Instead of spending money on the latest detox concoction, try the easy, natural way to boost colon health, eat fiber-rich foods. Most fiber rich foods are also low in fat and calories and high in nutrients!Try adding these foods to your diet. Your colon and your heart will thank you!
Legumes such as beans, soybeans, peas and lentils are high-fiber, low-fat and nutrient dense.
Whole grain foods promote colon health and have heart healthy benefits. Try foods like barley, brown rice, popcorn, wholegrain oat, corn, rice or wheat bran cereals.
Fruits like raisins, berries, dates and pears have 20 to 40 percent of daily fiber values. How about an avocado??? One avocado has 11 grams of fiber, almost half the recommended minimum intake of fiber.
Vegetables add both fiber and vitamins to your diet. Eat green and orange vegetables such as spinach, brussel sprouts, broccoli, collard greens, carrots, pumpkin and sweet potato. Artichokes give the digestive system the biggest boost of any vegetable. One cup of artichoke hearts provides 14 grams of fiber.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Green Beans
Green Beans
Fat free; saturated fat free; sodium free; cholesterol free; low calorie; good source of fiber; good source of vitamin C.
Health benefits of Green beans
•Fresh green beans are very low in calories (31 kcal per 100 g of raw beans) and contain no saturated fat; but are very good source of vitamins, minerals, and plant derived micronutrients.
•They are very rich source of dietary fiber (9% per100g RDA)which acts as bulk laxative that helps to protect the mucous membrane of the colon by decreasing its exposure time to toxic substances as well as by binding to cancer causing chemicals in the colon. Dietary fiber has also been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels by decreasing re-absorption of cholesterol binding bile acids in the colon.
•Green beans contain excellent levels of vitamin A, and many health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin and ß-carotene in good amounts. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease process.
•Zea-xanthin, an important dietary carotenoid in the beans, selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it thought to provide antioxidant and protective UV light filtering functions. It is, therefore, green beans offer some protection in preventing age related macular disease (ARMD) in the elderly.
•Fresh snap beans are good source of folates. 100 g fresh beans provide 37 µg or 9% of folates. Folate along with vitamin B-12 is one of the essential components of DNA synthesis and cell division. Good folate diet when given during preconception periods and during pregnancy helps prevent from neural-tube defects in the offspring.
•They also contain good amounts of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin (vitamin B-1), and vitamin-C. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen free radicals.
•In addition, beans contain healthy amounts of minerals likeiron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and potassium, which are very essential for body metabolism. Manganese is a co-factor for the anti oxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
•Because of their rich green color, we don't always think about green beans as providing us with important amounts of colorful pigments like carotenoids. But they do! Recent studies have confirmed the presence of lutein, beta-carotene, violaxanthin, and neoxanthin in green beans. In some cases, the presence of these carotenoids in green beans is comparable to their presence in other carotenoid-rich vegetables like carrots and tomatoes. The only reason we don't see these carotenoids is because of the concentrated chlorophyll content of green beans and the amazing shades of green that it provides.
•You can enjoy green beans while supporting food sustainability! Recent surveys have shown that 60% of all commercially grown green beans are produced in theUnited States, with large amounts of green bean acreage found in the states ofIllinois,Michigan,New York,Oregon, and Wisconsin. Although countries like France, Mexico, Iraq, and Argentina are large-scale producers of green beans, there is plenty of this delicious vegetable available in our own backyard.
Can’t buy fresh?
If you are unable to obtain fresh green beans, you can still get many valuable nutrients from green beans that have been frozen or canned. We like fresh greens the best! But we realize that access to them can sometimes be a problem. When first frozen and then cooked, retention of some B vitamins in green beans (like vitamins B6 and B2) can be as high as 90%. Recent studies have shown that canned green beans, on average, lose about one third of their phenolic compounds during the canning process. They lose B vitamins as well but in the case of some B vitamins like folic acid, as little as 10%.
Fat free; saturated fat free; sodium free; cholesterol free; low calorie; good source of fiber; good source of vitamin C.
Health benefits of Green beans
•Fresh green beans are very low in calories (31 kcal per 100 g of raw beans) and contain no saturated fat; but are very good source of vitamins, minerals, and plant derived micronutrients.
•They are very rich source of dietary fiber (9% per100g RDA)which acts as bulk laxative that helps to protect the mucous membrane of the colon by decreasing its exposure time to toxic substances as well as by binding to cancer causing chemicals in the colon. Dietary fiber has also been shown to reduce blood cholesterol levels by decreasing re-absorption of cholesterol binding bile acids in the colon.
•Green beans contain excellent levels of vitamin A, and many health promoting flavonoid poly phenolic antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin and ß-carotene in good amounts. These compounds help act as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease process.
•Zea-xanthin, an important dietary carotenoid in the beans, selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it thought to provide antioxidant and protective UV light filtering functions. It is, therefore, green beans offer some protection in preventing age related macular disease (ARMD) in the elderly.
•Fresh snap beans are good source of folates. 100 g fresh beans provide 37 µg or 9% of folates. Folate along with vitamin B-12 is one of the essential components of DNA synthesis and cell division. Good folate diet when given during preconception periods and during pregnancy helps prevent from neural-tube defects in the offspring.
•They also contain good amounts of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), thiamin (vitamin B-1), and vitamin-C. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen free radicals.
•In addition, beans contain healthy amounts of minerals likeiron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, and potassium, which are very essential for body metabolism. Manganese is a co-factor for the anti oxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
•Because of their rich green color, we don't always think about green beans as providing us with important amounts of colorful pigments like carotenoids. But they do! Recent studies have confirmed the presence of lutein, beta-carotene, violaxanthin, and neoxanthin in green beans. In some cases, the presence of these carotenoids in green beans is comparable to their presence in other carotenoid-rich vegetables like carrots and tomatoes. The only reason we don't see these carotenoids is because of the concentrated chlorophyll content of green beans and the amazing shades of green that it provides.
•You can enjoy green beans while supporting food sustainability! Recent surveys have shown that 60% of all commercially grown green beans are produced in theUnited States, with large amounts of green bean acreage found in the states ofIllinois,Michigan,New York,Oregon, and Wisconsin. Although countries like France, Mexico, Iraq, and Argentina are large-scale producers of green beans, there is plenty of this delicious vegetable available in our own backyard.
Can’t buy fresh?
If you are unable to obtain fresh green beans, you can still get many valuable nutrients from green beans that have been frozen or canned. We like fresh greens the best! But we realize that access to them can sometimes be a problem. When first frozen and then cooked, retention of some B vitamins in green beans (like vitamins B6 and B2) can be as high as 90%. Recent studies have shown that canned green beans, on average, lose about one third of their phenolic compounds during the canning process. They lose B vitamins as well but in the case of some B vitamins like folic acid, as little as 10%.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
30 Days of Ditching Drive-Thru's
I am not against eating at a fast food restaurant, (remember we believe in 80% of the time you eat healthful foods and the other 20% eat guilt free.) The problem is the number of trips we take to a fast food restaurant in a week. According to one study American families now eat some meal or snack at a fast food restaurant four times per week. Here at Fit American Families we would like to offer you and your family a challenge! We challenge your family to eat a fast food restaurant only one time per month. This includes any meal outside the home...breakfast, lunch, and dinnner oh and snacks too. As parents teaching balance is one of our life lessons to pass on to our children. Take this 30 day pledge with me and 100 other families, to Ditch Drive-Thru's for 30 days.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
One of the Healthiest Foods on Earth
We use sea vegetables in a variety of ways in our Cooking Lessons from Home Meal plan.
Sea vegetables are a traditional food that has been consumed for thousands of years. They offer an array of nutrients that are well suited to promoting health, plus, they are delicious and versatile. When you incorporate them into your diet you'll see just how they increase not only the taste of your food but your overall well-being.
History
Eating sea vegetables as part of a healthy diet is nothing new. In fact, archaeological evidence suggests that Japanese cultures have been consuming sea vegetables for more than 10,000 years. While very popular in Asian cuisines, most regions and countries located by waters, including Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Iceland, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and coastal South American countries have also been consuming sea vegetables since ancient times.
Types of sea vegetables
There are thousands of types of sea vegetables, each having a unique shape, taste and texture. Among the many varieties of sea vegetables that exist a wide range of them are enjoyed as foods. These include: nori, kelp, hijiki, kombu, wakame, arame and dulse.
A perfect mineral match
Consider the fact that our earth is about 60% water (primarily oceans) and our bodies are also about 60% water (fluids in and around our cells, and blood). Then examine the mineral profile of the oceans, the sea vegetables that grow in these oceans, and our blood. It's difficult to find any category of food that has as diverse a mineral composition as sea vegetables. It's also difficult to find any category of food whose overall mineral composition better matches that of human blood.
Sources of iodine
Although iodized salt has been the primary source of iodine in many U.S. meal plans for the past fifty years, excessive use of salt has also been a problem in the U.S. In many coastal communities around the world, and particularly in Asia, the primary sources of iodine in meal plans are sea vegetables. Outside of iodized salt, eggs, milk, and cheese are the primary sources of iodine in the U.S. diet, and consequently, individuals who do not consume eggs or cow's milk products may especially benefit from inclusion of sea vegetables in their meal plan. A note of caution is important, however, with respect to the iodine content of sea vegetables. The iodine content of sea vegetables can vary greatly-as much as 10-fold depending upon ocean conditions. Rather than simply counting on sea vegetables to provide you with the iodine you need, I encourage you to develop a more reliable overall plan together with your healthcare provider as a means to ensure you are getting the optimal amount of iodine you need to meet your individual health needs.
Unique nutrients in sea vegetables - sulfated polysaccharides
The nutritional uniqueness of sea vegetables also involves a category of nutrient called sulfated polysaccharides. This category of carbohydrate-related nutrients, also called fucans, has been studied for its anti-inflammatory properties, and fucan extracts from brown sea vegetables have been found to lower inflammatory activities of human proteins called complement proteins.
What you'll sea in the future
When it comes to sea vegetables, you can expect the evidence of their unique benefits to increase consistently over the next decade. The reason for this prediction? Scientists are just beginning to agree that sea vegetables aren't actually plants, but rather, algae. Algae are themselves fascinating to scientists, because they lie somewhere in between the world of plants and the world of animals. As scientists learn more and more about the unique biological category into which sea vegetables belong, more and more evidence about their nutritional uniqueness is a virtual guarantee. 1) Sea Veggies – Sea veggies are abundant in calcium, iron, protein, iodine, niacin, and thiamin helping to improve your cardiovascular health and prevent cancer. Sea veggies help you bulk up on essential trace minerals and they come in easy snacking sizes too! I love eating sea veggies. Try snacking on organic seaweed sheets, typically used to wrap suishi, and Dulse leaves. You can tear off edible bite size pieces of Dulse in a matter of seconds. I like to keep a bag of Dulse leaves or seaweed sheets on hand in my kitchen at all times.
reference: World's Healthiest Foods, George Matalan
Sea vegetables are a traditional food that has been consumed for thousands of years. They offer an array of nutrients that are well suited to promoting health, plus, they are delicious and versatile. When you incorporate them into your diet you'll see just how they increase not only the taste of your food but your overall well-being.
History
Eating sea vegetables as part of a healthy diet is nothing new. In fact, archaeological evidence suggests that Japanese cultures have been consuming sea vegetables for more than 10,000 years. While very popular in Asian cuisines, most regions and countries located by waters, including Scotland, Ireland, Norway, Iceland, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and coastal South American countries have also been consuming sea vegetables since ancient times.
Types of sea vegetables
There are thousands of types of sea vegetables, each having a unique shape, taste and texture. Among the many varieties of sea vegetables that exist a wide range of them are enjoyed as foods. These include: nori, kelp, hijiki, kombu, wakame, arame and dulse.
A perfect mineral match
Consider the fact that our earth is about 60% water (primarily oceans) and our bodies are also about 60% water (fluids in and around our cells, and blood). Then examine the mineral profile of the oceans, the sea vegetables that grow in these oceans, and our blood. It's difficult to find any category of food that has as diverse a mineral composition as sea vegetables. It's also difficult to find any category of food whose overall mineral composition better matches that of human blood.
Sources of iodine
Although iodized salt has been the primary source of iodine in many U.S. meal plans for the past fifty years, excessive use of salt has also been a problem in the U.S. In many coastal communities around the world, and particularly in Asia, the primary sources of iodine in meal plans are sea vegetables. Outside of iodized salt, eggs, milk, and cheese are the primary sources of iodine in the U.S. diet, and consequently, individuals who do not consume eggs or cow's milk products may especially benefit from inclusion of sea vegetables in their meal plan. A note of caution is important, however, with respect to the iodine content of sea vegetables. The iodine content of sea vegetables can vary greatly-as much as 10-fold depending upon ocean conditions. Rather than simply counting on sea vegetables to provide you with the iodine you need, I encourage you to develop a more reliable overall plan together with your healthcare provider as a means to ensure you are getting the optimal amount of iodine you need to meet your individual health needs.
Unique nutrients in sea vegetables - sulfated polysaccharides
The nutritional uniqueness of sea vegetables also involves a category of nutrient called sulfated polysaccharides. This category of carbohydrate-related nutrients, also called fucans, has been studied for its anti-inflammatory properties, and fucan extracts from brown sea vegetables have been found to lower inflammatory activities of human proteins called complement proteins.
What you'll sea in the future
When it comes to sea vegetables, you can expect the evidence of their unique benefits to increase consistently over the next decade. The reason for this prediction? Scientists are just beginning to agree that sea vegetables aren't actually plants, but rather, algae. Algae are themselves fascinating to scientists, because they lie somewhere in between the world of plants and the world of animals. As scientists learn more and more about the unique biological category into which sea vegetables belong, more and more evidence about their nutritional uniqueness is a virtual guarantee. 1) Sea Veggies – Sea veggies are abundant in calcium, iron, protein, iodine, niacin, and thiamin helping to improve your cardiovascular health and prevent cancer. Sea veggies help you bulk up on essential trace minerals and they come in easy snacking sizes too! I love eating sea veggies. Try snacking on organic seaweed sheets, typically used to wrap suishi, and Dulse leaves. You can tear off edible bite size pieces of Dulse in a matter of seconds. I like to keep a bag of Dulse leaves or seaweed sheets on hand in my kitchen at all times.
reference: World's Healthiest Foods, George Matalan
Garlic is in Season Now
Yes garlic does have a season and the season is now. Here are some facts you probably didn’t know about garlic.
Garlic is a vegetable, its in the onion family.
Garlic has been found to have antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial activity.
It dates back 6,000 years ago and it is believed to be from Asia.
Garlic is also claimed to have positive effects on high blood pressure, high cholesterol and certain cancers.Garlic is more than popular flavoring; it is a natural, traditional medicine that has antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Regular consumption of garlic has been linked with:
• Improving overall cholesterol levels
• Lowering blood pressure and decreasing clot formation, thus reducing the risk of stroke and heart attack
• Combating respiratory infections
• Minimizing symptoms of common colds, including sore throats
• Reducing fungal or yeast infections
Eating raw garlic (chopped or mashed) releases the herb's full potential as the active component, allicin, forms only on contact with air. Garlic loses its antibiotic properties when you cook or dry it, and commercial garlic capsules do not preserve the full activity of the fresh bulb.
You can make raw garlic more palatable by chopping it fine, mixing it with food and eating it with a meal, or cut a clove into chunks and swallow them whole like pills.
Don’t be lazy and buy the chopped garlic in the jars, that type of garlic taste horrible., your mom raised you better than that. Buy the real thing. You may see several varieties of garlic at the market. One variety is called Green Garlic. Green garlic refers to newly formed garlic heads still attached to their greens, usually a local specialty. Their cloves are milky and the flavor extremely mild and delicious. Green garlic should be refrigerated, but dried heads can be stored at room temperature on the counter or in a clay jar made for garlic. If you ever see garlic with the color purple at the tips buy that one, that is the French variety and it is very good, but it has a limited season too. At the market look at the garlic, if it looks too dry, don’t buy it, look for one that isn’t black, bruised or too dry. I buy at least 2 per week. One head of garlic I roast, then I cover it in olive oil and save it during the week to add to vegetables, salad and breads. The other head of garlic I add to meat,, sauces salads and soups.
Here is how to Roast a Whole Head of Garlic
Preheat the oven to 350*. Rub off the outer papery skin, but leave the cloves encased. (I love the way garlic is in little individual packages, its like a gift in every clove that you have to unwrap.) Set the head of garlic upright on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the garlic up well so the oil won’t leak all over your oven. Bake for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool. The cool thing about this roasted garlic is you can put this into your refrigerator just like it is and when you need some garlic, pull the head out and squeeze as much garlic as you need, then return the rest to the refrigerator for later use. This will remain fresh in your refrigerator up to 2 weeks, but I am sure it will be gone by then.
Garlic is a vegetable, its in the onion family.
Garlic has been found to have antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial activity.
It dates back 6,000 years ago and it is believed to be from Asia.
Garlic is also claimed to have positive effects on high blood pressure, high cholesterol and certain cancers.Garlic is more than popular flavoring; it is a natural, traditional medicine that has antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Regular consumption of garlic has been linked with:
• Improving overall cholesterol levels
• Lowering blood pressure and decreasing clot formation, thus reducing the risk of stroke and heart attack
• Combating respiratory infections
• Minimizing symptoms of common colds, including sore throats
• Reducing fungal or yeast infections
Eating raw garlic (chopped or mashed) releases the herb's full potential as the active component, allicin, forms only on contact with air. Garlic loses its antibiotic properties when you cook or dry it, and commercial garlic capsules do not preserve the full activity of the fresh bulb.
You can make raw garlic more palatable by chopping it fine, mixing it with food and eating it with a meal, or cut a clove into chunks and swallow them whole like pills.
Don’t be lazy and buy the chopped garlic in the jars, that type of garlic taste horrible., your mom raised you better than that. Buy the real thing. You may see several varieties of garlic at the market. One variety is called Green Garlic. Green garlic refers to newly formed garlic heads still attached to their greens, usually a local specialty. Their cloves are milky and the flavor extremely mild and delicious. Green garlic should be refrigerated, but dried heads can be stored at room temperature on the counter or in a clay jar made for garlic. If you ever see garlic with the color purple at the tips buy that one, that is the French variety and it is very good, but it has a limited season too. At the market look at the garlic, if it looks too dry, don’t buy it, look for one that isn’t black, bruised or too dry. I buy at least 2 per week. One head of garlic I roast, then I cover it in olive oil and save it during the week to add to vegetables, salad and breads. The other head of garlic I add to meat,, sauces salads and soups.
Here is how to Roast a Whole Head of Garlic
Preheat the oven to 350*. Rub off the outer papery skin, but leave the cloves encased. (I love the way garlic is in little individual packages, its like a gift in every clove that you have to unwrap.) Set the head of garlic upright on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the garlic up well so the oil won’t leak all over your oven. Bake for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let it cool. The cool thing about this roasted garlic is you can put this into your refrigerator just like it is and when you need some garlic, pull the head out and squeeze as much garlic as you need, then return the rest to the refrigerator for later use. This will remain fresh in your refrigerator up to 2 weeks, but I am sure it will be gone by then.
Homemade Applesauce
This is a very EASY recipe! I consider this recipe one of my Anytime Meals.
For breakfast serve this warm applesauce on top of oatmeal,
pancakes, waffles or toast. Serve it all by itself with a piece of whole
grain toast and a glass of milk. Pack it for your kid’s lunch. Use it as a
snack with an oatmeal cookie. Serve it for dinner with a lean protein,
whole grain and a green veggie. Or, use it as dessert; my dad likes
this warm applesauce on Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream.
Homemade Applesauce
4 medium apples
½ cup of water
1/8 cup of brown sugar or 3 tablespoons organic natural cane sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly ground nutmeg
Peel apples and cut into 1 inch chunks. Place apples and water into a
saucepan on low to medium. Let the apples cook until soft about 5 -10
minutes. Remove from heat and add the spices.
For breakfast serve this warm applesauce on top of oatmeal,
pancakes, waffles or toast. Serve it all by itself with a piece of whole
grain toast and a glass of milk. Pack it for your kid’s lunch. Use it as a
snack with an oatmeal cookie. Serve it for dinner with a lean protein,
whole grain and a green veggie. Or, use it as dessert; my dad likes
this warm applesauce on Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream.
Homemade Applesauce
4 medium apples
½ cup of water
1/8 cup of brown sugar or 3 tablespoons organic natural cane sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground or freshly ground nutmeg
Peel apples and cut into 1 inch chunks. Place apples and water into a
saucepan on low to medium. Let the apples cook until soft about 5 -10
minutes. Remove from heat and add the spices.
Monday, October 1, 2012
The Three Elements of Fitness
If you've ever watched kids on a playground, you've seen the three elements of fitness in action when they:
run away from the kid who's "it" (endurance)
cross the monkey bars (strength)
bend down to tie their shoes (flexibility)
Parents should encourage their kids to do a variety of activities so that they can work on all three elements.
Endurance is developed when kids regularly engage in aerobic activity. During aerobic exercise, the heart beats faster and a person breathes harder. When done regularly and for extended periods of time, aerobic activity strengthens the heart and improves the body's ability to deliver oxygen to all its cells.
Aerobic exercise can be fun for both adults and kids. Examples of aerobic activities include:
basketball
bicycling
ice-skating
inline skating
soccer
run away from the kid who's "it" (endurance)
cross the monkey bars (strength)
bend down to tie their shoes (flexibility)
Parents should encourage their kids to do a variety of activities so that they can work on all three elements.
Endurance is developed when kids regularly engage in aerobic activity. During aerobic exercise, the heart beats faster and a person breathes harder. When done regularly and for extended periods of time, aerobic activity strengthens the heart and improves the body's ability to deliver oxygen to all its cells.
Aerobic exercise can be fun for both adults and kids. Examples of aerobic activities include:
basketball
bicycling
ice-skating
inline skating
soccer
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