Eating For Health

Many people love spicy foods.   Did you know that adding some spices to your foods is actually good for your health?   Not only do spices have almost no calories, they add lots of health benefits.   A class activity I did with students was to modify a lasagna recipe to make it healthier.   One group of students took out all the spices thinking this somehow made the lasagna healthier.   A good learning opportunity as we then discussed how you want to ADD SPICES to your day for good health.    Why are spices healthy? Think antioxidants , those healthy chemicals in plant foods.   There are over 100 different spices and these not only are a source of antioxidants but a concentrated source of antioxidants.   Different spices provide a varying array of antioxidants.   Health benefits of spices can include being anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, helping to lower glucose and cholesterol levels, and even boost your mood and brain function. Jo...

This Fall how can you eat to boost your immune system?   What foods should you be adding to your day or week?   Fall and winter may bring on colds, the flu, and other infections.   Are there foods you can eat to help boost your immune system?   Besides the traditional chicken soup and hot tea that many recommend, what other foods can give your immune system a boost?    Can some foods really give your immune system a boost? No one food will prevent you from getting sick.   But eating foods full of the vitamins and minerals your immune system needs, will help give your immune system a boost and may help prevent an illness and help you recover faster if you do get sick.   Doctor Cassandra Calabrese says , “There’s no doubt that a healthy diet improves your immunity to illness.   What you put in your body is important for your overall health, including your immune system.”   What are some foods to stock up on to give your immune system...

Who isn’t talking about the coronavirus?   We just got back from the store and carts were loaded up with bottles of water and cleaning supplies.   But are there foods you can eat that are anti-viral foods?   How about boosting your immune system?   What foods should you be putting in your shopping cart? MSN has a good article , “ Coronavirus:   Anti-viral foods to build immunity and keep diseases away” .   There is even a short video to watch called, “Boosting Immunity to Prevent ‘Coronavirus’ Infection”.   What foods should you be putting in your shopping cart to boost your immunity?     1. Garlic – considered a “powerful anti-viral” food.   Easy to add some chopped garlic to food dishes.                   2 .   Resveratrol – you may have heard of resveratrol as an anti-aging agent.   But is also helps fight fungal infections, “stress, and injury”.   ...

Are there foods that can fight inflammation?   In the nutrition classes I teach, students often ask what foods are anti-inflammatory.   Livestrong has a great article on Inflammation-Fighting Foods to Eat Every Day .   Another great resource is WebMD at: 11 Food Do's and Don'ts to Tame Inflammation Why fight inflammation?   Inflammation isn’t all bad as it is a way for our bodies to respond to an injury or infection.   But chronic inflammation can lead to more serious problems.   Inflamed arteries can make way for heart attacks or strokes.   Others try anti-inflammatory diets for help with arthritis pain.   What foods cause inflammation? Just as there are anti-inflammatory foods, there are foods that contribute to inflammation.   According to Livestrong, these foods include: o    Fried foods, especially foods fried in lard or hydrogenated oils. o    Foods high in added sugar such as candy, sugared soda. ...