Tag Archives: omega 3

FAVES for Vibrant Health

carrotfinal

 

I am participating in some local health fairs in the near future and have been thinking about a way to make a down and dirty guide for vibrant health that I could hand out.  I thought about the most important components of healthy living and then played with the wording until I came up with a catchy idea to share this information.  Now since I have absolutely no talent in the graphic arts department, I hired Casey at KCK Creative Market to make me this beautiful graphic.  I LOVE it and cannot wait to share it with all the health fair participants.  Here are my ideas about the most important components of vibrant health.

Focus on Healthy Fats:  Research has repeatedly demonstrated that fat is necessary to our health, particularly omega 3 fatty acids.  Omega -3′s are an essential fatty acid, meaning our body cannot produce them on its own.  These inflammation fighting fats must be obtained from our diet.  Two crucial ones, EPA and DHA, are primarily found in certain fish and pasture raised beef. ALA, another omega-3 fatty acid which can be converted to EPA and DHA in the body, is found in plant sources such as nuts and seeds.  The benefits of omega-3s are well documented in the scientific literature.  Unfortunately, the Standard American Diet contains entirely too many Omega-6 fats from vegetable oils and processed foods.  We want to have a 1:1 balance of omega-3’s to omega-6’s.  Eating 2 deck of card sized servings of fatty fish like salmon, lake trout, herring or mackerel a week should give you all the omega-3’s you need.  Also, trans-fats like those found in processed foods should be avoided at all costs.

Avoid Processed Foods:   Processed foods include anything that comes in a package or has been altered from its natural state.  Processed foods often contain harmful chemicals our bodies don’t recognize,   rancid, inflammation producing vegetable oils and trans fats .  Read the labels on your food, if you see an ingredient you don’t recognize, return it to the store shelf.

Vegetables and Fruits:  Fill your plate with as many vibrantly hued fruits and vegetables as you can.  These nutritional powerhouses offer your body a host of benefits including cancer fighting antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, fiber and a plethora of health promoting phytonutrients.  A good rule of thumb is to try to fill at least half of your plate with fruit and vegetables at each meal.  In particular, leafy greens pack a powerful nutritional punch.

Eat Mindfully:  Mindful eating is eating with attention to the food you are putting in your mouth.  It allows you to be fully present in the experience of eating.  It requires you to pay attention to the sight, sound, texture, flavors and taste of your food.  Put aside the phones, computers, newspapers and TV’s so you can listen to the cues your body is providing about satiety, making it more likely you will stop eating before you become over full.

Sit less:  Dr. Mike Lara asks his patients to think about sitting less instead of exercising more.  An important distinction because for many, the idea of exercise seems like a daunting task but most everyone can think about sitting less.  The trick is to avoid staying stationary for long periods of time.  Moving around activates the large muscle groups in your legs and back helping burn calories and keep blood sugar in balance.  Scientists are now recommending you try to stand up and move around every thirty minutes throughout the day.

What do you think makes for vibrant health?

Added to Live it Up blog hop.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

Finished pancakes about to be slathered with peanut butter.

Finished pancakes about to be slathered with peanut butter.

I love the Fall because it signals to me that I should start eating pumpkin again.  Now, I love just about any squash but there is something so yummy about pumpkin.  I also really love breakfast.  In fact, I think it is my most favorite meal of the day!  Imagine my delight when I can combine two things I love in one sitting- breakfast and pumpkin?  It doesn’t get much better than that!  That is why I love this recipe for Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes.  (I made this recipe with butter and eggs but it is really easy to convert to a vegan recipes by substituting coconut oil for the butter and flax eggs for the chicken eggs.)

These pancakes are amazing because they combine tons of different warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg- perfect to warm and nourish the body on these cold winter days.   These spices signal to me that the holidays are right around the corner!

Ground oats.

Ground oats.

I used my food processor to grind my oats to make the oat flour.  As you can see they still had some oat texture to them.  ( I found when I made subsequent batches that my Magic Bullet NutriBullet worked like a dream to produce really fine oat flour.)  You have to decide if you want your pancakes to have more texture to them or if you prefer a more traditional finely ground flour.  Also, if you have someone in your life with gluten issues, be sure your oats say gluten free on the package. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Whole Grain Rolled Oats is an excellent brand.

We Ingredients.

Wet Ingredients.

I love the amazingly vibrant color of the wet ingredients in this photo.  You always hear about “Eating the rainbow” to maximize health.  When I  look at this picture, I can just imagine all the healthy beta carotene headed into my body with every bite of pancake!   Extremely high in fiber and low in calories, pumpkin is loaded with disease-fighting nutrients, including potassium, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and vitamins C and E.

Wet and dry ingredients together.

Wet and dry ingredients together.

Pancakes on the griddle.

Pancakes on the griddle.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

Ingredients

  • 1 cups of gluten- free oats
  • zest of half lemon
  • 2 tbs of coconut sugar
  • 1/2 tsp of baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp of salt
  • 1 tsp of cinnamon
  • 1 tsp of ginger
  • 1/4 tsp of cloves
  • 1/4 tsp of nutmeg
  • 1 tbs of flax seed ground
  • 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
  • 1/2 cup of milk (I used almond)
  • 2 tbs of butter or coconut oil
  • 2 eggs (could use flax eggs)

Instructions

  1. Place oats in food processor or NutriBullet to grind to flour.
  2. Mix all dry ingredients together.
  3. In seperate bowl, mix all wet ingredients including pumpkin.
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.
  5. Stir well.
  6. Cook pancakes on well greased griddle or in a pan. Flipping only after first side is well browned.
  7. These are dense, thick pancakes so they take a little while to cook.
  8. Serve with maple syrup. (In my house, we add a generous dose of nut butter too!)
  9. Enjoy!
http://www.nourishedrootspdx.com/blog/gluten-free-pumpkin-pie-pancakes/

This recipe adapted from Cookie and Kate.

This post contains affiliate links.

Tiny Tip Tuesday: Buying Organic

 

The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fourteen

The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fourteen

People often lament to me the high cost of organic fruits and vegetables.  I definitely feel their pain.  I know my grocery bill has significantly increased since I began focusing on buying organic.  However, I do feel buying organic is important to decrease our exposure to harmful toxins for ourselves, the environment and the farmers growing our food.  But what if it is just not financially feasible for you to buy everything organic?  Are there some specific areas you should focus on?

When working with clients, I ask them to think about a few different areas when deciding to buy organic.  For products that you or your children consume on a daily basis, buying organic, if at all possible, is definitely advisable.  When my boys were little, they consumed volumes of milk on a daily basis so this was an product I tried to always buy organic (or at least hormone free).  Think carefully about your overall diet and switch those items that make a daily appearance to organic.

Also, items that are higher up on the food chain like meat are important to buy organic.  Livestock that is fed a conventional diet of corn and other grains have greater exposure to the toxic pesticides used on their food.  These pesticides are then concentrated in fat of the meat you eat.  Also, animals allowed to graze on their normal diet of grass have greater amounts of the natural healing omega-3s.  I recognize organic meat can be expensive so I have started making meat more of an accent in my meals instead of the main ingredient.  This approach saves me money and increases my consumption of healthy fruits and vegetables.

Finally, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) puts out a list of the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen every year.  The Dirty Dozen lists the fruits and vegetable which contained a number of different pesticide residues and showed high concentrations of pesticides relative to other produce items.  Relatively few pesticides were detected on the fruits and vegetables on the Clean Fifteen list, and tests found low total concentrations of pesticides.   If you are rationing your grocery store dollars, focusing on buying the fruits and vegetables from the Dirty Dozen list may be your best bet.  Checkout the info graphic at the beginning of the article for your complete list. (You might notice that my list is only a Clean Fourteen.  The EWG’s list contained sweet corn.  In the last year, GMO corn has begun appearing on our grocery shelves.   I would advise buying organic corn to ensure you are avoiding a GMO product.)

Beautiful graphic created by KCK Creative Market.

Dark Chocolate Oat and Seed Snacks

Chocolaty oaty goodness!

Chocolaty oaty goodness!

When I was a kid, occasionally my mom would make Chocolate Chow Mein Noodle Cookies.  I, of course, thought they were the bomb and gave no thought to all the processed ingredients in the noodles or conventional chocolate chips!  I still often feel a nostalgia for some of the “treats” of my childhood but now I have begun to look for ways to make them healthier.  This recipe came out of that nostalgia.

I knew I wanted to keep the feeling of the noodles covered with chocolate but without the unhealthy fat you get from using a fried noodle.  I decided to use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Oats  to take the place of the noodles.  Also,  I wanted to incorporate more protein and healthy omega-3’s in this snack so I added Trader Joe’s Organic Tricolor Quinoa,  Navitas Naturals Organic Raw Chia Seeds,  and  Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts.  I added cinnamon for its blood sugar balancing and anti-inflammatory properties and cardamom to aid in digestion.  Finally, instead of using regular milk chocolate, I  switched to Newman’s Own Organic Premium Chocolate Bar, 70% for all the heart healthy flavonoids that come with dark chocolate.  These were VERY  easy to whip up and don’t require any baking!

Everything all mixed up and ready to go in the muffin tins.

Everything all mixed up and ready to go in the muffin tins.

I made sure to press hard on the oat mixture as I added it to each tin so all the ingredients would be compressed and hold together better.

Chocolate oat mixture before it hits the fridge.

Chocolate oat mixture before it hits the fridge.

I have to admit, I wasn’t sure how these would end up.  I worried the oats wouldn’t offer the same feel as the fried noodles.  However, between the oats and the seeds you still got the feel of crunchy, chocolaty goodness!  These turned out super yummy!  Unfortunately, this recipe only produced 7 treats so the next time I make them, I am going to be sure to double the recipe!  (These are best stored in the fridge because the chocolate tends to melt quickly.)

Treats all ready to eat.

Treats all ready to eat.

Dark Chocolate Oat and Seed Snacks

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup of oats
  • 2 tbs of quinoa, toasted
  • 1 tbs of chia seeds
  • 1/4 cup of hemp seeds
  • 1/4 cup of dried cherries
  • 1/3 cup of coconut oil
  • 2 tbs of cocoa powder
  • 4 squares of dark chocolate
  • 2 tsp of cinnamon
  • 1 tsp of cardamon
  • a dash of salt, to taste
  • 1-2 tsp of maple syrup, use to taste

Instructions

  1. Toast quinoa in a dry pan.
  2. Shake pan often to keep from sticking and/or burning.
  3. Remove from fire when quinoa is lightly toasted.
  4. Put chocolate, coconut oil and cocoa powder in double boiler and melt over light heat.
  5. Once melted, stir in the cinnamon, salt, maple syrup and cardamon.
  6. Taste to see if sweet enough for your taste. If not, add more maple syrup.
  7. Once combined, stir in the oats, quinoa, chia seeds, hemp seeds and dried cherries.
  8. Stir until all the dried ingredients are covered with chocolate.
  9. Spoon "dough" into lined muffin cups.
  10. Place in fridge to set.
  11. These will keep best in the fridge.
http://www.nourishedrootspdx.com/blog/dark-chocolate-oat-and-seed-snacks/

This post contains affiliate links.

This post was added to Fiesta Fridays.

Tiny Tip Tuesday: 4 Tips for A Healthier You

 

Four Tips for a Healthier Diet.

Four Tips for a Healthier Diet.

It seems there is a lot of contradictory information out there about healthy diets.  Many people have incredibly strong feelings about how they fuel their bodies and they are not afraid to share their opinions.  It can be hard to keep up with the latest research because the information is always changing.  One minute, carbs are good- the next, carbs are bad.  First you hear, don’t eat fat then you hear eat all the fat you want. It can be confusing because new research is always being released.  However, here are 4 tiny tips I think most everyone can agree on.

  1. Eat whole foods.   Try to make the majority of calories you consume come from whole foods.  Eat foods you recognize with a minimum of ingredients- all of which you can pronounce.  Avoid food that comes in a box or package.  Food in its natural state is the best.
  2. Eat healthy fats.  Your body needs fat to survive.  Fat is necessary for absorption of the fat soluble vitamins D, E, K and A, for insulation for your organs and to help keep your body warm.  Fat helps produce hormones and biochemicals and is in every cell in the body.  However, not all fat is healthy.  Avoid trans fats like those found in baked goods or processed foods.  Get your fats from real food sources like seeds, nuts, avocados, fatty fish, meat and eggs.
  3. Eat a variety of foods every day.  Try to eat as many different colors of natural foods as possible. Blue blueberries, red apples, dark green leafy greens, vibrant orange butternut squash and purple eggplant all offer different essential vitamins and minerals.
  4. Move your body.   The Center for Disease Control recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and muscle strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week.  These recommendations do not mean you have to go sweat it out in the gym- any kind of activity which gets your heart rate up will qualify.  It doesn’t matter if it is gardening, running, boot camp or ballroom dancing. Just be sure to choose something you like so you are motivated to keep doing it.  Consistency is key!!

Photo by Alex Lomas on flickr.

 

Chocolate Cherry Chia 24 Hour Oats

Cherries.

Cherries.

Healthy Chia Seeds.

Healthy Chia Seeds.

Every Friday morning, I sweat my way through  an amazing boot camp class at The Refinery here in Portland.  Each week features a different series of moves designed to torture us.  While I am usually exhausted by the end of it, I LOVE it!  It is fun, challenging and awesome to see what my body can and can’t do each week.  Before each class, I have to think carefully about how I am going to fuel my body to get through the workout.  I don’t want to be too weighed down but also want to be sure I have enough fuel to finish.  The last few weeks, I have been relying on versions of  24 hour oats.  With cherry season upon us, these Chocolate Cherry Chia Oats are my new favorite.

All the ingredients before adding the almond milk.

All the ingredients before adding the almond milk.

I added a scoop of vegan vanilla protein powder to my oats because I wanted the extra protein with such a hard workout but you can leave it out if you aren’t interested in extra protein.

We use this protein powder Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein, 622 Grams.

Shaken Oats Ready to Go In the Fridge.

Shaken Oats Ready to Go In the Fridge.

These oats are great because you prep them the night before and then just grab them and go in the morning.  They offer healthy omega-3 fats with the chia seeds, fiber filled oats and a dose of Vitamin C from the cherries.  As you can see from the picture below, it is not a pretty breakfast but it sure tastes good.

Oats ready to eat after 24 hours in the fridge.

Oats ready to eat after 24 hours in the fridge.

Chocolate Cherry Chia 24 Hour Oats

Ingredients

  • 3 tbs of oats
  • 2 tbs of chia seeds
  • 1 tbs of cacao powder
  • 1 tbs of protein powder (optional)
  • shake or two of cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup of pitted and chopped cherries
  • 1 cup of vanilla almond milk or milk of your choice
  • Maple syrup or other sweetener to taste

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a mason jar.
  2. Cover.
  3. Shake until well combined.
  4. (You may have to open and stir with a spoon to be sure everything gets mixed together.)
  5. Place in the fridge overnight.
  6. In the morning, add sweetener of choice and enjoy.
http://www.nourishedrootspdx.com/blog/chocolate-cherry-chia-24-hour-oats/

I usually add a couple of tablespoons of some sort of nut butter for even more flavor and protein.  You can omit it if you want or use whatever type of nut butter you have on hand.

This post shared with Live, Laugh, RoweThe Nourishing Gourmet, A Glimpse InsideUrban Naturale, Rock My Vegan Socks, Fat TuesdayMary’s Kitchen, Girl Meets Nourishement and Homespun Oasis.

This post contains affiliate links.

Tiny Tip Tuesday: Eat Some Fat

Photo by GK Davie on Flickr.

Photo by GK Davie on Flickr.

For most of the Eighties and Nineties, fat was considered something to be avoided at all costs.  People went to great lengths to replace fat in their food, often by adding sugar and other fillers to replace the taste and satiety feeling fat provides.  Luckily, however, fat is beginning to make a comeback in our diet.  Research has repeatedly demonstrated that  fat is necessary to our health, particularly omega 3 fatty acids.  Omega -3’s are an essential fatty acid, meaning our body cannot produce them on it’s own.  These inflammation fighting fats must be obtained from our diet.  Two crucial ones, EPA and DHA, are primarily found in certain fish and pasture raised beef. ALA, another omega-3 fatty acid which can be converted to EPA and DHA in the body, is found in plant sources such as nuts and seeds.  The benefits of omega-3s are well documented in the scientific literature.

  • Fish oil supplements seem to help with rheumatoid arthritis by decreasing stiffness and joint pain.
  • Omega-3’s may protect against heart disease and stroke.
  • DHA is important for visual and neurological development in infants.
  • Fish oil supplements seem to help combat depression and can be important in the fight against postpartum depression.  It seems to increase the effectiveness of some antidepressants.
  • Omega-3’s may also help in the treatment of ADHD and dementia.

Now that the benefits of Omega-3’s are obvious, you may be wondering how to increase this necessary substance in your diet.  Scientists recommend trying to get your omega-3’s from your food not through supplementation.  Salmon, tuna, anchovies, herring, blue fish, lake trout, grass fed beef, eggs from pasture raised chickens, sturgeon and sardines are all good sources. (However, with the concerns about methyl mercury in fish experts recommend you limit your exposure to large, predatory fish to no more than 7 oz a week- less if you are pregnant or a child.)  Vegetarian sources of  omega-3’s include flax seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts, cauliflower, purslane, perilla oil and chia seeds.  Unfortunately, it is unclear if these vegetarian sources provide as many of the benefits as non-vegetarian sources.  Most vegetarian sources contain ALA which our body must then convert into DHA and EPA to reap the benefits.  It is estimated that as little as only 5% of ALA actually gets converted by the body.  Supplementation may be necessary for vegans and vegetarians to meet all their omega- 3 needs.

With all this compelling information about the amazing benefits of including healthy, tasty fats in your diet, tell me how you plan to ensure you are meeting your need for omega-3’s.

This post shared with Richly Rooted, Homespun Oasis, Urban Naturale and A Glimpse Inside.

Pistachio Nut Butter Stuffed Dates

Nut butter stuffed Dates

Nut butter stuffed Dates

I am always searching for the quick snack that is the perfect blend of salty and sweet-ready on a whim and easy to grab and go.  These pistachio nut butter stuffed dates meet those requirements.  They  are so easy to make and can be adjusted to include any nut butter you have on hand.  Don’t like pistachios?  Make yourself a walnut butter for a blast of healthy omega-3’s.  Have a jar of almond butter that has been hanging around for awhile?  Grab it, stuff it in some dates and chow down.

I find these dates a perfect snack for pre and post workout.  The nut butter provides a hit of protein for muscle recovery, while the dates give a blast of sugar to help fuel your workout.  ( Even though dates have sugar, they are considered a low GI food because they provide both some protein and fiber to slow the absorption of the sugar.  They are also a good source of  Vitamin B6 and the minerals Potassium, Copper and  Manganese.)

I happened to have pistachios on hand so I decided to make a pistachio nut butter.  However, any nut will do.  I also decided to add some ground flax seed to add some healthy omega- 3s.

Flax seeds ready for grinding.

Flax seeds ready for grinding.

I pre-ground the flax seed in a coffee grinder because I find my food processor has a difficult time grinding them finely. dates

Pistachio Nut Butter Stuffed Dates

Ingredients

  • Pitted dates
  • 1 cup of pistachios
  • 1/4 cup of ground flax seeds
  • 3 tsp cacao powder
  • 1/4 tsp of salt (taste your butter and adjust based on your taste)
  • 1 1/2 tbs of melted coconut oil (more if needed)
  • coconut for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Grind your flax seeds.
  2. Slice dates down the middle but not all the way through. You want them to open up but not break in two pieces.
  3. Put pistachios, cacao and salt in food processor.
  4. Begin to grind nuts.
  5. Stop to scrape down sides as needed.
  6. Add oil and flax seeds.
  7. Grind some more.
  8. Nuts will gradually break down and form a crumb texture. Continue grinding until crumbs begin to stick together and a nut butter forms. This may take a few minutes.
  9. Carefully spread nut butter in the inside of the dates.
  10. Sprinkle with coconut.
  11. Enjoy!
http://www.nourishedrootspdx.com/blog/pistachio-nut-butter-stuffed-dates/

What nut butter would you like to try?

Shared with Food Renegade, Today’s Creative Blog, Six Sisters Stuff, A Southern Fairy Tale  and The Idea Room.

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