Monthly Archives: September 2011
A Note on Trans Fats
| September 29, 2011 | Posted by Christina under Nutrition |
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) allows foods to contain up to 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving and still market their products as having no trans fats. This means that the front of the package may state very clearly “No Trans Fats” and the Nutrition Facts on the side may say 0 grams of trans fats, but the product can still have up to 0.5 grams of trans fats in every single serving. This can add up to a very significant amount when you’re consuming several servings of said food, considering that we want to be eating absolutely… more
Fat, with a Spotlight on Nuts
| September 29, 2011 | Posted by Christina under Health Tip, Nutrition |
There is this misconception that all fats are bad and should be avoided, but this is not true! Fats are an essential part of our diet because they play a critical role in many bodily functions. You can’t try to eliminate all fats from your diet because it’s ridiculous to make the assumption that an entire macronutrient, when there are only 3 to begin with (protein, carbohydrates, and fats), is bad for you. There are 3 forms of fats: saturated, unsaturated, and trans. Saturated – found mostly in animal products, solid at room temperature (butter, skin on meats, beef fat),… more
Take Time for Yourself
| September 27, 2011 | Posted by Christina under Health Tip, Wellness |
What are you doing to be healthy? How do you prioritize your health? If you don’t really prioritize your health, what are some ways in which you would like to? Would you like to start cooking for yourself a certain number of times per week, or playing your favorite sport more often, or drinking a morning smoothie, or getting monthly massages, or taking baths, or meditating? Think about what you can start doing, or start doing more of, that you love and is beneficial to your well-being. Consider what happens when you do not prioritize your health. Do you feel… more
Blend Your Way to Better Health
| September 27, 2011 | Posted by Christina under Health Tip, Nutrition, Recipes |
Smoothies are a delicious and effective way to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables, and they make a portable, quick, and highly nutritious breakfast or snack. By blending all the ingredients, your digestive system does not have to work to break the food down and it can absorb the nutrients more easily. Our digestive systems are constantly working extremely hard–in fact, most of ours are completely overtaxed to the point of being dysfunctional as a result of the unhealthy diets that we eat–so smoothies provide them with some much needed rest. High-powered blenders work best because you can achieve… more
Stevia
| September 25, 2011 | Posted by Christina under Nutrition |
Stevia is a non-sugar herbal sweetener that comes from a plant that grows naturally in South America. You can purchase it in both liquid and powder forms. It is a great sugar alternative because it is very sweet but it has no effect on your blood sugar, thus making it a great choice for diabetics and anyone trying to cut back on or give up refined sugar (which should be everyone). It is not one of those horrible fake sugars like Splenda or aspartame, which I recommend you cut out of your diet because those are chemical poisons. Stevia is… more
Classic Almond Milk Recipe
| September 25, 2011 | Posted by Christina under Recipes |
Since yesterday I encouraged everyone to give up cow’s milk, I thought I’d share my almond milk recipe. Of course you can buy almond milk at the store, and that is certainly the most convenient option, but it tastes especially nice when you make it yourself, particularly because it’s so fresh and you can customize it as you like. Moreover, when you make it at home, you know there are absolutely no preservatives and that it has been processed in no way, so all the wonderful enzymes are still there. It’s also a lot cheaper if you do it this… more
Got Milk? No Thanks.
| September 25, 2011 | Posted by Christina under Nutrition |
Most people never think about what the food they are eating actually is or where it comes from, and this is certainly true of milk. Cow’s milk is the lactation fluid of a cow, meaning that a pregnant cow produces breast milk to feed to her baby so that it can grow, but instead of the little calf drinking the milk, humans do. We artificially impregnate cows and then take their milk and consume it. Not only is the whole practice very cruel, but it is incredibly unnatural. (It is made even more so by the fact that farmers shoot… more
