part I…)

Label reading and label awareness is especially important for those who follow a vegan diet. This is also very important to those who have animal-specific allergies. The Vegan Society suggests that everyone read labels and re-read labels, as over time ingredients of even your favorite foods may change. 

There is a difference between vegan products and “free-from” products, so being food conscious is extremely important for those who follow a vegan lifestyle. 

So, what do vegans eat? (Besides the obvious vegetables!) 

Essentially, vegans eat everything and anything that comes from plants: fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, grains, seeds, and pulses. 

What about eating out as a vegan? 

Any chef worth their salt will be able to rustle up something vegan for you from ingredients they already have in the kitchen - and if you ask nicely, many will rise to the challenge of creating tasty vegan mains and decadent desserts. Contact them in advance so they’re not put on the spot. Be prepared to help them out with suggestions of easy vegan meals – some chefs need a little nudge to realize just how many of the delicious ingredients they use happen to be vegan anyway. 

Another thing that vegans need to do is find dairy replacements. Most stores these days offer “dairy-free” and vegan cheese, milk, yogurt, sour cream, ice cream and other foods that are safe to consume and in fact, tasty as their non-vegan counterparts.

In the News Celebrating World Vegan Month– Part I

Back in November 1944, founding members of The Vegan Society first coined the term “vegan” and for the past 80 years every November they celebrate World Vegan Month.

So this month we take a look into the culture of Veganism and talk about some of the ins and outs of this movement that has gained popularity over the past 80 years.

What is Veganism?

According to the Vegan Society, it is defined as “Veganism is a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude - as far as is possible and practicable - all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, humans and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.”

Those at the Vegan Society stress that veganism is not just about diet, but also a way of life. For example, vegans will not wear leather or suede and they will not use beauty products whose ingredients are derived from animals. 

When people follow a vegan diet, they often eat more fruits and vegetables and enjoy meals that contain more fiber and are lower in saturated fats. 

A vegan diet thrives off the following nutrients:

• Vitamin B 12
• Protein
• Omega 3 Fats
• Calcium
• Vitamin B
• Iodine
• Selenium
• Iron
• Zinc
• Vitamins K and A

(continued in Part II…)

Food for Thought How Soda Affects Your Body

Weight:

Drinking just one soda per day equates to ingesting 39 pounds (yes 39 pounds) of sugar per year! Drinking soda on a regular basis interacts with the genes that affect weight and more than 180,000 obesity-related deaths each year are linked to drinking sugary beverages. 

Kidneys:

The extremely high levels of phosphoric acid (especially in colas) have been linked to kidney stones and other renal problems.  Diet cola packs a two-fold risk – especially if you drink more than two servings each day. 

Bones:

Soda consumption has been linked to osteoporosis and bone density loss, mainly because of the phosphoric acid and caffeine.

Teeth:

The high levels of acid in soda corrode your teeth, almost as badly as drinking battery acid. 

Heart:

Habitual diet and regular soda consumption leads to an increased risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke. 

Brain:

Having too much sugar in your diet reduces the production of a brain chemical that helps us learn, store memories and process insulin.  Consuming too much sugar also dulls the brain’s mechanism that tells you to stop eating. 

Lungs:

The more soda you drink, the more likely you are to develop chronic lung conditions like asthma and COPD. 

Eating Healthy Spotlight on: Plums

• Plums, and their dried version known as prunes, are very high in phytonutrients, which function as an antioxidant and provide much benefit to the body.
• Eating plums helps in the production and absorption of iron in the body, thereby leading to better blood circulation leading further to the growth of healthy tissues.
• Consuming plums on a regular basis will help prevent macular degeneration and other eye infections.
• Researchers have also found that plums contain anti-cancer agents that prevent the growth of cancerous cells and tumors.

Recipe: Chicken Breasts with Plum Salsa and Basmati Rice

• 1 ½ cups of water
• 1 cup uncooked basmati rice, rinsed and drained
• ¾ pound plums, pitted and chopped
• ½ medium red onion, minced
• 3 habanero peppers, seeded and minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¾ pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Place water in medium saucepan and stir in rice. Bring to boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cool and fluff with fork.  In a bowl, mix the plums, peppers, onions, cilantro and sugar. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Season chicken with rosemary, salt and pepper.  Heat vegetable oil in skillet over medium-heat. Place chicken in oil and brown 1 minute per side.  Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 5 additional minutes per side.  Serve over rice with plum salsa.

Recipe: Fresh Summer Fruit Salad

• ½ cup water
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
• 15 seedless grapes, halved
• ½ orange, sectioned
• 10 fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1 apple, cored and diced
• 1 peach, sliced
• 1 plum, pitted and sliced
• 15 pitted Bing cherries
• ¼ cup fresh blueberries

Bring water and sugar to boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in the rhubarb, turn heat to low, cover and simmer until rhubarb is soft, 10 to 15 minutes.  Mash and chill in the refrigerator about one hour.   To serve, mix the grapes, orange, strawberries, apple, peach, plum, cherries, and blueberries with 2/3 cup of the rhubarb sauce.  Stir gently, but thoroughly to coat.  Refrigerate for at least two hours for all of the flavors to blend well.